Tartans & Such

My husband’s family is part Scottish, as is mine.  We enjoy going to the Long’s Peak Scottish-Irish Festival at Estes Park, CO every year, and have been participating in the parade for a number of years now.  Several years ago my siblings-in-law and I got together to buy my Father-In-Law a kilt outfit for Christmas so that we could all do the “Scottish thing” together.  As I was in charge of researching where to buy something of high quality and within our price range, I spent the better part of a month looking for a reputable business with which to deal.  I searched through companies in the USA, since that is where we live, and I searched Canadian & overseas businesses.  I found many, many companies that sell kilts and kilt accessories!  I was overwhelmed at first with how many places you could buy all things Scottish.  I needed to narrow it down somehow.

As it turns out, that was fairly easy.  Not many of the businesses I found at first carried the Hume tartan, which is what the Rutherford clan wears, having been a sept of the Hume clan.  None of the US or Canadian businesses at that time carried this tartan, so I looked overseas.  One business stood out at once for selection, good reviews and excellent customer service.  That company was Scotweb.  I can’t say enough about the kindness and attention their customer service representative gave to me as I asked question after question before I even placed an order.  Since Hume isn’t the most popular tartan, it was a while after placing my order that the kilt and other things I bought arrived.  But it was totally worth the wait!!  The kilt was so beautiful and well-made, I immediately wanted to order one for my husband and son, and a kilted skirt for myself!  Dad loves his kilt and still wears it to the Highland Games every year.  Mom bought herself a hostess skirt outfit to match Dad’s and ties and bow ties for her grandsons.  Mom & Dad had their portrait taken in their tartan finery, and the picture hangs proudly in their home.  I bought tartan yardage and made kilts for my sons (I have had 3 more boys since the initial order was placed!) and they proudly wear them alongside their grandfather in the parade in Estes Park and in the clan tent.  Hope to see you there this year!

Chickens

Remember back in April I said something about having animals on our land?  I was thinking maybe next summer we would get a few chickens and see how things went.

Providence has seen fit to let me find out sooner how things will go.  A friend had to move away on short notice, and I ended up with her chickens!  There were 21 hens and a rooster when I went to get them (they were young, so they all fit into one large travel dog kennel).  5 weeks later,having lost 2 (one to the neighbors’ dogs, the other to ???)  they are getting pretty big, and we have gotten up to a dozen eggs a day in the last few days.

our first egg

This is the first egg we got from our young hens.  You can see the colors in some of their feathers here as well.  We have Rhode Island Reds, Speckled Sussex, and one Golden Laced Wyandotte.  The rooster is a Speckled.

Here you can see our handsome rooster.

Peter named him Luke Skywalker

The chicken with many names

This beautiful hen has had many names.  The previous owner named her Betty.  When I brought her home she escaped from the pen 3 times the first day, so I called her Henny Houdinni.  For a while the kids called her The Queen because she was the biggest and oldest (1 year old) of all the rest of the chickens.  Lucy named her Sally Henny Penny, and I usually call her Henny.

Here are a couple of our Speckled Sussex hens.  Margaret named the one on the left Sparkles.  The one on the right looks too much like the other hens to have her own name yet.

Rhode Island Red hen

This hen has no name.  Neither do any of the 15 Rhode Island Reds.  They all look alike.  So I call them all “Chicken.”

Pretty Red

Ain’t she purty?

Right after we took this picture, the kids came in with another egg.  They lay eggs all day, not just over night, apparently.

40% off Sale at Aquinas and More

Starting today and going through the rest of August,  Aquinas and More is having a 40% off inventory reduction sale.

There are books, t-shirts & hoodies, scapulars, Loretto medals, clergy sweaters and collars, prayer cards,  and more… There’s even a Christmas card and a set of Advent candles, if you are thinking ahead (remember last year when you tried to find Advent candles a week before Advent and they were all sold out?).   I have my eye on the beeswax tea lights.  They’ll be nice for the table when we celebrate St. Lucy’s Day or Night Prayers on Christmas Eve!

Wordless Winds-day Winter White Wash

A Time to Sow, A Time to Reap

I have been thinking for a few years that we should have farm animals out here on our little plot of windy prairie grass, but it was always, “Maybe it’s too windy. Maybe I am too weak/lazy/pregnant/insert excuse here. Maybe some day.”

I have recently been introduced to the idea that if I have usable land and I am not using it, perhaps I should not be occupying it. And the idea that physical work is good for us, especially if there is something good that comes from the work, like food!

We are also thinking that the price of food (dairy products, meat, and fresh produce especially) is not easily within the reach of larger families. So….

5.5 acres of prairie grass + 9 children + 2 adults = potential farm! Just add barn, chicken coop, cow, and chickens, and plow up part of the land for crops.

