A Pleasant Day Out on Christmas Past

As I stay up late with my husband who is working on a kitchen cabinet, I’m finding more stuff about Shakertown that I had previously written. This is regarding a trip we took around Christmas time 2009.

Yesterday my husband and I went on a fact-finding mission to ascertain whether Shakertown would be a good location for a retreat – a silent yoga/meditation retreat with room enough to accommodate 150 people. There is no question that Shakertown or Pleasant Hill, Kentucky is one of the most spiritual, serene, and peaceful of places for such a retreat. However, the question was whether or not certain aspects of the facility would be suitable for the programs of this particular retreat.

We awoke to a thin layer of snow and twenty degree weather and got a later start than intended. That was a good thing after seeing three or four wrecks along the interstate on the way down. We ate a very light breakfast at home, thought about stopping in Lexington for lunch, but opted going straight to Shakertown to take care of business first. Lunch there was fully booked. We talked to some of the staff and walked around the premises for a couple of hours, as well as drove to some of the outer buildings.

Spiral Staircase in Trustee’s Building

Everything seemed to work in a synchronistic order. We were given a key to one of the rooms above the dining area in the Trustee’s Building. This particular room didn’t have trundle beds, which a lot of the rooms do. We were told the meeting rooms were in use. Still we ventured on foot to the main meeting room where we found people we knew, or people I knew. The meeting going on was that of Friendship Spinners. We were invited in and offered food. I talked to people I had previously done arts/crafts shows with and introduced them to Chris. This was a pleasant surprise. They urged me up to the second floor, which maybe I should have said no to. There were plenty of yarns and handmade items for sale. I bought a shawl type wrap, hand woven. The lady said something about the amount of work that went into it, to which I replied that I was a weaver. She said then you know, to which I said yes. This morning I awoke with the idea of knitting something similar or perhaps even weaving my own version.

Side View of Centre Family Dwelling

There is plenty of walking and fresh air to take in at Shakertown. We walked to Meadowview Barn, another alternative meeting area. This was an old tobacco barn renovated for this purpose. Still it is rustic to say the least. I was told over the phone that the floor was dirt. I personally kind of liked this idea; however, we found in actuality that the floor had a small gravel covering. The barn had electricity but we didn’t see lights. Also, where were restroom facilities? We walked at least a fourth of a mile from the main village of Shakertown to this barn. Not having restrooms there was a definite con.

There was still another meeting room to check out. As with the first, this was also too small and too far away from the main village. Walking to it would be out of the question for most. My guess is that it was a full mile away from the village proper.

Our last check was the summer kitchen, which was locked up. It was also too small and perhaps too dark. It would probably only seat fifty at one time.

Ducks by the Pond

There was one last stop to make – the craft shop. I had been thinking of a particular craftsman a few days before making this trip. I don’t know if it was the thought of Shakertown that brought him to mind or intuition, or both. When we entered the shop, Mr. Kramer was present giving a demonstration on making Shaker boxes. Many years ago probably the same time of year I was also there with my loom along with him and one other craftsperson doing a demonstration. Perhaps this was some memory triggered inside of me, which caused me to think of him prior to going. It also turned out that he had gone to Scotland on a group trip with someone from my hometown and wanted me to say hi. I will be sure to do that.

After two hours walking the premises we left for Lexington. By this time we were starving. The traffic and parking situation was horrific. Chris had Mexican in mind, which I actually did too, only we were thinking different restaurants. We drove up to one he was thinking about. This particular restaurant was about the only place there was parking. My intuition, which Chris always trusts, said no, so we moved on to the mall. We ate at the one I was thinking of that we had never tried before. At first it looked like vegetarian was going to be hard, but the waitress started naming off all these things. I had told Chris I wanted the very thin tortilla chips. That’s what they had. The food was excellent. I had spinach and avocado enchiladas with cheesy mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli, different for a Mexican restaurant. I could have eaten a whole plate of the broccoli for lunch. The mashed potatoes inspired me. Therefore I’m going to try them today with asparagus and roasted tofu and vegan mushroom gravy.

The next stop was the Comfort Zone. On a previous trip I had one of those twelve-minute acupressure massages, and it greatly relieved the sciatica I have. I talked Chris into going for it too. It greatly helped both of us. While waiting in line I overheard one girl say this was the best twelve dollars she had every spent. I would have to say it certainly is at the top of the list.

We can’t make a trip to Lexington without going to Whole Foods. After that it was a stop at Starbucks and onwards towards home. At Starbucks they had an espresso machine greatly reduced. This is something Chris has wanted for at least a year. I brought his attention to it. The lady working there said at a nearby Starbucks there was a much better one also on sale. While the manager was telling Chris about it I was telepathically thinking throw in a free bag of coffee. Chris ended up buying it and the guy said I’ll give you a free bag of coffee. As we drove away, Chris said he was also thinking the same thing while he was talking.

It ended up a nice venture out, a little expensive, but then we don’t exchange gifts at Christmas. So, this with my hand woven item, Chris’s espresso machine, and our trip to Whole Foods we had our gifts.

Buggies

Shakertown Walkway

Shakertown at Pleasant Hill, KY

Last night we found ourselves on Harrodsburg Road going to Asian Wind, one of our favorite restaurants in Lexington. As we were driving I said that we might as well go on to Shakertown. We haven’t been in a couple of years. We didn’t, but perhaps this summer we can make time. It would be a good hiking place.

Shakertown, also known as Pleasant Hill, KY, is located near Harrodsburg, KY. This is one of the original Shaker villages, which still stands. Although, there are no longer any Shakers the life style is preserved through interpreters in costume in the original buildings, 28 of which still stand, on the original site.

It was founded in 1806 and closed in 1910.

The village offers lodging in these same buildings and meals consisting of the fare that was once served in their dining halls. I have to comment that this is some of the best food that I have ever eaten. The tour of the village is self-guided. You will see craftsmen and craftswomen performing the same tasks that the Shakers once performed there. Some of these include broom making, weaving, spinning, sheep herding, oval box making, and hearth baking to name a few.

There are special events throughout the year as well as paddleboat excursions down the Kentucky River.

The United Society of Believers in the First and Second Appearance of Christ, or the Shakers, the name given to them by the outside world because of the dancing they did during their meetings, were a celibate religious sect, who followed the teachings of Mother Ann. Mother Ann, after having been in prison for disrupting a Sabbath, left England, bringing with her eight followers to the United States. She believed that carnal relations were the cause of most of the world’s troubles. Although she couldn’t even read or write, she started one of the largest and best know communal societies in this country. There were nineteen communities from Maine to Kentucky.

