September archives from 2018 --

 

 Just wanting to put together a quick post for today.  It occurred to me that the last time I wrote archive posts -- featuring posts from the archives for specific months -- was in 2017.  So I decided to quickly pull together one from past Septembers -- 2018 and forward.  Here goes:

First day of fall, from 2018, features a poem from a vintage magazine page.

A few more late-summer scenes  is from 2019, but it shows pretty much how things are looking around here on my walking route right now.

Making some apple coasters was a fun craft tutorial from 2019.

From 2020, A company meal at our little camp was a fun re-read for me and such a great reminder of all that God did in giving us that cottage.  It continues to be a blessing as a getaway place for us and as a frequent location for hospitality! 

 From 2021, a Sunday Scripture post that just might feel very timely right about now ...

And from 2022 this post about my hubby's very special birthday celebration is short -- but as sweet as he is.

That's a span of five years of archive posts ... hope one of them is a fun or interesting read for someone!

Planning for the rest of fall 2023

 

 When I posted my Just Three Words for Fall 2023, that was only the beginning of my fall planning.

Originally I was inspired by a wonderful post that I had read by Christa at Brown Sugar Toast about The Importance of Saying No to Good Things.  Christa wrote about a fall planning workbook she had been using.  It's by Jess Connolly and can be downloaded for free here: Fall Into Freedom.  (If you try to download it, it will tell you there's an error.  But you can still find it by doing a search as instructed here: "You can try searching for the content you are seeking by clicking here.")

Christa had challenged her readers with the question, "Have you taken time to think through your next season of life?" She wrote, "Taking time to pray and write out goals for the next months can be a very grounding experience as you prepare for upcoming responsibilities, potential changes, and holidays. As you think through what the Lord has given you to accomplish during this next season, take time to pray through what He wants you to say NO to…even if it’s a good thing.". 

That was wonderful advice then and I believe it is even more so now.  With every passing year, I become more conscious of how swiftly our lives pass and how important it is to use our time wisely, to the glory of God.  So I decided to use this download again this fall. 

I wrote earlier about the words I chose -- restorative, productive, and creative. 

  The second page is "Before it Begins" and on it, we were to list things we hoped to accomplish before fall began.  This is one that I had worked on a bit earlier.  These could be fun things like getting together with a friend, or tasks we hoped to get out of the way.  I listed 12 items.  Many of them were small things like catching up on laundry or going out for ice cream before the seasonal places close.  Some were big tasks on my hubby's plate like getting all the wood in the cellar and building a shed for a friend.  (Both of those big things got crossed off.)  Of the rest of the list, I was able to cross off only three items. 

That was only the start of work that I needed to do in the planner.  So, as I mentioned earlier, I took the pages along with me to our cottage last Saturday afternoon.  My hubby had lots of little tasks he wished to do, and I had a few to tackle also.  Then he built a campfire and we each made a hot drink in the Keurig.  I sat by the fire and journaled away!

This pretty leaf with its yellow lower edge was found at the cottage on the path to the shower house!

The third page was "Ask Him Where to Go" and had to do with asking God for direction for my fall season.  Just getting quiet and asking Him what He wants this fall to look like for me.  Here's what I wrote:

Even though I haven't consciously spent a lot of time praying about this, it seems that God knows my heart (and He surely does!) and is giving me direction.

My heart was almost literally aching because, other than my weekly Scripture posts, I wasn't finding time to blog.  Interestingly, writing even one very simple new post seemed to 'prime the pump' and confirm that He wanted to give me this desire of my heart.  Just completing that one simple post gave me the creative nudge that I needed to finish a draft that I'd started months, if not years, ago.  Then, I found myself prompted to look at simple autumn cross-stitch projects in my pattern stash with an eye to completing one -- and I actually pulled out floss and fabric and started one!

So ... as to where God wants me to go, I believe that He wants me to find joy in this season.  

Obviously, He wants me to continue to use my spiritual gifts and my talents for His glory.  

He wants me to connect with people through mentoring and biblical hospitality, among other ways.

