HYACINTHS FOR THE SOUL

Tuesday, December 1, 2020

Tales of the Traveling Tote #25

Tales of the Traveling Tote

Rabbit, Rabbit ~ December 1, 2020

Welcome to Tales of the non Traveling Tote!

As like many, we are staying home,

so absolutely no travel to share!

Instead, a few random things each month.

The first Sunday in September found

us enjoying one of our favorite traditions.

Shakes, Burgers, and Bubbles

at The Peached Tortilla

to celebrate our 45th Wedding Anniversary.

It was the first offering since the lockdown,

and our first time to venture into a restaurant.

Temperature checks at the door, only a few tables

available inside, and excellent safety protocal.

The Chef took the donut home for a late night snack, and we shared the shake, a delicious caramel milkshake, rimmed in chocolate and pecans, and topped with a traditional yeast donut.

Thank you, Peached Tortilla,

you never disappoint!

September also brought my sister back up to see her daughters,so we had a little sister time with lunch at Sweet Lemon.Since COVID, they only offer outdoor dining ~ picnic tables under the huge oaks.

October arrived and with it

some beautiful autumn weather!

A favorite activity is to venture over

to a neighborhood bakery.

Miss Merri Mac and the bears came along and were very

popular with a little girl and her baby brother munching on their

bakery treats. Mack and Kenzie go together like milk and cookies.

Grocery shopping at least offers a reason to leave the house.

A weekly early morning trip to Trader Joe's

for flowers and a few fall favorites has become a habit.

Thank you, Trader Joe's for senior hour shopping!

COVID has changed much of our normal routine, and

voting was no exception. We received our ballots, completed them

and drove over to the County Offices to vote absentee.

The process couldn't have been easier or more efficient.

Thank you Travis County for offering a safe way

to cast our votes in the 2020 election.

Sadie Mercedes made her voice heard as well.

Miss Arden Elizabeth of the Treat Party.

October in Texas traditionally brings large crowds

from across the country to shop the antique venues

at Round Top and the surrounding small communities.

I rarely miss an opportunity, and since the shows were completely canceled last spring, I seriously considered attendingwhen things opened back up for shopping this fall.

When the week arrived, I decided it was too riskyand Miss Merri Mac and I opted to forgo shopping among large crowds.

Staying home has me in the

kitchen baking more these days.

We can't consume all the goodies,

so Miss Merri Mac and I deliver baked goods

to friends around the neighborhood.

Table for two for Thanksgiving 2020

With the arrival of November also came increased

numbers of confirmed cases. COVID restrictions once

again tightened up and holiday plans took on a

very different look from previous years.

Thanksgiving Turkey Talk post here.

Neighborhood walks are the extent of being out and about

other than grocery shopping and doctor appointments.

Fortunately many of our neighbors like to add seasonal

touches to greet those out for a daily walk.

This charming door always has a pretty wreath

embellished with black and white checked ribbon,

a nod to the MacKenzie-Childs fan who lives within.

One of my favorite doors I pass on my walk is a cheerful yellow

and home to a favorite, Mrs. Powers of MacKenzie-Childs fame.

The swinging Mrs. Powers is a door knocker,

and the wreath changes with the seasons.

And then there was this in a trash can

the day after Thanksgiving.

I admit, I stopped to do a double take,

thinking someone had thrown out

MacKenzie-Childs pumpkins.

😂😂😂😂😂😂

Be sure to visit all the adventures below.

Debbie with Miss Aurora @ Mountain Breaths

Emily with Miss Courtney Childs@ The French Hutch

Jenna with Miss Coquille @The Painted Apron

Linda P with Miss Lola @ Life and Linda

Patti with Miss Kenzie @ Pandora's Box

Rita with Miss Luna C @ Panoply

Sarah with Miss Merri Mac @ Hyacinths for the Soul (You are here)

Jackie and Miss Madi K @ Purple Chocolat Home

Ricki Jill and Countess De Monet @ The Sketchy Reader

Just in time for the holidays!

