Can She Make a Cherry Pie?

Remember the old folk song Billy Boy?

1st verse-----
Oh, where have you been, Billy Boy, Billy Boy,  Oh, where have you been charming Billy?
I have been to seek a wife, She's the joy of my life, Shes' a young thing and cannot leave her mother.

4th verse-----
Can she make a cherry pie, Billy Boy, Billy Boy, Can she make a cherry pie, charming Billy?
She can make a cherry pie, Quick's a cat can wink her eye,  She's a young thing and cannot leave her mother.

Well, I'd flunk out on that 4th verse. Billy wouldn't want me. I have the hardest time making cherry pies.
I've only tried a few times, because I'm not very good at them. Mine seem to be on the runny side.

I love eating them right off the tree and can make scrumptious cherry cobblers and cheery cherry jam, but my cherry pies are a flop.

We picked a beautiful bowl of cherries as dark was coming upon us.
My son says he wants a cherry pie. Any suggestions on how to make a delicious, no fail cherry pie?
Or, how do you like to eat your cherries?


Posted by Janet F.  Smart on Writing in the Blackberry Patch
©Janet F. Smart

My Mother's Day Present To Me

I went to a few yard sales today. I could have came home after the first one and been very, very happy.

I told my husband that these were my Mother's Day presents to me.

A hand-quilted Dutch Boy quilt. (I think that is what the pattern is called) I just love, love, love it.
It is full size and cost me $5

A Fenton Spanish Lace with silver crest footed cake plate. I've always wanted one of these. They say they were one of the most popular pieces that Fenton made. $1
I'm making a strawberry pie for tomorrow, I think I will display my pie on the cake plate.

A Fenton Birthday Bear and Fenton handpainted cat. $2 each

I am not a very high maintenance girl. Just take me to a yard sale and I am happy.

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there!

Posted by Janet F. Smart on Writing in the Blackberry Patch.
© Janet F. Smart

Eating Healthier

I've been trying to eat healthier this year.

Of course, I haven't ate a Big Mac or sausage biscuit from Burger King or Tudors in years, though I used to love those Big Macs. We now buy turkey sausage and make sausage gravy and biscuits at home on Saturdays to satisfy my husband's craving for sausage.

However, lately I have been trying not to eat at night and I have cut back on my sweets. I have lost six pounds just by doing this. I hate counting calories!

Junk food for me is sweets. I don't particularly care for potato chips and crunchy snacks, although that is the weakness of my husband. He has low sodium, though, and he gets cravings for salty items. Not me, just give me something with Hershey in its name, and I am happy.

Anyways I have cut back a lot on my sweets and I've started snacking on fresh broccoli and cauliflower when I'm starving in-between meals. Cookies never worked at filling a hungry stomach for me any way. I'd still be hungry after eating a piece of candy or cookie. Not so with the veggies.

There is a great dip at WalMart in the fresh vegetable section. It is made by Marketside and it is a low fat buttermilk ranch dip in a clear plastic container. It is delicious and great to dip the vegetables in.

I also make salmon cakes once a week for supper. Surprisingly, my kids like to eat them too. I just open up a can, take out the soft bones, add egg, finely diced onions, and a slice of our double fiber bread that has been chopped up fine in my Black and Decker mini chopper. I make cakes and fry them in olive oil.

Below are three things I've added to my diet.

a handful of almonds each day, steel cut oats and fresh garlic

I had never ate steel cut oats before, but had heard Dr. Oz and Oprah speak of them. While at a health food store in Flatwoods a few weeks back, I found them in bulk. I bought a big bag at only 79 cents a pound. This makes them cheaper than the regular oats. There were no instructions on the bag. I've been experimenting with the ratio of water to oats. I've found that two cups of water to 3/4 cup of oats makes two large size servings. I cook them for 15 minutes. Be sure the last few minutes of cooking time that you watch the pot, because it starts getting dry and I usually have to add a little water. I love the texture of them - a little crunchy and nutty. For those of you who don't like soft mushy oatmeal, I bet you would like this type. They also keep well. If you make too much, put the leftovers in the fridge and add a little milk and warm up in the microwave the next morning.

I've eaten almonds for quite some time now.

I recently read where garlic was good for your blood pressure, so I started cutting off slivers, putting it in empty capsules you can buy at the health food store, and taking it at breakfast and supper.  BUT, I STOPPED doing that because my blood pressure was getting a little too low. It worked that good! My pressure was getting so it was in the 90s on top and high 50s on the bottom. Even though my doctor said he never heard of anyone dying of low blood pressure, I don't like it that low. It makes me feel funny. I believe how it works is that it thins your blood.

I had been hearing on the news lately that they now think sugar contributes to high cholesterol. That may explain why my husband's cholesterol was always better than mine, he doesn't eat sweets like I do.

