Armchair Travel Tuesday: India and Italy

Secret Daughter by Shilipi Somaya Gowda

On the eve of the monsoons, in a remote Indian village, Kavita gives birth to a baby girl. But in a culture that favors sons, the only way for Kavita to save her newborn daughter's life is to give her away. It is a decision that will haunt her and her husband for the rest of their lives, even after the arrival of their cherished son.

Halfway around the globe, Somer, an American doctor, decides to adopt a child after making the wrenching discovery that she will never have one of her own. When she and her husband, Krishnan, see a photo of the baby with the gold-flecked eyes from a Mumbai orphanage, they are overwhelmed with emotion. Somer knows life will change with the adoption but is convinced that the love they already feel will overcome all obstacles. Interweaving the stories of Kavita, Somer, and the child that binds both of their destinies, Secret Daughter poignantly explores the emotional terrain of motherhood, loss, identity, and love, as witnessed through the lives of two families—one Indian, one American—and the child that indelibly connects them.(taken from back cover)
"Asha finds it difficult to keep up with Meena as she maneuvers the sidewalk, darting through its assorted population: men who spit carelessly on the ground, scrawny dogs without owner, children begging for change. And as hazardous as it is on the sidewalk, the roads seem infinitely worse: cars weave in and out of lanes and pay little attention to traffic signals, double-decker buses careen dangerously close to oblivious cows and goats. "There are one billion people living in India," Meena says, "and nearly ninety percent of them live outside major cities, that means small towns and villages..."
You can visit Shilpi Somaya Gowda's website here

Halfway to Each Other by Susan Pohlman

" Sometimes humans beg for battles to be taken away from them, not realizing that only in struggling with shadows is the Light made manifest."
W. Michael Gear

Halfway to Each Other follows the life of Susan and Tim as they and their two teenage children spend a year in Italy. Not knowing anyone in the country and not speaking much Italian, the family rebuilds their lives. This time though, they have to depend upon each other.
Instead of seeing each other for fleeting moments in the mornings and evenings, the family starts to spend their days together rediscovering the simple joys that bring texture and meaning to all our lives. Travel with them as they stumble upon new customs, explore medieval alleyways, browse street markets, befriend neighbors, learn to cook, and try a new language.... Amidst the chaos of daily life, we often forget to make time for each other. How wonderful would it be to just slow down and find out what's really important? (amazon review)
"Suddenly I had the deep sense that God was somehow involved in this as it went against all I knew to be safe and logical. This was one of those paths He wanted us to wander. Somewhere up ahead we would happen upon the treasure He was waiting for us to discover. I had lived long enough to know that the "treasure" often comes in packages one isn't expecting, and that treasure isn't necessarily monetary. Sometimes it is in a person to be met or a tough life lesson to be learned....
Sometimes this new guide to life is about good old-fashioned faith. When an unexpected opportunity or challenge lands in my lap, I now do my best to look at it with new eyes. Eyes that see possibility rather than the ones that used to see roadblocks and hazard warnings."
You can read more about Susan and her family's experience living in Italy over at her blog here
The descriptions in both of these books are detailed and exquisite as we journey with each family through the trials and challenges of life as they overcome obstacles. Each country comes alive, making me feel like I have travelled to India as well as to Italy.

Namaste and Arrivederci!

Fickle February brings Snow Day

Fickle:
–adjective
1.
likely to change, especially due to caprice, irresolution, or instability;
casually changeable:
fickle weather.

I was too optimistic yesterday.
I should have known that it was too good to be true and that it wouldn't last. I should have reminded myself that no one opens windows in February thinking that it might just welcome Spring into their home. How could I have been so foolish?
Although I am so done with winter blizzards and snow storms and squalls and white-outs and cold weather and blustery days and Fickle February,
I promised myself that I would embrace the Seasons in the good times and in the bad times, so here I go:

♥ I am so thankful for this blustery day so that I can complete what I didn't get done yesterday
♥ I am so thankful for a warm and cosy home
♥ I am so thankful for the fresh cookies coming out of the oven
♥ I am so thankful for the mountains of laundry getting conquered
♥ I am so thankful for the storage shelves that hubby is making in the basement so I can continue in my quest for a more organized home
♥ I am so thankful for the snippets of reading I can get done before returning this wonderful book to the library this afternoon

