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Sunday, August 26, 2012

GRABILL, INDIANA AND SURPRISE CELEBRATION

My husband and I went on a motorcycle ride today going north.
He asked me where I would like to go so I started searching the Indiana
locations on the internet to see if I could find some place that would interest me.
I did find the place.  It's called Grabill and it's a small town northeast of 
Fort Wayne, Indiana.  What caught my attention of this place
was its Amish origins.

Grabill began as a Mennonite community but the Amish settled here
in 1852.  The biggest difference that we noticed about the Amish in this area
is that they ride open buggies instead of closed ones that you would
find in the Pennsylvania, Ohio and New York area.

 The road that Jorge turned to go to Grabill had no electricity lines at all.
There were Amish farms on both sides of the road.

 They were riding their bicycles.

 They were riding in their buggies.

 The old General Store in Grabill

 As Jorge and I were at the gas station, this Amish family was leaving.
I wonder if the horse took premium or regular unleaded.


 As we made it to our son's and his wife's home for dinner,
we were surprised because they and our youngest son, Chris,
 had invited several other young people from CRU to come
and celebrated our 29th wedding anniversary.

Our son David, his wonderful wife Amber and their dog Eva.

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

JULIA CHILD

Today would have been Julia Child's 100 birthday.
She was quite a lady.  I remember watching
sometimes her cooking shows.  I really
enjoyed her because she was so down to earth.

I found this information from a website about her and 
I would like to share it with you.  The website is:
http://www.biography.com/people/julia-child-9246767?page=1

Popular TV chef and author Julia Child was born on August 15, 1912, in Pasadena, California. In 1948, she moved to France where she developed a penchant for French cuisine. With a goal of adapting sophisticated French cuisine for mainstream Americans, she collaborated on a two-volume cookbook called Mastering the Art of French Cooking, which was considered groundbreaking, and has since become a standard guide for the culinary community. She also become a television icon with her popular cooking shows such as The French Chef. Julia Child was also the inspiration behind the 2009 film Julie & Julia, which was based on a cooking blog by Julie Powell.

Early Life

Popular TV chef and author. Julia Child was born Julia McWilliams, on August 15, 1912, in Pasadena, California. The eldest of three children, Julia was known by several pet names as a little girl, including "Juke", "Juju" and "Jukies." Her father John McWilliams, Jr., was a Princeton graduate and early investor in California real estate. His wife, Julia Carolyn Weston, was a paper-company heiress whose father served as lieutenant governor of Massachusetts.
The family accumulated significant wealth and, as a result, Child lived a privileged childhood. She was educated at San Francisco's elite Katherine Branson School for Girls, where—at a towering height of 6 feet, 2 inches—she was the tallest student in her class. She was a lively prankster who, as one friend recalled, could be "really, really wild." She was also adventurous and athletic, with particular talent in golf, tennis and small-game hunting.
In 1930, she enrolled at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts, with the intention of becoming a writer. "There were some famous women novelists in those days," she said, "and I intended to be one." Although she enjoyed writing short plays and regularly submitted unsolicited manuscripts to the New Yorker, none of her writing was published. Upon graduation she moved to New York, where she worked in the advertising department of the prestigious home furnishings company W&J Sloane. After transferring to the store's Los Angeles branch, however, Child was fired for "gross insubordination."

World War II

In 1941, at the onset of World War II, Julia moved to Washington, D.C., where she volunteered as a research assistant for the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), a newly formed government intelligence agency. In her position, Julia played a key role in the communication of top-secret documents between U.S. government officials and their intelligence officers. She and her colleagues were sent on assignments around the world, holding posts in Washington, D.C., Kumming, China; and Colombo, Sri Lanka. In 1945, while in Sri Lanka, Child began a relationship with fellow OSS employee Paul Child. In September of 1946, following the end of World War II, Julia and Paul returned to America and were married.

In 1948, when Paul was reassigned to the U.S. Information Service at the American Embassy in Paris, the Childs moved to France. While there, Julia developed a penchant for French cuisine and attended the world-famous Cordon Bleu cooking school. Following her six-month training—which included private lessons with master chef Max Bugnard—Julia banded with fellow Cordon Bleu students Simone Beck and Louisette Bertholle to form the cooking school L'Ecole de Trois Gourmandes (The School of the Three Gourmands).

'Mastering the Art of French Cooking'

With a goal of adapting sophisticated French cuisine for mainstream Americans, the trio collaborated on a two-volume cookbook. The women earned a $750 advance for the work, which they received in three payments. The original publisher rejected the manuscript, however, due to its 734-page length. Another publisher eventually accepted the 3-lb. cookbook, releasing it in September 1961 under the title Mastering the Art of French Cooking. The book was considered groundbreaking, and remained the bestselling cookbook for five straight years after its publication. It has since become a standard guide for the culinary community.
Julia promoted her book on the Boston public television station near her Cambridge, Massachusetts, home. Displaying her trademark forthright manner and hearty humor, she prepared an omelet on air. The public's response was enthusiastic, generating 27 letters and countless phone calls—"a remarkable response," a station executive remembered, "given that station management occasionally wondered if 27 viewers were tuned in." She was then invited back to tape her own series on cooking for the network, initially earning $50 a show (it was later raised to $200, plus expenses).

