Haunting Folk Tunes~Monday Moves Me

Welcome...

Monday Music Moves Me!

Last Monday of the month means it's a freebie!

Looking boldly into October with all the spookiness that it ushers in I thought I'd share a stranger side of bluegrass; those folk ballads that make the hair upon your arm stand on up and the chills run down your neck.

I'm no sure if it's the simplicity in the music or the fact that so many of these songs are just true stories put to music.

I'm starting my musical mix with Bringing Home Mary. 

I heard this one Saturday morning. I listen to bluegrass most Sunday mornings as I'm cooking breakfast and when this one came on I thought what an eerie song to go with eggs and grits.

                                  

This next song isn't a bluegrass version but it surely is eerie

Ballad of the Harp Weaver

                                  

This next song proves itself to be haunting and morbid  

Poor Ellen Smith

                                 

No one voice musters up that chilling feeling like Ralph Stanley.

Many of you will recognize this song from Old Brother Where Art Thou

but this is a older version a little more simple,Oh, Death.

                               

Tom Dooley is one of those bluegrass songs

 that most everyone has heard of so many toes are tapped too 

but I find it to be another sad ballad.

                              

The Lawson Family Murder is a haunting story 

that actually happened just a few miles down the road

and oddly enough is a regional favorite.

                              

The next song is not so murderous but is quite a ghostly tale as people claim today 

to see those Brown Mountain Lights.

                                

Lefty Frizzell sings about the woman in the Long Black Veil.

                               

Down In the Willow Garden performed by The Lonesome River Band

                              

If you're still here and can't take anymore of these gruesome song

maybe..

you'd like to hear some old-time Ghost Tellin'

                            

Thank for Dropping by.

That's Important to Me

Putting on the Fall Decor with Hydrangeas and Denim

It was time for an update on my wreathes around the house 

along with some floral pick-me-up around inside, too.

By now if you have been stopping by for a visit with me and my decorating style you have found out that I am anything but conventional. 

My philosophy is 

Do the best you can with watcha' got!

This was actually a wreathe I had made a quite a few months ago. It had browned and aged out to a wonderful golden color and had also became a home for a little family of wrens but the wrens have flown on and my big white hydrangea at the corner of the yard was showing her signs of the 

autumn season.

 I will tell you as much as I love spring and summer blooms I'm just crazy for flowers and such, as they turn their golden hues of brown, so you'll see alot of that if you ever visit my home. 

I basically broke off  blooms of hydrangea with enough stem to stick or weave into my existing wreath. 

When I was satisfied with the size and look, I took a pair of discarded blue jeans and cut about 4  strips about  2" wide and as long as the leg on the pants,

Tied the ends of the denim into a square not and wrapped my wreathe.

I also remade the smaller ones 

on the side and back doors.

LOL...this ones a little more

 whopped  and lopsided.

If you're careful you can work your 

knots to the front. I think it gives it 

a neat look.

I didn't put the denim on this on.

The boys were getting hungry 

so 

a pizza run it is.

Yes, that is a Christmas tree hanger.

I have other hangers I just like 

these.

You know...Christmas is never really 

out of style.

My Mama would most always cut some of her beauties to place on the kitchen table

and

my Grandma Dorothy always kept a

 tablecloth (always plastic) on her kitchen table

so...

a hybrid I am.

My eye always want to see flowers and a tablecloth

atop my table.

Of course, not a vinyl or plastic one.

I bought this one on clearance several years ago

and you can see it was too large but some 

knots on the corners and it's a fit.

When I start and arrangement, I put my scissors in my pocket and

 I just build my bouquet in my hand.

I bring them inside snip my  off the ends at an angle,

place them in a container with water and sugar.

I like to add things that ramble a little like this morning glory.

Some height in the middle is always looks good.

I used some low hanging branches for the dogwood;

you can see a berry has fallen off. 

I sort of like that...a few petals sometimes look nice.

a little something for the coffee table

My favorite arrangement came when two country boys took time out from their

Bowie knife, bow and arrow, and rabbit trap making.

Just to bring me a hand full of blooms.

Am I blessed today?

Very!

Thank you for stopping by!

Be Blessed!

The Clymb

I'm going to share this quick link to The Clymb.

Join The Clymb

Some folks have heard of Clymb and others will be like me until my oldest daughter in college recommended I check it out. She has always been an outdoors loving athletic type she found it when she had gotten into rock climbing and had been searching for some good climbing shoes. 

At my first look, I thought this stuff is way over my head.