Shakertown has always been one of my favorite places to visit.

The Trustees’ Office, built from 1839-1841, was where business with the world was conducted. The deacons and trustees of the village welcomed travelers and visiting Shakers here. The building is now used for dining and overnight lodging.

One of the twin spiral staircases in the Trustees’ Office. This along with their building construction attests to superb Shaker craftsmanship.

The forty-room Center Family Dwelling, the largest of all the structures, stands in the center of Shaker Village. Families in the religious community were divided into groups. The center family was the main family. The building now serves as a museum housing original Shaker furniture and implements they used in their daily lives.

The West Family Dwelling housed what was considered to be the west family. You will note two doors. There was a division between the males and females; and, they always entered the dwelling places separately. There were also separate stairways within. There were other communities, such as East and North, within the larger community as well. The children were kept in another dwelling where school was conducted. Workshops stood behind each family dwelling.

Much of the food and herbs served in the dining restaurant is grown on the village grounds.

The larger building is the water house. A water tank was placed on the second level operating by gravity. The smaller structure was a bathhouse. The Shakers were quite modern for their time.

Pictured below are some of the gentle rolling hills and horses pull carts during the village hours showing visitors the grounds.

Excavation still continues to unearth where structures once were.

Eating in Asheville

My Rendition of Laughing Seed Cafe

We love the flavor of Asheville, North Carolina, – mostly their mountains, shops and vegetarian/vegan restaurants. It was our anniversary destination and on route to seeing our family, mainly our grandson.

Upon arriving in Asheville, one of the first things we did after settling into our hotel was to go to Laughing Seed Cafe. It was a late anniversary lunch before our challenge walk to Grove Park Inn from downtown. We would need all the fuel we could get for what turned out to be a 8.22 mile walk in rain.

We ate at Laughing Seed twice before departing Asheville. It was the first thing and the last thing we did.

Chilled Apple Carrot Soup

Indian Pakoras

Havana Cuban

Omega Hempnut Burger

Hodgepodge

An Impressionistic Take on Our Overgrown Lawn

Today it must be yard work. I woke up feeling yard work calling….exterior decorating. While in meditation this morning the term interior decorating came to mind.

The yard had become a jungle while we were gone. So, the first task was to mow, after a day of rest from the trip. I so love spending time with my grandson, but a toddler can be exhausting. And, I was totally exhausted. I guess it was also all the walking and hiking too. My daughter and I walked together the morning we left. It was all I could do to keep up with her.

Yesterday I discovered the special effects that you can create on Iphoto. Yes, after all this time I figured out a few things on the computer.

A Picture Taken a Few Summers Ago

This picture reminds me of an Edward Hopper painting.

We have a day outing. We take Wynn to the Remedy Diner. He loves the fake crab, avocados and fries from my plate. It’s all vegan.

Chris has the unreal hot dogs.From there we go to Pullen Park.
He rides the train.

Before coming home it’s Starbucks where it’s time for a clothes change as well as fraps. Wynn had orange juice, even though we texted a picture to his mom with Chris’s drink in front of him. She freaked, exclaiming you are not giving him coffee! No, we were just kidding.

After wanting to stay in bed for most of the day on Sunday I am revived to go see the new Star Trek movie. Ok, clean off the porch is also on the agenda for the yard work. The dogs had kicked a flower pot over while we were away.

The Challenge

Most people say I have a competitive nature. It’s not necessarily competing against other people, because in that category I really don’t stand a chance. It’s more like competing with myself. It’s about doing something when people say I can’t do something.

We had limited time in Asheville. Upon arrival we enjoyed this great early dinner at Laughing Seed. It is a vegetarian restaurant almost across from our hotel. It is one of our favorite places to eat. We also love the hotel we stayed at, The Haywood Park Hotel. It is located in the heart of downtown Asheville and has some significant history. It was Asheville’s first department store in the 1930′s, and still carries much of that flavor. In 1985 it was converted to a hotel with only 33 rooms – large rooms. I love large rooms because I always take my yoga mat. At least 3 people could have done yoga easily in that room, and we got the smallest room. We had stayed there a year ago, and had a great room with a great view. Coincidentally, we were given the same room, without requesting it. We were on second floor – men’s ware. The voice in the elevator still says that. We took some great pictures both years, so I will compile and post more about the hotel later.

We had contemplated The Grove Park Inn, but it would require some driving into and out of town, plus the fact it was much more expensive, and the room would have been much smaller. Still yet we wanted the Grove Park Inn experience, at least a little part of it. So, my idea was to walk from town, supposedly a 5 mile trek round trip, mostly steep uphill getting there. We asked the waitress at Laughing Seed about walking it. She strongly recommended driving. Basically she said you can’t walk it. I asked if there were sidewalks the whole way, to which she said yes, but still don’t attempt walking it. We went back to the hotel and asked at the desk. We got the same advice. We left for Grove Park Inn, my husband following my determined lead. We are notorious for getting lost. I asked someone not too far into the trek if we were headed in the right direction. This was a young guy who hiked. Maybe it was our age. He said, that way, but you can’t walk it. At this point it was really a challenge. Not too far out of town it began raining. No umbrella. It was a light rain, and we were supposedly closer to the hotel at this point than to town, and I wasn’t about to turn back. But, we took a wrong turn, going through a long tunnel. So, we had to back track. The total trip instead of being a little over 5 miles registered 8.22 miles on my phone GPS.

Grove Park Inn Waterfall View

: A Blurry Us at Grove Park Inn

Back to Blogging

It’s kind of hard now to make myself even open the computer. We’ve been away for over a week. I took my computer, but not once on the trip did I open it. I basically just used my phone for information and directions, and to count miles walked.

Our first stop was Asheville, North Carolina. We love that town. We were celebrating our eleventh anniversary. There is lots of hiking, and walking in general. There are lots of good vegan and vegetarian eating places.

There are great shops. And, there is lots of chocolate. We particularly enjoy French Broad Chocolates. That was basically our dinner every night, after having a great breakfast and lunch and lots of hiking and walking.

Above, is my rendition of the tea and creme brulee I was enjoying. I usually don’t eat eggs, but sometimes I make an exception.

Potato Patch

We got carried away with our potato patch this year, so we hired expert help.

