It’s easy to get tired of summer heat. Let’s enjoy it while we have it! In this neck of the woods, I start missing it once the crisp fall days give way to the ones that ice up my car and force me to cancel plans because I’m snowed in.
Not to mention the fact that ours is the damp kind of cold – the type that creeps into your bones and starts arguments over who gets to snuggle Phoebe June for a bit of extra warmth.
Summer’s hanging on, but so are the picnics, parties and celebrations that go along with it. The little added touches are what transform you into the hostess-with-the-mostess at your summer get-together.
The August Freebie will help you out with that. Let’s take a look –
This cupcake kit by Meri Meri contains twenty-four cupcake cases and twenty-four toppers. It’s all-over floral design is perfect for summer parties and events and don’t you love it when each cupcake has a flower sprouting out of it?
Come to think of it, why do we always dress up sweets? This might be a fun way to get your kids or grandkids to eat a healthier choice, such as a fruit-filled muffin! Spread the love – after all, it’s FREE!
To enter to win the Meri Meri cupcake kit, “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “Come on, let’s party!”
Remember, you must be a subscriber to Midwest Storyteller in order for your comment to be entered into the drawing.
You can check out more items from Meri Meri at www.merimeri.comwhere they have coordinating items for all your celebrations, including, baby, wedding, anniversary and more. Words cannot express how much I adore their Peter Rabbit themed party items!
SHARE this post through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest or send the link in an email to all your friends so they can enter to win!
Previous freebies can be found on the “Freebies” page. Take a look at the gifts subscribers have been winning.
Once again, a winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight by leaving a comment which says, “Come on, let’s party!”
And now, here are the complete rules:
First Friday Freebies are available to SUBSCRIBERS ONLY. That means if you have come to this post through social media or someone has emailed you a link to it and you haven’t become a subscriber yet, you’ll need to hop on over to the right sidebar and do that really quick. If you are on a phone or tablet, the easiest way is to go to the “About Me” page. All it means to be a subscriber is that you’ll receive an email each time Midwest Storyteller has something new, which won’t likely be more than once or twice a week. It keeps you from missing out on all the fun and FREE STUFF! And, I’m not sharing your emails with anybody.
IMPORTANT: After subscribing, you MUST check your email to confirm the subscription or it will not appear. Then, sadly, you won’t be eligible to enter.
To enter the drawing, scroll back up to the top of this post (or all the way to the bottom, depending on your device) and click on “Leave a Comment”. Subscribers who comment as directed before midnight on Friday will enter the drawing, provided they are already on the subscribers list and live within the continental United States.
Three simple steps!
What are you waiting for? Go! Go! Go! Subscribe if you haven’t already, confirm in your email and comment to enter before midnight tonight, August 3rd!
I hope you’ve had a chance, after Smuffy’s last adventure, to lie down with a cold compress and talk over your traumatic experience with your best friend or therapist, because our cliffhanger resumes today and we’ll soon find out what an apt term that is.
We last had a rear view as Smuffy rolled out of the driveway on his way to meet up with Steve. Yes, good ‘ol Steve – you can count on him once every twenty years or so to be on hand when Smuffy really does things up big.
This installment is the last half of what is known as a “two-parter”, so if you’ve not gone along with Smuffy in “Life with Smuffy (Episode 3): “That Sinking Feeling” (or, “The Wreck of ‘97”), then you’d better fix yourself a cup of tea, clickhereand do a bit of catching up because we’ve reached the part where things are about to go overboard.
In Episode 3, we learned that Smuffy (aka Captain Super Wonder Water Man) has no boundaries when it comes to water. It takes him back to his carefree childhood where fun overrides any possibility of getting a boo-boo.
Though I’d learned to endure, his wild river adventures were enough reduce me, as the saying goes, to a mere shadow of my former self.
I’d thought perhaps that the Wreck of ’97had been just the thing Smuffy needed to cure him of his illusions of invincibility. After all, he’d come within a hair’s breadth of killing his old college buddy, Steve, filled his classic wooden boat full of holes, thrown his boat motor overboard, journeyed down three or four rivers in the dark with no steering and had spent a week telling me he never wanted to be in a boat again as long as he lived.
Now, however, I stood at my back door watching my lunatic husband return to the scene of the crime.
It seemed all he’d needed was a little rest to recharge his super powers. He become convinced – no, obsessed – with the notion that he knew the exact spot where the wreck happened. I didn’t doubt it. You’d think it would be seared upon his little gray cells. With that vivid mental image, he also claimed to know the exact spot where his precious 1962 Wizard 7.5 horsepower boat motor lay at the bottom of the river. This led him to believe that he could not only recover the motor but disassemble it, dry it out and have it running again in no time.
Having vowed to never again be the wife who paced the floor in the wee hours wondering if she still had a husband, I’d issued every threat I could think of should Smuffy not return by dark. I promised myself to follow through on the one I thought would prove I meant business. At thirty minutes past sunset, I’d send the sheriff after him. I knew Smuffy well enough to know that the weekly report in our local small town paper, listing him amongst all the other characters in the county who’d shared an encounter with the law, would be an embarrassment to him. If this last ditch effort didn’t cure him, I’d have to throw a mattress out on the deck and change the locks.
Captain Super Wonder Water Man, believing that paddles are for mere mortals, had his canoe licensed and outfitted with the biggest motor he could without causing it to sink or fly.
His plan began with having Steve drive him all the way to the river access just above where “X” marked the spot. Steve, always such a help, would then drop Smuffy and the canoe into the river and come back home. Captain Super Wonder Water Man would then make his way downstream, dive for the motor, hoist it into the canoe and motor down one scenic river after another until he made it back to the river access close to home where his truck would be waiting. He’d assured me that his expert observances of the Missouri River, just a few blocks from our house, had indicated lower water levels. The motor shouldn’t be too far underwater.
It all sounded so simple to hear Smuffy describe it.
I moaned as Smuffy’s rear bumper disappeared down the street and went back into the house to do what I usually did when he’d lost his marbles. I cleaned. I cooked. I spent quality time with my young daughter. I prayed. I thought a few murderous thoughts and prayed some more.
After an hour’s drive north, Smuffy and Steve arrived at the ramp around two o’clock that afternoon. Though Steve offered to drive downstream and wait, Smuffy brushed off this notion as over-cautious and told him to head on home.
Steve did as instructed, probably due to the fact that he’d been knocked unconscious in the wreck two weeks before, was still giddy at finding himself alive and not in the river with Smuffy and lacked the wherewithal to call Smuffy an idiot right there on the spot.
A few minutes after he’d started home, Steve came to his senses. When he came to a bridge over the river, he pulled over and waited for Smuffy to pass beneath, knowing he’d have to allow him a little time to reach the motor and wrestle it into the canoe.
Sometime between three and four o’clock, my phone rang. Steve’s voice, calm and steady as ever, came on the line. I sighed with relief, glad to have any update on Mission: Insanity. I felt a numb sense of disbelief as he spoke, accompanied by a little voice that seemed to be asking what else I might have expected.
After telling me that he’d seen Smuffy heading downriver before driving away, Steve had waited at the bridge. In fact, he’d already waited over an hour before finding a phone and calling me. He’d kept a sharp eye out and seemed certain that neither man nor canoe had passed beneath him unnoticed. He asked me what I wanted him to do.
Do? The word perplexed me. What could he do? All my instincts screamed at me to tell Steve to go after Smuffy and not come home without him. All my logic counseled me as to the futility of it all. Steve had no boat, no life jacket and no other means of getting someone out of the river. As much as I hated the thought of Smuffy, out there all alone without even having someone nearby, just in case, I knew Steve couldn’t just keep sitting there. I told him to come on home.
Smuffy had been right about one thing – the water levels had dropped. After the rivers’ dramatic drop on the day of the wreck, they had continued to drop ever since. While he’d been aware of this and glad that it might help him spot his boat motor with ease and haul it up without a great deal of effort, he hadn’t been prepared for what awaited him around the first bend in the river.
The Missouri’s tributaries had emptied out. Two weeks before, they’d run high, wide and swift. After Steve drove away, Smuffy spent only a few moments motoring through this now shallow stream, gazing in awe above his head at the water line left by the previous flooding. Then, he hit gravel. The once rushing river that had allowed his wooden runabout to cruise along at full speed no longer held enough water to float a canoe.
Raising the motor, he got out and dragged the canoe until he reached a deeper stretch of water. Hopping back in, he started the motor and cruised on ahead. Then, he hit gravel. Another drag brought him to deeper water again and Smuffy began a cycle that would stretch over the hours and miles. He began to wish he’d told Steve to wait.
Smuffy’s map and his memory led him to the “X” and his prize lay in the exact spot he’d dropped it. The only problem seemed to be that the boat motor no longer lay at the bottom of the river. Shielding his eyes from the sun, he studied it as it lay fifteen feet above his head, straight up the riverbank, a clear indication of just how flooded the river had been on the day of the wreck.
Not one to let a slight hitch abort the mission, Smuffy summoned his superpowers for feats on dry land and, grabbing onto dead limbs and roots, scaled the heights and reached the motor. After an exciting descent with it clutched to his bosom, he deposited it into his canoe and shoved off. Then, he hit gravel.
The extra weight of the additional motor made hitting bottom all the easier and it soon became apparent that this would be the theme that shaped the day. Smuffy traveled on, alternating between dragging the canoe over the gravel riverbed and hopping in for brief stretches of deeper water.
The miles and the hours crept along and Smuffy decided he’d better make contact with me. His attempts to radio the local amateur radio club tower with a distress call failed, just as they had two weeks earlier. He hadn’t really expected to get through, as he now found himself walled in by the high banks, cutting off the reception even more.
After dragging the canoe over another stretch of gravel, Smuffy stopped to study his map, sighing as he faced the fact that when sunset approached, he’d be nowhere near home. In fact, he’d be nowhere near the Missouri River. There seemed to be no choice but to push (or pull) on, so he grabbed the canoe and heaved. It moved a few feet begrudgingly and as he stepped forward to give another tug, Smuffy slipped off the edge of the world.
He bobbed to the surface, thankful for his life vest, for he had no idea how deep the pool had been. Perhaps I’ve neglected to mention that Captain Super Wonder Water Man can’t swim. Pulling the canoe into the deep water, Smuffy climed back in, hoping he’d at last reached deeper waters that would allow him to start up the motor and keep on going.
Alas, it was not to be. The river now toyed with Smuffy, and as he had no other choice, he alternated between dragging the canoe over the gravel river bottom and stepping off into unknown depths. Even Captain Super Wonder Water Man shows a certain degree of peevishness after a few hours of that sort of thing.
Smuffy admits to one weakness – he needs his glasses. Keeping them dry and attached to his face soon became a problem, for no sooner than he accomplished this, he’d plunge without warning into the depths again, clutching at them. Since he hadn’t a dry fiber left in any of this clothing, he began drying them with the only thing that hadn’t become water-logged – his map.
As darkness fell, the sudden impact of stepping off into the wet unknown began to take on even more of what is known as the surprise element. Smuffy removed the flashlight from his dry-box and as he studied the limp, soggy map, he scanned the banks and the blackened sky for some landmark that might give him a clue as to his location.
On he went, with the map growing more lifeless with each use as a towel and the flashlight growing dimmer by the minute. Smuffy counted each bridge as he passed beneath, hoping that the map would hold together long enough to show him one that might lead him to a town within walking distance.
By now, Smuffy knew I’d be more than just a little worried. He stopped at intervals to crawl through the weeds, roots and mud, scaling the riverbanks in hopes that, once on high ground, he’d get a signal and make a distress call. No matter how many times he dangled from the edge of the bank, gripping the vegetation in one hand and the radio device in the other, he never got one.
Around ten-thirty that night, the faint outline of another bridge came into view. If Smuffy’s counting had been accurate, this road would lead him into nearby Keytesville, where he might find a telephone. He tied up the canoe and began the steep climb up the mud bank. Nearing the top, a soft sucking sound and a light rustling through the underbrush informed him that one of his shoes had disappeared into the blackness. Undaunted, he crawled onto the road and, hampered a little by a slight limp and glursh-ing with every other step, headed toward what he hoped would be civilization.
After half an hour or so, a dim flicker appeared in the distance and Smuffy made his way toward what proved to be a farmhouse. He began to be concerned that some of his earlier luster had faded to the point where its residents might shy away when he knocked at their door. Reaching up, he ran his mud-caked hands through his hair and gave his wet clothes a futile brush-over. He hoped the flashlight, so dim now that he’d barely been able to identify the bridge on the map, might ease the shock. He knocked on the door and, holding the flashlight over his head, turned it on.
The man who opened the door beheld the vision in round-eyed silence.
“I’ve had some trouble,” Smuffy explained. “Could I use your phone to call for help?”
After taking a few seconds to survey Smuffy from muddy face to missing shoe, the man spoke.
“Wait right here.”
Soon the door re-opened and the man shoved a cordless phone into Smuffy’s hand before retreating again, indicating that he was both a man of compassion and intelligence.
One would assume that, at this juncture, Smuffy called me. He didn’t. He called Steve. Perhaps he weighed his options and rather than adding a round of hysterics to an already trying day, he’d be better off making immediate contact with his rescuer.
When Steve called around eleven-thirty to tell me that Smuffy was alive, relief flooded over me, along with the astonishment that he was still miles away, near Keytesville. Steve assured me that he’d leave immediately and have him home in a few more hours.
The fact that I hadn’t called the sheriff remains a mystery. I can only say that I’d spent the hours since Steve had first called to say he’d lost contact with Smuffy in a numb fog. Steve’s wife, Darlene, had called from time to time for an update, to console me and to marvel at why anyone in their right mind would do the things Smuffy does. I kept up a brave face for my daughter in between sudden fits of sheer panic. These alternated with a strange sense of peace that kept whispering in my spirit, Give him time…Give him time…
I look back now and consider that I must have slipped into some form of shock. Not calling the sheriff had to be just about the dumbest thing I ever did.
Once Smuffy had given Steve directions to the bridge and given the phone back to the poor frightened souls inside the farmhouse, he headed back down the road to his canoe. That’s when the thunderstorm hit.
The thunder, lightning and rain had reached fever pitch as Smuffy returned to his canoe. He pulled it under the bridge, but opted against sitting in the metal canoe just in case God felt that the day’s events hadn’t proven sufficient at getting His message across.
I can’t recall much about the scene that unfolded when Smuffy rolled in at two-thirty the next morning. It went past in a blur of tears, exhaustion, gratitude and “never agains”. I do remember the poison ivy that followed. All Smuffy’s attempts to send distress signals, wrestle the canoe down the bank and climb out of the river to reach a phone had sent him crawling through endless patches of the stuff, multiplying the dandy rash he’d gotten after the day of the boat wreck. He spent the next couple of weeks slathered in calamine, mummified in gauze and oozing like a jelly-filled doughnut.
Poor Darlene – the wreck and its aftermath taxed her to her limits and she hasn’t been in a boat with Smuffy since. All she and Steve ever got out of the whole deal were two lovely hand-crafted Christmas tree ornaments that year made from fragments of the boat’s windshield that remind them, “I Survived the Wreck of ‘97”.
For once in his life, Smuffy had had his fill of water for a while. Thankfully, he had a boat to repair and a motor to dry out, so it would be a while before he could embark on his favorite pastime. Meanwhile he returned to one of his other passions and dragged out his model airplanes. I felt a sense of relief at seeing him engaged in something a little tamer.
I must have forgotten that when it comes to Smuffy, even a game of pick-up sticks can turn ugly.
Smuffy made it back from flying his planes in one piece, but each time he returned, I made a point to count his fingers and toes, remembering a few years back to a peaceful Saturday that took an abrupt turn when Smuffy returned early.
Entering through the basement, he dashed up the steps and into the bathroom. I didn’t give it much thought other than to assume that he’d found himself in sudden need of a little privacy. Soon, however, he called out a strange instruction.
“Bring me a roll of paper towels!”
“Paper towels?” I asked, reaching for the roll.
“Paper towels! And hurry!”
“Here they are,” I answered as I approached the closed door.
It opened a few inches and the towels disappeared inside before the door clicked shut again.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“Nothing. Get me a roll of black electrical tape.”
“Black electrical… What are you doing?”
“Just get it!”
I ran to the basement for the tape, resolving that I would have to assert my personality to keep some unpleasant form of male nonsense from getting out of control. I brought the tape back to the door and, like the towels, it whizzed out of my fingers and the door shut again.