I like to run and I do like to do some hiking and although I have not really done yoga, I do enjoy palettes

and someday I might take them up on some of their wonderful travel packages.

Take a look! 

 I will promise you, good deals await. 

Oatmeal Pumpkin Cookie with Caramel Icing

What a can make an Autumn day more perfect than a house full of kids and cookies?

Yesterday, my home was filled  with contagious giggles and rambunctious bounding
but ...
I wanted it so be just a little more special so I thought I'd  bake up some cookies.
This is my zoo crew today;
 Kayla, Jessie Ray(better known by me as Ray Baby) and Mackenzie.

Oh no, it's not easy to get them still enough to get that picture.

Kayla and Mackenzie were my two helpers.

These two are a whole mess of fun.

We gathered our ingredients

and

preheated our oven at 350 degrees.

 

• Cup flour~I used self-rising flour. The cookies will be nice an soft but if you prefer a crunchier cookie use plain flour adding a little baking powder.
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon 
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 Cup *Butter Crisco. The butter will work as well but I didn't have enough butter/margarine for the cookie dough and the icing so we improvised.
• 1 1/2 Cup brown sugar
• 1 Cup pumpkin
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 to 2 Cups of oatmeal (quick oats) less oatmeal or more depending on how much texture you prefer
• 2 squares of semi-sweet chocolate(shaved or grated)

1. Mix all your dry ingredients except for sugar in  separate bowl.
2. Cream Crisco(softened), vanilla, sugar.
3. Add pumpkin and mix.
4. Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture.
5. Mix well.

6. Stir-in oatmeal and chocolate. 

     Don't over mix.

7. Drop a heaping spoonful onto your cookie     

     sheet.

8. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350;

    mine baked 20. 

While the cookies are baking start on your caramel icing.

Ingredients:

• 3 Tablespoons melted butter
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 Cup brown sugar
• 1 Cup powdered sugar
• 2 Tablespoons of milk

1. Whisk brown sugar and powdered sugar into melted butter.
2. Add vanilla and milk whisking until smooth.
3. Let icing set for 2-3 minutes
4. Drizzle over cookies.

Jack came in from school just in time to get in line with his hand out.

Cookie Monsters!!

Thank you for stopping by 

and 

letting me share my cookie monsters with you.

As always,

BE BLESSED

and

Be a Blessing!

Anthology of Poetry by Young American's, 2001 Edition Volume LI

What a great edition for me! 

This was the edition that my daughter Hannah's poem was published. Hannah at age nine wrote this poem depicting her bike ride at the old home place. I always think of it this time of year when them leaves are turning and the crisp browning crackle and crushes under my feet. I'd love to share my favorite Autumn poem with you.

An Autumn Bike Ride

Riding my bike down the dusty dirt road,

I see golden-orange and reddish brown,

all the colors mix and explode.

The old packhouse stands all alone,

used now only for storing hay.

I ride quickly, avoiding the old stray.

The old black dog with the spots on her face

runs after her puppies 

who like to challenge a race.

Hannah Mabe: age 9

If you are interested in Anthology of Poetry 

or maybe you're interested in entering your young poet,

I'm providing their link.

http://www.anthologyofpoetry.com/

Thanks for stopping by.

BE BLESSED

and

Be a Blessing!

Monday Music Moves Me

Good Monday to ya!

Not quite morning but let me see if I can get moving towards another

Monday Music Moves Me.

Mark from Chronicles of a Caveman has picked our theme this week,

music that moves us forward.

This morning I'm feeling more like I keep taking one step forward just to take two steps back.

So I'm starting this one out with the Desert Rose Band.

                           

Well that was a nice song down memory lane makes me think of those Saturdays before life was complicated and all a girl had to worry about was getting to Carolina Country for some

 two stepping.

The song that's I'd like to be playing is 
STOP
START
STOP
START
Okay.......
Can you out there in blog land tell how this has went?
It's after 5 but it is still Monday.
It is still Monday, ain't it?
I don't even care what the them is anymore.
Let's here some Eric Church...by this point of the day I do need some 
church.

              

I confess, I am drinking but I ain't smoking...

I'm sorry to let ya'll in on it but I am

Redneck Woman

                                 

Hell Yeah!

                                 

I'm leaving this party with some Aaron Tippin

                                  

He's nice...... let's do another on of his.

                                  

If ya'll are still here..Well

Bless your heart...

I mean..

BE BLESSED!

Where are you Fred? Lookin' for Fred the Scarecrow

It's that time again!

Autumn!

We're starting to look for Fred.

Oh...don't everyone have a name for their scarecrow?

