two Greiner dolls Rachael dressed for me

The doll in the wild brown and blue print is a Greiner patent head, with the black stamp used before the printed label. They typically have this batty look which just sends me! I feel so fortunate to have a few dolls dressed by Rachael Kinneson. They are standouts! E

Thanksgiving at Sarah's house,19 of us

Chocolate Sheath cake I make often

Chocolate Sheath Cake, quick easy under 1 hour cake, start to finish
Sift and mix together in large bowl and set aside:
2 cups sugar
2 Cups flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp soda

Bring to rapid boil in a sauce pan, stirring contantly, then add to bowl and stir till well mixed:
2 sticks butter
(I use one stick butter in this pan, and add 1/2 cup apple sauce to the liquids later
plus a dash of salt to replace salt that would be in the butter.)
1 cup water
4 Tbs cocoa

Mix and add to bowl:
1/2 cup buttermilk (you can use plain milk)
1 tsp vanilla
3 eggs

Mix well and pour into 11 by 17 greased and floured pan. Bake 22 to 23 minutes at 400 degrees.

Begin icing 5 minutes before cake is done.

Melt togeher in saucepan and bring to a boil:
(VERY easy to scorch and ruin!!)
1 stick butter
1/3 cup milk
4 Tbs cocoa

Remove from heat and add fast:
1 box of sifted powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup pecons broken
Beat it quickly and pour and spread over cake while hot.
When cool, cut into squares and serve directly from the pan. This is a rich delicious chocolate lover's cake with the touch of cinnamon as is often added to Mexican chocolate recipies. Edyth

Wednesday before Thursday!

It is countdown now to turkey day, we will be swamped with details of that. Yesterday China and folding chairs and blue napkins went to Sarah's house from ours. I gifted her permanently with one of our old Ironstone platters. I love to turn them over and see the dear old English marks. We will carry the turkey over tomorrow and slice it onto our best wheat pattern ironstone platter, very large and grand indeed. There will be three turkeys cooked three ways, and a ham. Many sides and many deserts. Norman Rockwell will be right there in spirit. About 20 of us will be eating there. More O'Neill branches will be in two other gatherings here in Fredericksburg.
Sarah and her mother Beth and I all have large amounts of the same china patterns. We are always able to pick up more from each other and serve groups nicely. Before the fire I had service for 36 in Spode indian tree. Some was damaged, I lost a lot of cups, and some other pieces were crazed from the heat. I still can serve over 24 in basic pieces. Beth concentrated on Spode's Christmas tree pattern, she has enough for about 30 of us in that. Sarah has the Spode blue room reissue things, including a nice amount of Spode Itallian. I have all three in our cupboards, as well as a bit of Spode tradewinds which mimics the old chinese export dishes with red sailing ships. Jack always says of us, we never met a dish we did not like!!!
When Great Granddaughter Bailey Elizabeth was about 3 she was making her way into the living room with a doll size tea set to show off, and dropped the teapot and broke it! Up went this heartbreaking wail, "Oh my China!" We were all in the livingroom and heard her and rolled our eyes. Poor little thing will love it as we three older ones do! Of course we showered the child with more tea sets. The beloved dishes are just a symbol for the joy of repeating the traditions once more, the beautiful ties of having 5 generations in households a few blocks apart in a small town. We count this among our greatest blessings to be thankful for, that we are close together on a daily basis. E

Glorious fall party

Our Antique study group met in San Antonio this month, and the day was one to savor. You can make new friends, but you can't make old friends is true of us who have been enjoying each other's collections for so many years. I took a lot of pics and want to share just a sample of them here. Notice in particular the mounding of fall arrangements up high on top of cupboards, and the pan rack over the island. Our food was served on the island, and then carried to individually decorated tables.
Lots of us are doing our own Thanksgiving tables this week, Blessings to each of you and your families. E

Needlecraft for Today cover 1978

The old dolls have been my passion since the early 1950's. My mama collected a few when she could, always, and I bought my first one on my own at age 23, about 1954. I was interested in the hooked rugs and clipped a few of them from American home magazine in the 50's and 60' but did not encounter anyone who knew how to make them until 1978. The rooster rug was my first one, it hangs in daughter Beth's house. Being on burlap rather than linen and having been used on the floor many years, attacked by moths and mended by me on one small corner, the rug could easily be sold today as 1930's antique. The cloth doll Minerve was with us a number of years, then traded to a dealer in Pennsylvania for a mache. She has a wonderful profile and a fierce expression, rather daunting to small children, whom I have seen back away from her after a close look. Sorting through old magazines which threaten to engulf us, it was fun to come across this one. E

Saturday is for yard sales

How we enjoy the weekly treasure hunts, often returning empty handed or close to it, but about once a year we find rugs! Today we came home with 14 simple sterling rings, another nice Texas Crock for a group Jack is enjoying assembling, and two terribly abused rugs, both now scrubbed and thouroghly rinsed and drying on our back deck. The light one, my favorite, has an actual hole in it, not large, and I will patch it from the back with a piece of wool in a friendly color and with the all over pattern you will not notice it. Pictures of Jack with his crocks are from 2 weeks back, the little brown one has the name of a Fredericksburg Merchant on it, made for that business. Jack loves old American pottery and always lights up when he sees that. The crock he found this morning ( not pictured) is a simple cylindrical one, with spots and the Leon slip brown intereior that says "South Texas".
We miss the big antique shows and the great Brimfield markets we once played in, but let me assure you we are dangerous in the local competition! Have a Great Weekend, Edyth