Christmas Thought?

   Christmas has come and gone and has taken a part of my heart.  My eldest son, wife and grandkids have gone back to their home in Florida and daughter and son-in-law have made their escape over a couple of towns from here.  Elizabeth and Robbie will be back tomorrow to share New Year's dinner with us but, for now, the place seems to be empty.  I am still not ready to tackle the task of "de-Christmasing" so the decorations shall stay for another week...maybe more unless I get the energy.  

  Christmas decorating at the Little Bayou House is never the same.  Sure, most of the ornaments are used year after year but the manner of decorating can be entirely different.  This year, the living room was outfitted with as much "Victorian" clutter that it could hold while the dining room was nothing less than country/bayou.  Both seemed fitting...both were enjoyed by all who visited so I count it as a success.

  After unleashing the frenzy of gift-opening, a thought occurred to me.  Why do this?  Every year, we stress over what to give, panic over undelivered or late packages and overspend.  Why?  All gifts were received with grace and appreciation but the most oohs and ahhs were expressed over the handmade gifts. My three adult kids handmade a gift for their siblings.  I was fully impressed with their creativity and the excitement, giggles and love proved that those simple gifts were the best!  No, I did not get photos.  I wish I had.  Hopefully, I will do better next year.  Now, I am in "gift-making" mode.  I do believe I shall try to handmake each and every gift for this next Christmas.  

  Perhaps, if I stress this idea enough, each member of the family could jump on the bandwagon and give homemade gifts.  Nothing needs to be overly elaborate nor expensive...just something given from the heart.  Isn't that what Christmas is all about anyway?  Love?  Even though the official "day" has passed...the love and giving should continue.  So....Merry Christmas, folks!  

A Mom's Worry

   It is unseasonably cool here on the Bayou this week.  By cool, I mean the temperatures are to drop into the  50s tonight and only hit the mid 80s tomorrow.  This is the forecast for the next week so I am fully enjoying it.  There is a downside, however, as we are not to get any rain for the entirety of this cool spell.  This is bad as we are already in the midst of a drought and, with the north winds coming into play, "fire weather" warnings are being issued.  Burn bans are out for nearly the entire state.  This is not a good scenario if some idiotic person decides to play with matches.  (Yes, people like that are out there.)  Best thing to do is to clear the fallen leaves as best I can and keep the grass cut short.  

  This cool spell did not come without presenting problems to those in Florida, however.  This is what caused Hurricane Ian's shift to the east.  Now the good folks in Florida will catch the brunt of a major storm.  Those good folks include my son, daughter-in-law, grandkids and daughter-in-law's family.  It causes me great worry having them face this entity.  Like I told my son...I am accustomed to facing these threats but not accustomed to the worry about others facing them.  So...I worry....and pray.

  The stillness of the breaking dawn on the Bayou brought peace and tranquility.  The storm on the horizon for Florida brings angst.  If you or yours are anywhere near the path of Ian, stay safe...stay strong.  My heartfelt prayers are with each of you.  Hopefully, Ian will whip in and be gone before doing much damage. 

Mushroom Eggs

   When I was a small child back on the farm, I heard folks talking about "mushroom eggs".  We were often told to "make sure to get the egg" when we were ridding a garden of the mushrooms.  Mostly, we were on the lookout for "Devil's Toadstools" or stinkhorns.  Mom hated those things so if any started popping up in the gardens, she assigned the younger kids to the job of getting rid of them.  As a kid, this was a bit confusing but, hey, I accepted that mushrooms were like chickens and they came from eggs.  I knew that chickens, ducks, turkeys and geese all laid eggs so why couldn't mushrooms?  Plus, we had proof!  While grubbling around under the mulch to pull the toadstools, we were sure to find lots of the white, round "eggs".  

