Why Waste Lump Charcoal?

Once in a while I put the ashes on the garden, but there is too much to do that with all of it, since our primary heat is from the wood stove. However, I never realized what good stuff I was throwing away! Here's how to save genuine hardwood charcoal from your fireplace ashes, that burns better, longer, hotter than glued-together briquettes! :-)



If you enjoy the video, please "Like" and subscribe on You Tube! There is a wonderful community over there and I am having a blast making new friends. Come visit! :-)

Computer Failure and Summer Pleasantries

My trusty Dell Inspiron lies comatose, due to hard drive failure. It is 6 years old, so unlikely that we'll have it repaired. I'm going to ask Devin to look at it, and if it is costly to fix, he can have it for parts. There go all my bookmarks, photos, blog notes. C'est la vie. We won't replace it soon, there are more important priorities. For the time being, Paul is letting me share his computer - which is also our tv source.

So blogging will be lighter, but will not disappear. This blog has done well as an outlet for me and I enjoy my readers and the friends I've made through it.  I'll simply be posting once a week instead of 2 to 3 times. Maybe the quality will improve! Ha! :-)  Anyway, thanks for reading and for continuing to follow along. In the meantime, feel free to visit our sponsors.   :-)

It's actually been pleasant to be without a laptop.  At Paul's urging, I've resumed an old hobby, making costume jewelry and stringing beads - and making beads. When we met, I sold my jewelry in a couple of shops and did shows, but had let the hobby fall to the wayside long ago. Expect to see some pieces here at some point.

I've also been working on a big project that has been sitting and waiting for a couple of years: a tiny Cardinal travel trailer, vintage late 1960s. It had been gutted and I guess used as a food cart or something so it was a real mess! We aren't "restoring" it as such, but making it liveable as a secure place to sleep. Whereever we camp will certainly have "facilities" with showers and clean toilets, thank you very much! I am a big fan of hot water and indoor plumbing even when roughing it.  Paul shored up the inside and got the tags on and will take care of the electrics. My brother in law is going to paint the outside of it for us when we get to that point. Yesterday I finished the second coat of paint on the interior and now I'm searching for curtain material. It needs to have a touch of the avocado green of the naugahyde cushions, have a little blue, either  beachy, tropical or mid-century modern pattern. I lost the "before" pics on my computer, but I'll put up some "in progress" ones soon.

Yesterday morning after I got off work, we went to Cross Plains Texas to Robert E. Howard Days (aka Barbarian Days). I've been wanting to go to that since I first heard about it but something always interfered. We toured the author's house, bought various bits of Conan the Barbarian comic art, took pictures (I'll add them in a later post), and went to the Barbarian Festival. Cross Plains has a great, oak-shaded park for this kind of event. It was cool and comfortable. Live music, great Fair food, free watermelon and neat tshotshkes. One book I bought was "Lone Scout of Letters", the collected correspondence of Herbert C. Klatt, who died at 21 on 1928. Not only for those interested in Boy Scouts history, the Lone Scout organization, or the history of amateur journalism, the book also gives a glimpse into the life of a teenaged boy in rural Texas in the early part of the last century. 


We'll pick up the grandkids today to come spend a week or two. They are older, and they come each summer to help with the community Vacation Bible School. They always have a lot of fun, and we are so happy to have them. 

Now, off to church. Dinner on the ground and baptisms this afternoon, as more people answer Jesus' call to "Come, follow me."   


God bless you this Sunday, and through your week!

The Sunny Skies are Aqua Blue...

 5/3/12 *Bumped*  (originally posted 4/30/12) Still time to appreciate Christopher's art with your vote! :-)


I love this image. It's a photo taken in Mozambique. Like all that is wonderful in traditional tropical art, it presents happy, healthy children in their own element: peeking through a doorway and laughing as their picture is taken, uncaring that their bright eyes and glowing faces are going to be shared with people far, far away.

The light, sea and sky are reflected in the worn layers of white and turquoise paint on the adobe house, with the sandy stucco showing through, in the whitewashed, hand-worn-smooth wooden door.

It is not a perfect paradise, but the photo reminds us that in the beautiful innocence of childhood, paradise awaits when we open our eyes each morning: it's the breakfast our mama gives us, the tree growing in our yard for us to climb, the warm comfort of brothers and sisters to play with: even in one of the most desperately poor countries of the world. 

