Friday, August 24, 2012
Country Life The Retirees: Daddy's Girl
Country Life The Retirees: Daddy's Girl: August 24, 1919 - on a prairie in Webster, Texas in a little wood frame house my father was born. If he had not gone to the great beyond 1...
Daddy's Girl
August 24, 1919 - on a prairie in Webster, Texas in a little wood frame house my father was born. If he had not gone to the great beyond 10 years ago he would be 93 years old today. He was a great man, a good man, an intelligent man. For most of my life he was my hero. I thought he had super powers and could do anything required of him and more.
William Luther Lindley did not have an easy life and he worked very hard to make it better. When he was very young he killed rabbits and anything else he could to help feed his family. At some point the family moved from Webster to Friendswood, Texas. In Friendswood there was a fig cannery where many of the towns inhabitants worked. There he worked canning figs where he developed contact dermatitis on his hands from the figs. Till the day he died though he loved figs. He could eat them but not pick them. He also made money by saying he could drive a vehicle which was a pretty new item in his neighborhood. This would have been in the late 1920's when he was about 11 years old. There was a wealthy couple who had purchased a vehicle and they needed a driver. He said he could do it although he had never driven before. He knew he needed the money so there was no doubt in his mind that he could or couldn't drive, he just did it! He did a good job of it too! The vehicle might have looked something like this:
He married my mother which was a total disaster except for producing three children. She was a wild spirit and didn't want to be tamed! They divorced when I was very young and eventually after living in many places with many relatives we settled to live with my father and his mother. He was a good father and a good teacher. I had a wild spirit I guess I inherited from my mother. I didn't like being told "no" and he recognized that....so he never did. Well in retrospect he did once. I was only 5 years old and insisted on following my brothers to the "hole". It was a cliff with tall trees hanging over into the creek. The boys had tied ropes to the upper limbs of the trees and would swing off into the water. I was forbidden to go there but I took a chance and ventured out following my brothers like a little puppy dog. When my father arrived home from work and learned of my jaunt he felt he had no choice but to make a lasting impression on my little behind....which he did. I never went back to the hole. However I did almost drown in the lake right next to our home by falling off the pier. My brothers realized I had disappeared and noticed bubbles rising to the surface. They reached under the surface of the water grabbing my hair and pulling me to safety. I wasn't breathing so they performed their version of CPR on me saving my life. As I said before he was not in the habit of telling me I could not do something. He would instead talk to me. He would give me all the reasons why something I wanted to do was not a good idea and then let me make my own decisions. I didn't always make the right decisions but I learned much from the man and am alive and well today!
My father tried hard to make a living working in construction of houses and highways. He was an inventor. He actually invented the first hydraulic jack and the flashing red lights on saw horses indicating road construction. He didn't have the money to patent these items and never received credit for creating them. Another of his inventions was round concrete houses for which he never received credit. This seemed to be a pattern for him until he invented a wheel insert for automobile tires.
At the time it was called "Posi-Trac". I remember when the idea formed in his mind. I was about 9 or 10 years old. It seemed that he formed the idea from making concrete Christmas tree stands. He made a prototype to fit inside an automobile tire. I don't remember the entire story of where and how it progressed from there. Apparently he found backers and was able to actually create a real prototype from steel and rubber. It attached to the wheel base on a vehicle and the tire was installed around it. If a driver had a blowout or flat tire the vehicle could continue to run comfortably with little notice of a flat until a service station could be found. If the vehicle was travelling at high speed such as 80 mph which was the top highway speed in those days and the tire should blow and shred the vehicle would remain under control again with little notice of a problem. It saved lives. I am here to testify to that. I was a teenager at the time and my father had these inserts installed on all his vehicles. I never adhered to the speed limit, even when it was 80 mph. I figured the vehicle had an accelerator, breaks and a steering wheel....what else mattered? I also knew I had my father's invention on the wheels and I trusted anything that man did. I was travelling 90 mph down Interstate 45 South when my tire blew. It sounded like a gun shot. The vehicle did not even swerve but I knew what had happened. I pulled onto the shoulder of the highway to check it out and yes, I had a blowout....my tire was all over the road. I just shrugged my shoulders, got back in my vehicle and easily drove to home! Now that is just pure genius! http://www.google.com/patents/US3394749
In the 1960's these inserts were installed on LBJ's and JFK's limousines. My father was a hero. He never received a heroes credit although he certainly deserved it. He went on to manufacture these inserts in Detroit, Michigan, and contracting with BF Goodrich to market the device through the Goodrich retail outlets. The insert was complicated to install and took expensive equipment to do so. Most service stations could not be equipped with attendants to be able to handle such a thing. As years went on service stations became self help "gas stations" where not much service could be found. The idea was to equip all new vehicles with the insert in order to save lives. Just as a seat belt became mandatory so should have the wheel insert. For lack of funds and greedy people his idea never fully materialized. Actually at some point in time Lee Iaccoca was given credit by a New York Times reporter for having invented this. I sent the reporter a letter setting him straight, however he never did correct his error. Probably because Lee Iaccoca was a famous man and my father was not. This was my father's greatest invention to help mankind in my opinion.
