As I was recently pouring cream into my coffee, adding just enough until the creamy clouds billowed up to the top breaking the surface of enticing black, I remembered my Papa. He liked his coffee the same way, at least when I was serving. I realized that I had adopted the same habit and method of adding cream to my coffee.
“Just pour it in until it swirls back up,” he told me. For the coffee was always hot or brewing at Grandma and Papa’s, usually available with some choice of sweet dessert. And evaporated milk, punctured open and sitting beside the sugar bowl, was ever at the ready.
Now my personal choice is half and half. But back then, that little red and white can was perfectly fine. Because we were sipping our brew together and catching up on the news of the day.
Cone on over and we’ll have coffee. Just like Papa.
Note: I originally posted this long, long ago on February 24, 2016. Hah! I know. It was only last year. But I do so love old books, newspapers, and things, I deemed it worth bringing into the future. And now I remember how much I miss my claw foot bathtub.
I was preparing to take a relaxing bubble bath in my claw foot tub last night when I saw a wadded up log of newspaper on the floor.
The paper log was actually old newspaper. Old 1949 newspaper.
It was super dusty and fragile, so I didn’t undo it, but went ahead and enjoyed my bath, contemplating the sudden arrival of newspaper in the bedroom.
This morning, long after honey had gone to work, I noticed the newspaper had been carefully unrolled and somewhat flattened.
That was when I saw the date on the antique (or is it vintage?) Seattle Times. Sunday, March 27, 1949. Fascinating.
I do love looking at old newspapers, especially the ads. Odd, I realize, but the price comparisons between then and now are amusing and sad. The articles in this bundle also told tales of the times – fashions, comics, businesses, and even child rearing and feeding advice.
This was no ordinary newspaper. It was mystery newspaper that had been recycled to provide padding for an old wood and woven jute chair. We didn’t even know it was stuffed. Look at how creative folks were at repurposing way back before the word was even in use.
Now we know more about the chair (it is older than both of us) and the news of the day from several decades ago.
Words are valuable. No matter how old or in what format they are discovered.
Blogging is now a viable career option and there are endless examples of bloggers who have monetised their site to the point where they can quit their 9-5 job and live the dream. Consequently, the …
Hello, friends! This post is for those of you who are bloggers. Suzie has some great strategies. I love her low cost approach! Penny pincher, that’s me. 🙂
No one indulged Jello with his favorite treat. Valentine’s Day was a bust.
“Jello-pie,” croaked Jiggle. “True love of mine, you’ve wiggled into my heart!”
Jello gasped! A valentine, just for him! Pink tasty worms. Perfect for his – ahem – tastes. Beaming, Jello barked, “Thank you!”
Maybe Valentine’s Day was not so bad after all. Jello shared his valentine treats with his friends.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Written by Angie Quantrell (214 words)
The Second Annual Valentiny Writing Contest: by Susanna Leonard Hill
The Contest: since writing for children is all about “big emotion for little people” (I forget who said that, but someone did so I put it in quotes!) and Valentines Day is all about emotion, write a Valentines story appropriate for children (children here defined as ages 12 and under) maximum 214 words in which someone is confused! Your story can be poetry or prose, sweet, funny, surprising or anything in between, but it will only count for the contest if it includes someone confused (can be the main character but doesn’t have to be) and is 214 words (get it? 2/14 for Valentines Day You can go under the word count but not over! (Title is not included in the word count.) If you are so inclined, you are welcome to submit more than one entry – just remember you’ll be competing against yourself No illustration notes please!
All you need is love. But a little chocolate now and then doesn’t hurt.
~ Charles M. Schulz
Love comes from many places: a spouse, parents, siblings, children, grands, friends, neighbors, and co-workers. Don’t stop there. Call it what you will, but I know my cats give me love, dogs give love, and pets of all sorts show attachment to owners. Living, breathing people and animals give love. Love is not easy to understand, is sometimes challenging to offer, and this side of Heaven is totally imperfect. It can’t be forced but it can be reciprocated. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try to love, as difficult and trying as it sometimes is. Just trying counts. Hoping tomorrow I can do my part in spreading the love. And some chocolate.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.” John 3:16 (NIV)
May your Valentine’s Day be filled with love and dark chocolate.
(Hope everyone enjoys the blog title nod to Music & Lyric’s fictional band PoP 🙂 ) Roses are red Violets are blue Valentinies rock And so do YOU! Hang onto your chocolate everyone! It’s time for . . . The Second Annual Pretty Much World Famous Valentiny Writing Contest!!! Valen-tiny because the stories are not very […]
Today is it, folks. At least for the Yakima Valley. Maybe.
Time to get out there and grab a bowl full of clean fresh snow before the rains hit tomorrow. Let’s make snow cream!
Snow Cream
Fill a cereal bowl with clean snow. If you are doing this with kids, give them each a bowl to fill.
To each bowl add about: 1/2 tsp. vanilla, 1/2 tsp. sugar, and enough 1/2 & 1/2 or milk to desired consistency. Mix with a spoon. This is very light sugar, as I don’t care for syrupy sweet stuff, but you can add more sugar if you want. This would also be great with fresh fruit.
Eat, enjoy, repeat.
My mom used to make snow cream for us when I was a kid. I think she used to add eggs. But I’m not a big fan of raw eggs, and I was a kid. I could be way off base. Either way, no eggs.
At the end of a recent vacation, I shot a selfie of the two of us, relaxed and replete after several days of downtime and fun. This picture is one of my favorites.
Factor in one of Kevin’s co-workers, Kathy Bensch. She wanted to do a painting of us for Kevin’s office. Just because. We gave her a copy of our favorite photo.
Et voila! There we are, in living water color. Thank you, Kathy! Perfect!
Not that the painting will ever make it to Kevin’s office…I do have some ideas on how to share.
Princess Autumn is happy to show off an antique gown.
The title says it all. Here is Autumn, our princess. She’s not 100-years-old, but 9 months, and comes complete with teeth, crawling agility skills, and potential for climbing.
Autumn is sporting a 100+-year-old cotton dress. Notice the intricate stitching and detail as she chews on her hair brush. See the tiny buttons stitched to the opening on the back of the dress. Allow your gaze to appreciate the length of the long dress and long sleeves. For posing and walking, this ankle length gown is divine. For crawling, gnawing, and drooling, maybe not so perfect. Over 100 years ago, this antique gown was handcrafted by a loving and skilled female member of the family. I adore vintage.
Throwback Thursday welcomes Princess Autumn, which is kind of ironic, as she has not even had that many Thursdays…yet.
You made it through! It doesn’t matter if your journey was like this… Because you have emerged victorious! OK, so maybe your journey wasn’t that difficult. Whatever the path was l…
Ta-da! A month full of great picture book ideas! OK, maybe not all are great, but still! Many thanks to Tara Lazar for making Storystorm happen! Happy writing!
You can go under the word count but not over! (Title is not included in the word count.) If you are so inclined, you are welcome to submit more than one entry – just remember you’ll be competing against yourself 
Love, Laughter, and Life 