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The One I Love………

December 17, 2008 by Edie Wadsworth 16 Comments

Remember the song “The One I love” by David Gray? Well I rediscovered the song through Country Girl’s playlist and there’s something about it that I just love. I listened to it 473 times. Who am I kidding? I belted it out real loud 473 times while driving in my car. My children will certainly need therapy for these cathartic jam sessions. I conjured up images of Stevie and I falling on hard times (“tell the repo man”) and moving into a cozy 1200 square foot cottage and growin’ our own food and selling my hand-knit scarves for extra money…….to buy books and coats and milk for the children. The first 248 times, I’m sure I shed a little tear. (I conjured this all up while I was online picking out my new iphone and making my last order to American girl). Then I googled the lyrics and discovered that the song is probably about a soldier dying on the battlefield and that the ‘repo man’ is probably God reposing his very life. (Tears welled up in both eyes.)

Oh. Okay then.

So I googled ‘repose’ and then started my conjuring anew. No worries. I can roll with that. So in the very spot in my brain that should be storing important items like the password for paying the student loan payment, Stevie is now a soldier and is wounded and I am weeping hysterically over him on the battlefield and singin’ “Tell the repo man….and the stars above…..that you’re the one I love”. (That’s precisely when I realized that my item is backordered…..which disturbed the whole music video/drama thing that was going on in my head). No wonder I can’t remember anything. My brain is full. Of tiny little dramas from every song I love. And all my favorite C.S. Lewis quotes. And all the lyrics to Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody. And a whole plethora of random, mostly useless information.

Well I love the song regardless. And it makes me teary-eyed. So I sing it with all the more conviction. Especially since Stevie’s a soldier now. So enjoy the song and any little drama that starts to play in your head. And enjoy the one you love. And be thankful for real life soldiers who make our ‘enjoying’ possible.

Sing it with me…….

“Won’t you take my hand dahlin’, on that old dance flaaw

We can twist and shout

Do the turtle dove

You’re the one I love

The One I love

Yooooo-hoooooo”

He will restore the years……

December 16, 2008 by Edie Wadsworth 20 Comments

Those of you who are new to my blog can read about my son Taylor here and watch a video of a wonderful song he wrote based on Psalm 42 here. You can learn more about Caiti here. I write about the little girls all the time…..they’re home alot more than the teenagers. So today: a little spotlight on the teens. Taylor is 18 and Caiti is 16 and they have been such a blessing and joy to me through the years. Taylor graduates this year so every event has become a quasi-emotional breakdown fest. “This is the last time he’ll” fill-in-the-blank……at least while he lives at my house. These two are like the quintessential siblings. They do almost everything together and truly do love each other and when Caiti gets her feathers ruffled (every morning when Taylor is running late for school) she nags and scolds him like a worn out housewife. I’ve always said he’ll make the perfect husband and father (having had 3 sisters) or else he’ll convert to Catholicism and join the monastery. One things’ for sure, he knows high maintenance women inside and out. I can hardly believe that these two are grown up. It seems just yesterday I was taking this picture.
and walking on the beach with this little sweetie……
and buying batman paraphernalia for this one……
Where do the years go? And through all the teaching and nagging do they know beyond a shadow of doubt how much they are loved? Do they realize how many times I’ve cried out to God in desperation…….wishing that there was some way to take any heartache or sadness away? Alas. These moments of honest reflection are often swept away by, “Why do you keep leaving wet towels on the floor?” and “If you don’t clean your room, I’m gonna take your cell phone away”. But sometimes in the quiet of the morning, when I reminisce about those years gone by…….I thank God for so much joy. And I thank Him for the heartache too. Because He has a way of turning sorrow to joy. He alone will restore the years the locusts have eaten.
So when I see my children dressed like this and singing ancient songs in latin……..
and when I see them all dressed up and enjoying their life and their friends…..
I can’t help but be filled with joy…….that for a season……for a short time……….
they were in my trust. I pray that where I have woefully fallen short, the Lord will fill in the gaps.
and they will find their way…….and use their gifts…….to His glory.
Enjoy this short video of the chamber choir singing. Taylor and Caiti both were selected for this audition choir at their high-school for the last few years. And you’ll easily be able to find Taylor. He’s the one that can’t seem to sing without a lot of swaying. He drives his choir teacher crazy ….but I think it’s kind of adorable.

And say this prayer this morning for your own children: taken from the Lutheran prayer book:

With joy and thanksgiving we praise You out of the fullness of our grateful hearts that You have gladdened our home and life with this child. We know that this child is a gift of your bountiful hand. Grant us grace and wisdom to bring up this precious soul in the knowledge and understanding of Your word. Watch over them with your tenderest care and continued grace.