I didn’t have to be Perry Mason to conclude that the witness displayed evasiveness. I demanded to be told the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Smuffy finally admitted to having hurt his hand.
“How? And how bad?” I asked, placing my ear to the door.
“I stuck it in the airplane propeller.”
“What? Let me see.”
Love is the only explanation for my utterance of those awful words. Seeing was the last thing I wanted. I cringe when someone picks at the sticky tab of their band-aid. I don’t look at bloody wounds unless one of my loved ones needs me and no one else is there to take over the situation. Then, some inexplicable strength, along with rapid heart rate and a certain degree of clamminess, comes over me.
After more resistance on Smuffy’s part and more insistence on mine, he let me in. I took a deep breath and held it as he pulled away the massive wad of paper towels.
My knees buckled. I turned my head away. This was beyond anything I could handle. I stepped back into the hall.
“You need to go to the emergency room.”
“It’ll be all right. I just need to get it to stop bleeding and get it bandaged up.”
“It’s not going to stop bleeding. You need stitches – a lot of stitches.”
“I don’t need the hospital!”
The conversation continued along these lines until I walked away, muttering a prayer that I might say something that would get through to Smuffy. I returned to the bloody scene. I’d seen those fingers and they’d been filleted from the bones.
“What are you going to do if you do this yourself and it doesn’t heal up right and you can’t use your hand and then you can’t work?”
Smuffy stood silent. So did I, determined to let my words soak in. After a few moments of pondering and perhaps weakened by additional blood loss, Smuffy caved.
“Let’s go to the emergency room.”
Another difference of opinion sprang up when we got to the car and, yes, Smuffy drove.
They wouldn’t let me in the room when they started working on Smuffy. He, of course, displayed a keen interest in the whole procedure. He took note that the doctor discarded certain bits and kept others. He admitted to getting bored in his efforts to count stitches and giving up once the number passed fifty.
I sat in the waiting room, wondering if he might be better off in the river – until I remembered that boats had propellers, too.
We took poor Smuffy home and did our best to nurse him back to health. Again, he made it difficult for us to cozy up to him and dole out the sympathy. He’d been flying his planes in another area riddled with – uh-huh – poison ivy!
He made pathetic sight, our little invalid, propped in his chair – stitched, wrapped and trying not to scratch with the only hand he had available. Since these situations offer the opportunity to either laugh or cry – we laughed. We laughed a lot!
That’s my Smuffy. Thankfully, he has full use of his hand and no scarring. He’s gone on to more adventures and you’ll find them here at Midwest Storyteller.
Subscribe so you don’t miss one!
That reminds me – I don’t think I ever told you about the Big Boat Wreck of ’78. Yep – don’t let that sweet, innocent face fool you – good ‘ol Steve was around for that one, too!.
Comments? I’d love to hear from you. Just scroll back up and click on “Leave a Comment” under the title of this post. On a mobile device, this may appear all the way to the bottom of the post.
July’s Freebie winner has been drawn. Let’s see who won the free gift at Midwest Storyteller –
Ruby from Boonville, Missouri!
Ruby commented on last Friday’s post, saying, “I love the USA!” That’s all she needed to do to put her name into the drawing for three free copies of the US Constitution. Smuffy showed up for duty, as always, and chose a name from all those who entered by making the comment. This time, he opted for the pointing method. He likes to keep things fresh.
You just never know what freebie you might find at Midwest Storyteller. Gifts have included cozy winter gloves, home decor, sets of handmade Valentines, wood burning art and more. Take a look at our “Freebies” pagewhere you’ll see some of the other gifts subscribers have been winning.
This time, in keeping with the celebration of Independence Day, I thought it appropriate to offer these wonderful books which embody everything our nation is founded on. If you’re disappointed that you didn’t win or just want to be sure your family is grounded in this founding document that makes us free, just click here. Like almost everything else, it seems, U.S. Constitutions are available on Amazon at a great price.
Congratulations, Ruby! I happen to know that Ruby has children and grandchildren to whom I’m sure she wants to pass on her love of country.
The next First Friday Freebie drawing will be on Friday, August 3, 2018. It pays to SUBSCRIBE! Freebie offers are for subscribers only.
Share this post with all your friends so they can SUSCRIBE and enter to win. A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight on the day of the drawing by leaving a comment as instructed in the post.
It pays to SUBSCRIBE!
And now, here are the Freebie Rules.
First Friday Freebies are available to SUBSCRIBERS ONLY. That means if you come to the post through social media or someone has emailed you a link to it and you haven’t become a subscriber yet, you’ll need to hop on over to the right sidebar and do that really quick. If you are on a phone or tablet, the easiest way is to go to the “About Me” page. All it means to be a subscriber is that you’ll receive an email each time Midwest Storyteller has something new, which won’t likely be more than once or twice a week. It keeps you from missing out on all the fun and FREE STUFF! And, I’m not sharing your emails with anybody.
IMPORTANT: After subscribing, you MUST check your email to confirm the subscription or it will not appear. Then, sadly, you won’t be eligible to enter.
To enter the drawing, scroll back up to the top of this post and under the title, click on “Leave a Comment”. Subscribers who comment as directed before midnight on the first Friday of the month will enter the drawing, provided they are already on the subscribers list and live within the continental United States.
Follow these three simple steps and subscribe now. Then, you’ll be ready for August.
.“Share”, “like” and “pin” this post! You’re friends will want to enter to win, too! Have an opinion on the Freebies? Leave a comment! If you’re on your computer, scroll back up under the title of this post and let me know what you’re thinking. On various devices, you may find “Leave a Comment” at the bottom of the post.
I hope you all had a fabulous 4th of July and I hope that somewhere along the way, somebody called it Independence Day!
It’s so easy to fall into the habit of asking, “What are you doing on ‘the 4th?'” Every month has one, after all. I hope you truly celebrated the birthday of our nation with the kiddies, the grand-kiddos, the cousins, in-laws and others that you love.
It’s difficult to ignore at our house, as the USA shares its birthday with Smuffy. Yes, I’ve got a Yankee Doodle sweetheart and he’s my Yankee Doodle joy. I think Smuffy must have been nearly twelve years old by the time he realized the whole nation wasn’t having one big wing-ding all on his account.
When I married Smuffy, I had to get used to the fact that we would be up close and personal with fireworks. I’m still not, shall we say, “at my ease” until the whole thing’s over. As I’ve said before, his guardian angels (and there must be a squadron) have to take care of things while I look the other way and hum the national anthem. Check out a prime example of his escapades here.
This year, once again, we give thanks that we all have all our fingers and toes and have survived celebrating the fact that we live in the finest nation on earth. Now, we can turn our attention to July’s First Friday Freebie!
As I pondered an appropriate gift for you this month, I kept coming back to love of country and the things that make us great. The thing that came to mind, first and foremost, was –
The U. S. Constitution
Nobody’s perfect. Nothing this side of Heaven is perfect. But the U.S. Constitution is as near to a perfect document as has ever been crafted by humans (and, I believe, with Divine Guidance).
Most of us studied it in school, but, let’s face it – we did it to pass the dreaded Constitution Test, not because we were overly fascinated by it.
I’d love to send you these three copies of the U.S. Constitution –
Isn’t it about time you gave this little booklet another read? Look around the world at all those other countries – don’t you wish they had our freedoms? If nothing else makes it onto your summer reading list, make it this little forty page book. The United States Congress has designated September 17th of each year as Constitution Day to commemorate its signing on that day in 1787. Now your family can brush up on their “freedom knowledge” ahead of time!
There’s a copy for you, one for the kiddies (whether they be children or adults) and another for the grandkiddos or friends. If we do not teach the generations to value this precious document, we will lose it!
To enter to win all three copies, “Leave a Comment” on this post, saying, “I love the USA!”
SHARE this post through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest or send the link in an email to all your friends so they can enter to win!
Previous freebies can be found on the “Freebies” page. Take a look at the gifts subscribers have been winning.
Once again, a winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight by leaving a comment which says, “I love the USA!”
And now, here are the complete rules:
First Friday Freebies are available to SUBSCRIBERS ONLY. That means if you have come to this post through social media or someone has emailed you a link to it and you haven’t become a subscriber yet, you’ll need to hop on over to the right sidebar and do that really quick. If you are on a phone or tablet, the easiest way is to go to the “About Me” page. All it means to be a subscriber is that you’ll receive an email each time Midwest Storyteller has something new, which won’t likely be more than once or twice a week. It keeps you from missing out on all the fun and FREE STUFF! And, I’m not sharing your emails with anybody.
IMPORTANT: After subscribing, you MUST check your email to confirm the subscription or it will not appear. Then, sadly, you won’t be eligible to enter.
To enter the drawing, scroll back up to the top of this post (or all the way to the bottom, depending on your device) and click on “Leave a Comment”. Subscribers who comment as directed before midnight on Friday will enter the drawing, provided they are already on the subscribers list and live within the continental United States.
Three simple steps!
What are you waiting for? Go! Go! Go! Subscribe if you haven’t already, confirm and comment to enter before midnight tonight, July 6th!
For all the dads out there and for all those who are remembering one or honoring one this Father’s Day, I dedicate this story to you. Father’s Day weekend, 1997, has become one of those landmarks in our family history – retold often with laughter and at times, a shudder. You might want to buckle up your life vest before going any further.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – I can’t keep an eye on Smuffy every second. At first, I wished I could. However, it didn’t take me long to realize that in order to avoid ulcers and insanity, I would have to leave him to his guardian angels and pretend he wasn’t really out somewhere trying to do himself in. I did ask that a few more be assigned to him, just so I could sleep at night.
An outdoorsman and adventure lover, Smuffy is never happier than when immersing himself in his greatest passion – water! It doesn’t seem to matter how much and what kind. He’ll take anything from a long soak in the tub to a romp in the ocean. Inside the man lies the spirit of Thor Heyerdahl and the longing to head out for Kon-Tiki on a raft. For the record: This girl won’t be going along.
I can’t even begin to describe what comes over Smuffy at the sight of a body of water. While in a motor vehicle, he’ll putz along, never exceeding the speed limit. When making financial decisions, he’s Mr. Belt & Suspenders all the way. The shimmering vision of water, however, sucks him in as though he were Clark Kent entering a phone booth. Within seconds, he’s transformed into Captain Super Wonder Water Man. At least, he thinks he is. At the top of Smuffy’s bucket list – canoeing every river in our state!
More than once, Smuffy’s wet ‘n wild side has scared the pants off normal folks. It got so that grown men would approach me after Smuffy had invited them to go canoeing or boating and, with a tremor in their voices, ask me if I intended to go along. You might be puzzling at their reasons for such behavior. I wondered at first myself. However, I soon realized that people considered my presence their life insurance policy! They assumed that, if accompanied by the woman he’d have to live with in the ugly aftermath of one of his crazed adventures, Captain Super Wonder Water Man might tame things down a bit rather than endure a lifetime of “I told you so’s”.
This proved to be the case. Though it taxed my good nature to its limit, I learned how to dish out preliminary fire and brimstone sermons that let him know that, if he valued his future happiness, he’d better bring me (and everybody else) back home alive, dry and in possession of all their body parts and belongings. Even so, water activities with Smuffy still left me in a state of exhaustion, for the moment he beheld the water’s rippling surface, he needed restraint. Only by a folding of the arms and a piercing glare from my wifely stink-eye, administered every thirty minutes or so, did any of us return in one piece. Even then, you could hear the smacking of lips as Smuffy’s passengers, once back on shore, fell to their knees and kissed the dry ground.
He earned a reputation, and rightly so. Through the years, I’ve often wondered how many people, upon watching the nightly news and hearing of some boating disaster, leaped to the assumption that Smuffy must have had a hand in it. Even carefree children developed a wisdom beyond their years and began to avoid Captain Super Wonder Water Man.
Once, after we’d flipped over a log and capsized in a southern Missouri river, I rose to the surface and began the search for my young daughter. As her life jacket brought her up, bobbing and spitting, I could see the panic in her eyes. I tried to propel myself faster than the current so that I could grab her arm and I called out.
“I’m coming. Mommy’s coming!”
Smuffy screamed at me from upstream. “Don’t worry about anything else! Just grab her before she gets away. I’ll get everything else!”
I managed to get a grip on my little girl. She clung to me, trembling.
“Daddy! Daddy! Where’s Daddy?”
“He’ll be here soon. He’s trying to get our canoe and all our stuff.”
“I want my daddy! I want my daddy!”
I looked around. We’d planned for a big day and most of our plans were floating downstream faster than Smuffy could collect them. First things first, he went after the canoe. While he wrestled it into an upright position, its contents drifted downstream. Our cooler, along with a tool-box, dry-box, towels, bags of chips and everything else that had spelled out F-U-N earlier in the day scattered like livestock with the gate left open.
Smuffy, hearing the hysterics, kept calling out for me to keep a firm grip on the most important prize while he retrieved everything else.
“Daddy! Daddy! Where’s my daddy?”
Her soggy, blonde braid whipped from side to side as my precious girl searched the river.
“There he is,” I pointed. “See? Daddy’s fine. He’ll be here in a minute, just as soon as he gets all of our stuff back. See? Daddy’s all right.”
The big, blue eyes narrowed as they honed in on her target.
“I want my daddy so I can smack him!”
Yes, it seemed the river had washed the glamour right off Captain Super Wonder Water Man – even in the eyes of his devoted daughter. Though I refrained from saying so, I had somewhat of an urge to smack Smuffy myself.
As though summoned by our prayers, several members of the Gasconade River Boating Club happened along and fished the female members of our party out of the river.
Still, to this day, I can’t believe I let her go!
Even the hard-core adventurous types began to eye Smuffy with caution when he suggested they join him for a day at the lake or a trip to the river. Other than a couple of die-hard old water buddies, people just didn’t seem to like the idea of spending the day with a man who, upon reaching a fork in the river, cupped a hand behind his ear and, with a dangerous gleam in his eye, steered them straight toward the sound of whitewater.
One such faithful friend was Steve. More than likely, Steve figured that if Smuffy hadn’t managed to kill him way back in their college days, he had a pretty good chance of survival. Steve’s wife, Darlene, lacked a great deal of her husband’s confidence. Her own fear of water, combined with a multiple encounters with Captain Super Wonder Water Man, had made her wary (if we care to make the understatement of the century).
What Smuffy needed was a cure, but the thought of what that might entail seemed unthinkable. Effective cures for Smuffy seem to burst on the scene with a great deal of drama. You can check out a prime example of thathere.
The circumstances of life offered a prime opportunity for a cure on Father’s Day weekend of 1997 and now, more than twenty years later, you have the whole story.
On that beautiful Saturday morning, Smuffy and Steve left for a grand day of adventure which would take them on three different rivers. The gas tanks were full and so were the coolers in preparation for a steak dinner cooked over an open fire. Once they’d scouted out all the good spots on the trip upstream, they’d turn back toward home and dine at an ideal location.
High water only added to Smuffy’s excitement. He told me I needn’t worry about submerged logs and other snags that might cause danger out on the river. Prolonged and heavy rains had raised the river level far above all such debris and would allow them to take the boat full throttle all the way.
Uh-huh. I offered him the stink-eye and, no, he didn’t notice. Like a little boy with a new toy, he kissed me good-bye and said he’d be home before dark. Uh-huh.
They looked cute, I had to admit. Smuffy had restored a 1963 Studebaker Champ pickup truck and a 1957 wood runabout and nearly got a cramps from returning all the thumbs-ups and waves he got when he took that snazzy set out together.
The girls stayed behind. More children had entered into the dynamics of the thing and to Darlene and me, it seemed only logical to guarantee them at least one surviving parent.
I spent the day doing what I usually did when Smuffy hit the water. I tried not to think about it. Besides, I had a little girl to take care of and housework to do and a few unfinished projects.
At dusk, I began to get a little concerned about Darlene, knowing that her head must now be filling with visions of Titanic-like proportions. I decided to grab some leftover cake and go over to her house, hoping to keep her mind occupied and show her that there was no need to worry. Did I mention that her husband was out with Captain Super Wonder Water Man?
There comes a time of night when, even though their presence provides a welcome distraction, children must be put to bed. Though I hated to leave Darlene in a quiet house with nothing but her terrifying imaginations to keep her company, the cake and conversation ran out and I took my young one home.
