Rolling Down Memory Lane

Recently I was able to go back to my parents’ home and spend a little time just enjoying family. My Dad is an auto body mechanic and would to carry me to school an hour away each day so I learned all about the makes and models of cars from him, as well as an appreciation for a more laid back morning radio show. After all, where else could you hear the morning birthdays of both young and old as well as the finer points of red eye gravy and squirrel?  Ugh! I took the DJ at his word for the breakfast advice then and now. Some things are just meant for those with a stronger constitution than mine.  Anyway, back to the cars. Cars were a way for my Dad and me to bond in my younger years. I am not a mechanic but my love of automobiles will always be tied to my relationship with my Dad.  During this trip we were able to go to a car show, something I have not done in years. Other than slightly cooler than preferred weather, we had an enjoyable time looking at all that was on display. One such model was a Ford Pinto wagon. Minus the woodgrain panels it was exactly like the one that I spent many an afternoon ride home from school in. Memories came flooding in of hot summer days with the windows down and those leatherish seats that stuck to my legs. My mom changing a flat tire on the way home from school.  One family trip to the beach in particular because my Dad decided he wanted to try limburger cheese. It was a stinky ride back to the hotel for my brother and me in the back seat. With so many cars to see, my Mom and Dad both reminisced about vehicles from their younger years, sharing stories from a time that I was not a part of. My daughter had the opportunity to go with me and was able to hear all these stories as well. Looking back on the day later I realized that for her, all the stories were from a time she was not part of. I just hope that one day my children will see a classic vehicle that had seen it’s prime in their younger years and share their stories with their children about a time that is now and those children are not yet a part of.

The Family Trees

I have 2 peach trees just off the raised bed garden. They have never produced any viable fruit. Honestly, I think this breed is not meant for this far north but even if they never give me a single, juicy peach, they will always remind me of my childhood and my grandparents.

See, I have lost all of my grandparents at this point in my life. I even had the honor of knowing 4 of my great grandparents, one into my adult life. I don’t know how often that happens but I cherish the time I had with each of them. My father’s side of the family were strong farmers. The property my parents still live on was once part of 1000 acres given as dowry to my great, great, great grandmother. It has been farmed since that time in one way or another, over time being split up among the children of each generation.

My grandparents still had 475 acres, if memory serves, when I was growing up. It was dotted with fields, gardens, orchards and ponds. Many days were spent as a child with one or both of my grandparents walking or riding over that property. The older I became, the more I helped at harvest time, picking produce, shelling peas, helping as my grandmother canned or froze different things, or throwing her kitchen scraps around her blueberry bushes. But the best thing ever was fleeting and only available for a few weeks in the summer.

One of the orchards was full of various breeds of peaches. The best one was an Elberta tree. It produced what my memories store as a huge, bowl filling peach. Juicy and flavorful. Best chilled in the fridge but just as delicious fresh off the tree. Thanks to this tree, I will never have a peach that even comes close to good from a store. In fact, I hate buying fresh peaches. I do love peaches though, so when I am able to get some fresh from a farm I enjoy them, but nothing will ever be as good as those memories.

At some point after I married and moved away my grandfather had to do away with the orchard due to a blight of some sort. I was heartbroken, but such is the life of a farmer. You grow what you can, but if the land and the plants can’t produce, you have to change the equation somehow. I was sentimental so I didn’t want to see it go. Time moved on and after they both passed, my brother had the opportunity to obtain the family home.  

Remember those kitchen scraps I would help throw out? Well, often they contained peach pits. While my grandparents were alive they would keep any sprouts under control so it didn’t overtake the blueberry bushes. My brother, knowing how sentimental I was about that orchard, saw a couple small seedlings that he could transfer to a pot and give me for mother’s day several years ago. No store bought gift could ever compare to that. I know they cannot be from the same trees I picks peaches from in long sleeves in the hot, humid mornings of July so long ago, but they came from those kitchen scraps of my grandmothers.

I brought those seedlings home and proudly planted a piece of my childhood home on the property of my adult home. Each year they have gotten bigger and fuller. I have learned about pruning and how difficult it is to organically care for peach trees. I have been excited as the blooms appear in the spring and small green fruit a few weeks later. I have been disappointed as all of it withers or falls off, poisoned by the eggs of some wasp that reaches it in the bloom stage. But regardless, I love those trees, even if I never get a peach because every time I see them I see my heritage and where I came from. I see what I am capable of and where that strength comes from. I see my family tree… all of it. Every branch making me who I am today. 

