A Place Like This......

Sailing Away...........

                         

It all started over a love of Toast. Before I knew it, I was discovering new friends in far off places. It was an immediate response to a heartfelt invitation. No not an invitation of words but the pulling of heart strings. .....and so it began, the journey to embrace my inner child. The rest they say is history.

                          

        

                                            The Fisherman's prayer:

                                            O God, be good to me,

                                            the sea is so wide and

                                            my boat is so small.

                                            (author unknown)

       

                           

                            

          

  

This happy fleet will find it's way to little boy O's ship room, where they will be in great company. This was so much more than a craft kit but an entire experience. You too are invited on this journey. Oh and don't forget to look here too. Wherever your boat takes you have a great weekend.

Psssst......there's a great give away over at petalplum but you will have to hurry.

My Morning Stroll

       

Everyday before my little household wakes up I find myself alone in one of two places. In winter I am wrapped up in a blanket sitting on my screen porch, viewing the mountains as the sun comes up. In summer,I wander around my garden and see how things have evolved while I've been asleep. These moments I take to get myself settled in the new day.

Anne Lamott in her book ,"Bird by Bird "talks about gardens as a metaphor for writers...."The garden didn't start out as metaphor but as paradise. Then, as now, the garden is about life and beauty and the impermanence of all living things. The garden is about feeding your children, providing food for the tribe. It's part of an urgent territorial drive that we can probably trace back to animals storng food......And so you pour yourself into it, care so much, and see up close so much birth and growth and beauty and danger and triumph........."

And  as my day emerges from it's sleepy slumber, so does my garden and all of the goodness that I am wishing for my little family upstairs asleep.  Have a wonderful and great day !

      

                          

                         

                         

Project Spectrum Skorpa

The color of the season is yellow. I love yellow. For starters I needed to stay with tradition and make saffrans skorpa. What is this you ask ? From the lovely island of Gotland, in Sweden, there is someone making this lovely biscotti to have with their coffee. Kids and cats alike, as well as, the young at heart cannot resist saffrans skorpa.  Participating in my first ever Project Spectrum I happily deliver the skorpa.

                           

                          

1 package active dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees)

3/4 cup milk

1/2 cup (1 stick ) butter, melted

1 teaspoon saffron threads (a good pinch or two)

1/2 to 3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom ( optional)

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup currants

2 eggs, warmed

4 to 4 1/2 cups flour

1 large egg, beaten

Sugar sprinkles, optional

1 cup raisins (optional)

(similar to Biscotti)
To make the dough: In a large bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water. Add a pinch of sugar. Heat the milk and add the melted butter to it; cool until the mixture is lukewarm.
Pulverize the saffron with 1 teaspoon of the sugar, using a mortar and pestle or with the back of a spoon in a small dish. Add 1 tablespoon of the warm milk-and-butter mixture and allow the saffron to steep for 5 minutes.
Add the saffron mixture, milk-and-butter mixture, sugar, salt, currants and eggs to the yeast. Using an electric blender on medium speed, beat until blended. Add 2 cups flour and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Add 2 cups of the remaining flour and mix with a wooden spoon to make a medium-stiff dough. Let dough rest for 15 minutes.
Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured board. Knead for 8 minutes or until the dough is smooth and satiny. Place the dough in a clean, lightly oiled bowl. Turn the dough over to lightly oil the top. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.
To make a braided wreath: Punch the dough down and divide into 3 parts. With the palms of your hands, roll and shape each part into a rope-like strand about 36 inches long. Braid the strands by aligning them vertically and alternately crossing each outer strand over the center strand. Shape the braid into a circle and place on a greased or parchment-covered baking sheet. Pinch the ends together where they meet to seal the strands and to conceal the beginning and end of the braid.
Transfer to the baking sheet. Brush with the beaten egg. Sprinkle with sugar sprinkles if using. Let rise for about 45 minutes or just until puffy.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until lightly browned, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the dough comes out clean and dry.
Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 300 degrees F. Carefully cut each rectangle into 1/2-in. slices. Place slices with cut side down on baking sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes longer.
Note: To make two smaller wreaths: Divide the dough into 2 parts and braid as above. Place each wreath on a baking sheet, allow to rise and bake for about 20 minutes.