Our wonder-full friend, digital artist Christopher Gaston took this amazing photo while visiting Mozambique, and titled it "Mozambique: Land of Hope". He has entered it in a contest, and he needs to get 250 votes for his photo to advance to the next round. Please visit the contest, and if you appreciate this image of giggling children peeking through a doorway, please vote for it by clicking here.

* Title comes from the Bob Dylan song that goes: "I'd like to spend some time in Mozambique... The sunny skies are aqua blue..."

Some Safety Recommendations in Case of a Flash Mob or Riot

I can't imagine how frightened people all over Great Britain - and in some US cities - must be right now. They are in our prayers and our thoughts.

I am no expert in safety or security, but my first questions when considering a dangerous situation are "What do I do?" "How do I protect myself and others? What will minimize damage or injury? That's how I get a head start on overcoming fear to be sure I can take immediate action in an emergency.

I've never before considered what to do if a flash mob should erupt. I didn't find a lot in my searches, but  here are some articles about protecting oneself from violence during riots that may be useful to help people prepare themselves in advance.

If anyone has links to expert or official advice and instructions for keeping safe in times of civil unrest, please add them in the comments.

wikiHow's "How to Survive a Riot" in the Travel Safety & Security category seems to offer VERY useful advice, pointing out that "riots can break out anywhere", noting that angry mobs have rioted after "college tuition increases, soccer games, institutionalized oppression, death caused by police, editorial cartoons, and a movie star's death". The article lists 8 steps, with detailed notes under each. Below are condensed excerpts:

1. Be prepared. If you know an area is ripe for a riot but you can't avoid traveling there, take some simple precautions to help protect yourself.
*First, be prepared for the worst; the unexpected can happen at any moment. Crowds are dangerous when they're in an ugly mood and normally placid people can turn frenzied just by being in the presence of other frenzied people.
*Wear dark clothes that minimize the amount of exposed skin when going out. Do not wear clothing that could be interpreted as military or police wear in any way; avoid wearing anything that looks like a uniform.
*Take a motorcycle helmet with you. If bricks or other large items are being thrown about, at least you protect your vulnerable head.
2. Remain calm. ... Avoid confrontation by keeping your head down.
# Walk at all times. If you run or move too quickly, you might attract unwanted attention.
3. Get inside and stay inside. Typically riots occur in the streets or elsewhere outside. Being inside, especially in a large, sturdy structure, can be your best protection to weather the storm. [B]e on the lookout for signs of fire. If the building is set on fire get out quickly.
4. Stay on the sidelines. If you're caught up in a riot, don't take sides.
*Try to look as inconspicuous as possible, and slowly and carefully move to the outside of the mob. 
*Stay close to walls or other protective barriers if possible but try to avoid bottlenecks.
5. If you're caught up in a car, stay calm. Remain inside the car unless your car becomes a focus for the riot, in which case it risks being torched, smashed or rolled over. Calmly and swiftly leave it behind and get to safety if that happens.
6. Use the social media to alert you as to where to stay away from.
7. Avoid being hit by riot control chemicals or weapons.
8. Move away from the riot. ....in most circumstances it's better to move out of a riot slowly.
* If you run, you will draw attention to yourself, so it's usually best to walk.
* It can also be dangerous to move against a crowd, so go with the flow until you are able to escape into a doorway or up a side street or alley.

The article also includes lists of tips and warnings. Be sure to read it all at wikiHow. There's a related article on wikiHow titled "How to Avoid Danger During Civil Unrest" that offers useful advice as well.

The Travel Safety Hub on WorldNomads article "Safety Advice: What to do about Political instability" from 2008 lists recommendations for avoidingdemonstrations and keeping safe during disturbances, including:

If caught in a civil disturbance
* If you find yourself caught up in a demonstration keep to the edge of the crowd where it is safer. Try not to be identified as being one of the demonstrators by keeping well away from the leaders/agitators
* At the first opportunity break away and seek refuge in a nearby building or find a suitable doorway or alley and stay there until the crowd passes
* When leaving the fringe of the demonstration just walk away – don’t run as this will draw attention to you
* In the event that you are arrested by the police/military do not resist. Go along peacefully and rather contact red24 or your embassy to help you resolve your predicament
* If you are caught up in the crowd, stay clear of glass shop fronts, stay on your feet and move with the flow
* If you are swept along in the crush, create a space for yourself by grasping your wrists and bracing your elbows away from your sides; bend over slightly – this should allow you breathing room
* If pushed to the ground, try to get against a wall and roll yourself into a tight ball and cover your head with your hands until the crowd passes
* Remember to keep calm – the crowd should sweep past in a short space of time
* If shooting breaks out, drop to the ground and cover your head and neck, and lie as flat as you can "

