Christmas gifts

I would like an attitude adjustment
for Christmas this year. Strange gift,
I know, but when you have major
depression, the holidays can be difficult. I love this time of year and everything about Christmas. It is a time for renewal, the giving of gifts and being with friends and family.
I am blessed with all of that and yet
I cannot sustain a joyful temperament.

How do you stay joyful?

Nature brings me close to God and 
helps sustain me. My soul is refueled.

So, I'm wishing you all a joyful holiday season and blessings in the
new year. 

Just Call Me The Thinker

Cool cabinet door isn't it? 
I have been staring at it for a month, 
knowing full well my plan. 

Here is the problem, I over think.
Hopefully you are not so afflicted.
Over thinking has been a habit of
mine for a long time.

My new word, or phrase for this year is over thinking. It has to end.
Please tell me I'm not the only one 
doing this?

This is what happens, an idea will pop
into my head, I will spend weeks
working out all the details, only to
over think a project to death. And
that is exactly what happens, I seldom
put the project into action.

Well this habit has to end! It is
going to be a struggle changing, but
I just want to go from point A to
point B.  

Wish me luck in the new year and I
will keep you posted with my progress.

Quiet Reflection Sunday- Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving Day is my favorite holiday. A time for
family and friends and taking care of others. It's a time
for feeding birds and animals. A time for giving thanks.
A time for food!! I love food. I am fortunate that I am
able to select what I would like for Thanksgiving dinner.

Thanksgiving is also a time when I remember those who
have moved on. I miss them so.

This year there is a new addition to the family, my son
will be flying in from San Francisco and my daughter
is cooking.

Today I think about my mother and the past. We always
had a large crowd at Thanksgiving. All I'm going to say
is Catholic. I'm sure you get the idea. It would take days to plan, shop, cook and ugh, the clean up.

I see Thanksgiving as a process, an installation of love.
There is beauty and art from cutting the vegetables to
serving a feast.

So I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
I'm praying for those who will not be eating and
enjoying company on Thanksgiving.

One more thing, it would seriously be remiss of me not mention football!!  When is kick-off?

Quiet Reflection Sunday- Keira Victoria

I would like to introduce my new grand daughter,
Keira Victoria. Today I held her for the first time.
I was totally speechless.

All afternoon I have been searching the sages for
a poem to describe her. Nothing suited the spirit
of the occasion. So, I will write from the heart.

Dear sweet Keira, as I held you in my arms, love
poured from my heart to yours. I shall always
remember the moment. You are a special light
brought into this world by two loving parents.

May your life be filled with great joy and peace.
It is payback time for your mother, remember
I said that, lol.

May you see the beauty in all things and enjoy
all the natural world has to offer. You have
wonderful, loving parents, I wish you could have
seen the happiness on their faces when they held you.

I didn't want to forget to do a shout out to the twinkle
of my eye, Aedyn Christopher, Keira's big brother.

Marie and Matt, may you enjoy parenting Keira
all my best love,

Mom
Grandma

Quiet Reflection Sunday- Harvest Time

Apple Season!! My favorite time.

Every year we go to the apple farm 

for fresh apples, cider and donuts.

There has been a standing tradition

in my family that I make applesauce.

I make a huge pot and then freeze it 

for the winter months. There is

nothing like apple sauce warmed

when it is sub zero outside.

I use a variety of apples for the sauce.

Core them and cut them up in large

pieces. I used to peel them, but I don't

bother anymore. Put them in a large

pot with about a cup of water. I add

a half to a whole cup of brown sugar.

Plus a tablespoon of cinnamon. Mix 

it up, cover and put it on the stove 

on medium low. Check it often for

the consistence until it's ready to

mash. We like chunky applesauce.

Remove from heat and mash. I use an

old potato masher. Allow the apple-

sauce to cool and then put it in 

containers if you are going to freeze.

Allow enough space on the top for

expansion. Put the rest in the frig.

The Crock Pot Revisited, an unusual use

I have found a new use for my crock pot, as you can see from the pictures. I love to dye fabric but, I do not have space for an open fire and dyeing in the kitchen gave me problems with my allergies. So for weeks I have wandered around thinking what I could use to dye.

Recently I had my daughter and her family over for Sunday dinner. I dragged out the crock pot and made
a large batch of bolognese sauce. Unfortunately I was not happy with the results. I have had a love hate relationship with the crock pot. So after Sunday dinner, I decided to put my crock pot in the garage sale pile once and for all.

I'm not sure when it happened but a light bulb went off
and I decided to try the crock pot for dyeing. Why not? It has a long cooking time, I could use it in the garage and I did not have to worry about my allergies or a fire.

The process;


I filled up the crock pot with golden rod.
Added water and then the cotton fabric.
Add a good splash of vinegar to the water.
I added a rusty metal ring to weigh the fabric down.
Put the lid on and set the time for 8 hours.
After 8 hours I laid the fabric on the grass to dry.
When dry, I ran it through the dryer to set the color.
I then washed the fabric by hand and  hung it to dry.
And then pressed it again.

