Dolls for the Christmas shoeboxes

Photo from Operation Christmas Child

My daughter likes to make packing shoeboxes for Operation Christmas Child part of her kids' Christmas.   This worthy cause sends shoeboxes full of gifts to children all over the world and is a very practical way to show God's love to others.  A couple of weeks ago, my daughter took her kids shopping to buy shoeboxes and all sorts of fun things to put in them -- T-shirts, notebooks, pens and pencils, crayons, colorful packs of tissues and more.  And then she got the kids even more involved by helping them make adorable fabric dolls to go in the boxes.

She asked if I would like to join them in making dolls and we took several hours on two different Fridays to work on this project.  The kids picked out their fabrics for the dolls and clothing, and cut out the paper pattern pieces.  Then I cut out most of the pieces and my daughter did the machine sewing.  The kids and I worked at turning the various pieces -- arms, legs, faces and so on -- and the kids stuffed them.  Then their mom assembled the dolls at the sewing machine.  I made the shoes for all of the dolls.  The work went quickly and was lots of fun.

These are the two dolls I ended up with -- I can't actually say that I "made" them because there were several people involved in the process!  But I did choose my own fabrics, hair, etc.  Sorry that the  photos are so blurry -- I guess in my haste to put the dolls in a cute setting, I took the photos at quite an odd angle.  But you get the idea!

Doll 1

Doll 2

2 dolls together

 For the dolls the kids made, they are planning to make sleeping bags to go with them.  For my own shoeboxes, I'm hoping to make pillowcase dresses to add and possibly some zipper pouches for the pens and pencils.  We will see!

If you would like more ideas for filling shoeboxes, check out Maggie's post Operation Christmas Child Gift Ideas at Smashed Peas and Carrots.  She has some wonderful ideas, plus great photos of her kids with the shoeboxes they filled.  The collection week for the shoeboxes is not until next week, so it's not too late to get involved!

A little getaway

Hazy sunshine on the last morning

Last week, Mr. T and I were blessed to take a couple of days away at our favorite lake up north.  This time of year, one can expect any sort of weather way up there.   Here, it had rained hard on Wednesday night and Thursday morning, but was brightly sunny by the time we left around noon on Thursday.  On our trip north, we saw not one but three rainbows!  Talk about encouragement for our trip!

As we neared the Great North Woods, however, things were looking more ominous, and before we had finished unpacking the car the wind was whipping and the rain was lashing.  We really didn't mind, as we knew this was the time we had available and also the time our favorite cabin was available.  When you pray long and hard about the time frame for something, you can get it settled in your thinking that it's God's timing -- and leave details like the weather to Him.  We were there for rest and quiet and -- although warm sunny weather would have been nice -- the weather really was not our top concern.

It did clear off a bit in the late afternoon but was still cold and windy.  We sat by the lake for just a little while and read, but it was too chilly to sit out there for long.  As you can see from the photo at top, most of the pretty fall foliage is gone up there.  There are tamaracks, though, which are deciduous evergreens that turn a pretty golden yellow color in the fall.  Those were striking against all of the dark green pines, hemlocks, firs, etc.

In spite of dark clouds, we were blessed to see an absolutely glorious sunset!

As darkness came on,  the wind intensified.  We were snug in our little cabin on the lakeshore, however, and enjoyed a relaxing supper and evening by the fireplace.

In the morning, the power did go off -- no surprise with all that wind -- but we were not inconvenienced at all since the cabins have a wonderful generator that comes on when the power goes off.

We did find that we had to seek out a different breakfast spot than the restaurant where we had planned to visit, since they were closed with the power outage.  We traveled to a nearby town (if anything up there could be said to be "nearby") and were thankful to find a wonderful place that was open and served a fantastic homemade breakfast.  The homemade cinnamon-raisin toast was sliced at least an inch thick and was so amazing, as was the rest of the meal.  As is usual in places which serve good homemade food, this restaurant was filled with locals -- and you know you are near the Canadian border when half of the locals in a place are speaking French.

