Thursday Thoughts #126
Monthly Archives: December 2024
A Little Christmas Craft
These long winter nights leave my Main Squeeze and myself with a couple hours of “What to do now?” after dinner.
We do not have television which rules out watching it the remainder of the evening. We have movies, but they are all downstairs and leaving the warm, crackling fire all alone seems out of the question. So what does one do with the last couple dark hours of a winter evening?
Often we listen to books on tape, or take turns reading a book out-loud. A good story is even better by firelight.
But this night Christmas crafts were on the agenda, for fun. Now my main squeeze is not big on doing ‘crafty things’, but timing and preparation is everything. When I set the box of paints, brushes and paper on the table with a cheerful invitation to do a Christmas craft, he said, “Sure!”
It was fun and easy. I found it on Instagram account @kidscraftbarn.
How do you spend your long winter nights? BTW—Winter Solstice is only a few days away!
Merry Christmas from our house to yours.
Thursday Thoughts #125
Open Hearth Cooking
Ever cook open hearth? I get the joy and pleasure of cooking open hearth a couple times a year where I work seasonly, at Abram’s Delight Museum. Winchester’s oldest home.
Our cabin, circa 1780, is a fine example of early American cabin homes here in our area. They were put up quickly for basic shelter, as crops and orchard planting came next, followed then by adding onto or building the permanent house.
My boss, and Executive Director of the Frederick County/Winchester Historical Society is an expert open hearth cook. I am the able-bodied assistant. One might call me the sous-chef. It is a job I immensely enjoy.
We have cooked in the hot, hot, HOT summer, and in this cold December. We could see our breath in the cabin this December! A hearth fire is cozy in winter but brutal in summer.
Preparing our food and cast iron pots quickly warmed us up whether it be summer or winter. Little relief can be found in the hot summer. As for winter, a step into the other room quickly cooled us down.
We are able to cook every way a modern stove can cook today. That is, we boil, deep fry, turn on a spit, bake, simmer and broil. It is just a matter of know how, and placing the right cast iron pots in their proper places plus keeping good coals on the fire. Truly it sounds easier here than in doing.
I have thought often of how these women managed in these tough times, as we know them. But, these woman did not know any different. They knew what they knew, just as we do now. Not too many years from now folks may wonder how we did what we have done. Who knows? Only God knows. He knows far more than we think we know.
Just the same, folks enjoy visiting the cabin, most especially when we are cooking. Regardless of the season, the food smells good! That is simply because it is good.
Thursday Thoughts #124
Thursday Thoughts #123
Our ‘Little’ Road Trip
A recent road trip with my twinster, my brother-in-law and myself took longer than I thought, but I am glad we went. More importantly, I am glad Kent came.
We had decided to go visit Bill’s and my one son living in Idaho attending school at Northwest Nazarene University in Nampa. He is studying Nursing.
Since I was “so close” while visiting my twinsters family out west this month, we decided a road trip would be fun. This was no little trip. Kent did nearly all of the driving, while I sat comfortably in the back seat of his smooth-riding, spacious Ram 3500 truck taking pictures.
Well, I have since learned that their idea of “so close” is not the same as my Virginia idea. As it turned out the travel time was over 13 hours, covering over 900 miles! One way! What? That’s close?
After leaving Colorado, we traveled through Wyoming, Utah, and finally to Idaho. We did take a bit longer route going as we spent a night at Bear Lake, Utah.
Known as The Caribbean of the Rockies, Bear Lake shares the Northern Utah and SouthEast Idaho borders. Historically rich as a focal point in the settling of our United States with wagon roads, fur trading, and early settlements. It is a busy summer destination. However, in the middle of November it is very nearly a ghost town.
The beautiful turquoise-colored lake is just as stunning regardless of time of year.
I believe every American should drive cross our beautiful, vast country at least once in their life. The expanse and desolation in those midwestern states was stunning. Miles and miles of nothing but rocks and brown dirt. No towns, one lonely house here and there. Where do they go for milk and eggs?
Three fun days were spent in Idaho with Gordon. Right behind his house is a big potato field! How neat is that? He said the potato trucks lose potatoes all along the road when loaded!
We made a bee line back to Colorado upon departing. And now I can check Idaho off my list of states to visit, with only three states left. Nebraska, Oregon and North Dakota. Almost done with this bucket list.
Happy road trips to you, gentle reader.
one_local_gal 