Then, I sat. Uttering a prayer or two during commercials, I watched TV and waited. Around eleven o’clock, I began to vacillate between panic-inducing visions and murderous plots. You see, Smuffy had the ability to radio the local amateur radio club tower and make a distress call, but had he done so, they would have put him through to me. Either something had happened or he assumed I shouldn’t be worried. Like I said – panic, then murder.
The sheriff! I could call the sheriff! I hesitated on the grounds that it might make Smuffy mad at me. Then, I reasoned that if he didn’t really need the sheriff, he deserved to be every bit as upset as his wife. I pondered as to what course law enforcement might take. Would they tell me that I had to wait a certain number of hours before he could be classified as “missing”? Did they even own a boat? Now, I pondered the prospect of adding of some type of water patrol to the mix. Oh, dear! Would they even know how or where to look?
I knew what I really needed. I needed someone every bit as prone to irrational acts of self-destruction as Smuffy – somebody dumb enough to throw themselves into the river in the black of night and not come back without Smuffy and Steve. I called Smuffy’s brother.
He took the eleven-thirty call with a great degree of calm, I thought. He did, however, make a comment or two about the space between his younger brother’s ears before praying with me and promising to launch himself into the deep if the boys didn’t return within the hour.
As midnight approached, the phone rang. Smuffy assured me that while there had been an accident, he and Steve were alive and well and headed home and he would tell me all about it when he arrived.
After letting his brother know that he didn’t have to go diving after dark, I called Darlene and we, to put it mildly, spent a few moments sharing similar views on husbands, boating and idiocy before going to bed to wait for the return and the explanation.
In the middle of all this, the calendar rolled over to a new day and it was a relief to know that when our children woke up on Father’s Day, we’d be able to tell them they still had dads!
Around 1:30 a.m., after falling asleep with all the times Smuffy had gone wild on water and dragged in late dancing in my head, I awakened to the sound of the key in the lock. I issued myself a quick reminder that there had been an accident and that accidents are, in fact, accidental, and that I needed to be nice.
One look at Smuffy told me that he’d been through the wringer. Soaked to the skin and covered with mud, his face showed not only exhaustion, but a numb form of shock.
“I thought I killed Steve,” he muttered. “I thought I killed him.”
Opening the refrigerator, he shoved a few bites of whatever he could find into his mouth, his face registering that it tasted similar to ashes. He wobbled off to the tub to scrub off the river, a great deal of its banks and a the distinct smell of fish and other forms of organic matter in various stages of decomposition.
Later in the day, Darlene told me that Steve had arrived in worse condition, which had caused her compassionate nature to rise to the surface and subdue all her previous plans to express herself.
Even I, listening to Smuffy as he fluctuated between naps and sudden bursts of recall, began to think there may be no need to point out the obvious. I went outside to have a look at the boat.
It looked worse than the boys. Once a gem, it’s shattered windshield and dangling steering cables caught the eye right away. A few good-sized holes in it’s beautiful wood glared at me.
I believe it was the poet Burns who observed that the best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men gang aft a-gley. Smuffy’s and Steve’s plans couldn’t have ganged any further aft if they’d tried.
They’d started up the Missouri River at top speed, for as Smuffy had predicted, recent rains had raised it many feet above any snags that may have otherwise marred their course. Feeling that the day was young and they were only getting started, they cruised up another tributary and then another, all the while scouting for that perfect sandy beach where they would stop for steaks over the fire and whatever manly sides dishes they’d packed to round out their meal.
When, at last, they felt they’d gone as far from home as they dare, the boys turned the boat around. With appetites sharpened by a day on the water, they hurried on to their supper destination with fleeting memories that somewhere, hours ago, they’d promised a couple of women they’d be home by dark.
The river seemed different now. While they flew over the surface because, after all, that is how fast the motor will make the boat go, Smuffy studied the banks. He began to think that perhaps the water level might be dropping, but he didn’t get to entertain the notion for long.
While the boat skimmed over the huge log with no problem, the submerged parts of the motor did not. The steering cables, jerked free from their happy homes, dangled uselessly and the boat veered toward shore. Smuffy cut the engine, offered up a quick prayer of thanksgiving for a huge brush pile that he hoped might cushion the blow, and waited for impact.
Collecting himself afterward, he turned to Steve, who didn’t seem to be there. Looking down toward the soft sounds of gurgling and moaning that came from the bottom of the boat, he found Steve lying where a tree limb had knocked him after crashing through the windshield. The wound where it had met Steve’s forehead looked to be a nasty one.
“Steve!” Smuffy yelled. “Steve! Can you hear me?”
The gurgling and moaning went on for a bit before Steve managed words.
“Where am I?”
“You tell me where you are!” Smuffy demanded.
Continual questioning at last proved that Steve could not only ascertain where he was, but who he was. He was even able to identify the one who had dragged him along on this binge – Captain Super Wonder Water Man.
Once able to take his eyes off his long-time friend, Smuffy looked around in hopes of discovering minimal damage to the boat. The river, now an inch from the rim, seemed to be demanding his immediate attention. He needed Steve now.
“We’re sinking! I’ll get the excess weight out of the boat and you start bailing!”
The boat held an abundance of food and even a spare boat motor should they have trouble, but Smuffy hadn’t planned for this. In a panic, he handed Steve the lid off the cooler and Steve took the unwieldy thing and started bailing.
Smuffy looked at his spare motor – his precious spare motor. A water-loving man can never have too many boat motors. Taking a deep breath, Smuffy mustered up his physical and emotional strength, hoisted it and chucked it overboard. Now, the logical thing to do was to get the boat moving forward to help keep some of the water from coming in the holes and head home as fast as possible before Steve’s arms wore out.
Realizing that the boat would be at the bottom of the river in the time it took to reattach the steering cables, Smuffy started up the motor and, throwing his arms around it, steered it with a hug. They continued all the way down three rivers, soon finding themselves in total darkness, but grateful that river debris began to collect in the holes in the boat, slowing down the intake of water. Eventually, this enabled them to pause for a moment or two at a time and while Steve kept bailing, Smuffy released his grip on the motor and tried to make distress calls. All but the last of these proved unsuccessful, even though Smuffy climbed up through the underbrush along the riverbanks in the dark, attempting to get a better signal. At last, they left the Missouri River, turned up yet another and arrived at the boat landing.
As I listened to Smuffy’s tale, I fluctuated between wanting to hug him tighter than he’d hugged that boat motor and wanting to throw him onto the floor and sit on him until he promised never to use his super-powers again. After all, as we could plainly see, submerged logs equaled kryptonite. I wandered around the house, checking the clock often, wondering just how long I was required to keep up this “nice” bit.
I soon began to think drastic measures might not be necessary. As he sank into his recliner and spent Father’s Day (and several days afterward) muttering to himself, I thought Smuffy might have taken the cure. Over and over, I heard things like, “I thought I’d killed Steve”, “What was I going to tell Darlene?”, “I never want to go in a boat again as long as I live,” and “I’ll just fix it up and sell it.”
My sense of relief was three-fold. I had Smuffy home, safe and sound. He hadn’t killed Steve and he had learned his lesson – no more of these crazy water adventures.
The following week passed, quiet and uneventful. Then, Smuffy began muttering again. I couldn’t believe my ears.
“I think I know where that motor is.,” he said, pausing to scratch some poison ivy that had sprouted along his arms and legs.
“What?”
“The spare motor that I threw overboard. I know exactly where I dropped it. I’ll bet I could find it.”
I tried to be gentle. After all, people in shock do talk gibberish sometimes. “But it’s at the bottom of the river, Dear. It’s ruined!”
“I’ve dried motors out before.”
“But you don’t have a boat to go get it with,” I pointed out. “It’s sitting in the driveway, full of holes.”
“I could take the canoe…”
“What!”
“It wouldn’t take that long – I know right where it is. Do we have any calamine lotion and some gauze? I must have crawled through a field of poison ivy when I climbed up the bank all those times to try and call you.”
I was not softened by this, despite the cute factor.
“There’s no way you are ever going out on water alone again. I can’t stand the strain. The only person silly enough to go with you is someone who’s had the sense knocked into him and I have a funny feeling Darlene will put her foot down at the slightest mention of it.”
“I know right where it is…”
“Stop it!”
“Steve wouldn’t have to go on the water. All he’d have to do is just drive me up to the river access, just ahead of where I dropped the motor, then I’ll get the motor and come on home in the canoe!”
“No! That’s miles and miles back home. No!”
“If we start out early, there’s no way I wouldn’t be home by dark.”
“No! No! No!”
I repeated this over and over for a solid week, adding emphasis to it with the stinkiest stink-eye I possessed, arms crossed while snorting air through my nostrils like an irate bull, flinging my hands into the air, leaving the room in a huff and if I remember correctly, slamming a few doors.
Saturday rolled around and as Smuffy opened the door to climb in to his truck, I stood at the door hoping my icy stare, aimed up and down his spine, would paralyze him into submission.
“Dark!” I yelled.
“I’ll be home by dark for sure!”
“Because at dark-thirty, I’m calling the sheriff and I mean it!”
“That wouldn’t do any good. What do you think they’re gonna do?”
“It might not do any good, but it’ll put your name in paper! Something has got to be the cure for this type of insanity!”
I watched him give himself a thorough scratching before climbing into his truck. I’m not the kind of woman who’d say he got what he deserved, but I am the kind of woman who has the thought go through her mind like a speeding motorboat before she can help herself.
Smuffy rolled out of the driveway on his way to pick up Steve. I heaved a sigh, waited a decent interval and called Darlene.
And that, dear readers, is only the beginning of it.
Subscribe! Don’t miss Part II of “Life with Smuffy (Episode 4): That Sinking Feeling Returns” (or, “Shoeless, Clueless and as Wet as it Gets”)
Comments? I’d love to hear from you. (As you can see, this girl needs all the support she can get!) Just scroll back up and click on “Leave a Comment” under the title of this post. On a mobile device, this may appear all the way to the bottom of the river – I mean post!
Have a happy, fun and SAFE Father’s Day weekend!
I think I need a little time out before telling you the rest of this story.
Rules are rules, and there’s no rule here at Midwest Storyteller against winning the First Friday Freebie again! It just goes to show you that it pays to keep on trying. She won back in November and she’s done it again. June’s freebie winner is –
Ginger of Prairie Home, Missouri!
(Now, you may be wondering how she managed to do that twice. I can only think of one way to lower the odds of such a thing happening and that is if you subscribe, enter to win and SHARE with everyone so your friends and family can enter, too!)
Ginger commented on the post, saying, “I’m all stirred up!” She needed to do just that in order to place her name into the drawing for this six-piece bamboo utensil set with wood burning designs done by Kathy and me. Then, as usual, I offered up the names to Smuffy so he could choose one at random. He must have been a little bored or perhaps this is something his scientific brain has been working on for a while, because he introduced a motif of name flagging, counting off remaining names according to a pre-determined number and then stopping on a new name. (Huh?) Since it seemed even more random than just picking one, I let him have his way. I need to do that once in a while, you know. Variety, as they say, is the spice of life.
The utensils will look great on Ginger’s kitchen counter. Take a look at the photo she sent me showing them displayed in an antique pitcher that belonged to her grandmother.
To see the original freebie offer, click here. To meet the amazing Kathy, who showed me that wood burning was nothing to shy away from, clickhere and see the tutorial. To see what Ginger won in November, click here.
Congratulations, Ginger! I know Grandma is looking down, pleased to see you’re keeping your memories of her alive.
The next First Friday Freebie drawing will be on Friday, July 6th, 2018.
Share this post with all your friends so they can SUSCRIBE and enter to win. A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight on the day of the drawing by leaving a comment as instructed in the post.
Take a look at our “Freebies” page where you’ll see some of the other gifts subscribers have been winning. It pays to SUBSCRIBE!
And now, here are the Freebie Rules.
First Friday Freebies are available to SUBSCRIBERS ONLY. That means if you come to the post through social media or someone has emailed you a link to it and you haven’t become a subscriber yet, you’ll need to hop on over to the right sidebar and do that really quick. If you are on a phone or tablet, the easiest way is to go to the “About Me” page. All it means to be a subscriber is that you’ll receive an email each time Midwest Storyteller has something new, which won’t likely be more than once or twice a week. It keeps you from missing out on all the fun and FREE STUFF! And, I’m not sharing your emails with anybody.
IMPORTANT: After subscribing, you MUST check your email to confirm the subscription or it will not appear. Then, sadly, you won’t be eligible to enter.
To enter the drawing, scroll back up to the top of this post and under the title, click on “Leave a Comment”. Subscribers who comment as directed before midnight on the first Friday of the month will enter the drawing, provided they are already on the subscribers list and live within the continental United States.
Subscribe now, before you forget, following these three simple steps, and you’ll be ready for July.
How will your friends find out about First Friday Freebies if you don’t “Share”, “like” and “pin” this post? They’ll want to enter to win, too!
Have an opinion on the Freebies? Leave a comment! If you’re on your computer, scroll back up under the title of this post and let me know what you’re thinking. On various devices, you may find “Leave a Comment” at the bottom of the post.
When the First Friday falls on the first, the First Friday Freebie can sneak up on you! (Say that three times fast while standing on one leg, rubbing your tummy and patting the top of your head.)
I, however, planned ahead. The fun part is that I did it right under your very nose! Take a look at June’s free gift. Recognize these?
That’s right! The last post – more than just a tutorial – provided this month’s free gift! If you missed it, check out the first installment of “Create with Kathy”. While Kathy was sharing her wood burning skills with me, I had been all the while hoping that I wouldn’t be a total failure at it so I could create something special just for you.
This set of six bamboo utensils with wood burning accents goes to Midwest Storyteller’s June winner. Each is embellished with a different pattern and I think they’ll make a great addition to your kitchen decor. All you need to do to enter to win is leave a comment on this post before midnight tonight, June 1st, telling me how excited you are to win by saying, “I’m all stirred up!” You’re name will go into a drawing and a winner will be chosen at random. (Container shown is not included.)
I picked up this set of dishwasher safe wooden utensils at Marshalls. I find they have some great deals on gadgets, necessary items and home accents. I purchased them just after I saw the utensil set my friend, Kathy, made for her mom, and Kathy agreed to bring her wood burning kit and help me get started.
Note: I do not know if the utensils are still dishwasher safe once the wood burning process has been done. I’d be hesitant to put them in the dishwasher myself, as I think it may fade the patterns.
Kathy will be returning with more great ideas. You can get to know herhereand see her utensil set along with other unique items she’s created.
I find that everyone loves a handmade gift. I suppose I should have counted the hours it took to do this project, but as usual, I became hyper-focused on the creative process and time ceased to exist.
Just a little help for the guys: Handmade gifts score points, if you get my drift, so why not subscribe and enter to win. The lady in your life will appreciate your thoughtfulness.
SHARE this post through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest or send the link in an email to all your friends so they can enter to win!
Previous freebies can be found on the“Freebies” page. Take a look at the gifts subscribers have been winning.
Once again, a winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight by leaving a comment which says, “I’m all stirred up!”
And now, here are the complete rules:
First Friday Freebies are available to SUBSCRIBERS ONLY. That means if you have come to this post through social media or someone has emailed you a link to it and you haven’t become a subscriber yet, you’ll need to hop on over to the right sidebar and do that really quick. If you are on a phone or tablet, the easiest way is to go to the “About Me” page. All it means to be a subscriber is that you’ll receive an email each time Midwest Storyteller has something new, which won’t likely be more than once or twice a week. It keeps you from missing out on all the fun and FREE STUFF! And, I’m not sharing your emails with anybody.
IMPORTANT: After subscribing, you MUST check your email to confirm the subscription or it will not appear. Then, sadly, you won’t be eligible to enter.
To enter the drawing, scroll back up to the top of this post (or all the way to the bottom, depending on your device) and click on “Leave a Comment”. Subscribers who comment as directed before midnight on Friday will enter the drawing, provided they are already on the subscribers list and live within the continental United States.
Three simple steps!
What are you waiting for? Go! Go! Go! Subscribe if you haven’t already, confirm and comment to enter before midnight tonight, June 1st!
Welcome to Midwest Storyteller’s first installment of –
If we analyze our friendships, we’ll often return to the old saying, “You can’t judge a book by its cover”. I found this to be especially true of Kathy. We estimate that we’ve known each other about five years. Prior to that, I knew she existed, but I didn’t “know” her.