Rear Window View

It’s been really rainy here. After the rain this was the view off our back deck the other night.

The First Bite is the Hardest

At 9:30 AM this morning I came off my juice fast which was 3 days. You could say four days if raw food can be included since I had a salad and a banana the first day. I went through lots of detox symptoms. I waited until later in the morning to eat because I just wasn’t hungry. I made orange juice in the juicer this morning. Then when I ate I had toast with coconut oil and green tea. To satiate my desire for food, I found an outlet in cooking for my husband. I even made him homemade ice cream, not even a lick for myself.

One of the dishes I made my husband.

The above dish is oven baked french fries, topped with cheese, tomatoes, and green onions.

Sadly, I don’t own my weight. I step on the scales in the morning, and my husband looks and records it inside an envelope. He said I lost 5.1 pounds over all. My husband can eat and eat and eat and not gain a pound, that is as long as he works a lot outside, which he is always doing. In fact he stepped on the scales to find he had lost ten plus pounds. There is almost never leftovers in our house.

Herbal Tea

We even went to Starbucks. While my husband had his frap, I had herbal tea. I think that is allowed on a juice fast. Also, wouldn’t you know that they would be having the half price fraps now. I hope to take advantage of that one in four days, when I come off my dairy fast. I’m just not into soy drinks.

I’m really kind of sick of green juices at the moment. This was the juice I sipped on yesterday throughout the day. It had a variety of things, but mostly spinach.

Green Juice

3 Day Juice Fast

My daughter and I began a three day juice fast today. I kind of started yesterday, but added salad and a banana into the mix. It’s hard to pass up the sprouts I made.

The beginnings of my juice this morning.

Finished product – my husband’s breakfast in the background

My daughter’s morning juice

Salad with sprouts

This and That

It’s May and time for another resolution. In March it was about yoga. In April it was about walking. Thus far I’m on track with both of those resolutions, and there were a few times I really had to make myself keep them up. So, what for May. I have a seriously bad dairy habit. I over indulge with the chai lattes. So, I’m doing my best to give up dairy for the next ten days. I’ve managed almost two days now. So, technically, I’ve been vegan for these two days.

I’ve been away from blogging for a few days. It’s just too nice outside. I’ve started to walk the trails again and mow the lawn, etc. My husband is really more of the gardener than I am. I love flowers but we have a real problem with our dogs trampling over them and making them into a bed. We’ve tried a few things, mostly fishing line, which really didn’t work. During meditation an idea popped into my head about how to solve the problem. We laid out fencing over the flowered areas just high enough that it would create a problem for them to run through it. It would be uncomfortable for them to lie in. The flowers could grow through it and fairly soon into the growing season wouldn’t even be visible, or at least too visible.

With the nicer weather we don’t miss an opportunity to eat out on the deck. Tonight’s dinner was salad (romaine, cabbage, artichokes, sprouts, olives, tempeh, sunflower seeds, walnut oil, pepper and sea salt) and sweet potato fries. I’m especially proud of the sprouts that I’ve been making. They’ve been going on as many dishes as it seems appropriate. We have sweet potato plants ready to go into the ground. We finally got the green house covered in plastic. Eventually, we want it to be glass.

Yeah! It’s Friday

Today an old memory hit me. I used to clean the house on Friday. It was date night, when Chris drove the 2 1/2 hour drive to see me. Our eleventh wedding anniversary is coming up. He just made reservations for Asheville, NC. We love Asheville. There is history, nice shops, great vegetarian restaurants, and most importantly lots of good hiking. So, back to the memory, a wild thought occurred that I might clean the house today.

This is yesterday’s entree. I had it for lunch. Chris had it for dinner, and there was enough left over for his lunch and possibly mine today. But if I get inspired and am not too tired from cleaning I may make something else. Basil and tomatoes are calling out to me today.

The ingredients are extra firm tofu, safflower oil, vegetable broth, cabbage, peanut sauce, grated ginger, broccoli, rice noodles, and cashews. I love my wok which I’ve had for over thirty years.

It started out like this. I cubed the tofu and stir-fried in just a dab of oil and peanut sauce. I emptied the remainder of two jars, one from Whole Foods, their brand, and another which is actually a peanut dressing from Trader Joe’s. I would go with the latter. It adds more zest. I grated a bit of ginger over that and added the rest of the ingredients.

For the final touch I served over Annie Chun’s Rice Noodles which takes about 3 minutes to make.

Food

Finished Sprouts

Food – We all love it. We are always trying to eat healthier. I struggle, being lacto-vegetarian. I have way too much dairy in my diet. Then there is wheat. Recently I went twenty-one days without wheat. Perhaps that wasn’t long enough. I saw no change in the way I felt. For the last three days I haven’t eaten dinner. When I skip dinner I DO see a change. It’s like a mini fast for me. Yesterday while doing yoga and walking I felt so much lighter. I have been trying to make meals I think my husband will really appreciate. I practice with lunch, since that is my main meal. Then I repeat at dinner, and sometimes change it around a little or add to it. I have begun sprouting again. I love sprouts, on salads, on sandwiches, but not really for juicing.

Some of the latest food entrees:

Veggie Burger with Sweet Potato Fries

On this non-gmo veggie burger is cilantro, salsa, and avocado.

Salad using the sprouts

Black Beans with Veggies and Cheese on Spinach Tortilla

Rueben with Hummus

I use tempeh when making ruebens. I added dandelion greens to the hummus. For the evening meal I added fries for my husband.

Rueben with Fries

Sprout Beginnings

Lintel Soup and Tortilla with veggies and cheese

Making Kale Chips

A Step into Nature and What is Natural

Saturday was clean up day for our county. So, we took advantage by doing some clean up around here. A friend brought over a trailer, and my husband and he worked together on both our place and his. There were people at the unloading spot to take advantage of other people’s discarded stuff. I’m not sure ours would be of use to anyone, but hopefully so.

Tulips at the Aboretum

I fixed a pretty healthy late lunch for us, a salad and lentil soup. I throw everything into soups and salads. They are vegan and mostly organic, so overall healthy. Since lunch was late we weren’t so hungry for another meal but wanted something else. Did you ever notice how husbands and wives after being together for a while have the same thoughts? Sadly, we were both thinking MacDonald’s fries. It’s been years since we’ve eaten anything at MacDonald’s. My husband had his Ipad handy, so I said look up the ingredients for their fries. The list cried out total GMO to us.* We came back to our senses. I thought I have potatoes, organic ones. So, I got off my lazy butt and went into the kitchen. The fries I made turned out great. I sprinkled olive oil, sea salt, freshly ground mixed peppercorns, chili powder, and nutritional yeast on them and baked.

