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. 

 

your voice, your vote 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.

 

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.

“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.

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 sautéed veggies. A little bit goes a long way. 

I like old recipes and the wisdom behind them.