Orneriness

For the past several days we've been having fits with our fridge.

The fridge when it was new. in 2011.

I guess most people have problems with their refrigerator from time to time, but when ours starts giving us trouble, it means a lot of head scratching and trying different since because most repair people wouldn't have a clue how to fix it. Because it's a gas refrigerator, running on natural (wellhead) gas.

When we put in the free gas that was part of the deal for allowing a gas well on our property, we decided to convert as many appliances to gas as possible. So stove, dryer, hot water, heat and the fridge are now gas, and most of the time it's just lovely.

But there are those times.

Like when the gas suddenly goes off for no apparent reason--usually when it's dead cold. Most of the time it's an easy fix--just push down the plunger thingie on the regulator and then re-light all the pilots.

And like when the fridge acts up. Wellhead gas is not as clean as the gas you get through the pipelines, and it can cause some issues. Especially, apparently, with the refrigerator's heating element. It might sound odd that there is heat in a fridge, but the flame heats the gas that moves through some convoluted pipes and chills down. That's about as good as I can explain the process. It usually works like a dream and we love it that our fridge works when the electricity goes off.

But when it goes out or suddenly doesn't cool like it should, then we don't like it so much. Sometimes it's as easy as cleaning out the flue (yes, there's a flue on the fridge, weird I know). Other times it means moving the whole thing out and cleaning the condenser coils and whatever else is back there. Then there is cleaning the gas orifice itself.

And when all that fails, we found yet one more trick: laying the fridge on its side and then standing it back up again. Because sometimes a bubble can form in the condensed gas and block it from cooling as it should.

This time we ended up doing all of the above. None of it worked.

Getting by without refrigeration in winter isn't too difficult. A cooler on the porch will usually handle most of the important things.This past week we had quite a few days, though, when the temperatures stayed above 50. So that meant Plan B: freeze jugs of the emergency water we have stored away and using that in the cooler and the fridge.

The fridge is working again, kind of. With the jugs of ice it's down to about 47f in the bottom and it's freezing things in the top freezer compartment as it should. But it's not back to normal yet because the flame isn't acting as it should--going up and down when the thermostat is adjusted. It stays exactly the same no matter when temperature we set it at.

So Monday I called the number we had for repairs. A young-sounding man answered and listened to my tale of woe. He had Larry check a few things, then promised to call back.

Several hours later he was back on the phone. Our refrigerator is not a model he was familiar with so he had to do some calling and checking around himself. He came to the same conclusion we had: the thermostat is bad.

I was all ready with a credit card to pay for the part, but he said no, he'll mail the part and after we put it on and it's working correctly he'll send an invoice and we can mail a check. How old school is that? So kudos to this company for some really good customer service. I'll have to add their name here when I am sure what it is because they'd changed names since I last called four years ago).

We're managing fine with the ice jugs routine in the meantime. But it does make us wonder if this refrigerator is worth the savings in electricity. Maybe it's time to throw in the towel and go back to easy.

We like being independent but it's an awful lot of work and aggravation. And because we're not well off we can't just call repair people to come and fix stuff. Today, Larry's outside tracking down and repairing a leak in the water line from the well to the house. Fortunately it's sunny and not too cold. But we're getting a little old for things like lifting refrigerators. And lifting refrigerators and other such jobs is getting old too.

Maybe it's just plain orneriness that makes us cling to this lifestyle. Or maybe it's just plain being dumb. When all is fixed and running smoothly again, we'll have to look back and evaluate.

Right now, it just feels like aggravation.



Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

About This Photo

After writing my last post I looked more closely at this photo. There's a lot about that time in my life here.

Center left in the photo you can see a building. That was our tobacco barn. We were growing burley tobacco at the time, which has to be hung in a well-ventilated building to dry. It looks like the barn is empty so all the stripping was done by then and the tobacco taken to the auction. We had another barn full on land we were leasing then--tobacco takes a lot of space to dry and packing it in too tight could cause mold.

I believe this photo was taken in February of 1983, when my first husband was working away in Virginia. That winter the boys and I took care of the place, from getting in the firewood to stripping the tobacco and caring for the livestock. I was working full time on a different mail route that winter, and the boys (my four older sons) were 9, 10, 12 and 14. Jon, the twelve-year-old, built a horse shed by himself and we also built a small greenhouse, fenced in 23 acres, laid water lines to the barnlot and got the tobacco seedbed planted. The driveway, as you can see in the photo, was a right mess, deeply rutted so that sometimes we had to walk. The boys routinely walked a mile to the schoolbus anyway, and I often walked out to the mailbox which was also a mile away, so it wasn't much of a hardship to walk the driveway.

That's Jon's pony Goldberry in the photo, although I think by this time he'd sold her to Derek, and had another horse. The cow is either Honey or Daisy, the two Jerseys we were milking at the time. We also had a few head of beef cattle, chickens and depending on the time of year pigs and turkeys.

