This is the coldest weather we've had since the demise of the furnace. It has become hard to keep warm, unless one hugs the stove. The laundry room and the work room are running about 50 degrees, which seems very cool to my shoeless feet. heavy socks not-withstanding. Even the kitchen is chilly. It is true we are currently burning the scrap wood and saving the dry oak for later, but it is also true that we will start the last truck-load of wood sometime this week. I certainly hope our wood man will be able to get out and chop some more wood for us!
Friday we drove to Plainfield to shop at Gilly's Antiques. I found a treasure trove of miniatures for Mary Lincoln: A lovely glass-walled what-not.
Here is the tea set on top:
And then with the carved box on top, which do you like best?
And finally with the tiny glass doors closed. Look carefully to see the tiny latch. I'm thinking the tiny Noritaki oval dish should have a little rack to make it easier to see.
Then I found some items in a larger size that I think would make a scene from Laura Ingalls Wilder's "The Long Winter" :
See the coffee grinder, in which they ground the wheat all winter? The kerosene lamp which ran out of kerosene? The tiny clothespins with which Ma hung out the laundry to freeze dry? There's a coffee pot, a tea pot and a baking tin, even a sifter. However these are not the same size as doll house items. They will require made-to-order dolls. And a much taller room. I suspect it will take me nearly a year to get it all together. It would be fun to have for next Christmas.
Last week, after the monthly shopping trip, Chicken breasts went on sale for .88 cents a pound. So, though I am not yet completely out of chicken, I had to go and buy some. There was a limit of two packages and each package was about 5 pounds so I boned 10 breasts and made 11 packets of white meat. We had some fresh, cooked in wine and mushrooms for Sunday night dinner. The pot of broth I made from the carcasses is stored in the garage until I get all the bones out and boil it down just a little more. I notice that now one can buy little thin plastic bags to wrap individual pieces in but I just wrapped them in waxed paper, like I have always done.
Five just fit in a one gallon resealable bag. Now the little freezer is quite full. Something that always makes me feel rich.
Last week I got the idea to bake the tortillas in mixing bowls so we could have a sort of fajita salad. I sprayed the bowls with Pam and baked them for about 12 minutes in a 400 degree oven. We loved this variation and have already had it again!
Fajita salad in tortilla bowl with beans and rice on the side. Covered with cheese, sour cream and salsa. And French Dressing too.
We have spent this day watching the Inauguration, tissues at hand because we were tearing up from time to time. I am still waiting to see the gown Michelle has picked to wear to the dances tonight.
I've studied a lot of books on English life-style, from housekeeping to fashions to needlework and read lots of English Village Mysteries. I do enjoy the English way of life. And I'm looking forward to tonight's Downton Abby. But I've been thinking ......how much of our lifestyle here in the states reflects English antecedents? Aren't we, the "melting pot" strongly influenced by English customs? Clothing, well, though we are always buying "new", there is really nothing much new: suits, ties and shirts, sweaters, even overalls and work shirts haven't changed much in hundreds of years. Women wearing pants may be considered new but jodhpurs have been worn for horse-riding by women for a long while. And then we have the manicured lawns like English Estates. The large houses with lots of room for entertaining, though most people don't entertain much anymore. It is frequently mentioned in ads for new houses We like to see ourselves as the "getters" rather than the servers in life, at all economic levels. In fact, isn't entitlement rampant today in our society? I would love to hear your arguments.
On Christmas, I got out the one tablecloth we only use once a year, because it sports bells on the crocheted lace around the edges. Here is our Candle-lit Christmas scene. There's a glimmer on top of the little tree too but I assure you it's just a reflection!
In the center of the table I placed another crocheted doily.
Because I always like to have biscuits on my table!
Since the holidays, Bill and I have been very busy on our many projects. Bill has been working at a job repairing six locks for a large piece of furniture being restored by Tim Puro. I have found him at all hours, sitting on the floor near some outlet, happily grinding something metal. Now they are all working beautifully.
And between us, we redesigned Miss Hickory's room. Now it has windows with lace curtains! I've added things and subtracted things. My head is taken up with the tasks she must be prepared to do. Bill has ordered her a dish pan! Note the new flooring.
Since she is an ongoing project, more photos of her later.