The last blood test I had about a month ago, my cholesterol had come down and my blood pressure wasn't high in the office. (I'm one of those that has blue coat syndrome and my pressure is always high in the doctor's office, even though I do take blood pressure medicine).

Have you been doing anything to eat healthier?

Posted by Janet F. Smart at Writing in the Blackberry Patch.
©Janet F. Smart

 

Irises, Snowballs and Poppies - oh my!

The weather has turned warm again. Please stay this way,  I do not want  the cold to return.

My flowers are blooming earlier than usual,  because of the extra warm spring we had. I am thankful most have survived the cold we've had lately.

 I love snowball bushes. They bring back  fond memories of Grandma. She had a bush in her yard and every June we'd all gather in front of it and take pictures. Wish I had all my cousins out here, we could strike a pose and make more memories.

The only thing I do not like about snowball bushes is that the big white flowers don't stay with us long enough. I wish I could  enjoy them all summer.

Okay, this last find is not blooming. But it made me smile when I found it a few days ago. I will add this tiny arrowhead to my collection. You can't tell  in the picture,but the color of it has the prettiest kiss of pink on the surface of it.

You can go here and look at my other posts about Indian artifacts I've found.

 

 What's blooming in your yard?

Posted by Janet F. Smart at Writing in the Blackberry Patch.
©Janet F. Smart

Uses for a Mop

I think we need to get a new mop.

Ours has been taken over by a needy robin.

I think I will peek from behind, to see if anyone is watching

 

the coast is clear

 

I think I can...I think I can

Of to my nest, with supplies in mouth

My son told me the other day that the birds were using our mop for nesting supplies.

He was right!

Posted by Janet F.  Smart at Writing in the Blackberry Patch

©Janet F. Smart

Saying Good Bye to Daddy

This is going to be a short post. I type it with tears in my eyes.

We saw Daddy for the last time Saturday. He passed away and we never got to him in time to say good bye,  although my sister and I tried our best.

We knew he was getting weaker, but we never expected this.

They said he was laughing and joking with "the girls" at the nursing home only five minutes before he passed away. When they returned to his room only five minutes later to ask him what he wanted to drink with his meal, he was slumped over and unresponsive.

He went quickly, which was good, he did not suffer. He is now in a better place. We didn't make it there in time, but I am  glad he was surrounded by three of the staff when he passed. They said they comforted him and told him they loved him and that his girls loved him.

I've always heard animals could sense death in a person. I am a believer of this.


Daddy didn't like cats. He never let the nursing home cats in his room.

The nursing home cat came in his room and was there the entire time we were with Daddy. The sleek black cat walked around his bed and promptly jumped up in his window and sat. She looked at me and purred quietly when I rubbed her back. She never left and was there when we left the  room a few hours later.


I read about it this morning on the internet at this site.

Thank you for letting me share my feelings with you this morning. It sometimes helps to let it out and I consider all my followers as my friends.

Remember me and my family in your prayers the next few days.



Posted by Janet F. Smart at Writing in the Blackberry Patch.

Everything Fiesta!

We took a trip to Flatwoods,  WV to the Everything Fiesta tent sale on Thursday.

We met quite a character in the long checkout line. A good character! She was in front of us and a recent transplant to West Virginia from Brooklyn NY. We talked and talked and yet never exchanged our names.
She said she missed certain foods since moving down here. She didn't know what corn dogs were and, needless to say, her idea of a hot dog with everything on it was quite different than ours.

She also stated, "You know you wouldn't believe how many people think you live in Virginia when you say you live in West Virginia."

I replied, "I couldn't agree with you more. You would think they never had geography class in school." It was neat hearing that observation from someone else besides a home grown West Virginian.

One of the nicest things about going to events like this is that you get to meet some of the nicest people with the same interests as you have - a love for Fiesta.

Why do I love Fiesta? Well, a few reasons are that it is a product made in the USA, it is proudly made in West Virginia and it is so colorful!

 

Here I am, squinting away at the sun, which managed to come out for a little while.  I am pulling my treasures around in the checkout line in our little red wagon.

  

Here are some bowls that I  loved. I did have a large and a medium size yellow one in my wagon until I found out what they cost. The large one's discount price was $25. That was a little steep for me, so I reluctantly put them back. I thought they were mixing bowls, but they were baking bowls.

 

A smile came to my face this morning when I walked in the kitchen and saw my colorful plates sitting on the kitchen table. How can you look at these and not smile.

  

See the long turquoise trays on the right? I did not have any of those in my wagon until the lady from NY pointed out the ones she had and told me she thought they were corn plates. Well, that is not what Homer Laughlin calls them, but we thought they would be perfect for corn on the cob and I promptly went and got six out of the bin. 