  Well, a long time has passed since then and I have not thought too much about mushroom eggs until a nephew made reference to them.  It seems that it was his task to get the toadstools and their "eggs" from his grandmother's gardens.  I related the story about my childhood task and he and I giggled over the ongoing "kid chore".  After that, the mushroom eggs were promptly forgotten until today.  Back behind the grape arbor, there was a perfect specimen of a mushroom with the "egg" still attached!  No, this was not a stinkhorn but a mushroom that a squirrel had obviously upended.  The egg being the part that is normally underground...the root, so to speak.

  A thought came to me as I sat staring at the upended mushroom.  Did other folks call these things "eggs" and were other kids given the chore of sifting through mulch to find and discard the eggs?  Was this something that was strictly a family thing?   Don't even try "Googling" it as all you will find are 163,000,000 (no lie) recipes for scrambled eggs with mushrooms and, honestly, that does not even sound too tasty to me unless you also throw in some onion, peppers and cheese.

  

Starting a Family!

  Early this morning, the water beckoned and I heeded its call.   Usually when I have this urge, it is because I feel there is a reason.  Either a spectacular sunrise is to occur or some of my critter friends are out and about.  This morning, the rails were busying themselves on the mudflats.  More oft than not, only the little female is foraging for breakfast but, this morning, the happy, little couple were working together.  The pair were cornering bull minnows in tiny pools where they could scoop up their breakfast with ease.  This is the pair that nests just a few feet from the pier.  Each nesting, they bring out their little ones to meet me which is a highlight of the summer for me!

  With rails, the male does most of the work building the nest after the female chooses the site.  The nest is built high enough above the water to assure that it stays dry but low enough to be hidden from most predators.  The male will set to work on the marsh mats that have accumulated by high tides.  He will build a small bowl-shaped nest with a ramp as an entrance.  Then, he builds a dome over this leaving just enough opening so the birds can easily enter. He will continue to add to the "house" even after the eggs are laid.   His ladylove will lay anywhere from two to sixteen eggs before incubating them.  It is not unheard of for her to incubate the eggs during the day and the male to take over for the night. 

  Our little chicks will hatch in about three weeks and leave the nest the same day.  They will be covered with black down which helps to hide them from hawks flying above the marsh.  Both parents will feed the little ones and teach them to forage on their own.  Little Mama will usually have two clutches each breeding season but can have a third if the weather permits.

Beautiful Songster

  The Bayou is home to many critters.  One of my favorites is the Brown Thrasher.  This bird, albeit rather drab in color, has one of the most beautiful songs of any bird.  Many folks have a tendency to think the Northern Mockingbirds are the songsters of the avian world and they are mostly correct. I say mostly since if you are going by song alone and not by sight, it is easy to confuse the two.  The happy trilling and warbling blended with clear, crisp single notes is a characteristic common to the songs of both birds.  Sometimes, it is difficult to distinguish one from another simply by song but I will let you in on a little secret.  The Brown Thrasher repeats its notes or phrases only twice before moving on to another, whereas, a Northern Mockingbird sometimes sticks with repeating a note or phrase three, four or even five times.  Both birds have extensive repertoires of over a thousand sounds!  Hearing the thrasher's song never fails to bring a smile plus the birds are attentive to each other's needs and will actually share their meals.

  Earlier, I was out meandering the hillside when I came across a sad sight.  The pair of Brown Thrashers was under the old, oak tree.  This was unusual since I knew that they had a nest full of eggs in the groundsel bush near the pier.  Either one or the other was always sitting on the four eggs in the nest.  Seeing them together and away from the nest stirred a thought.  I had to go check.  Sure enough, the nest had been raided!  No eggs could be found!  The sweet couple had lost their brood before it had even hatched.  Either the recent visit by the marauding crows was to blame or a snake had found the nest. Either way, I was not alert enough to divert the slaughter of the little family.  Now my sweet friends had to start anew.

  Hopefully, the thrashers will choose a nest site a bit closer to the house and away from the marsh.  It is hard for me to keep an eye on the happenings when I am not nearby.  This evening, the male thrasher came to sit on the gate post to sing his lovely song.  His ladylove was stirring around in the jasmine arbor.  How nice would it be to have them nest there!

Not Feeling It.

