Lovely Flowers from a Lovely Sister

A package arrived in the mail around Valentine's Day. I hadn't ordered anything. Larry hadn't ordered anything. But there was this package with our address on it.

And inside? This pretty wicker basket with moss in it and some weird bumps sticking up. Mystified, I read the label. Amaryllis! Oh wow! From my sister Theresa, who, knowing flowers and knowing me, knew that I would love these late winter blooms.

Now two weeks later, the flowers are in bloom. To watch them grow feels like I am in a time warp movie--it's so fast from bulb to flower. My kitchen is suddenly brighter and my mood is certainly lighter just looking at them.

Thank you, Theresa, for this surprise gift!

Spring Fever

Lovely warm day, with temperatures in the upper 60s. I had plans for inside work, putting together stuff for upcoming workshops. But the outdoors beckoned, so after making the week's soup, getting the bread in the bread machine and yogurt in the oven to culture, I headed out. And didn't get back inside until dark.

This week's soup: Turkey and Tomato Rice with Corn and Black Beans. Tastes right yummy.

The flower gardens looked a lot better when we were done. We didn't get to all of them but we sure made a big dent.

And look what we found under the old leaves and other plant debris:

These little fellows were everywhere today, busy as bees you might say:

Larry checked the hives today and said the bees were doing their housekeeping and flying in and out so fast it looked like a traffic jam at the hive entrances. It was good to see them out. They probably liked this a lot:

not the cardinal, but the budding maple trees! The silver maples always come out early, and almost always get frozen but they give the bees something to work very early in the season and that's a good thing.

After three hours of raking and hauling, I stopped and cleaned up the porch, giving it a good mopping in the process to get rid of more of winter's dirt and Larry went back out to the field where he is cutting tomato stakes and bean poles. We finished the day off with the first fire in the firepit for this year

and got rid of more debris in the fire. We went inside just as the rain started. A perfect end to a very good day.

West Virginia's Big Trees

West Virginia has been home to several legendary "big trees." Here are the stories of a few of them.

Most West Virginia school children are familiar with the story of the Pringle Tree. According to the legend, two brothers Named Samuel and John Pringle deserted the British army during the French and Indian War and made their way to an area just outside of what is now Buckhannon, West Virginia. This was about 1764. They set up housekeeping in a huge, hollow sycamore.

After four years the brothers found that they were down to only two charges of gunpowder.John Pringle left to find the nearest settlement where he could get more powder while Samuel stayed on at the tree, keeping house I suppose. Well, when John reached a settlement he learned that the French and Indian War was over and that he and his brother no longer were fugitives from the British. He returned with some friends and built cabins in the area, starting a settlement. One of those who returned with John Pringle was John Jackson, who was to become the grandfather of Stonewall Jackson.

The original Pringle Tree died long ago, but other sycamores have sprung up on the site to replace it, and the current tree is the third generation.

 The current tree is also hollow in the center, and nowadays there is a fence around the tree to protect it from damage. But you can pick up the seed pods that often fall on the ground around the tree, and maybe you can grow your own Pringle tree. In these economic times, the backup shelter might come in handy. (Photos from flickr and

 

Then there is the Mingo Oak which sadly succumbed to either a fungus or pollution from mine waste years before I was born. The Mingo Oak, in Mingo County, WV, was once believed to be the largest white oak known in the US. It's circumference was reported at 30 feet 9 inches and it was judged by scientists to be 584 years old. Apparently it was already over 100 years old when Columbus landed on these shores. The tree was cut with great ceremony on September 8, 1938.

In Tucker County, West Virginia there was a white oak that was known to many for its size. The tree measured supposedly measured 13 feet in circumference at 16 feet above the ground. The tree was cut during the logging boom that swept the state in the early 1900's, a time when the state's virgin forests were almost completely obliterated.

Point Pleasant, West Virginia has several claims to historic fame. Besides being the site of a battle of the French and Indian War, and the home of Mothman, Point Pleasant was also the resting place of many items from one of the 49 boxcars of the "Merci Train"  that were donated in gratitude to the US after World War II.  According to this website:

"A collection of perhaps two dozen items from the West Virginia Merci car is located in "Mansion House", a hewn log structure built as a tavern in 1796, but now maintained as a museum by the Colonel Charles Lewis Chapter, N.S. Daughters of the American Revolution. The museum itself is in a small state park called Tu-Endie-Wei within the city of Point Pleasant, WV. The name is Wyandotte Indian for "Point Between Two Waters". Also in the park are four French Oak trees, which came in the Merci boxcar as saplings from France. Russell Burge (see above) started some saplings with acorns gathered from the trees in the park and has planted two saplings near the present site of the boxcar in Welch." 