Friday was dreary and cold and spitting snow but we had a nice day regardless, mostly staying inside by the fire other than taking some time to visit with a friend who has a seasonal home nearby.  We sat by her fire for awhile!  And Friday night there was another fabulous sunset!

After another relaxing evening and good night's rest, Saturday morning came all too quickly.  We ate  breakfast at the cabin and packed up the car to head back.  We did see two loons on Saturday morning which was a real treat.  We really thought they would be gone to their winter home (the open Atlantic Ocean!) by now.  We were so happy to see they were still around.

This shows one of the loons.  They have nearly completed the transition to their winter plumage.

We had a leisurely trip home, stopping to have lunch out and do a bit of off-price shopping, and arrived home midafternoon.  Our getaway seemed a bit too short to us, but we knew this was the time frame God had given us and that He would use that time to give the refreshment we needed.

This week, Denise from RefreshHer shared a wonderful post concerning getaways and how they are simply to refresh us for the ordinary days which make up our real life and are to be lived to the glory of God.  Get-Aways and Ordinary Days is well worth the read. We have definitely felt energized and refreshed by this little break and are so thankful for it!

Recent simple crafting

Not a craft project, but a creative use of leaves by my 11-year old grandson.

Just a quick post to share some of my very simple recent craft projects.  I've made two more crocheted hot mats (to be used like trivets for hot dishes on the table) and also an embroidered flannel baby blanket.

In the picture at top, Sam was on our porch roof the other Saturday and decided it would be fun to decorate the dormer windows by hanging leaves on them.  I was busy preparing for a party at the time and did not get photos of his handiwork until the next day -- and not the best photos, at that.  Creative idea, though!

Here's the crocheted hot mat:

Both are exactly the same.  The ombre colorway is called "Freshly Pressed" and the outer color is called Rosemary.  And you can find the pattern here.  It is called "Scalloped Potholder" but to my mind it is way too thick to make a good potholder, so I leave off the hanging loop.  I'm nearly finished with another of these in a color called "Fruit Punch" with a lime green center and a "Blueberry" edge.

I've said it before, but I think this pattern may be slightly addictive.  And cotton yarn is so inexpensive, and they keep coming out with more and more colors!  I found one last night called "Blue Moon" and just had to pick it up as it will go with some solid colors which I already have.  These make terrific gifts.  I have yet to make any for myself, but I will!

And here is a partial shot of the blanket:

The tutorial for that is here: Personalized flannel baby blanket if you are interested in making some or seeing others I've made.  It's such a fun project and seems to be appreciated a lot by the recipients.  You can't really see the yellow print all that well, but it has whimsical little dogs, cats, bunnies and banners sprinkled all over it.  The blue in the print is a great match for the solid color side of the blanket.

 Much more crafting on the horizon, with Christmas approaching!

Beautiful bittersweet

I have always loved bittersweet.  I realize it can be invasive and can become parasitic -- see this article: Bittersweet: Friend or Foe? if you want to learn more -- but it is so beautiful.  (I'm sure there's a spiritual application there which I may eventually try and write about.  But for now, see a similar thought in The Return of the Periwinkle, if you are interested.)

As far as I remember, no bittersweet grew around the acreage where I grew up.  I do recall that my mother also loved the look of bittersweet and would often look far afield to gather some of it in the fall.   I remember one year that she and my dad made some very special pins to donate to a craft bazaar.  They were small wooden ovals, lightly stained and finished, and to these, in a pleasing arrangement, they glued tiny hemlock cones, yellow tansy heads, and bittersweet berries.

In more recent years, I've not seen bittersweet growing in our area, but one fall we had stopped at a rest area in the southern part of our state and saw a pickup truck with the bed overflowing with bittersweet vines.  I marveled that the driver would dare leave it unattended while he or she was in the building!

But last year, I saw some orange berries growing on a stone wall near my dad's house.  When I stopped for a closer look, I found bittersweet!  And this year it is back.  Time to hunt up a transferware pitcher.  You will find my visual inspiration for that in this post on my friend Vee's blog.

