Native Language & Culture Camp

Aanii (hello in Anishinaabe)!
On July 25-27th hubby and I had the pleasure of attending our first Native American Language and Culture camp here in Manistee, MI.  Some of you may already know but for those of you don't, I am half Native American, from my father's side who belonged to the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians (LRBOI) from our area. My siblings and I and all our children are official citizens of  the LRBOI.  One of the reasons why my hubby and I moved up here.

Four sessions were held daily and it was so hard to choose from but here are the few that I attended:

This was the first session I attended, learning to make Indian Corn Soup.  Did you know that Indian Corn Soup takes three days to make?  The corn is the reason why it takes so long but oh so worth it.  Here the kids are removing the corn kernels from the cobs.  It took awhile because the corn kernels are hard.  On the left two ladies are putting wood ash (real wood not pre-treated wood) in a cotton cloth and tying them into small sacks that then get put into the soup with the corn kernels.  Ewwwwww!!  That's what I thought at first too!  Come to find out, the wood ash helps the kernels to open.  How in the world did the Native Americans ever figure that out??  Don't worry, any wood ash that seeps out is rinsed away.

Here's the delicious soup three days later.  Broth, chicken meat were added.

There was plenty to go around for everyone at the camp, almost 300 people.  I plan to make some this coming Fall so look out for the post/recipe.

One of the moms there was carrying around this papoose.  I would've loved one for my kids.  They are so snuggly and secure.

I attended several sessions learning to speak the Anishinaabe language.  I have such a LONG, LONG ways to go.  The key is not to give up.  We must keep it going for generations to come!  **Hint, hint to my kids and my grandchildren and future grandchildren!! :)

This guy was braiding sweet grass.  I'm not sure the purpose for it.  I'm still learning but I just took the picture because I thought it was cool

Making baby moccasins.

Making baby moccasins.

Here are the pair of baby moccasins I made.  My first try!!  We used strong felt material to make these and to practice with.  I will be making some soon out of deer hide and I can't wait!

Here's a picture of the moccasins with a vase my sister painted years ago.  Now she's the one with all the artist talent!!

I went around the camp when I wasn't in one and just took pictures.  Here is the session of Plants & Medicines Important to our People.

Here are the youth having their own sessions separate from all the others.

Drummers doing what they do, drum. :)

This was such a fun time for hubby and I.  He didn't attend some of the sessions with me but we both learned a lot.  I was most fascinated by the elderly woman speaking the Anishinaabe language.  Some stories they told were in English as well, one about eating Muskrat brains when she was little (I almost choked when I heard that one).  Another spoke about harvesting wild rice in the area we live in.  I also learned to make fresh teas from blueberries and Sassafras which apparently grows wild all around upper Michigan.

Anyway, that was our weekend.  I'm so looking forward to next years.  We are allowed to bring non-Native friends so if you're interested in learning more about the Native Americans and want to come up and join us, by all means please let me know.  Or perhaps you can be allowed to attend a camp with your local Native American tribe.  A great learning experience, especially if you are a teacher.

Until next time,

No Sew Under the Sink Curtains

Need a quick and easy way to make curtains under your kitchen sink?  Look no further.

This is what you'll need:

• A pair of cafe curtain panels (big enough for your "window") I found mine at K-mart
• Scissors
• Pins
• Tension rod - measured for window and ready to go
• Liquid stitch
• Hot iron (DO NOT use steam)

Feed the curtain rod through one of the curtain panels and place it under the sink where it will eventually end up.

With both hands, grab each side of the panel and pull up to the length you want your curtain.

At the same time, make sure the folded edge meets where the rod is.  Wrong side touching wrong side, pin from one edge to the other.  This folded edge is your new curtain top edge.

Iron folded edge but make sure to remove pin first, one at at time until the whole edge is ironed flat.  While you're at it, iron the rest of the curtain if it needs it.

I turned over the panel (I'm not sure why) but this is just to show the ironed edge.

Open up the panel, lay flat and about four inches from the ironed edge (towards the top edge), cut straight through.  If you need to draw a line, us a yard stick and pencil and lightly make the mark on the wrong side of the curtain panel.  I can pretty much eyeball myself.

Fold down the raw edge about 1/2 inch (wrong side facing wrong side). As you fold it, iron it as you go all the way across.

Open up the edge and place a light stream of liquid stitch NOT a giant blob like mine :/  Do it all the way down the edge then fold over.

Heat the folded/glued edge according to directions on the liquid stitch tube.

Once the edge is "stitched" add another stream of liquid stitch on top of it.  Go all the way down then carefully fold over.

Repeat ironing step.  Set aside and repeat the same process with the second panel.

Here are the two complete panels side by side.  We're very close to being done!

Now take your tension rod and feed it through the new inserts of both panels.  Make sure the panels are facing the same way.

I pushed the rod against my countertop and spread out the curtain panels evenly and fluffed up the top edge.

Place curtains in "window" and voila!  We are done!  This project took no more than 45 minutes from start to finish.

It's that time of the season for Sunflowers, that's why I chose this pattern.  I will be replacing these curtains come Fall and come Christmas.  How fun is that going to be?  and of course I will be saving all my curtains to reuse for years to come.

Aren't they adorable?

Question I have now is, "what do I do with the tier?"  There's got to be something I can make out of it!  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!  Thx!