My Own Baked Fries

On Sunday we went beyond the natural wonders in our own back woods and explored The Arboretum in Lexington, Kentucky. http://www.ca.uky.edu/arboretum/index.php We have done two weekend Lexington trips in a row now. I think we’ve pretty much used up our tax return on Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods. On both trips I’m happy to say we took the opportunity to explore walking paths in Lexington. On the first trip we took the 2.5 mile hike at Shillito Park. It was a nice walking trail, but I much preferred the beauty of the arboretum trail. The Arboretum trail with it’s sights along the way made the walk seem like it went by so fast.

Visiting other trails are often an inspiration for us for ways we can improve our own trail and property. We have piles of saved up old lumber, barn wood, etc, that hopefully we will have a use for.

Me, Walking the Trail

A Sculpture Along the Trail

Walkway, and Possibility for Our Own Trail

Carving, Another Possibility

*McDonalds FRIES are cooked in genetically engineered oil. Prepared in vegetable oil (Canola oil (85% gmo), corn oil (85% gmo), soybean oil (90% gmo), hydrogenated soybean oil. From: Millions Against Monsanto by OrganicConsumers.org

Growing Green

We are trying to grow our own veggies for our juices and cooking. I started celery and romaine lettuce from the stalk part in water. It’s doing rather nicely. So, I started another pot full.

April 16th was National Barefoot Day. It was my first day barefoot outside. It was a day of firsts. While out walking around our small field trail I really noticed the first green buds. I took a picture of some of the redbud. It is .4 miles circular. As I come back upon the house it makes me feel good to see the fruits of our labor…the rock work on the outer wall from rock gathered on the farm, and the deck we built over the summer.

Just this past weekend my husband got the greenhouse under roof and surrounded by plastic. Eventually, we want to use glass. We have yet to join and rock the two buildings. In front you will see the wagon which we hook up to the tractor to go out in the woods and gather rock. We have various seedlings going inside the greenhouse as well as the kale which is pictured.

We also just fenced around part of the garden to keep animals out. Under the hay we have potatoes planted. We have various other things planted in there among the weeds. I don’t consider dandelion a weed. I think it is as nutritional as kale. I often use it in salads, juices, and pestos.

It was also the first day of the year on which I mowed the lawn.

Dandelion is great for the bones, being rich in calcium, and anit-oxidants such as Vitamin C and Luteolin. Being rich in these anti-oxidents it could be useful for cancer prevention. It helps with liver disorders, particularly jaundice, helping to maintain proper bile flow, stimulating the liver and promoting digestion. It is a natural diuretic removing extra sugar from the body, thus being beneficial for persons with diabetes. Being a diuretic it cleans out the kidneys and removes toxins from the urinary system. Being a toxin remover it also helps with acne. Some people will use it for weight loss due to its diuretic properties. It is also beneficial for the gall bladder, anemia, high blood pressure, and is a great source of fiber. I offset it with something sweet in juicing as it has a very bitter taste.

Below is the kale we started in the greenhouse.

Red Head

I drew this on my IPad on Tuesday while sitting in my husband’s office waiting for him to get off work.

Report Card on the Beginning of this Vedic New Year

Today is an auspicious day, as it marks the Vedic New Year. According to the Sanskrit tradition this day is of cosmic importance and marks a new beginning. So why do I feel so sluggish today? Perhaps I started my own new year too early. I began on March 1st slowly incorporating in better habits. I started on this day for various reasons. I will name two. I believe that this is the actual birthday of Jesus Christ. There is a post somewhat further down in my blog regarding this belief. It is also when the weather begins to change for the better in my own opinion. It is the forerunner of Spring when all things begin new life. After the coldness of winter I am in need of new life.

I began a daily practice of yoga on March 1st. I have done this before and even kept it up for an entire year without skipping a day; however, this time I wanted my daily practice to be a complete set of poses, a routine of various setting and standing poses. My goal is to not worry about how long my yoga practice is but how much effort I’m putting into my yoga practice. Thus far I have kept up with that resolution. There are days when everything seems to flow. There are days when my back feels as if it where going to break.

On April 1st I have committed myself to a 3 mile walk each day, which could be a walk, a hike, an elliptical adventure, or a combination of any of these as long as I get at least three miles in. The hike could even include a rock hunt, which was the case this past weekend. I have yet to unload the rocks from the wagon. That was a deal I cut with my husband. He hand laundered a shirt for me in exchange for me getting all the rocks I could lift on my own from the wagon. It was my idea. The rock job I don’t mind at all. On the other hand I hate doing laundry by hand. Possibly that is sometimes why my back can get so out of sorts.

There are still so many more resolutions I am thinking about adding in to this upcoming year. There is eating better, juicing more, sprouts, organic gardening, etc., etc. It’s all an effort at better living and somehow avoid the chronological age of 60 that is coming upon me in August.

As far as eating better goes, I had a green juice this morning, a midday chai latte, a great lunch of mostly organic ingredients (A tofu veggie burger with avocado, salsa, cilantro, on a wheat bun – the one with only three ingredients, and some sweet potato fries), and I plan on substituting dinner with another juice.

Now out for that walk!

Easy Delicious Salad

This is something I make quite a lot. The ingredients are:

Romaine lettuce

Shredded cabbage (purple would add color)

Flax tempeh (cubed and browned)

Black olives

Marinated artichokes

Sunflower seeds

Sea Salt

Freshly ground pepper

Walnut oil – small amount for the dressing

Baby Goat

A friend has a goat farm, Yellow Goat Farm, and this picture is based on a picture of a new baby goat.

Landscape

Newest Ipad Drawing

When Thoughts Synchronize

I find more and more my thoughts form something real, if anything is real at all. Isn’t science now finding that we actually do live in a matrix? Norman Vincent Peale said, “Change your thoughts and you change your world.” If only my thoughts were of a more profound nature. Right now I’m thinking my kitchen looks like a cyclone hit it and that I need to get up and clean it.

I also think every thought is a prayer, and that every prayer gets answered. The problem is that we waffle back and forth on our thoughts so much, the answer changes with the thoughts.

