Bird  Watching 

If I were a bird, I'd sing a song

And fly about the whole day long.

And when the night came,

Go to rest, up in my cozy little nest.

---nursery  rhyme

I just looked out our back windows on this rainy, cold winter morning and smiled when I saw 5 male cardinals enjoying a snack of sunflower seeds.  My hsband loves to feed the birds and watch as they devour the seeds from our three feeders.  There are other types of birds there too, but the bright red feathers of the cardinals just stand out and lend a bright spot to an otherwise dreary day!

Birds certainly add a lot of beauty to our world.  Look at the colors of these sweet creatures:

And what about these gorgeous feathers?

Definitely beauty personified.

I've been noticing birds in a lot of decor and craft items lately.  Is there a trend I've been missing out on?  I may have to set up a new Pinterest board:  Birds for Other Things Besides Watching & Feeding!

Wouldn't this be lovely on a spring mantle or as a centerpiece for an Easter dinner?

http://www.creationsbykara.com/2013/03/spring-decorating-20-ideas-for-bird-nest-decor.html/

Look what this crafty blogger made from Dollar Tree birds!

http://cinnaberry-suite.blogspot.com/2010/03/springin-up.html



And this blue chest is just too, too sweet...wish I could paint like that!

www.missmustardseed.com

I love this...and it could be easily made.

www.mudpiestudio.com

But these???  These may be taking it a little too far!

www.goodideasforyou.com  (Really?? a good idea??)

Have you guessed what it is???  (smoke detector)

Pinterest has many, many cute crafts that involve birds, owls, and chickens.  These look easy enough to make.

bookmarks/flickr image

pinterest board

Who wouldn't love some cute blue bird cookies? 

My sister-in-law and niece could certainly whip these out in a skinny minute!  They have their own cookie business and they are absolutely amazing!  Check out their etsy shop for all your cookie needs for baby showers, birthday parties, wedding favors, and anything else that will meet your cookie needs.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/TwoCrazyCookies  



Birds certainly add beauty to our world through their bright colors and beautiful songs.  God knew we needed some little bright spots in a world that can sometimes seem harsh and cold...plus he knew we needed reminders like this:



I heard a bird sing

in the dark of December

A magical thing

and sweet to remember;

"We are nearer to spring

Than we were in September,"

I heard a little bird sing

In the dark of December

--Oliver Herford

Even on a dreary rainy day like today, a little bird can bring out the sunshine.

Hang in there...because a little bird told me it would be Spring soon!



Button, Button...whose got the button ?

picture via google search

Do  you remember that game...or does that give away my age?  I remember playing this when I was in first grade.  Our teacher would sit us in a circle, and we would pass a button around our back while chanting.  The teacher would call STOP and we would have to figure out who had the button!  Well...it was fun at the time!

luualla.com

I have always loved buttons!  I think my fascination began due to many hours of playing with my grandmother's button tin.  It was full of beautiful buttons of all different colors, sizes, & shapes.  I would stack them, compare them, make patterns with them, even make up games with them.  I wonder if children still play with buttons today?  Probably not!

mypolkadotteapot.com via google search

I recently read a little about the history of buttons.  The earliest known button is supposedly about 5000 years old.  They actually began more as an adornment worn like jewelry than for actual utility.  After the Button Makers Guild was formed in 1250 AD, there were actually laws prohibiting poor people from owning buttons made of certain materials (which they couldn't afford anyway).  Snobby rich people!  In the 1300's people went so crazy over buttons that some garments were totally covered in buttons...each with its own buttonholes!  Can you imagine getting dressed in the mornings?

Lots of people out there evidently collect buttons...and some pay big bucks for even a single button.  (I doubt I'll get that addicted.)  You can Google and find all sorts of information if you are interested, including www.iwantbuttons.com. 

I was very fortunate awhile back to be given a wonderful collection of buttons that had been collected by possibly both of my husband's grandmothers and my mother-in-law. 

Then my mother gave me a lot too....and these were even contained in a very old tin that I remember her keeping them in!  I love my buttons!

Some of my collection are very interesting and I'm sure very old.  I've tried to find out some info on some of them but haven't discovered anything yet.

A few years ago I even made this bracelet out of a length of elastic and various buttons I had

Wouldn't these be cute?

luualla.com

I sometimes pull out my buttons when my granddaughter is here because I hope that she too will fall in love with these beautiful pieces of metal, cloth, & plastic.  Maybe I will even teach her...

Button, Button...whose got the button ?

second twirl via pinterest.com

TOMATO  PIE

 Apple Pie, Cherry Pie, Coconut Pie, Pecan Pie....but TOMATO PIE?

 

I had never heard of Tomato Pie until a few years ago when I had it at a local restaurant.  I actually forgot about it until awhile back I came across the recipe in a copy of THE BEST OF GEORGIA FARMS COOKBOOK.  Well, since Georgia is my state and I know there are a lot of wonderful farmers and cooks here, I knew I had to try it.  So glad I did!  It's not only very yummy but also "easy as pie" to make (no pun intended).  My husband now loves it and even my daughter-in-law (who doesn't really cook) asked me for the recipe today.  Thought I would share the recipe.  Of course, Georgia-grown tomatoes are the BEST, I'm sure, but hopefully your state has some delicious ones around too.

