Thankful

Thanksgiving day has always been a big holiday for us.  Usually we are at hockey tournaments and out of town or out of state even for this holiday, but this year we have no hockey and we aren't travelling.  This is the first year in about 15 years that we aren't doing hockey or hockey related Thanksgiving.  We don't quite know what to do with ourselves for holidays anyway since there is always an empty chair at our table, no matter where we are.  Holidays are hard - also no matter where we are.  It is hard to find "a reason for the season"  so to speak, and find meaning in what we are doing.  That's really a daily thing.  Every day! We had planned to go to my moms house this year for the celebration, but a giant winter storm moved in and we got 6" of snow and then it rained all night on top of that and driving is a hazard from where I live - so we are having a thankful "snow day" here.

It has been a long time that I have had a snow day that didn't still end up being a work day anyway - but today since it is Thanksgiving and everything is mostly closed, I get to sew and write and be thankful!

This is the view from our front porch, out toward the road, which has just been scraped but not sanded - the scraper truck got stuck!  Yikes!  Thankful I didn't try to drive anywhere today! Thankful also that these trees have survived - beetles, drought and wonky winter weather and they stay beautiful throughout!

Thankful for this view too - even the tree eating moose in it!

I am thankful for these two guys - husband and son - no matter what - marching with me.

And for the great kitchen I have to cook and share in, in my cozy house with a roof over it and my cozy bed inside.

Thankful for these boys - Reed and nephew Chance.

I am thankful for the 23 years we got to have this guy - and his friends - in our lives.  We miss him terribly, and the pain is the same every day, daring us to get out of bed and function....but the memories, ahhhhh the memories....

I am thankful for the mother, and grandmother who taught me to quilt - and who quilts with me.  Quilting has saved my life more than once, giving me something creative to do - making gifts that have meaning - thus giving meaning to my day.

I am thankful for friends and kids and family who keep me marching - knowing that I have to keep going so that they also will.  I am grateful for their courage and bravery and joy!

I am thankful for the friends who sit with us when we cannot go any further, and who take us out of our comfort zone (basically make us get off the couch and go do stuff) and who let us experience joy without judgement when we cry sometimes through the joy.  They are there for us.  There are many more than are in the pictures - I don't have pictures of all of you~

 Aunt Cinny at quilt retreat - I think she may have been thinking about

giving me the bird - she didn't though! She keeps me going...

Thankful for these three who have come with us and struggled with us through all of the crazy crap.  Who also have had their own struggles and crazy crap and trauma, and who keep going despite it all.  Keep f'ing going.

SO thankful for the family of friends and co-workers I have at the school!  Here we are at the annual Holiday meal - this group serves 500 people from the community at a fun, free event with prizes and games.  It is an incredible amount of work and it is done with such love.... this group amazes me daily, not just for the volunteer stuff they do but for he work - hard work that they do every day as well!

Family at the highland games - thankful for that experience and the history behind it!

I am thankful for the love of tea.  I love coffee too but tea allows us to take a moment each day for ourselves.  Coffee gives me the get up and go, but tea lets me enjoy the results of the day.  And there are lots of teas that can be drunk at night and still lets me dream sweetly- I haven't found a coffee that will do that!

I am thankful for hockey family.  No matter where in the world you go, when hockey folks find out you are also hockey folks, you are also family.... no matter where you are from.

Thankful for the joy of hockey!  The way it brings kids from 1 to 95 together to play, have fun and experience joy.  Look at those smiles!  

 Thankful for these people.  My parents and my grandparents.  I am here and who I am because of these people - straightening out my crown - helping me remember whose grand daughter and daughter I am, and reminding me of the reasons to keep going -on the daily. 

Thankful is hard - it took me all day to finish this even with so many pictures to show things I am thankful for.  I hope thankful is easy for you and that your day has been filled with things that will become memories to be thankful for!  Blessed be and be thankful.

