Saguaro Cactus

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

Saguaro in Bloom

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

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

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

The Recipe Box: Basmati Rice

Basmati Rice

From the recipe box of KimB

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

There are a few secrets to cooking Basmati rice:

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

Details:

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

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

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

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

Standard Rice

2 cups water
1 cup rice
salt

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

Basmati Rice

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

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

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



Basmati Rice



Google Translator by KimB

[Note: Editor's Post]

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

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

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

Brushes with Greatness Series: Steve Jobs by R. Cane

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