As surely as You will endow them with faith and strengthen them in spirit, so too we pray too that You will endow them with a healthy body and strengthen and preserve them according to Your good and gracious will. Grant that they may grow in favor with You and bring sunshine and joy into our hearts and homes. Keep us all in Your grace, forgiving us daily our sins and filling our souls with peace. You are our hiding place. And now to You be praise, glory and thanksgiving, for this precious gift, this day and forever, through Jesus Christ, who is the Friend of children and Savior of all. Amen.

Beam me up, Stevie……..

December 15, 2008 by Edie Wadsworth 27 Comments

My life has changed so dramatically over the past two years that it’s hardly believable that it’s the same person living in my skin.

The only way I can be absolutely sure that it is indeed me is by the fact I still charge into, say, the dining room at lightning speed with a definite purpose and plan—only to be completely unable, when I get there, to remember why I came. Thirty minutes later when I need the pewter water pitcher, I remember why it was I was charging into the dining room. Those are the moments I’m most sure that the essence of who I am is the same. Pathetic, I know. Otherwise it seems to all have changed.I no longer dress up everyday and leave the house in a whirlwind to do something ‘important’—-like treat hypertension and gout. I no longer have people to help me live my life, like a nanny (I miss you Kimmy) and a pool guy and a cleaning lady and a nurse. It’s just lil’ ole me, my children and husband, my house, and my laptop, wearing lounge pants all day and making enough homeade bread to feed the five thousand. I feel like I’m in a permanent state of ‘hunkered down’, which reminds me of the time I photographed all my children doing their best ‘hunker down’ pose. I love that phrase and I loved even better their attempts to humor me.

So, in a nutshell, I quit working, started homeschooling, became Lutheran, and started blogging.

All things that might make your average Southern neighbor look at you with the same disdain as if you had just said you were giving up coloring your hair and would soon be leaving for a Star Trek convention followed by a move to Waco Texas to live in a commune.I’ve got no lies to tell, it ain’t been easy.

People understand a real job in which you must first get dressed and then go do a pap’s smear. People do not understand a job which has no dress code, requires that you rarely leave your house, and in which your fifty favorite ‘coworkers’ live in your computer. To make matters worse, you find yourself involved in online Christmas tours and virtual cookie exchanges. Imagine my chagrin when I’m trying to explain to my friend Donia why I won’t be here for the first day or two when she comes into town because I’ll be at a blogging convention. I said it quiet like that and then had to repeat myself. Seven times. It didn’t go well. For her or me. I wrote about Donia here and she’s a truetolife-wonderful friend-tease the %$#@ out of ya for going to your Star Trek convention- kinda of a girl.

It’s moments like that when I want to call some real friend and go out for real, highly caffeinated coffee and eat a real cookies and……*talk*. And talk and talk and talk. Instead of type…and type….and type. And I would do that, except my girls and I are attached at the hip and I’ve got bread to bake and teenagers to mold into decent adults and presents to wrap——and well, a lot of typing and hunkering down to do.

This has been an exciting blogging week for me because of this and this and even if many people don’t ‘get’ it, I love my new life. I love my new ‘job’ and I love my new ‘coworkers’ and I love my favorite new hobby. So don’t worry about me yet. My hair is blonder than ever (dangerously resembling trailer trash blond) and I’m just as wowed by all the new colors at MAC as always. It’s still me in here, heavy on the eye makeup, lip gloss and feathered bangs, learning to live in the delicate balance that exists between mom-and-teacher, friend-and-lover, saint-and-sinner, and real.live.human-and-blogger.

And as always, the incredible man that I share my life with seems to ‘get’ me. Even the new/less glamorous/bookworm/computer geek/ever-so-slightly-heavier me.

And I love that about him.

What do iced sugar cookies, knitting and G.K. Chesterton have in common?

December 13, 2008 by Edie Wadsworth 10 Comments

Here at our homeschool, we’re following a strict curriculum. Today’s goal: Bake Grandma Evadne’s sugar cookie recipe in the shape of stars….and ice them. Recite G.K. Chesterton’s A Christmas Carol. Make snowflakes while dancing to “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clause”. Punishment awaits those who do not fully participate!

You must try this recipe. It’s fantastic and comes from the north woods of Minnesota. Of course it’s always better when Grandma makes it….but we had fun and they turned out fantabulous. (And as side note, my kitchen looks like a nuclear fall-out shelter.