A little Birthday Magic

I had a birthday recently and turned 52.  It was a pretty magical birthday this time.  I don't usually look forward to birthdays anymore, but I remember being a kid and so looking forward to my birthday and what surprises that would bring! I have a winter birthday and it is rare that we do not have snow on my birthday.  This year we had no snow.

I got my birthday from Sister Chelle and Niece Ellie a few days early so that I would be able to use it on my birthday!  A little birthday magic... for real!

The little card says "$13.00 - exactly the right amount for a magic wand"!  

There is a line crossed through the 13 because when I asked if I could keep the card with its special message for me, the owner carefully crossed out just that part so that it could become a keepsake.

This is from one of my favorite shops here locally in Wasilla - Black Birch Books and Magical Gifts!  Okay - the real name of the store is actually Black Birch Books and Curiosities, but for me it is Magical gifts!  The store is an eclectic mix of new and used books, magic items (including a whole wall of wands), good energy, amazing people, and anything you could dream of needing, as if it would almost magically appear for you if you wished it to!  

The Spirit of a Reader - greeting customers coming up the path!

The owner is an amazing lady who does great things for the community and for kids (she hires homeless kids from the MYHouse group often), and she hosts authors, donates time, talent and items to fundraisers for good at least once a week, and she is always willing to lend an ear to listen - really listen, when you need it most - even if you didn't know you needed someone to listen at that time.  She is also a Military Veteran, and we are so thankful for that as well.

(Grimm the dog with my magic wand and my newest book "Cyclops" by Clive Cussler)

One of my favorite things about the store is this...Grimm the dog.  Grimm has been the Black Birch store greeter since it opened.  This post was supposed to be written much earlier in the winter season, and I suppose it is fate that I was not able to write it for some reason or another earlier.  Grimm has recently passed away from cancer.  The Universe provided a pause as though knowing that I would need to write this story later.  He was not a young dog, and he was in fact quite old, but he was so loved  by anyone who walked through the door of the store.  This is where he waited for the next customer to come through - as long as there wasn't a child in the store!  If there was a child in the store - he was young again and ready to show them around - through the maze of books and amazing things to see, hear, smell and try....Grimm knew all the best spots.  He was a fan of kids and kids were fans of Grimm.  He usually came with me when I was shopping...I think he could tell that I am dog people - I am certain I smell of dogs, and my dogs would always smell me with envy when I got home - bringing the smell of Grimm and the bookstore with me. I will miss him too.  

(See more of Grimm's story here)

There is also a GOFund me site listed there in Grimm's honor, to help pay for some final expenses and to fund some Children's events at the store!  He would think that was so cool!

A closer look at the store front and the spirit of a reader - greeter!

So this is the wand that spoke to me when I was in choosing mode!  It is perfect for me - beautifully smooth,  turned wood, finished with a soft espresso wood oil (I think it is anyway- it's not chemical), but it is just wonderful with a perfect grip for my hand and just the right length to work as a "pocket" or "purse" wand!  Watch out world - I got a pocket wand!  It has become my everyday wand that I carry with me for those times when I might need to add to the magic around me, or to just make sure no one messes with me MoJo!  A little bit of magical fun each day.

If you are in Wasilla, stop by the store on Main Street and visit a little, browse a little and get to know some of the shop spirits and sprites (and maybe the people too) - You won't be sorry!

Be a Reader and Blessed Be!

The new face of Yoga? aka Twister with dogs!

A few years ago - ok it was three - three years ago- it was recommended that I start doing some meditating or yoga daily along with my writing and quilting so as to have some "intentional exercise and meditation".  To help me sleep, wake, function, and hopefully keep my blood pressure down a little.

So I put "yoga mat" on my Christmas list that year.  Sister in law had my name that year and got me the whole shebang - yoga mat, dvd's with beginning and medium yoga workouts, and some flip cards too, just in case the yoga lady moves too fast through a pose and I can't figure it out by watching the dvd - don't laugh - it happens!

I started getting up 15 minutes early to do a few beginner moves on the yoga mat in my office.  Everyone else was asleep, just me and the dogs doing some yoga.