(You can find out more about the Merci train boxcar that was given to your state by clicking here.)

Seedlings from the French Oaks, as they came to be called, are still being grown in West Virginia at the Clements Tree Nursery in West Columbia, WV. Apparently these seedlings can be requested from the nursery, because the information about the trees and their history concludes with:

"Become part of living history: Plant a seedling from Clements State Tree Nursery today." If you want to find out more, contact Leslie Fitzwater, Public Information Specialist, 304.957.9342 or 304.541.8102, Leslie.C.Fitzwater@wv.gov

Although the huge trees of the past are almost all gone, West Virginia still has many large trees very much alive. You can see an online list of other big trees in West Virginia here; all state maintain a "Big Tree" list so you can check out your state's list by clicking here.

Photo 1 from www.flickr.com
Photo 2 from www.bucknell.edu
Photo 3 from www.wvculture.org

About Land

When I moved to this ridge, most of our land had not been used for any agricultural purpose for a long time. There were some sandstone rocks here and there scorched red, a sign we learned later, that the land had at one time been "burned off" for crops.

There were cairns of rocks in the woods too, and I thought they must have had some Native American explanation. The real explanation was at the same time mundane and intriguing: about 40 years before we found them, the rocks had been piled by our neighbor and his brothers when that part of our land was plowed to plant wheat. Wheat! There were 60-foot pine trees growing there! But that was indeed the truth of the rock piles, and proof that on this land, things grow fast. Looking at the lay of that area, I can see that it was one of the more level places, if it could be graced with that name. A 40% slope only looks level when compared with an 80% slope, and the area we call the "flat" is probably also a 40% slope. Such is hill land.

There were lots of things growing here--blackberries, horse nettle, scrub pines, tough hickory saplings, elderberries, wild grapes, honeysuckle, pennyroyal, broomsedge, ground cherry--all indicators of highly acidic and not very rich soil. Back then I didn't know the difference and enthusiastically planted all kinds of stuff: apple trees, currants, raspberries, flowers and vegetables, grapes. Some hardy ones survived; our pear tree was one of the first things we planted, and so are my grape vines. But a lot didn't make it, victims of the acidity and the fast-draining sandy soil.

I have been here 35 years now, and over that time the soil has shown much improvement. Most of it came after Larry and I were married in 1986. He has a natural hand with gardening, likes to keep the grass mowed which returns nutrients to the soil, and listens to me about planting. We make a good pair when it comes to gardens (and most other things).

This land has always fed us, sometimes better than other times. We've harvested wild foods and our planted gardens have been sometimes good, sometimes sparse, but always we have had enough. One thing this land has always done is warm us. Trees grow fast here, and we have acres and acres of forest. We selectively cut trees to provide firewood and then after the ice storm of 2003 we have burned nothing but the trees damaged, toppled or killed by that storm. Now the natural gas from our gas well is providing heat and cooking fuel.

At first it seemed like this land hated us. Everything was difficult, from access to clearing to trying to grow a garden. The land fought back against us, the invaders. Gradually, as we continued to care for it and learned to understand its needs and its ways, it accepted us and finally to return richly for our efforts. It is still an effort, believe me--droughts and floods and bitter winters all play their role in making us work for our rewards. But rewards do come, and that is worth all the work.

Now as I plan for the gardens this year and look at the bulbs bursting from the ground, I can see clearly what we have wrought, with a lot of help from nature. It has not been easy and a lot of money and sweat has been lost to poor decisions, bad weather and errant wildlife and livestock, but this place has become what I could see in my mind's eye when it was rough, uncared-for and grown-up pasture land.

Moving to wild West Virginia land might have seemed like an irresponsible thing to do with 4 little boys and absolutely no idea of what hardship could be ahead or what I was doing. But somewhere there was a voice calling me home, calling me to this hilly piece of land that some called worthless, and holding me here to grow roots. Unless you have owned land and worked it, raising your house and your children on it, you may not understand the magnetic power of a small piece of dirt. But those who have trod this path know the power, and know why I am so deeply attached to this patch of ground. It is home, and more than that, it is the place that owns me. That's the real definition of land ownership--being owned by your land.

Upcoming Project

In our living room there is an area that is dropped down from the rest of the room, with built-in couches. When we built this house, I remembered some new "California-style" houses that had been built near where we used to live. Those houses had built-in couches surrounding a fireplace and hearth, and I liked the concept. We didn't plan to build a fireplace (this was when I was married to my first husband and he was no mason. I had to marry a mason to get a fireplace built. Um--that's not serious, yall!)