The things we miss out on! It’s happened before. Years ago, a lady named Rebekah showed up at my writers’ group. Soon after, she volunteered to help with the Youth Theater I directed. I discovered not only that she’d been my neighbor two doors away for the last two years, but that she and I were twin souls! (Is that what you call it when you each think the other is riotously funny?) She encouraged me and inspired me, helped me and then, as sometimes is the way with life, she moved away, darn it all. She has a blog, too! Be sure to check her out at “There Will Be a $5 Charge for Whining”.
Kathy has proved to be another of those rare souls who has moved from the fringes of my life and taken up residence in my spirit. I’ve been hoping she’d succumb to my hints and agree to be a guest at Midwest Storyteller, so I’m thrilled to welcome you to her debut!
I misjudged Kathy at first. When a friend of mine invited her to a monthly food and fun night, she seemed to fit right in, but, my-oh-my, she took a lot of notes! As we all chattered away, sharing life, tips, ideas, stories, recipes and more, Kathy seemed to be jotting down everything we said in a little notebook that already bulged with previous notations. “Type A”, I thought. “Hops out of bed at the crack of dawn, rounds up all her ducks, requires them to salute as they line up in their rows and that’s the way they march. All. Day. Long. (Without making a mess).”
Then, one night we played a fun personality game. Kathy shocked me! By the time we finished, I could tell that the only thing I’d gotten right in my assumptions about Kathy was the possibility that she might have a collection of actual ducks! I looked at her, astonished. “The reason you carry your little book and make all those notes is so that you can keep all these ideas and go home and do them all!”
Smiling, she nodded. That’s when I knew that Kathy’s brain is every bit as “squiggly” as mine and bursting with creativity! I knew she had a “stash” – a treasure trove of things yet to be. I knew she had a messy room brimming with projects at various gestational stages. I love this woman! I’ve come to know I can count on her for understanding, prayer, hands-on help and she’ll probably adopt any ducks I find because not only does she have a pond – she loves animals!
Having delved into arts and crafts “forever”, Kathy is now retired from the insurance industry and has time to use all her hoarded supplies. Her favorite adventures usually involve a splash of paint as Kathy’s specialty is reclaiming old objects and making something new out of them. Take a look at a few of her fun projects –
And, how about these innovative ideas?
Kathy’s life is built around Christ, her husband, Robert, three children and five grandchildren. Although all the animals in the world would love to belong to Kathy and Kathy often dreams of this, she draws the line at the dog, Bre and the cat, Trixie. I’m grateful that she’s taking time out for us here at Midwest Storyteller to share her latest adventure – wood burning.
After seeing the set of beautiful wooden spoons she created for her mom with a wood burning kit, I wanted to try my hand at it, all the while muttering to myself that all I needed was one more hobby. Nevertheless, I took the plunge with Kathy holding my hand. Take a look at how her project turned out –
Let’s get started. Here’s what Kathy recommends:
Take a little time to watch some tutorials. YouTube always has lots to choose from and Kathy got great ideas and tips from CreativeBug.com
Put down something to protect the surface if you are doing this on your dining table, countertop or some other surface that you don’t want to risk getting a burn mark. Wood burning tools are hot! We used cardboard.
Gather your supplies. Needless to say, you’ll need a wood burning kit. Kathy found this Walnut Hollow Creative Versa-Tool at Hobby Lobby for $29.99. Of course, it’s always a good idea to watch for their great half-price deals or use their weekly 40% OFF coupon. Needle-nose pliers are great for removing tips from the tool that will be way too hot to touch, and a small tube of graphite powder keeps the tips turning smoothly when you screw them in and out of the tool. Safety glasses are a good idea if you’re tackling a project that will take you a while. Remember that oldies tune, “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes.” Well, it does. (We worked on a nice day with the windows open and didn’t really notice a problem.) A piece of scrap wood for practicing with the tips will reduce the “oops factor”. I couldn’t find any, so I grabbed a couple of paint stirring sticks and that worked just fine. Food grade mineral oil, rubbed on your finished project, will bring out the beauty of your work. An extension cord will probably be helpful to allow you to position your work comfortably.
Practice with your tips on your scrap wood. Also, practice with your temperature control so that you’ll be able to get a clean look when creating your design. The paint sticks were “raw” wood and had no coating. The spoons were bamboo and seemed to have a coating or polish on the handles that required higher heat.
You can transfer a pattern if you need to or take off free-hand like a dare-devil! I chose middle ground by placing my spoons on the cardboard surface and drawing around them. Then, I penciled in whatever pattern came to mind when I practiced with the tips, offered up a prayer and gave it my best shot.
Once you’re satisfied with your artwork, erase any stray pencil marks, brush away any eraser crumbs or stray wood fibers and rub with mineral oil.
I know you can do it! All you need are supplies and bravery. My spoons aren’t perfect, but for a first project, I’m pleased! I thought Kathy’s were a masterpiece!
Here are a few more tips that Kathy shared with me and things we learned as we went along –
The shading point is great for leaves and flowers with pointy petals. It helped to rock it back and forth so that the wood burned all the way to the edge of the pattern because the spoons, like many other things you might use this tool on, look pretty flat but have a slightly curved surface.
The tapered point worked nicely for thin stems and small dots, while the flow point, though it looks too big for the job, draws nice lines and is best for cursive writing.
The hot stamping points added a lot of fun. The kit came with three – a square, a round and one with concentric circles. I used the circles for centers of flowers. The square one, pressed carefully along in a line, created the diagonal pattern you see on one of the spoons. The circular one, for some strange reason, reminded me of dandelion fluff, so I used it in clusters to create flowers that resemble those.
Neither of us may have every single duck in a row, but we did manage it with our spoons. Here they are –
Kathy and I both recommend Pinterest for tons of wood burning ideas. You’ll be inspired to create something fabulous! We hope we’ve helped do just that here today.
Thank you, Kathy, for teaching me how to do this! Wood burning turned out to be much more fun than I expected and I’m so pleased with the results.
Kathy and I would both love your comments. Have you tried wood burning? Are you inspired to give it a try? Let us hear from you!
Subscribe now so you don’t miss out, because we’ll be Creating with Kathy again soon!
A reminder: June is about to come busting out all over and you know what that means – There’s a First Friday Freebie coming right up!
A huge dose of yard work, a dash of distraction and a computer apocalypse has made this announcement a little slow in coming. Among those who commented on May 4th, saying, “Send the birdie my way!”, a winner has been drawn and she is –
Tanya from St. Clair, Missouri!
Each freebie offer requires a specific comment and Tanya’s was among those who went into the drawing, which was conducted by Smuffy when I placed the entries in front of him, tapped him (he was resting his eyes) and told him to pick one. We like to keep it on the up and up around here.
This little Spring Shop birdie from Hobby Lobby did, indeed, go Tanya’s way and now it can greet her when she takes her daily “tour of the estate”, which is how I like to refer to my daily trip around the grounds to say hello to all my flowers. I’d tell you how they answer, but one of you would be bound to feel obligated to turn me in to the authorities, so we’ll just skip that.
If you’d like to see the original freebie offer, click here.
Congratulations, Tanya! I hope it makes your garden look even lovelier than it does already.
The next First Friday Freebie drawing will be on Friday, June 1, 2018 and that, dear friends, is just days away!
Share this post with all your friends so they can SUSCRIBE and enter to win. A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight on the day of the drawing by leaving a comment as instructed in the post.
Take a look at our “Freebies” pagewhere you’ll see some of the other gifts subscribers have been winning. It pays to SUBSCRIBE!
And now, here are the Freebie Rules.
First Friday Freebies are available to SUBSCRIBERS ONLY. That means if you come to the post through social media or someone has emailed you a link to it and you haven’t become a subscriber yet, you’ll need to hop on over to the right sidebar and do that really quick. If you are on a phone or tablet, the easiest way is to go to the “About Me” page. All it means to be a subscriber is that you’ll receive an email each time Midwest Storyteller has something new, which won’t likely be more than once or twice a week. It keeps you from missing out on all the fun and FREE STUFF! And, I’m not sharing your emails with anybody.
IMPORTANT: After subscribing, you MUST check your email to confirm the subscription or it will not appear. Then, sadly, you won’t be eligible to enter.
To enter the drawing, scroll back up to the top of this post and under the title, click on “Leave a Comment”. Subscribers who comment as directed before midnight on the first Friday of the month will enter the drawing, provided they are already on the subscribers list and live within the continental United States.
Three simple steps! Subscribe now, before you forget, and you’ll be ready for June.
“Share”, “like” and “pin” this post. Your friends deserve a Freebie, too!
Opinions on the Freebies? Leave a comment! If you’re on your computer, scroll back up under the title of this post and let me know what you’re thinking. On various devices, you may find “Leave a Comment” at the bottom of the post.
Don’t you love it? Spring has finally arrived! In my neighborhood, it showed up late and all at once, but that’s just fine as long as it’s here.
And, don’t you love it! Freebies, I mean. It’s the first Friday of the month and you know what that means. Let’s take a peek at May’s free gift –
I know you’ve been out filling those porch pots with blooming annuals and nestling happy little plants into your flower beds. This cute little metal birdie yard décor by Spring Shop offers that little extra touch that makes things inviting and well – let’s go ahead and overuse the word – cute!
The total length is 14 ¼ inches and the above-the-ground portion measures 10 ½ inches. (See inset photo.)
A word to the wise (or perhaps the clueless) – If this little birdie is not calling your name, you should enter to win anyway because Mother’s Day is 9 days away and you know she’d love a little something thoughtful. If you don’t tell her you got it for free, I won’t either. All you have to do is follow the instructions in this post carefully.
SHARE this post through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest or send the link in an email to all your friends so they can enter to win!
REMEMBER: A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight by leaving a comment which says, “Send the birdie my way!”
And now, here are the complete rules:
First Friday Freebies are available to SUBSCRIBERS ONLY. That means if you have come to this post through social media or someone has emailed you a link to it and you haven’t become a subscriber yet, you’ll need to hop on over to the right sidebar and do that really quick. If you are on a phone or tablet, the easiest way is to go to the “About Me” page. All it means to be a subscriber is that you’ll receive an email each time Midwest Storyteller has something new, which won’t likely be more than once or twice a week. It keeps you from missing out on all the fun and FREE STUFF! And, I’m not sharing your emails with anybody.
IMPORTANT: After subscribing, you MUST check your email to confirm the subscription or it will not appear. Then, sadly, you won’t be eligible to enter.
To enter the drawing, scroll back up to the top of this post (or all the way to the bottom, depending on your device) and click on “Leave a Comment”. Subscribers who comment as directed before midnight on Friday will enter the drawing, provided they are already on the subscribers list and live within the continental United States.
Three simple steps!
Now hurry! Go! Go! Go! Subscribe if you haven’t already, confirm and comment to enter before midnight tonight, May 4th!
And, as much as I tried to resist saying this – May the 4th be with you!
I am thankful for each one of you! I took this photo recently and just had to share.
I thought it frame-worthy. If you think so, too, you can request the FREE printable! Read on to find out how.
The plague of moles in past years has ended, allowing my tulips to multiply and the results make me smile every time I pull in my driveway or look out my front door. My favorite season has arrived at last and tulips always brighten my world. For that, I am thankful.
Spring weather affects us in more ways than one. Fresh air invigorates us. Sunshine gives us extra doses of Vitamin D which eases those aches and pains we seem to notice more during the colder months. My mom referred to it as being “stove up from winter”. She may not have known a lot about vitamin deficiencies, but she knew how she felt.
Walking, hiking, puttering and downright vigorous yard work make us stronger and give us that “good tired” feeling – unless we over-do it. When that happens, I find there’s nothing more therapeutic than a good, brisk sit. Phoebe June agrees. After chattering at birds, studying squirrels with a wary eye, chasing bugs and swatting at passing bees, there’s nothing like retreating inside the peony bush.
You might need to keep Phoebe’s philosophy in mind this month! While you’re snatching a bit of repose in your hideaway, remember that rest is a gift from God. Close your eyes and give thanks that you’ve been able to engage in any of the activities that have made you so tired! It truly is a blessing to be able to do something as simple as take a walk or plant a few flowers.
Another blessing in disguise is the flurry of activity that May brings. I suppose it’s been going on this way for centuries, but it seems the whole world schedules its activities in May. After all, is there any better time for a picnic? Mother’s Day, graduations, Memorial Day get-togethers, showers, babies, weddings – they all demand that we prepare and partake. While you’re doing so, give thanks that you are not alone. Family and friends are asking you to carve out a little time for them and that’s a good thing.
So, here you are reading this blog when you should be out getting things done! Right? Right!
Get going! But first, “like”, “pin” and “SHARE” the this post with your friends. A few tulips and a gentle reminder may be just what someone needs today.
Leave a comment! Scroll to the bottom or top of this post (depending on your device).
Subscribers who comment requesting a printable version of the photo art will receive one by email, so SUBSCRIBE TODAY!
Coming up next: May’s First Friday Freebie! Be ready to enter to win! If you’re new to Midwest Storyteller, be sure to check out the Freebies pagewhere you’ll see freebies and their past winners!
A month ago when I announced March’s First Friday Freebie winner, I was bragging on the gorgeous weather. Now we’re all back to shivering and walking around all scrunched up as though we’re afraid that loosening our muscles will allow our last molecule of heat to escape. To keep from pouting, let’s think happy thoughts! Let’s see who won April’s Freebie!
The winner is –
Jenny from Village of Windsor, Missouri!
Each freebie offer has a specific requirement and Jenny entered the drawing by leaving a comment saying, “Make the banner mine!” Smuffy then performed his duty and drew a name from the entries. He’s such a help!
With this banner, Jenny can now join the rest of us as we “fake it till we make it” by declaring that it is SPRING! If you’d like to see the original freebie offer and additional photos, click here.
Congratulations, Jenny! I hope it brings a little warmth and sunshine indoors even if you’re not experiencing it outdoors.
The next First Friday Freebie drawing will be on Friday, May 4, 2018.
Share this post with all your friends so they can SUSCRIBE and enter to win. A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight on the day of the drawing by leaving a comment as instructed in the post.
Take a look at our “Freebies” pagewhere you’ll see some of the other gifts subscribers have been winning. It pays to SUBSCRIBE!
And now, here are the Freebie Rules.
First Friday Freebies are available to SUBSCRIBERS ONLY. That means if you come to the post through social media or someone has emailed you a link to it and you haven’t become a subscriber yet, you’ll need to hop on over to the right sidebar and do that really quick. If you are on a phone or tablet, the easiest way is to go to the “About Me” page. All it means to be a subscriber is that you’ll receive an email each time Midwest Storyteller has something new, which won’t likely be more than once or twice a week. It keeps you from missing out on all the fun and FREE STUFF! And, I’m not sharing your emails with anybody.
IMPORTANT: After subscribing, you MUST check your email to confirm the subscription or it will not appear. Then, sadly, you won’t be eligible to enter.
To enter the drawing, scroll back up to the top of this post and under the title, click on “Leave a Comment”. Subscribers who comment as directed before midnight on the first Friday of the month will enter the drawing, provided they are already on the subscribers list and live within the continental United States.
Three simple steps! Subscribe now, before you forget, and you’ll be ready for May.
“Share”, “like” and “pin” this post. Your friends deserve a Freebie, too!
Opinions on the Freebies? Leave a comment! If you’re on your computer, scroll back up under the title of this post and let me know what you’re thinking. On various devices, you may find “Leave a Comment” at the bottom of the post.
I couldn’t let April 10th pass by without giving a shout-up to my mom. You see, she’s having her 100th birthday party today in Heaven!
The great example she set for me and all my precious memories of her help me thrive!
She spent her nearly 95 years on this earth living within a rather small geographical radius. Here she is in front of the house where she was born back in 1918.
Little Emmabelle arrived in the midst of the great flu pandemic which was the first time H1N1 attempted to wipe out the human race. It infected 500 million people and killed somewhere between 50 million and 100 million, or 5-10% of the world’s population. It didn’t, however, get Emmabelle.
In the heart of the Mid-west, her parents made a living as best they could in a tiny town along the railroad tracks where her daddy, Judge (and we have already established that he wasn’t one), operated a business that served as general store, barbershop and post office. I would imagine that no one in the town held any secrets he didn’t hear about! Her mother, Nettie, stepped into the role of post-mistress in later years. Judge and Nettie raised their brood of six in a tiny house so close to the railroad tracks that I’m sure its timbers rattled with each passing train.
