Growing Up In Iowa

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?

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

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

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?

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

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?

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

[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

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?

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

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?

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

[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

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?

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!

Flamenco

On the few occasions that I have watched flamenco dancers perform, I marveled at their ability to maintain and change rhythms so spectacularly. Flamenco music and dance did not play a big part in the culture in which I was raised, so the history of the guitar music and steps of the dance are foreign to me.

The other evening I watched the movie, Around The World In 80 Days (1956_film), a plot of trials and tribulations endured as characters in the story try to win a bet based on the novel by Jules Verne Around_the_World_in_80_Days (book). One of the many adventures the characters experience happens in Spain, in a Café Cantante. There is a choreographed scene of flamenco dancers,with José Greco. The famous actor, Cantinflas, in the role of Passepartout, gives a delightful dance exhibition.

After watching the movie, I googled for history of flamenco music and dance, and was surprised to find lessons on 'how to' as well. One can become mesmerized watching the many videos. The following is the dance scene from Around The World In 80 Days.

Communication

My sister and I text each other and also chat on our computers using Instant Message, (IM). It's a wonderful way to keep in touch and we enjoy sharing our activities with each other in this non vocal way.

Last night I began thinking of the various ways one can communicate without actually speaking. Here is few of the many possibilities.

• Bell Ringing: school recess, church services, town crier, etc.
• Body Language: Clothing and dress, pointing, slouching, bowing, clapping hands, back slapping, shaking hands, shushing, gesturing to come, go and stop, etc,
• Color: danger, traffic stop and go, etc
• Drawing:
• Drums: cadence, rhythm, etc.
• Facial Expressions:
• Flags: Raising and lowering, semaphore, country identification, etc.
• Hieroglyphics
• Mime:
• Morse Code:
• Music: instrumentals, anthems, etc
• Pictographs
• Reading And Writing: Books, newspapers, Braille, instructions for recipes, knitting patterns, chess notation, music, mail, measurements for quantity and temperature, schematic and architecture diagrams, prescriptions, arithmetic, typing, texting, traffic signs and directions, etc.
• Sirens: fire, ambulance
• Smoke: choosing a Pope
• Touching:
• Whistles: train, sports

And the list goes on.....

So How Does YOUR Garden Grow?

A. Non

Garden Update

FLASH! FLASH! FLASH!

The following is a vital "Our Garden" update

This important update should be inserted in the Garden Guide between pages 27 ... superseding previous update AN 101a. Of a previous date.

The update is as follows : NO NEW UPDATES – SO FAR - TO DATE!

Please destroy all previous outdated updates, and refer to the manual for further instructions.

END OF VITAL GARDEN UPDATE!

KimB

The strawberries are looking very good and some serious thought had to be put into “What to do – about the birds?” At first, I had planned an elaborate netting structure. Bird-netting would be draped over several PVC pipes cut and connected to form a “house” over the strawberries.

Flash Tape and Strawberries

This looked quite feasible during the initial growth of the garden but the tomato plants had other ideas about space usage: they want it all to themselves! There is no space for such a structure.

After a bit of thinking and reviewing what I had seen the farmers using in their fields around Hollister (our previous home), I remembered Flash Tape. This is a shiny tinsel type ribbon that twists in the wind and in theory, discourages birds and other critters.

So, I have put up some flash tape and we shall see what happens.

Colors by KimB

Children Bathing The Birds by Esther

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

It was a hot sunny day. The temperature was in the low 90’s and the four children were playing out side in the back yard. Jerry was living next door and the two oldest children and my three girls were in school. That left the three youngest of Jerry’s children home with me to keep till he and his first wife got home from work. They both worked at the university and it was easy to keep the children. They were good to mind me and never gave a problem. They were really lovely children. Always wanted to help and would do any thing I asked.

My son, Vernon Jr. and Jerry’s two daughters, Alise and Denise were about five years old, and Jerry’s son, Jerry Jr. was four. Very smart and they all were super active. They never walked, they ran here or there and Alise is the one who could climb the tree to the smallest limb and not fall.