Everyone in line gave their ideas as to what they could be used for. Some of the ideas we tossed around were: hotdogs, corndogs, corn on the cob, a spoon rest, side order of fries or relish (which I think is what it is supposed to be used for). I told them I just left my relish in the jar. What would you use it for?

My husband was proud to have found the salt and pepper shaker and sugar packet caddy. He found the red caddy in a bin with broken pieces. I think it was the only one there. He didn't even know what it was but thought it was cute and picked it up. I am glad he did. Everyone who saw it, wanted it. 

I got two bread trays. I love them. In addition to bread, they work great for a cheese ball and crackers.

A stack of pretty luncheon plates sits on top of a baking/pizza tray. I thought it would be pretty to display cookies and cupcakes on the large pizza tray.

I love the little stack of yellow bowls. I went and got them at the last minute when we were in the checkout line. They are called chowder bowls, but they worked great this morning for my oatmeal! They would also be great for ice cream, chilli or soup.

So you can see that you can use your imagination and use them for whatever you want, not just what they are supposed to be used for.

Read about the history of Fiestaware here.
Go here to look at vintage Fiestaware.

Do you have any?

Posted by Janet F. Smart on Writing in the Blackberry Patch.
©Janet F. Smart

Old Songbook

I went to a few yard sales today and only came back with one item. I paid a dime for my purchase.

I bought the 1938 song book that Teddy is holding. I love it.  It is filled with old songs. The songs are indexed as Banquet and Greeting Songs, Children's Songs, Christmas Songs and Carols, College and Humorous Songs, Cowboy and Mountain Songs, Home and Folk Songs, Nature Songs, Negro Spirituals, Parting Songs, Patriotic Songs, Plantation Songs, Rounds, Sacred Songs and Hymns, Sea Songs and Chanteys, Sentimental Songs, Singing Games and Thanksgiving Songs.

Here are three songs that are classified as Mountain Songs.

I remember Billy Boy from when I was a kid. When I was young, we had an old record that had this song on it. I used to sing it all the time.

There are many other old time songs in the book. I'll be posting about them from time to time. Some I have heard and some I have not heard before.

One cute song is Prairie Flower. The words are:

I'm a little prairie flow'r, Growing wilder ev'ry hour;
Nobody cares to cultivate me, I'm as wild as wild can be.
I'm as wild as wild can be, Tu-ra-lu-ra, Tu-ra-le.


I'm a little wrinkled prune, May get stewed, and very soon;
If I do, look out for me, I'm as bad as bad can be.
I'm as bad as bad can be, Tu-ra-lu-ra, Tu-ra-le.

I hope you enjoyed sneaking a peek at my book as much as I did.

Posted by Janet Smart at Writing in the Blackberry Patch

A Colorful Spring

Spring has sprung here at the Blackberry Patch. 

Delicate ferns rising like

sea horses from the earthen floor

Violets bring back sweet memories

of children with a fistful of purple

and a wide grin on their face

Green coats and purple corsages

never looked more beautiful

The sweet scent and the soft shades of pink and white 

foretell the coming of rusty golden delicious apples

These baby 'trees' will bring forth

concord grapes, bursting with tart juice

Pink, white and green blend together

in perfect harmony 

Baby pears, tiny and delicate and just the

perfect shade of green.

Go here if you want to watch the baby eagles in Shepherdstown,  WV. They are growing fast!

Posted by Janet at Writing in the Blackberry Patch

Are you Superstitious?

Most people say they are not superstitious, but are they telling the truth?

Most superstitions are just that - superstitions. But, is there a superstition that deep down inside you believe, but don't tell anyone about it?

According to Merriam Webster, the definition of superstition is:  a belief or practice resulting from ignorance,  fear of the unknown, trust in magic or chance, or a false conception of causation or a notion maintained despite evidence to the contrary.

I think I might say it is when you believe in something you do not understand.

I think many early Appalachian people were superstitious. My grandmother was very superstitious.There were many things they did not understand, so they believed in the superstitions. Some of them were passed down to other generations and they stuck with us. We may know in our minds they are illogical, but we believe in them anyway.

How about things coming in threes. This is one I admit I believe in. I have seen it happen too many times. Usually deaths in the family occur in threes. Accidents, such as airplane crashes, occur in threes. 

My parents would not give you a knife. They would ask for a penny in return.

Whoever opens up a pocketknife must also close it. My husband goes by this, if he hands me one already opened, he makes sure I do not close it before I give it back to him.

How about opening an umbrella up inside the house. I know this could not possibly cause bad luck, but you will never catch me doing this. I about had a tizzy fit one time when one of my kids started to open up one inside the house.

How about stopping a rocking chair from rocking if no one is in it. This is another superstition that is from the old days. They say evil spirits will come in and sit if one is left rocking. Now I know this is not true, call me crazy, but I will stop the rocking of empty chairs. I guess this is just a habit now, not a superstition to me.

