I got this idea from Glamour magazine. They have a section called Hey, It’s Okay and will list a bunch of things to be okay about. You're welcome to join in and do something like this on your diary. Doesn't have to be on a Tuesday either.
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**This is sort of a NYC themed Hey, It’s Okay Tuesday since I was just there last week**
To not care that Kim Kardashian is engaged.
To have thought the store Dash (I went to the one in Soho) was ridiculous. I mean, $700 for a dress? No. I did like a funny t-shirt but the price tag was $60. Again. No.
To have thought it was funny that New Yorkers really do honk as much as it shows in TV and movies.
To loved being able to see where SNL is filmed. No, we couldn’t touch the set. Boo. And it’s nearly impossible to get tickets to SNL.
To have not watched Oprah’s final episode.
To think it’s cool that I’ve been to a lot of places where TV shows and movies are filmed in NYC. Now when I watch The Today Show I can be like, “I stood there.” And while watching Blue Bloods I can be like, “I walked around there.”
To have thought Bridesmaids was hilarious! Go see it, you’ll laugh, unless you are an uptight prude.
To have also thought that the cost of seeing a movie in NYC was ridiculous. $27 for two tickets. Ack! In Wyoming it’s only $16.
To be curious on what Arnold Schwartzengger’s love child looks like though I do hope he’s left alone. Poor kid.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Randomly Speaking
Yesterday was Memorial Day. We did all the things normal(?) people do on this holiday. No...we were not at the beach....no, we were not out of town, no we were not having a huge gathering at our house. Frank got up and cut the back yard, I straightened the house and washed some clothes, Frank put Roundup on the new flower bed he is starting, I got my table studio(my birthday gift from Frank....and I love it) together to begin making pictures of the glass for ebay. Really exciting huh? We saw Sherry and Keith over at the house next door (where my glassware is being stored for the moment)...and headed out to set up. Sherry and Keith are members of our church....and they are the most precious people....while Frank and I set up....Ms. Sherry got dishes out of the storage room and started washing them....did I mention that she has such a servants heart. These dishes...well this is now my mess....this is all glassware my mother had hoarded collected over the years. My heart really was not in this....to be honest we were waiting on a call to go to Amanda's and grill burgers....and to be even more honest....I was up to using any excuse not to have to deal with this....yet! But...to be fair...they have been housing this stuff for several months and it is time we get it posted on ebay/Craig's list. So, after chastising myself for my negative attitude, we got several items out and I snapped some pictures. It actually became fun somewhere along the way. We worked about an hour and then headed back to the house to get ready for the cookout. Visiting with the family at the cookout was fun....after eating and doing some genealogy stuff with Amanda about our upcoming Prophitt reunion....the bulk of the group headed to the lake for a boat ride...Frank and I headed back to the house to resume picture taking. Amy, another church member and neighbor, stopped in. She knows her antiques and does a lot of ebaying. I chatted with her as I took move pictures and the more I took, the more motivated I became....if Frank had let me...I probably would still be there this morning snapping photos. When we finished up....we came home and got on the computer and tried to get an idea as to how much this stuff is worth. It was amazing. My mom had some beautiful glassware....and believe me....it was tempting not to become a hoarder collector myself. We are so fortunate to live here in Rock Mills....and have a congregation filled with such open-hearted servants....so...back to the camera I go. I should actually be at work today....making up the professional development day(it is only a half day)....but I ate some bad potato salad last night and not feeling healthy today....so I took the half day off....I did not need the hours...and was finished in my room....and did not feel it was worth the 2 hours of drive time. So, today is my first official day of summer....whooo hooo.....I think I have enough projects to keep me going on into retirement....three years from now! Have a Wonderful Tuesday! I know I will....I have a 3:30 appointment at the Main Event to get a pedi! Sigh! Life does not get much better than this!
Monday, May 30, 2011
Bear In My Bed
A bear was in my bed.
What else could make that grumbling noise?
A bear was in my freaking bed. I lifted my pillow, prepared to smack the bear away. Not that a pillow could do much. Still. I had to do SOMETHING…I had to….
And then I remembered.
It wasn’t a bear.
No.
It was my husband. Tom. Asleep beside me. Making a bear noise.
Snoring, some might call it.
But when a person is suddenly awakened from a deep sleep, they might think it was a bear.
Beside them.
Or maybe it’s just me.
I stared up at the ceiling and smiled. I didn’t even mind being woken up. Tom was home! After nine months of being away in Korea, he was back. In my bed. Snoring.
True, I’d probably only find this endearing the first few days. And then I’d want to smother him with the pillow. But I needed to focus on the good.
Tom made it home.
My Mom, who had been visiting, drove us all to the airport. I was nervous the entire drive down. I clasped my hands in my lap. I chewed my lower lip. I ran my fingers through my unruly hair. I had wanted to wear a dress, but the Wyoming weather wasn’t cooperating. I figured greeting Tom while shaking from a chill plus goosebumps all up my arms wouldn’t be attractive. So I had on jeans with a nice black top.
Mom took a picture of me and the kids before we left:
I so wish I could apply my makeup better. I wish I could afford a makeup artist. Or at least have a friend who knows what she is doing. Or he. Some men apply makeup very well.
I started to lift my fingernail to my mouth to chew it. It’s a horrible habit, I know. Then I realized that my Mom would probably smack it away or give me a Look. I didn’t want to pick my skin around my nails because ew, what a way to greet Tom. Hi sweets, I haven’t seen you in nine months, please excuse my diseased looking hands.
What if…oh God, what if bats flew out of….well, down there? I haven’t engaged in any kind of activity for nine months. What if it closed up since it hasn’t been used? What if Tom expected me to do something fancy like bend a certain way? Maybe he’s forgotten that I don’t bend. And that I’m clumsy and tend to smack into things when I attempt to be sexy.
Or get the giggles, which I hate, but I can’t help it.
When we arrived at the airport, I took a couple deep breaths. It would be okay. We settled down at the arrivals section and waited…
…and waited…
…and waited…
Tom’s plane was delayed. I kept my eyes glued on the people filtering out and didn’t see him.
What did he look like again?
Oh right. Bald.
Probably with a funny t-shirt on.
Mom checked the screen to see if Tom’s plane landed. It kept saying 11:10 and nothing more.
It was 11:20.
“Where’s my Daddy?” Natalie asked. She had on a pink princess dress complete with sparkly pink shoes.
“He’s coming,” I vowed.
Where was he?
“Amber,” I heard Mom say.
What if the plane didn’t come until after midnight? Or never? What if he—
“Amber,” Mom repeated.
Oh my God, what if the plane crashed? It was coming from Los Angeles, what if a starlet lost her mind, charged the cockpit and started screaming? I could so see Lindsay Lohan pulling that stunt. Or a Real Housewife pissed off that she had been filmed from her left side and not her right, which is much more flattering…
“Amber, look.”
I glanced over and spotted a familiar man across the room.
It…could it be…
I need a new glasses prescription, I think, because it took me a few seconds to register that yes, it was Tom.
I always picture reunions like the ones in movies….you know, a couple running towards each other? With Tom throwing his luggage passionately on the ground so he can scoop me into his arms and twirl me around?
Only, he couldn’t do that, because he was holding his laptop case and if he threw it down, it would break.
So instead I approached him and he gave me an awkward hug and a kiss, while the kids ran over.
“Daddy!” Natalie said happily. “My Daddy!’
Seriously, she kept whispering, “Daddy...daddy...” as though she couldn’t believe he was really home.
“Hi Dad,” Tommy said, playing it cool.
On the drive home Tom told us about his flight. He loved the one from Korea to Los Angeles. Apparently he got slippers. And the food was amazing.
He said LAX frightened him. “There were so many stick thin fake women walking around. I wanted to stuff a burger in their mouths.”
It’s been fantastic having him home. He’s been helping a lot which is a good thing because the movers come to pick up our stuff on the 14th. Have I mentioned we have a lot of stuff?
Natalie doesn’t like Tom to be out of her sight. If he walks off she’s like, “Is my Daddy coming back?”
I know she loves me.
But she is definitely a Daddy’s Girl.
What else could make that grumbling noise?
A bear was in my freaking bed. I lifted my pillow, prepared to smack the bear away. Not that a pillow could do much. Still. I had to do SOMETHING…I had to….
