I never fully knew the meaning of “making do with what you have” until my cabin life began. Living without a washer and dryer causes me to rely heavily on the hospitality of others. One of those people is my neighbor, Sammie, who helped sew the lace curtains for the cabin. She has turned her home into a Chinese laundry of sorts just for us. Not only did I leave with clean clothes this week, but hemmed pants as well. She pulled out this enchanting array of threads and found just the right color to match.
Some of these threads were from her mom’s collection!
This old fashioned, personalized tag speaks of an era gone by. Something about them inspired me to continue sewing and encourage this desire in my generation who barely knows how to thread a needle.
Our simple dinner last night tasted delicious. Partially due to the fact that we had worked hard all day and didn’t sit down for a bite until about 9PM. Sammie furnished us this recipe which we labeled, Cabin Stew.
1.5 lbs. ground beef
Onion, chopped
Bell Pepper, chopped
5 Potatoes, peeled, sliced in rounds
Salt and Pepper
Can of Whole Tomatoes
Arrange in layers in casserole dish in order ending with the tomatoes on top. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for about 1.5 hours. I cut the ingredients in half because our little toaster oven wouldn’t fit a large casserole dish. Thank you, Sammie!
Chris Wiesinger, the Bulb Hunter, founded The Southern Bulb Company to share his finds with the world. 
Oh gosh, all that thread reminds me of Dr. Whites class!
I am going to make that stew tonight!!! It looks so yummy and I love that you just have to pop it in the oven.
And I have to say I was indeed enchanted by the array of old-fashioned sewing things.
PS I bet you could also add squash.
Please give me a copy of the photo from Aunt Sammie’s sewing box, Lil Bulb. Nana Dodson was the most wonderful grandmother….. She made every winter coat I wore till I was in the 7th grade and thought it was too UNcool to wear home-made clothes. What I wouldn’t give to have my Nana to sew again. She died in 1982, when I’d been married only a few months. She’d made almost everything for my wedding, including the tablecloths for the reception and a beautiful cover for my guest book. She pricked her finger while making the cover and a tiny drop of blood was on the edge. Over and over she told me she felt just awful about “messing up” the cover. But that drop of blood from her labors makes that cover one of the most precious things in my possession. Thanks for sharing your day at Aunt Sammie’s with me. c:
Loved to read these memories…remember those days, thanks!