  Ok...so today was "Decorate the Christmas Tree Day".  I have procrastinated long enough about getting the Little Bayou House decorated for the holidays and today was the day that it had to be done.  I had threatened that if it was not at least lighted today, the tree was not going to be decorated at all this year.  For that matter, nothing at the Little Bayou House would be decorated this year.  I am just not feeling it.  Usually, I am enthusiastic for Christmas and all its trappings but since the place will be pretty much empty for the holidays, it is hard to get excited.  Part of the family is off on an island somewhere while another part will be out of state, Mark will be working far up north where ice and snow rule and Son will most likely be house-sitting.  The Little Bayou House will seem mighty large and mighty empty this year.  

  This evening as I sit here pondering the holidays past, I glance over to see the old dog, Mr. PJ, snoozing under the half decorated tree.  Thoughts of how so many things have changed in the past year for the both of us ran through my head.  This will be his first Christmas in several years without little ones squealing over Santa's visit.  He appears to be handling it well...better than I am. ` Dogs have this great way of adapting to situations much easier than we do, it seems. 

  So, the tree is half decorated, boxes of tinsel, lights and garland litter the living room, shopping remains undone and I have not the energy nor the mindset to attend any of it.  I am thinking that Mr. PJ and I will enjoy a scaled down version of the holidays this year.  Perhaps he and I will sit by the fire and reminisce of Christmases past or perhaps Old Santa will see fit to leave the old dog a special treat just for being such a good companion.  Then again, perhaps tomorrow will find me in a frenzy to get everything bedecked in its Christmas finery...who knows.

Things Seem A Bit Dimmer

  First, let me say that it felt really weird last night.  We lost Internet and for the first time since I started this blog way back in 2010, I missed writing a post.  I waited until midnight and still no connections so I finally gave up and went to sleep.  It did not feel right.  It still feels strange as I look back on the posts and see one missing.  Hopefully, that will not occur again even though I doubt too many folks even noticed.  

  Now, another strange feeling.  I have a great emptiness inside me.  After a full week of having my son, daughter-in-law and grandlittles here on the Bayou with us, they have headed back to their home in Georgia.  The place seems too quiet...too empty.  My heart is breaking.  Mark and I have been wandering around in a bit of a daze.  We miss the hubbub of family.  The chattering, laughing and even the baby fussing made the Little Bayou House seem alive. Not now.  It just seems empty.

  Earlier today (before our daily thunderstorm), I wandered through the living room to see the sunlight streaming through the east window. This window was a favorite of the grandlittles as there are a dozen or so crystals hanging by tiny chains and threads.  When the sunbeams pass through the crystals, thousands of rainbows fill the room.  During their visit, I showed the tots how to gently touch the prisms to set them swinging.  This caused the colors to dance about the room.  Each morning Mary Ruth and Mark Charles would rush to the window to make their rainbows dance.  It delighted them which delighted me.  

  Today, however, the rainbows did not dance.  In fact, they did not even seem as bright as they were this entire past week.  They made their mandatory appearance thanks to the sunshine but did not bounce around the walls, floor and ceiling.  If possible, I think even the crystals missed the tiny fingers reaching up so lovingly to touch them.  Strange how things change.  I sure miss my family.  Things around here seem a whole lot dimmer without them here.

All's Well That Ends Well

  The little family of wrens that were in the greenhouse have all vacated the place..at least during the daytime hours.  Their nest in the hanging basket of Swedish Ivy stands empty.  In the early evening hours, Mama and Papa Wren gather their five little ones to spend the night in their cozy nest.  Soon, that too, will cease.  Mama Wren will choose a new spot in the greenhouse to have another brood.  In the meantime, however, the tiny tots are learning the ropes of being foragers.  Mama and Papa are teaching their brood the finer points of bug searching.  

