Posts
My daughter has pre-announced her engagement and so the diet is on!
You are probably wondering how someone can 'pre-announce' . . . and you are so right in questioning that expression!
Her 'fiancée' has purchased the ring and wants to surprise her with his proposal, but she knows he is asking, and because she lives in the New York City area, she knows she must plan the wedding early or there just won't be one.
I have been procrastinating on dieting - well - if I am honest - since last July!
Well this pre-announcement has me right in gear, no excuses now! I need to look good in my mother-of-the-bride dress!
My long suffering husband met me about 40 pounds ago and I need to shed it back to what I weighed when we announced our own engagement.
So this week I began in earnest - low carbs is what works for me. I know, I know - no lectures, please.
(Everyone has an opinion, and unless you have read the Atkins books, I don't want to hear about it!)
I began my love affair with carbohydrates when I was just a young girl - penny candy was my main squeeze at the time, or perhaps, starter-drug, might be the more appropriate terminology! But it didn't take long to advance to ice cream, candy, cake, and pie! Oh how I LOVE pie!
And other carbs too - pasta, bread, corn, oatmeal - if it is made from starch and/or sugar, I love it! My sister, Sue says that she is positive that the manufacturers of the loveliest of carbohydrate things, place heroine in their 'white foods' to keep you addicted and coming back for more!
So this is a sacrifice for me - I have given up all of it. Yup, I am down to eating only low carb items during the day and a sensible dinner with maybe just a bit of potato or corn, and green everything else.
Snacks consist of tea, coffee, and sugar-free Jello.
Sometimes a bit of apple, raspberries, strawberries, or grapefruit, too.
I wanted to wait until Monday to get on the scale, but I faltered, and had to get on it today, and found I had lost about seven pounds! I am so pleased!
So I was thinking about all of this tonight when I was making dinner, and I thought I would share a recipe with you all.
Have you heard of Gordon Ramsay?
He has such a potty mouth, but we love him anyway.
In what I believe was his first series on TV, (where he goes around rescuing restaurants in the UK from certain disaster,) he helped one particular pub to become known for its great hamburgers.
And even though I didn't have a pen in hand, and he didn't provide measurements for the ingredients, I memorized it. A great feat at my age!
I made them tonight - usually reserved for summertime grilling - and it brought a bit of sunshine to our dreary day. They are yummy and I know you will adore them!
1 - 2 lbs of minced beef - hamburger to you Americans
chopped onion - a small one
Worcestershire Sauce - about 1/8 to 1/4 cup, depending on how much hamburger you use
Dijon mustard - a heaping tablespoon or two
1 egg - again, if you are making a big batch, add more
Mix it all up together and season with salt and pepper while grilling.
Don't overcook.
These have a lovely flavour and melt in your mouth when cooked properly.
Let me know how you like them!
xxx
Maggie
Saturday, 31 January 2009
Monday, 26 January 2009
Back to My Roots
Guidance counselors expected you to make life altering decisions when you were a mere 14 years old. And, I was just ambitious enough, that I thought I was up to the challenge.
With the entrance examinations passed, I had been accepted, enrolled, and my first tuition deposit paid, to a private, Catholic, all-girls high school.
I thought it was what was expected of me and what I wanted, but then . . .
The lure of being one of the first girls accepted into a previously all-boys school, that had, as a major, Graphic Arts and Photography, was just too much to pass by.
And therein the first fork in the road appeared, taking me on a journey I might otherwise have missed.
For one thing, had I attended Nardin Academy, I would never have met my husband-to-be.
And although the outcome, many years later, was divorce, I wouldn't, today, have my three beautiful children if not for that very first fork in the path of my life.
My decision to attend public school, with boys, photography, and art, instead of private school with girls, church, and nuns, was a good one.
The things I learned at McKinley High School have remained part of me, and have kept me in good stead throughout the intervening years.
The many elements of graphic art and photography have woven their threads into the very fabric of who I am.
A teacher there once said something like: ' as you travel through life, you might think you have left art behind, but you will always come back to it because you love it and it is part of you.'
How right he was!
I have worked as both an amateur and a professional portrait photographer; my home makeovers have allowed me to rekindle all sorts of elements of design; when I had my classroom, I used art to motivate little ones using fabric, paint, and photography to ensure quality outcomes for their work; with the introduction of computers in the classroom, new vistas were found to expand on the traditional, classroom-contained lessons, allowing for publishing to a global audience, that included web design for on-line college applications.
I developed a course for teachers to help them make better use of the websites they had, drawing on information I learned in high school, about print advertising.
And here I am today, in the 21st century, exploring the uses of electronic means for manipulating art that might be 100 years old!
And creating new things from old and offering them to the world.
But this past week, a little bit of my roots came haunting me.
Lessons from the past, the lure of the finished portrait, and the desire to create - to make a beautiful image that will last for a lifetime, all came together to draw me out and away to photograph our granddaughter, Hannah.
And here she is.
With the entrance examinations passed, I had been accepted, enrolled, and my first tuition deposit paid, to a private, Catholic, all-girls high school.
I thought it was what was expected of me and what I wanted, but then . . .
The lure of being one of the first girls accepted into a previously all-boys school, that had, as a major, Graphic Arts and Photography, was just too much to pass by.
And therein the first fork in the road appeared, taking me on a journey I might otherwise have missed.
For one thing, had I attended Nardin Academy, I would never have met my husband-to-be.
And although the outcome, many years later, was divorce, I wouldn't, today, have my three beautiful children if not for that very first fork in the path of my life.
My decision to attend public school, with boys, photography, and art, instead of private school with girls, church, and nuns, was a good one.
The things I learned at McKinley High School have remained part of me, and have kept me in good stead throughout the intervening years.
The many elements of graphic art and photography have woven their threads into the very fabric of who I am.
A teacher there once said something like: ' as you travel through life, you might think you have left art behind, but you will always come back to it because you love it and it is part of you.'
How right he was!
I have worked as both an amateur and a professional portrait photographer; my home makeovers have allowed me to rekindle all sorts of elements of design; when I had my classroom, I used art to motivate little ones using fabric, paint, and photography to ensure quality outcomes for their work; with the introduction of computers in the classroom, new vistas were found to expand on the traditional, classroom-contained lessons, allowing for publishing to a global audience, that included web design for on-line college applications.
I developed a course for teachers to help them make better use of the websites they had, drawing on information I learned in high school, about print advertising.
And here I am today, in the 21st century, exploring the uses of electronic means for manipulating art that might be 100 years old!
And creating new things from old and offering them to the world.
But this past week, a little bit of my roots came haunting me.
Lessons from the past, the lure of the finished portrait, and the desire to create - to make a beautiful image that will last for a lifetime, all came together to draw me out and away to photograph our granddaughter, Hannah.
And here she is.
Thursday, 22 January 2009
I Love Vintage!
So today, I meant to get a lot more done than I actually accomplished, however, what I did get finished was oh so worthwhile!