Notice the vintage aprons that we bought this summer while we visited Steve’s family in MN…

and ta-da……the most wonderful Christmas cookies ever.

and to make this festive celebration more vintage…..my sweet mother-in-law sent me three beautiful pieces of hammered aluminum…..THE most beautiful pieces that I have received or collected to date…..

and as if that weren’t wonderful enough, she knitted the girls the MOST ADORABLE booties you have ever seen. EVER.

This led us to a grammar lesson about ‘how to write a thank you note’ which the girls thoroughly enjoyed. There’s something so grown-up about addressing an envelope. And don’t forget to admire the snowflakes…..thank you Sandy for the link.

So there you have it…..a wonderful evening of baking…..

and enjoying the festivities of Christmas.

We finished it off by watching ‘The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

C.S. Lewis is a genius…..and his mentor G.K. Chesterton was too. So enjoy the following recitation of his poem “A Christmas Carol”. And here’s a shower of hugs and kisses to Grandma for making our evening so special. We’ll eat a cookie for you.

P.S. Thank you to brother Jeff for the email he sent to Issues,Etc…..which apparently won us blog of the week…….Hitchkicks are in order, I believe.

Grandma’s Sugar Cookie Recipe

Beat together and set aside.

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

4 T. milk

Mix the following together like pie crust:

3 1/4 C. flour

1 t. soda

2 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. vanilla

1 c. softened butter (2 sticks)

Mix the egg mixture into the flour mixture. Roll out and cut into your favorite shape. Bake at 400 for 8-9 minutes.

For the icing, I mix 1 stick butter (softened) with 1 stick of Land ‘O Lakes margarine (softened, and don’t try to substitute some other margarine, K? just get the right kind) and then add 1 bag (2 pounds) powdered sugar and 1-2 T. milk, a pinch of salt and 1 t. vanilla. I then pipe the icing onto the cookies and sprinkle. Have a wonderful Saturday and happy baking.

Southern Women 101………

December 12, 2008 by Edie Wadsworth 50 Comments

Things you should know about southern women:

1. We love all things ‘hair’—‘fixin’ our hair, dyin’ our hair, teasin’ our hair—-you get my drift.
2. We have two commandments: ~ thou shalt not go out in public without lip gloss and mascara ~ thou shalt surely have cute hair. Don’t mess with Texas. Or Tennessee.
3. We take pride in our warmth and friendliness-–translated, we frequently invade your personal space. We’re huggers, kissers, touchers of all kinds.
4. We make strong eye contact and teach our children to ‘look in their eyes’ and say yes ma’am. Our children will probably be eating iced sugar cookies when they say yes ma’am. But they’ll say it. Amen.
5. We have been accused at times of being superficial…..call it what you like, but despite the fact that I’m reading “The Imitation of Christ” by Thomas a Kempis, my daughter (Caiti) and I will certainly do hitchkicks and spirit hands (we were both cheerleaders) when MAC comes out with a new lip gloss. Y’all think I’m kiddin’ but I just pulled my psoas muscle tryin’ to see if I could still do a hitchkick.
6. We love makeup and all things girly. We love bows and glitter and ribbon and animal print and cookies with icing on top. I have yet to meet a woman, from say, Connecticut, who would dare add trans-fat and high-fructose-corn-syrup infested butter cream icing on to an already suspect chocolate chip cookie. Our motto, “what’s better than a cookie? a cookie with icing on top”.
7. Our official anthem is ‘Sweet Home Alabama’ and watch out if this starts playing while we’re chatting with you at a Christmas party about the current economic crisis…..or the latest new shade of lip gloss. We scan the room for any sign of a girl who looks like she has cheerleader in her past and head on to the dance floor as we sing, “singin’ songs about the southland…..I miss Alabamy once again and I think it’s a sin”
Economics can wait. And you can borrow the new lip gloss while I dance….’cause I’ve already got the new color.
8. Our daughters are the ones with the ribbons in their hair……from birth. It’s just part of our morning routine. Did you have some breakfast? Brush your teeth? Put your ribbon in? We buy ribbon by the spool not the yard. In all manner of colors and patterns.
9. We monogram everything. We’re like sorority sisters who never got over themselves. Only sweeter. We suck you in to our various and sundry habits too. Move here from New York and soon you’ll be monogramming, eating iced sugar cookies, and teasin’ your hair. And droppin’ the ‘g’ from the endin’ of every word. And sayin’ y’all. And gettin’ your nails done.