And then I remembered.
It wasn’t a bear.
No.
It was my husband. Tom. Asleep beside me. Making a bear noise.
Snoring, some might call it.
But when a person is suddenly awakened from a deep sleep, they might think it was a bear.
Beside them.
Or maybe it’s just me.
I stared up at the ceiling and smiled. I didn’t even mind being woken up. Tom was home! After nine months of being away in Korea, he was back. In my bed. Snoring.
True, I’d probably only find this endearing the first few days. And then I’d want to smother him with the pillow. But I needed to focus on the good.
Tom made it home.
My Mom, who had been visiting, drove us all to the airport. I was nervous the entire drive down. I clasped my hands in my lap. I chewed my lower lip. I ran my fingers through my unruly hair. I had wanted to wear a dress, but the Wyoming weather wasn’t cooperating. I figured greeting Tom while shaking from a chill plus goosebumps all up my arms wouldn’t be attractive. So I had on jeans with a nice black top.
Mom took a picture of me and the kids before we left:
I so wish I could apply my makeup better. I wish I could afford a makeup artist. Or at least have a friend who knows what she is doing. Or he. Some men apply makeup very well.
I started to lift my fingernail to my mouth to chew it. It’s a horrible habit, I know. Then I realized that my Mom would probably smack it away or give me a Look. I didn’t want to pick my skin around my nails because ew, what a way to greet Tom. Hi sweets, I haven’t seen you in nine months, please excuse my diseased looking hands.
What if…oh God, what if bats flew out of….well, down there? I haven’t engaged in any kind of activity for nine months. What if it closed up since it hasn’t been used? What if Tom expected me to do something fancy like bend a certain way? Maybe he’s forgotten that I don’t bend. And that I’m clumsy and tend to smack into things when I attempt to be sexy.
Or get the giggles, which I hate, but I can’t help it.
When we arrived at the airport, I took a couple deep breaths. It would be okay. We settled down at the arrivals section and waited…
…and waited…
…and waited…
Tom’s plane was delayed. I kept my eyes glued on the people filtering out and didn’t see him.
What did he look like again?
Oh right. Bald.
Probably with a funny t-shirt on.
Mom checked the screen to see if Tom’s plane landed. It kept saying 11:10 and nothing more.
It was 11:20.
“Where’s my Daddy?” Natalie asked. She had on a pink princess dress complete with sparkly pink shoes.
“He’s coming,” I vowed.
Where was he?
“Amber,” I heard Mom say.
What if the plane didn’t come until after midnight? Or never? What if he—
“Amber,” Mom repeated.
Oh my God, what if the plane crashed? It was coming from Los Angeles, what if a starlet lost her mind, charged the cockpit and started screaming? I could so see Lindsay Lohan pulling that stunt. Or a Real Housewife pissed off that she had been filmed from her left side and not her right, which is much more flattering…
“Amber, look.”
I glanced over and spotted a familiar man across the room.
It…could it be…
I need a new glasses prescription, I think, because it took me a few seconds to register that yes, it was Tom.
I always picture reunions like the ones in movies….you know, a couple running towards each other? With Tom throwing his luggage passionately on the ground so he can scoop me into his arms and twirl me around?
Only, he couldn’t do that, because he was holding his laptop case and if he threw it down, it would break.
So instead I approached him and he gave me an awkward hug and a kiss, while the kids ran over.
“Daddy!” Natalie said happily. “My Daddy!’
Seriously, she kept whispering, “Daddy...daddy...” as though she couldn’t believe he was really home.
“Hi Dad,” Tommy said, playing it cool.
On the drive home Tom told us about his flight. He loved the one from Korea to Los Angeles. Apparently he got slippers. And the food was amazing.
He said LAX frightened him. “There were so many stick thin fake women walking around. I wanted to stuff a burger in their mouths.”
It’s been fantastic having him home. He’s been helping a lot which is a good thing because the movers come to pick up our stuff on the 14th. Have I mentioned we have a lot of stuff?
Natalie doesn’t like Tom to be out of her sight. If he walks off she’s like, “Is my Daddy coming back?”
I know she loves me.
But she is definitely a Daddy’s Girl.
Some Gave All
We cherish too, the Poppy red
That grows on fields where valor led,
It seems to signal to the skies
That blood of heroes never dies.
She then conceived of an idea to wear red poppies on Memorial day in honor of those who died serving the nation during war. She was the first to wear one, and sold poppies to her friends and co-workers with the money going to benefit servicemen in need. Later a Madam Guerin from France was visiting the United States and learned of this new custom started by Ms.Michael and when she returned to France, made artificial red poppies to raise money for war orphaned children and widowed women. This tradition spread to other countries. In 1921, the Franco-American Children's League sold poppies nationally to benefit war orphans of France and Belgium. The League disbanded a year later and Madam Guerin approached the VFW for help. Shortly before Memorial Day in 1922 the VFW became the first veterans' organization to nationally sell poppies. Two years later their "Buddy" Poppy program was selling artificial poppies made by disabled veterans. In 1948 the US Post Office honored Ms Michael for her role in founding the National Poppy movement by issuing a red 3 cent postage stamp with her likeness on it." I think what saddens me about this holiday is that the traditional observance of Memorial day seems to have dimmed greatly over the years. Many Americans, especially the young ones, either don't know or have forgotten the "real" meaning and traditions of Memorial Day. I was pleasantly surprised when on the news over the weekend I saw a military cemetary in the Atlanta area being adorned with miniature flags by the Boys Scouts and Girl Scouts. It was such a tender vision....watching them quietly place each flag just so....and salute it. But that was one....At many cemeteries, the graves of the fallen are increasingly ignored, neglected. Most people no longer remember the proper flag etiquette for the day. While there are towns and cities that still hold Memorial Day parades, many have not held a parade in decades. Some people think the day is for honoring any and all dead, and not just those fallen in service to our country. They are wrong! This is a very special day for the ones who gave all...I have sung in Andersonville, GA and been very moved by the small flags flying in the Confederate cemetary there. I have walked through Arlington many times and cried from my first step. Walked by the Vietnam and Korean monuments and felt the souls of the fallen and missing crying out to me. I wear a POW/MIA bracelet for CDR. William Arnold who has been missing since November of 1966. I put this bracelet on in 1968. He was a young navy pilot who did his duty and it cost him his life in Vietnam. I have a long history of family who have served....My great-great grandfather fought in the War of 1812, my great grandfather was at the Battle Above the Clouds at Lookout Mtn. during the Civil War, My grandfather fought in WWI, my dad and his brothers were in WWII, my uncles and cousins were in Korea, my husband and a number of my cousins were in Vietnam, and I have a son-in-law, cousins and former students who have all fought in Iraq, Afghanistan, whereever they were needed. Some gave all.....My first student funeral was during Desert Storm. I hate the sound of TAPS to this day. He was just a kid. So when you all sit down today for your family BBQ remember what today is about, say a prayer for those who gave all....and for their families, remember who this day honors, and be greatful for the freedoms we have today because....Some gave all.
Sunday, May 29, 2011
A True Color Swap...How Fun!
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Project 365 - Week 22 - May 22nd - 28th
Sunday, May 22nd - Graduation Sunday
Sunday was graduation Sunday at Rock Mills. We acknowledged ALL the graduates....The top and bottom pictures are two of our high school graduates....Lindsey graduated from Handley High and Taylor graduated from Randolph County High. Libby, the young lady in the middle graduated from Rock Mills Junior High...as did P.J. and Alexis...but I did not catch them to get a picture. We also had Billy and Collin who graduated from Kindergarten. If was fun acknowledging their accomplishments. Lindsey is planning to study to be a nurse at Southern Union in the fall....and Taylor leaves in August for the Navy.
Monday, May 23rd
We had kindergarten graduation tonight at Rock Mills and on my way home I noticed this sweet little trellis with purple flowers on it. I felt like that termite in the Orkin commercial...that stops and stares at the house...and then speeds off when the owner and Orkin man look back...I stopped in the middle of the road...focused as closely as I could...snapped and ran.
Tuesday, May 24th
Tuesday night after Rock Mills 8th grade graduation I caught this shot from Walmart's parking lot. I could not believe that the trees and the sun were so helpful.
