Wearin' O' the Green

 Hello, Dear Friends, I hope that you are seeing a few signs of spring

after this very long winter!

I know that some of you already are, some of you are still 

dealing with Old Man Winter, and some of you are just now

moving towards autumn. 

Here in the Cascade foothills of Washington State, 

we are seeing a few signs of spring, such as crocus, 

early daffodils, pansies and some tiny buds on the trees.

Although, we do still get a few snowflakes or hail drifting this way. 

So, while I wait for the warmth of the sun, 

I've been busy bringing a bit o' the green inside. 

With a little help from my friend, Kai. 

xx

(Who always has to be the center of attention,

which we lovingly indulge.)

I guess he is a little bit bored! Shhhh!

Let sleeping dogs lie. 

The sun finally came out, with rays shining through the skylight. 

I made the little heart pillow with a crochet edge a few years ago. 

The green check and gingham pillows are sewn from tea towels. 

I've had my 'Irish Lace' pillows so long that they are 

considered 'vintage'. 

As am I. 

xx

'The older the fiddle the sweeter the tune'

-Irish proverb-

I imagine that this could be a scene from the Irish countryside, don't you think?

'May you never forget what is worth remembering

nor ever remember what is best forgotten'

-Irish Proverb-

Pretty, hand-painted plates. 

xx

Those of you who have followed my blog for a while,

know that I am mostly Scots Irish, so I always

try to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. 

This is the 12th anniversary of the start of my blog, 

by the way! 

Time certainly likes to fly by. 

I have made so many talented, kind and creative friends 

during this time. 

All truly kindred spirits. 

Thank you for your dear friendship!

It means so much to me. 

xoxo

What's a green polka-dot bucket without two green birds?

I love green depression glass. 

I've been collecting it for years - a little at a time. 

It's not so popular anymore, and pieces are harder to find, 

but I always keep my eyes open to add to my collection. 

The 1930's is definitely my favorite era. 

My (and Ramblin' Man's) grandparents lived through the Great Depression,

and our parents were born in that decade. 

Times were very hard and they told us stories 

of their lives growing up during that time. 

Of gathering coal, fallen from railcars along the tracks

to heat the house. 

Of having only two sets of clothes, down to the socks, 

and washing them out by hand in the sink to 

make sure they always had something to wear. 

Of going barefoot in the summer, to save the only pair 

of shoes they had for church. 

Of buying one soup bone for the week

and making stew every night with that one bone to 

feed a family of ten, with vegetables they picked

as wages. 

Of my father selling newspapers on the streetcorner

at only five years old to help make ends meet, 

and a well-to-do couple approaching my grandparents 

about adopting him, and my grandparents saying, "No, 

we might be poor, but we are blessed with an abundance of love."

What shines through all their stories is their love 

for one another, and their resilience and determination 

to work hard throughout their lives to make 

sure their children and grandchildren had 

better lives. 

These pretty dishes are symbols of the hope and desire 

to make the best of a difficult situation during 

those trying times. 

Amazing that they have survived this long to be 

enjoyed by the descendants of those brave homemakers 

all those years ago. 

This little honey-pot was a gift from a dear loved one. 

xx

All ready for a spot of Irish tea. 

A sweet embroidery - a thrifty find. 

The measuring cup was the first piece I found, many years ago,

when I was a young homemaker. 

There are two bowls, one inside the other. 

I'm sure there is a middle size, 

because the bowls don't quite nest properly, 

so, I will keep my eyes open for that. 

The spice jar is one of 3 and is a reproduction. 

My Irish angel. 

A gift from a dear one. 

The Ball canning jars were a re-issue of a vintage style

that I bought new a few years ago. 

My shamrock mugs were a 'lucky' on-line find. 

May the sun shine all day

long, everything go right and 

nothing wrong.

May those you love, bring love

back to you, and may all the 

wishes you wish come true! 

xx

The green egg cup is a survivor of a set from 

one of my Mom's wedding gifts in the early 1950's. 

A Dear Friend gave me the shamrock mugs: 'Herself and Himself'. 

I have only two of these pretty transferware plates. 

I feel another collection coming on...

I am ready for some serious tea drinking. 

I need to dig out all of my scone recipes! 

The 'Happy' mug, plaid plate and small green teapot 

are sweet gifts from loved ones. 

My son, Gabe, painted this when he was in Jr. High School! 

He's never pursued his artistic talents beyond this, though, unfortunately. 

He's a very busy husband and father, with a demanding 

job in the tech industry, so no time for artistic pursuits at the moment. 

A basket full of St. Patrick's Day cards sent to me over the years. 

Vintage cards I have collected here and there. 

Postmark 1909. 

