afternoon tea table

Emily Post (1873–1960).  Etiquette. 1922.

The Afternoon Tea-Table

“The afternoon tea table is the same in its service whether in the tiny bandbox house of the newest bride, or in the drawing-room of Mrs. Worldly of Great Estates.”

the child at the table

Emily Post (1873–1960).  Etiquette. 1922.

The Child at Table

“In eating soup the child must dip his spoon away from him—turning the outer rim of the spoon down as he does so....” “In being taught to use knife and fork together, the child should at first cut only something very easy, such as a slice of chicken....” “Having cut off a mouthful, he thrusts the fork through it, with prongs pointed downward and conveys it to his mouth with his left hand. He must learn to cut off and eat one mouthful at a time.” “When no knife is being used, the fork is held in the right hand, whether used ‘prongs down’ to impale the meat or ‘prongs up’ to lift vegetables” “Bread should always be broken into small pieces with the fingers before being buttered.” “When he has finished eating the child should lay his knife and fork close together, side by side, with handles toward the right side of his plate.”

an informal dinner

Emily Post (1873–1960).  Etiquette. 1922.

An Informal Dinner

“At an informal dinner, the table appointments are equally fine and beautiful, though possibly not quite so rare.”

a breakfast tray

Emily Post (1873–1960).  Etiquette. 1922.

A Breakfast Tray

“In small houses breakfast trays for women guests are carried up by the waitress.”

the ideal guest room

Emily Post (1873–1960).  Etiquette. 1922.

The Ideal Guest Room

“The ideal guest room is never found except in the house of the ideal hostess; and it is by no means idle talk to suggest that every hostess be obliged to spend twenty-four hours every now and then in each room set apart for visitors." (note to self:  the ideal hostess doesn't always have an extra room to provide visiting guests....so it is more important to be the attentive hostess that makes her guests feel welcomed and at home even if they sleep on the floor.  Provide proper blankets and pillows.  Give them yours if you don't have spares.)

a dinner service without silver

Emily Post (1873–1960).  Etiquette. 1922.

A Dinner Service Without Silver

A dinner service without silver—“The little dinner is thought by most people to be the very pleasantest social function there is.”

the most elaborate dinner dance ever given in new york

Emily Post (1873–1960).  Etiquette. 1922.

The Most Elaborate Dinner Dance Ever Given in New York

“The scene represents the palace and garden at Versailles. There were only four tables. Singers appeared on the balcony during dinner, other performers danced, sang and juggled on the pathways. After the dinner the pathways of grass were taken up to permit dancing by the guests.”

a church wedding

Emily Post (1873–1960).  Etiquette. 1922.

A Church Wedding

“In the city or country the church is decorated with masses of flowers, greens and sprays of flowers at the ends of the six to twenty reserved pews.”

a house wedding

Emily Post (1873–1960).  Etiquette. 1922.

A House Wedding

“An attractive altar arrangement for a house wedding.”

Interesting Art

PORTRAIT ART

~Word and Typewriter Art~

Think these are neat,

d

White Pumpkins Reign

~BEAUTIFUL WHITE PUMPKINS~

I grew up thinking that pumpkins only came in orange.

Not so anymore.

I really like the white ones and green ones, 

light orange and bright as well.

It wouldn't be the first time I didn't know any better.

This has been a difficult week for me....health wise.

My heart has been skipping beats.

Thought it would straighten out, but didn't and so after 11 days I went to my doctor.  
Wore a halter monitor for 24 hours and started taking Toprol.  
Will be reading and studying up on PVC.

Premature Ventricular Contractions.

 Blood pressure way too high.

Felt faint and just over all not well. 

Felt like my heart was doing flip flops.

Did some reading about what can cause skipping heart beat....anything from high blood pressure,
 caffeine, medicines, anemia, stress, low in calcium, 
low in magnesium, low in potassium, etc. 

So I stopped the caffeine, started taking folic acid, a calcium tablet, a magnesium tablet, 
a potassium tablet, an aspirin, rubbing natural progesterone cream on, taking olive oil with honey, 
taking deep breaths and avoiding sodium as much as possible!

Spent the afternoon reading up on how to reduce high blood pressure the natural way.

BEET JUICE is suppose to lower high blood pressure in a hour and a half.  
So tomorrow I hope to go to the Health Food Store and get some.

 If you know of some great ways to lower blood pressure naturally, please share with me.  
Appreciate your help.

I believe that I have some major changing to do when it comes to food preparation 
as well as ignoring some foods.

I knew that anytime you have low in fat food, 

that more sodium is added to the product. 

So the low in fat food with more sodium isn't a good thing for me.

Eating more fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, 

less red meat, and grains is a bonus.  

Drinking purified water a plus.

Exercising would help.

With my Christian upbringing, we didn't follow kosher food instructions.  
That was for old testament Jewish people following the Law.  So I thought.

When Jesus walked the earth, 

wouldn't He have eaten kosher since He was Jewish?

I will be posting more about high blood pressure 

or hypertension in the future.

God bless and may we all be healthier for it,

d

Five Ways to Enrich Your Marriage

Decorating OnThe Prairie: Ideas To Share

Decorating On The Prairie

takes a breather by gathering ideas.