This article from last year on a progressive/liberal website describes how one couple used Twitter to track a mob's movement and to attempt to build a counter-stream of re-tweets urging calm: "How the Twittersphere Helped Keep Oakland Safe During Riots"

Here are two articles from the Christian Science Monitor on how social media can draw a crowd - or a mob:
Social media mayhem: when flash mobs go from benign to malign `includes a girl who used Facebook to invite her friends to her birthday party - and 1,600 people came to her house.
'Flash robs': How Twitter is being twisted for criminal gain'  outlines how gangs of dozens are scheduling shoplifting events and other criminal activities.

Our community Neighborhood Watch programs and Volunteer Fire Departments are good places to start working with our local authorities and first responders to plan ahead to help our communities avoid or respond quickly, firmly and effectively to these kinds of events.

January 20, 2017 UPDATE: Here is a great article from Donald Sensing on what to do - and what NOT to do - in case shooting breaks out: http://senseofevents.blogspot.com/2017/01/what-not-to-do-under-gunfire.html

Take A Trip Outside Your Door: The Beauty of Local Day Trips

Pat Austin @ And So It Goes In Shreveport has developed a whole series of posts of one-day jaunts to nearby small towns: the "Take A Trip" series. I've written about them before, and her posts are themselves a bit of armchair travel that can help the cares of a crazy day fall away just reading them.

This week's "Take a Trip to Natchitoches and to Melrose Plantation" has a special focus on the architecture in the area: ranging from poteaux-en-terre to post-revolutionary African Congo-style construction to antebellum churches with copper roofs to sleek new design that's a pure study in the range of light and shadow.

Set aside an hour or so to immerse yourself in the images and follow her generous links to more information. Notice the surprises: how many knew the first American plantation built by and for free Black Americans was in Louisiana shortly after the Revolutionary War? That it was the home of primitive artist Clementine Hunter? Or that Natchitoches is the oldest permanent settlement in the whole Louisiana Purchase - dating back to 1714? Or that it now boasts the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and a great independent bookstore?

In the waning years of the Baby Boomer World where so many have become "jet setters" - dashing about on holidays to exotic locations, when it comes to renewing vacations, the bluebird of Happiness is still right in our own backyard. A lovely day spent exploring the countryside around our own home can be as memorable as, and probably more meaningful to our quality of life than the All-Inclusive Here's Your Menu 4 Days 3 Nights Fantasy Cruise.

There's something renewing about walking along the corridors of our own time, the trails of our own past. As we balance on the railroad tracks of our youth and look across the graveyards of those who balanced themselves before us, there's a great opening perspective.

This is real: right here, right now. The beautiful decay of rusting sheet iron made way for the shining stars thrown by the welding torch that builds a continuing future just as bright and exciting as the past we still admire and learn from.

All we have to do is turn 180 degrees and our future waits, just one footstep further along to the horizon.

Go see it.

If You Love Paris

Erin Elizabeth, of the blog My Heart Belongs To Me (link from the sidebar as well), recently traveled to France with her sister Neile. Her posts overflow with memorable photos of Paris - can you smell the rain on the avenue, the clementines in the market, the flowers on the vendor's corner, the sugar from the treat shop window?

The "love locks" along the Seine made my heart melt. What a romantic little memento to leave along the way in a love story!

From mossy tombs to modern museums, from french fashion to fresh design, from morning of the day to the lively night, Erin's posts make for a lovely armchair afternoon in the city of light.

we’ll always have paris

paris. day 1.

paris. day 2.

paris. day 3.

paris. day 4.

paris. day 5.

paris. day 6.

Mardi Gras in Shreveport!

Pat over at And So it Goes in Shreveport has a great post chronicling upcoming the Mardi Gras Parade - in Shreveport! That's right: just a hop and a skip across the river. And she makes it sound like a great long block party with something for everyone.

