Starting Seeds

     My homemade seed starters are pretty modest compared to the mini-greenhouses that are available commercially. However, the recycled egg cartons fit perfectly on my kitchen windowsill and the herb, vegetable and flower seedlings are removed shortly after germination to cell packs anyway, so durability is not an issue.

     It's always heartening in the last dregs of winter to see little sprouts emerging and reaching for the light. While some seeds obviously take longer to germinate, it gives great satisfaction (and patience) to nurture them into growing, which makes the project a perfect lesson for the fast-forward children of today!

Winter Captives

    

     These charming ceramic fellows reside in our screened porch at the back of the house. In the summer months their polished white surfaces and airy openwork design lend a certain coolness and whimsy to an ordinary setting. But yesterday a wet clingy snow fell and nearly obscured the screens. However, instead of appearing mournful, the companions seem to look hopefully upward, anticipating spring with the belief, "The sun is still out there somewhere!"

   Following are a couple more photographs of yesterday's short-lived snowfall (which melted by midafternoon of the next day.)

1963 Birthday Party

     The little girls were visiting on the Sunday before Valentine's Day and we decided to create some cards for parents and teachers. While searching through my box of stamps and stencils, I came across this photo (no idea why it was in that particular box!). The girls were delighted to be able to identify the first girl on the left as yours truly but the others were understandably a mystery. Two are my younger sisters and the rest are fragments from several other neighborhood families. (I say fragments because there were no less than five children in every house on our street). We were gathered next door for Susie's birthday party - she is the littlest girl in the photo.  Ordinarily in the summertime we were a scrappy bunch, happy in bare feet, shorts and t-shirts but for this occassion we were scrubbed and shining, replete with our Sunday best - dresses, white ankle socks and patent leather shoes. Although I have vague memories of sunshine, new-mown grass, balloons, and cake, I do remember that the day seemed much less ordinary because we dressed up to spend the afternoon with our everyday buddies. The photograph is truly a window into another era.

Counterpane Land

     

     Making the bed in the morning should be a mundane task, correct? Not when the bed linens are particularly lovely. I am continually delighted by the intricate piecework of this quilt and matching pillows, the delicate stitchery in the crisp dust ruffle, and the color combinations throughout. Arranging and smoothing all the pieces never fails to please and comfort.

Little Miss Molly must like it too - she claims this spot for her daytime naps (with some intermittent stretching!)

Brave Little Jonquils

     The daffodils this year are more welcome than ever. The snow, sleet, ice and bitter cold that has gripped the area for nearly two months has subsided into a late winter thaw. The forecast for a delightful seventy degrees (only in St. Louis can the weather bounce between such extremes in such a short time) and sunshine has prompted an outbreak of smiles and good moods. Brave little blooms lift your blooms and brighten our day, if only till the next storm!

Strawberry Dessert: Fit for a Valentine



     Red, red strawberries, cream cheese, whipped cream and a baked pretzel crust combined for a cool dessert on Valentine's Day. Served with an extra dollop of whipped cream and a strawberry garnish, the family (and a grateful young neighbor caring for an ill parent) appreciated the artistic presentation only momentarily before gobbling first and second helpings. Now that made an ordinary dinner seem special!

George Lloyd Murphy

     Since my last post included a reference to genealogy, I thought to include a story that might help further my research. I had always known that the actor/senator, George Murphy, was a relative but what I did not know was our common ancestor. That line of the story was rather easy to fill in: my great-great-grandparents were George's grandparents. Jeremiah Long, who was born in Ireland, and his wife, Jane Hartigan Long, had several children, including Nellie and Nora,  my great-grandmother and George's mother respectively. What remains to be discovered, is the continuation of George's family (recently I connected with another distant cousin and we have had some fascinating discussions via e-mail about our families and ancestors). Would so love to have contact with Dennis Murphy and Melissa Murphy, or their families, to know them and to find out if perhaps they have information I can add to my file on Jeremiah and Jane.

A beautiful family portrait!

Photos from Say..Didn't You Used to be George Murphy?