Wednesday, May 25th
Mary rode to school with me today because her husband, Bill, needed her car. When I took her home I noticed how windy it was and got a neat shot of the glads her kids planted for her....for Mother's Day.
Thursday, May 26th
Today was the day of the horrible storm. Frank got called out about halfway into it....a tree had fallen across CR 91 and had powerlines, cable and phone lines dangling. This was the trunk of the tree. He took me to see what was left after the storm. The haze is because I had to take it out of the car window...and there was a lot of steam coming off the road. Is that not a huge tree? No one was hurt...and no house was damaged. It was just a big annoyance. The picture below I took down the road a bit later....Frank says this is where chocolate milk comes from. What do you think?
Friday, May 27th
Today was my last day of school....Whoooo Hooo. The light hydrangea is from the front yard....it will be in the new flower bed Frank is creating. The other two pictures are the beds he has made for me in the back yard. The first one...on the right side of the steps has three hydrangeas...and one azalea in it so far. The left side bed has two azaleas and a rose bush. I can't wait to see them grow. Frank was really proud of his sign this week. He is a Navy Veteran and really takes military holidays very serious.
Saturday, May 28th
We are having trouble with night pictures...with and without a flash. Now that I am out of school I am going to study up on this. Frank made the top picture so you all could see his lights and his flag. I made the bottom using night portrait mode...and it blurred the lights. Oh well....you know the old adage...if at first you don't succeed....read the manual dummy! We went to see "Pirates of the Carribbean" tonight in Lagrange. It was not my favorite one...but it was good. Hope you enjoyed my offerings and I will see you all next week. I hope to get some cool shots this week.
Friday, May 27, 2011
Tom Is Home...Almost
You know how hosts of those game shows are all dramatic when they announce the winner?
Like Phil from The Amazing Race goes, “7 continents, 10 countries, 6 states…YOU are the official winner of The Amazing Race.”
I sort of picture him saying something like that about my reunion with Tom tonight. I can picture him standing there saying, “9 months. 270 days. 6570 hours. 23,000 seconds. These two have experienced heartbreak, frustrations, and have probably forgotten what sex even is. But tonight. Tonight, folks, these two will be reunited.”
Yes.
It’s true. Tonight I will see Tom again. His flight comes in around 10.
I’m a little nervous.
I mean, I’ve seen him on Skype. But that’s not totally the same.
I can actually touch him.
Push him over, even. I’ve done this, when he’s threatened to eat all my chocolate. Actually, he barely moves when I push him. He’s much stronger than I am. I sort of shove against his shoulder and he stands there looking at me like, “Really?”
If the weather improves, I plan on wearing a dress. No panties. I’m kidding. Panties. My mother is here. My children are here. I can’t go commando without feeling naked.
Crap. I just realized I better put a towel on his towel holder. It’s been empty for so long.
But yeah.
Tonight?
Tom will be home.
Like Phil from The Amazing Race goes, “7 continents, 10 countries, 6 states…YOU are the official winner of The Amazing Race.”
I sort of picture him saying something like that about my reunion with Tom tonight. I can picture him standing there saying, “9 months. 270 days. 6570 hours. 23,000 seconds. These two have experienced heartbreak, frustrations, and have probably forgotten what sex even is. But tonight. Tonight, folks, these two will be reunited.”
Yes.
It’s true. Tonight I will see Tom again. His flight comes in around 10.
I’m a little nervous.
I mean, I’ve seen him on Skype. But that’s not totally the same.
I can actually touch him.
Push him over, even. I’ve done this, when he’s threatened to eat all my chocolate. Actually, he barely moves when I push him. He’s much stronger than I am. I sort of shove against his shoulder and he stands there looking at me like, “Really?”
If the weather improves, I plan on wearing a dress. No panties. I’m kidding. Panties. My mother is here. My children are here. I can’t go commando without feeling naked.
Crap. I just realized I better put a towel on his towel holder. It’s been empty for so long.
But yeah.
Tonight?
Tom will be home.
This Is It!
I left Alex City yesterday afternoon just ahead of a horendous storm. It rained on me from New Site to Daviston...and then quit. From Wadley to the big turn in Roanoke...it rained again....and I could see terrifying lightening behind me....and I could feel the wind tossing my little HHR around...but the rain was not so bad that I could not see. As I got out of my car...the bottom fell out....lightening was popping all around and the rain was coming in sideways. I just made it into the house. Lightenng hit a huge tree on CR 91 and Frank had to go out and do his Firefighter thing....the tree blocked he road and had live power lies broken. When he got home we ate the wonderful salad he made....(enough to feed an army)....and called Renee to see if she would like the rest. We took it to her....road around so I could get my Project 365 picture for the day.....went home and crashed. I did not want to get up today.....I can't imagine why....griefus! Today is MY last official day for the year. Teachers are actually supposed to work on Tuesday after Memorial Day....but I figured for a 1/2 day the two hour drive was ridiculous. I am going to have all my stuff done before I leave today and I feel a terrible headache coming on for Tuesday. Late breaking news....I just found out that I am getting a new computer for next year....a Dell 790 with Office 10. I am so excited. So today, after I finish getting my room in order I am backing up all the files on the computer. I cannot wait! Today was the "official" last day of school for the kids...it was a make up day for the snow....it was supposed to have been our work day, which they bumped up to Tuesday....and at 8 this morning we had a grand total of 9 kids here. Our student population is over a thousand...and since we took exams on Wednesday and Thursday the kids had no reason to come....so the ones who are here are helping teachers who are moving on (due to retirement)....or moving rooms....move. I like that....my room is empty and the only sounds are coming from my Pandora radio. I am listening to the Indigo Girls right now. It is wonderful! I have lots to do....so I am going to get busy and get done....maybe we will get to leave a bit early today....keeping my fingers crossed. Be sure and stop back late tomorrow and see my Project 365 offerings.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Entenmann's Giveaway Winner
I Have Returned
I've fallen in love.
With New York City.
It was FABULOUS.
I'm home now and I promise to tell all about my adventures next week.
Tomorrow, however, I'll be writing about something else.
Or rather, SOMEONE else.
Because guess what?
Tom comes home tomorrow!
We're moving to Oklahoma. Our final day in Wyoming is June 14th.
Yes, he does have to go back to Korea June 20th but then he's home for good in August.
I haven't seen him in 9 months.
I'm going to see my husband tomorrow.
With New York City.
It was FABULOUS.
I'm home now and I promise to tell all about my adventures next week.
Tomorrow, however, I'll be writing about something else.
Or rather, SOMEONE else.
Because guess what?
Tom comes home tomorrow!
We're moving to Oklahoma. Our final day in Wyoming is June 14th.
Yes, he does have to go back to Korea June 20th but then he's home for good in August.
I haven't seen him in 9 months.
I'm going to see my husband tomorrow.
Hodge Podge Correction and Other Random Thoughts
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Red White and Hodgepodge-Volume 28
Ready to begin? Well, here we go.....
1. What is something about living in this country that you value? 'This country' is whatever country you call home. I have to agree with Joyce, I love that America is still considered the land of opportunity.
2. What is a favorite something you own that is red white and/or blue? I have the flag that was draped on my father's coffin in a flag display box....and Frank has the flag of his grandfather also in a box. Both flags are prized possessions.
3. Do you fly a flag at your house on patriotic holidays?
No because I do not have a flag flyer at the parsonage where I live. I do however participate in patriotic holiday services...and usually sing Lee Greenwoods, "God Bless the USA."
4. What ingredients do you think should be included in a great picnic basket?
Chicken Salad, and/or Pimiento and Cheese with crackers, some other assorted cheeses, a fruit assortment of blueberries, strawberries, apples, and pineapple. Some nice lemonade or a nice bottle of wine. Yummmy!
5. What is one interesting piece of trivia you know? Interesting is of course a relative term.
I actually have two....Maine is the only state whose name is just one syllable and....Los Angeles' full name is "El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de los Angeles de Porciuncula." I think I would move to Oakland if I had to say that every day.
6. Wednesday, May 24th is National Escargot Day...have you ever tried them? Eww or ooh?
I tolerate. I do not have this dish often but when I do I enjoy them cooked in white wine and garlic as long as I don't give a whole lot of thought to what it is....and can remove the slug image from my head. I have eaten them several times....and don't put up a big EEEEEWWWWW what is that scene when they are offered.
