Visiting a Grist Mill

Since we were already headed to the northern part of our state for Colette's snowboarding camp, we decided to take a field trip to a grist mill near that same area, as she's currently studying bread making for her "homesteading skills" course.



A grist mill, in case they're unfamiliar to you, was a very familiar sight in most small towns of centuries past.  This is where people would've brought the grain they grew to be ground into flour.  This particular mill was built in 1798 and recently restored.  It still stone grinds grain today, although not under the power of the water wheel anymore, but with electricity.



The water wheel would've turned the giant gears in the basement of the mill.  The gears there today were reproduced from fragments of the original gears found in the mud of the excavated basement.  I believe the video presentation we watched said that they were reproduced by the owner's 13-14 year old son who was "quite precocious with wood".  I was impressed!



Upstairs was the hopper, into which the grain would be dropped to grind between the two heavy mill stones (contained in that wooden box on the floor).



They grind all sorts of different type of organically grown grain at the mill today.



Colette, studying the bags of flour and trying to decide what to purchase.  In the end, whole wheat bread flour and a bag of chocolate chip pancake mix came home with us.



Then we walked to the Littleton Diner, which has been winning culinary awards for its pancakes.  They make their pancakes from the mill's flour!



And I must say, that I thought it was the best pancake I've ever had!...soft and fluffy, yet hearty and gently chewy. 



That bite missing from my pancake?  It was Colette.

Baby Shower

It was Felicity's baby shower today!  The color palette was neutrals.  But not greens and yellows...oh no.  Neutrals as in: chocolate brown, ivory, tan, oatmeal.



And the theme was owls, as Felicity's had a love affair with owls for a long time.  The centerpiece was a cylinder vase filled with shell fragments and holding twigs from our property (the beech twigs with a leaf or two still clinging to them).  Seemed appropriate for a winter shower, especially with a parliment of owls, drawn by Colette, roosting in the branches.



The menu:

fruit platter with fruit dip

vegetable platter with dill dip

mixed nuts

crackers and assorted cheeses

chocolates (packaged in pink and blue, please)



raspberry-lemonade-white grape punch

water infused with oranges and garnished with mint leaves (so light and refreshing!)

and the most amazing owl-crowned cake (decorated by Felicity's talented mother-in-law)



And, of course, there was a shower of blessings in the form of gifts!

I knitted a pumpkin hat for the baby, and can hardly wait for next autumn!



It was a lovely, lovely day!

And then, when the loveliness had come to and end, and the presents were all bundled off with Felicity, and the dishes were all washed, Max took the balloons, stood in the doorway, and used them for target practice.



Back to reality!  It's a wonderful life!

Sugar on Snow

Last week, just as the snow storm was ending, Colette and I made sugar on snow.  Remember the story in the “Little House” books where the Ingalls family drizzles maple syrup on fresh snow?  Well, that’s what we did!

First, you have to slowly bring maple syrup to a temperature of 240 degrees.  Patience required for this part.  I think it took us at least 20 minutes, because we were constantly adjusting the temperature to keep it from boiling over (since cleaning hot, sticky syrup off of my stove top does not rank high on my list of fun things to do).

Then Colette scooped up a plate of fresh, clean snow.



Then she drizzled the hot syrup on the cold snow.

The syrup does harden, but not as much as I was expecting.  I assumed it would harden up like a hard candy, but that’s not true at all.  It hardens to more of a rubbery, soft-caramel-like texture.  You can peel it right off the snow and eat it.





Delicious, intense maple flavor!

The Victorian Ball

“It may be possible to do without dancing entirely. Instances have been known of young people passing many, many months successively without being at any ball of any description, and no material injury accrue either to body or mind; but when a beginning is made -- when the felicities of rapid motion have once been, though slightly, felt -- it must be a very heavy set that does not ask for more.” - Jane Austen

For many years, when we lived in California, we attended a large and lovely Victorian Ball.  Oh, how our hearts pine to dance those quadrilles, waltzes, polkas, contras, and schottisches with our dear friends again.  Well, this year Colette was invited out for the Ball!  Although I attended, it was just as an observer, since Technohubby could not go.  But observing is almost as much fun as dancing!

An entire suitcase was devoted to her ball attire, which included: pantyhose, bloomers, corset, camisole, petticoat, bustle pad, underskirt and apron, bustle, bodice, ballet slippers, purse, lace fan, necklace, and earrings.  And we carried that suitcase on the plane with us, because what on earth would she do if it was one of those horrible cases of a lost suitcase that is never recovered!?!?!

