Mrs. B's Family Stories, Then and Now

Superstitions

2012-02-11T04:44:00.000-06:00

I am not a superstitious person and I do not believe in the supernatural, but I do believe in something we call luck or chance. It's hard for me to define luck, but I think I am a lucky person. I feel lucky. That doesn't mean that I think I'll win the lottery, or come into a fabulous inheritance. It's just a feeling I have.

I not only have a feeling of being lucky, I make up little reasons why I'm lucky. I know my pretend lucky signs are just that, pretend, but they are fun and I change or add to the list when it suits me.

Currently, Camel cookies are a sign of luck. I buy animal cracker cookies in a large plastic 14 0z size container from Sam's. When I grab a hand full of cookies and find a camel cookie, it's lucky. If I get more than one, the luck doubles.

I also pretend numbers in sequence bring me luck. When I glance at the clock on the microwave and it reads, 2:20 or 4:44, that's lucky. Whenever I check the time on my cell phone, any combination of like numbers brings luck and if there are more than two, the luck goes up accordingly. The other day, on the 25th of January, I woke early and checked the cell time. It read, 25,5:55,55 Now that is REAL LUCK!!!

Camel Shape

Sponge Garden

2012-02-04T05:24:00.000-06:00

I am growing a tiny garden on a kitchen sponge.

One day while I was filling my canary and parakeet seed feeders I wondered what would happen if I sprinkled some seeds on a wet kitchen sponge and kept it moist for a few days. I had a hunch the seeds would sprout and if so, I'd have some fresh greens for the birds to eat.

Since this little experiment worked, I'll start several sponge gardens and test various seeds to see which sprout easily, perhaps lettuce seeds.

Sponge Garden

Humor by KimB

2012-01-30T05:36:00.000-06:00

Humor

Humor is a welcome twist,
In the midst,
Of the angst.

Cause by the dread,
And the fear,
That ends the year.

Of forms to be filed,
And taxes to pay,
By end of the day.

While we race through the forms,
to finish on time,
and avoid any fines.

Gives us a laugh and a grin,
and Humor it’s said,
keeps us ahead,.

Puts a smile on our face,
as we contemplate fate,
and review our estate.

In the State & the Feds,
We know if we search,
There’s an abundance of mirth.

And in spite of our woes,
Shows there’s fun to be seen,
On lines in between.

KimB Feb 1996

Trees

2012-01-28T04:57:00.000-06:00

To celebrate Arbor Day in Houston, Texas, volunteers planted 25,000 trees in four of the cities parks. The goal is a million trees for Houston. Back in my grade school days, the school made planting a tree on Arbor Day a big event by having children plant the tree.

Long before I seriously began my study of art, I used to draw trees. I found the various shapes of trees interesting and drew them on scraps of paper. When we lived on the asparagus farm, there was a beautiful poplar tree along the gravel road that I could see from my bedroom window and I often made drawings of it.

Among the trees I knew in my childhood was Black Walnut, Butternut, Oak, Maple, Flowering Lilac, and many kinds of fruit trees, including pear, apple, cherry and plum. Living in California we had Orange trees, tall Palms, giant Sequoias and Pines. In Texas I became familiar with Magnolia, Myrtle, Dogwood and Pecan trees.

For some years I was a member of the Arbor Day Foundation and would receive 10 free trees every year to plant in the area in which I lived. I either planted them or gave them to others who would plant them. The Arbor Day Foundation has a Hazelnut Research Project inviting people to become patrons and receive three Hazelnut bushes to grow. One can Google for more information about the project at the Arbor Day Foundation Hazelnut project.

I once saw a magnificent collection of 2 and 3 hundred year old bonsai at a museum in San Francisco. I've tried making bonsai but was never able to keep one growing for more than a short time. I either over watered them or had to leave them behind when I moved.

We lose many trees when hurricanes and tornadoes happen. Knowing how beneficial trees are to our environment, I think the government should start a national push to re-forest the country. Trees might help us thru those hot days of summer as the planet continues to warm up.

Lovely Trees

Weather

2012-01-21T05:56:00.000-06:00

I can't believe the warm January days we are having here in Houston, Texas. It has been 70 degrees and higher with no predictions of cold weather. Several times recently, the weather reporter on TV has said cold weather was due , but it never materialized. I have experienced various winter weather patterns in my life time, but frigid, snowy days dominated.

In those long ago school days, my siblings and I wore heavy coats or snow suits and snow boots. The boy's snow boots had a knife pocket, which I always thought unfair since the girls boots were just plain. We also wore knitted hats with pom poms on the top which were called tokes [sic, recte tuque].

One of my earliest memories of blizzards was when I was in the first grade and walking home from school. I was unaware that it was a blizzard, only that it was very cold and the wind was so strong I had to walk backward when the cold gusts pushed me off the sidewalk. The sleet pricked my face and walking with my side turned toward the wind helped. About half way home, my mother appeared in the blowing snow and sleet and held a newspaper in front of my face and put her arm around me as we walked the rest of the way home.

In those early school days of my childhood, Dad was often asked to leave his inside job of switch board operator at the phone company to help linemen who were working to restore telephone lines that had come down during blizzard conditions. It would often be late in the evening when he would get home. Mom would have steaming coffee and a hot meal waiting for him. I watched as he took off his heavy clothes and unlace his boots, and rub his hands together to get them warm, all the time telling Mom about how bad the weather was and how many miles out in the country side they had to work.

Having a 'white' Christmas was special, and we were rarely disappointed. One year my husband and I spent the holidays with his family in Philadelphia. I had been told about the sledding on the hill near the house, but there had not been snow all season so I was not going to enjoy a sled run down the hill. Imagine my surprise when we woke Christmas morning to find everything covered with a thick blanket of powder snow!

My first Christmas away from home was in San Francisco and I spent the day joining other sun bathers on the beach under the Golden Gate bridge. The temperature was 85 degrees. I still remember how strange it seemed to wear my bathing suit on the day I opened my Christmas presents.

The Mistral winds of the southern of France are similar to the Santa Anna winds of Southern California. When my husband and I were on our walking trip thru France, Switzerland and Italy, we experienced them on the return route to Paris. We were told by the inhabitants that the Mistrals often lasted a week, and after experiencing them for three days, we understood what people meant when they said Mistrals could drive you crazy.

Living here in Houston, I've become familiar with hurricanes and hot, humid temperatures of 100 plus degrees. While watching videos of glaciers breaking apart in huge chunks, demonstrating climate change, I can't help but wonder how people will cope and endure the drastic changes predicted. Humans are resilient and resourceful, so I have no doubt they will find ways. I can only imagine the strange garb they will be forced to wear to protect themselves. In the meantime I will continue to knit sweaters for cold, windy days, and blankets for cold winter nights.

Highways and Byways
I knitted this blanket for my son's Christmas present 2011

Flower by KimB

2012-01-16T04:45:00.002-06:00

Flower by KimB 2005

Election Money

2012-01-14T04:51:00.000-06:00

The huge amounts of money the candidates campaigning for President have raised and continue to raise is an OBSCENITY! Where does all this money come from? It certainly isn't coming from those in the 99% who are looking for work and struggling to put food on the table or families desperately trying to avoid being homeless.

There is a race between super PACs to raise ever higher and higher amounts to pay for television adds, which spew negative propaganda against competitive candidates. The media also adds to the mania with endless speculation night and day of who's up and who's down in the hourly polls they run.

The schism between beliefs of what government is and how it should work is drastic. Some advocate business oriented programs with less regulation. Some want government to limit personal rights. Some threaten loss of national security if their views are not accepted. They all invoke the constitution intimating they alone know exactly what the founding fathers meant but rarely mention liberty and justice for all.

In my opinion, its the power elite doing what they do best, make certain they continue being the power elite.

Is this any way to elect a president?

Even though worker capacity and motivation are destroyed when leaders choose power over productivity, it appears that bosses would rather be in control than have the organization work well.

Margaret Wheatley, How is Your Leadership Changing?©2005

The Egypt Game

2012-01-07T04:50:00.000-06:00

I'm playing the Egypt game again. The name of the game is A Tale In The Desert 6. There is no combat in the game, only role playing with avatars of people and animals. Avatars can plant and grow veggies, fish, build buildings and monuments, create fireworks and have festivals. Avatars achieve levels by solving puzzles. Each 'Tale' last about a year and a half, then a new 'Tale' starts. This is the 6th version of the game or "telling".

So far I have reached level 5. When you earn a new level you get "zapped" by lightening. My palace is on the Red Sea right on the waterfront. I have plam trees and date palms in the courtyard. I have sheep and camels too. If I want to travel to any other part of Egypt, I have to take a chariot to where ever I want to go. I do not plan on reaching a high level in the game as some players do.

I enjoy doing the simple things and have as much fun as those trying to be the first to reach the highest level possible. In the last Tale I designed a mall with trees, fountains, and lanterns.

I may do something similar this time. It all depends on how much time I devote to playing the game. I started knitting a baby blanket for Heidi, my sister Esther's, granddaughter, who is expecting a baby next month. We don't know if it's a boy or girl so I am using colors that will be for either.

Getting ZAPPED!

New Year 2012

2012-01-03T10:50:00.000-06:00

New Year aspirations of 'peace and good will' burst into full flower as we sang Auld Lang Syne and toasted each other for health, wealth and happiness. During the hours of celebration we forgot personal troubles as well as those plaguing the nation.

As holiday events fade into memory and the ringing bells of 'peace and good will' fall silent, our economy again takes precedence and we concentrate on matters personal. Our personal resolves give way to old habits as government officials continue to seek ways of easing the plight of those who have lost, or are losing the 'American Dream'.

Air ways have become saturated with rhetorical boasts of politicians declaring they have solutions to the nations problems, Our teetering economy is causing a great deal of apprehension. The belief that hard work would let you live the 'American Dream' is no longer true. The struggle to maintain this illusion does not result in achieving the great 'American Dream' much to the chagrin of those who have lost jobs and homes thru no fault of their own.

There are solutions to the disparity of those who have and have not. We just have to be courageous enough to opt for them. Perhaps this is the year we will find a way for families to get back a semblance of tranquility and prosperity and the country regain a stable economy.

Auld Lang Syne (English Translation)

Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind ?
Should old acquaintance be forgot,
and old lang syne ?

CHORUS:
For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we'll take a cup of kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

And surely you’ll buy your pint cup !
and surely I’ll buy mine !
And we'll take a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We two have run about the slopes,
and picked the daisies fine ;
But we’ve wandered many a weary foot,
since auld lang syne.

CHORUS

We two have paddled in the stream,
from morning sun till dine† ;
But seas between us broad have roared
since auld lang syne.

CHORUS

And there’s a hand my trusty friend !
And give us a hand o’ thine !
And we’ll take a right good-will draught,
for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

Highways and Byways

2011-12-31T04:05:00.000-06:00

Highways and Byways

Highways and byways
Old and new
Some less traveled
Some with a view

From old familiar places
Up hill and down
To wide open spaces
And around town

Thru hot sandy deserts
Or cold mountain snow
Some are fast
And some are slow

From border to border
And between coastal shores
Lie many old favorites
To visit once more

No matter how varied
From beginning to end
Highway signs show where you are
And where you have been.

Marion Bigelow December 2011

So How Does YOUR Garden Grow?

2011-12-29T14:21:00.001-06:00

KimB

The weather here in Central California has been cold recently. We've had almost no rain so it's a good thing I opted to put in a drip system for the container garden. Mostly I've been able to ignore the garden. Didn't seem to be much going on. The all plants sprouted and so did the potatoes. The current freeze at nights has wilted some leaves but there's little I can do about that. I figured, "Oh well, something might survive." Little did I know....

So, as I was planning on what to have for our New Year's Dinner I took a stroll out to look in the pots. All seemed as it did before except the carrot tops looked just a bit taller. So I rooted around the pots and LOOK WHAT I FOUND!

KimB's Carrots and Turnips

The Recipe Box: Harvard Beets

2011-12-28T05:01:00.000-06:00

Harvard Beets
From the recipe box of Esther

This recipe is the one that Mom used to fix beets and that I liked so well. It was a favorite of every one I think.

When I think of the big gardens we use to have when we lived on the acerage and the cost of buying veggies today, it reminds me of how far we have come from the good old days. Life was much more simple then but look how much the new gadgets have saved us from the hard labor---like the old scrub board!!!

Harvard Beets

1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup vinegar
1/4 cup beet liquid
2 1/2 cups cooked beets, cubed or sliced (I use canned beets)
1 tablespoon butter

Combine sugar, cornstarch, and salt in a one quart sauce pan.
Add vinegar. stir untill smooth. Add beet liquid.
Cook over medium heat, stirring till liquid just begins to thicken.
Add cube or sliced beets and cook for four more minutes
or till beets are hot.
Add butter.

Harvard Beets

Snowfall by KimB

2011-12-26T05:34:00.001-06:00

Snowfall

It glints and glimmers,
Shakes and sways,
Like gossamer falls on towns and ways.

It gifts us lakes,
Creeks and swamps,
It flows like air o'r base and top.

We feel the burn,
And the bite,
By the day and across the night.

From below,
And from the heights,
It drapes the land: white on white.

It comes, then goes,
And leads the heat,
Changing form with every beat.

KimB 2010

Tribal Travels, Musings, and Jawbone Canyon Chapter 10 - Epilogue by R. Cane

2011-12-25T08:50:00.000-06:00

I hope these reminiscences have offered a pleasant glimpse into our tribe's wonderful travels back in the good ol' days. These and other travels with the family brought me to the early conclusion that 'Travel', per se, was the very best educator - for those receptive to the wonders of new horizons.

Sadly, I was never able to actually get to Jawbone Canyon (yep… vetoed for 'another time and trip' by Grams, The Decider), however I hear it's become quite a popular get-away place, and worth the effort to get there. So... now we have come full circle - to the part where I finally have a dog in the game! It's my turn to offer suggestions for the best roads to get you there... pay attention here, and don't miss the connections.... To get there, AND make the best time (most important of course) take...

… I-10 to 395 and take a right before 6 (approx. 100m) there's a good stretch where you can do 70...watch for the turn off at the home made motorcycle sign (where the old gas station used to be) continue until you find paradise – about 100m at 60mph – ( voice fades out here still rattling off numbers)...

Well… y'all get the idea by now… Do send a postcard if you ever make it there – I have heard there might be some good jawbones to be found by those with keen eyes… and good hearts!

It has been nice going back to these dear memories, and fun sharing my musings about a most wonderful and carefree time in my life.

Happy Travels!

[Editor's note: This story was written by R. Cane and is the last of a 10 story series.]

Jawbone Canyon Sign

Golden Leaves

2011-12-24T04:28:00.000-06:00

Golden Leaves

A cluster of golden leaves
among the green
Hangs like a star amid
the leafy sheen
Kissed by winter,
yet to come,
Signals Autumn's
Farewell song
Of brilliant colors,
bright and strong,
To greet the Winter's
Chilly snow
That blankets all,
While cold winds blow,
'til Spring time's warm
And sunny light
Sprouts again, the green
Of Summer's life.

Marion Bigelow Nov 5, 2011

Happy Holidays!

2011-12-22T04:41:00.004-06:00

Happy Holidays!

The Recipe Box: Mock Apple Pie

2011-12-21T04:22:00.001-06:00

Mock Apple Pie

From the recipe box of A.Nonymous

One of my favorite pie recipes is the infamous 'Mock Apple Pie'.

No apples are in this dish, but because of the spices that are used, it seems similar to an apple pie. Historians date this pie to the early days of the American pioneers, when apples were in short supply. Crafty settler women stumbled into a recipe that embodied the spirit of an apple pie when the red, green and yellow orbs weren't available. Today, clever cooks follow their lead when their own pantries come up short.

It is made with saltine crackers, and the several times I've tried it, it is so amazing that you almost never 'get' that it does not have apples!!

Its a fun, budget desert, that will fool your friends. It's easy to make and surprisingly good. Here is this vintage pie recipe made with saltine crackers and apple pie spice seasonings.

Ingredients:

pastry for 2-crust 9-inch pie
1 sleeve saltine crackers
2 cups water
2 cups granulated sugar (or use your favorite sugar substitute equivalent)
2 teaspoons cream of tartar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 tablespoon butter
cinnamon

Preparation:

Line a 9-inch pie plate with rolled-out pastry. Break saltines coarsely into the pie shell.
Combine water, sugar, and cream of tartar in a saucepan; bring to a boil.
Simmer for 15 minutes.
Add lemon juice and peel; cool.
Pour the syrup over crackers.
Dot with butter and sprinkle generously with cinnamon.
Cover with top crust and flute edge.
Cut slits into top to allow steam to escape.
Bake in a 425° oven for 20 to 30 minutes, or until crust is golden brown and crisp.
Serve warm, with ice cream, if desired.

Mock Apple Pie

Theater: A Christmas Carol by Richard

2011-12-19T12:08:00.001-06:00

Frances and I went to the theater to see the play, A Christmas Carol at the San Jose Repertory Theater (November 23 – December 24 2011).

Waiting to go in, the whole cast came out and sang several Christmas songs which was delightful. They finished with We Wish You a Merry Christmas walking into the theater waving us in for the play. The play was enjoyable and the cast was wonderful.

During the play my thoughts would carry me back in time to our home in Iowa at Christmas when we all decorated the tree with pop corn on those cold wintry days.

Wishing you and all a Merry Christmas and Happy, Healthy New Year.

[Editor's note: This story by Richard]

(l to r): Richard Farrell as Scrooge
Everett Meckler as Tiny Tim
in San Jose Rep’s A Christmas Carol.
Photo: San Jose Rep Staff Photographer

Tribal Travels, Musings, and Jawbone Canyon Chapter 9 by R. Cane

2011-12-18T04:46:00.000-06:00

It was growing dusk, with a beautiful blossoming desert sunset. The roadsigns were getting harder to read... but ever eager to try and stir up a side trip, I was earnestly announcing up coming possibilities... with great hope that I might get a bite... "Look - just ten miles to the cave"... “Historical marker ONLY 2 miles? Wonder what it is!?” It wasn't long before I said... "Oh look, there's Jawbone Canyon - just 2 miles".

This seemed like good prospecting potential and there might be a temptation. At this point I need to point out that I was thinking in terms of fossils and rock hunting when I gave voice aloud with great earnestness … 'Gee... I wonder what's in Jawbone Canyon?"

Grandad mused over this a moment, then got that famous twinkle, slowly turned to me and replied dryly… "Jawbones!”

I busted out laughing, and soon we both were all in stitches, and in spite of trying to hold back, grandad was roaring with laughter too. In moments we were laughing so hard he had to pull over… We commenced a second round of laughing at this, and I loved it! This was one delightful exception to 'making time', because this was a 'GRAND time!!

I cherish this memory, and I am smiling as I write this. This particular story has made its' way into family folklore for any 'dumb' question... as in 'Are you asking 'What's in Jawbone Canyon'?'... our version of 'Who's in Grant's tomb?'. Asked and answered... at the expense of a good laugh at myself.

So... now y'all know the secret of why just the very mention of the name 'Jawbone Canyon'... brings a warm smile to some in our tribe!

[Editor's note: This story was written by R. Cane and is part of a 10 story series]

The Recipe Box: Rice Gruel

2011-12-14T05:49:00.000-06:00

Rice Gruel

From the recipe box of KimB

Rice Gruel is also known as Rice Porridge or Congee is a type of rice soup often eaten for breakfast in Asia or when you have stomach flu or other gastrointestinal upset. I learned about this dish from my Chinese friends and after much skepticism gave it a try. It is now a staple for whenever my tummy feels “unhappy”.

The basics are simple: cook the rice in a large amount of water until it almost disintegrates. Options you can add are: fresh ginger, cilantro, chicken or anything that you think will “sit” if you are feeling ill.

The basic porridge will be very bland. I prefer to add salt after cooking to taste, especially if I am not feeling well. Later on, as I begin to feel better, I will add in other items.

