A Huge Honkin’ Hoe-Down

It’s been a busy week around here. To celebrate the Fall season my son’s youth group kicked things off  with a

Huge Honkin’ Hoe-Down!

His best friend’s family graciously hosted the event this year at their beautiful homestead just outside of Lexington~

If you’ve been reading this blog for any amount of time, then you know I’ve always dreamt of owning a barn. So I jumped at the chance to help out & express my inner Carolyne Roehm Passion for Parties!

Right on queue & in typical Bluegrass style, our weather went from a warm & heavenly 77 to a wet & gnarly 35 and suddenly my inner Carolyne Roehm was nowhere to be found!

But guess who was around with great spirit & goodwill ~

The Cowen family, the Porter family, TCPC Youth Minister Jonathan Hansen & his incredible crew! We all worked tirelessly after church, after school, after work, between ballet, book club, chorus try-outs, and trips to the Vet!

On October 31st the bonfire was lit & the party was on!

Guests arrived at the barn via hay wagon thanks to Mr. Cowen & John Deer.

Fresh Fall foliage tied with muslin, colorful homemade pendants, family saddles propped on farm fences, a gazillion white lights, and that big beautiful black barn provided a visual feast of the season’s offerings!

Just add hay, hot food, iTunes & 100 teens & you have yourself a hoe-down!

My apologies for the iPhone photos. They were so grainy & blurry so I edited them & added grunge with Snapseed to try and fake you out.

Hey! Do you know how hard it is to snap photos while square dancing Gangnam Style?

Mine were there!

The pizza guy was there too.

Also on queue ~ my son’s best friend.

Sumo Wrestler Spencer Cowen. 

He might as well know right now that I’m hanging on to the video of him dancing Gangnam style in his Mawashi & Nikes for some other special occasion.

Yes there were dance contests, prizes for best costume & then everyone headed out for the bonfire & a good old fashioned game of capture the flag ~

in the dark!

It was wild.  Trust me.

A big Thank You to TCPC and to the Cowen family. It was most definitely a night to remember!

First photo | The Walt Disney Co.

All Other Photos | Lisa Porter

Babies, Blueberries & Brambles

A visit to

get’s me every time.

All it takes is a sweet little hand to pull me aside to give me those old familiar pangs!

But there is also much goodness in the garden.

A recent visit with Catherine at A Country Farmhouse  yielded a heavenly harvest of berries, the privilege of sharing her beautiful photographs & a great opportunity for me to share my recipe for

Blackberry Syrup Liqueur

Picking blueberries and picking blackberries can be two very different experiences.

Be prepared!

 

Soft and squishy blackberries are hiding in brambles.

Brambles come with these!

So I would go with this!

It’s sooooo worth it though!

BLACKBERRY SYRUP LIQUEUR
• 1 1/2 pints blackberries
  
• 2 tablespoons or 3 or 4 of your favorite brandy
  
• 2 tablespoons of orange juice
  
• 3 tablespoons of honey
  

Preparation
1. Pick over the berries and reserve 1 cup of the smallest and most attractive. Muddle by hand or in a food processor, puree the remaining 2 cups berries with the brandy, orange juice, and honey. Transfer the mixture to a sieve set over a medium bowl. Press the puree through the sieve and discard the seeds.
2. Just before serving, stir in the reserved whole berries.
   
3. Makes about 2 cups of syrup.
   
4. Serve over vanilla ice cream or custard.
   

Tonight I’ll use our favorite Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream but just in case you’re somewhere that’s still nice and warm, here ya go!

 HOMEMADE VANILLA ICE CREAM

⅔ cups Sugar

2 whole Large Eggs, At Room Temperature

2 Tablespoons All-purpose Flour

¼ teaspoons Salt

2-½ Tablespoons Heavy Cream, Plus Enough Skim Milk To Equal 1 2/3 Cups Liquid

1 cup Heavy Cream

2 teaspoons Vanilla Extract

PREPARATION
In a medium mixing bowl, beat the sugar into the eggs until thick and pale yellow. Beat in the flour and salt and set aside.
Bring the 1 2/3 cups of heavy cream and skim milk mixture to a simmer in a medium-sized heavy saucepan. Slowly beat the hot milk into the egg and sugar mixture. Pour the entire mixture back into the pan and place over low heat. Stir constantly with a whisk until the custard thickens slightly (it should coat the back of a spoon). Do not let the mixture boil or you will have scrambled eggs.
Pour the hot custard through a strainer into a large, clean bowl. Allow the custard to cool slightly. Add the remaining 1 cup of cream and the vanilla. Mix well. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled or overnight. I prefer to let mine chill overnight.
Stir the chilled custard mixture and then freeze in your ice cream machine, according to the manufacturer’s directions. This ice cream is delicious when it is at the soft-serve stage. You can also freeze the ice cream for a firmer texture.