However he had another invention that he and my stepmother felt was far greater and altruistic. With her by his side as his ever faithful partner he invented a device to strengthen the back and virtually eliminate back pain. He tried for years to market this item but he needed to have orthopedic studies done. Not only did he not have the funds for this but no one in the medical community wanted him to succeed because it really worked. With this device on the market many surgeries would be eliminated. He left a good legacy for his family though. Many people did not believe in the device known as "The Rocker" but I do, his wife does and my youngest son does. The young man uses it on a regular basis to stretch out his muscles thus relieving his lower back pain. He swears by it and he doesn't have to. He gains nothing from testifying to it's validity except that it keeps him free of lower back pain.
He also invented the "Ortho Spinal Chair", which I have in my exercise room today. This was the prelude to "The Rocker". http://www.patentbuddy.com/Patent/4739749
He invented "The Ledge Bed" http://www.patentbuddy.com/Patent/4435861
William Lindley also invented "The Super Stuffer" http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-92-Super-Stuffer/dp/B000CO018A which he sold the patent for. It is now being sold in retail stores and on the internet. It safely pushes wastes such as peelings and left over food down the garbage disposal protecting fingers and hands. In my opinion this was another genius invention of his.
I always believed his back device, "The Rocker" was pure genius also but humans are very lazy. We don't believe anything cheap or easy can fix our problems. If we have not paid hundreds perhaps thousands of dollars to a medical doctor then we don't believe we have been healed. I always felt that if he marketed "The Rocker" as an exercise gimmick that it would have been more successful. He had his own ideas and he was the genius. He went to the great beyond still trying to market this wonderful device taking it with him.
Today is his birthday...I want to remember him as the genius he was, my hero.
William Luther Lindley did not have an easy life and he worked very hard to make it better. When he was very young he killed rabbits and anything else he could to help feed his family. At some point the family moved from Webster to Friendswood, Texas. In Friendswood there was a fig cannery where many of the towns inhabitants worked. There he worked canning figs where he developed contact dermatitis on his hands from the figs. Till the day he died though he loved figs. He could eat them but not pick them. He also made money by saying he could drive a vehicle which was a pretty new item in his neighborhood. This would have been in the late 1920's when he was about 11 years old. There was a wealthy couple who had purchased a vehicle and they needed a driver. He said he could do it although he had never driven before. He knew he needed the money so there was no doubt in his mind that he could or couldn't drive, he just did it! He did a good job of it too! The vehicle might have looked something like this:
He married my mother which was a total disaster except for producing three children. She was a wild spirit and didn't want to be tamed! They divorced when I was very young and eventually after living in many places with many relatives we settled to live with my father and his mother. He was a good father and a good teacher. I had a wild spirit I guess I inherited from my mother. I didn't like being told "no" and he recognized that....so he never did. Well in retrospect he did once. I was only 5 years old and insisted on following my brothers to the "hole". It was a cliff with tall trees hanging over into the creek. The boys had tied ropes to the upper limbs of the trees and would swing off into the water. I was forbidden to go there but I took a chance and ventured out following my brothers like a little puppy dog. When my father arrived home from work and learned of my jaunt he felt he had no choice but to make a lasting impression on my little behind....which he did. I never went back to the hole. However I did almost drown in the lake right next to our home by falling off the pier. My brothers realized I had disappeared and noticed bubbles rising to the surface. They reached under the surface of the water grabbing my hair and pulling me to safety. I wasn't breathing so they performed their version of CPR on me saving my life. As I said before he was not in the habit of telling me I could not do something. He would instead talk to me. He would give me all the reasons why something I wanted to do was not a good idea and then let me make my own decisions. I didn't always make the right decisions but I learned much from the man and am alive and well today!
My father tried hard to make a living working in construction of houses and highways. He was an inventor. He actually invented the first hydraulic jack and the flashing red lights on saw horses indicating road construction. He didn't have the money to patent these items and never received credit for creating them. Another of his inventions was round concrete houses for which he never received credit. This seemed to be a pattern for him until he invented a wheel insert for automobile tires.
