Thirty eighth thing – I can’t believe it took this long to get to sunsets but then this series is not written in any order, rather it is about 59 things that make me happy.
And sunsets make me happy, especially if I am near water. Or while drinking a glass of wine. Or both.
I could wax poetic about sunsets but when I saw this quote on Pinterest, I realized I couldn’t say it better. I hope you’ll enjoy my love of sunsets in photos I’ve taken in my travels.
This series, “59 Candles, 59 Things” is my tribute to my 59th birthday in May 2015. I’m sharing 59 Things that make me happy. If you’d like to see more of this series, just click on “59 Things” under categories and thanks for visiting!
Thirty seventh thing: My next entry in the 59 Candles series (of things that make me happy) is my maternal Grandma’s china, which I inherited when she moved into a small apartment years prior to her passing.
As a child, I fell in love with this lovely set of china as much for it’s beauty as for the many delicious family meals enjoyed at my grandparent’s table. She’d purchased this set as a young woman, prior to her marriage to Grandpa. With twelve place settings and multiple serving pieces, these dishes were packed up and moved countless times over the course of Grandpa’s career. When she offered them to me, I couldn’t have been more thrilled. Her only request – could she keep two cups and saucers? Of course.
She lived in Florida and wasn’t up to travelling to Michigan but I would write her, describing meals I served to family and friends using these special dishes. She always told me how happy this made her and that I likely used her china more than she had over the years.
When Mom sold her home in Florida and moved to Michigan last year, she downsized. A few months ago, she asked me if she might borrow a few cups and saucers from Grandma’s china. She’d met new friends and wanted to be able to offer a lovely cup of tea when they visited.
“Of course” I said with a smile, reminding her that Grandma had once made the same request. Grandma would be happy.
The china was made in Czechoslovakia
“59 Candles, 59 Things” is a series I began last May to commemorate my 59th birthday celebrating things that make me happy. If you’re interested in this series, check out “59 Things” under Categories. There is also a series I did last year called “Moving Mom” detailing the weeks spent helping Mom pack up her home in Florida and our road trip back to Michigan, one of the best experiences of my life.
Thirty sixth thing: I’ve gotten behind on this series of 59 things that make me happy (to commemorate my 59th birthday last May) and realized that I better step it up before my 60th birthday in a few months!
Cookbooks make me happy. Not everyone will get this but there will be those that do. I’ve lost count of how many I have. When remodeling my kitchen, I painstakingly went through the lot of them as I unloaded the old pantry where they were crammed and wedged in. I’ve always said that a cookbook is worthy of keeping if there is one rockstar recipe (or more) inside. I parted with a pile, sharing them with my foodie co-workers. In rennovating my kitchen, my design included special nooks to display those cookbooks that remained.
When my mom sold her house to move north a year ago, she offered up her cookbooks. I happily perused them, adding several more to my collection.
On gray, rainy or wintry mornings, it’s been my habit to pull a couple from their shelves and flip through them while sipping my tea. I’ve also been known to sit on my deck, enjoying my garden on a sunny day, sipping wine while enjoying a cookbook. There’s something comforting in looking at the photos and reading recipes, looking for that next winner! It makes me feel happy.
And hungry…
Several shelves on either side of my walk-in pantry are for cookbooks
These are on the right side
Several shelves on the left side for cookbook display
My built in desk holds larger cookbooks
And these are the ones I’ve been flipping through recently
Stay tuned for more in this series and if you’re interested, check out prior posts for more of my 59 Things (under categories).
Um, I beg to differ – I believe that’s exactly what it means. Hope I’ve cleared that up…..Thirty fifth thing: It seems appropriate that this next entry in my 59 Candles, 59 Things series is Thanksgiving, a time of year which I love and a meal that is likely my most favorite to prepare – and eat every year. And yes, it is one of the things that makes me ridiculously happy.
As the years have gone by, Spence and I have created our traditional Thanksgiving meal. Since retiring in February 2014, this meal is more enjoyable as I’m not under the gun to do the prep work the weekend prior or in evenings after working all day. And there is alot of prep work though don’t read that as a complaint – it is self-imposed, from-scratch cooking that while time consuming, builds joyful anticipation of the flavorful meal to come.
The labor intensive dressing replete with chestnuts (scored, roasted, peeled and chopped) sage sausage, red and green apples, sauteed onion and celery with fresh picked herbs (that emerged unscathed despite last week’s record snowfall) and the partial bags artisan breads from the freezer,deliberately saved and cubed for this purpose. A masterpiece to be sure (patting myself on the back). Since it’s our favorite part of the meal, I make what may seem to be a ridiculous amount of it and it never goes to waste.
Next my cranberry-orange relish prepared several days ago, including my secret addition, Grand Marnier liqueur. This chutney-like relish adds a bit of fresh, tartness to a rich meal.
The 8-10 pound bone-in turkey breast, slathered under and over the skin with fresh-picked herb compound butter is in it’s first hour of cooking as I write this – and looks beautiful.