I urge you to curl up in your favorite spot and have a nice long visit at the farmhouse.  She’s already harvesting pears!

Thank you Mike & Catherine for sharing the berries, the babies, and your bountiful country life.

Y’all have a wonderful weekend!

Messages that move me.

Maybe you're a young woman with big dreams.
Maybe you're a woman in need of support.
Maybe you're a woman who believes in miracles.
I’ve been reading many of your stories today and I’m amazed!
Good intentions. 

Old dreams resurrecting. 

Unforeseen circumstances. 

Magical moments. 

Bungled efforts.

Joyous occasions. 

New desires wooing. 

Missed opportunities. 

Whims of fate and a few

detours along the way.

My gosh!  It takes courage to excavate a new plan or a buried dream and tell us all about it! 

At each stage of life, we experience both laughter and tears. Each one of these experiences creates another important layer of who we are.  I tend to equate more layers with more lines on my face, more white hair on my head, more wisdom and more to share.

I also constantly remind myself to keep striving, learning, yearning and doing because I know what it feels like to reach even the smallest milestone.  That moment deep down inside when I own my unique point of view and I realize how priceless it is.

Today, whether you’re sitting at your computer or sitting in the carpool line, expect good things and know that someone is listening to you and talking to you and encouraging you.

Today you inspired me to share my own point of view. 
Thank you for sharing yours.

Now I hope you’ll take a moment to relax for a while and just breathe.

Enjoy these 3 short

{Messages That Move Me}

and share them with other inspiring women you know.

Ooooooo,   you must also visit this spiritual, inspiring & stylish friend of mine {here} as she’s linking to a fabulous group of bloggers who are discussing their many different philosophies on living out hopes & dreams!

Far away places.

It's a beautiful morning

and I'm so thankful to be home with my family

and here with you too.

We've turned the televisions off

and I'm going to try to spend the afternoon in the garden.

But before I head out, I wanted to share my thoughts,

because with a heavy heart,

it's still difficult not to think about those in many faraway places

and worry & wonder about the people of Japan.

As we all know,

the situation is constantly changing

and the uncertainty of what is next is cause for concern.

So many people around the globe

are being affected in so many different ways.

My children are older.  They have studied about Japan.

  They have had the pleasure of knowing exchange students from Japan.

They are worried too. 

Even at their age though, it can be difficult sometimes to grasp

the magnitude of what has happened.

Japan can seem like a lifetime away,

  especially when you are young & your porch is your playground

& your neighborhood is your world.

That's ok especially if you feel safe, happy & loved.

It's also a good thing for them to realize that the world is not perfect,

that people are different & that nature has a way of giving and taking.

That is real life.

Our family sends love & support to all those who have been affected by this horrible disaster

and we continue to keep them all in our prayers.

I have a house....

  I have a house where I go when there are too many people,

      I have a house where I go where no one can be.

    Mary Randolph Carter
   I have a house where I go where nobody ever say's "no";

      Where no one say's anything...so there is no one but me.

 A.A. Milne                                                  

cox & cox

Forming a nest perched up high among the leaves gives children a secret vantage point.

Marqueyssac Cabane

My kids always loved the challenge to see who would be the first to the top of anything.

flickr

My daughter always started with a chair...

Alexandra Grablewski

My son's motto, "The higher, the funner!"

Vanessa Gavalaya

I remember when we were 9, my friend Connie Perry and I would spend hours and sometimes the night in her brother's treehouse. Everything that we plotted and planned seemed more magical simply because we were perched high above the ground. 

For those of you who have children or grandchildren that love to explore or climb to the highest of heights, I have a wonderful book that you all will love.

  Creating A Family Garden by Bunny Guinness reminds us that there was a time when children's playground equipment did not come pre-assembled!

Not all the magic takes place up high in the air though.  This hollow tree makes a very special down low on the ground den.

A small den can also be made by pulling the trunks of young trees together at the top & weaving branches in-between them. As the trees grow they can form a living tree house which changes as it grows from year to year.

Children appreciate small personalized spaces.  Even if they've been raised in a spacious home, they will still hanker after a tent!

   I would appreciate a small personalized space too, however, you can forget the tent.  Treehouses aren't just for kids you know!  Honestly, if this were mine I might never come down. I mean, it's so high and all.

Ok, let's be nice and play with others. A well-planned garden or yard can be the hub of family life. My friend Brooke has all 4 of her teens harvesting crops in their California garden! If you want to design a treehouse like no other, good news, there are treehouse people! Check with your local tree surgeon too. They really know their stuff!

K Jerstiberg via Patricia Gray

In her book, Creating A Family Garden, Bunny Guinness goes into great detail with regards to choosing the perfect treehouse for your family.  Elaborate or simple, always remember, safety first!

K Jerstiberg via Patricia Gray

See ya at the top!

Grab your garden gloves & head over to Brooke's to see what they are harvesting in their family garden.

Brooke Giannetti