I never watch someone leave until they are out of sight. I will turn my head just before they disappear. My mom started me doing this when I was just a teenager.

I know you are aware of many superstitions, I could make a very long list and did so a few years ago on my blog. You can go here and read the post.

But, are there some you believe in and still practice?


Are there any you admit to believing in?


Posted by Janet Smart on Writing in the Blackberry Patch
©Janet F. Smart

God's Rainbows

Into our lives a little rain must fall.

But, then God gives us a rainbow.

 

©David Smart

Take the time to stop and enjoys the rainbows in our lives.

Posted by Janet Smart at Writing in the Blackberry Patch

©Janet F. Smart

Kite Flying

            Did you fly a kite when you were a kid? I bet you did. This March has been the perfect time to fly a kite. We've had nice weather and plenty of wind. My kid's column in Two-Lane Livin' this month is about flying kites. I thought I would share it with you.

Fly a kite this spring and fill the March skies with a rainbow of colors

March is the perfect month to launch a dancing kite. But, if winds are too strong or too light, it is difficult to fly them. If your kite sinks tail first, there might not be enough wind. If it comes down nose first, there might be too much wind. A good way to measure the wind is by rustling leaves and waving flags. If you feel the wind on your face, there is probably enough wind to fly your kite.

Kites come in many sizes and shapes. Three common types are flat kites, box kites and soft kites. The most common is the Diamond kite.

Box kites fly better when winds get a little stronger (8-25 mph). But diamond kites fly well in light to medium winds (6-15mph).

Tails on kites help them remain stable. Small kites and flat kites may not last long in the air without tails. But if you want your kite to roll and pitch, then try one without a tail. Use lightweight material or brightly colored ribbons so you can make a longer tail. You can also use a long string with lightweight ribbons tied every 10 inches or so. Tails look pretty fluttering and twirling in the sky above you.

 

Never fly in lightening or rain. Find a nice open field without any power lines overhead. A happy kite is a kite with a lot of room. But, like Charlie Brown, you must beware of kite-eating trees.

 To launch, stand with your back to the wind and hold your kite up as high as you can. Make sure the nose is pointing up and let go. Do not throw it into the air; just gently release it into the wind. If the breeze is strong enough, the kite will start to rise. Slowly let out on your line and the kite will fly back. Before it reaches the ground, tighten your grip on the line and it will start to rise again. Repeat this process until the kite gets up into steady winds.

If your line becomes slack, bring it in a little. If the kite begins to pull too hard or act unstable, let some line out. To increase altitude, gently pump the line. Each time you pull in, the kite will rise a few feet. Do not be tempted to let out too much line. If your kite gets too high, it is harder for people to see and enjoy it. And, it takes longer to wind in when you are finished.

It takes practice, but soon you will be flying your kite like a pro.

UP IN THE SKY

The wind blows past

My kite and I

And lifts it quick

Up in the sky.

With its long tail

It flutters by

And sails about

Up in the sky

With skill and grace

My kite climbs high

And twirls around

Up in the sky.

What kind of kite do you remember flying when you were a child. I flew the simple diamond kites.
Here is a neat PBS site to go to with instructions on how to make a simple kite.

Posted by Janet Smart at Writing in the Blackberry Patch.
©Janet F. Smart

Weekend Happenings

I haven't accomplished much this weekend except getting sick and snuggling under this warm  WVU throw. Thank goodness for the JGH Clinic at Walmart being open on weekends. I don't think I could have waited until Monday.

 

 I like to turn out the overhead light and turn on my motion lamp.

Do you remember these from the 1950s and 1960s.

I love them. When I was young, I remember that we had one with a lighthouse on it.

This one is of waterfalls and I was lucky enough to get it at a yard sale quite a few years ago for only $3.

  They are so soothing to watch.

I finally got around to cracking a big bag of black  walnuts that had been out in the garage since December. I got a quart bag out of them and put them in the freezer. I love black walnuts, they are my favorite nuts to put in fudge, brownies, etc. Wish I had a batch of brownies with black walnuts in them right now.

And, last but not least, we discovered a bullet hole in our house! Seems it hit one of our big front porch columns and then swerved and landed in our siding near the garage door. If it had been an inch to the left, it would have  missed the column and went into our sliding glass doors of our family room. Right where I sit at my computer!

We don't know when it happened, but it had to be within the last couple of days (or nights). 

It's a little scary. We could have been outside when it happened and that would have put quite a scare in me. The Sheriff's Department came out and then talked to a few neighbors from the direction of the bullet. They seem to think it might have came from people shooting at coyotes on the ridge. 

We were very lucky that the bad weather missed us on Friday. We got a bad storm that only lasted fifteen or twenty minutes.

What's been happening in your neighborhood.

Posted by Janet Smart at Writing in the Blackberry Patch.
©Janet F. Smart