He wants me to continue to cultivate my relationship with Him, especially through relevant, meaningful Bible study.  As Jeanie Stewart pointed out at the ladies retreat I attended in September, we are to be students of God's Word, not merely readers.

Leaf line by Vee

 

The fourth page is "What's Your Land?" and the title comes from Genesis 13 where God tells Abraham to walk the length and breadth of the land He's given him.  We were encouraged to identify our "land" -- the lives and locations we touch.  Here's my list:
 

*Our home
*Our neighborhood
* Our cottage
* Places where I volunteer
*My walking partner
*Jennifer
*Instagram followers
*Extended family on my side and my husband's side
*My friends and church family
*My blog readers
*My women's Sunday School class

And then the fifth page of the workbook is "It's Time to Say No".  We know where we are called for this season, and now we are to identify things that we are not called to.  Here's my list (which may be added to):
 

*Mindless scrolling
*Consuming too much news/politics
*Sugar (currently on a 40-day sugar fast)
*Other people's drama
* Worry/anxiety

The next page is "What Do You Expect?" and it involves speaking some hope and biblical truth into the coming season.  Here are my expectations:
 

 *I expect that I am likely to fail in many areas, but that God will forgive me and help me to get back up and continue on
*I expect to continue losing weight as I continue intermittent fasting along with a 40-day sugar fast
*I expect that God will help me to find His Word and fellowship with  Him increasingly sweet as I look to Him, not sugar
*I expect to feel overwhelmed at times, but when those times come I trust God to give me peace, clarity and direction
*I expect to make progress in memorizing the book of James
*I expect that God will work in the lives of those I am mentoring
*I expect to have times of connecting with friends old and new through extending hospitality.

 

And then the last page, which I guess I didn't use in 2016, is called "Rhythms, Rhythms, Rhythms" and has to do with establishing rhythms for our days and weeks -- activities that are done in the same time frame daily and weekly, such as exercise or grocery shopping.   

This time around, I wrote: 

 

This is something I need to work on.  Although I do have weekly rhythms of a sort, I need to establish more rhythms in my days -- time for blogging,  exercise, Etsy listings, homemaking chores, cleaning, Sunday School preparation and more.  I feel as if things would go so much more smoothly if I would get those rhythms in place.

I've actually set up a schedule based on these rhythms but I never stick with it for long.  We will see if I do any better this time around!

 

 

I found this planner extremely helpful and something I am likely to use again and again.  What about you?  Have you tried this workbook or a similar one to plan your fall?  How is it going?

Just three words for Fall 2023

 

Readers may remember that a few years back (2016) I did a couple of posts about planning for fall.  They were inspired by a wonderful post that I had read by Christa at Brown Sugar Toast about The Importance of Saying No to Good Things.  Christa wrote about a fall planning workbook she had been using.  It's by Jess Connolly and can be downloaded for free here: Fall Into Freedom.  I downloaded this and found it very helpful.  (If you try to download it, it will tell you there's an error.  But you can still find it by doing a search as instructed here: "You can try searching for the content you are seeking by clicking here.")

Christa had challenged her readers with the question, "Have you taken time to think through your next season of life?" She wrote, "Taking time to pray and write out goals for the next months can be a very grounding experience as you prepare for upcoming responsibilities, potential changes, and holidays. As you think through what the Lord has given you to accomplish during this next season, take time to pray through what He wants you to say NO to…even if it’s a good thing.". 

That was wonderful advice then and I believe it is even more so now.  With every passing year, I become more conscious of how swiftly our lives pass and how important it is to use our time wisely, to the glory of God.  So I decided to use this download again this fall.  Maybe you would like to consider doing the same.

Don't hesitate because "fall is already here."   According to the calendar,  fall only began in late September.  We get so used to thinking that fall is all of September, all of October, and all of November -- or starting anytime after Labor Day-- but that's not the case.  I get as enthused about cooler weather and all things apple cider and pumpkin spice as the next person, but I'm going to take Christa's wise advice and pray and prepare for this season. 