So we built our version of the Virginia sunken seating areas, with a wood stove instead of a fireplace. Over the years (and after I married him!) Larry put in a brick floor and a brick hearth. Once every 5 years or so, I had to re-cover the seating areas. At first, I used carpet, but that was so hard to do I started using fabric. That wasn't much easier and I was never satisfied with my handiwork.

The couches needed covering again this year, in a bad way, and in just as bad a way I did not want to do it. But what else could I do? Then I had an idea: rather than going through the struggle and dissatisfaction of the whole re-covering process, what if we just stripped off all the padding and cloth and covered the couches with wood? They would become more like benches and I could toss pillows on them to soften them up a bit. The more I thought about the idea the better I liked it.

Last week Larry stripped down the couches (and found a shocking amount of dirt--if you've ever pulled up carpet, you know what it's like). Even now, with nothing but the framing showing, they look better! We measured and figured out what wood we would need for the project.

Enter ReStore, the Habitat for Humanity place that re-sells building materials. We had gone in to pick up a couple of small filing cabinets for my home office when a pile of wood caught my eye. It looked like knotty pine. I investigated.

What I found was a stack of knotty pine cabinet doors, 21 in all, and all marked $1 each. Would these work for my couch project? I thought they would and Larry agreed.

So the cabinet doors will become the wood that covers the couches. I don't think this is going to be easy, or fast either. But I sure do think it will look beautiful when we are done. What do you think?

And $21--can't beat that price :) and the good feeling that comes with recycling. Of course, by the time we're finished, sanding and finishing, staining, etc. we will have a little more into it. It will take a while to get done, but when it is, I will share the "after" photos.

Have you ever tried using used building materials for a project? Got a story to share with us?

(That's Charley wanting in the door. I love the way cat's eyes gleam for the camera.)

I Used to Buy Bananas

...along with a few other things that are no longer on my shopping list.

While the economy has had many ups and downs in the last 2 years or so, the price of food has climbed and climbed. Have you noticed the impact on your budget? I doubt many of us have missed it. I hear rumblings that food (even chocolate) will continue to increase in cost, and I look at my shopping cart and wonder what else will not go in it in the coming year.

Bananas used to be a staple on my table. We ate them fresh, and when they started turning brown I used them to make banana bread or banana cake. Sometimes I would find a large bag, maybe ten pounds or more, marked $1.00. I would have a baking frenzy then, making loaf after loaf of banana bread for the freezer. Now, with the price at 55 cents a pound, bananas have joined the luxury list at my house. When you consider that you throw away almost a third of the weight with the peel, the price per pound becomes even more out of reach.

I suppose I should not fret over bananas; after all, they are one fruit that actually contains fat and I can do without that. And I suppose I can get the potassium bananas are so rich in from some other source. There is nothing that will replace those golden circles on top of my cereal, however, or the creamy smoothness of the first bite into a banana at perfect ripeness.

Being on a diet means not only are we losing weight, we're gaining money. The grocery list is shorter--no cheese, no bread, no pasta, a lot less butter and sugar and other things. Still I am appalled at the cost of even the small amount of food I buy, and I wonder how a family with small children manages the hit to their wallet each time they enter the store. Are they cutting back, not buying the little treats children love, going for the generic instead of the brand names? Or are people just sucking it up and closing their eyes as they swipe their debit card?

It will soon be garden time and some of the pressure of food prices will relax as we start eating our own produce. Last year more Americans than ever planted gardens, and some even ventured into backyard poultry. I wonder if this trend will continue, or if, tired of trying to do it themselves, Americans will lapse back into the convenience of ready-made and pre-packaged.

What's going on at your house? Are you still buying bananas or have they ended up on your do-not-buy list too? Have you cut back in other areas, and are you planning to grow a bigger garden this year, or maybe even your first garden? How is the increase at the grocery store affecting your life?

A "That's Good, That's Bad" Kind of Day

You might have heard the story of the man whose horse ran away. His neighbor said, "That's bad."
"No, the man said, "That's good." Because his horse returned with a stallion by its side.
And so the story goes on, one bad thing canceled by another good thing. Today was that kind of day.

First, the toilet refused to flush this morning.Now that's bad, right? I have to agree. Yeah, that's bad. The good thing was that Larry would be here all day to fix it.