Rice Gruel

Rice Gruel Cooking

6 cups water
1 cup rice

In a large pot bring the water to a boil.
Add the rice.
Bring back to a slow simmer and partially cover.
Cook for 2 to 4 hours.

Add more hot water if needed to keep the rice in a “thick soup” state.

Rice Gruel Porridge or Congee

The Road To Tucson - Part 2 of 2 by KimB

2011-12-12T05:17:00.001-06:00

First time travelers in the desert learned really fast that you don't travel by day. After about 10 AM the heat becomes really noticeable and shortly there-after you'd wished you had stopped at that seedy little motor court you sneered at as you passed it by. And with no other hamlets within hours and hours, you learned and burned your way to the next wide-spot-in-the-road and headed to whatever accommodations you could get, no questions asked, and hoped for at least a swamp-cooler to temper the desert's wrath.

Evenings were for travel, and at sundown the roads would fill up with savvy travelers heading farther and farther into the the desert. The temperature of the desert would plummet as the sun faded away and driving would be enjoyable. You couldn't see much but at least you could be comfortable while heading to your destination.

Our car had a radio but out of the main cities there was no reception. The shot-gun-seat rider would often turn the knobs vainly looking for something to listen too, but generally, only static was found. We found our own entertainments, watching license plates, counting box cars in passing freight trains, animal-vegetable-mineral guessing games and other amusements.

But most often we sang songs for the long hours of driving the highway. We knew lots of them and we each took turns suggesting a song and then we would sing it – all three of us. We would sing the same song multiple times as we practiced to get it “just right” or “what was that phrase again?” or “remind me, how does that go?”. The longer the song the better – all 9,000 verses of Barbara Allen was a favorite. If we muffed a verse we started over “from the top” to get things in the proper order. Later on, my personal repertory of songs was large enough to entertain drivers for 3 days without repeating a one - unless requested of course.

My brother often wrote his own songs and we all enthusiastically helped sing them as we traveled the highway. Sometimes we had a collaboration: Mom, me and my brother would work out a song together; topics, phrases, melodies would be reviewed and best lines chosen and we would sing the resulting song for hours but many of these faded away with the sunrise. A few lasted and became staples along with the English muffins. We sang them each time we traveled the road and laughed about our adventures as we headed towards the horizon and Grandma's Cafe.

Grandma's Cafe
[to the tune of Botany Bay]

It's not leaving Los Angeles we care about,
Or driving the highway all day,
It's the blooming monotony that wears us out,
And the prospects of Grandma's Cafe.

[Editor's note: This story was written by KimB and is part 2 of a 2 part series.]

Tribal Travels, Musings, and Jawbone Canyon Chapter 8 by R. Cane

2011-12-11T04:42:00.000-06:00

Gramps taught us all about the geology of Death Valley - the alluvial plains , the scarred canyons, the scorching salt flats, and was a walking encyclopedia of geological and mineral knowledge.

Grandad was a self taught prospector and knew all kinds of stuff about geology, and minerals. He had even found, and made some mineral claims near Death Valley that he had successfully sold. A genuine prospector!

The history of the earth was of great fascination to me... I had seen the La Brea Tar Pits often as a child - and I loved learning about ancient times ... Gramps knew all about it (claiming he'd been there for most of it - being older than dirt don'cha know) and loved to teach me about the history of the earth, it's geology and such.

In one of these lessons he explained that Death Valley, and most of the deserts, had been inland seas or oceans at various times. He would pique my interest further by sprinkling his answers with tidbits like .. ' there are many neat fossils to be found by someone with a keen eye walking and kicking up stones' - I was fascinated. Wow - an inland sea ... and now dry as a bone .. walking on the ocean floor as it were! He was able to fill us with the wonders of nature! This was how I became an avid 'rock-hound'.

Farther up one of those endless desert highways, I pondered out loud at the long sweeping power lines that we passed – those awe inspiring huge transmission lines and towers. The span between the towers was long, and the huge cables would sag pronouncedly. I was also quite curious why each cable had a huge orange ball in the center of the sag? After puzzling what they were, and why they were there... I said "Grandad... those orange balls on the wires? ... What are they for?" ... and Gramps thought for a moment - and then said ..with his famous twinkle .... "Why those are floats to keep the lines dry at high water!"... It took me a moment to realize he was having me on... and then we both laughed at the cleverness of the answer and gullibility of the questioner, and just as quickly he added they were big weights to keep the lines from swaying in high winds.

A bit of fun at my expense and then a straight answer. What a guy!

[Editor's note: This story was written by R. Cane and is part of a 10 story series]

Power Lines in the Desert

Bamboo Leaves

2011-12-10T05:01:00.000-06:00

Bamboo Leaves

Black lace against a moonlit sky
Reversing patterns when the sun is high
This lovely leaf of fragile lines,
Named a friend of plum and pine,
Is strong in spirit light in touch.
An art of nature and painter's brush
Renowned in legends, myth and rhyme
Admired now as in ancient times.

Marion Bigelow November 9, 2011

Tribal Travels, Musings, and Jawbone Canyon Chapter 7 by R. Cane

2011-12-04T04:37:00.002-06:00

We found ourselves ambling thru Death Valley - a favorite trek of grandmother's who loved Scotty’s Castle.

Scotty's Castle Death Valley

I was often the official map-navigator - a cherished connection to the travel and magical highway numbers, when I saw a feature on the Death Valley map called Ubehebe Crater. The map photo and blurb said it was a huge Crater where an ancient meteor struck lo, many millenniums ago. I found the name amusing , so I suddenly began an impromptu chant out loud …. "We-got-the-Ube-hee-bee-jeebies" … in a sing-songy way ... over and over. Well this didn't go over all that well with my captive audience, who I believe were the first to actually get the 'Ube-hee-bee-jeebies'! Just to make me quit - we made a rare diversion, and went to the crater - but only on the promise I wouldn’t chant anymore!

The Crater was astounding- what amazing power to make a hole a 1/2 mile across and 600 hundred feet deep .. the glassy sand was quite slippery - micro-beads of lava glass ... and while it was tempting to go down into bottom of the crater, after a few steps in the nearly liquid-esque and highly slippery lava beads, it was immediately clear that getting back up and out of the crater might be quite problematic... and I had a flash thought – this crater might be one of the reasons why this was called Death Valley'!!

With that thought in mind we were quickly back in the truck and on our way … and well over the 'heebie-jeebies'!!

[Editor's note: This story was written by R. Cane and is part of a 10 story series]

Ubehebe Crater Death Valley

Parallel Universe

2011-12-03T05:08:00.000-06:00

I'm not cognizant of all the whys and wherefores of scientific research into mass and matter, quantum mechanics, string theory, black holes and time. Neither am I schooled in the principles that allow computers and other technological devices like touch pads work, but it seems to me, that we are living in a parallel universe ignored by scientists as they search, study, think and talk about the possible existence of them in outer space.

Some where I picked up the notion that computers work on a kind of magnetic field that we have learned to control and expand. After we learned to connected these fields, a private circuit of communication developed. Then a very smart person came along and suggested that rather than keeping the technology private, it would be a good thing if people and businesses could communicate with each other. The worldwide web was created.

That was also the beginning of a parallel universe.

We mail virtual letters, transfer virtual money, read and write virtual books, patrol the skies with virtual security, practice virtual espionage, indulge in virtual porn, create virtual businesses, buy and sell virtual stocks, create virtual art, give virtual lectures , earn virtual degrees, play virtual games, listen to virtual music, etc. etc. etc.

Our lives are dominated by this virtual world of substitutions. If any part of this parallel universe is tampered with, lost, compromised or stolen, we have virtual panics.

But all is not to be deplored. The data of virtual reality is used to create the many physical needs of our physical lives. Last night on the television news, I heard that virtual data will tell us where to plant trees and how to build structures that will withstand the intense heat and cold climate change is bringing. That certainly will be a benefit to the human race as we continue our existence in two worlds.

Parallel Universe

The Recipe Box: Roasted Garlic Artichokes

2011-11-30T04:51:00.000-06:00

Roasted Garlic Artichokes

From the recipe box of KimB

One of our local restaurants serves a wonder dish of grilled artichokes. I have always eaten artichokes steamed with dipping sauce but this was so delicious that I had to make my own version.

The artichokes are steamed first then placed in an hot oven with olive oil and garlic and herbs until everything is nice and hot. The heat will take down the “bite” of the fresh garlic. The result is an artichoke that needs no additional dipping sauce but you will need to lick your fingers to get all the tasty juices that drip from the choke.

Ingredients:

steamed artichokes
fresh minced or slivered garlic
dried Italian herbs – basil, rosemary, thyme, oregano
salt
olive oil
aluminum foil

Cooking:

1. Set oven to broil
2. Cut the steamed artichokes in half – lengthwise
3. Make a "tray" from the foil and set inside an oven ready dish
4. Drizzel a small amount of olive oil in the bottom of the foil
5. Place the artichoke halves in the foil tray – cut side up
6. Drizzle olive oil over the artichokes so that it can seep into the petals
7. Sprinkle the garlic, herbs and salt over the top of each choke
8. Place the dish in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the chokes are hot and the garlic softened.

Eating:

There is no way to eat these without getting messy. The oil mixture will drip from the petals as you pull them apart. If you don't like the dripping oil on your hands you can use some disposable plastic hand gloves available from Walmart or Costco.

Roasted Garlic Artichokes

The Road To Tucson - Part 1 of 2 by KimB

2011-11-28T05:01:00.001-06:00

"All roads may lead to Rome" but for us, "All roads led to Grandmother and Grandfather". Well not "all" but a "lot".

My Grandparents liked to sample different parts of the US and lived in many parts of the country. They moved and moved often. When Grandmother decided it was time to check the grass on the other side of the fence, they would bundle up their belongings and head that-a-way.

Mom inherited that gene too, and we traveled just about anywhere she could get the old Corvair van to go and primarily in the direction of Grandmother and Grandfather. We took side trips here and there but Grandma's was The Destination of choice.

While we were living in Los Angeles, Grandmother and Grandfather had moved to Tucson, Arizona and opened the Saguaro Corners cafe there. So, it was no surprise that we should travel to visit them there and we traveled the road from LA to Tucson as often as Mom could field the money for gasoline.

Gas in those days was about 12 cents a gallon. That's right: TWELVE CENTS. I remember Mom doing a U-Turn to go to a different gas station when the one she drove into was charging 13 cents. Sounds a dream, but in those days, minimum wage was really low and $300/month salary was a pretty good deal.

The first roads we traveled to Tucson were not the Big Interstate Highways that there are now but small 2 or 3 lane roads heading east out of LA into the vast desert that lay between the LA basin and the Cafe.

The high speed was 50 mph though we were lucky to get to 45 in our car. It took a long time to travel the distance between LA and Tucson. If Mom could stay awake we might do it in less than 3 days, but it was hard driving. There wasn't any power steering so you really had to “hold the wheel to hold the road”. Some of the cars had clutches and manual shifts on the steering wheel. The clutch on one car was “touchy” and Mom had to double-clutch it to change gears. The cars supposedly had shock absorbers but most were just hard-ridin'. Every bump, rut and pot hole was a source of terror and fun: fun for the bounce, terror that you might break something and be stuck.

There were no cell phones or wayside call boxes. If you broke down or had a flat, you had to hope a passing motorist would stop and give you a hand or take a message to the next town's gas station/repair shop to come and get you. Sometimes folks would stop to help you change a tire or donate some water for an overheated radiator. We met lots of really nice people along the way.

Truckers were known for their courtesy and willingness to stop and help out whoever was stranded.

Need a ride to the next town? Hop in!
Would you like me to change that tire for you? No charge!
The road ahead is not good, take the detour at this junction!

Truckers were the gods of the highway and bestowed blessings on everyone as they made their way from here-to-there.

Cars rarely had mechanical air conditioning and ours had the standard 450AC System – 4 windows down at 50 miles per hour. There wasn't any tinted windows or polarized sunglasses either and facing the rising sun as it came up over the flat desert horizon meant everyone in the car had to help watch for obstructions as the driver could not see all that well until the sun had risen a bit higher.

Every traveler carried extra water for when the radiator overheated in the baking sun. And those that could, had an evaporation water bag draped over their radiator caps or dangling from the hood ornaments of their cars in front so that the cooler air would flow over the radiator in hopes that it wouldn't overheat.

Tires blew out regularly and inner tubes had to be patched and repaired often. Finding a tire repair shop open and willing to do business at all hours of the day and night was an adventure in its self. Patching inner tubes was an art form and good patches lasted a long time. The red patch would be glued to the surface of the inner tube and then the tube stuffed back into the tire. If it held air you were good to go. A good patch would hold until the next nail forced a stop at another tire repair spot. Bad patches meant you didn't get far before starting the hunt over. If you had a bad patch and were lucky, you didn't even get out of the driveway before the patch failed and they would have to re-do the patch for you. Sometimes it cost as much as $3.00 to get the tire patched – a ransom!

You had to carry your own vitals and supplies because you might travel for hours and hours and never see anything other than the slowly changing landscape. If you wanted a sandwich, you had to make it yourself because no one stopped. If you stopped, the 450AC would stop too, so you had to make your meals on-the-move and we carried our most popular items in a grocery bag on the front seat where the shot-gun-seat rider could make the sandwiches to-order and hand them to whoever was hungry. Peanut butter, English muffins and a Coca-Cola was the standard fare.

The Coca-Cola came in glass bottles that had a refundable cash deposit so no one threw them away or out the window. The empties would be placed in another grocery bag and turned in at any grocery store to help fund the purchase of the next 6-pack. It was guaranteed money and just tossing them in the trash was unheard of.

[Editor's note: This story was written by KimB and is part 1 of a 2 part series.]

Glass Coca-Cola Bottles

Tribal Travels, Musings, and Jawbone Canyon Chapter 6 by R. Cane

2011-11-27T04:28:00.002-06:00

Long bouts of silent meditation and enjoying the grind of travel were interlaced with an occasional 'oh look - X is just up ahead 12 miles, that might be REALLY interesting to see !?' (hope hope)... we loved the roadsigns and billboards - I think it was the artist in all of us - and I recall especially enjoying smaller and home made signs for various gas stations, diners, hamlets .... curiosities and attractions (Grandad and I had made many signs over the years for various businesses of his - so we appreciated what it took to actually make your own signage).

We always looked for the Burma Shave type signs, and loved home made ones ones with the folksy touch, you know, the kinds that would say 'Eat, and get gas!'

On these long trips - part of our job was to keep the driver alert, so when Gramps was at the helm, - and sis and grams were back in the camper resting, I would be alone with Gramps. This was a cherished time for me. I always enjoyed this time alone with him, as this was the perfect time to ask him about 'stuff'. How does it work? What is it for? And such like. Grandad always had good answers, that really made you understand whatever it was. He and I had a wonderful explorations and chats about cars, horses, cowboys, mechanical stuff, electronic stuff and endless stuff of interest to us 'guys'.

This was a marvelous benefit of the long hours of driving and boredom. He would explain everything to me with great care and detail' such wonders as; how radios worked, ham radio stuff, guns, hunting, fishing, camping and so many other things a 14 year old was curious about. I loved to hear about his youth - comparing his to mine. We spent seemingly endless hours talking about everything, with wide ranging questions and answers about the whys and hows of 'stuff' - what a wonderful education! What a wonderful man!

[Editor's note: This story was written by R. Cane and is part of a 10 story series]

Burma Shave Sign

The Blanket

2011-11-26T04:27:00.003-06:00

MrsB with Knitted
Log Cabin Blanket

I finally finished knitting the queen size blanket my daughter wanted. There were trials and tribulations along the way but I'm proud to say I can now be listed among those who have knitted a log cabin blanket.

Knitting the 16 squares that made up the star design was a mile stone and I was pleased with the achievement, but when I finished sewing them together, I was shocked to discover that the star design was off kilter!

I checked and rechecked the pattern. Each square was knitted properly with the correct number and color of logs so why in the world wasn't the star layout correct? My knitted squares looked like the photo in the book. It was a major quandary to say the least.

After sewing the 16 squares together, the blanket was nearly finished, needing only a narrow border to be queen size, so the only thing to do was finish knitting it. Regardless of the design, the blanket would be as warm as it would have been if the star had been correct.

As I knitted the border I discovered in my rush to finish the blanket that I had knitted one corner a fraction too long and again, I realized the error was beyond repair, so I gathered the stitches creating a tiny ruffled corner.

I also came up with the idea of knitting little patches to sew on top of the 4 intersections of the center squares making the star design more prominent. It helped. Besides, the colors were pretty.

I wrote a poem to go with the blanket and I think she likes both.

Click here for the Star Light poem

MrsB's Knitted Log Cabin Blanket

The Recipe Box: Coleslaw Dressing

2011-11-23T05:00:00.000-06:00

Coleslaw Dressing

From the recipe box of MrsB

Since nothing is measured, the recipe takes practice.
Depending on how much slaw there is, the ingredients amounts vary.

Teaspoon of sugar
Add enough vinegar to cover
Add a bit of milk to thicken mixture
Add mayonnaise*

*I prefer Miracle Whip Light

Coleslaw Dressing

Tribal Travels, Musings, and Jawbone Canyon Chapter 5 by R. Cane

2011-11-20T05:10:00.000-06:00

Wanderlust was inculcated in me on these family forays, but it didn't hurt that I was nearing the age of driving, and all things about driving - shifting gears ... when to pass ... how to pass .. how to 'double clutch' , were of keen interest to me .. and Gramps was a good teacher... needless to say, I was always looking for any chance to drive .. it was a big deal for me to be allowed to re-park the truck or move it for any reason ... and on really remote roads Gramps would let me drive for 10 miles or so .. ecstasy to a 14 year old!

On some of the longer and more tedious desert treks ... we would see side roads meandering off into nowhere... and it was fun to guess where they went and who lived there - what was there, and even why it was there at all? What ever would entice folks to live in that place ?

Often, If there was a road sign announcing an interesting attraction or landmark, we would all take note, but rarely would we ever take an unscheduled side trip. This happened only when Grams would insist - since Gramps' main idea of travel was 'making time' – with one eye on the clock, and ever intent on matching or beating his previous times from point A to B. No slippage in the family travel-time standards was to be allowed without good reason! No matter however, since Grams was the 'decider', and if she could be interested or inveigled to join sis and me in an interesting side jaunt, then grandad would - albeit grudgingly - take the side excursion.

Often, when we were lobbying to stop, or take a break, or even actually visit a roadside attraction, we would read aloud the contents of adverting or road signs. By giving voice to these 'lures' - we were certain to get Grams' up or down vote - "That does sound interesting, Dad lets turn here and see ....", but usually Grams would be tactful, and ever mindful of the need to 'make time'... would reply ... "well ... we can keep that in mind for the next trip" to a resounding sighs of feigned disappointment by me 'n sis.

[Editor's note: This story was written by R. Cane and is part of a 10 story series]

Debris aka Garbage

2011-11-19T05:05:00.001-06:00

Something is out of whack in the way we live. It's been out of whack a long time. I don't know just when it started, but maybe it started with the industrial revolution. Maybe it started when guilds became corporations.

All I know is: there is the 1 % and the 99 % and I don't know how things are going to get straightened out.

It seems to me that part of the problem is what people call 'consumerism', meaning the 1% produces things and the 99% buys things. It has gotten so bad that the country’s economic system requires more and more people buy things so the 1% can continue to produce things.

In order to do this, the 1% has gone global to find markets in which to sell things. That's fine, but the problem is, the the jobs went global as well. The 99% lost the jobs which earned the money with which to buy the things and now, they can't even afford to pay for shelter, food, medicine or education. The 99% want their jobs so they can earn money to pay for necessities and buy more things.

We are inundated with things. It seems as if our motto is: if one is good, 50 is better. Used clothing given to Good Will is shipped overseas rather than clog our own land fills. Planned obsolescence is the policy of many manufactures, including those of autos and refrigerators. New versions of iPads and televisions are praised as clever inventions and we rush to update from the old.

We even have debris falling out of the sky. Now we are waiting for the debris-berg from the tsunami in Japan to reach our shores. I have no idea what the impact of that will be.

