Blog Break

There's too much to do inside and out, and since quite a few of you are taking a break, I think I will, too.

Big waves to all of you~be back later!

Wednesday Wives Tales~Doors

Did you know that there are odd beliefs about doors? Most seem to involve entering and leaving through the front door of the house. Always enter and leave by the same door.

It seems an odd thing to me and I can't help but wonder where people got the idea about the doors they were entering and leaving and how this affected their 'luck'. I'm still researching this question. Does anyone know?

1. If you are moving to a new house, the first time you enter it must be through the front door.

2. A wedding couple should only enter a house by the front door.

3. The front door of a bride's house must not be closed while she is at the church getting married. (Does anybody leave their door unlocked these days?)

4. Letting the foot of the bed face a doorway causes bad luck.

5. Nailing a horseshoe on a door will bring good luck--just make sure it's nailed up in the shape of a U to keep your luck from 'falling out'!

6. Having a black cat greet you at your door is good luck! (At last, something nice about cats, LOL).

7. If a spider builds a web across your front door, you are going to have company!

Have a wonderful day~and make sure you use the front door!

Saturday Smile

Ginger being lazy on the porch swing. She's a sweet little cat that we adopted from the Humane Shelter back in February.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Wednesday Wives Tales~Worms

We were out looking at our wild plum trees yesterday and saw worms in a few of the plums~which made me wonder....how many old wives tales are about worms? Most seem to involve getting worms, LOL!

1. If you eat too much sugar, worms will grown in your stomach.

2. Eating a hair from a horses forelock will cure worms (Yuck!).

3. You will grow worms in your stomach if you go to bed hungry.

4. You will get worms if you eat raw potatoes.

5. The thirteen bands on a woolly worm allow you to predict the weather for winter.

6. Eating boiled onions cures stomach worms.

7. A lot of worms on the ground is a sign of rain. (I looked this up and it is true).

There are many more old beliefs about worms. Do you know any old wives tales about worms?

Good Monday Morning

It's a beautiful Monday here in the mountains. The air is a little muggy from all the rain, but the sunshine is wonderful! I am baking bread this morning and I also got together a couple of bags of clothes for the charity shop.

I thought I'd share a picture of our little kitty cabin. My husband made this for the cats to sleep inside of in the winter. It has two stories in it for the cats to share. There is a light bulb underneath to heat it when it's really cold. Our oldest daughter painted it to match the cabin!

And while the cats like it and will get inside when it's extremely cold~it is really the favorite of the chickens for laying their eggs! Right now, our little red hen is setting on her clutch of eggs~which has made the rest of the hens mad. It doesn't stop them, though--they just climb in and lay their eggs on top of her! We try to get the 'new' eggs out periodically through the day, LOL!

Hubby is going to build a couple more of these to put out in the yard and hopefully, the hens will use them, instead of the cat's cabin!

Wednesday Wives Tales~Spices & Herbs

Wives tales involving spices were very common in Elizabethan times. Here are a few.

1. Accidentally omitting spices when mixing a recipe means that trouble is coming your way.

2. If you pin bay leaves on each corner of your pillow on St. Valentine's Eve, you will dream of your future husband.

3. A basil leaf left under a pot will turn into a scorpion.

4. During Elizabethan times it was considered good luck for a bachelor to wear a sprig of basil on his collar. It would bring the luck of finding a bride.

5. Sprigs of mint tied around the wrist is good for stomach ailments.

6. Oregano is put in a bride's shoes and in her bouquet for good luck.

7. Lemon balm planted next to the front door will drive away evil. Also, lemon balm is said to cause the heart to be merry.

8. If you spill pepper, you will have an argument with your best friend.

Friday Fun~Primitive Crafts

I'm still working on my little bag of dolls, but thought I'd post a picture of some of my older primitive, grungy dolls.




The small doll in front on the left was made by my daughter, as well as the grungy little kitty with the rusty wire whiskers. I made the two black sock dolls and the Clara Barton doll, as well as the little patriotic shelf sitter type doll.

Everyone have a great weekend!

Wednesday Wives Tales~Butterflies

We've been seeing so many butterflies lately, that I thought it might be interesting to find some old superstitions about them.

1. If you find three butterflies together, it's a sign of good luck.

2. If butterflies arrive early for the season, it is a sign that good weather is here to stay.

3. If the first butterfly you see is dark, it means there will be a lot of thunderstorms during the spring and summer.

4. If a butterfly flies inside of your house, someone in the family will soon marry.

5. If the first butterfly you see is white, you will have good luck throughout the season.

6. If a butterfly comes into the house, a lady will soon visit and her dress will be the same color as the butterfly.

7. If a butterfly lights on your shoulder, you will soon get some new clothes.

There were many more~some not so 'fun'. Do you know any superstitions about butterflies?

Monday Chores

Monday is bread baking day around here. I baked two loaves this morning, but it looks like one of them is about gone. Three people ate some hot for breakfast, then two made sandwiches at lunch.

I did some research for some potential writing projects and I've also folded clothes, washed dishes, worked on re-doing some old curtains and pinched down some of my lemon balm and other herbs.

And now I'm going to take a tea break.

What's on your Monday-to-do list?

Saturday Smile

My Saturday Smile is George in the kitchen window. She loves to sleep in this deep window sill and it is the perfect perch for watching birds when she is awake!

Thank you all for welcoming me back to blogging. I missed all of you!

And thank you all for your sweet comments about my kitchen. Sue wants to come for coffee and Zuzu says she will bring cinnamon buns (yum!). I think it would be so fun if we all really could get together for coffee. I'd perk some up for all of us in my old Farberware Superfast percolator. I use it everyday and love the way the coffee tastes.

To answer some of your specific questions~Carmen C., all my fur babies are doing very well and you'll be seeing pictures of them pretty soon-probably more than you might want to, LOL!

Lea, the bowls in my kitchen are Jadite. I love Fiesta ware, too, but don't have any. If you keep looking at thrift stores and yard sales, I'm sure you'll find a bread box that you like. I have 5 of them and love to use them on my shelves. They are great to store even more 'stuff' in, LOL!

Penny~I promise I'll show my grungy little dolls when I get them finished. They are all just stuffed in a bag right now, but maybe I'll get to work on them this weekend.

Everyone have a wonderful weekend and do something you love.

R~Mary