We are just now getting in that scarecrow state of mind so 

I thought it would be a good a idea to look back at 

past Fred's that has spent the season with us.

Scarecrow 2012

Scarecrow 2011

Fred was a bit on the lean side.

Fred likes to hang out with his friends. 

They're jolly bunch!

Sometimes, we have so much fun around here that we can't help ourselves from rolling down the hill.

Often, it's a nice trip down memory lane.

Thanks for stopping by.

Be Blessed!

Coasters from Plastic Shopping Bags

Love 'em or hate 'em, we almost all have them.

The plastic shopping bag.

I personally do not hate them. I remember the day of the brown paper bag or if you're from the south,

the poke sack. I remember bottoms busting at the least bit of wetness. They didn't usually have those nifty handles

I'm betting your not like me. I'm sure you have one of those hanging shopping bag holder or
some other very clever organization method.
As fore me..I stuff them in that little cabinet door beside the stove....nothing much  fits in there anyway.
Sometimes, I take them back to the store for recycling. It may ease a few folks mind to know they are all recycled bags. As soon as I'm rid of them all I want to kick myself because I need one for something.

Do you reuse yours?
Just today, I used them.
First, I used one to line the trash can in the bathroom. It is beyond my understanding who would possibly buy that little roll of bags they sell at the store...unnecessary.

Second, I bagged up some pine-cones. We gather them for the winter.
Dried pine-cones can be a great fire starter.

Last, I made some braided coasters.
We are always needing one or two more;
so I thought I'd remedy some bags and our lack or coasters.

It was quick, cheap, and best of all easy.
This is what I did...

One coaster will take 3 bags.

Lay them flat and cut down the sides to open them up. 

You will won't the length out of them.

Knot all 3 bags together at one end.

Pull the knot tight to get it as small as possible.

Clip the ends closely.

Twist each bag and braid.

It doesn't have to be perfect or too tight.

If it's too tight it doesn't want to bind and any little hanging out parts

can be clipped off.

Now you are ready to coil it around and sew it.

The braid may be stiff at first but it's plastic; work it in your hand. It will for up for you.

I used button thread and a fairly big needle. I also thought to do it with dental floss but I had grey thread. 

I do recommend using a thimble.

When you are sewing try to put the needle between the braid.

To sew through the plastic itself is very tough.

Last thing I did was sew a piece of felt to the back.

You could surely hot glue your back and you could use 

cork if you had it on hand.

That's it!

I can't believe I didn't have some other color bags;

 it would have looked so much better.

Brown bags also look close to straw or cornhusks and add a very natural look. 

Thanks for stopping by 

and 

checking out my little project.

BE BLESSED!

Patrick County Agricultural Fair~Wordless Wednesday

This one was my favorite part of the fair!

Be Blessed

&

Be a Blessing!

National Truck Driver Appreciation Week~sharing a post from Memories by the Mile

http://www.memoriesbythemile.com/2013/09/national-truck-driver-appreciation-week.html

Memories by the Mile

Music City Roots~Monday Music Moves Me

Welcome Monday!

and another

Monday Music Moves Me!

This is a blog hop that has just become my favorite. Do you look forward to Monday?

I do.

The kids are in school, hubby is at work and it's me, the dog, coffee and my music friends.

This week is a freebie and that means it's always exciting; there's no telling where we will all end up. 

Join in and link up.

Monday Music Moves Me

I must get a new button; mine is flawed or old but click the link you'll get there.

Folks that know me, know by now that I'm a huge bluegrass/old country fan but I'm also eclectic. 

I like a little of everything; so I'm going to grab all my music from my Youtube subscription

Music  City Roots.  I hope you hear something that pleases your ears. So here we go....

I'm going to start this off with the storyteller, Tom T, Hall. It's a little slow but he's a sweet treasure

                        

Second on my list is "In the Jailhouse Now." 
This ones a little different by Pokey LaFarge.

                         

Number three is "Whipping Post" by Mountain Heart.

                           

OMG...right!!?

Let's take flight with this next song "Angel Flight." A touching song by Radney Foster.

                           

Here's and awesome number by Raul Malo,"Every Little Thing About You."

                          

Are you still with me? If so have a little "Mercy Now," Mike Farris. 

You can also see one of my favorite guitarist Kenny Vaughan or as known on 

The Marty Stuart Show as Brotha' Kenny.

                          

I wish you a wonderful Monday full of much love.

                           

BE BLESSED

and

Be a Blessing!

Bringing Down the Pines~2 Down

Oh yes,as messy as it looks.