Happy Halloween!

These two little honeys are buzzing by to wish you a sweet day!

Happy Halloween to you... and bee happy!

Show and Tell

Friday is a good day for Show and Tell, right? I recently acquired this pair of frames from my aunt. They belonged to my (paternal) grandparents and although we aren't positive of the details, we know that they've been in the family for a long time. It's quite likely that they were gifts along the way, but we can't confirm that.

The one in the back is slightly larger than the one in front, but they match in design and color. See how they swing on the base?

I can envision these frames used as a focal point at Christmastime, so we'll see what's in store for them! I look forward to enjoying them.

Have a wonderful weekend! Our weather here is supposed to be lovely. I hope you can get out and enjoy some fall color.

Apple Cake

There are certain baked goods that are just a part of autumn. Apple cake and pumpkin bread are two such examples. When I got home from book club last night, I decided to whip-up the former because I had a handful of apples that needed to be used (as they were getting past their prime). This is a classic recipe, so you've likely tried it before.

Apple Cake

Cream together:

1 cup oil (I use Canola)

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

2 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

In a separate bowl, sift together:

1 1/2 tsp. baking soda

2-3 tsp. cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp. nutmeg

2 1/4 cups flour

Gradually stir-in the flour mixture to the creamed mixture. Stir in 3 cups chopped, peeled apples. The dough will be stiff. Spoon into a greased 9 by 13 pan and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes (could take a bit longer). Test for doneness by inserting a toothpick in the center of the cake. Remove and cool. Although you can make a glaze for the top, we prefer just a dusting of powdered sugar. We find glazes to be too sweet and overpowering. With just powdered sugar, the apple/cinnamon cake flavor is enjoyed more. An alternative would be a dollop of whipped cream. 

Would you like a slice?

The Ants Came Marching One by One...

Although this isn't the time of year we think of ants, I wanted to try an idea for golf ball ants that I had seen online.

First you attach three old golf balls with hot glue. Allow the glue to cool/dry before proceeding. It doesn't matter if the balls are marked-up or in rough shape because they will be painted during the last step of assembly!

Snip a thin wire hanger into six legs and crimp on both ends. This creates a "foot" for one end and a "hook" to fit in the drilled hole. Cut two small pieces to be used as antennae and crimp the ends. Drill small holes in which the wires can fit. It's important that your holes are evenly spaced and at the same height on both sides so that the body is symmetrical. We (and when I say "we", I mean Randy who was nice enough to assist) had to make the holes a little deeper so that the ends of the wires would fit securely. Insert the wires, adding a drop of glue to keep the ends in place. Allow to dry.

Spray paint the ant with black paint and allow to dry. We happened to have a glossy black on hand, so I used that. I know his back left foot looks like it's sticking out straight. It isn't, but I did adjust it (and all the others) anyway!

"Plant" the ant in the garden!

If the ants come marching one by one, it's better that they are this variety... and not real!

Tuesday's Tablescape

I decided I wanted to incorporate my bittersweet in today's tablescape. It's from what my aunt and uncle sent. The vase is new to me and was found at a yard sale several weeks ago. Naturally, the cobalt trim called my name and so it came home with me since it was just a quarter. I love the colored veining near the bottom of the piece.

Some faux pumpkins and leaves seemed to complete the centerpiece.

I pulled out my old cobalt and yellow plates and placed my pumpkin luncheon plates on top. A yellow napkin lies between the two. The colors are not showing too well today. We need some sunshine to brighten-up everything!

The table is all set. What shall we eat?

Enjoy your dinner this evening!

A "New" Bicycle Basket

Last winter, I purchased a retro-looking bike using gift cards. I had accumulated the cards from dear families at school, so it made me happy to be able to use their thoughtful gestures for this special purchase. After I published the post (New Wheels), my aunt contacted me. She wondered if I would possibly be interested in a bicycle basket she had. You bet! I not only appreciate retro style, I also love family pieces with history. I was thrilled when I recently received the adorable basket and its history. Here's its story. My aunt received the market basket decades ago from a cousin of my dad and aunt. At the time, the cousin (Sally) lived in Germany. When one rode a bike to the store or ran errands, the basket had a functional use. It has hooks which enable it to fit over the handlebars, as shown below. 