7. What is something you know for sure?
God gave His only Son....so that whoever believes will not perish but have eternal life! Whooo hoooo!
8. Insert your own random thought here.
Graduations for me began last Thursday night....Taylor graduated from Randolph County High School and I so wanted to be there....it was my friend, Tammy's first graduation as principal....but did not make it. Monday and Tuesday nights I sat through kindergarten and eight grade graduation at Rock Mills Junior High and Thursday night this week is Handley High School's and Friday is Benjamin Russell's. How many graduations (college, elementary, high school) have YOU been to this graduation season? I would love to know that someone besides me is warming benches in gyms. The kindergarten had a beautifully done slide show and this song just reached out and grabbed every heart string I had....my daughter is soon to be 31....the days of kindergarten graduation are over.....Happy Wednesday and if you have children who ARE little....go give them a little love...and enjoy your time with them...it will be gone before you know it.
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Thomas Jefferson the Art Collector
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John Trumbull (American painter, 1756-1843) Thomas Jefferson 1788
Thomas Jefferson was acutely conscious of the importance of historical icons in the formation of a national identity. Like the Indian artifacts and mastodon bones, Jefferson's collection of American art was his contribution to the creation of a new nation.
In 1803, a list of the artworks at Monticello showed 126 items, including "17 in the entrance hall, 49 in the parlor, 10 in the dining room, and 36 in the tearoom (most of the works in this small room were miniatures)." Jefferson was also known to have a "large portfolio of unframed prints and drawings."
This varied collection of sculpture, paintings, prints and maps had been acquired the way much of Monticello had been built, by accretion. When he was making plans for building the first Monticello, he included in his "Construction Notebook" a "wish list" of 19 works of sculpture and painting.
His primary interest was sculpture, for the same classical education that turned him to Rome for architectural inspiration directed him to statuary, the representational art form most directly linked to classical antiquity. At the head of his list were the Medici Venus and the Apollo Belvedere. Copies of these two works "were most likely intended for two niches in the parlor of the original house." He never acquired them, but during a lifetime of collecting, he managed to amass a sizeable number of sculptural busts, and enough paintings, prints, and maps to fill the available wall space of the public rooms of Monticello.
Jefferson acquired much of his collection randomly, buying some items in Paris at auction, commissioning copies of others, and receiving some as presentation copies. The one distinguished artist whose work he owned was Jean-Antoine Houdon, whom he became acquainted with in Paris. He brought to Monticello a total of 7 busts by Houdon, mostly of American patriots, including the famous Houdon likeness of Jefferson himself.
Jefferson’s painting collection included a number of copies of old masters, including Raphael, Leonardo, and Rubens. Copies of famous paintings, particularly if done by a competent hand, were considered in good taste in the 18th century.
In addition, the walls of Monticello were decorated with geographical and historical scenes of America, as well as portraits of its luminaries. He acquired likenesses of such explorers of the Americas as Columbus, Cortez, Magellan, and Vespucci, and of the colonizer of Virginia, Sir Walter Raleigh.
To these were added a gallery of paintings or prints of American patriots, including Washington, Adams, Franklin, Lafayette, and Paine. He displayed in the lower tier of works hung in the parlor a set of ten medals of officers who had distinguished themselves during the Revolution.
There were also portraits of his private European heroes, "the three greatest men the world had ever produced," Bacon, Newton, and Locke, for their contributions to the intellectual foundations of the nation.
Jefferson had encouraged John Trumbull to paint scenes of the Revolutionary War, and acquired a print of the most famous of these, "The Declaration of Independence." It was added to a wide collection of Americana, including scenes of Harper's Ferry, Niagara Falls, the Natural Bridge, New Orleans, Mount Vernon, and an elevation of Monticello by Robert Mills.
Jefferson's Monticello collection of art works, natural history specimens, and American Indian artifacts, many from the Lewis and Clark expedition, has become emblematic of his remarkable intellect and his dedication to the country that he helped found.
(excerpts from McLaughlin, Jack. Jefferson and Monticello: The biography of a builder. New York : H. Holt, c1988, p.360-3)
For further information about the art collection of Thomas Jefferson, see:
Adams, William Howard. Jefferson and the arts: An extended view. Washington : National Gallery of Art, 1976.
Berman, Eleanor Davidson. Jefferson among the arts; An essay in early American esthetics. New York, Philosophical Library [1947].
McLaughlin, Jack. Jefferson and Monticello: The biography of a builder. New York : H. Holt, c1988.
Stein, Susan R. The Worlds of Thomas Jefferson at Monticello. New York : H.N. Abrams, in association with the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation, Inc., 1993.
This information from our Smithsonian Institution's Ask Joan of Art!
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Thomas Jefferson was acutely conscious of the importance of historical icons in the formation of a national identity. Like the Indian artifacts and mastodon bones, Jefferson's collection of American art was his contribution to the creation of a new nation.
In 1803, a list of the artworks at Monticello showed 126 items, including "17 in the entrance hall, 49 in the parlor, 10 in the dining room, and 36 in the tearoom (most of the works in this small room were miniatures)." Jefferson was also known to have a "large portfolio of unframed prints and drawings."
This varied collection of sculpture, paintings, prints and maps had been acquired the way much of Monticello had been built, by accretion. When he was making plans for building the first Monticello, he included in his "Construction Notebook" a "wish list" of 19 works of sculpture and painting.
His primary interest was sculpture, for the same classical education that turned him to Rome for architectural inspiration directed him to statuary, the representational art form most directly linked to classical antiquity. At the head of his list were the Medici Venus and the Apollo Belvedere. Copies of these two works "were most likely intended for two niches in the parlor of the original house." He never acquired them, but during a lifetime of collecting, he managed to amass a sizeable number of sculptural busts, and enough paintings, prints, and maps to fill the available wall space of the public rooms of Monticello.
Jefferson acquired much of his collection randomly, buying some items in Paris at auction, commissioning copies of others, and receiving some as presentation copies. The one distinguished artist whose work he owned was Jean-Antoine Houdon, whom he became acquainted with in Paris. He brought to Monticello a total of 7 busts by Houdon, mostly of American patriots, including the famous Houdon likeness of Jefferson himself.
Jefferson’s painting collection included a number of copies of old masters, including Raphael, Leonardo, and Rubens. Copies of famous paintings, particularly if done by a competent hand, were considered in good taste in the 18th century.
In addition, the walls of Monticello were decorated with geographical and historical scenes of America, as well as portraits of its luminaries. He acquired likenesses of such explorers of the Americas as Columbus, Cortez, Magellan, and Vespucci, and of the colonizer of Virginia, Sir Walter Raleigh.
To these were added a gallery of paintings or prints of American patriots, including Washington, Adams, Franklin, Lafayette, and Paine. He displayed in the lower tier of works hung in the parlor a set of ten medals of officers who had distinguished themselves during the Revolution.
There were also portraits of his private European heroes, "the three greatest men the world had ever produced," Bacon, Newton, and Locke, for their contributions to the intellectual foundations of the nation.
Jefferson had encouraged John Trumbull to paint scenes of the Revolutionary War, and acquired a print of the most famous of these, "The Declaration of Independence." It was added to a wide collection of Americana, including scenes of Harper's Ferry, Niagara Falls, the Natural Bridge, New Orleans, Mount Vernon, and an elevation of Monticello by Robert Mills.
Jefferson's Monticello collection of art works, natural history specimens, and American Indian artifacts, many from the Lewis and Clark expedition, has become emblematic of his remarkable intellect and his dedication to the country that he helped found.
(excerpts from McLaughlin, Jack. Jefferson and Monticello: The biography of a builder. New York : H. Holt, c1988, p.360-3)
For further information about the art collection of Thomas Jefferson, see:
Adams, William Howard. Jefferson and the arts: An extended view. Washington : National Gallery of Art, 1976.
Berman, Eleanor Davidson. Jefferson among the arts; An essay in early American esthetics. New York, Philosophical Library [1947].
McLaughlin, Jack. Jefferson and Monticello: The biography of a builder. New York : H. Holt, c1988.
Stein, Susan R. The Worlds of Thomas Jefferson at Monticello. New York : H.N. Abrams, in association with the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation, Inc., 1993.
This information from our Smithsonian Institution's Ask Joan of Art!
.