Looks like Fat Tuesday has its own special flavor in northern Louisiana - go see for yourself:
"Take a Trip to Shreveport's Mardi Gras"!

"Gawd, I Love The South..."

~









"Gawd, I Love The South..."   That was Paul's comment, somewhere in the beautiful, gracious, and welcoming state of Mississippi. I have to say, I ~heart~ Waffle House, too.





.

Historic Jefferson, Texas

Pat at And So It Goes In Shreveport is having fun this summer blogging their day trips and outings. Her most recent is about the Norton Art Gallery in Shreveport - on my list if we ever get to actually stop while passing through the town! We passed through - going and coming - this past week on our way to South Carolina - I took a picture! I told Paul I am going to blog about the places we saw the signs for. Heh.

Anyway, last week Pat walked the reader up and down the picturesque streets of Jefferson Texas. We went to Jefferson a couple of years ago, rounding off a visit to Marshall to go to the Friends of the Library sale. That was the sale where I bought a copy of Alexander McCall's "Tears of the Giraffe" and was introduced to Precious Ramotswe and her neighbors in Botswanna. I enjoyed the book so much I immediately went and bought all the rest of the series. They are simply wonderful: inspiring books that can remind how one person just being her best self can make life a little easier. Funny that sometimes the nicest memories come from small events in out of the way places.

Jefferson is a lovely little town, and we had a good time wandering its streets, shopping its many antique stores, and enjoying good food. I think you will too. Go over and check out Pat's post, then see if you can't work a short trip into your summer schedule.

Ain't That America? Pat Austin Takes A Daydream of a Southern Road Trip

Go on over to And So It Goes In Shreveport, and feel the tension disappear. Feel the world right itself again, and remember how it feels to go home in America.

Imagine walking down the railroad tracks, and exploring abandoned old stores and still-full-every-Sunday frame churches with their steeples standing in fields of verdant and wild green.

Imagine the flowering of industry sprouting up as drilling rigs for gas wells, and the pride of place when everyone benefits from a real thriving economy that meets the needs of little Coushatta, Louisiana, and of the mighty Nation she does her part to support.

Imagine bushel baskets overflowing with the freshest of home grown produce, imagine sitting in the backyard in the cool of the evening shelling purple hull peas.

Imagine all that in warm fresh air saturated with the fragrance of peaches...

What are you waiting for? Go! Go see her post and photos for yourself!

Dear So and So

Dear So and So

~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Winter,

I don't believe in anthropoginobldygoop global warming, but this year, Winter, you are making me wish I did.

Time to go, Winter, and let Spring come. Please.

We might long for you again in the sweltering Summer if you go on now.

Pretty please?

