Superstitious Wishes

I have saved many of our annual wishbones from Thanksgivings past.  Why?  I don't know.

Guess you could make a sculpture or art piece from them.

Or perhaps, display them in a pretty tableau - maybe even paint them with gold leafing, though I prefer the natural bone.

Well, I wondered how the wish part came about.  The wishbone is a furcula, or 'little fork' in Latin.  In the 1400's, it was used as a method of divination.  A goose's wishbone was dried overnight after a feast of some kind.  The elder studied it the next morning and would predict whether the winter would be severe or mild, dry or wet.  It was also an object of superstition used by warriors on whether or not to wage wars and carried as talismans.

All good, but I wanted to know where the wish came in.  As you know, the persons hold on to the furcula (I like wishbone better) and the one receiving the larger part makes the wish.  This practice developed in the 17th century and at the time was called a merrythought.  

I'd hate to pull apart an ostrich's furcula.  Ick.

Obviously, it is a rainy day here.  I guess I am pretty superstitious, the yin of wishes. The number thirteen - well I never schedule anything on that date.  I'm sure there are many more that give me pause, but I can't think of any right now.

Do you have any superstitions?  I'd like to know.

Twas The Day Before Thanksgiving

  

when all through the house not a creature was stirring except for a [SNAKE?]

Let me just cut to the chase.  The universe was conspiring to kill me.  

Went about the business of readying the city house for the family holiday and our first Thanksgiving here.  My new baby blue modern love seat arrived at the store and I went to get it in my pick up truck (free shipping that way.)  My son went with me, we loaded it up and took it home.  Just a huge box and the love seat.  No padding or protection of any kind: a thin cardboard box and love seat???  Unbelievable. This love seat is a piece of crap and made in China.  It looks good, but the quality is poor.  It has a  raw, ragged 1/4 inch edge of fabric that they then stapled to the couch.  No, they couldn't roll the hem over a couple of times before they stapled it, and I fear it will shred or pull out before too long. We had to pull back the underside to find the legs and the woodwork looks like pieces of particle board, not long pieces of hardwood. And, this wasn't a cheap love seat.  I'd have paid $250. for it but not the amount I did pay.  So, I'll have to box it up and return it myself.  Only problem is, there is a howling wind and deluge outside and will be for the next several days.  Who gets 9 inches of rain this time of year without a tropical storm?  High is near freezing today and possible icing warnings.

Okay, this is getting too long already.  Let me just say, while waiting for the trucking company to deliver my bed, I started to prepare the pies.  I looked at the oven, and what in the world did I spy?  An oven like I'd never seen before.  A convection oven.  I've heard of them but haven't a clue how they work or how to use one.  So, I have to get out booklets left by the owner and start reading the schematics.... (my least favorite thing to do in the world).  I'd rather have a root canal.  That, and I told you I've never cooked on an electric cooktop and the dials were Greek to me.

In a nutshell (I can't seem to keep this brief), they delivered the wrong bed: the deliverers said [Senora, we can't do nothing about this.  We just deliver and set up and you have to call company.] The calling began...  They'll call back within 72 business hours.  And, I saw on their website today there is a 25% black Friday sale on everything today. I am thinking (no I am unless they give it to me half off) of sending it back instead of exchanging it for the ivory one I ordered, not the gray one they sent.

After that, a snake was in the dining area of my kitchen. Deep breaths.  Haven't a clue how it got in.  Didn't know if it was a viper or not so wasn't going to chance it and had to kill it.

I unwrapped the new bedding for my wrong bed(that I agonized over) and no shams included.   What?  This wasn't a custom made set.  So, I had to return to the store.  Oh, no, those weren't included.  Have to buy the shams one piece at a time.  Nearly as much as the bed covering I might add.  Okay. Deep breathe. Get them home and one will not unzip no matter what I tried.  I will have to fight the crowds to return it.  Grrrr.  I couldn't even find an alcoholic beverage in the house.  I rarely drink, but would have if I could have found some.