 I myself am actually really slow about working through it this time around, because I spent much of September not feeling top-notch.  We had a lot of activities planned for near the end of the month, and any energy I had (which wasn't much) went into trying to participate in those.  So I didn't really sit down with my workbook pages until last Saturday afternoon when we made a little campfire over at our cottage.

I had made a brief note earlier as to what my three words would be, but no real journaling had yet taken place.

Again this time around, I began by doing as Jess suggests in her Fall Into Freedom workbook, picking three words that I would like to describe my fall season, words that can set the tone for the season. Again this time around,  I found this to be a tough assignment, but I had to do it to get started.  After thinking it through a little, I came up with these three: 

RESTORATIVE

PRODUCTIVE

CREATIVE.

Here's why:

Restorative -- as mentioned, I spent all of September sick with a "long cold".  (Yes, it seems that's a thing.)  Although I kept going as best I could and we still did a lot of our planned activities, I wasn't hitting on all cylinders or enjoying things to the fullest.  I'm so thankful to be feeling better!  There are good times planned for the fall, times of Bible study, women's fellowship, times with friends, and much more.  They will all be restorative in various ways.  (Interestingly, this was also one of the words I chose in 2016!)

Productive -- During the time I was ill, I was most decidedly not productive.  I kept up with laundry and meal prep, but that was about it.  I tried very hard to rest, get fluids, and do anything else I could think of to help with recovery.  Now that I'm better, I hope to accomplish a lot of decluttering this fall and am thrilled to say that I've already begun -- cleaning out a large, open front kitchen cabinet and also an area near my computer desk that was in desperate need.  

Also, my hubby cleaned the cellar -- something he's never fully done before, though he has decluttered areas of it.  He had 3 young friends coming to help him to get the winter's firewood in the cellar -- hence, the cleaning spree!

Another thing I'm doing is trying to stay far ahead working on my Sunday School lessons.  And -- I promise I didn't look back at 2016's words -- but "productive" was also one that I had chosen that time around.

Creative -- While ill, much of the time I was too miserable to feel like being creative.   I worked at Scripture Sunday blog posts because I didn't want to let readers down, and picked away at a few simple craft projects (like crocheting dishcloths).  But most of my creativity went into thinking of ways to get better, and trying to remember to actually do them.

Now I'm ready and anxious to do more creative blogging, and to tackle some new craft projects.  Maybe I'll even work on the cookbook I started last year, who knows?  God has made me a creative person and I so enjoy exercising that gift.  

So there are my three words for fall.  Stay tuned for the rest of my "Fall into Freedom" thoughts, coming soon!

A foliage walk

 

This morning my hubby had an errand (giving a friend who'd dropped a vehicle at the mechanic's shop a ride home) and when he returned he suggested the two of us head out for a foliage walk.  He had ssen some pretty trees not far from our house.  So out we went!  I'll just share photos and captions in the interest of a quick post, but it's way better than no post at all -- so here we go.

This gravesite is all by itself next to the road.  I believe it's a Revolutionary War soldier, not sure.  The town places flags on all veterans' graves. but someone else has put this urn with marigolds and a vine here.  A lovely thing for someone to do.

Headed down the road from our house.

This red tree is outstanding.

Both orange and yellow leaves here.

Both red and orange here and below.

The pretty red sprig of leaves above is right here at the edge of our own yard.

There you have it!  Later, the sun came out and he went back to get more photos.  He got some great ones which I can hopefully share another day.

From the October archives (2023 edition)

Lately my heart has been aching a bit that I can't manage to find more blogging time.  Last year, I posted every day in October.  And oh, how I miss doing that this time around!  I was looking at some of my October posts from last year, looking for a post to feature, and really enjoyed rereading some of them, even as my heart hurt to not be doing this, this year.

So in the interest of pulling together a quick post, I decided it had been long enough (about 5 years) since I posted favorites from the archives.  It's time to do that again using archived posts from 2018 to 2022.  So here goes!

From 2018, you may get a chuckle from this post: The Best Breakfast Potatoes (and a bushel of laughs).  It still makes me laugh out loud whenever I read it.

Also from 2018, Emma's Apple Cake was a winner that I'd love to bake again.