Not really a St. Patrick's Day card, but could pass for one. 

Sweet little tokens of remembrance from so long ago. 

Some blooms from my indoor garden. 

I've had this orchid for years - a gift from my daughter-in-law. 

This is the first time it has rebloomed! 

Such a sweet surprise. 

These are 'Donkey Tail' cactus blooms. 

Believe it or not, I've had these plants for over 30 years. 

They are easy to propagate, and so I have quite a few. 

It always makes me happy to see them bloom. 

Flowers outside my windows. 

xx

I've been incredibly busy the last few weeks. 

Ramblin' Man has had a few minor health scares, 

which didn't seem so minor at the time, but are resolving 

themselves in a positive way. 

That has been pretty stressful. 

We've also been very busy with the grandboys - having them over, 

going to a science fair (a home-made volcano was exhibited),

and visits with the family. 

I had a nice lunch date with my two daughters recently, 

and everyone (all four families) are coming over on Easter. 

A good friend of ours also had a health scare, 

and that has us worried, too. 

We are having him and his wife over on St. Patrick's Day for dinner. 

They've had a rough time of it the last few years, 

having lost their son to an undiagnosed heart condition, 

 and also losing several friends and siblings. 

Their positive attitude and resilience are truly 

inspirational and they are wonderful 

role models for their daughter and 4 grandchildren, 

two of whom lost their father (their son).

xx

I've been busy trying to empty an upstairs bedroom

to turn into a guest room for grandboy sleepovers, and guests. 

It was once my craft room, (after my boys grew up) but then it turned 

into a sort of storage space for miscellaneous orphaned things. 

In other words - a big mess. 

 Ramblin' Man has been busy doing yard work 

in between all the health issues, and we are having gutter guards

installed next week to keep him off the 30 ft. ladder. 

Oh, and we had Covid a 2nd time, but thankfully 

it was a relatively mild case. 

So please forgive me if I have been distracted lately and 

not around much. It seems since Ramblin' Man retired, 

we haven't had much time to actually 'retire', but 

that's what keeps you going, I guess.

 

Still, sometimes I'd rather be sipping something tropical on a beach!

xx 

' May the most you wish for be the least you get'

-Irish Proverb-

But, for now I am just grateful for many small blessings and positive outcomes. 

And the beautiful view of Mt. Rainier whenever the clouds lift. 

Spring is here, the flowers are blooming once more, the birds are singing, 

and we can finally put Old Man Winter to bed once more. 

Hopefully. 

I know so many are dealing with terrible weather, still, 

and disastrous in some places, and my heart and prayers are with you. 

"There but for the grace of God go I."

-John Bradford-

xx

May there always be work for your hands to do.

May your purse always hold a coin or two.

May the sun always shine on your windowpane.

May a rainbow be certain to follow each rain.

May the hand of a friend always be near you.

May God fill your heart with gladness to cheer you. 

xx
 

Junuary

 

Hello Dear Friends! Here it is already June, and I can't believe 

half the year is gone. 

We are still stuck in a very wet and cool weather pattern

here in western Washington state.

This is not unusual and is frequently known as 'Junuary'.  

All the rain has created lush growth, but has inhibited 

any sort of control over it all, so I have been using 

this time to do a little entertaining and socializing. 

Recently we invited old friends over for a Southwest style dinner. 

  

I pulled out all of my collected decor from our 

time living in Tucson, and visits to Arizona over the years. 

I made the tray using decoupage with a scenic napkin from The Desert Museum.

The little painting is from Tucson. 

We were newly-wed when we moved to Tucson, Arizona. 

Growing up in small, New England towns, we felt the need to escape

and have some adventure before we settled down to start a family. 

We lived in a desert bungalow on the boundary of the Saguaro National Park

for two years. 

It was like moving to another planet for two born and raised New Englanders. 

We fell in love with the desert and always wanted to move back, 

but the fates had a different plan for us, so I have settled 

for the occasional visit and a small collection of treasured mementos and memories. 

My new 'Pioneer Woman' dish set that the Mr. gifted 

to me for Christmas, lends itself beautifully to 

the bright and colorful southwest style. 

With the weather being so gloomy, I wanted 

to brighten things up! 

I made guacamole from a recipe I've had for years. 

It's easy and so delicious, and not too spicy. 

Here's the recipe:

Classic Guacamole

2 large ripe avocados, mashed

1/4 cup finely chopped yellow onion

2 tbsp lemon juice (1/2 lemon)

2-5 drops hot pepper sauce, if desired

1/4 to 1/2 tsp garlic powder ( I used one clove minced garlic)

1/4 tsp salt and dash of pepper

1 med. tomato, chopped fine

2 tbsp finely chopped green chilies (canned) or 1 sm. fresh chili, chopped

xx

Mix all ingredients and serve with tortilla chips. 

