Saturday, December 31, 2011

1931 Environment Science Text Book

If I say I love books with pictures, does that make me "positively prime evil", like Gaston?  LOL 
 
 Gaston: How can you read this? There's no pictures!
Belle: Well, some people use their imagination.
 
I love this science book for the pictures.  It's fascinating to see how much things have changed with time.  And how much things have stayed the same. 
 
It's for sale here in my Etsy Store, Sweet Woodruffs
 












 

Friday, May 20, 2011

Sun Tea in the South

Good morning from Florida.


My son's chore everday is to make the sun tea. When he forgets, we really miss it at dinner and he gets a good brow beating.

This gallon pitcher with the strawberries belonged to my mother-in-law.  I love seeing it out in the garden working for us now.  It was a cookie jar.  Cookies don't last long enough around here to be put in a jar, so it's perfect for our sun tea.

Make sure your jar is sterile. I prefer a glass container like this Bormioli Rocco Frigoverre Jug pitcher without a spigot.  Bacteria can be an issue if your pitcher is dirty or your tea gets old. Don't make more than you can drink in a day. We drink so much tea, leftovers aren't a problem. When we do have leftover tea, I just throw it in the garden as soil loves the sugar.  Acid from the tea is good for acid loving plants as well.  


We live in the south, so naturally there's gobs of sugar in my Mother-In-Law's tea.  When I make my tea with fruit or spice flavored herbal teas, I feel less need for sweetener and enjoy drinking really cold unsweetened tea.  Make what you prefer.  

Here is how I make mine:

  • Use a very, very clean, sterile, glass gallon jar (I don't like plastic).  You can buy a new one, or use recycled pickle jars from Sams or Cosco.  They are easier to find in the summer.  
  • You can use tap water, or distilled.  I'm fine using my tap water, but if you feel more comfortable, bottled is fine.  
  • I use 5 family sized black tea bags (use 4 for weaker or 6 for stronger tea).
  • On occasion, I additionally will use 1 or 2 Fruity Herbal or Spice Teas. Experiment and use what you like.  I love peach or raspberry.  My grandmother always put mint in hers.
  • Cover with a lid or plastic wrap.
  • Let it sit for at least 5 hours in full sun.  If it sits all day, it can get bitter.  5 hours is sufficient on a sunny day.  
  • When you feel it's done, I add 1 cup of sugar.  My mother-in-law added 1 1/2 cups of sugar (basically making tea flavored syrup...LOL).  Everyone, especially the kids, love it this sweet.  I like mine just a pinch less sweet or unsweetened.  
  • Put it in the ice box immediately.  Keep chilled.
  • I think most people would say it will keep at least 2 days, but I just throw mine out.  Fresh tea just taste better every day and there is less risk of bacteria growth.  
If you have any questions, feel free to ask.  
I'm happy to answer. 


Pick some of your green tomatoes and make a favorite family recipe, Chow Chow.

Do you have a favorite brand of tea?  
Do you put baking soda in your tea?  
Comment below and share your tea memories with me. 
**************************************************************************
"Ecstacy is a glass full of tea and a piece of sugar in the mouth."
~ Alexander Puskin~


"Talk and tea is his specialty," said Giles. "He has come along inside....We'll see if tea and buns can make the world a better place."
~ The Wind in the Willows

***********************************************************

Be blessed and Be a blessing!


May the Lord grant mercy to the household of Onesiphorus, 
for he often refreshed me and was not ashamed of my chains."


2 Timothy 1:16


**Yes it's true, I am an Amazon affiliate. I make only pennies (um, not even that yet) with every purchase you make. Thank you so, so much for supporting my little blog here. I'm trying to help my darling boy attend an expensive private college as debt free as possible. Thanks again. (((hugs)))**

Monday, February 14, 2011

Be My Valentine Charlie Brown, 1976 Book

Be My Valentine Charlie Brown,
Vintage 1976 pink hardback book
 
Hey Sweet Peoples! 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Thanks for looking. 
 
 
 

Monday, January 24, 2011

Sick Son in a Quilt

My 6'2", 215 lb,
15 year old little boy
has the flu.

A really bad flu.

Princess Peach has the flu as well, but she's 30 minutes away at school and I haven't had as much opportunity to baby her, as I have my boy.
Is there anything more pitiful than your sick child? My son never gets sick, so it's been a long time since I've felt that helpless heartache. *sniff* There is nothing you can do but wait and watch as the virus runs its course, hoping the fever doesn't get too high and doing your best to comfort with Jell-O and juice. Crackers and cool rags. Coddling and quilts.
 
 
His fever was so high one night I was afraid to go to sleep. I know he would have been fine, but what if he needed me?  My kids are old enough to be sick alone, but it's just not as much fun, is it? I always feel so guilty when I wake up in the morning to find my child was sick through the night and they were too afraid to wake us up. What? That's what I live for...to take care of my family. No one is to ever be sick alone in this family.

Love begins by taking care of the closest ones - the ones at home.
Mother Teresa

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Book Mountain Stack

You can tell a lot about a person by the books they read and the messes they make.

What do you see in us by looking at this honest mosaic? LOL Wait...nevermind. Not sure I wanna hear an honest answer.

This is a before picture of the "Library", also known as Book Mountain. My daughter began calling this room Book Mountain after a notorious incident in our home...the day frustrated homeschool Mama dumped all the books out of their boxes, searching for a specific science book. It took me forever to gather the courage to get in there and clean my temper tantrum.

And I still haven't found that book.

All the books have been removed from the room. The walls are painted. 4 bookshelves will be decoupaged with pages from my antique books. My back is killing me and I'm sick of being slimy and icky with liquid starch all day, but I'm determined. I'm not quiting until the job is done. Hopefully by the end of next week, I'll have it the way I want it.

Image and video hosting by TinyPic


A book reads the better which is our own, and has been so long known to us, that we know the topography of its blots, and dog's ears, and can trace the dirt in it to having read it at tea with buttered muffins. ~Charles Lamb, Last Essays of Elia, 1833

Be blessed and Be a Blessing.
Hooches and Smugs.
((((((Group Hug))))))))

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

English Paper Piecing Life

My life on the corner of the table....
I buy my paper pieces from Paper Pieces and wouldn't use anything else. 
I love their product and highly recommend them. 
 
my glasses, my Bible, my Kindle and my cell phone are the only things missing from this shot.
 
 
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