The Easiest Beef Stew Recipe Ever (Crockpot or Not!)

For me, few things herald the arrival of autumn and its cooler temperatures than beef stew.  (Chili and all things pumpkin go without saying, of course!)

Granted, "my" beef stew recipe is about as basic as you can get...but the results are mouth-watering all the same.  It's kind of hard to ruin the combination of stew meat and tasty veggies.

You can make this for the crockpot or for a big pot on the stove.  Right now, I'm about to start getting ready for work (I just work afternoons.)  My stew is in the crockpot already, with all the flavors mingling nicely.  When I get home from work, all I'll need to do is spoon it into bowls!

Here's the basic recipe, but remember, you can always improvise.  Throw in those left-over veggies in the fridge...have less of this or more of that.  It'll still be yummy.


EASY BEEF STEW

1 package of stew meat pieces
Seven or eight potatoes, peeled and cut up in chunky pieces
[NOTE:  Since my husband and I are being careful about carbs, I actually use only 1 large potato now, when it's just the two of us.  It still tastes wonderful!]
1 package baby carrots (cut each carrot in half if you wish)
[NOTE:  I used "real" carrots this time.]
1 can mixed vegetables
1 can green beans
1 can corn
1 large can tomato sauce
1 and a half packets beef stew mix
[NOTE: Since my hubby and I are empty-nesters and don't have to make the stew stretch to feed several, I just use one packet of the stew mix]

Brown the stew meat in a little oil. (My mom advocates dipping the pieces in salt-n-peppered flour first, but I don't always take the time to do that.)

 While browning, chop up veggies and put them in the crock pot. Add tomato sauce (you can add a can of diced tomatoes if you like--my family just doesn't like to SEE tomato pieces in anything. Weird, I know.)

Add canned veggies, INCLUDING the juice. (Again, this might also be a good time to get rid of left-over veggies that may be in the fridge and are still good.)

Pepper the meat and add some seasoned salt if you like, then dump in the crockpot with everything else. Add beef stew mix.

When making this in the crock-pot, you probably won't need to add extra liquid...but if you're making it in a big pot, you'll probably need to add at least a cup of water, maybe more. Play it by ear.

If using a crock-pot, cook on HIGH for four or five hours.  If cooking in a pot on the stove, cook on low to medium heat, stirring occasionally, until veggies are tender.

We have a winner!

I'm happy to announce that the winner of my Soft Surroundings giveaway, chosen randomly by Rafflecopter, is:

 Debbi at She Accesorizes Well!

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

I will be sending Debbi an e-mail shortly, and I'll also be sending Soft Surroundings an e-mail letting them know who the winner is.

I hope Debbi enjoys this beautiful top as much as I have!

Happy Bloggiversary to Me!

"Young Woman Blogging, after Marie Denise Villers," by Mike Licht

Source: flickr.com via Cindy on Pinterest

Today marks my 9th anniversary of blogging. I can't believe it!

 Nine years. So much has changed.

 Nine years ago, on October 3rd, I was looking forward to my son Jonathan's wedding in January.

 I still had one child at home...two if you count one who was away at college.

 My dad was still living, albeit with terminal cancer.

 I lived in a different house. I was still working at 101QFL/Radio 91, where I had worked since 1981, and I couldn't imagine that changing for a very long time.

 I hadn't yet been diagnosed with Type II diabetes. I hadn't yet experienced the joy of being a grandmother.

 Yes, so much has changed.

  Even this blog has changed.

When I first typed into that Blogger box (yes, I've stuck with Blogger all these years), I was excited about having another outlet for writing and connecting.

But I began by looking at the blog as a sort of public diary...kind of, "This happened to me today, or I did this last weekend, and here are my thoughts on it."

Over time, the blog has become much more topical.  Perhaps my only rule of blogging is that I have to be vitally interested in whatever I'm blogging about.  If I'm vitally interested, maybe you will be too.

With images easily available via outlets like Google and Pinterest, my blog has become much more photo-driven.  I want it to be visually appealing, pleasing to the eye.