Once again ideas have come from the internet 

and I cannot take credit for any of these ideas or pics.

AUTUMN is here and so are we!

As our temps begin to cool off 

and we gather our thoughts as to how we should live 

during the Autumn months...

Thank you for visiting!

You're a blessing and greatly loved.

This Autumn,

I hope to get excited about life, liberty 

and the pursuit of happiness.

Here goes,

d

 

Contributing this post to Laura's blog www.daybydayinourworld.com 

This post will be a part of THE CHRISTIAN HOME MAGAZINE's Design and Decorate.

Home Happenings

Glorious Autumn Blessings 

to you from HOME HAVEN in Kansas!!!

I had to smile when I typed that.....AUTUMN is here.  

First Day of Autumn.

~AUTUMN 2012~

As of late, the mornings have been a bit chilly already,
but the afternoons are wonderful and I love this weather!  Today the afternoon temp is 66 degrees.

Officially it is AUTUMN!  Calendar says so and the almanac indicates first freeze in early October.  Not ready for that part of Kansas Autumn, but longing for 73 degree temps with the windows open to let the breeze inside.  It is a peaceful day when the breeze is blowing and I can have the window wide open.  No dust.  Can hear the birds chirping and the Church Bells ringing.  You can hear the walnuts hitting the ground with a thud.  I can soak the moment up and say it is well with my soul.

The leaves on the trees are for sure turning colors and beginning their falling to the ground journey.  As the leaves twirl in the wind, I remember Autumns from the past.  Also living in the moment.  I have to live in the moment.  This is the present we have. 

~RECLAIMING THE BACK YARD~

This past week my husband relocated and rebuilt larger Dog Kennels for our two Airedale Terriers.
Delilah and Emmett love it.  They can actually run along the kennel fence in sync with one another.  They need exercise and this helps.

We have reclaimed the backyard, because where the kennels were, it took up almost half of the back yard that we could see from the family room window.  Industrious Hubby removed and tore down the four kennels that were there.  SAM died 2 years ago and on September 1st our BEAR was put down due to illness.  The two Airedales we have will get much needed attention.  Daughter is getting ready to take dogs for a walk on this Fall Day.

~MOMMA APPROVAL~

 After I picked up Lil Miss from school on Friday we stopped at a Garage Sale and I purchased a few items for little money.  Like those kinds of sales.  I bought a pink heart shaped PRINCESS CD Player for $2.  She works and it got the MOMMA APPROVAL.  It made me happy that it worked and was PINK!!!

~NEXT HOME HAVEN PROJECT~

As the day is inching along Hubby is sitting up scaffling against the front of this old stone house.  He'll be repointing between the rocks that has needed some attention since we bought this place 5 and a half years ago.  He hopes to repoint the part of this house that needs the most attention at first.  When this is to where he can call it good...........THE KITCHEN REBUILD WILL BEGIN!!!!!

~KITCHEN~

Oh MY GOSH......I cannot even tell you how much this means to me.  A KITCHEN!  We tore the icky appliances out of the Kitchen 5 years ago along with part of the cabinets, in preparation to rebuild a new Kitchen.  Life took a turn that we weren't expecting and the Kitchen was placed on hold after the house roof HAD TO BE ROOFED.  4 Hail Storms in one night did her in.  Our Daughter and Grand daughter moved in with us after Daughter's Husband left her.  There's emotional issues to deal with when this happens.  Getting them settled into our house took some doing, but we did it.  God helped us.

After the Garage Roof and the House roof were completed, it looked like the front porch disintegrated before our eyes.  He torn out the ancient porch and rebuilt a new one.  Health Issues with me having Cancer surgeries and recovering were present.  An old boiler and hot water heater had to be removed from the Mechanical Room with new ones going in their place.  Family room walls being stripped of layers of old wallpaper and re-plastering the walls needed done.  A new Family room Wall Cabinet was built.  The stairs to the Cellar needed replaced.  Always something.  Then the smallest Bedroom was bead boarded.  Will be painting this soon.  Hubby was bit by a bat and had to have Rabies Shots and take it easy.  Watched all the animals.  With the nice weather, he took the opportunity to rebuild the Kennels.

It is something to be able to complete something sorely needed and having to wait almost 6 years to complete it.  Almost 6 years.  That's 72 months.  He is one happy camper today as he can look at the completed Kennels and Clean up and say SHE IS DONE!!!  Done.

We have been using a microwave, skillet, hot plate burners for preparing meals.  It's been interesting to say the least......but for now the Kitchen plans are drawn up and hanging on the wall to keep us focused that we have big ideas for a Kitchen!!!

Ladies and Gentlemen, As the Kitchen is created I will share pics and when our first real meal is prepared in the Kitchen....we will celebrate for sure.

~HEART~

I'm doing my best to avoid caffeine.  My heart has been skipping some beats and it is the most annoying feeling.   Irregular heartbeat.  Avoiding caffeine, drinking more water, using natural progesterone cream, breathing deeply, taking olive oil with honey, iron, calcium with vitamin D and magnesium.  If this doesn't help.....off to the doctor I go.  Will need to see where I am with thyroid levels, hormones and whatever.