It was the day for washing the bed clothes and between hanging them up to dry on the clothes line or bring them in to fold, I kept an eye on the children often to see they were doing OK.

We had a bird house to keep the parakeets I was raising. Vernon built it for me when I started to raise them to sell. He made it so I had to go through two doors to get to the main room just a small area to I could get in and close the first door and then was safe to go through the next door in to the nesting area. I had quite a few nesting pairs and it required a lot of time to clean and feed them every day.

It was close to noon time and I fixed the children a sandwich and some chips with a glass of cool aid. Was almost ready to call them when I looked out the window, and what I saw was the children holding the garden hose and was going in to the bird house and hosing them down.

I gathered them up got the doors closed and looked at the children. They had bird dropping from the top of their heads to their shoes, along with seed hulls and feathers clinging to their clothes.

Alise told me they just wanted to bath them. It broke my heart to see how many I lost. I did get a couple back by putting a cage out with water and seed in it. One even came to sit on my shoulder.

I bathed them and got them all clean up. Then we had lunch. Then it was off to take a nap. They were really beautiful gentle children. So happy and ready to go run where there was something to do.

They did make some wonderful memories we can laugh about now.

Empty Cage

So, How Does YOUR Garden Grow?

MrsB

The avocado seeds are still rooting in paper cups of water.

X-mas cactus is growning nicely.

A. Non

Farm and Market update for the Emperors' phantom garden...

Just a quick update to our previous updates... insert in section 3, para 4, subsection 6

We have some extremely lovely tomato plants and cucumbers and peas ... still not yet purchased from the nursery... but waiting I'm sure for our appearance.

The very clever gravity watering system that has been designed to avoid standing in the brutal summer sun, is still in parts in the bags purchased from the hardware store 2 years ago... apparently we forgot to get the 'self-assembling' version !?

We are in the midst of a terrible drought – we are 22 inches below our normal waterfall... with little hope of any rain yet ... this is the longest drought in Texas since the 30's !!

Because of the dire drought we have been reluctant to actually get a garden started ... notwithstanding our laziness to actually 'follow thru' ! Frankly we are drinking what water is actually still available!

Stay tuned for further updates on the Emperors' phantom garden!

KimB



Strawberry Flowers

We have strawberry flowers! 6 lovely flowers have popped up so far. I shall now have to give some serious thought to setting up my bird-netting system which means YATTTS (yet another trip to the store).

We have tomatoes on both plants now and they are starting to get respectable in size.



Tater Plants

Hilled up one of the potatoes and need to do the other pot. They are growing really fast! A long time ago, another gardener friend had told me that if you give too much fertilizer to potato plants, they don't produce many potatoes just plant. I used this advice for years: skimping on the plant food and getting teeny tiny marbles for potatoes. It became sort of a joke with Allen that we couldn't grow potatoes at all. This time I am changing things up. I have reversed the plan and given the taters lots of TLC in the form of organic fertilizer. Even if we don't get taters, the plants look happy - well ecstatic is more like it.

Miniaturization

As a child during the great depression, I bought Big Little Books that were sold in the dime stores. There were about 3 or 4 inches square and about 2 inches thick and sold for 10 cents. Some of the stories were about Dick Tracy, Popeye, Red Ryder, Charlie Chan, and Tarzan. They were extremely popular during those hardship years and many children learned to read from them.

Big Little Books

As years passed, 'paperbacks' came on the market. They are less expensive than 'hard back' books and easier to stuff in a pocket or purse to have handy to read at any odd moment. Electronic readers are becoming popular. They too can be carried on ones person for a quick read. They are light weight and the font can be changed to suit the reader. They can download and store hundreds of volumes resulting in fewer trips to book stores or library.

Automobiles have a mixed history when it comes to size. After going thru a period of conspicuous consumption while touting comfort and speed, the old gas guzzlers are giving way to smaller, functional modes of transportation. The German Beetle pointed the way to mass produced smaller vehicles.

