Bon Jour! Welcome to Cajun Stitchery’s weekly email and welcome to our family.
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I certainly hope all of you had a delightful Christmas.
This week turned into a virtual food fest in the neighborhood. George and I had a great time baking last weekend and delivering all sorts of cookies and sweets to our sweet neighbors. Then another couple decided to do the same. Then we spent Christmas Eve with my next door neighbor and the rest of the gang joined in for a mountain of appetizers, wine, lovely conversation, present exchange and antics. Christmas Day was a repeat of the evening before with more traditional Christmas Day food, friends, and fun. My oldest granddaughter joined us which definitely added to my day. Today I feel like I’ve gained 50 pounds and the mention of food nauseates me.
There are no children running around our home waiting for Santa. It has been a long time since we have had little children around here to bring that special excitement to the holidays. We made do with a more adult Christmas. George gave me the gold sequined tennis shoes, a flash drive and an electric bias tape maker. He received shoes, too. The motorcycle part that he wants did not arrive in time for Christmas but is expected to arrive today or Monday.
All of our Christmas projects were completed early in the week which gave me a little time to do some projects for us. Cajun Stitchery gave us a beautiful Christmas table. We found a really good deal on chargers and purchased 4 red chargers, put our regular plates on the chargers and created 4 Christmas napkins to place on the plates. We cleaned off the kitchen table and made the 4 place settings. Then I took an extra table runner, green, and embroidered an angel design on either end. The table runner, of course, was placed across the middle of the table with a red glass vase containing a beautiful bouquet of eucalyptus branches in the center. A cute dancing Santa was placed on one side of the vase, and a set of Christmas kitty salt and pepper shakers were placed on the other side. I had wanted to make a Christmas tablecloth but the fabric that was purchased for that purpose has apparently been sucked into a black hole in the house which has apparently consumed several items this season. In other words, we cannot seem to find it but it is around here someplace.
Surfing the internet I found a place that sells “Tables in a Bag.” I’ve heard of “Bed in a Bag” but never “Table in a Bag.” The table settings on the site are beautiful and they come in a nice variety. They are not cheap. You get the tablecloth, the pretty table cover that goes over the tablecloth, napkins, chair back covers, and then you can purchase additional items to match, such as vases, chargers, dishes, silverware, etc. Of course, nothing is embroidered. Cajun Stitchery offers all of these individual fabric items, if anyone is interested in putting a beautiful table like this together.
Our kitchen table is usually the catch all. We walk in the door and whatever we have in our hands is immediately placed on the kitchen table. My office, in fact, is the kitchen table. My laptop is on the table. It just seemed that since we do sell so many napkins, runners, tablecloths, etc., that our table should be pretty for customers and guests to see. However, we will have to forego the chair covers. I have dogs and cats. Although they do not get on the table, the dogs do walk by the chairs and are big enough to leave fur attached to fabric. It is not unusual to see a cat curled up in one of the kitchen chairs, either. In the same vein, I could not have a floor length tablecloth. My tablecloths drape about 6 inches off the table.
When she was alive, Mama had me make a tablecloth for my kitchen table that matched my kitchen curtains. The uniqueness of the tablecloth is that the drape part has elastic around the hem. That tablecloth does not slide. The reason she had me make the tablecloth was because the table has a glass top and when we would play canasta, the cards slid all over the place. The tablecloth prevented the cards from sliding around. She really was a remarkably creative woman.
George’s birthday is coming up on January 2nd. What do you get a man who has everything? That is always my dilemma. Take advantage of the totes and napkins this week. Both will remain $5 apiece for 5,000 or less stitches. The cost of these items will go up in 2010, probably to $6 or $7 apiece, but that is one of the things we need to make decisions on this week.
Cajun Stitchery would like to announce that we are now on YouTube. Go to www.youtube.com and search for “Cajun Stitchery.” It is simply photographs of our projects that you see on the blog, but I’m tickled that I could actually get it on YouTube.
Always remember that we are just a call or email away at cajunstitchery@yahoo.com or 850-261-2462 and place your order.