Wordplay
Wordplay (but no fun at all) - Before the 20th century, the word sex did not refer to sensual pleasures, simply to the "other sex"
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One of Life's Sweetest Moments
Monday, May 23, 2011
Sometimes You Just Want to Scream!
Scream Scene One - We missed a day due to snow. Instead of making it up during the last part of the year....(some schools simply added 15-30 minutes to their day)....we are adding it to the end of the year. So Friday....when teachers should be doing Professional Development....our kids will be there.....all day....except for the seniors who will be at graduation practice. Now honestly....do you think we will have many students on campus? Then...to add insult to injury we will be adding the Professional Day AFTER Memorial Day! I think I am going to be sick! I don't need the hours...I have over 130/25.....and if my stuff is all done on Friday....I truly may be sick. Honestly....do you think we will have many teachers on campus?
Scream Scene Two - I know people are trying to be nice....and when there is a death....they truly don't know what to say.....but come on people....don't say things like this,"I know how you feel." Do you really? Have you ever been walking in my shoes? In the past 20 months....I have dealt with missing parents, cancer, altzheimers, my dad dying, my aunt dying, my mom dying, and now Randy....I had someone actually tell me they knew how I felt....and then said, "yep, my dad died.....then eight years later my mom died." Oh come on! They don't have a clue...and instead of feeling comforted...all I felt was anger. I personally feel it would be better to just say something like, "I am praying for you."
Scream Scene Three - I teach....it is the end of the year....kids/parents who have had access to INow all along have all of a sudden discovered that they have grades missing....or are failing....or have less than desirable grades.....and now they want me to fix it. Griefus! They have had ten....count them TEN weeks to take care of this....our school policy says....you have the number of days you were absent to make up work. You have three days to bring in an excuse...and I am amazed at the number of kids who were out the first part of the term....who all of a sudden have excused absenses. Are we teaching them how to be mature adults...or just showing them that rules don't apply to them? Will this fly when they have a job?....What exactly ARE we teaching them?
I know that this will pass....but for today....the scream is still there...waiting....for the right moment. I hope your Monday is a good one....and I hope my screamer will stay buried until I can get to the house and bury my hands in some soil!
Sunday, May 22, 2011
New York City Here I Come!
“I’d prefer you stay off the subways. Weird people ride subways. Don’t walk around at night. Weird people are out at night and they’ll abduct you and kill you. Don’t let anyone buy you a drink. Weird people will drug you and kill you. Don’t—”
“Tom. Holy crap. I’ll be fine,” I insisted. I mean, it was flattering he was so concerned. But it was getting borderline annoying. And okay, he was scaring me.
See, I’m going to New York City today with my best friend. It’s a late Mother’s Day gift. Or early birthday gift. I’m there until Thursday. So I’ll probably be missing from my blog. I’m not dead or anything. (I hope.) Just wanted to point that out if you’re like Tom and think New York is crawling with murderers.
Actually, come to think of it, it probably is. I watch Blue Bloods and it’s based in New York and someone is dying every week.
My parents are a tad concerned too. I’m their only kid. They don’t want me walking around at night either. It’s not like I’d wander into an alley and be like, “Oo an actual New York alley!” I’ve seen Home Alone 2. I know what happens in alleys. (Oh wait, the robbers almost shoot Kevin in Central Park at night. Not an alley. Right? Note to self: avoid Central Park at night because didn’t one of the robbers say, “Grown men go into Central Park at night and don’t come out alive..”)
I plan on being safe.
It’s my first time in New York City so I can’t wait. I’ve wanted to go for years. Sex and the City made it look so glamorous. And speaking of Sex and the City, we’re actually going on a Sex and the City tour. They even give you a cosmopolitan to drink. I won’t look as fancy as the Sex and the City ladies though. I plan on wearing flip flops. Or my Sketchers Tone Ups, so my ass firms while I’m exploring the city.
Maybe I’ll run into John Krasinski! He wanders the city.
Only I’m sure Tom would add, “And stay away from John Krasinski,” if I let him know this.
Is it wrong that I can’t wait to dance on the giant piano at FAO Schwartz?
Or sip a hot chocolate at Serendipity 3?
Or…or…stroll down Fifth Avenue and wish I were rich?
Don’t worry though.
I’ll try to do it all during the day.
“Tom. Holy crap. I’ll be fine,” I insisted. I mean, it was flattering he was so concerned. But it was getting borderline annoying. And okay, he was scaring me.
See, I’m going to New York City today with my best friend. It’s a late Mother’s Day gift. Or early birthday gift. I’m there until Thursday. So I’ll probably be missing from my blog. I’m not dead or anything. (I hope.) Just wanted to point that out if you’re like Tom and think New York is crawling with murderers.
Actually, come to think of it, it probably is. I watch Blue Bloods and it’s based in New York and someone is dying every week.
My parents are a tad concerned too. I’m their only kid. They don’t want me walking around at night either. It’s not like I’d wander into an alley and be like, “Oo an actual New York alley!” I’ve seen Home Alone 2. I know what happens in alleys. (Oh wait, the robbers almost shoot Kevin in Central Park at night. Not an alley. Right? Note to self: avoid Central Park at night because didn’t one of the robbers say, “Grown men go into Central Park at night and don’t come out alive..”)
I plan on being safe.
It’s my first time in New York City so I can’t wait. I’ve wanted to go for years. Sex and the City made it look so glamorous. And speaking of Sex and the City, we’re actually going on a Sex and the City tour. They even give you a cosmopolitan to drink. I won’t look as fancy as the Sex and the City ladies though. I plan on wearing flip flops. Or my Sketchers Tone Ups, so my ass firms while I’m exploring the city.
Maybe I’ll run into John Krasinski! He wanders the city.
Only I’m sure Tom would add, “And stay away from John Krasinski,” if I let him know this.
Is it wrong that I can’t wait to dance on the giant piano at FAO Schwartz?
Or sip a hot chocolate at Serendipity 3?
Or…or…stroll down Fifth Avenue and wish I were rich?
Don’t worry though.
I’ll try to do it all during the day.
Thirty-One Gifts Winner
I did a Thirty-One Gifts giveaway here.
I used random.org to pick a winner and it chose number 33.
That was Cutefatgirl!
Congrats!
I used random.org to pick a winner and it chose number 33.
That was Cutefatgirl!
Congrats!
Graduation Sunday
Today was graduation Sunday at church. One of our graduates has already moved his tassel and the others will move their tassels on Tuesday and Thursday of this week. This is a very special time in the life of a young person...it is a rite of passage.....it is a huge step......it is the beginning of being an adult. Frank's sermon was very special today and I thought I would his words of wisdom with you. "We come here this morning to recognize the hard work and effort of these young men and women who are seated among us. They are about to make a major transition in their lives. Graduation is a sign of achievement and success – and we congratulate them. As a gift from our church, at the end of this service we will be presenting you each with a copy of the Bible.( I still have the one I got when I graduated....almost 40 years ago.) The Bible itself makes this claim: God’s Word – The Bible is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. Psalms 119:105 (NKJV). Also remember that the Bible will keep you from sin, but sin will keep you from the bible. The Bible can provide guidance as you travel through life.Kyle walked up to his teacher’s desk, holding a report card with a big red F. He said, "If I were you I would change this while you still can." "Why is that?" asked the teacher. "Because my dad told me that if I brought home one more failing report card, someone was going to get a beating." You’ve become role models for many of the younger ones here who look up to you…you’ve become a teacher yourself! You should recognize the power of your influence and step up to the place of leadership, by always being a learner and continuing to look for wisdom.There was a school teacher injured his back in the summertime and had to wear a plaster cast around the upper part of his body for weeks. It fit under his shirt and was not noticeable at all. He transferred to a new inner-city school on top of that. On the first day of school, still with the cast under his shirt, he found himself assigned to the toughest students in that rowdy school. Walking confidently into the rowdy classroom, he opened the window as wide as possible and then busied himself with desk work. When a strong breeze made his tie flap, he took the desk stapler and stapled the tie to his chest. From that time on he had no trouble with discipline in his class.
You’ve earned some respect…you’ve sharpened your edge…but don’t “fly off the handle” in the pride”, rather, whet the edge and keep your edge in life! Many adults lose their cutting edge by not remaining learners, growing complacent and ceasing to go forward.