Setting up the Coop

This spring, my loving husband unknowingly may or may not have made the worst mistake of our marriage. When he ordered some chicks to replenish the egg laying flock he asked me if I would like to order some . He didn’t know what he was asking, I didn’t either for that matter. All I saw were dreams of colorful eggs and chickens of my own to name and care for. I was extremely enthusiastic!

He placed the order for my little ameracuna chicks and I began looking for coops. It was not long before I realized I was not going to find what I wanted and had dreamed of after spending hours finding the perfect pins for my chicken board on Pinterest. Fortunately, not realizing how much more he was sinking into this quicksand, he offered to see if he could get a friend of ours that is a talented carpenter to build me one from some wood we already had on hand. And I was thrilled!

Our friend came out and he and my husband went over the things I wanted (I was at work at the time so I didn’t get to take part in this conversation.) We had found several examples I liked with different features for him to use as an example. Once the general plan was in place he jumped into action and progress began to be made.

Our friend is very talented and takes a lot of pride in his work and how to make his customer happy. I am the customer in this equation, not my husband who is paying him. My inexpensive, work with what you’ve got project, quickly turned into a poultry mansion. It is so well made and with such high quality lumber, it will survive longer than our house. Don’t get me wrong, it is beautiful! It matches our house right down to the tin roof color. (Now I must say this as well, my loving husband could have said "stop being extravagant" at any point but he didn’t. I think he wanted a happy customer as well.)

During the time Poultry Manor (as it was so lovingly called by my husband’s employees) was being constructed we received our little pompoms. They spent time in the brooder box and grow out pen, while finishing touches were put on the coop and it was moved into place. Once in their new home, they loved it! 

 It has wheels which allow it to be moved around the yard as needed. This will be put to good use when the spring gardening season approaches.  It does not roll as well as we had hoped on the grass and dirt but we can move it easily if we use a team approach!

The following pictures show how I set it up initially. After actively using it for a while some aspects have changed but nothing major.  Enjoy!

I added a heavy duty plant hanger to the side to hold up the lid to the nesting boxes so I can work in it without holding on to the lid. 

The floor of the coop is covered with a thick, plastic sheeting that is more durable and less expensive than linoleum.

At the bottom of each of the nesting boxes is a sheet of rubberized shelf liner. This protects the eggs when they are "dropped" in the laying process. Since my girls are young and we are just now supplementing their calcium those eggs can be fragile.

Initially I used pine shavings for the bedding but they scratch it out so fast and it doesn't break down as well as the straw. Also My husband did not want to add the wood shavings to the compost once the coop is cleaned. We have since changed to straw.

I wish I had taken a picture of the ramp and the ingenuity our friend put into it. The hinge is an old leather belt cut down and stapled in place. The bottom of the ramp has a small metal ring that loops over a bolt above the door. When we move the coop,the crew is herded into the upper portion and I "latch" the ramp closed, keeping them contained so we can safely move the coop without fear of poultry injury. 

Since we cannot truly free range and the coop is mobile we have a temporary run for them as well. It is simply 4 foot fence post and 3 foot poultry wire. As we move the coop, we can easily move the fence, shaping it as needed.

Recently, we found a durable yet lightweight netting and I used cup-hooks to hold it in place against the coop.

The netting is very wide and stretches all the way across the front of the coop and over the small run. I use the prongs on the posts to hold it in place. 

Now that winter is upon us and the temps are dipping lower, we don’t worry as much because of the area of the country we live in.  However, there are a few things I am prepared for. One, I have plastic sheeting and a staple gun in the event we need to put up a wind barrier. Secondly, I am going to add a little curtain for the door to give them some protection from the cold at night. The roost is well above the door line but in colder weather with slight wind gusts, the temperature could be effected. They would have even more protection if they would leave the straw in place, so some corrections in the form of a lip of some sort may be needed to discourage them scratching it out. 

Not too bad for a first coop. If we decide to build another one like this in the future there will be some things we will want to change but they are simple or personal preference. Hopefully there are some things you can use from this if you are just starting out with a coop or if you have any suggestions for me please share, 

DIY Elderberry Elixir*

Rosemary Gladstar is one of the foremost herbal authorities and her elderberry syrup recipe (Gladstar, Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health, 2008) is the one I have used for years. A couple of years ago I added an elderberry tincture (Gladstar, Rosemary Gladstar's Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner's Guide, 2012) to the mix. Using about 2/3 tincture and 1/3 syrup mix stored in a 4 ounce dropper bottle I created an elixir of sorts without the spoiling the benefits of each separately. This year I ran across an elixir recipe that intrigued me. Thankfully I had the foresight to document the process.