In this debut novel, Peter is a simple man who lives by a simple truth--a person gains strength by leaning on his constants. To him, those constants are the factory where he works, the family he loves, and the God who sustains him. But when news of job cuts comes against the backdrop of an unexpected snowstorm, his life becomes filled with far more doubts than certainties.
With humor and a gift for storytelling, Billy Coffey brings you along as he spends his snow day encountering family, friends, and strangers of his small Virginia town. All have had their own battles with life's storms. Some have found redemption. Others are still seeking it. But each one offers a piece to the puzzle of why we must sometimes suffer loss, and each one will help Peter find a greater truth--our lives are made beautiful not by our big moments, but our little ones. (2010) Amazon Review

My sentiments are shared in this wonderful review:

"Set against a Blue Ridge Mountain backdrop, peopled with a colorful cast, and seasoned with small-town Southern charm, Billy Coffey's SNOW DAY will make readers want to live aware--to discover the divine in ordinary places among common folk. Each chapter is a story in itself, a jewel sparkling with wisdom. Strung together, the shimmering strand adorns simple truth: Life may be hard, but God is good. Detours happen by design. One way or another, the road leads home. So pay attention. Laugh. Wonder. And, sweet fancy Moses, don't forget to pick up the bread and milk."
(Jeanne Damoff, author of Parting the Waters: Finding Beauty in Brokenness )

Here are a few excerpts for you:
"Life wasn't all about pulling through to face brighter days. Sometimes it was about spending some time in the darkness and being soaked by the rain. Life hunted us with a big net, and sooner or later it would draw all of us in. It didn't matter how good or pious or hardworking we were. But that was not a sad realization for me. It was a good one. I knew in the darkest night of my soul, that God would still be there, shining a candle for me and asking me to follow Him. He knew the way out. And He would give me more than I could bear only to prove that there was nothing we couldn't bear together...
...Maybe God wasn't as concerned about our comfort as we were. Maybe things like trust and faith meant more. Which was why He would allow us a little discomfort sometimes. We would hurt little, yes. But we would learn more. We would learn that when the smooth road we're driving on ends at a cliff, He'll be there to catch us. Knowing that seemed important to me. It was the difference between covering my face in fear and spreading my arms in anticipation.
Enjoy the ride. Yes. That was my favourite rule too. And one much easier to obey if I realized that pain had its purpose in my life. That the deeper it bored into my heart, the more room it made for joy later on.
There were things like love, for instance. And time. And dreams and hopes and company. We were all rich in those, wealthy beyond measure, but each day we chose to cast all the wealth aside and live in the poverty of worldly gain. What crazy people we were. No wonder the world was so messed up. We had everything backwards. We were all living outside in with the hope that what we surround ourselves with would make us better people. We needed to live inside out with the hope that what came out of us would make the world better....Pay attention. Laugh. Wonder..."

Snow Day is about the author's journey in rediscovering his faith and purpose as he learns to trust in His heavenly Father.
I love his writing style and thought-provoking chapters, concluding that God's plans and purposes are always for our good. You can read more of his thoughts over at his blog here.
I love how he celebrates Home.


And the cookies I made to take along for our visit with H&M will have to be enjoyed here as we decided not to venture out due to the weather. I promise that I will make them again for next week when we reschedule our visit but in the meantime, thank you M for the lovely phone conversation we could have and remember that I love you more than chocolate chip cookies:)

A Productive Day

I know it's a wee bit early for Spring Cleaning, but after weeks of below zero weather, today was the perfect day to get a taste of Spring with temperatures hovering around 8'c with blue skies and sunshine. Inspired by the book Organized Simplicity and equipped with the necessary tools for cleaning, I set about to tackle the upstairs of our home...

This was the perfect time to focus on the bedrooms and bathroom as all four of our children are gone at the moment, so there would be no interruptions while I worked away.
I stripped beds, took curtains down, removed the shower curtains, hung loads of laundry on the clothesline...
The sunshine and wind made for a speedy drying job!

I scrubbed the bathroom from the ceiling down, doing walls, tub surround, toilet, sink etc.
I washed the shower curtains and hung them out to dry as well. Don't you just love a sparkling bathroom!
With teens and young adults in the house, this is not as common as I'd like!