The third-born in her family, Mom had an older brother, Gerald. They called him Spiege – for a reason. You can get acquainted with Spiege here. Her older sister, Martha, became a great playmate when Emmabelle was home. While Martha could be termed a “ball ‘o fire”, Emmabelle was shy and reserved. Here they are on an outing together, having a little fun and sporting their 1920’s bobbed haircuts. Emmabelle is the blonde on the right.
Mom was often not at home, for her grandma Martha and step-grandpa “Uncle John”, who lived about ten miles away, had rheumatism. Even as a preschooler, little Emmabelle rode the train alone to stay with them for extended periods of time and help out. She loved them very much and though she missed being with her siblings, she enjoyed her time with them and had a real bond with her grandparents. I’m told that she did, however, pretend to have the measles once in order to go home.
Once in a while, one of the younger siblings got to take a turn helping out Grandma and Uncle John and you might want to read about a particular one of those visits here if you’re in need of a good old-fashioned giggle today.
Emmabelle’s younger siblings included another brother, Tim (whose name was neither Tim nor Timothy) and two baby sisters, Gladys Pearl (of the above-mentioned story) and Jean. They aren’t without their own stories and those are yet to come.
Mom walked to school every day, along with the rest of her siblings, to attend the little schoolhouse that had been expanded from one room to two. She graduated from 8th Grade there. Here’s her graduating class. Emmabelle is the blonde on the back row.
I remember growing up thinking that my mom must not have gotten much of an education. Take a look at this 8th Grade Final Exam from 1931. If Mom’s test was anything like this one, I tend to think I was selling her short. Think of all the fourteen-year-olds you know. I’d hate to have to take it myself, but I’d love to see the results if this test were given to high school seniors (or, come to think of it – college seniors) today. I’d also like to be in the room to observe their faces and hear their groans about three minutes after they’d been handed this test.
Mom – you were one smart cookie!
After graduating, Mom helped out at home, did some babysitting and sometimes stayed with her newly-married sister, Martha.
In September of 1940, my parents met at a meeting amongst area churches. They married that December and moved into a log cabin near his parents with no water or electricity. They started out by having a couple of girls and making a move, then settled down on a farm and had a boy and three more girls. Then, after nearly a decade, Mom received what must have been quite a surprise – me!
All I have room to say here is that life for Mom was difficult in more ways than one. Though she never denied her troubles, she did not complain. She worked harder than anybody ever ought to have to work. She made every effort to spread sunshine in order to dispel the gloom around her. She loved her children and did her best to bless them in small ways that she hoped would make up for the negativity in their lives.
Mom could make something out of absolutely nothing. In fact, she was forced to do just that. I never knew when I came home from school what she might have whipped up during the day. It might be curtains. It might be some creative storage concept. It might be something like this.
Well, you can figure out what that is by clicking here.
One year, Mom fell in love with making Christmas ornaments out of felt. This turned out not to be a passing fancy. Felt became her medium and she created felt masterpieces, large and small, for the rest of her life, including nativity scenes and wedding banners. If she got bored, she’d copy patterns off whatever she could find around the house, turning them into refrigerator magnets or anything else she could think of. Her urge to put a smile on your face led her to create things that were outside the norm. I’ll never forget coming home from school one afternoon to find the exact likeness of Orville Redenbacher pinned to the kitchen door curtain! He hung there, in good company, along with the Jolly Green Giant and the Pillsbury Doughboy.
I’m pretty much convinced that Mom is in charge of all the Heavenly Christmas decorations now and that every room in her mansion is lavender.
Emmabelle had a quiet wit. Her sense of humor never ceased to get me tickled. Though she would never put herself forward to tell a story, she would, if you asked, share the treasure she held within. Nothing made me happier than to watch and listen as she and her sisters, during their rare visits, shared their memories and giggled themselves silly. Here they are again, Emmabelle and Martha, the last two surviving siblings, reuniting in 2007 after having not seen each other in years.
In 1969, Mom decided to return to keeping a diary and I am so glad she did. It’s a family history treasure and at times, it’s simply just a hoot!
Mom never liked having her picture taken, but I just love this one from the last birthday party we had for her. Here she is, worn out from partying, with Smuffy. It was a great day.
All mom’s siblings, with the exception of Martha, passed on years before she did. When in her 90’s, Mom and Martha often talked, pondering why they were still around. They came to a mutual agreement that if the Good Lord was taking that much time to build their mansions in Heaven, they must be in for something pretty palatial.
My mom made her last trip to the hospital in December of 2012. After her heart-to-heart talks with her beloved doctor and Jesus, we both knew she was ready to go Home. As we sat dangling our legs over the side of her hospital bed, she spoke of many things she’d never told me before. I knew Mom was ready to go.
As she talked, it became evident that one thing in particular gave her satisfaction when she thought about all the years she’d lived. “I’ve got seven good kids,” she said. I reassured her that she could count on every one of us to join her someday.
Mom left us on January 10, 2013, in her own quiet way, under her own terms and in her own home, just the way she wanted it.
So, Happy 100th, Mom! You said you never understood why we all claimed to have the best mother in the world. We, your seven kids – we understand!
I’d love to hear your comments. On your desktop computer, you’ll need to scroll back up to the top of this post. On various devices, you need to scroll to the bottom of the post.
If you still have your mom, love on her today. Pry some stories out of her. Ask the questions you know you’ll be sorry if you never asked. She’ll be gone before you’re ready for her leave you.
Mother’s Day will be here before you know it, and if my mom’s story will touch someone in your life, please share!
I’ll keep saying it until it happens! It just plain messes with my mind to go for a romp in the back yard yesterday and prepare for more snowfall and lows in the teens today. It’s only nine days till what should be our regular planting time. Brrrrrr….
Snow is free, but not the kind of freebie I had in mind.
Take a look at something a little more cheerful – Midwest Storyteller’s April Freebie –
This spring banner is bound to add the right touch to your spring décor. It’s hand-crafted by me (and my trusty Cricut machine) from cardstock and patterned scrapbooking papers in pastel shades of green, blue, pink and yellow.
Each card in the banner measures 2 5/8” X 4”, making it large enough to use on the wall alone or across your mantle. Banners are quite the rage right now, no matter the season. You might enjoy doing a search for “spring banners” on Pinterest to discover fun ways to display it. I left the jute string nice and long so you can have plenty of room attach it.
I see banners used in all sorts of ways –
Draped over a mirror looks nice and I thought it went well under my Aunt Martha’s crayon picture of the girl with the bicycle. (Yes, she really did do this on fabric with whatever quality crayons were available back in the 1920’s or 30’s.) There’s a real trend lately of using banners inside empty frames, too. Never forget the fireplace option.
If you’d like a chance to win this spring banner, all you have to do is enter before midnight (CST)TONIGHT! Become a subscriber, if you are not already, and comment on this post, saying: “Make the banner mine!”
(Complete rules are included at the end of this post.)
I enjoyed making it for you and I can’t wait to find out who wins!
Why not SHARE this post through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest or send the link in an email to all your friends who might like to enter to win?
Midwest Storyteller’s previous freebies can be found on our “Freebies” page. Take a look. You’ll get an idea of the great gifts only subscribers can win! The easiest way to subscribe is click here and fill in the into at the right sidebar.
REMEMBER: A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight by leaving a comment which says, “Make the banner mine!”
And now, here are the complete rules:
First Friday Freebies are available to SUBSCRIBERS ONLY. That means if you have come to this post through social media or someone has emailed you a link to it and you haven’t become a subscriber yet, you’ll need to hop on over to the right sidebar and do that really quick. If you are on a phone or tablet, the easiest way is to go to the “About Me” page. All it means to be a subscriber is that you’ll receive an email each time Midwest Storyteller has something new, which won’t likely be more than once or twice a week. It keeps you from missing out on all the fun and FREE STUFF! And, I’m not sharing your emails with anybody.
IMPORTANT: After subscribing, you MUST check your email to confirm the subscription or it will not appear. Then, sadly, you won’t be eligible to enter.
To enter the drawing, scroll back up to the top of this post and under the title, click on “Leave a Comment”. Subscribers who comment as directed before midnight on Friday will enter the drawing, provided they are already on the subscribers list and live within the continental United States.
Three simple steps!
Now hurry! Go! Go! Go! Subscribe if you haven’t already, confirm and comment to enter before midnight tonight, April 6th!
If you do not, for some reason, receive a confirmation email, please comment and let me know. I am trying to make sure that all technical difficulties are solved.
Do you ever feel as I do – that you’ve just recovered from a volcanic eruption of decorations back before Christmas, only to experience the aftershock of trying to put it all way? No? Well then, I guess it’s just me.
I’m tired of overhauling the whole house just to satisfy my seasonal whims, so as I’ve already mentioned here, I had planned to do a re-mix on some of my winter décor and share the spring results with you.
Remember my winter mantle?
I’m still just all over that terrarium! I knew it would stay. So, with a few simple changes, we’re feeling springy inside, even if there was snow – yes, I said S.N.O.W. on the ground outside as I began this post and more in the forecast for tomorrow. I’m trying to keep my chin up, reminding myself of all you folks out east who just endured their sixth nor’easter.
Here’s how I switched it up for spring while keeping my favorite things –
As you can see, I didn’t make drastic changes. Switching out a few things seemed to be all I needed to take away winter and invite spring into the room. I took the photo at dusk to highlight the candles, but things look much more airy during the day.
Other than the terrarium, the thing I’m enjoying most about my spring décor is my sheep! Aren’t they fun?
I told myself as I stood toying with those in Marshall’s that they would make an ideal First Friday Freebiefor one of my loyal subscribers, but once I got them home, I weakened. I sat them here. I sat them there. They just got cuter and cuter! I confess! I crumbled under their vapid gaze and kept them for myself.
Nobody’s perfect. And, a little whimsy never hurt anybody.
The most amazing thing about these little sheep? They sit in plain sight, just inches off the floor and Phoebe Junehasn’t eaten them. Come to think of it, I don’t think she’s even noticed them, which is odd because she pretty much pounces on anything with a “face”.
Here’s how much money I didn’t spend –
The mirror. It stayed – a family treasure described here.
A bunch of forsythia wound into a not-too-perfect wreath – a Hobby Lobbyfind – maybe $4.00.
A metal wreath stand – another Hobby Lobbyfind – half-price at $12.00. I’ll use this year-round.
A topiary bunny purchased years ago at a garage sale for next to nothing.
Set of 3 flameless candles (the really cool ones with the realistic moving flames). I found these a couple of years ago at TreesNTrends. The whole set was $29.99! I see on their website that they’ve gone up a little in price, but they’re still worth it. They have timers and a remote and the batteries seem to last a long time. They come in ivory or red and you can find them here.
Our mantle clock – it stayed just as in the winter mantle. The clock, as well as the other “keepers” are described here.
Green glass candle-holder. Strangely enough, Smuffy found them. He comes home with odd things some days and that’s all I’m sayin’.
The terrarium! Another Hobby Lobbyfind that I describe here.
The contents of the terrarium. These were all items I already had – a small fake plant, also from Hobby Lobby on half-price sale; two brown ceramic pillar candle-holders with twine and bead accents that I picked up at Cargo Largo a couple of months ago for $2 each and have been waiting to use somewhere; perched on the candle-holders – a set of white alabaster doves we received as a wedding gift; and a string of tiny battery-operated lights that I taped around the inside frame of the terrarium to light it at night.
The word-art sign stayed – another Hobby Lobbyfind described here.
Fake yellow tulips – a rummage sale find I had on hand.
Rustic bucket (my tulips needed to be “re-potted” from the ugly container they came in) – a recent Hobby Lobbyfind – around $5.
Glass candle jars with pillar candles – they stayed also. I shared how I updated them with sisal rope here. I had the candles on hand.
Wooden box with lavender silk crocus. I gave this to my mom when I finished doing some re-decorating for her. Now that she’s gone, they’re another sweet reminder of her and her favorite color.
Those boogey-woogie, not-too-intelligent-looking sheep – Under $5 at Marshall’sseveral months ago.
Vintage Black wooden suitcase. It’s something that was always around the house when I was growing up and holds special memories. Mom kept things through the generations, so I have no idea how old it is and, of course, wish I had asked. It was one of the few things I asked my mom to “put my name on”, if you know what I mean.
I’m happy with this budget makeover. All the items that I consider “new” came to around $20 and all of them can be re-purposed for various seasons and different rooms. I hope it inspires you to work with what you have.
Keeping family treasures where I can see them makes me happy no matter what the trends are. My house does not look like the latest magazines. Perhaps it did once, back in the 90’s, when designers, on a Victorian flight of fancy, took a turn at decorating with everything old. All I had to do back then was pull out Mom’s and Grandma’s stuff and artfully arrange it all.
Designers moved on, but since my décor and my inheritance were one and the same, I stuck with the look that I like to refer to as a cross between Grandma’s attic and a rummage sale. I’m thrilled that Joanna Gaines has done much to bring back the popularity of “old”. (I was digging around in dusty old flea markets and toting home “junk” way before she came along!) The farmhouse style so often featured on “Fixer Upper” is making it easy and inexpensive for me to plan my upcoming kitchen makeover. All I’ll have to do is dig a new batch of “old” out of the closet and, once again, artfully arrange.
A major remodel job is coming my way soon and the “fireplace” in these photos may or may not be staying. I’d love to hear your comments and ideas on this. (It’s not a real fireplace anyway, so we can do something else fun if Smuffy and I have any strength left after conquering the kitchen.) I’ll chronicle all that here, which might prove to be therapeutic amidst the rubble, so as they say, stay tuned…
Let me hear from you. Scroll back up to the top of this post and “Leave a Comment”.
Remember – First Friday Freebies happen the first Friday of every month, so fun stuff is just around the corner – as in tomorrow! Share this post with a friend and if you haven’t subscribe NOW, because freebies are for subscribers only. Check out the Freebies pageto see past gifts and their winners!
They call it “voluntary simplicity” – that thing where you rid yourself of all but the items you need to function on a daily basis, freeing your family to embrace experiences rather than stuff.
While I envy the wiggle room this lifestyle provides to its adherers, I don’t think I’ll ever hop on board the minimalist train. For starters, what few items of my precious stuff would I pack for the journey?
I prefer to blame it on a combination of frugality and creativity. Eventually, I get around to doing way cool projects with the things I’ve kept and a pleasing part of the outcome is that I haven’t wasted any money.
I do, however have an artist/writer friend who keeps nothing. I recall her bare-bones medicine cabinet. If no one in the family had a headache, stomach ache or cold, she’d throw all the over-the-counter meds in the trash (expired or not). I saw this as an act of faith. I preferred, however, not to take the risk of waking in the middle of the night moaning, “Where, oh where is my Pepto!”
If I must erase the excesses from my life, I’ll skip the latest movie or restaurant and surround myself with books, antiques and fodder for my next creative whim.
For years now, I’ve had a stack of stained and tattered vintage tablecloths, given to me by my mom. Cute in their day, they’d long ago become something you wouldn’t want out for everyday, much less entertaining. Add to that the fact that they didn’t fit any of my tables and they’d become nothing more than closet filler.
Recently, I decided to do something about it. I gave a couple of the really tattered ones to a creative friend, knowing that they’d undergo some transformation that I couldn’t imagine. That left me with my favorite – an aqua blue tablecloth with pink and gray ferns and a white border.
I took my idea and my tablecloth to Hobby Lobby and spent under five dollars.
After hauling out the rotary cutter and mat, I released a deep sigh, promising Mom and the tablecloth that it was all for the best. Here’s how I dissected it.
The white border was tattered beyond repair, so I trimmed it off. It is already gone in the above photo. There were no holes and stains on the corners because, having hung off the table, they’d been out of the way of spills. The center looked good, but the area surrounding it had plenty of wear and stains.
I removed the corner pieces, cutting them into 12” squares. Then, I cut the center into a perfect square around the fern pattern.
Next, I took the center square to my serger and finished the edge, not only to keep it from unraveling, but also to create the straight line of stitches that would give me an easy guide for turning over the edge for finishing.
(If you do not have a serger, use any wide stitch on your sewing machine that will give a nice, straight line for folding.)
Now for my Hobby Lobby find. I happened across this gross-grain ribbon. It’s scalloped pattern in the colors of my tablecloth made it the ideal trim and the black edge gave a nice touch. Turning the serged edge of the cloth toward the RIGHT side of the fabric, I stitched the ribbon carefully along the edge so that when I finished, the edge of the fabric would be concealed under the ribbon.