  This morning at daybreak, I headed to the greenhouse to fetch some gardening supplies.  As soon as I opened the door, the entire place was aflutter with the fledglings.  The little ones were out of the nest and trying their new found ability to fly.  I am glad that they have the safety of the greenhouse to try their wings for the first time.  This gives them a predator free spot to learn to the new skill.  Once I realized that I had walked in on a bunch of tots exploring the plants, I immediately backed out sans my supplies.  Those would have to wait a bit.  It was not long before the first little one found its way outside.  I watched for a moment as Mama and Papa doted on the little squirt.  They made such a big ado about its ability to fly a good four feet!  Satisfied that the parents knew what they were doing, I went back to weeding the garden.  I could hear one after another of the little ones making the great escape from the greenhouse.  Mama and Papa were elated...until about five minutes after the last little one flew the coop.  Then, a terrible screeching came from the little family.  Oh, my!!!  I have never run so fast for a bird!

  Not even paying attention to where I was stepping, I raced to the aid of the little birds.  By the time I reached the back of the greenhouse, two cardinals, a mockingbird and two thrashers joined in the commotion. Then, with the odds against them, two fat squirrels raced up the oak tree and started barking.  Had one of them tried to snack on a baby bird?  Stranger things have happened.  Squirrels have raided birds' nests before but usually for eggs and not baby birds.  I found no other predators in the area, though.  Mama and Papa were exceedingly alarmed and no babies could be found.  My goodness!  Five minutes out of the confines of the greenhouse and something terrible already happened?  Then a small peep.  One little one came out from under some leaves.  Yay!  Then another and another and another until all five babies were found!  Whatever attacked the little ones did not succeed!  My little family was safe! 

  All day, the family searched for bugs, practiced their flying skills and explored the hillside.  Late this evening, I noticed the parents herding their crew back into the greenhouse which makes me happy as we are expecting a night of stormy weather to hit the Bayou.  The little ones will be snug back in their hanging basket home for another night.

Therapy or Good Times?

  Once again my good friend, Darlene, visited the Bayou.  She comes to fish, talk and just generally escape from the woes of the world for a while.  Usually, we do more fishing than anything else but there was nary a fish to be found today so after several attempts, we gave up and came back to the Little Bayou House.  I was not sure what we would find to do there but Darlene is not one to sit idle long.  She grabbed a couple of bags of pecans and a large tray.  Even though I protested that she did not have to work at my house, we both sat down to shell the pecans. Several hours later, twenty pounds of pecans were all shelled and ready to be bagged for the freezer. Those added to what we shelled yesterday makes for a nice bundle of nutmeats to use this winter. What a friend I have in this lady!  Although I would have eventually gotten the pecans shelled, the chore went a lot quicker with two pairs of hands and plenty of talk....or should I say singing.  Christmas music filled the house so it was only natural that we sang along with the tunes.  

  There is something relaxing about shelling pecans in the snug Little Bayou House.  Darlene called it "Boredom Therapy" so the task now has a new name.  She is right.  If you think about it, sitting with a good friend long enough to shell that many nuts can be sort of a therapy.  Add a bit of singalong music and the brain just cannot stay in a funk long.  Perhaps that is what is wrong with the world today.  Gone are the days when entire families sat together to shell pecans, snap green beans or shell peas.  What was done, matters not.  It was that time spent together...talking, laughing or (in our case) singing that made things right.  Gone are the "Good Old Days" where friends were dependable, times were happy and family was everything.  

I am Thankful....

  I am thankful for loving kids who, even though they will be out of town on the actual day, cared enough to spend "Thanksgiving" with their dear old mom.  Yep, we celebrated Thanksgiving a few days early so I would not feel neglected.  What wonderful, caring, loving kids!  

  While our dinner could not actually be described as the traditional meal shared on this day, we had plenty to eat and enjoyed lots of visiting.  Yes, we did have a turkey...sort of...as I baked a turkey breast, but we also had samosas, stuffed squash, a vegetable medley, homemade biscuits and assorted other goodies.  I guess in a way, those samosas were the only thing that set the pace as a bit different other than the fact that ninety percent of our meal was vegan.  Both Darling Daughter and I have changed our diets to include less meat.  She became a vegan years ago and health issues have just recently forced me to rethink what I eat.  I have found that being a vegetarian (other than eating seafood) has vastly improved my well-being.  So, our meal reflected the cooks' choice of dishes.  Enough said.  We all dined until full but still saved room for dessert.  AND it was that dessert that was the talk of the afternoon!

