Tag: Valentine’s Day

If Tablecloths Could Talk…

I always enjoy setting a pretty table, and decorating for a gathering. Recently I was getting ready for one such gathering. As I was ironing a white, square tablecloth with Hardanger hand-stitching around the edges. I wondered who made it, and how many tables it has graced. If only tablecloths could talk.

The Norwegian Hardanger pattern stitched on the white tablecloth.

I inherited this beautiful tablecloth from my Auntie Ag…and I’m sure she got it from a relative in the Hardanger area of Norway, who hand-stitched the pattern. There are so many relatives over there who can knit, stitch and sew, but Aggie is gone now, and I have no one to ask.

I don’t normally iron tablecloths, but sometimes one must. I wanted to use this white tablecloth for a book shower I was giving. Even though it wasn’t the right size, I made it work. As I was ironing it, I found a couple of light stains. I didn’t mind. It tells me it has been used, and loved. 

My red tablecloth used near Christmas and Valentine’s Day festivities.

I have had a red tablecloth for many years – it’s “wash and wear” – no iron, and it’s been used on many occasions, especially around Christmas time, and Valentine’s Day. It has many stories to tell. 

My red tablecloth covered by a lace tablecloth…

Our dining room table has four leaves, so it can extend out to seat twelve comfortably. I have two celery green tablecloths…one to fit the extended table, and another smaller one. I bought them almost 30 years ago when we bought our dining room table… they have stories to tell too. Mostly of dinner parties, which I enjoy hosting.

A beautiful piece of fabric from Africa that I use for a tablecloth at times.

I have a few other tablecloths in my small collection, and many pieces of colorful African fabric that I either bought in Africa, or my daughter-in-law has given me. I used them occasionally for tablecloths. They are dramatic colors and patterns and add a festive touch.

In lieu of tablecloths, I will use place mats occasionally.

My limited collection of tablecloths includes two plastic ones that I bought when the grandchildren came along, so we could cover the table when we worked on crafts.

Tablecloths do have histories…if only they could talk.

Off to Class

All ready for our 1960’s class.

The topic for this week’s 1960’s class we are attending was “Sex, Drugs and Rock & Roll”, the counter culture of the 60’s.

So we dressed the part. I’m not sure turtleneck sweaters were part of the dress scene but I did put a flower in my hair…not a daisy like my original debut in 1967.  Gary wore a bandana around his longish, gray hair. That’s about as ‘hippy’ as we get! 

It is a very interesting class and we are really enjoying the discussions.

Hand-made Valentine’s Day cards made by students at the ALC.

***On a different note: The previous week our 1960’s class fell on Valentine’s Day. Before class three high school students from the Alternative Learning Center, which meets in the same building, came into the classroom and handed out hand-made Valentines to “the seniors.” It was sweet, however, for some reason it made me feel old. But, I guess I am considering I was alive in the 60’s! HA


Valentine’s Day Tradition

Projects my granddaughter has been working on for Valentine’s Day.

I have written about our Valentine’s Day dinner tradition before. It began years ago when our boys were young. I wanted to make the day special and start a tradition, hopefully one that would last. I decided to make heart- shape French toast…which over the years morphed into waffles because I found an electric waffle maker that made heart-shape waffles! 

The box calls this a “Heart Waffler”.

I have made this dinner for many Valentine’s Days over the years. Even after the boys left home, I would make it for Gary and me. The tradition has lasted and it continues…

This year we have our grandchildren living with us so I will be getting out the red tablecloth, using fun Valentine’s Day napkins, and making heart-shape waffles for them. I think they will love it – just as my boys did when they were little.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Valentine’s Day Dinner

Years ago, when our boys were young we started a Valentine’s Day dinner tradition; heart-shaped French Toast. I’d buy a loaf of day-old bread, use a cookie cutter to cut out the heart shapes – saving the crusts to feed the ducks at the pond near by- make French Toast batter to dunk the bread and cook them up.

Then along came electric heart-shaped waffle makers (I have very fond memories of eating heart-shaped waffles at my relative’s homes in Norway.)  I  bought a waffle maker and switched to heart-shaped waffles for Valentine’s Day dinner, which I continue to make each year even though it’s just the two of us now.

This year, when I was up north at my uncles paging through a magazine, I found Norwegian Waffle recipe that looked good. I wrote down the recipe thinking it might be similar to the recipe they use in Norway. We decided to try it on Valentine’s Day.

In the morning I checked the ingredients and had my husband stop to pick up a couple we didn’t have on hand, and I stopped at the co-op in town to get cardamom ( maybe the secret ingredient??? ) However, I was so excited to try this recipe that I didn’t pay any attention to the quantity it makes until we had already started the batter, and then we decided it was too late to turn back. Well, four cups of milk and four cups of flour, one and a half sticks of butter plus additional ingredients, makes a lot of batter! We could have had the neighborhood over! We laughed.

We decided to make up all the waffles and freeze them…hopefully they’ll be tasty toasted.