legacy – Coffee and a Typewriter

O Christmas Tree

It’s one of my fondest memories as a child. The first time I got to decorate the tree with my dad. While my mom was busy baking, my dad would set up the tree and then decorate it. I can still remember him telling me how to spread the colors around. To step back every now and then to make sure the ornaments are balanced; you didn’t want a big clump in one area or the same colors too close. Once we were finished, he lifted me up to put the star on top. It seemed like the honor of a lifetime to a little girl.

I have always loved Christmas trees and it is the first decoration I put up when the season arrives. One of my favorite things to do is turn out all the “lamp” lights in the room, and just sit and look at the lit up tree. I am fascinated by the simple beauty of it.

When I enter a home at Christmas, I’m not as interested in anything else but the Christmas tree. Big and grand, small and simple, real or artificial…they take center stage. When HB and I drive around to see the lights on homes, my eyes are always fixed on the front windows, trying to catch a glimpse of the pièce de résistance.

There’s something so beautiful and nostalgic at Christmas time. It often takes us back to a place or a moment from long ago. So what about you? What is it about Christmas that tugs at your heartstrings? Do you have a special memory or tradition? I would love to hear all about it.

As the day is quickly approaching, I pray that you embrace the moments and enjoy the simple beauty that surrounds you.

~❄~CindyLu~❄~

The Simple Gifts of Christmas

As we move closer to Christmas, I’m beginning to see more posts on the social networks…some with the countdowns of shopping days left, some with happy remarks about how far they are with their shopping, and several with not-so-happy remarks about how much they need to accomplish. What I read between the lines is the stress that often comes with this season. I just want to encourage everyone, who might be getting caught up in this sort of stress, to lay down your lofty expectations and just embrace the beauty and simpleness of Christmas.

When our boys were young and still at home, and HB and I were just taking off in our careers, money was very tight. Most Christmas’s were focused on our kids. He and I didn’t exchange gifts for years, and if we did we would come up with an idea for something to be enjoyed by the entire family. One year, it was a new TV. Another, a new VCR. Remember those? And another time, it was a new game system. And we never bought the newest, state-of-the-art, version. No, we were usually a couple of years behind what was most popular. It’s just the way things were.

But, in spite of the tight finances, we never allowed it to squash the Christmas spirit inside our home. We couldn’t provide a lot of “things” under the tree, but what we could provide were memories. So, we made a conscientious decision to turn our focus to creating something that money could not buy and that was time together as a family.

If you were to ask my kids, they would probably only remember a handful of gifts received. Probably ones that were sentimental in nature. Okay…they’d probably remember that first game system we bought too. That was a pretty big deal that year.

But, what they would clearly remember would be…The drives up the hill to play in the snow. How we’d take a break from the cold and crowd into the back of the old suburban to eat summer sausage and cheese – and drink hot cocoa from dad’s big Stanley thermos. They’d remember days where we planned movie marathons until late into the evening. And like I said, they’d remember that one year we got the game system – and not because of the system itself, but because of the hours we spent together playing, to the point that our hand muscles ached from gripping the controller for so long. They would remember a home filled with life, love and laughter.

And don’t get me wrong, I’m certainly not trying to convey that gifts are bad. What I’m trying to say is, resist the urge to be pulled into the peer pressure that often comes with this season and thinking you have to buy the biggest, most popular, “what everyone else is getting,” gift. Don’t create a memory of Christmas as being a crazy and stressful time of year.

Regardless of where you are in life…commit to making this season a memorable one for you and everyone you come into contact with. I have found, while “stuff” can be fun and sentimental, it really isn’t what it’s all about. What people truly long for most of all, no matter who they are, is time spent with loved ones. Your time is the most rewarding gift you can give.

So in the true spirit of Christmas:

Invite a friend or family member over for dessert and a fun movie.
Spend an afternoon baking and decorating simple sugar cookies with a child.
Take a drive somewhere to see Christmas lights and enjoy being around people.
Make a puzzle or play a game with good music as your background.

…the list can go on and on. Simple. Fulfilling. Memorable.

In addition to celebrating the gift of Jesus
…these, to me, are the true and simple gifts of Christmas.

~CindyLu~

By the chimney with care…

One of the traditions I’ve decided to bring back to our home, this Christmas, are the stockings. As each of our kids have grown and married, their stocking has been removed from the fireplace mantel and sent along with them. As a result, only mine and HB’s stockings hang there – and honestly, they look pretty lonely. When I announced my idea to him a couple of weeks ago, his first response was, “Ummm…ok…but do you realize how many stockings we’re talking about here?” He makes me laugh. “Well, of course! Eighteen total…for now!” was my peppy response back.