The ball is actually called “Mr. Fezziwig’s Ball” and is held in conjunction with the weekend-long Riverside Dickens Festival.  As such, Queen Victoria made a grand entrance, with bagpipe accompaniment.



The dancers lined up to dance The Grand March.



Here’s a glimpse of the crowded dance floor.  I do so wish I had a video camera, so you could hear the Philadelphia Quadrille Orchestra play.  They’re wonderful!

Everyone has their best, Victorian manners for the evening.  Dance cards are issued as the dancers enter.  Gentlemen ask the ladies to dance and fill in the ladies’ names on their cards next to the name of the dance for which they have engaged the lady.  Ladies note the gentlemen’s names on their cards. Everyone has an itty-bitty pencil attached to their card by a tiny cord.  Gentlemen keep their dance cards in their pockets.  Most ladies use the cord to dangle their dance card from their wrist.

There was an observation area for those in attendance who were not dancing.  We spent much time admiring attire, pointing out fine dancing to each other, chit-chatting with our friends as they rested between dances, and generally have a grand time!

All the ladies were beautifully coiffed and beautifully attired!  Oh...such silks and tafettas and velvets!



Colette wore her 1880's dinner dress in dark green with black velveteen trim and ecru lace.  I'm sorry to say that this is one of the few photos I took of the front of it all night.



The back view of her gown, as she is led onto the dance floor for the next dance.



The dancing was splendid!



A dance is a joyful affair!

Trip To California

Colette and I have returned from a delightful trip to California.  She was invited out to stay with friends and attend a very special event.  So we made it a trip for the two of us, a senior trip for her, and a chance to visit family and friends, to eat, and to shop!

One aspect of living in California that we really miss is food.  We have great food in New England.  But, oh how we crave In-n-Out burgers, authentic Mexican food, and Los Rios' fresh pressed apple cider!  (News flash for New Englanders: barbecue sauce does not belong on Mexican food.  Really!  And neither does Vermont cheddar.) Weeks prior to going back to California our imaginations run wild with thoughts of all the foods we will eat our fill of while there.  And we did!  And it was grand, simply grand!!!



Colette discovered a new, favorite shop.  Here she found whole racks of 1950's dresses, scarves, shoes, coats, and of course, hats.  She bought herself a red one.

Our friends shared with us a new bakery that has opened since we moved, The Cupcakery.  Calorie watchers, be warned!  Decadence in every bite!  The place was all-over Colette, with its vintage-theme and Audrey Hepburn pictures adorning the walls.



What a relief Colette came dressed for the occassion!



I had a Chocolate Bordeaux cupcake (closer to the camera) and she had a confection known as King Chocolate.  Need I say more?

Then our friends' daughter, looking like a luscious, sunkissed apricot in her little dress, led the way to Italian sodas.



The weather was unseasonably warm, even by California standards.  We were sweltering!  But, I did enjoy dining al fresco with a friend and this delightful salad: mixed field greens, pears, candied walnuts, bleu cheese, and a champagne dressing.  Mmmm.  I see this on our family's dinner table some night (with some chicken tossed in to please the guys).



On our last night in California, Colette had some fun in my brother's backyard.



But mostly she spent the trip with our friends on their farm.  There's a happy girl!



And she and her friends spent hours and hours preparing for "the big event".  More on that in my next posting!

Bulletin Board Makeover

I like starting the new year with a painting project.  It’s a fresh start to a fresh year!  Last year I painted three rooms.  This year I tackled smaller projects.

I really needed a place to keep ideas and orders-in-process paperwork for my Etsy shop in one, easy-to-see place.  And having an unused bulletin board (4' x 4') that used to live in the schoolroom of our house in California AND an empty wall in the laundry/sewing room, I decided to give the bulletin board a makeover.

First it got a fresh coat of paint.  The paint color is called Cobblestone…sort of a mushroom-like color.  I like its mellowness.

Then I bought some decorator fabric with which to cover it.  I’m positively wild about this particular fabric!  So neutral, yet not boring.  It’s got weight, and a nice, historic sort of look and feel to it.



I cut the fabric just a bit bigger than the surface of the bulletin board.



I turned it under all around the edges and secured it with upholstery tacks.

Hopefully, it will help me keep that aspect of my life straight.

The first two items to go onto the bulletin board were my new sewing-themed calendar (purchased from this Etsy shop) and a pretty ribbon sent to me by a friend.

This is just the first step in some big improvements coming to that room of the house this year.