I Wonder As I Wander

awake this pre-dawn at 4:30 daniel's alphabet project frolicking through my thoughts

get up and pray . . .

pray for what, father?

are jo's babies on their way now at 34 weeks?
are cecilia and daniel all right?
who? what? how? where? when?

get up and pray

does my dad really have reactivated tuberculosis?
will i have time to get my kidney stone blasted before going to brazil?
how will i know if i've contracted tb?
how long will it take for an accurate diagnosis for dad?

get up and pray . . .

father, how do i know when it's you who are restraining?
or when it's the enemy on the prowl?

i want to be in your will, and no place else.
you will keep in perfect peace her whose mind is staid on you.
show me your will, father.

fill me with the knowledge of your will, lord.

passport, plane ticket, visa, language classes . . .
even a glimpse that the trip is about more than the privilege of being present for Daniel's arrival.
tiptoe expectations of seeing you at work.
my plans are rarely about me, father.

are you throwing these events in my path like so many tire-mangling strips on the route of one running from the authorities in a stolen vehicle?

is the prowler batting and nipping at my heels to make me stumble?

i will know in your time.

draw me close to you.

daniel will be born whether i'm in brazil or not.
you are present--that is all that matters.

dad's health is in your care and in your time.
you will reveal what i need to know at just the right time.

my itinerary is your responsibility.

you are the lord of the battle lines

Welcome to Christmas, 2011

Welcome to Christmas 2011 at our home!

Come in and visit a while, please.



Steve and Steve Jr.




Steve Jr. installed these shelves on the Dining Room Wall.
Love them!




This Nativity Scene was a gift from my sweet husband.
It reminds me of all the Christmas Pageant my friend Shawna organized
at First Baptist in Chappell Hill--minus the little preschool sheep.
Baby Jesus is in a little red wagon.



I appliqued this little wreath in 1998.
A friend who worked with me at Stitch Haven Quilt Shop in Brenham
gave me the kit to work on while Steve underwent his cancer treatments.
It's hanging on our Laundry Room door.



Sunny Breakfast Room table holds a basket of White Poinsettias
mulched with pinecones.



Another fun gift from Steve, this Santa and Rudolph fly through the air when tipped.




A silly sock Reindeer makes me smile in the kitchen.



This sits right in front of me while I stand at the kitchen sink.
It's just all about Jesus, isn't it?
The card from a dear friend (behind) says
"You are one of my nicest thoughts."



A copper angel from Santa Fe on the mantel.

This year I decided to get a Norfolk Island Pine and decorate its branches with child-friendly things.


Baby is resting in a walnut shell.




This preschool craft is at least 25 years old, and made with love by a little Bingham. 



"Stars and angels gave the sign."
Candy Canes are ready for the picking!



Here's our newest stocking.  Daniel will be born in February.
(His Daddy had a pre-birth stocking too.)




This Mousey and her Beau have been hanging around our Christmas fireplace for 35 years or more.
Think they'll ever get married?!



Joy, Joy, Hoot Hoot Pillowcases
I made these for Zoe and Mia to have when they arrive at Nana and DoDo's
for Christmas this year.  The print is so cute; I added a poly-satin border in a copper brown color.
Who doesn't enjoy a soft lovey when going to sleep?



Can you believe how cute this print is?!




More cuteness!




Love  Peace  Joy  HOOT!

And speaking of a hoot, . . . here's on of my favorite cartoons. 

Thanks for stopping by for a little visit.  Joy to you this Christmas!

It Takes a Village

Here are some pictures of this year's Christmas at the Bingham house.  We're anticipating a visit from our niece Marisa, her husband Chris, and their two little girls Zoe (4) and Mia (2).  Our great nieces will be spending their first American Christmas when they arrive from their home in Brussels, Belgium.  They'll be staying with their Nana and DoDo in Bellaire, but I hope they'll be able to come spend some time with Aunt Sandy and Uncle Steve.  So, I decorated the house with little people in mind.

The village that belonged to Steve's mother Joy now takes center stage on our dining room table.  I wanted it to be magical.  See the snowflakes and gold doves suspended above from the chandelier?

The Christmas Village is so much fun for me.  It reminds me of my Grandmother "Bunny Bumps'" tree at their home on Edloe Street in Southside Place, Houston.  Here's a picture of my brothers and me under that tree in 1950.



Gradfather Kenney Voelkel, Bill, Doug, me and our Dad
under Bunny Bumps' tree.  Christmas 1950

Bunny Bumps' tree was filled with red lights, red glass balls, and those heavy old wonderful icicles.  She elevated the tree on boxes covered with cotton 'snow' and micah glitter.  All under the tree, nestled in the snow, was a little log cabin, a mirror lake with a couple of skaters, and Santa complete with sleigh and 8 tiny reindeer.  The cabin had a little light inside.  For me as a young child, it was pure magic.  The tree towered overhead, icicles shimmering.  I would lay there on the floor in the light of the tree and imagine that I was part of this little snowy village scene.