Our need, (and sometimes, fetish) to create smaller things has attracted people to the unfortunate fad of owning a 'tea cup' puppy. There isn't any such thing as a tea cup dog but unscrupulous breeders sell premature puppies as a Tea Cup breed. In reality the breeder has carefully timed the conception and delivery of a litter so that some of the puppies in a litter are premature. These cute, tiny puppies are weeks premature and sold as Tea Cup, but they have extensive health problems and frequently die within a few days, the buyers unaware they were scammed.

Vegetables are not immune to miniaturization either. With the exception of true dwarf varieties, baby or midget vegetables are immature specimens and used by gourmet restaurants. Baby corn is harvested just as the silk emerges from the husk and used in stir fry recipes, pickled or used in salads. Beets, carrots, onions, potatoes, egg plant, lettuce, squash and watermelons can be found in baby sizes, each being harvested in a stage of development to look like mature specimens.

For centuries people had been attempting to create miniature horses and today, the American Miniature Horse is a true breed. Mini horses are not ponies. They are real horses. Breeders around the world continue to breed for traits and colors most admired in the type of horse they are raising, either the stock horse like Quarter horses or the more refined horses with an Arabian head. The American Miniature Horse Association, which started in 1978, keeps track of mini horses around the world.

Miniature Horse

Hobbyists have indulged in making mini architectural structures, some of which are truly outstanding. Doll houses are universal in their appeal to children and hobbyist alike. No limitation exists in designing and equipping doll houses. There is a thriving market for miniature furnishings, although many are created from scratch using found materials and imagination.

A famous miniature created by John and Jan Zweifel in 1962 is the replica of the White House. It is constructed on a scale of 1 inch to 1 foot, and features all the rooms including both east and west rooms and the oval office. The richness of the detail is found in tiny working televisions, hand carved decorations on chairs and tables, crystal chandeliers, portraits in miniature like those gracing the walls of the White House and miniature carpets duplicating the originals stitch by stitch.

Miniature White House

How Our Summers Are Spent by Loretta

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

Marion has asked how our summer is going. Well, mine have become lazy days. Our garden is going to be a late one because of the weather, between the winds and cold days we are raising it in pots as of yet.

Every time the trees come out of hibernation and start to blossom, we get cold winds and snow so there goes my fruit blossoms. First the peaches, then apricots, nectarines, cherries, and finally the pears hit the dust. The only thing still hanging on are the apples. We have wine sap, yellow delicious, Melrose and red delicious. The brae burns lost their blossoms also.

The flowers are looking very good in pots, we have a lot of color. The only thing is, they’re annuals and won’t be coming back next year. The jasmine and the honeysuckle are looking and smelling good . My wisteria bushes or trees, I’m not sure which its called, came back this year. They're just starting their leaves now.

We saved seeds of the marigolds last year and planted them; they seem to be doing good. The tomato bushes that were in the house are growing cherry and small size tomatoes, which we are eating on hamburgers and bacon burgers and salads. Last week the soil was tilled and the garden is ready for planting. So, its back to the stores to buy our plants and whoopee, we have a garden.

Last year, we started composting. It’s a slow process, so this year I’m buying one that tumbles. Costco is selling them, so I don’t have to buy on line. I also bought a Rockwell Blade Runner; it replaces jigsaws, tile cutters and many other machines. I’m determined to be more productive this year.

I also head to Laughlin once a month, spend the night, relax and play Keno, feel renewed and head back. I’m still on the money I started with the first of the year.

As I drive long distances instead of listening to music, I listen to audio books. My favorites are James Patterson mysteries. Its hard to find audio books at used book stores, but the Love’s gas stations are selling them pretty cheap. I guess the Truckers must listen to them as well.

Rockwell Blade Runner

So, How Does YOUR Garden Grow?

MrsB

• My two pots of dead Chrysanthemums were trashed.
• Of the 8 avocado seeds rooting in paper cups of water, 2 are showing roots
• The dozen mango seeds I planned to root using wet paper towels molded.
• The X-mas cactus is healthy and growing stems to replace the ones the cat broke off.