Here are just a few more photos:

You can see the stone wall peeking through here

Does bittersweet grow where you live?  Do you decorate with it?

Simple suppers for a getaway ... or a busy day

We recently returned from a two-day getaway up north.  When we go there in the fall, I have two recipes that I usually make for our suppers.  Both are simple.  It occurred to me that others might enjoy these recipes, which work just as well for a couple or a family on a busy day as they do in a small kitchen at a getaway place. 

I usually make the soup recipe for the first night as it is incredibly quick.  There are always leftovers with just the two of us, but they work great for lunch the next day.

ZESTY CHICKEN CHEESE SOUP

1 can whole kernel corn (don’t drain)
1 can pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 can chicken broth
1 can diced tomatoes with green chilies (don’t drain)
1 small can diced green chilies (optional)
1 can premium chunk white chicken, flaked
8 ounces velveeta-type cheese, cubed

In heavy saucepan or dutch oven, combine everything except the cheese and begin heating these ingredients while you cube the cheese. Add the cheese to the saucepan and continue to heat, stirring until cheese is melted and soup is piping hot.

This recipe came from an early Quick Cooking magazine and is the fastest soup you will ever make -- just a matter of opening cans, heating and stirring -- and is also delicious!

For a getaway, I serve this simply with tortilla chips.  For a family on a busy day, I would probably serve it with cornbread or corn muffins.

The next recipe is for a simple oven supper that cooks by itself (until nearly the last minute) while you are doing other things. 

SAUSAGE-STUFFED SQUASH

1 medium buttercup squash (or 1 large acorn squash)
 Maple syrup or brown sugar
1/2 lb. bulk breakfast sausage (or links, cut up)

(These are the quantities to generously serve two people.  Obviously, you can double or triple this if needed.)

Cut the squash in half.  Remove the seeds to hollow out the center portion of each half.  Place them  cut side down on a foil-covered (or parchment covered) baking sheet.  Bake at 350º until squash is tender -- 40 minutes or longer.  When tender, turn squash halves over; add a small amount of maple syrup or brown sugar.  Return the squash to the oven while cooking sausage.

Now cook the sausage in a small skillet over medium heat, about 10 minutes.  (This time I used Al Fresco chicken sausage in the Breakfast Sausage variety.  It worked great!)

Drain off any fat and heap the sausage in the center of the squash halves.  Bake for 10 minutes longer.

I usually cook baked potatoes at the same time the squash is baking.  Works great!  Rice pilaf would be good with this also, but I like the ease of a complete oven meal.

Sometimes I will take my slow cooker along on a getaway and make a slow cooker meal.  This works great if we are doing some sightseeing or hiking and will be away from the cabin during the day.  And of course, a slow cooker is perfect on any busy day at home, too.  Not just a day when you have lots of housework to do, or appointments that take you out of the house -- but also days when you want to do something fun, like crafting or decorating.  It's a blessing to have supper all taken care of!

What are some simple suppers that your family enjoys?

November 1953

One more calendar page from 1953 and the Woman's Day calendar.  I have always so enjoyed these little calendars, which used to come bound into the center of the January issue of the magazine each year.  This November illustration is not my favorite, because it just looks too cold and snowy.  In early November, at least, the trees would not be this bare.  There would still be oak leaves, at the very least, clinging to the branches.  And we wouldn't have this much snow.  By Thanksgiving, of course, we could possibly have snow that stays for the winter.  But hopefully not!

Still, the illustration does convey a sense of the stillness and quietness (even in its colors) that we find in November.  The hustle and bustle of the harvest is over and the land is still, just waiting for winter it seems.

This beautiful Scripture verse is another of my favorites.  If we were to read on to verse 2 of Psalm 121, we would find this clarification as to the source of our help: "My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth."  The psalm goes on to detail some of the many ways in which God cares for His people.  It is only eight verses.  Why not read Psalm 121 today?  It will truly set your heart toward thanksgiving!

