Remember the lovely Julie Andrews in The Sound of Music and the song, "My Favorite Things"?
We all have our faves! This movie is one of mine.
When I was a little girl, I was a "scardy cat" ... or "fradey cat" ... everything and anything frightened me; noises or movement ... especially at night ... when the lights had been turned off ... and Mother had said goodnight for the 'umpteenth' time. One night when I was anxious about something, my sister Eleanor suggested that I think about things I liked. I don't know if her suggestion came before, after or because of Julie Andrews' song, but it worked. That simple suggestion has carried me through many "nightmares" over the years. I've outgrown being frightened by "things that go bump in the night", but I still love this kind wisdom my sister passed on to me.
Think on these things: "Whatsoever things are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things" (Php 4:8) (cab version).
Another favorite: M-A-G-A-Z-I-N-E-S!!!
Especially CHRISTMAS MAGAZINES!!
And then there are P-E-A-C-H-E-S!!!
Fresh, frozen, canned, dried, pickled, jammed, jellied, preserved, sugared, chilled, room temperature, sliced, diced or chopped.
Peaches are, well, 'just peachy'.
Just look as some ways the word PEACH is used in our everyday world ..
Peaches and Cream Complexion
Georgia Peach
She's a peach
Peach fuzz
Peachtree®
Peachy keen
Peaches and Herb
Peachy king
The August 2010 issue of Better Homes and Gardens® magazine has a super-peachy article on page 135 ... 50 WAYS TO EAT A PEACH.
Check out the CAT FOOD page for my "Simply Delicious Peach Tea" recipe.
If that doesn't put the fuzz on your peach, I don't know what will.
Here's to your Country Favorites!
©2010 Cat Brennan
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Friday, July 16, 2010
Cool Country Crafting
As summer dances onto the calendar we are all looking for ways to stay cool. Watermelon fests, water fights, ice cubes down the britches or playing in the pool.
When I was a little girl, we played with the hose on full tilt. We had our own well; no city water bill with which to struggle. We pushed the hose in the sand and it would "dig" it's way in; actually several feet. I imagined that it was going to Carlsbad Caverns (in New Mexico). I just knew it was going there! The closest I was to the caverns that hot summer afternoon was getting the hose stuck. I just knew the devil had grabbed it to cool off hades and brother, was I scared! Mama saved the hose and me from utter devastation, but she wouldn't let me tunnel the hose anymore.
Here's a cute item I recently stumbled upon: Freeze pop holders. Little fleece 'jackets' for the kids treats .. those ice pop things in long thin plastic tubes. These cute little freeze pop holders are just the right size to keep little fingers from getting too cold. They're easy to make, fun to use and completely washable.
Paste the following link into your browser for complete directions.
http://allcrafts.allcraftsblogs.com/2010/06/23/freeze-pop-holders/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Allcrafts+%28AllCrafts.net+Update%29
Hope your Country Summer is cool and fun!
© 2010 Cat Brennan
When I was a little girl, we played with the hose on full tilt. We had our own well; no city water bill with which to struggle. We pushed the hose in the sand and it would "dig" it's way in; actually several feet. I imagined that it was going to Carlsbad Caverns (in New Mexico). I just knew it was going there! The closest I was to the caverns that hot summer afternoon was getting the hose stuck. I just knew the devil had grabbed it to cool off hades and brother, was I scared! Mama saved the hose and me from utter devastation, but she wouldn't let me tunnel the hose anymore.
Here's a cute item I recently stumbled upon: Freeze pop holders. Little fleece 'jackets' for the kids treats .. those ice pop things in long thin plastic tubes. These cute little freeze pop holders are just the right size to keep little fingers from getting too cold. They're easy to make, fun to use and completely washable.
http://allcrafts.allcraftsblogs.com/2010/06/23/freeze-pop-holders/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Allcrafts+%28AllCrafts.net+Update%29
Hope your Country Summer is cool and fun!
© 2010 Cat Brennan
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Country Crafting
Hi Country Cats and Kittens!
Now that we've "had a wedding", I get to tell you about a few more things that I enjoyed crafting for this wonderful event.
The lovely bride outdid herself in "doing for others" .. so many gifts for the guests, for the bridal party .. no one was left out.
One of the most challenging gifts that Crystal asked me to craft was a gift for each lady in the bridal party; "pretty hangers" .. we looked at zillions of web sites and I perused the many craft books that I own.