It seems as if things are getting whackier by the day. Maybe the 99% will find the answer to so much wackiness. Lets hope!

"You can't make Nothing into Something and you can't make Something into Nothing. All you can do is transform One Something into Another Something."

KimB

The Recipe Box: Steamed Artichokes

2011-11-16T05:03:00.001-06:00

Steamed Artichokes

From the recipe box of ElGato

Cooking artichokes is not hard, explaining how to eat them takes a bit longer. They can be eaten hot or cold. Artichokes may have some “discoloring” on the leaves but this has no effect on their preparation or taste. This is the basic recipe for steamed artichokes.

Ingredients:

fresh artichokes
1 tsp fennel seeds

Preparation:

1. Snap off some of the tougher outer leaves to expose the larger ones underneath.
2. Using scissors cut off the tips of the larger petals to remove the thorn on the end.
3. Using a knife slice about 1/2 inch off the top.
4. Using a knife trim the stem so it will fit in a steamer.
5. Gently pull the choke to open it slightly for washing.
6. Wash thoroughly.

Cooking:

1. Boil water in a double boiler or one that can hold a steamer gadget.
2. Add 1 tsp of fennel seeds to the water.
3. Place the chokes in a steamer stem side up.
4. Place the steamer in the pot with the lid on.
5. Cook approx 20 minutes or until tender.

Dipping Sauce:

You can make any variety of dipping sauces. Here are few variations we like.

Ingredients:

mayonnaise
red or rice wine vinegar
garlic powder
pesto

Mayonnaise (plain)
Mayonnaise with a dash of vinegar (red or rice wine) (a looser dip)
Mayonnaise with garlic powder (garlic powder mixes better)
Mayonnaise with pesto

How to eat:

The inside base is the tender part of each petal.

1. Peel off a petal from the artichoke.
2. Dip the base of the petal in the dipping sauce if desired.
3. Place the base of the petal between your teeth.
4. Lightly pull the petal to scrape off the tender portion.

Artichoke Heart

Continue to peel and eat the petals until you come to a dense small cone of fuzz. This is the “choke”. Under the choke is the “heart”. This is the most flavorful part of the artichoke.

1. Using a knife or spoon, scoop away all the fuzz.
2. Strip off any exterior tough skin on the stem.
3. Eat the heart and stem.

Cleaned and Trimmed Artichokes

My Pen by KimB

2011-11-14T04:46:00.001-06:00

My Pen

With my pen I do write,
Although, oblivous to the night,
Of poetry so mild and sweet,
Who's words do rhyme and do meet,
In occasional sentences,
Of remose and repentences.

My pen goes on without a thought
Of what to write and what to not.
Should I write of gallant souls
Who fight and struggle in Death's throws,
Or of a soul who's lost in vain,
Or of a love who's found the same?

Ever onward goes my pen,
Pausing every now and then.
And then with faster speed ascends,
To hurry and put down this night,
Whatever words it thinks to write.

Ever faster my pen goes
Into every space it flows,
The ink and words without space or time,
Who's only ends are words that rhyme.

KimB circa 1969

Tribal Travels, Musings, and Jawbone Canyon Chapter 4 by R. Cane

2011-11-13T05:13:00.001-06:00

The grandparents had retired, and traveled around the country extensively in a classic old Ford F-150 pickup truck, onto which they had installed a deluxe live-in camper. You know, the kind where a big part juts out over the cab of the pickup truck, and has a house type door in the back.

Camper Truck

Inside there was a lovely and efficient little kitchen - with sink, stove, and a Servel dual gas and electric refrigerator (which fascinated my mechanical side to no end - this marvelous technological duality). There was also a table with bench seats on either side, which area converted to a double bed, and of course a nice double bed in the overhead part. Four folks could fit in it nicely, usually, depending on which pets, friends, or cousins might be also traveling with us. Over the years, sis and I found ourselves frequently in this home on wheels, as the grandparents took various getaway weekend trips, or made runs to visit various of our aunts and uncles. Sometimes - on some of the longer trips - we were able to plan or connive side trips – for educational purposes - to visit various monuments, historical sites, battlefields, parks and campgrounds or other natural wonders; The Grand Canyon, Painted Desert, Death Valley, Yosemite, Crater Lake... and far too many parks and attractions to be recalled here.

Clear Lake - was a frequent weekend favorite, where friends and relatives allowed us the use of their cabins for a few days at a time. The drive was long, but soon all landmarks and roads were memorized - the tricky turns and twists - side roads or roads known only by landmarks (make a left where the old store used to be) and ... well, once there.... then we would fish ..and boy would we fish ... grandad and grams both fished ... although Gramps really was in charge of 'drowning worms' as he called fishin' ... but now I digress ... I'll come back to this in another tale.

Of course getting to these various places required many miles of driving... and it was quite a juggle to decide who would ride in front with Grams and Gramps. There was just a good ol' bench seat for 3 in the truck cab, so there was a rotation of who would ride back in the camper. Being the oldest, it was usually my lot to be stuck in the camper as we cruised the roadways. This was not such a bad deal, with the exception that we could not communicate from the truck to the camper.

Pit Stop

We dreamed of walkie-talkies ... but in those days they were really expensive, so always remained just a wish.... I do recall many frustrations of trying to alert, or communicate, from the camper to the truck, or vise versa. No problem today with cell phones, but this was long before such existed. We simply had to wait for the next gas station or rest stop to talk to each other.

In spite of the communication problem, I passed many pleasant hours spent stretched out on the over-the-cab bed. I would daydream and muse over the issues and challenges of my growing up, all the while watching oncoming traffic, and enjoying the passing landscape. Being 'stuck' in the back turned out to be a perfect refuge, that allowed for introspective thought, reading or just daydreaming. I really loved laying in the big bed over the cab, and looking out the windows letting the world – literally – pass by.

Irreplaceable, and wonderfully great memories! What a way to travel.

[Editor's note: This story was written by R. Cane and is part of a 10 story series]

'merikin

2011-11-12T05:26:00.001-06:00

I speak 'merikin and have difficulty understanding the spoken English dialog of British movies and television programs.

PBS often schedules a British tale, a series of episodes in period costumes, manor houses, butlers to families who have fallen on hard times or are experiencing a crises of reputation. As the story unfolds, family members stroll thru park like gardens or ride in ornate carriages reinforcing the importance of the family's social position while the downstairs staff is confronted with a crises of their own. The PBS mystery series of Inspector Lewis is also British fare. As they walk the halls of Oxford, the detectives discuss clues, or the lack of them, in British English.

Just because my 'merikin is English it doesn't mean the Brits and I speak the same language.

It seams as if the R is silent in Brit English and my listening span is tried to the limit if actors begin to speak British slang or make references to inside national gossip that is not understood by outsiders. Closed caption and sub titles help but it doesn't keep currant with the conversation taking place on the TV screen. At times one is put to the test of deciphering the meaning of a phrase, when a person whose native language is other than 'merikin, speaks English.

A country's language is comprised of all the dialects and regional pronunciations spoken in that country and I suppose others find our southern or mid-western idioms and accents just as difficult as I find some of that 'other' English.

Common 'merikin dialects:

and there are a lot more:

Wikipedia list of dialects of the English language

11-11-11

2011-11-11T11:11:00.001-06:00

Today is Veteran's Day, we used to call it Armistice Day.

When I was in school, the whole student body assembled in the large assembly hall and stood at attention when the teachers signaled that it was exactly 11 minutes past the 11th hour on November 11. For one minute we bowed our heads and said silent prayers in honor of those killed in the first world war. After the ceremony in the assembly hall, school was let out for the rest of the day.

Today people think it's a day that will bring luck. Since we have fought so many wars and 'police actions', soldiers that survived them, probably do feel lucky.

Since the date is a palindrome, meaning it reads the same backwards and forwards, it inspires mysticism. A movie with the palindrome as a title, was popular as a horror movie about a portal opening to hell.

With our two unfinished wars, we will add the names of more soldiers to honor for their sacrifice. As we look forward to ending those, the threat of another war looms as politicians talk about the nuclear threat from Iran.

It's sad to think we have had to use a collective word like 'veterans' that covers all the past and future 'engagements' we undoubtedly will have if the past is any indication of our future.

Remembrance Poppies

The Recipe Box: Strawberry Syrup and Spiced French Toast

2011-11-09T05:34:00.000-06:00

Strawberry Syrup and
Spiced French Toast

From the recipe box of KimB

We had planted strawberries in our summer garden pots and while we got quite a few, they were small in size. As we only got a few each day, I just air dried them and saved them in a storage bag until I decided what to do with all these teeny weeny berries. After they were air dried they were even teenier and weenier and I thought I'd never find something useful to make with them.

Then I came upon the idea of making syrup out of them. You hardly ever see good quality flavored syrups offered in coffee shops these days and many don't even have “fake” maple flavored syrup either. So I set out to make some great syrup.

When you dry the strawberries you should peel off the leaves and stems. This will make it easier to work with later. I did not and so I had to rub off the dried leaves before I started to work with the berries. That isn't hard and Allen said it looked like I was shelling peas as I picked up each micro-berry and rubbed it with my fingers to break off the leaves and stems.

Dried strawberries do not rehydrate well so you can run them thru a grinder/food processor to powder them, but I left mine whole. If left whole they will not disintegrate when cooked but end up as pulp. I use the strawberry pulp/compote like jam on bread, biscuits or english muffins. The flavor will be intense!

Strawberry Syrup

A lot of dried strawberries (cleaned of leaves and stems) [1-2 cups of dried berries]
1 cup of water
1 cup of sugar

Boil the water and sugar.
Add the strawberries.
Cook on slow simmer for 10 – 30 min or until the syrup is the consistency your prefer.
The syrup will thicken by evaporation and the longer it cooks the more flavor the syrup will have. You can add extra water as needed.
Separate the pulp from the syrup using a strainer. You will have to “help” push the liquid out of the pulp. Place the syrup and pulp in containers and keep refrigerated.

Spiced French Toast

cinnamon
ginger
cardamon
cloves
nutmeg
2 eggs
dash of milk, soy milk or cream
2 slices of good quality bread
pat of butter
optional: powdered sugar

Cut the bread on diagonals.
Rough stir the spices, eggs and milk together.
Heat the butter in a good sized skillet until it starts to sizzle.
Deep dip the bread segments into the egg-spice mixture until well coated (might get a bit soggy) and fry them until the egg has cooked thoroughly and has a nice color.
Top with powered sugar, syrup, jam or apple sauce.
Serve immediately.

Strawberry Syrup and Spiced French Toast

Tribal Travels, Musings, and Jawbone Canyon Chapter 3 by R. Cane

2011-11-06T04:50:00.004-06:00

The glories of the automobile, and travel in general were keen stuff and well appreciated by our bunch!

The Nut Tree

Sometimes travel routes were chosen that let you especially pass by favorite eating or rest spots -often by grandma's vote on her select and favorite diners or gas stops - remember the Nut Tree? Oh, don't forget the ever important certain clean bathrooms! . All this was accounted for and was essential in the planning, and really good stuff to know - so I listened intently .. but then - inevitably - when it got to the actual chosen travel route, it would always be announced we'll take .... and then utter a string of numbers - sounding much to my ears like arcane math equations .. something sounding like this would be offered up ...

Highway Signs

"Take 101 to 152 (about 60m) – you can do 70 in some spots, then 99 to 58 (roughly 100m) – good for 65 most of the way, or 6 to 395 to I-15 or i-40 or I-10 to ...(300m) - total.. umm - about 8-1/2 hours should do it!" – this required some quick ciphering.... Let's see now ... if a car traveling north at 40 mph travels 10 miles, then goes west for 20 miles .. well you get the idea, as did I – the light bulb lit, and oh my gosh ...traveling was MATH!

At various points in our youth , sis and I lived with our grandparents, whilst mom was off on exotic adventures. Now this wasn't altogether a bad deal. In exchange for not being in on the 'adventurizing', we got the wonderful experience of being with our Grandparents, living in a stable environment for school and such. However, our tribe was well endowed with “wanderlust”, so travel was a big part of the grandparents lifestyle. Sis and I got into our own fair share of travel adventures with them on holidays, or the myriad travels to relatives and kin.

I'm convinced there is a 'Nomad Gene' in our tribal family DNA?!

[Editor's note: This story was written by R. Cane and is part of a 10 story series]

Old Map of the Los Angeles Area

Radio Listening

2011-11-05T04:47:00.001-05:00

I haven't listened to the radio in quite a while. I have several that can be used with electricity and/or batteries if a hurricane causes a power outage, but until then, they are gathering dust on a book shelf.

Radio used to play a big part in the family's entertainment. Years ago we school children and Dad came home for lunch every day. If we wanted a ride back to school with Dad, we had to wait until the noon news was over and Dutch Reagan, (later President Reagan), had given the sports scores.

After school was out, we listened to Jack Armstrong, the all American Boy and Little Orphan Annie before we went out to roller skate or ride the bike. I don't know if Mom listened to the soap operas, but the whole family would gather around the radio in the evening and listen to programs like Fibber Magee and Molly, and Jack Benny. On Saturday nights, The Barn Dance Frolic in Des Moines, Iowa broadcast live western and cowboy music similar to the Grand Ole Opery in Nashville, Tenn.

Long before transistor radios, my husband and I had a battery operated radio that we could play when we went to the beach. It was so heavy my husband carried it and it only played for a very short time before the batteries gave out. Transistor radios solved that problem and you could carry them in a pocket.

Listening to the car radio on a long trip across the country was both enjoyable and frustrating. Stations faded in and out. One would suddenly pick up broadcasts from Salt Lake City or big band music from New York as you turned the dial trying to get back a frequency that had drifted.

Radio is often used as background sound and every category of music can be heard.

One evening, while my sister, Adeline and my son were playing her favorite card game, Spite and Malice, a local Tucson, Ariz. radio station played a song that caught their attention. They phoned the station and requested the song several times. The disk jockey always obliged and played, “You Got The Right String, Baby, But The Wrong Yo Yo by Piano Red”.

Right string, baby
But the wrong yo-yo
Somebody knockin' on yo' do'
I passed this mo'nin' by the hardware sto'
I bought a brand new string
To fit in my yo-yo

Went on down to the doctor
To get this string put on
He turned around
And put the string on wrong
No need a-knockin' on nobody's do'
You got the right string, baby
But the wrong yo-yo
(piano)

Mama tol' me, papa did, too
'Some-a these here women
Gonna be the death of you'
'Better find out which 'un you crave, son
Some a-these here women'll
Take you to yo grave'!

See me comin', baby
Put yo' man outdo's
I ain't no stranger
I been here, befo'

No need a-knockin' on nobody's do'
The right string, baby
But the wrong yo-yo

The Recipe Box: Mac and Cheese

2011-11-02T05:10:00.000-05:00

Mac and Cheese

from the recipe box of MrsB

Someone told me Thomas Jefferson had a pasta machine and made his own macaroni. I Googled for more information and discovered that it was true. He also served it at state dinners when he was president.

Macaroni and cheese has long been an American favorite and there are many ways of preparing and serving it. It was one of my childhood favorites and when my sister and I reminisce over our family recipes, we always mention mac and cheese.

It is still one of my favorites but I am a lazy cook these days and make something I call 'mac and cheese' because that's what it is. Just cooked macaroni topped with a slab of cheddar cheese and quickly heated in the microwave. I am an expert at timing the microwave so the cheese is not melted but only softened enough to mix.

Mom always baked the macaroni with milk and diced cheese but it's often served with a rich cheesy sauce. Fabulous variations of macaroni and cheese can be found on the internet and it seems everyone has their special twist on the old tried and true.

Browsing recipes on the internet can be quite enjoyable since many are demonstrated on YouTube. The following is an excellent YouTube video address from foodwishes.com showing steps to each stage of a mac and cheese recipe.

Foodwishes.com
Thomas Jefferson Style
Mac and Cheese

1 lb elbow macaroni
3-4 cups of grated sharp Cheddar cheese, or whatever
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp cayenne
1/8 tsp white pepper
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp salt
pinch of nutmeg
1 tsp Dijon mustard
3 cups milk
1/2 cup Panko breadcrumbs plus 1 tbsp butter

So How Does YOUR Garden Grow?

2011-11-02T05:05:00.002-05:00

KimB

The latest news on our winter garden is.... WOOTS!

KimB's Winter Garden

Grandma's Cafe by KimB

2011-10-31T05:15:00.006-05:00

My grandparents ran a small cafe in the desert outside Tucson, Arizona. Actually, they ran it several times with breaks in between for other business ventures.

The original Saguaro Corners was a small cafe with gas station on the outskirts of Tucson, near the Saguaro National Monument. It was really the only thing out there and only a few visitors came by if they were sight-seeing at the park but Grandmother's cooking brought the local cowboys and ranch hands out whenever they could get a chance.

Red Diner Stools

The cafe had just a few stools and a counter area and a small table to sell curios or souvenirs to the tourists who braved the long dirt road that undulated over the gullies for miles and miles. Only the bravest of drivers would dare to drive the road fast and those that did were glad that Grandfather was able to repair their tires when the inner tubes blew out.

There was a single telephone box out in the parking lot. Yeppers, a REAL phone box. Glass sides and a sliding door. A phone book hung from a chain and actually had all the pages in it too. There was a light inside that turned on when you opened the door, but you had to be careful not to step inside too quickly because it was often occupied by some of the local fauna. Grandmother once got stung by a scorpion when she stepped inside without checking.

The parking lot was dirt and periodically oil would be ordered to be spread on the surface to keep the dust down. Now a days this is unheard of, but way way back then it was common practice.

All around was just desert. Well, the desert isn't just desert, there's a LOT in the desert if you take the time to look.

Grandmother and Grandfather and various family members helped collect all types of cactus specimens and transplant them to a cactus garden at the restaurant. They got some of everything and more of some than others. If someone found an interesting cactus that could be moved easily then it was added to the garden area. Soon it was a miniature version of the park across the road.

I remember one particular outing where they had found a "smallish" saguaro cactus about 8 feet tall and wanted to move it to the cafe. Even a small saguaro isn't all that small and they weigh tons. The cactus stores lots of water inside and they had to be careful not to damage any part of it while digging it up, moving it and planting it in the garden. I remember a lot of discussion and a lot of digging and hours of watching the family members shift the 8 foot cactus which weighed a lot more than anyone had expected. Eventually they got it to the cafe and added it to the collection.

They also built a small concrete watering basin outside under some palo verde trees. The local wild life and free range cattle and horses soon learned that water and shade could be had there and every day they came to drink and rest under the cool trees. Quail, cotton-tails and jack rabbits came, as well as the local road runners. Horned toads lived under the basin and kangaroo rats skipped near by.

I had a special rapport with the local wild life. I would sit very still at the pool and soon all the wild animals would come out. I could pet the horned toads and the rabbits would hop right next to me. The cattle would come to drink and give a sniff at my hair and puff their breath over me. The free range horses would tower over me but never stepped on me even though I was so small. I sat very still and didn't move. Soon they all forgot that I was even there and I could just watch them for hours.

Grandmother baked great pies and the ranchers taught her how to make chili the way they liked it: HOT. They came for chili, coffee and pie. Even on the hottest of days, it was hot chili, hot coffee and a piece of pie. It was simple fare but not so simple to prepare. Grandmother would get up early in the morning to start prepping for the days meals.

Once she helped me make a few small 4 inch berry pies. She showed me how to make the dough and roll it out in the miniature pie forms. Then we piled in the berries and put the top on it. Into the hot oven it went along with the rest of the days pies. Later that afternoon, she came out to find me and told me a lady wanted to buy my pies. I remember going into the cafe with her and the lady was very hopeful I would sell her the little pies. I hesitated a bit but I knew Grandmother could use the money so I agreed and the lady gave the money to Grandmother. Grandmother made sure I had my reward and every day she gave me 10 cents to spend in the cold soda machine.

