Hahns @ Home

Brr! (Millbourne/Upper Darby Series)

2011-01-26T05:51:00.000-08:00

I woke this morning to a winter wonderland.This is the view from my front porch.

Note the tower, we will never lack for cell coverage.

And finally the train, we can view it from our living room. Thankfully it is a quiet one, they don’t blow their whistles and there are no freight trains that go by. It just means that public transit is really handy!

Current Culinary Adventures

2011-01-20T05:45:00.000-08:00

On Monday Sam and I had my in-laws over for dinner. We drove down to Reading Terminal Market and got fresh sausage and semolina flour. He whipped up the pasta and I

cheated making the sauce or “gravy” for you hardcore Italians. It was yummy!

On Tuesday I was confronted with the

need for mayo. I had hard boiled eggs and nothing to do with them. But I was s

tranded without car and the best store in the area is a mile away. Now I really don’t mind walking to it, but I do mind freezing rain. What to do? What did the pioneers do when they had a hankering for hellmanns? Hope on the internet of course and look up a recipe for how to make it themselves, so that’s exactly what I did! And let me tell you homemade mayo is one of life’s little pleasures!

New Post

2010-06-04T19:15:00.000-07:00

Here is a new post for my friends Becky and Andrea. Enjoy!

New Family Member

2010-01-15T13:14:00.000-08:00

My little brother Sam gave my hubby Sam a fish tank for Christmas. We love the tank! A week ago we bought four little goldfish to join our home. Their names are Annora, Delilah (She is the silver and gold one), Jacques, and Cousteau. We've loved watching the swim around and they look so beautiful in the sunlight.

Fall Favorites

2009-11-12T05:50:00.000-08:00

I love fall time! I love the smell of fresh baked bread and the scent of the leaf filled outside air. I don't like the shorter days, but I do like gaining an hours sleep. I like snuggling under the covers. The scent of wood fires makes me remember happy childhood days. I like pulling out my sweaters. I love fall knitting, people give knitters less crazy looks in the fall, as they realize that winter will soon be here.

Puppy Love

2009-09-20T19:48:00.000-07:00

My little brother is now an official dog owner. He put a down posit on his very own yellow lab. Isn't she cute! He hopes that she will become a friend and hunting companion and maybe one day a mother to her own litter of pups. She's only 4 weeks old and is still with her litter mates, but she already recognize him when he comes to visit her. Now all she needs is a name! Any ideas?

Home Again!

2009-08-30T13:45:00.001-07:00

Hi all we are home again after being gone for most of the summer. While it was a fun summer of hard work and gardening, it is very good to be home. Sam's classes have already started and mine start this week. I'm totally pumped for my last year of counseling classes to begin! On our way back from visiting Maine, we stopped to look for yarn stores, and stumbled across a wonderful fiber store instead. Portland Fiber Gallery & Weaving Studio, http://www.portlandfibergallery.com/, has incredible products and deals, and a very friendly, down to earth staff. If you live in Portland, Maine check them out.

Hooah and Amen!

2009-07-27T07:56:00.000-07:00

I was privileged to attend to very different services yesterday. The first was at my home church in PA. The age rang is diverse, though most of the congregation is 20 and 30 somethings. The dress code is from jeans to dresses. Tim's sermon started with a video clip from Pirates of the Caribbean and the remainder focused on 1 Corinthians 3. The fellowship was great!

Then last night I attended the new cadet worship service at the Cadet Chapel on West Point. The service consisted of Amy, myself, and about several hundred sweaty, tired, new cadets. It was the first chapel service I’ve been to where the worshipers placed M-4 weapons in the pews next to the kneelers. Instead of Amen, the Soldiers yell Hooah! The Chaplin, dressed in full battle rattle, preached a visual sermon on the armour of God. It was a meaningful and encouraging message to the worn down Soldiers.

It was awesome to participate in two very different services and feel the spirit of God so evident in each. I was struck with how ready the field is and how white it is for the harvest.