I finally settled on a padded style. She and I purchased the satin last fall: yellow for the two moms, lightly glittered blue for the younger sisters, black for the brides maids and sparkly white for the star of the show.
I removed the "slacks" wooden dowel from each hanger, saving for another day", then wrapped each hanger with polyester stuffing. I then had to cover the padding with clear plastic wrap so the satin sleeves would slide over the works. The four bridesmaids' hangers were nearly identical to one another, but each of the rest were different. Crystal's was my favorite. Starting out with the white, glittery satin, I glued on white lace that had a sparkle thread in it and gave it a 'finished' look with very narrow white sating ribbon (1/16th inch wide). I then added a bow and hanging ribbon to the hook, and the final touch was a beautiful, round chandelier crystal (3/4" with a point at one end where the hanger hole is located). This particular crystal holds sentimental significance because it belonged to her mama some thirty years ago.
I've posted pictures of these gift hangers at the page CAT LITTER.
Hope your life is full of Country Blessings!
© 2010 Cat Brennan
Now that we've "had a wedding", I get to tell you about a few more things that I enjoyed crafting for this wonderful event.
The lovely bride outdid herself in "doing for others" .. so many gifts for the guests, for the bridal party .. no one was left out.
One of the most challenging gifts that Crystal asked me to craft was a gift for each lady in the bridal party; "pretty hangers" .. we looked at zillions of web sites and I perused the many craft books that I own.
I finally settled on a padded style. She and I purchased the satin last fall: yellow for the two moms, lightly glittered blue for the younger sisters, black for the brides maids and sparkly white for the star of the show.
I removed the "slacks" wooden dowel from each hanger, saving for another day", then wrapped each hanger with polyester stuffing. I then had to cover the padding with clear plastic wrap so the satin sleeves would slide over the works. The four bridesmaids' hangers were nearly identical to one another, but each of the rest were different. Crystal's was my favorite. Starting out with the white, glittery satin, I glued on white lace that had a sparkle thread in it and gave it a 'finished' look with very narrow white sating ribbon (1/16th inch wide). I then added a bow and hanging ribbon to the hook, and the final touch was a beautiful, round chandelier crystal (3/4" with a point at one end where the hanger hole is located). This particular crystal holds sentimental significance because it belonged to her mama some thirty years ago.
I've posted pictures of these gift hangers at the page CAT LITTER.
Hope your life is full of Country Blessings!
© 2010 Cat Brennan
Friday, July 9, 2010
Country Sneeze
This isn't new, but worthy of repetition ... I copied it from a recently received email .. enjoy
THE SNEEZE
"They walked in tandem, each of the ninety-two students filing into the already crowded auditorium. With their rich maroon gowns flowing and the traditional caps, they looked almost as grown up as they felt.
Dads swallowed hard behind broad smiles, and Moms freely brushed away tears.
This class would NOT pray during the commencements, not by choice, but because of a recent court ruling prohibiting it.
The principal and several students were careful to stay within the guidelines allowed by the ruling. They gave inspirational and challenging speeches, but no one mentioned divine guidance and no one asked for blessings on the graduates or their families.
The speeches were nice, but they were routine until the final speech received a standing ovation.
A solitary student walked proudly to the microphone. He stood still and was silent for just a moment, and then, it happened.
All 92 students, every single one of them, suddenly SNEEZED!!!!
The student on stage simply looked at the audience and said,
'GOD BLESS YOU'
And he walked off the stage...
The audience exploded into applause. This graduating class had found a unique way to invoke God's blessing on their future with or without the court's approval.
Isn't this a wonderful story? Pass it on to all your friends.........and
GOD BLESS YOU!!!!
This is a true story; it happened at the University of Maryland".
I honestly don't know if this a true story, or not. I did not check it out on Snopes ® .. to my way of thinking, if it isn't true, it should be. And whether it is true or not, it's still a good story!
Point taken ... game ... set ... match!
© 20010 Cat Brennan
THE SNEEZE
"They walked in tandem, each of the ninety-two students filing into the already crowded auditorium. With their rich maroon gowns flowing and the traditional caps, they looked almost as grown up as they felt.
Dads swallowed hard behind broad smiles, and Moms freely brushed away tears.
This class would NOT pray during the commencements, not by choice, but because of a recent court ruling prohibiting it.