Loretta



Loretta's 2011 Garden

 Well, we went shopping for plants and they're pretty picked over. Found only one cilantro in all the stores. It's not the prettiest but hopefully that will change. Found a stripped yellow tomato plant, never had one of those before. Bought more hot chili pepper plants, green, red, yellow bells, Acorn squash, Rosemary, basil. Watermelon, cantaloupe, Asian , Armenian, regular cucumbers. Guess I’ll have to check out more local stores, maybe we’ll have better luck.

Our mint plants are growing wild outside my bedroom window and down in the garden. Found a beefsteak tomato plant or so it says I haven’t seen one growing in a long time; they always turn out to be something other than that. My grape plants are just starting to leaf out now doubt if we’ll have any this year. Red raspberries are just leafing as well. Bought strawberry plants for the pots.

Over the weekend Billy, April's husband planted the garden. I still need to buy more plants.

God willing we'll have a good garden this year.

KimB



THE 3/4-1/2 connector

  Finished re-running new drip irrigation lines to all the pots. The old lines were leaking so it was time to replace them. Of course, it required more than one trip to Orchard Supply to get all the bits and bobs needed. As, I had some experience running these lines in our former home in Hollister where I had a large "farm" in our backyard, I had some idea of what was needed. But, in Hollister, I went to the farmer's irrigation supply store in town and they knew exactly what was needed to connect "this to that". OSH on the other hand... well, its strictly figure it out for yourself. Took me better part of an hour just to find the 3/4-1/2 pipe connector [I sound like a pro but I didn't have a clue what it was called].

Potato Plant

Our tomatoes are going gang busters, we have 6 or more on one plant but only flowers on the other. The strawberry plants look happy but I think it's too soon for flowers for them. The great news is: the taters have sprung up! I have 3 in one pot and 1 in another. Of course I forgot which pot has the red and which has the white one taters. The pot with the single tater plant is growing so fast I will have to start "hilling" it in the next day or so.

The Liar and His Gourds by KimB

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

My family always loved folk or traditional music. We entertained ourselves by singing folk songs and playing instruments like guitars, banjo and dulcimer. As we had no TV and often no radio, this was our main source of entertainment.

We often were able to checkout books of songs from the library. During the 1950s it was popular for song collectors to travel to odd outposts and remote corners of the USA to record people singing variants of old traditional songs and to write these up in histories about how they evolved from the earliest known versions. I loved to read these song-history books and all about the history and circumstances of the song but also about the people who sang them.

In one story, the author¹ traveled to a remote corner of the USA and recorded several songs from an elderly woman. As he prepared to leave, she called him back and said,

"Young man, I want you to know, that hit takes a liar to raise gourds."

This wonderful statement became an instant hit in our family. We took turns trying to catch each other off-guard with this phrase. We might be playing cards and one would say to another "I just want you to know, it takes a liar to grow gourds." or we might be riding in the car or at the grocery store. No place or event was safe from having this sprung on you. It always produced a smile, giggle or outright guffaw!

My Uncle Vernon, who lived in Louisiana, always had a great wit and loved to tease us Yankees about how inept we were. He would proudly show us around his place and the wonderful gardens, and woods and lakes and fishing holes. Always, with a twinkle in his eye he would challenge us Yankees to prove we could be as good as he was. Fishing contests were common and there was never any doubt about who was going to win: Vernon always got the biggest baddest bass in the lake.

On one visit, we waited for just the right moment and hit Vernon with "I just want you to know, it takes a liar to grow gourds." Vernon was just flummoxed. He just couldn't think of a come back. He tried all that visit to think of something but nothing could outdo "It takes a liar to grow gourds".  Finally it was "Score 1 for the Yankees"!

Some time later, on another visit we were chatting with Vernon and he asked (innocently), "What was that phrase again about the gourds again?"

Of course, we puffed up proudly, secure in our verbal victory and pronounced, "It takes a liar to grow gourds."

Vernon looked at us each in turn and with a twinkle in his eye, said
"So, how's your crop coming?"

So, how's your crop coming?