We had no electricity yet--that didn't come until 1989.

Would I go back to living like that? Yes, with the exception of the tobacco. And nowadays we are even better prepared for it than we were then, in many ways. Our income was unstable since my ex-husband worked construction (and wasn't union so even when he worked the pay wasn't great), and now we have a steady income, free gas, and a nice root cellar built by Larry my second hubby. The house is much nicer too--back then it was barely finished, a cabin really. So even if we took out the electricity and raised stock again, we would still be living a lot more comfortably than we were in those days.

Ah, memories!

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Pumpkins! And That Fall Feeling

Larry planted pumpkins in the rich dirt of the old chicken yard, and they have been trying to take over the earth, I swear. Yesterday he harvested them and got a right wagonload. This is minus a half dozen already given away.

I posted a lot of pumpkin recipes a few years ago. Go here to find lots of ways to use up pumpkins!

I am loving the fall feeling in the air, even though the temperatures are not giving up. It's still too hot but mornings and evenings are cool, and the moon has been gorgeous. Leaves are drifting down, some of them because it's time, others because of the dry weather we've had the past two weeks. The gardens are slowly dying back although we are still getting some vegetables for the table. I hope it can hold on til frost.

This morning the air was so clear as we took our walk out to the church and back. We got home, had an enormous breakfast and then took our coffee out on the swing. We have a lot to do today, but it's nice to take a slow start. Tonight I'm storytelling in Beckley, WV at the beautiful Tamarack Arts Center.

Loving these days and these times.

Have a great day, my friends.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Morning Walk

We've been walking in the mornings, trying to get in some sort of shape for our trip. We have lots of company; all three dogs and both cats usually go with us providing escort service. The first part of our walk is the most challenging since it's pretty much all uphill for the first quarter mile or so, but then it's easier going. I am finding that each day I do better at pulling the hill, especially if it is not humid--humidity really makes my asthma act up.

Today the weather has broken again. The heat and humidity are gone and the air was so crisp this morning I put on a sweatshirt to drink my tea on the porch.

A few leaves are falling and it's clear that the season is slowly beginning to shift.

It is perfect walking weather.

Larry has been bringing a stick with a spike on one end and a porcelain door knob on the other to pick up trash as we go. So far we've gathered four grocery bags full, about 50% beer cans and the rest pop and water bottles and a few other bits and pieces.

It's very quiet here in the mornings. During our walk we usually hear no cars or other human-made sounds, just wind and birds and woods noises. Today was glorious, the coolest of breezes, the brilliant sun, dew still on the grass. A few flowers are blooming along the way.

The dogs have a wonderful time exploring all along the edges of the road, rough-housing and sniffing every tree, or so it seems.

This morning a young buck crossed a little ways ahead of us. The dogs started after it but I called them back--and good dogs, they came. They love these mudholes along our way!

I don't know the name of this grass, but it is stunning in the morning light.

The neighbor's horses greeted us on our return.

And back to our own driveway, to home and breakfast. It's a fine way to start the day, and even finer now that the weather is cool enough to really enjoy it.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Soup: One Dozen Recipes

Winter has really arrived here in the hills. Last night was a bracing 10 degrees, with a steady wind most of the night. This was the view from my workroom yesterday. I watched the storm rage while I painted, nice and warm with the gas stove and the three dogs. With a fire in the fireplace, the dogs and cats piled up inside and plenty of projects to keep us busy, the weather hasn't really slowed us down much.

But it has made me think of soup. I've made several batches lately, and have a big tub of veggie soup in the fridge right now. I've posted several soup recipes here over the years, so today I thought I'd put together a list of all of them with links so you can find them easily.

First, is there anything as comforting as tomato soup and grilled cheese?

But even better is tomato soup with herb and cheese biscuits!
Both recipes are in this blog post.

Potato soup is a another great tummy warmer, and easy to make in the bargain. Get the recipe for a chunky version here, or click here to try potato leek soup, a smoother, cream soup that's delicious too.

Broccoli Cauliflower soup is flavorful, thick and hearty. perfect for winter days,

and so is Venison Vegetable Soup. When I make it, I use the same recipe as for Vegetable Soup, but leave out the cabbage. I don't like the way cabbage tastes or its texture in canned soups either.

Then there's Cheesy Cauliflower Soup,

and if you still have turkey to use up, try this Tomato-Turkey-Barley Soup. Yum!

There are lots of chicken soup recipes, but when we're not well, the old stand-by is Chicken Noodle Soup, right? A good variation on this is Chicken Rice Soup.

And for something a little more exotic,  Chicken Garbanzo soup.

Butternut Soup--one I like but Larry is iffy about it. No picture of this one.