I know it will be hard work and that we will be “tied down” and won’t be able to go anywhere. But we don’t go anywhere anyway. We can still make it to Mass, which is the most important thing. And we will have meaningful work. It will, God willing, produce food for our family to eat and to share. It will provide something to do besides watch DVDs or play Farm Ville on Facebook. It will help our children grow, and challenge us all to make better use of our bodies, time and resources. It will give us more opportunities to reach out to those in need, especially if by God’s Providence we end up with more zucchini than we can use or freeze for later!

How to Simplify Your Life In 5 Easy Steps

First, go and sell all that you have and follow Jesus.

Second,…Oh wait. Not so easy? We are very attached to our “stuff” aren’t we? How do we learn to let go? A wise friend told me that he couldn’t tell me what to get rid of, but this advice would help me see what to give away or sell and what to keep: Find out what you are NOT going to be good at so that you can be good at something else.

Hmm. So, maybe I don’t need to hang on to the fabric and sewing patterns for Civil War dresses and Renaissance re-enactments for another 10 years, just in case I ever get into it. Or the maternity dress pattern and fabric I have had for at least 7 years. Yes, I know I am pregnant again and I might have more kids after this, but I don’t really have time or space for sewing a dress for myself. Someone else can use it before it goes out of style (again). Maybe I will not learn to decorate altar linens with fine hand-made lace or tatting. Maybe I won’t learn to smock heirloom dresses until my kids are grown up and out raising their own families. Piano? Our teacher has moved to another state and we’re not looking for a new one. Besides, we haven’t really had lessons for at least 2 years. Someone else can use it. St. Patrick’s Day decorations that someone gave me: I have never decorated for St. Paddy’s Day beyond a green table cloth, so I don’t need to store a bin full of green tinsel and a giant green leprechaun hat.

The kids have bins full of papers that they never look at, so why are they taking up square footage in the back room? We can’t really use the room because it is full of stuff we don’t use!

I have always dreamed of building a family chapel on our property, and I have always looked outside for a place to put it. But if we just get rid of all the boxes, bins, and piles in the back room, it would be the PERFECT place to sit in the quiet and pray, no matter what the weather is like outside.

Ok. Step one: Look at one bin every night and decide if I am going to sell, give away, or throw away the contents. Pray for me!

New Year, New Business ~ January 2010

Hello everyone,

A few weeks ago I sent out a note to my tea newsletter recipients stating that the tea company for which I was a consultant was going out of business. I also mentioned that I would let you know if the business would continue in another form. Well, it will!!

Now you will be able to get your favorite Let’s Do Tea teas at Aquinas and More Catholic Goods! Meredith Tiezen, owner and founder of Let’s Do Tea has decided to turn her home party business into a wholesale business, and I am starting a new company called Propers and Ordinaries: Hospitality for the Domestic Church in order to bring these wonderful teas to you. I may be able to sell my wares online at www.Aquinasandmore.com as well, so stay tuned! I will be setting up a display at Aquinas and More on the corner of Flintridge and Academy in the near future (as soon as I finish the paperwork for opening my own business).

Propers and Ordinaries will emphasize hospitality as its main focus, and I hope to eventually offer more good products to help you open your hearts and homes to others in Christ’s name. I will start with teas and go from there. I will honor Aquinas and More’s policy of not selling any products from China, so I will be looking for teapots and other tea accoutrements made in the USA or other countries. I will continue to have a newsletter, so if you want to receive it and were already on my list, you don’t have to do anything. If you are not on my list and would like to be, just let me know!

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact me!

In Christ,

Paula Rutherford
Propers and Ordinaries
Hospitality for the Domestic Church
1 Peter 4:9 “Use hospitality one to another without grudging.”
rutherfordfamily@msn.com
kittyeleison.wordpress.com

Favorites: Faith and Family Magazine

Today I want to tell you about Faith and Family.  This is one of my favorite magazines, and the only Catholic magazine I read regularly.  There are many fine Catholic publications out there, I am sure.  There are many I would like to read.  However, as a homeschooling Mom of 8, I appreciate the immediate application of Faith and Family.  I like that I can look in the section called “The Season” and find activities and prayers that I can use to celebrate the liturgical season right away.

I appreciate the fine art that is depicted within the pages of Faith and Family.  For example, in the July/August 2009 there is a section dedicated to the Year of the Priest, with beautiful, edifying paintings by Francois Marius, Pietro Longhi, Nicholas Poussin, and others.  All of the pictures depict various “jobs” a priest performs in the fulfillment of his vocation, such as anointing of the sick and hearing confessions, in a most beautiful way.  I may not have time to go to a museum, but Faith and Family brings great art to me and brings beauty to my world of washing dishes and changing diapers.  In a way it helps me see that my life, as mundane as it may seem, is my way to heaven, and that washing dishes and changing diapers are acts of love and service, and pleasing to my Lord.