1. The Ballad Book of John Jacob Niles [1960]
p87 Song: The Lady of York / The Cruel Mother  Singer: Aunt Didie Netherly

Lee and Grant

Today there's no sun, no wind, no rain, just plain; a good day to spend reading a book.

A few days ago I was given a book, titled Lee and Grant. Those two names are immediately recognized by Americans and probably by many people around the world, at least those who study military matters.

The book was written by Gene Smith, published by Promontory Press by arrangement with McGraw-Hill in 1991. The comment by Major General J.F.C. Fuller, British Army, on the fly leaf before the introduction, encapsulates the flavor of the book, promising not to be just another rehash of the Civil War.

Having read five chapters to date, I am thoroughly engrossed in this history that reads like a novel. My childhood education included studying the Civil War, dates, causes and aftermaths. My family genealogy includes kin on both Union and Confederate sides. Mom's family fought for the North; Dad's family fought for the South. Consequently it has been a life long interest and I've read many books on the subject.

This book is a comparison of Lee and Grant's characters and personalities. It contrasts their births, parentage, education, marriages and events that brought them together on the field of battle. Their joined histories are stranger than fiction and if the facts were not so well known, I might believe the author used “creative license”.

Lee and Grant Virginia Historical Society

Office Gardens by A. Nonymus

Many years ago I had just started working in city hall as assistant city manager. City hall is always a busy place, with lots of people coming and going, and of course a large staff working there too.

This city hall was beautiful! There was a lovely atrium entry lobby choc-a-bloc with lovely plants - a virtual garden of eden, however this is not what I want to write about. Down the long main hallway, at a major intersection was a lovely ficus tree - about 3 feet tall in a large decorative floor pot. The star of the hallway was that ficus tree. It was grandly shaped for its size, and virtually perfect!

Many of the offices had sundry plants on desks, or someone near a window would have a panoply of plants thriving and enjoying the sun, but none was as beloved as that poor lone perfect ficus in the hall. Everyone admired that tree, and I had an ideal view of it from my new desk.

As I settled into my new job I could see the ficus was the recipient of lots of attention, and I soon realized that almost everyone walking by the tree would 'tend' it at some point in the day, using everything from actual water to stale coffee, tea, sodas, even gum, gum wrappers, or cigarette butts [which I attributed to some dodgy young folks from the Parks Department]. Unbeknownst to all, this ficus got a lot of liquids in the course of a day!

Well, as you may have guessed, even the hardiest plant can only take so much 'tending' and this kind of TLC.

It wasn't long before the tree was showing signs of distress, and started dropping leaves. Before long the poor thing was bare naked... and almost beyond struggling. There were inter-office memos about - DO this / DON"T do that .. as regards tending this poor tree.

However, no stern memos would deter the determined - i.e. those who 'knew' the plant was too dry and needed more watering ! Office politics and departmental rivalries now went into higher gear. In desperation of this crisis, everyone it seemed increased 'tending' it!

Due to the increasingly heated politics, the various water brigades had to go surreptitious - sneaking cups of water - glancing both ways to see who was watching, and quickly flicking sustenance into the pot as they passed by. If folks noticed me watching I would get a conspiratorial wink – as to say 'just our secret'! There may have been a slowdown on sodas and stale coffees too, but I rather doubt it because now the tree was getting even more drinks daily!

The wrangling over tending the tree went on for a while, but by now the poor tree was clearly just a goner... as in the old western movies ...'He's a goner sherriff' ... and it was apparent that no memos, or stale coffee would ever revive it.

Folks, however, just refused to face reality, so it was still 'watered' with sneaky trips to the water fountain .. and of course the odd stale soda, tea or coffee yet I'm sure. I think people secretly hoped the poor tree would magically revive, but alas, this tree was no Lazarus! It was hard to face the fact that such a grand plant was a 'goner'. The tree was the subject of every water cooler chat in the place. What to do ... what to do?

Then one Monday morning when I came to work, I could see the forlorn ghostly silhouette of the ficus down the hall, but noticed a prominent sign stuck into the soil - a large file card stapeled to an ice cream stick. I went over to look. This mysterious sign – we believe - was put there by the City Manager... and it simply read...

