Daisy Cottage

Happy Thanksgiving

I want to wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving! I hope that you are able to spend the day with family and friends. We will be spending the holiday at my brother and wife's home. All I have to do is bring the sweet potato casserole! We have so much to be thankful for this year. I am definitely thankful for our families. I think about those who are no longer with us and say a little prayer for them. I think about my Dad. It has been 22 years since I last had Thanksgiving with him.  I am very thankful that he lives on every single day in my heart and soul. I hope that you feel the presence of ALL of your loved ones tomorrow too.    XO, Kim

Believe

Yes, I truly do "believe".  I believe in the power of faith, friendship, love and spirit. I am surrounded by the kindest souls - near and far! Thank you VERY much for all of your comments and concern about our daughter.  She is feeling better and will be just fine. "Mommy" is doing much better too!  I wanted to share with you this absolutely adorable heart that Charlotte Lyons made and sent to me. It is SOOOO cute! I just love the little details and the sweetness of it.  I will hang this on our Christmas tree and always cherish it. Thank you Charlotte!!

Charlotte's Lovely Blog -

http://housewrenstudio.typepad.com/charlotte/

 

Apron Strings

Thank you dear friends for your recent comments on my blog! I appreciated each one and I'm glad you stopped by! I've been absent the past few days because our daughter was in a car accident. Thankfully, she will be just fine and as good as new after a few broken bones and a knee injury heals.

Daisy Cottage has been filled to the brim with family and friends stopping by to visit. I am very thankful that she has been blessed in so many ways.  Nothing warms up a home like the presence of sweet, silly, serious, caring and loving teenagers. They are the PERFECT medicine.

Tonight I tied on one of my favorite vintage aprons and made spaghetti for us and one of her friends. As I moved about the kitchen, I thought about the accident again and how our lives can change at any moment. If only we could keep our babies tied to "our apron strings" forever. If only they could always be safe, sound, and home in our nest. Sigh. I know, I know.... Our baby birds must fly. It is what we teach them to do. It brings us much joy to see them grow up and embrace their future. But tonight, she IS safe and home and I'm making her dinner, setting it on her bed tray and bringing it to her in our bed. For now, me and my apron strings find great comfort in that.

   

Recipe Box

I made my mother-in-law's famous "Mulligan Stew" the other day for my hubby and son, who was home for a short visit. They absolutely love this stew and will help themselves to a hot bowl of it until the pot is empty. As I rummaged through my messy recipe box, I had the thought once again that I really DO need to do something with its' contents. Food stained index cards with recipes hastily scribbled on them and torn magazine clippings with recipes that I'll never make contribute to over filling the box. I envisioned getting one of those new Hallmark-type recipe organizers and thought about how I'd neatly rewrite the recipes that I wanted to keep and organize them in a pretty way. But then I came across some yellowed cards that friends had shared with me over the years and some that had been passed down to me from my mom. I even noticed my young, neat "newlywed" handwriting on a few. I once again remembered why I haven't done anything with this messy recipe box - its' familiarity and handwritten mementos are comforting to me, as much as comfort food can be. So, once again, I stuffed my recipe card for Mulligan Stew back in its' rightful place, and closed the wooden lid.  Some things, I think, are just simply meant to be.

Flowers in the Rain

Yesterday I was feeling a little bit under the weather as I had some minor surgery. I am home now and feeling much better. My friend Lynn brought by a basket of the cutest, happiest flowers and my sister Jill and her family baked for me the most delicious chocolate chip oatmeal cookies!  I say "me" selfishly, as it will be very very hard to share these! ;-) My son's girlfriend, Maggie, sent a beautiful vase of flowers in my favorite colors! It is these thoughtful things along with just knowing that your friends and family are "there" for you, that make the little stressful times in our lives easier to bear. My copy of "Flowers in the Rain", by Rosamunde Pilcher, was already on the dining table, yet it is the perfect choice for this place setting as our friends and family really ARE our flowers in the rain. What would we do without them?