Then I had to go to work. That's bad, you would say.
And I would say, no, that's good. Because two storytelling friends from Virginia, Megan Hicks and Lynn Ruehlmann just happened to be in Charleston last night, and this morning they stopped by my workplace and I took an early lunch so we had a wonderful hour together over coffee. Do you know how rare it is for other storytellers to come into Charleston? Rare, let me tell you.

My sister Julie sent a message to all of her sisters that the strong winds had done some real damage to their house. Even worse, when they inspected the damage they also found even more damage caused by water over the years. Major repairs were needed. Bad, bad, bad day for her yesterday. But today it's good because men who knew about construction came to help her husband and repairs are on a fast track.What good friends and neighbors--they worked in cold and rain to get the house protected again. Nothing is as bad when you have friends by your side, is it?

Then there is our house phone that has been not working more than it has worked for the past week. Larry is at the end of his patience with it. Bad?

No, it's actually kinda good because we have been getting so many robo-dialed calls and other weird things like that it's a relief not to have to deal with them. And I can always check messages from my cell phone. (So family, call my cell if you need us!)

And it rained all day today. That's bad, you might think. No, that's good because in many other places they're getting slammed by yet another snowstorm.

Tonight, Larry told me that the seal is gone on the toilet. It will flush, but it leaks around the base. Note I said toilet--we only have one. While it's not a good thing, it's not so bad because a least it flushes and he can fix it tomorrow (I hope).

So all together, it was a pretty good day.

If you'd like to see Megan in action, here's a clip on YouTube.


And here's one of Lynn!

Kitchen Work, Paperwork and a Short Journey

This is a typical Sunday, at least compared to the past month: cooking and working on paperwork. Considering the yucky weather, it's a good day for both of those things. Gray skies and an icy drizzle aren't conducive to outside work, although Larry has been busy anyway with some clean-up work.

We took a little trip yesterday, driving to Columbus, Ohio to pick up two antique gas heaters. I'd seen them on Craigslist but had to wait for some expendable money before going to get them. These are about the prettiest of the clayback or ceramic heaters I have ever seen.

They will need cleaning up, the valves checked, etc so it will be a little while before we put one in use. Check out what is stamped on the valve handle on these heaters:

According to my research, the swastika was often used as a good luck symbol until World War II when it became identified with the Nazi movement. At that time, apparently many people removed and replaced the valves because they did not want the symbol in their homes. I have not been able to locate any manufacturing information on these heaters, but I am certainly curious about their origins. They are quite definitely from the early 1900's, and were made long before the Second World War or Hitler were even on the horizon.

We plan to replace the "Beast" in the log room with the one pictured and save the smaller one for when we build the next log room. I only have photos of the big one today, but will add the other when I get a chance. For now, it's stored outside in the the building. The Beast will be saved for later use elsewhere in the house.

We stopped at a little town called Carroll between here and Columbus because I saw a sign that said it was the place where the Erie, Hocking and Ohio canals once converged. That was intriguing enough to pull us into the town to look for this site. Imagine what it might look like! Sadly there was nothing left of any of the canals but the memory of their existence in the town. This old grain elevator attracted my attention though, a sign of a bygone era,  of old and new rubbing elbows while we rush by without noticing the irony.

Today I am cooking vegetable beef soup. I don't often have beef in the house but a roast was on sale at a ridiculous price so I bought it to use in soup. The kettle of soup ended up being 20 quarts, enough for me to can seven quarts and still have plenty for dinners this week.

I also made this week's loaf of bread, a rye bread using the Hodgson Mill Rye flour that I ordered from Amazon (free shipping!). This is a mix that has everything in it, even a packet of yeast to be added. All I needed to add was butter and water. The mix has no weird chemical additives in it, which made me feel okay about buying it. I need to find somewhere local to buy rye flour, though.

I have to say it was really easy to make some excellent bread with this mix and maybe by the time I've finished with all 6 boxes I will have located rye flour in Ripley! I can hope, anyway-but I'm pretty sure I may end up having to get it in Charleston. Rye bread is my run-away favorite, and Larry's too, so this quest is a serious one for us.

After cooking, I've been working on another grant. It's not my favorite way to spend a Sunday, but it may provide some additional funds for our Stories at the River's Edge programs this summer. And now, I'm sitting here thinking about the next two forms to complete for other programs. That will clear the decks for the (ugh) income taxes. One thing at a time, though. The taxes can hold until next week.