Television Success

Premiering on WGBH in 1962, The French Chef TV series, like Mastering the Art of French Cooking, succeeded in changing the way Americans related to food, while also establishing Julia as a local celebrity. Shortly thereafter, The French Chef was syndicated to 96 stations throughout America. For her efforts, Julia received the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award in 1964 followed by an Emmy Award in 1966. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Julia made regular appearances on the ABC morning show Good Morning, America.
Child's other endeavors included the television programs Julia Child and Company (1978), Julia Child and More Company (1980), and Dinner at Julia's (1983), as well as a slew of bestselling cookbooks that covered every aspect of culinary knowledge. Her most recent cookbooks included In Julia's Kitchen with Master Chefs (1995), Baking with Julia (1996), Julia's Delicious Little Dinners (1998), and Julia's Casual Dinners (1999), which were all accompanied by highly rated television specials.
Not everyone was a fan, however. She was frequently criticized by letter-writing viewers for her failure to wash her hands, as well as what they believed was her poor kitchen demeanor. "You are quite a revolting chef, the way you snap bones and play with raw meats," one letter read. "I can't stand those over-sanitary people," Child said in response. Others were concerned about the high levels of fat in French cooking. Julia's advice was to eat in moderation. "I would rather eat one tablespoon of chocolate russe cake than three bowls of Jell-O," she said.

Death and Legacy

Despite her critics, Julia remained a go-to reference for cooking advice. In 1993, she was rewarded for her work when she became the first woman inducted into the Culinary Institute Hall of Fame. In November 2000, following a 40-year career that has made her name synonymous with fine food and a permanent among the world's most famous chefs, Julia received France's highest honor: the Legion d'Honneur. And in August 2002, the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History unveiled an exhibit featuring the kitchen, where she filmed three of her popular cooking shows.
Child died in August 2004 of kidney failure at her assisted-living home in Montecito, two days before her 92nd birthday. Child had no intentions of slowing down, even in her final days. "In this line of work...you keep right on till you're through," she said. "Retired people are boring."After her death Child's last book, the autobiographyMy Life in France, was published with the help of Child's great nephew, Alex Prud'homme. The book, which centered on how Child discovered her true calling, became a best seller.
Julia's memory continues to live on, through her various cookbooks and her syndicated cooking show. In 2009, a film directed by Nora Ephron entitled Julie & Julia hit theaters. The movie, starring Meryl Streep and Amy Adams, chronicled several aspects of Child's life, as well as her influence on aspiring cook Julie Powell. For her performance, Streep won the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress,
and received an Academy Award nomination.
Powell later described Child's television role as "magical" and groundbreaking. "Her voice and her attitude and her playfullness ... it's just magical," Powell said. "And you can't fake that; you can't take classes to learn how to be wonderful. She just wanted to entertain and educate people at the same time. Our food culture is the better for it. Our stomachs are the better for it."
August 15, 2012 marks what would have been Julia Child's 100th birthday. In celebration of Child's centennial, restaurants nationwide took part in a Julia Child Restaurant Week, featuring Child's recipes on their menus.
© 2012 A+E Networks. All rights reserved.




Tuesday, August 14, 2012

ME TIME ALWAYS EQUALS FUN TIME

Today I was finally able to go to Me Time with my friends and enjoy it.
I've missed these dear ladies too much.
We all brought our projects to work on.
So much fun and laughter filled The Quilt Shoppe.

 One lady deciding which blue fabric was going to do well as a border.
 Her cross-stitch thread all braided for her project.
 Lots of baubles and beads for jewelry making.
 Homespun yarn to make a scarf in fall colors
 The making of a pinwheel strip.  It's even prettier up close.
Katie's last Me Time with us before she heads on off to Purdue.
Here she's showing us her new Kindle.

I treasure these times with these ladies because of their
friendship and unconditional acceptance.
We just love having fun!

Monday, August 13, 2012

A LAZY AND RELAXING SUNDAY

Sunday was one of the few times that we did not go to church.
Instead, Jorge and I got on our motorcycle and off we went.
The weather was wonderful and we enjoyed the day.
We headed east for our fun time.

 A barn quilt we saw on the way.


 I love the old courthouses that these towns we passed through
have not demolished for newer ones.


 Many years ago, before we had children, we went to this place
with our Sunday School class.  We had so much fun.
A lot of wonderful memories.
 As we're having lunch, we realize we weren't the only ones
out for a motorcycle ride.
 Governor Abram Hammond lived on this site as a boy.
He was governor from 1860 - 1861.
This house is located in Brookville, Indiana.
 The Brookville's courthouse.  The first courthouse was a log house.
The second built in 1814 was made out of brick and it burned down in 1852.
The third was remodeled on 1912 to what it looks like now.
The first jail and the first school stood in this square.
 As we're having lunch, our interest was piqued when we see old cars
passing by.  That's when we remembered we saw signs
for a classic car show.  So off we went to see.
 Moonshine?