Frank finished off his sermon with these few words of wisdom written by Kurt Vonnegut:
"1 Do one thing every day that scares you.
2 Sing.
3 Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.
4Floss.
5 Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.
6 Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.
7 Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.
8 Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
9 Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.
10 Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel.
11 Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders.
12 Respect your elders.
13 Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.
14 Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85.
15 Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth."
But no matter what always remember: Go the distance…stay the course, fight a good fight, and finish the course! I am so very proud of our graduates, as I am sure you are proud of your own. Congrats to you all!
You’ve earned some respect…you’ve sharpened your edge…but don’t “fly off the handle” in the pride”, rather, whet the edge and keep your edge in life! Many adults lose their cutting edge by not remaining learners, growing complacent and ceasing to go forward.
• You have been in school now for 2160 days.
• You have spent 12,960 hours in classes.
• That translates into 777,600 minutes.
• So far you’ve lived approximately 18 years.
• You’ve been around 216 months.
• You have been breathing 936 weeks.
• You’ve been going through the motions for 6,552 days
• You’ve been here 157,248 hours.
• You’ve been taking up space 9,434,880 minutes.
• You’ve slept 52,500 hours.
• You’ve watched T.V. 12,173 hours.
• You’ve spent 7,488 hours eating. (Mostly pizza!)
• MOST OF YOU WERE BORN in the early 90’s
YOU WERE WRINKLED, RED, BALD, TOOTHLESS, COULDN’T HARDLY SEE, CRYING, COMPLAINING, AND HAD NO CLOTHES ON.Well, you’ve come a long way! You’ve reached a milestone. But this is not the end…it’s really just the beginning! You’ve come to the end of a big episode, but just before the credits roll, across the screen flashes the words: “To be continued!” John Adams once said, “There are two types of education: One should teach us how to make a living, and the other how to live.” ..."Frank finished off his sermon with these few words of wisdom written by Kurt Vonnegut:
"1 Do one thing every day that scares you.
2 Sing.
3 Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.
4Floss.
5 Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.
6 Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.
7 Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.
8 Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
9 Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.
10 Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel.
11 Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders.
12 Respect your elders.
13 Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.
14 Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85.
15 Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth."
But no matter what always remember: Go the distance…stay the course, fight a good fight, and finish the course! I am so very proud of our graduates, as I am sure you are proud of your own. Congrats to you all!
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Project 365 - Week of May 15th - May 21st
It is that time of week again and believe me it was my salvation all week. I don't know how I would have made it through this week if it had not been for picture taking. Want to see some more? Go visit Sara at ....make music from your heart to the Lord and you will be so impressed with all the other photographers out there participating in her Project 365.
Sunday, May 15th
Frank got creative with his sign this week.
Monday, May 16th
I stopped for a coke on my way home from school Monday afternoon and when I got out of the car I noticed these petunias growing out of the concrete. Are they not gorgeous?
Tuesday, May 17th
We went to Amanda's Tuesday night to wait for the family to arrive from Atlanta. Frank and I ran to town to get some breakfast food so they would have something to eat on Wednesday morning. This moon picture was made near her house in a pasture that is across the street. The moon was so beautiful. I wish I could say my mood was as bright and shiny.
Wednesday, May 17th
This shot was made from my backyard through some trees on Wednesday night after the cookout with the youth from Rock Mills.
Thursday, May 19th
In the field next to Wal-mart I got this Queen Anne's Lace.
Friday, May 20th
A firefighters funeral is passing under the hanging flag. My cousin's husband, Randy died on Tuesday night and if you have never experience a firefighter/military/police ceremony you have missed something very powerful.
Randy was buried in the Lanett cemetary. This is a shot of Little Nadine's doll house. It is actually a grave for a little girl and her parents. It is in the book "Alabama Curiosities." After the little girls parents died the City of Lanett took over the upkeep on the little doll house.
Saturday, May 22nd
Just when you think the world is crashing in on you.....there is a baby shower. Shelby Spivey's baby shower was today in the Fellowship Hall at the church. Shelby is one of the cutest little mama's I have ever seen. Her smile is so infectious that it was hard to be there....and be sad. She got some really cool stuff....things they did not have when I had babies. Did you know that there is something called a peepee teepee? It is for...little boys. I have never heard of such. One more week of school and then I am out for the summer. Believe me I can hardly wait. I think I will hole up in my house the first week and just read and be lazy. Have a great week!
Friday, May 20, 2011
Cooking Cakes in the 18th Century
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During the 18th-century, cooking special cakes to celebrate royal commemorations, weddings, anniversaries, religious holidays, revolutionary victories, and birthdays called for a Rich Cake which was sometimes called a Great Cake in early America.
[1747]
"To Make a Rich Cake
Take four Pound of Flower well dried and sifted, seven Pound of Currants washed and rubb'd, six Pound of the best fresh Butter, two Pound of Jordan Almonds blanched, and beaten with Orange Flower Water and Sack till they are fine, then take four Pound of Eggs, put half the Whites away, three Pound of double refin'd Sugar beaten and sifted, a quarter of an Ounce of Mace, the same of Cloves and Cinnamon, three large Nutmegs, all beaten fine, a little Ginger, half a Pint of Sack, half a Pint of right French Brandy, Sweetmeats to your liking, they must be Orange, Lemon, and Citron. Work your Butter to a Cream with your Hands before any of your Ingredients are in, then put in your Sugar, mix it well together; let your Eggs be well beat, and strain'd thro' a Sieve, work in your Almonds first, then put in your Eggs, beat them all together till they look white and thick, then put in your Sack and Brandy and Spices, and shake your Flour in by Degrees, and when your Oven is ready, put in your Currants and Sweetmeats as you put it in your hoop; it will take four Hours baking in a quick Oven, you must keep it beaten with your Hand all the while you are mixing of it, and when your Currants are well wash'd and clean'd, let them be kept before the Fire, so that they may go warm into your Cake. This Quantity will bake best in two Hoops."
---The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy, Hannah Glasse, London [1747]
"To Ice a great Cake another Way
Take two Pound double refin'd Sugar, beat and sift it very fine, and likewise beat and sift a little Starch and mix with it, then beat six Whites of Eggs to Froth, and put to it some Gum-Water, the Gum must be steep'd in Orange-flower-water, then mix and beat all these together two Hours, and put it on your Cake; when it is baked, set it in the Oven again to harden a quarter of an Hour, take great Care it is not discolour'd. When it is drawn, ice it over the Top and Sides, take two Pound of double refin'd Sugar beat and sifted, and the Whites of three Eggs beat to a Froth, with three or four Spoonfuls of Orange-flower-water, and three Grains of Musk and Ambergrease together; put all these in a Stone Mortar, and beat these till it is a white as Snow, and with a Brush or Bundle of Feathers, spread it all over the Cake, and put it in the Oven to dry; but take Care the Oven does not discolour it. When it is cold paper it, and it will keep good five or six Weeks."
---The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy, Hannah Glasse, London [1747]
Churning the Butter
[1772]
"A Rich Cake
Take six pounds of the best fresh butter, work it to a cream with your hands; then throw in by degrees three pounds of double refined sugar well beat and sifted; Mix them well together; then work in three pounds of blanched almonds, and having them altogether till they are thick and look white. The add half a pint of French brandy, half a pint of sack, a small quantity of ginger, about two ounces of mace, cloves, and cinnamon each, and three large nutmegs all beaten in a mortar as fine as possible. Then shake in gradually four pounds of well dried and sifted flour; and when the oven is well prepared, and a thin hoop to bake it in, stir into this mixture (as you put it into the hoop) seven pounds of currants clean washed and rubbed, and such a quantity of candied orange, lemon, and citron in equal proportions, as shall be thought convenient. The oven must be quick, and the cake at least will take four hours to bake; Or you may make two or more cakes out of these ingredients, you must beat it with your hands, and the currants must be dried before the fire, and put into the cake warm."