The Reason Why

2009-07-07T06:34:00.000-07:00

I found this on a fellow knitter's blog yesterday. I am not sure who originally wrote it, but is spoke to my heart about the reason why God has us wait for things. When I am in the pain of waiting I sometimes forget that His plans for me are good. At that moment it does not seem good, and in fact the wait can seem cruel. But God is good. He has used and is using the pain of my own wait to make me more like Him. I hope this poem is a blessing to you while you wait on God and learn to seek Him more.

Desperately, helplessly, longingly I cried;
Quietly, patiently, lovingly God replied.

I plead and I wept for a clue to my fate....
and the Master so gently said, "Wait."

"Wait? You say wait?" My indignant reply.
"Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!
Is your hand shortened?Or have you not heard?
By faith I have asked,and Im claiming your Word."

My future and all to which I relate
Hangs in the balance and you tell me to wait?
I'm needing a 'yes', a go-ahead sign.
Or even a 'No', to which I'll resign.
You promised, dear Lord,that if we believed,
We need to but ask, and we shall receive.
Lord, Ive been asking, and this is my cry;
I'm weary of asking! I need a reply."

Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate
as my Master replied again. "Wait."

So, I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut,
and I grumbled to God, "So,
I'm waiting...... for what?"

He seemed then to kneel,
and His eyes met mine...and He tenderly said,
"I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead and cause mountains to run.
I could give you all you seek
and pleased you would be.
You'd have what you want, but
you wouldnt know me.
You'd not know the depth of My love for each saint.
You'd not know the power that I give to the faint.
You'd not learn to see through clouds of despair,
You'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there.
You'd not know the joy of resting in me,
when darkness and silence are all you can see.
You'd never experience the fullness of love when the peace of My Spirit
descends like a dove.

You would know that I give,
and I save, for a start,
but you'd not know the depth
of the beat of my heart.
The glow of my comfort late into the night,
the faith that I give you when you walk without sight.

The depth that's beyond getting just what you ask
from an infinite God who makes what you have last.
You'd never know should your pain quickly flee,
what it means that My grace is sufficient for thee.

Yes, your dearest dreams overnight would come true,
But oh, the loss if I lost what I'm doing in you.
So, Be silent my child,
and in time you will see,
that the greatest of gifts, is to truly know me.

Though oft my answers seem terribly late,
My most precious answer of all is still, "Wait."

Hick Fun: White(ish) Water Rafting

2009-06-26T18:40:00.000-07:00

Mom and Little Sam had the amazing idea of taking the raft for a spin down the river. We've had rain almost every night for the past month, so the water was high and the current was strong. Sam, Little Sam, Kenny, and I spent about an hour blowing up the raft before the adventure commenced. We all gave ourselves headaches before we broke out the duct tape to the bike pump and finished filling up the raft. I am very thankful for simple inventions! Then we launched the maiden voyage, and promptly sprang a leak! Again, duct tape to the rescue! We completed two trips through the rapids before we spent some time swimming in the river. My favorite part was of course the rapids.

Mohawk

2009-06-23T07:37:00.000-07:00

When my parents went away on vacation they left strict instructions that little Sam's hair must be cut short by they time they returned. We both agreed that by the time they returned his hair would be short, but they failed to instruct us on what to do with it in the interim. The following photos illustrate what resulted.

Before Haircut:

Interim Haircut:

Strawberry Picking!

2009-06-23T07:35:00.001-07:00

Did I mention just how much I enjoy the summer? Last week I went strawberry picking and made two batches of jam. My favorite type of jam is strawberry-banana and you just cannot find that in stores!

Garden Photos

2009-06-23T07:22:00.000-07:00

This is red lolo lettuce.

The green bean forest.

When I left my parent's house on Friday there were five pea flowers, I cannot wait to try the season's first peas! I've already partaken in radishes, spinach, chives, and lettuce. I love my garden!

