Childhood toys: marbles

Among the toys I still have from childhood is a large blue canning jar full of marbles. I know nothing about them, really... except to know that some are hand made, some are machine made, and most are the very common cat's eye: clear glass with a twist of color. Occasionally I come across marbles in an antique store, and if the price is reasonable, I add a few to my jar.

My favorites are the mostly white marbles, with swirls or patches of color in oranges, greens, blues, yellows. One day I'll have time to sort through them and learn more about the different manufacturers and the pattern names. For now, I'll just enjoy their brilliant colors.

Still eclectic after all these years...

It's been about 18 months since I started life as a blogger. I figured that eventually my blog would morf into a focused set of postings about one of my passions. Photography, wine, quilting, writing, journaling, antiques, cats, cooking. I love them all and can't decide what to focus on.

So for now, I'll continue as I began back in July 2009, writing somewhat erratically about the people, places, and things that I love. I hope someone out there is enjoying it.

Cumberland Island

Two years ago we took a winter vacation, our first that didn't involve skiing. We spent a few days in Savannah, Georgia, followed by two days on Cumberland Island, off the coast of Georgia. We loved both places, even though our grey Northwest weather followed us 3000 miles to the Atlantic coast. My new header photo is the front lawn of the inn on Cumberland Island, framed by a massive live oak with its spreading branches.


The house was pretty spectacular. The huge living room, study, and library on the main floor were filled with antiques and available 24 hours a day for our use. There was a fire in the massive fireplace all day long, and we spent a lot of time there (mainly drying our clothes after getting drenched outdoors). The guest rooms were on the upper two floors, except for the bedroom and bath just off the library, which were our rooms for the weekend. Between antiques, lovely architectural details, the wild horses, and the beautiful grounds, I found plenty of subjects for my camera. I'd like to come back one day.

Childhood toys

I can picture my childhood room very clearly. The child's hutch painted white, with the top shelves filled with beloved Nancy Drew and Trixie Belden and Bobbsey Twins books. The lower cabinet held my overflow stuffed animal menagerie, those that wouldn't fit on my bed. I wasn't much for playing with dolls, but still have the large baby doll I got when I was about 5. Mostly, I wanted stuffed toys, and still have a few of those.

When we got older, my parents gave most of our toys to the church, where they went to the nursery for other children to enjoy. I still have a few things, but lament the passing of our childs Singer sewing machine (for some reason, I have the case), the kitchen with its pots and pans and china tea set, and boxes of doll clothes, mostly made by my mother. I wish I had these precious mementos of childhood.

Instead of a gift exchange...

May I suggest a Christmas cookie exchange? That's what we did for my husband's family get-together this year, instead of drawing names or setting a price limit or getting gifts only for those under 18 years of age. The family is big, we don't really need any new stuff, and there's just something festive and comforting about baking cookies for the holidays.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I set it up like this: everyone who wanted to participate baked 2-3 dozen cookies. We set up a special table for the decorative plates of goodies, and I made cards to identify the varieties, and who baked them. I brought a stack off handle bags, and everyone selected the cookies they wanted to take home. If you brought 3 dozen, you could choose 3 dozen to take. We also brought extras for sampling, which we put on the kitchen island to eat for dessert after dinner.

Finally... deer at the farm

We were lucky this year... we had a white Thanksgiving! It started to snow early on the Monday before Thanksgiving, and all morning long I watched it come down. By lunchtime, I called it quits and headed for home. Glad I did; it took me an hour to go 6 miles because of all the detours around the steepest of the hills.

In the late afternoon, as I came up the basement stairs and looked out past the garage, I spotted something never seen at our little farm in the valley: deer. The past 25 years we've often commented on this lack... seems like with our apple orchards, the pastures, the woods, and a nearby creek, we would have a lot of deer. I took my camera out to record the event; with the salling snow and the failing light, the photos didn't come out great. But at least I've got proof!

The sickies are all around me

I've been surrounded by sick people at work the past couple of weeks, with no ill effects. But this morning I woke up with a sore throat and an aching back, and want nothing more than to go back to bed. Bummer...

Why do sick people feel so compelled to drag their sorry butts into work, infect everyone around them, then drag themselves back home? Do they really feel so indispensible, that their company's profitibility revolves around their presence, or the planets will fail to align if they're not sitting at their desk?

I'd like to gently remind them (before I run screaming in the other direction) to think about this: Are you so much more important than everyone else? If your co-workers get sick because of your selfishness, do you feel remorse? Or do you just shrug your shoulders, chalk it up to fate, and repeat the same behavior next time? Think about it. Who died and made you god?

Bella Frances

I'm reading Bella Tuscany, the second in the series, Under the Tuscan Sun. I loved the book, loved the movie (even though they completely changed the story), but hadn't read any of Frances Mayes' other books. I'm loving this book, and wish she'd written it before we went to Tuscany in 1997. Next time, I want to plant myself squarely in one of the small towns, and explore every day. The tiny hill towns, the wineries, the lakes, the back roads. Just immerse ourselves in the region and the culture, the cuisine and the wine. Wouldn't that be heavenly?

Woodford Reserve Dinner

Tonight was the long-awaited Woodford Reserve dinner at Duke's Chowder House. We've done several of these special dinners, which feature a particular winery or brewery, combined with a multi-course meal created by executive chef, Bill Ranniger.








Our little group has become regulars at these dinners, and we've enjoyed getting acquainted with Bill. He does an amazing job of creating recipes to pair with whatever beer, wine, or spirits are being featured. We usually go with the same group of people from Dave's group at Boeing, people who have become friends.

This is the second year that Duke, Bill, and other staff have traveled to Kentucky to choose their own special barrel of Woodford Reserve. Bill treated us to a tasting of the 2009 barrel last spring, and tonight we sampled them side by side. As a special thank you to our friend Rich, who got us started on these dinners, the restaurant gave a bottle to Rich, who plans his own food and bourbon party over the Christmas break. We're looking forward to that!

Dave with the special bottle of Woodford Reserve (with Rich in the background)















Melinda & Julie

Cheshire Moon

It was a chilly 44 degrees this morning, with a perfect Cheshire moon rising in the east. Just a few short weeks ago, I drove to work straight into the full moon, bright in the western sky. Today promises to be another spectacular autumn day in the Northwest, with sunshine in the forecast. As I logged into the computer and started another work day, a flock of Canada geese flew past my windows, on their way from the river to the corn fields just south of town.

I love the autumn, the chilly mornings that give way to warm afternoons. The air is soft, the leaves are still green on the trees in the wetland beyond my windows. All too soon the rain will fall and the wind will blow, and the leaves will be on the ground in thick piles of yellow and gold. I also love autumn for the changes it brings to my wardrobe. I've packed away the tank tops and sandals, the lightweight cotton shirts of summer, and brought out the long-sleeved t-shirts and the sweaters, the jackets, and the scarves that I wrap around my neck to brighten up my wardrobe.

More than any other season, autumn makes me smile.