That was the plan anyway!  I got everything dialed in and ready, started my dvd and as soon as I sat down to do the criss cross applesauce pose (my own name for it not the dvd), Ripley - the old lady dog decided that the mat looked like a great place for her to lay as well!  I could see her thinking "I knew we should go back to bed today - I like this bed - its very easy to get onto".

I was able to do a few poses with Ripley before Brix needed to join - I'm sure he was saying "She's taking the whole mat mom- hey!  What are we doing?  I can do downward dog - I am a dog!"

So then there were two.... dogs on the mat.....

I was able to do the Tree pose and part of a Warrior pose with both of them sitting on the mat but that was about all, and it ended up being more of a Twister with dogs event than a yoga workout!  My Downward Dog ended with more of a face licking contest to see who could get the most licks in and was mostly frustrating and not relaxing!  In the summer time I can do the yoga outside and that works pretty well on the lawn with the dogs because they get distracted by other things in the yard - I'm not the only entertainment.

They were both a little sad that I didn't stay and snuggle with them on the mat.  Now I do the yoga while they are outside on their own morning missions in the yard.  Yoga is once again a serene and calming morning routine, and I have discovered that I really like yoga, but I might be too old for Twister!

Blessed be no matter your workout!

Bean Me Up Alaska Style! These are NOT your Boston Beans!

If you have been reading my posts on the regular, you know we are some bean eaters here!  We love them because they store easily, are versatile for many cooking situations, and they are filling for any group of fishermen or hockey players who come along!  I gave  you a recipe earlier for our "Cowboy Beans" (click there for that recipe) and here is another that will trip your trigger nicely as well!  As we move into the more chilly season, it's a great one for warming up the crowd or taking along as a hot dish for potluck or hospitality room.

A few years ago I had a situation where I needed to make a hot dish for a memorial service - yes - we've had a lot of them lately.  The catch was that there were some food allergies that had to be avoided for this group, so my usual Pea and Cheese Salad would not fly.  I also LOVE Baked Beans!  Most of my family however, does not like what they call "sweet beans"!  So long ago I came up with a recipe that ended up solving both of my problems and are delicious!  Its a savory baked bean!  This also works in a crock pot so another level of WIN!



This recipe makes a ton of beans so you will have some to share and can, or to feed a crowd of hungry hunters!

Alaska Baked Beans

1 Quart dried navy beans (about 2 pounds)  I have also used red beans and even pinto beans for this recipe as well or a mix of red and black.  Soak them overnight in water enough to cover them.  If you don't have time for the soak overnight, give them a simmer for a few hours on the stove top until the skins crack.  You can also use canned beans if you would like - when I do that I use red, navy, pinto, or a mix of the three.  Rinse them a bit before using and drain.

2 large onions diced                                                                     

3 large sprigs of sage chopped fine

1 can of tomato sauce

1 tsp liquid smoke (optional)

1 Tbsp Cumin

3 gloves minced garlic - or more - we like lots of garlic

1 Tbsp dry mustard

1/4 C mustard

1/4 C Ketchup

1/4 C Molasses

2 C Chicken broth or Beef broth (I use low salt or home made broth) click on broth to see recipe.

2 tsp salt and pepper

1 package of stew meat - brown the meat in a skillet

       you can also use canned or shredded meat of your choice. Pork, beef or moose.

You might notice that this recipe does not include bacon - I have a family member who cannot eat bacon, sadly, so we use just the browned moose meat and the smoke to make up for it.

I use a crock pot to cook the whole shebang - Use your big boy crock pot on low for about 9 hours.  Check your beans for doneness and serve em up!

To bake them in the oven bake for 4 hours at 350 degrees in a deep dutch oven.

If you are planning to can them only cook in the crock for about 4 hours and the oven for 2 or they will be over done in the canner.  For quart jars, process in pressure cooker at 10 pounds for 60 minutes,  pint jars for 45 minutes.  Let set for 24 hours and make sure "button" has been sucked down.  Store as you would any canned product.  Cool and dry.

Enjoy and blessed be!