At the time it was called "Posi-Trac". I remember when the idea formed in his mind. I was about 9 or 10 years old. It seemed that he formed the idea from making concrete Christmas tree stands. He made a prototype to fit inside an automobile tire. I don't remember the entire story of where and how it progressed from there. Apparently he found backers and was able to actually create a real prototype from steel and rubber. It attached to the wheel base on a vehicle and the tire was installed around it. If a driver had a blowout or flat tire the vehicle could continue to run comfortably with little notice of a flat until a service station could be found. If the vehicle was travelling at high speed such as 80 mph which was the top highway speed in those days and the tire should blow and shred the vehicle would remain under control again with little notice of a problem. It saved lives. I am here to testify to that. I was a teenager at the time and my father had these inserts installed on all his vehicles. I never adhered to the speed limit, even when it was 80 mph. I figured the vehicle had an accelerator, breaks and a steering wheel....what else mattered? I also knew I had my father's invention on the wheels and I trusted anything that man did. I was travelling 90 mph down Interstate 45 South when my tire blew. It sounded like a gun shot. The vehicle did not even swerve but I knew what had happened. I pulled onto the shoulder of the highway to check it out and yes, I had a blowout....my tire was all over the road. I just shrugged my shoulders, got back in my vehicle and easily drove to home! Now that is just pure genius! http://www.google.com/patents/US3394749
In the 1960's these inserts were installed on LBJ's and JFK's limousines. My father was a hero. He never received a heroes credit although he certainly deserved it. He went on to manufacture these inserts in Detroit, Michigan, and contracting with BF Goodrich to market the device through the Goodrich retail outlets. The insert was complicated to install and took expensive equipment to do so. Most service stations could not be equipped with attendants to be able to handle such a thing. As years went on service stations became self help "gas stations" where not much service could be found. The idea was to equip all new vehicles with the insert in order to save lives. Just as a seat belt became mandatory so should have the wheel insert. For lack of funds and greedy people his idea never fully materialized. Actually at some point in time Lee Iaccoca was given credit by a New York Times reporter for having invented this. I sent the reporter a letter setting him straight, however he never did correct his error. Probably because Lee Iaccoca was a famous man and my father was not. This was my father's greatest invention to help mankind in my opinion.
However he had another invention that he and my stepmother felt was far greater and altruistic. With her by his side as his ever faithful partner he invented a device to strengthen the back and virtually eliminate back pain. He tried for years to market this item but he needed to have orthopedic studies done. Not only did he not have the funds for this but no one in the medical community wanted him to succeed because it really worked. With this device on the market many surgeries would be eliminated. He left a good legacy for his family though. Many people did not believe in the device known as "The Rocker" but I do, his wife does and my youngest son does. The young man uses it on a regular basis to stretch out his muscles thus relieving his lower back pain. He swears by it and he doesn't have to. He gains nothing from testifying to it's validity except that it keeps him free of lower back pain.
He also invented the "Ortho Spinal Chair", which I have in my exercise room today. This was the prelude to "The Rocker". http://www.patentbuddy.com/Patent/4739749
He invented "The Ledge Bed" http://www.patentbuddy.com/Patent/4435861
William Lindley also invented "The Super Stuffer" http://www.amazon.com/Norpro-92-Super-Stuffer/dp/B000CO018A which he sold the patent for. It is now being sold in retail stores and on the internet. It safely pushes wastes such as peelings and left over food down the garbage disposal protecting fingers and hands. In my opinion this was another genius invention of his.
I always believed his back device, "The Rocker" was pure genius also but humans are very lazy. We don't believe anything cheap or easy can fix our problems. If we have not paid hundreds perhaps thousands of dollars to a medical doctor then we don't believe we have been healed. I always felt that if he marketed "The Rocker" as an exercise gimmick that it would have been more successful. He had his own ideas and he was the genius. He went to the great beyond still trying to market this wonderful device taking it with him.
Today is his birthday...I want to remember him as the genius he was, my hero.
Country Life The Retirees: Loving My Granddaughter
Country Life The Retirees: Loving My Granddaughter: I have been caring for my infant granddaughter for the past several months while her mother, my daughter is working. She is now 6 months o...
Loving My Granddaughter
I have been caring for my infant granddaughter for the past several months while her mother, my daughter is working. She is now 6 months old and beginning to develop a really cute personality. Actually I thought her personality was evident from the day she was born. She let it be clear from the beginning that she was the boss. When I hold her in my arms as I'm rocking her to sleep I feel an over powering love for her. It's the same love I felt for my own 4 infants as I rocked them many years ago. As it surges through my heart and veins I'm wondering if they can feel the love over the distance. I asked my younger son who is now 20 if he could feel my love coming to him through the love I was expressing for my granddaughter. I wasn't surprised to hear him say "Yes Mom, I can feel it". He is such a passionate person. I knew he would not think his mother was crazy.