As I've tried to come to terms with aging by being proactive about beauty and fashion, that, too, is reflected in my blog.

And with every post, I try to be cognizant of my belief that as a Christian, I am to be "salt and light" in the society in which I live.

I try to reflect the philosophy of my life verse, Philippians 4:8, and my personal motto (a quote from Mother Teresa),  "O Lord, let your light shine on others through me."

I hope you like it

I've never had an enormous number of readers of my blog, although it does have its following.  But I'd be kidding myself if I said I didn't care about that.

I put care into my posts, and I do it hoping for an audience.  As long as I continue to blog, I'll probably be trying to get more people to read it. :)

This is the first thing I wrote on this blog:

Well...hello.

I guess this is my introduction to the world of blogging...a modern technological wonder that appears to be tailor-made for people like me, who can't seem to stop putting their thoughts on paper (or cyber-paper, as the case may be!)

I think this is going to be fun!

And it has been. :)

By the way...

A lot of people celebrate their blogging anniversary with a give-away.  As it happens, I'm already in the midst of one!  DO go here and enter to win this beautiful top from Soft Surroundings...time is running out!

My Life Lately on Instagram

I've been loving Instagram lately.  It satisfies the frustrated, uneducated photographer in me!  When I see something I like, I just take a picture of it and put it on Instagram.  I love the filter options that can make your picture look really cool.

I'm sharing some of the pics I've taken lately.  The fall colors are starting to come out in their glory here in Northwest Illinois...above is a pic I snapped on a beautiful street in our town called Calvin Park Boulevard.

I turned a new page in my Shelly Reeves Smith planner yesterday and thought it was so pretty, I took a pic.

Sitting waiting for a table at a restaurant after church on Sunday, I looked up at my husband and thought, "How handsome!"

This is me on the same day.  I'm wearing the Soft Surroundings top that I'm giving away...more on that in a moment!

A group of my former co-workers from the radio station that was sold to a big corporation got together for lunch recently.  It was so much fun!

Yes, I take pictures of mundane things around my house! I'm obsessed with all things Paris, and I think this is the prettiest bottle of handsoap ever! (I got it at TJMaxx).  Beside it is a mini Eiffel Tower I got at Hobby Lobby.  One of my bathrooms is all pink and black, all France.

There's something I just love about old-fashioned lamp posts.  This is one on Calvin Park Boulevard.

Do you like Instagram?  Do you use it often? Let me know!

Just four days left to get in on my give-away of this beautiful top from Soft Surroundings!  Go here to enter!

Visible Monday: Winning the Battle with My Weak Nails

Two months without peeling my nail polish off! This is OPI  in "Manicurist of Seville"

I love pretty fingernails.  But for years I didn't have them.

As a kid and as a teenager, I bit my nails incessantly.  Well, finally one day I decided I was going to stop biting my nails.  It wasn't as hard as I had expected. Once I made the decision not to bite them, they grew.

And I would be delighted...finally able to apply pretty polish to my nails!  But guess what? The biting-the-nail habit turned into something arguably just as bad or worse: peeling off the polish.

Sometimes I would only have the polish on for a couple of hours and I would already be peeling and picking it off.  Yes, obviously I have issues.

I tried fake nails a few times, but my budget never really allows for them on a regular basis, and they left my real nails more unhealthy than ever.

A terrible habit!

The peeling-off habit was very damaging to my nails, too.  I read or heard somewhere that when you peel off the polish, you also strip off essential oils that your nails need to be strong and healthy.

I believe it.  My nails were flimsy.  I already take a B-vitamin supplement that is supposed to help hair and nails, so that should have been covered.

5 weeks without peeling off my nail polish!

My big decision

I don't know what prompted it, but one day last summer I decided I wasn't going to peel off my nail polish anymore.

It was a habit of long standing that I figured wasn't going to be easy.  But for the last couple of years, I've committed to trying to be the best woman-of-a-certain-age that I can be.  And having ragged, ugly fingernails just didn't jibe with that commitment.

So, on July 28th, I wrote this on Facebook:

"OK, FB friends, you are my witnesses: I hearby determine to break the appalling habit of peeling off my nail polish! If you see me doing it, you have my permission to slap me hard across the face!"