From October 2019, A Few Photos from the Great North Woods gives you a look at our favorite place on earth.

Easy Comfort Food for a Fall Evening might give you an idea for a quick supper.

In October 2019, if you go back to the archive you can also read about a ladies' retreat and our week-long getaway to the Great North Woods, not to mention a couple of good cookie recipes.

For October 2020 I chose a little Bible study on deliverance.  Maybe even more timely today.

Apple Crisp Pie Bars is a recipe I came up with by adjusting and combining two other recipes.  They went over well then and I may bake them again this year.

Fall Follies is a potpourri post with a lot of fun going on, from frogs to outdoor concerts to jumping in leaf piles.

 For October 2021,  Answering a question or several might be an interesting read, especially if you are new here. 

And how about a Friday five, Fall Foliage edition, where you'll find some gorgeous fall leaves from all around our state!

And for October 2022,  A frugal fall supper features a zucchini garden chowder you might enjoy.

Gingerbread Whoopie Pies with a maple filling ... I'd forgotten about these, but my hubby made them and they were scrumptious.

Fall Meet-up with Friends was one of several last October.  Yummy food!

Lastly, Starting a new scrapbook journal might provide some inspiration if you enjoy journaling.

Well now,  I feel better!  It did me a world of good to put together a post just for fun.  Hope readers enjoy it as much as I did!

Fall meet-up with friends #5 -- another breakfast and lunch at our little camp

 

It's a rare treat when we are able to get together with our good friends Syd and Cyndy from Vermont.  So when it happens, we like to spend most of a day together, usually beginning with breakfast.  Often it's at our home, but in summer and fall we love to entertain at our little cottage.  And thanks to a mild November, such was the case on Veterans Day.  Amazingly, this was the second meet-up with them this fall; they are the same friends mentioned in my October post about meet-up with friends #4!

I kept breakfast super-simple with breakfast sliders and with a Hash Brown Casserole, which I kept warm in a crockpot rather than baking it in the oven.   (The oven at the camp is tiny and only has one rack, so I could only bake one 13x9 dish.)   Cyndy is somewhat of a baked-apple specialist, so I had asked her to bring baked apples to add to the breakfast menu.  She surprised us with an unusual but scrumptious variation -- baked apples filled with bread pudding!  Of course we also had coffee with our breakfast.

The sliders were from Jamie at My Baking Addiction.  They were delicious!  I tweaked the recipe in a few ways.  I couldn't find Hawaiian rolls in the right size, so I bought Pepperidge Farm slider buns.  (They were still expensive -- $4.29 -- but not as expensive as the Hawaiian rolls would have been.)  I made homemade sausage patties instead of using purchased sausage.  And, I used American cheese for the cheese on the bottom roll layer and shredded cheddar for the top layer.  I really liked the cheddar, so another time I would likely use all cheddar cheese.   There will definitely be a next time! 

I imagine some readers might like to have the homemade sausage recipe.  I have posted it before, but it's been years.  So here it is:

HOMEMADE SAUSAGE PATTIES

1/4 cup water
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. rubbed sage
1 tsp. pepper
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/8 tsp. ground ginger
2 lb. ground pork

In a bowl, stir together water and seasonings. Add pork and mix well. Shape meat mixture into eight 4” patties (or a larger amount of smaller ones). In a skillet over medium heat, cook patties for 5 to 6 minutes on each side or until no longer pink in the center.

This is such a yummy recipe for homemade sausage! I often cut the amounts in half to make a smaller batch. This sausage is very lean and not at all greasy.  For these sliders, I used about 1 1/4 pounds of ground pork, which is what I had, and used half the amount of seasonings specified here.

We lingered over breakfast just enjoying the fellowship and wonderful food.  After the breakfast dishes were done,  we decided to take a walk at nearby Quincy Bog.  Syd took these photos with his phone.

There is just something about red berries after all of the other foliage is gone.  Love them.

We were fascinated by this large tree apparently growing out of a rock.

Such unusual moss growing vertically on this stump!