Will keep for a day or two in the refrigerator. 

Tequila sunrise fixings. 

Orange juice, tequila and a splash of grenadine (the sunrise). 

We have known our dear friends for over 20 years. 

Ramblin' Man and he were co-workers

and immediately hit it off. Both married their 

high-school sweethearts and were strong family men, 

with the same sense of humor. 

Through the years we've shared achievements and milestones, 

along with hardships, loss and unspeakable sorrow. 

We've shared weddings and funerals,

and now, retirement and old age.

xx 

"Age appears to be best in four things; old wood best to burn,

old wine to drink, old friends to trust, 

and old authors to read."

- Francis Bacon -

I set up a taco bar on my 'Kitchen Queen' Hoover cabinet. 

The enamel top slides out to make a large surface 

perfect for serving. 

All the fixings, including Spanish rice. 

Soft tacos. 

I just found the taco shell holders at my local grocer during 'Cinco de mayo'. 

I'm always looking to add to my collections. 

xx

A peek at the cabinet shelves. 

I crocheted the 'doily', which is actually a dish cloth! 

I also sewed the tied-up bundle of lavender sachets. 

These are great to repel pantry moths. 

My kitchen window with my pepper and tomato salt and pepper shakers. 

Can you have too many? 

When I was a little girl, I remember visiting my Grandmother's 

little cottage for Sunday dinner (My Dad's Mom). 

She had a 'sun porch' with windows all around where 

we could play. In that little room were a few toys, 

some comfy chairs and footstools, her little parakeet in a cage, 

and best of all, her glass curio cabinet that held dozens 

of fascinating salt and pepper shakers! 

She would pick out a few that my sisters and I could play 

with, as long as we promised not to chip or drop them. 

Some were pairs of puppies and kittens, some were little 

fruits or vegetables, and some were kitchen appliances 

or tiny figurines. 

I wonder if my Grandmother knew that this simple 

gesture would create such wonderful memories for 

me? She's been long-gone, and I wish that I had told her, 

but I think she knows. 

xx

My overstuffed taco. 

Believe it or not, I was able to roll it up,

but, once done, I couldn't set it down! 

Yum! 

Streusel cake for dessert, (can you tell the Mr. cut the cake?) 

served with coffee while we watched an old movie. 

'Under the Tuscan Sun' 

Such a favorite! 

It was wet and rainy, so we couldn't walk through 

the wildflowers, but maybe you would like to go! 

Buttercup and Forget me not.

The wildflowers have taken over the front lawn

and it's been so wet and rainy, 

with Ramblin' Man on the mend from his mishap, that we 

decided to just enjoy it as is. 

Bugle weed, forget me not and buttercup

Barberry and forget me not. 

Columbine

Bleeding Heart

Pink herb Robert, yellow buttercup, blue forget me not. 

Some holly on the side. 

Fringe cup.

Wild bleeding heart. 

These are just some of the flowers blooming right now. 

Such a beautiful time of year. 

With so much turmoil and strife going on in this world, 

I find that it's so important to take time to appreciate the 

beauty. 

The simple pleasures of a walk in the garden or woodland, 

or a drive through a pretty neighborhood or the countryside, clears the mind

and brings me closer to the healing powers of nature.

Even a few potted flowers on the deck, 

enjoyed with a cup of tea, can do wonders for my spirit.

It grounds me, so that I can be there for my loved ones

during these tumultuous times. 

xx 

 

With the price of groceries at an all-time high, 

I am very careful to utilize all of my leftovers. 

Here, I've stuffed some peppers with the leftover 

seasoned taco beef mixed with the Spanish rice, 

and served with the leftover fixings on top.

I stuff the whole peppers, set them in a pan that 

holds them upright (I used a loaf pan for two), 

and put about an inch of water on the bottom of the pan. 

Bake, covered, for approximately 45 min. to one hour 

at 375 degrees. 

Cut in half and top with salsa, sour cream and shredded cheese. 

So good. 

xx

Some pretty scenes on our visits to 'the kid's' homes. 

xx

We've been catching up with our visiting 

now that we are feeling better. 

Three of my children live over an hour's drive away, 

and one lives in the same town. 

xx

We really enjoy the drives, though. 

A few more pretty scenes along the way...

I hope that you are finding time to enjoy old friends, the love of family, 

and the beauty of this magical time of year, Dear Friends. 

xx

"Wishing to be friends is quick work, 

but friendship is slow-ripening fruit."

- Aristotle -

"A friend is a person with whom I may be sincere,

Before him I may think aloud."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson -

xx