I will write more about Faith and Family another time.  As you can imagine, I don’t have tons of time to write reviews.  I have a vocation to live, and it just can’t wait.   I will say one thing, though.  Faith and Family can be a great tool in fulfilling that vocation.

See what I am talking about HERE.

Faith and Family Magazine Giveaways!

Some of today’s giveaways are from Ian’s store, Aquinas and More Catholic Goods!  Click on the link and leave a comment for a chance to win!

Faith & Family Live! : Gourmet Coffee, Beautiful Books, Marvelous Music & More

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Tea Newsletter ~ December 2009

Hello everyone,

Can you believe it is only two weeks until Advent starts?    For all of you in the Colorado Springs area, I will host a Let’s Do Tea party at my home on Saturday, December 12, 1-3 PM.  If you will be visiting the area, let me know – you are most welcome!  There will be a door prize drawing and extra chances to win for anyone who brings a friend.  If you can’t attend but are running low on your favorite teas, let me know and I can add your order to that party – if you live in Colorado Springs you will get reduced shipping!

Paula Rutherford

Let’s Do Tea

Independent Tea Consultant
kitty.letsdotea.org
1 Peter 4:9 “Use hospitality one to another without grudging.”
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Let’s Do Tea monthly specials:
There’s still time to take advantage of the November Specials!  For November 2009, hostesses will receive 15% merchandise credit toward anything in the catalog, PLUS one of the following: a free tin of tea (any tea $10.95 and under), a box of any size Tea Sacs, an Empress strainer, or November Hostess Gift ~ Mug with Infuser (any color). Plus: $500 or more in sales and receive an extra 1/2 off item!!!

Customer Specials for NOVEMBER:
1. Old Amsterdam 6 cup Teapot &
Warmer Combo: $12
(Blue: #1100, Yellow: #1101,
Royal Blue: #1102, Red: # 1103
Green: #1104, Plum: #1105
Burgundy: #1106)

2. Stump Teapot $15 (red)

3. Mt. Shasta Set $20 (any color)

For December, hostesses will receive 15% merchandise credit toward anything in the catalog, PLUS one of the following: a free tin of tea (any tea $10.95 and under), a box of any size Tea Sacs, an Empress strainer, or December’s Hostess Gift: A 6-cup Old Amsterdam Tea Pot AND matching warmer set!

Customer Specials for DECEMBER:
Tea for Two Book $5

Empress Strainer or Snap Infuser $1

Mug with Infuser $15

Crazy Trio $25
(#5000 Chocolate Strawberry, Cinnamon Stick, Winter Dream, Chocolate Almond, and Fountain of Youth)

You can see pictures of most of these items at kitty.letsdotea.org – see my featured items!

Fall Seasonals (available October 1 until December 31):

#3501 Toffee Cream:
Black Tea, Caramel Drops, and Natural Flavors.

#3502 Figgy Pudding:
Black Tea, Fig and Date Bits, and Natural
Flavors.

#3503 Peppermint Bark:
Black Tea, Peppermint, Vanilla Bits, Candy Cane,
and Natural Flavors.

Teas are $10.95 each or $28.95 for the Trio. Trio
includes 1 ea. seasonal tea. Trio #3500

Recipe (you can send me your favorites to be published in future issues!)
Drop of Tea Cookies
Here is a special recipe from a special book, Have Your Tea & Eat It Too! by Carrie V. Peterson, a Let’s Do Tea Consultant!

3/4 C. vegetable oil
1 C. sugar
2 eggs
1/2 C. honey
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 C. Let’s Do Tea Bourbon Street Vanilla Rooibos Tea, brewed strong and cooled
1 tsp. vanilla
3 2/3 C. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cloves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Beat oil, sugar, and eggs until well blended.  Add honey, vanilla, and water and blend.  Stir in all dry ingredients.

Drop on greased cookie sheet by the teaspoon full or by cookie scoop.

Bake for 15 minutes.

Yield: 2 dozen cookies.
If you try this recipe, let me know!  I will forward your comments to Carrie!

Tea Party ideas
Advent is full of wonderful feasts!  Why not celebrate St. Nicholas Day with Peppermint Bark Black Tea and candy canes for your family?  Or St. Lucy Day with Drop of Tea Cookies and a cup of hot After 7 Rooibos Tea for your neighbors?  Invite them over for dessert and candlelight.  Lovely!
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If you have any questions regarding Let’s Do Tea, hosting a tea party or a catalog party, ordering teas without having a party, or becoming a consultant, please feel free to contact me.

If you aren’t already, but would like to be on my mailing list, please contact me.

If you no longer wish to be on my mailing list, please contact me.

Paula Rutherford

Let’s Do Tea

Independent Tea Consultant
kitty.letsdotea.org
1 Peter 4:9 “Use hospitality one to another without grudging.”