For lunch, we were joined by our daughter and three of the grandkids, who walked through the woods from their house next door.   Chili seemed like the perfect choice for a fall day, although the day turned out to be quite balmy. Once again I served  Easy Crockpot Chili.  And again I need to add a quick note that I tweak the recipe by cooking the spices and onion with the ground beef first.  It seems to add a very measurable depth of flavor to the chili.  (And the grandkids LOVE it!)   Even though this is a super simple recipe, I usually get many comments about how good it is.  I also use much less meat: a pound or less rather than the 3 pounds called for.  I often add an extra can of beans too -- usually kidney beans.  And I'd forgotten about this, but I usually cut down on the water and sometimes on that large quantity of tomato sauce as well.  It all depends on how many people I'm serving, the size pot I use, and whether or not I'm transporting it somewhere.  This time I used around 16 ounces of tomato sauce and no water, as we were transporting a very full crockpot over a bumpy dirt road.  (Once we got there, I transferred some of the chili to a saucepan and added some of the tomato sauce to each batch.)  So if you make this, feel free to tweak it too! 

Cyndy brought a pan of delicious cornbread and a jug of cider,  and we also had tortilla chips and a Baked Taco Dip.  I had seen this dip recipe on the Hodgepodge this week and decided to try it.  With teenage appetites present for lunch, I wasn't sure if the chili would stretch far enough without it.  (It certainly did, because two of the teenagers in question enjoyed leftover breakfast sliders and hash brown casserole.  After which I heard, "Amazing food, Grammy!")

For dessert, I had made two Turtle Pumpkin Pies.   This is apparently a Kraft recipe, but I found it in my Gooseberry Patch Big Book of Holiday Cooking (the link will take you to my review of the book).  In fact, it's one of the cover recipes!  I got this book at Thriftbooks for $5.99 a couple years ago.  It's always worth checking there for good deals on cookbooks.

 
I made homemade graham cracker crust (which the recipe I had specified doing).  Instead of cinnamon and nutmeg (which totaled 1 1/2 teaspoons) I substituted 1 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice.  My pie slices came out looking just about exactly like the picture, which was surprising and encouraging!

 

(My family has teased me for years about trying out new recipes on company.  I'm notorious for doing that!  But this may be the first time I have tried three new recipes on one hospitality occasion.) 

Just one more photo, for fun.  Our dear friend is "Miss Cyndy" to our young granddaughter Arielle (as well as to many other children).  When she saw Ari's deer costume (purchased on clearance after Halloween) she decided a photo shoot was in order.  A little deer is bounding through the woods on a gray November afternoon!

What a delightful day it was!  So thankful for good friends as well as for family "just through the woods". 

Couples retreat 2022

As part of our mini getaway, we spent Friday evening and an entire Saturday at The Wilds of New England for a couples retreat.  Housing for couples is limited on the campsite, so we usually get a hotel or Airbnb for that night so we don't have to be driving home late Friday night and then heading back to the retreat early on Saturday morning.

This time we stayed at the cute cottage referenced in this post: A mini getaway.  You can read more about the cottage here: Trailside Cottage, if you are interested.

Yes, that was the cottage where we had to pass this gorgeous autumnal pond coming and going:

The photo at the top of the post and the one just below were taken on the Saturday afternoon at The Wilds of New England.  Such lovely colorful trees!

We always enjoy this retreat so much.  It has become an important part of our fall.  In fact, we are at the point where we don't want to miss it.  The fact that we need to get an Airbnb or other lodging turns it into an overnight getaway, so that's even nicer.  It also gives us some time together to talk over what we have learned or are learning.  Sometimes, we even take two nights -- Thursday and Friday -- so we can spend some time exploring the area the day before the retreat.  That's how we got the photo below, last year:

 
As usual, the Bible teaching at this year's couples' retreat did not disappoint.  Our speaker was Brian Trainer, and although he spoke on Marriage 101, it was by no means too basic for us, even though we've been married for decades.  We picked up a number of really important concepts (and also a few easy but effective tips) and we will be implementing these into our marriage.  

