Wednesday, November 6, 2024

wednesday's words and wonderings and wanderings

This past week was spent taking advantage of the nice weather and working around the house. Our bushes around the patio grew as high as the gutters. I was tired of looking out my kitchen window and having a view of a wall of leaves and it was time to chop them down by about half. It was a lot of work. I did try using a chainsaw but my arms tired quickly and I didn't have confidence using that noisy, heavy saw. My lopper was sharp and took care of branches one at a time. Todd used the chainsaw to cut the branches that were too thick for the loppers. I lost count of the many, many trips to take the branches to the dump and the city's yard debris center. It didn't take long for the guys at both places to recognize my car and wave me through.


Friday we went downtown to the Montgomery County Board of Elections for early voting. After casting our ballots, we took a walk around downtown. Dayton's bike ride share racks are empty. Too many bikes were stolen or broken and the powers-that-be made the decision to discontinue this program. Sigh.

Saturday was the end-of-season party for all the employees at Treadway Gardens. We followed this vintage Chevy truck for a couple miles as we made our way to the farm. A beautiful sunset graced the sky as we ate the good food that everyone brought and shared some of our favorite moments from the five months that we worked there. I'm looking forward to next year and the updates and changes that will greet the customers and employees. 



 

Monday, November 4, 2024

monday's mulling: fountains of change

One month ago the fountains at Lincoln Park Commons spurted water as they sparkled and glimmered in the sunlight. We were just two weeks into fall and the leaves were just starting their fall colors. 





Yesterday, I took a walk shortly before the sun set at 5:30. The fountains were turned off and leaves lined the empty pools. A bucket truck has its spot ready for hanging Christmas lights in the trees, in anticipation of the Mayor's Christmas tree lighting a month from now. The twinkling Christmas lights will take the place of the golden leaves and then the dark and quiet winter peace will settle in.





 

Sunday, November 3, 2024

daylight saving time

It’s that time of year that so many of us dread — the end of Daylight Saving Time (Sunday, November 3), when we turn back the clocks and have to re-learn how to cope with fewer hours of invigorating daylight. We do get an extra hour of sleep today along with annoyance of having to update all the clocks in our homes and for the day, never feeling 100% sure we have the right time. We will spring forward on Sunday, March 9, 2025. 




Ending all the clock changing had popular support with Americans, but legislative efforts to put an end to it seem to have stalled. Hawaii and most of Arizona do not switch their clocks for daylight saving time, choosing to stay on standard time only.








Saturday, November 2, 2024

“November comes

And November goes,

With the last red berries

And the first white snows.

With night coming early,

And dawn coming late,

And ice in the bucket

And frost by the gate.

The fires burn

And the kettles sing,

And earth sinks to rest

Until next spring.” 


~ Clyde Watson








I went through a few years of photos I took in November. It took longer than planned...a lovely trip down Memory Lane.


















Friday, November 1, 2024

the friday feed: the remedy

Remember the TV show, "The Waltons?" A couple of the characters were Miss Mamie and Miss Emily Baldwin, aka the Baldwin sisters, a pair of well-off, elderly Southern belles who lived in a large house and made a type of moonshine called "The Recipe." The sisters proclaimed the virtues of their father’s “recipe.” 

A few years ago, my boss told me about an old recipe that her friend from Kentucky gave her. It was a recipe from the friend's great- grandma called "The Remedy." My first thought was, "Hmmmm, maybe it has some moonshine in it." But no. The Remedy is a spicy, homemade drink that brings together a variety of all-natural ingredients said to have immune-boosting properties. It's purported that when all these healthy ingredients band together, they create a super-beverage of sorts — a mega-healthy drink that can prevent you from getting sick.


The recipe for The Remedy has been written on a recipe card but you can tell it's an old recipe. According to the directions, you start it on the first day of the new moon, shake it everyday, strain it through cheesecloth on the day of the full moon (13 - 15 days).