The principal and several students were careful to stay within the guidelines allowed by the ruling. They gave inspirational and challenging speeches, but no one mentioned divine guidance and no one asked for blessings on the graduates or their families.
The speeches were nice, but they were routine until the final speech received a standing ovation.
A solitary student walked proudly to the microphone. He stood still and was silent for just a moment, and then, it happened.
All 92 students, every single one of them, suddenly SNEEZED!!!!
The student on stage simply looked at the audience and said,
'GOD BLESS YOU'
And he walked off the stage...
The audience exploded into applause. This graduating class had found a unique way to invoke God's blessing on their future with or without the court's approval.
Isn't this a wonderful story? Pass it on to all your friends.........and
GOD BLESS YOU!!!!
This is a true story; it happened at the University of Maryland".
I honestly don't know if this a true story, or not. I did not check it out on Snopes ® .. to my way of thinking, if it isn't true, it should be. And whether it is true or not, it's still a good story!
Point taken ... game ... set ... match!
© 20010 Cat Brennan
Friday, July 2, 2010
THE WEDDING AND A New Country Look
How do you like this new look? We'll try this one for a while..
THE FAMILY came together in Southern Maryland and we had a wedding. My first grand daughter, Crystal, began her wedded bliss on June 19th with Will . He made such a handsome groom.
She was an absolutely gorgeous and beautiful bride in a magnificent white gown and a simply elegant veil.
Family of the bride from New Mexico, Illinois and Virginia joined this sweet celebration. The groom's family came from far and wide, as well.
In the next few blogs, I'll share more with you regarding wedding fun, frolics and fixings, but for now, please enjoy the wedding photos I've posted at the CATS and CAT'S KITTENS page (and yes, I made the bouquets).
©2010 Cat Brennan
THE FAMILY came together in Southern Maryland and we had a wedding. My first grand daughter, Crystal, began her wedded bliss on June 19th with Will . He made such a handsome groom.
She was an absolutely gorgeous and beautiful bride in a magnificent white gown and a simply elegant veil.
Family of the bride from New Mexico, Illinois and Virginia joined this sweet celebration. The groom's family came from far and wide, as well.
In the next few blogs, I'll share more with you regarding wedding fun, frolics and fixings, but for now, please enjoy the wedding photos I've posted at the CATS and CAT'S KITTENS page (and yes, I made the bouquets).
©2010 Cat Brennan
Friday, May 28, 2010
Country Summers Manners and Peaches
Do you remember the ad jingle "way back when" for one of the big automobile dealers that starts out with "Baseball, hot dogs, apple pie and....."? I have inserted SWEET TEA at the end of that jingle. Here in the south good manners, a clean handkerchief and sweet tea are for every day living, not just for company and Sundays.
Never ever tell some they're ignorant or stupid or dumb or lacking in intelligence (or all of these)! Not good etiquette .. just glance up, with eyes that are dappled with question, then simply state, "Well bless yo' heart" .. with voice full of concern. That goes with what Mama taught me early on, "Be pretty if you can, witty if you must, but, be pleasant if it kills you" (author unknown).
I digress ...
Sweet tea is as southern as it comes. Sometime ago when I lived in the Land of Enchantment, my young grand daughter came for a visit. We went out for a meal and she ordered Sweet Tea. The not-so-kind waitress informed her, "We have tea and we have sugar and you can make your own." Bless that waitresses little ole heart!!!
I have some simple add-to's for Sweet Tea that will make even the Southern-est Southerner come calling.
My all time fave is Peach Tea. You'll find my delicious recipe for that at the CAT FOOD page.
I never met a peach that I didn't like.
If YOU have a favorite go-to or add-to for serving Sweet Tea, send it to me. I just might add it to CAT FOOD.
Have a happy Country summer, no matter where you are.
Never ever tell some they're ignorant or stupid or dumb or lacking in intelligence (or all of these)! Not good etiquette .. just glance up, with eyes that are dappled with question, then simply state, "Well bless yo' heart" .. with voice full of concern. That goes with what Mama taught me early on, "Be pretty if you can, witty if you must, but, be pleasant if it kills you" (author unknown).
I digress ...
Sweet tea is as southern as it comes. Sometime ago when I lived in the Land of Enchantment, my young grand daughter came for a visit. We went out for a meal and she ordered Sweet Tea. The not-so-kind waitress informed her, "We have tea and we have sugar and you can make your own." Bless that waitresses little ole heart!!!