Mostly my thoughts are simple. Yesterday I began thinking about my name. We were going on a small trek out of town yesterday. While in the car I asked my husband if he ever noticed how my family always said my first and middle name together, as if it were one word? My full first and middle name is Jerri Lynn. The people in the newer phases of my life just call me Jerri (actually pronounced jera), that’s another story – something my father did who named me. I didn’t know people made up names in Starbucks, until one day I heard a bunch of teenage girls in front of me discussing the names they were going to use. I had a roommate in college over thirty years ago who did that at a local pizza joint.

Our trek out of town mostly involved a trip to Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods, a rare treat for us. Right after checking out at Whole Foods, my husband asked me if I noticed the name on the check out girl’s badge. I went back to look. It was Jerilyn, one word. I told her my name. We both thought that happening was rather unique.

It must have been a name day. We were in another shop, and someone asked me to spell my last name. She was rather flabbergasted and told me her last name, nearly identical. We both discussed how people had the same problem pronouncing them. So, I basically have a full name that defies pronunciation. I do love how my parents pronounced my name, but am not particularly fond of the spelling. At the same time, I think everything is for a reason.

I’ve been wondering (thinking) lately about why there has to be so many ingredients in bread. We usually steer clear of foods that list zillions of ingredients we can’t pronounce. We walked into Trader Joe’s. The first think I saw was a display of bread, boasting only three organic ingredients. I thought I had found bread heaven. And, the half loaves were huge. The three ingredients were whole wheat, filtered water and sea salt. I wasn’t even aware that you could make this sort of non-flat bread without yeast. We had some for breakfast this morning, and it tasted great.

The weather is nice out today, so on to gardening and hopefully some rock gathering. I have been thinking I would love to have a huge waterfall out in the eastern part of the field. I will let you know if that thought comes to fruition.

Vegan Fifteen Minute Woking

I do a lot of stir fry. It’s simple and I love using my wok which I’ve probably had for thirty years. It’s also something that is quick, and sometimes I wait until about fifteen minutes before my husband comes home to start dinner preparation. I’m usually waiting until the last minute to start dinner because I’ve probably just finished hiking and I just want to sit down for a moment. So I turn on the television for the first time during the day and start getting involved in a program. We only have Netflix. I tend to find one program and watch all episodes until the end….not all in one sitting – over the course of a month or more depending on the program. I re-watched all the Star Treks, and a few others that didn’t have long life spans. I’m currently on The Dead Zone. Back to the cooking part. With the wok it’s also something I can do where you can mostly throw in whatever you have in your refrigerator. This was what we had last night.

I have no precise measurements, but I will do my best.

Brown Rice – prepare according to package

While rice is cooking, heat a little oil (I use safflower) in wok. Throw in the following:

Chopped onion

Tablespoon of whole cumin

Cubed extra firm tofu (about half the package)

Two to Three stalks of curly kale – remove from stem

Some chopped cabbage

A sprinkle of unsalted sunflower seeds

About a fourth a cup of water to keep from burning. I try to use very little oil. It’s just a starter.

Don’t overcook. The veggies should look vibrant. I use medium high heat.

Serve over the brown rice, and use sea salt to taste. Also, I recommend using organic ingredients.

This meal really tasted great. It was one of those meals where you didn’t have to eat a lot to satisfy you.

The North Trail and Rocks

View at the beginning of the hike

The North Trail, that is my name for one section of the trail. It’s our newest section of trail, redone, with the tractor. Trail work is a never ending job, so to make it easier, last year we rerouted one section of the trail where we could get the tractor through for easier maintenance. Otherwise it is get out there with a weed eater at least a couple of times of year and a rake – it is slow going and hand blistering even with gloves.

I will admit that this is my first time out on the trail this year. When the weather got cold I hibernated inside, well not totally. We traveled twice since the new year to see our grandson, and worked on two grandiose house projects which totally

Some big rocks

took every spare moment of time.

My muscles were sore afterward. But, I decided that with the beginning of April that I would put in at least three miles of walking each day. I found the trail to be in good shape after the winter rest. There were only two trees down that had fallen across the trail, one of which will be nice firewood. The weather was perfect for walking yesterday, and the sky was incredibly blue. My picture taking skills are not the greatest. My husband always reminds me that there is an editing feature. The pictures taken here were done with an iphone, one of the older models. I have resisted updating due to the cost.

Another outcropping of big rocks

Although I prefer lush greenness during a hike, this time of year is perfect for rock hunting. I am rock crazy. Luckily the supply never seems to end on our farm. We have rocked a good portion of the house. We use them for ponds. We built a rock wall out front. We still have two small buildings to rock. And after that, possibly the barn. We even rocked a floor for one section of the barn. My uncle once asked if there were any rock left on Trough Camp.

While walking I was planning for our next rock gathering adventure which I hope we can fit in this weekend. That involves hooking up the wagon to the tractor and loading it with as many as we can carry back. And then there is garden preparation and planting also planned for this weekend.

Not far into the trail I grew tired of taking pictures. That is my husband’s forte.

The following pictures will give you some idea of what we use the rocks for.

: Around the front pond

: Around the back yard pond

: We decided to do a rock wall in front.

: Rocks are not just for the outside

: Rock work

: For flower gardens

: They are for steps and sidewalks

: Close up

Girl in Thought

This is something I just left at the beginning stage. Maybe sometime later I will add to it for a different version. That is something I really like about digital art.

Last Night’s Quickie

This is my last night’s attempt at digital art using Art Studio. I think it has a somewhat caricature appearance or cartoon like, or comic book style look.

Resolutions

Our grandson, Wynn, 14 1/2 months, dressed for Easter.

Many people make resolutions at the beginning of the year….January 1st. I’ve chosen March 1st as my own new year and a time for making resolutions, although I don’t make them all at once. That would just be too overwhelming. So, I’ve decided to try making a new one at the beginning of each month.

March seems like a good time. It is nearing Spring when everything comes to life, hopefully myself as well. And, I am just not a cold season person.

On March 1st I started with yoga. I vowed to do it everyday, a full routine, as best as I could, and not worry about the actual time I spend doing it. In other words if my full yoga session which for me is an array of various sitting and standing poses happens to result in 35 minutes or one hour, it is okay, as long as I do my best in the poses. I would term this resolution successful thus far, even through various schedule changes in which I could have made excuses. We began March 1st traveling to see our daughter, son-in-law and grandson, a glorious start to the month of March. Traveling can make resolutions difficult.

