Colonial Christmas Feasting

For our Christmas feast this year I made the brined turkey from the Williamsburg Holiday Fare Cookbook. It was delicious, very moist and tasty. The peanut soup is also great!

Buttonholes

Tonight I sat by the Christmas tree, all twinkling and cheerful, and sewed buttonholes onto my Regency dress. I had already sewed the bright red buttons on the day before yesterday. The sounds of the Mormon Tabernacle choir accompanied every little stitch, thanks to a holiday broadcast on PBS. It felt rather grand having a soprano sing as I plied my needle.

I have never sewn buttonholes by hand before, so I turned to my Simplicity Sewing Book circa 1955 for instruction. It has every thing I could ever want to know about sewing laid out clearly and with plenty of diagrams. Now if I could only have an apron like the handsome lady on the cover has!

Tidying Up

This afternoon I tidied up the living room, entryway, dining area, and kitchen. They needed it. I have been sewing the past couple of days at the table and as a result there were little blue threads everywhere - the kind that especially love to stick to the back of favourite knitted sweaters. I swept the worn kitchen linoleum, careful to get under the cupboards and into the corners, I laid out a clean linen tablecloth and arranged a vase full of holly on top of the pure white cloth, and I dusted with my fancy feather duster. I put away all the odd spools of thread, gloves, empty boxes, scissors, sweaters, etc. that had wandered away from their proper homes over the past few days and took the little vacuum for a stroll over the living room area rug.

After I finished all the work I'd set out for today, I made a cup of tea in my nice clean pot, glad that everything was once again in very good order.

Saucy Beret

Winter Welcome

Earlier this year I recklessly began 'The Primrose Way' blog, only to be sidetracked, leaving this poor blog alone and helpless. Perhaps this is a bit early since New Year's is still a few weeks away, but I resolve to continue this blog and keep it up faithfully. It has a brand new title, though it will keep the same web address, and will be devoted to all kinds of wonderful old fashioned things. O Happy Thought Indeed!

Anne with an 'e'

"You know something, Diana? We are rich. We have sixteen years to our credit, and we both have wonderful imaginations. We should be as happy as queens. "

I am a firm believer in Anne. She is right when she says that we are rich. The world has an incredible array of wonders that can fulfill the spirit and mind, and I think that's why I've begun this blog.

As a young woman of the 21st century, I find I am unsatisfied not with myself, but with the society in which I live. I find myself in a world that is rushing to get the new, the shiny, the - for the most part- perfectly pointless. Happiness found in small simple things is seldom seen, and never talked about, and the knowledge and ways of the past are sadly neglected. I find myself yearning for those pasttimes recalled in books, and blundering along trying to learn them. It is not easy being a young lady in 2006, let alone a closet homekeeper.

Yes, my secret's out. If I could stay home full-time, I probably would. That's right, a university educated, scholarship winning , creative, personable young woman, choosing to stay at home. Quite unheard of in this day and age. It is a frustrating dilemma I find myself in. How can I explain that my home and my family are important to me? More important than escaping the house and earning that paycheck? In my view, a clean and beautiful home are a sign of respect to my guests, inviting them to return again soon; home baked bread, and warm wholesome meals are a joy to eat and much better for our health; colourful gardens bring smiles to everyone who sees them, and smells them!

My blog will be dedicated to talking about little homey things, things that enrich us, teach us, and help us see the world alittle rosier.

A little post

Just alittle post to check the look of my new blog.
Cheers!