"PLEASE DO NOT WATER ME ANYMORE! - I AM DEAD - AND I LIKE IT THIS WAY"!

So, How Does YOUR Garden Grow?

[Editor's Note:  Gardens and Gardening have been the topic of quite a few stories over the years. Many family members have thumbs greener than the Jolly Green Giant. MrsB thought it would be great fun to start a combined or carousel topic about how everyone's garden is doing, both the good, the bad, and the gophers. So here's the first installment.]


MrsB

My garden at the moment consists of two pots of dying chrysanthemum plants and one healthy Christmas cactus.

KimB

KimB's Herb Pot  03/05/2011

My 6 container pot garden has 2 tomatoes 2 potatoes[red and white taters] and 12 strawberry plants[6 in each pot] plus 1 small strawberry pot with herbs. One of my tomatoes has 4 FOUR marble sized tomatoes!

My herb pot has oregano, golden oregano, spicy oregano, parsley, basil and garlic chives growing from the pockets and trailing rosemary from the top. Hopefully by the time the side pocket herbs die off the rosemary will be cascading over the sides.

[Editor's Note: Contact MrsB if you would like to include your updates. Gardens can be anything from a potted African Violet to a full force multi-row garden. Successes and failures are both great topics.]

Card Tournament

I am in a card tournament. The game is called Spite and Malice and only one person can be the winner of any round. The first player to win 10 games wins a bottle of Strawberry champagne. The tournament has been going for slightly more than a week, and one player has already scored 8 games.
Everyone is beginning to sharpen their cut-throat strategies to prevent that player from winning, but since there is little or no strategy to playing Spite and malice, it's going to be the luck of the draw.

Everyone has made comments about what they would do if they won the bottle, some saying they would share with the other players, some saying they would take it home. The discussion about sharing or not made me think of an incident that happened many years ago when my daughter was about 7 years old.

An artist friend from New York, was visiting friends and family in Los Angeles. We lived in Fontana, CA at that time and invited him to come spend a week with us. It was a delightful visit, and we promised to see him again in Los Angeles before he returned to New York.

One Sunday afternoon we drove from Fontana into L A, to see him, taking a fancy decorated cake and a chilled bottle of Cold Duck with us. We were warmly greeted and not long after we had arrived the cake and champagne were served. My daughter was very young, about 7 or 8 and she begged to have a taste of the wine. After a moment, I did give her permission to have a taste of the champagne, but only a tiny sip.

Everyone was busy chatting and toasting each others health, and I noticed my daughter being a proper little lady holding her glass with the several drops of champagne and making it last as long as possible.

The room we were in was unusually large with a massive fireplace on one wall and a huge bay window opposite. Those of us who were artists and painters commented that the room would make and ideal studio and as we envisioned the possibilities, we heard a sudden loud crash that sounded like breaking glass.

As we all turned to look in the direction of the fireplace where the sound came from, we could see the shards of a wine glass, broken into a hundred pieces. We were dumbstruck!

Then I noticed my daughter standing there without her glass. She had hurled it across that huge room into the fireplace! I gasped and sputtered and it was a moment before I could ask her why she had done such a thing. Apparently she had seen it done in a movie.

Thank heavens it was not an expensive wine glass.



Broken Champagne Glasses



The Raven’s Wing by KimB

The Raven’s Wing

Black as the raven’s wing,
Sharpened eyes do bind,
And search the soul with steeled claws,
the hidden lies behind.

Seized and torn from ravaged roots,
snatched by reddened maw,
the twisted, shattered, pallid forms,
writhe in crimson jaws.

Red drips the ragged shapes,
stains that may not hide,
frame the anguished night with death,
no solace shall there bide.


KimB Jan 2000

Theater: Legacy of Light by Richard

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

Frances and I saw the play Legacy of Light Wednesday night April 13,2011 at the San Jose Repertory. The play is about two women with great scientific minds and their love life relationships.