Since I made that decision, I haven't peeled my nail polish once--even though the temptation was strong at times.  And my nails have benefited immensely!

One of the first things I did was go and get a professional manicure to send me off on a good path.  Since then, I've had frequent polish changes at the nail salon (they're very cheap), and I'm learning to give myself a good home manicure.

A pretty color from Essie

They're no longer flimsy.  I've only had one beginning of a crack, and I fixed it with a remedy someone gave me on Facebook (maybe I'll talk about that in a future post...it's pretty genius.)

It's been over two months since I made my decision.  Who knows if I've permanently conquered the habit?  But so far, so good...and I'm so enjoying having pretty nails, I never want to go back!

Getting daring and experimenting with purple!

Note: When I went public with my shameful peeling habit, I found out that lots of women do the same thing!  It's compulsive.  Have you ever had the problem?  I'd love to know...share in my comments!

Also, a reminder: Just 5 days left in my Soft Surroundings give-away of this beautiful top...go here to enter for your chance to win!

I'm participating in Visible Monday, hosted by Not Dead Yet Style!  Click the icon for more info....

High Five for Friday!

For the first time, I'm participating in High Five for Friday, hosted by Lauren at From My Grey Desk.  I found out about this bloghop from Kate Bryan's The Small Things Blog.  Kate is a lovely young woman who does amazing hair tutorials.  Check her out if you haven't already!

Oh, and don't forget to enter my give-away for the chance to win a gorgeous top from Soft Surroundings...more on that below!

So here we go!

1.Yay for good deals at Old Navy! I'm in love with these earrings, because I'm a sucker for all things Paris.  I even have a whole board on Pinterest dedicated to Paris!  Are these earrings not the cutest?  And the black top I got for $9.49!

2.  The weather here in Northwest Illinois has been just about perfect all week.  One day when I was out and about I snapped some pictures of the fall colors that are just beginning to emerge.  This house just looked so pretty, I had to take a pic of it.

3.  I'm loving the return of my favorite TV shows!  Fringe returns tonight... Person of Interest was AMAZING last night...and Once Upon a Time comes back Sunday night!

Josh Dallas plays Prince Charming

4.  I'm planning to get out my fall decorations this weekend and dress the house up for autumn!

5.  High five for my Soft Surroundings give-away!  Go here to enter to win this beautiful Vintage Ruffle Top...I have it in cornflower blue and absolutely love it.  It retails for 79.00 but it can be YOURS for free!

Click on the icon below to participate in High Five for Friday!

Visible Monday: Win This Beautiful Top from Soft Surroundings

I'm so delighted to offer you a chance to win this beautiful Vintage Ruffle Top from Soft Surroundings!  This is the second give-away I've been involved in with this wonderful company.  As you can see, I chose the top in cornflower blue, but it's also available tea rose (as pictured above) and charcoal.

From the Soft Surroundings website, here's a description of the top:

A special dye treatment gives this contemporary rib-knit top a unique dimensional effect that's especially notable on the ruffles that enhance the neckline, center front and three-quarter length sleeves. Attractively shaped and altogether current. Cotton body, rayon ruffle. Misses 26" long.

I have to tell you that this top is extremely comfortable and enjoyable to wear! I love it.  It's a good weight to go right into fall.

  On the day these pictures were taken, I wore it to work with a denim skirt, then dressed it up with a pretty necklace and earrings for date night with my husband. (My husband loved it, by the way!)

Here's how to enter: 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

I'm also taking part today in Visible Monday, hosted by Not Dead Yet Style! Click on the icon to find out more!

My 9/11 Tribute to Jean Hoadley Peterson

The following was originally posted in 2006 on the 5th anniversary of 9/11, as part of Project 2,996.  I've re-posted it a few times on 9/11, and it's well worth doing so again today.


I Remember Jean Hoadley Peterson

When I signed up recently to commemorate a 9/11 victim as part of the 2,996 project, I had no idea that the woman whose name was randomly given to me would have been a Christian--a woman who, just weeks before her death on Flight 93, said, "I don't know why, but I feel so ready to meet the Lord!"

