Carried on the Wind

Oct. 16, 2006 - ...and More Fall Traditions

    Today feels like fall. This morning it was grey outside, and the clouds let go of their rain. Later, the sun came out, and the grey gave way to vibrant blue, while big, puffy clouds drifted across it. A glance out the window now, and grey is winning at the moment, but still there is color; the reds and yellows and oranges of leaves on trees and on the ground, and, in those magical moments, fluttering in between. Inside we are warm and dry, and the house feels cozy. My Mom came over this morning and together we made a big pot of applesauce. It's sweet and spicy scent lingers in the air and mixes with the maple candle burning on the table. I have a dish cooling right now, and my mouth waters at the thought of it. Most of it will go in the freezer for the months ahead. On the baker's rack we have our "ode to fall"; a few small pumpkins and gourds in outrageous shapes and various shades of orange and green and yellow, and some pretty leaves the kids and I have picked up outside.
    Have I said how much I love Fall? Susan asked me about the wax leaves I mentioned in a previous post, so I thought I'd share this simple project with anyone who is interested. And if that's not your cup of tea, then I'll share a recipe for Pumpkin Scones, some of the best I've ever had. (To go with whatever is your cup of tea, of course!)
     Waxed Leaves This is a project we learned years ago from my Grams. It's not suitable for children too young. First you need to gather some beautiful fall leaves in various colors and shapes. We usually make an event of this and call it our "Leaf Walk". Make sure your leaves are dry before you start this project.
    Melt some parafin wax on the stovetop in a disposable pie tin or something of the sort. Keep the heat very low. You can add a red or yellow crayon to enhance the color a bit, but it's not necessary. While the wax is melting place aluminum foil around the burner to protect your stovetop from drips, and spread a couple sheets of newspaper on the counter next to the stove. Holding the stem of the leaf, dip each one into the wax just until it's coated. Hold it over the wax while it drips, just a few seconds, and then lay it gently on the newspaper.
    There you have it- your leaves will be preserved all fall with a lovely, shiny layer of wax. They look really pretty in a basket with some gourds or pumpkins, or my Mother-in-law pins them on the wall so they look like they just blew in! Happy Dipping!

    Pumpkin Scones This is a variation of the recipe found here, to give credit where it's due. And if you've never baked scones, they're quite simple and you can learn more about them here. Make sure to make the yummy spread to put on them. And eat them warm out of the oven. Mmmmmmm.......

2 C Flour
1/3 C Brown Sugar
1 t. Pupkin Pie Spice
1 t. Baking Powder
1/4 t. Baking Soda
1/4 t. Salt
1/2 Cold Butter
1/3 Cup Buttermilk or Sour Milk
1/2 C Pumpkin Puree
1 t. Vanilla
1/2 C Hershey's Cinnamon Chips or White Chocolate Chips or Chopped Nuts

Glaze

2 T. Milk
2 T. Sugar

Preheat oven to 375.
Mix all the dry ingredients in a large bowl. Cut the butter into small pieces and cut it into the flour until it resembles course crumbs. Add chips or nuts to dry mixture. In a separate bowl mix milk, pumpkin, and vanilla. Pour this into the dry ingredients and mix gently with a fork until it forms a sticky dough. If it's not quite sticking together, add a bit more milk. Don't overmix. Turn it out onto a floured surface and knead gently just a few times. Form it into a circle about an inch thick. Rub the top surface with the milk and sprinkle sugar on top. Cut into wedges. (A pizza cutter is great for this.) Place on a greased cookie sheet for about 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Cream Cheese Spread

1/3 C Softened Cream Cheese
1/3 C Pumpkin Puree
1 T. Maple Syrup or Sugar
1/4 t. Cinnamon

Mix all ingredients in a small bowl and spread on scones.

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Sep. 20, 2006 - Found Moments

As a busy Mama it's important to me to have some sort of creative outlet and there are many that I enjoy- sewing, quilting, making cards, scrapbooking, writing, beadwork, making dolls, and more. It's easy to lament not having more time to work on these kinds of things, but I remember the words of a high school teacher: "Time is not something you have, it's something you make." I never wanted to hear that when I hadn't had (or made) time to do my homework, but I'm starting to see the truth in it: we make time for things that are important to us. And while being able to craft things is something I enjoy, finding the time for it can be a challenge.

Jinny Beyer, in her instructive and beautiful book Quiltmaking by Hand talks about how she finds the time to sew large quilts without the use of a machine. "You would be amazed at how much sewing you can get done in found moments throughout the day. I sew in doctor's offices, in the car, on trains, on airplanes, in airport, and in traffic jams.... I always have a little bag of stitching with me wherever I go. I advise you to do to the same, because you never know when you might have a little bit of time to take a few stitches.... you will come to cherish the times when you can quietly stitch- and your final quilt will have so many more memories attached to it because of where you were when you pulled out your little bag of sewing." She goes on to talk about how the key to being productive in your "found moments" is having spent some time in preparation. She has pieces cut out and placed in a small bag along with a needle and thread, pins and a small pair of scissors. She can then pick up her bag and stitch while waiting in line to get gas, talking on the phone or sitting with her husband while he watches a game.

     This idea of found moments inspires me. I think this must be how women of earlier generations were able to accomplish the amazing handiwork and quilts we see in museums now. (Of course, they made such things out of necessity, but I would still prefer to lay my children down under a quilt stitched with love by their mama then one bought at Stuff-Mart.) Peregrine and I are reading Farmer Boy, and I love the description of a winter's evening with the whole family around the woodstove: "Mother knitted and rocked in her high-backed rocking-chair. Father carefully scraped a new axe-handle with a bit of broken glass. Royal carved a chain of tiny links from a smooth stick of pine, and Alice sat on her hassock, doing her woolwork embroidery. And they all ate popcorn and apples, and drank sweet cider, except Eliza Jane. Eliza Jane read aloud the news in the New York weekly paper."
    I've found what Jinny Beyer said to be true; when I have things prepared I can get a lot done in a few moments on the couch or while riding in the van, watching a movie with Erik or talking together in the evening. And the memories attached to something do become more special- I remember piecing blocks for Peregrine's baby quilt on the way to Crater Lake, and working on Alethea's on a road trip to California when I was six months pregnant with her. Some crafts lend themselves more readily to found moments than others, but there are many things that can be done in those small snatches of time. It's very satisfying, and almost feels like a necessity to me, to create beautiful things; things to keep or give away, things that will bring joy and beauty and comfort. And while I can't usually find hours to work on these projects, I can quite often find a few moments.

    The quilts pictured are a few of the ones I've made. The top one is Peregrine's, with him on it. The second one is Alethea's, and they bottom one I made for Zebedee, my friend Shelley's little guy. I quilted that one by machine but the others were pieced and quilted entirely by hand. They are all crib-sized.

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Oct. 16, 2006 - ...and More Fall Traditions

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