I do believe this is my favourite bookplate thus far.
Modified from a magazine advertisement from 1932, the latest little bookplate looks like a vintage illustration much like those botanical prints of days gone by.
However, the amazing thing about this one is that it is actually modified from a colour photograph!
The colour photographs for print advertising were so bad in those days, reworking it in Photoshop has made it look great!
Now I didn't alter the pixels from the original at all - just removed the background and adjusted the colour a bit.
The results are making me cheer!
It isn't yet listed on Etsy, but will be soon.
I am posting it here - click on it to enlarge it and let me know what you think. Thanks!
All the best!
Maggie
I do believe this is my favourite bookplate thus far.
Modified from a magazine advertisement from 1932, the latest little bookplate looks like a vintage illustration much like those botanical prints of days gone by.
However, the amazing thing about this one is that it is actually modified from a colour photograph!
Now I didn't alter the pixels from the original at all - just removed the background and adjusted the colour a bit.
The results are making me cheer!
It isn't yet listed on Etsy, but will be soon.
I am posting it here - click on it to enlarge it and let me know what you think. Thanks!
All the best!
Maggie
Tuesday, 20 January 2009
The Times They are A-Changin'
Wow! We have been glued to CNN since about 4:00pm this afternoon, watching as events unfold with the Inauguration of the new President of the United States of America.
It was a bit much for we, who are still a little homesick every now and then, to digest as we saw flags and ceremonies, and speeches and oh-so-much America!
It made one want to be there and relish in the excitement of it all!
Now anyone who knows me knows I am so very non-political and tend to shy away from any conversations in which one might become embroiled in some sort of political debate.
But this today was different.
It didn't matter if you were Republican or Democrat, young or old, black or white or somewhere in-between.
It only mattered that you loved your country and wanted the best for it.
It was so wonderful to see people united and peaceful and everyone looking forward to a new era in America, no matter what the age, race or political affiliation; the news was good: here we have a young, energetic, diplomatic, President, and he wants what we all want: peace, prosperity, and sharing of pride in America.
Dylan has the last words: The times, they are a-changin'.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It was a bit much for we, who are still a little homesick every now and then, to digest as we saw flags and ceremonies, and speeches and oh-so-much America!
It made one want to be there and relish in the excitement of it all!
Now anyone who knows me knows I am so very non-political and tend to shy away from any conversations in which one might become embroiled in some sort of political debate.
But this today was different.
It didn't matter if you were Republican or Democrat, young or old, black or white or somewhere in-between.
It only mattered that you loved your country and wanted the best for it.
It was so wonderful to see people united and peaceful and everyone looking forward to a new era in America, no matter what the age, race or political affiliation; the news was good: here we have a young, energetic, diplomatic, President, and he wants what we all want: peace, prosperity, and sharing of pride in America.
Dylan has the last words: The times, they are a-changin'.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
And now a bit of trivia for you that came up as part of a discussion we were having about the US Capitol. After literally years in school studying US History, it is amazing that we knew Washington, D.C. was not the original capital of the US, however, none of us could recall which city was the first.
My vote was for New York City because I seemed to recall that everyone thought it was Philadelphia, but they were incorrect.
Katie's guess was Philadelphia because she remembered studying about the Continental Congress meeting there, and of course, who could forget the Liberty Bell?
So what do you think?
Have a guess and then go here to find the answers.
My vote was for New York City because I seemed to recall that everyone thought it was Philadelphia, but they were incorrect.
Katie's guess was Philadelphia because she remembered studying about the Continental Congress meeting there, and of course, who could forget the Liberty Bell?
So what do you think?
Have a guess and then go here to find the answers.
Shopping Around
Shopping around on Etsy I found this awesome label seller, LABELSTONE, who makes coasters from tiles adorned with vintage labels.
Additionally, they also sell the actual vintage/antique labels.
The labels once graced the crates containing vegetables and fruits, and sometimes, other things as well.
Ummmm . . . what can I make with them???
I absolutely LOVE them!
I am originally from Buffalo, New York, so I am going to buy this one:
What I do with it - well - I am not sure, but I am buying it anyway!
Take a look and see what you can find in their little shop :>
I like these items:
Cheers,
Maggie
Additionally, they also sell the actual vintage/antique labels.
The labels once graced the crates containing vegetables and fruits, and sometimes, other things as well.
Ummmm . . . what can I make with them???
I absolutely LOVE them!
I am originally from Buffalo, New York, so I am going to buy this one:
What I do with it - well - I am not sure, but I am buying it anyway!
Take a look and see what you can find in their little shop :>
I like these items:
Cheers,
Maggie
Sunday, 18 January 2009
I Learned Something Today
The day began much like any other.
I was working on on the computer much of the morning while simultaneously cutting out some sewing projects.
I was anxious to get a Treasury to support craftspeople on Etsy, so that means a lot of waiting.
In between cutting, I was browsing about in the forums on Etsy and came across a title I couldn't resist; something about not bothering to look at the Front Page any more.
Curious about such negativity, I read what the author had to say and it wasn't at all what I had expected to see.
She was saying she was upset that her recently listed products weren't showing up in the little mini-treasury that reveal things recently listed. Of course, I had thought she was going to say she was tired of seeing the same sellers featured on the Front Page over and over again while she languished along with the rest of the thousands of unknowns, ad so would not bother to look to see if her work was there.
Trying to offer support to her, I commented, in the forum, that I never really pay attention to that space on the Front Page, anyway, and that I doubted it would impact her sales one way or another.
She corrected me and said she personally bought many items once she saw the artists work in the tiny space. And she also said she had discovered a lot of new sellers that way, too.
That was the inspiration for a plan set into motion immediately: my new treasury would feature only items from the recently listed window. Fresh and new today, I would see what I could discover if I were more observant.
And wow - I was amazed! She was so right!
I don't know how long I sat there, glued to the ever-changing screen revealing goods just listed from all over the world.
I tried to be quick and not lose what I liked best, which wasn't easy since the items change every 15 seconds! So it was with speed that I clicked on items, scrolled down to copy the item's number, and then click open the tab for my Poster Sketch, whereupon I pasted the item number in the tiny box.
And eventually, the treasury, New Today, was created.
The lesson learned today was to be more open minded about other people's opinions and obeservations. We are not all the same and although we all do things our way and we think it best, sometimes, our way is not the best way.
I was working on on the computer much of the morning while simultaneously cutting out some sewing projects.
I was anxious to get a Treasury to support craftspeople on Etsy, so that means a lot of waiting.
In between cutting, I was browsing about in the forums on Etsy and came across a title I couldn't resist; something about not bothering to look at the Front Page any more.
Curious about such negativity, I read what the author had to say and it wasn't at all what I had expected to see.
She was saying she was upset that her recently listed products weren't showing up in the little mini-treasury that reveal things recently listed. Of course, I had thought she was going to say she was tired of seeing the same sellers featured on the Front Page over and over again while she languished along with the rest of the thousands of unknowns, ad so would not bother to look to see if her work was there.