Grandchildren bring out something very special in us. I can't really put my finger on it. I think it's too complex to put into words. Whatever it is, it has opened a whole new realm of feelings in me. It's like it has awakened something in me. Instead of feeling old because I'm a grandmother, I feel young again. It's like I have discovered the fountain of youth. I am ignoring the aching joints and dry skin. I'm thinking maybe it's the "feel good hormone", serotonin. It seems to be surging. Perhaps it's because we have such unconditional love for each other.
I respect that she is a baby and can only make her needs known by frowns, grunts and screams. I try so hard to read her "language". When she bites me with those two new bottom teeth and tears at her blankets with them she is letting me know her little gums are really bothering her. She is a good sport though and quickly finds something to distract her. When I let her know it hurts by giving a little squeal myself, she looks at me in surprise and then smiles. When we are sitting for too long or she is laying on the floor she arches her little back and yells at me to pick her up. If we are sitting together she pulls my blouse and yells or sometimes pushes on my chest, indicating she wants me to get up and move! She loves to be carried around at eye level on her little perch the "Baby Nari" http://www.babynari.com/ ...which by the way is the best investment my daughter ever made. It allows me to hold her for hours as we clean the kitchen, prune roses, water the dogs or cook dinner. As I sway back and forth all over the house her little body moves in sync with mine. She is absorbing everything I'm doing and never uttering a sound sometimes falling asleep mid stride! She is a light sleeper and I find myself rocking her and myself to sleep morning and afternoon. When she wakes from a long nap she is in such a sweet talkative mood. I'm not sure what she is saying but it usually starts with something that sounds like, "hi!" From there she gurgles some of the sweetest sounds which certainly are sounds of approval and pleasure. This mood lasts about 2 hours before it's time to nap again. She has not learned patience for receiving her bottle yet. She wants it on demand and I do mean on demand!
As I'm leaving for home in the evenings it's not easy making an exit. I hate parting with her. When I return on Monday mornings after three days away from her I can see the progress she has made in development in such a short time. Her back and arms are stronger. She is more aware and communicative. I can't wait to get her in my arms and give her a squeeze again!
I would like to think that when she is grown she will remember our days together. Even though she gets much love and attention from her parents, I hope she will know that there was an old lady that loved her unconditionally. I hope somehow this love will make an indelible impression on her life!
Friday, April 27, 2012
Being a Grandmother, Knitting and Gardening
Sometimes life just seems wonderful. For me it is at it's best when I'm with my daughter and her new daughter. My daughter is such a wonderful mother. My children tell me I was the best mother, that I could not have been better. However when I watch my own daughter interact with her child, I don't think I was that good. The baby's diaper is barely damp and she is changing it. I did not have disposable diapers with my first two children, I used cloth diapers. I recall putting a double diaper on them with plastic pants for the long haul at night. If they didn't do a big job in their diapers, I didn't change them. I would nurse them when they woke up in the middle of the night and put them right back down to sleep. Who wanted to wake up a sleeping baby and get it all stimulated while changing a diaper? To me it was a crime to waken a sleeping baby in the middle the night. I was so grateful when I had my next two children to have the option of cloth or disposables. It was a no brainer and Huggies were my salvation! My daughter prefers Pampers. But of course many improvements have been made with disposable diapers, therefore I'm sure she has chosen the one that works best. There is a little yellow line going down the center of the diaper when it turns blue, it's wet! It's just amazing how easy it is to care for a little one these days.
I had a swing for my babies but nothing like the one she has. Her carpet is littered with entertainment systems for the baby lest she get bored. I believe this child has everything that Target has to offer in their baby department. She received so many gifts for the child that some were duplicated and had to be exchanged with an effort of finding something she didn't already have. As we walk through the baby clothing department at Target our heads do not turn...for there is no interest. This child cannot possibly wear everything she has more than once. I purchased several newborn outfits for her from Macy's department store which she outgrew very quickly.
I've knitted a little Bolero jacket for my granddaughter to wear for a special occasion coming up soon. It has to match her little sleeveless dress. The yarn I chose was not bright enough for my daughter's taste. Baby's are wearing very bright colors these days and not so much pastels as in the years past.
The original yarn I chose was 100% cotton. I was more than half finished with the project when I showed it to my daughter. She was very polite but hinted that it wasn't exactly what she wanted. So in an effort to please her I stopped at Michael's on my way home and purchased a skein of Bernat Cottontot's yarn in a very bright pink to match her little dress.. This is a shocking pink and I wasn't sure about it. But now that it is knitted up I am very proud of it and thrilled that my daughter likes it.