The time and place was France in the 1700s and Now in New Jersey. The back and forth was skillfully and masterfully accomplished between historical period and centuries, as well as the dialogue and the costumes. These women were always looking for mathematical ways to measure and to fulfill expectations about energy, light, mater, and the cosmos, and how they all work and fit in the universe.

These two women were working in a man's world and found that it was not easy to please or satisfy them with their mathematical answers, and difficult to publish their findings. The two great scientific minds wanted to leave something behind to show other to follow.  Their love lives were very different. One was promiscuous and the other was unable have children.

The play had many happy moments.

 

Physicist Émilie du Châtelet

Mother's Day 2011

On many long ago Mother's Day mornings, my children would surprise me with breakfast in bed. They came bearing a tray with enough food to feed a lumberjack; sometimes the cereal would be soggy, and the toast slightly burnt, but with great expectations they waited breathlessly for me to take my first bite then pass judgment on their cooking.

Of course I always managed to express my amazement at such a wonderful breakfast tray, all the while wondering just what kind of mess the kitchen might be in. Those lovely memories are locked away in my heart forever and sometimes I take them out and pass them in review.

As the years passed we celebrated Mother's Day in many ways, often going out for brunch at a popular eatery. When Mom and Dad were still with us, I often served a large family dinner with brothers and sisters and their spouses attending. Those too are memories precious to me and I often share them with my sister Esther, when we reminisce about days gone by.

I'm celebrating this year with gifts of two new hobbies. One is played on the computer, a membership in the game: Lord Of The Rings Online; the other: a cage with three beautiful baby parakeets which I have named Tic, Tac and Toe. I have been assured that the birds will not only talk but will sing or whistle tunes so I have been playing canary songs I found on YouTube. As for playing in LOTRO, I am a Hobbit Minstrel and learning how to ride my pony around The Shire.



At the Brandywine Bridge

Canary Song



My New Sweater by Esther

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

My sister Marion Elizabeth and I would chat every week day in the mornings on Yahoo IM. We would chat about what everyone was doing, who was coming, and what we would be planning to make next after we finish a project.

I had been sewing some day dresses and working some beads, but wanted to try to knit a sweater. When I mention it to Marion Elizabeth, she thought she would like to make one too. She was very good at knitting and also she was good at crocheting. She loved just about anything that required a needle of some kind. All us girls were able to knit and crochet.

I learned when I was about nine years old. My Mother made arrangements for a neighbor to teach cousin Etta and myself how to knit. We did practice to get a good grade, but I did not at the time make any thing. Did learn enough to say I could knit. It was crocheting that my Grandmother A taught me and I loved making dollies and the large ruffle ones were favorites.

It was after I married and had Taffy, that I made baby dresses. Grandmother made her a white nylon crochet baby dress and it was done in a pineapple pattern. I use it to make her one in cotton. Even made the slips to wear under the dresses in different color satin material. She looked so lovely in them.

Marion Elizabeth had made my Grandchildren Heather and Heidi a raglan pull over sweater and around the waist she knitted some paper dolls. The boys and girls were in a light color yarn and ever since then I had wanted a raglan sweater. I knew enough to think I could do it myself, but did not feel confident that it was even fit.

About eight years ago while shopping at Wal-Mart, I found two white sweaters. One was a raglan pull over in a plain knit style with short sleeves. It was just the right size and so soft and loved it. The second one was done in a rib from the neck to the waist and it was almost as nice, but a heavier yarn was used to make it. Which made it nice to wear on colder days.

When telling Her how much I loved the sweaters she made for the girls, she offered to help me, and assured me she could teach me and together we would each make a cardigan sweater. It did not take long for me to accept her offer. When I could get out to see about the yarn, what color, size of needles and marker she had told me to get.

The next trip to the clinic was my first chance to shop. Cindy took me and help me find what I needed and back to the house and I started to cast on stitches to the size eight needles I would be using. It did not take too long to get my tension adjusted and the next step was to chat Marion Elizabeth and she started to teach me. What to measure, and how to add the count to learn how many stitches I would need, which made me realize how easy it was to make me a sweater. That bit of info was a surprise and so very much solved a lot of problems for me.