Now, on April 1st, I vow to walk, hike or do the elliptical each day. I haven’t really thought as of yet whether I should say I should walk 3 miles per day or for a certain time each day as of yet. Later I will get out there and just follow my instinct. If it should happen to rain I will get on the elliptical and follow my gut as well. In the wintertime I neglect my trail. I prefer to be enveloped by the lush greenness rather than be exposed through the barren tree limbs. That probably says something psychologically about me.

April 1st also started out on a good note. For Easter weekend our daughter, son-in-law, and grandson were here. They left for home this morning. Before leaving for work, my husband told me I was a good grandma!

My overall goal is balance in all things.

I Think Everyone Has It Out for the Groundhog, Even Us Vegetarians

Monday:

Snowing yet again! I think possibly an inch has accumulated thus far.

Even though we turned off the heat in the house yesterday, I am amazingly warm. I have a fire going in a wood-burning stove. That used to be our single source of heat. The reason for turning off the heat is that we are in the process of putting down coats of varnish on the barn wood floor we just laid. The smell is bad enough without vents distributing it throughout the house. A nice Spring day with windows wide open would have been the ideal situation. Phil told me it would be so, but Phil lied.

On the bright side when Spring does finally arrive we will move outdoors for our projects, that greenhouse that we started last year, the gardening, our hiking trails, and the continuous lawn upkeep. In the meantime low temperatures and snow keep us indoors to complete our latest indoor adventure.

Our projects are far from perfect. We always start out with grand ideas, but it’s not long before I’m making all kinds of compromises. Usually the end effect is homey, and definitely eclectic, but mostly the end of a project comes with the elation of getting the house all picked up of the dust and construction clutter, not to mention all the other stuff we have had to crowd in other rooms throughout the house, and our house is small. We basically have no storage. My belief is that if you don’t use something on at least a semi-regular basis, you don’t need it. What little storage we have is for seasonal items.

We always seem to be working under some time constraint, while getting behind in other chores. Hopefully, the baseboards will go up tonight. The large ones are planed. Then there is the ceiling and window we need to fix – saving that for a later time.

I just discovered the HGTV app. We don’t have television service so didn’t know we could watch this. Like cartoons are make-believe for children, HGTV is the make-believe world for adults. They both give one the false impression that you can do unrealistic things, for example, liking transforming a room completely in a weekend on a limited budget. I’m not so sure I need to watch this though because I’m already too addicted to do-it-yourself house projects. You already know you have a problem when you are in either Home Depot or Lowe’s when the doors first open, and they recognize you. Possibly we should pitch an idea for our own program. There has to be others out there like us.

Once again, hi ho, hi ho, it’s back to work I go.

Tuesday:

We woke up to snow on the ground. My husband had built fires in both wood burning stoves so it was nice and warm. We are still working on the baseboards. But fortunately the smell is gone and the heat is back on. Snow flurries continued all day but melted upon touching the ground. We were able to move some exercise equipment into the room on Tuesday night. That was an exercise in itself. There is still more varnishing to do and some touch ups here and there, but that will have to wait as we are expecting my daughter, son-in-law and grandson in for Easter weekend.

Wednesday:

I’ve been working all day on the construction clean up. Saw dust will probably fall out of things for awhile. I’m even beginning to clean closets. The sun has been out. It was even looking like Spring for awhile, then some more snow flurries made a brief appearance. Maybe this time we’ll actually use the exercise equipment we have been moving from room to room. I need to build up some muscles as my “hi ho” has been wearing down. The front porch swing and hammock have been calling my name.

Someone brought up affordability of remodeling projects. What we have done thus far with the room cost just a tad over $100. That was mainly stucco or drywall compound, which I was using to do the stucco, paint, nails, a saw blade and varnish. We also were able to do hallway walls as well. It was our good fortune that the barn wood was given to us. If that hadn’t been the case, the project would have never taken place.

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, It’s Off To Work We Go

We have a long weekend, well, my husband does. We are trying to pull one of those marathon work weekends because my daughter and her family are coming in one week.

My husband planed barn wood, which we originally thought was white oak, but now are leaning towards the thought that it is poplar. He also carried it back and forth, cutting and trimming it. I merely placed boards and nailed, as well as stuccoed another area in the house. I was plenty tired. I wrote in my journal wishing for as much stamina as my husband.

Coincidentally, last night before falling asleep I was thinking about the beets I forgot I had, and that I should use them today. This morning one of the first things I read that happened to be posted on Facebook was how beets gave you stamina. So, I juiced a beet along with the kale, carrots, apples, cabbage, and celery. We will see if it works.

Today, along with working on the floor I will paint the hallway I stuccoed yesterday. I love the stucco look, which is a very good thing, since we are horrible dry wallers.

I love that we do these projects together. Hopefully, after this we can move to the never ending outdoor work. I also love to mow the lawn, but am not really much on planting, which is my husband’s forte.

If anyone can tell us for sure by looking at the picture what this wood is, please do so.

Vegan Pudla (Omelet Thingy)

Reblogged from Vedged Out:

Vegan Pudla (Omelet Thingy)

I'm having a love affair with the Vegan Pudla. I can't stop making them. I was introduced to these babies by Kittee at Cake Maker to the Stars. Girl knows her stuff, she's been vegan for more than 2 decades.

I thought it was supposed to be some sort of a vegan omelet replacement…

Is It Spring Yet?

Temperatures for the next two nights are supposed to drop below 20. My husband’s not a violent man, but he’s ready to track down that groundhog.

If I can’t have green outside I will have to settle for it inside. This mornings’s juice – kale, cabbage, carrots, celery and an apple.

Very Inspiring Blogger Award

http://prayingforoneday.files.wordpress.com/

Thank you to http://willowdot21.wordpress.com/ for this award.

Rules

1. Display the award logo on your blog.
2. Link back to the person who nominated you.
3. State 7 things about yourself.
4. Nominate 15 other bloggers for this award and link to them.
5. Notify those bloggers of the nomination and the award’s requirements.

Seven things about me

1. I love a beautiful hiking path. That is why I periodically rake our hiking paths in our woods.

2. I love it when I have a day filled with synchronicities. All days are filled with synchronicities if we are open to them.

3. I love it when I feel really flexible when doing yoga. Instead of having that “ah ah” moment, I have that I can’t believe my body is co-operating moment.

