Variety is the Spice

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A Tour of Fall Foliage

November in Vermont brought 16 inches of snow!

Green River Covered Bridge, Guilford, Vermont

River Road, Guilford, Vermont

The Tuesday Tinker - Altar Space

Grow, Transform and Fly Magnets

We all have a place in our home where we keep our most precious things.  It could be the crayon drawing your now grow child drew when she was three years old, it could be a favorite picture of you and your dad, it could be a knick knack you picked up on a family vacation.  Altar Space has several of these spots and collections about her home, including a handmade altar table where she keeps her favorite crystals, rocks, and any other trinket that has special meaning.  She tries to carry this theme of sacred and special things in her shop, hoping to allow others to find something lovely to add to their collection.

The Sunday Supplement - On Location with our next Tuesday Tinker

Most of the country, and particularly those of us on the East Coast, have been glued to the coverage of hurricane Irene.  We have several Etsy Freethinker Team members who live in her direct path.   I, altarspace, am one of those!  However, I live in Vermont, so it won't be as bad for me as for others.   The whole teams thoughts and prayers go out to MarthaHorman who is really really in the direct path of Irene and deciding to ride it out.  She has made good preparations and made sure she had all the beads she would need to weather the storm and complete the beading project she started.  In an effort to get the Sunday Supplement created and on the web before our power goes out, I figured I would share pictures of the preparations we have made for Irene.

Water storage!  We filled every container we had in the house.  Don't worry, this isn't all we have, there are 6 large jugs of water on the kitchen floor.  We are keeping these cold to help cool the frig when the electricity goes out.

Weather radio, lantern, flashlight.  We have candles too.

Our makeshift altar, where lot's of praying is being done to protect us, our house and those we love.

We know we will lose power so we plan to spending the day making art, playing cards, and praying that the river by our house doesn't flood over it's banks, the trees behind the house don't fall on us and that the road to civilization doesn't get washed away!   So while we are riding out Irene, you can visit my etsy shop for all your spiritual decoration needs.   Stay tuned for aftermath pictures!

Tuesday Tinker - altarspace

altarspace creates original one of a kind journals.  In addition to treating yourself, they make thoughtful gifts. 

Visit her store to see her other journals... and the other lovely things she creates.

Sunday Supplement - On Location with our next Tuesday Tinker

Altar Space just moved to Vermont, a dream in the making for about 6 years.  She knows that all the beauty that now surrounds her will definitely inspire her paintings and craft work.  Not only is she happy about this, so is her bulldog, Pete, who now has a huge yard to play ball in!

Need some spiritual inspiration yourself?  Come visit Altar Space's shop or check out all the great artists that make up our Freethinkers Group!
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the Recipe Corner - Banana Nut Bread

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter - Softened
2 eggs
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3-4 over ripe/ripe banana's - mashed
1/2 pecans - chopped (optional) 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease a larger/regular size loaf pan.

Combine sugar, eggs and butter. Beat with mixer until well blended. Slowly add in 1 cup of flour, mix until incorporated. 


Mash the bananas in a separate bowl, then add to mix and blend. Slowly add the remaining cup of flour, baking soda and vanilla. Chop the pecans, add to mix and blend one last time. 


Pour mix into loaf pan. Cook for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, careful to not overcook. Once out of the oven, let cool coompletely, remove from pan and store wrapped in tin foil or your choice of covering.


Recipe compliments of altarspace.

The Recipe Corner - Bear Logs

Peanut Butter Banana Granola Rolls - aka - Bear Logs 


You will need:

1/2 medium banana

1/4 cup Peanut Butter (almond butter/cashew butter - smooth to crunchy -whatever you like best)

1 cup unsweetened granola (I used a organic store bought brand, which tend to be sweetened, but that has cranberries, almond, sunflower seeds)

wax paper

Mash and mix all ingredients together. 
Dump out onto a piece of wax paper and form into a log. Place in freezer for about 90 minutes. Take out and slice into 1 inch slices. 
We cut off a slice to eat and kept the rest in the freezer. You can put a slice in the microwave for 10 seconds if it's too frozen. They have a nice creamy crunch and are very filling and addictive. 


Recipe compliments of alterspace.

The Recipe Corner - Stove Top Cabbage

Serves Two - double the recipe if you want leftovers.

½ head of green cabbage – chopped into 1” squares ½ onion - diced ½ apple – diced 1-ish Tablespoon of Olive Oil 2-ish Tablespoons of Butter (Use more olive oil if you don’t want to use butter) 2-3 Tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar (or whatever flavor you like and to taste) 1-2 Tablespoons of Brown Sugar (to taste) 1 vegetable bullion cube (can be chicken or beef if you like) ½ cup of water Salt and Pepper to taste Add oil and butter to large frying pan. Heat while chopping onion and apple. Add to pan and stir. I put the salt and pepper in at this point too.  Chop cabbage and add to pan. Stir to coat all the cabbage. Cook on medium heat and let cabbage reduce just a bit and start to get transparent.  Add the vegetable bullion, water, vinegar and brown sugar and stir well. Keep on medium heat stirring on occasion, but let everything reduce and the water reduce out as well.  Taste to make sure your vinegar and sugar levels are to your taste. Cook until the cabbage is tender and to your desired level of texture.  Serve with chicken or turkey sausage, spicy mustard and a hard roll or as a side. Excellent accompanied with sweet potatoes and ham as well. Enjoy! Recipe complements of altarspace.

Tuesday Tinker - altarspace

altarspace began making intention charms for friends. “I had a friend who just broke up with a boyfriend and I thought it would be nice to give her something pretty and positive, so she could find her true love. She not only found her fiancé, she rekindled her love of music and art”, says April Judd of Altar Space. “I made another for a friend who was pregnant with her third child and was feeling a little down about not having time for herself. I made her a charm full of feminine energy, self confidence, and love. If anything, it’s a reminder for the people I make the charms for that I am thinking of them and that they have someone on their side.”

SUNDAY SUPPLEMENT - On location with our next Tuesday Tinker

altarspace was born and raised in Dallas, Texas, but now calls Connecticut home. She has a degree in Studio Art, with an emphasis on painting. “Nature has always been my church and I try to paint the essence or spirit that my painting subject holds”, says April Judd of Altar Space. This philosophy made its way into the crafts that Altar Space now creates for her Esty shop.

Coffee with Cream and Sugar ... by altarspace

This Treasury was created by altarspace, a member of our Team.

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