10. We are almost always smiling. Because our mothers and Phyllis Diller told us that ‘ a smile sets everything straight’ . Which is why we’re all now considering Botox. That could be the one downside I see of being southern. All those facial lines from all those years of smiles and laughter. Mark Twain even said “Wrinkles merely indicate where the smiles have been”. Yeah, sadly we see that now. Thanks mom.
11. We love to have people in our home. We pay serious attention to how are homes ‘look’ from the outside…..is their plenty of lighting? Does it beg me to ‘stop by’? That southern hospitality thing is serious business around here. There’ll be place cards and token gifts and flowers and candles and lots of homeade desserts. Our guest rooms will have the latest issues of Southern Living and Cottage Living and we’ll go the extra mile to make sure you’re comfy. Granted, we’ll talk your head off and make you watch football and Steel Magnolias and probably invite you along to attend someone’s funeral with us…..but the experience will be memorable. And in case we forget to warn you, the casket will be open and various relatives will comment on how ‘Hank never looked better’. I never even realized this wasn’t standard practice until last year. I had already picked out my outfit and requested a hairstyle for my ‘departing day’.
12. We all have dogs. We keep our dogs inside. The image of Paula Deen cooking with the dog shedding his hair under her feet comes to mind. We love our dogs. And name them things like Sceeter and Scooter. Hypothetically, of course.

Speaking of cooking, we love bacon fat….and every southern women I have ever met has a jar of bacon fat somewhere in her cupboards. Be careful when you pull out a cup to get some coffee.

13. We overutilize the words honey, darlin’, sugar, sweetie pie..….and that’s when we’re talking to the UPS man. We like our tea sweet and our cookies iced. We like our nails pretty and our jeans comfortably tight. We wear boots in the winter and flip flops in the summer and have very large purses which contain more makeup than the average female from Wisconsin has in her possession altogether. We realize that some of these qualities are short comings and make all manner of resolutions to learn and do better.

Y’all have any questions? ‘Cause there’s a lot of myths going around about Southerners and I could set the record straight.

* A brief update- due to the enormous amount of will power it takes to ‘do’ school near Christmas time, I promised my girls a series of hitchkicks if they finished their math quickly. They came through…….and I did not disappoint.*

Christmas Tour of Homes………

December 10, 2008 by Edie Wadsworth 80 Comments

Grab a cookie cookie and come on in!

I am so excited to be linking to all these festive Christmas tours.

Ya’ll are gonna love this cookie recipe. We’re just making iced sugar cookies (recipe here) and putting the final touches on our decorations. The ‘little’ girls wanted to show you their tree first and then we’ll move on to the rest of the house.
They love this white tree and the colors we used coordinate well with their girly room. And we sorta have a love affair going on with ribbon. It’s a southern thing.

Welcome to this Christmas tour sponsored by the BooMama and Hooked on Houses and Kimba……and welcome to my home. I was so happy to participate in this linky party and in fact am using alot of the same pictures I used for Nester’s garland party…….so hope you don’t mind. These fun linky parties gave me the added ‘kick in the tail’ I needed to finish my decorating. I am so happy with how it all turned out and can only say that this garland probably weighs a good 30 or 40 pounds. I pray for the stability and stickiness of 3M tabs…..

And because I have more Christmas decorations than any sane person should, I ‘borrowed’ stuff from the house to make this years’ Christmas cheer fun but cheap. So I snatched the ‘W’ from the kitchen……
and the star I ‘borrowed’ from the breakfast room……
I started with a skinny little anemic garland and added lots of fresh magnolia, cypress and pine and then added my signature Christmas decoration……lots of ribbon!

I had the little evergreen trees from Thanksgiving and put them on candlesticks…..

and voila!! My best garland ever. Thank you Nester for the inspiration.
I took my skills from the garland on the bannister…..which is sadly not finished, so I can only show you this far up.
and I thought you’d enjoy this little jewel…..it’s a cute ‘family tree’ decorated with pictures of all of our brood……..
and this is my favorite tree this Christmas……simple and kinda old-school…..
then there’s the table top tree in the breakfast room…..
and my dining room with a bare but beautiful bird tree…
and a peak into my bedroom where I recently nailed pillow shams right to the wall for window mistreatments (a Nester trick from way back) and added some fun lights for Christmas.
That’s one sure fire thing about being Southern……we know how to do everything ‘big’ and ‘bordering on gaudy’. We tend to be of the ‘more is more’ persuasion. And if you’d like to know more about Southern women, I’ve given a short tutorial here. I would like to add that I’m a brand new reader to BooMama and L.O.V.E her blog. Apparently along with everyone else in the free world. Hope you are inspired to make your Christmas colorful and beautiful!