She was pregnant when she shook that tree.
I was almost 10 and can still remember.
It was a hot summer’s night when Mom had a craving so we hopped in the car.
We travelled to the other side of town… to an orchard on this vacant lot.
It was dark and just a little scary but we did stuff like that in the 1970s.
Well my sister and I, we weren’t very tall and the tree’s branches were out of our reach. Continue reading
Pastry chef’s stump me.
I mean how do they get those swirly designs so perfect and their cookies so delicious at the same time?
I wanted to know.
So, like any nosey cookie maker would do…
…I investigated.
Sometimes all the holiday bustle makes me lose my mind and I forget things…
… like, Whose gift did I just wrap?
Now my sons… they know how to help me with this.
They give the best reminders…
…like lists with gift ideas and corresponding store aisle…
…and hello ello lo echoes into the empty cookie jar.
They’re really into traditions, too…
… like tree trimming and Christmas carols and Butterball turkeys (well, one prefers grandma’s Dearborn ham spiked with Vernors ginger ale) and as many cookies as can be frosted.
Do you like traditions and frosted sugar cookies, too?
Dear Friends,
I’ve gone and done it…
I’ve broken blogging rules.
I changed my story… changed my tune.
Thankfully, I didn’t change the recipe.
I had a thought.
I remembered.
And so I had to change the old story to share this one.
It’s a true story with… Continue reading
Did I mention I had a coupon for Pottery Barn?
Well, it was about to expire so I stopped by.
My favorite spot to hang out is the clearance aisle.
{I ❤ you PB — and your free catalogs, too!} Continue reading
I love roasted pumpkin seeds, don’t you?
They remind me of fun I had as a kid — especially this one chilly fall day.
My aunt…she was young, too…
…maybe 14 and super cool!
She showed me and my little sister how to carve a pumpkin and scoop the seeds out.
Then we picked the inside strings from each one and plopped the seeds in a bowl.
They were icky and gooey…
…but she made the whole thing fun. Continue reading
I must admit… sometimes I do dingy things.
Those who know me well, and still love me, will tell you this is true. They’ve seen it first-hand.
For example, this one evening my family and our friends were sitting around the campfire talking, laughing, telling stories all while stoking the flames for roasting smores after the sun went down.
The warm aroma of soup in a crock pot filled the crisp, autumn air and as we sat in our big circle there was laughter and kids playing tic tac toe toss behind us and we were having so much fun telling stories to one another.
Do you remember my dear friend, Mr. Gene?
I mentioned him here in this post.
He was a sweet fella who wore debonair hats and plaid jackets every single day. I never saw him in a pair of blue jeans.
Not even once.
He was classy and sophisticated but in a simple kind of way. He loved horses and his country and served in World War II.
I’ll never forget the smile on his face when I asked him how he met his wife Ms. Jean (spelled with a J).
While strolling around an outdoor ice skating rink one evening they collided.
Smack dab in the middle of hundreds of other skaters whizzing by they fell… literally.
And he was smitten.
Just like a scene from an old black and white movie.
Growing up in the 70s in Michigan was a blast!
My sisters and I practically lived outside.
But on occasion, like when 12 feet of blowing snow leaned against the front door of our brick ranch home, we relied on board games like Clue and Trouble to entertain us for hours on end.
And then there were those days when Mom and Dad left us home for a bit and we had the house all to ourselves.
Those were the times when we would make the best stuff up.
Like this one crazy game of hide-and-seek mixed with tag.
It made us famous in our neighborhood. Continue reading
Last week was one of those weeks.
A slightly frenzied, up and down, going in circles until I was dizzy kind of week — discombobulated…
Thankfully, the side effects didn’t last long.
Have you had a week like that recently?
One you might compare to a roller coaster ride that zips off before you can catch your breath…
Modern Hen home 