Add my gravy (which I’ve perfected over the years) finished with extra dry vermouth and a shot (or three) of Slap Ya Mama hot sauce plus a Stouffer’s Spinach Souffle, open a bottle of Sparkling Riesling and you know what’s on my dinner table today.
For dessert I made a perfect pumpkin pie! I used one of the pie crusts from my freezer that I made with my own two hands, using my mom’s fabulous pie crust recipe as she mentored me a few weeks ago.
Oh yum! I love pie!I’ve been geeky about Thanksgiving all week as the prep for the meal was coming together telling Spence repeatedly how excited I am. My mom said “you’re like a kid waiting for Santa”. I think that’s accurate.
While dinner is cooking, we will watch the first of our two favorite (and traditional) Thanksgiving movies:
Planes, Trains and Automobiles
Grumpy Old Men
If you’d like any of my recipes, I’ve shared them on the blog. You’ll find recipes for the cranberry-orange relish, roasted chestnut, sausage & apple dressing, fresh-picked herb compound butter and pie crust!
Thirty fourth thing: In my series, 59 Candles, 59 Things, I’ve chosen to share those things that make me happy, commemorating my 59th year.
I love tea, specifically, hot tea. Never having been able to enjoy coffee (don’t judge), tea has been part of my daily life for at least thirty years.
Starting my day with tea is soothing. Even when I was working, I’d purposely get up an hour earlier than needed to have two cups of tea, Biscotti and Tipper (my cats in case you’re new to my blog) snuggling with me and often, with a few candles lit – especially on cold, dark winter mornings. In retirement, it remains a peaceful start to every morning.
True that!
I even wrote a poem about tea last year in writing class:
Cup of Tea
When did it start, this morning ritual? Rising earlier than necessary to awaken slowly, sipping a cup of tea
Starting another day, snuggling with a purring cat. Comfort. Stillness.
Sleep frequently elusive, restless for years.
Sipping tea, a chance to reflect and be grateful if only for a few minutes each day.
Starting another day, snuggling with a purring cat. Comfort. Stillness.
Wish I could stay here all day and feel this perfect peace, away from all the craziness in the world
Sipping tea, a chance to reflect and be grateful if only for a few minutes each day.
So lucky am I, I see it now.
Wish I could stay here all day and feel this perfect peace, away from all the craziness in the world
Lost in thought, wrapped in a little cocoon of warm, soothing elixir, this tea.
So lucky am I, I see it now.
The day begins in a safe place of reflection, reminding me I’m blessed.
Lost in thought, wrapped in a little cocoon of warm, soothing elixir, this tea.
Sleep frequently elusive, restless for years.
The day begins in a safe place of reflection, reminding me I’m blessed.
When did it start, this morning ritual? Rising earlier than necessary to awaken slowly, sipping a cup of tea.
In a world where there is more than enough stress to go around, tea relaxes me.
I have a shelf in my pantry dedicated to tea, however, this represents only half of the varieties I have in my cupboards. Variety is good, right?
Just a few types of tea on display…
There are days when I’m overstimulated by activity, the evening news or simply know that I’m not going to fall asleep easily. Sleepytime, Tulsi Sleep or chamomile tea can be beneficial, calming me.
Words to live by, for sure.
What things make you happy?
I hope you’ll check out more of my 59 Things series, perhaps while enjoying a cup of tea….
Thirty-third thing: Spence builds a great, roaring fire and this, our first of the season makes me so happy. Before leaving for Aruba, we had wood delivered and our chimney swept. As the temperature has dropped with two nights below freezing, tonight was the night to break it in.
The smell of our fireplace on a cold damp night used to be so welcoming after long days at work. Spence, retired for years, would have the fire set about 30 minutes before I returned home, a glass of wine poured and candles lit. After parking in our unattached garage, coming up the sidewalk and inhaling the aroma of burning wood filled me with anticipation and gratitude for a relaxing evening with my guy and our cats, Tipper and Biscotti.
Since retiring, it isn’t uncommon for us to get up on a wintry day with no need to go out into the bitter cold. Those days, we start a fire late morning and keep it blazing all day as we watch the swirling snow.
So many happy memories spent in our cozy little home enjoying the fireplace. It had to make the list of my 59 Candles, 59 Things.
This series, 59 Candles, 59 Things is my way to commemorate my 59th birthday earlier this year by sharing things that make me happy. I’d love it if you’d check out more of this series, under Categories, click 59 Things.
Thirty-second thing: One of the things that makes me happy takes place a mere ten minute drive from our home and is one of the most fun things to do in Michigan. The Michigan Renaissance Festival is held in nearby Holly Michigan and is an experience unlike any other. Each weekend, encompassing seven weeks, thousands of people flock to this festival. Here’s a bit of history, courtesy of http://www.michrenfest.com:
History For 37 years, the Michigan Renaissance Festival has provided Holly with a unique venue that regularly attracts more than 250,000 visitors from Michigan, surrounding states and Canada. When the Festival first began back in 1979 on the grounds of Columbiere in Clarkston, Michigan, the Renaissance Festival attracted 11,000 patrons during its 5 weekend event. Years later the Festival found a more permanent home where it currently stands, just 12 miles south of Flint on Dixie Highway.