Couple of things, I over dyed some fabric I had so there
would be an interesting pattern underneath. When hanging to dry it will stain the floor. I will not be using the fabric for clothing as I am not sure if it will fade. The crock pot can not be used to cook in after using it for dyeing. If you don't want your hands dyed, wear rubber gloves.

If you would like to research natural dyeing I would recommend the master dyer, India Flint. She has some marvelous books on the subject.

Have fun and experiment!

Quiet Reflection Sunday

I
only went out
for a walk, and
finally concluded
to stay out till
sundown, for
going out, I
found, was really
going in.


John Muir

Quiet Reflection Sunday- a montage of summer

summer, sad to see you go

Quiet Reflection Sunday

Always be on the lookout for
the presence of wonder.

E.B. White

How A Baby Is Born

Yesterday my daughter sent me a text. Apparently my grandson

is curious about how babies are born. My daughter is pregnant, 

so my grandson asked how the baby will get out of her stomach.

Smiling anyone? Well, let me tell you a story...

It was three weeks before Christmas, my brother, my children

and myself were out hunting for a Christmas tree. I decided

it would be great fun to cut our own tree down. So we drove

to the tree farm, or so I thought. It turned out to be a muddy

plowed farm field. Not to be discouraged by this adventure

we climbed through the field until we reached the trees.

The first tree was way to small, the second tree was just right, nice and big. My brother chopped the tree down and we carried it to

my car, it was extremely heavy. I owned a Chevette.

 We got to the car, put the back seat 

down and tried to fit the tree in. What a project, the tree was huge!

There was barely room for us to get in. 

On the way home I was thinking, wow that was well done, when

my daughter asked how do babies get out of your vagina when

it is so small. Well that certainly brought me 

out of Christmas dreams. I had to think quickly, how do I 

explain to a 5 yr old, in simple terms, how babies are born?

I know my brother was waiting to hear how I was going to get

out of this one. My sons' ears were perked up as well, he did

not have a clue either. You could hear a pin drop in that car as everyone waited for an answer. 

I finally told my daughter a vagina was like a really big rubber band,

it starts out small and then gets bigger. She said oh, ok and was 

off onto a different subject. I, on the other hand, was exhausted.

**Just in case your interested, the tree had to be cut to fit the

    height of the room. It also fell down after it was fully

    decorated, but that's another story. Oh and after Christmas,

    when I was taking it down, I found a birds nest in it.

Quiet Reflection Sunday

Let every dawn be to you as the beginning of life,
and every setting sun be to you as its close.

John Ruskin

Quiet Reflection Sunday

The materials of wealth are in the earth,
the seas, and in their natural and unaided productions.

Daniel Webster


Visited Lake Erie this week, always a calming place to be.
I remember my parents would rent a home on the lake 
every summer. The best part of the experience was going to
bed. A circular stairway led to the upper floor, where the beds were lined up in rows. The windows opened out, so I could hear the waves splash on the sand. Every night the sound would put me
to sleep. Now when I go to the beach the sound takes me back.

Do you have wonderful memories of the sea, the ocean or the 
lake? I would love to hear your stories.

Quiet Reflection Sunday-Sandy Ridge Wetlands

I go to nature to be soothed and healed,
and to have my senses put in order.

John Burroughs


Did you see the bald eagle?

These photos were taken at Sandy Ridge Reservation, Part of the Lorain County Metro Parks

Quiet Reflection Sunday

Live the full life of the mind,
exhilarated by new ideas,
intoxicated by the romance of the unusual.

Ernest Hemingway



In this world of constant stimuli, it is nature that slows my pace.  I practice the art of seeing when I'm outside. It is easy to
have life pass by in a flash. Do you every stop and wonder what 
you did yesterday, last week etc...? Doesn't it seem that this year
has flown by? Well, for me, nature slows life down. It gives me 
time to reflect, to stop whatever bullet train I've been on and 
examine whether I truly want all that constant motion. Being 
outdoors allows me to see the small things that matter the most.
To ask questions. Perhaps to quietly be with those I love.

Quiet Reflection Sunday

So, what if, instead of thinking about solving your whole life,
you just think about adding additional good things. One at a
time. Just let your pile of good things grow.

unknown

Well I cannot believe it is the end of June already!! This month
has flown by. Goodness, I want to say wait a minute, put the brake
on, let me get caught up, so I can enjoy the summer.

This past month I have been busy in my garden. Prepping the soil, planting seeds and moving existing plants around. I planted my garden ten years ago, so plants need to be moved to new locations.

Pretty soon it will be time for dyeing. I like to dye fabric using the
plants in my garden and vegetables
from the farmers close to my house. I consider dyeing my experiments. Sometimes they work, sometimes nothing happens, but I love it just the same. I'm known for throwing many things from nature in the pot. One day my daughter stopped over, she saw the pot on the stove and asked if I was making soup because it smelled so good. When I told her it was my dye pot she just groaned.

Well I hope you all are enjoying the summer so far and have fun plans ahead.