Covid Journal, Day 283: Blessings of Family

23 and clear this morning. We had about 4" of snow for Christmas Day, with temperatures never reaching 20 degrees. Down to the teens that night, then yesterday, even colder. Now it's up to about 49 and the sun is shining, melting the snow and ice.

What a beautiful, blessed holiday we had here. After months of not seeing family, we were finally able to be together for a short time. It's been wonderful, as you can imagine.

We picked up our youngest son, Tommy, at the airport in Charleston just as the rain changed to snow. 

The drive home was very snowy, with icy roads as the temperatures had dropped precipituously. But all was well, and we came in to light the fire and talk and talk and talk.

In the morning, we were greeted by such beauty.

Christmas morning we had a leisurely breakfast, then our 3rd son, Derek, arrived, and soon after came his 2 daughters, son and his grandson. We had a grand time talking and exchanging gifts, and of course, eating. All the cooking and baking I'd done during the week came into good use. The grandkids insisted on eggnog so we made a big batch. The fire burned merrily, the lights twinkled, and it was as nice a Christmas as I can remember.

After multiple attempts, a group photo. 

This brought back memories--wet boots, gloves, coats, snow melting...so much like when all my boys were young and we had a snowy day.

A few sad remained, as the eggnog get ready to be consumed, with or without brandy, depending on age and inclination.

Then yesterday, Boxing Day, my oldest son, his wife and daughter came. They drove all the way across snowy, icy West Virginia to spend about 6 hours with us before heading back across the mountains. So we had three of our four sons with us yesterday, along with several of their children,and of course little Ryland, our great-grandson/Derek's grandson. Granddaughter Grace brought a beautiful basket with a pineapple, cookies and cake she'd made, lovely rolls, and summer sausage. More good eating commenced. I got our the ham, venison pot roast, chili, potato and corn salads, pies and other leftovers from the day before. I was so busy visiting, I forgot to take photos, but Hannah took a few.

Going to see the chickens with his Uncle Jared and Great-Uncle Tommy. The little man sure had a good time.

Jared and Tommy, from opposite ends of the country, are more like brothers than uncle and nephew. Tommy lives in Miami, Jared in LA.

The house was full of laughter and chatter, a welcome, welcome sound after so many months of just Larry and me rattling around in here. As for safety, I believe we were fine. Many had already had the virus, and the others were either quarantined or had been tested just prior to Christmas. There's always a chance of the bug slipping in of course, but I felt comfortable. And with the doors swinging open every few minutes, we were certainly well-ventilated.

One of the funniest moments of the day was when Tommy went to open the sliding glass door and it fell inward--fortunately our strong son caught it before it fell completely. Apparently ice had built up in the track, forcing the door off the track and it just fell. We got it working somewhat, and this morning, when it had warmed to 33 outside, we took the door off and Larry completed the repair, so all is well again. Tommy said, "Oh well, I've pulled my refrigerator door off...twice." Did I mention he's very strong?

Today we're quieter. Resting, doing a little cleaning, more talking with Tommy, some laundry and some ebay packing have been the excitement today. Tomorrow we take Tommy to the airport very early, so the rest of the day will be kind of a letdown, I suppose.

But boy, what a good time we've had.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Covid Journal, Day 280: Christmas Eve

40 this morning and rain showers, predicted to turn to snow later.

Merry Christmas Eve! Pardon the crooked photo. Sometimes I am so camera-challenged. 

So, all preparations are in place for Christmas, I think. How about you? I've cooked everything I can in advance--venison stew for tonight, chili to put in the freezer for the weekend, corn salad for tomorrow--and now it's time to do the last bits of cleaning. And watch the weather radar.

Our youngest son's plane is due to land right about the time the snow is supposed to start. I feel like I'm on pins and needles, watching the weather, watching the progress of his flight from Miami to Chicago--because for reasons only the airlines understand, he had to fly there to connect to the Charleston WV airport. It's one of the facts of life here, that you really can't get here from anywhere without having to go somewhere else first--DC, Chicago, Atlanta, you name it. There are some small airlines that fly direct but their schedules are pretty limited. Which is why we usually drive to Columbus or Pittsburgh to fly out. 

So it's a waiting game now, hoping his flight avoids the bad weather and get around the coming snow. In the meantime, I'll putter around the house, watch the computer and the clock, and pray that all goes well. 