Each time I reached a corner, I lifted the presser foot and rotated the fabric, pulling the ribbon around to keep the edge of the ribbon even with the folded edge of the fabric. Once I made it around all four sides, I stopped, cutting the ribbon straight across so that I could turn the end under.
Next, I attended to the corners, carefully cutting the ribbon almost to the stitching line, allowing one of the cut ends to lay flat while folding the other under at a 45 degree angle to give the corner a mitered appearance. I top-stitched over this, tacking the corners into place.
Now, just as I stitched the other edge of the ribbon, I changed my thread color and stitched all around the inside edge.
This encases the edge of the fabric neatly inside the ribbon between the two rows of stitches and finishes this part of the project. How cute is that to place in the center of any table – round or square?
But what about those four corners I sliced off? I took those to the serger as well, adjusting it to apply a picot edging to all four pieces. You could do a rolled hem or just a narrow hem on the sewing machine if you prefer.
The result? A centerpiece cloth and four of the cutest luncheon napkins, minus all the tatters and stains!
I’m more than pleased. I especially like how the fern pattern, flowing from one corner of each napkin, gives them a different look depending on how you fold them. Above, they’re shown four different ways. Now redeemed from life in the linen closet, this lovely set is ready to be used, admired and passed on. Mom would approve. She was adept at making something out of nothing and you can get a glimpse of that here.
I won’t tell you, however, how many more treasures like this I own that hide way in the dark, waiting for my next brainstorm. I don’t really know how many. Another of my rescues, a battered, old clothes hamper, can be seen here. I’ve been known to rescue things that would otherwise be nothing but compost and you can check that out here.
You can help by sharing your ideas! Scroll back up to the beginning of this post and leave a comment. What treasures have you rescued and how did you do it?
Maybe I can help! Tell me what you’ve got and, who knows! I might get an idea. If you’d like to send a photo, go to the “Contact” page and email it to me.
Maybe together we can, as the old song says, “Rescue the Perishing”!
I’m not gloating. I know parts of the country are still having quite a time with winter weather, but I just have to say that today has been glorious in my little corner of the world! I hope it sticks. I forced myself (and Phoebe June) indoors because it’s time to announce March’s First Friday Freebie winner!
Spread the word, because it happens every month. Our winner for March is –
Judy of Boonville, Missouri!
All Judy had to do is read the post containing the freebie offer and follow the instructions to leave a comment saying, “Send me the runner!” Her name was drawn in an impartial and scientific manner by Smuffy.
Now Judy’s ready for spring with this pretty linen table runner. If you’d like to have a better look at it, click here.
Congratulations, Judy! I hope it adds a nice touch to your spring décor. Have a wonderful day!
Get outside if your weather permits. I’m tellin’ ‘ya – around here is so nice it makes you want to climb a tree!
The next First Friday Freebie drawing will be on Friday, April 6, 2018. SUBSCRIBE and share this post with all your friends so they can enter. A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight on the day of the drawing by leaving a comment as instructed in the post.
First Friday Freebies here at Midwest Storyteller offer a variety of free gifts. Take a look at our “Freebies” page where you’ll see some of the other gifts subscribers have won over the last several months. It pays to SUBSCRIBE! – which is free – just like freebies. It’s easy to see why Midwest Storyteller is a place “where each day’s journey leads to a better place.”
And now, here are the Freebie Rules.
First Friday Freebies are available to SUBSCRIBERS ONLY. That means if you come to the post through social media or someone has emailed you a link to it and you haven’t become a subscriber yet, you’ll need to hop on over to the right sidebar and do that really quick. If you are on a phone or tablet, the easiest way is to go to the “About Me” page. All it means to be a subscriber is that you’ll receive an email each time Midwest Storyteller has something new, which won’t likely be more than once or twice a week. It keeps you from missing out on all the fun and FREE STUFF! And, I’m not sharing your emails with anybody.
IMPORTANT: After subscribing, you MUST check your email to confirm the subscription or it will not appear. Then, sadly, you won’t be eligible to enter.
To enter the drawing, scroll back up to the top of this post and under the title, click on “Leave a Comment”. Subscribers who comment as directed before midnight on the first Friday of the month will enter the drawing, provided they are already on the subscribers list and live within the continental United States.
Three simple steps! Subscribe now, before you forget, and you’ll be ready for March. Spring is on the way and with this freebie, you’ll be ready for it!Why not “share”, “like” and “pin” this post so all your friends don’t miss out?Leave a comment! Scroll back up under the title of this post and let me know what you’re thinking.
It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood and it’s made even more beautiful if you can get something for FREE!
Spring weather puts a smile on everyone’s face and lifts the heaviness that blankets us during winter’s gloom and cold.
As I said in my last post, March puts me in the mood to decorate as though the whole world had already bloomed out in all its glory. That’s weeks away, but I’ll help you get in the mood with March’s First Friday Freebie –
This 48”X16” table runner from Signature Collections by Sullivans will give you a start on your décor. It’s perfect to lie flat on a larger table or you can let the ends hang over on a smaller table as shown in the photo. Made of a soft green linen, each end is trimmed in burlap and embellished with embroidered patches that remind us of the herbs that will adorn our gardens and porch pots just as soon as we can get their little toes planted in the soil. The cute little button on the “herbs” patch is a nice detail. (See inset photo.)
If you’d like a chance to win the table runner, all you have to do is enter TODAY! Become a subscriber, if you are not already, and comment on this post, saying: “Send me the runner!”
(Complete rules are included at the end of this post.)
I love being able to give you something that makes life just a little sweeter and I always seem to find something that I’d really love to have myself! This runner would go well in my dining room, but I’ve reminded myself that it’s for YOU!
Why not SHARE this post through Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest or send the link in an email to all your friends who might like to enter to win?
Midwest Storyteller’s previous freebies can be found on the “Freebies” page. Take a look. You’ll get an idea of the great gifts subscribers can win!
REMEMBER: A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight by leaving a comment which says, “Send me the runner!”
And now, here are the complete rules:
First Friday Freebies are available to SUBSCRIBERS ONLY. That means if you have come to this post through social media or someone has emailed you a link to it and you haven’t become a subscriber yet, you’ll need to hop on over to the right sidebar and do that really quick. If you are on a phone or tablet, the easiest way is to go to the “About Me” page. All it means to be a subscriber is that you’ll receive an email each time Midwest Storyteller has something new, which won’t likely be more than once or twice a week. It keeps you from missing out on all the fun and FREE STUFF! And, I’m not sharing your emails with anybody.
IMPORTANT: After subscribing, you MUST check your email to confirm the subscription or it will not appear. Then, sadly, you won’t be eligible to enter.
To enter the drawing, scroll back up to the top of this post and under the title, click on “Leave a Comment”. Subscribers who comment as directed before midnight on Friday will enter the drawing, provided they are already on the subscribers list and live within the continental United States.
Three simple steps!
Now hurry! Go! Go! Go! Subscribe if you haven’t already, confirm and comment to enter before midnight tonight, March 2nd!
I hardly know how to act! For the last several days it’s been warming. I love you, Sixty-five Degree Days! (Until Seventy-five Degrees starts flirting with me.) Spring-like rains have pattered the dry earth and my tulips and hyacinths have jumped up to shout about it. I’m tempted to warn them that it won’t be over till it’s over and they should retreat and wait a while.
I’m always thrilled to arrive at March’s doorstep, but to be honest, once March invites me in, it makes me mad. It loves its cruel jokes and is afflicted with violent mood swings that I’m convinced are contagious. Year after year, it claims to have thirty-one days, but if you ask me, the experts should investigate this. Here in my part of the Mid-West, March lasts forever!
Though it may blast me yet again with snow and ice and force me back into my winter coat, I shall dig my heels in and decorate as though life is just one big romp out in the green grass and sunshine. I know, I know – it’s not really spring for another three weeks, but should I be forced to look at winter again outside, at least I can pretend it’s spring inside.
I invite you to join with me in blowing winter an official good-bye kiss. Let’s take a look some simple winter décor, which, of course, I meant to share with you in January. We live in an older home, so getting too trendy can just look weird. Here’s what I did –
It’s always so difficult to decide how to decorate after Christmas. I look for ways to get rid of the reds and greens and keep some of the snowy things, yet keep it cozy. Without a lot of storage, I do a lot of re-purposing and design re-mixing. Sometimes, however, things just get “tired” and nothing looks right. Smuffy overheard me mumbling about it and suggested I go shopping. I ran out the door without even stopping to take his temperature!
Here’s how I mixed the old with the new –Here, I’ve kept the antique dynamite box filled with pine cones (#1) I used at Christmas, removing the wreath from the front and the ornaments that were scattered throughout. The antlers? Smuffy hunts a lot. The sticks? I saved those from a bush trimming session last May. You can see how I used them for fall decoratinghere.
On the floor, I used some glass jars I found at resale shops (#2)and re-purposed by gluing sisal rope around the bottom. After filling them with smooth stones, I inserted taper candles. Total cost (over time) probably came to around $11.
Above the mantle hangs one of my treasures from my Grandpa Judge’s barber shop. The mirror (#3) has made a move or two around the house since my mom passed it on to me, but it’s a forever-keeper. You’ll enjoy some stories involving Grandpa Judge and you can check those out, along with photos, hereand here.
After Christmas sales on holiday items are a great way to find winter décor. Just because the store classified it as “Holiday”, it’s likely to have significant markdowns even if it isn’t red and green and wishing you a joyous Noel. I found this “ice” covered tree (#4) at one of my favorite places, Tuesday Morning. I snatched it up for under $15, knowing that I’d use it for years in various rooms, depending on my many whims.
Below it, I used a bit of word art. This wooden “peace” sign (#5)is something I found for practically nothing at a resale shop. I keep moving it around and re-purposing it. At Christmas, it looked great on a low shelf with fake poinsettias and tiny fairy lights all around the base. I was impressed. So was Phoebe June. After a week or two I admitted defeat and took it down. A kitten can only stand so much temptation.
In front of “peace” sits a little brown birdie (#6) from a resale shop that probably cost me a whole dollar.
The mantle clock (#7)has been around for decades.
I stumbled over the long sign (#8) – an item that will work well against the brick of the fireplace no matter the season – at Hobby Lobby on the half-price sale. At $12.50, its a bargain and a great reminder that we live a blessed life.
The weird, green candle? (#9) It spoke to me a while back from a shelf in a re-sale shop. Don’t know why. At $2, I just found myself stroking it and thinking, “No one else is going to have one of these!”
On another Hobby Lobbyexcursion, (I think I may have mentioned that I love that place) I rounded a corner and saw “it”. The terrarium(#10)drew me in an instant and, reading the sign above it, I checked my delighted squeals as I discovered it really was half off! I knew it was something that would change with the seasons depending on what I filled it with. I don’t usually spend much on décor, but for $32.50, I lowered it gently into my cart, reminding myself that Smuffy had told me to go shopping. I filled it with a cute, fake plant, some remote controlled candles that I already had and another little brown birdie. The terrarium stays. I’m looking forward to filling it with spring things.
And now – can we all shout it out loud together? – “Goodbye, Winter! Hello, Spring!” I’ll share my photos with you when I get things switched over. I hope I’ve given you some ideas for future decorating.
I’ll help you get switched over to spring, too! The First Friday Freebie is coming up March 2, so get ready to enter and win. Share this post with all your friends so they can subscribe and enter as well. A touch of spring will be arriving for one of you from Midwest Storyteller!
Looking for ideas to help you rescue and recycle the poor, the tired and pretty-much-trash stuff around the house? You’ll find them here and here!
I hope you had a lovely Valentine’s Day. It always seems that when this day is past that spring ought to be just around the corner. But wait! Let’s not get in such a rush! What about the winner of February’s First Friday Freebie? It happens every month and this time it happened to –
Lee Ann of Duncan, South Carolina!
Lee Ann entered the drawing by following the instructions in the post to leave a comment saying, “I Love Valentines!” It’s that simple.
If you’d like a better look at her collection of Handmade Victorian Valentines, clickhere.
Congratulations, Lee Ann! And, thanks for sending me a photo! I hope your recipients were blessed by the Valentines. I can only hope the Valentines are as wonderful as your smile is in this photo!
The Valentines were made my me. If anyone is interested in a tutorial on how I made these using real lace and fancy trims, please comment and let me know.
The next First Friday Freebie drawing will be on Friday, March 2, 2018. SUBSCRIBE and don’t keep it to yourself. Share this post with all your friends so they can enter! A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight on the day of the drawing by leaving a comment as instructed in the post.
One thing about First Friday Freebies here at Midwest Storyteller – you never know what you’re gonna get! Take a look at the “Freebies” page at some of the other free gifts over the last few months. I’m tellin’ you – it pays to SUBSCRIBE! – and subscribing is just as free as a…well, a FREEBIE!
And now, a recap of the Freebie Rules.
First Friday Freebies are available to SUBSCRIBERS ONLY. That means if you come to the post through social media or someone has emailed you a link to it and you haven’t become a subscriber yet, you’ll need to hop on over to the right sidebar and do that really quick. If you are on a phone or tablet, the easiest way is to go to the “About Me” page. All it means to be a subscriber is that you’ll receive an email each time Midwest Storyteller has something new, which won’t likely be more than once or twice a week. It keeps you from missing out on all the fun and FREE STUFF! And, I’m not sharing your emails with anybody.
IMPORTANT: After subscribing, you MUST check your email to confirm the subscription or it will not appear. Then, sadly, you won’t be eligible to enter.
To enter the drawing, scroll back up to the top of this post and under the title, click on “Leave a Comment”. Subscribers who comment as directed before midnight on the first Friday of the month will enter the drawing, provided they are already on the subscribers list and live within the continental United States.
Three simple steps! Subscribe now, before you forget, and you’ll be ready for March. Spring is on the way and with this freebie, you’ll be ready for it!
Why not “share”, “like” and “pin” this post so all your friends don’t miss out?
Scroll back up under the title of this post and leave a comment. I’d love to know you think of the freebies so far and which features of Midwest Storyteller you like best.
Actually, we’re celebrating the anniversary of a beating, stoning and beheading. Also, February 14th is the anniversary of the death of my favorite author, P. G. Wodehouse. Come to think of it, this whole thing could be downright depressing. Let’s try and return to the hearts and flowers side of this story.
I’ve heard various legends concerning Saint Valentine. I just don’t know how many of them are true.
What most believe is that around the year 278 A.D., the Roman emperor, Claudius, banned marriages, believing that strong family ties were at fault for making young men less inclined to enter the military ranks. Valentine, a priest, violated this order and performed marriages anyway.
Valentine was arrested, tortured and beaten to death with clubs before being beheaded on February 14th.
One story tells that he’d written a farewell note to the jailer’s daughter who had become a friend, having signed it, “Your Valentine”.
But, how did the familiar heart shape come into being? I’m not sure anyone knows for sure, because it certainly doesn’t bear much resemblance to that internal organ of ours that goes all-of-a-twitter when we’re feeling the first blush of love.
One story tells us that Valentine was taken away suddenly to prison, leaving him no time to notify his family of his whereabouts. Knowing they must be in a terrible state of fear and worry, he began to reach out and pluck at a vine which grew up the stone wall outside his small prison window. Each day, Valentine plucked leaves from the vine and began to pierce them with small holes that spelled out the words, “Your Valentine”. These leaves just happened to be that familiar shape that we often associate with philodendron and many other plants and now refer to as heart-shaped.
As he dropped these organic messages out the window, they fluttered to the ground below and eventually made their way to those who had been waiting for some word from their dear Valentine.
I love that story. I’d love to believe it’s true – and it might be – even if it does sound like someone like me made it up.
Just knowing that Valentine was a real person who stood up for what he believed is enough to make us want to remember him. Realizing what his suffering and death had to have done to his family and friends is enough to make us want to remember those we value with some token of love on his special day.
It’s not too late! It’s a great day to make someone feel good so stop reading this hop to it!
Me? I’m going to go hang out with Smuffy. I adore Smuffy! If you want the inside scoop on our Smokin’ Hot Honeymoon, check it out here!
Phoebe June would like to leave you with a smile –
Awww! That ought to make your little heart go pitter patter! Get better acquainted with Phoebe June here.
As Valentine’s Day approaches, I can’t think of a better thing to discuss than chocolate. I love chocolate! It dominates the candy aisles in stores on a regular basis, but at this time of year, people purchase more of the stuff than ever. I’d venture to say that it puts the fall pumpkin rush to shame.