This little bolero was the first one I started and decided to finish it. My daughter decided it would look cute with a pair of jeans and white tshirt!
I apologize for punctuation and left off sentences in this blog but either blog spot or my computer are having problems that I do not seem to be able to fix..
Thursday, April 12, 2012
It's Spring!
Ah, Spring has arrived at last. Even though we did not have a severe winter, I still thought I was going to freeze to death. My husband insists on keeping the thermostat set at 67 in the winter. For me that might as well be 67 below zero. My hands, legs, nose and feet get frost bite. I wear 4 layers of clothing, socks and booties. I even wear a jacket, hat and sometimes fingerless gloves in the house. Many nights I go to bed with a knitted hat on my head under a down comforter. It sounds like I'm a skinny unhealthy person but actually I'm 10 pounds over weight and considerably healthy! I'm in my 60's with a slow metabolism. I have noticed that if I jump up and down or run around the house a few times before crawling in bed that I do warm up enough to get in bed without dressing for the arctic circle!
About a month back I saw a lone swallow checking out the nests in the porches. I was thrilled, for I knew that warm weather was here to stay! Shortly later the swallow family followed and has been busy since remodeling their nests! The next sure sign was the hummingbirds. I had not seen any yet but about 2 weeks ago I put out their feeder filled with syrup and they appeared on cue. I put away my winter clothes and pulled out my sandals and cotton shirts. Since then we have slept with our windows open listening to the orchestra of swallows lulling us to sleep every night. We are wakened in the mornings by the sounds of the doves calling. It makes me feel that all is right in the world.
My husband has tilled my garden. I have made nice raised beds, defined by cedar timbers, some purchased from Home Depot, some cut from our land with my husband's Stihl chainsaw and a bit of sweat! This year I have planted, squash, cantaloupe, honey dew melon, watermelon, cucumbers, Armenian cucumbers, blackeyed peas, herbs, cabbage, tomatoes, peppers, okra, green beans, Swiss chard. Our several different varieties of grapes are loaded with clusters of tiny grapes due to good Spring rains. We fertilized our grass and put down wet grass seed. The weeds seem to be declining and the grass is taking over. The fruit trees are bearing fruit..... peaches, pears, pomegranates, persimmons, apples, plums and figs. We even have a berry vine that is flowering. I feel so fortunate to have the promise of nature's bounty on the horizon!
My roses are blooming with all they have in them as if they were just waiting for spring to arrive so they could burst forth! The butterflies are kissing our shoulders and the doves are eating my seeds as soon as I plant them!
My daughter and new granddaughter have paid us several extended visits, to our delight! It's so wonderful to have a new life in the house again. I can't quite explain that feeling. Maybe it is something only a grandparent feels. When they leave, the house seems dead quiet. When I go into public with her, other grandparents reach out to me and begin talking about their own grandchildren. It's a certain kind of pride that I can see in their eyes....it must be in mine also. Sometimes we don't speak but just look at each other...myself and the other grandparent coming down the walk. We meet eyes and smile and we each know what the other is thinking...it's a silent language only known to grandparents!
I hope this summer brings more rain than the year before. The hills are green now and life seems almost perfect.
About a month back I saw a lone swallow checking out the nests in the porches. I was thrilled, for I knew that warm weather was here to stay! Shortly later the swallow family followed and has been busy since remodeling their nests! The next sure sign was the hummingbirds. I had not seen any yet but about 2 weeks ago I put out their feeder filled with syrup and they appeared on cue. I put away my winter clothes and pulled out my sandals and cotton shirts. Since then we have slept with our windows open listening to the orchestra of swallows lulling us to sleep every night. We are wakened in the mornings by the sounds of the doves calling. It makes me feel that all is right in the world.
My husband has tilled my garden. I have made nice raised beds, defined by cedar timbers, some purchased from Home Depot, some cut from our land with my husband's Stihl chainsaw and a bit of sweat! This year I have planted, squash, cantaloupe, honey dew melon, watermelon, cucumbers, Armenian cucumbers, blackeyed peas, herbs, cabbage, tomatoes, peppers, okra, green beans, Swiss chard. Our several different varieties of grapes are loaded with clusters of tiny grapes due to good Spring rains. We fertilized our grass and put down wet grass seed. The weeds seem to be declining and the grass is taking over. The fruit trees are bearing fruit..... peaches, pears, pomegranates, persimmons, apples, plums and figs. We even have a berry vine that is flowering. I feel so fortunate to have the promise of nature's bounty on the horizon!