How the Garden Grows: Sweet Peas

2009-06-11T17:21:00.000-07:00

I love my garden! I've planted 4 types of peas (both shelling and whole eating), 3 kinds of carrots, 4 types of green beans, parsnips, turnips, 2 types of lettuce, spinach, swiss chard, 3 types of beets, 2 types of zucchini, yellow squash, pumpkins, Boston pickling cucumbers, 2 types of tomatoes, rutabagas, radishes, basil, dill, lavender, and thyme! Every day I check my plants, see what new seedlings are emerging, and my favorite to watch and help grow are the peas. I love helping them climb up the fence supports. As they climb they extend thin strands that seek out new support and as soon as they find it they attach by coiling themselves around. I love helping them grow up the right way and cannot wait till harvest. I've already harvested a slew of radishes: crispy, crunchy, and red. I am as happy as a pea in a pod getting my hands dirty every day tending my garden! Once my folks return I will use their camera and upload photos for y'all.

Turkey Hunting

2009-05-11T15:34:00.000-07:00

Little Sam, Patrick, my Daddy, and I all went turkey hunting together last week. Though we didn't get anything, we did have a bunch of fun stalking turkeys and calling them ever closer to us. Somehow those silly birds knew better then to come on our side of the fence! It was my job to call them, here turkey, turkey, turkey!

Too Much Studying!

2009-05-01T07:37:00.000-07:00

Tyler State Park

2009-05-01T07:22:00.000-07:00

Bowling with Family

2009-04-24T08:02:00.000-07:00

My parents and little brother came to visit last weekend. We all went bowling and did awful, but had a blast! I love bowling and I love my family, so it was a good combination. Here are some of the highlights.

My dad strangled Sam after realizing that Sam put his name on the score board as "Old Man".

Here's Little Sam bowling... and then there was one.

One of my favorite moments was Mom's victory dance.

2009-04-22T06:26:00.000-07:00

Knitting Lessons

2009-04-13T05:53:00.000-07:00

Our neighbors and good friends had us over for dinner on Easter Sunday. Their daughter, Avalon, has been asking me to teach her to knit for a while. So I brought over some knitting needles and a ball of yarn for her to practice with. As I was teaching her, her older brother Josiah watched intently. I asked him if he would like to learn. He said yes. So I ran home and picked up another pair of needles and yarn. Then I had two knitting pupils on the couch with me sandwiched in between them. It gives me such joy to teach others my craft. I'd say my pupils look quit promising!

Saturday Easter

2009-04-13T05:41:00.000-07:00

Sam and I cooked all day on Saturday to prepare our Easter dinner for his family. We made chicken and matzo ball soup, vegetable curry, sage roast lamb stuffed with mushrooms and spinach, mashed potatoes, and couscous with saffron. It was quite the do! We were blessed that Nita was able to come. She will be moving west soon, so we will not be seeing as much of her as I would like.

Wet Felting

2009-04-13T05:34:00.000-07:00

My little brother Samuel learned how to wet felt in art class this month. He told me all about the process over the phone and I made him promise to take pictures for me when he finished his project. He came down from New York to visit me this week and he did better then pictures. He gave me a beautiful, colorful, hand felted and designed purse! It is too cool! The purse is mostly green and greenish blue, with a purple and a red streak running through it. He also used a drop spindle to ply the yarn for the handle. Needless to say I am quite impressed!

Merino Makes Me Smile!

2009-04-03T06:02:00.000-07:00

This is the blue merino roving I purchased the other day at my local yarn store (LYS) The Twist Knitting and Spinning in New Hope. I am trying to spin it up quickly, so that I avoid vastly different weights as much as possible. This is a pleasure to spin and I am looking forward to knitting it up!

Knitting: Finish Objects

2009-03-29T17:29:00.000-07:00

I finished a few hand spun knitting project this month. I cannot even tell y'all how much I love spinning. I can do it for hours, which is good because it takes hours to make all the yarn I need! This is hand spun from a scrap of merino bamboo roving. I couldn't’t let such loveliness go to waste. So I decided that a choker would keep me warm, look cute, and use up the little bit of roving I had. I love being thrifty! It was a dream to spin and feels wonderful right against my neck.

