Beauteous Blooms

Hello, friends.  The first hellebores are blooming, so spring can't be too far off.  On a warmer day, I planted seven wintersown containers, because that's how much potting soil I had.  Calendula, cosmos, hollyhocks, bachelor buttons, coreopsis, borage, and mullein were planted.  The avocado oil arrived, and I finished making the batch of plant butter.  The flavor is much nicer, with the avocado oil.  After placing the butter in freezer containers, it occurred to me that using it would be much easier using it if was shaped like traditional butter, so I bought a silicone butter mold.  I've been moving it to the mold, freezing it, then wrapping in waxed paper.  So far, I've gotten 12 sticks, and it looks like there's at least enough for four more, in addition to what we've already used.  It was a two-day process, to make the butter, so I'm happy we should be set for some time.  

Lambs quarter was pulled from the freezer, for a spaghetti squash florentine dish, which we had with our sweet potatoes and crowder peas.  We finally got enough rain to switch back to it for our household, and wouldn't you know, the fittings on the pump are leaking, so we're back on well water again.  This is the longest we've been on well water, since setting up our rainwater collection system for the house, probably 15 years ago.  We're having a nice rainy day, over an inch already, as I type this on Sunday, so the tanks should be pretty full, once we can switch again.  We got two eggs last week, the first in a while.  I'm sure the warmer days helped.  Other than a couple of days with highs in the 40's, the next two weeks look to be warmer, which will be lovely.  Shortly before the snow storm, when I accompanied J to buy lumber, I decided a little floral cheer was in order, and bought the orchid.

After the Buddhist monks arrived in Washington, DC last week, they held a global peace meditation, and I participated in the last hour of it.  I'm happy to know they've arrived back where they started, in Fort Worth, and will hopefully be able to get some good rest and relaxation.  Walking such a long distance, in the snow, ice and cold, had to tax their bodies.  After an appointment, I stopped by my favorite thrift store, and bought a king pillowcase and 4 napkins for $2.  I got my senior discount on groceries at Harris Teeter, and picked up more potting soil.  Asparagus was $1.49, and I got two lbs.  Artichokes were $2 at Food Lion, and I ended up getting six throughout the week.  That's the best price I've seen in a few years, and I love them.  

When J went to the VA on Friday, he was given a handmade card from an 8th grade student, thanking him for his service, and wishing him a Happy Valentines Day.  We thought  it was very sweet.  A cushaw pie was made for J, for Valentines Day, and I received lovely flowers.  On Friday, we went to a Mardi Gras event with friends.  It's always a treat to have a night out.  We're still working on the jigsaw puzzle, which is a tough one.  We need to get it finished up soon, as it's where our seed starting station lives.  Take care, and have a beautiful week.  

Cold February Days

Hello, friends.  Joseph has been working on the chicken coop addition, in anticipation of the day old chicks, arriving in a few weeks.  The current chickens have yet to figure out the new compost system.  I tried putting an upright log next to it, and put scratch on top.  They'd get up on the log and eat it, but then jump back down.  Joseph placed a ramp to it, and again, we tried the scratch on it, but they still didn't go in.  I even tried putting a hen who was at the top of the ramp into the compost, but she jumped right back down.  The compost is inside a 2' chicken wire ring, with scratch sprinkled on top.  They can fly into it, if they choose.  We've seen videos of it in action, so we know it can work.  It may be we have to wait until the new ones get old enough.  It's funny how personalities can differ so much, in the various flocks I've had over the years.

With the refrigerator as empty as it ever gets, I took time to clean it well.  Somehow, I can never figure out how to get the crisper drawers back in correctly, and have to call J for help.  It's the same with the drawer below the stove.  At least for me, they are not user-friendly.  It's always nice to open the fridge, when all is clean.  I noticed before the holidays I was not able to find Miyoko's plant butter, in the usual stores.  Thankfully, I had frozen a couple of lbs., being I had to drive an hour to buy it.  Recently, I found she'd run into financial troubles, and the company was bought out from under her by a competitor, whose product is of a lesser quality.  She has kindly made videos, as well as a cookbook, showing how to make her products.  I made my first batch of butter.  The recipe calls for a neutral oil for one of the ingredients, and I used up some grapeseed oil I had.  It's OK, but I've got some avocado oil on the way, which should give it a more buttery flavor.

One morning, early in the week, Guinness was very excited as I was getting up, and peed on a large wool rug.  I'd read of cleaning rugs in the snow, and tried it.  It seemed to work quite well.  As cold as it was last week, when I thought of doing anything other than what was necessary outside, it made me shiver.  I've been wanting to gather seeds for winter sowing, and finally did that on Sunday, anticipating a few warmer days this week.  As usual, I've got quite a pile to plant.  Probably more than the available containers.  But, it's a start.  I don't know about you, but I'm very much looking forward to warmer days.  

Snow & Wintry Pursuits

view from our driveway

Hello, friends.  I hope you've been safe and comfortable this past week.  Like much of the nation, we've had wintry weather.  We received a little over 6" of snow on Saturday, which is not much by some standards, but more than we've seen in a number of years.  My sister and brother got closer to 11", a little north of here. I'm not sure if it's because lots of ice hadn't melted from last weekend, and then snow on top, but there were 750 collisions on NC roads yesterday, and a portion of I-85 was shut down, due to 100 stranded motorists, including 30 tractor-trailers.  We're more than happy to just stay put at home.  

In anticipation of the weather, we finished up the new compost system, aka chicken tractor on steroids, or CTOS for short.  J gathered composted chicken bedding in his tractor's bucket, to place on the compost scraps, and I emptied one of the 5 gallon buckets of biochar that had been inoculating.  The permaculture consultant said snow is helpful for the beneficial microbes to grow, giving them a pretty steady environment underneath, so we were happy to get it done.  Our chickens haven't figured out that they need to work yet, lol.  Hopefully, they'll get the hang of it before long.  I spent a little time several days, working on gathering tax paperwork.  We've worked on a jigsaw puzzle, the hardest one we've attempted yet, due to it's non-square "special shape".  I grabbed some of the pears I froze last summer, and made a pie.  Knowing wintry precipitation was on it's way, I caught up on the laundry.  I will say that my hands hurt from the cold, when hanging and gathering it on the line.  Using the clothesline is not for the faint of heart, mid-winter. 

out our front door

I've been fascinated with a new to me subject, which deals with autism, particularly non-verbal or minimally verbal autistics, and the prevalence of telepathy in their community.  It goes much deeper than this, and has been so interesting to learn about.  Resources are The Telepathy Tapes podcast and Spellers documentary, both accessed on YouTube.  There may be other ways to hear and view these as well.  It may be helpful to listen to the first few podcasts, to get an understanding of Spelling as communication, before watching the documentary.  I've spent time with those with mild Asperger's, but have not been around the world of non-verbal autistics.  Their brilliance is something to witness.  I'm so thankful the world has finally figured out a way to communicate with these wise souls.  We've wrongly assumed cognitive disabilities, when it's instead issues with motor skills.  This development has set thousands of these souls free, from bodies that won't cooperate in "normal" ways.  Well friends, I hope you too are finding things that feed your soul, during these slow days of winter.