Rudolph Doughnuts

     A busy day calls for a nutritious breakfast but during the holidays, sometimes fun beats out good sense. We all enjoyed our Rudolph mini-doughnuts but perhaps the dog was happiest - while breaking the pretzels to get antler shapes, pieces kept flying off the table!

Asiago Bread

     Asiago cheese is favorite in our house, whether it is featured in bagels, bread, vegetables or main dishes. This loaf was especially tantalizing, once while it was baking and then again when it reached the dinner table. Described in the recipe as an artisan bread, it nonetheless had a fine light texture with a slightly chewy crust; the Asiago flavor was subtle but heavenly. For one day we had to overlook low-carb observance...

Old Rolling Pin

     This red-handled rolling pin was used by my mother for decades. She was not the ardent baker that I am so it was used infrequently, which is perhaps why it is still in such good condition. Pies came out of the grocery freezer but the rolling-pin was indispensable for Christmas cut-out cookies. When the contents of Mom's kitchen were sold at an estate sale, this was one item that I kept aside and it was mostly for nostalgic reasons, even thinking that perhaps I could display it in some decorative manner. However I used it recently and much prefer it over my own plastic version, so in its second life, the pin will be usefully employed rather than relegated to a charming kitchen ornament. (Thanksgiving's pumpkin pie was a testament to its occupation.)

Zombie Baby

     A doll found at a garage sale inspired this project. I had seen pictures of zombie dolls used for Halloween props and hoped to try making my own at some point. This fellow seemed perfect for the project, especially since his body held a now-nonfunctional voice recorder that weighted him enough to sit securely on the front porch swing without being blown off by autumn winds. Rissy was eager to help and the first step was to color his face and extremities black with acrylic paint. When completely dry, we dipped a rag in white paint and rubbed it over the black to get a 'decomposed' look, leaving the lips blood red. The brown eyes were left untouched also and because they were movable, added an eerie touch. A striped shirt and blue pants completed his ensemble and while Rissy, who doesn't like clowns, thought them appropriate, I think next year I will dress my zombie boy in blood-stained tatters.

Curtain Call

     The sun had begun to rise and though the room was still dark, this skeletal fellow loomed just bright enough to cause a slight rise in my heart rate this morning. Although he is only a plastic window cling and I was the one who placed him there, that leering grin managed to startle me momentarily as I entered the room.

Autumn Wreath for Mom

     Of course, it's imperative for Mom to keep up with the other residents at the facility where she is now living. And since several apartment doors boasted Halloween decor and because holidays have always been important to her, she requested an autumn wreath to hang near her entry. After searching through the remnants of her Halloween and Thanksgiving decorations, I gathered together two old wreaths that were skimpy on foliage, etc. and some leftover silk flowers and leaves from other arrangements. Combining them and adding a tiny birdnest (Mom has always been a bird lover) on top gave a richer fuller look to the finished wreath. I thought perhaps the orange gingham bow was just a bit too small but Mom loved it and is proud of her new fall flourish.

Tribute to 1355

 

     Yesterday was a bittersweet day. An interested buyer made an offer on the house in which I grew up and where my mother had lived from 1959 to just recently, when it was necessary for her to move to an assisted-living apartment. My six siblings and I are excited, thankful and a little sad (Mom signed the contract with tears in her eyes but felt a little better when I told her that the house needed to be filled with a happy family who would take care of it, not dark, empty and musty). All summer we sorted, boxed, trashed and cleaned, and in September we held an estate sale. The five bedroom house seems smaller now - not quite the same any more and yet it holds so many memories. The stories of many lives began or were influenced here, struggles were overcome, traditions were established, tears and laughter intermingled. In the 1960's there were no less than five children in every house on the block, so the backyards echoed with voices at play and the streets were busy with bicycles, skates and strollers. It's quieter now - families are smaller and people spend much less time outdoors. So the house will embrace a different family now but we will hold the house forever in our hearts.