I could envision the basket being white and it was my intent to spray paint it. The more I looked at it, though, the more I realized that painting it wasn't right. I decided to let its original, natural color remain and just personalize it a bit. I attached these white daisies since I felt the color connected well to the white fenders and because daisies have that old-fashioned feel. See how the carrying handle swings up so the basket could be removed from the bike and toted around while the rider was shopping?

My aunt told me that she enjoyed using this basket for its intended purpose. I think its adorable!

Somehow in the sunlight, the bike lost its color for this picture. It's actually pale lime. In fact, I call it sherbet lime. You can't see that in this photo, though.

What do you think of my "new" bicycle basket?

Wonderful Peanut Butter Fudge

As we approach Halloween and then Thanksgiving and Christmas, many begin preparing favorite baked goods and candies. If you enjoy peanut butter fudge, this is the recipe for you! It's my mother's and since she happened to be making a batch of this wonderful sweet treat for their church bake sale, the pictures are compliments of her.

Wonderful Peanut Butter Fudge

Use an 8 inch by 8 inch pan

1/2 cup butter

2 1/4 cups brown sugar

1/2 cup milk

3/4 cup peanut butter

1 tsp. vanilla

3 1/2 cups confectioner sugar

Melt butter in a saucepan. Stir in brown sugar and milk and boil for 2 minutes, stirring the entire time. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter and vanilla until blended. Pour over confectioner sugar, which has been placed in a large bowl. Beat until smooth. Chill until firm. Cut into 16 pieces with a plastic knife. Keep in an airtight container.

Don't you "owl-ways" have room for a piece of fudge?! Have a blessed weekend!

DIY Centerpiece

Here's an easy way to create an autumn centerpiece. I was inspired by the brandy snifter centerpieces we recently used at church when we deaconesses hosted our pastoral staff appreciation brunch. I don't have a brandy snifter, so I decided to modify. You will need a decorative glass container, small pinecones, a battery-operated pillar candle and faux autumn leaves.

Select your glass container.

Place your battery-operated candle in the center of the bowl. A real lighted candle would be dangerous so close to pinecones and leaves.

Layer small pinecones around the base of the candle.

Fill in with faux leaves (remember that even dollar stores carry these).

I had to experiment with my new placemat. A friend with whom I craft made one for each of us the last time we got together.

Isn't she talented? Won't it be perfect beginning November 1 when I decorate for Thanksgiving?

You can literally throw together this centerpiece in a few minutes, using whatever you have on hand. Be creative and give thanks!

Winter Prediction

A few weeks ago, I mentioned a failed nature post. I had intended to write about persimmons and winter weather, but we had a little obstacle, which will be explained later. As I used to tell my students, however, we can't give up! Be persistent and persevere! That's what I did and, finally, I am able to share the nature lesson.

This is one of the persimmon trees in the woods behind our home. The deer adore the sweet, thick fruit when it ripens early autumn. I have read that persimmons reach their height of flavor after the first frost and although we haven't had a frost yet, some of the fruit is falling. Those persimmons hanging from the lower branches have been consumed by our deer friends! I picked some of the fruit a few weeks ago and then we had the roadblock.

 As you know, folklore states that one is able to predict the winter weather by splitting open a persimmon seed. We often did this when I was growing up and I also have shared this lesson with my classes over the year. Within each seed is the outline of a white fleshy utensil. Interpretations vary a bit from source to source and even region to region. We always learned that knives indicate that a cold winter is coming because the cold and wind will cut through! Spoons foretell of a winter with a surplus of snow as one will need to spoon it or shovel a lot. Forks let us know that the approaching winter will have little snow, or powdery precipitation,  with a mild season. Splitting a seed is not always easy and I will admit that it takes a bit of time and caution (due to the use of serrated knives---one slip and you can cut your fingers). The two of us worked on this task when I was originally writing the post and while we were, eventually, successful in opening seeds, the fleshy pulp  was not at all well-defined. I wasn't sure if it was the tree or the fact that it was still early and perhaps the pulps hadn't fully formed. My parents found a persimmon tree in one of our local conservation areas  when they were there to see some fall color and were kind enough to gather some fruit for me. Randy and I tried it again and this time it worked! They were all spoons. The white half-circle on the right side is just a discoloration of the flesh and isn't associated with the spoon shape in the center. This one was the best for photography purposes and not all spoons have the slight point on the top. I rather think that I nicked that end when I was getting it apart.