And now, there's an inherited Snow Village that we've 'borrowed' from Steve Jr. for a few years.  All the ceramic houses except for the greenhouse are lit from within.  The dimmed chandelier casts a full moon glow over the scene at night or on cloudy days.  It's one of my favorite parts of Christmas time.



Love the way the snowflakes seem suspended in a freeze frame above the little town.




Children build a snowman by the
Greenhouse with Steve's red pick-up parked outside





The Church sits right in the middle of the village.
This year I found a Nativity to set out in front of the Church.




Lights are on at dusk as kitty checks out the trash can behind the house.




At dusk, Deer wander in the snowy meadow between two houses.




Santa loves riding on his "Rein Deer" Tractor!





Is there magic in that old silk hat?




The Village Inn has put their Giant Nutcracker out to greet visitors.



I wonder if Bunny Bumps and Joy realized what lovely memories they created and pass down with their Christmas Villages . . .  I hope that Zoe and Mia will be able to tuck this memory away in their hearts when they come to visit this year.

Kathryn's Cornbread Dressing

The day before Thanksgiving was always set aside as the day to make THE Cornbread Dressing.  What's for dinner on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving?  Cornbread with butter.  There wasn't time to do anything else but make dressing and get it in the fridge so that Thanksgiving day could be given over to roasting turkey, cooking fresh vegetables, heating pans of dressing, and--just before dinner--making gravy.

Other guests at the family table would bring their assigned special contributions.  Brocolli and Cauliflower with Cheese Sauce made their way onto the table at times.  Fresh Green Beans were a staple.  My Grandmother Bunny's Sweet Potato Casserole rivaled any dessert, but was part of the dinner plate.  She blended cream, cinnamon, and brown sugar with the mashed sweet potatoes, and topped it with marshmallows that got crunchy and brown when heated in the oven.  She also sectioned big navel oranges and grated fresh coconut for a chilled Ambrosia.  At the table there was always a platter of celery sticks (probably left over from the dressing, but it added a fresh crunch) and seedless black olives big enough to ride over the fingertips of children like so many shiny black puppet heads.  And, of course, there was Ocean Spray Cranberry Sauce--the gel kind that you had to force from the can by opening both ends.  Once extricated, it was laid on its side and sliced for serving.

My mother Kathryn's Cornbread Dressing recipe was an unwritten masterpiece, but fortunately she held a dressing 'lab' one year.  With batches of cornbread baking, and celery, onions and parsley being chopped and sautéed, her kitchen and the whole house was full of the most wonderful aromas.  Mom always invited her stepmother Bunny to spend the holiday week with her and my stepfather Tommy.  It was a race to see if there would be enough cornbread left for the dressing after Bunny and Tommy got through 'testing it' hot out of the oven and dripping with melted buter.


Everyone got in on the laughter and preparation.  With an extinguished match in mouth to fend off the tears, Mom's housekeeper Elizabeth would chop cups of onions.  My sister-in-law Iris and I joined the chopping, dicing, mincing, and sautéing.  We wanted to learn how to make the dressing, capture the recipe in black and white, and carry on the tradition in our own homes.  We all relished the simple task of creating a delicious ritual of food and fellowship.


What follows is the recipe for Kathryn's Cornbread Dressing.


Stock
Place turkey neck and giblets removed from bird (yes, there are gizzards, livers, heart and neck in a bag in the cavity of the bird!) in a pot along with celery stalks and chunks of onion.  Cover with water; boil until liquid is flavorful.  Reduce stock if desired.  Strain out vegetables and meaty parts.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Reserve for dressing as well as gravy-making.  (Some people chop the livers and other meaty stuff to add to the gravy.  Me?  I like my gravy smooth, so I toss the neck, gizzards, liver, etc. right along with the boiled limp celery and onion.)


Cornbread and Bread
Bake 4 recipes of cornbread for this dressing recipe that serves ~ 20-30.  


This is the single recipe of Easy Corn Bread from back of Aunt Jemimah corn meal box.  It serves 8.

1-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup Quaker or Aunt Jemima corn meal
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup skim milk
1/4 cup canola oil
2 egg whites or 1 egg, beaten


1. Heat oven to 400° F. Grease 8- or 9-inch pan.


2. Combine dry ingredients. Stir in milk, oil and egg, mixing just until dry ingredients are moistened.


3. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until light golden brown and wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.

4.  Cool and crumble cornbread.

Toast and crumble ~12 slices bread (any type).


Dressing
In a large bowl, mix crumbled cooled cornbread with ~ 12  slices toasted, crumbled bread.
Saute:
3 white onions (~2 cups chopped)
3 bunches green onions, including tops (~1 cup sliced)
in 1 stick (1/2 cup or 4 ounces) butter
Saute:
3 small bunches celery (~5 cups chopped)
2 bunches parsley (~4 cups chopped)
in 1 stick (1/2 cup or 4 ounces) butter


1.  Add sauteed vegetables to the crumbled breads.  Mix by hand.  Salt and pepper to taste.


2.  Moisten with stock until dressing "holds together" when pressed into a ball.  (Too much stock will make dressing soggy and mushy, so add stock a little at a time.)