Because I was washing the window coverings, I had to clean windows too! Our house is fairly old by Canadian standards, (over 100 years...young compared to Europe!) so it is more work to maintain it. As I was standing on the porch roof to do the outside of the windows, I noticed that the trim work or corbels as my hubby refers to them as, need to be re-painted...it's now added to the honey-do list:)

Glorious sunshine streaming through gleaming windows:

As I was cleaning the girls' room, I was thinking of and praying for them. I love how their bedroom reflects their interests. Oldest daughter K has a passion for India and took these photos on one of her trips there:

Middle daughter J has a passion for England. Several years ago while she was living there, I came for a visit. We rented a car and navigated the british roads through some of the most beautiful countryside. One of my favourite places to visit was the Cotswolds. This centre photo taken in the quaint village of Bibury, is of Arlington Row:

How can you tell she is a Jane Austen fan?

Her fun Bulletin Board:

The joy of a clean bedroom
with afternoon sun streaming through lace sheers:

Although I have more laundry to finish up,
I am going to take a break to enjoy a cup of tea,
along with my new British Country Living magazine.
Yesterday I spent the day with my dear friend K
while we shared out hearts over coffee/hot chocolate.
She listened, offering words of wisdom and encouragement.
We also enjoyed our shopping trip to Vincenzo's,
browsing some antique shops,
making a stop at our favourite book store,
Chapters where I purchased this magazine:

I just wanted to add:
Thank you again everyone for your kind and thoughtful
words of encouragement and for your prayers.
Another answer to prayer was that I was able to accomplish
so much today with relatively little pain...PTL!
I appreciate you all more than words can say!
Tomorrow we will go to the Niagara area to visit my Mom
as well as our friends, H&M.
On Sunday I am looking forward to having
my three lovely and adorable little nieces and handsome nephew
over for two days so their Dad and Mom can go
on a romantic getaway.
I am really looking forward to it.
Their children are all so precious and dear to me!
May you find simple pleasures and gentle joys in your weekend!
Blessings and love to all!

I Think I can, I Think I can, I Think I can...

A little railroad engine was employed about a station yard for such work as it was built for, pulling a few cars on and off the switches. One morning it was waiting for the next call when a long train of freight-cars asked a large engine in the roundhouse to take it over the hill "I can't; that is too much a pull for me," said the great engine built for hard work. Then the train asked another engine, and another, only to hear excuses and be refused. In desperation, the train asked the little switch engine to draw it up the grade and down on the other side. "I think I can," puffed the little locomotive, and put itself in front of the great heavy train. As it went on the little engine kept bravely puffing faster and faster,
"I think I can, I think I can, I think I can."

As it neared the top of the grade, which had so discouraged the larger engines, it went more slowly. However, it still kept saying, "I--think--I--can, I--think--I--can." It reached the top by drawing on bravery and then went on down the grade, congratulating itself by saying,
"I thought I could, I thought I could."

This story brings back fond memories. When my son N was a little boy, this was the book he always asked me to read and in fact had it memorized by the time he was 4 years old.
He became obsessed with trains and as a result, we have a great collection of Thomas the Tank Engine...trains, books and movies, as well as many more books on the subject of trains. Our dear friend H has an expansive miniature scale train village built and set up in one room in his basement, that N had to visit every time we came over to H&M's home.
He was absolutely mesmerized!

In this book, The Little Engine That Could, we learned together that if the little train could do it, we could do it too if we set our mind to it with determination and perseverance.

Those words came to me when I read this lovely post recently...

Tina at The Quiet Home designed a knitting project that was just so adorable,
right down to the converse shoes.
This was Tina's description:
Rosie is a sweet girl, who is quiet and reflective but loves bright clothes! ♥
She is 16" tall, and is easy to knit. If you can knit, purl, increase and decrease, you can make a Rosie doll! :)

I fell in love with this Rosie doll, so at ease, 'reading' her book the way my children did when they were young. Nostalgia overcame me as I thought:
She makes it sound so easy. Maybe I can do this!