My roses are blooming with all they have in them as if they were just waiting for spring to arrive so they could burst forth! The butterflies are kissing our shoulders and the doves are eating my seeds as soon as I plant them!
My daughter and new granddaughter have paid us several extended visits, to our delight! It's so wonderful to have a new life in the house again. I can't quite explain that feeling. Maybe it is something only a grandparent feels. When they leave, the house seems dead quiet. When I go into public with her, other grandparents reach out to me and begin talking about their own grandchildren. It's a certain kind of pride that I can see in their eyes....it must be in mine also. Sometimes we don't speak but just look at each other...myself and the other grandparent coming down the walk. We meet eyes and smile and we each know what the other is thinking...it's a silent language only known to grandparents!
I hope this summer brings more rain than the year before. The hills are green now and life seems almost perfect.
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Are women happy?
http://online.wsj.com/article_email/SB10001424052702304724404577297422171909202-lMyQjAxMTAyMDIwNDEyNDQyWj.html?mod=wsj_share_email
I am writing this blog in honor of all my "sisters" and would like to have your take on this article. What did I get out of this article? I was left wondering, if women have ever been happy? Why should we when the heaviest role and responsibility has been placed on us.
We must contend with monthly hell from the time we are 11 years old - men just have to play with their balls to keep them in the right positions. We must marry in a timely fashion so as not to be labeled spinsters or old maids... men can continue to be sexy as players and bachelors. We must produce children before our biological clock says "too old" - men don't have this problem. They can continue to reproduce well into their 70's or longer. We must carry a living creature in our bellies for nine months enduring hormonal changes mentally and physically to our bodies of which our bodies will never recover - men just fool around for a few minutes, enjoy and donate their sperm. We go through painful childbirth - men just say, "you're doing good honey", then hold the baby after it is born and gaze in awe at what "they" have created!
Most of the responsibility of raising our offspring is left up to us with the occasional aggravating interference from our spouses. We are the ones who are up many nights with sick children, responsible for music lessons, gymnastics, birthday parties, tball/baseball games, cheerleader tryouts, homework, shopping, first dates, and proms. Where is dad when this is going on? He walks through the door and asks, "Did we get any mail and what's for dinner?".
Oh yes and in modern times the woman is also bringing home the bacon or at least half of it. When we get old and gray and our bellies and boobs are sagging from too many childbirths our man is still looking firm and has aged well. I think they call this distinguished looking in men and "matronly" in women. His bald head is sexy while our is ugly, old and rather scary looking. His bushy eye brows are a sign of virility, ours are disgusting. His 5 o'clock shadow is rugged and sexy looking. Our mustache is less than desirable...and needs waxing.
Going back further in time, we had to fend ourselves from savages and stragglers while our man was away, as we washed clothes and dishes over a hot outdoor fire or at a nearby stream. We were hunters and gatherers in some societies. Other societies the women were and still are circumcised for fear that we might enjoy the sexual act or desire another man. We are almost always the victim of rape in wars. And of course we have since the"Garden of Eden" had to defend our virtue from aggressive men 24 hours a day...in this case humans are not that far removed from animals. I ask you, have we ever been happy? The church dictates to many of us not to use birth control in order to limit the number of pregnancies we might have. Society condemns us for wanting to rid our bodies of an unwanted pregnancy incurred from rape.... Some saying rape is a "Godly" experience. I wonder if men feel "Godly" after being raped?
If you are not already a follower of this blog I encourage you to become one. I'm certain I have overlooked something in our pursuit of happiness. Your take on this is much anticipated, expected and appreciated.
After reading this blog my son suggested that some may find me an angry feminist. Honestly maybe some days I am but this blog was written in jest even if it does ring a few bells.
Much love to all my sisters in their pursuit of happiness.
Friday, March 2, 2012
The Garden
We still have a bit of winter to go but I feel spring on the horizon. I do hope we don't get another freeze before it's over. I've seen it freeze in Texas in March. Once we took a "spring break" trip to Colorado for skiing. My son had an aquarium with some nice size Bala sharks in it. I remember my husband thinking it was spring therefore since we would be away for a week he turned off the central heat in the house. I suppose the heater in the aquarium quit working and there was a bad freeze while we were gone. We returned from our trip to find my son's precious Bala sharks floating on top of the tank,,,all dead. He was a teenager so he didn't feel the need to have a funeral. Instead he flushed them down the toilette where they had a burial at sea!