Nowadays, this concoction is known as Fire Cider and is remembered as an age-old remedy that is popular in the herbal community, especially popular during flu season. There is an age-old saying, “An apple a day keeps the doctor away.” To those who believe in Fire Cider's preventative powers: “A shot of fire cider tonic a day keeps the doctor AND sickness away!”

Apple Cider Vinegar contains antimicrobial properties which help kill bacteria and lower blood sugar.
Horesradish is rich in antioxidants and helps reduce inflammation and improve respiratory health.
Hot peppers contain capsicum which is high in Vitamin C and works to reduce inflammation, aid in weight loss, and improve blood circulation.
Ginger is packed with anti-bacterial properties that kill germs, and antioxidants that help alleviate nausea, reduce stomach pain, and reduce inflammation.
Onions and garlic contain many heart-protective benefits such as reducing blood pressure and cholesterol.

In the winter I make a batch of The Remedy and try to take a tablespoon everyday. I'll add it to a cup of tea with some honey but most times I take a spoonful and be done with it. Does it work? I don't know if it keeps the germs away as I am blessed with good health and rarely get sick (knock on wood). I also use The Remedy in cooking - in a salad dressing, in a marinade, add a touch to sautĆ©ed veggies. A little bit goes a long way. 

I like old recipes and the wisdom behind them. 










Thursday, October 31, 2024

fairy garden

In a nearby neighborhood, the owners of this big tree stump decorate it according to the corresponding season and/or holiday. 

In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, there’s something truly magical about creating a tiny, enchanted world right in a front yard where passersby can delight in the creativity. Fairy gardens have become a whimsical trend, captivating the hearts and imaginations of people young and old. These miniature landscapes, adorned with tiny fairies, gnomes, and charming accessories, offer a delightful escape into a realm of creativity and wonder.




Wednesday, October 30, 2024

wednesday's words and wonderings and wanderings

Last week  my boss asked me to ride along in the box truck to go to the produce auction with her. Her son is the one who goes to the auction every week to buy vegetables to supplement what they grow at the farm. He wasn't able to go and she wanted a riding buddy for the 1 1/2 hour drive to Bainbridge, Ohio.

Along State Route 41 in rural western Ross County, Ohio is a thriving settlement of Old Order Mennonites. The community features a general store, a bakery, a craft shop, restaurant, and a produce auction, along with several other smaller home-based businesses. This area is gorgeous when the leaves begin to change in autumn. Ross County is perched on the edge of Appalachia where the flat farm fields of central and western Ohio run up against the first rolling ridges to the east. The drive was beautiful. We went from two lane highways, through small towns, to narrow two lane roads where horse and buggies shared the road with motorized vehicles. For being 1 1/2 hours away, the fall colors were more vibrant than the ones at home.

Old Order are those Mennonite groups of Swiss German and south German heritage who practice a lifestyle without some elements of modern technology, still drive a horse and buggy rather than cars, wear very conservative and modest dress, and have retained the old forms of worship. Formal schooling in all groups ends with eighth grade. All speak Pennsylvania Dutch as their first language. 


My boss has been going to this auction for many, many years, and she knows so many of the farmers and their families. We visited a couple families while there. One man, Jesse, refinished a butcher block for her. It was painted blue and white when she got it but now it is a magnificent statement piece of furniture. We stopped by Freddie's farm to get some apples and his daughter was delivering 200 loaves of sourdough bread to a customer. She said this week she baked over 500 loaves. 


For six hours, we had taken a step back in time to a quiet, gentle life, one where we were welcome but one that belonged to the Mennonites. It was a reflective drive back home with a beautiful sunset right as we pulled into the farm. 













Tuesday, October 29, 2024

lordy, lordy, look who's 40!


Happy Birthday to the one who gave the gift of motherhood to me! But how can this be 40 years ago? 

40 years. 