Old Soda Machine

The soda machine was outside near the gas station part of the building. It was an upright machine and the sodas were all in glass bottles. I remember Grandfather putting the bottles into the machine and when people stopped for gas they always bought a cold soda even if they didn't go into the cafe for food.

Every day, I selected one soda from the machine with my 10 cents. I always selected the same kind: an ice cold strawberry soda. It was bright red in color, very sweet and had loads of fizz. I would take it into the cafe and ask for two straws. I would put the straws on each side of my mouth and pretend I was a vampire drinking blood. Grandmother would just smile at me and shoo me out when I'd finished my treat for the day.

Sometimes my brother and I would find an interesting piece of dead cactus. These we would bring back to the cafe and we would clean and sand the outside until it was smooth and shiny. It was something we did in the evening as we didn't have any television there. Often visitors would buy the sanded wood and turn them into lamps and my brother was always working on new pieces to have for sale.

At night there were no city lights to block out the stars. We would sit on the patio that Grandfather had poured and talk about the days adventures. We could hear the coyotes singing in the distance and occasionally a deer would come to the pond to drink and then scamper off again. Above us was the Milky Way and I remember how Grandfather would point out the constellations to me. The stars were so very bright and when the Moon was out you could see the long shadows of the trees and cactus all around us.

[Editor's note: This story was written by KimB]

Milky Way and Saguaro Cactus
Tucson, Arizona

Tribal Travels, Musings, and Jawbone Canyon Chapter 2 by R. Cane

2011-10-30T05:13:00.001-05:00

Knowing, learning and understanding these 'road codes' was - to my young mind – ultimately all an exercise to 'make time', in other words find the fastest way – a legitimate reason to be lead-footed! It seems all my uncles and family wore their competitiveness on their sleeves, and were always vying to break their time records!

Grandad claimed he once drove a new Hudson Hornet - with the boys - virtually non-stop from the East Coast to California in 2 days - only taking time for the boys to swap drivers, get gas and eat. This was long before 'fast food', and super highways - done on old farm roads and route 66 ... This was a danged & amazingly good record - and it was grandads, and It set the bar very high!

I learned that 'Making Time' was crucial and anything that might sidetrack or attempt to divert from the planned trip was to ever be avoided. Grandma understood this trait, and early on taught us - by example when traveling - to keep a coffee can available, since there would be no stopping until we get to point X !!

Grandad loved a good fast car! He was a good driver but he did enjoy a lead foot at times. Grandma would be concerned about his speed and would forcefully say 'Dad ...the limit here is 65!" ... and Grandad would usually get that ol' twinkle in his eye and sardonically reply .. "Well ... I'm doing every bit of that!" Grams would be exasperated, but Gramps kept that foot on the gas! btw - no one had cruise control in those days ... you actually drove the vehicle! Sometimes he would tease grams by claiming the highway sign was the speed limit – as in 'great, now we can do 101 mph' ! This usually got a resounding 'humpf' from grams. He really excelled at speeding on rural roads – especially when grams was sleeping in the back and couldn’t see the speedometer...

Of course hearing gory glory stories about the bad old days of travel always kept me rapt in my youth, with many harrowing tales of close calls on the infamous “Grapevine Hill” - 'back in the day' … runaway trucks, failed breaks, fog, juicy multi-car pileups and all that kind of fascinating stuff. I loved hearing about the problems encountered and the solutions. This was good stuff.

Grandad told me when he was young he drove a coal truck making deliveries in Kentucky, and he would be so overloaded that going up steep hills he would put the truck in 'double granny' low gear and walk alongside on the ground outside the truck – reaching in to the steering wheel thru the open door. I know it sounds unlikely, but he swore that it happened several times...What a cool move!

[Editor's note: This story was written by R. Cane and is part of a 10 story series]

Road Sign

Plan D update

2011-10-29T05:57:00.000-05:00

I've been making headway on my mission to knit a queen sized log cabin blanket for my daughter.

There have been a few false starts on joining the new color logs but after counting stitches several times to get the right count, I've managed to keep on track and things are lookin' good! I'm working on the 14th of the 16 squares needed.

The light at the end of the tunnel is still a long way off though. I still have to sew the squares together and then knit a border.

Log Cabin Knitted Squares

MrsB Goes Walk-About!

2011-10-28T04:52:00.002-05:00

It's been a while since we did an update on MrsB's recovery from a broken hip back in May 2010. Since then she's been making excellent progress. She has resumed many of her regular activities although marathon running isn't on the list at the moment.

Here's a recent video of her going walk-about near her home and sending hi-fives to all!

The Recipe Box: Angel Macaroons

2011-10-26T04:17:00.011-05:00

Angel Macaroons

From the recipe box of Esther
Original recipe by Betty Crocker

This recipe makes both regular and chocolate macaroons.

1 box Betty Crocker’s white angel food cake mix
½ cup water
1 teaspoon almond extract
1 package (7 oz) flaked coconut (2 cups)
1 tablespoon unsweetened baking cocoa
4 teaspoon butter or margarine
4 teaspoons unsweetened cocoa
4 teaspoons water
⅔ cup powdered sugar

Macaroon Cookies

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
Cover cookie sheets with cooking parchment paper.
In large (4 quart) glass or metal bowl, beat cake mix, ½ cup water and the almond extract with electric mixer on low speed 30 seconds.
On medium speed, beat one minute, scraping bowl occasionally.
Fold in coconut.
Drop half the mixture by teaspoonfuls about 4 inched apart onto the lined cookie sheets.
Bake 7 to 9 minutes or till light golden brown around edges.
Cool macaroons completely before removing from parchment paper.
Meanwhile, stir 1 tablespoon cocoa into remaining mixture.
Bake and cool the chocolate macaroons. (repeat as above)

Cookie Glaze

In quart sauce pan, heat butter, 4 teaspoons cocoa and 4 teaspoons of water over low heat, stirring constantly until butter is melted.
Stir in powdered sugar.
Drizzle small amounts of glaze over each cookie.

Angel Macaroons

Tribal Travels, Musings, and Jawbone Canyon Chapter 1 by R. Cane

2011-10-23T05:30:00.003-05:00

My sister and I grew up in California, but we traveled extensively back and forth to Arizona. Many, many trips back and forth forged our travel itinerary as teens. Palo Alto to Tucson … back again … LA to SF and back, or vice-verse. We did a lot of traveling.

Growing up, I was endlessly fascinated by, and enjoyed listening to, my nomadic family discuss travel. It held my interest to listen to various uncles, friends, shirt-tail kin, parents and grandparents outline a travel trip by rattling off series of highway numbers that - to my young ears - were like secret codes... this was an adult thing I had better pay attention to, and learn, so I would be able to make my own suggestions for trekking and travels when my time came. I can recall pouring over road maps to find these exotic highways and byways, all the better to learn the roads and best ways to get around this beautiful country. I simply loved and embraced travel!

In our tribe, if anyone was planning a trip, it was not uncommon for intense discussions to erupt about the latest and best - or better- routes, hazards to watch for, construction to be mindful of and such, not to mention which combinations of highways were best in various weather conditions, and which were most dangerous.

I would be in awe of the dueling equations … one uncle would swear by one route … another by another, and the folks had their own sets of road combinations to get places they preferred . These were always slung together by a string of all the various connecting highway numbers needed to make time and get from point A to B. Everyone had a dog in the fight and would suggest their 'best' routes and mildly chastise others for their woeful lack of understanding why their series of roads would be better.

This competition was a high art form in our tribe!

[Editor's note: This story was written by R. Cane and is the first in a series of 10 stories.]

Route 66

Star Light

2011-10-22T05:11:00.000-05:00

Star Light

Twinkling in the starry night
Granting wishes with your light
Sleeping by day, Shining by night
So all can glory at the sight.

Beaming joy to those below
Who gaze the splendor of the show
Silent colors of music glow
And magic spells en-rapt the soul

Marion Bigelow September 15, 2011

The Recipe Box: Poached Pears à la Chef P

2011-10-19T07:03:00.000-05:00

Poached Pears à la Chef P

from the recipe box of A. Nonymous

As I have mentioned previously, my good friend and Executive Chef - 'Chef P' - often brings me wonderful goodies and so called 'leftovers' from his fancy gala events - and thus I get to delight in marvelous 5 star cooking that I would usually never experience!

One of my all time favorites is a side dish - almost a dessert - that he makes frequently for these events. I swear they are just about the tastiest food experience you can have. I am smitten with these morsels of culinary delight... so how ever did I discover these gems of flavor you ask?

Some time ago, Chef P brought me a huge pan of 'leftover' roasted duck, with special exotic veggies, and really the most sensational garlic-turnip mashed potatoes ever. Also in the pan however - were several small- almost tiny and purplish items - that I initially mistook for small beets. They were about the size of small limes, but I wasn't sure what they were.

I am terribly allergic to beets, so I called Chef to asked about them, and to my pleasant surprise he laughed and told me they were 'Poached Pears'. I had never heard of Poached Pears before. This was new culinary territory, but since they were safe to try, I dug right in. WOW !!

They were really flavorful, rich with that classic 'pear' flavor naturally, but infused with complex 'other' flavors. I was smitten with the delightful yet mysterious flavors, and even the lovely color. I puzzled over what the ingredients might be, but finally I called him, and just had to learn how he prepared and cooked them because they were over the moon DELICIOUS. Chef P has always been very generous with cooking info, so of course he gladly shared the following recipe, which is exactly as I it got from him.

If you make these Poached Pears exactly like this, I promise you are definitely in for a real taste treat!!!

Poached Pears à la Chef P

1. " In a sauce pan, fill approximately 1/3 of the way with red wine. Add sugar until the tartness of the wine is almost gone, then add water to achieve 1/2 on the pan.

2. Then add: Star Anise, Cinnamon Stick, Whole Clove, and a Bay leaf.

3. Brew for 20 min.

4. While brewing, peel and seed the small pears from the flower end - using a melon baller.

5. Be sure the pears will submerge fully, and poach until tender, using the tip of a paring knife.

6. Chill pan over ice - while pears are still in the cooking liquid."

7. Serve chilled.

Warning! -- Be prepared for a flavor explosion, and many compliments from your guests!

On another occasion, Chef brought some that had been cooked in Champagne... which were especially delicate in flavor and had a lovely hint of the sweet Champagne flavor throughout - Really really tasty!

The recipe is really simple, so I decided to try and make some myself for the holidays, with great success . To keep alcohol to a minimum, I substituted a bottle of Martinelli's Sparkling Cider for Champagne, and used a lesser amount of the red wine [which gives the lovely color]. This was a very very nice version also. I don't think you can go wrong making these any way you go. A wonderful treat for a fancy dinner, or just delicious snack-dessert for anytime.

For a wonderful change of pace, try making or experimenting with Poached Pears yourself, and tell us what you think. You only risk having a new favorite !? Enjoy!!

Poached Pears à la Chef P

A Wee Bit Tipsy by KimB

2011-10-17T05:45:00.000-05:00

My immediate family are teetotalers or just about. Alcohol was not often on the menu or not consumed in large amounts. Of course other members of the family drank various alcoholic beverages and we have our share of causal and heavy drinkers like any other family, but for the most part, alcohol was not a common item in our house.

On special occasions, Mom would buy a bottle of Cold Duck and everyone would get a “splash” in a glass. When I say “splash”, I mean, just enough to wet the bottom of the glass. First, the bottle had to serve everyone who was in attendance, and second, no one was supposed to get drunk.

Now, my Grandfather being from the south, did like a bit of “southern comfort” from time to time but Grandmother rarely touched anything stronger than milk. That being said, she did have a fondness for champagne and if champagne was mentioned, Grandmother was sure to put out her glass for a taste.

At one family dinner hosted by my mother, she forgot to get the Cold Duck. It was the last minute and there was no way to get any, as the guests, including Grandmother and Grandfather, were arriving. It was “What to do, Percy?”

Mom had a brilliant idea! There was ample 7-Up in the fridge and she would pour the 7-Up and tell Grandmother and the others that it was champagne. The kitchen was completely separate from the living room and no one would know about the substitution.

Soon, the serving glasses had their “splash” as usual and these were handed around to the guests chatting in the living room and there were various comments about how good the champagne tasted! Grandmother sipped hers and she was delighted at how good it was and soon her “splash” was gone.

Mom, offered her another “splash” if she wanted it, saying that there was still some extra in the bottle. And Grandmother readily accepted. This time, we made it “a bit bigger” splash and with a flourish handed it to her. Grandmother was delighted and sipped her champagne happily as we all waited for dinner to be served. As everyone happily chatted about the upcoming dinner, Grandmother suddenly announced,

“Oh, this champagne is so good! I think I'm a wee bit tipsy!”

[Editor's note: This story was written by KimB]

Champagne Glasses

Saguaro Cactus

2011-10-15T04:59:00.000-05:00

When one thinks of desert cactus, Saguaro comes to mind. They are majestic in size and strangely shaped. They are only found in the Sonora Desert, part of which is in California and Arizona. Most of Baja California and the state of Sonora in Mexico is included. Saguaro do not tolerate frost so are found only below the elevation of 3500 feet.

Saguaro in Bloom

The arms of a Saguaro only grow after the cactus is 15 feet tall and has reached around 75 years of age. They can have many arms and average about 30 feet tall. The tallest are around 200 years old with more than 50 arms. They can grow to over 50 feet tall, but there are 50 varieties of tree like cacti in Mexico and So. America that are taller than Saguaro.

The skin of a Saguaro is smooth but inside are 2 inch spines that give a pleated look. As the cactus absorbs and stores water the pleats expand to store as much as a ton of water.
The many holes Gila Woodpeckers make digging for water are sealed by the plant to prevent water loss. The root system of a Saguaro is very shallow, radiating and wrapping around rocks for stability. The tap root is only about 3 feet long.

They bloom every year in May and June. Over a period of a month a few of the flowers open at night, secreting a sweet nectar. Bats, birds and insects help in pollination since Saguaro are only fertilized by another cactus. By noon the following day, the flower closes forever and if pollination has taken place a fruit will grow at the base of the flower. A ripe fruit will split when its 3 inches in size, scattering thousands of seeds.

The Recipe Box: Basmati Rice

2011-10-12T06:50:00.000-05:00

Basmati Rice

From the recipe box of KimB

Growing up, rice was more often on the table than potatoes but for a long long time I never realized that there were other ways of cooking it besides The Standard Recipe. Over the years, I've learned about other recipes, like Risotto which uses Arborio rice, but until recently I didn't know how to cook Basmati rice so that it would come out the same way it does in an Indian Restaurant. It is extremely simple and easy to master.

There are a few secrets to cooking Basmati rice:

1. Rinse thoroughly until the water is clear
2. Soak the rice before cooking (15 min or more)
3. Use less water to cook (1½ cups of water)
4. Cook 11 minutes on low heat and let it sit 11-15 minutes OFF the burner.

Details:

1. Rinse the rice until the water runs clear, especially if the rice comes from outside the USA. The cloudy color comes from the milling and will make the rice "clump".

2. Soak the rice in clear water. 15 minutes or more. Basmati rice absorbs a great deal of water and the longer you soak it the more it absorbs.

3. If you pre-soak the rice, you will need less water to cook it with: about 1½ cups on average.

4. Only cook the rice for 11 minutes on low, then take it OFF the burner and let it sit for 11-15 minutes more. The rice will continue to cook and absorb all the water.

Standard Rice

2 cups water
1 cup rice
salt

Boil the water. Add salt.
Add the rice. Bring back to a boil. Cover the pan.
Turn down the heat to lowest setting.
Cook 20 minutes.

Basmati Rice

1½ cups water
1 cup rice
salt
optional:
2 tbsp olive oil

Rinse the rice until the water runs clear.
Soak the rice in clear water. 15 minutes or more.

Boil the water. Add salt and olive oil.
Add the rice. Bring back to a boil. Cover the pan.
Turn down the heat to lowest setting.
Cook 11 minutes then remove from the burner and let sit 11-15 minutes.

Basmati Rice

Google Translator by KimB

2011-10-11T22:31:00.000-05:00

[Note: Editor's Post]

We have added the Google Translator Widget to MrsB's site!

This is a great utility and will allow many more people to read the stories and memoirs! Just select the language you want from the drop down list.

We hope you will all have fun reading in every language!

Brushes with Greatness Series: Steve Jobs by R. Cane

2011-10-10T04:30:00.004-05:00

Steve Jobs was my term project.

Back in the 70's I decided to go back to College on the GI Bill. I was about 30-ish years old and it was a fun experience, even though I felt like the 'old man' of the school, This was softened by my life experiences, which were interesting fodder for my classmates, and I became a sort of 'go to' guy for many of life's mysterious questions.

I was taking a lot of 'elective' type courses to ease myself back into the hectic schedule and discipline of tackling college, and I must say I am proud of how well I did adjust to the fast paced and demanding routines of furthering my education.

After one semester, I needed a certain type of class to move to the next level, and the choices were not so great, as they mostly consisted of complex science or mathematics or other rigorous disciplines, but I noticed a class that would give me the proper credit I needed, and after meeting with the instructor to get a feel for how complex the material was, I found that it would an interesting and not overly taxing course.

It was called 'Future Studies', and was designed for us to explore all the myriad new technologies coming out in the mid 70's - and explore how they might affect our future. This was a broad enough topic, and with so many new and wondrous developments in so many fields coming out, this was a fascinating opportunity – interesting, challenging, and memorable too as I was to find out. I signed right up.

We covered many interesting topics in our weekly meetings, but early on we were assigned a term project – which was about 70% of our final grade. I explored many possibilities, but all the good topics had been taken, so I met with the instructor to see what else I might be able to cook up.

The instructor told me about a friend of hers, that was building a computer, and would I be interested in doing something about how computers might affect our life in the coming years? There were no personal computers in those days, and I was picturing a pipe smoking guy at IBM who was piecing together old military surplus at home to make a 'brainiac' type main frame. It seemed interesting and curious, so I accepted when she asked if I wanted her to make an introduction to her friend, and then explore what he was doing.

Now to recap the technology of the 70's, computers did not exist outside of IBM mainframes the size of living rooms themselves, or some geeky science clubs that built radio shack devices for who knows what reason. Vinyl records were the main form or music media, although small portable cassette tape units were just becoming popular. If you wanted to make a phone call, you 1) used your home phone, or 2) used a Pay Phone Booth. The concept of mobile phones was still science fiction of the sort -found in comics like Dick Tracey's 2-way wrist radio.... or Sci-Fi TV – like Star Trek 'communicators'. Stereo shops – to play the vinyl - were all the rage, where you could go buy monster home sound and speaker systems. Digital watches were expensive and new, and people worried about kids not knowing what 'clockwise' meant. There were no digital calculators. Mechanical 'adding machines' were the best you could do. Word processing was a typewriter. The world of the1970's was a far different landscape than what we know today – technologically speaking.

It was arranged that I would meet the guy making the computer, so I got his name and number. I called and he was very gracious, liked the idea of helping me on my term project and assured me that none of the other students would be able to out do his presentation. So I was invited to his home – a houseboat in Sausalito.

When I arrived for the appointment, I had to walk the dock and pier to get to the right houseboat, which had a kind of covered porch all around the outside. This porch area was loaded with many boxes of – yep – army surplus electronic wire harnesses, bits and parts of card readers, and tons of mystery electronical stuff... enough to make the most hard core techie feel like he had found the pot of gold by the rainbow. I thought – well here we go!

Steve came out to meet me, and when he saw I was interested in all the surplus electronic stuff, he laughed and explained that was just stuff he had been collecting and using for a long time for parts in his prototype and experiments. He was younger than me, and had a lanky frame with a bushy head of hair, mustache, and chin whiskers bordering on a beard. He was quite hairy then. He was smiling, and immediately warm and engaging.

He was very nice, and extremely patient with me. I told him that the idea of a 'home-computer' was a mystery to me, and quizzed him on what he was actually doing. He explained that he and his partner were devising a personal use 'micro-computer' and that would be what he would present to the class.

I was fascinated, but still did not have a good grasp of what he was making. I still had visions of a room full of mainframes.