I gotta give props to this guy. For almost twenty-eight years of marriage, he has graciously listened to my requests, big and little, and has done quite an amazing job of making my hopes and dreams become a reality.

He went on to ask, “Okay, but how on earth do you plan to hang eighteen stockings from our mantel?” My reply, “I don’t know. I guess I need to search Pinterest!” And off I went, looking up anything I could possibly find to hang A LOT of Christmas stockings. It’s one thing to hang them empty, but you need to have something strong in place that will hold them filled. In years past, I would shove a push-pin into the wall just above our brick mantel, but even those would pull out from the weight of the items inside. Many times, once filled, we would take them down and place them on the floor by the fireplace. So I was on a quest to find something strong and sturdy. I came across some fun ideas, like using those weighted hooks and hanging a curtain rod or tree branch across the hooks. Cute and practical…but even then, I was afraid it wouldn’t be strong enough.

About our mantel…we’ve pretty much hated it from day one. The fireplace is all brick and the mantel is only about 4 inches deep, if that. It has always posed a problem to put anything on top, unless it’s something small. And because we had to paint it all white (we had no choice, the original owners of the house had painted it orange with white in the grout…yeah, I know…very odd…) it’s always been sort of bland and boring, in my mind.

After days of searching, Pinterest was kind of failing me for ideas of what to do with my current mantel situation. But I did see some sturdy wooden ones in cabin-type settings and the wheels began to turn. I asked HB, “Do you have any left over wood from the porch project?” He must have seen the wheels turning in my head, because I could tell that he was getting where I was going with this question. He stated he didn’t, but then said, “But, I do have some salvaged posts from the back patio cover that I took down.” At that point, he went outside to search for something that might work. He returned with a long, sturdy and solid 4″ x 6″ post. It was PERFECT!

The man loves a good project, so he took some measurements, grabbed the saw and took the wood out back. Because we have a corner fireplace, the angles on the brick are really odd, but you’d never know because he cut it perfectly. This was actually a very simple project for him (made us wonder why we waited so long to do something like this), but wow…amazing results, as far as I’m concerned.

I tried to find a “before” picture, but it seems that I never really had a reason to take a picture of it. But, I now have a mantel that is strong and sturdy and will have no problem for eighteen Christmas stockings hung by the chimney with care.

~CindyLu

PS: That’s my Snapple Cap collection in the jars to the left – and my marbles (from when I was a little girl…I haven’t lost mine yet) in the jar to the right. 🙂

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

We had an early Thanksgiving this year. Real early!

My youngest son and his new bride were returning to their mission field in Mexico earlier this month, so the family decided we needed to plan something before they left. Yep, Thanksgiving came early…like, November 1st early. It had all the makings of our traditional feast and festivities. We had a wonderful time visiting, chowing down, and playing our annual game of Bingo!

An added plus was that it opened the door for the kids to spend time with other family members this Thanksgiving Day. No need to synchronize our clocks to fit in with other celebrations taking place. This year will be a quiet one for me and HB, but honestly, it sounds really romantic. I’ll still make “the” dinner, but just for two. Strangely, I’m totally okay with that.

That said, the problem with the earlier fesitivies…we all feel like we should be in Christmas mode! We feel as if Thanksgiving has already come and gone! Let’s put it this way…I’ve had my little Christmas tree up for almost a week now. It usually doesn’t go up until the day after Thanksgiving. And we’ve watched, at least, one Christmas movie. I suppose the nice twist to that is Christmas won’t feel rushed as it sometimes does. By getting a little head start, the season will feel like it lingered for a while – and I’m totally okay with that.

This has always been a magical time of year for me. Growing up as a 60’s and 70’s child, our home would take on a whole new life in November and December. My mom has always had a zest for fun and tradition. She would begin cooking up delicious seasonal meals. Did you hear that? My stomach just growled…no, seriously! Oh…and the baking…cookies, pie, popcorn balls, and my grandma’s fudge. Mmmm.
(My grandma always claimed she got ahold of Mrs. See’s recipe – and honestly, I wouldn’t have put it past her.)

Then there was my dad, an old romantic. There was just something about this time of year that put a dance in his step. He loved all sorts of music (and always had an awesome stereo system), so he’d fill our home with seasonal music…Bing Crosby, Dean Martin, Nat King Cole, oh…and Mahalia Jackson, singing “O Holy Night”…it still takes me back. Magical, spiritual…wonderful.