Trying to offer support to her, I commented, in the forum, that I never really pay attention to that space on the Front Page, anyway, and that I doubted it would impact her sales one way or another.
She corrected me and said she personally bought many items once she saw the artists work in the tiny space. And she also said she had discovered a lot of new sellers that way, too.
That was the inspiration for a plan set into motion immediately: my new treasury would feature only items from the recently listed window. Fresh and new today, I would see what I could discover if I were more observant.
And wow - I was amazed! She was so right!
I don't know how long I sat there, glued to the ever-changing screen revealing goods just listed from all over the world.
I saw items from the New Zealand, Australia, United States, Canada
Canary Islands_____Italy_______ Finland _______Manila
_
. . . and so many more!Canary Islands_____Italy_______ Finland _______Manila
_
I tried to be quick and not lose what I liked best, which wasn't easy since the items change every 15 seconds! So it was with speed that I clicked on items, scrolled down to copy the item's number, and then click open the tab for my Poster Sketch, whereupon I pasted the item number in the tiny box.
And eventually, the treasury, New Today, was created.
The lesson learned today was to be more open minded about other people's opinions and obeservations. We are not all the same and although we all do things our way and we think it best, sometimes, our way is not the best way.
Tuesday, 13 January 2009
Let's Catch Up!
The New Year has arrived and, already, I am behind in just about everything!
It is officially the 13th, although at this writing it is just a bit past midnight.
Due to the holidays followed in quick succession by a myriad of birthdays and then illnesses followed by and during a surprise visit from my daughter, nothing I had planned to have done by now is finished and I have such a backlog of projects and work, I don't even know where to begin!
Laundry is piling up; ironing can no longer fit on the back of the door; sewing projects are mere memories; and cleaning up my blog and writing more must have been something I dreamed when I was so ill with fever!
So where do I begin?
I wanted to post some holiday photos and show some of my decorations and baking but that was before the bad virus set in and took hold of my body. Seriously, it was as if aliens had arrived and taken control. It is the 13th and I still am fighting it, but at least I can sit at the computer for longer periods of time without getting dizzy or feeling a desperate need for sleep.
My best intentions for today went awry . . . and again, it was a day spent taking it easy and also a bit of caring for my husband who has now contracted the same evil virus I have been fighting.
But the glimmers of good are always with me, too, no matter what my physical condition:
Good friends have honoured and helped me with things related to Etsy; I have made some new Etsty friends; and . . .
My birthday arrived with a huge surprise: my daughter and her boyfriend arrived for a surprise visit from New York City! everyone had kept it on the QT and so I was truly surprised when she appeared in my hallway!
I don't think I have ever been so shocked and surprised nor have I ever been given such a special gift.
My dear husband took all of us to dinner in a gorgeous historical restaurant, and we were wined and dined in good company with lots of love between us.
It was a fabulous day with only a bit of sadness in the knowledge that the pair of young ones would be heading back to New York on Monday. A visit all too short but even more meaningful because of it.
Tonight, they are safely back in New York City, the events of the last few days still fresh in their memories as they are with me, too.
So amid the bugs that bite us, are the gardens of memories, and the wisdom to know what is meaningful and what is not.
Keep what means the most close, and let the rest flutter in the wind.
It is officially the 13th, although at this writing it is just a bit past midnight.
Due to the holidays followed in quick succession by a myriad of birthdays and then illnesses followed by and during a surprise visit from my daughter, nothing I had planned to have done by now is finished and I have such a backlog of projects and work, I don't even know where to begin!
Laundry is piling up; ironing can no longer fit on the back of the door; sewing projects are mere memories; and cleaning up my blog and writing more must have been something I dreamed when I was so ill with fever!
So where do I begin?
I wanted to post some holiday photos and show some of my decorations and baking but that was before the bad virus set in and took hold of my body. Seriously, it was as if aliens had arrived and taken control. It is the 13th and I still am fighting it, but at least I can sit at the computer for longer periods of time without getting dizzy or feeling a desperate need for sleep.
My best intentions for today went awry . . . and again, it was a day spent taking it easy and also a bit of caring for my husband who has now contracted the same evil virus I have been fighting.
But the glimmers of good are always with me, too, no matter what my physical condition:
Good friends have honoured and helped me with things related to Etsy; I have made some new Etsty friends; and . . .
My birthday arrived with a huge surprise: my daughter and her boyfriend arrived for a surprise visit from New York City! everyone had kept it on the QT and so I was truly surprised when she appeared in my hallway!
I don't think I have ever been so shocked and surprised nor have I ever been given such a special gift.
My dear husband took all of us to dinner in a gorgeous historical restaurant, and we were wined and dined in good company with lots of love between us.
It was a fabulous day with only a bit of sadness in the knowledge that the pair of young ones would be heading back to New York on Monday. A visit all too short but even more meaningful because of it.
Tonight, they are safely back in New York City, the events of the last few days still fresh in their memories as they are with me, too.
So amid the bugs that bite us, are the gardens of memories, and the wisdom to know what is meaningful and what is not.
Keep what means the most close, and let the rest flutter in the wind.
Wednesday, 31 December 2008
New Beginnings
"Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end." Semisonic, Closing Time
So here we stand at the precipice of a New Year; our feet, firmly on the line of no return, looking at our past right into the eyes of an unknown future. And it is good.
We stood here last year, too. (And with a bit of luck, this same spot will be waiting for us in another 365 days.)
But where have our steps taken us?
Where have we walked and what have we seen?
Have we learned anything worth knowing in 2008?
Thinking back on our mistakes of 2007 and looking forward to rectifying them in 2008, did we really become better or different people this past year?
I wonder. . . aren't we, for the most part, creatures of habit making the same mistakes over and over again?
Or perhaps, 'mistake' is a bit harsh for what it really is: indecision or postponing or procrastinating?
Most every year, for some of my New Year resolutions, I pledge to:
- find a 'real' job
- begin a diet and really, really, lose weight this year
- get organized
- tidy up the ever-growing pile of paperwork
- start projects EARLY so they really do get done in time to give as gifts for Christmas next year
- sew more
- volunteer
- complete home decor projects
- write real letters to friends I love and miss
Little bits here and there do get done, but, there is no permanence about it.
I am still human and flawed.
I still have the same personality and character 'flaws' that make me, me.
And even though I am, by nature, an organized person, why oh why can I not find things I know I have and have put 'somewhere safe' ???
Looking back on 2008, I made some strides in my ever-revolving list of New Year's resolutions, but I am still a work in progress.
And I like thinking about Anne of Green Gables when she said,
"Marilla, isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?"
So this evening, instead of thinking about all you have missed out on accomplishing in 2008, why not focus on how much you will enjoy 2009; how much you will accomplish and achieve, living and loving, in a fresh new year, with no mistakes in it yet.
Happy New Year!
xxx
Maggie
And I like thinking about Anne of Green Gables when she said,
"Marilla, isn't it nice to think that tomorrow is a new day with no mistakes in it yet?"