---The Frugal Colonial Housewife, Susannah Carter [1772]
Gathering the Eggs
[1792]
"Bride Cake
Take four pounds of fine flour well dried, four pounds of fresh butter, two pounds of loaf sugar, a quarter of an ounce of mace, the same of nutmegs well beat and sifted, and to every pound of flour put eight eggs, four pounds of currants well washed and picked, and dry them before the fire till they are plump, blanch a pound of Jordan almonds, and cut them lengthways very thin, a pound of candied citron, the same of candied orange, and the same of candied lemon peel, cut in thin slips, and half a pint of brandy; first work your butter to a fine cream with your hand, then beat in your sugar a quarter of an hour, and beat the whites of your eggs to a strong froth, and mix them with your sugar and butter; beat your yolks for half an hour with one hand, and mix them well with the rest; then by degrees put in your flour, mace, and nutmeg, and keep beating it till your oven is ready; put in the brandy, currants, and almonds lightly: tie three sheets of paper round the bottom of your hoop to keep it from running out, and rub it well with butter, then put in your cake, and lay your sweetmeats in three layers, with some cake between every layer; as soon as it is risen and coloured, cover it with paper before your oven in closed up, and bake it three hours. You may ice it or not, as you choose, directions being given for icing in the beginning of this chapter."
---The New Art of Cookery According to the Present Practice, Richard Briggs [W. Spotswood, R. Campbell & B. Johnson:Philadelphia] 1792
"Icing for Cakes.--Take the whites of twelve eggs, and a cound of couble-refined sugar pounded and sifted through a fine sieve, mix them together in a deep earthen pan and beat it well for three hours with a strong wooden spoon till it looks white and thick, and with a thin paste knife spread it all over the top and sides of your cake, and ornament it with sweet nonpareils, or fruit paste, or sugar images, and put it in a cool oven to harden for one hour, or set it at the distance from the fire, and keep turning it till it is hard. You may perfume the icing with any sort of perfume you please."
---The New Art of Cookery According to the Present Practice, Richard Briggs [W. Spotswood, R. Campbell & B. Johnson:Philadelphia] 1792
A Little Coffee with Your Cake...
Information from Foodtimeline.org
.
During the 18th-century, cooking special cakes to celebrate royal commemorations, weddings, anniversaries, religious holidays, revolutionary victories, and birthdays called for a Rich Cake which was sometimes called a Great Cake in early America.
[1747]
"To Make a Rich Cake
Take four Pound of Flower well dried and sifted, seven Pound of Currants washed and rubb'd, six Pound of the best fresh Butter, two Pound of Jordan Almonds blanched, and beaten with Orange Flower Water and Sack till they are fine, then take four Pound of Eggs, put half the Whites away, three Pound of double refin'd Sugar beaten and sifted, a quarter of an Ounce of Mace, the same of Cloves and Cinnamon, three large Nutmegs, all beaten fine, a little Ginger, half a Pint of Sack, half a Pint of right French Brandy, Sweetmeats to your liking, they must be Orange, Lemon, and Citron. Work your Butter to a Cream with your Hands before any of your Ingredients are in, then put in your Sugar, mix it well together; let your Eggs be well beat, and strain'd thro' a Sieve, work in your Almonds first, then put in your Eggs, beat them all together till they look white and thick, then put in your Sack and Brandy and Spices, and shake your Flour in by Degrees, and when your Oven is ready, put in your Currants and Sweetmeats as you put it in your hoop; it will take four Hours baking in a quick Oven, you must keep it beaten with your Hand all the while you are mixing of it, and when your Currants are well wash'd and clean'd, let them be kept before the Fire, so that they may go warm into your Cake. This Quantity will bake best in two Hoops."
---The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy, Hannah Glasse, London [1747]
"To Ice a great Cake another Way
Take two Pound double refin'd Sugar, beat and sift it very fine, and likewise beat and sift a little Starch and mix with it, then beat six Whites of Eggs to Froth, and put to it some Gum-Water, the Gum must be steep'd in Orange-flower-water, then mix and beat all these together two Hours, and put it on your Cake; when it is baked, set it in the Oven again to harden a quarter of an Hour, take great Care it is not discolour'd. When it is drawn, ice it over the Top and Sides, take two Pound of double refin'd Sugar beat and sifted, and the Whites of three Eggs beat to a Froth, with three or four Spoonfuls of Orange-flower-water, and three Grains of Musk and Ambergrease together; put all these in a Stone Mortar, and beat these till it is a white as Snow, and with a Brush or Bundle of Feathers, spread it all over the Cake, and put it in the Oven to dry; but take Care the Oven does not discolour it. When it is cold paper it, and it will keep good five or six Weeks."
---The Art of Cookery Made Plain and Easy, Hannah Glasse, London [1747]
[1772]
"A Rich Cake
Take six pounds of the best fresh butter, work it to a cream with your hands; then throw in by degrees three pounds of double refined sugar well beat and sifted; Mix them well together; then work in three pounds of blanched almonds, and having them altogether till they are thick and look white. The add half a pint of French brandy, half a pint of sack, a small quantity of ginger, about two ounces of mace, cloves, and cinnamon each, and three large nutmegs all beaten in a mortar as fine as possible. Then shake in gradually four pounds of well dried and sifted flour; and when the oven is well prepared, and a thin hoop to bake it in, stir into this mixture (as you put it into the hoop) seven pounds of currants clean washed and rubbed, and such a quantity of candied orange, lemon, and citron in equal proportions, as shall be thought convenient. The oven must be quick, and the cake at least will take four hours to bake; Or you may make two or more cakes out of these ingredients, you must beat it with your hands, and the currants must be dried before the fire, and put into the cake warm."
---The Frugal Colonial Housewife, Susannah Carter [1772]
[1792]
"Bride Cake
Take four pounds of fine flour well dried, four pounds of fresh butter, two pounds of loaf sugar, a quarter of an ounce of mace, the same of nutmegs well beat and sifted, and to every pound of flour put eight eggs, four pounds of currants well washed and picked, and dry them before the fire till they are plump, blanch a pound of Jordan almonds, and cut them lengthways very thin, a pound of candied citron, the same of candied orange, and the same of candied lemon peel, cut in thin slips, and half a pint of brandy; first work your butter to a fine cream with your hand, then beat in your sugar a quarter of an hour, and beat the whites of your eggs to a strong froth, and mix them with your sugar and butter; beat your yolks for half an hour with one hand, and mix them well with the rest; then by degrees put in your flour, mace, and nutmeg, and keep beating it till your oven is ready; put in the brandy, currants, and almonds lightly: tie three sheets of paper round the bottom of your hoop to keep it from running out, and rub it well with butter, then put in your cake, and lay your sweetmeats in three layers, with some cake between every layer; as soon as it is risen and coloured, cover it with paper before your oven in closed up, and bake it three hours. You may ice it or not, as you choose, directions being given for icing in the beginning of this chapter."
---The New Art of Cookery According to the Present Practice, Richard Briggs [W. Spotswood, R. Campbell & B. Johnson:Philadelphia] 1792
"Icing for Cakes.--Take the whites of twelve eggs, and a cound of couble-refined sugar pounded and sifted through a fine sieve, mix them together in a deep earthen pan and beat it well for three hours with a strong wooden spoon till it looks white and thick, and with a thin paste knife spread it all over the top and sides of your cake, and ornament it with sweet nonpareils, or fruit paste, or sugar images, and put it in a cool oven to harden for one hour, or set it at the distance from the fire, and keep turning it till it is hard. You may perfume the icing with any sort of perfume you please."
---The New Art of Cookery According to the Present Practice, Richard Briggs [W. Spotswood, R. Campbell & B. Johnson:Philadelphia] 1792
Information from Foodtimeline.org
.
Slaves & Rice Cultivation in Georgetown County, South Carolina
.
Salves and Rice Cultivation in Georgetown County, South Carolina
The intricate steps involved in planting, cultivating, harvesting, and preparing rice required an immense labor force. Planters stated that African slaves were particularly suited to provide that labor force for two reasons: 1) rice was grown in some areas of Africa and there was evidence that some slaves were familiar with the methods of cultivation practiced there, and 2) it was thought that the slaves, by virtue of their racial characteristics, were better able than white laborers to withstand the extreme heat and humidity of the tidal swamps and therefore would be more productive workers. Rice cultivation resulted in a dramatic increase in the numbers of slaves owned by South Carolinians before the American Revolution.
In 1680, four-fifths of South Carolina's population was white. However, black slaves outnumbered white residents two to one in 1720, and by 1740, slaves constituted nearly 90% of the population. Much of the growing slave population came from the West Coast of Africa, a region that had gained notoriety by exporting its large rice surpluses.
