Feeling sentimental and wanting to do something about it

Dear family,

        I've decided to try my hand at blogging again. I think the reason it didn't work for me last time was that I didn't have a definite direction.  For a long time I have wanted to put together a family cookbook. It is a daunting task. Back then I asked family members for recipes and didn't get a single recipe. Plenty of them wanted a copy when I was done, though. I was thinking recently that I could blog family recipes.

        When Katie has time I'm going to see if she can help me spruce up my look; that is the look of this blog. So if any of you have any recipe requests just let me know and I will post them. In a perfect world I would actually make the recipe, photograph it and then blog it. I hope to at least write a few sentences about why the recipe is special to our family and how it came to be in our family. I think I may include some sewing/quilting projects just by way of documenting them for our family. So any old photos of things I've made could be a fun place to start, especially if any of my girls are wearing my projects. 

So this would be a lovely example of my handiwork circa December 1991

Matching Christmas dresses! I also made the stockings that are hanging on the mantle. I think it was Daisy who ripped up one of them to get to the chocolate inside. It was the next year that I ordered the ones from Lands End that we have been using ever since. The bed spread is on the hearth because a Natalie and Franny got tangled up and Natalie fell into that brick. She ended up with a huge fat lip and two loose teeth. Thankfully they tightened back up and all was well.

Of course family stories are also worth preserving. I know you know what I'm talking about; those stories, usually told around the supper table, that make us laugh til our sides hurt. You get the picture. A little of this and a little of that -  that is special to our family. Things that we want to remember.

Here's hoping this will be the first of many posts that will help us record some of our family history. 

We've been spoiled in that the last few winters have been rasonably mild. This winter is bound and determined to make up for last few. We are going into the second week of January and have already had 6 snow days! One or two snow days a year are a novelty to be enjoyed but after 5 we have to make them up. Given there is still a lot of winter left I suspect we will have even more. Don't misunderstand me, I'm glad I didn't have to get out and drive on those days but I don't relish the thought of having extra days or extra minutes added on to days. Once Spring gets here who is going to want to spend extra time in school?

The sun is out today. It is deceptively lovely. I ventured out today to run my weekly errands and I was greeted with subzero temps. I bought some heavy duty winter boots today. I'm tired of it taking so long for my toes to thaw out every time I step outside. I'm hoping they'll have better traction, too, because it is no fun slipping and sliding.

I took a few pictures this morning. I've lost count of how mornings we have awakened to beautiful crystal frost on our trees and bushes.

Our mailbox continues to get burried deeper and deeper in the snow.

Hurrah for new warm boots!

Daisy and Henry

Can you tell I'm going a little stir crazy?

Fun times at Grammy's house...

Reflections on the Blizzard of '09

It has been one cold and snowy December. In fact, Lincoln has shattered all the previous records for snow in December. Thankfully this last storm came during our break so we didn't have to miss school. We only have have 2 more built in snow days before we have ro make them up. Making up snow days is not fun!

We did get to get celebrate christmas with our family. Katie and her family made it over on Christmas Eve and then were able to get home before the brunt of the storm hit. Grace spent a fe days with us and was able to drive home yesterday afternoon. I finally ventured out this morning to go to church and took afew when photos when I got home.

The plow came down our side of the street last night and left a ridge of snow about 2 ft high in front of our drive. Mark had to scoop it this morning before I could go to church.

The view looking north from in front of our house.

The view to the south.

Our mail box. We haven't received mail for a few days. I think the mail trucks are snowed in.



Our dog, Daisy, loves the snow!

The whole family

My beautiful daughters!

Grace and Audrey

Grace and Natalie

Natalie, Audrey and Madeleine

For my daughters

I tried unsuccessfully for some time to upload these photos to an album on Facebook. Facebook was acting up so I settled for this. These are a few photos I took at the cemetary this morning. I especially wanted Katie to be able to see these. Grandma Doris is burried in military section. She is in front of the memorial, just to the left. The other photos were taken yesterday in Seguin. All of the Knuth kids with their spouses...doesn't happen very often. Sorry I'm not more creative, girls, but I'm pretty tired. It has been a very good visit but I don't sleep well when I am away from home.

So You Wanna Be a Rockstar?

Here is a link to the My Space page of Natalie's friend Harry. She went to high school with him and he was pretty impressed by her performance in the school talent show so he asked her to record with him. Of course she said yes. You can hear her singing on the song Can I? It is the third one down. Natalie recorded several songs with him. She says that this is not her favorite but I was still pretty impressed. http://www.myspace.com/harrynormanacoustic Later this summer they may play at one of Lincoln's musical venues. I think that would be pretty cool.