Today is a beautiful spring like day perfect for gardening. Yesterday I purchased a few tomato and pepper plants so I thought I would do some weeding and tilling in my garden and take the chance that a freeze won't come along and wipe them out....it's kind of foolish of me but I'm impatient to pop that first cherry tomato into my mouth and feel it burst it's sweet nectar onto my taste buds! First I had to remove the bird net that we had employed last year. That was a task. I had to remove all the dead tomato plants from it and untangle it from the tomato cages still laying lopsided in the dirt. By the time I got that done I had a whopping headache. So here I am talking about gardening instead of actually doing it.
While I sit here thinking about gardening, wasting away this beautiful sunny day, I'm reminded of my uncle's vegetable garden many years ago when I was a small girl. I venture back in time every spring when I start my own garden. My uncle was a big man, not obese, just tall and strong. I felt so small yet safe when I was with him. He was a quiet and gentle man, always with a smile on his face.
His garden was very large and laid out in neat, perfectly spaced rows of corn, beans, peas and melons. When I stood among the tall growth I felt as if I were in a jungle. I actually felt lost among the corn stalks, not quite knowing which way was out. It made a great hiding place if I didn't want to be found. Sometimes I would go and sit among the tall stalks of corn and journey into my own world of make believe with the clods of dirt and insects. I could block out the sound of the cars coming from the highway, nature's own sounds would become my symphony. My favorite time in the garden with my uncle was when we would go deep into the growth to the melon patch and he would pull a watermelon off the vine. There I would plop down on the warm earth with the sun's rays settling on my skin as they filtered through the tall plants. My uncle would slowly reach into his pocket and remove the knife that all country men kept tucked away for use on the farm. I knew exactly what he was about to do and my mouth would begin to water as I waited patiently with excitement. He moved so slowly as he opened his knife. The anticipation of what was to come thrilled me. He would plug that watermelon right in the center and extend his knife to me with that red juicy offering on it. As I reached for it I could already taste that warm sweat juice flowing over my taste buds awakening my senses. Sometimes it would run down my chin onto my chest leaving me sticky with melon juice and garden dirt. A young girl of 7 or 8, I did not care.....I only wanted more. It was such a special time for me that only he and I shared. We didn't talk much, instead just enjoyed the moment. It was like a special little ceremony that was ours alone. With smiles on our faces we would exit the garden and trek up to the house to share our treasure with the rest of the family.
Those warm summer days with my uncle in his garden gave me some wonderful memories. I don't think either of us realized at the time that we were making memories, for we were just enjoying the present. I often wonder if my uncle knew how much our walks in his garden meant to me. I wonder if I knew it then myself.
I hope to share the same kind of memories with my grandchildren, so I better get to gardening!
Today is a beautiful spring like day perfect for gardening. Yesterday I purchased a few tomato and pepper plants so I thought I would do some weeding and tilling in my garden and take the chance that a freeze won't come along and wipe them out....it's kind of foolish of me but I'm impatient to pop that first cherry tomato into my mouth and feel it burst it's sweet nectar onto my taste buds! First I had to remove the bird net that we had employed last year. That was a task. I had to remove all the dead tomato plants from it and untangle it from the tomato cages still laying lopsided in the dirt. By the time I got that done I had a whopping headache. So here I am talking about gardening instead of actually doing it.
While I sit here thinking about gardening, wasting away this beautiful sunny day, I'm reminded of my uncle's vegetable garden many years ago when I was a small girl. I venture back in time every spring when I start my own garden. My uncle was a big man, not obese, just tall and strong. I felt so small yet safe when I was with him. He was a quiet and gentle man, always with a smile on his face.
His garden was very large and laid out in neat, perfectly spaced rows of corn, beans, peas and melons. When I stood among the tall growth I felt as if I were in a jungle. I actually felt lost among the corn stalks, not quite knowing which way was out. It made a great hiding place if I didn't want to be found. Sometimes I would go and sit among the tall stalks of corn and journey into my own world of make believe with the clods of dirt and insects. I could block out the sound of the cars coming from the highway, nature's own sounds would become my symphony. My favorite time in the garden with my uncle was when we would go deep into the growth to the melon patch and he would pull a watermelon off the vine. There I would plop down on the warm earth with the sun's rays settling on my skin as they filtered through the tall plants. My uncle would slowly reach into his pocket and remove the knife that all country men kept tucked away for use on the farm. I knew exactly what he was about to do and my mouth would begin to water as I waited patiently with excitement. He moved so slowly as he opened his knife. The anticipation of what was to come thrilled me. He would plug that watermelon right in the center and extend his knife to me with that red juicy offering on it. As I reached for it I could already taste that warm sweat juice flowing over my taste buds awakening my senses. Sometimes it would run down my chin onto my chest leaving me sticky with melon juice and garden dirt. A young girl of 7 or 8, I did not care.....I only wanted more. It was such a special time for me that only he and I shared. We didn't talk much, instead just enjoyed the moment. It was like a special little ceremony that was ours alone. With smiles on our faces we would exit the garden and trek up to the house to share our treasure with the rest of the family.