4. I love seeing vegetables coming up in the garden.

5. I love my swing and hammock and weather nice enough to use them.

6. I love when my husband and I have enough time to sit out on the porch together and go out on our hiking trails together.

7. I love being a grandmother!

###################################

The bloggers below are all people I have met ‘Virtually’ recently, and would like to offer the award to:

Spiranima

theseeker

theroadto serendipity

Pets, People and Life

On the Homefront

Education, Leadership, Life and Transformation

These are a few of my favorite blogs. There are so many more.

March Madness

Wynn and I

Yesterday I wore sandals and meditated in the hammock. Today huge snowflakes are coming down, and the temperature has dropped by almost 40 degrees.

March started out strong. We traveled seven hours to see my daughter, her husband, but mostly our grandson. That is a good way to start off any month. As soon as we got home we started our newest construction project. I posted something about that earlier. Yesterday was a good day to work outside, and

Wynn and Opa

we worked until we dropped. We always have a deadline, which never seems to be met. We hope to have the floor and room finished by Easter, the end of March, which is when our my daughter, son-in-law, and grandson will be up here to visit. Our house is so not childproof. I worry about that. He is now 14 months old and walking all over the place. Somehow though our daughter survived.

I love being a grandparent!

In the Fog

Ponds, Rocks and Gardening

Water Lily in our front pond

I look out the window and see flurries of snow. Yet, I’m getting excited about Spring,

We decided to do a rock wall in front.

gardening, mowing the grass, and working on the trails. I love to mow the grass. And, our lawn is big. Someone asked me once how big our lawn is, and I said it is as big as when I decide to stop mowing. Our lawn butts up against the fields, woods and barn. Once I decided I would take the mower (we are talking about a riding lawn mower) out into the field where the trail starts. It’s not much fun when you have to

It started out small.

trek back for the heavy gasoline container. Sometimes I get carried away. Mowing is a form of meditation for me.

This past weekend was our prelude to Spring. The temperature rose to the upper 70′s. Today it is in the 30′s.

Our front pond is always evolving. Basically each year we take baby steps. This year we

hope to totally change the water fall with bigger rocks with a hidden tray to make the water come out more uniformly. We have also decided to do more grasses to make it easier to maintain.

We are rock crazy. It’s good that there is plenty of rock out in our woods. It’s an adventure taking the tractor and wagon out to gather them. The pond is basically using what we have on hand and what we can recycle. We have purchased seeds and plants, of course as well as a water pump. The big round concrete slab in the middle is something we salvaged from my father’s plumbing days.

Spring, A Time for Projects and Soup

This past weekend we had a touch of Spring. Today winter is trying to edge its way back in, for I hope what is a short and final curtain call. Speaking of curtain calls, we got to see the broadway musical, “Hair,” which came to the town where my husband works. I was of the hair (hippie) era. That makes the second broadway play I’ve seen. The first was “Wicked,” which we saw in New York City. That was quite the experience. We had excellent seats.

During the warm weather we worked on planing barn wood in the hopes of turning it into a floor. We are over half way there on getting the planing done. I think it gets more complicated from there. There is the tongue and groove which will be a learning process.

Even though the weather was so nice for working on the wood, we had to stop. The saw blade was wearing out. I said to my husband, that sure didn’t last very long; but he said it was mostly the deck we built this past summer that did the blade in. So, we took a break and traveled to Home Depot to get a new saw blade. Lowe’s is nearer; however, Starbucks is next to Home Depot. It was the first time this year I wore sandals.

We are project crazy. It doesn’t help that we live in a house that just turned 100 years old. We spend as much time as we can outside. Being that the weather was so nice, we ate for the first time this year out on the deck. It has taken several years, but we now have the deck wrapped almost all the way around the house, if you count the front porch. The rock on the side of the house was last year’s project. It all came from our woods.

The same week we had the 70 degree weather, we had snow. It was a one day affair. But it meant soup. We just got back from seeing our grandson who lives in North Carolina, 7 hours away. While there we visit vegan/vegetarian restaurants, something a bigger city has to offer. It always inspires me in the kitchen arts. So, I tried my hand at Italian Wedding Soup. We got the fake sausage from Whole Foods. Unless I’m baking I don’t measure anything, so it would be hard to give a recipe. This is especially hard for soups in which I usually throw whatever I have on hand in. But I will give it a try.

Italian Wedding Soup

2 tsp safflower oil

1 cup chopped celery

1 onion chopped

vegetarian meatballs ( I used one half of a vegetarian sausage pack which I couldn’t form into meatballs, so I just used chunks and crumbles which worked out well)

4 cups vegetarian broth

3 oz pasta shells

5 oz baby spinach

Grated parmesan cheese (omit this if you prefer vegan)

Heat oil in large saucepan. Add celery and onion, cooking until softened. Add vegetarian meat substitute and brown. Add broth and 2 cups water. Add pasta and cook time allotted on package. Add spinach and cook for about two minutes longer. Salt and pepper. I prefer sea salt. Garnish with parmesan cheese.

A Start

I took my IPad out today, and started this drawing while waiting in the car. We were getting some wood from a collapsed barn. The intent is to make a floor from it. I’ve been pulling out nails, and my husband runs it through the planer.

This is the pile of wood a friend was so kind to give us.

This is after running it through the planer.

Flowers in the Grass

Juice Fast?

Last week I attempted a juice fast. I lasted three days. I even had a friend who said she would go on it with me. She is now on day 9! I did start feeling pretty good and could notice some differences such as a clearer complexion, but I caved. I just think about food too much. I DO juice everyday. I just add regular food to it.

This is my big green juice. I make it by the pitcher. It consists of kale, chard, cabbage (I love kale and cabbage), cilantro, apples, celery, and carrots. I’ve also made fresh pineapple and orange juice this past week. I think the pineapple was the only item that wasn’t organic.

I love kale chips. I bake with a touch of olive oil, Himalayan sea salt, mixed pepper, and nutritional yeast.

Lately I’ve been making a lot of veggie broth soups and adding kale, romaine lettuce (my lettuce of choice), green onions and mushrooms. It’s very easy, and takes about ten minutes, tops.

Last night we had quinoa to which I added a chopped red pepper, green onions, black beans and romaine lettuce.

Next week I hope to start sprouts.