November goals

Aren't Gooseberry Patch calendars the best?  I purchase several each year for myself and for gifts!

And just like that, November arrives, ushering in the end of daylight saving time and reminding us there are only 54 days until Christmas.  Time for me to set some time for me to set some goals for the month:
*Meditate on a passage from God's Word each day.
* Memorize at least 4 Bible verses and review some older ones.
* Add 4 pages to my "What Do I Know About My God?" Scripture notebook
* Continue study for Sunday School -- Following God With All Your Heart
* Continue to re-read Say Goodbye to Survival Mode; continue to journal and implement what I learn
* Exercise or walk at least 20 times.
* Get to bed by 9:45 pm each night. 
* Limit sugar and red meat.
* Drink enough water each day.
* Keep up with Kelly's missions in homemaking zones of the week.
* Spend some serious time decluttering closets
* Post in my Christmas blog as often as possible
* Post in this blog as often as possible
* Continue working on several UFO craft projects
* Create gift for November birthday
* Create and send belated gifts for a September birthday
* Get serious about crafting Christmas gifts
* Apply wall decals to our freshly painted bathroom wall
* Reduce grocery bill by $5 per week consistently
* Spend several hours updating my A-store.
* Write at least 4 encouraging notes to friends and family
* Help and encourage my local daughter as I'm able
* Clean church and set up for potluck meal
*  Continue trying to help and encourage my elderly dad
* Sort out and declutter my dad's basement
* Continue transferring important items to new computer
* Have at least two couples over for supper
* Make a photo book
* Make a photo magnet
* Plan meals with a greater emphasis on healthy eating
* Decorate for Thanksgiving
* Plan and enjoy our Thanksgiving dinner

NOVEMBER'S HEALTHY HABITS:  Drink enough water/exercise/eat healthfully

WORD FOR 2015: RENEWAL

And here is how October went:
*Meditate on a passage from God's Word each day -- DONE!
* Memorize at least 4 Bible verses and review some older ones -- DONE!
* Add 4 pages to my "What Do I Know About My God?" Scripture notebook -- DONE!
* Continue study for Sunday School -- Following God With All Your Heart
-- DONE!
* Continue to re-read Say Goodbye to Survival Mode; continue to journal and implement what I learn -- not done
* Exercise or walk at least 20 times -- DONE!
* Get to bed by 9:45 pm each night -- not done
* Limit sugar and red meat -- DONE!
* Drink enough water each day -- not done consistently
* Keep up with Kelly's missions in homemaking zones of the week -- not done consistently
* Spend some serious time decluttering closets -- not done
* Post in my Christmas blog as often as possible -- posted ONCE!
* Try and post in this blog every day in October (!) -- DONE!
* Continue working on several UFO craft projects -- DONE!
* Create and send gifts for November birthdays -- partially done
* Create and send belated gifts for a September birthday -- not done
* Get serious about crafting Christmas gifts -- have completed a few
* Apply wall decals to our freshly painted bathroom wall -- not done
* Reduce grocery bill by $5 per week consistently -- not done
* Spend several hours updating my A-store -- have done a little bit
* Write at least 4 encouraging notes to friends and family -- DONE!
* Help and encourage my local daughter as I'm able -- DONE!
* Clean church and set up for potluck meal -- DONE!
* Attend a couples' retreat with my hubby -- DONE!
*  Continue trying to help and encourage my elderly dad -- DONE!
* Sort out and declutter my dad's basement -- not done
* Finish transferring important items to new computer -- not done
* Take a little getaway with Mr. T -- DONE!
* Have at least two couples over for supper -- DONE!
* Make a photo book -- DONE!
* Plan meals with a greater emphasis on healthy eating -- DONE!
* Do most of my fall decorating -- DONE!
* Plan a fall get-together at our home for our church family -- DONE!

OCTOBER'S HEALTHY HABITS:  Drink enough water/exercise/eat healthfully  -- have done fairly well with this.

WORD FOR 2015: RENEWAL