The pink socks I made from mystery wool that I washed, carded, spun, and dyed myself. This is not the softest stuff ever, in fact I would not use it for anyone other then myself, but it has taught me a lot about the process of spinning.

Nature Walk: Loving the Little Things

2009-03-27T12:54:00.000-07:00

After sitting at my computer working steadily and not so steadily for several hours I decided to talk a walk with my camera. These are the favorite types of walks I take, as I get to search out hidden treasures, which helps motivate me to exercise.

After the darkness of winter, even grass looks beautiful.

I love the way that the darkness of the tree contrasts with the blue grey of the sky.I am not sure what either of these two things are, but I think they are pretty cool!

Some pretty little flowers:

And a mail box in the sky on a telephone pole, which always makes me smile whenever I see it.

Calling Congress!

2009-03-27T08:50:00.000-07:00

Every day as I listen to the news I feel like pulling my hair out! Our country's leadership are destroying the United States and enslaving our future generations through debt. Today I called two of my congressmen from PA and told them to vote against increased spending. When everyone seems to be drinking Obama Kool-aid, I am not sure if they will change, but at least they will hear the voice of reason and be accountable to it.

Spring Break

2009-03-25T08:26:00.000-07:00

For Spring Break I petted a shark, a sting ray, and a jelly fish! Yeah, no kidding, I really did. No matter what they say, those jellies still sting a bit! Sam and I went with our dear friends the Montgomery's to the Aquarium in Camden. Events like these become even more exciting when you are looking through children's eyes. My favorite parts, besides the liquid petting zoo, was the jellyfish display and the swimming hippos. There was this big cylinder with jellyfish floating up and down like an enormous lava lamp. Jellyfish are very beautiful creatures.

Campaign pledge?

2009-03-24T12:04:00.001-07:00

I resent that ribbing from my readership, though I cannot defend myself against it. I will strive in the future to update more frequently, as often as my high paced adventures allow.

Sincerely,

The Editor

Yarn Dealer

2009-03-22T17:11:00.000-07:00

I just got back from the Twist Knitting & Spinning! Where I was just going to pop into, and see if they had any sales. Sam laughed in doubt when I told him that I would be only twenty minutes.

Well I would have only been twenty minutes unless the lovely yarn store owner, and yes she is truly wonderful :+), came over to help me as I inquired about the least expensive roving she has in stock.

We got to talking and she asked if I wanted to try some to spin. How could I refuse? Then she asked me what I have spun so far, cheap mystery wool, some lovely fawn colored alpaca, and a merino/silk blend that came with my wheel. She then went from roving bag to roving bag picking up various samples of wonderful wools, set me down at a wheel, and let me test spin them all! Wonders of wonders! I was in heaven.

I was able to test spin blue face Lester (BFL), corriadale, a special island sheep, merino, and a merino/bamboo. It was so educational to try all the different types of wool at the same time.

Thanksmas, The Franklin Institute, and Christmas Parties, Oh My!

2008-12-08T06:40:00.000-08:00

This was a busy weekend! To start we celebrated Thanksmas, our special Hahn family tradition started when Sam was gearing up to deploy in 2005. It is a Christmas meal typically held before Thanksgiving as a way to celebrate the Holiday early. This year we celebrated it with our friends Nathan and Laura and their four kids. Then on Saturday we all piled into their Suburban and heading into Philly where we went to the Franklin Institute. We've gone to the museum before, but due to its hands-on nature it is so much more fun with kiddos along. We all had a blast chasing the kids and playing, I mean, helping the kids play with the interactive exhibits! To finish off the flurry of a weekend on Sunday we had two Christmas parties to attend, a neighborhood party, and a church party. All in all we had a wonderful time.

Project 365

2008-10-10T12:17:00.000-07:00

In Ravelry, online knitting and crocheting community, there is the Project 365 group. Their goal is to take at least 1 picture a day for a whole year! I am not sure if I am ambitious enough to join, but I thought that I would try it for a month. Here is the best photo I took from this mornings jaunt around the hood. Can you guess what it is?