I have some simple add-to's for Sweet Tea that will make even the Southern-est Southerner come calling.
My all time fave is Peach Tea. You'll find my delicious recipe for that at the CAT FOOD page.
I never met a peach that I didn't like.
If YOU have a favorite go-to or add-to for serving Sweet Tea, send it to me. I just might add it to CAT FOOD.
Have a happy Country summer, no matter where you are.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Country Capers and Brides and Babies ♥
What a couple of very busy weeks! I've missed our visits. However, you'll find no complaints from this barn cat!
Come on in and join me for some iced tea. Another time you WILL be introduced to my very delicious Peach Tea; tastes like peaches fresh-picked from the orchard.
A new grand daughter made her debut on May 11th and she's no slacker! 9 pounds, five and a half ounces with a beautiful full head of dark hair. You've already seen the her blankets.
A few days later, a bridal shower was held for my oldest grand daughter; wedding is in June. This country gramma put together a large white basket of treasures which she loved.
Just grab a nice large basket, some appropriate ribbon (wired wide ribbon for the handle and narrow for the packages) and your gifts. The size of the gifts will determine the size of the basket. I did spray paint this one white for the bride, but any color or natural is also nice. Baskets make such wonderful gift holders and aren't tossed out. If you give napkins or other linens, you could use these to wrap the smaller gifts. I used gold paper exclusively.
Some of the things included were two purchased mugs and cookies.
The fun began when I painted and sponged stamped a Tea For Two tin for her teas; Aunt Cat's Russian Spiced Tea Mix, Aunt June's Hot Cocoa Mix and English Breakfast Tea Bags; I mixed up the first two and labeled them in plastic zipper bags. See the tin at CAT LITTER page.
Next came a stack of eight little coasters, black and white with tiny stars.
Then, one of my favorite sewing projects, two paper-pieced mug rugs.These are large enough for any mug.
You can see pictures of the coaster and mug rugs at CAT FUR to MAKE KITTEN BRITCHES page.
Paper piecing can be challenging; it is best described as backward sewing; reminds me of Ginger Rogers dancing in high heels BACKWARD.
Paper piecing is somewhat difficult, does require good concentration, but to me is very rewarding. It truly strokes your creative edge and allows for repetitive accuracy.
Should the seamstress desire to create several squares for a larger piece such as a table runner or wall hanging, paper pieced items will come together very nicely.
Until next time, keep your capers in the Country and be happy.
Come on in and join me for some iced tea. Another time you WILL be introduced to my very delicious Peach Tea; tastes like peaches fresh-picked from the orchard.
A new grand daughter made her debut on May 11th and she's no slacker! 9 pounds, five and a half ounces with a beautiful full head of dark hair. You've already seen the her blankets.
A few days later, a bridal shower was held for my oldest grand daughter; wedding is in June. This country gramma put together a large white basket of treasures which she loved.
Just grab a nice large basket, some appropriate ribbon (wired wide ribbon for the handle and narrow for the packages) and your gifts. The size of the gifts will determine the size of the basket. I did spray paint this one white for the bride, but any color or natural is also nice. Baskets make such wonderful gift holders and aren't tossed out. If you give napkins or other linens, you could use these to wrap the smaller gifts. I used gold paper exclusively.
Some of the things included were two purchased mugs and cookies.
The fun began when I painted and sponged stamped a Tea For Two tin for her teas; Aunt Cat's Russian Spiced Tea Mix, Aunt June's Hot Cocoa Mix and English Breakfast Tea Bags; I mixed up the first two and labeled them in plastic zipper bags. See the tin at CAT LITTER page.
Next came a stack of eight little coasters, black and white with tiny stars.
Then, one of my favorite sewing projects, two paper-pieced mug rugs.These are large enough for any mug.
You can see pictures of the coaster and mug rugs at CAT FUR to MAKE KITTEN BRITCHES page.
Paper piecing can be challenging; it is best described as backward sewing; reminds me of Ginger Rogers dancing in high heels BACKWARD.
Paper piecing is somewhat difficult, does require good concentration, but to me is very rewarding. It truly strokes your creative edge and allows for repetitive accuracy.
Should the seamstress desire to create several squares for a larger piece such as a table runner or wall hanging, paper pieced items will come together very nicely.
Until next time, keep your capers in the Country and be happy.
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