It was a good thing Marion Elizabeth knew her stuff, as I did not know how to increased stitches to add new ones to the needles, I just could not understand how to add them till she said the magic word, do it again in the same stitch but in the back!!! It was the video she found for me to see and have to say I have had no more since.

What a joy it was to really know I could knit myself or any one a sweater. My sister is really a jewel. I have only the sleeves left to do. Then the final test will be to see if it fits. I do want a sweater that looks good and looks good on me. It does look like it will be a close fit. Even if it is not a good fit, I am so pleased Marion Elizabeth has taught me so I can do another one that just may be my best work to date. Now I want her to teach me how to make the paper dolls. I know she can teach me how that is done.

I have loved the computer to keep in touch with her and enjoy chatting with her. Never realize I could learn while chatting with her, and to tell you the truth, she is remarkable to even find videos to show me how a stitch is done, that is another eye opener, and a bigger lesson to aid me. So a big thank you to my sister Marion Elizabeth.

Yarn and Knitting Needles

Spring Training by Richard

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

Frances and I made our annual spring training trip to Scottsdale, Arizona March 15th for a week. The flight time from San Jose,Ca to Phoenix, AZ was one hour and 45 minutes.

The weather in Arizona was warm and the nights were so nice you could walk around with out a sweater.

There are 15 Major League professional baseball teams in the greater Phoenix area.

• The San Francisco Giants, Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies play in Scottsdale,AZ.
• The San Diego Padres,and the Seattle Mariners play in Peoria,AZ,
• The Milwaukee Brewers, Los Angeles Dodgers, Chicago White Sox,and the Oakland A's play in Phoenix, AZ.
• The Texas Rangers and Kansas City Royals play in Surprise,AZ.
• The Cleveland Indians and the Cincinnati Reds play in Goodyear, AZ.
• Last but not least the beloved Chicago Cubs play in Mesa AZ.

The freeway system in the greater Phoenix area allows you to reach any ball park within an hour by car. We were able to see 6 games and 5 were in Scottsdale,AZ.

It was good to see all the baseball fans and to enjoy the food, a cool beer and all the loud noise. When the baseball games were over we stopped by a local bar to have anther cool beer and and to talk with other fans. Then it was time to clean up and rest before going out again for dinner.

The week went by so fast, and it was time to pack up, and fly home to recharge our batteries for our next trip.

MLB Cactus League

April

Each month of the calendar and it's season becomes my favorite as I live it, however June is my birth month and I apply an enthusiasm to the days in June not given to the rest of the calendar. I look forward to sharing that same excitement when the birthdays of my parents and siblings rolls around.

Birthdays are a private matter with a quality not attached to holidays or anniversaries. Often times a day becomes special for sentimental reasons and as years pass, each of us acquire special days that belong to us alone, that we recall with pleasure. Sentimental days come and go, depending on their importance in one's life, but many last long after the reason for the sentiment has passed. One such day lives in my memory, as vivid today as it happened many years ago.

My husband and I were living in a small hamlet a few miles outside Paris after traveling extensively in Italy and living in Paris for a year. Our life in the small cottage with its cherry orchard and surrounding fields was so idyllic we rarely took the train into Paris.

When the month of April rolled around, the spring days were so lovely and the air was like wine with the fragrance of blossoms. One couldn't help but think of poems of April and the song, April In Paris.

Having been in Rome during April the year before, I wanted to spend a weekend in Paris. Reasons for not going were valid and as the days of April came and went, it looked as if my romantic idea of a Paris in April was going to come to naught. As luck would have it though, we were able to spend the last day of April in the city.

I have no idea why I should remember that day over others; nothing of great importance happened, nor do I remember all the things we did that day, but walking down the boulevards on that April day has lived in my memory all these years.

The day was a mixture of sparkling sunshine, a sprinkling of rain, and flurries of snow with wind gusts strong enough to send one's hat flying. As we walked along the sidewalk, buying bunches of violets from street vendors, we encountered all of the above as we walked from one corner to the next, and we couldn't help but laugh at the capriciousness of spring in Paris.

April in Paris
Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong