A Jar of Something

 

At the Artisan Center in Berea, I like to stop for a jar of . . . something . . . from Spring Valley farms.  That something, this time, turned out to be pecan pumpkin butter.  Because it's the season.

Spring Valley Farms are located in southern Kentucky and in Tennessee.  They are owned by a Habegger family.

Habegger is my maiden name and isn't much heard of outside of Swiss Mennonite communities.  I don't know the folks who own these farms, of course, but I always like to buy a jar or their sauces, jams, or relishes because I feel sort of connected.  And their things are delicious.

I've never seen a picture of the farms or the people.  They sell in stores, not from a website.  I know no family history.  Still . . .there can't be that many of us.

Vegan Thanksgiving

 

Thanks to Winnie and Sarah for a lovely vegan Thanksgiving feast.  All the good veggies and salad plus a gluten free corn pudding and stuffing.  Perfect.

There was just one little brown dog for the festivities and we missed the two who are missing this year.

And a picture from five years ago when P-Nut snagged her own seat at the table.

It's strange to think of the years gone by, when we thought we were old but we were, in fact, young.  In retrospect.

Happy Thanksgiving

 

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone.  May your day be warm and your gratitude overflowing.

Pretty Vegetarian Meal

Vegetarian meal per Winnie.  I can't even tell you all the foods that were in this dish, but it was delicious.  I do know there was squash, cauliflower, and onions.  And Winnie's presentation is always something to look forward to.

Yesterday was a lovely day for travel, white clouds with streaks of blue.  There were some construction delays, which gave me a chance to enjoy the day.

I was thinking of what Nora told me this week, that one of her best traveling memories was when we were on Jellico Mountain in Tennessee and everything came to a standstill.  People got out of their cars and wandered around looking at the scenery, found snacks in their coolers.  One boy got out his skateboard and skated around the parked cars.

Traffic was moving yesterday, just very slowly, and there was time to admire the bare branches against that pretty sky.

And thinking of bare branches, yesterday was the day when my neighbor's tree rained all its leaves.  It's like someone flips a switch and all the leaves come down in one day.  

 

Lots of Dots

 

On Sundays my quilt shop posts pictures of fabrics that have between 1 and 3 yards left on the bolts, exactly how much isn't posted.  These are priced at 20% off whatever is left.  (If you haven't looked at how much nice fabric costs these days, be prepared for a surprise.)

This Sunday I got these dotted fabrics.  It may look like random shopping, but those of us who quilt - a lot - know what colors and patterns we use.  Even if they don't find a home in a quilt top the sizes are super nice for baby quilt backings.

Or, in this case, for Christmas quilts.  The name of the collection is called Merry and Bright.  Once again, those of us who quilt a lot know these things.  And I have a coordinating fabric with a pretty green background.

A small stack of quilts and pillow cases will be picked up today for children's Christmas boxes in Tennessee.  One of our baby quilt members, now sadly deceased, has a daughter who is a social worker there and coordinates a huge Christmas project.  It's nice to remember Ginny this way, this year.

Advent Is Approaching

 

On my list yesterday - to hang this Advent banner after church.  Because next Sunday is the first Sunday in Advent.  This isn't a new piece, but it's been awhile.  Some partial stars.  Snow building.  Awakening.  I also found a different kind of Advent wreath, sort of a small spiral.  I'll take a picture of that another day.

And while I was looking for this in the stash under my bed, I got out a few Christmas wall hangings for my home.  And hung them.  The goose is getting a bit plump.

I meant to look at the quilt stash earlier in the week, but of course I did it right before church.  Hmmm.  Perhaps my goal list for next year should have something about procrastination.

Library books out, library books in.  It seems as if all my holds are coming in at once.  If you're a reader, look up In the Wild Light.  The best fiction I've read in a while.

Christmas Cookie Ale

 

I love seasonal flavors, and that includes holiday beers.  This one, brewed in Cincinnati, is called Santa's Bribe.  The label says it's a Christmas cookie ale, but I don't know about all that.  It's supposed to have cinnamon, ginger and vanilla.  I don't really detect those flavors, but it's a nice smooth beer and that's good enough for me.

The brewery is named for President Taft, from Cincinnati, our 27th president.  On the label he is in a bathtub because local legend tells that he was a hefty guy and he once got stuck in his bathtub and required assistance to get unstuck.

Yesterday I made Thanksgiving applesauce, lots of applesauce.  For my family here, and I'll take some to North Carolina.  Drop some off for a friend who will be eating alone.  Lucky for me, the Granny Smith apples were on sale, and they were huge.  

Tears - happy ones.  I just learned that Nora was selected for Hamilton and Clermont County Honor Band, playing bassoon.  That kiddo, like others, has had a rough junior year and it's nice to have good news.