** This authentic recipe is from Beatrice Ojakangas's "Scandinavian Feasts" (University of Minnesota Press)

http://www.beatrice-ojakangas.com/

         

It's Not Impossible

It's not Impossible to have a little celebration for the end of school, yes that's right, the very last day of school. So the young lass says to her momma,"Let's go celebrate with many friends of all ages to the square room."

...and the momma thought about this before she asked, "Who's playing little girl ?"

"Ben" was the answer.

and so we went and we were happy.

and Ben was happy to be in the square room too.

          
For some happiness near you

Together We Build

• Two friends, one a lego designer, the other an animator/inventor.
• Four hands
• May's edition of Book of Days
• the recycling bins
•  scissors,glue, and a little bit of duck tape.

                        

                         

          

        

               

Makes for an afternoon of machine inventing.

                      

       

How to survive a little heartbreak........

Into every life a little rain must fall.........

                         

As you read this dear blogging friends, I will be in an airplane on my way home to Portland,Oregon. My dad's cancer treatments have left him very sick and so weak, but most of all a little sad. I'm going to cheer him up!!!!! Best of all....I'm just going to love the greatest guy in the world...or one of them anyway.

We are all a little sad over here. So how do we deal with our sadness ? Wellllllll,...... together of course.

 We have come up with many ideas that can help us to live in the moment and gently move us forward. Thank you for letting me share this. It's helps so much.

• It's ok to be sad. Cry. Let it out. Might I suggest Luciano aka lucy piano, and Andrea. There is nothing better than crying to italian opera. Put it on a loop, and play it loud to get the full effect.

• After you dry your tears,Be Thankful. Even sad times hold a lesson. We are thankful that we can learn in this moment. "If the only prayer you said in your life was "thank you" it would suffice." Eckhart.

• With your talents bring comfort, hope, and help to an other.

• Show the places you've been by wearing great beads. Tinker around with things found in the recycling bins. Commune with nature. Ultimately create something everyday that reflects who you are and how you are feeling in that moment.

• love the animal of your choice

• .....and above all else be kind. Zoe Weil said this and she's right. Kindness is such a great gift to give and to receive.

I will be back on the blog next Wednesday. I go with zero expectations and much hope that dad and I can share some close moments. Have a great rest of the week and weekend.~

The most wonderful day .....ever.

A day filled with love and warm wishes.

Flowers.

                      

Books.

A trip to the Stuga on the lake and.....

                     

a great meal prepared by the daddy's for the mommy's and all of their collective children.

                    

songs sung

                     

and the best part........chocolate cake.

                    

Thank you sweet family!

I hope you had a wonderful mother's day and shared it with the people that make your world special.

In Celebration.....Happy Mother's Day

To all of us who love mothering and wouldn't want to be anyplace else......and to our mother's who loved us so much.

    

             

Treehouse Building Part II

There were some important things to consider before we started building our dreamed of treehouse. First, where would we put it? How high up should it be so that little O boy and friends would be safe ? and lastly, who would help us build it ?

        

After spending an entire morning walking through our forest we finally decided to put the tree up on stilts between four trees. "O" was worried that actually building into the tree would hurt the tree, so this solution proved popular.

    

Our favorite friends and handy people said they could give us a lending hand and felt it was so important for Omar to be down there building it with them.

Off they went to survey the area..........

      

It was time to start cutting wood and building the deck.

                       

                    

                   

      

       

"O" talking with the guys about what to do next.

                     

And now it's back to work.

      

                           

                      

The first day of building was an exciting success. He could hardly wait "for tomorrow to come."  He was up bright and early and waiting for his building friends.......to be continued.

Unraveled........

        

She knew that her mother was a knitter. Though they had carpooled to the library because inclement weather didn't allow her to ride her bike, she had no way of knowing that her mother was there under "false" pretenses.

While she labored on her physics project, a few feet behind her many women were gathering. Not knowing that project bag after project bag, book after pattern book was being oohed and awed over and ultimately passed around.

     

      

Needing sustenance from the library cafe, the young girl turned around to...........

                         

                     

Spinning wool........and a complete and indiscriminate display of Knitting In Public !

                        

and the question "Mom ? What are you doing ?" .......Mom,..........the library is for books.........Mom ?

                        

Oh, not anymore sweet one......not anymore. The Maryville Ravelry group meets almost every Sunday from 1-5pm at the Blount County Library. Please come join us if you are in town. You can check our schedule at the Maryville Ravelers on www.ravelry.com.