The Ghost and Mrs. Muir’s Granny Squares

Two evenings ago Tim and I were watching the 1947 version of ‘The Ghost and Mrs. Muir.’

It featured the very handsome Rex Harrison and the beautiful Gene Tierney.

It was such a good old movie and we both enjoyed it so much that I can highly recommend it to you.

 

But what I really wanted to share with you was how surprised I was when the Maid came into the bedroom/sitting room where Mrs. Muir was napping to cover her with guess what?

A Granny Square Afghan!

 

 

Now, be honest and tell me.

Did you know that women were crocheting Granny Square afghans way back in the early 1900’s, which was when this movie was depicted from?

 

I sure had no idea.

 

And now this has set me to wondering how many times Granny Square afghans have gone in and out of style over the last several years.

 

Do you know?

 

Both of my older sisters are great at crocheting and I do remember them making GS afghans in the early 1980’s as gifts for many of the family members.

 

In fact it wouldn't surprise me to learn that some of you may have one or two hiding away in your closets yet.

 

Then you didn’t see them around for a long, long time.

 

It seems to me that the Granny Square became a fad again after they were used as a part of the bedding in the Nanny McPhee movies of recent years.

 

 

Well I don’t know when or where or why Granny Squares originated ever, but I do know that I love them and I have promised myself that someday I am going to learn how to crochet them if it takes me a million years.

 

And yes, I am counting on being able to crochet when I get to Heaven!

 

Please check my Pinterest square labeled Granny Square Love for all sources from my mosaic if you want to be referred to the original source.

 

 

Partying Here:

Anything Blue Friday
Fabulously Creative Friday

A 1937 Kitchen

I was browsing through several cook books I had inherited from my mother, who passed away a year ago this month.

The oldest one I inherited is from 1937. What’s so interesting about this particular book is that it doesn’t just contain recipes, it has all sorts of information that relates to the lifestyle of a early 1930’s housewife.

 

I don’t know about you, but I love reading  and learning about how women lived, cooked and decorated their homes in another era.

 

My mother, who’s name was Cledia Althea, was married in 1938.

But at the age of only nine years old her mother had passed away and she was in charge of the household.

She had a little brother who was four years younger she was also responsible for too.

They went to school everyday, then my mother would come home and prepared their meals.

I can’t begin to tell you how much I admire my mother.

 

Maybe someday I will write a book about her for my grandchildren.

I think it’s good for the younger generation to know the background of there ancestors.

 

I’m sorry I got side-tracked, now on to the book. I will let each page speak for itself.

 

 

 

 

Now, there you have it!

You were either bored out of your gourd or, hopefully like me, enjoyed a small look back into the life of a 1930’s housewife.

 

I am thinking of doing a weekly segment on days gone by….

 

What do you think?

 

Is this anything that would interest you?

 

I don’t want someone saying, “Oh no, today’s the day Kim’s going to blab on about all that old stuff”.

 

So be honest, I have thick enough skin.

I do live in the North, you know!

Partying Here:
Share A Cup Thursday
Great Ideas Thursday
 Home and Garden Thursday
Create It Thursday
The Project Stash Link Party

 

Do You Remember Flannel Graph?

Do you remember flannel graph ?
 I sure do!

 

I was recently reading a fellow blogger's post, Cranberry Morning, where she was sharing sweet memories of her Grandmother. She recounted her Grandmother’s work in Children’s Evangelism. This brought back memories of my own experiences attending a children’s ministry as a child called, “The Good News Club.” It seems this was also the ministry Judy’s grandmother was involved in.

Small world!

 

Once a week, I remember, a car load of us children would pile into our preacher’s wife’s car and then we were driven across town to attend the Good News Club. It only lasted an hour. The meeting started with us  singing the *Good News song. Next we would have a flannel graph story, then we shared a snack and lastly a prayer together. We all piled again back into the car and were driven home until next weeks meeting.

 

Doesn’t really sound like it amounted to much, does it?

But surprisingly, here I am almost 50 years later able to recount all the words of that little song. I remember the rather rotund lady that pounded the keys of her piano while we little children, who were all sitting gathered on her floor, belted out the word just as loudly and proudly as we could. I remember exactly where her house was located even though I was so young and it was all of the way across town.