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THE CAJUN DAYS OF CHRISTMAS
Day 1
Dear Emile,
Thanks for da bird in the Pear tree. I fixed it las night with dirty rice an' it was delicious. I doan tink the Pear tree would grow in de swamp, so I swapped it for a Satsuma.
Day 2
Dear Emile,
Your letter said you sent 2 turtle dove, but all I got was 2 scrawny pigeon. Anyway, I mixed them with andouille and made some gumbo out of dem.
Day 3
Dear Emile,
Why doan you sen me some crawfish? I'm tired of eating dem darned bird. I gave two of those prissy French chicken to Mrs. Fontenot over at Grand Chenier, and fed the tird one to my dog, Phideaux. Mrs. Fontenot needed some sparring partners for her fighting rooster.
Day 4
Dear Emile,
Mon Dieux! I tole you no more of dem bird. Deez four, what you call "calling bird" wuz so noisy you could hear dem all da' way to Lafayette. I used they necks for my crab traps, and fed the rest of dem to the gators.
Day 5
Dear Emile,
You finally sent something useful. I liked dem golden rings, me. I hocked dem at da' pawn shop in Sulphur and got enough money to fix the shaft on my shrimp boat, and to buy a round for da boys at the Raisin' Cane Lounge. Merci Beaucoup!
Day 6
Dear Emile,
Couchon! Back to da birds, you coonass turkey! Poor egg sucking Phideaux is scared to death ah dem six goose. He try to eat they eggs and they pecked the heck out ah his snout. Dem goose are damm good at eating cockroach around da' house, though. I may stuff one ah dem goose with erster dressing to serve him on Christmas Day.
Day 7
Dear Emile,
I'm gonna wring your fool neck next time I see you. Ole Boudreaux, da mailman, is ready to kill you, too. The crap from all dem bird is stinkin up his mailboat. He afraid someone will slip on dat stuff and gonna sue him. I let dem seven swan loose to swim on da bayou and some stupid duck hunter from Mississippi done blasted dem out da water. Talk to you tomorrow.
Day 8
Dear Emile,
Poor ole Boudreaux had to make 3 trips on his mailboat to deliver dem 8 maids-a-milking & der cows. One of dem cows got spooked by da alligators and almost tipped over da boat. I doan like dem shiftless maids, me. I told dem to get to work gutting fish and sweeping my shack--but dey say it wasn't in their contract. They probably tink they too good to skin all dem nutria I caught las night.
Day 9
Dear Emile,
What you trying to do? Boudreaux had to borrow da Cameron Ferry to carry these jumping twits you call lords-a-leaping across da bayou. As soon as dey got here dey wanted a tea break and crumpets. I doan know what dat means but I says, "Well la di da. You get Chicory coffee or nuthin." Mon Dieux, Emile, what I'm gonna feed all these bozos? They too snooty for fried nutria, and da cow ate up all my turnip green.
Day 10
Dear Emile,
You got to be out of you mind. If da mailman don't kill you, I will. Today he deliver 10 half nekkid floozies from Bourbon Street. Dey said they be "ladies dancing" but they doan act like ladies in front of dem Limey sailing boys. Dey almost left after one of them got bit by a water moccasin over by my out- house. I had to butcher 2 cows to feed toute le monde (everybody) and get toilet paper rolls. The Sears catalog wasn't good enough for dem hoity toity lords. Talk at you tomorrow.
Day 11
Dear Emile,
Where Y'at? Cherio and pip pip. You 11 Pipers Piping arrived today from the House of Blues, second lining as dey got off da boat. We fixed stuffed goose and beef jumbalaya, finished da whiskey, and we're having a fais-do-do. Da' new mailman drank a bottle of Jack Daniel, and he's having a good old time dancing with the floozies. Da' old mailman done jump off the Moss Bluff Bridge yesterday, screaming you name. If you happen to get a mysterious-looking, ticking package in da mail, don't open it.
Day 12
Dear Emile,
Me I'm sorry to tell you--but I am not your true love anymore. After the fais-do-do, I spent da night with Jacque, the head piper. We decide to open a restaurant and gentlemen's club on the bayou. The floozies--pardon me--ladies dancing can make $20 for a table dance, and the lords can be the waiters and valet park da boats. Since da' maids have no more cows to milk, I trained dem to set my crab traps, watch my trotlines, and run my shrimping business. We'll probably gross a million dollars next year.