If you're wondering what goes into my vegetable soup, here's my recipe (which is as variable as what I have on hand):

2 quarts of tomatoes
2 quarts of green beans
1 quart of corn
1 head of cabbage, chopped up
About 3 pounds of potatoes, cut up
half a head of celery, chopped
1 pound of carrots, sliced, or one quart bag of frozen sliced carrots
half of a quart bag of frozen chopped onions
Worchestershire sauce, about 3 tablespoons
3 chopped cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon of black pepper
3 cubes of beef bouillon
a teaspoon of red pepper
a few dashes of hot sauce
4 or 5 bay leaves
salt to taste (I don't add any because the bouillon adds a good bit)
about 3 pounds of cut up beef or venison (optional--sometimes I don't add any meat)
about 3 quarts of water

If I'm using meat, I brown it first, then add the other ingredients. I add enough water to cover all the vegetables and let it simmer until the vegetables are cooked, about 40 minutes or so. If I am canning it, I heat to a boil, then fill jars immediately (the vegetables won't be cooked completely at this point, but that's okay because they will finish cooking in the canning process). Then I put the jars in the pressure canner, bring the canner to the proper pressure (10 pounds on my canner) and process for 90 minutes for quarts, 75 minutes for pints.

Dark is settling in early today, and Larry has returned from his walk and has the fire burning brightly in the fireplace. Time for a break, a glass of wine and some quiet conversation as we play with the cats.

Book Review: Don't Retire, Reinvent Yourself

Getting Up to Speed on a New Journey in Life

It starts at 1 mile per hour, in first gear. Then chapter by chapter the speed increases as the conversation ranges from planning ahead, assessing finances, setting goals, planning, planning, planning--and then acting on those plans.

Mike Connell and Frank Jenio, Ph.D., team up to present a nuts-and-bolts, common sense approach to the next step after work--seeking and planning a new path. The authors do not advocate finding a beach and working on a tan; rather they suggest that those who are ready to retire think long and hard about what they will do with the remaining years of their lives.

It comes as a surprise when we stop our daily ragged run and realize that there are far fewer years ahead of us than there are behind us. I remember when I saw this curve in my life looming, and suddenly I knew I needed to think about what I still wanted to achieve, see, and experience while I was still able and healthy enough to do so. I began making lists, and working on budgets.


We all know someone who retired only to sink into depression or loneliness. We also know those who suddenly find themselves as full-time babysitter of grandchildren, or swamped under piles of volunteer chores because they could not say no. And we know those who, after a few months of retirement, went back to the workforce. Sadly, we also know those whose health declined so rapidly after leaving their jobs that they enjoyed only a few brief months before disability or death overtook them. Connell and Jenio maintain that  lack of planning can derail a retirement and in the process reduce quality of life for retirees.  They advocate a positive, assertive approach to assure the years after leaving the workforce are as rewarding as possible.

While most retirement guides focus mainly on financial issues, which are certainly of paramount importance--we all need to eat and pay the bills--these authors caution against letting retirement just happen. Connell and Jenio believe the mental, physical, and spiritual aspects of retirement that should be given equal consideration. Pets, yoga, exercise, religion, and even plastic surgery come under their scrutiny as potential sources of well-being in later life.



I found the chapter on Values intriguing. I had not considered how my values influenced why I was retiring and what I wanted to do with my coming freedom. I worked on defining my core values, thinking about them in relation to my plans. Did what I want to do fit with what I value? Since independence, creativity, and freedom were high on my list, my plans to expand my storytelling, gardening and writing interests are right on target. Other chapters explore bucket lists (those things you want to do before you die), having a sanctuary as well as a network, volunteering, boomerang kids, applying for Social Security and much more--55 topics in all, so that by the end of the book the speed of 55 mph is reached.

It's a clever concept but one that works because retirement is as complex a challenge as we are likely to take on in this life. Suddenly it is up to us to make the decisions about what to do each day--no boss to dictate it. How well we manage the transition is a measure of how well we have prepared at each "speed."

Even those with a good many years ahead of them in the work force will find that this book will help them start thinking about the years ahead and what they can do to smooth their path and ensure that retirement is a time of fulfillment and enrichment. Those on the brink, as I am, can take stock of plans and make adjustments. And those already retired will still find information to help them as they move along on this new journey.

Signs of the End of Winter?

A huge flock of robins descended on the ridge yesterday.

Bluebirds are out and about, displaying nesting behavior.

The multiplier onions Larry planted last Fall are beginning to sprout.

The skunks are out too, in force. Their perfume is scenting the nights and mornings. Is it time to make skunk grease for your medicine chest?