Although I haven't done anything really crafty in years, and have not picked up knitting needles in even longer, I shared this photo with hubby who said:
You can do it! You take on everything with reckless abandon. I know you will do well.
I had to laugh at his word choice for me, but he sure is my cheerleader!
I would have said that I take everything on with enthusiastic or eager trepidation!
(sounds like an oxymoron:)

A few weeks ago I posted about a day trip that my daughter and I took, where we bought material for this project. You can read about it here
I promised my daughter that when I completed the project, I would give the doll to her.
She showed so much interest, watched my progress, and encouraged me on the journey.
I love my family~they truly are the best:)

I had so much fun on this crafting journey! Tina's instructions were so clear, detailed and concise. Perfect for a novice like myself. I did go here and here when I felt uncertain about some of the steps in the pattern. To purchase this pattern for your own project, visit her blog here for more information. Thank you Tina for inspiring me... I am so grateful! ♥

Yesterday afternoon was spent wrapping up my project, then waiting for my daughter to come home so we could settle on a name. (named after my daughter Jill)
And now....

May I introduce to you Jilly, a sweet, kind, thoughtful girl who enjoys reading but prefers to be outdoors in nature, hiking and gardening, loves music and her friends, loves wearing denims along with her favourite converse shoes. ~♥~

Baking, Books and BBB

I have been busy in the kitchen this morning in preparation for my family as well as for Coffee Break, a ladies Bible Study that I attend in our community.
My biggest problem with baking is that I want to try so many recipes that I never know when to stop so I made:
♥ Dutch Spice Cake
♥ Blueberry Bundt Cake
♥ Ginger Cake with Caramel Icing
♥ Blueberry Muffins

The Ginger Cake was a recipe that I found at this wonderful site:
The English Kitchen.
Be sure to drop by for a visit at Marie Raynor's blog and tell her that I sent you.
The cake smells heavenly with all the spices!

Dutch Spice Cake
(It says in my cookbook: Beppe's recipe)

3 cups flour
2 cups brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. cloves
2 cups hot milk

Mix together dry ingredients.
Add hot milk.
Pour into prepared pans and bake at 350' for 1 hour.
Be sure to test for readiness...mine had to be in a little longer than the stated time.
I added 1 cup of mixed Golden and Thompson raisins.
Just wanted to add that I always pour boiling water over the raisins
and let them sit for 5 minutes before draining them,
to clean and plump them up before using in baking.
This recipe is so easy and so perfect anytime with a cup of coffee or tea!

♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

I was sharing with friends the other day about the lingo
my children use when on facebook and when texting, neither of which I do.
Here are some for you, taken from this site:
# as soon as possible - asap
# because – bcuz
# (will) be right back – brb
# by the way – btw
# call me – cm
# don’t know – dk
# excuse me – em
# good morning – gm
# good night – gn
# f2f – face to face
# hand – have a nice day
# have fun – hf
# in my (humble) opinion – imo/imho
# irl – in real life
# jsyk – just so you know
# keep in touch – kit
# laughing out loud – lol
# lmk – let me know
# miss you – mu
# nature – n8r
# okay – k
# running late – ringl8
# see you later – cul8r
# see you tomorrow – cut
# talk to you later – ttyl or ttul
# time to go – t2go
# tyt – take your time

Other Text Messaging Shortcuts

1. Leaving out vowels,
2. removing the e in words ending with e,
3. replacing o with u for correct sound,
4. shortening double consonants to one,
5. replacing i + consonants with y.

My heart goes out to the Teachers
who have to teach proper grammar and punctuation
in this day and age!
That's all I will say on the matter...

* at work –@wrk
* give – giv
* love – luv
* please – plz
* right – ryt
* sorry – sry
* thanks – thx
* through – thru

Although I may not be 'hip' and 'cool' (LOL...laugh out loud)
I do have one short abbreviation that I introduced my dh and dc to.
(dear hubby and dear children)
Are you ready for it?

Allow me to share my brilliant abbrev. with all of you:

BBB
Blessed Beyond Belief!

Annie, over at Annie Joy's Letters wanted me to share my TBR stack...
Yes, another short form to mean:
To Be Read!
This is for you Annie...
I must head out the door to work now
so I will have to share more about the eclectic book stack later....



Blessings on your day, dear and gentle readers!
May you all know what it is to experience being:

♥BBB♥

Although I don't know how accurate the percentages are,
I do know that it should give us cause to reflect and be thankful!