Signed: Hates The Cold

~~~~~~~~~

I found "Dear So and So" over at Mom In High Heels, always fun. To take part, check out Kat's blog at 3 Bedroom Bungalow - a new find. Thanks to both for fun blogs that let us share their adventures!

A House with a Name

An unexpectedly free weekend... and it is too cold to do anything! 21 degrees out right now, my rain guage has a block of ice 8" tall in it, and my onion plants await their beds. Doesn't look like the onions will get planted this weekend unless tomorrow warms up considerably. So, I'll piddle around inside, make potato soup, and dream about Spring.

I an an Anglophile, and I have always wanted to live in a house that had a name. I love the British predeliction for retaining place names over grid numbers. I once got to visit London for work, and we stayed at a hotel with this address: "The Petersham, Nightingale Lane, Richmond, Surrey". My taxi driver from Heathrow airport literally picked his way there one landmark at a time. It was a fabulous hotel and visit and I will blog about it some day.


Our last house, everyone locally associated with the builder, who was well known and had lived in it for a year before we bought it. It never came to be "The Ours' house" - it was always "Oh - you mean the Theirs' house!" This house has been the same. We've been here two years and people still can't place it without the names of people who lived here before us. "Corner of..." Nope, can't place it. "Next door to..." Nope, doesn't ring a bell. "Across the street from...." Sorry, not familiar with it. Even "The house with the Texas Flag painted on the garage door" doesn't do the trick. But if we say "The Theirplace", the light of recognition immediately goes on in every eye.

I want a name for the house that isn't that of the former owners. So I have been thinking of names since we got here, and none seemed to fit.

But now I have just realized that in naming the blog (without much thought, really, since every name I thought out had been taken), I have effectively named my house! "Pecan Corner" is a fine name for a little cottage by the side of the road, don't you think?

Now I need a sign! :-)


* These photos of our house and garage were taken by Lani when she and Nick were here over Christmas weekend. Aren't they great?

A Magnificent Ruin in the South Carolina Wildwoods

When I went to South Carolina this summer to see Ethan and Valerie, they took me to the ruins of Old Sheldon Prince William's Parish Church, near Beaufort. The plaque at the entrance reads:

Ruins of Old Sheldon Prince William's Parish Church
Built 1745-55. Burned 1779 by British. Rebuilt 1826.
Burned 1865 by Federal Army. Named for ancestral home
of the Bull family in Warwickshire, England.
Annual Services Second Sunday after Easter

Despite being burned by two armies, the red brick ruins remain solid, the church remains a place of Christian worship, and the chairs were in place for an upcoming service the day we were there.


This old hand pump draws water from the well.



The churchyard graves reflect the history of the people who worshiped here, their losses, their honor, their endurance. This gravestone reads:

George Chisolm Mackay
Born Oct 8, 1803 Died Oct 28 1864
And His Sons
Edward Robert
Born Jan 24, 1830 Drowned Feb 9 1868
George Chisolm Jr
Born Dec 20 1835 Killed in battle
May 12 1864

A pink fairy rose bush cascades over a more recent, but still old, set of family gravestones.



When these trees were injured or became hollow, they were saved by filling the cavities with cement, just as a tooth is filled.

The tree surgeon who did the work had a fine aesthetic sense, and patterned the cement like brick. Isn't it beautiful?


The altar, also made of brick masonry like the outer walls and columns of the building, survived the fire and the ages. It is seen here toward the left of the photo inside the remaining walls, while just outside in the shade of a tree is a tomb of similar size and shape.

Faith of our fathers, we will strive
To win all nations unto thee;
And through the truth that comes from God,
We all shall then be truly free.

Faith of Our Fathers, by Frederick W. Faber, 1849

FDR's Little White House: A Simple American Home

Last summer, we went to the Little White House, in Warm Springs, Georgia. This is where President Franklin Delano Roosevelt spent much time during his presidency, and where he passed away in April 1945.

The thing that most struck me about this house is how very ordinary it is. Anyone's grandmother could have lived here. There was no ostentation, no luxury. It is a simple home with maple furniture, twin beds, well-read books near the fireplace, and the comfort of homeliness.


The kitchen had no cabinets, only open shelves along the walls. The things we would put into cabinets were stored in the pantry/closet - it was lined with shelves and is shown in the first picture, above.

They told us the living room is exactly as it looked the day he passed away. The nautical decor was a favorite of his, as he was a Navy man.
President Roosevelt's bed, on which he was lying when he passed away suddenly from a stroke. The room is very small, with a single bed, and the furniture you see is pretty much the whole of the room. It is located right off of the living room.
This was Eleanor's room, with a pair of twin beds. The guide told us that their children especially enjoyed coming to The Little White House, and would stay here in Mrs. Roosevelt's room when they came.
The Dining Room is not separate, the table is simply across the room from the living area, with the hutch sitting opposite the fireplace shown in the living room photo. Even so, the whole room is rather small. The proportions of the furniture help keep it from feeling crowded.


This unfinished photo is the one for which President Roosevelt was sitting when he passed away.


There is a small garage apartment over the garage that is labeled "servants quarters", but these were a cook/housekeeper, and a driver/butler whose assistance was necessary to our paralyzed president.

The live-in housekeeper was not unusual even for middle class families who didn't have a grandmother living with them in those days when labor was cheap and goods expensive. Without the labor-saving devices that became common after WWII, help of some kind - whether family or hired - was essential. Notice in the kitchen photos how bare of "things" the kitchen was. Yet nearly all food was made from scratch or preserved at home, so much more time was involved in the preparation.

Oh, he and Mrs Roosevelt had luxury in their lives - both were from wealthy families and they did live in the White house, after all. But this little place where he escaped for treatments at the natural hot spring spa up the road in Warm Springs, and where his children came to spend time with him after they were grown, is by far the best example of an American Home of the era.

Although I am not decorating my little cottage in this same style, I do find much inspiration, and comfort, in these rooms.