I am searching roadsides for first signs of coltsfoot blooms and my favorite, the bloodroot flower (pictured here).

And Larry and I were out yesterday evening, planting peas, carrots, spinach and radishes and poking hopefully in flower beds for signs of spring flowers emerging. The daffodils are the only ones awake, it seems, sending their green leaves only an inch or two about the safety of the soil.

I wanted to clean out my flower beds but thought better of it because those piled up leaves are providing some mulch protection, and I do believe we have a little more winter to see before it's safe to uncover the gardens.

How about you? Are you feeling the itch to get out in the gardens? Are you planting yet?

Here are a few stories to bring us a little literary Spring:

Old Man Winter tried to lock up Spring in a Scandinavian folktale. Read how Spring was saved here.

An adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen's story of the snowdrop and many other Spring stories for little children are on the Apples for the Teacher website.

And you can learn more about Hans Christian Andersen, and the Bulgarian forest spirits called samodiva, on Zikata's beautiful blog.

Want Spring poems and stories for children? Try this site.

Now that we're all fired up for gardens, flowers and birds--watch it snow again!

Values

I am reading a new book on retirement (Don't Retire--Reinvent Yourself by Mike Connell and Frank Jenio; review coming soon) and one chapter in the book suggests that anyone considering retirement should determine what their values are so that they can plan accordingly. In other words, if one of your key values is lifelong learning, how will you accomplish this when you retire? A list of values is included as a starting place for thinking and possibly even discussing with your mate or family.

I had not considered that my values could play a key role in my retirement, but as I thought about it, I realized that my values are exactly why I am retiring now instead of later. I also realized that because my values were out of sync with those of my workplace, I have not been happy or satisfied in my current position.

(image from tulane.edu)

But what are my values? How to put a name to something that I have accepted as part of who I am for so long, yet have never really recognized for what it is? The list is  long, actually, and the book acknowledges this and suggests that the list be reviewed and honed until only the most important remain. Those then become the values that can shape or define your retirement.

So, to make a start, here are some of the values I can identify immediately as important to me, in no particular order:

honesty

respect

compassion

empathy

self-reliance

independence

creativity

humor

equality

integrity

civility

lifelong learning

There are more, I know--these are the ones I can name in 15 seconds. I would like to delve into each of these in future posts and explore why these are important to me.

If you had to make such a list, what would you name, and why?

A Valentine's Surprise

It wasn't for me. And it didn't come from Larry or me.

A brightly striped bag was delivered by our mailman today. Larry assumed it was a valentine's gift for me and left it on the table.

But it was for him--a gift from the Silverton Grange for veterans.

What a thoughtful idea. Larry got a kick out of all the valentines, especially the big-eyed dogs. And the chocolate, of course!

Thank you, Silverton Grange. Your thoughtfulness made our evening.


(The beautiful rose in the green vase was Larry's valentine to me. Perfect--no calories and lovely to look at.)

Battlefield Band

Saturday night's concert was one of the best I've been to in quite a while. The Battlefield Band from Scotland was in Charleston as part of the Footmad concert series. I almost missed it--the tickets were in my purse and I was thinking the concert was a week away. Fortunately someone sent a reminder on Facebook just in time. How sad I would have been to have missed this opportunity.

The band has been on tour in the US, starting in Hawaii and moving across the country. I can imagine they had some weather tales to tell, since they've apparently been across the Midwest during the recent blizzards. But they made no mention of it, just jumped right in and started playing. And boy can they play.

The members all live in Scotland now, although one (Mike Katz) was originally from Los Angeles. He went to Edinburgh for college and never left. Mike's musical abilities are far-ranging, from composition to arrangement to playing bagpipes, flute, and bouzouki.

Then there is Alasdair White from the Isle of Lewis in the Outer Hebrides, whose fiddle playing is world-renowned. Even at 13, he was considered a maestro by those in the industry. Add in his expressive face and crazy humor, and his rhythm-keeping right foot that never seemed to stop, and he's quite a performer.

The second fiddler, by no means playing second fiddle to Alasdair, however, is Ewen Henderson. Honestly, how do people so young learn to play so well? Ewen is not 30 years old, plays fiddle, piano, bagpipes and flute (or maybe it's a tin whistle, can't remember)--and sings! His fiddling is quite honestly breathtaking, and he puts his whole body into the playing.

The group is rounded out by Sean O'Donnell, who was born in Northern Ireland. His guitar and vocals, and his quirky sense of humor meshed well with the rest of the group.