I learned later that I shouldn't use the liquid stitch with sheer fabric.  It says it right on the tube where I somehow missed it until it was too late.  I can see why it says it though, you can see the liquid stitch straight through the fabric.  Not good if it's out in the open for everyone to see BUT since I used it for under my kitchen sink, I don't think anyone will take notice but you may reconsider using sheer fabric for your project.

Until next time,

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Inspire Me Monday #18

Sneak Peek of my White Kitchen

For those of you following my deranged mind about painting my knotty pine kitchen cabinets, well here's a sneak peek.  I am basically done with removing all 30 cabinet doors & hardware along with all the washing, sanding, wiping, drying, priming, drying, painting, drying and then reattaching the doors & hardware.  Click  here to see what my knotty pine kitchen cabinets looked like before the transformation;  Knotty Pine Kitchen

And of course with every major project, there will be mistakes.  In this picture you will see it.  It can be easily fixed,  I'm just SO embarrassed, but hey I'm keeping it real here.  Can you find it?  I'll let you look for it and let me know what it is.  Oh well, that's what happens when undertaking such a magnanimous job.

I will post the final project once we're done with several other tasks within the kitchen.  Hope and pray you're having a great weekend.

Until next time,

My First Ever Shasta Daisies

With only seven weeks in our new home, we continue to get settled in and decorate the house.  How fun it has been to bring in my very own flowers from my own garden into the house to brighten it up.  With an empty vintage plant box I found at an estate sale and seeing many other bloggers do the same, I was also able to use three of my blue canning jars as vases for the daisies.  I've been told that picked daisies last a long time as long as they have plenty of water.  I'm so thrilled to have an already made garden when we moved into our home and am forever indebted to the previous owners.

Have a blessed day.  Until next time. . . .

Cherry Crumb Cake

I had some cherries in the refrigerator needing to do something with them.  I had already sat on my porch several times, eating a bowl full each time.  They're so delicious but I wanted to eat them a different way.  I scoured the internet for a recipe using fresh cherries and picked this recipe because I also had all the ingredients.

My sister went cherry picking yesterday in Northern Michigan near Traverse City.  She bought me a bucket full.  Look how big they are!!  They are so big, sweet and delish!!!  Have you had any fresh cherries this summer yet?

Click here for the recipe:  http://www.alessprocessedlife.com/2010/07/whats-baking-cherry-crumb-cake.html

This cake is so easy to make.  Try it and enjoy it with a nice cup of coffee.  I'm looking forward to the morning :)

Until next time . . .

**UPDATE** on Race to the Mac

The Chicago Yacht Club held it's annual Race to Mackinac today.  When I heard about it on the news yesterday, I had to check it out to see if the route would be sailing by our neck of the woods. . . .

photo image courtesy of Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac

. . . and sure enough, it does seem like it.  Above is a map of Lake Michigan and of the race course.  I just heard on the news that the course is 333 miles and it's the oldest fresh water race on record.  The racers will not stop until they get to Mackinac Island.  Ever been there?  Here's a link to it, check it out (it was the featured in the movie, Somewhere in Time, with Jane Seymour and Christopher Reeves). Mackinac Island. 

Photo image courtesy of Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac
 

The sailboats will be passing pretty close to Manistee, where we live.  I was sitting on my front porch this evening when I noticed what a beautiful sunset we were having.  I ran into the house and told hubby I had to rush to the beach to try to get the sun setting over the lake and perhaps I would see some of the sailboats racing by.

As soon as I got to the beach (just five minutes away from our house) I couldn't believe my eyes.  The view was spectacular!! (This is also the location of one of two lighthouses here in Manistee.  This one is known as the First Street Lighthouse.  The other lighthouse, the most popular one is to the right of this one). 

As I stared onto the horizon, I could see many specks from left to right and I knew it was some of the racing sailboats.   I was hoping my camera would capture all of them up but this was all it could get (note the arrows).  I got so excited to see the sailboats and all I wanted to do was tell all the racers out there that we were rootin' for them and praying for their safety.

I'm not familiar with the race since I just heard about it yesterday, but here is the link to their website where you can learn all about it and perhaps, maybe someday, participate in it. :)  Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac

As the sun hid behind the clouds I decided to head back.  To my right and across the ways is the most prominent lighthouse in our town, The North Pierhead Lighthouse.  I'm not sure if that sailboat headed towards it was one of the racers or perhaps just some local folk returning to land.

It was such a beautiful evening, I wanted to capture every moment.  The sky went from pink to blue and it was getting a little chilly.

This was on the opposite side from the last picture.

and here's the road back to shore and to the parking lot.  I was back home in 5 minutes.

Until next time,

**UPDATE**  Sunday, July 20, 2014

Here's an update on the race from this morning (07/20/14).  I made sure hubby dropped me off on our way to church.  I got so excited, I was able to see a dozen more way off in the distance.  In this picture I can count 11, how about you?  Can you see them??  They're the tiny specks on the horizon and not dust on your monitor screen.  Click on picture twice to zoom in.

There is one sailboat in this picture but it's hiding behind the trellis.  Zoom in and look real close.  Without the camera I could see it perfectly and it was one of the sailboats I had seen closest to shore.

Until next time . . . .. -Bev