 This is the Hermitage where artists J. Ottis Adams and T.C. Steele
set up their studios.  It was a home for an art colony for several years.
 A lock wall near Brookville.  A canal boat from Brookville
had to be lifted up eleven feet to get across the creek.
 Gordon's or Millville Lock #24 was one of the 56 locks
on the Whitewater Canal constructed to accommodate
 a 491 foot drop along its course.
 To finish off the day right, we ride to Cammak for
ice cream.  Wonderful way to end the day.

Friday, August 10, 2012

CANNED TOMATOES AND FROZEN GREEN BEANS

It's that time of the year where I start harvesting from my vegetable garden.
I've already frozen my green beans.  I'm now beginning to
can my tomatoes.  I've got a real bumper crop this year.

 home canned tomatoes

http://www.simplycanning.com/image-files/freezing-green-beans=4.jpg
 I used to can my green beans but I now freeze them.
A couple of years ago, a jar of beans exploded right
after I took it out of the pressure cooker.  I
ended up getting second degree burns.  I should
have worn my apron.  My family cleaned up the mess that 
was made.   So freezing is now my option.

My carrots are coming along just fine and so is
my broccoli.  I'm looking forward to preserving
these vegetables and enjoy them during the winter
months.

Thursday, August 9, 2012

HOW TO KNIT WITH SASHAY YARN

For a while, I've been seeing women with these beautiful scarves
that I always wanted to know how it was made.  Now,
I'm not a proficient knitter, but I wanted to learn.

So I bought this skein with the determination of making one.
Now, these are not my colors but my next door neighbor's 
daughter loves these colors.  So I'm making her
one for her first day of school next week.  

I've included a link so that you can see step by step how it's done.


 Multi-colored skein

 All you need is to start is put on eight loops on the needle.

This is how it turns out.  I'm not finished yet but here's
how it will look when it's all done.

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

FRIENDS

http://us.123rf.com/400wm/400/400/mar31me/mar31me0807/mar31me080700043/3288467-word-friends-written-in-the-sand.jpg 
In my life, I've been blessed with wonderful friends.
When I moved to the United States, I became friends with
a girl the same age as me who lived right next door to us.
Barbara and I became best of friends.  I remember when
she and her family moved, I was so sad because I
knew that we would not be with each other like we had before.
Through the years, we've kept in touch.

As I've gotten older, my friends have changed.  Thanks to Facebook,
I've reconnected with friends I had in high school.  It's wonderful
remember our high school days and the dumb things we used to do.

Now that I am older, I've been blessed with a few very close friends.
These ladies have been my lifeline.
When my husband and I mourned over the miscarriages, they were there.
When we celebrated the births of our sons, they were there.
When I needed a shoulder to cry on, they were there.
When my son got married and I needed help, they were there.

No matter what is going on in my life, my friends have been there for me.
They have been my support, counselors, and cheerleaders.
I don't know what I would do without them.

Thank you, Terri, Cathy, Becky, Annie, Ellen, and Lisa.

Friday, August 3, 2012

WATERMELON PUNCH

I love watermelon!  Especially when it is nice and cold.
With the weather that we've been having here,
eating a nice cold watermelon is perfect.
I found this recipe on a website and want to share it with you.

Watermelon Punch
Makes approximately 6-8 glasses

1/2 small watermelon, approx. 4 cups
1/8 cup sugar
Juice of 1 lime, plus more for garnish
4 cups water

Chop up the watermelon and put chunks in a clean bowl or pitcher, followed by the sugar, and lime juice. Mash the watermelon with a spoon or potato masher until the meat of the melon (I know …that sounds funny) is flattened and the juice is extrapolated. Next, add the water and give it a stir. Strain into another pitcher and serve over ice. Garnish with lime.

glasses

Thursday, August 2, 2012

KENT MICK

Yesterday I had shared how twenty ladies from the quilt guild that I'm 
a member of gathered to take a class to learn how to do the
feathered star.  Unfortunately, our teacher was a no show.
Well, he was the guest speaker for today at the guild and he showed up!
He had written the date wrong on his calendar for the class.
Thankfully, the class is going to be rescheduled.
Kent Mick loves to quilt and he shared with us some
of the quilts he brought.  He most definitely loves stars.
He had no problem telling us his mistakes or why he does things the way he does.
Enjoy the pictures of the quilts I took.

 Our guest speaker Kent Mick.  He starts and finishes all of his quilts.
He quilts them on his regular sewing machine.

 His very first quilt





 The blue fabric of this stack and whack quilt he found at
a garage sale.  There was 14 yards of it and he paid $1.00 for it!


 The back of the above quilt 


 The back of the above quilt




 This quilt he has won several quilt shows.  
It's stunning!


The feathered star that the guild will learn when the class has been rescheduled.

For those of you that would like to know more about him, The Journal Gazette of Fort Wayne did an interview.  Follow the link below to read about him.

Kent Mick article