Here I was thinking that I could somehow be a blessing by memorializing Jean Hoadley Peterson, but just reading about her has ended up blessing me.

Today I commemorate Jean Hoadley Peterson, who died along with her husband Don Peterson in the crash of Flight 93, the only terrorist-infiltrated flight on 9/11/2001 that didn't reach its intended target.

Jean Hoadley Peterson as a young nurse

Her husband's Bible found

Several days ago I posted about the fact that I had been assigned Jean's name as part of the 2,996 project. I was amazed to get this response from Donna-Jean, a fellow blogger from New Jersey:

"Cindy, I know about Jean Hoadley Peterson. She and her husband Don were believers in Jesus Christ. They supported my uncle's evangelistic ministry here in New Jersey, that's how I first heard about them. They were very generous and supportive.

"Don and Jean were a retired couple, involved with Community Bible Study in their Jersey shore home; Don was a Teaching Director. They were the only married couple on Flight 93; they left behind six grown children and one grandchild.

"Don's dog-eared NIV Bible was one of two Bibles found at the crash site in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. In the Bible was his Community Bible Study lesson from Luke, with his answers written in."

She then referred me to this article about the Petersons, which includes a picture of Don's Bible. I encourage you to follow that link as well and learn more about Jean and her husband.

I was amazed. Out of all the names I could have been assigned, I was given the name of a fellow believer...a woman who, like me, believed in a hope beyond the grave. A woman who was a follower of Christ and a believer and lover of His Word.

Jean as a young woman

So who was Jean Hoadley Peterson?

Jean was 55 years old when she died in the crash of Flight 93. She was a wife, a mom, a grandmother, a registered nurse.

According to the Wall of Americans website: "Mrs. Peterson was born in Evanston, Ill., and grew up in Lancaster, Pa. She received a nursing degree from the University of Rochester, and a master's degree in education from Columbia University. She, too, was deeply involved in church ministries and was a member of Community Bible Study in Spring Lake [New Jersey].

"'She did everything in a very quiet way, never expecting anything in return,' said her daughter, Jennifer Price. 'She was a devoted mother, and after we grew up she devoted her life to helping other people's children.'"

"... she dedicated herself to helping others. The number of people my mother talked to in one day was amazing." --Jennifer Price

"The couple married in 1984 and are survived by six children. David, Hamilton and Royster Peterson, and Jennifer, Grace and Catherine Price.

"Mrs. Peterson is also survived by her parents, Walter and Virginia Hoadley; her brother, Richard Hoadley; and granddaughter, Charlotte."

Along with leading Bible studies, Don and Jean traveled with church friends to help a mission in Santa Lucia, and Jean volunteered at the Helping Hands Pregnancy Center in Shrewsbury, New Jersey.

According to this article, "On Sept. 11, they'd planned to take a later flight to a family reunion at Yosemite National Park, but at the airport seized a chance to switch to less-crowded Flight 93. Their memorial service drew nearly 1,000 people they'd worked with, helped or counseled and had to be moved to a larger sanctuary nearby."

I regret deeply that the earthly lives of Jean Hoadley Peterson and her husband were cut short by the tragedy of 9/11. But I celebrate the 55 years that she lived on this planet, and how she blessed and influenced those around her.

And I rejoice that I will meet her someday in heaven.


*******

The 2,996 tribute to Don Peterson can be found here.

More on Don and Jean Peterson

A loving memoir of Don Peterson

Many thanks to Donna-Jean Breckenridge for her invaluable direction in this tribute

I have some bookfessions to make...

Source: bookfessions.tumblr.com via Cindy on Pinterest

So, I hear today is National Read a Book Day...and what better time to share some Bookfessions with you?

I recently discovered a Tumblr blog that's obviously written by someone who is a kindred spirit to me, when it comes to all things books and reading.

It's Bookfessions...and it mainly consists of numbered thoughts and sayings about the author's love of books and reading.