  Elizabeth had made two pies for our feast. One was a vegan pumpkin pie. Its deep rich filling was perfectly seasoned and creamy rich.  She had used honey as the sweetener and used cornstarch instead of eggs to thicken the filling.  It was delicious!  The other pie was an apple/pear pie.  This..she proclaimed was the heaviest pie in the world with the "hugest" crust!  Not so in a bad way!  Yes, the pie was heavy because I think she used a good twenty apples in it and then decided to throw in a few dozen pears for good measure.  The crust had to be "huge" to contain all the goodness therein.  The pie was delicious! Both were and I am so glad she decided to leave leftovers with us! Yum!

  While our meal was most delightful in itself, it was more the whole family time thing that made the day perfect.   We missed Mark, my oldest son, my daughter-in-law and my grandchildren but those of us who gathered today felt truly blessed...none more than me.  Happy Thanksgiving...a few days early.

Good Health and Long Life

  Darling Daughter and her hubby just got back from a dream vacation. Ten days in Greece seemed to agree with the two of them as they both looked happy and hale.  Their visit to the Little Bayou House made me happy as well.  I was eager to hear all about their trip and to see pictures and souvenirs that they had brought back with them.  I was truly fascinated as I never travel much.  As they chattered about the different places they went and the different sights they saw, I flipped through several picture books of the area.  Wow!  Greece must be a remarkably beautiful place!  With each photograph, I received their own experiences about being there. It was amazing that I could travel through their words. 

  While in Greece, they purchased two items that were for me.  One is a perfectly lovely little vase that was handmade at one of their stops. Elizabeth explained to me how the vase was made, fired and then decorated with different colored clay and fired again.  There were no glazes applied to this piece.  All of the decorations were done with clay. The other piece is a small bowl which came from another stop on their journey.  This, too, was handmade but with a different technique.  It is highly glazed and very detailed.  One thing that the two pieces have in common is the decorative scroll border.  While they are a bit different in style they both have a similar meaning.  When the borders are seen on a piece, it means "Good health and long life".  Elizabeth told me that was the reason she bought these for me.  Aww, sweet!  

   The "good health and long life" symbol is a beautiful thought. Occasionally, I have used this same  border on ceramic or gourd pieces that I created.  At the time, I did not know the symbolic meaning behind the border but it is almost as if I was unknowingly bestowing a blessing upon those receiving the art pieces.  I do believe I will now include the tiny border somewhere on each future piece I create.  

  The idea behind the small design is intriguing and I did notice that I felt much better today than I have in a long time.  To my way of thinking, that had nothing to do with the scrollwork but everything to do with Elizabeth and Robbie coming to visit.  There is nothing like family being around to make everything right.  So, Good health and long life to all!

The Ache Lingers

  It seems that animals can become family members just like people. They grow in our hearts and we treat them with kid gloves.  This is all well and good.  Our pets return the love and help us to live long and happy lives.  Ms. Ez was that sort of animal.  She came here as a wee pup that was rescued from certain death by my daughter.  Through the years, that tiny tot grew into a huge, rambunctious dog!  But our love for her grew as well.

  As the kids grew up and left to go on their merry ways, Ms. Ez and I soon became inseparable.  We did most everything together and had a mutual respect for each other.  I tended her every whim by cooking special meals to go with her usual dogfood, taking her for hikes and even letting her sleep near my bed.  She returned the favors by guarding the Little Bayou House, giving comfort and being the best fishing partner anyone could have. 