                                                    ~TOOTH FAIRY~

Got word that one of my Grandson's lost his first tooth! 

Remember when you're waiting for that first tooth to come in 

and now it's excitement over the first tooth coming out.

Watching children grow is a blessing from God that mankind needs to relish in.

 ~KANSAS CAPITOL~

We made a trip to Topeka to run some errands

and I surprised my Hubby by driving to the Capitol Building.

He asked where we were going and I said to see the Capitol Building!
He's 57 and has never been inside the Capitol.  So we went.
It just so happened to be the first day that the Rotunda was open to the Public.
Serious remodeling has been going on.

As we walked about, workers were disassembling the wall that had been up around the Rotunda. 
 People were cleaning and painting.
One Gentlemen was stenciling a ceiling in a hallway.

We were able to step into the House of Representatives and the Senate.

GORGEOUS ROOMS full of character where Kansas History is made.

 

Inside the Capitol Building Mural Painting of John Brown

~HOLY LIVING~

Last week-end I attended with my Daughter a simulcast of a Beth Moore gathering.

There was some difficulty with the broadcast due to buffering.
Beth's computer system had a crash that morning,
so we had to be patient when in the middle of a praise song,
the image being projected on the screen would freeze.

We'd be singing and the words would freeze and the sound went dead.

Still had a nice time.

Had a very nice breakfast, lunch and snack time.

Met some very nice Ladies and had a special outing with my precious daughter.

Beth's a great story teller full of expression and very animated.

I like BETH.  I do.

True to form, I question whoever is teaching.  

Don't mean to be a debbie downer, but it is something I have grown to do 

due to being misled many years ago from the prosperity movement.

The Holy Spirit delivered me from this.

Beth referred to the scripture 

PSALM 68:11

The Lord speaks, many many women spread the good news.

 She said it was from the NET Bible.

She did not say what this scripture verse pertained to.  

It was used in her seven points that she was teaching on for the day.

She did not discuss the Lord gave the word that the Kings would flee.

To me this simple scripture used the way it was used,

 sounds to me that Beth is wanting it to mean 

that many, many women shared the good news...in which Beth wants 

to encourage women to share the saving grace of God with others.

That's not a bad thing to want to encourage women who need their faith boosted,

but when the rubber meets the road.....this Psalm 68:11 isn't about women sharing their faith 

so we can get excited that it's alright to share the good news. 

It's not even women in the scripture she is using.

Now I believe it is perfectly alright for women to share the good news of Jesus Christ,

but the way that Beth is using it seems to me that it is being used incorrectly.

I read the scripture from my Bible.

 PSALM 68:11 and then some.

In my New King James Version it states

 11) The Lord gave the word;

Great was the company of those who proclaimed it:

12)   "Kings of armies flee, they flee,

And she who remains at home divides the spoil.

13)  Though you lie down among the sheepfolds, 

You will be like the wings of a dove covered with silver,

And her feathers with yellow gold."

Since there is a : after proclaimed it, this means the sentence is connected to more.

It is connected to what they proclaimed, "Kings of armies flee....

Also the word company is a masculine noun from STRONGS CONCORDANCE.

The women part did not come about until later and she was dividing the spoils.

So, I am a bit disappointed that the scripture was taken out of context.

Seem harmless?

Not to an old bird such as myself.

The Lord let them know that the armies will flee.  

That is good to know especially when in a battle.

You'd want to hear that you're on the winning team 

and that there will be victory.

A large group of men, not women

 did the proclaiming what the Lord stated about the Kings fleeing.

Always something happening around here.

God bless and give you peace,

d

Historic Hawken House Kitchen

The Kitchen of the Historic 1857 HAWKEN HOUSE in Webster Grove, Missouri of the Saint Louis area was just as neat to see as all the other historical rooms that were fully furnished.

Laying open on the table was this much loved Cook Book displaying GRAHAM SOUP.  Being from Southwest Kansas, I had never heard of Graham Soup although on my Mother's side of the Family, Graham is a Family name.  In my up bringing, herbs were rarely used.  Mostly salt and pepper for seasonings.  Never turnips and green peppers.  We must have come from the wrong side of the tracks or perhaps the wrong part of the country.

~Kitchen Time~

Kitchen Ceiling Lamp has a carbon catcher at the top.

Ready for some glorious morning Coffee?  

Fixin' it over this 'ole stove would take a determine person that's cravin' their java.   

Robust flavor.

 

When cold weather approached, out came the ice-skates

and a stand for the Christmas Tree.

  

Another neat room at the Hawken House.

I'm thankful for our modern day Kitchen appliances and devices.

Nothing beats a great meal that has come out of a HOME 

Kitchen, made with loving hands and time put into it.

What is your favorite Kitchen appliance?

I like my fridge!

Stoves not bad.

Can't forget the microwave.

Hummmmm.

Electricity is really appreciated and so is running water!

May you have a blessed week-end.

Oh, how I love the week-ends.

God bless,

d

Hawken House in Webster Grove, Missouri.