Category Archives: The Prairie Home

God rest ye

Posted on by

 

Boxing day road trip to see the church of St Peter and St Paul in Lavenham, all decked out for the season. It was a rare sunny winter day and the light poured in through the stained glass. The church has been there in some way, shape or form for centuries which meant the headstones in the cemetary were fascinating. 

One thing I most love about England is their preference for natural seasonal greenery.  The wreaths on the doors and tables are usually local holly, evergreens, and real candles. It takes time and much care and can't be kept over to the next year so the net result is a few high quality decorations.  

Another favorite thing?  The needlepoint cushions common here. Needlepoint has fallen out of favor a bit in the crafting world but I still love the texture and color. Those cushions represent hours and hours of stitching. 

The effect is natural, simple, and timeless.   This is exactly what I pictured all the years I dreamed of English Christmas and inspires me for the future.  

 

church web-8

church web-5 

church web-7

church web-3

church web-9

church web-10

church web-6

church web-11

church web

good cheer

Posted on by

 

 

Family and friends are filling our days and nights right now so there has been little time to pop in here.  We hosted a potluck lunch for my husband's colleagues today which turned out wonderfully.  Our Colin was able to swap stories with one of my husband's British co-workers who was a wheelchair athlete. I say British, but this man was born to a Portugese couple living in Mozambique, grew up there until a restructuring of the political system in his teens, and now works here.  We have heard so many similar stories. You just never really know where life is going to take you.  

Later in the afternoon I found myself sitting around the kitchen island with two gentlemen discussing 20th century British social history – everything from the Beeching rail closures to BBC programming to the National Health System to British comedy.  I may have learned more in that half hour or so than all the British history I knew up to that point – or maybe just have a better context for it now. Which is why we are here, of course.

The world is a fascinating place and I so love talking to the people in it. Must sleep now though. I think this is the only snap I have of the day. 

 

web

Hope Can Still Glow

Posted on by

 

tree bw web

 

 

The Lights

As once in that

Old desert sky

Was hung the the star

Men traveled by,

 

So on cold earth

In this year, we

Hand the warm lights

On our tall tree.

 

Now in the month 

Of long, dark nights,

We put out strings

 Of long, gay lights,

 

That men may know

Hope can still glow

On earth below

Through night and snow.  

– An Old Fashioned Christmas

cultivating home

Posted on by

 

Laura Ingalls Wilder kept me company the other evening as I waited for the last of my dancers to finish their classes.  This slim volume is a quick read, but full of little gems that are best understood when taken in small bits and really thought over.  

This passage articulates an idea that a dear friend and I have encouraged each other to embrace and to put into practice.  I lapsed a bit this week and once more, the truth of these words came back to me.  So I regrouped and am redirecting my attention. Once more I realize that the wisdom of days gone by runs contrary to what is widely circulated today.  Once more, I am amazed by how much better life goes when I follow it. 

"It is truly surprising how anything grows and grows by talking about it.  We have a slight headache and mention the fact.  As an excuse to ourselves for inflicting it upon our friends, we make it as bad as possible in the telling. "Oh I have such a dreadful headache," we say and immediately we feel much worse. Our pain has grown by talking of it. 

If there is a disagreement between friends and the neighbors begin talking about it, the difficulty grows like jimsonweed, and the more it is talked about, the faster it grows…

The same law seems to work in both human nature and in the vegetable kindgom and in the world of ideas with the changes caused just by talk, either positive or negative. Even peas and cabbages grow by cultivation, by keeping the soil "stirred" around them.

Now it isn't enough in any garden to cut down the weeds. The cutting out of weeds is important but cultivating the garden plants is just as necessary. If we want vegetables, we must make them grow, not leave the ground barren where we have destroyed the weeds. Just so, we must give much of our attention to the improvements we want, not all to the abuses we would like to correct.

If we hope to improve conditions anywhere, we must do a great of talking of better things."

Some frames of the "better" things right under my nose this week…

 

home web-2-3

home web-2-2

home web-8

home web-4-2

 

 

 

home web-5-2

home web-9

home web-11

home web-7

home web-2-4

Yes, the weather has been all over. And yes, somehow we are still spotting a few stray insects.  There have been many butterflies in the house this fall – perhaps from the chimneys?  

Brendan is holding one of the giant sugar beets recently harvested on the farm. 

Reading book here.  Little Bob readers here.  Puzzle here.  Similar pillow here. 

{this moment}

Posted on by

 

. . . . . . . . .

{this moment}

A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

. . . . . . . . . .

teacup web

 

more moments over at Amanda's

Pumpkin Spice Cupcakes

Posted on by

 

Alannah tried these at home after someone at work mentioned this recipe.  It doesn't get much easier than this.  It's literally a box of spice cake mix and a can of pumpkin, so technically even I could probably actually make this.   (Health rating based on your box cake mix. Yes, we sometimes eat box cake. Little people can learn well from these : ))

  We filled these with leftover cream cheese glaze from a pumpkin roll which was made for a different occasion and promptly devoured.  

 

web

 

on a separate note – am becoming enamoured with vintage flatware. Digging through boxes at junk shops when I can. 

everyday blessings

Posted on by

 

clothespins web

“As the years pass, I am coming more and more to understand that it is the common, everyday blessings of our common everyday lives for which we should be particularly grateful. They are the things that fill our lives with comfort and our hearts with gladness — just the pure air to breathe and the strength to breathe it; just warmth and shelter and home folks; just plain food that gives us strength; the bright sunshine on a cold day; and a cool breeze when the day is warm.”

– Laura Ingalls Wilder, Writings to Young Women from Laura Ingalls Wilder

 

a sew-sew project

Posted on by

 

Sewing books have been on and off the shelves for months now but today we actually got the sewing machine set up.  First time in this house. We moved in 11 mo ago so don't be too impressed.  I have a copy of Absolutely A-line and thought it might be a good first dressmaking project for Moira, not to wear, but to make for the little girls. In many respects it was that, but the caveats shared on Amazon do apply.

dress web

The pattern is very simple.  There are four pieces to cut out and the written instructions are straightforward. There are no illustrations showing how to lay out the pattern pieces however. (no guidance re:right side up etc) If you have sewn before you can wing it.  It's a great base pattern to teach someone else to assemble a garment.  For $2 used, the paper templates are cheaper than you could buy at the fabric store.  I would not try it for your own first sewing project without an experienced seamstress available. And this folks, is how we keep our amazon credits nice and low around here – discourage you from purchasing lol.  

The measurements given were pretty accurate.  I went a size up for Tess because she has gone through a few sizes in the past year.  It's pretty roomie right now but I expect it won't be by summer's end.  

dress web-2

I worked up this first dress and made enough mistakes to feel confident helping Moira make the second one tomorrow.