Working on Eyes

Miraculous health benefits of honey and cinnamon

Reblogged from Just Bliss:

The benefits of honey and the magic mixture of honey and cinnamon is known for hundreds of years for their miraculous curing power. Many people know about the health benefits of honey but very few know about the health benefits of honey and cinnamon combined. If we look back into the history we can see both these items used by different countries and cultures across the world for different medicinal purposes.

Digital Art from Last Night

Sally Short – The Eggs

It’s Black History Month. I wish to dedicate some of this month’s blog writings to Sally Ann Barnes. I met her when I was eight. She was 101 at the time. She lived to be 110. During my research into Sally I made lots of phone calls and visits to people who had known Sally. There was usually some little story about her. I wrote these up in what I called Sally Shorts. I’m hoping I can draw a picture to go along with the story.

The more I discover about Sally’s life, the more I admire it and want to emulate it in certain respects. One thing that I aspire to is the self-sufficiency. I think this aspect of her life came more from the time period in which she lived rather than a desired goal.

The general store, now vacant, still stands within a mile of what was once the Bonzo farm. Elmer Veech owned the store in the 1940′s and 50′s. Paul, the son, was often there tending to chores. He remembers Miss Sally well. Once a week she trekked the distance to their store on foot carrying her basket of eggs. Mr. Veech bought and traded with local farmers for their produce. Along with her basket, Miss Sally carried with her a list of items that she needed in exchange for the eggs. Even if Mr. Veech had more eggs already than he could sell, he always took Sally’s eggs and gladly wrapped the items she needed placing them in her basket. It was an honor.

The biggest thing I aspire to or wish to emulate is the honor of her life.

Happy Birthday, Abraham Lincoln

Today, February 12, is the anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s birthday.

Abraham Lincoln is making a speech at the end of the civil war where is describing the Rebels as human beings like anyone else. An elderly woman, a staunch unionist abrades him for thinking kindly of his enemies when he should be thinking of destroying them. Lincoln answered her, “Madam, do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?”

This Lincoln Bi-Centennial project, “Lincoln’s Logs,” sponsored by the Olive Hill Historical Society is something that transpired over the course of 2009. It was accomplished through donations and volunteer labor. Chris and I spent a good part of the year helping with its construction. That is Chris carrying the big log all by himself.

It was built as both a dedication to our sixteenth president and as a learning experience. Participation involved from age seven and up. The cabin stands permanently at Carter Caves State Park. The dedication ceremony was held on November 28^{th, 2009.}

These are just a very few of the pictures taken during the course of the project. Please enjoy. I’m thankful that Chris and I were a part of the project, mainly because of the learning experience it provided for young people, and for us as well.

Sally Ann Barnes, the Only Person Born Into Slavery That I Have Ever Met

It’s Black History Month and I actually met someone who had been born into slavery. Her name was Sally Ann Barnes. Over the years I have done a lot of research on her, and have written some about her. Three pictures surfaced while I was doing research. Maybe there are more out there and they will come my way.

This is the first picture I came across. Someone had read an article I wrote on her for a newspaper and contacted me. I was over joyed at this find.

This is Sally at a reunion in September of 1959. She was 101 years old here. I met her when she was 103. I was 8 years old at the time. She was mopping the floor. Not too long after that she went into a nursing home.

I found this picture in a file in Frankfort, KY. It was included in a history of the Erwin family. It’s a bad photocopy of an original and is hard to make out.

The is the latest picture I’ve received of Sally and part of the Bonzo Clan. Top Row from left to right: female unknown, male Bonzo unknown, Ted Bonzo, Ben Bonzo, Bill Bonzo. Bottom row from left to right: Sally Ann Barnes, Martha Burchett Bonzo, female and child unknown, Emma Bonzo (wife of Bill Bonzo)

This is Sally’s grave. She is buried along side the Bonzo’s.

Sally’s Death Certificate

Our Do-It-Together, Do-It-Yourself Project

We always have projects in the works. This old house, 100 years old now, is constantly needing repair. We try to do things the most economical way and utilize as much in the way of recycling as we can.

Our living room had just become a catch all for stuff we hardly use. In fact, we had taken the furniture out and were using a back room as a living room. The ceiling was low. There were no lights other than floor lamps. The walls were starting to peel.

Since we’ve been married, we have tackled all projects on our own. It’s an on going learning process, and we are constantly making mistakes. The stress of projects was getting to us; therefore, this time we actually got a quote for drywalling. Possibly we could have swung that cost, but the cost of carpentry was another matter.

So after a brief meditation on all our projects, we got a resurgence of energy and decided to tackle it ourselves. The project would include taking the ceiling out and extending it to the roof line, installing insulation, rewiring, installing a ceiling fan and light, reframing in order to put up new drywall, drywalling, stuccoing and painting, sanding and revarnishing the floor, and rocking the upper most part of the wood burning stove area. I don’t think I’ve left anything out.

The total project cost under $800, with the ceiling fan being the single most costly item. I was amazed that I found one so quickly. It was the first one I saw, as if it was calling out to me.

We were able to reuse a lot of the boards that were taken down from the ceiling. We gathered rocks from our woods. The drywall had to be cut in small chunks, what my husband could handle since he was lifting them up so high. I think he got some new muscles. I measured and cut all the drywall. He sliced his thumb pretty good early on. So, after that, he was not allowed to touch the cutting knife. Luckily he didn’t require the emergency room.

We applied the mud to the walls and ceiling in a stucco manner. I wanted that look, plus it also helps hide mistakes. We are really sorry at finishing drywall. I used a small power sander to sand the floor. We varnished and lightly re-sanded again. Then we applied another couple of coats of varnish.

Except for the couch and chairs, almost everything you see in the room is handcrafted. Two of the small quilt hangings are Amish. The side table and everything on it is handcrafted, as well as the schoolmaster’s desk and the stools you see in the picture. Everything was collected from arts and crafts shows I did over the years. The round table in front of the couch was cut down in order to make a coffee table. It belonged to my grandmother who originally lived in this house.

We did this over the course of the Christmas holiday, and some into January. Even though the untrained eye as well as the trained eye could definitely see flaws, we are happy with the project.

The Wild Calls Lazily

The weather, this week has been very strange. Yesterday I was able to lay in the hammock. In the last few days we have had below freezing temperatures, but yesterday was almost a summer day. I was able to lay in the hammock for awhile, after stacking firewood. This morning we woke up to 70 degrees. High winds, scary winds, came. Then rain. Then an eerie calm.

I wrote this several years ago during January when we were having blizzard conditions.