The gift of time

Marie Antoinette.....Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.....Vincent Van Gogh.....Sylvia Plath.....Anne Frank.....Joan of Arc.....Princess Diana.....Caravaggio.....John Keats.....Alexander the Great.....

What do all these great historical figures have in common?  They all died at an early age.  And it seems rather strange to look at it this way, but I have spent more time on this Earth than any one of them did.

Earlier this week, I celebrated my birthday......a big one (4-0).  I try very hard not to think about age as a specific number.  Rather, I try to focus on being grateful.  I have something none of these great people had: my forties.  And each of them made a big impact in the short time that they lived; I can only hope and try to make my own impact too.  Entering my forties doesn't feel like "getting old."  It feels like I've been given a remarkable gift, one that, sadly, not everyone is given.  And while some have changed the world in less than 40 years, I've been given a little more time to make a difference.

The best birthday gift ever: the gift of time.  I intend to use it well.

-Cheryl

Book Nook - Charmed Life

Charmed Life by Diana Wynne Jones:




Usually, when I read stories to the Bachsters at night, we're all one big happy group enjoying a great story together.  But with Charmed Life, our oldest just didn't like the book*, so she chose to read by herself in her room while I read it with the other two Bachsters.  And I can see her point: it got off to a slow start.  But once you get into the story, it just takes off and is most amazing.

A little about the story: in the opening chapters, Cat Chant and his older sister Gwendolen, a witch, become orphans.  They go to live with kind Mrs. Sharp, until it is arranged that they live with the very mysterious Chrestomanci and his family in his castle.  There, the children are to receive an education, and Gwendolen magical studies.  But things don't go smoothly for headstrong Gwendolen, and Cat tags along as she plots and schemes one magical act of revenge after another, until things get out of hand and everyone's lives are changed dramatically.

There are elements of Harry Potter in the story (Charmed Life was published in 1977, so it's like the original Harry Potter): there is a mysterious, powerful figure whom people refuse to utter his real name; there are students receiving magical education (and doing magical hocus pocus); there is a main character who is an orphan who isn't aware of who he really is.  I hope I haven't given away too much of the story!

As we started the story, I thought it was interesting, but I could have set it down and been content to start something else.  But after a few chapters, the story gets better, and about halfway through, you're hooked.  Things all come together in a wonderfully unexpected way.  We're along for the ride, and the capable Diana Wynne Jones is our guide.  I actually got chills when the character Janet was introduced: our author knows her craft well and is a pleasure to spend time with (check out Howl's Moving Castle for another great Diana Wynne Jones book).  I'm getting ready to start the second Chrestomanci book, and am very excited to get back to this magical world.

-Cheryl

*DD didn't want to join, but as she heard our excitement about the story, and probably overheard some of it, she couldn't help but ask question after question: so what happened to Gwendolen?  Was Chrestomanci good or bad?  I might just leave the book in her room, to see if she'll read it after all.  I hope she does - I hate to think that she's missing out on the fun!   

Sunday Brunch - {applesauce muffins}

Applesauce muffins with cream-cheese frosting......it's like having cupcakes for breakfast!

These muffins are so easy to make, and what I really love about them is that the recipe makes a lot - we got 21 muffins.  So, we enjoyed them two days in a row.  And they're easy to customize - I made half the batch without the toasted pecans (in response to Little Dude asking me not to put any in his).  And, if you don't have the time or desire to make homemade applesauce, no problem - you can use store-bought (we did).

Probably the best part, though, is that delicious cream cheese frosting.  As our 8-year-old was licking the frosting bowl, we decided that it would be wonderful with my pumpkin bread (have I shared that recipe yet?).  But not everyone in our house wanted the frosting on their muffin, so we kept it on the side - another way this recipe is so easy to make work for everyone's tastes.  Of course, it's from Martha Stewart (and my favorite issue of Living, October 2004.  I'm keeping this issue forever!).

 
-Cheryl

Panther - part 2

A few weeks ago I blogged about this little stray kitty we've been taking care of, whom we named Panther.  She has just captured our hearts, this little one.  She has a squeak instead of a meow, she is absolutely tiny (6 pounds, we discovered), has little specs of gray scattered throughout her fur and is quiet a purr-er.

We've been feeding Panther and putting her in our garage at night, all while trying to find a good home for her.  DH and decided that we just can't have a cat right now - it would be way too difficult with Ranger.  One big dog + 2 lizards + all their crickets is enough for us (our 16-year-old cat, Cosmo, passed away in August).  So, we've been trying to find her a good home for a few weeks, by posting her picture everywhere, and telling everyone we know about her.

I feel really fortunate that I was able to secure her a place with a Central Ohio organization called Colony Cats.  They are a no-kill shelter that brings cats to our local pet store for adoption, as well as adopting cats out of their location.  I can't tell you how grateful I am to have her going to Colony Cats, where she will be in good hands while waiting for the right family to adopt her.  And she's such a sweetie, I have no doubt that it won't take long.

Unfortunately, right after Colony Cats contacted me to accept her, there was an accident in our garage during the night - a tire (with the rim) somehow fell on Panther.  When I found her in the morning, her leg was trapped underneath.  I got her out immediately, and she spent the day resting on her bed in the garage.  I'm happy to say that her leg appeared to be fine the next day, and that she was walking around and moving without any difficulties.  I think she might have got hit in the face with the tire as well, but her little face was looking back to normal after her day of rest.  She's a resilient little thing, for certain.  We figure she only has 8 lives left at this point.