So this evening, instead of thinking about all you have missed out on accomplishing in 2008, why not focus on how much you will enjoy 2009; how much you will accomplish and achieve, living and loving, in a fresh new year, with no mistakes in it yet.
Happy New Year!
xxx
Maggie
Saturday, 20 December 2008
Happy Christmas!
Tick-tock, tick-tock, time is running out . . . is everything ready at your house?
Oh no, not here!
No matter how many things I have on my to-do list, there never seems enough time to get them all finished.
So I was still mailing out Christmas cards today and finishing wrapping some gifts, and shopping - a huge shop - for groceries for the week.
And there is still baking to get done, and even a bit of sewing to do before the big day.
Let the countdown begin!
Tomorrow I will prepare batter for Christmas cookies and let it rest for a day in the refrigerator.
I will sew up some small things, and finish the last of my gift wrapping, and any printing that needs finishing.
Monday I will bake and bring some items to the post office. Should that be considered the 'hail Mary' leap of faith that they will make it to their destination in only two days?
Tuesday I will bake and clean.
And Wednesday, I will rest and enjoy before heading out to meet some friends for some Christmas Cheer.
It is rush, rush, rush, for me and every year I pledge not to have the same again the next year, and every year I break my pledge.
But it is the excitement and creativity in the 'doing' that makes Christmas so enjoyable, and the love that goes into the doing, makes it all worthwhile.
Happy Christmas to you all and may all your New Year's dreams come true.
Oh no, not here!
No matter how many things I have on my to-do list, there never seems enough time to get them all finished.
So I was still mailing out Christmas cards today and finishing wrapping some gifts, and shopping - a huge shop - for groceries for the week.
And there is still baking to get done, and even a bit of sewing to do before the big day.
Let the countdown begin!
Tomorrow I will prepare batter for Christmas cookies and let it rest for a day in the refrigerator.
I will sew up some small things, and finish the last of my gift wrapping, and any printing that needs finishing.
Monday I will bake and bring some items to the post office. Should that be considered the 'hail Mary' leap of faith that they will make it to their destination in only two days?
Tuesday I will bake and clean.
And Wednesday, I will rest and enjoy before heading out to meet some friends for some Christmas Cheer.
It is rush, rush, rush, for me and every year I pledge not to have the same again the next year, and every year I break my pledge.
But it is the excitement and creativity in the 'doing' that makes Christmas so enjoyable, and the love that goes into the doing, makes it all worthwhile.
Happy Christmas to you all and may all your New Year's dreams come true.
Thursday, 30 October 2008
Halloween Memories: Buffalo & Williamsville New York
It's almost here: Halloween Night!I can still remember the little poem my children learned in Pre-K:
On Halloween Night
The ghosts come out
Say, "Trick or Treat"
and then they shout-
"Boooooooo"!!!
I can close my eyes and smell what Halloween smells like: all crisp and cold, creating red, dripping noses, with smoke-filled, chilled air, from fireplaces burning wood to keep the chill away from inside rooms.
Stomping through piles of fallen leaves, making crunching, paper-like sounds as we pushed our way through them.
The occasional jump in a neatly piled leaf mountain near the road, and laughing as we made a mess of it all.
Those were simple days and exciting times for the little ones.
Although there is controversy regarding Halloween and many people believe it is an un-Christian-like night, kids only believe in the magic and make-believe of the evening.
All they want is a night to be someone they are not, and to run rampant throughout the neighborhoods, shouting and reveling in the fun of it all.
The eerie nightfall; other costumed characters; the scents and sounds of the evening; and of course, getting all of that candy!
My children were no different: they adored Halloween night. They were dressed-up in costumes I made for them, and carried flashlights and glow sticks and little pumpkin pails in which to collect their candy.
Tradition in our family had it that a pillowcase was used for candy collection, so I always carried three pillowcases and periodically, dumped the tiny collection pails into them, all through the evening.
We would walk in a safe neighborhood, usually where my sister lived, as we joined her children and the other cousins to trick-or-treat, all in the same area.
The older kids would take off on their own, while we strolled along with the younger children.
Sometimes, kind adults would offer the parents liquid refreshments to help keep them 'warm' on the cold, cold nights.
Those beverages were anything from wine, to mulled cider, to hot chocolate or coffee and all were welcomed by us! Since we weren't doing all the running our kids were engaged in, our older bones needed a little boost!
Throughout the years, my children were cats and pumpkins, prisoners and boxed Christmas gifts; fairies and skeletons, Princesses and chefs, but never a ghost. Not one of my children ever wanted to be a ghost, but oh how much I wanted one of them to be one!
When I was little ghost 'costumes' were standard fare! We would raid our mother's linens and steal white pillowcases, cut out two eyes, drop the cases over our heads, and we were off for a night of fun and frolic.
I don't remember mom ever chastising us for our indiscretions with her linens, but I know if my children had done that I would have been very angry, to say the least!
But I loved the ghosts in their simplicity and total coverage for anonymity!
And how much they reminded me of my own youth.
Ours was a different sort of Halloween from that of my children.
The costumes were mostly home-made and they represented inanimate objects, like TV sets, or spaceships. Or simple things like dogs, cats or teddy bears or babies, dolls, or Indians. Or scary things like witches, vampires, devils, and ghosts.
The closest thing you would see to an overly commercialized movie or TV character might be kids dressed up as Raggedy Ann an Andy dolls.
When compared to the costumes my childrens' friends had, costumes of my youth, were innocent and for the most part, non-controversial.
Schools didn't have to resort to limiting costumes to characters found in literature books.
Pretty much, that was all we had anyway.
We carried soap with us to soap the doors and windows of people who didn't offer candy.
Our parents forbid us from carrying the soap, but we sneaked it out of the house anyway.
We rarely used it though - we were too afraid of getting caught!
Some bad kids carried eggs and egged houses that were not offering treats.
They believed that was their 'trick,' I guess. We never did anything like that.
"Trick or Treat," we would shout as we pounded on doors or as we rang bells of the unsuspecting victims of the fright we believed we were causing.
They would open their doors and drop candy into our pillowcase sacks. Some were acting frightened, and some would question us, and all were friendly.
There were some families that actually invited you into their homes for warmed, mulled cider and a donut. I can remember a family who did that on Lexington Avenue in the city of Buffalo, New York and another one Norwood Avenue.
The ladies on Norwood opened-up their enclosed porch and served cider from a punch bowl and Freddies donuts.
Some people gave out candy corn, and some gave out smaller versions of our favorite candy bars: Reeses Peanut Butter Cups; Milky Way bars; Butterfinger; Heath; Snickers; Clark bars.
And some gave out our favorite candies: Good and Plenty; Milk Duds; Licorice, red and black; Dots; Mike and Ikes; fireballs; Tootsie Roll Pops; Safety suckers; peach stones; candy lipsticks. Some families gave pennies, or apples, or popcorn balls, and some gave gum.