Can you feel it? Maybe it’s just me, but even talking about it takes me back. There was just a heartbeat in our home – and because of it all, they instilled tradition in me, especially at this time of the year.

So, I thought for the next month or so, I’d spend some time blogging about the holidays. Since we’re still a week ahead of Thanksgiving, I’ll definitely include that, but I’ll be directing most of my writing towards Christmas. As many of you know, HB and I are all about legacy, so we’ve kept many of our old traditions alive, but have added some new ones into the mix.

In keeping with my Simple Life Adventures (yes, I’m still working to achieve simplicity), from earlier this year, I’ll also share with you simple ways that we’ve brought the season into our home, without getting caught up in the commercialism that often comes along with the holiday. Blech!

The desire of my heart is for Thanksgiving and Christmas to always have deep meaning in my family. So, each year I start out by asking God to fill my heart with His perspective and to help me focus on family, friends, love, laughter – and, of course, the true reason for this beautiful season…His Son, Jesus.

So travel along with me as we enjoy and embrace this Christmas season together, because it really is…The Most Wonderful Time of the Year!

~CindyLu

Want S’more?

Earlier this week, in my “I can tell you this…” post, I included pictures from the rehearsal dinner we hosted for our son and [now] daughter in-love. In addition to setting up our fancy pizza spread, I also found the idea for a S’more Bar as our dessert – and I must say, it was a huge success! Many who attended the dinner commented on how they had seen pictures (fellow Pinterest addicts) but had never actually seen one in person or used one. Needless to say, it was so much fun to enjoy this first experience with so many others.

…and since my earlier post, I’ve received several e-mails asking how we made the boxes and what was used inside. So I decided today’s post would be on creating a really fun S’more Bar of your own.

I wanted mine to be three feet long and fortunately HB had scraps of wood to accommodate the request. He made these in about 30 minutes, tops.

For each box, wood was cut to these proportions:

2 – 1×4’s cut to three feet in length (these are the long sides)
1 – 1×8 cut to three feet in length (this is for the bottom)
2 – 1×4’s cut to 8 inches (these are the short sides)
⇒ Once cut, he used your basic hammer and nails to assemble.

Note: You can, of course, make your box whatever size you’d like. I wanted these specific sizes to fit either a 4-foot or 8-foot table, with room to spare.

Now for the fun part:

I bought the “safe heat” sterno cans at our local Sam’s Club. They come as a box of twelve, and we used five cans in each of our boxes. The flame lasts for up to six hours, so you’ll definitely get your money’s worth. In fact, knowing that I have these cans sitting around has me planning some-more mallow roasts this Autumn.

In keeping with the country chic theme of the rehearsal dinner, I wanted to fill my boxes with a cobble-style rock, (found at Lowes), but you can use whatever style of rock you prefer. Home Depot also carries something similar.

For roasting the marshmallows, I used 8″ bamboo skewers that I found at Party City, but I think you can find these anywhere. I just happened to be there getting other items and grabbed them. By the way, I did not have to soak them in water prior to using for the s’more bar (like you do when used for skewers on the bbq)…just put the mallow on there and roast.

I wanted everything to look pretty, so I put out separate bowls and plates for the graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate. That said, my brain has been working overtime thinking up additional items I could add, like caramel sauce and peanut butter cups. Yummo! Basically, whatever you’d like to eat on your s’more is worth adding to the table.

So that’s pretty much it…
1. make box (or find something else that is non-flammable and would work)
2. place sterno cans where you want them
3. fill with rock
4. put a mallow on a stick
5. have fun!

I’m actually planning a little family get together Saturday evening. To make it a little more in season, I visited my favorite store in the whole wide world – Trader Joe’s! – and picked up some cocoa mix, Pumpkin Spice Coffee and Spiced Cider. I pour the Spiced Cider into a crock pot and serve it hot – it’s a family favorite!

So there you have it…all of the information you should need to create a nice get together.

You will find, as you read my blog, that I’m all about connections; bringing friends and family together for some simple and casual fun. I also love traditions, new and old, and I know this new one will last for years to come.

If you make one of these, I want to know! By all means, send me your pictures!! I’m on Instagram (cindylu_coffeeandatypewriter), so you can always attach me to posts. As well…if you have any easy and fun things that you do, I’d love to hear all about it. I’ll post pictures of our event on Sunday.

Happy Autumn, Friends!

~CindyLu~

Things I Take For Granted

It’s true what they say, you know. Distance really does make the heart grow fonder. HB (aka my husband) has been gone for four days now. He’s serving with a team from our church down in Mexico; building a small home for a family in need. Awesome, huh?!

