New Year's Eve

Rain, rain and more rain today are making for a soggy bonfire area. We may need to punt and have the fire in the firepit on the patio instead--who wants to wade mud and sit in the rain and cold? Not me. At least on the patio we'll be out of the mud!

Still, a fire we must have to burn all the troubles sent to us in the past few days. A good hot fire, to make sure all are burned to ash and blown away.

If you have not yet sent in your troubles to be burned in our fire (with a prayer sent up with the smoke), then email me at susannaholstein@yahoo.com and I'll be sure to add yours to the pile.

To all my readers, a safe, peaceful and happy New Year.

The Secret of Happiness

Listening to Public Radio this morning, the announcer mentioned an upcoming show on which celebrities will be telling us how to find the secret of happiness.

After listening to the advertisement I wondered, what could Katie Couric or any of the other celebrities on the show have to tell me about finding happiness? Why would a celebrity be considered an authority on the topic anyway? I am not picking on Katie C. I'm sure she's a nice lady, but the thing is, I don't know her. Is she happy? By whose measure?

And what by the way would be the measuring stick used for happiness? Would it be riches or fame? Fast cars or long life? Does the word happiness even mean the same thing for each person?

A storyteller named Joel ben Izzy wrote a book several years ago called The Beggar King and the Secret of Happiness. A friend gave me a copy in the dark days after my mother's death, and it was just what I needed to read at the time. I have since bought and given away several copies of this book that shares the story of Izzy's journey through depression when he lost his voice. The message of his story, interwoven with the tale of the beggar king, is one we all need to hear--to learn to accept what is, to appreciate the life we have while we continue to strive. Izzy's version of happiness is close to my own, and his book put me back on the path to my own place of light.

The radio ad brought all this to mind and I once again considered what the word really means. The Merriam-Webster online dictionary defines it as "a : a state of well-being and contentment : joy," or "b : a pleasurable or satisfying experience."

Ah!

Contentment and well-being. Those words have little to do with riches and fame, at least in my world. Contentment is sitting on the porch in my rocker and looking out at our burgeoning gardens, or watching grandchildren disappearing into the woods on an adventure. It's hot tea in a china cup and hot coffee in my travel mug. It's seeing snowfall and a fire leaping in the fireplace. It's my husband's smiling face as he fixes breakfast in the morning for the two of us. It's little things.

And well-being? The sense of being loved and of loving, the knowing that I am in my right place in this world, and that all those I love are also doing well, that to me is well-being. Good health plays a role certainly. The basics of survival--food, shelter, water, and love--are the also the basis of well-being. Wealth and celebrity do not provide well-being; security and support do.

Perhaps I over-simplify but I am a simple woman and my needs and wants are down-to-earth. I missed the radio show so I will never know what Katie advises on the topic and I'm not feeling like I have deprived myself of great knowledge by not hearing her take on it. I have defined happiness in my own terms.

But what about you? What is your secret to happiness?

Book Review: How to Sew a Button and Other Nifty Things Your Grandmother Knew

Some books just need to be written, and to be written at a specific time. Erin Bried's book, How to Sew a Button is a prime example.

Readers of this blog know that I am all about self-sufficiency. I was fortunate enough to be raised by a mother who lived through World War II in rural England. Mom knew how to do and make do and she never un-learned those lessons. We were taught to sew at a young age, first edging handkerchiefs and then moving on to make aprons, curtains, skirts and eventually our own wedding dresses. Mom could make a roast of beef last almost an entire week, even for our family of thirteen children.

My mother would have been a prime candidate to be one of the grandmothers who advised Bried as she wrote this book of how-to hints that cover everything from cooking a whole chicken (although she does not tell you how to actually kill and dress the bird) to building a fire, sharpening a knife, unclogging a toilet, and yes, sewing on a button.

Bried was not raised to do-it-herself. After college she landed a good job at Self magazine and lived the life of one who has others take care of things. She candidly admits that she never balanced a checkbook or developed a household budget. Reading the introduction, I found myself either laughing aloud or gasping in disbelief. It's difficult for me to grasp that there really are people who do not know how to do the things I consider basic to survival--like cooking, sewing, and gardening.

And yet.

There are more people living in urban areas today than there are in the country, and more people who were raised in suburban settings with two working parents. The stay-home mother is not so commonplace now, and even those who do stay home may not have had mothers or grandmothers who still practiced the ages-old household arts.

And that is what inspired Bried to write this book. She realized that she didn't know how to do the most basic things, like sewing on a button. And she knew she was not alone. Since her grandmothers had passed away many years ago, she recruited some women who had survived the Great Depression to advise and teach. Her education is the basis for her book, and there will be many women who will thank her for writing it.

Today frugality is all the rage. I admit I laugh when I read blogs that espouse "frugality" by telling readers about great deals to be had at various big-box stores or online sources. The truly frugal know that saving is not about spending, it's about using what you have on hand. There is another level of frugality, however, that does not just make do, it does so elegantly and with style so that life is enriched in the process.

This isn't just a book about housekeeping, however. Relationship in need of help? Baby won't go to sleep? Need to find no-cost entertainment? Bried offers suggestions and helpful advice on all of these topics too, recognizing that too often we look to the outside for solutions that might be within our own homes and hearts.

How to Sew a Button will help readers do-it-themselves in a creative, relaxed and entertaining manner. Feeling stressed about that chicken? Drink another glass of wine, Bried advises. Snake in your garden? After you chase it out, share your tale of bravery with your friends and get a cat. (You wanted one anyway, right?)

For an old homesteader like me, there's not a lot of new information in How to Sew a Button. But for those who weren't raised by a frugal mother or grandmother or who haven't spent years in the country, this book could well become an indispensable guidebook into the mysteries of the simple life.


How to Sew a Button
Ballantine Books; December 15, 2009
ISBN-10: 0345518756
ISBN-13: 978-0345518750
$15.00

A Christmas Day Surprise

Do you ever get one of those surprises that just makes your day?

The phone rang Christmas morning and I answered it, expecting it to be one of my sons or perhaps one of my sisters on the line.

Instead, it was the creator of the blog Chinese Folktales, Fred Lobb, calling to wish me a Merry Christmas. It was a pleasure to hear his voice and be able now to read his blog with his voice in my mind.

If you have not visited Fred's blog, take a minute to stop by. Fred translates stories from the Chinese and most are stories that are new to me. What intrigues me most is that these tales do not necessarily wrap up tidily, or at least it seems that way to my Western mind. So the reader is left to decide if right did indeed triumph (and even more interesting, what is right?) or if the "hero" really is that, or something more complicated.

Then there are the proverbs (Fred posted a new group of them just recently). Anyone who's read my blog for a while knows how much I like folk sayings, and the Chinese have a wealth of them apparently. Like this one, from his recent post: "Reputation is to people what bark is to trees. (Both reputation and bark protect and insulate their respective hosts.)"


As a storyteller, I appreciate the stories; as a folklorist and librarian, I like the citations to sources and other information about the stories and folklore posted at Chinese Folktales. Much of what we find online is unsourced and therfore (in my opinion) not reliable information. When I read Fred's blog, I know he's done his homework.

Thank you, Fred, for the great blog and the Christmas surprise! I look forward to another year of good stories and interesting posts at your blog.

The New Year's Bonfire

As we do every year, we will be burning a bonfire to light in the New Year.

We will write our troubles onto bits of paper and toss them into the flames so that we can start the new year free of old burdens.

And as we do every year, we invite all our friends and acquaintances to send us their troubles to add to the flames. If you'd like to participate, send an email to susannaholstein@yahoo.com and I will print it out and toss it into the fire for you. You do not need to tell me your problems if you prefer not to--simply send a message saying "burn this" and that will be just fine. No one but me will see your note in any case.

In past years we've had messages from as far away as Australia and New Zealand. Please feel free to share this invitation with your friends and family.

Home Again--What a Boxing Day!

In England, Boxing Day is the day after Christmas (also St. Stephen's Day). When I was a child I was confused by the notion of boxing the day after Christmas--I was pretty sure it had to do with siblings fighting about their presents. When I asked Mom about it, she explained that Boxing Day is the day you box up food and gifts and go visiting. Her definition was not exactly the same as more official versions, but it made sense to me.

My parents traditionally had open house on Christmas evening. Friends and family came all evening to eat, sing, talk and generally have a good time. The big dining table would be laden with good things to eat--eggnog, fruitcake, mince pies, sausage rolls, cookies, tarts and all manner of things not part of our normal diet. And we could eat as much of it as we wanted. It was amazing. Aunt Doris and Uncle Al (not our real relatives, but friends of our parents) would come with their sons. Uncle Bill and Aunt Thelma (or was it Theresa?), also not real relatives, would come, and he would be a bit tipsy as he sat at the piano playing carols and singing. These friends usually brought small gifts for each of us children so we adored them. Our uncles sometimes came with their children, neighbors stopped in, and if our Dad's parents were in from Texas or Louisiana or wherever they were living or traveling at the time, they came with with our funny Aunt Ellen. Everyone would be dressed up, and the evening did not end until long after us children were sent to bed.

My parents continued the tradition, although as they aged it narrowed down pretty much to just us--their children and grandchildren. After I moved to West Virginia, I was seldom able to be there because our mountain roads and our wood stove don't allow us to go far from home in winter. After my parents passed away, my sister Mary continued the tradition at her home, and this year, Julie took on the party.

Since the weather looked reasonable for the weekend, Larry and I decided yesterday morning to make the 12-hour round trip to be at the party. Our nephew Brian is heading to Afghanistan soon and he was in from California for the weekend, and that was even more reason to go.

We had a very good time. I took no pictures at the party because I was too busy having a good time but I am hoping someone else had the presence of mind to take a few. Eleven of the thirteen brothers and sisters were there, along with numerous nieces and nephews. There was much food, much talk and much laughter. Basically it went like this: six and a half hour trip; nine-hours of party; seven hours of sleep; six-hour trip home.

The drive was beautiful. Last weekend's heavy snow was still lingering in most places so the views were just spectacular. I took many photos as we whizzed along (Larry was not in a let's-stop-an-take-some-pictures-mood!). Here are few shots from the trip:


The melting snow led to some foggy conditions in the mountains:

Snow outlined the hills but the driver (Larry) was fortunately busy watching the road while I took photos.

Seneca Rocks was beautiful in its snow dressing, and fog obscuring the tops of the mountains behind the Rocks:
At Moorefield this mountain looked like Mount Olympia as it rose through the fog:

Homeward bound: Same mountain from a different angle on a clear day:

Again near Moorefield:
Crossing the South Branch of the Potomac (I think? George or Matthew, is this right?):

Frost rimed the trees as we neared Petersburg:

And so to home....what a beautiful state this is.

Merry Christmas!

From our front porch to yours, best wishes for a bright and joyful Christmas!

Christmas Eve

No, it's not snowing today. These photos are from our snowfall last weekend, and I have yet to post most of those. These two look like Christmas, don't they?


Today was to be a baking and cooking day, but we were surprised with another power outage this morning. So it turned into a trip to town for breakfast at our favorite little place, a visit with our favorite antique dealer, a trip to Goodwill to browse, and then back home to find the power back on--and the shower running because I'd been in it when the electric went off and forgot to turn the water off! Our water comes from our well, so no power=no water. When it came back on, the water came on too. Oops.

I've been cleaning and baking since then, trying a couple new recipes and enjoying a slow, quiet time with Larry. He's cleaning silver now--what a guy. I didn't get the pies baked so that's on the agenda for tomorrow, barring any more power outages. The snow is melting, rain or freezing rain is predicted, but whatever the weather, Christmas will come and it will be merry and bright.

Back to the kitchen. Peace and blessings to you all!

Winter Etheree

Re-using yesterday's photo with today's poem:

light
muted
pale pastel
under piled white
mounds on greenery
scented pine and hemlock
coated with white snow frosting
Solstice fire gleams in tiny flames
as candles beam their delicate light
across a landscape frozen, mute, serene

Wordless Wednesday: Snow Lights

From my morning and evening commutes:

Chocolate-Orange Biscotti

I planned to do a major part of my holiday baking on Saturday, but the weather outsmarted me. Sunday we had planned to go out-of-town but the weather kept us home from that too. So we outsmarted the weather and baked on Sunday instead.

This was my first attempt to make biscotti, and I don't plan to wait too long before I make it again. I found the recipe in a cookbook I bought at the library's used book sale. There are so many good recipes in there I could probably make cookies once a week all year and never repeat one.

Two-Tone Biscotti from Better Homes and Gardens Cookie Classics

(click on this title to go to the book at Amazon.com. There are copies for sale there for seven cents! Amazing).

2/3 cup butter (did we measure exactly? Well no, but this is what the recipe calls for)

1 1/3 cups sugar

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla (we used my homemade--yum)

4 cups all-purpose flour (we used unbleached)

1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate pieces, melted and cooled (we cooled it a little, not much)

1 cup finely chopped hazelnuts ( had black walnuts so we used them instead--delicious!)

1 tablespoon finely shredded orange peel

In a large mixing bowl beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high for 30 seconds (we were at my son's house, no mixer; insert strong arms and much beating). Add sugar, baking powder, and salt; beat until combined. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer (ha!). Stir in remaining flour.

Divide the dough in half. Place half in another bowl. Into half of the dough stir the melted chocolate and 1/2 cup of the nuts. Into the other half of the dough, stir the orange peel and the remaining nuts.

Divide each half of the dough into 3 portions. Withe lightly floured hands, shape each portion into a rope about 14 inches long. Place a rope of each color side by side on an ungreased cookie sheet. Twist ropes around each other several times. Flatten slightly to a 2-inch width. (Well, we missed this twisting and flattening part completely, which might be why some of our loaves didn't hold together well, but separated into two parts--which were still delicious. But mind you do this part--there's a reason for it!). Repeat with other ropes, placing twists about 4 inches apart on the cookie sheet.

Back biscotti in a 375 -degree oven about 25 minutes or until lightly browned, Cool on cookie sheet for 1 hour or until completely cool.

Transfer loaves to a cutting board. Cut each loaf crosswise into 1/2-inch thick slices. Lay slices, cut side down on the cookie sheet. Bake in a 325-degree oven for 10 minutes. Turn the slices over and bake for 10-15 minutes more or until dry and crisp.. Transfer cookies to a wire rack.; cool.

Makes about 70 (delicious!) biscotti.

That's one of the three recipes we tried from this cookbook and I will be making more in the days ahead. The directions are simple and easy to follow, even if I did sort of skip one part. You won't do that. The photos are beautiful. And for SEVEN cents? Good grief, get a copy!

When the Power Goes Off

When the electric lines are coated with snow like this, it's a given that the electricity is going to go out. Which it did Saturday. Even more surprising, it came on after only a twelve hour outage.

What do you do when the electricity is off? We found plenty to keep us busy:

Lit the candles and the kerosene lamps, of course.

Larry cleaned and filled the eight or so kerosene lamps we keep in good working order.

I caught up on a bit of sewing. Every pair of pants and every jacket I buy has to be hemmed it seems, so Saturday was a good time to catch up on a few of them, plus mend the lace tablecloth I'd been meaning to get to.

Cooking is both simpler and more difficult. The woodstove in the living room does double or triple duty when the power is off--provides its usual comforting heat, plus cooks dinner, makes coffee, dries clothes and in this case melts snow to use to flush the toilet. We had ten gallons ready for other uses--cleaning, washing, etc. but used the snow for the toilet.

Larry cleaned widows on the inside and will get to the outside when the weather is better.





The little blue radio on the table kept us supplied with music and weather updates as we worked, and the candles and lamps gave a warm glow after dark.

Votives in the bedroom, placed in front of the mirror, gave double the light and were bright enough for us to see to get ready for bed.

In my office, I worked by lamp and candlelight to organize paperwork, finally catching up on a months-long backlog. I'm still not done but I made a good dent in the pile waiting to be sorted and filled a couple trash cans in the bargain. I am still amazed at how paper can literally swallow an open space in no time at all. Paperless society? When?

When all our work was done, We ate dinner in the log room by the fireplace and Larry got out his little battery powered DVD player so we could watch an old Christmas movie. We went to bed earlier than usual and had just drifted off when lights, radio, and all the other appliances buzzed back into life.

That's how we spent our day. The first day without electricity is usually fun; the second means a little more work--the food in the fridge would have needed to be packed into a cooler or two and put out on the porch to stay cold; we'd have had to melt a lot more snow, and dishes would begin to be more of a chore as we would have had to heat water on the stove to wash them. Hygiene becomes more work too. Three days means laundry might be piling up, more and more snow would need to be melted and cleaning becomes a lot more time-consuming. Heating bath water is a big job. Four days or more and it's serious hunker down and get the basics done and maybe a trip to someone's house to do some laundry and take a real shower. Unless of course, you still can't get out...then it's more grunt work.

We were very lucky this time. Many people are still without power and I feel for them. With the holidays looming, many people will be looking at a slightly different Christmas morning than what they had planned. I hope it will still be merry and bright, and filled with love and laughter, even if everything is not quite as perfect as they might want it to be.

Blarney!

Yvonne Healy is a cultural crossover. Born in Ireland but emigrated to the US with her parents as a young child, she has a foot--and a heart--in both countries. Her new CD, Blarney, weaves her memories of the people and places of both countries into a seamless journey of truth, imaginings, and mythological adventures.

As a cultural blend of England and America myself, I understand the pull of the old traditions and heritage. I was born and raised in the US, but my English mother made certain that we were well grounded in English traditions. Healy's parents, the first on either her mother or father's side to leave the old country, made a new home in America and their young daughter immersed herself in American culture. She forgot the Irish language she once knew, but then she grew up and Ireland called to her in stories.

Listening to Blarney! is like sitting in a pub and hearing story after story, interspersed with a little music. What is true and what is not? The listener must decide. Did her grandfather really come to America once? Was her grandmother truly so outrageous? The people Healy describes come alive--comic, tragic and all-too-human. Her unique voice lends authenticity to folktales of heroes and magic. Healy moves effortlessly from story to story, voice to voice, comic to heroic to touching, taking us on her journey to places she knows well--the Ireland of folklore and the Ireland of her heritage..

Blarney! is filled with stories you will want to listen to again and again. And that's no blarney.

This CD is available on Healy's website, and on CDBaby as a downloadable MP3.

Snow in the Forecast

Snow, they say, is on its way.

Could be true; might be a false alarm.

Plans might have to change.

Every year, the first predictions of major snow cause a flurry of anticipation, dread and preparation, depending on who you are and what your plans might be.

If you live in the country you know what "winter storm warning" means.

• candles and kerosene-check
• extra water stored-check
• snow shovels handy-check
• firewood covered-check
• boots and gloves by the door-check
• tractor chains on-check
• grader blade mounted on said tractor-check
• extra gas in cans-check
• extra toilet paper and animal food stored-check
• extra gallon of milk and bread in the freezer-check
• matches-check
• hot chocolate-check
• popcorn-check
• extra quilts ready-check

Anticipation of beauty and quiet-check

Beyond the Grave News

Since you, my readers, were involved in the naming and planning of this CD, I thought you'd like to know the latest news:

It was exciting to read this review of my CD online.

