Today we went to an attorney’s office. The attorney had drawn up a trust. The land here is now in that trust and protected from being sold out from under me to pay for a nursing home or medical bills. Instead it will go to this man, Loyal Hunter. Who is he? Well, he came here and lived with us and learned from us almost a decade ago (photo from that time). He left to …
Loyal and I have been learning how much food we need to grow and preserve. We eat some meals together, some apart, and some shared with friends. I offered to freeze corn and he bought some from our friends Josh and Rama at Turnip Rock Farm. Then I got out Ken’s food preservation bible – duct taped together It has times for blanching, times for canning – so much helpful information. I last froze corn …
In sorting through old photos, I have been discovering who I was before I met Ken, who I was before I moved to Turtle Lake, who I was before most of the people who know me now as Mrs Keppers or the Widow Keppers had ever met me. I liked to dress up. I loved to tell stories and “hold court” as a current younger friend calls it And I loved to flirt. And dance. …
Here is what is left of photos from two apple boxes of photos and slides. There were so many because we took so many – photos of how we grew food and how Ken made pots – all for marketing. There were also photos from two trips. December 1990 to January 1991 early in our relationship. Ken and I went to Mexico. Looking at the photos made me remember the kindness of a man we …
In June I had to have this clarinet repaired. The rear register key on the section above in the photo was stuck and that meant anything above A in the G clef wasn’t happening. When I went to pick up the clarinet I asked Clark if there was something I could be doing for maintenance. He explained that the little metal joints that bend when I press the valves do need a drop of two …
I started a couple weeks ago when it was blistering hot. I decided that sitting near a fan and sorting photos would be a good project. I was right. Better to sort during those long cheerful summer days when it’s too hot to work outside than to sort in the long dark cold nights of winter when the darker Scandinavian side of my personality emerges. For the most part I felt deep gratitude for the …
The weather has been cool enough for baking. That’s unusual in July. I seized the chance and made some masa (corn) blueberry muffins Ken grew flint and dent corn and I make masa. Each batch I make some fresh tortillas and then freeze some one cup balls for batches of muffins. There are 1 c masa, 1 c kefir, 1 egg, 1 c flour (wheat or rolled buckwheat groats, 3T lard (mine), 1/2 t baking …
After hearing an interview with the author, I decided to read this book. It’s a fast read, and not newsworthy for me. But the message was a good reminder. Women, listen to that inner voice, not the many loud ones outside of you that tell what you should do and be.
Today while I was hanging laundry I discovered something On the upright a group of paper wasps were making a nest. A while back Loyal had removed the coconut shell and bamboo wind chimes on the clothesline where they were making a nest. That was brave. And they were back to rebuild on the metal pole. And here comes the memory and list. It has been years since one time Ken was out of town …
It all began with my wanting to play When I’m Sixty-Four for my birthday dinner last March. I found the sheet music online for a small fee. I also found FREE music. Wow. That pile grew to include favorites like Home on the Range, Simple Gifts, Amazing Grace and even a couple opera arias. Then my friend Dianne sent this Disney song book for the clarinet. Starting with When You Wish upon a Star, I …
