Completed Projects & a Giveaway

Remember those WIPS I had sitting on the windowsill??


Well, They're now finished and are listed on eBay.

**Remember those Halloween Lovers on your Christmas List!!**

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This Holiday House is also listed on eBay.
The roof is removable and a flicker light can be placed inside.


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The Prim and Whimsy GirLs are having a Holiday giveaway!
A basket of Holiday goodies (handpainted star ornie, beeswax ornies, teas, chocolate, jewelry bag, Yankee candle tarts & a Christmas Cone ornie) will be given to one winner!

Giveaway ends on Dec. 5th and the winner will be announced on Dec. 7th.

Double Vision???

The Art of Arcimboldo

Happy Turkey Day!!

Welcome to the World!!

Our daughter and son-in-law, Jenny & Adam, welcomed their first son, Clyde Domanick, at 8:53am Monday, November 23, 2009. 8 Lbs. 4 oz.; 20.25 in.

May You Live Long and Prosper!

November 23 is also the birth date of Boris Karloff, Billy the Kid, & Harpo Marx

Cherokee Myth ~ The Milky Way

image source

The Milky Way

A Cherokee Tale from James Mooney's, 'History, Myths, and Sacred Formulas of the Cherokees'

Some people in the south had a corn mill, in which they pounded the corn into meal, and several mornings when they came to fill it they noticed that some of the meal had been stolen during the night.
They examined the ground and found the tracks of a dog, so the next night they watched, and when the dog came from the north and began to eat the meal out of the bowl they sprang out and whipped him.
He ran off howling to his home in the north, with the meal dropping from his mouth as he ran, and leaving behind a white trail where now we see the Milky Way, which the Cherokee call to this day Gi li-utsun stanun yi, "Where the dog ran."

Cherokee Star Myth

image source

What the Stars are Like

A Cherokee story, told by Swimmer.
This tale can be found in James Mooney's, History, Myths, and Sacred Formulas of the Cherokee.
Original publication dates of 1891 & 1900

One night a hunting party camping in the mountains noticed two lights like large stars moving along the top of a distant ridge. They wondered and watched until the light disappeared on the other side. The next night, and the next, they saw the lights again moving along the ridge, and after talking over the matter decided to go on the morrow and try to learn the cause.

In the morning they started out and went until they came to the ridge, where, after searching some time, they found two strange creatures about so large (making a circle with outstretched arms), with round bodies covered with fine fur or downy feathers, from which small heads stuck out like the heads of terrapins. As the breeze played upon these feathers showers of sparks flew out.

The hunters carried the strange creatures back to the camp, intending to take them home to the settlements on their return. They kept them several days and noticed that every night they would grow bright and shine like great stars, although by day they were only balls of gray fur, except when the wind stirred and made the sparks fly out.

They kept very quiet and no one thought of their trying to escape, when on the seventh night, they suddenly rose from the ground like balls of fire and were soon above the tops of the trees. Higher and higher they went, while the wondering hunters watched, until at last they were only two bright points of light in the dark sky, and then the hunters knew that they were stars.

Send a Soldier a Postcard ~ (For FREE)

Xerox is giving everyone an opportunity to send a postcard to US Military Personnel stationed overseas. Visit this website, Let's Say Thanks, to pick out a design & write a message. This simple act can mean a lot to someone! Pass the Word!

Paper Sculpture

These unique paper sculptures are made by Dutch Artist, Ferry Staverman.
They are made from recycled cardboard material and string. So unique!

Click here to read more about this amazing artist.

Meteors & Meteorites

The next meteor shower is the Leonids. The shower will peak in the predawn hours of November 17-18. Though some meteors can be sited as early as November 10th. The Moon will be just past new, so it won't interfere with the shower. Experts predict that this will be a good year for the Leonids, with several dozen outbursts per hour. The meteors can be seen in the southeastern sky - emanating from the constellation Leo.


Here are some of our meteorites. Each one is about the size of a ping pong ball. We did not find these, we traded for them. (Rock hounds are always trading stuff!)

Some useful definitions:
Meteoroid - a particle of debris in the solar system
Meteor - a meteoroid that has entered the Earth's atmosphere
Meteorite - a meteoroid that has reached the ground

Prim and Whimsy Holiday Enchantment

The Prim and Whimsy GirLs are having a Christmas Challenge. The theme is Prim and Whimsy Holiday Enchantment.

Use the search terms, PWGL Enchant on eBay to see all the wonderful creations!

And don't forget to buy handmade this Holiday Season!!

Below is what I have created for this Challenge. I'll be listing them on Tuesday, Nov. 17th.

A trio of Caroling Candles. The one in the middle has had a little too much Nog and can't remember the words, so he is just standing there smiling! :0)
And a trio of Little Fairy Houses. Complete with bells on the peaks of their roofs.





And if you are out blopping around today, stop in at the Magical Holiday Artists on Etsy blog to sign up for a giveaway!! But hurry, the winners will be announced on Nov. 18th!