  After ten years of this companionship, it broke my heart when she found something that did not agree with her system. My dear friend had been poisoned and there was naught that I could do to mend this.  After visits to the vet and to the animal hospital, they decided to just "make her comfortable".  It was hard.  During those last three days, I comforted her.  I slept on her bed beside her.  I held her close and dutifully dosed her with medicines that were hopefully helping her not be in much pain. I told her how much she meant to the family and to me. Then on the third night, Ms. Ez left us. That night was one of the hardest things that I ever had to do.  Son and I stroked her fur, murmured soft words and loved her.  Needless to say, I miss her.  

Ms. Ez shares her bed with Sunny, the pup.

  When folks try to pawn their unwanted dogs off on me "now that you do not have Ezzy", I almost get angry.  I do not want to replace Ms. Ez. She meant too much.  I feel that if they cared for their pets as much as I cared for Ez, they would not be trying to give them away.  Obviously, the bond is not there and they look at the dog as merely another obligation. It should not be that way at all.  Don't get a pet if you are not willing to keep it for the long haul. A cute little puppy soon grows into an adult and has adult needs.  Later, they age just as we do and need a different type of care but they are not "throwaway pets".  The thought some folks have of only wanting a pet when it is "fun" makes me wonder how they are going to feel if no one is there to take care of them when they are elderly. Will anyone care or will it be easier to "find a home" for them?  Hmmm, something to think about there, folks.  Think long and hard about what you are teaching your kids and grandkids.  The way you treat furry family members is being observed and may determine how you, yourself, are treated later in life.

  Will I ever change and decide to get another dog?  I do not know but, perhaps in time if I find a friend in need, I may be able to feel differently.  In the meantime, however, Darling Daughter did offer to let her pup come "Mom Sit" occasionally.  That would work for me.  (Sunny stayed with us for quite a while as a puppy before Elizabeth and Robbie could give her the forever home that she deserved.)  I grew to love her along with Ms. Ez.  It might be fun to have her back on the Bayou once again....for a little while.

Called back into action

  Years and years ago, I was given the old highchair that Mom used for all of her kids.  This chair had been in the family for quite some time before we sat in it.  Generations of tots were propped in the chair to learn the finer points of dining.   It made me happy to have the chair back in the house.  My sister had it for a while and she returned it when she was  making a move to their new house.  The chair had seen better days so a bit of work was necessary to restore the thing to a useful state.  I stripped the finish from the pieces, glued the parts back together and then put on a new coat of varnish.  My darling daughter even managed to find the very same decals that Granddad had put on it when he refinished it at one point.  The chair was back to its sturdy self and ready to cradle a few more babies in safe comfort.

  Now my beauty of a granddaughter has come to visit the Little Bayou House.  She is at the perfect age to sit in the highchair and enjoy a meal. The piece of furniture is being called back into action once again.  I decided to wipe any dust bunnies from the chair before she arrived and a flood of memories bombarded my brain.  I thought of how this chair saw hard times when meals were lean and how it saw the good times when only the best was set upon the tray.  I recalled first birthday parties when the chair was bedecked with ribbons and other holiday meals when the chair was shared by several different cousins.  The tykes ate meals in tandem, one after the other, so each would have a turn sitting in this old chair. Back in the day, things were made well enough that they were passed down from one generation to another.  The pieces actually became fixtures within the family.   It saddens me to think that things nowadays are not made of the same quality.  I cannot imagine the mostly plastic things being family heirlooms.

  Dusting this old highchair brought back another memory that threw me into a fit of giggles.  One of my brothers (who shall remain nameless at this point!) would drag the highchair into the hallway late some evenings.  There this tall, lanky teenager would entertain all of his siblings with crazy, made-up-on-the-fly songs while he strummed on an old banjo. The instrument had only one string so his talent laid purely in his ability to be a comedian.  His songs were usually about when he was going to be elected as President and how we were all going to move to the White House.  Needless to say, that never happened but the entertainment at the time was the absolute best!    We would all be in our beds listening to him go on and on about how we would be the best First Family ever!  Our peals of laughter probably were heard in the next county but that was quite alright.  It was good, clean fun...family fun and the chair was part of it.  No ordinary chair would have ever inspired him to carry on in such a way.  It was great.