To begin I started with all organic ingredients. I feel that you should only use the highest quality products for the highest quality results.

The elderberries were ordered from Rose Mountain Herbs. They can seem a little expensive but for the value they provide it is worth it. The vodka is an organic label we discovered recently. It has a pleasant, mild flavor and is not any more expensive than other upper shelf vodka on the market. The honey is not local, raw honey but it is organic from my local store. For this first attempt I wanted purely organic but for the next batch I think I will use the local, raw honey instead. I get a better energy from the local honey.

Next is the measurements. The recipes calls for the following measurements but, as you will see, I had to make some alterations.

1 quart jar

2 cups Elderberries

3 cups brandy or vodka

1 cup honey

In effort to have fewer dishes to clean up I used the same measuring cup I measured up the elderberries in to measure the vodka. If you do this rinse out the measuring cup afterward. You will see why in a second.

Three cups of vodka would not fit into the 2 cups of elderberries in a quart jar and leave room for the honey. I don’t know if I measured too much of these two and threw off the proportions but as you can see behind the honey there was still a good bit left in the measuring cup. If you have rinsed out the cup after measuring the elderberries you should be able to pour it back into the bottle, very carefully of course.

Next I added the honey to fill the jar.

Using a butter knife I stirred it thoroughly to mix in the thicker honey with the vodka.

To the pantry to sit and wait for 3 weeks. I like writing the beginning and ending dates on the lids with a dry erase marker so I know when to take them off.

After shaking periodically over the last three weeks and keeping it in a dark cool place, today was the day to try it.

It has a very nice “cough syrup” consistency and a slightly alcohol flavor. I think next time I will use just a little less of the vodka, but I have to be careful to keep it shelf stable. This can stay as is in the same dark pantry indefinitely as long as that ratio is maintained to preserve the sugars. If you are in doubt of your balance store it in the refrigerator. I have had my mix from last year in the fridge with no deterioration or loss of potency.

*As always, this is not meant to replace professional medical advice or treat any manifested illness. My family and I use this in a nutritional supplement way to boost our immune system and prevent illness. If you feel you have any illness please consult a medical professional for treatment methods.

Do You Hear That?

No, that! Not the dog barking at the door, the other thing. I haven’t heard it in so long I’m not sure I’m right but I think it is an empty house. Tonight I came home from work with a daughter out of town, and a husband at the movies with our son, leaving me at home, alone… I can’t remember the last time I was home alone in the evening. I don’t know what to do with myself. Just me and the dog for 2 whole hours? Wow!

OK, it’s too dark to do anything with the animals. I could wash that load of laundry or empty the dishwasher. I have toothpaste I need to mix up. (Once you get used to the homemade stuff, store bought just doesn’t cut it anymore, even in emergencies, and I have been meaning to do that for 2 weeks.) I could spend some quality time reading. Or I have several CDs I need to upload to the cloud. There is time to figure that out but I guess I should eat first.

I stopped on the way home and picked up Arby’s. I don’t eat there often but those roast beef sandwiches are a guilty pleasure of mine. No shake either, just the sandwiches and curly fries. Yes I got two. Don’t tell anyone but I got one for the dog to eat half. It was a treat for him too. He normally just has kibble and brewer’s yeast.  OK that’s out of the way. Now what to do…

Hey what’s that!? Is that the remote? Oooo It’s so shiny! I guess I could check to see what’s on. OK, 150 channels and nothing on television. Oh yeah! Netflix! No TV Shows. This is a rare occurrence not a long term commitment.  OK so let’s just scroll through the movies. Hey Romantic Comedies! Oh yeah I wanted to watch this one but no one else was interested. I guess I could watch it and multitask some other stuff.

 I love rom coms with English actors. This one is so good! Why have I never seen this before? Don’t do that! You know you like her! Why send her off to avoid facing the inevitable!? Ugh! OK That is better! Too bad it took someone pointing it out to you! (Uh oh… I just heard a car door. But I am so close to the end! He’s made the mad dash to the airport to catch her at the gate!) Stupid security guard! He’s not carrying a bomb, just his heart on his sleeve! Let him through already! Yay! "Hi Dear! How was the movie? Oh that’s nice. This is that movie no one else cared anything about. It’s actually pretty good." Ahhh! She’s about to board the plane and he’s going to miss her. How will she ever know how he feels about her? Oh that was so close! Ah man! It’s over already?

Wait, it’s over and I have gotten nothing done! But I was going to watch the movie and do other stuff at the same time! Oh well, I guess one more day with the store bought toothpaste will have to work for now. That was fun though. I wonder when I will get to do this again. Only more productive next time, of course. Hehehe.

