Wolf Moon

 The first full moon of 2022 — the "Wolf Moon" — shines bright in the sky tonight.

 

 

Brightly the moon like a jewel is beaming,

White in the east, o'er a lone landscape gleaming,

Over the meadows and over the snow,

Glimmering, shimmering, silvery glow.

Low in the east, when the gloaming is ending,

Slowly this white winter moon is ascending,

Looming so large and appearing so nigh,

Satellite framed by a star-spangled sky.

High in the sky, with soft radiance teeming,

Nigh to the time when men, women, are dreaming,

Weird is her splendor on valley and hill,

Cold is her gleam upon river and rill.

Brightly the moon like a jewel is shining,

White in the west she is slowly declining,

Beautiful Moon ! Which beams gorgeous and grand

Over the homes of our own Native Land.
 

~Charles Nevers Holmes. 1926

Silent And Soft

We awoke to another snowfall this morning.

Beautiful to look at, but I have the suspicion folks are really looking for a few constant days of sunshine right about now. 

 

Announced by all the trumpets of the sky,

Arrives the snow, and, driving o'er the fields,

Seems nowhere to alight: the whited air

Hides hills and woods, the river, and the heaven,

And veils the farmhouse at the garden's end.

The sled and traveller stopped, the courier's feet

Delayed, all friends shut out, the housemates sit

Around the radiant fireplace, enclosed

In a tumultuous privacy of storm.

The Snow Storm ~ Ralph Waldo Eme

 

                                                       

                                                   ⛄⛄

Peace On Earth Goodwill Toward Men

I've so enjoyed our visits back and forth throughout the year, all the sweet comments wriitten  and well-wishes when a word of encouragement was needed.

We truly wish each and every one of you, friends and family, near and far, all the blessings of a Joyous and Merry Christmas.

 

May you have the gladness of Christmas which is hope;

The spirit of Christmas which is peace;

The heart of Christmas which is love."

 

~Ada V. Hendicks

 

 

When Christmas bells are swinging above the fields of snow,

We hear sweet voices ringing from lands of long ago,

And etched on vacant places

Are half-forgotten faces

Of friends we used to cherish,

And loves we used to know.

 

~ Ella Wheeler Wilcox

Plodding Along Nicely

We've been spoiled up until this point, with warmer than usual days, many not requiring the wearing of a jacket.
This past week in particular, our daytime temperatures  have felt more like  Summer Days.

I'm busy gathering Christmas gifts and checking my list twice.
Only ten more days to go, time to get a move-on.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“The leaves fall, the wind blows, and the farm country slowly changes from the summer cottons into its winter wools.”

~ Henry Beston : Northern Farm

'Til They're Clean And Sparkly

When Christmas holidays roll around, the copper pots get an extra cleaning.

I was raised in a generation, when kitchens proudly displayed their gleaming wares. 

My grandma had lots of copper, silver and brass, it was my job to keep them shiny and bright.

The unmistakable smell of Brasso lingered in the air on Friday evenings, after my weekly chore was done.

The manufacturers changed the formula of Brasso cleaning solution several years ago, the new and improved version is not so much. Thankfully I've found another product that works incredibly well, wipe on, rinse off with water, and voila !

I'm pretty sure the younger generation has no desire to polish these timeless treasures, myself, I'm happy to hold on to the memories. 

 

 

 

 

I've used the silver cleaner for years, with excellent results, but didn't know they made copper cleaner until I ran across this on Amazon.

Wipe it on with the little sponge included, and rinse off.
Magical.

 

Soup's On

When the leaves are beginning to change, and the temperatures start to fall, my thoughts turn to comfort food.

A favorite simple soup is homemade mushroom soup, earthy-goodness, silky smooth and comforting on cool Autumn nights.
Serve with a crusty loaf of French bread, light a candle or two and enjoy.

Cream of Mushroom Soup.

6Tbsp. butter
1 med. onion
3/4 lb. mushrooms
3 Tbsp. flour.
1 clove of garlic ( very finely chopped )
1 tbsp. fresh thyme chopped or 1 tsp. dried
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
dash of nutmeg
1 Knorr Swiss vegetable cube
3 cups of chicken broth
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 large bay leaf
fresh ground pepper to taste.
fresh parsley or chives for garnish

               ********

Melt the butter and add the chopped onion and garlic. Cook until onion is transparent at medium.
Add mushrooms and continue to cook for about 5 min.
Add the flour and the vegetable cube and stir in. Immediately add the chicken broth and water, incorporating slowly.
Add bay leaf and pepper, cover and bring to a boil.
Add Worcestershire sauce , thyme and dash of nutmeg.
Turn heat down immediately and simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove bay leaf and add cream.
If desired, top with fresh croutons or crackers.
Garnish with parsley or chives.

Trick Or Treat

 We'll leave the light on for you.

 

" By the pricking of my thumbs,
Something wicked this way comes,
Open, locks,
Whoever knocks ".
 
Shakespeare / Macbeth 1606

 

 

 

 

Batten Down The Hatches

 

Our days seem to have reverted back to Summer temperatures, warm and breezy.
Later this evening thunderstorms are to move in, not my favorite type of weather, especially when tornadoes are in the prediction.

Walking about the garden tidying up any potential objects that may become hazardous in 60 mph winds, I noticed the Clematis vine is once again in bloom, the third time this year !
Such a gentle, giving vine, sharing her beauty for one last smile.

Autumn Silence

Enjoying a day of quiet time . The trees are changing color, and Autumn leaves are making a show, finally.
Some days it's good to do nothing. No deadlines to meet, no chores to complete, no lists to check twice.
Bliss.

Let's Eat Pie

Almost as popular as traditional Pecan Pie, this delicious Japanese Fruit Pie graces many dinner tables here in the South.

The combination of pecans, raisins, and coconut suspended in a chess-pie type of filling is wonderfully rich and toothsome.

 

Japanese Fruit Pie
 

Ingredients

1 deep dish 9 inch unbaked pie shell

1 stick of melted butter ( 1/2 cup )

1 1/2 cups of white sugar

1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

1tsp. vanilla extract

3 large eggs ( slightly beaten )

1/2 cup each of raisins, shredded coconut, (I like a little more) chopped pecan pieces.

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
In a medium mixing bowl combine eggs, butter, sugar, vinegar and vanilla extract.

Beat until smooth. Stir in pecans, coconut, and raisins.

Pour mixture into pastry shell.
Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes. Cool before serving.

Serve topped with vanilla ice cream or whipped fresh cream.