If the Battlefield Band ever comes your way, do try to see and hear them. I hope they come back to West Virginia soon. Next week would be fine with me! To get a taste of what an evening with them is like, check out this YouTube video. Be sure to watch all the way through, because it just gets better and better. As does this band.

And to get a taste of the two fiddlers, watch them duel it out on this video. Superb!

Of Birds and Gardens, Cooking and Spring

Today is one of those gift days that winter grants occasionally, a day when we can see the end of cold weather and the possibility that spring may really be not so far away. The sun is shining, there is a clean wind blowing, and wonder of wonders, I saw an Eastern bluebird when I was hanging out laundry. If you look very, very closely, you can see a spot of blue just above the second clothesline--I was so surprised when I saw him through the lens but wasn't fast enough to catch a good photo of his bright blue feathers. You can click on the photo to make it larger and then he's a little more visible.

Because today was definitely a hang-out-the-wash kind of day. The first load was dry in an hour, and the second load is almost dry. The freshness of line-dried wash is always a surprise; even though we know it will smell good, it is a shock to rediscover that scent each time I hang out the clothes.

And because the wind has been blowing, the ground is drying. That means that Larry could plow one of the gardens--the others are still too wet.

He also managed to burn off the lettuce bed; watching it carefully to keep the sparks contained in the brisk breeze. Later today he will rake it off stir up the soil and hopefully get the lettuce seeds planted and the bed covered with plastic. (I've linked to my post that told all about growing lettuce, if you're interested.)

Inside, I finished ordering the garden seeds, using our receipts from last year's mail orders to select for this year. Ordering online will save some time and I am looking forward to those boxes coming in the mail. I added a tomato that is new to us, but an old-timer called Black Krim, which I tasted last year at the Tomato Tasting Festival in Fairmont. We also opted for a mixed pack of cherry tomatoes which should provide some interesting variety for salads next year. Stand-bys such as Stonehead cabbage, Dwarf Grey Sugar peas (best snow peas for freezing in my opinion, and prolific and not so tall as other varieties) and others filled out the orders.

I have been wanting to make my own yogurt again and today seemed like a good day to try it out. I used to make it a gallon at a time when the boys were young, but like so many of the things I used to do, yogurt-making got pushed aside when I started working full-time. And like so many of those things, I am now adding it back to my life. It feels very good to be making bread, hanging out laundry, and all those other mundane tasks that make me feel really in touch with my life, slowed down and paying attention instead of rushing headlong through every day. It is a feeling I hope to have every day after May 10, when I will officially retire from my full-time job.

It's time to get back in the kitchen. Corn Chowder is cooking on the stove and needs my attention.

Tomorrow I will post a few shots from last night's concert with the amazing Battlefield Band. The two fiddlers defy description; it was an experience I will not soon forget. Such music!

Busy Saturday

Last night we finally sat down to review our garden seed order. It was so easy this year--I'd kept my orders from last year, we reviewed them tweaked a little here and there and we were done. Now I am online, trying to get my orders in. And boy is it slow. I can make phone calls, wash dishes, and write this blog while the websites slowly load my requests.

I've been working on stories today too, making a flannelboard story for a Korean tale, researching dragon stories, making lists and looking through my books. Messy day but it feels good.

My to-do list is long right now so I'm trying to stay focused and move through it, one thing at a time. We will take time off to go to a concert tonight, though--the Battlefield Band is in Charleston and I've got tickets!

Tomorrow it will be back to working through the list, but tonight we get to play.

I hope your Saturday has been good too.

Seasonal

Right now, it looks something like this outside:

But soon it will look like this:

and then like this:

and soon we'll be doing this:

and this:

and there will be nights like this:

and eventually we'll be back to this:



Which is why I love living in a place where the seasons are so defined, and each filled with a special beauty of its own.

Big News!

Where to start?

Remember a couple years ago when we had some land for sale? I posted it here, and we had some people looking, but it didn't sell. The realtor's contract expired and we forgot about it for a while.

Then I started talking about retiring. In order to do that, we needed to get rid of our mortgage. The way to do that was to sell that land. So I posted it, on a whim, on a homesteading forum.


I got one reply, and it was from someone I met here on this blog. Warren has a blog too, My Home Among the Hills. I started reading his blog a couple years back because he does all kinds of interesting stuff, but the coolest thing is that he's a beekeeper.

When I got on Facebook, I saw Warren's name on my cousin's posts--how did that happen? Well, in this small, small world of West Virginia, it turned out that Warren worked with my cousin--they were actually co-owners of the same company. Now I only have two or three cousins in West Virginia, so what are the odds? Warren was interested in our land, came to look, and now, if the title search goes well (and it should), he'll eventually be our neighbor! I can't tell you how happy that makes me.