I’m so proud of what he and the team are doing there and so thankful for social networks, like Facebook, because I can chat a little bit online and see the daily upload of pictures. However…I sure miss his presence around the home.

It’s amazing…the little things that I just take for granted. There’s so much that he does, big and small, in our daily life together that I never even stop to just say, “Thank you” for.

He gets up earlier than I do and always puts the pot of coffee on. Oh, how I miss waking up to the scent of coffee and aftershave. We usually sit and have our first cup together, before we both head off in opposite directions. I’ve slept in each morning this week because coffee alone in the livingroom just doesn’t feel right. I miss not having an early morning conversation and the sound of his voice.

We have certain shows that we watch together. I watch very little TV while he’s gone. I don’t know, somehow I feel like I’m having a TV affair if he’s not there watching it with me. Besides, it’s just weird watching something like, “The Voice” and not having him there to ask me who I liked best – or me telling him, “Oh…that one was chill worthy” (I get chills if someone is really good. I know…I’m odd like that, but he “gets” me). So I’ll wait until he returns and we’ll catch up on Hulu together.

I’m also certain the dogs miss him something awful because no one plays with them or scratches their ears quite like he does. And on a couple of mornings, they’ve followed me around, sort of moping, until I finally realize that they’re still waiting for me to fill their food dish. HB is like clockwork when it comes to feeding them. I’m sure they will be whimpering with delight when he walks back through the door.

He just does scads of things that are so helpful to our daily lives; like stopping at the store on his way home from work, starting dinner because I get home after he does, moving my clothes from the washer to the dryer… The list could go on and on.

But then there are other things…the little simple things, like, how I get into bed with my ice cold feet (which is just about every night, regardless of the temperature outside) and how he reaches over with his leg to draw them in between his to warm. Or how he’ll say something so funny that it gives me uncontrollable giggles and then we both end up in tears from laughing so hard.

I don’t know…maybe it’s good for couples to spend a little bit of time apart sometimes. It truly does make you take notice of just how much they do. You really see the “team” that you’ve become together and it gives you a new and improved appreciation for one another.

He is my very best friend in the whole wide world. I’m so proud of what he is doing and so thankful that he’s able to be a part of this team…but I really miss his presence.
Thank you, HB, for all that you do.

Sheesh – I sound like a lovesick puppy, huh?
But, isn’t this the way marriage should be?

“Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.”
~Matthew 19:4-6

The Truth About Being a Grandparent

People often joke that the best thing about being a grandparent is being able to send the kids home. Well..while there is some truth to that, it’s only a sliver of what it’s all about.

It’s about…

…the way my grand kids act as if the sun rises and sets over me and I gotta admit, the feelings are mutual. It’s as if there’s nothing we could possibly do to change the unconditional love we have for one another. While their halo’s are sometimes dim, hanging crooked or bent into various shapes, they are still my little angels that I adore.

…the laughter we share in spite of our silliness. Instead of rolling our eyes at each other, we appreciate our unique sense of humor, because it’s part of our charm.

…the acceptance we share; how everything we say and do is done in a way that expresses how we are completely okay with each other. They are not afraid to talk to me about life because they know there’s nothing they could tell me that would shock me or change my love for them.

…seeing the world all over again through their eyes. When you’re raising your kids, it’s not always easy to take the time to get down at their level and enjoy their little world. You’re busy and exhausted taking care of the home. But as a grandparent, our world evolves around just them in that moment we’re together. I’m able to be attentive to every little thing they say and do.

…carrying on our legacy. For whatever reason, they are interested in what I have to share; my tidbits of wisdom that I’ve learned along the way, my stories about my parents and grandparents, my stories about me when I was their age. We dream together…about their future – and I encourage them to follow those dreams and dare to become whatever their hearts long for.

Being a grandma is amazingly awesome – and carries a great responsibility. I’m thankful that God honored me with such a title. And today…our sixth grandchild will be gracing us with his presence.

Not only do I wait anxiously for his grand appearance,
but for the day that I hear him say, “Grandma.”

My Thoughtful Spot

If you were to take a glimpse inside my window, you’d see me sitting here.

This may look like a pitiful little corner, but it’s actually my favorite place to sit.

It’s where I chat with friends, write my little ramblings, and dream of things big and small.

I could sit here all day long – and sometimes I do!

My great-grandmother had an amazing gift for writing…this is her chair.

My great-grandfather had an amazing gift for carpentry…this is his desk.

The two of them together…created My Thoughtful Spot.

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