 

I borrowed this picture from allrecipes.com

TOMATO PIE

 1 9-inch deep dish frozen pie shell

1 cup grated Cheddar cheese (mild or sharp, your taste)
3 medium, ripe tomatoes, sliced
6 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 cup mayonnaise

*I have actually made it for just my husband and me by using a regular pie shell, fewer tomatoes, and cut back a little on the cheese and mayo.  I like lots of bacon though!

Bake pie shell following pkg. directions. 

Preheat oven to 350.      Place tomatoes in bottom of cooked pie shell; top with
crumbled bacon.  Combine cheese & mayo; spoon evenly over tomatoes.  Bake 35-40 minutes.

 

A good old Southern recipe....enjoy!

 

Come In & Do Slam the Door!

Nothing is any more Southern than a big ol' wrap-around porch and a screen door.  Wish I had a dollar for every time my mama yelled at my brother and me, "Don't slam the door!"  But there is just something about the sound of a slamming screen door as you run in or out of the house.

Screen doors aren't as popular in the South as they once were, probably due to air-conditioning.  But in years gone by, screen doors were basically a necessity.  They let in the cooler air (if you can find any on a hot July day down this way) while keeping out the pesky gnats that those of us below the "gnat line" fight on a daily basis.  Although I do love my air-conditioning, I really do miss screen doors.  They just bring back memories of southern roots and days gone by.

The invention of the screen door is sometimes credited to a lady from Iowa named Hannah Harger in the late 1800's.  Although there is no real evidence that she did, it wouldn't surprise me.  After all, we women folk don't like flies in our homes bothering our babies or landing in our soup!  But even though it did begin as a utilitarian necessity, the screen door can also lend an elegance to a home as well as provide a barrier between the home's occupant and an annoying door-to-door salesman!

When I get in one of my nostalgic moods, I think of adding a screen door to our side porch.  However, there are those who nowadays are finding creative ways to use them both inside the home as well as in the garden.  A pantry door can be transformed or vines could be trained to weave themselves up and around. 

Those are great ideas, but sadly there is one thing that is lacking....those doors will never squeak on rusty hinges or bang against the door jam as a child runs in and out.

 Yes, maybe one day before my grandkids get grown I will add that screen door and happily yell as they run in and out, "Do slam the door!"
             *pictures from Google search

SOUP & MEMORIES

I was never taught to really cook as I was growing up.  Therefore, my poor husband had to live on hot dogs and warmed up canned pork & beans a lot when we were first married!  Bless his heart...he survived and is still with me after 44 years!  After a LOT of trial-and-error, I have turned out to be a decent chef.

One of the things on my BUCKET LIST is to teach my granddaughter to do more than just boil water (which is about all I could do in my early years).   We've done a good bit of cooking together but tonight I let her make her Papa's supper....all by herself...and she did a GREAT job!  Of course, I supervised and gave a few directions, but she mostly did it herself.  She made DUMP SOUP and BLUEBERRY COBBLER. 

                                                                 

While preparing our delicious meal, she wore an apron made by her great-great grandmother complete with hand embroidery.  As we cooked I shared a couple of stories about GRANDMAMA told to me by her greatest fan, her grandson/my husband.  My husband thinks she hung the moon (and the sun and all the stars).  Of course, she didn't....but if God had asked her, she probably could have.  She was a very resourceful lady....and a fabulous cook.  Granddaughter M has already done some embroidery; and now she is learning to cook.  Grandmama, sure wish you were here to give her better instruction than I can.

                                                            

Both the soup and the cobbler turned out great.  She gave it her seal of approval by eating a big bowl of each.  Later, she may not remember the soup  or the dessert, but I do hope she remembers the MEMORIES we made cooking together and hearing stories about her family.

In case you'd like the recipes, here they are:

 

DUMP SOUP

Brown one pound of hamburger meat....or use leftover ham as we did today.

(We also added the ham bone just for a little extra flavor.)

 

"Dump" in:

1 can tomato soup              1 can diced tomatoes

1 can creamed corn              1 can butterbeans (or leftovers)

1 can okra                     1 can Veg-All

1 1/2 - 2 cups water            1/4 cup rice

salt & pepper to taste

Cook on very low for a couple of hours to meld the flavors together.

BLUEBERRY COBBLER

To about 2 cups of peaches or blueberries or blackberries, add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup sugar (depending on how sweet you like it).

In another bowl: combine 1/2 cup self-rising flour

                                      1/2 cup sugar

                                      1/2 cup milk (warmed in microwave about 25 seconds)

In small square casserole:  melt 1/2 stick butter or margarine

Then pour into the butter the flour/sugar mixture.  DO NOT STIR.

To this add the fruit.  DO NOT STIR

Bake @ 350 about 30-45 minutes or until crust is lightly browned.