View from my window

Cold rain attacks the windshield.
Aging bus approaches an endless
row of mismatched mailboxes.
Slows, stops,
absorbs clumps of damp children.
Visiting parents turn back
toward small rectangles of warmth.


One mother remains,
youthful hair caught in a loose ponytail.
Sweatshirt, no coat
or umbrella to shield the rain.
Waiting.
Reaches up---smiles---
catches the invisible, pats it to her cheek.


In turn, blows a kiss of her own
toward the window of glass moving
beyond her reach.
A reminder that love is not bound
by economy or age.

A Fiesta? In our neck of the woods? Indeed!

On a trip to Tahoe two years ago, I was pleased to fly in through Reno.  Some may visit Reno for the gambling, but I was content to spend hours in one place:

True outlet stores bring me a lot of happiness.  (Outlet malls are an entirely different story, btw, and not very enjoyable at all.)  I spent over $100 at Patagonia that day, and had I been in my right mind I would have spent a lot more, stashing away clothes for years to come.  After all, their clothing is nothing short of amazing in terms of construction and durability.  And they only have five outlet stores, located in Utah, Maine, Nevada, California, and Montana---not exactly in our neck of the woods.

Well, while I drool with envy of those who live within driving distance of Patagonia, I imagine there are others who wish they were in my shoes.

For down the back roads and across the Ohio River...

is the town of Newell, WV, home to none other than...

the Homer-Laughlin China Company.

Remember in August, I was extremely fortunate to acquire eight place settings of Fiestaware through a friend's visit to a garage sale?  After dreaming of rainbow-colored dishes for years, I finally have a basic set of my own.

Well, a month ago we decided that we would be hosting dinner this Christmas.  Very exciting!  Cousins from North Carolina, grandparents from both sides, great-grandma Peggy---possibly as many as 15 people for Christmas dinner!  Upon doing the math I decided I would need to acquire a few more plates, a sauceboat, and a few serving pieces.    

I scored four plates and a small platter off Craigslist for a reasonable price.  A good start, but I needed a few more---and there was no way that I was playing the markup game of the department stores.  So the day after Thanksgiving, I decided to head directly to the Homer-Laughlin retail outlet, a mere hour and a half from my home.  (Accompanied by the women of the family, may I add, who were together for the holiday.  Four generations of women piled into my mom's CRV, and we were off on an adventure!)

Upon entering their retail store, you are surrounded by rainbows every which way you look.  This is their room of "firsts"---first quality pieces in every size, color and shape imaginable.  That, however, was not my destination.

This was where I wanted to be...

Welcome to the "seconds" room---pallets stacked high with plates, bowls, platters, etc.---all with a blemish or flaw of some sort.  Some of the mistakes are pretty obvious, yet others are insignificant.  That was the order of the day, to search through and find pieces that were perfectly serviceable, with flaws that most people wouldn't notice.

Below are the pieces I grabbed right away.  (And yes, I mean grabbed, because the seconds room is not for the faint of heart!)  The specialty serveware pieces occupy just a few shelves at the end of the room.  Two men in particular (who resell on eBay, from overhearing their conversation), went directly to the end of the room and starting pulling all the covered butter dishes and sugar/creamer sets.  So while Jewel stayed with Aunt B., I had to jump right in.

I was so pleased to find the salt & pepper, the mini-pitcher creamer and the sauceboat.

I also picked up

---five new dinner plates (three colors I didn't have, btw!)

---a large platter

---a butter dish

---a large water pitcher

---a spoon rest

---two serving bowls

---a mixing bowl

---a relish tray

---eight small cereal bowls

---seven mini fruit bowls

And I have to list some of the prices for you, just because they're amazing.

Plates at Bon-Ton:  $17.00*

Pates at H-L outlet:  $3.16

Sauceboat at Bon-Ton:  $36.00*

Sauceboat at H-L outlet:  $5.60

Large Water Pitcher at Bon-Ton:  $46.00*

Large Water Pitcher at H-L outlet:  $6.40

(*These are Bon-Ton's retail prices on their open stock Fiesta. Granted, they often have a sale of some sort. Regardless, the whole concept of marking the price up so much just so it looks like you're having a sale while covering your profit line turns me off.)

All in all, I acquired approximately $500.00* of Fiesta (*retail price) for less than $100.  A good reminder for all of us that there are deals waiting to be had, if you're willing to seek them out.  I'm feeling very thankful to the Homer-Laughlin China Company, who is willing to make their product affordable to everyday people through their seconds room and their retail outlet.

And...Happy Birthday to me!  This was my mom's (early) gift to her oldest daughter---traveling to the outlet together, helping pick out pieces, and purchasing many of them for me to use at Christmas.  (This was huge for her, btw, because she despises bargain-basement shopping, digging through bins.  Funny, since I enjoy it so very much!  Thanks, Mom!)

Black Friday Options

It's 6:22 a.m., and I'm up & going.  Not because it's Black Friday.  The girls in my family have other plans for today.

Record numbers among my friends and family braved the crowds this morning, many trying to get the latest toys and best deals.  I'm counting my blessings, because I was able to sleep in until 6:00 a.m.  If you were up shopping, I hope you found what you were looking for.

What if you didn't?

If you're in this area, and you're searching for toys that are sure to surprise and please, look no further than our local toy store, Playthings, Etc.

Many of you have seen this amazing store, only to ask, "What is that?"  Shaped like a giant spaceship, the inside of this store is filled with unique playthings you cannot find in a big box toy store or WalMart.

(Image borrowed from the Playthings, Etc. website.)

We took Jewel and My Boy a few weeks ago, for the explicit purpose of seeing what they were interested in.  Fred and I were able to return later for a date night of Christmas shopping, armed with a list of what they had liked best.

Aside from their unusual selection, it pleases me to no end that this store is owned by a family from this area.  The staff members interact personally with each customer that enters, giving tours of the store, demonstrating the latest yo-yos, magic tricks, or juggling toys.  In addition, many of the toys for sale are made in this country. 

So, am I done with my Christmas shopping?  Not at all.  But I have a great start, which allowed me to sit out of Black Friday without a bit of remorse.  Today, everyone will be enjoying a bit of fun.  The guys will be taking My Boy down to the railroad museum just south of here.  We ladies have a special destination all our own...in WV!  Curious?  I'll be back to show you later.)

-Grace

(fyi...as always, I do not receive compensation for writing about a business or product.  When I do so, it's because they've impressed me enough that I want to share about them.  If I get paid to promote something, you'll know about it!)

Happy Thanksgiving!

I've never liked pumpkin pie.  I know that goes against "all things Thanksgiving", that you're supposed to like pumpkin or squash in some form, but I never have.

So it would stand to reason that my daughter loves all things pumpkin:  pumpkin bread, pumpkin roll, etc.  You name it, she likes it.  Pumpkin pie is her favorite.  So for the last few turkey days, even though I won't eat a bite, I have been found in the kitchen baking a pumpkin pie.

I took the pie out of the oven last night around 8:30 and set it on top of the range to cool for two hours (per directions.)  Fred and I were around the house, but not exactly in the kitchen.  And that's when she struck.

I know, she looks all innocent & sleepy.  That's because she's sleeping off the pumpkin pie!  (To be honest, she didn't exactly eat the pie---rather, just licked the top.  Still very gross, whichever way you look at it.)

And here is the pumpkin pie:

And we were singin'

Bye, bye Jewel's pumpkin pie!

You were pretty, then Cree licked you

making Jewel cry.

But Momma cut a tiny piece on the sly,

So little girl can have a taste of her pie.

(I know---cheesy!  I couldn't help it.)

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!  May your day be spent with those you love, reflecting on the good things we've been given.

xoxo,
Grace

Please excuse the mess...

I'm going to be working with Blogger's template design over the next few days.  Please excuse the mess during that time.  All the content will be the same, but it may look very different.  We'll see!

Excited!

So Very Excited!

Here's the cause for the flutter:

Through Nurturing Naturally, I made the acquaintance of Connie Shoemaker, writer for our local paper.  Next Wednesday, she will be bringing a photographer out to do a story on Haven!

Very excited!

Lots to do.  My Boy and I created a list yesterday:

I think I'm this one.

I hope he always thinks his mama has a big smiley face.  (Okay, unrealistic.  But maybe just some of the time?)

-Grace

Which way?

As quickly as it started, it's finished.

I'm talking about my stint in third grade for the last eight weeks.  Two months, over 300 direct instruction lessons later, and I'm done.  I guess it's the whirlwind nature of teaching, but in some ways I feel like I was just getting started---just really getting to know the kids---and now it's over.

Some really good things have come out of this, even aside from the actual "kids learned something" part.  It was a good reminder for me of just how much I love teaching.  In the past I've considered walking away from the profession altogether.  This time in the classroom has helped me realize that I don't want to close the door to working with kids.

I also learned a little bit about my limitations regarding the whole "mom as a teacher" kind of thing.  I needed to schedule my work time differently than I did ten years ago, based on the fact that I now have other people and things at home to consider.  Any work that came home with me was a challenge because of my narcolepsy.  It didn't work well to check papers at night; I was up at 5:00 most mornings to stay on top of things.

The really cool thing is that while all this was going on, our Sunday morning study was on God's call in our lives.  We talked about "occupation" vs. "vocation", how those may or may not overlap in a person's life.  Two weeks ago, we visited the concept of "constantly being called"---about living a life open to the many ways that God calls us to serve others, day in and day out. 

I caught a glimpse of that this fall when I received the call to teach.  It wasn't something I had been looking to
do; rather, I was scared of how everything would play out.  For once in my life, I was willing to step out in a direction that was uncomfortable for me, trusting that God would take care of our family.

For the last eight years, I've been bargaining with God about the future and what I would be called to.  My prayer often sounded like, "God, I'll do whatever you want me to do.  Just show me definitely what that is."  This whole time, I've been seeing myself as so willing to do His will, without seeing that I'm putting conditions on the One who created the Universe.  And if I'm truly willing for Him to work through me, then I have to work on giving up the need to know the plan ahead of time.  

It's not necessary for me to know the trail.  I just need to trust my guide.

Thanks, but I'll bring my own bag from now on.

Reusable grocery bags:  good idea, right?  That's what I said in my post from last year, It's in the Bag.

My friend Jenn posted this to her Facebook page last night, a link to the story that ran in USA Today about levels of lead in reusable grocery bags.  (You know, the ones chain stores sell right at the checkout, emblazoned with their logo?)  I own a few of these---some from the very stores that were listed in the article.  Blah... 

While I try not to let things like this bother me, I have to say I'm feeling a little annoyed. 

Why?  Because some people are just starting to use reusable bags---at least in our area.  People of all ages are catching on to the idea that is is something simple they can do to reduce the amount of plastic in use.  Stores have made it easy for people to use reusable bags by selling them at the checkout registers. 

Here's the problem---many people are going to throw away the ones with lead in them.  What will they turn to?  Here in Butler, there is a decided lack of chain stores selling organic cotton grocery bags.  ;)

So here we go---links to sites that sell bags that are better for people's health.

(Disclaimer---I did not receive any compensation for this post.  I simply googled "organic cotton grocery bags", and picked out a few I liked the looks of---which meant they were plain and somewhat affordable.)

From reuseit.com, a set of 4 cotton bags plus 4 produce bags. 

From Equinox, a tote that is up my alley---plain, no advertisements, and it's on sale!

From the folks at Green-kit, this is the best price I could come up with---only $5 each!  (This is only good through November 30th, fyi.)

Also I found a link to a post by Nicole Wong, on this very subject.

Thanks for taking the time to visit.  I wasn't intending to post this morning, but for me, this is a small way in which I might be able to make a bit of a difference.
Enjoy your Monday!
---Grace

The New Guard (Chick pics)

Two years ago, I read a hatchery advertisement for Australorp hens, and was smitten by the descriptions of beautiful black birds with irridescent feathers that shone in the sunlight. I ordered fifteen Australorps, which became fifteen adult black hens. Then we started having conversations like this:

Fred: "One of the hens doesn't look so good."

Me: "Which one?"

Fred: "The black one..."

Ahh...

This summer, it was time to order chicks to replace my original flock.  They had been very sweet, weather-hardy birds, and in a way I was sad to see them go.  This time around, though, I wanted to add a little visual variety into the flock.  I read descriptions and ordered birds with interesting names, such as a Cuckoo Maran.

In early July, the phone rang before sunrise.  The chicks had arrived at the post office!  My Boy and Jewel wanted to make the trip to pick them up.  Later that morning, the kids helped the chicks feel at home in the coop.

Mid-summer, one of my Easter Egger chicks needed a little extra love.  After a week in our house, she was ready to head back to the coop.

Here she is, three months later.  She possesses the greenish-colored feet and tufts of feathers near her ears.  We'll see if she also lays any olive or bluish-colored eggs, which is why I ordered Easter Eggers.  How fun it would be to go to the coop and find a blue egg!

Hawk, our other Easter Egger.

 

We order our chicks from a commercial hatchery. In the chicken world, that means our chickens are not show-quality, that their markings are not exactly true to the breeding handbook. We just keep them for the eggs, so it doesn't matter to us if their markings aren't perfect.
This girl is a Silver-Laced Wyandotte...

 ...and this one is a Golden-Laced Wyandotte.

This is Kooky, a Cuckoo Maran.  Marans typically lay eggs that are very dark brown in color, almost the color of chocolate.  We'll soon see!

And the best for last (in his opinion, at least!) is our rooster, Speckles.  We hadn't planned on any roosters, but the hatchery sent us five.  Roosters can be very feisty, so I'm keeping the kids away from him until we can gauge his temperament.  He is a beautiful Barred Rock roo. 

Welcome to your new home girls!  (You too, Speckles!)

Blessing as a Verb

This is the season when you hear people counting their blessings.  Last year, there was a movement on Facebook to start your daily post in November with "I'm thankful for..."  My sister enjoyed it so much, she continues the thankfulness post on a regular basis.  (One of the great benefits of starting a post with "I'm thankful for...", btw, is that it is a lot harder to continue with a complaint.  If only for a month, Facebook is a much more positive place.)

Anyway...

Last week, I was privileged to experience blessing in a different context---as a verb.

The pastor at my school took a few minutes to come talk with me before the kids came in on Friday.  The gist of what he said was this---"I know that stepping in this last month and a half hasn't been easy.  I've watched you---not so much in the classroom, but in your everyday interaction with the kids---and I want you to know that you are doing a really great job.  You're very good at what you do."  And as quickly as he had popped in, he was gone, leaving me to mull over and treasure his words.

In those few moments, that pastor imparted to me the Biblical tradition called a blessing---a moment in time when we stop and verbally recognize something of high value about another person. 

It reminded me of a book I read a few years ago called The Blessing.  Written by Dr. John Trent and Dr. Gary Smalley, it explains the Biblical basis for blessing and outlines the value in blessing our own children.

According to Drs. Trent and Smalley, five components of a traditional blessing (from parent to child) include:

• meaningful touch, such as a hand on a shoulder
• a spoken message
• words that express high value, showing your child the esteem you have for him/her
• a vision of a future, where that person is able to use his/her gifts
• a commitment, to be actively involved in that child's future 

Can you imagine a world in which we regularly bless our children?  Our spouses?  Our parents?

Me either.  But I'd like to try.

As Thanksgiving approaches and we're considering how grateful we are for those around us, I'd like to challenge each of us to find a way to use blessing as a verb---to choose a child (or adult) in our lives and take a few minutes to share the high value that we see in them.  To recognize what makes them special, how they use their gifts to make the world around them a better place.

Are you in?


-Grace