Sunday, November 4, 2012

Cajun Corner - Vol. 4, No. 42


 

 

Cajun Corner – Vol. 4, No. 42 – November 4, 2012

 

Bon Jour!  Welcome to Cajun Stitchery’s weekly email and welcome to our family.

 

ΘΘΘΘΘ

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Usually George dresses in costume to hand out candy to trick or treater’s.  This year he really didn’t feel like doing that until a neighbor asked if he was going to use the same costume as last year.  He got out his old black poncho and hat from last year and found a really scary foam mask at Wal-Mart.  He even scared me.  Then he sat outside by the bushes with his cauldron of candy. 

It was still light outside and there were a couple of women strolling a baby around the park.  I had my witch’s hat on and was setting George up.  Apparently the ladies didn’t see George moving around and thought that he was something that I constructed and put in the yard.  About their third time around, the ladies and baby strolled over to tell me that they had been watching me set up for Halloween.  They thought the monster/creature was really cool and we all laughed – until George moved and scared the bejeebers out of the ladies and child.  We had fun that night.  There were more than the usual number of children but not a lot.  Our neighbors were handing out candy and it was nice mingling with them.  All in all, we were inside by 8 p.m.

Our usual tradition is afterwards we stoke up a fire in the chiminea and enjoy a glass of wine.  This year was no different.

The following day, of course, was my birthday.  By the end of the day, I had over 400 birthday wishes on Facebook.  I love my Facebook friends.  One friend later told me that she was late getting on FB to send me a Happy Birthday wish.  When she did, she got a message that my Facebook page was full and she couldn’t place the message.  I didn’t know they did that.

The day was pretty quiet and peaceful.  I had some embroidery work to do.  George gave me a great present.  I walked into my studio to find a new, adjustable, swivel, and rolling chair, with a back on it, placed at my embroidery machine.  Very nice. 

I told George that I would like a steak dinner.  He cooked a wonderful meal and afterwards we relaxed, with wine, in front of the chiminea.  Obviously, the chiminea is one of my favorite places.

This may not seem like a very exciting birthday, but George understands that I don’t celebrate a birthDAY.  Oh no, my celebration entails a birthMONTH.  We have to pace ourselves.

Saturday we attended the memorial services for our friend who passed away recently.  It really was a lovely service.  Tears were flowing.  A good friend will be missed.  The memorial was at the Elks Lodge on the beach.  After the service everyone went to the food and bar.  We visited with many friends.  Many thanks go out to our wonderful SOB ladies who planned, prepared, hosted, and cleaned for this memorial to a wonderful man.

Hurricane Sandy killed 11 people in Cuba and proceeded along its path north until it collided into 2 additional storms and hit New York and the surrounding areas.  It was only a category one hurricane, but the combination with the other storms and hitting in the location that it did, was devastating.  Our thoughts and prayers have been with all of those people.  Sandy closed down New York City.  We watched the news and all of the photos on the internet.   Memories of Hurricane Ivan kept flooding our thoughts. 

A friend of mine posted a question on Facebook today:  How long would you survive where you live if utilities and transportation STOPPED? No water, sewer, electricity or food coming to the stores?”  Interesting questions.  I don’t think we would have too hard a time.  In Florida you can always dig for water.  It is there.  The garden and knowing what plants are edible would suffice for food, not to mention fishing and seafood.  We even have the bamboo that we could use for fishing poles.  If there is nothing to buy at the store, there is little need for transportation other than walking or bicycling.  I even have my grandmother’s treadle sewing machine.  Aside from fire, there is solar cooking and heating.  Our big problem would be cooling and finding coffee.  The biggest problem, I think, would be crime.    People who do not know how to survive tend to loot.

This week I have spent hours surfing the web and scouring Pinterest for handmade Christmas gift ideas.  Good gosh, the internet has tutorials on everything.  If you don’t like to read a tutorial, there are plenty of tutorial videos available.  There is no need to ever throw away fabric or paper.  The internet is littered with uses for these.  Aluminum cans have a million recycled purposes, as well.   There are all kinds of craft projects using plastic of every kind.  If that’s not good enough, there are crafts projects for organizing all of these craft supplies.  It is just so amazing what the internet has done for everyone.

With that said, it is time to be thinking of Christmas presents.  What to make?  What to purchase?

·         Cookies, cakes, fudge, bread, etc., are always wonderful gifts.  Print out the recipe on pretty cardstock and tie with a nice bow.

·         Do a theme present such as kitchenware.  Buy or make a potholder mitt and fill it with wooden spoons, whisk, spatula, etc.  Tie a pretty bow around the middle.

·         A set of napkins with pretty napkin rings.  These are easily made and there are many tutorials online with a wealth of design ideas.

·         I recently saw a cute idea.  Place settings for the table included a burlap pocket with a flower on top.  The silverware was inserted into the burlap pocket and all was placed on top of the napkin.

·         Burlap, muslin and linen with their earth tones are very popular right now.

·         Cool looking spice dispensers.

·         Garden apron with packets of seeds in the pockets.

·         A basket for the garden with a handle, insert seeds or plants, gloves, potting soil, fertilizer, seedling pots, small hoes or rakes and garden utensils.  Even an outdoor thermometer or rain gauge.

·         Soaps, bath salts, scrub cloth, towel, lotions, etc.

Yesterday a lady contacted me for heirloom looking handkerchiefs for her Nana’s birthday.  Of course, they were made and initialed in the corner using a small diamond shaped monogram.  They looked very nice and the customer was please with the results and that we could get this done so fast.

Have a wonderful week.
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Taken from Pinterest:  Homemade toothpaste! Here's a cheap and much better alternative to commercial toothpaste. Supplies: -5 Tbs baking soda -4 Tbs coconut oil -About 10 drops of essential oil. (I used peppermint) -Container (Make sure it has a lid. Baking soda will absorb smells if left to open air.) -*You can also add a bit of stevia or other natural sweetener if you're used to a sweeter toothpaste.
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C’est tout, mes amis
Peggy Henshall
Cajun Stitchery
(850) 261-2462
P.S.  You are always welcome to stop by and look at all of the catalogs and pass some time with me, cher.

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