But our favorite houses were the houses giving full sized candy bars.
The word would spread from group to group of kids: we all knew where the good candy was being given out and would race to get there before it was all gone!
It wasn't all a selfish, gluttonous evening. We also carried little milk cartons for UNICEF, into which the charitable would drop coins which we would carry to school with us to give back to our teachers.
We'd walk for blocks and blocks, unsupervised by adults, coming home tired and cold but all too ready to dump our sacks onto the floor and take a good long look at our loot.
Most of the time Halloween was icy cold and sometimes even snow was on the ground. The snow was the worst. You had to wear a coat over your costume and oh no, BOOTS too!
And you would be freezing and wet and it just wasn't the same as Halloween nights without snow. But either way, the scheme was the same; you were in it for as much as you could get!
When my children were young, someone was alway on hand to give out our own candy. This usually meant that the dads had all the fun of greeting the trick-or-treaters, while moms went out with the kids.
In order to have both parents go out with the kids, some families had grandparents man the doors and some trusting people simply left bowls of candy on their doorsteps with a note of instruction to help yourself to one treat and leave the rest to share with others.
When I was young, our parents remained at home, answering the door for the Halloween revelers, and we went out alone. As years went by, my older sisters stopped going out (except Debbie) and they helped with the door.
I think I stopped going out about the age of 12. I think Deb carried on right through High School!
In those days, kids teased you if you were still trick-or-treating at ages much above 11.
My own kids carried on as long as they had breath in their bodies!
I do believe Katie kept going the longest - maybe until she was about 20!
Preparation for the giving of treats began with a trip to the farmers of Western New York.
Our parents would take us out to the countryside to select our own pumpkins.
We weren't wealthy, but there was always enough money for each of us to have our own pumpkin to carve.
We would carve them in time for 'Beggars' Night.' This was traditionally the evening of the 30th of October - a night for brave young children with a thirst for rejection to try to get some extra treats.
The brave ones would go door-to-door, trick-or-treating, with the audacity of a Wall Street risk-taker: they knew the rewards could be good, if they got lucky!
They appeared on your doorstep asking for candy the night before the actual event.
In our house, we didn't give candy out on Beggars' Night. We would politely ask them to return the next evening.
But since we answered the door, they would simply scurry off.
They were luckier in homes where people were afraid of retaliation: soaped windows, et all, if they didn't hand out the goods. Those frightened people gave candy out on beggars night only to find they had none left for Halloween - so they would need to buy more or take a risk of getting soaped - or worse - egged.
Sometimes older kids used toilet paper to toss in trees which left eerie shreds of thin paper flying about on Halloween night.
In our neighborhood, since Halloween was very near to Election Day, the temporary voting booths were set out in places between the street curb and the public sidewalk.
(Do you remember them?)
We had one set in its rightful spot on the corner of Ashland and Highland Avenues.
One neighbor teenage boy climbed upon its roof and hurled water and worse on unsuspecting trick-or-treaters walking past.
Oh the merriment and tricks that were had on Beggar's Night!
But with out pumpkins carved, we would set about doing other traditions to prepare for the big night.
My mom and dad bought the candy, and with all of us sitting around the big harvest table, we sorted and packed; making tiny treat sacks for other kids to have from us.
We spread out white napkins and filled them with candy corn and other treats. Then we tied them securely with curling ribbon and made mini ghosts of the bundles.
The white bundles filled massive bowls and were set near the door awaiting the arrival of fiendish visitors.
Part of the fun of Halloween in those days was the preparation and anticipation of it all.
Here in England, Halloween used to be celebrated when my husband was a child, but it went out of favor for a while. Now, it is beginning a comeback and each year more and more shops are carrying items to decorate homes, and costumes, and candy.I brought some of my decorations with me, and some, I have purchased since my arrival here two years ago.
This Halloween, we again have some candy from home, courtesy of our friends, Esther and Don. We have some candy corn and some mello creme pumpkins, and some Hershey's Kisses in the Hugs style.
I also purchased some candy bars with familiar American brands: Mars bars, (really Milky Way bars in disguise) and Twix.
Tonight, Jim, Katie, and I will wrap small bundles of candy in napkins, the same way we always did at our house when I was a girl, and fill a bowl with the precious bundles.
We'll carve our pumpkins and prepare for our little 'guest' tomorrow evening.
And the traditions carry on.
The ghosts come out
Say, "Trick or Treat"
and then they shout-
"Boooooooo"!!!
I can close my eyes and smell what Halloween smells like: all crisp and cold, creating red, dripping noses, with smoke-filled, chilled air, from fireplaces burning wood to keep the chill away from inside rooms.
Stomping through piles of fallen leaves, making crunching, paper-like sounds as we pushed our way through them.
The occasional jump in a neatly piled leaf mountain near the road, and laughing as we made a mess of it all.
Those were simple days and exciting times for the little ones.
Although there is controversy regarding Halloween and many people believe it is an un-Christian-like night, kids only believe in the magic and make-believe of the evening.
All they want is a night to be someone they are not, and to run rampant throughout the neighborhoods, shouting and reveling in the fun of it all.
The eerie nightfall; other costumed characters; the scents and sounds of the evening; and of course, getting all of that candy!
My children were no different: they adored Halloween night. They were dressed-up in costumes I made for them, and carried flashlights and glow sticks and little pumpkin pails in which to collect their candy.
Tradition in our family had it that a pillowcase was used for candy collection, so I always carried three pillowcases and periodically, dumped the tiny collection pails into them, all through the evening.
We would walk in a safe neighborhood, usually where my sister lived, as we joined her children and the other cousins to trick-or-treat, all in the same area.
The older kids would take off on their own, while we strolled along with the younger children.
Sometimes, kind adults would offer the parents liquid refreshments to help keep them 'warm' on the cold, cold nights.
Those beverages were anything from wine, to mulled cider, to hot chocolate or coffee and all were welcomed by us! Since we weren't doing all the running our kids were engaged in, our older bones needed a little boost!
Throughout the years, my children were cats and pumpkins, prisoners and boxed Christmas gifts; fairies and skeletons, Princesses and chefs, but never a ghost. Not one of my children ever wanted to be a ghost, but oh how much I wanted one of them to be one!
When I was little ghost 'costumes' were standard fare! We would raid our mother's linens and steal white pillowcases, cut out two eyes, drop the cases over our heads, and we were off for a night of fun and frolic.
I don't remember mom ever chastising us for our indiscretions with her linens, but I know if my children had done that I would have been very angry, to say the least!
But I loved the ghosts in their simplicity and total coverage for anonymity!
And how much they reminded me of my own youth.
Ours was a different sort of Halloween from that of my children.
The costumes were mostly home-made and they represented inanimate objects, like TV sets, or spaceships. Or simple things like dogs, cats or teddy bears or babies, dolls, or Indians. Or scary things like witches, vampires, devils, and ghosts.
The closest thing you would see to an overly commercialized movie or TV character might be kids dressed up as Raggedy Ann an Andy dolls.