Birds of a Feather, Shot Together

2008-09-29T17:01:00.000-07:00

Sam went hunting for the first time with my Dad and his friend Patrick. Sam was assigned a pointer hunting dog who helped to flush out the birds. They shot two birds each. Next time you see Sam ask him to tell you the whole story, it was awesome! I dare say that a life long love of hunting was hatched over the weekend. (Or as Sam-Paul put it--an instatble blood lust has begun!)

Stash Enhancement!

2008-09-19T14:59:00.001-07:00

I finally got a shipment of yarn in after watching its progress as it trekked along all the way from Washington State to Pennsylvania.

It feels like Christmas in September, and in fact it is! The yarn I ordered will be magically transformed in all sorts of Christmas presents for my adoring family. Can you guess which ball is in your future?

Styer Orchard Date: Kind of Fruity

2008-09-19T14:59:00.000-07:00

Being that we are both graduate students and therefore monetarily constricted we decided that we had better start being creative about date nights. So I decided that a blind date to the Orchard would be fun. It combines apples (which Sam loves!!!) with together time (something we both love!) and it fits nicely into the grocery corner of our budget (which our future loves)! Score one for the home team! It was a big success and we had a great time harvesting away.

We picked Macones, Jonathans, Macintoshes, and Honey Crisp apples, as well as eggplants and tomatoes and peaches.

I think that the peaches were myfavorites!

Woolly Blessings From Heaven

2008-09-04T08:55:00.000-07:00

Several weeks ago was the week of 'woolly blessings'. It all started when I went to a knitting group called "Pins and Needles" in Roxbury, NY. I meet Donna, the group's founder, who let us know that if we ever wanted wool for spinning, she could get us some. And boy did she come through! A week later she gave me 25 pounds of raw Romney wool! In the same week I meet a wonderful, grandmotherly knitter/spinning at the fair who taught me how to spin on her wheel! She spent an hour and a half with me, then later that night gifted me with some wool and a drop spindle! It was an incredible night, the type that made me feel very loved by my Lord and reminded me that I am His daughter.

Last of the Mohicans

2008-08-12T10:46:00.001-07:00

Copy of camra 033
Originally uploaded by jen_meg82

A few weeks ago my little brother came bounding up the drive way shouting and hollering that Mom was letting him and his buddy, Patrick, get a Mohawk. Then, they asked if I could cut their hair! You have to understand that I come from a traditional, straight-laced family. We don’t do Mohawks! After a few moments hesitation, I thought sure, why not. I started with the caveat that if parents disapprove I would buzz it right off. Noreen, Patrick’s mom, took it in stride, but Noreen was eager to see how my Dad would handle it. That evening at the Little League game Noreen called the boys over and had Patrick take off his helmet. My dad chuckled, and then Noreen called over Sam. He sheepishly whipped off his ball cap and my dad made that special smile that he reserves for such occasions, the one that is accompanied by a head shake. Then he let Sam keep it for almost 2 weeks! Sam surely is the baby of the family!

On the Road Again!

2008-07-30T21:06:00.001-07:00

DSCN3155
Originally uploaded by jen_meg82

As some of you know my Dad tore his hamstring. We know it was serious because he allowed me to be his driver. ;+) I helped him out doing "road work" (inspections of home for insurance companies) last week. It was a lot of fun and a lot of driving! He took me to the Catholic school he taught and here is a picture of his gym

the sacrifices we make

2008-07-25T20:07:00.000-07:00

Sam went to the gas chamber this week as a part of his training. He has now done this not once, but twice. You go into it with your gas mask on, crack the seal, say your name and social, put it back on clear the seal, then walk to the door, take it off, say name and social and class motto with your group and then they let you leave. (and puke). Very effective, practical training. Gas masks are our friends.

Welcome Baby!

2008-07-12T09:57:00.000-07:00

My nephew Victor Octavian was born 7-6-08. He weighed in at 7 pounds 6 ounces. I am already smitten!