This morning, we took Panther to the vet to have her tire-injuries looked at and to get her vaccines and get spayed.  This was the last time we will see her, as she will be at Colony Cats from now on, until she finds her forever-home.  Can I tell you how sad I've been all day to give up this little one who has touched our hearts so very much in just a few weeks?  I thought the Bachsters would have a hard time giving her up, but it turns out, that I'm the one who is missing her the most (and seriously, I'm not even a big "cat person").

  
It's really amazing how pets can touch our hearts - which brings me to the next subject - Book Nook.  In all my worries about Panther, I forgot to do my usual Monday post.  And this week, I thought the perfect book would be one that celebrates animal warm-fuzzies.

True Love: 24 Surprising Stories of Animal Affection by Rachel Buchholz:




The stories are about animals and their devotion to other animals - siblings, parents, friends and mates for life.  Wild animals, pets and even a toy tortoise are featured.  One of the stories that melted my heart was the story of the mother lion who saved her lion cub.  There's also the goose that protects a Highland bull named Hamish, the brave donkey who rescued her sheep friend from an attacking dog.  Also, Jake the duck who traveled 8 miles through snowstorms and rough terrain to reunite with his true love after Jake was given to a neighboring farm.

There are lots of sweet, heartwarming stories in this little book, all with pictures of these amazing, loving animals.

While we are all missing Panther now, I feel a little better knowing that she is being well taken care of, and that one day soon, the right family will adopt her.  And looking through True Love has lifted my spirits quite a bit, too.

-Cheryl  

Sunday Brunch - {apple vs. pumpkin}

Pumpkin pie is obligatory in our house every Fall.  And since we went apple picking recently, I wanted to make an apple pie with all our apples.  Making two different kinds of pie within a couple of days of each other gave us the chance to compare which pie we all like better.  It was an apple pie vs. pumpkin pie smackdown!

Our first competitor is a from-scratch apple pie, with a mixture of Winesap and Granny Smith apples.  I used a new recipe for a homemade crust that uses a lot of butter, and one that I immediately over-mixed because the crumbly stage never quite turned into the roll-it-out stage.  But I'm new to pie crust making, so perhaps I did something wrong.  This recipe is from Martha.

Next up is pumpkin pie, a Bach family perennial favorite.  I cheated and used a store-bought crust.  I made two and they were gone in a flash.  The recipe is from Libby.

And the results......3 Bachster votes for pumpkin pie.  1 Rhodesian Ridgeback vote for apple pie (he snatched the last couple of slices from the pan on the counter and gobbled them up while we were away).

3 against 1......pumpkin pie is declared our official winner!

Which do you like better - apple pie or pumpkin pie (or both!)?

-Cheryl

New yarn!

I have no business buying new yarn.  Like many knitters, I have a big stash of yarn from various projects completed, hibernating and plotted.  I have enough yarn in my stash to keep me busy for a very, very long time.  But where's the fun in that?

Recently, I was going through some stacks of old papers and came across a design for an afghan that I had forgotten all about.  I've been wanting to do another afghan lately, this one for the 8-year-old, and this design was just perfect for her (maybe I even created it with her in mind, but I just can't recall).  Starting on a new creative endeavor is so invigorating, and with cold weather around the corner, I wanted to get started right away.

I've been wanting to try Quince & Co. yarn for a long time, and it seemed like a perfect fit for my project.  I received my big 'ol box of yarn last week.  The yarn is sturdy yet soft, and I think it will knit up wonderfully.  The colors are beautiful, very true to the pictures on the Quince & Co. website. 

Here is my very colorful selection of Chickadee yarn: crocus, poppy, Carrie's yellow, cypress and parsley:

And the more subdued palette of Osprey yarn: bark, glacier, twig and egret:

I'm going to do some marathon knitting for this afghan, so hopefully I can show you the results soon.

-Cheryl

Book Nook - Halloween books

The last couple of weeks have been a busy time for our family, gearing up for our Halloween party that we had yesterday.  I've been getting lots of books at the library on crafty Halloween activities - I thought I'd share a few!

Spooky & Bright: 101 Halloween Ideas from the Editors of Country Living (the national magazine, not the regional one that is near and dear to me):




So many cute ideas here!  I especially love the "finger" pen, mouse in a maze cake and the pumpkins.....all of their pumpkin ideas are great (but I especially love the fireplace pumpkins - genius!).

A Ghastly-Good Halloween: 201 Spooktacular Recipes, Crafts & Decorating Ideas by Gooseberry Patch:




I've heard of Gooseberry Patch before, but I didn't realize they are located in Central Ohio!   I was so excited to discover that!

There are so many great ideas in this neat book.  The one thing that made a big impression on me was all the recipes, and the beautiful food photography.  Perfect lighting, delicious-looking recipes - the majority of the book seems to be dedicated to food.  But that's ok, because it's all goodies you will want to make (especially the s'mores brownies...oh my goodness!).  I also love the candy corn pumpkins (there are also lots of other great pumpkin ideas here, too).  There's also a really cute owl costume for kids that looks suspiciously like my very own fabu-owl (which I promise to show pics soon).  Finally, there's a table with bones for legs that is just too cute!

Finally, I just had to use some of Martha's great ideas for our party - this book of hers was very useful.  We did the big-candy-favors and the bat-on-moon treat bags - pics coming soon!

Have you done any fun crafts to celebrate Halloween?

-Cheryl