(be sure to pause playlist at the bottom of this screen)

Grandma's Old Fashioned Oatmeal Cookies

Just one more post on Grandma's kitchen, where so much domestic goodness took place in the heart of the home. I am not unrealistic or naive in thinking it was all good 'back then' compared to today. I have read many books on the Great Depression, both here in Canada and abroad, but have come to this conclusion:
The housewife was resourceful and creative with a 'make-do' attitude. I am always amazed when I read about how little the families had, and yet what wonderful memories they cherished.
We have so many modern conveniences that I couldn't imagine doing without, yet I think we have lost some of that frugal resourcefulness...
Which reminds me, that is another of my resolutions this year:
~To become more resourceful and creative
~To 'eat the pantry down' or 'make do'
~to remember that many of the cherished memories of days past were spent at the kitchen table

My hubby teases me that I have too many favourites...flowers, tea cups, books, musicians, authors, artists, recipes, etc.
But I truly love Mary Cook, a gifted story-teller who is a 'favourite' author of mine right along with Gladys Taber. If you have never heard of Mary Cook, and enjoy good old-fashioned stories of times gone by, you must read some of Mary Cook's books. I just love her descriptive details and the humorous way she can tell a story. Here is just a peek at one of her books and an excerpt from one of the many columns she wrote for several newspapers and her CBC Broadcast series in the Ottawa Valley, Canada.
Mother may have been ready for winter inside the house. Every window had been stuffed with pieces of flour bagging, the braided rugs were in place, and the barrels of sauerkraut, pickled herring, and dill pickles were batted down. There was enough wood stacked in the summer kitchen, close to the back door to see us through the winter. The smoke house was full of hanging meat.

Yes, the inside of the house was ready. But inside Mother's heart, she never quite accepted that winter was upon us.

One night we would go to our beds, frost would be covering the grass in the yard, but snow would have yet to arrive. And then we would get out of bed in the morning, and there it would be. Mounds of snow would have fallen through the night, and you could see only the pump and its handle, the cement platform would be completely covered, and the only tracks in the snow would be Father's as he plowed his way from the house to the barn for his early morning chores...
You can read more excerpts from Mary Cook's columns here

More wonderful stories of the depression era can be found in this Reader's Digest book:

And some great stories and hearty recipes
can be found in these 'favourite' library cook books
(you can read reviews at Amazon)

Apple Pie Making by Janet Kruskamp

GRANDMA'S CHOCOLATE CHIP-OATMEAL COOKIES

1 c. shortening or butter
3/4 c. brown sugar
3/4 c. white sugar
2 eggs
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. flour
2 c. oatmeal
1 cup coconut(opt.)
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c. chopped nuts (opt.)
Beat first 7 ingredients in mixer until creamy.
Add flour and beat at low speed.
Stir in by hand oatmeal, chocolate chips and nuts.
Drop by spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Makes about 3 dozen.

My hubby came home from his job a few years ago, with a wooden box laden with vintage goodness for the kitchen. A customer wanted to get rid of the lot and asked my hubby to take it home for me. Although I don't use many of the items and haven't even been able to identify some of them, they bring me a sense of old-fashioned comfort and nostalgia as I reflect on what the tools may have been used for and by whom. I also adore the vintage apron with the morning glories, an old-fashioned flower; a 'favourite' of mine.
This morning I was up early to make Grandma's old fashioned bran muffins as well as the oatmeal cookies as I am leaving shortly to spend the day with middle daughter.

May your days be filled with domestic goodness
and the joy of time spent with family and friends around the table.

Library Basket Lovelies: It's beginning to look alot like....

...Christmas, everywhere I go.
Although it does seem early, there is a festive atmosphere at the malls and at our local library. The tree has been set up, along with the decorations. It is looking so cosy and is such a welcoming place for many in our community. There is a lovely selection of Christmas books, both fiction and non-fiction. My library basket at home is filled with library basket goodness that I thought I would share with you, as I have to return the books today so that someone else may find pleasure and joy in them as well. The pile I am returning are cookbooks as well as craft and decorating books, all including great ideas for gift giving, meal planning, and home decorating. Enjoy!