Brushes with Greatness Series: Steve Jobs by R. Cane

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

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

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?

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

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

Plan D Log Cabin Knit Square



The Recipe Box: Mangosteen

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[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

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?

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

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

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!

[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?

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!

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

[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

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?

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

[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'

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?

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

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?

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.