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Covid Journal, Day 279: Pie Day

30 this morning, heavy frost. Clear, then cloudy toward evening.

The birds are feeding heavy these days. Today they were really busy, as if they knew a snowstorm is heading our way tomorrow night. 

I was in the kitchen again all day, this time making pies. How I do love to bake. I have to admit, though, i have never learned to make pretty crimped pie edges. Ah well, they all eat the same. Today was pumpkin, apple, and mincemeat and cherry tarts. Two apple pies because that's the family favorite.

I also made some brownies. I found this recipe that uses instant chocolate pudding. I rarely have instant mixes, and these have been around a while, bought for some purpose I can no longer remember. So I thought I'd try the brownie recipe. They are delicious. I made some plain, and the second batch I used cherry juice instead of vanilla, and put maraschino cherries on top, one for each brownie when cut. They came out lovely--I dusted with confectionery sugar to dress them up a bit. I doubt I'll ever make them with the pudding mix again since it's not something I usually buy, but it was an interesting change.

And then there was one more batch of cookies. These were to use up some bits and pieces left over. The recipe was for chocolate chunk cookies, on the back of the package, but I added dried cranberries, white chocolate chips, and hazelnut pieces along with the chocolate chunks. Delicious. 

Last night Larry took the neighbors' cookie plates and kahlua around, so a lot of cookies left the house, a good thing. I have plenty for my family, that's for sure. 

Tomorrow, if the weather cooperates, we will pick up our youngest son at the airport in Charleston. I am so looking forward to seeing him; it's been a long year with no visits. We are supposed to have some heavy rain, then snow Christmas Eve night and morning, so please pray that the weather cooperates long enough to get him here. I would hate for him to be stuck in some airport at Christmas. Weather this time of year is so tricky.

I listened--several times--to Bruce Cockburn's Christmas album as I cooked today. This song, Early on One Christmas Morn, is one of my favorites--perfect for baking! 

Right now there is venison stew cooking in the crockpot, to be put in the fridge for tomorrow evening. I have enjoyed getting ready for Christmas this year, because we had the time to really concentrate on it. Not even one trip to Wal-Mart for us. It's been nice to really sink into the joy of it. I hope you have had a as nice a time as we have. 

Merry Christmas Eve Eve, everyone!

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Covid Journal, Day 278: Making Merry: Cookies, Kahlua, Dog Treats and Fudge

38, damp and cloudy after a day and night of rain showers. Hoping for a chance to see the big star tonight--it was disappointing not to be able to see it on the Solstice.

Yesterday was a busy, busy day, starting with packing some ebay packages to go out--and Bettina, the quilt is in today's mail! Then I sat and studied over my notes about Otmer Riley, a young local man who died tragically and mysteriously in 1906. I went into town to record an interview about Otmer for the library, joined in this project by my friend Mike Ruben. A quick run to the store for a few things and I was home to get baking. 

I had to make the obligatory Peanut Butter Blossoms, aka Hershey Kisses Cookies. These are so popular; I am making up cookie plates for the neighbors and they love them. So do my grandchildren, so I make them even though I am not a big peanut butter fan. 

I also made peanut butter fudge, using that new method of mixing a tub of frosting with a jar of peanut butter and microwaving it. Have you tried this? 

It's super-simple, and since I am totally unsuccessful at making fudge the traditional way, I thought Id give it a try. It's quite good. Here's how:

Line an 8x8" pan with waxed paper. Mix one container of white frosting--I used cream cheese--and one 18-ounce jar of smooth peanut butter in a microwaveabel bowl. Heat on high in the microwave for 30 seconds. Pull out and stir together well. Return to the microwave for 30 seconds longer. Remove and stir well. Spoon immediately into the prepared pan, and refrigerate. It will be ready to eat in about an hour.

How simple is that? To tell the truth, I don't like peanut butter fudge either, but they do, so... 

My other project yesterday evening was homemade kahlua, or coffee liquer. It too is super easy, just takes a little time. 

Basically, it's strong coffee, sugar, vanilla, and either grain alcohol or vodka--I use vodka. Make the coffee twice as strong as usual; you'll need 12 cups of coffee for this large recipe, but you can cut it down, of course. Add 2 pounds of sugar, mixing well to make sure the sugar is dissolved. Cool to room temperature.  Add 8 ounces vanilla extract-- I admit, I cheated and used the imitation stuff because otherwise this would be a little costly to make--and 750ml vodka or grain alcohol and mix well. Pour into clean, sterilized bottles and seal. And done. 

We had to taste test it of course. To use, mix equal parts of the liquer with milk or half and half. We use 2% milk, and it's rich and delicious. Warning--a little can go a long way, so use a small glass! 

Along the peanut butter theme, I tried my hand at homemade dog treats the other day. The verdict: one dog loves them, the other won't touch them.  I think I'll look for one that doesn't use peanut butter--maybe my Daisy is allergic would like a different flavor.

Here's the recipe I used.

2  1/2 cups whole wheat flour 

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup natural peanut butter 

1 cup water

2 tablespoons honey

1 egg

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a large bowl combine flour, baking powder, and the egg. Add peanut butter, water, honey and stir until you have stiff dough. the dough becomes very firm and sticky. you may need to use your hands, or the paddle attachment on your mixer.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough about 1/2 inch thick and use a cookie cutter to make fun shapes. Bake for 20 minutes, until golden. Store in an airtight container.

Other Christmas activities--finishing up my cards. Seems like there's always a few I miss sending on the first round, but I hope I've got them all done now.

And packing gifts. We're not gift-heavy here, just one per person. I've got them all in bags, but need to write the tags and add tissue paper to jazz them up. One step at a time--I'll get this finished today, I hope.

I hope all your planning, cooking, and baking are going well. It's a busy time for sure, but isn't it nice to have something that for once takes precedence of Covid in our minds? Stay safe and well as you head into these last hectic days before Christmas actually gets here.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Covid Journal, Day 277: Winter Solstice

Smoke curls and swirls

heavenward, through reaching

branches naked white against

a dying day.

The darkest night holds in its cusp

the birth of light, slow and quiet–

an owl drifts tree to tree

and somewhere Coyote sings

a song ancient as the mistletoe,

the holly and the ivy,

weaving through wisps

of flames and stars.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Covid Journal, Day 275: Old Glass at Work

28, cloudy, with a red sunrise, so I suppose some kind of wet weather is on the way.

Old glass isn't just pretty, it's useful too. 

As most readers here know, I have a love affair with Early American Pattern Glass. It's all over my house and I have become very strict with myself about what I buy now. No more chipped or cracked pieces, or pieces missing their lids. I have even--gulp--purged several such pieces in my recent cleaning. I only have so much space, after all, and I don't want my home to begin looking like a hoarder's house. Sometimes I feel like it's teetering on the brink anyway, at which time I have another cleanout.

For years I couldn't buy pretty things. Raising 5 sons and for most of that time living on a near-minimum-wage income, there wasn't money for extras. Sometimes I bought things at yard sales, and cherished each and every one. I grew up with my mother's china cabinet, remember, that was filled with beautiful glass and china. I well remember the crystal pieces, and still have one of her pitchers. She had many English porcelain cups and saucers too, so you know where my love of those came from. About 8 years ago I found my own china cabinet at a yard sale, and it's now full of beautiful old glass. 

I like to use this antique glass, especially for holidays and special occasions. I'm content to just look at it on shelves and in cabinets, but it's nice to have it on the table too. So this week I got out some of the spooners and other pieces for our table.

The spooners are a pattern called Red Block, or Captain Kidd, made by Fostoria Glass around 1890. The little sugar bowl I use for preserves is Derby, by Westmoreland Glass, around 1904. I can't remember the pattern of the tray, but I think it is later, probably 1920's, and was a dresser tray that would have held perfumes, powder jars and the like. Also never identified the salt and pepper, yet. Maybe one day I'll get to them.

I use my glass for seasonal decorating too, changing the colors with the season. Here is some of this year's glass on display on the buffet.

The cake stand under the tree was a recent ebay gift to myself. For once, I actually paid retail value but I decided I had earned it after a stellar month of selling. The ruby goblet is a reproduction, made by Fenton for LG Wright glass, in a pattern called Strawberry and Currant. The green spooner on the left is called Croesus by Riverside Glass, circa 1894, and the little glasses are, I think US Glass's Mirror and Fan. The date on these is vague as the pattern was made as late as 1962. The green hobnail I think is probably a recent piece, but it's green so in the display it goes.

The red plate--actually amberina, with shades of orange in the ruby--gives a nice glow here. I think it's also a newer piece, but handmade. Maybe Blenko? The sugar and cream set is called Arched Ovals, US Glass, circa 1904. The tray they're on I have not yet identified, but I believe it is from the American Brilliant Period cut glass. The green compote is the Shoshone pattern by US Glass, about 1898. It's also called Victor and Blazing Pinwheels. The goblet on the right is Paneled Daisy and Button, and has pretty amber panels between clear glass sections.

Let's see--the compote on the left, is, Regal, also known as Paneled Forget-Me-Not, by Bryce Brothers, around 1883. And the large compote in the center is Plume, by Adams, around 1889. The tall green vase is also EAPG, but I can't recall the maker. And the red goblet in the background is reproduction Fenton. In front of the tall compote is an amber and clear spooner called Victoria, by Riverside glass, circa 1889.

And more glass--the ruby plate is new, I think, but I've not been able to find one like it. The spooner on top of the cake stand is called Petticoat, an apt name because it has the prettiest base. It was made by National Glass circa 1900. The cake stand is called Fashion--don't you love it? Made by Imperial Glass around 1908. The green bowl is Pride, by Model Flint Glass, 1898 or thereabouts. The goblet inside it is Rising Sun, by US Glass about 1908. Behind the green bowl is a compote called Block and Fan, made by Richards and Hartlet about 1888, and inside it a green spooner named West Virginia Optic by West Virginia Glass, 1894. In the back, a tall green vase in the States pattern "Delaware" by US Glass, C. 1899. And last, the big lidded compote called New Grand, by Bryce, Higbee Glass, about 1888.

So, more about glass than you ever wanted to know, right? If you want to identify your antique glass, there is a fantastic online database maintained by the EarlyAmerican Pattern Glass Society that has several ways to help you find your piece: by motif --pinwheels, ovals, flowers, etc; by maker, by shape--compote,spooner, etc; or by name. I began my journey about 8 years ago by joining the Facebook group Early American Pattern Glass Society, a large group of knowledgeable experts and beginners alike. It's a friendly, polite group of good people who will help anyone who wants to know about their antique glass--and if your glass isn't within their pervue, they can usually direct you to a good source. 

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Covid Journal, Day 265: The Christmas Tree

Lovely morning, 30 when I got up, but almost 50 now. Sunny and bright. We had a little snow the other day, and sleet, but it only stuck on the deck, vehicles, and the like.

Finally my tree is up and almost finished. The topper is all wonky and crooked so I need to fix that and add a few more balls near the top. I need a bigger tree! Next year, I have promised myself to make that happen. It's pretty bad when your faux tree has bare places from lost needles. I bought this little tree almost 10 years ago, maybe longer ago than that, for five dollars at an auction. It's certainly been a little trouper. 

I added a few other smaller trees last year, and have them up too. I'd like to do a few more small trees, decorated with different themes. I have a silver one, and two green, one with all ornaments made or given to me by friends, and one with small vintage ornaments. I'd like one with crocheted snowflakes which I have but am not using this year, one with all cookie cutters, and one with the fabric ornaments made by my friend Suzy who makes a new one every year. I think I have at least 20 of her ornaments now, and love them. The thing is, where would I put all these little trees? A dilemma for another day, since it's not going to happen this year.

Christmas trees. Such memories around them, aren't there? Do you remember the trees of your childhood? Or from your early years of marriage? I need to dig through my photos and find some old pictures of my trees to post. We used to have live trees every year until I realized I was allergic to them; now I can only use live pine boughs outside the house, sadly. But at least I get to enjoy their scent. 

The tree has been such an American tradition, we tend to think that they have been part of our celebrations for much longer than they actually have been. Christmas trees didn't really become part of the general celebration of the season in America until the late 1800's, during the Victorian era. There were earlier trees in the homes of German immigrants who brought their tradition of the lichtstock with them, but the decorated tree was a later arrival. 

From a Winter Solstice post I wrote in 2018: "In early Germany, plays called Paradise Plays were staged and the stages were lit with wooden pyramid structures on which candles were mounted. These "trees" were called lichtstock. The play also called for a tree hung with fruit as the story of Adam and Eve was part of the play. So an evergreen hung with apples was used for this purpose, and these were called Paradise trees. While people in Germany and other parts of Europe traditionally brought an evergreen branch inside in winter for decoration, the branches were not lit, and they certainly were not full trees. Eventually the evergreens became incorporated into the lichtstock, and it is easy to see how the transition to an evergreen tree happened. So, if you have artificial tree and feel a little guilty about not having the real thing, rest easy--the original "Christmas tree" was a wood pyramid, and not a tree at all!"

One of our funniest memories of a Christmas tree happened about 10 years ago. We went out to find a real tree, and found one on our road. It had snowed about 4", not a lot, the kind of snow that clings to branches and looks so pretty. Larry got the axe and walked over to the tree while I watched. It suddenly occurred to me that when he hit the tree with the axe, the snow was going to come tumbling down. As I opened my mouth to warn him, he struck the first blow. Sure enough, down came the snow, covering him from head to toe. The look on his face as he turned to look at me was priceless. I couldn't say a word. I was doubled over with laughter, tears streaming down my face. We still laugh about that--I'm laughing now just remembering the moment.

Not Larry's tree, but every time I see a snow-covered evergreen, I remember that day.

Memories are really what our trees are about, aren't they? The ornaments, even the light strings, often have stories attached. The tree itself, our memories of finding it, buying it, putting it up--so many memories, and it doesn't matter if it's a real tree or a fake like mine. I love my little stalwart tree, bare though some of its branches be. It's weathered many a storm with us. Some ornaments are older than me, some from my parents' tree, some I made, some my mother made. Two beautiful beaded ones were gifts from a young friend, whose Greek grandmother made them. 

I hope your tree plans are going well. I sure wish I could travel to each of your homes to see how you do your tree. Maybe one day, when this pandemic is over and life is something like normal again, we'll be able to get out and about. Until then, I'll enjoy everyone's trees that I see posted online. And be happy knowing we're all still safe and well.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Covid Journal, Day 260: Inching Up On It

38 again this morning, gray and cold. The sun peaked out later in the afternoon but the chill remained. High humidity.

I am trying, like many others, to get ready for Christmas. Why does it seem so hard this year? 

Our tree, viewed from outside. Don't say anything about the crazy lights! That's Larry's doing, and I am curbing my OCD tendencies to want to make them all straight. He's happy with them, so why should I complain?

But I did get our tree up and the lights working, so that was a big accomplishment in my book. I still have to get the ornaments on, that will be one of tomorrow's tasks.

And I soaked the fruitcakes with brandy again, their second coating. They'll be ready to eat by the 24th. Well, actually, we've eaten two of them already. They were not ready, for sure, needed more soaking, but still delicious. 

This is actually one of last year's fruitcakes in the photo. We have two left, and they are beautifully cured. They will be beyond delicious when we finally cut into them.

Our youngest son is coming home from Miami for Christmas and we are so excited. He will get tested before he leaves there, and we'll be taking all the safety precautions we can. We haven't seen him for a year, and really miss him. His sweet wife urged him to come home--she will be with her family in Orlando. She said it's important for a man to be with his parents alone sometimes. I really appreciate her and her willingness to be apart from him for the holiday. Tommy hasn't been home for Christmas since...I can't remember. Probably 2011?

I miss the old-fashioned Christmas candy. Do you remember ribbon candy, and those little tube-shaped ones with a flower design in the white middle? Filled raspberry, striped oblong candies of different colors and flavors, root beer barrels, creme drops, peanut clusters, peppermints, and so many others. There was a feed store in our county seat that stocked them all, in bulk, and people from all over the county came to buy by the bagsful. We know, of course, that all that candy was bad for us. Especially in West Virginia, where diabetes is almost an epidemic. I loved to put ribbon candy and those filled raspberries and other hard candy out in candy jars over the holidays. They were so pretty, some of them almost works of art. 

These days, I buy a few candy canes, and get one small box of chocolate covered cherries for Larry, and that's about the extent of our Christmas candy. Maybe this year I'll try my hand at making some hard candy. Cinnamon, I think, and maybe peppermint. It would be nice to have on hand for sore throats, right? 

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.