Tuesday, December 19, 2017

It's a Wonderful Life



There is nothing like an old movie to teach a lesson. . .or several lessons. . .about LIFE. . .and to touch the heartstrings at the same time. . .The title alone of IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE brings to mind the many BLESSINGS  we often forget. . .of the positives in our lives. . .


The story actually began as a CHRISTMAS CARD. . .Philip Von Doren Stern decided to write the HOLIDAY TALE as a gift to friends and family. . .Entitled THE GREATEST GIFT, Stern printed 200 copies of his short story, making it a rather thick 21-page card. . .One of the producers at RKO Pictures. . .Frank Capra. . .scurried to obtain the movie rights, paying $10,000 for the CHRISTMAS tale in 1943. He told Stern that it was a story he had spent a lifetime to find. . .In 1946, the movie was released. . .becoming an icon of all that is good even when things go wrong. . .








'Every time a BELL rings, an ANGEL gets his wings. . .'
That sentence is famous and so often quoted. . .Even as a child, I knew that when I heard a bell ring, there was another ANGEL in Heaven. . .I just about drove my Mom crazy one year. . .I took those words to heart, roaming around the house, ringing a SMALL BELL that Mom had placed on the mantle. . .I must have helped hundreds of ANGELS that year. . .before she hid the bell. . .


As much as I love Angels. . .I think the bigger story is all about a STAR. . .and that Star is You. . .and me. . .
One of the most precious gifts I received from my Dad was given to me one day. . .'just because'. . . It was a small card of handmade SILVER EARRINGS. . .a SMALL STAR at the top and a LARGER STAR dangling from it. . .Signed by the artist, Daddy bought  them on one of his trips West. . .The expense was minimal but what he wrote on the card was PRICELESS. . .It read: ' You are MY SHINING STAR.'. .with the last three words in big letters and underlined. . .Need I tell you how precious those five words were to me--and still are? . .That one little gesture of LOVE for me. . .and FAITH in me. . .has remained in my mind through many hard times. . .It wasn't some expensive tech item. . .It was something from his HEART. . .Just five little words. . .


 "Each man's life touches so many other lives, and when he isn't around he leaves an awful hole, doesn't he?" says the angel Clarence to George Bailey.
The point is, we have no idea how significantly our lives affect others. . .and that no matter how menial our life might seem. . .we are still SHINING STARS. . .One of the obvious lessons of It's a Wonderful Life is that, without George around, so many things would have been different. . .It is the same truth 74 years later. 


And so my friends. . .for this Christmas, I'd like to thank your for being our STARS. . .for following THE COUNTRY FARM HOME, DUNCAN FARMSTEAD, and OUR OLD COUNTRY STORE. . . encouraging us to move onward. . .It's because of you that so many BLESSINGS and HONORS have come to us. . .You have shined so BRIGHTLY  in both our lives. . .


We're both wishing you a TRULY WONDERFUL and AMAZING CHRISTMAS. . .and that the NEW YEAR will bring ABUNDANT BLESSINGS your way.




Well folks. . .
'THAT'S A WRAP'. . .
(I've always wanted to say that). . .
We'll be visiting with you again in 2018. . .I have some EXCITING NEWS. . .and of course, we'll be sharing more of our own WONDERFUL LIFE here at THE FARM. . .


Don't miss it. . .at DUNCAN FARMSTEAD





Thursday, December 14, 2017

Angels-Reindeer-Candlelight: A Little Thrifty Christmas Inspiration



Do you tire of the same old Christmas decorations you've used over and over, year after year? . .I admit that I have. . .which has led me to be a bit unconventional this year with my Christmas colors. . .If you haven't noticed in previous posts, LIME GREEN and WHITE have set the THEME. . .It all came about when I visited our local Goodwill with Christmas in mind. . .I was tired of the traditional. . .tired of most of the decorations I've seen year after year. . .I wanted NATURAL elements. . .something SIMPLE but STRIKING. . .and most of all. . .things that I wouldn't have to pack up the first of the year. . .


Our white kitchen with it's wall of cast iron skillets, along with the black and white checkerboard floor in the keeping room are pretty easy to add any pops of COLOR. . .like icing on the cake. . .I had no idea what color I wanted, but quickly I found my INSPIRATION PIECE. . .Of all things. . .it was a LIME GREEN POLKA DOT dust ruffle. . .perfect for table runners. . .All I had to do was detach the outer fabric and hem one edge. . .


Once I saw the dust ruffle, I knew the direction I was going. . .LIME GREEN and WHITE. . .Down another aisle I found Hallmark All Occasion WRAPPING PAPER in the same colors. . .At Lowes I found EVERGREENS on clearance for $2-$3. . .I bought five. . .At a dollar store I picked up WHITE GLITTER TREE ORNAMENTS, SNOWFLAKES and several boxes of emergency CANDLES. . .



at Aldi's I bought an extra bag of Granny Smith APPLES. . .