  Now the chair will see happy times once again.  Mary Ruth will carry on the tradition of having a few meals while surrounded by the memories of those that came before her.  Family..that is what it all about.

Rainy days are baking days!

I think the Good Lord knew that I needed to be prompted to get in the kitchen to do that Christmas baking.  I have been procrastinating for far too long.  The table sat bare, the cookie jars sat empty.  No treats for my husband and son had been prepared at all.  So, today, He sent down heavy rains to keep me indoors.  Not being able to make my hasty retreat to the pier, I set to work.  Out came the flour, sugar, butter and eggs.  I gathered together the sifter, bake pans, mixer and wooden spoons.  Cocoa, ginger, nuts and berries all came out of hiding to join in the fun. I heated the oven and turned up the music!  We were having a baking day whether I felt like it or not!  Once I started, I got excited and really enjoyed my day.  To be honest, I dreaded this merely because my daughter and daughter-in-law are not here.  When they are here, the kitchen is filled with happy chatter and much laughter.  That always makes the baking much more fun!  We just enjoy our time together all the while making treats for our menfolk, extended family, neighbors, friends and anyone who happens to visit the Little Bayou House.  That, to me, is Christmas!

Today even though they were not here, I baked.  While I baked, I sang along with the Christmas Carols that were echoing throughout the house.  I thought about Christmases past and how happy the place seemed.  I thought about rain, cold weather, family, friends, ornaments and even reindeer!  Yep, it was a great day after all and I realized that even though my family is scattered all over the world this Christmas Season, we are still all together.  From Kuwait, Georgia, Louisiana and the Bayou in Mississippi, our hearts are all as one.  That...that will never be broken!  Kids....I am baking for you!  Merry Christmas!

The Dog Tent!

Here on the Bayou, we rarely get what most folks call cold weather.  Our winters usually involve a few freezing nights that warm to mid fifties during the daytime.  It is quite the unusual occurrence to have a string of days that stay below freezing and is even a more unusual occurrence to have snow or sleet.  Needless to say, I have no dire need for a massive heating system.  Our warmth is supplied by two nice woodburning stoves and a couple of space heaters if it is "really" cold.  I have adapted rather well to this although there are visitors to the Little Bayou House that complain that our house is cold but, then again, these are the same folks that do not see to putting on a sweater now and again.  That said, there is one member of our family that, due to age, has been finding the cooler weather a bit problematic.  Ms. Ez, the old Bayou dog, shivered through the night this past week when the temperatures dipped to the low forties.  Several times during the night, I got up to throw a blanket over her just because I felt sorry for the old thing.  She seemed to appreciate it tremendously and stayed snuggled in her bed well into mid-morning.

This all got me thinking.  She is not going to do too well this winter.  I have a feeling that we are in for a good bit of cold this year and her old bones are just not going to handle this with ease.  I called upon Michael to remedy this problem.  "What can you do to make her some type of warmer bed?"  He pondered and pondered and finally I heard the saw and hammer being put to use.  He was up to something and I hoped that it would suffice.  After about an hour, he shoved something through the door.  "It may not look like much but I think this might work."  Before he even got the words out of his mouth, Ms. Ez had already made herself at home!  Never before had she taken to any piece of furniture but somehow she knew this was for her!  I looked at this huge structure.."Umm, Michael?"  He had built a box with a sort of framework on the sides and back.  How this was supposed to keep her warmer was beyond me.  It was then that he threw a piece of canvas across the top and around the sides and back making a tentlike structure.  Ahh, the cover made sense.  Two bed pillows side by side were placed in the bottom with her mat over top.  Then he rolled two small blankets bolster style to fit around the edge.  Yep, Ezzy now had a snug bed..err...room?  She had patiently waited until he was finished arranging things before she hopped right into the bed.  She sank down in the cushy bedding and I promise that I almost heard her sigh with content!  She seemed totally happy!  Last night when the temperatures once again slipped below fifty, I tossed her remaining doggy blanket over her. There she stayed all night!  Never once did she whine nor shiver!  The old dog was as snug as a bug in a rug! I still have to paint the bed and make ties for the canvas but that can wait until the weather warms a bit.