Our Giveaway this edition is a trio of paper goods.

Leave a comment below on my blog for a chance to win.

You will need to leave your blog address or an email to be entered so we have a way to contact you. Thank you!

Joining

Love Your Creativity @ Life and Linda Sundays on Silverado @ House on Silverado

You're the Star @ Electric Red Barn Happiness is Homemade @ Bluesky at Home Inspire Me Monday @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia Make It Pretty Monday @ The Dedicated House Celebrate Your Story @ Celebrate and Decorate Keep in Touch @ Let's Add Sprinkles Over the Moon @ Marilyn's Treats

Tuesday Turnaround @ Bluesky Kitchen

All About Home @ Common Ground Wonderful Wednesday Blog Hop @ Electric Red Barn
Share Your Style @ French Ethereal Tablescape Thursday @ Between Naps on the Porch
Thursday Favorite Things @ Katherine's Corner Charming Homes and Gardens @ Shiplap and Shells Embracing Home and Family @ The Everyday Farmhouse Farmhouse Friday @ The Painted Hinge

Thursday, November 26, 2020

Let's Talk Turkey ~ Thanksgiving 2020

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving 2020

Good Morning!

Let's Talk Turkey

Are you ready to celebrate?

November is coming to a close,

but before we make the leap into the Christmas

season, lets give the turkey its day in the limelight.

While I'm one to enthusiastically embrace and celebrate all holidays, Thanksgiving has always held a special place in my heart.

The season of gratitude, the warm, rich colors of autumn,

pumpkins, and of course turkeys, native birds of the Americas ~

all reasons to embrace this American holiday.

Traditionally we have Thanksgiving with

good friends, including those we know who would

otherwise be alone for Thanksgiving.

This year it will just be a table for two.

I purchased a pair of these beautiful plates in July

while shopping MacKenzie-Childs' Online Barn Sale.

Called Pheasant Run, the rich colors, autumn motifs,

and touch of Court Check called out to me.

I chose placemats made of silk autumn leaves and layered the plate

stack with Williams Sonoma's autumn plaid charger, a fall plaid napkin, the Pheasant Run dinner plate, and a simple black salad plate.

Faux bamboo flatware added another layer of texture.

I topped the stack with a vibrant rusty orange napkin

and a Kay Siebert feathered turkey napkin ring

which offered the perfect touch of whimsey.

Our wedding registry crystal still pleases after 45 years.

The Denby amber cased glass was made in Sweden.

I picked up a pair of these unusual glass hurricanes

last winter when a local shop was going out of business.

There are real bird feathers within the glass, and I knew

these would add an interesting touch to our fall and winter tables.

I was greeted with happy mail early in the week.

Mary @ Home is Where the Boat Is recently hosted a giveaway.

I was one of three lucky winners of a beautiful turkey plate.

Queen's Made in England produces this charming piece.

Named Majestic Beauty, the pattern is adapted from an original

copper engraving that appears to be a scene

straight off the English countryside.

It joins one other turkey plate I found thrifting years ago.

This plate in brown transfer ware is unmarked, but

also a handsome Tom Turkey.

I used the Tom Turkey plates to set a

morning brunch tray for each of us.

We'll save the dining room table

for our evening meal.

I'm taking my morning cup of tea in this beauty.

Maruta Ware made in Japan, c1940-1950,

also a thrifty find years ago.

If you have followed our Thanksgiving meals through the years,

you might recall that we Pardon the Turkey here.

Our evening menu will be

ribeye steaks, baked potatoes, and spinach salad.

Normally I make a pumpkin pie and a pecan pie at Thanksgiving,

but I recently acquired a beautiful vintage MacKenzie-Childs

Wittika Peanuts cake stand, so I decided to make a cake.

Glazed pound cake, made from a family recipe

passed down from my grandmother.

My previous post here features a table set with Wittika Peanuts,

a retired pattern produced in the late 1990s using techniques of traditional German Slipware. The cake stand has tiny charms of brass carousel animals hung from lamp-worked glass baubles.