This online community continues to amaze me. I met Cathy of Whippoorwill Wood here, and now she works at the library with me. I met Susan online when she lived in Ireland, and now she lives in West Virginia and has become a dear friend. I met Warren on this blog, and now he'll be my neighbor. The connections, like a web, continue to expand. What a world this is.

This was taken from the land we are selling. It is a beautiful place and I am glad it will have such good owners.

Wordless Wednesday: Morning on Joe's Run

 (this one looks blue because I took it through the windshield)

My New Used Bookstore

It's virtually true, anyway. I am now selling used and collectible books online at Amazon. My collection is getting too large for my shelving, and I keep buying more books! So something had to give, and I decided to start selling some of my books online. Amazon has a simple to use interface that allows me to list my books and pay them a modest fee if something sells. Last night was my first sale! To one of my sisters, but hey, it was a sale :) Thank you, Maggie!

I will continue to add books as I sort through my collection. You can see what I have for sale at any time by checking the widget in the side bar called Railey Ridge Books (that's my "store" name). Clicking on a title will take you to the book on Amazon. You can also find me on Amazon at: http://www.amazon.com/shops/raileyridge

As retirement comes ever closer (3 months away!), I'm still exploring other things I can do, and books is one thing I know a lot about, so this seems like a natural. I hope you'll take a look from time to time as I add more books to the store.

One Month Later

One month ago Larry and I decided we needed to start a diet. Together. From time to time one or the other of us has tried to lose weight, but not both at the same time. This time we realized that we needed to make a change and that the best way to make it work was to do it together.

I don't guess it's really a diet, since we're not starving and not doing anything like the Adkins diet or any kind of program like that. Our rules are pretty simple:

1. Cut back the breads. We were eating toast for breakfast, sandwich for lunch. Now it's toast only on the weekends.
2. Eat oatmeal for breakfast, save the eggs for the weekend breakfasts.
3. Few sweets. Except for honey in my tea, and jam for the toast on weekend, the sweetener in oatmeal, that's about it. We can break loose a little on weekends, but that's all.
4. More salads, soups and vegetable. With the freezer and cellar full, veggies are easy.

5. Less salt. My blood pressure was higher than it's ever been when I was at the doctor at the beginning of the month--I don't want it to get any worse. And Larry's is an issue too. I don't have to take meds yet, and I don't want to start if I can avoid it.
6. And because of the same reason, decaff coffee. I have never been able to tell the difference anyway.
7. Keep dinners light. Salad or soup, usually. This week we're splurging a little with quiche. I cook on the weekends so dinners are easy to prepare. That stops the "just-grab-something-quick" syndrome.
8. Chamomile tea in the evenings is a new addition, and we like it. It's relaxing and is supposed to help us sleep better. I don't worry about that, but I do like its flavor.

After one month, Larry has lost 20 pounds. I've lost 8. His bp and sugar levels are perfect now that his medications can work like they should because he's eating right. My bp is usually fine, occasionally still skimming that line so I have more work to do. But already we both feel much better and have more energy.

This coming month I don't expect such wonderful results and will be happy with losing another pound or two. I am having fun experimenting with different recipes, and we're saving money because we're eating less and using more from the freezer and cellar.

Anyone else on a diet? How is your going?

Hearts Alive

It was a cold, blustery, sometimes-raining, sometimes snowing kind of weekend, but that did not disturb my plans at all. I gathered up my craft stuff and got ready for fun this weekend.

My daughter-in-law Amy and I had a great time playing with paper, eating strawberries with chocolate wine and keeping warm by the fire. In the end, we had some beautiful valentines.

We made a mess, of course:

but it was fun to see what we could come up with:

I looked online and found many Victorian valentine images that we could copy and cut out to use on our cards, like these:

And since some people like colors other than red, pink and purple, we ventured into other shades too:

But mostly stuck with the traditional colors:

It has been years since I made valentines--since I did programs with children at my library, in fact, and I had forgotten how much fun it could be. I had plenty of supplies on hand: scrapbooking scissors I bought several years ago and never used; construction paper and cardstock; markers and pens; doublestick tape and glue; stick-on plastic jewels and sequins; foam letters and even some foam hearts. I bought more foam hearts, some paper doilies and that was all we needed to make our cards. I ended up with about 20 cards-so far.

The supplies are still on the table, and I just might make a few more before I put them away. It's addictive!