While there is no consensus on how rice first reached the American coast, there is much debate over the contribution of African-born slaves to its successful cultivation. New research demonstrates that the European planters lacked prior knowledge of rice farming, while uncovering the long history of skilled rice cultivation in West Africa. Furthermore, Islamic, Portuguese, and Dutch traders all encountered and documented extensive rice cultivation in Africa before South Carolina was even settled.
At first rice was treated like other crops, it was planted in fields and watered by rains. By the mid-18th century, planters used inland swamps to grow rice by accumulating water in a reservoir, then releasing the stored water as needed during the growing season for weeding and watering. Similarly, prior records detail Africans controlling springs and run off with earthen embankments for the same purposes of weeding and watering.
Soon after this method emerged, a second evolution occurred, this time to tidewater production, a technique that had already been perfected by West African farmers. Instead of depending upon a reservoir of water, this technique required skilled manipulation of tidal flows and saline-freshwater interactions to attain high levels of productivity in the floodplains of rivers and streams. Changing from inland swamp cultivation to tidal production created higher expectations from plantation owners. Slaves became responsible for five acres of rice, three more than had been possible previously. Because of this new evidence coming to light, some historians contend that African-born slaves provided critical expertise in the cultivation of rice in South Carolina. The detailed and extensive rice cultivating systems increased demand for slave imports in South Carolina, doubling the slave population between 1750 and 1770. These slaves faced long days of backbreaking work and difficult tasks.
A slave's daily work on an antebellum rice plantation was divided into tasks. Each field hand was given a task--usually nine or ten hours' hard work--or a fraction of a task to complete each day according to his or her ability. The tasks were assigned by the driver, a slave appointed to supervise the daily work of the field hands. The driver held the most important position in the slave hierarchy on the rice plantation. His job was second only to the overseer in terms of responsibility.
The driver's job was particularly important because each step of the planting, growing, and harvesting process was crucial to the success or failure of the year's crop. In the spring, the land was harrowed and plowed in preparation for planting. Around the first of April rice seed was sown by hand using a small hoe. The first flooding of the field, the sprout flow, barely covered the seed and lasted only until the grain sprouted. The water was then drained to keep the delicate sprout from floating away, and the rice was allowed to grow for approximately three weeks. Around the first of May any grass growing among the sprouts was weeded by hoe and the field was flooded by the point flow to cover just the tops of the plants. After a few days the water was gradually drained until it half covered the plants. It remained at this level--the long flow--until the rice was strong enough to stand. More weeding followed and then the water was slowly drained completely off the field. The ground around the plants was hoed to encourage the growth and extension of the roots. After about three weeks, the field was hoed and weeded again, at which time--around mid-June or the first of July--the lay-by flow was added and gradually increased until the plants were completely submerged. This flow was kept on the field for about two months with fresh water periodically introduced and stagnant water run off by the tidal flow through small floodgates called trunks.
Rice planted in the first week of April was usually ready for harvesting by the first week of September. After the lay-by flow was withdrawn, just before the grain was fully ripe, the rice was cut with large sickles known as rice hooks and laid on the ground on the stubble. After it had dried overnight, the cut rice was tied into sheaves and taken by flatboat to the threshing yard. In the colonial period, threshing was most often done by beating the stalks with flails. This process was simple but time consuming. If the rice was to be sold rough, it was then shipped to the agent; otherwise, it was husked and cleaned--again, usually by hand. By the mid-19th century most of the larger plantations operated pounding and/or threshing mills which were driven by steam engines. After the rice had been prepared, it was packed in barrels, or tierces, and shipped to the market at Georgetown or Charleston. In 1850 a rice plantation in the Georgetown County area produced an average yield of 300,000 pounds of rice. The yield had increased to 500,000 pounds by 1860.
See National Park Service
.
Salves and Rice Cultivation in Georgetown County, South Carolina
The intricate steps involved in planting, cultivating, harvesting, and preparing rice required an immense labor force. Planters stated that African slaves were particularly suited to provide that labor force for two reasons: 1) rice was grown in some areas of Africa and there was evidence that some slaves were familiar with the methods of cultivation practiced there, and 2) it was thought that the slaves, by virtue of their racial characteristics, were better able than white laborers to withstand the extreme heat and humidity of the tidal swamps and therefore would be more productive workers. Rice cultivation resulted in a dramatic increase in the numbers of slaves owned by South Carolinians before the American Revolution.
In 1680, four-fifths of South Carolina's population was white. However, black slaves outnumbered white residents two to one in 1720, and by 1740, slaves constituted nearly 90% of the population. Much of the growing slave population came from the West Coast of Africa, a region that had gained notoriety by exporting its large rice surpluses.
While there is no consensus on how rice first reached the American coast, there is much debate over the contribution of African-born slaves to its successful cultivation. New research demonstrates that the European planters lacked prior knowledge of rice farming, while uncovering the long history of skilled rice cultivation in West Africa. Furthermore, Islamic, Portuguese, and Dutch traders all encountered and documented extensive rice cultivation in Africa before South Carolina was even settled.
At first rice was treated like other crops, it was planted in fields and watered by rains. By the mid-18th century, planters used inland swamps to grow rice by accumulating water in a reservoir, then releasing the stored water as needed during the growing season for weeding and watering. Similarly, prior records detail Africans controlling springs and run off with earthen embankments for the same purposes of weeding and watering.
Soon after this method emerged, a second evolution occurred, this time to tidewater production, a technique that had already been perfected by West African farmers. Instead of depending upon a reservoir of water, this technique required skilled manipulation of tidal flows and saline-freshwater interactions to attain high levels of productivity in the floodplains of rivers and streams. Changing from inland swamp cultivation to tidal production created higher expectations from plantation owners. Slaves became responsible for five acres of rice, three more than had been possible previously. Because of this new evidence coming to light, some historians contend that African-born slaves provided critical expertise in the cultivation of rice in South Carolina. The detailed and extensive rice cultivating systems increased demand for slave imports in South Carolina, doubling the slave population between 1750 and 1770. These slaves faced long days of backbreaking work and difficult tasks.
A slave's daily work on an antebellum rice plantation was divided into tasks. Each field hand was given a task--usually nine or ten hours' hard work--or a fraction of a task to complete each day according to his or her ability. The tasks were assigned by the driver, a slave appointed to supervise the daily work of the field hands. The driver held the most important position in the slave hierarchy on the rice plantation. His job was second only to the overseer in terms of responsibility.
The driver's job was particularly important because each step of the planting, growing, and harvesting process was crucial to the success or failure of the year's crop. In the spring, the land was harrowed and plowed in preparation for planting. Around the first of April rice seed was sown by hand using a small hoe. The first flooding of the field, the sprout flow, barely covered the seed and lasted only until the grain sprouted. The water was then drained to keep the delicate sprout from floating away, and the rice was allowed to grow for approximately three weeks. Around the first of May any grass growing among the sprouts was weeded by hoe and the field was flooded by the point flow to cover just the tops of the plants. After a few days the water was gradually drained until it half covered the plants. It remained at this level--the long flow--until the rice was strong enough to stand. More weeding followed and then the water was slowly drained completely off the field. The ground around the plants was hoed to encourage the growth and extension of the roots. After about three weeks, the field was hoed and weeded again, at which time--around mid-June or the first of July--the lay-by flow was added and gradually increased until the plants were completely submerged. This flow was kept on the field for about two months with fresh water periodically introduced and stagnant water run off by the tidal flow through small floodgates called trunks.
Rice planted in the first week of April was usually ready for harvesting by the first week of September. After the lay-by flow was withdrawn, just before the grain was fully ripe, the rice was cut with large sickles known as rice hooks and laid on the ground on the stubble. After it had dried overnight, the cut rice was tied into sheaves and taken by flatboat to the threshing yard. In the colonial period, threshing was most often done by beating the stalks with flails. This process was simple but time consuming. If the rice was to be sold rough, it was then shipped to the agent; otherwise, it was husked and cleaned--again, usually by hand. By the mid-19th century most of the larger plantations operated pounding and/or threshing mills which were driven by steam engines. After the rice had been prepared, it was packed in barrels, or tierces, and shipped to the market at Georgetown or Charleston. In 1850 a rice plantation in the Georgetown County area produced an average yield of 300,000 pounds of rice. The yield had increased to 500,000 pounds by 1860.
See National Park Service
.
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