One of the really important ones is that if both spouses are believers, then they are not only husband and wife but brother and sister in Christ.  Now, Mr. T and I understood this and have even remarked on it a few times.  But Brian expanded on this and pointed out that, as brother and sister in Christ, we are responsible for all the biblical "one another" instructions, including admonishing and encouraging one another.  Food for some deep, deep thought.  I think that many times we are prone to not treat our own spouse with the respect we would other believers.  On the other hand, I think I've sometimes hesitated to admonish my husband, wondering if it might be disrespectful.  As with so many things, balance is so important, right?

One of the smaller tips (with a potentially big impact) we picked up in the last session: if it seems like something is amiss between you, ask your spouse the question: 

"Are we okay?"

Sometimes everything is fine between you, but one spouse is dealing with some other difficulty and is coming across as if things are not okay.  In that case it opens the door for the hurting spouse to say that yes, we are fine, but I'm upset, stressed, or whatever over this other thing.  

Or sometimes things are not okay between you and need to be brought out into the open and worked through.

A related tip (it seems to me, anyway) came up in the Q&A session with Brian and his wife Sherry.  They noted that often in a marriage, one person is a night owl and another has a brain that shuts down at 9 pm.  So if a "robust discussion" looks like it will go past 9 pm, just stop right there.  Pause the discussion, pray, and make a concrete plan to continue the discussion at a specific time, over coffee, a meal, etc. at a better time for both of you.  This not only enables you to go to bed without "letting the sun go down upon your wrath"; it also moves the problem into a solution-oriented phase.  

To me these two tips are worth their weight in gold.  They are just a sample of the great things to be learned at a couples' retreat or conference.

Do you live in New England?  Why not plan to attend a retreat at at The Wilds of New England next fall?  In addition to the couples' conferences we enjoy so much, they also offer retreats for men, women, and even a one-day retreat for seniors.

Turning winter squash into a main dish

 

 I mentioned buttercup squash in a recent post, and realized through comments that some people have never heard of this wonderful winter squash variety.  It is our very favorite!

You can read much more about buttercup squash here, including its nutritional profile: Buttercup Squash.  It has a deep, rich, almost sweet flavor that we really enjoy.

 

It isn't watery like some winter squashes can be.  It tends to be on the dry side and sometimes when mashing the boiled squash, one has to add some of the cooking water to make it a better consistency for mashing and serving.

That said, my preferred way to cook buttercup squash is to bake it.  You wash the squash, cut it in half, scoop out the seeds and place the squash halves cut side down in a baking dish.  Add a little water to the dish, and bake the squash at 350º for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until it is tender.  You can serve it different ways -- scoop the flesh out and mash it, adding butter and seasonings; or turn the halves cavity side up and add a little butter and brown sugar or maple syrup.

I also like to turn buttercup squash into a hearty main dish by baking and stuffing it, usually with sausage of some type.  The other night I had just such a meal planned, but I tweaked it as I went along and the result was such a good autumn meal that I just had to share it.  You will want to start about 1 1/2 hours before you want to eat.

AUTUMN STUFFED SQUASH

1 medium buttercup squash
1 package chicken breakfast sausage in the apple maple flavor
Olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion (I used frozen)
1/3 cup fresh or frozen cranberries (or to taste)
Butter
Brown sugar or maple syrup
Salt & pepper

 Bake the squash as directed above for about 45 minutes.  Near the end of the baking time, slice the breakfast sausage and saute it in a small skillet in a little olive oil, adding the onions and cranberries.  Cook for about 5 minutes.  

Remove the squash from the oven and turn the halves over so the cavity side is up, replacing them in the baking dish.  Place a dab of butter and a spoonful of brown sugar or maple syrup in each one, then sprinkle with salt and pepper and fill the cavities with the sausage mixture.  Return to the oven until the sausage is heated through, 25 to 30 minutes.

I like to bake potatoes at the same time as the squash for a nice hearty oven meal.  Add a salad, and supper is ready.

If you can't find buttercup squash in your part of the country, kabocha squash would be the closest in flavor and consistency for a substitute.  I hope you enjoy this recipe if you try it!