But those where minor details…..

 

not me!!

 

It was there in that tiny little house, on flannel graph, that I had learn so many stories of the Bible.

 

Now fast forward several years later to when I was a young mother with four little children of my own.

My MIL, who is a preacher’s wife, gifted me with a suitcase full of flannel graph!

I couldn’t believe it. 

There inside the suitcase were many of the same images of Bible characters I had seen as a child at the ‘Good News Club.’

 

So, needless to say, my own children and those who attended our Sunday School classes had learn the stories of the Bible from flannel graph just as I had so many years earlier.

 

I’m not sure if churches use flannel graph anymore. With all of the technology we have today I assume they probably show movies.

Maybe I’m old fashioned, but I think children would still appreciate the old-time flannel graph stories.

 

It was interactive.

You could call the children up to help place the characters on the board.

 You could stop in any part of the story and ask or answer questions. I even let the children tell the story back to me using the flannel graph.

 You sure can’t do that with a movie!

 

I did a little research and found that they do still make flannel graph. It’s a little pricey, but I bet if you’re in an area where they have auctions you might just run across a whole suitcase full like my MIL had given to me.

If you're a young mother, try it!

Here's my song....

 

* The Good News Song

Good news, Good news, Christ died for you and me

Good new, Good news, If I believe

Good news, Good news, I’m saved eternally

That’s wonderful, EXTRA, Good news!

 

 

 

God Inspired Scripture

Friday’s Finds

How am I finding Friday?

I believe this picture paints a thousand words!

 

What am I working on today?

I’m working on moving.

No, not from my home!

I am moving my blog from Blogger to Word Press. I know I’ve threatened to do this for so long that you probably thought that I was just blowing off steam. No, I am serious.

 

I’m not going to re-hatch right now why I made this decision. We’ll talk about that another time. But, this is what I am busy working on all day today.

 

It will probably take a couple of weeks yet, so I will give you lots of warning of my change-over date.

 

Before I say goodbye…..

Do you remember this photo of

my birdhouse looking so sweet in the sunshine?

 

Here it is today.

 

Can you see it peaking through all of that white stuff?

It is there, truly it is. You just have to look really hard.

 

Now tell me my friends, did I actually write in fairly recent months that I loved the North?

I only have one question:

What was I drinking thinking?

************************************************

 

Please Don’t Say That Four Lettered Word!

 

Originally our plan for today was to hop in the car and drive a hour over to the big city of Marathon (population 4000) to shop.

 

 

But because of that four lettered word, which I refuse to say, I will now have to get  out of bed at the most ridiculous hour of 7AM so we can hurry to Marathon and back before we get a fresh dump of 15cm’s of ----.

 

Isn’t that just awful?

 

I heard today that this was the first time that the Great Lakes had all frozen over since 2009.

 

This is a photo taken from our home on Lake Superior last February.

If you look carefully you can see the trees from the Parisian Island that was eight miles across the lake from us.

 

This was all open water, not a Bay, and I can’t remember a year when the lake didn’t freeze across since we had lived there.

 

 

We never knew from one year to the other what our lake front would look like!

Sometimes it looked like an ice jam.

 

 

At other times it joins forces with the wind to create the most unusual shapes.

 

 

One thing for certain, Lake Superior is ever changing and ever full of surprises…

I love the mysterious!

Oh, about that four lettered word;

I sure pulled the wool over your eyes on that one!

 

Have a great Thursday!

Note Card Party at Vee’s

 

 

 

I haven’t been over to Vee's Note Card Party for some time, so I was determined not to miss out on the fun this month again.

As I was scrolling down through my photo stash I ran across a few pictures I thought might be made noteworthy.

So without any more jabbering, here is what I chose for Vee’s party!

 

Come and join the party!


Also partying here:

Wow Us Wednesdays
What We Accomplished Wednesday

Looking Back at Downton Abbey

 

Do you ever go back in your blog to see what was happening in your life a year ago?