And finally, the soup that is probably my very favorite, Corn and Cheese Chowder. Yum!

So there you have it, pretty much every soup recipe I've posted since I started this blog in January 2007. Enjoy, and stay warm!


Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Apple Butter Day

We had a perfect day for our annual apple butter cooking. Cool, crisp enough to see your breath in the morning, then gradually so warm we took off our jackets, then cool again as clouds moved in. But the conversations kept us warm all day as we stirred, stoked the fire, and washed jars.

George ended up being the chief stirrer this year, although everyone took a turn.

Larry minded the fire and kept up a steady stream of orneriness all afternoon, and the grandkids were there to do anything asked.

Here's the crew: Larry, Hannah's boyfriend Jeremiah (who is so tall we had to ask him to sit down so he'd fit in the frame!), Hannah, Haley, Grace, and George.

This time Jeremiah volunteered to take the photo so I could be in the picture. That was nice. George kept the pot stirred so it didn't scorch while we messed around with pictures.

 The finished product, about 32 quarts of rich brown, spicy apple butter. Mmmmmm.

Cleanup time, covering over the fire, washing up the kettle, wiping down tables, etc, takes a little time.

At the end of the day, trick or treaters! What a fine time it was from beginning to end.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

A Fall Look

Slowly the change is coming...as this Tamarack tree is showing with its slight golden glow.

Nearby, on the banks of the creek, a small tree tips gracefully towards the water,

while the sunlight makes lace of the leaves on these.

Playing a little peek-a-boo

I'm not sure if this was a holly or a mountain ash, but the berries were numerous and colorful.

On the drive to Cross Lanes Saturday, I noticed this little building sheltered under a huge tree.

Nearby was this vine-covered old barn, slowly sinking into the earth.

Gates always attract my eye--maybe it's the lines, or order against nature's random arrangements?

I

It's been frosty-cold at home in the mornings.

  

I saw this old steel bridge near Jackson's Mill. I think the sign said Two Mile Run Bridge. No longer in use, but at least it's still standing.

After this cold snap I think we'll see a rapid change from green to gold, but I've enjoyed the gentle transition of the past week. I hope you're warm and have not seen the snow fly just yet where you are.

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

Apple Pie Filling

 I've been working on getting some apple pie filling made for the freezer. So far I have nine quarts put up, and hope to do about that many more.

It's a simple process: peel, core and slice the apples. I put them in water with lemon juice to keep them from turning brown.

Then I drain off the water, season the apples with sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg to my personal taste, put in freezer bags and freeze.

I have no specific recipe as to amounts of any of the ingredients, just as I do not have a recipe for fresh apple pie--I am definitely a "pinch of this-dash of that" kind of cook. But you can find a good recipe at Taste of Home.



Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.

The Rag Bag

Do you still have a rag bag? I remember my mother having one, and it was the place to go for cleaning rags, shoe polishing needs, wax buffers, car polishers and all kinds of other tasks. Our wet mop was a wood-handle with a metal spring loaded top that could be opened to put in a new rag mop head--or rags, which is what we used.

I still have a rag bag, and it's as indispensable today in my home as it was in my mother's household. The rag bag is where we get rags for putting polish on the furniture, for removing stripper when we're refinishing and for putting on wood stain. We use rags to clean up spills and to wash the car. And I still have one of those wood-handled mop with the spring-loaded catch, and I still use rags in the mop when I'm mopping the floors. No Swiffer or whatever the latest craze is here. My mophead is recyclable. I wash my rags and reuse them many times before they are discarded. Old tee shirts, towels and other cotton fabrics fill my ragbag.

Many people saved rags for quilts, patches, dolls, rugs and anything else requiring fabric. Log cabin owners used rags to stuff in the chinking and around doors as insulation.

An old crazy quilt I bought 10 years ago, and still use. It is
made from scraps of upholstery material and velvet, with a
blanket serving as the filler.

This quilt was made in the 1950's of old silk neckties.

Ragpicker in France, from wikimedia commons

Rags were even worth money, as ragpickers came and bought used clothing and worn out blankets and such to be sold to pulp mills for use in paper-making. 

Feed sacks were often made of pretty cotton fabrics and were carefully saved to make clothing, underwear, kitchen towels and other useful household items.

Today rags don't get much respect. Most clothing is not made of natural fibers anymore so paper mills probably couldn't use them if the rags were available. Paper towels, wet wipes, microfiber mops and other more modern and convenient tools have replaced the rag as a cleaning device in many homes. Quilts are made with newly bought and carefully matched fabrics, and made more for their artistic value than for the basic need to keep warm.

With today's focus on living "green" I wonder if people are reconsidering the rag bag. Is it making a comeback in the homes of this century?

Copyright Susanna Holstein. All rights reserved. No Republication or Redistribution Allowed without attribution to Susanna Holstein.