Then...my first sales at CDBaby.com! CdBaby is an online site that will sell the physical item, or downloads of individual tracks. So you can just buy and listen to Wizard Clipp, Burnt House, Pretty Polly, or any of the other stories and ballads on the CD.


And of course, you know there is still plenty of time to order a CD for Christmas giving. Buy it here by clicking the button to the right (it's an easy process, I promise) and you can tell me who to mail it to and if you'd like it autographed or giftwrapped.

Next steps: sending out review copies to print and online reviewers, and sending our promotional material to libraries. Making the CD is only the beginning--the real work starts after it's done, as I'm sure any writers reading this know.

(If you have a blog and would like to review my CD, please let me know in the comments below or email me and I will contact you to make mailing arrangements.)

Now back to our regularly scheduled blog...

Wordless Wednesday: This Time Last Year

Microfiction Monday: The Lone Ranger Rides Again

"No one will recognize me in this disguise," he thought.

"Who is that?"

"W. He's lookin' for bin Laden, but bin Laden isn't in Waco Texas."

My Funny Little Tree

It's bare on the back and fairly sparse everywhere else. It has branches that stick way out and branches tight to the trunk. The top was hard to identify at first and the branches bend easily with the weight of ornaments.


I love it. I wanted a tree from the woods this year, a little wildling that would not be perfect or so full I couldn't hang ornaments on it. This one was growing on an old gas line right-of-way and it fit all my criteria pretty well. I would have preferred a more perfect shape, but then my own shape isn't so perfect so who am I to judge?

For the past 5 years we've had an artificial tree because my allergies were so bad we were removing all potential causes. It took a while to realize that the main culprit was our little cocker spaniel, and even longer for my allergies to settle down to the point where one pill a day is all I need for control. This year, I wanted a live tree again. And not one from a tree lot. So Larry and I went for a walk a couple weeks ago and found this little guy. He's just what I wanted.

Got your tree up yet? What kind do you have this year? Has anyone tried a "twig" tree--one with no needles at all?

Trimmings

Yesterday was D Day here--decorating day for Christmas. While I didn't get finished (the tree will go up today) I did get a good bit done. The outside lights were up two weeks ago; yesterday we added the greens.

It seems odd to put up Christmas decorations when the grass is still green, but it's been an unusual autumn, hasn't it? Only one snowfall so far.

On the porch, the rainy wet day isn't a problem for the greenery.

Some porch plants are still living. So odd ,especially after the recent 15-degree nights. This planter adds its green to the red door for a simple touch.

Looking out from the log room on today's gray, cold drizzle. It's toasty warm inside by the fire, though.

I've noticed that over the years my decorating taste has changed. Nowadays I use more natural decorations--evergreens, wreaths, apple and orange garlands, fruits, and live poinsettias. I am also using more fabrics--table covers, pillows, wall hangings, etc. Many of the things I have out year-round fit the holiday color schemes anyway. So it's easier to do, but messier too, because pine boughs do shed and fabrics need laundering.

I like warm reds and golds and deep greens for Christmas. Traditional colors. I am still surprised when I see lime-green ornaments and wrapping paper. That's a summer color to me! I suppose in parts of the world it is summer, so maybe that's why we're seeing more of it? I like the deep cranberry reds too, but they would certainly look odd beside lime green.

I suppose I'm old-fashioned in my tastes. Christmas time reminds me of my mother's absolute delight in the holidays--the old ornaments and decorations that were re-used year after year, the special baked treats only made at this time of year, the traditions she continued from her childhood that have now become part of my holiday routine as well.

The new colors--pinks, silver, cool greens and orange-reds--are probably right at home in some places, and I admire the magazine spreads showing daring new takes on the season. That's for other people, though--at my house, it will always be a simple, country Christmas with the old carols, lots of pine, and the smell of fruitcake and cinnamon in the air.