The author writes: "THESE ARE CONFESSIONS AND/OR THOUGHTS OF A BOOK LOVER, BIBLIOPHILE, BOOK ADDICT, READER, LOVER OF LITERATURE, NERD...CALL ME WHAT YOU WILL, BUT HERE THEY ARE."

Here are just a few Bookfessions.  Head over to her blog (this link will take you to a full archive), and if you're like me, prepare to relate to and identify with almost everything!

Source: bookfessions.tumblr.com via Cindy on Pinterest

Source: bookfessions.tumblr.com via Cindy on Pinterest

Source: bookfessions.tumblr.com via Cindy on Pinterest

Source: bookfessions.tumblr.com via Cindy on Pinterest

When I went to a British school

(Once again, I'm delving into the archives! Originally posted 9/9/11)

As I've mentioned before, my parents were missionaries in Beirut, Lebanon, for a couple of years when I was a little girl in the mid-60s. I recently dug up some things I wrote reminiscing about my time there. Here you go:

Manor House School

Manor House was very near our first home--in fact, in clear view of our balcony. It was situated in a building the color of manila paper, with green trim. I was once told that the bulding had formerly been a nunnery.

It had about four stories, and was very plain inside, with small classrooms and none of the bright artistic decorations I was used to in my American schools.

The students wore uniforms--the girls my age dressed in gray pleated skirts, gray V-neck pull-overs, and white blouses. All I remember about the boys' uniform is that they wore short pants, which seemed to me very strange.

Portrait of the queen

I remember my first day. I sat in the lobby with my parents, facing a large portrait of Queen Elizabeth II. I was nervous, shy, and disoriented.

In time an older boy with a British accent escorted me to my classroom, with its teacher, a stout, dark-haired, middle-aged lady named Miss Diamond.

Gradually I became accustomed to Manor House School. the books were plain but not dull, with absorbing stories about people like Robin Hood and Little John. At Miss Diamond's instruction, I used a British accent when reading aloud in class, and became quite "fluent."

Miss Diamond was not unkind, but she was annoyed by my habit of saying "OK," and taught me to always respond with "Yes, Miss." She found my little Americanisms annoying, and did her best to rid me of them.

A large, jolly lady named Madame Augustine taught us French, which I learned to love. Arabic I found less fascinating, but I applied myself and learned the rudiments.

Miss Gardiner

My second year at Manor House started out calmly enough--until our new teacher from England arrived--Miss Gardiner.

Miss Gardiner terrified and awed me. She was stern, strict, overly puritanical in my opinion, and unkind. My classmates shared my terror of the large old lady with the iron-gray hair worn in a braid encircling her head and a round, bespectacled face.

I remember how it annoyed me when, after lunch, she would clean her teeth with her tongue. How she terrified me when she hit my best friend, Nadia Nash, for cheating!

Nadia was part Lebanese, part British, and spoke with a delightful French accent. Her mother was a popular French and music teacher at Manor House, and we were the best of school friends. I shared her tears over the humiliating corporal punishment Miss Gardiner had administered to her.

I was fond of reading books, which I kept on my lap away from Miss Gardiner's eyes. So you can imagine my horror when she punished Serena McClelland for doing that very thing! Serena was the beautiful child of Scottish missionaries. I admired her silky blond hair, fair skin, pink cheeks and blue eyes, and it hurt my very soul when she cried.

Math--what awful memories that word conjures! The students were far ahead of me in that area, and it seemed I couldn't grasp any but the simplest principles. Most of the morning lessons were devoted to math, so after lunch I could more or less relax.

Reading time

At this time I could sit in my class and listen to Miss Gardiner read. She was constantly reading aloud to us, and it was the only part of her teaching that I enjoyed.

She read to us of the history of Britain, and I was fascinated by the kings and queens--a fascination that continues to this day. She read Greek mythology and classic literature.

So I profited from Miss Gardiner's teaching after all. She helped instill and nurture in me a love of literature that grew steadily.

Manor House seemed like an odd school to me, but I know that much of what I am today was influenced by my time there. I've no doubt that my Anglophilia--love of all things British--took root at that time, and has never left me.