Sourdough Dinner Rolls or Bread

Making bread can be time consuming and a little work but it is oh, so satisfying! From the time when you smell that wonderful aroma of bread baking in the oven to when you bite into that warm roll slathered with butter. Nothing quite like it in my book!

Last week we made a Sourdough Starter. This Starter is what I use as the basis for any rolls, bread loaves or even sweet rolls that I make. The Starter serves as the activator to make the bread rise.

To use the Starter, remove it from the refrig. Place in a bowl, cover with a cloth, and let it work in a warm area for at least 8 hrs. (I let mine sit overnight.)


Your Starter will need to be 'fed' the day before it is used. Add 2 cps lukewarm water and 2 cps flour to the Starter. Leave it to 'work' for 24 hrs. The day after the Starter has been fed, remove 3/4 cps, place back in the crock and return to the refrig. The remainder will be used in a recipe. The portion of the Starter which is used in a recipe is called the Sponge.



DOUGH ~
3 cps Sponge
1 1/2 cps warm milk
2 tspn salt
2 tbsp Sugar
2 tbsp unsalted butter (I use bacon fat), melted
6 - 6 1/2 cps all purpose flour

Stir warm milk into Sponge. Add sugar, salt, and butter. Stir. Add flour. Stir well after each addition. The final 1-2 cps flour will have to be kneaded into the dough. Knead until the dough is elastic but not too stiff. Place in a floured bowl and cover with a cloth. Place in a warm area and let rise until double.


At this time, the dough can be divided between two loaf pans or made into small balls for dinner rolls (makes 32 dinner rolls). Divide the dough as desired and knead in a small amount of flour until the dough is again elastic but not stiff. Place the dough into greased pans and place in warm area to rise - approx. 1 1/2 hr. Preheat oven to 350deg. Bake the bread for approx. 45 min. or until golden brown on top. Remove from the oven and smear butter on top of the bread. Remove the bread from the pans once the butter has soaked into the top (this prevents the bottom from becoming soggy). Enjoy!

November Fantastic Follower Giveaway

HAPPY FRIDAY the 13th EVERYONE!!

This month's Fantastic Follower winner is Jo of Diggin' Around. She has a refreshing blog and is posting this month about the things she is Thankful for. Jo is a gardener, a writer, and a great photographer. Pop on over to her blog and say 'Hi'!

Here's what she won....

Happy Birthday Eric!

Today is our oldest son, Eric's Birthday!
(He's also Cassidy's Daddy!)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!
We Luv Yu! ♥

Above and Beyond the Call of Duty

Today is Veteran's Day. A time in which we should all pause and say Thank You to a Veteran.

You do not have to agree with the conflict in which they fight to offer your support to them. Knowing that the 'folks back home' are waiting with open arms is an important thing when you are stationed thousands of miles away. And the fight does not end upon their return. We need to continue our support to see that the military men and women of this country receive the treatment and/or support which they deserve - whether it be medical, psychological, physical therapy, counseling; the list goes on.

I would also like to make note of a special group who gave an enormous amount during WWII. The Navajo Code Talkers. The contribution Native Americans have made in defense of our country - and our government, the same government who has committed numerous atrocities upon them - speaks volumes. To read more about the Navajo Code Talkers, visit the blog, Gothic Tea Society.

Arrowheads

Both Hubby and I have a great interest in Native Americana. His interest comes from the fact that he is Cherokee and mine because I grew up in the Four Corners region of the Southwest. We have pottery, baskets, kachina dolls, and in-numerous books. Today I'll share with you our arrowhead collection.


Let me begin with a little background - Hubby's great-grandfather (fondly called Daddy Bill) was a rock hound. He was born in the 1890s and worked at various mines in the western US in his early years. He came across quite a few unique specimens. (more on those later) After he was married, he and his wife would search for rocks, fossils or arrowheads on their many vacations. Our collection is the fruit of their efforts.


Most of the collection was found in Oklahoma, which is where Daddy Bill was from. But quite a few came from the buttes outside the eastern Colorado town where they lived. Early Americans would sit upon the buttes watching for buffalo or antelope and while waiting, they would make arrowheads or spear points or bird points.


I am impressed with the precision with which these rock tools were made. The patience and skill required to make just one arrowhead, called flintknapping, awes me. Here is a video that shows some of the techniques involved. It's a bit long but fun to see the point take shape.



The type of rock used for the point, as well as for the knapping tool, varied depending on the section of the country. And there are various types of points, usually named after the area found or the time frame in which they were made - Clovis, Folsom, Plainview. There are quite a few videos on youtube about flintknapping and a wealth of information on the web - just Google the term flintknapping. Let me know if you would like more information and if you should decide to try it yourself, please let me know & I will show off your points!

Real or Illusion??

Ice Crevasse

Lava Eruption

Waterfall


These realistic representations were created by the artistic genius of Edgar Mueller. For more pics and info check out his website - click here!

Baking Bread

I love to bake bread.
The old fashioned way - not with a bread machine but by kneading the dough by hand.
To me, kneading the dough is not only therapeutic but gives bread that loftiness which is so desirable.