When compared to the costumes my childrens' friends had, costumes of my youth, were innocent and for the most part, non-controversial.
Schools didn't have to resort to limiting costumes to characters found in literature books.
Pretty much, that was all we had anyway.
We carried soap with us to soap the doors and windows of people who didn't offer candy.
Our parents forbid us from carrying the soap, but we sneaked it out of the house anyway.
We rarely used it though - we were too afraid of getting caught!
Some bad kids carried eggs and egged houses that were not offering treats.
They believed that was their 'trick,' I guess. We never did anything like that.
"Trick or Treat," we would shout as we pounded on doors or as we rang bells of the unsuspecting victims of the fright we believed we were causing.
They would open their doors and drop candy into our pillowcase sacks. Some were acting frightened, and some would question us, and all were friendly.
There were some families that actually invited you into their homes for warmed, mulled cider and a donut. I can remember a family who did that on Lexington Avenue in the city of Buffalo, New York and another one Norwood Avenue.
The ladies on Norwood opened-up their enclosed porch and served cider from a punch bowl and Freddies donuts.
Some people gave out candy corn, and some gave out smaller versions of our favorite candy bars: Reeses Peanut Butter Cups; Milky Way bars; Butterfinger; Heath; Snickers; Clark bars.
And some gave out our favorite candies: Good and Plenty; Milk Duds; Licorice, red and black; Dots; Mike and Ikes; fireballs; Tootsie Roll Pops; Safety suckers; peach stones; candy lipsticks. Some families gave pennies, or apples, or popcorn balls, and some gave gum.
But our favorite houses were the houses giving full sized candy bars.
The word would spread from group to group of kids: we all knew where the good candy was being given out and would race to get there before it was all gone!
It wasn't all a selfish, gluttonous evening. We also carried little milk cartons for UNICEF, into which the charitable would drop coins which we would carry to school with us to give back to our teachers.
We'd walk for blocks and blocks, unsupervised by adults, coming home tired and cold but all too ready to dump our sacks onto the floor and take a good long look at our loot.
Most of the time Halloween was icy cold and sometimes even snow was on the ground. The snow was the worst. You had to wear a coat over your costume and oh no, BOOTS too!
And you would be freezing and wet and it just wasn't the same as Halloween nights without snow. But either way, the scheme was the same; you were in it for as much as you could get!
When my children were young, someone was alway on hand to give out our own candy. This usually meant that the dads had all the fun of greeting the trick-or-treaters, while moms went out with the kids.
In order to have both parents go out with the kids, some families had grandparents man the doors and some trusting people simply left bowls of candy on their doorsteps with a note of instruction to help yourself to one treat and leave the rest to share with others.
When I was young, our parents remained at home, answering the door for the Halloween revelers, and we went out alone. As years went by, my older sisters stopped going out (except Debbie) and they helped with the door.
I think I stopped going out about the age of 12. I think Deb carried on right through High School!
In those days, kids teased you if you were still trick-or-treating at ages much above 11.
My own kids carried on as long as they had breath in their bodies!
I do believe Katie kept going the longest - maybe until she was about 20!
Preparation for the giving of treats began with a trip to the farmers of Western New York.
Our parents would take us out to the countryside to select our own pumpkins.
We weren't wealthy, but there was always enough money for each of us to have our own pumpkin to carve.
We would carve them in time for 'Beggars' Night.' This was traditionally the evening of the 30th of October - a night for brave young children with a thirst for rejection to try to get some extra treats.
The brave ones would go door-to-door, trick-or-treating, with the audacity of a Wall Street risk-taker: they knew the rewards could be good, if they got lucky!
They appeared on your doorstep asking for candy the night before the actual event.
In our house, we didn't give candy out on Beggars' Night. We would politely ask them to return the next evening.
But since we answered the door, they would simply scurry off.
They were luckier in homes where people were afraid of retaliation: soaped windows, et all, if they didn't hand out the goods. Those frightened people gave candy out on beggars night only to find they had none left for Halloween - so they would need to buy more or take a risk of getting soaped - or worse - egged.
Sometimes older kids used toilet paper to toss in trees which left eerie shreds of thin paper flying about on Halloween night.
In our neighborhood, since Halloween was very near to Election Day, the temporary voting booths were set out in places between the street curb and the public sidewalk.
(Do you remember them?)
We had one set in its rightful spot on the corner of Ashland and Highland Avenues.
One neighbor teenage boy climbed upon its roof and hurled water and worse on unsuspecting trick-or-treaters walking past.
Oh the merriment and tricks that were had on Beggar's Night!
But with out pumpkins carved, we would set about doing other traditions to prepare for the big night.
My mom and dad bought the candy, and with all of us sitting around the big harvest table, we sorted and packed; making tiny treat sacks for other kids to have from us.
We spread out white napkins and filled them with candy corn and other treats. Then we tied them securely with curling ribbon and made mini ghosts of the bundles.
The white bundles filled massive bowls and were set near the door awaiting the arrival of fiendish visitors.
Part of the fun of Halloween in those days was the preparation and anticipation of it all.
Here in England, Halloween used to be celebrated when my husband was a child, but it went out of favor for a while. Now, it is beginning a comeback and each year more and more shops are carrying items to decorate homes, and costumes, and candy.I brought some of my decorations with me, and some, I have purchased since my arrival here two years ago.
This Halloween, we again have some candy from home, courtesy of our friends, Esther and Don. We have some candy corn and some mello creme pumpkins, and some Hershey's Kisses in the Hugs style.
I also purchased some candy bars with familiar American brands: Mars bars, (really Milky Way bars in disguise) and Twix.
Tonight, Jim, Katie, and I will wrap small bundles of candy in napkins, the same way we always did at our house when I was a girl, and fill a bowl with the precious bundles.
We'll carve our pumpkins and prepare for our little 'guest' tomorrow evening.
And the traditions carry on.
Sunday, 19 October 2008
Theatre of Small Convenience
Our dear friends, Esther and Don, left for home today. Our week together went by so fast! They had a whirlwind tour of Great Britain and Ireland before joining us here in the Midlands.
They looked tired, but happy, when we collected them from their hotel in London last Sunday.
We spent the first day traveling back home engaged in conversation, enjoying the sights, and learning all about their travels.
Blessed with unseasonably good weather, we spent the next three days escorting our friends to many of the towns and villages we love: Stow-on-Wold, Morton-on-Marsh, Chipping Campden, Ledbury, Ludlow, and a special destination we discovered and have come to love:
The Theatre of Small Convenience.
Who would not love a place so unique and special as this?
Situated in a very steep street in Malvern, the tiny theater is contained in a former Victorian Gentleman's toilet!
Large, old trees surround the building's stone exterior, while haunting faces peer up at you from the earth surrounding the front of the building,but the story only begins there.
The proprietor, Dennis, is an artist who, with the help of his family, has transformed the small space into a work of art, with its 'found' stage and decor, hand-painted walls, and hand-made puppets.