My fifth grade was spent at American Community School, almost an exact replica of a Hometown USA school. It was fun and interesting, but not nearly as much of a really different experience as was Manor House School.

(This was originally posted September 9, 2011)

From the Archives: I'll See Steve McQueen in Heaven Someday

"I live for myself and answer to nobody." (Photo Via Fashion's Most Wanted)

A superstar's remarkable conversion story

(originally posted 10/4/2010)

I'm not even sure if I've even seen an entire movie starring the late actor Steve McQueen. I knew that he had been called "The King of Cool" for his performance in movies like "The Getaway," "The Magnificent Seven," "The Thomas Crown Affair," and "Papillon," among many others.

I also knew that he had been married to three beautiful women (actresses Neile Adams and Ali MacGraw and supermodel Barbara Minty), but I didn't know much else.

However, this tribute post about him recently sparked my interest. When something sparks my interest, I have to read about it...so I checked out a book about Steve McQueen from the library.

While Steve McQueen: Portrait of an American Rebel, by Marshall Terrill, is largely a sympathetic portrait of the actor, it's also painfully honest about his faults and failures.

My heart went out to the actor when I read about the horrific childhood that colored his actions for the rest of his life.

Despite his undisputed success as an actor, McQueen's life was in many ways a big mess. Although he dearly loved and was happily married to his first wife, Neile, he cheated on her not just repeatedly, but continually.

In fact, throughout his life his reputation was that of an incurable womanizer.

He wildly over-indulged in drinking and regularly took drugs ranging from marijuana to LSD and cocaine. He exasperated fellow actors, producers and directors with his erratic and unreasonable behavior.




McQueen with first wife Neile and daughter Terry (via Classic Forever)

He earned megastardom and respect for his acting talent, and the loyalty and love of his closest friends. Since he'd never had a loving father, he determined to be a good father to his children, Terry and Chad, and by all accounts, he was that.

Ten years before his 1980 death, McQueen was asked if he believed in God. His reply: "I believe in me. God'll be number one as long as I'm number one."


With son Chad McQueen, who went on to act (Karate Kid, Karate Kid 2), produce, and drive race cars like his dad
1971 Sports Illustrated photo by Heinz Kluetmeier (via A Continuous Lean)
Reading this unflinchingly honest book, I wasn't prepared for the stunning conclusion.

A few months before he found out he had cancer, Steve McQueen became a Christian. By all accounts, he was what my Baptist preacher dad used to call "gloriously saved."

It was not a deathbed conversion. McQueen didn't know he would soon be dead when he accepted Christ.

As evangelist Billy Graham (who met with him for several hours before he died) relates it:

"Apparently, he had been led to Christ by a pilot whom he had hired to teach him to fly an old vintage airplane. He apparently saw something in this pilot, Sammy Mason, that he admired and liked, and asked what made the difference in his life. Sammy Mason sat down and carefully explained how Christ had changed his life. Steve later learned that he had a fast-moving and possibly incurable cancer. While this was a shattering blow, his new faith in Christ became a resource for extra strength."

While this isn't a "Christian" book, it recounts how friends and colleagues saw the difference McQueen's faith made in his life. Steve began attending church every Sunday, reading his Bible and praying.

While he was undergoing experimental treatments for his cancer, McQueen met with some doctors who practiced visualization techniques to encourage healing.

In his interview with them, McQueen repeatedly talked about his faith and how he wanted to share it with others.

He told the doctors:

"...you mentioned earlier about finding a cure in my life. Well, that cure was finding the Lord in my life.

...I really believe that I have...something to give to the world as far as my relationship with the Lord. Something that I can teach to other people. Something about a message that I can give."

You can totally see traces of his grandfather in actor Steven R. McQueen

Later in the interview, he talked about his dreams of getting well, going back to his favorite home in Ketchum, Idaho, flying his beloved planes and "...to try to be able to change some people's lives. To tell people that I know the Lord, what I have to offer, what's happened to me."

In the book, Marshall Terrill relates the passing of the superstar when all the treatments failed and he ultimately died after developing an embolism.