He explained to me, that he did not have the working version or model to actually show me there at that moment, but he insisted over and over that I would immediately grasp what he was making when I could actually see it... but the only one available was the prototype which was still down by Stanford University. When I told him I was born at Stanford, and that my dad was a grad, that seemed to seal the connection and any doubts about me or my project. He was in.

He was patient and careful with his words, but he could see that I was struggling to grasp exactly what he was making. It definitely was not the main-frame thing, but I was unable to fully imagine what it was. He talked with his hands a lot ... showing me the shape of the unit and such.

He told me about all the possibilities the home computer would create for the world, and even in our first meeting, he was quite visionary about what his 'computers' would do for 'everyday folks'. He clearly was not designing for industry, but for the private home user. I asked him about who would buy or use them, and was curious how he was funding the production. He explained that he and his partner had borrowed some money from their folks and friends for the initial production run. He said 'everyone would be using a 'micro-computer' in the near future. This was the subject of my class. I was in!

As he walked me back to my car, he explained that he was writing the 'operating system' ... and I had to ask if that was like an instruction manual, and he grinned and had to explain that it was kinda what actually ran the machine. I had a vague image form of him at an IBM Selectric typewriter, banging off written instructions. I left with more knowledge than I had arrived with, but more confused and less sure about what he was creating.

We met and talked several more times to follow up - over the run of the semester, as I had to give progress reports about the status of my Term Project from time to time. Steve was very open and free with information, and answered any and all questions to explain as much as needed or I what I could absorb. By now the first machines were in production, and the first form fit molded plastic cases were being mass produced by a manufacturer. I was assured that the assembled unit was going to blow my mind, and be as beautiful and useful as promised. Up to this point he did not have any drawings, sketches of photos of the unit, so was left to my own imagination and the waving of his hands to make a picture of what was coming.

Well the first batch of cases and assembled guts did not fit together – the case was too small for the 'mother-board'. Steve was fit to be tied. There was nothing to do but get new cases made, since the hardware was all done. Back to square one on the cases, and a delay for the class presentation.

At this point though, I was running out of time to make the presentation. I called Steve several times pointing out my time crunch, and ever the trooper, he promised he would make the presentation – one way or another, but he REALLY wanted to show off the finished and complete first Apple Computer...in the case as promised. [First glimpse of the perfectionist?]

Alas, the semester was almost over, and finally I HAD to make the presentation. I told Steve that we just 'had' to do it... this was the last week of class and my semester grade was riding on this. He reluctantly agreed. He was expecting delivery of the new cases any day, but we were out of waiting time.

I went to pick him up, and we gathered up the proto-type Apple – at this point miscellaneous bits, bobs, n wires and lunked it all into two card board boxes. Everything was all just jumbled in ; wires, monitor, the keyboard and primitive mouse -- all jumbled into the open cardboard boxes. He was severely disappointed not to have the case – they were due any day. Oh well, and off we went to my class.

I vividly recall helping him carry the 2 boxes up the steps to the second floor class. Curiously, one of the other student presenters was arriving – riding on a recumbent bicycle – the kind where you literally lay down to ride - and Steve was just fascinated by it, and held the door so the guy could ride it in, and then he just continued up the stairs in front of us. I could tell Steven was clearly impressed, but he whispered to me that his presentation would still be a whole lot better than the bike!

We got to the class room , and he started to set up the gear ... monitor and keyboard, mouse and all the wires. Whilst he was doing all that, we heard all about the recumbent bicycle – built buy the student himself – and how it would become the next 'hot' cycling craze. He explained all the healthful and ergonomic reasons behind its design. He got a nice round of applause, and then it was time for Steve.

I made the introduction, and – typically he was wearing jeans and a tee shirt – he began explaining how he came up with the idea, what the general idea was, and how he saw computers in our future. He described how it would revolutionize home finance and budgets, accounting, planning and design – like CAD – he had lofty ideas that I suspect just kind of went over everyone’s head that day, but it was quite clear that he understood how these wires in the cardboard boxes were going to change the future! He was magnetic in his enthusiasm.

Needless to say – he was quite chagrined and frustrated to have had to schlepp it all into the class via two cardboard boxes. When it was set up, it looked like the open back of an old tube TV set – wires all helter-skelter, the keyboard and mouse – still everyone was rapt and fascinated.

He described the molded cases and how all that stuff would fit into a single unit, and this unit would then be able to sit in the kitchen, or home office, help with homework, games, writing and endless other ways our life would be eased by using it.

Remember there was no internet or email or texting yet, but he saw all of that somehow, and shared his vision of the computer driven future, and the vast interconnection it would bring. I think that day it was lost on the majority of us, and none of us thought - I'm sure – that we had just seen the tip of our future.

He ultimately was responsible for creating major chunks of that future, and that these exposed wires and chips we were looking at were the actual seed of all that coming change. It was not elegant or easy to follow. Sounded a lot like Sci-Fi stuff to most folks, and I think there was a feeling that it – at best – might be a fancy toy for the home. I recall the sense that no one –– really saw what Steve saw, and that it was hard to embrace it as more than a gimmick by and for geeks. I had discussed enough with Steve in the build up to the presentation, to have a better sense of what was coming, and how computers could be a wonderful tool – although it was clear these would be stand alone units in everyone’s home. I'm sure even Steven, was surprised when they all got connected by the internet. That's when the vision all came together. But I digress.

If you recall the original Apple computers when they came out – were sleek one unit design, akin to an electric typewriter... those were the missing cases still being re-made. He must've apologized a dozen times, about the roughness of the presentation prototype. Oddly enough, his presentation was remarkably quite similar to the ones we see on the news, where he gets a twinkle in his eye when he explains and displays the new gizmo. He was just like that. But Bushy haired and bearded.

He demonstrated 'Pong' and some other similar games – he predicted that games would be a mainstay of the 'home mini-computer', he fired up a calculator function and demonstrated that. He showed us some simple word processing and a few other things. Remember this was 1976. There were not yet pocket electronic calculators. We used slide rules then. Word processing was still a typewriter!

He took some questions, and it was clear that folks were intrigued and fascinated, but they were not fully grasping the potential, and were lost in the mechanics of how it worked, all the wires, the keyboard and mouse and the physical system, but Steve kept redirecting the conversation away from the 'wires' and mechanical stuff, to what it could potentially do, and all the unknown things that would yet come from it becoming an everyday 'home' tool.

He got a nice round of applause and we gathered up the first Apple back into the boxes, chatted a few folks who lingered with more questions. He was really pleased about how it went and the reaction, and it was clearly one of his first – if not the actual first – demo to strangers -- of the first Apple computer!

I drove him back to the houseboat, and thanked him profusely – I chatted him once or twice after that by phone, to tell him that 'we' got an A. He was quite pleased for me, and he invited me to come by and see the – finally arrived – new computer in the correct case. It was quite nice and very compact... well lets face it, it was beautiful. I was duly impressed, thanked him again. We made plans to meet again later, as I was interested greatly in the project for myself, but alas, as fate would have it we never met again. That was the last time I saw him in person.

Whenever I tell folks today that I knew Steve Jobs a little – 'back in the early days', I think they shine me on ... like, "yeah, right ... you knew Steve Jobs.. sure you did" ... but I really did.

This has always been a very cherished memory, and certainly one of my most important brushes with greatness. He was 'our generations' Leonardo da Vinci, and true visionary. I have often reflected on his 'predictions' that day, and how many have actually been realized.

When I look back on my many achievements and experiences in life, I have always been amazed at this encounter with Steve Jobs. I have had many brushes with the famous. This was an interaction with a visionary genius.

I saw on the news that people were using a new phrase... I join in... iSad.

[Editor's note: This story was written by R. Cane]

Steven Paul "Steve" Jobs (February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011)

First Apple Computer Ad

First Apple Computer

First Apple Motherboard

Theater: Spring Awakening by Richard

2011-10-08T04:36:00.001-05:00

Frances and I recently went to the San Jose Rep Theater for another theater outing.

We enjoyed the play Spring Awakening a musical. The play is about school children entering puberty and as they struggled with their sexuality. The music,the songs,the dancing and the acting was wonderful.

[Editor's note: This story was written by Richard]

Spring Awakening Musical

The Recipe Box: Asparagus

2011-10-05T05:20:00.010-05:00

Asparagus

From the recipe box of ElGato

The trick to cooking really tasty asparagus is not to over cook it. It should be fork tender but still "al dente" (firm) for the best texture and great flavor. Asparagus can be served hot or cold.

1. Buy 1 lb of thin asparagus spears
2. Snap off the lower end and discard
3. Wash thoroughly
4. Boil water in a pot that has a steamer top section
or one that will take a steamer gadget.
5. Place asparagus in the steamer and steam over the
boiling water about 2 min.
Do not over cook. Check frequently until it is fork tender.
It should be al dente (firm) not soft or mushy.
6. Serve while hot.
It can also be refrigerated and served cold too (e.g. as a salad topping).

I prefer to eat it plain but if you like, you can add seasoning to your taste.

Asparagus in steamer

So How Does YOUR Garden Grow?

2011-10-05T05:15:00.002-05:00

KimB

Well, the last of the summer veggies plants have hit the compost recycle bin and looking at 6 empty tubs just made my Work Ethic itch. So, I've planted a winter garden.

Winter might not be the best description though as the winters where I live are still short-sleeves and shorts weather – even in December you see people wearing short-sleeves, shorts and sandals. The mountains around us are the Sierra Nevadas and it looks like Switzerland up there with snow and skiing, but down in the valley, it'll be shorts and short-sleeves for many. So I figured, I'd give it a go and see what happens.

All the buckets are now planted and I have hopes for the following:

Turnips
Garlic
Carrots – 2 pots, one with Nantes regular orange carrots and the other a multicolored set of white, yellow, red and purple.
Beets – Dutch Baby Ball Beets and a multicolored set of candy striped, red and gold.
Potatoes – red and white (from our great harvest) and some dutch yellow ones.

So far, the carrots and turnips have sprouted and the garlic is just starting to come up too!

Turnips
Carrots

Plan D

2011-10-01T04:00:00.004-05:00

I finally decided on the Log Cabin Star design, which was Plan D, for the knitted queen size blanket, and purchased Super Saver yarn, choosing colors in that category’s limited palette.

Because each of the 16 squares will be large, I chose three colors of dark and 3 colors of light to surround the red center. The colors are 'no dye lot', which means any additional skeins needed will match the color I'm using.

Of course I had to get started knitting once I had the yarn, and without qualms or hesitation I picked up my knitting needles and the red yarn. Blessed are beginners with their confidence, their lack of experience not withstanding.

After knitting the first log color, I was off to a good start. It wasn't until I was almost finished with the first square of the blanket that I discovered an error made soon after beginning the work. EGADS!

I didn't want to rip out those hours of knitting, but neither did I want the error to extrapolate. I fudged a few stitches here and there until the error wasn't too noticeable and finished the square.

One down and 15 more to go.

Plan D Log Cabin Knit Square

The Recipe Box: Mangosteen

2011-09-28T06:01:00.021-05:00

Mangosteen

From the recipe box of A. Nonymus

I have always had a fascination with food. I used to be adventurous in trying exotic or unusual food items in my youthful and carefree days, but I find as I get older I prefer the old 'tried and true' foods that are less likely to tax the body or have unpleasant reactions – still, as I reflect on the past, I find that I have had quite a few adventures of the palette...

I have a good friend who is an Executive Chef of the highest order... and he often brings me wonderful leftovers from galas and events that he caters...

About 2 years ago, 'Chef' brought by an interesting fruit called a 'Mangosteen' which had been ordered for a very high class event... no expense spared for some rich 'foodies' ... There were a few 'leftovers' so he shared with me.

I'd never heard of a 'Mangosteen', so I was quite fascinated. Apparently these have been super rare and were even prohibited from being imported for many years -- only recently being allowed to enter the US food chain. Chef told me how to eat it, and WOW... no wonder it's known as the 'Queen of Fruits'! As a side note, the history of the Mangosteen is itself as fascinating as the fruit, and it tastes as beautiful as it looks!

I can tell you it was a remarkable experience! Try one if you ever get the chance. Truly a wonderful, and very special flavor.

How to eat:

Open the fruits' pod-like hull, and inside there are nice white segments - much like an orange. You eat those fleshy segments.

The harder outer hull is usually discarded, but is also super high in anti-oxidants. Because of this 'medicinal' property, there is a long folk medicine tradition associated with the Mangosteen fruit, with no part going to waste.

Mangosteen

Pepper, Saguaro, Paint, Troy and Misty by KimB

2011-09-26T05:30:00.001-05:00

My grandparents had a house with some acreage in Tucson, Arizona near the Saguaro National Monument. The house was far from town on the Old Spanish Trail, which in those days was a dirt road that ran along the foothills. The washboard road rolled up and down as it followed the hills, rills and gullies along the edge of the Rincon Mountains towards the Colossal Cave, a popular tourist venue. They ran a cafe: Saguaro Corners, which was some miles from the house and located across from the National Park. They also had 5 horses.

The horses lived in paddocks behind the house and when visitors came, the horses were saddled up by Grandfather and off they would go for a look at the desert scenery. Grandfather and Grandmother were careful to match the horses with the abilities of the riders or lack there of. Some horses were more gentle than others and as really no one in the family knew much about horses, it was a good thing that overall they were kind horses but not without a bit of mischief if they could get by with it.

There was Pepper and her foal Saguaro. Pepper was Grandmother's horse and she was very particular about who rode her. Pepper could be a handful if you were not paying attention and Saguaro was a very insistent colt. When he got hungry and wanted to nurse, he would nip at the toes of the rider to get them to stop so he could have a snack. There was a LOT of nibbling if the ride took too long.

There was Paint. A beautiful Tobiano paint horse. Unfortunately no one could ride Paint. Grandfather had told me that when he bought Paint she had been abused. She was used as a pack horse and the pack had not been properly set and had made terrible sores on her back. He and Grandmother had nursed her back to health but she could not tolerate anything on her back, like a saddle or rider. When, on occasion someone did try to ride her, she would sit down and that would end the attempt. Of course, now a days there are ways to relieve pain and more rehab that can be done, but way back then there wasn't much available. So Paint lived a pleasant life with her horse friends in the paddock with brushings, baths and treats.

There was Troy a retired race horse. Troy was a favorite with the men because he could run fast. And fast he was! When the men would have races Troy was always the winner. I never got to ride Troy, as I as a little kid, but I remember seeing him out distancing all the other horses. There was just one problem with Troy and the other horses – the homeward part of any ride. The horses all knew where “home” was and each would try to get there first. Whenever the riding party headed home, Troy would be the first one to bolt and then one by one the others would follow. It was a “fast” trip home and Troy would be the first one at the barn.

When the homeward bolt was “on”, all the riders were told to “zig and zag with the horse” as they went around all the cactus, 'cause a “zag” at the wrong moment would land you in a pile of thorns. Grandfather was adept at removing cactus thorns from those unfortunates who “zagged” when they should have “zigged”.

Then there was Misty. Misty. Misty. Misty. A horse forever in my heart. She was first horse that I rode and one that I owned later on. She was sooo very special. Grandfather taught me to ride her when I was 3 years old. She was that kind of horse. She was a fea-bitten grey horse and was without any behavior faults. Grandfather used to put me on her and let me ride around the house by myself. After a bit he would come and collect me for lunch and then later he would boost me back up and I would spend hours just walking around or standing under a Palo Verde tree lying on her neck asleep.

Once when I when we were walking under a Palo Verde, a branch got snagged on my shirt. As Misty continued to walk forward I was lifted off the saddle by the branch. Misty stopped in mid-stride and did not move an inch. I would have fallen off had she done so. I screamed bloody murder for help and out came Grandmother and Grandfather to see what the commotion was about. There I was half dangling from a tree and Misty standing absolutely still to prevent my fall. The branch was soon dislodged and Misty got extra treats that night from everyone.

I have had many horses since Misty and I have a personal theory about how each horse is remembered, I call it the Every Other Horse Theory. The odd numbered horses (1,3,5) are “good” horses and even numbered ones (2,4,6) are “not so good”. This is because, you decide the current horse (1) is not suitable for whatever you are doing and you get another horse (2) as a replacement. But the new horse (2 or even numbered) does not live up to its predecessor, so you get another horse which is superior (another odd numbered horse). The chain goes on as you replace each horse for a new and better version.

There is one horse that can never be replaced: EVER. And that is the FIRST horse. The Number 1 horse in the list. Every horse after that, will never match the first horse that you love. Misty was my first horse and no horse can duplicate her. I have had great horses like "Thunder" who stole my heart the first time I saw him, but Misty is irreplaceable and the memories of her and riding the desert are like Golden Showers of Happiness.

[Editor's note: This story was written by KimB]

Horse Brushes

Whale Watching

2011-09-24T05:47:00.000-05:00

Last night I watched a delightful Nova documentary about a baby whale. It was fascinating to see it learning to mimic its mother making the various crashing and slapping movements on the surface of the water. I didn't know baby whales stayed close to their mothers for such a long time after birth. I had assumed they just went swimming away after being born, but such is not the case. Whale mothers are very protective of their young and only abandon them when they are ready to fend for themselves.

The only opportunity I have these days to watch whales is on television. I watch episodes of Whale Wars on Animal Planet. The attempts to stop and prevent the Japanese ships from catching and processing whale meat for sale in Japan is a real battle being waged between the Japanese factory ship, its fleet of ships that catch the whales and the ships of protestors fighting with non lethal weapons. The protestors have experienced some hazardous moments and have escaped serious injury to date.

Many years ago when I lived in the Los Angeles area, there were radio announcements saying whales migrating south could be seen from an area near the Long Beach Pier. I drove my Corvair van to Long Beach and picked up Grandmother A, who was in her mid 90s, and told her we would go whale watching. We sat in the car, facing the ocean and scanned the water for signs of whales while we chatted. We sat there for a long time but nary a whale did we see, so we decided to leave.

On the way back to Grandmother's, the wind suddenly blew a huge tumbleweed down the street toward my van. It was massive! It took a moment for me to realize it was a tumbleweed. As I braked the Corvair van, which had its engine in the rear of the vehicle with only the windshield separating the driver's bench seat from the highway, both Grandmother and I gasped as it hit the windshield. Being a tumbleweed, it didn't cause any damage and the wind swept it away from the car and on down the street. Both Grandmother and I sat stunned for a moment as we realized we had been hit by a tumbleweed. We had a good laugh about it, but it had been a frightening moment.

I was greatly relieved not to have endangered Grandmother and after I delivered her home safely, I did not make any more attempts to watch whales.

Baby Whale Gets Friendly With Visitors

The Recipe Box: Creamy Pasta Sauce

2011-09-21T04:27:00.002-05:00

Creamy Pasta Sauce

From the recipe box of Esther

1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 cup of small curd cottage cheese
1/2 cup finely diced onion
1 can petite diced tomatoes with liquid
Add seasoning to your taste: Parsley, Italian seasoning etc

Your choice of pasta

Add everythihg to a sauce pot and gently heat up while stirring to keep it smooth.
Serve over hot cooked pasta and enjoy.

You can improve on this by adding chicken or shrimp, they will add another flavor level.

Creamy Pasta Sauce

Meetin' At The Cafe

2011-09-17T04:11:00.005-05:00

Mom and Dad enjoyed desert living when they operated Saguaro Corners. The cafe bordered the grounds of the National Park and was far enough away from the city of Tucson, that the tentacles of civilization had not yet reached the area. The 'locals' were ranch owners, cowboys, and the few tourists that came to the park.

Adeline and her husband,Larry, with their children, Michael, Virginia, Mark and David lived in Tucson, but prior to their work at Hughes Aircraft, neither family had any experience living in the desert.

The desert is fascinating and beautiful, but laws of nature hold sway here like no other place on the planet. There are seasons, each with its own characteristic, but they meld, and if familiar with them one can appreciate the desert. The Saguaro and Occatillo cacti are only two of the many types of cacti in the area but they are the ones tourists think of when they think 'desert'.