At Dirt Cheap I found a beautiful smocked white VELVET PILLOW. . .

What FUN. . .






Back at home, I headed for our own EVERGREENS where I cut branches for the old ICE CREAM BUCKET, which I had spray white earlier in the year. . .Some HONEYSUCKLE VINE to surround the bucket. . .




My favorite brass REINDEER came out of storage. . .as did the ANGELS. . .White IRONSTONE and CHINA from my collection. . .mix and match. . .



It all came together quickly. . .from a Goodwill dust ruffle inspiration. 
It's SIMPLE. . .it's CHEERY. . .it's PLAYFUL. . .We LOVE it. . .




And. . .when Christmas is over. . .the EVERGREENS will be planted outdoors. . .the APPLES will be eaten (if not before). . .the WHITE IRONSTONE and CHINA will go back in the cupboard. . .the ICE CREAM BUCKET will go by the fireplace. . .the white PILLOW will remain for the winter. . .The ANGEL, REINDEER and ORNAMENTS will be the only items to store. . .LOVE IT. . .


Not bad on the pocketbook either. . . 

Dust Ruffle--$2
Hallmark Wrapping Paper--$.50
White Glitter Tree Ornaments--$2
Snowflake Ornaments--$1
Emergency Candles (2 boxes )--$2
Ribbon--$1
Evergreens (5)--$10
Granny Smith Apples--$1.99
Smocked White Velvet Pillow--$5

From around the house:
Brass Reindeer Candlesticks
Single Candlesticks
Angels
Ice Cream Bucket
String for Packages
Honeysuckle Vine
Evergreen Cuttings

Total Expense: $25.49

 

I hope I've inspired you just a little. . .I do greatly admire the homes that are all tinsel and lights. . .There are some absolutely gorgeous examples on the blogs and Pinterest. . .I enjoy and admire them all. . .I've had many years of decorating in the same way. . .But for the last couple of years, we've come to enjoy a more NATURAL, SIMPLE CHRISTMAS. . .and have realized that we have extra time--with less stress--for enjoying the HOLIDAYS and EACH OTHER. . .and that's a VERY GOOD THING. . .




Wednesday, December 6, 2017

Another Corner of the Christmas Farmhouse Kitchen



Black Friday is over and my FARMHOUSE KITCHEN is getting back to the lighter side of Plain and Simple. . .The days are so gray now that I enjoy being inspired by choices that reflect as much light as possible. . .but then. . .I do like the candlelight, too. . .


Christmas is coming way too fast, isn't it? . .I realized this morning that there is only nineteen more days left. . .All my planning and 'doing' ahead and I'm still behind in wrapping packages and mailing gifts. . .not to mention sending Christmas cards. . .And, John's fruit cake hasn't been baked. . .It will need time to soak up the bourbon from the cheesecloth wrapping. . .He refuses to celebrate Christmas without a fruit cake. . .


His Mom was a great cook. . .In fact, she baked for the private school that John attended as a child. . .He still misses her every year when Christmas rolls around. . .and her fruit cake. . .He says I've perfected it over the years, but I think he's just being nice. . .I do my best without her recipe. . .Each year he does get a little misty-eyed when I unveil my latest attempt for the perfect concoction of fruit, pecans, cinnamon and spices. . .

 
For me, I think I enjoy carrying on the tradition of baking for others and surprising them with the goodies. . .I'm totally happy puttering around the kitchen with Red Velvet Cake all over me. . .listening to Christmas songs on the radio. . .remembering all the women in my family spending a lot of time in their kitchens of the past. . .I remember Mom trying to make one special dessert for each of us. . .our favorites. . .For  me, it was Jam Cake. . .for my brother it was Pound Cake with Orange Sauce. . .For Daddy it was anything sweet but Aunt Mamie did please him each year with Lemon Ice Box pies. . .He loved those pies. . .


The women in my family didn't bake just for the family. . .They would send sweet homemade treats to neighbors and friends. . .and to those who worked on the farms. . .I remember Mom telling the story of  Ole Blucher, my Grandmother's gardener, who lived in a little shack out back of her house. . .He never wanted a gift of money. . .or of clothes. . .or of Russell Stover Candy. . .He only wanted Grandmother's Sweet Potato Pies (She would make him two). . .and maybe a bottle of her Muscadine Wine. . .purely medicinal, you know. . .


So many family traditions. . .so many years of gathering them. . .but, that's what memories are for. . .to relive in one's mind the traditions that time and life have changed. . .but to keep the ones that work for us and our families now. . .Can't keep them all. . .Yet, there are some that we never consider not including. . .like John's fruit cake. . .



Hmmm. . .Now that I'm thinking about it. . .where DID I put that bourbon last year?



CHECK OUT SOME OF THE FAMILY RECIPES 
UNDER 'SEASONED SOUTHERN STYLE'
IN THE RIGHT HAND COLUMN. . .





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