Terrill says he died "painlessly and quietly."

Immediately, his son Chad said he wanted to be alone with his father.

"Upon entering the room, Chad turned on the light...Steve's eyes were still open. Chad sat on the bed beside him. As he looked at Steve, he noticed something odd. His eyes, which had been gray the past six months, had returned to their bright blue color. Chad also noticed the Bible that the Reverend Billy Graham had given to Steve. It now rested on his chest, opened to Steve's favorite verse, John 3:16."

"For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

Satisfied that his dad had died in peace, Chad closed his father's eyes, bent down and kissed him on the forehead. "So long, Pop. I love you."

After reading the book, I was sad that McQueen never got the chance to fulfill his dream of telling the world about his faith in Christ.

But then I realized, yes, he did. Everyone who reads this best-selling book (or this blog post, for that matter) will read, sometimes in his own words, about his faith and how it changed his life.

Rest in peace, Steve McQueen. Someday I'll see you in heaven.

source

Steve McQueen

1930-1980

I've been terrible.

I haven't blogged in almost a month!

I really don't have a great excuse. I've been blogging for almost 9 years now, and sometimes it goes in cycles...there are times that your enthusiasm wanes, or you just don't feel like you have anything to say.

Because I do really enjoy blogging, though, I won't be abandoning this blog. And with a new season approaching, I feel my creativity slowing returning.

In fact, an awesome give-away is just around the corner!  Everything's in place for it...I just have to decide when it will actually go live.

Stay tuned! :)

Go to sleepy, little baby: the backstory of a lullaby

*

Since my three children and two grandsons were tiny, I’ve been singing them a lullaby:

Go to sleepy, little baby
Go to sleepy, little baby

When you wake, we'll patty patty cake
And ride a shiny little pony

That was all I knew of the lullaby, which I could vaguely remember my mom singing to her own children and grandchildren. I found myself personalizing it:

Mommy loves her little Jonny (or Jussy, or Lizzie)

Mommy loves her little Jonny Mommy loves, she kisses and she hugs

Oh, Mommy loves her little Jonny…

I did the same with my grandchildren. I never thought they paid much attention to what I was singing as I rocked them to sleep.

But one time I was rocking Josiah, when he was very young, and I started singing the personalized verse. Suddenly, Payton, who was just a toddler, joined in, “Nana loves her little J.D. (our nickname for Josiah),” and sang it word perfect!

Obviously it had sunk in during the many times I rocked him to sleep. I loved it. :)


Where did it come from?


Well, the other day I got curious. Where had this lullaby originated? There was a “Go to sleepy little baby” in the movie, “O Brother, Where Art Thou?”, but it wasn’t the version I knew.

It took me just minutes to discover that the lullaby I know originated with TV host Judy Canova. It was the song she sang just before signing off of her show, back in the 1940's and early 50's. I even found some mp3s of the song…and lyrics! There are a lot more lyrics, and I plan to learn them.

If you're curious, here's a little clip of me singing a few lines of the song...



For me, this lullaby is the essence of my mother’s love for her children, and my own love for my children and grandchildren. As long as there’s a little one to rock to sleep, I’ll be singing it.

*Pictured are Tiffany Manning and her adorable baby girl, Gianna

My Life Lately (in Instagram)

My daughter Elizabeth and me

I'll just admit it.  So far, this hasn't been my favorite summer.  But there have been some definite highlights, like the one I'm experiencing right now...my daughter Elizabeth spending a week with us.

She just lives a couple of hours south of us, but between her job as a Clinique salesperson and her studies at Illinois State University, she doesn't get home nearly enough for my liking.

Anyway, since I've been somewhat lax about posting lately, I thought I'd share some phone pics with you!

I love to listen to my daughter play the piano!

The two of us had lunch at Chipotle today...she's thinking about trying a gluten-free diet, and we found at that Chipotle is amazingly gluten-diet friendly!

Elizabeth won a door prize at a radio event.  It was mostly stuff for our dog!

A shot of the Rock River, which runs through our town

My handsome hubby at the wheel

In front of a mic at the radio station where I work