On the occasions when my siblings and I met at the cafe we pitched in and helped Mom and Dad with their plans for expansion. They first created a large cement patio which later was turned into a glass enclosed room where patrons could watch the varied wild life come to a rock garden and drink from a shallow pool.

The original 6 stools where customers sat to eat burgers was turned into a small bar separate from the main dining room. It wasn't long before they added a small gift section offering turquoise jewelry and other mementos and souvenirs.

During their stay in Arizona, the folks acquired several horses and when we came to visit, riding was always at the top of our list of things to do. The cowboys helped Mom and Dad choose gentle horses so grandchildren could ride without worry, but there was one horse that only Mom and Dad could ride. It was a beautiful brown and white paint horse named Paint. If anyone attempted to ride, it just sat down. I had never seen a horse sit before but it actually sat on its haunches and wouldn't move. Uncle Pat thought he could ride it but as soon as he was in the saddle, the horse sat down. Our laughter didn't deter Pat from trying several times though. Misty was the gentlest of horses and everyone's favorite. Misty, aptly named because she was gray and slightly dappled had been used on roundups and was neck reigned.

It was always a pleasure to see a road runner and glimpse quail. One was always on the look out for snakes, especially rattlers. Coyotes were active at night. The hot sunny days took ones breath away and mare's tail clouds in the sky only hinted at something called 'rain'. When it did rain, water flowed down shallow ravines called 'washes' and could dangerously catch one unaware in a flash flood. I had heard stories of how dangerous those incidents could be but I only understood the power of those sudden rains when I saw the Pantano running. The force of the water was so great nothing would have stopped it. It was frightening just to watch and I understood how one could be drowned in seconds when the washes were running.

Flash Flood July 30, 2006 in Tucson, AZ
West of the Sabino Canyon Road bridge.

The Recipe Box: Smokey Corn Salad

2011-09-14T05:33:00.011-05:00

Smokey Corn Salad

From the recipe box of KimB

½ of a 1 lb bag of frozen roasted corn kernels
10-20 leaves of fresh mint
10-20 leaves of fresh cilantro
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp chopped fire roasted Anaheim chilies
2 green onions
2 tbsp maple syrup
pinch of salt if needed

Trader Joe's carries the frozen roasted corn kernels. You can use regular frozen sweet corn kernels if you cannot find the roasted kind.

Dressing

Finely chop the fresh mint and cilantro and place in a bowl. Drizzle the olive oil over the herbs to prevent them from turning color.
Chop the green onions and add to the bowl
Add in the roasted green chilies.
Add the maple syrup

Stir everything and taste. It should have a pleasant sweet and minty taste. Adjust quantities as needed.

Dish Preparation

Mix the frozen roasted corn kernels with the dressing. Make sure the kernels are well coated.
Cover and place in the fridge.

By the time the corn has thawed it will have adsorbed all the dressing and is ready to serve.

Smokey Corn Salad

My Generic or Not So Royal Wedding by KimB

2011-09-12T04:18:00.061-05:00

One can certainly say that the British know how to do Pomp and Circumstance. No one else really does it quite as well. The recent Royal Wedding was beautiful even if you are not “into” royalty. I remember getting up early in the morning to watch Prince Charles and Diana's wedding and also her funeral. I was completely amazed at how everything just ticked off seemingly without a hitch.

Of course there are many documentaries now about exactly how they do it. It really IS rocket science and they know moment to moment what is and is not supposed to happen. Of course, the “Royals” spend their lives having to do it day in and day out, most of the rest of us, get one or two days in our lives to “have a go”. One almost universal event is: The Wedding.

Weddings have always been a bit of mystery to me and I never really “got it”. I remember as a young teenager listening to my female cousins and friends describe the kind of wedding they wanted. There were lots of ideas about dresses, veils, which church, garden parties, receptions, the number of guests and all the other items that go into the modern wedding ceremony. I sat mostly glazed over with boredom until we would decide to do something more my speed, like go to a movie or down to The Mall for a hamburger.

As my cousins grew up, they in turn got married and many had their dream weddings or had redesigned them to meet new circumstances and desires. Whether it was luck or not, I never had to attend them. We moved frequently, and when wedding costs began to spiral, it was just fine with me if I wasn't on the “invite” list. Even as an adult, with my close friends, I preferred to wait until after they returned from their travels and then have a get together to hear about their adventures in a more relaxed setting. My happiness and best wishes for them was no less and it didn't require my presence “at THE moment”.

When I met Allen, I knew from the start that he was a “special” person. I don't think it was “love at first sight”, but it was pretty clear that we had a bond from our first meeting. We started to spend some time together and we had many discussions about our age difference. Having a December/May relationship needed some serious thought before either of us were willing to commit to any type of romantic involvement. In due course, we decided to give it a trial and began our lives together.

One evening, Allen called to me, “Kim, I need to talk to you.”

This generally meant that some financial or other aspect of home life needed a conference. So, I sat next to him on the couch and waited for him to explain what needed to be reviewed. He looked extremely uncomfortable and I just waited for him to begin. After some moments, he fished into a pocket and handed me a jewelry box. Allen had given me jewelry before but this was obviously a ring box and he nodded for me to open it. Inside was a beautiful sapphire ring with several small diamonds around it. I knew Allen didn't like diamonds and preferred the corundum stones like rubies and sapphires, so I wasn't surprised at the stone but I was surprised at how uncomfortable he seemed and it was clear that this ring was not just “any” ring.

“Is there a speech that is supposed to go with this?” I asked him.

It took him a few more moments to gather his wits and voice and then he said, “Kim, will you marry me?”

Well, there wasn't any doubt or hesitation on my part about the answer: “YES!” it was.

Soon after I graduated from college, the day came when we decided to actually get married and we sat together to figure out how and when to do it. Allen was most relieved that I did not want a big wedding or lots of guests or fancy reception. I wanted it to be as simple as possible and no fuss. We decided that Reno would be the best place: fast, close by and not that expensive.

We picked a date and gathered two of Allen's closest friends to be our witnesses and we headed to Reno for the weekend. It was a hot and clear day when we arrived and we followed the signs to city hall to get the paper work. We stood in line with other couples waiting for the clerks to handle whatever paper work was needed. It took a goodly while before we got to the top of the queue and we were getting very nervous as we approached the clerk. Papers where stamped and signatures were required. I signed first but Allen hesitated and looked in a panic.

I asked him, “Are you having second thoughts?”

“No,” he replied. “My hand is shaking too much to hold the pen.”

We had a nervous giggle and he managed to sign the papers needed.

Our plan had been to get the paper work, go to the motel and dress up in some nice clothes and come back later on to have the paper's formalized in one of the many wedding places around the city hall. But it was very hot and both Allen and I felt extremely nervous, so I suggested that we just do it “right now”. I figured, we would both be even more nervous in a few hours and standing around in 100 degree heat in a suit and tie for him and a wool jacket and skirt for me was just going to make things worse. So, we looked around to see what was near by.

We skipped the Elvis Drive Thru Chapel and selected another one that had a small white building with a nice lawn and some trees around it. Allen left to park the car in a longer term parking area and I went across the road to make the arrangements. My confusion was about to be complete.

When I went into the building a nice woman greeted me and I told her that I wanted to get married and showed her the papers from the city hall. I told her my soon-to-be husband was parking the car and could she please explain how much it would cost and the process.

Well, like most good sales people she started with: How many guests, flowers etc etc etc. I said I didn't want any of that, I just wanted to get married and there were only the 4 of us. She started again offering more “options” like wedding pictures and reception party. I told her I didn't want any of that either. I was beginning to panic because it was starting to sound like all the old childhood conversations my cousins and friends had had and it was getting more and more complicated.

Finally, I said, “I just want a Generic Wedding. Can you do that?”

She looked a bit stunned and said, “Well, I've never heard it called that before but yes we can do something simple.”

I felt relieved and expected her to just stamp my paper work so we could go on to our evening plans of dinner and a show (our wedding gift from our friends). Unfortunately, you cannot just get your paper work stamped. I am still at a total loss about why not, but it seems that someone has to say “words” or it isn’t valid. She was quite adamant about it, some one has to say “words” and only then can the paper work be stamped. I said I would pay for whatever but couldn't we just skip “the words” part? Alas, the answer was no.

So, Allen and I and our two friends were shown into the chapel area and a nice man came out and started the “standard speech”. I don't know how I lasted thru it but I did. In due course the speech was over, the “I Do”s were done and the paper work stamped. I couldn't wait to leave the building and recover under the cool shade of the trees.

My wedding attire was a pair of old jeans, cowboy boots and a Cal State Hayward sweatshirt. Allen was wearing an old pair of corduroy pants and plain shirt. I couldn't have been happier!

I don't know how anyone lasts thru a long and complicated ceremony. My 10 minutes or so of “being the center of attention” was way way more than I ever wanted. The outcome of our nervousness and panic has lasted more than 30 years now and Allen and I still laugh about our “Generic Wedding”.

[Editor's note: This story was written by KimB]

Not Like The 1947 Royal Wedding

Knitted Blanket

2011-09-10T05:59:00.009-05:00

My daughter asked me to knit a blanket for her queen size bed. I laughed!

I told my, sister Esther. She laughed!

I didn't want to refuse, but the task was daunting to say the least. The challenge piqued my interest though, and I began searching the internet for designs appropriate for a queen size blanket. I came across a photo of a beautiful hand knitted blanket displayed on a full size bed. The design of the blanket showed that it was made by an advanced knitter, but I could knit a blanket of a simpler design.

I tackled the problem straight away with PLAN A. It would be plain flat knitting with a non curling border. The blanket was to be 80”x80” @ 4 stitches per inch, which would mean 320 stitches across each row of knitting. I would have to buy new 47 inch circular knitting needles, but they were expensive and hard to find.

PLAN B came into existence. Knitting squares and sewing them together was an option even though weaving yarn ends would add to the work of sewing the squares together. I still had to pick a design that would be interesting. I surfed the net and looked at hundreds of patterns.

When I gave my sister a progress report during a computer chat, she casually mentioned finding 60 inch circular knitting needles listed in a Google search. WHAT??? I had never heard of 60 inch circular knitting needles. I immediately Googled and found 2 new ones offered for sale at Amazon for $4.95 each. I bought them both.

PLAN C allowed me to re-contemplate a one piece blanket now that I had longer needles to work with, and the search for a pattern was on again. I found a wonderful 2 color Celtic design. While toying with that idea, I kept coming across photos of knitted log cabin afghans knitted in squares and joined. I decided to knit a small sample of the technique and discovered to my delight that it was EASY PEAZY knittin' !

PLAN D is a knitted Log Cabin Star pattern. I have not yet purchased the yarn in the colors I want. Still debating on the number of colors to use, but will knit the squares in warm and cool colors so light and dark surround the red center of each block. After I finish the squares and sew them together, I will use my new 60 inch circular knitting needle and knit a border around the squares.

I think PLAN D is my final choice and plan on stickin' with it!

60 inch knitting needles

Observing Changes

2011-09-08T08:31:00.002-05:00

I often wonder what my ancestors thought when events caused profound changes in the way they lived. I wonder if realization of the consequences flashed across their minds or did they just think it was 'progress' and went along with the flow of change.

The consequences of inventions in transportation, (automobiles and airplanes), medicine, (anesthetics, antibiotics and vaccinations), and technical discoveries of radio, telephone and computers have changed the lives of people around the world.

Some changes bring benefits with them, for example labor saving devices such as the simplest egg beater to huge earth movers, but catastrophic creations like the atom bomb have increased the suffering, misery and worry of human kind around the globe.

When Grandma A gazed at the first sputnik streaking across the sky above Long Beach, she joined the rest of us in thinking it a marvel. When the first steps were taken on the moon, I thought that marvelous achievement the grandest of all marvels.

Those events have taken us from provincialism to globalization. I'm not certain it has been for the better. On one hand it has led people living under governments controlled by tyrants and dictators to demand their civil rights. On the other hand, extreme religious beliefs threaten societies with destruction and mayhem. Included in this upheaval is the proliferation of drugs and violence.

Our observance of the tenth anniversary of 9-11 leaves my heart filled with a sadness to know that we will never again have the luxury of life as we knew it before the attack. Now, the concerns for national security rule our lives. We no longer trust our neighbors and are apprehensive when we travel.

We still talk about the 'American Dream', but it will have a different meaning for those born today than it did for me growing up in the freedoms we had before 9-11.

American Flag

The Recipe Box: Cow's Ears

2011-09-07T06:38:00.008-05:00

Cow's Ears

From the recipe box of MrsB

2 large eggs
½ cup sugar
½ cup cream
½ cup melted butter
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
2½ to 3 cups all purpose flour
splash of vanilla
powdered sugar

Beat eggs and sugar. Add cream and butter. Stir in baking powder. Slowly add 2½ cups flour. Add more flour if necessary to get rolling consistency. Roll dough out to ½ inch thickness and cut into diamond shapes. Make a small slit in the center of each and pull one end thru the slit. Drop cookies into hot oil until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towel and sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Fattigman Cow's Ears

The Recipe Box

2011-09-05T06:56:00.000-05:00

[Note: Editor's Post]

As the gardening season is winding down, we will shift the Wednesday: How Does Your Garden Grow series to The Recipe Box.

As both MrsB and Aunt Esther have cookbooks they have shared (see the PDF downloads on the left panel), we would like others to share their recipes too. Everyone is encouraged to participate. ANY recipe is good, whether an original one or from another source like a cookbook or magazine. Just something you think is tasty and others would enjoy knowing about.

Our family covers just about every country and a lot of different cultures and we have marvelous memories of great meals and how they were prepared. Many can remember Uncle Micky's Cornish Game Hens and Fruit Chutney. There are pie recipes to die for: Lemon Meringue or Banana Creme! There's Kasha and Fried Chicken and Borscht of various types too.

Even if it's already been shared - share it again! Reminders of great food and the family get togethers are always welcome!

You can email the recipes to the editor at: MrsBizzyB+"atsign"+LIVE.com

Vernon Loved to Hunt and Fish by Esther

2011-09-03T05:27:00.012-05:00

He was a man who was born too late. He would have been great as an early American when this country was being settled many years ago. He was happy to wander every where and could of lived off the land. All he needed was a place to bed down, cook his meals over a fire and a pond big enough to bathe and have the equipment to hunt and to fish.

I met him when he was stationed at San Bruno. He was a sailor and would be going over seas soon. We dated and then wrote letters while he was stationed on Guam. When he was discharged from the Navy in San Diego, he came to Redwood City and we were married in little ceremony in my sister Marion's home.

He loved to hunt deer as often as he could, and with my brother Abby, they always came home with one dressed and ready to cook. It was Mom who knew how to season it and have it tender and delicious. Vernon was a good cook him self, and he learned a few tricks from her. One thing he did like was having the whole family together to eat, and we never failed to send out the call, “come eat” .

Vernon enjoyed being outside hunting or fishing. I learned to enjoy surf fishing with him. I did go with him when he hunted for deer but it was not my thing; fishing though was really great. When we moved to make our home in Baton Rouge, I did not like to go fishing as there were too many critters crawling and bugs that bite or sting. They never seemed to bother Vernon.

One of his favorite hunts was to gather up frogs to eat for supper. When my brother Charles came to spend a few days with us, Vernon took him hunting with him. Vernon outfitted him with a head light and battery, and a gig pole to catch the frogs with and a gunny sack to keep them in while they continued on to look for more frogs.

They started out late in the evening as the best time to catch frogs is in the night time. Frogs love swampy watery places to live in but so do snakes and other critters, not to mention the bugs, some of them are very large but the tiny bugs are the worst: they bite. I can still imagine Charles out there in the swamp with Vernon. Charles did not like bugs or snakes and to add the dark of night and swampy waters to wade through would have made it even worse for him.

As they walked along they would see a frog, they would grab it with the gig pole and get it in to the gunny sack. They did not have to wade into deep water. The gig pole was as long as they needed. Any thing farther wasn't safe. They had good luck and there were enough frogs to have a nice meal of frog legs for all of us.

Charles was not too sure if he would ever go hunting for frogs again, as there were too many snakes and other critters to worry with, but he did love eating frog legs.

It was my Mother that show me how to make hush puppies. I loved them and they were a hit with the whole family. She learned them when they had a fishing camp in Florida. Hush puppies are small balls of corn bread batter fried in hot grease. We would fry the frog or fish and then the French fried potatoes and last the hush puppies. That is a great meal.

The name “hush puppies” comes from the story that these would be given to dogs when they would bark to quiet them and that was where the name came from: "hush puppy". Anyone would hush up and enjoy them.

I have five brothers. They all loved fishing and some of them did hunt. I know Abby was always with Vernon when in California. When they came to Louisiana, Mickey, Charles, and Jerry would go out with Vernon. The three of them found work in the gulf of Mexico and settled in Texas and when they had time, they came to visit.

My brother Richard, used to go fishing. Richard was more of a student. He was always in class and after graduation he went on to college. He did what he said he would do, and he worked to get there. He followed his dream.

[Editor's note: This story was written by Esther]

Hush Puppies

So How Does YOUR Garden Grow?

2011-08-31T04:23:00.004-05:00

KimB

(drum roll please) And the results are IN! We harvested our potatoes!

I planted two kinds of potatoes: white and red, which I have since learned are called Charlotte (white) and Desire (red), each in separate buckets.

We selected our first bucket and tipped it over into an empty garbage can and VOILÀ! Here's “The GREAT Harvest”!

Charlotte or White Potatoes

That's right – 2 potatoes. You can barely see them in my hat! And the “big” one is about 1 inch long. Yeah ... Not so good.

Discouraged but still hopeful we tipped over the other bucket AND ...

Desire or Red Potatoes

YIPPEE! SPUDS!

Trees of Darkness by KimB

2011-08-29T05:58:00.001-05:00

Trees of Darkness

Trees of darkness miles high,
Phantoms drawn on grizzled skies.

Moons and stars of dour black,
Cast their shadows grimly back.

Heralds of the day of night,
They beckon with their failed light.

Rulers of the world's ends,
Until the suns arise again.

KimB 7/2011

Saguaro Corners

2011-08-27T06:43:00.000-05:00

Among the many ventures and adventures the folks had was the cafe across from the entrance to the U.S. National Park in Tucson, Arizona. They came upon the little cafe by happenstance when Dad worked at Lockheed in Tucson. Thru friends and acquaintances, they met the owner of the tiny cafe who was looking for someone to run the business for him. There wasn't much trade, mostly sales of cold bottled and canned soft drinks and an occasional hamburger. There was a separate building with two motel rooms available in case a tourist wanted to spend the night instead of driving the 17 miles back into Tucson for lodging.

The folks were given full reign on how to run the little cafe. It wasn't long before word got around to the local cowboys that the cafe was open for business and they began to ride their horses over for bottles of coke and a burger. Mom added homemade chile and various sandwiches to the menu which went over like gang busters.

Occasionally a cowboy would stay to chat a bit after eating and friendships began to develop. When Dad got home from his work at Lockheed, he helped Mom in the cafe and some of the cowboys from the neighboring ranches began to drop in during the evenings to chat and tell stories about their work experience.

One afternoon one of the cowboys stopped at the cafe and asked Mom if she would be interested in buying a horse. The question was so totally unexpected, it took Mom a moment to collect her thoughts. The cowboy needed the money and if Mom didn't buy the horse he would continue to look for a buyer. The price was $100, and she would be getting 2 for the price of 1 since the horse was pregnant.

Mom paid for the horse and got a bill of sale then the cowboy helped her stable the horse in a lean-to shed in back of the cafe. Later he came by with a bale of hay and some feed for the horse.

When Dad got home from work, he was as surprised as Mom was that she had actually bought a horse. The horse was a bay, brown with black mane and tail with the name Pepper. Mom and Dad were excited at the prospect of a foal due in a few short weeks. The cowboys answered any questions they had and the event was anticipated with curiosity; would it be a filly or a colt and when would it be born, during the day or night?