Mothers Wall

     For my mother's eightieth birthday, an appropriate gift was easy to conceive (after attending a house tour and seeing a similar display by a gifted needleworker) but trickier to assemble. At the time, in the summer of 2007, I was immersed in the genealogical study of my family and had acrued a quantity of records, histories and photographs, so it was a logical step to use some of the images and my computer to produce these treasures for Mom. The two oldest images on the left, Mom's great-grandmother and grandmother, were cropped from group poses and then enlarged; next is her mother and then her own senior picture. Matching mats and frames complete the ensemble.

The simple printed legend in the center recounts names, birth dates and places.

The Lonely Piano

    The morning news a few days ago featured a story about a grand piano that mysteriously appeared on a sandbar in Florida's Biscayne Bay. One week later, a young man acknowledged responsibility and claimed that he placed the piano in the bay as an artistic statement. Nothing supremely remarkable about the story except that it reminded me of another piano in another odd place.

     Some twenty years ago, we were driving southwest through the foothills of the Missouri Ozarks. The scenery is beautiful and peaceful, mostly small farms, pastures and ponds interspersed with forested hillsides. Rounding a curve that day, we came upon a small grassy valley in which we thought we saw a piano. Too quickly it passed from sight but on our return visit, we were able to slow down a bit and confirm that indeed, there it stood, all alone, an old upright piano! It sat on what appeared to be a wood or concrete platform, maybe the foundation of a building that had long since disappeared. The piano stood like a testament, solitary and upright, but sadly unprotected and exposed to the elements. So neglected now, was it once someone's pride and joy? Did loving fingers render Chopin, Beethoven and Mozart from its keys or did clumsy little hands try to coax a simple Chopsticks or Jingle Bells? So many stories were possible - it was fun to pose theories about the owner of the piano (and the vanished house!)

(This is a composed photo that closely approximates the appearance of the lonely piano.)

"Aflockalypse" Now?

     Thousands of birds falling from the sky and massive fish deaths in several different nations are being publicized recently as isolated catastrophes - plausible but just not likely in my mind. There has to be a credible theory; the public is being blindsided or the wildlife experts just plain don't know the answer yet. Certainly hope nothing happens to the goldfinch families that visit my feeder every year. I always hear them before I see them - love their cheerful melodies!

    

     This photo was taken the previous year on a warm summer day. Viewing it seemed a momentary escape from the icy grip of February.

Feline Football Fan or Sewing Fan?

     Super Bowl XLV is tomorrow and Pop, not content with the normal party supplies of plates and napkins, bought fabric printed with the participating teams' logos. It only took a matter of minutes to cut and sew several envelope-type pillow covers and then we thought to photograph Miss Molly surrounded by the temporary decor. She obliged for a moment but thought it was more fun to run up and down the carpeted stairs.

Later, when she tired of that game and decided to catnap awhile, the pillows served her a better purpose.

Early Birds - The Robins of Winter

     Earlier this week blizzard warnings plastered the television, radio and computer for hours on end. So it was with a mixture of relief and disappointment that we only got a couple inches of sleet and a few snowflakes. However to the north and west conditions were miserable and perhaps that is why a small flock of robins has taken up residence in the shrubbery behind my office. The branches and dried berry clusters are coated with ice but the birds are determined to stave their hunger.

 In the afternoon as the sun rose higher, the temperature still hovered in the teens but the brick and concrete walls must have held some warmth as the fluffy little fellows gathered close.

Waiting patiently for a drop of water to fall, this robin must be sure to drink before the drop freezes.

And whether by chance or design, this less than gregarious mockingbird seemed resigned to being a part of the group.

Southwestern Chicken Soup

     Finding myself at odds yesterday afternoon (an ice storm sent the area into a scramble to get home early), I thought to cook something up for dinner. Ordinarily on Mondays we eat leftovers or something simple like microwaved tortillas and cheese, but the couple of extra free hours afforded me the luxury of something a little more substantial. However the freezer produced only a pair of boneless chicken breasts (grocery shopping day is nigh) which roasted quickly in the toaster oven while I checked the pantry for other ingredients. With the addition of some onion, garlic, salsa, corn, white beans and cumin, the result was Southwestern Chicken Soup. We ate earlier than usual because the delicious aroma was so enticing. It may have been sleeting outside but it was peppery warm inside!