I love flowers. My friends said they knew my relationship with Ken was serious because I moved perennial flowers to Turtle Lake. One of the first to open was this short Siberian iris that opened a couple days ago Today this yellow iris opened Although fewer in number than some years, the wild daisies are starting to bloom This fragrant tree is about to bloom. A friend told me it is a hawthorn. And it …
Last week while cleaning and sorting, I found some 1/4 inch elastic. This had been in short supply. I had gotten mask kits and made twenty masks for local health care workers, but had been cobbling together something each time I did go out Now that I had elastic I faced something. What had initially seemed like a short disruption in routine, this virus has become something we will need to work around for a …
This third Sunday in May two years ago I led Ken’s memorial service. It was a beautiful day, and many people came As I recall the day I remember the feelings – first, there is the gratitude at all the people who helped me I felt amazed at how many people came to share the service from so many parts of our lives People of all ages, families, people with walkers and wheelchairs. They all …
Monday I helped Loyal bottle the last of the maple syrup and the birch syrup. The maple was the settling of each batch. If one lets it settle and pour off the top, clear syrup then filtering and bottling goes quickly and smoothly as pictured in the last batches bottled a while back. Tuesday morning I bottled the small amount of maple syrup that had not gone through the filter. I can use this”sludge” for …
Each year I am reminded of one Mothers Day when I was quite young. In those days there was a sharp line between women’s work and a man’s job. My Dad, however, had grown up in restaurants and kitchens and knew his way around them. On this Mothers Day he had dried some dishes and headed out the back door to hang a dish towel on the line. As he was doing this “woman’s work,” …
‘Tis the season! Nettles are popping up – fresh, green and nutritious! Yup. Stinging nettles. But after you pick them carefully, dump in a bowl of water and rinse, the sting recedes and disappears. First I made nettle soup. I sauteed onion, added to some cooked carrots and potatoes in soup stock. Herbs like thyme are nice, too Next I added the nettles to wilt and ran the soup through a blender. Just before serving …
When I got my stimulus check, I recalled something Ken said often. “Each cent you spend is a vote for the future.” So I thought about what I could do after paying off a couple bills. First a local artist who does wood cuts: Emily Gray Koehler Then another wood cut artist in Vermont: Mary Azarian I bought some socks from Maggie’s and some underwear from Decent Exposures. These are all women owned businesses. Next …
Late yesterday I finished joining the pin loom squares. There are still a couple steps before the project is finished. I need to weave in some loose ends. And once the lock down is done I will approach a friend for a refresher on crochet so I can do a border