Today, Michael asked what I thought people were going to say about our having a "Dog Tent" in our living room.  Without hesitation, I told him it did not matter to me what anyone thinks.  "If someone has a negative thing to say about us keeping our pet warm, then they can go home!  Ms. Ez belongs here, they do not."  Ms. Ez, regardless of the times that I am peeved at her, is part of the family.  She and Ms. Put, the Queen of the Bayou (better known as a cat) are family and we take care of family!  Of course, Ms. Put has her choice of nice, soft, warm beds so it is only right that Ms. Ez has one, too!  Nah, we do not spoil our pets.  We just treat them right.

Family Heirlooms

Last Christmas, I had asked only for ornaments as gifts. I figured that I had way too much stuff already crammed into the little Bayou House, there was no need to fill it to overflowing with more things. My daughter and (future) son-in-law complied with this and did indeed give me ornaments. I was and still am elated over this fact. When asking for them, I had made the comment that the ornament should relate to the person giving it and not be some random bauble that is simply plucked from the shelf of the nearest department store. Well, being the most crafty people that they are, they made my gifts. Only they took it a bit further..instead of just making two ornaments that represented themselves, they crafted ornaments for each member of the family.

The first ornament represented my daughter. She loves coffee! (Almost as much as me!) So she covered a styrofoam ball with coffee themed fabric. After completing this she cut out names of places from around the world as she also loves travel. (Much more than me!) These were pinned in place on the ornament. A ribbon was added for hanging and there you have it! An ornament representing my daughter..only I think I would have added a tiara in there somewhere..I think she should be a princess!

Then came her sweetheart's ornament. He loves to dance and actually teaches ballroom dancing. I must admit that I am in awe of his ability in this especially since I cannot. Anyway, for his ornament..a disco ball! Silver sequined fabric with black felt cutouts of "DANCE" and of a disco dancer. How appropriate! A ribbon hanger and the disco ball glitters on the tree!

My oldest son is in the Army and has gone through Airborne training. For the ornament representing him, they draped a stryofoam ball with fabric and added ribbons to simulate a parachute. A tiny Army man toy was then attached to the ribbons. This was so perfect! I have to say I think it was quite ingenious to use the plastic Army man and to make the parachute.

My daughter-in-law was represented with bright flowers and many colors. She is such a lovely young lady and always brings so many smiles to each of us that I fully understand why they chose to do hers in this way. Like this ornament she always brightens our day so much. I have no other ornament on my tree quite like this one and I think that is perfect since I truly believe there could be no match to my sweet daughter-in-law! (I think this one needed a tiara, too! Another princess!)

Then came time to do something to represent my youngest son. My daughter said she had a tough time coming up with something as her younger brother. After much thought, she covered a ball in black fabric and tied it with red ribbons. Now some will wonder what this is all about..but I say it is positively perfect. His favorite colors are black and red but the simplicity of the ornament says more about him than the colors. He is quite the minimalist and this is evident in my daughter's choice of design. Again perfection!

To describe her father, they chose to use a different medium. Instead of the styrofoam ball, a fishing bobber came into play. A cord was creatively wrapped on the float and then tiny weights or sinkers were added to the ends. This is so ideal since her dad loves to fish! (This could have also been the one to represent me!) I love this one..the ingenuity behind this one is awesome! I am so tempted now to do an entire tree in fishing gear and shells.

Lastly, mine. Here they pondered what to do and I am sure it was no easy task. They chose to go "home-spun" to represent me. A Christmas tree was sewn together out of scraps of fabric and then wooden buttons were sewn in place of baubles. I absolutely love this one! It makes me smile. When I think about it, I suppose I really am "home-spun" and the wooden buttons are representative of my sort of "earthiness" (which is defined as "unadorned and simple in style"). Yep..pretty much says it all! (No tiara needed!)

I love these ornaments and the fact that my daughter and son-in-law took the time to make them. I hope that they will continue this trend for they both are very creative.