Each day after Dad got off work from Lockheed, he gave his attention to Pepper and he and Mom pampered her with treats. While Dad was away at work, Mom made frequent visits to Pepper to check that all was well. One afternoon during one of those visits, Mom was astonished to find Pepper in labor and the foal due any minute. It was a thrilling event and when it was over, a dark brown colt managed to stand next to its mother. Mom was sorry that Dad hadn't been there to see the birthing, but that didn't detract from their excitement of having a new born colt to name. There was only one that came to mind and they both agreed on it. Saguaro.

Bowl of Chili

Email the Editor!

2011-08-25T09:23:00.002-05:00

[Note: Editor's post]

We have added a direct email address to the Editor!

A direct email address will allow those who which to contribute a post to get it to me faster and will allow me more flexibility on getting things scheduled for publication too.

The email address needs to be converted by the sender to the proper email format by replacing the (+"atsign"+) with @. The reason the email address is listed this way is to cut down on spam.

We hope that having this option will encourage more family members to send stories to share. Topics can be about anything. Something you would share with friends and family. Stories don't have to be long, even a few sentences would be most welcome. Many of the current posters didn't think anyone would be interested but the blog has many many readers from all over the world. People ARE interested in our adventures and memoirs. Our family has wonderful stories to tell!

And if you are not certain about format and other trivia, please do not worry. The Editor works with everyone to make sure the stories are as YOU want them to be. Spell Check works!

So send your stories to: MrsBizzyB+"atsign"+LIVE.com

(The address is on the side panel too.)

So How Does YOUR Garden Grow?

2011-08-24T06:01:00.001-05:00

Loretta

Years ago, gardening was a way of life. We lived in a rural area in Iowa and everything we grew was used in some way or other. Starting with spring planting and ending with either eating it fresh from the garden or canning for future use in the winter months. We didn’t know what store bought was about. Today if we didn’t have stores we would go hungry.

The garden we have this year is pitiful.

Stating with our winter that wouldn’t go away. The stores that supplied the plants had a terrible time keeping them alive. Finally waiting until they were sure the cold was over to stock again.

Now I’m not saying that was the start of our bad luck, but it surly factored in.

We have eight tomato plants that look ok but only three have tomatoes on them. We have three cucumber plants not one cuke on any of them. My water melon and cantaloupe plants are growing and have blossoms, but the bees must be on strike and not pollinating. The hot pepper plants are producing but are small. My bells are growing small ones as well. The cilantro we bought this year and the volunteer wannabe ones from 2 years ago are growing all over the garden. The green bean plants are doing good we’ve had a couple meals with those. The corn looks about 6ft tall no corn as of yet. The grape plants lost a lot of their fruit because of the cold. The blackberry plants are spreading out , but no fruit. My apples are still growing. We still have our hopes on apple pies in the fall.

This is the first year my garden has failed me.

Happy Birthday George!

2011-08-22T01:35:00.027-05:00

On August 22nd you will be 90!!! E gads, those years rolled by mighty fast! It seems only yesterday that you and I, along with my younger brothers and sisters, spent summer days, barefoot and fancy free with not a care in sight. Those days are among my fondest memories.

Do you remember sitting in the branches of Grandmother's apple tree after it had been knocked down during the storm the night before and eating green apples? Between bites of sour green apples we ate salty crackers.

Remember going to the empty stadium to run the track? Being barefoot, the cinders hurt my feet and I never made it all the way around, but that didn't stop us from going back to the stadium often to climb the bleachers and count them when we were tired of running.

Remember the territorial war we had with the neighbor kids on the hill in back of Grandmother's house? Both sides spent hours making mud balls to throw at each other. We spent hours making marble size mud balls and laid them out in the sun to dry for ammunition, but the war fizzled out about three days later. It was a good thing too, since the weapons we had made would have killed someone if we had ever hit a target.

Remember the evening when Penny, the dog thought he was jumping into his favorite chair and landed splat on the floor instead? The room was dark and Penny forgot that Grandmother had moved the chair from the usual place.

Remember the peach ice cream Grandmother made in the old hand crank freezer and carefully packed in ice to keep until time to serve. You and I took teaspoons and sneaked into the cellar room and stole tastes. We took so many that when Grandmother discovered what we had done, she made us take the little red wagon to town and bring back enough ice to make more.

Remember the Michigan Rummy games we played sitting on the floor of the front room at Grandmother's. She let us play with the bicycle decks of cards, but frequently told us she would not allow Euchre played in her house.

Remember the New Years Eve we went sledding down the hill and rammed into the telephone pole at the bottom? I still have a scar on my leg where it got caught between the pole and the sled.

Remember when you and our friend Doyle and I went to the movies together and sang "Over the Rainbow" on the way home?

Remember the errands to the day old bakery Grandmother would send us on and we always walked thru the park so we could see the statue of Chief Mahaska?

Those were the days! We both have had many twists and turnings with experiences taking us to strange and far away places during our years, but I like to browse these memories from time to time and remember the loved ones that shared our lives back then.

May your day be the best of birthdays. And may tigers never knock at your door.

Not Just Sitting Around by Loretta

2011-08-20T05:43:00.000-05:00

[Editor's note: This story was written by Loretta]

I wanted to share my first attempts at what the blade runner can do. I had Billy cut them out and I painted them. They sit above my door frame and they haven't fallen yet.

Playful Cat

Sitting Cat

Lying Down Cat

Meteor Showers

2011-08-18T04:49:00.002-05:00

There is something magic about watching a meteor shower. My family and I had that wonderful experience many years ago when we lived on the Sky Ranch at the top of Kings Mountain in Red Wood City, Calif.

It was a balmy evening and the family had gathered in a patio area outside the house to chat and catch up with each others doin's during the day. My sister and her husband lived in a small building on the property, and my husband and I lived in another. Mom and Dad lived in the big house with my brothers who ranged from young adult to grade school age. As we enjoyed the quiet rustling of the Red Woods, dusk gave way to darkness and singing of insects joined our chatter.

Suddenly a falling star caught our attention and as we gazed at the night sky, we made wishes that everyone knows will come true when wished on a falling star. Twinges of excitement grew each time we spotted another shooting star and all of us were wrapped in an aura of magic as we watched and wondered at so many streaking across the sky.

We all were loath to go to bed while the star show continued and we stayed watching until the wee hours of the morning. We had the pleasure of seeing shooting stars over the next several evenings although the numbers diminished.

Knowing that disintegrating particle debris from comets cause the the stunning celestial event does not take away the magic of seeing and wishing on a shooting star as it streaks across the night sky.

Meteorwatch 2011 Trailer
Perseid Meteorshower July 17 - August 24, 2011
Peak August 13, 2011

So How Does YOUR Garden Grow?

2011-08-17T04:38:00.010-05:00

A. Nonymus

We are lucky and thankful to have our wonderful Flea Market, as well as several terrific Farmers Markets... which provide some consolation and alternative to 'Our [non existent] Garden'.

Having the bragging rights on a bumper crop of homegrown cukes or t'maters is definitely a fun goal, and a great reward for a home gardener, but since we are lacking the means this year to grow a garden, at least we can enjoy the largesse of inexpensive fresh produce and fruits trucked in from farms not as affected by the deplorable weather conditions.

At this point in the growing season, it's obvious that there is little point to putting in the blood, sweat, toil, and tears in pursuit of our own garden of Eden. This post is our 'official white flag of surrender' to the garden muses this year.

I believe in self-sufficiency, but thank heaven for the urban farming movement, 'cause truck farms rule! Enjoy the bounty from those who have been able to struggle and grow good stuff. I saw a TV promo to 'shop local', and supporting your local farmers is a great win-win for growers and consumers.

But the Texas drought will harm wildlife habitat for years to come.

KimB

Well.... I broke down and did it.... I had the gardener install a watering timer for the veggies.

The poor little things were just too pooped to pop and the bucket system wasn't cutting the mustard as it were. I had the drip system already in but it was connected to the same watering valve as the trees (there was only one valve). When Allen watered the trees I didn't have to bucket the water but that was just two times a week. The rest of the time it was the bucket brigade method. So I had the gardener install another valve for the veggies.

Now they get a little aqua every day and I don't have to worry about them drying out if I miss a day.

What to do Percy? By KimB

2011-08-15T05:00:00.000-05:00

[Editor's note: This story was written by KimB]

"What to do Percy?" Is a common saying in our family and is used to indicate a quandary of one type or another. I often wonder how many know of its origins?

Congo Percussion

Growing up we had limited access to TV and radio but we did have a record player. It was a rather fancy one and could play many types of records because it had a dial that could vary the speed of the turn table.

We used to check out records from the library and scour stores for cheap records to buy. As this was long before videos and streaming movies, the records would often have stories done in a "radio drama" format.

The Black Watch

We found interesting and unusual recordings like: Congo Percussion [Chief Bey Congo Percussion 1960s] that had this booming timpani drum and Scottish bagpipe tunes [The Black Watch Regimental Band and Massed Pipers], but the radio drama format was popular and we loved listening to the stories over and over.

On one outing to the store, we found a recording of Walt Disney Swiss Family Robinson [1963]. As we had a limited budget there was some debate about whether to buy it or not, but a bit of whining on my part got it put into the purchase column.

When we got it home and played it, we had a bit of a surprise. While it was the “Swiss Family Robinson” story, the radio adaptation left a lot to be desired. In short: it was awful. I'm not sure how the actors read those parts or if they were just scraped from the movie dialog but every line and description was just absurd. The sound effects where undeniably bad.

It was so bad we all started to laugh and the more we listened, the harder we laughed. Tears were flowing down our cheeks and sides where splitting as we gasped for breath and held our ribs which were hurting from laughing so hard. Every line was even worse than the previous one and we didn't stop laughing until the end of the recording. It was so awful we just had to play it again! Each replay had the same effect: uncontrollable laughter. It became a staple for listening and guaranteed laughter maker.

In the opening of the recording is the ship wreck that lands the family on the island. There are the sounds of storms and lightening and rain pounding in the background. At a crucial moment, the Captain says “What to do Percy? What to do?”

And ever since, “What to do?” has become a standard phrase in our house. Even now, it brings a smile and a chuckle at the memory.

Swiss Family Robinson Recording

One of 'Those Days'

2011-08-13T05:21:00.005-05:00

I can tell this is going to be one of 'those days'. Little quirks are popping up and changing the smoothness of my routines. Nothing major, just little indications that this is going to be one of 'those days'.

It all started when I dropped one of my medicine pills on the floor. Ordinarily that's a trifle but it was a tiny gray pill and the floor linoleum is the same gray color. And to top it off, today is the day I take only half of that pill which makes it even tinier. I finally found it.

After taking my meds, I started the coffee pot and went to the computer to check email while the coffee was being made. There wasn't any email, so I went back to the kitchen to get my morning coffee and discovered the circuit breaker had tripped and the coffee maker had stopped half way thru the process.

What to do Percy? What to do?

I pouted, that's what I did. I felt sorry for myself. I wanted my morning coffee and it was not going to happen until I could get someone who knew how to check the circuit breakers for the apartments. I was forced to be patient, and eventually someone did come along, and I got my coffee.

Then I settled down to my computer with my favorite coffee mug full of steaming hot coffee and signed into the chess server as usual. I like to play chess in the mornings while I drink my coffee and it wasn't long before I was in a game with a player from China.

The game was going well for both of us and some where in the middle game I began to make headway. Slowly but surely I was making the right moves and getting the upper hand. The opponent was a good player so I had to really work to keep my advantage. As the game went on, I maneuvered into a winning position and the game was a win for me as I made the next move. Then the computer dropped my piece! The game was over and I had lost!

It's ONE OF THOSE DAYS!

One of Those Days!

So How Does YOUR Garden Grow?

2011-08-10T04:33:00.002-05:00

A. Nonymus

The searing sun burns down on our tortured Gulf Coast soil, as we bake in this seemingly endless, and rampant heatwave... 45 straight days over 100! Gardens are far from our reality, but certainly not far from our thoughts.

In contrast to our baked ground and severe gardening conditions, our local flea market is overflowing with stalls stocked full of marvelous fruits and vegetables. This shopping adventure is virtually a bonafide 'farmers market'.

We are fortunate to have an alternative to our expensive grocery chain stores and their expensive fresh produce at our local flea market. We are able to have really nice fresh fruit and vegetables, remarkably cheap. Today; 4 cantaloupes for $2, delicious and juicy fresh peaches, 4 the size of baseballs for $1. I don't think we could possibly grow them so cheaply in our 'planned'/ imagined garden.

Whilst I was selecting some lovely cantaloupes and peaches today, I couldn't overlook the abundant cornucopia of mangoes, papayas, tomatoes, avocados, exotic melons and fruits, on display at my favorite stand, which belies our frightful and terrible drought and water shortage.

These products have to come here to be for sale after journeys from far and wide... some local truck farms, but some of the products come from Mexico or Central America, and lots of special items come from Chile or even other exotic places like California or Georgia.

This wonderfully abundant display , offered a moments welcome contrast to the oppressive drought, and gives us to ponder what our garden 'might have become'... Sigh, oh well ...we are in good company - think Chicago Cubs, yep, we'll get'em next year!

More to follow .... Happy Gardening.... or shopping at your Flea or Farmers Market!

KimB

On the above Hot Note – it's been so hot here that the tomatoes have stopped producing tomatoes.

Temperatures at night are cool if 101 or so. During the day it can hit 109+. And we live on the cool side of town. A trip to the big mall to our west and 113 or so is normal. Getting into the car after a shopping trip: the temperature inside registers 126 and drops as we head homeward.

I am bucket watering every day just in hopes of keep everything from flopping over completely.

Body Modification and Enhancement

2011-08-06T05:41:00.000-05:00

Tonight the television broadcast a warning of infection to those with breast implants. It wasn't too long ago the news carried horror stories of implants gone wrong, but the only worry these days is infection.

Our culture permits all manner of body modifications and enhancements. The more benign methods of dying hair, shaving legs, growing beards, wearing rouge, powder and mascara and piercing ears is so universal we don't consider them to be detrimental.

It seems as if humans have always wanted to change our bodies. Cranial deformation was practiced by Egyptians. Nefertiti and Tutankhamen had a modest deformation in comparison to the Mayans, Aztecs and Incas. The Chinese bound the feet of women for over a thousand years and was only abolished in 1949 by the communists.

Status and religion are both rationals for extreme modifications. Today there are segments of society that practice genital mutilation by both men and women for religious purposes.

Body piercing and tattooing is popular with men and women, sometimes carried to the extreme. Silicone injections in the lips, cheeks, and chin along with other sub-dermal implants are readily available for those who want them. Facelifts, nose surgery and botox are no longer thought of as unusual.

Heaven forbid that our character lines aka wrinkles should show signs of aging.

Just a bit lower now

So How Does YOUR Garden Grow?

2011-08-03T05:37:00.013-05:00

MrsB

My kitchen counter in back of the water faucets and along the side of my microwave is filled to capacity with tiny containers of water with avocado seeds punctured with toothpicks to keep the upper half of the seed above water.

My penchant for saving seeds and trying to propagate them has to end! To tell the truth, I really don't have any intention of planting them because it would mean 'work'. I'm against that word and try not to use it. I will, in all probability, try to give the rooted seeds away, or barring that, just toss them.

The outdoor spider plants are thriving and looking good despite the 100 (and plus) degree days we have been having . The Christmas cactus is also flourishing.

Esther

In My Garden

I have read with interest the way some people tend to their gardens. For many years, I have helped to plant and weed in them, since I was old enough to know the difference between a vegetable plant and a common weed. Also, to know a weed can grow much faster than most of the plants we put into the garden.

The first I can remember was when we lived in Iowa Falls. My Grandfather A took over the job of the garden when he and Grandmother A came to live with us. He had a wonderful garden with everything that made our meals so very good. He would have us help to weed out the rows and there was one year I can remember, where he promised we could pick out the cantaloupe we wanted. We just had to weed out one row when ever it was needed. And he always kept each row neat and clean so there was not too much to do when he said he needed us to get the weeds out. With the eight of us children it did not take long to do the weeding and most of the time it was a game to see who could get done first or who had the most weeds to throw on the compost pile.

I also remember when it came time to pick the cantaloupe, every one of us could not eat it at the Sunday dinner Mom had. That night we ate fried chicken, mash potatoes, green peas, buttered carrots, hot biscuits and gravy. Then came the desert which was strawberry cake with real whip cream. All the cantaloupes were still in their serving dish on the counter in the kitchen.

I think of all the gardens and how much work they needed brings back some good memories. When I had some time to enjoy having nice veggies to eat. They were all so good to have when the weather was great.

Today, I spend most of my time looking at catalogs of flowers and vegetables. The pictures all look perfect. When I go to the store, I pick the ones I want to eat for supper. I just love to eat fresh corn cooked with baby butter beans. Finding the "just right" tomatoes, selecting the cucumbers and bell peppers, is so nice. It is a plus to have any vegetable I want in a nice clean area and in a comfortable place, summer or winter.

It is really my age that tells me I have to have my garden delivered to me. I do miss having one to work in.

Growing Up In Iowa

2011-07-30T06:44:00.000-05:00

I grew up in a mid-west agricultural, river community before WWII. Our lives revolved around the four seasons. Climate was always a concern. Rain or drought conditions were never far from a farmer's mind as planting and harvesting took place. Local businesses geared their inventories and hours to the seasons as well as the farmer's needs. Hot summers and cold, snowy winters determined our clothing.

In those pre-war days the great depression and the catastrophic dust storms tested the metal of the country's leaders, but in my small town, days repeated themselves with the sameness of the day before.

Of course radio broadcasts and newspapers kept us informed of national and international concerns so we were aware of President Roosevelt's attempts to stabilize the economy and the dire news of Germany and Italy threatening war.

Dad worked for the telephone company from the time I was a baby until he retired after WWII. In the early years with the company, he was transferred from Spencer, Ia to Charles City, Ia, then to Iowa Falls, Ia where we lived until his transfer to San Francisco, Ca after the war started.

I had already graduated from high school and was going to the local community college when the attack on Pearl Harbor happened. After Pearl Harbor, the lives of all Americans changed, including that of our family.

At the height of the depression we moved to a small 7 acre asparagus farm on the edge of town. Moving from town to the country was a big change for us. The house had no indoor plumbing. Water for drinking and cleaning came from a well. The out door toilet, aka, privy, was some distance from the house. There was no second story, all the rooms were at ground level. There was electricity so we had a large refrigerator, but rather than a gas stove, we had a large cast iron wood stove for cooking.

The acreage not only had asparagus, but there were long, wide rows of black berries, red raspberries, a huge strawberry bed, a very large vegetable garden and a back field where we grew field corn for the 2 cows and hogs we raised. We also had chickens. Dad learned from government brochures how to raise bees and we had 7 or 8 hives of honey bees. The car port was a Concord grape arbor.

Dad's parents came to live with us and Grandpa, with Mom's help, took charge of the little farm. Dad went to his office at the phone company everyday.

During the cutting season we all went to the fields before sunrise and worked until all the asparagus had been cut, washed and packaged for delivery to the stores. While the work was being done in the fields, Grandmother fixed breakfast for us and then it was time to get ready for school. Adeline and I walked to school in town. We took shortcuts across a creek and thru pastures to get to the high school. Mom drove my other siblings to and from a country school with only one room and one teacher for all the grades.

During the summer we all worked in the garden and every week day morning, Mom drove us to town to sell vegetables and honey door to door. We each had baskets of fresh picked vegetables and worked both sides of the street. The little ones, Dick and Jerry always sold out and had to come back to the car for more veggies.

During my senior year in high school I worked in one of the local dime stores. I got the job thru a work program at school and got credit as well as earning money. During the summer my hours were increased and I was able to buy some of my own clothes. After graduation, the acreage was sold and the family moved to a house one block from the college, and I started classes there in the fall.

The shocking news of the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7th was so bewildering we couldn't relate it to it; we just heard that it was some place in Hawaii. Little did we realize how that event would change our lives.

Asparagus Bunches

So How Does YOUR Garden Grow?