3.  Turn Dressing into a large oven-proof dish that has been sprayed with oil or non-stick cooking spray.  Cover and refrigerate overnight if desired.


4.  Bake covered in 325 degree oven until thoroughly heated.  Uncover during last 10 minutes or so to brown.


For me, it's not Thanksgiving without this Cornbread Dressing.  I can roast a whole turkey, or grill up marinated turkey breasts--the production of the big bird is not necessary.  Only the dressing!

Diaper Cake for Twin Boys

My dear friend Jo is going to be the Grandmother of twin boys!  There's a shower for Mommy and the babies this coming Saturday, and I've had the best time with her gift--a Diaper Cake for the Twins.

 

It turned out so cute!
I started out with the ribbons--the plaid is wired
and the little animal pawprint is just right.

 Mommy is registered at Babies R Us and Target, so I went online to see her choices and colors.  Then I got to shopping!  Love to do that, especially when I can find great things for a bargain.  Kohl's has a baby department--did you know that?  And did you know that on Wednesdays they offer a 15% discount to seniors?!  Well, okay!  Hunting and gathering, I netted the only two Carter's blankets left from a broken set of five, and wouldn't you know they were a pawprint and a cute brown stripe.  Two packs of Carter's Onesies, socks, and the pacifiers in the colors that Courtney had on her wish list were there too.  Then, this Bath Luve that I couldn't pass up.  It not only keeps a little one feeling warm and calm in the bath; it shields Mommy from her little guy's automatic reaction when placed in warm water.  Only mothers of boys know about this.  Need I say more? 

I used the empty diaper box
covered in the pawprint receiving
blanket as the 'cake' base.



Top layers of the Diaper Cake
with the Mini Bears


On to Babies R Us for more discoveries.  Store coupons helped a lot--a case of 108 newborn diapers, various chimers, teethers, grooming aids, spoons, and links were captured along with

The

Cutest

Softest

Sweetest

Mini Bears

you ever saw!

Another toy that I really wanted to include was Sophie the Giraffe.  She's a squeaky teether that I've seen on Diapers.com as one of the 5-star favorites for young ones.  Scooped her up online.

 

Here's the Bath Luve
plus some other grooming items.
I tucked them in the ribbons or
tied them on with narrow bows and/or links.

 

 So after collecting all components, including lots of strong rubber bands, it's time to roll those teeny diapers and band each one up. Along with the covered box, these rolled diapers comprise the structure of the cake. Banded together in various numbers, they make the second layer (wrapped in the striped blanket).  They're also the decoration around the base of the 'cake.'
NOTE: When it's time to assemble them into these bundles, it sure helps to have an extra pair of hands to corral those rolled diapers. My wise husband suggested putting a rubber band around the a manageable bunch first, and then tucking more in place. Good tip! BTW the wide plaid ribbon is not just for decoration. It's used to cover up the rubber bands that I used to secure both the rolled diapers and the rows or bundles of diaper rolls.  I also hooked decorations on the ribbon or tucked gifts underneath it.



Hand and Foot gel teethers
for the twins
linked in place.



Two sets of Onesies for the twins--
"handsome" is embroidered on one for each boy.

The third layer of the 'cake' is made of a bunch of rolled diapers surrounded by rolled Onesies and rolled burp rags, all tied up with narrow pawprint ribbon.


Rolled Onesies, burp rags all tied up
with pawprint ribbon
surrounded by socks.

Here are some "specs" in case you'd like to make a Diaper Cake.
* In one layer of the 'cake,' I placed all the pertinent packaging for each item--"BPA free," wash instructions, websites, manufacturers, how-to's, and all that. New parents need this info.
* This Diaper Cake is about 24" tall and about 12" x 16" at the base.  It includes 3 layers (empty box base plus 2 bundled layers), and is topped with 2 teddy bears.
* None of the layers are joined--they just sit one on top of the other.
* It's decorated with:   a brush
4 pacifiers                   2 combs
sippy cup brushes        2 balls
3 teethers                     2 spoons
6 Onesies                     2 chimers
5 burp rags                   powder
                                     bath wash
6 pairs of socks            bath towel
7 plastic toy links         2 light blankets
1 roll narrow ribbon    1 roll wide wired ribbon

O Balls are wonderful toys for little hands.  Very light and easy to grasp.  And, of course, one for each.

Can't believe I found the pawprint blanket after already
buying the pawprint ribbon!



Handsome little boys . . .



Sophie the Giraffe



Carter's socks decorate one layer




A sweet little bear for each sweet little boy

You can see in the picture below how the wide ribbon covers the rubber bands used to secure each diaper in a roll.  I like wire-edged ribbon because after it's tied, I can shape the bows and tails.

Two soft-tipped spoons tied with a bow
and attached with a toy link.

Eric Carle chimer is so bright & fun

Small but Very Hungry Caterpillar
chime/rattle

 

Fishy towel is actually the Bath Luve that protects Mommy from little squirts!
Brush with two combs, powder and wash are tucked in.
The 3 brushes on the loop are for sippy cup hygeine.

 

Sophie smiles



I can't wait to meet these little guys!