Working Towards a Better Tomorrow

OK I admit it! I am one of those people that doesn’t really commit to a New Year Resolution but I always try to start the year off changing at least one thing. Committing to cleaning my house better has always been a big one for me. Fitness is another one that ranks up there but so many people do that one I feel it is kind of cliché. Getting organized has always been huge for me too. But I guess if I am “resolving” to work on these things every year I am not really making good progress.

Or am I? My house is quite evident that Martha Stewart does not live here, even my children know it. One of my most mortifying moments was when one of my son’s teachers from elementary school told me that one of her favorite student stories involved a sign that stated that Martha Stewart is not at my house. I laughed it off but I was so embarrassed. He was a child and did not realize what he had done. It’s always been a struggle I am sensitive to. But now I am older and look back on where I was and where I am now. I have made progress. (The dust bunnies can attest to it too. They haven’t started talking yet but they are using a rudimentary sign language.)

First off I learned to let go of what I expected myself to do. I am not superwomen, Martha Stewart or able to stop time so having a spotless house had to go. Working full time and being Mom can be overwhelming and allowing yourself to get sucked into the traditional June Cleaver image just isn’t realistic. So starting from where I am I will work towards making progress, at this point anything. (Does anyone know if there is a wildlife relocation program for dust bunnies?)

There are many great programs online for people like me. My favorite is the Fly Lady. She tells her followers to just jump in where they are and use 15 minutes at a time to make progress. She is right. But I am a perfectionist and I need results, I Dream of Jeanie style, but alas that won’t happen. So 15 minutes at a time is what I will work towards.

Alright 2016! I may get a jump start and begin working on these goals before the end of 2015. Who knows I may even be able to get those bunnies rehomed before the first of the year.  But the most important goal for this New Year is this… It doesn’t matter what your resolution is, you have to keep it realistic. If I start yoga in January I will not be 15 pounds lighter in February. I will feel better though. If I see progress I am more likely to stick to it and if I get distracted I will jump back in.  Good luck to you as you plan your own changes. If you aren’t, then you can still use this philosophy. Just keep it real. 

May the Force Be With You

When I was growing up we weren’t a movie going family. In fact, if I tried to I could probably count all the movies we saw in the cinema without taking off my shoes. We saw lots of movies as rentals but they were usually kid centric or something my parents specifically wanted to see. That being said, I was not a geek growing up, at least not in the current connotation of the word. So needless to say many of the movies my generation grew up loving I had no reference for.

Enter my husband. He was in the theater to see the original Star Wars at a drive in. I’ve never even been to a drive in! (When he told me this story originally I was more jealous of the drive in than the movie.)  His love for all things comic book, sci-fi and time travel have contaminated me. I am now a full-fledged, card carrying geek. OK maybe not a card carrying one, but if that was an option I would sign up! We have seen every rendition of Star Wars George Lucas so lovingly added 12 extra seconds of footage to in the theater, I have even been to 2 midnight premieres. No dressing up though… yet.

In case you have been living under a rock or not made any passably marketable purchases lately you may not be aware that a new Star Wars movie is coming out Thursday night. Yes we will be there, excitement barely contained as we watch the movie continuing the story and made by a true fan from our generation that has already proven (with Star Trek) he can do so with love and attention to detail only a close friend to the story can.

I give you all this to set up for my reason for my love of Star Wars. Obviously, it has nothing to do with nostalgia. Other than playing with my friends on the playground I never knew the true story. Of course everyone knows who Luke’s father is. That was as important as who shot JR. But having grown to love this series as an adult I watched it with adult eyes. While everyone loves the action of lightsabers and the wonder of the parlor tricks the force can provide, I always loved Yoda (and the Ewoks, but apparently that is not a popular opinion for some reason.) He is a Muppet that sounds like Fozzie and Grover. How can you not love him? But that is not why I love Yoda.

How do you patiently explain something you cannot see and is such a foreign concept to someone who needs to learn it? Something so vital to their being and survival? Such a strong part of who they are? Yoda is the guide to the force for Luke. He is his intermediary to a higher power, literally and figuratively. His explanation of the force is eloquent and beautiful, and it’s applicable to all of us. Swap out words and how well does it fit a personal spiritual journey.

This scene is so simple, and even to a certain degree overlooked in the overall story, but without this basic building block it would not work. I challenge you to watch this clip and think about it. Not as a piece of classic movie cinema loved by millions around the world, but as a pathway to understanding. Understanding of our role in nature, to fellow man and even spiritually. Our life force is powerful… If we believe.