Joyeaux Noel et Bonne Annee!
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French phrase of the week: samedi (n.m.) Saturday
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Taken from: http://environmentalism.suite101.com/article.cfm/green_ideas_for_new_year_resolutions
Green Ideas for New Year Resolutions
Top 10 Eco-friendly Green Tips for Environment Conservation
Dec 14, 2009 Lakshmi Ananth
Global warming and green house gas emissions may be issues for governments, but some trivial changes in lifestyle are all it takes for each one of us to do our bit for environment conservation. Here are some new year resolutions to make, some really easy-to-follow, actually practicable green ideas to save the environment.
Green Tip – Use Eco-friendly Shopping Bags
This is probably the easiest green resolution to make. We read about it all the time, but how many of us actually practice it? All one needs to do is carry along biodegradable or reusable bags while going shopping. Cloth bags, knit or crochet bags, old rucksacks or backpacks will all do nicely to replace plastic bags. Select lightweight bags that can be folded, carried easily or stashed in the car.
Save Fuel – Save the Environment
How about giving the car a holiday once or twice a week? Taking a walk or riding a bicycle whenever possible help save fuel and also reduce emission. Other ideas to minimize car usage are car pools, car sharing and using public transport. Electric scooters are also something to think about.
Green Tip - Plant a Tree
What better way to go green than to plant a sapling, one small step towards increasing the earth’s diminishing green cover? Plant one in your yard or in a park or use services like American Forests that plant trees for a donation.
Go Veggie, Save the Environment
Going vegetarian, besides being healthy, can help save the environment, too. Livestock production is a large contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, so avoiding meat, at least once a week, is a small step towards reducing them. According to Dr. Pacchauri, chairman of the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, this diet change has the potential to show immediate results (The Observer, Sunday 7 September 2008).
Use LED Bulbs
Consider replacing regular light bulbs with LED bulbs and other fluorescent light bulbs that are more energy-efficient and last longer.
Green Tip - Avoid Plastic Water Bottles
Bottled water may have its benefits, but it contributes to plastic waste in quantities that recycling cannot keep up with. It may be simpler and safer to carry water in a steel water container or at least minimize the use of plastic water bottles.
Use Recycled Paper for Environment Conservation
Using recycled paper in the office, home and kitchen achieves two ends – it saves trees and reduces paper waste. Recycled paper doesn’t necessarily have to be brown: whitened versions are available. In the kitchen paper towels can be replaced with recycled paper or washable dishcloths.
Energy Saving Appliances to Save the Environment
Old electrical appliances can be a drain on electricity consumption. Switching to newer, energy-saving appliances that are Energy Star-certified can help save on electricity bills and reduce carbon emissions.
Green Tip – Buy Local and Organic Products
The benefits are two-fold. Organic food products are healthier and with locally produced grocery, transportation costs (and emission) can be avoided. Local products can be easily purchased at local grocery stores.
Calculate your Carbon Footprint
Finding out exactly how much we individually add to pollution may be an eye opener. Quantifying our contribution may well become the first step in reversing the trend and adopting environment-friendly habits and who knows, maybe giving this whole list of green ideas a shot!
Let us pledge to save the environment this new year, all it takes are a resolve and some green ideas.
Please let me know if there is something that you would like to see in the weekly email. You may always call me at (850) 261-2462 or email me at cajunstitchery@yahoo.com.
If you are not a subscriber and would like to receive Cajun Corner weekly, please email cajunstitchery@yahoo.com and let me know to put you on our email list.
C’est tout, mes amis
Peggy Henshall
Cajun Stitchery
(850) 261-2462
cajunstitchery@yahoo.com
P.S. You are always welcome to stop by and look at all of the new catalogs and pass some time with me, cher.
SALE OF THE WEEK (Good through Thursday, December 31, 2009)
Totes (limited number of totes in stock) and Napkins with 5,000 or less embroidery stitches for $5.00.
Cajun Stitchery
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