There is more but this is getting too lengthy and I'm sure you don't want to hear about all of the dark comedic happenings. Needless to say, I'm not even going to break this wishbone as I am certain I will come up with the short end.  What ever!

She's In The House

The last few flowers and roses are in bloom.  For a couple of days that is, before a hard freeze arrives. I've put most of the plants and the outside of the house to bed for the winter.  

I finished unpacking yesterday.  Got a few things hung on the walls, but mostly still have it to do.  I had to return to the farm, but will pack some more things to take to the city house.  

We will celebrate our first Thanksgiving next week at the city house.  Though I will have to make most of the food at the farm and transport it to the city, we will have a wonderful time.  The kids and grandkids love the new house, as do I.  I still haven't figured out how to do many of the switches, knobs etc. I keep having to call the former owner to ask how to do things.  The shower in the master bath looks like something out of Star Trek.  Who needs seven shower heads? We don't have things like that at the farm.

And, I have never cooked on an electric cooktop.  I'm thinking burned! Thanksgiving, here we come.

Turkeys

In blogland, I can go to the most beautiful and wonderful places that I have never been to before - castles by the sea, coastal Wales, the south of France...  And then there is my home on Peaceable Hill Farm.

I rarely get to travel.  I have to stay home and care for all of the animals. I've done it to myself.  I cannot imagine living on the farm without them.  That is, except for the turkeys.  Filthy beasts!  My toms have gotten aggressive of late. Two of the boys are real meanies. One sneaked up behind me yesterday and gave me a hard, wrenching bite on the leg.  They are very lucky I don't eat my animals or they would be on the turkey platter for Thanksgiving.

As I lay on the ground, snapping pictures and trying to keep the gobblers at bay, my teenie weenie Emmy, came up and planted a big kiss on my mouth.  Guess what it reeked of?  You know.

My castle by the sea......

Thanksgiving

 What to do for individual salt and pepper cellars for Thanksgiving?  Pink Himalayan salt and freshly ground peppercorns in walnut shells.  How is that for recycling? Maybe make up for the pepper flown in from Indonesia and the salt from Nepal.   Hope you and your loved ones have a wonderful day as you gather to give thanks.

A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS

Williams-Sonoma is one of my favorite stores. They have these turkey platters and some serving pieces along with table linens. Of course, turkeys being my favorite fowl, I had to have them. This platter weighs more than a turkey and they also have a round bowl platter to match. Yes, I got that one too; when will they ever have it again? It seems, I made my whole Christmas wish list from WS. Also, here is a product review. The concentrated Five Apple Cider mix is to die for. Crisp and not too sweet, it is the perfect cider. Of course, if you want, they have the mulling spices to go in it, but I think it would cover up the tart apple flavor too much, so I chose not to get it. This bottle mixes with up to one gallon of water, so the price ($20.50) isn't so bad if you price it per cup. It's only available during the holidays, so hurry down to pick up a bottle. I dropped the first bottle and broke it, so be careful with yours.

Baking Bread

Each day, it becomes more and more evident that fall is already here. I should be making lists of things I need to do: clean out the garage, clean up the barn, throw old clothes etc. away. I could fill a binder with things I need to do but don't want to do. Instead, I think of things I'd like to do. Bake bread, make butter; real chores from days of yore. I want to try different kinds of flour - flour from kernels of red wheat, fresh if possible, and pearls of barley, oats and other grains. I've saved recipes for decades that I haven't yet tried. So, what am I waiting for? I've also been reading up on butter making. I need to find a source of raw cream where the cows are feeding on green grass or pastures. Seems this makes the most delectable butter. It is illegal to sell unpasteurized milk in the stores in our state, so I'll have to find a small dairy that still operates somewhere. Hopefully, with Jersey cows, as their milk and cream are superior in butter making. I would also love to use goat cream if I can find it. It makes the best butter ever. So, we'll see what the coming days and weeks bring. Possibly, a pilgrim Thanksgiving, only I'm not killing a turkey!