I remember the day like it was yesterday. October 28 was a Sunday and Todd and I went to my parents' house for dinner. Dad had grilled some steaks, Mom fixed baked potatoes, a salad, and green beans, and I didn't feel well. My stomach was upset, I was a little achy. was it the flu? I went down to my parents' basement and laid on my brother's water bed - it was so comfy - while Mom, Dad, and Todd ate their dinners. We went home, I was feeling worse, and around 11:30 p.m., Todd said, "Let's go to the hospital." I did not think I was in labor but I had no idea what being in labor felt like. So we went to the hospital and guess what? I was in labor.

Four hours hours later, 3:46 a.m., I was holding a baby boy in my arms.

"(The) firstborn can instill joy, fear, triumph, uncertainty, and delight all at the same time. The moment your first child is born your life changes completely and irrevocably, for good."

That sure is the truth and this guy paved the way for three more.

Happy Birthday, Patrick!






Monday, October 28, 2024

monday's mulling: campaign ads

In eight days the citizens of the US will elect its next president and other people to the offices for which they are running. Political ads fill commercial time on the television, flyers fill my street mailbox, requests for donations come through my email, and text messages start dinging around 8:00 a.m. and end 12 hours later. The amount of money spent on campaigning is astronomical. Money like that that could be routed toward schools, food pantries, programs that help the physically and mentally disabled, shelters. The societal need list is big but so is the need to be president or another office. It must be a badge of honor to see who has the bigger checkbook. My shredder has been busy cross-cutting the campaign ads into little pieces and my finger has been busy hitting the "Delete and Report as Junk" button on my computer and phone. 





Sunday, October 27, 2024

more fall color


It's really starting to look like fall now. Just look at all of the color in just one tree. What a great time to be outdoors. 

Saturday, October 26, 2024

the peace tree

 

Did you ever play "I Spy..." as a little kid? 

I spy with my little eye a peace sign. 

Do you see it? (It's upside down). To me it's pretty cool that for 3/4 of the year this tree is covered with leaves and you don't realize the peace sign is there. Once the tree drops its leaves and autumn frames it with its glorious colors, the tree proclaims "peace" for those who want to see it.

This goes to show you that peace can be found in unexpected places. We must nurture its presence - seek it, recognize it, allow it, and share it.

Friday, October 25, 2024

the friday feed: festive goodies

Last weekend the Browns/Bengals football game took us to Cleveland. My family is filled with Browns fans. My brother's family came up to cheer on the Bengals. My son and his wife hosted a Saturday afternoon get together and added the Halloween spirit to a couple of the hors d'oeuvres. The dip is a spinach dip from Costco and it was very tasty. The little mummies are cream cheese stuffed jalapeƱos wrapped in thinly sliced Pillsbury croissant rolls which were patiently wrapped around the jalapeƱos. Everyone brought food and in our typical family fashion, we had more than enough.



 

Thursday, October 24, 2024

winged creatures

It's time for migrations to warmer climates and we've seen a few winged creatures make a stop at the farm.

Turkey vultures are often associated with death and transformation, but also knowledge, wisdom, and resourcefulness. I'm going with the latter. In the Cherokee culture, the turkey vulture is known as the Peace Eagle, because it kills nothing in order to live. When you see turkey vultures swarming around in a cluster in the early morning hours of early spring or fall, they are preparing to continue on their migration. Vultures seen in the evening hours have probably arrived in the area that day and are preparing to roost for the night.

This mockingbird has been entertaining us with his widely varied birdsong repertoire since the farm stand has been open. Northern mockingbirds typically sing from February through August, and again from September to early November. Some northern mockingbirds migrate south for the winter, especially if the weather is too extreme. However, many mockingbirds remain in the same location throughout the year.

Monarch butterflies embark on a marvelous migratory phenomenon. They travel between 1,200 and 2,800 miles or more from the northeast United States, and southeast Canada to the mountain forests in central Mexico, where they find the right climate conditions to hibernate from the beginning of November to mid-March. These beautiful creatures flit and rest on the zinnias that were planted in the spring.