Spence and I have attended this event for nearly thirty years and though at least 65% or more of attendees dress in Renaissance garments, we do not. That doesn’t deter us from the sheer joy of people watching. Yesterday was a perfect autumn day – sunny and in the 60’s with a light breeze as opposed to those weekends we’ve attended when it’s been in the nineties – hot and dusty. We arrived at 10:00 (when the gates open) and departed around 3:00. The festival grows every year with more beautiful landscaping and permanent structures. There are shows, rides (man-powered as in Renaissance times) jousting, a parade (see video at the end of this post), camel rides and petting zoos and endless food choices (I favor the Scotch Egg, others wait in line for grilled turkey drumsticks to name a few) plus beer and wine for the adults. People bring their dogs – often in costumes. If you’re in Michigan from August-early October, I recommend this event!
Thirty-first thing: The next thing that makes me happy is glass. “Glass?” you may be saying.
Why yes. I have had a fascination with art glass for as long as I have memories. The first piece I remember being fascinated by belonged to my Grandma Fox. There is a picture somewhere (probably in black and white) showing a tiny version of me pointing to this piece, just shy of touching it. I couldn’t imagine as a child that I would inherit it one day.
A true antique, highly prized by me!
Spence shares my fascination and enthusiasm for art glass. Years ago, we met a glass blower by the name of Mark Haller at our Michigan Renaissance Festival. Over a number of years, we began acquiring the majority of our pieces from him. Some we watched him create, some already blown, we saw and fell in love with and at least two were commissioned by Spence. They catch the light at different times of day and hold a type of magic for us, adding beauty to the home we share. And of course, each piece holds a memory of a fun day spent together.
This is Spence’s favorite piece.
It resides on the dining room table unless we have four or more for dinner. Then, Spence transports it carefully upstairs to sit safely atop my armoire.
Two Mark Haller pieces
The one on the left was purchased when I was traveling in Colorado years ago. The pitcher is a Mark Haller piece with 2 hydrangea blooms grown in my garden, then dried.
Spence commissioned this piece
Spence commissioned the bud vase (back left). The shorter vase and cobalt mug are by Mark Haller, mixed in with other pretty glass pieces.
The piece on the left is Murano glass, the piece on the right is by Mark Haller
The vase on the left is by Mark Haller and the horse, a favorite piece, is by Savannah Glass.
The piece on the left is by Mark Haller with a pretty blown shot glass by another blower
Two Mark Haller small vases and one of several of his paperweights (more are featured in the banner picture on this post)
The piece on the left is antique, a gift from my step-son and daughter-in-law who love estate sales finds. The perfume bottle was purchased many years ago on my first trip to Vegas. The egg paperweight was purchased in Annapolis and has iridescent Mt. St. Helen ash incorporated into it.
This post is part of a series, 59 Candles, 59 Things to commemorate my 59th birthday back in May. Click on 59 Things in Categories if you’d enjoy reading more!
For those of you who have followed my blog, you may have thought I abandoned this series. Fear not! I’ve just slowed it down. I started this series in May when I turned 59, dedicated to 59 Things that make me happy. I was on vacation at the onset and got almost halfway through when our Michigan summer turned beautiful, my garden beckoned…..I simply got sidetracked.
Thirtieth Thing: I love herbs – growing them and cooking with them. I often make a bouquet of them as a hostess gift.
While it isn’t hard to buy herbs year round, it’s not the same as walking out to the herb garden and snipping a few, just minutes before using them in a favorite recipe.
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, Chives, Thyme, MintBasilGarlic ChivesBeautiful Garlic Chives in bloom. Who knew?Please check out more of the 59 Candles, 59 Things!
Twenty-ninth thing: I can’t write about the 59 things that make me happy without unabashedly giving a shout-out to the best hotdogs in the world. Right here in Genesee County, Michigan, the family owned Koegel Meats produces Koegel Viennas which are famous and deservedly so. They are unlike any other hotdogs, just ask anyone who’s lived here and moved away. People weep, realizing after they’ve moved away that they can no longer acquire them. In the past, I’ve been known to freeze them and transport them to family and friends when I go to visit them. It may well be the reason that I’ve lived in the same county my whole life. In fact, come to think of it, it is the reason!
Yesterday, for the 4th of July, we invited Mom for a cookout with Koegels on the grill. OMG! Can I just say, Spence hit a home run with his grilling skills. He grilled extra dogs so that Mom could take a few “to go”. You make recall from the “Moving Mom” and “Settling Mom” series in the blog, that Mom recently moved back to Michigan from Florida. She may tell others that she wanted to be closer to my sister and I, but I know that Koegel Viennas factored heavily into her decision.
Koegel Viennas are equally delicious steamed if the weather isn’t right for grilling. In a natural casing, there is a distinct “pop” when you bite into them. I can’t describe the joy they bring – it’s foodie nirvana.
If you are in search of that perfect hotdog, now you know where to find them!
If you’d like to read more of my series, “59 Candles, 59 Things”, click on the “59 Things” category or search box. This series was started to commemorate my 59th birthday (in May) and I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoy writing about these things that make me happy!