What do you think? If you live in this area, are you ready for snow? Has anyone observed the wooly worm (caterpillars)? Their bands of colored stripes are supposed to be fortuitous. I guess we have no choice but to wait and see!  

Tuesday's Tablescape

Today's table belongs to my parents! My mother and I put it together because we wanted to highlight a special centerpiece.

We decided to use my plain white dishes and, in an effort to tie-together the colors, we placed a doily leaf on top. My mother pulled-out her tangerine orange placemats.

Don't you love these "string" glasses? From the 60s, they have a textured string-like design on the outside. We used the two yellow ones, but they actually come in a variety of colors.

Now, let me tell you about the centerpiece. This pretty spouted vase belonged to my paternal grandparents. They received a pair of them as a wedding gift on June 1, 1930. My parents have one; my aunt and uncle have the other. Each fall my grandmother would fill this one with bittersweet and so we've always called it "Grandmother's bittersweet vase". In keeping with the family tradition, my aunt also fills hers with the same wild vine. In fact, she and my uncle search for, harvest and send the bittersweet to us each autumn. It goes straight from the fencerows of IN to the vase. By the way, I also receive part of the stash and sometime I will show you how I display mine.

We scattered some faux acorns and leaves for texture and color.

It's fun to imagine how many bouquets of bittersweet have been enjoyed in this vase over the years! My parents usually keep it on Grandmother's old desk (pardon the dark photo as it was taken in dim light). She bought this beauty, used, when she was a college student in the mid-1920s.

I hope this finds you enjoying your day!

Onondaga Cave

Last week's weather made it a perfect time for a quick getaway and we headed to Onondaga Cave State Park in Leasburg, MO. Although most commonly known as The Show-Me State, Missouri is also known as The Cave State since there are more than 6,000 documented underground chambers.  Touring this particular cave was interesting on a few different levels. Aside from appreciating the natural beauty of this wonder, learning its background allows one to combine the love of both science and  history.

Seeing and learning about the different rock formations and the cave inhabitants is delightful. Aren't the formations amazing? To imagine that one inch of growth occurs each century is mind-boggling!

The trip was also steeped in history. Onondaga Cave was discovered late in the 1880s and became a state park about one hundred years later,  in 1982. We learned about the people who were instrumental in its development, how the cave got its name and then there was one particular aspect which was exceptionally appealing to me. The cave has a connection to the World's Fair and I have always been intrigued by our exposition. My family moved to the St. Louis area when I was in grade school and as my parents began taking us to the attractions in this area, I began learning  about the World's Fair which had  once graced this city... and I was smitten. I ended up researching it and interviewing a local who had attended the fair for my high school term paper. More than a decade later, I joined the local St. Louis World's Fair Society of which I am still a member. So, the link that the cave has to the fair is most alluring to me.

Around the turn of the century, two locals formed a company with the intent to strike it rich by mining onyx from the cave. Sadly, this onyx was discovered to be too soft for building purposes and so the business endeavor was aborted. In an effort to recoup some of the losses, it was decided to use the cave as a tourist attraction and a relationship was formed with the St. Louis World's Fair. The year was 1904 and St. Louis was on the world's stage with industrial, scientific, technological and artistic achievements being showcased. One of the offerings at the exhibition was a day trip. Visitors could pay a fee to ride the train from St. Louis to Leasburg. From the train station there, guests were shuttled to the cave. We were allowed to see the old, original entrance (now shuttered) by which people used to enter and they came in by boat back then! Inside the cave, the old boat docks are a part of the tour. The two concrete strips in the front of the photo were the docks and straight ahead (in the center) you may be able to make-out a small opening. That was the area in which the boats entered the cave. A sunken boat remains in the water, but I couldn't capture it in a photo, given the very limited light.

In addition to Onondaga, Cathedral Cave is also within this state park. We didn't happen to tour it, but I am sure it has wonders of its own. Aside from cave tours, there are multiple hiking paths of varying lengths and we enjoyed taking advantage of some of those, too.

A few plants were beginning to turn fall colors.

Have you been to Onondaga Cave? Missouri's state park system is celebrating its centennial through the end of 2017. We purchased the passport in April and are having a good time getting our stamps while visiting parks throughout the state. Even if for a fast getaway, like we did, going to Onondaga is a worthwhile trip.