I use a Sourdough Starter for my bread. This is a mild tasting Starter so you needn't worry if you don't like that strong tasting sourdough flavor. Today we are going to begin with the Starter and then next week, we'll make the bread. This recipe was given to me many, many years back by a friend.

SOURDOUGH STARTER ~

1 package or 2 1/4 tspns active dry yeast
2 1/4 cps lukewarm water (use water potatoes have been boiled in for faster results)
2 cps all-purpose flour

Use either a glass or pottery bowl to mix the starter. (NEVER, EVER use a metal bowl. Or store the starter in a metal container! The yeast can have an adverse reaction to the metal which will kill it.) Place 1 cp of the lukewarm water in the bowl. Add the yeast and stir. Add remaining water. Stir. Gradually add the flour, stirring after each addition. Use a fork to help break up any flour lumps. Do not over beat the starter.


Cover the bowl loosely with a clean cloth. This exposes the mixture inside to yeast spores in the air. The spores will then react with the mixture, causing the Starter to begin 'working'. Set the bowl in a warm area for a minimum of 24 hrs. Be careful and do not place your Starter in an area which is too warm (90 deg or over) because this will kill the yeast spores. Skim off (and discard) any liquid which may accumulate on the top of the starter. The mixture will become bubbly and sour smelling. There should be about 2 cps of Starter after skimming. At this point the Starter can be refrigerated or used. If the Starter turns orange in color at any time, discard and start over.


Store the Starter in a crock or glass jar. The starter should be used at least once a week. However unused starter will remain 'alive' for several weeks if refrigerated. It can even be frozen.


Sourdough Starters were a very important part of Frontier Life; a very personal possession. It provided the yeast for the Staff of Life. Starters can be kept alive for many, many years. And the longer the Starter's history, the more potent it is considered. Magickal powers were often given to Sourdough Starters. Maybe because the yeast in sourdough is good for the digestive system.

A Walk in the WildWoods in Autumn

{Okay, So it was a short break.... I missed everyone! Now, let's continue on with our walk... }

And here's a sneak peak at some WIPs

Happy Birthday Cassidy!

Today is our youngest granddaughter's First Birthday!

Happy Birthday Cassidy Fae!
Love you Lots! ♥ Grandma & Grandpa!

A Brief Interlude...

My sister, Becky sent me these awesome magnets! Are they not the coolest? And just in time for The Day of the Dead! She is always on the look out for the coolest things!

Well, I know you're probably tired of listening to me by now. After all, I've been talking for a month! So I'm going to take a brief interlude and catch my breath. I'd like to Thank Domestic Witch and Mrs. B for putting on two glorious parties!

And I have a lot of creations that need to be attended to. So I will be back soon with more stories to tell; tales of arrowheads and rocks, Indian legends and myths, bread and cookie recipes and (of course) the occasional tidbit about Halloween!
Because in CANDY CORN Land, Halloween is a way of Life!
Until then... Happy Haunting!

Dia de los Muertos

Dia de los Muertos

by
Ed Held
(Dear Sweet Hubby wrote this for his English class)

“Dia de los Muertos”, Ticker mumbled, “Day of the Dead”. Ticker sat, or rather slumped, in the sleaziest bar in Tijuana, drunk off of his ass. Again. “Dia de los Muertos” he mumbled again. Why can’t I convince anybody that this year will be different? That this year November 2 will really be a day of the dead? Well, I guess tomorrow they will find out. “You’ll all find out!” he suddenly shouted. The bartender stared at Ticker until he decided that Ticker was just another drunk tourist celebrating the holiday a little too hard and a little too early.

Ticker had been convinced for a long time that the world was going to end on November 2, 2009. He was a watchmaker by trade, and as such was very interested in the concept of time. He had discovered an ancient method of timekeeping buried deep under Ayers Rock in Australia while he was there on vacation several years ago. While he was investigating this method, he made a startling discovery: the exact time and date the world was going to end. He had tried to show his find to anybody that would listen. The ones that bothered to halfway hear him out were convinced that he was just another new-age crackpot with a doomsday prophesy.

Ticker didn’t know what was going to happen tomorrow, all he knew was that the world was going to end. All of his calculations had pointed to November 2, 2009 at 8:06 am, sunrise. “Why didn’t I do more to convince somebody?” he thought. Ticker knew people, powerful people, who would believe him but without knowing exactly what was going to happen what could they have done? Caused widespread panic? Better to let them enjoy what little time they had left. “Mas Tequila” he mumbled as he threw the last of his Pesos on the bar. Let the bartender keep what was left, tomorrow they wouldn’t matter to anybody. The bartender set up two shots of Tequila on the bar, swept up all of the coins, and went off cursing in Spanish under his breath. Ticker ignored him as he picked up one of the shots and knocked it back. He wondered if he should at least try to make one last effort to warn somebody. “Screw ‘em” he muttered as he gulped the last shot and passed out.