2011-07-27T04:56:00.003-05:00

A. Non

A Garden is simply a wonderful thing. Abounding with lush vegetables and fruits, we nourish our hearts, souls, and tummy's with delicious fresh goodies – just picked at peak ripeness and flavor. Sadly, that’s not our update.

Just picture a cornucopia of fresh garden veggies and herbs – all so fantastic for a quick snack or salad. Using just the perfect touch of fresh herbs in those special meals. Nothing is better than eating a juicy ripe tomato or cucumber right off the vine. Imagine lovely and succulent strawberries - so tasty they can hardly get inside the house without being devoured. Sorry, that’s not our update either

The dream lives on however. Our garden still remains a dream. I dream about it constantly, but so far we haven't planted anything in the rock hard soil.... but, I insist that we are actually still only in the 'planning stage', in spite of being gently reminded that perhaps these plans might be better reserved for next year!?. That’s closer to our update.

The lack of a garden reminds me of an old blues song which goes … “ain't no reason to work so hard … when I can live off the chickens in my neighbors' yard” …. perhaps we could reach across the fence to the neighbors lush and juicy tomatoes....IF only they had any too!? Nobody here has a garden, because of the drought and the high fines for watering gardens..

Well actually – at this point I've calculated that we only really need to grow ONE really grand tomato... you know a super monster one ton tomato … kinda like that old folk song … 'Guantanamara' …. which I believe goes loosely like … “one-ton-tomato .. I-ate-a-one-ton-tomato … “ Yum yum. Alas … that’s all the updatin' we can offer for now....

Happy gardening – where ever you are!

Hammer Poem by KimB

2011-07-25T04:15:00.000-05:00

Hammer Poem

hammer falls
echo from walls
in a vale where the rivers are dead

horn calls
echo from halls
in a vale where the earth runs red

silence falls
no echo calls
in a vale where the wild ravens fed

KimB 2/2011

Knitting

2011-07-23T06:24:00.000-05:00

I recently read an article about the history of knitting and way back when, it was understood that part of a woman's dowry was her ability to knit clothing and blankets for the family and to be able to instruct and oversee the servant's knitting. A wife's knowledge of knitting was not a hobby but a necessity.

Visit Of The Angels by
Master Bertram of Minden

There is a famous Alter piece called Visit Of The Angels by Master Bertram of Minden in the year 1390. The Knitting Madonna is shown picking up stitches and shaping the neckline of a garment.

My paternal grandmother was a knitter as were my aunts and cousins on my father's side. They were proficient at all the needle crafts and my sisters, Adeline, Esther and I learned a lot from them.

But I did not learn to knit until my husband and I lived at Stanford Village at the end of WII. A neighbor had a baby the same age as mine and one day I saw her knitting a baby sweater. I asked her to show me how to knit one. It was knitted from the top down, so all the sweaters I have knitted have been knitted that way. I have never knitted one requiring seams.

Recently my sister, Esther, and I have been knitting up a storm. It had been some time since either of us had knitted anything. We had been occupied with beading projects and sewing muumuus. Before that, quilting. Even as we work on our current knitting projects, we both have unfinished quilting projects waiting for us.

I am contemplating the knitting of a blanket. My daughter has asked me to knit one for her. It seems a daunting task, but the more I think about it, the more I'm inclined to knit it. I like to do my own designing, but the trick is to come up with an idea that will make the work interesting and yet simple enough so that it won't take years to finish. When I know what it is, I'll post it on my blog.

So How Does YOUR Garden Grow?

2011-07-20T06:29:00.049-05:00

MrsB

I had to toss one of the avocado seeds rooting in water, leaving 5 of the original 8.

I am using non-soapy water from the kitchen for the spider plants and the Xmas cactus. All are thriving.

KimB

Looking GOOD!

Fresh Tomatoes, Strawberries
and Basil

The tomatoes and strawberries are really starting to pop now! So far the flash tape has been working and no birds have gotten into the berries. The tater plants have just about finished flowering too.

Here's my fresh tomato & basil salad recipe. Adjust all ingredients to the amount of salad you are making and/or add more to your taste.

Fresh Garden Tomato and Basil Salad

Fresh Garden Tomato
and Basil Salad

Fresh Tomatoes – cut into bite sized chunks
Garlic – 2 cloves mince/smashed/coarse chopped
Fresh Basil Leaves – 3-6 large leaves – cut into ribbons with scissors
Olive Oil
Rice Wine Vinegar
Balsamic Vinegar
Ginger - fresh is best
Salt – only if you need it.
Sugar – if using store bought tomatoes then a bit of sugar.

Optional: Fresh cucumber - cut into slices with or without the skin.
Optional: Herbs – Italian Seasoning or Other Mixed Herbs

Put all ingredients into a bowl. Add the herbs and basil ribbons. Drizzle olive oil over all. Add the Rice Wine Vinegar. Add just a dash of Balsamic Vinegar to the mix. Stir and place in the refrigerator. Stir periodically. Chill for 20 min before serving.

The tomatoes will add their juice to the oil and vinegar and make the dressing sweet and tasty.

Fresh Tomatoes, Strawberries and Basil

Cursive Writing

2011-07-16T05:37:00.000-05:00

Since cursive writing is being phased out of the schools, does that mean no one will ever have to write their signature on documents?

I can foresee cursive becoming a code and used by secret societies. Perhaps autograph collections will take on a value that suggests one should begin to invest in them. I wonder if a thumb print will replace the signature on a painting or drawing.

At least medical students will now be able to concentrate on subjects like anatomy and not spend time learning how to write a prescription in a legible manner so pharmacists understand them.

D'Nealian Cursive Writing for English

So How Does YOUR Garden Grow?

2011-07-13T07:18:00.000-05:00

A. Anon

UPDATE on Garden

CORRECTION

Please change the phrase - on page 327, paragraph 4, line 6 of the update log – which reads "he pea'd all over the fence", but should read " he had peas all over the fence "

End of correction

KimB

Wasps. We have wasps in the garden. Yellowjackets to be more accurate.

I have never had to deal with wasps much before. We had some yellowjackets in our previous home but they never really bothered anyone and built their nests high up under the eaves of the house. From time to time our gardener would knock down the old nests which were small.

Not long after I started the garden, a few yellowjackets started to build nests nearby. The nests were tiny and I dealt with them by driving off the 2 or 3 adults with jets of water and using a flat shovel to smash the tiny 3 or 4 cell nest. They moved on.

Now I notice that they moved on to a spot above a window on the front of the house that has a small overhang. I've been watching them and the nest is getting quite large. I don't think I've seen a nest that big before and they are busy expanding their condominiums. Allen noticed that there is another nest on a neighbor's house that is much much bigger than the one on ours.

The nest is not one of the super-sized ones that have been found and they are not really bothering anyone. According to Wikipedia yellowjackets eat other insects so they are not really all that bad providing one doesn't get stung of course. However, I will be monitoring their construction and expansion plans in case they exceed their building permit.

The Yankee and the Hot Peppers by KimB

2011-07-11T04:17:00.000-05:00

[Editor's note: This story was written by KimB]

I loved visiting my Aunt Esther and Uncle Vernon in Louisiana. I loved seeing the countryside from the tractor as he drove around the ranch doing chores. The lakes, ponds, trees were so different from the redwoods of California were we lived. My Aunt Esther made wonderful meals unlike any I had ever had. Mud Bugs in Mississippi Water was one of my favorites. Bass coated in cornmeal and fried to perfection – well it didn't get better than that!

They were always so nice and Vernon even took his Yankee Niece fishing but he constantly teased us Yankees to try to out-do or out-hunt or out-fish him. This was never going to happen. Vernon would always have the last laugh and stories of how he pulled-the-leg of Yankee visitors became family classics.

Aunt Esther and Uncle Vernon had a wonderful garden. There were rows of tomatoes and loads of veggies. If something was wanted for dinner, it was step outside and pick it off the vine just in time to be served.

Vernon also had hot pepper plants. I remember him warning us to not touch the hot peppers unless we had gloves on. He would eat these hot peppers and challenge us Yankees to try one. I can tell you, they were HOT! At most, you could eat a tiny tiny piece but the tears would flow and soon a glass of cold milk would be pushed into your hand to help ease the pain.

I schemed and schemed about how to prove to Vernon, that I was as good as he was! So, at home, I practiced eating hot peppers. We were living in Mexico at the time and hot peppers were not hard to come by. Slowly I built up a tolerance to hot peppers... Victory was not far away. It was going to be "Score 1 for the Yankees." I just knew it!

On my next visit to Aunt Esther and Uncle Vernon, Vernon brought out the jar of hot peppers from the cupboard. He took one and offered it to me. With a smile I took the jar and fished out a pepper and ate it. Then I fished out a second and a third and a fourth. I waited for my triumph to be complete. Vernon was just watching me.

After I ate the fourth one I said, "See, us Yankees can eat hot peppers too!"

He replied, "Uh-huh, I see. Well, I didn't expect you to eat half the jar though..."

Then with an appraising look at me, he reached into his pocket and handed me the car keys and some money.

"You'd better go down to the market and get a couple of gallons of milk."

I looked at him for a moment; took the car keys, the money and raced to the market for the milk.

Old Joke told to me by Vernon

A Yankee was given some hot peppers to eat. The pain from the hot peppers was terrible. He was told that ice cream would help ease the pain, so he ate a lot of ice cream.

The next day, he could be heard calling from the out-house, "Come on ice cream!"

Laughing

2011-07-09T06:45:00.004-05:00

I have the giggles. I get them from time to time and almost any little thing can set me into a paroxysm.

This morning while talking on the phone, I was bragging on myself as I told my son how pleased I was to learn the Norwegian purl. “Norwegian purl” refers to a knitting stitch but to a person unfamiliar with knitting terminology, it sounds like an alien learning English. He had no idea what I was talking about and I before I had time to explain, he quoted Mark Twain saying, “and the opera is great until they start to sing”. On came the giggles.

Those instantaneous moments when my brain recognizes the crossing of two frivolous thoughts, mine and the other person's, I break into laughter.

The other night I woke myself up from a sound sleep laughing. I don't know what I was dreaming that was so funny, but I was really laughing out loud. On many occasions the remembering of a particularly funny moment can make me start giggling and those around me wonder what in the world I'm laughing about.

I do laugh a lot. Its better than medicine when sharing with another person a hearty laugh over something nonsensical and absurd that that has tickled our funny bone. I even laugh at myself. Reflection of some of my past adventures, opinions, and actions, often brings a smile and if relating them to someone else, will get a big laugh in response.

Thank heaven I got bunched in with a family that has a great sense of humor.

What? Me fly to Hogwarts?

So How Does YOUR Garden Grow?

2011-07-06T06:15:00.000-05:00

A. Non

We actually got one and a half inches of rain about 20 days ago... so that leaves us only 26 inches below normal rain fall to date this year – and with the irony of so much water and flooding in the mid-west. Alas, the drought continues here in the far too sunny south.

Garden Claw

I accidentally found a solution to preparing our over rock hard and baked plot of soil. I was at the swap meet when I espied and bought a used, but 'as new', Garden Claw.

This is the spiffy tool you see on the late night info-mercials, where you stab the claw in into the cement like ground, twist the waist high handles, and – voila – it 'easily' breaks up the soil into perfect garden loam ... like vertical roto-tilling. This looks so easy on the TV.

Boy, they sure saw seen me coming', 'cause the price was so cheap I couldn't refuse to buy it. In spite of that however, I find – too late - this alleged tool is an implement of torture... probably left from the inquisition – it's a back breaker! I can see why it was in virtually 'new' condition!

So, I write this whilst nursing a busted back, having 'tilled' a total of about 8.4 square inches of caliche strength hard-pan drought baked soil. The results?

There is nothing new to report or update – except the medical plan!

Do not despair, as we retain our hopes and aspirations to grow something yet! We have not abandoned the 'concept' of a garden, it's just that it's so much better to write about, than to actually do. Sometimes a garden is better than it sounds, but sometimes not!

Oh, it's the 4th of July, and the corn is knee high – not here, but someplace I'm sure!

Happy Independence Day y'all!

Pets

2011-07-02T04:15:00.000-05:00

Pets have always been a part in my life. For the most part dogs were the pet of choice but from time to time a cat would become a member of my pet family.

I was in the third grade when Mom and Dad made arrangements to buy a puppy from an Aunt who bred American Spitz When it was shipped to us, it arrived as a tiny ball of white fur and grew up to be a big ball of white fur.

He was our constant companion, even walking along with those of us who went to school in the mornings, then returning home to keep Mom company until school was out. Mom often said he was a comfort to her when Dad was out of town on company business because he was a good little watch dog.

When I was in Florida as a young adult, one could buy baby alligators packaged in tiny wooden crates from vendors at tourist sites. By writing an address on a tag, they could be mailed to friends and family back home. I sent one home and it was quite a novelty. As it grew we kept it in the bathtub. Once it got dropped on the bathroom floor and we were all too skittish and afraid to handle it. Mom phoned Dad at the office to come pick the thing up. Finally the day came when Mom got tired of having to wait for someone to come take it out of the tub so she could bathe. I have no recollection of how we got rid of it.

One day a squirrel nest fell out of the backyard tree and I took one of the babies and kept it as a pet. It was quite tame and would sit on my lap when I brushed my hair. I used to carry it to the park and let it play for a while then call it and it would come back to me, but one day it refused to come back.

I once had a gold fish that I named George. After spending a couple of years with me, he went to live with my daughter and her husband and lived to a ripe old age at her house.

I used to keep guppies in a big gallon jar on top of the gas stove where the pilot lights kept the water the correct temperature. I could watch the the birthing of baby guppies while sitting at the kitchen table sipping a cup of coffee.

A few years ago I had a lovely singing canary. I bought him a female companion and before I turned around, I had several cages of singing canaries. I often took one of the cages across the driveway to the folks house so they could listen to a canary sing for an hour or so.

Recently my cat, Mimi, went missing during the super moon. Every day I look out the kitchen door hoping to see a wayward cat who decided to leave some scroungy riverboat gambler and come back home, but as of this date, her whereabouts remains unknown. I keep the toys and scratching posts on the off chance Mimi will come back, but the three pretty parakeets given to me as a pet replacement, are alienating my affections.

Their behavior is amusing. One is a male, but one of the females has become the 'boss'. She monopolizes the swing, and is the first to investigate the new toys I put in the cage. She has chosen one of the seed cups to be her own and rarely lets the other birds eat from it. I notice that she also listens more intently than the other two when I play the singing canary YouTube video.

So How Does YOUR Garden Grow?

2011-06-29T13:08:00.001-05:00

MrsB

Two of the 6 avocado seeds rooting in water have started roots.
Christmas cactus growing.
The two spider plants flourishing.
The two Aechmea Blanchetiana bromeliads still have bright yellow tops.

Aechmea Blanchetiana

A. Non

Update to Garden in H-Town

IMPORTANT UPDATE on previous UPDATE

The company left early and we almost HAD to go to the nursery... but we were ultimately saved by the evening news just coming on, and we all decided to wait for a more propitious time!

End of Update

KimB

It's harvest time: 2 strawberries and 1 tomato. Allen and I are so excited we are actually starting to get some production from our potted veggies.

We collected another 2 strawberries and we did a coin toss to see who got which one: Allen got first choice and his was "tart", I got the other one and it was "sweet as sugar". There are lots more on the plants so I think we will be having enough for cereal or ice cream topping soon.

Our first tomato

We also got our first tomato and it was DELISH! We have a lot more but on one of the plants some have "blossom rot", which can be caused by inconsistent watering. I wasn't really paying attention and that plant got less water than the other because the drip line had a clog in it. It's now been cleared and I hope the rest of the fruit will be fine.

The Purple Lady and Her Housekeeper by KimB

2011-06-27T05:28:00.000-05:00

[Editor's note: This story was written by KimB]

My mom had a residential care home for a while and we had many elderly but active people come to stay with us. Sometimes they only stayed for a short while until they could return home, particularly if they had been ill and needed some recuperation time.

We had one lovely woman who came to stay with us while recuperating. We called her MrsD. She always wore purple and was known as The Purple Lady. Everything she had was dyed in various shades purple. The decor of her house was purple: purple couches and carpets. Dresses, socks, even undies were dyed shades of purple.

She had a wonderful sense of humor and was great to talk with. She traveled all over the world and had been to almost every place on the globe. She would tell stories of her travels and she could always surprise you with a new twist.

After a particularly lovely meal, as we sat at the dinner table, she told us the following story:

Many many years earlier, MrsD had had a housekeeper who did a wonderful job. She kept the home nice and cooked wonderful dinners.

As a surprise and thank you for all of her work and effort, MrsD decided to fix a meal by herself and invite the housekeeper to eat the meal with the family. The family would wait on her for a change.

In due course, a wonderful meal was prepared and everyone had a wonderful time. Everyone ate as much as they wanted and then some. The meal was a success.

At last, the housekeeper pushed herself away from the table and announced,

"I have eaten prodigiously and feel connetified."

Now, whenever we have a particularly good meal, we all remember the story of MrsD and her housekeeper. There is no higher praise for a meal than to hear "I have eaten prodigiously and feel connetified" from someone at the table.

Purple Colors

Mahjong Solitaire

2011-06-25T04:51:00.003-05:00

My sister, Esther, plays Mahjong Solitaire. She was introduced to the game back in the '80s while learning the scope of what one could do on a computer, When ownership of a computer was a new adventure; games like Free Cell and Spider Solitaire were included in the software that came with the purchase. It didn't take long for gaming companies to realize they had found the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow and games of every description appeared on the Internet.

I had never played a Mahjong Solitaire game, believing it was like the table game of strategy, skill and chance, much like Chess, but after a conversation with Esther about her Mahjong Solitaire games, I Googled for one and discovered thousands of them available with versions to suit any player. My first game was a trial and error experiment, but I soon got the hang of it. Now I enjoy playing the various layouts and often surprise myself by winning a game.

One is dumbfounded when reading that Mahjong Solitaire, called, Turtle,was invented by Brodie Lockard in 1981 on PLATO, a group of mainframe computers at the University of Illinois. The American gaming company, Activision developed the game and called it Mahjong Solitaire,, also known as Shanghai, in 1986 and sold over 10 million copies world wide in all versions including Mac, Dos, Commodore etc.

Differing from the table game which is an ancient Chinese, 4 handed, competitive game, the computer randomly creates board layouts which differ in pattern, size and height. There are hundreds of different layouts, some with time implementation. The object of the game is to get rid all the tiles by removing pairs of matching tiles. A full game has 144 tiles, but the number may vary depending on the version.

The games come with hints and choices to reshuffle, and sometimes, when I can't see a pair to remove, I ask for a hint, only to discover the matching tiles are right in front of my eyes. There are games that play with over a thousand tiles but I have enough trouble with the number of tiles on the easy games I choose to play.

Thanks to my sister, Esther. I have found that playing Mahjong is a fun and relaxing entertainment.

Mahjong Solitaire Turtle Layout

So How Does YOUR Garden Grow?

2011-06-22T09:20:00.000-05:00

A. Non

FLASH FLASH FLASH

THIS IS AN IMPORTANT GARDEN UPDTATE

We almost went to the nursery to get some plants, soil and gardening implements! Thank heaven some unexpected company showed up and kept us from having to go! Whew! Close call!

END of Update

KimB

We have a HARVEST! We have a HARVEST! WOOTS! WOOTS!

Well, actually it was 1 (one) strawberry. But still.... The flash tape must have worked because it was bright red and had no peck marks on it! I had thought to take a picture of it but it “got eaten” so you will just have to imagine a smallish, bright red strawberry.

Tater after being knocked over

We also had some high winds and one of the tater plants got pushed over. The others were fine. By the time I got out the next day, the plant had already switched it's growth orientation to the new position. I was amazed that the plant could shift 8 inches of its top most growth to be 90 degrees from the base which is laying against the side of the pot.

Upcoming concern: We are having very hot weather: 106 degrees (41.1 Celsius) yesterday and today. I will be watching how the plants do in this heat. Gee... I sound like a farmer!