The other thing lurking on the candy aisle, however – that troll hiding under the bridge waiting to ambush you – is sugar. If you haven’t figured out yet that sugar takes a toll on your body in more ways than just the addition of unwanted pounds, you’ve got your sweet head in the sand.
This spring, I’ll begin my fourth (Really? Wow!) year of feeding my body all kinds of wonderful things except for sugar and grains. If you’re not humming “My Country, ‘Tis of Thee” with your fingers in your ears, you might want to learn a little more about your body and my journey here.)
Yes, I still eat my chocolate (of course) birthday cake. Yes, I still have a big slab of pie at Thanksgiving and cookies at Christmas. Once a week, if that often, I might eat something on a bun. However, my former lifestyle as the Bread & Pasta Queen is over and SURPRISE! – I don’t miss it.
One of the first things I had to figure out was how on earth I was going to get my chocolate – and plenty of it! Chemical sweeteners, such as aspartame (Equal), sucralose (Splenda) or saccharine (Sweet ‘n Low) were not an option. I’d learned enough to realize that would be akin to exchanging strychnine for cyanide. Stevia seemed the only option and, though sweet, sometimes it just didn’t taste “right”.
Dedicated and determined because I had a health issue to conquer, I plunged in, reminding myself that Thomas Edison had far more failures than he had successes and yet, he kept going until he finally got a bright idea!
Today, I’m sharing two recipes that you can enjoy not only in the current chocolate season, but all year round. And, with the FREE printable at the end of this post, you can get started right now!
I have stated in previous blog posts that when it comes to stevia, you get what you pay for. My favorite brand has always been Sweet Leaf and, of the store brands, I still prefer it.
Last week, however, my friend, Sarah, introduced me to the Pure Stevia Extract Powderby Trim Healthy Mama. Again, you get what you pay for, but I found that instead of using a tablespoon of Sweet Leaf in a recipe, I could use ¼ teaspoon of THM stevia! It has no bitter aftertaste and I think I’m in love! It’s available in one ounce and four ounce bags.
It’s February! What are we waiting for? Let’s have some chocolate!
Not Apologizin’ Hot Chocolate
12 ounces milk
2 Tablespoons Dutch Process Cocoa Powder
¼ teaspoon Trim Healthy Mamma Pyure Stevia or 1 Tablespoon Sweet Leaf Stevia
1/8 teaspoon Celtic sea salt
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 Tablespoon heavy cream
In a Pyrex measuring cup, heat the milk in the microwave until hot but not boiling. While it is heating, mix the cocoa powder, stevia and salt in a small custard cup with a mini whisk.
Pour an inch or two of the hot milk into the bottom of a large mug. Add the cocoa mixture and whisk until fairly smooth. Add vanilla. I call this my “sludge” – a rather unsavory name for something so wonderful.
Continue to whisk while adding the remainder of the hot milk. Add the heavy cream, stir and enjoy! To make my experience complete, I scoop up Phoebe June and settle into my favorite chair. Since you don’t have Phoebe June, you’ll have to make do with your own kitty, borrow one or just pretend.
Traveling Version:
When I’m away from home, I don’t like to miss out on my hot chocolate, but toting milk around becomes a problem. I’ve tried using powdered milk in the dry mix so that I could “just add water”, but it failed to give me the texture and flavor I wanted. I’m being nice – it was nasty. I’ve discovered that adding 1 ½ scoops of Reliv Delight makes a wonderful dry mix.
Reliv Delight, a whey-based milk substitute and nutritional supplement, provides the benefits of milk — plus additional nutrients — in a delicious low-fat formula. It supplies your body with a good source of proteinand an essential nutritional balance of vitamins and minerals. And at only 90 calories per serving it is also a great way to help maintain a healthy weight. Mix Reliv Delight with water and use it as an alternative to milk — while cooking, in milkshakes, with cereal or simply as a refreshing, creamy beverage. It’s a healthy choice for adults and kids alike.
As promised in the disclaimer on this blog, I’m disclosing the fact that this product must be purchased through a Reliv distributor and that I am a Reliv distributor who may receive monetary compensation should you decide to purchase the product through me. You may do so by contacting me at barb@midweststoryteller.com
This is a great way for me to take a travel mug while on the road and stop for some hot water so that I can have my chocolate fix. All I have to remember is to never leave home without my pre-mixed little baggie of dry ingredients, my little bottle of vanilla and my mini whisk!
Are you ready for no-guilt Valentine treats?
Almost everyone seems to love those beautiful chocolate-covered strawberries that cost an arm and a leg. We all indulge without too much guilt because, after all, strawberries are fruit and fruit is good for you and therefore, legal – right? Those sold in stores or special ordered are most likely made with shortening. (Repeat after me: “Shortening. Is. Evil.”) Not only that, but the chocolate coating is loaded with that ever-present, ever-enticing culprit – sugar!
I came up with this recipe to remove the culprits. The results were fabulous and I’ve served them up several times to people who tell me how yummy they are. I usually make them to share, so this recipe makes quite a few! The ones in the photo were gigantic berries and I had enough coating to do twenty-five berries. If they had been “regular” sized strawberries, I think I could have done about forty! What could be easier than dipping whole berries into chocolate sauce and letting them dry? This, combined with the fact that you get to lick your fingers and that your recipients will think you’re oh, so special ought to get you going on this recipe.
Oh, you weren’t going to give any of them away? Well, just be sure and wipe the chocolate off your chin before anybody sees you.
Wash berries and pat them dry with paper towels or allow them to dry completely on a drying mat.
In a double boiler, small ceramic coated saucepan (or a Pyrex bowl over a small saucepan), melt the coconut oil and butter over low heat. Add cocoa powder, heavy cream, stevia, vanilla and salt, whisking until smooth.
Grasp each berry by its stem and dip into the chocolate mixture. Be sure not to cover all the lovely red part! Allow the excess chocolate to drip back into the bowl before placing the berries onto waxed paper-covered cookie sheet. Place the berries far enough apart so they do not touch.
Leftover chocolate? Consider re-dipping!
If desired, sprinkle some or all of the berries with shredded, unsweetened coconut while the chocolate coating is still soft.
Do not attempt to rearrange the berries on the waxed paper until the chocolate coating is completely hardened.
Refrigerate until ready to serve or give as a gift. Remember, the chocolate coating will begin to soften at about 76 degrees, so be sure to store your beautiful berries properly. I did, with good intentions to take most of them to some cherished friends. But then, we had this icy weather and didn’t get out and, well, you know how it goes…now you know why they’re called “Eat ’em All Chocolate-covered Strawberries!”
You can share more than chocolate with a friend. How about sharing this post? You can do that through Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest!
Enjoy your chocolate and don’t forget your FREE printable recipes. Just click on the banner below.
I invite you to join me for true confessions! Tell me about your favorite chocolate obsession and how often do you indulge. Scroll back up to the top of this post and “Leave a Comment”.
I think the main reason that I enjoy Valentine’s Day so much is that it’s one of the few times in the year when the rest of the world gets on board with my sappiness. All the tough cookies in this world soften up and, at least for one day, we’re all hearts and flowers.
This month’s freebie will allow you to go all out with old fashioned mush! All you have to do is become a subscriber, if you are not already, and comment on this post, saying: “I Love Valentines!” (Complete rules are included at the end of this post.)
These handmade Victorian Valentines are the perfect way to make someone feel special. Each of the eight cards has a different image taken from antique postcards and Valentines, surrounded by real lace and fancy trims. They come with red envelopes and I’ve thrown in an extra in case you make a mistake trying to get all curly and swirly while addressing them.
Inside each card is a Scriptural quote from Jeremiah to let your recipients know that they’re not only cherished by you, but by God as well.
I love my faithful subscribers. I hope this freebie makes you feel so loved and so special that you’ll want to use it to make eight other people feel loved and special!
Isn’t that special? (I told you I was sappy.)
Oh, by the way, they are handmade by me – just something I’ve always enjoyed doing. Ah, yes – paper crafting. Didn’t I just say in a recent post that paper was my nemesis?
Why not SHARE this post today with the people you love? One of them might win and then send you a beautiful handmade Victorian Valentine!
Check out some of Midwest Storyteller’s previous freebies on our “Freebies” page. A couple of my favorites are here and here.
REMEMBER: A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight tonight by leaving a comment which says, “I Love Valentines!”
And now, here are the rules:
First Friday Freebies are available to SUBSCRIBERS ONLY. That means if you have come to this post through social media or someone has emailed you a link to it and you haven’t become a subscriber yet, you’ll need to hop on over to the right sidebar and do that really quick. If you are on a phone or tablet, the easiest way is to go to the “About Me” page. All it means to be a subscriber is that you’ll receive an email each time Midwest Storyteller has something new, which won’t likely be more than once or twice a week. It keeps you from missing out on all the fun and FREE STUFF! And, I’m not sharing your emails with anybody.
IMPORTANT: After subscribing, you MUST check your email to confirm the subscription or it will not appear. Then, sadly, you won’t be eligible to enter.
To enter the drawing, scroll back up to the top of this post and under the title, click on “Leave a Comment”. Subscribers who comment as directed before midnight on Friday will enter the drawing, provided they are already on the subscribers list and live within the continental United States.
Three simple steps!
Now hurry! Go! Go! Go! Subscribe, Confirm and Enter before midnight tonight, February 2nd!
Tomorrow is the first Friday of the month and you know what that means! Don’t you just L.O.V.E. free stuff?
“There’s a catch,” you say? I’ll admit it – you have to SUBSCRIBE to the Midwest Storyteller blog – which, by the way, is also F.R.E.E.
Speaking of “loving” free stuff… Ooh! …there seems to be something hidden inside this secret “envelope”?
Oh, my goodness, if I give out any more hints, you’re going to guess what’s inside and the secret will no longer “be mine”!
“Like”, “Pin”, “Tweet” and by all means, “Share” on Facebook with all your friends so they can enter to win.
Then, check Friday’s post for the reveal and your instructions to comment.
And now, here are the rules.
First Friday Freebies are available to SUBSCRIBERS ONLY. That means if you have come to this post through social media or someone has emailed you a link to it and you haven’t become a subscriber yet, you’ll need to hop on over to the right sidebar and do that really quick. If you are on a phone or tablet, the easiest way is to go to the “About Me” page. All it means to be a subscriber is that you’ll receive an email each time Midwest Storyteller has something new, which won’t likely be more than once or twice a week. It keeps you from missing out on all the fun and FREE STUFF! And, I’m not sharing your emails with anybody.
IMPORTANT: After subscribing, you MUST check your email to confirm the subscription or it will not appear. Then, sadly, you won’t be eligible to enter.
When the Freebie is revealed on Friday, you’ll need to scroll back up to the top of the post and under the title, click on “Leave a Comment”. Subscribers who comment as directed before midnight on Friday will enter the drawing, provided they are already on the subscribers list and live within the continental United States.
Three simple steps! And only one more day! Loving it!
Now hurry! Go! Go! Go! Subscribe, confirm and enter tomorrow!
January is rolling to a close. I took a vow years ago to let January be January. In this climate, if there be any hope of killing the bugs (and I have no mercy on mosquitoes for they have no mercy on me), we need at least three weeks of good, hard freeze. I think we may have done it.
February looms, promising more of the same. I don’t like it, but I try to be nice. I look at the calendar upon which I have written my “hopefuls”. This month, I was to have organized my upstairs after I’d put away Christmas stuff, sort through and re-organize my kitchen cabinets, update my addresses and contact info, sort and dispose of excess magazines and reward myself by getting some scrapbooking done.
Aside from the scrapbooking, I’ve made headway in all the other areas. Still, I’d like to feel as though I’ve finished at least some of these categories so that I can stand back, rest my hands on my hips, heave a satisfactory sigh and say, “There now!”
(I just sighed, but it was the wrong kind.)
In March, unless spring-like weather makes an early debut and performs an intervention, I tend to get just plain ticked off about winter and start muttering a lot.
Now, I have to remind myself that I’ve recently shared with you “50 Ways to Make 2018 a Better Year”. The key word here is “better” – not “perfect”. If I’d promised in that post that the list would give you a perfect year, you likely would have found something else to waste your time reading.
I’m asking myself today, “Are things better?” I hear myself reply, “Oh, yeah! I look around the house and see that much has been done and much is left to do, but it’s better!
Golly, how I wish I had a higher gear! Alas, I have only one gear and I’m already running in it.
There are times when I look around and ask myself if any of it matters and for a fleeting moment I hanker for a dumpster.
Paper is my nemesis. But…I am a writer. Ummm…
Then, I remember this. There are two dates on every gravestone and though they may be forgotten, the dash between them is what counts. People will remember you for your dash!
We do leave a legacy in many ways – in the hearts and minds of our children, in what we build in our communities and in the lives of others, and in the stories that connect us to our heritage.
This house holds a lot of heritage.
One of the things I found as I sorted my office was a slip of paper upon which I’d written a quote attributed to Joseph Garlington. I thought I’d share it today in hopes that it puts your year and your life into perspective as it does mine.
I took this photo in December as I drove through the countryside on my way to meet Phoebe June. I pulled over to take photos of a sky such as I’d never seen before.
Under a wide-open Heaven, life is given to me to live each day in this strange place called Earth and I’m determined to thrive down here. I may not be able to make it perfect, but bit by bit, I can make it better, even if it’s something as simple as encouraging a friend or cleaning out files.
The year ahead holds days and days full of surprises and mundane things. I hope the mundane things bring you stability and peace and that all your surprises are good ones. If last year was a “dud” – and sometimes they are – don’t lose heart. Move forward into new territory and happier days.
You may be starting out the new year grieving the events of the last one. Take your time and heal. You may spend a part or all of the year in a waiting mode. (I hear ‘ya as I wait for responses from literary agents.) You may go on happily as you have been or you may step into a new adventure like a dear friend of mine who, in a couple of weeks, will leave behind the job she’s had for years and focus on her art!
Leave a comment! Scroll back up. It’s just under the title of this post. Are things better – even just a little bit – in your earthly experience? I’d love to hear what you’ve done in January (I’ll even listen to your fails) and what you plan for February!
I’ve been waiting till I could post a photo to announce January’s winner of Midwest Storyteller’s First Friday Freebie. It happens every month to a faithful subscriber and January’s winner is –
Liz of Boonville, Missouri!
Liz entered the drawing by following the instructions to the letter as stated in the post. That’s important, you know.
I believe I’ll be able to claim that I’ve made her an addict. Once you’ve used these Full Adhesive Post-It Notes– well, they’re just like potato chips – it’s mighty hard to stop at one pack. I usually get mine at Amazon.com.
My pack is dwindling fast as I’ve spent these cold, January days re-organizing and re-labeling Christmas stuff and trying to deal with the chaos that’s occurred in the office while the Midwest Storyteller has been telling a very long story – three novels’ worth.
It won’t surprise me if we hear from Liz that she’s used her Friday Freebie to organize her entire world! Well, that might be stretching it a bit, but all those mystery boxes and containers that hold who-knows-what are about to be identified. Click here to find out what’s so great about this simple alternative to the usual Post-It Note. You might say that these turn regular Post-Its “upside-down”.
The next First Friday Freebie drawing will be on Friday, February 2, 2018. SUBSCRIBE and share this post with all your friends so they can enter also. A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter before midnight on the day of the drawing by leaving a comment as instructed in the post.
And now, here are the Freebie Rules.
First Friday Freebies are available to SUBSCRIBERS ONLY. That means if you come to the post through social media or someone has emailed you a link to it and you haven’t become a subscriber yet, you’ll need to hop on over to the right sidebar and do that really quick. If you are on a phone or tablet, the easiest way is to go to the “About Me” page. All it means to be a subscriber is that you’ll receive an email each time Midwest Storyteller has something new, which won’t likely be more than once or twice a week. It keeps you from missing out on all the fun and FREE STUFF! And, I’m not sharing your emails with anybody.
IMPORTANT: After subscribing, you MUST check your email to confirm the subscription or it will not appear. Then, sadly, you won’t be eligible to enter.
To enter the drawing, scroll back up to the top of this post and under the title, click on “Leave a Comment”. Subscribers who comment as directed before midnight on the first Friday of the month will enter the drawing, provided they are already on the subscribers list and live within the continental United States.
Three simple steps! Subscribe now, before you forget, and you’ll be ready for February and (hint, hint) Valentine’s Day. You’re gonna “LOVE” this next Freebie!