We called in on the theater on a day it is usually closed, and this wonderful man arrived to open it just for us. He performed magic on stage with his tiny friends and music with sound effects, much to our delight and amusement.
It was a special engagement and a special time that none of us will soon forget.
Even though this tiny jewel was discovered on the first day of our adventures together, it was the highlight of our outings, and the most memorable.
Time is fleeting and our week together has come to an end, with our friends heading home today.
There were so many places we left undiscovered and so many hours spent and wasted with necessary sleep!
But the magic of the tiny theater will always remain, and the time spent together can always be culled from our memories, and good friends will always be there, no matter how many miles and days are between us.
Monday, 6 October 2008
There's a Chill in the Air
Please take a look at my Etsy shops when considering gifts for the holidays.
Sweet Scarlett www.sweetscarlett.etsy.com for all things handmade.
And English Preserves www.englishpreserves.etsy.com for all sorts of vintage items, just right for that person who likes something different for Christmas. I am planning on adding some new hat designs in time for Christmas gift giving, as well as some vintage bookplates that can be personalized with your child's name on them.
Brrr . . . we have had to turn on the heat in the house, it has been that cold here!
Now I am originally from Buffalo, New York, where our weather can be pretty terrible - I mean wind chill temps below freezing and snow storms that come across Lake Erie leaving us snowed-in and freezing!
So this is 'easy weather' for me now situated in the middle of England! Yet, it feels way colder than the temperature reveals; it is cold and damp in a way that cuts to your bones. Damp cold is on par with the bitter dry cold I lived with for so long.
So our heat is on and there is a nip in the air, and it feels like fall has arrived. You would never know it from the shops here. Instead, you would think Christmas was much closer than it actually is! The shops do not 'do' autumn. They skip right by it and steer directly into Christmas. I miss the Halloween and Thanksgiving displays and the festive atmosphere they encourage.
However, I did see some pumpkins in a vegetable shop on my way into the city today. They reminded me of home and of haystalks standing guard each side of doorways; and the scents of the leaves falling from tress in vivid colours of the season.
I can close my eyes and see the little children walking to school, kicking up the leaves as they walk along the sidewalks, or, as they return home from school, jumping in piles of leaves, left neatly for the town to cart away for mulching and composting.
Ummm, baking cookies seems like a good idea!
My sister Deborah, who lives in Florida, sent me a set of cookie cutters by Wilton. She purchased them in Joann Fabrics and made some chocolate ginger cookies from Martha Stewart's website. The set has maple and oak leaves in three sizes and some sweet little acorns in three sizes as well. I haven't used them yet but am thinking about baking some soon, soon, soon!
I have been busy preparing for a visit from some dear friends, Esther and Don, from the US who will be staying with us next week. We are so excited about their visit!
They live in Niagara Falls, New York and are already here in England as I type.
They are first taking a UK and Ireland tour and will be returning to stay with us on Sunday.
We plan on taking them to some of our favourite haunts in and around the Midlands, including Stratford and the Cotswolds. It should be so much fun!
More about their visit next week!
Cheers!
Maggie
Sweet Scarlett www.sweetscarlett.etsy.com for all things handmade.
And English Preserves www.englishpreserves.etsy.com for all sorts of vintage items, just right for that person who likes something different for Christmas. I am planning on adding some new hat designs in time for Christmas gift giving, as well as some vintage bookplates that can be personalized with your child's name on them.
Brrr . . . we have had to turn on the heat in the house, it has been that cold here!Now I am originally from Buffalo, New York, where our weather can be pretty terrible - I mean wind chill temps below freezing and snow storms that come across Lake Erie leaving us snowed-in and freezing!
So this is 'easy weather' for me now situated in the middle of England! Yet, it feels way colder than the temperature reveals; it is cold and damp in a way that cuts to your bones. Damp cold is on par with the bitter dry cold I lived with for so long.
So our heat is on and there is a nip in the air, and it feels like fall has arrived. You would never know it from the shops here. Instead, you would think Christmas was much closer than it actually is! The shops do not 'do' autumn. They skip right by it and steer directly into Christmas. I miss the Halloween and Thanksgiving displays and the festive atmosphere they encourage.
However, I did see some pumpkins in a vegetable shop on my way into the city today. They reminded me of home and of haystalks standing guard each side of doorways; and the scents of the leaves falling from tress in vivid colours of the season.
I can close my eyes and see the little children walking to school, kicking up the leaves as they walk along the sidewalks, or, as they return home from school, jumping in piles of leaves, left neatly for the town to cart away for mulching and composting.
Ummm, baking cookies seems like a good idea!
My sister Deborah, who lives in Florida, sent me a set of cookie cutters by Wilton. She purchased them in Joann Fabrics and made some chocolate ginger cookies from Martha Stewart's website. The set has maple and oak leaves in three sizes and some sweet little acorns in three sizes as well. I haven't used them yet but am thinking about baking some soon, soon, soon!
I have been busy preparing for a visit from some dear friends, Esther and Don, from the US who will be staying with us next week. We are so excited about their visit!
They live in Niagara Falls, New York and are already here in England as I type.
They are first taking a UK and Ireland tour and will be returning to stay with us on Sunday.
We plan on taking them to some of our favourite haunts in and around the Midlands, including Stratford and the Cotswolds. It should be so much fun!
More about their visit next week!
Cheers!
Maggie
Monday, 15 September 2008
The Comforts of Childhood
My mother moved quietly around the bed, carefully selecting bits of the blanket to gently push beneath me, tucking me in for the night.A chill was in the air, and even though I could have bundled myself off to bed for the night, there was something so special in knowing that someone else was there caring for me, and making sure I was warm, and loved, as I drifted off to sleep for the night.
We took those days for granted, and our childhood is now but a blink in time and a soft, loving, memory we look back on.
When my own children were small, I used to fight the battle all parents fight; with children who want to grow up, all too fast.
They were teased when collecting trading cards that their peers thought they were too old to collect; and young girls exchanged doll dresses and imagination, for make-up and trendy fashions.
I would remind them that they would have only one shot at being a child and they would have their whole to be lived as adults and to do adult things. I begged them to do as they pleased, to play with their toys and dolls as long as they could, and to ignore taunts from others less informed on the ways of youth.
I suppose those sentiments offered little comfort in those pressure-filled days, of wanting to be included in the 'popular' crowd, with kids who were constantly trying to be someone they weren't.
I wanted my kids to be true to who they were and not try to be like everyone else.
And I wanted them to always remember they were loved and wanted for themselves, and not for what they might do or not do, when they grew up and went out into the world.
I wanted them to have the little comforts life offers - like being tucked in at night by a mother who wanted them to feel snug and secure and loved.
This morning, as I was making our bed, I thought about my husband who was off at work and how hard life can be when we get older. He ushers in his day at 4:30 am and sets off in the wee, dark hours of the morning while most of our neighbours are still asleep.
He works so hard every day.
