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!