My hubby is busy changing batteries in our smoke alarms. He is devoted about doing that when the time changes, and I'm so grateful. He tends to all things that keep us safe around here.
We had unexpected company drop by last evening about 6 o'clock. They insisted on taking us out for dinner, so we turned off the burner that was keeping the kettle of chili warm, and we quickly changed into more presentable duds and away we went. Sometimes the unexpected and unplanned times are the most fun.
We love Sunday mornings. Regrettably, we don't attend public worship services, but that doesn't mean that our spirituality doesn't get proper attention. Oh, don't worry, we know there are those who secretly shake their fingers at us for our non-traditional approach to worship, but that's okay. "May those who love us, love us; and those who don't love us, may God turn their hearts; and if He doesn't turn their hearts, may He turn their ankles so we'll know them by their limping." (Irish blessing)
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| Hay Stacks |
When we were younger, and our parents were living, an invitation for Sunday dinner was the best of times. Both of our mothers were excellent cooks, and they'd fix big meals with meat, potatoes, gravy, homemade rolls or bread, and would have a pie or some other favorite dessert waiting for their big finale. They encouraged second helpings, and we, the good children we were, obeyed our mothers. Oh, those were the days. We miss our mothers' cooking, but we have fun trying to replicate some of their holiday specialties. Come Christmas, we'll be making my mother-in-law's favorite Haystacks where you coat a marshmallow in a melted caramel sauce and then roll it in rice krispies. If anyone would like her recipe, just let me know and I'll share it. She was always more than happy to write down her recipes for others.
With the holidays approaching, we'll all be thinking about food more than any other time of year. My husband's family is in the process of setting a date for Thanksgiving. Our schedule is incredibly flexible, cuz it's just the two of us. We are happy to host, and we are happy to attend. Makes no difference to us, just so long we we keep the strings of family tied.
I like trying new recipes. When we put in our new kitchen cupboards, I wanted the cupboards above the stove to be reserved for Cook Books and nothing else. It's packed tight and I see we've started piling a second layer. We could get rid of all of them now that the Internet offers us recipes along with pictures of the finished dish. But, there's still something heart-warming about the favorite pages of Mom's recipe book that have splotches of batter dried on or the remains of a kitchen spill. Cook books are things we like to pass from generation to generation. They're special possessions, and they're a way of clinging to the precious past.....like those Sunday dinners that once were.