I have to admit I don’t often do this, but today I was curious if I had posted any Winter photos so I could compare then to this years photos.

But no, there were no Winter scenery photos.

Instead I discovered that February 18, 2013 must have been the day after Matthew of Downton Abbey had died in that tragic automobile accident.

If you want to read my wailings about how I wasn’t even sure I would watch the program this year you can read here.

Obviously I am watching the show again. But with only one more show left I’m wondering just what drama Julian is going to leave us with this year.

 

I’m really clueless and

I’m hoping that we’re not going to find Bates being accused of murder again.

Tell me, if you watch the show, do you think Mr. Bates murdered Mr. Green?

I don't think he did!
I just can't imagine that Julian is going to put us through another Bates trial and prison saga.
What do you think?

Happy Family Day

 Happy Family Day!

Behold, children are a heritage of the Lord, the fruit of the womb a reward.

Psalm 127:3

*********************************************************

Sunday Scripture

Simple Saturdays

How many times do we talk about living a simpler life?

I’ve noticed that it has become a topic of conversation on several blogs as of late.

I know that simple living isn’t exclusive to just cutting expenses or living with less stuff…..

But I want to share with you on this Simple

Saturday something that I have been implementing for the last six weeks in my weekly routine.

*

And here you have it:

I have been drying my laundry inside on drying racks!

Several weeks ago I noticed that Canadian Tire was having a sale on their clothes drying racks.

And I thought, why not?

 I love hanging our clothes on the outdoor line in the Summer months, so why not give it a try inside in the Winter?

*

I did try it, and I’m sold.

Not only do I get the joy (yes, I really said joy) of hanging the clothes to dry, but I estimated that I also saved twenty five dollars in four weeks by doing this.

That was a nice bonus!

Now it is your turn.

Have you begun to simplify your life in some manner that you wouldn't mind sharing?

 I'd really love to hear.....

* These wooden racks photos are of racks I like, mine are plastic.

 

 

 

 

Happy Valentine’s Day

 

Companies On the Way

 

Me Today!

Yes, company is on the way so I had no choice but to clean the house today.

Tim's mother and sister are on there way up from Michigan. My MIL has an apartment with us and will be staying for a while now.

They will be traveling HWY 17  North.

It is a gorgeous drive with much of it being along Lake Superior.

This photo is from the trip down to Sault Ste. Marie that Tim and I made six weeks ago. I can only imagine how much higher the banks on the side of the road are now.

This is a photo of Lake Superior. As many of you know we lived on the lake until this last June.

Oh, I can’t tell you how much I miss looking out my window and seeing the beautiful Gitche Gumee.

The trees were really snow laden and beautiful the last drive down too.

I sure hope Tim's mother and his sister have a beautiful, sunny day travelling as we did.

This will be my last post for this week.

I’ll be back to visit all of you next week!

Blessings-Kimberly

Retro Patterns

Retro-involving, relating to or reminiscent of things past

Saturday I went searching on-line  for retro patterns to frame and hang on  the wall in my sewing room.

You might remember the curtain I was making for our sewing/office.

Once it was finished and hung, I started looking on-line for retro patterns to fill the empty space beside the window.

I found two ‘I Love Lucy’ style patterns that had  just the right colours. I think they turned out pretty cute!

While scanning through all of the patterns I caught myself saying to no one in particular, “Oh my gosh, I remember that pattern.”

In fact the one above was one that my Mother’s friend had sewn for me to wear to an informal dance that I attended in High School.

Seeing the retro patterns got me to wondering if any of my you had bought any of same patterns that I had.

I thought it would be fun to show you a few  and if you’ve had something made from one of them please tell me which one and where you remember wearing it. Or tell me what you remember about the fabric you used  for the garment.

Did you make a prairie skirt back in the 70’s?

I sure did!

What about this ruffled blouse?

I made several versions of this blouse in the 80’s.

You can see I was going for the more simple style here, trading in the ruffles for much cleaner looking lines.

Now it’s your turn!

Do you see any of your old patterns here?

Please share......


I will be partying here:
Nifty Thrifty Tuesday
Knick of Time Tuesday