Take a look at some past winners and their goodies here, here and here!
Why not “share”, “like” and “pin” this post so all your friends don’t miss out?
Scroll back up under the title of this post and let me know what you think of the freebies so far and which features of the blog you’d like to see more of in the future.
Phoebe June is a delight. We adopted her on December 7th. Later that evening, I saw via Joanna Gaines on Instagram that on that same day, Chip surprised the family with a new kitten! For a moment, I questioned whether I should change Phoebe June’s name to Magnolia, but somehow “Phoebe” had already “stuck”. We do love “Fixer Upper” and the Gaines family and wish them the best with their new additions – the kitten and the soon-to-arrive baby!
I’m sure if you’ve seen any of her innocent-looking photos, you’re assuming that Phoebe June spends her days with her powder-puff paws crossed waiting for someone to stroke her velvet fur.
The reason for that is that all the action shots I’ve tried to obtain of Phoebe have been a complete blur. When she is not striking a demure pose for the camera, Smuffy and I are taking turns at Wildcat Patrol. Well, I take more turns than Smuffy, but then I also get the most kitty cuddles, so I suppose I can live with it.
Our veterinarian wanted to know if Phoebe was alert and playful. I showed him my scratch marks.
Having a cat in the house is different from having a kitten in the house. Our last two cats, who were two years apart in age, each lived to be 16 years old, so it’s been a long time since we started afresh. Though they remained playful all their lives – Y I K E S ! – it’s not the same as bringing home a charged-up little lightning bolt of energy that is the most playful hunter on earth – a 7 ½ week old kitten.
Phoebe June had an adorable sister. Here they are on the day we met when I was trying to decide which to adopt.
Sweet Sister seemed docile and shy – such endearing qualities. Phoebe June, on the other hand, entered the room with an air that suggested that if it were not a fun-filled place, she’d be happy to remedy the problem in three seconds or less.
Having had a couple of truly neurotic cats in the past, I chose brave kitty. I got brave kitty! She’s smart and tries her best to cooperate with the rules, but some things prove irresistible, such as the taking down of the Christmas tree. I should have probably gotten a sitter for that one.
To give you a glimpse of our fun-filled days and a guide should you consider bringing home a kitten, I’m sharing this list that reflects how we’ve acclimated to Phoebe June’s world.
Cats are fascinating and each one seems to have strange traits, odd fears and unique habits that don’t have any rhyme or reason and don’t quite fit in with any of the scientific studies on cats. There are just some things the experts can’t explain about feline behavior.
Phoebe June has her share of these quirks already, but the one that is the most puzzling and causes me the greatest loss of sleep is her unexplainable desire to eat my hair! This she confines, annoyingly, to the early morning hours. She’s a clingy sort, but being nocturnal, she roams a bit a night and nods off under the bed between her excursions and a few hops back onto the bed to be sure I haven’t run away from home.
Then, in the pre-dawn, when the stealthy mountain lions of the wild stir and head out for the hunt, Phoebe June stirs also. She hunts for one thing only – Mommy! It’s as though she’s re-discovered me after a prolonged absence and the joy is too much for her.
Climbing onto my head with her purr-box rumbling like a Harley, she wraps all four paws around my head and clinging with all her might, tries to remove my hair! And the question is: Why?
Needless to say, at this point I am awake! As I disentangle her and pull her down to ruffle her fur and give her a snuggle, I can’t help but giggle at the amount of affection that seems to be lavished upon me in this strange act. Though she may be clutching at my head with all her strength, there are no claws involved, only purring, wallowing and (sigh) gnawing.
“And then you fall back asleep?” you assume. Nope. Phoebe June’s full affections take a while to dissipate and she’ll make several more attempts at snatching me bald before she gets it out of her system and settles down on my shoulder to flop around until breakfast is served.
Hopefully, this is a passing phase, because one of her favorite times to run amok through the house is around 10:45 each night. These frenzies can last a couple of hours, so if she doesn’t give up one or the other habits, I may be feeling soon, as they say, “a mere shadow of my former self.”
I thought Phoebe June’s story might bring you a smile during the wintry days of January. You can deny it, but I know you’re watching those funny cat videos online!
If you’re a “cat person”, I’m sure you have a story or two to of your own about the cats in your life. Scroll back up to the top of this post and “Leave a Comment” to share them. I’d love to hear from you!
Have some cat-loving friends? Be sure to SHARE!
Want more on how Smuffy deals with cats? Check it out here, but please, cover your eyes!
Happy New Year, Everyone! It seems impossible that we’ve already breezed through Christmas and landed in 2018. I knew this particular First Friday Freebie would sneak up on me and it did!
Don’t you love gifts that come with explanations? We were discussing at Christmas how it seems all our gifts come with some sort of novel-length explanation. So, now let me explain –
You may at first think that I’m too exhausted from the holidays to think of something better or that I’m just plain unimaginative (or cheap), but I wanted to introduce you to something life-changing.
You know what I mean – one of those small things in life that make all the difference and make you wonder how you ever lived without it – like Velcro on toddlers’ shoes, plastic wrap, duct tape and cooking spray.
While preparing the post on 50 Ways to Make 2018 a Better Year, I considered what I might offer as January’s Freebie to help out with that. Then, I remembered that innocent looking little sample package that arrived in the mail a few years ago.
I gave it a shrug and tossed it in my desk drawer. I’d seen Post-it Notes before. These seemed to be some new-fangled version and I wasn’t about to throw free stuff away. I knew 3M made the kind that pull apart from opposite ends and the ones that are super-sticky. These, apparently, had taken sticky down yet another avenue.
Later, when I’d finished up the pad I was using, I got them out and discovered that I’d been keeping something fabulous in hibernation in that desk drawer. That’s why I’m offering them as this month’s First Friday Freebie –
Full Adhesive Post-it Notes!
These are one of my favorite finds. Well, I suppose you’d say they found me! And, I’m giving away a full pack – not a sample.
(The ones in the photo are my open pack. The ones I’m giving away are due to arrive soon – yes, the January Freebie did sneak up on me.) The Freebies will be in yellow as I tried to pick something neutral for you.
What did we do before Post-it Notesanyway? Run around with fuzzy rolls of tape in our pockets?
Once I began to use these, the possibilities became endless. I stopped ruining storage boxes with marker pens – I just changed the note and because of the full adhesive, they actually stayed on and didn’t curl! I started using them to label cardboard boxes, plastic tubs, bottles, jars and plates of goodies. They adhere wonderfully, and best of all, come off cleanly when you want them to. Bookplates! They’re perfect for that! I no longer have to “ugly up” the nice boxes in my basement shelves of upstairs closets or pull them all out to see what’s inside. Use two sheets! On one, list the general heading in large print. On the other, list the individual contents.
There are lots of other removable labels out there – even nifty chalkboard ones – but they are way too pricey for marking storage boxes and other things that require temporary or alterable labels.
Consider these to be regular Post-it Notes in REVERSE! The adhesive covers the whole back of the note except for a narrow strip at the bottom (or top, if you prefer)edge, giving you a way to grasp it for removal.
Don’t scoff – you’re gonna love these things more than Velcro! BONUS: They also come in “super-sticky”, making the world practically perfect in every way. The 3M Company isn’t messing around when it comes to its sticky business. Under the Post-It section of their web site, you’ll find over 300 choices when searching for the perfect note!
You may have a little trouble finding them in your typical discount stores.Staplescarries them, but being a bargain hunter, I order mine from Amazon.com here. They’re great for filling in your order for free shipping.
The “Freebie Rules” have changed recently to make it easier for you to win, so read on, SUBSCRIBE and share this post with all your friends so they can enter also. A winner will be chosen at random from those subscribers who enter today by leaving a comment which says, “I’ll take the notes!”
And now, here are the revised rules.
First Friday Freebies are available to SUBSCRIBERS ONLY. That means if you have come to this post through social media or someone has emailed you a link to it and you haven’t become a subscriber yet, you’ll need to hop on over to the right sidebar and do that really quick. If you are on a phone or tablet, the easiest way is to go to the “About Me” page. All it means to be a subscriber is that you’ll receive an email each time Midwest Storyteller has something new, which won’t likely be more than once or twice a week. It keeps you from missing out on all the fun and FREE STUFF! And, I’m not sharing your emails with anybody.
IMPORTANT: After subscribing, you MUST check your email to confirm the subscription or it will not appear. Then, sadly, you won’t be eligible to enter.
To enter the drawing, scroll back up to the top of this post and under the title, click on “Leave a Comment”. Subscribers who comment as directed before midnight on Friday will enter the drawing, provided they are already on the subscribers list and live within the continental United States.
Three simple steps!
Now hurry! Go! Go! Go! Subscribe, Confirm and Enter before midnight tonight, January 5th!
Did you miss the last Freebie? Check it out here. Don’t forget to “Share” and “Pin” and by all means, “Leave a Comment”. Share the nifty-est “life-changing” thing you’ve discovered.
After Christmas, what I’d really like is a long winter’s nap. The rest of the world, however, keeps trying to tell me year after year after ever-lovin’ year that now is the time to lose weight, organize myself and all my surroundings as though I have Martha Stewart’s minions at my beck and call and (using colorful flow charts, of course) reassess where I’m going in life. By the way, love that Martha. She knows her stuff!
I know where I’m going. I’m going to the kitchen to make some Pomegranate Raspberry Green Tea so that I can scoop up Phoebe June if she’s in the mood and settle onto the sofa under the furry throw and let it be -8 degrees outside if it feels like it.
I shared with my family as we gathered for Christmas that I believe we’re doing this all wrong! With the current system, we merely set ourselves up for frustration and failure – at least in the climate of the Midwest.
Why not, I asked, celebrate the new year in spring? The third week in March, when the equinox turns us all toward sunnier days, we’ll all be full of fizz and ready to get out and walk off the pounds, eat foods that aren’t piping hot and covered with melted cheese, move out the junk and organize what’s left in hopes of creating a nice spot for a vase of fresh hyacinths and maybe – just maybe – give a hoot once again about heading somewhere in life other than closer to the fire.
I fall in line with the Phoebe June Philosophy –
I try, though. Really, I try. Smuffy might dispute that. He’s one of those people who asks who’s been at his desk if he finds the tape and stapler lined up in reverse order. I’m one of those people who digs for the stapler, knowing that it’s under there somewhere. It makes me cry sometimes, and sometimes I get really organized, but it never seems to last for long.
Sometimes, it helps me to experiment with a “design re-mix”. I love jewelry and I always seemed to be leaving little stashes of it on the nightstand, even though I had a roomy jewelry armoire on the other side of the room I could have easily put it in. One day, when rearranging furniture, the armoire ended up much closer to the door. Suddenly, after years and years, I found myself taking off my jewelry and putting it away as soon as I entered the room. The new arrangement just seemed to function with how I think.
I’m always finding “helpful” ideas to spur me toward getting my act together in a Smuffy sort of way, but (hear me sigh) I tend to reject them or, to be honest – lose them. If I had a dollar for everything I lost between December 1st and the 25th, I could go out and buy Christmas all over again!
I do like using a planner, but mine is homemade. I can’t seem to think like the pre-fab ones want me to. It works better for me to use a small binder that holds 8 ½ X 5 ½” ruled sheets and create my own.
In the front, I insert monthly calendar pages that I print out myself. Behind those, I use tab dividers where I create sections pertaining to my life such as Blog, Novel, Around the House, Health, Shopping, DIY, Gifts, Scrapbooking, Ancestry and Dates to Remember. I like to include an inspirational section where I can jot down quotes or Scriptures that encourage me or that I can share with someone else.
I take my planner along on appointments and shopping trips. That way, I can ask all the questions that have been popping into my mind since the last appointment (and find the answers when I get home) and I can look for elusive items and have measurements on hand when I find them.
Now, let me be clear about something. My creative space, though it may look better than it did a week ago, remains a place I’d still find myself apologizing for if you walked into it right now. Not a chance of seeing a photo of this post-finishing three novels/holiday preparation/getting a new kitten disaster! I do however, want to share something that I try to work with every year.
I’m often seeing lists that offer to help me “eat my elephant one bite at a time”. Most of the time, they just don’t fit with my life in one way or another. Others must have been written by someone living in a totally different climate. (Who wants to clean closets in April? It’s plantin’ time!) We all have to face the truth, even if we’re self-professed “messies” – we don’t thrive in chaos. A reasonable amount of order calms us, eases our frustrations and – DANG IT! – helps us find the stapler! As much as I love wasting time, there’s only so much of it and the more unorganized we are, the easier it seems to slip away.
Here’s the list I’ve adapted for my lifestyle and the climate we live in. The best thing I’ve found about this list? None of it matters! I have given myself the gift of releasing each and every item to the winds of time and tides of happenstance. There will be, sadly, deaths in the family. There will be, joyfully, vacations and surprises! This last year, with the frantic push to complete the novel series, none of it got done except in little half-hour snatches of time and I’ve told myself that it’s OK! After all, I was busy doing something great, right?
I hope this list helps you make one of your own and I hope you don’t get bogged down by it! Adapt the items to your lifestyle and write one across each week of your 2018 calendar.
Remember to read all the way to the end of the post because the First Friday Freebie is upon us!
I’d love your comments! These aren’t the huge jobs you may tackle during the year such as cleaning out the whole garage or putting new siding on the house or installing a fish pond. These are the smaller, often ignored things that really frustrate us when they’re all piled up and the stapler becomes a minor player amongst the things that have gone missing. I’d love to hear your ideas on things we could add to the list.
SUBSCRIBE and SHARE so that your friends can do likewise and you can all be in the drawing for January’s FREEBIE! It’s coming up Friday for subscribers only. Here are the rules:
First Friday Freebies are available to SUBSCRIBERS ONLY. That means if you have come to this post through social media or someone has emailed you a link to it and you haven’t become a subscriber yet, you’ll need to hop on over to the right sidebar and do that really quick. If you are on a phone or tablet, the easiest way is to go to the “About Me” page. All it means to be a subscriber is that you’ll receive an email each time Midwest Storyteller has something new, which won’t likely be more than once or twice a week. It keeps you from missing out on all the fun and FREE STUFF! And, I’m not sharing your emails with anybody.
IMPORTANT: After subscribing, you MUST check your email to confirm the subscription or it will not appear. Then, sadly, you won’t be eligible to enter.
To enter the drawing, scroll back up to the top of this post and under the title, click on “Leave a Comment”. Subscribers who comment as directed before midnight on Friday will enter the drawing, provided they are already on the subscribers list and live within the continental United States.
There! Now that you’ve subscribed, you can hurry on to organize your creative space and put away all the Christmas decorations. If you need help, just consult Martha – she’s much better at it than I am and hers always turns out “perfect”!
Oh, my goodness! That reminds me – Martha’s calendar always schedules a specific date for her to trim her donkeys’ hooves! Now, how in the world did I manage to leave that off my list?
Want more encouragement so you can thrive in 2018? Check out “Life, Laughter and Lemons” here!
Hustle and Bustle is right – and we don’t even have small children in the house! I LOVE Christmas, so I suppose I create my own hustle and bustle as I think of one more special thing I can wrap up or make special. This year, though my oven went out the week before Christmas, I take heart that I do not face these challenges alone. Nope – not me! I’ve got a new “helper”! There’s nothing like bringing an eight-week-old kitten into a house full of Christmas trees, paper, ribbons and freshly baked goodies.
Meet Phoebe June – we adopted her on December 7th.
This face explains why the blog has been silent since the First Friday Freebie! Things are busy here – really busy! Phoebe is clingy, and vocal, and so overly attached to me that it’s pitiful. And, I’m having a ball! I have to admit that I couldn’t be more tickled to have her if I were four years old! There’s something about having a cat that gives me joy and helps me thrive. Smuffy scored BIG points by getting me a kitty for our anniversary. He is, however, getting a little tired of hearing all the baby-talk as I coo over my precious little ball of fur.
It’s been about a decade since we’ve had a kitty and the house has gradually become less and less kitty-proof. So…Christmas + Phoebe = Not-Accomplishing-Much-Except-for-Wildcat-Patrol.
I wanted to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and I thought I would do so by sharing something that I wrote a few years ago when, as I prepared for Christmas, I was exhausted to the brink of collapse. It might make you smile and you may be able to pass it on to someone else who is feeling the stress of life – be it good stress or bad.
Enjoy your family, friends, (and of course, the furry family members) and take time to remember why we celebrate Christmas! God Bless You!
I