Just last night, there was a chill in the air. And as he finished dressing himself for the day, he walked around the bed, carefully tucking me in, repeating, "Go back to sleep, love," several times.
A little bit of my childhood came drifting back to me . . . and I was wrapped in warm memories of days long ago and comforted in knowing that love still can happen at any age.
Tuesday, 9 September 2008
Virtues of String
A package arrived in the post, all the way from America.
I had purchased an assortment of vintage laces and trims and was excited to find it had been deposited on my front porch during the wee hours of the morning.
As I unpacked the various bundles contained within the package, I noticed that one of the bundles of lace was held together with a bit of imperfect string.
Dirty and damaged, it was wound around, and around, a handful of lace.
As I looked at it, I began to think about string and its uses and purposes and wondered, "When was the last time I used string for anything?"
If it had been me who had packed away these various bits and bobs, I would have used a rubber band or perhaps a bit of ribbon to secure the bundles. Or more likely, I would have stored away my precious trims in tiny ziplock bags to keep them organized and dirt and moisture free.
As I examined it, I began thinking about that little piece of string and the person who may have put it there.
String, and the importance and relevance it must have had to our mothers and grandmothers, seems to have been all but forgotten.
Previous generations didn't have plastic bags or ziplock anything. They didn't have the advantage of twist ties and velcro. They knew nothing of plastic ties and the gadgets that fastened them.
They tied things with string.
Everything.
Packages in the post came bound with cording; parcels bought at the local shops were tied together in bundles with twine or string; and the loveliest of yummy treats from the bakery were bundled-up in fresh-looking white, cardboard boxes, and tied securely with red and white striped string.
When I was a young child, I can remember standing at eye level with the top of the counter, waiting to be served, at our local bakery. Huge white sugar cookies dotted with raisins and topped with granular sugar and trimmed with scalloped edges awaited me if I were just patient enough. I could buy one or a dozen for the family, or just about any amount, could be ordered-up.
If I purchased just one cookie, it would come in a slick, clean, white bakery bag.
But, purchasing a dozen (which would mean the clerk would carefully pack 13 - a bakers dozen - a common tradition in bakeries of my youth) would mean they would be packed in a white box tied perkily with red and white string. Oh and to see how the clerk accessed the string - that was the best!
A huge cone of the smart looking, festive, red and white striped string was not visible to you in the shop, oh no! All you saw was the string, looking rather plain against the counter looped through an eyelet screw, fastened to the wooden surface. But follow it with your eyes and find that it traveled up the wall and across the ceiling and back to the bakery room, out of sight, where somewhere in the depths of the shop, it finally wound its way to a huge cone of string, permanently affixed to a spindle, waiting for the next tug, for decorating and securing the next pristine bakery box.
And at home, every junk drawer, garage, and broom closet held string. String was a common staple in every household.
It might have been thick and heavy, in the form of jute rope. Or, thin, yet strong, in the form of kite string. And every weight and material in between, necessary for a life where string was an everyday necessity.
Our grandmothers even had special containers for keeping string at hand; safe and ready for use in an instant. These string holders came in many shapes and sizes, in many different materials. I decided to purchase one for myself and begin a new tradition of using string in my home.
I now have the holder, which also holds a pair of scissors, but I do not yet have any string! I am looking for a source of red and white striped string, like the kind the bakeries use, but in a much smaller quantity. Once I find some I will mount my holder on the wall, complete with its own pair of scissors, and use it in place of other, less earth-friendly closures for packages.
Kitty String Holder with Bow at Neck for Scissors
Looking back, upon the virtues of string, and its uses in the lives of women that came before me, made me reflect on its merits over our plastic world of today. And all because a bit of it came to me in a 3000 mile journey from the American past.
I had purchased an assortment of vintage laces and trims and was excited to find it had been deposited on my front porch during the wee hours of the morning.
As I unpacked the various bundles contained within the package, I noticed that one of the bundles of lace was held together with a bit of imperfect string.
Dirty and damaged, it was wound around, and around, a handful of lace.
As I looked at it, I began to think about string and its uses and purposes and wondered, "When was the last time I used string for anything?"
If it had been me who had packed away these various bits and bobs, I would have used a rubber band or perhaps a bit of ribbon to secure the bundles. Or more likely, I would have stored away my precious trims in tiny ziplock bags to keep them organized and dirt and moisture free.
As I examined it, I began thinking about that little piece of string and the person who may have put it there.
String, and the importance and relevance it must have had to our mothers and grandmothers, seems to have been all but forgotten.
Previous generations didn't have plastic bags or ziplock anything. They didn't have the advantage of twist ties and velcro. They knew nothing of plastic ties and the gadgets that fastened them.
They tied things with string.
Everything.
Packages in the post came bound with cording; parcels bought at the local shops were tied together in bundles with twine or string; and the loveliest of yummy treats from the bakery were bundled-up in fresh-looking white, cardboard boxes, and tied securely with red and white striped string.
When I was a young child, I can remember standing at eye level with the top of the counter, waiting to be served, at our local bakery. Huge white sugar cookies dotted with raisins and topped with granular sugar and trimmed with scalloped edges awaited me if I were just patient enough. I could buy one or a dozen for the family, or just about any amount, could be ordered-up.
If I purchased just one cookie, it would come in a slick, clean, white bakery bag.
But, purchasing a dozen (which would mean the clerk would carefully pack 13 - a bakers dozen - a common tradition in bakeries of my youth) would mean they would be packed in a white box tied perkily with red and white string. Oh and to see how the clerk accessed the string - that was the best!
A huge cone of the smart looking, festive, red and white striped string was not visible to you in the shop, oh no! All you saw was the string, looking rather plain against the counter looped through an eyelet screw, fastened to the wooden surface. But follow it with your eyes and find that it traveled up the wall and across the ceiling and back to the bakery room, out of sight, where somewhere in the depths of the shop, it finally wound its way to a huge cone of string, permanently affixed to a spindle, waiting for the next tug, for decorating and securing the next pristine bakery box.
And at home, every junk drawer, garage, and broom closet held string. String was a common staple in every household.
It might have been thick and heavy, in the form of jute rope. Or, thin, yet strong, in the form of kite string. And every weight and material in between, necessary for a life where string was an everyday necessity.
Our grandmothers even had special containers for keeping string at hand; safe and ready for use in an instant. These string holders came in many shapes and sizes, in many different materials. I decided to purchase one for myself and begin a new tradition of using string in my home.
I now have the holder, which also holds a pair of scissors, but I do not yet have any string! I am looking for a source of red and white striped string, like the kind the bakeries use, but in a much smaller quantity. Once I find some I will mount my holder on the wall, complete with its own pair of scissors, and use it in place of other, less earth-friendly closures for packages.
Kitty String Holder with Bow at Neck for ScissorsLooking back, upon the virtues of string, and its uses in the lives of women that came before me, made me reflect on its merits over our plastic world of today. And all because a bit of it came to me in a 3000 mile journey from the American past.
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