Posts and Christmas

Just wanted to say that starting  December 1st,  I will mostly be posting to my Christmas blog,  since after that time everything is usually about the Christmas season.     So if you like you can follow from  here
Thank you  - Betsy

apples and fruitcake

This is the 3rd Christmas I have made fruitcake.  -  This is the first time I made one  from King Arthur flour website .  It's  called  - "our favorite fruitcake  recipe"  in case you want to look it up .    I tweaked it some. The flavoring I mixed in the fruit mix some natural lemon flavor and vanilla.  Since that ingredient says that it like vanilla with a fruitty essence.  
My fruit mixture had a variety of dried fruit,   dates and lots of walnuts, pecans, and slivered almonds.   Orange juice was  poured  over the fruit and nut mix to set in fridge over night.
Apple  cider I purchased from Paughs orchard a week and a half ago to pour on cake to ripen.
Steve really likes it and it probably won't last long.  I love nutmeg and used over a  tablespoon in the mix.   
Turned out really well,  Hope there will be some left for Christmas.

As you can see - I ddin't get to fancy with the placement of the fruit and nuts on top

but is still colorful

I baked my fruitcake in a greased glass baking dish , slice the cake into six log shapes

ripening

 The house smells so good when I fix apple sauce

my fingers hurt from the peeling,  but it's worth it

I  love apple pie  - I made a few jars to have on hand

I hope to post soon on my Christmas site soon

It's getting close

Betsy

Hollywood Cemetery

     Hollywood Cemetery - established in 1849.  Named for the many holly trees that dot the landscape .
It's designed in a rural garden style with areas fenced in with seating for visits from family and friends. 
Several ghosts stories associated with Hollywood as with most cemetaries,  like the dog at the childs grave

The iron dog used to sit in front of a store in Richmond.   Children with the last name of Reese would go by  and play on it and pet it.  It was bought by I believe the grandfather who placed it here to save it from being melted down to make bullets when the Civil war broke.out   The dog marks the graves of Reeses children.   

You can see candy placed in the niche of the headstone

One story says the dog has chased away visitors from the childrens graves

(ghosteyes.com is where I took some info on hollywood cemetery)

lily of the valley - purity and innocence

crypt in side of hill

stained glass in crypt

fenced in family plot with seating

I

doors to crypts

  there is vampire legend about a Mr. W.W. Poole who was an accountant that died in the 1920's

who was buried in one of the crypts here.  

 There was a train tunnel collapse in the year 1925 in Church hill

A fireman was shoveling coal in the steam tank of a train , the tunnel caved and the tank ruptured which burnt the fireman Benjamin Mosby badly.   Burned horribly- with skin hanging  and  several teeth broken -running he made it to the opening of the tunnel in shock before the collapse,  he died at Grace hospital the next day.   It has been passed on that someone saw the burning man run to Pooles crypt and that is how th legend of the vampire  came about.    

 I have also heard that Pooles crypt has been broken into so many times(by satanic cult)  with his bones found in another area of the cemetary.   Also heard that he has been moved to another  cemetery because of the break ins.

 There are so many tales out there - who knows really

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Twenty five confederate generals are buried here .  Two are George Pickett and J.E.B Stuart

In 1869 a 90 foot granite pyramid was built as a memorial to more than  18,000 men of the confederate Army who are buried here.

It's been reported that  moans have been heard in the evening coming from the pyramid and that cold spots are felt.     This is a beautiful place,  well maintained and people everywhere - doesn't matter to me,  I want nothing to do with this place in the late afternoon.  

swords crossed - death in battle

Reports of being followed by the eyes of some of the statues here

After reading the haunted stories  and seeing the statues,  I guess the mind starts playing tricks

I never see or feel any of what the haunted tales tell - during the day anyway.

I am sure at late evening it looks scary with the shadows casts by the

statues and grave stones.

Beautiful monuments to the deceased - Lamb , innocence

Our Lady of Lourdes

The cemetary over looking the James River.  Symbolizing for some the River Jordan 

Lovely old iron fence

An earlier post I wrote about a woman who was visiting told me this was a whisper wall and

it does work,  my friend Carolyn sits on one end while I on the other whispered to each other and it carried our words to one another.

Till next time

Happy Haunts on  Halloween

Betsy

few b'day pics

Last Saturday was my b'day.   Annette and John baked me a cake and had fun designing and covering it  a pretty color blue  marzipan.    It was huge and gooooood.    They brought me a sewing machine which I needed so much,    I like the idea that it is easy to use and easy to thread.      I have already started sewing my curtains and making some Christmas gifts.   Derek and Miranda brought me a gift certificate for Michaels,  a store I visit very often.    A Christmas dog from addy that sings.   I got very nice gifts from friends and family and so appreciative  every one.  
Here are a few pics of last saturday.   

Annette and John holding niece Adalyn-love the party outfit she has on.    They are back here from the base in Arizona-Annette brought the Arizona suntan  with her.

Addy and her dad Derek, (she has those little lips pursed)   missed Miranda as she had to work

Look at those little flapping ears to jingle bells

Seth took this pic outside and it was dark without the flash -

Tyler,  Ryan Alaina live in Hawaii -  they sent me this pretty colored pictures and some sweet pictures of themselves

sweet pictures of the three of them

They fixed the ping pong table up and there is not only cake but ice cream too,  didn't sleep a wink this night ,   both were so good.

I like this machine as it sews quietly and easy to use

I love the Midsomer murders series -  the scenes are shot on location in various places in England.   Beautiful country side and cottages - aahh I really like it.

 Steve got me the set

A few weeks ago while traveling through Gordonsville Va.   we stopped at an antique shop

I saw this doll and love it,   Steve got it for me as a surprise.

Handsome grandson Seth holding his cousin adalyn,

Seth brought me flowers - He looked so sweet getting out of the car with them

My sister Donna made these-love'em

I have already started reading this book and can't put it down.  Very interesting story about F.W.Woolworth from Jennifer

carolyn

I loved everything and had a good time,  first time in ages that Annette and John and Seth were here as military life makes it a little hard to get together often

I hope I get another post before the wind knocks my connection or electricity out

I am praying  for everyone safety in the path of Sandy,  we haven't gotten wind yet but are supposed to, it is raining some at this moment

Betsy