Those warm summer days with my uncle in his garden gave me some wonderful memories. I don't think either of us realized at the time that we were making memories, for we were just enjoying the present. I often wonder if my uncle knew how much our walks in his garden meant to me. I wonder if I knew it then myself.
I hope to share the same kind of memories with my grandchildren, so I better get to gardening!
Monday, February 27, 2012
Sleep
Try getting any sleep in a hospital after giving birth to a baby. It's impossible. My daughter delivered her first child last week after a long labor. She was exhausted going into the labor and delivery. She had very little sleep the last two months of her pregnancy due to discomfort and anxiety. After the child was born she thought she would at last be able to sleep.
The day after her delivery I sat quietly holding my new grand daughter as my daughter tried to sleep. I actually dozed off with the baby in my arms. I was there for 4 hours. Within that four hour period many people knocked on her door, all with good intentions.
Of course her nurse came in several times which is understandable to check her patient.
The lactation consultant came twice.
The photographer came to see if she was interested in having professional photos taken while in the hospital, leaving a brochure behind.
Someone from the kitchen popped in to let her choose from a menu for lunch.
House keeping came to tidy the room
Another person from the kitchen came to pick up the breakfast tray.
The pediatrician came to examine the baby and pronounce her healthy.
The obstetrician came to check on my daughter.
A hearing technologist came by to ask if my daughter was interested in having her baby's hearing checked.
That's 9 knocks on her door within a 4 hour period, not including the nurse who came more than once to deliver meds and ask questons. It seemed that every time my daughter would drift off for a much needed nap someone would knock on the door. She was a much better sport than I would have been. With each knock she was very polite with not even a hint of frustration in her voice. Had it been me I would have put a "do not disturb" sign on my door.
I know that one must be thinking "why didn't she sleep at night". Well, after having a baby most women are exhausted and need to sleep but there is a certain "high" or exhilaration after delivering a baby. No matter how tired a new mother is, I think the adrenaline in her blood keeps her alert for many hours afterward. And let's not forget about all the pushing going on during delivery. I don't believe many of us who have not given birth realize the exertion it takes to get a 5 to 9 pound baby out of the womb and into the world. It's work, a lot of work that the body is not accustomed to. Most women are terribly sore after the epidural fades, considering they even had an epidural. And then there is the episiotomy or a big rip in the perineum to allow the baby to enter the world, which must be repaired. This is very painful once the anesthetic has worn off. Honestly the after affects of child birth is almost like being hit by an 18 wheeler truck. Sleep is much needed and so hard to get. There must be a reason for this, however I have not figured it out. I've been through it 5 times myself and am still wondering why a new mother is not treated with more consideration. Maybe it's preparation for the sleepless nights sure to come from taking care of a fretful baby.
The next day my daughter went home and was at last able to sleep for 2 hours at a time as the baby slept also.
The day after her delivery I sat quietly holding my new grand daughter as my daughter tried to sleep. I actually dozed off with the baby in my arms. I was there for 4 hours. Within that four hour period many people knocked on her door, all with good intentions.
Of course her nurse came in several times which is understandable to check her patient.
The lactation consultant came twice.
The photographer came to see if she was interested in having professional photos taken while in the hospital, leaving a brochure behind.
Someone from the kitchen popped in to let her choose from a menu for lunch.
House keeping came to tidy the room
Another person from the kitchen came to pick up the breakfast tray.
The pediatrician came to examine the baby and pronounce her healthy.
The obstetrician came to check on my daughter.
A hearing technologist came by to ask if my daughter was interested in having her baby's hearing checked.
That's 9 knocks on her door within a 4 hour period, not including the nurse who came more than once to deliver meds and ask questons. It seemed that every time my daughter would drift off for a much needed nap someone would knock on the door. She was a much better sport than I would have been. With each knock she was very polite with not even a hint of frustration in her voice. Had it been me I would have put a "do not disturb" sign on my door.
I know that one must be thinking "why didn't she sleep at night". Well, after having a baby most women are exhausted and need to sleep but there is a certain "high" or exhilaration after delivering a baby. No matter how tired a new mother is, I think the adrenaline in her blood keeps her alert for many hours afterward. And let's not forget about all the pushing going on during delivery. I don't believe many of us who have not given birth realize the exertion it takes to get a 5 to 9 pound baby out of the womb and into the world. It's work, a lot of work that the body is not accustomed to. Most women are terribly sore after the epidural fades, considering they even had an epidural. And then there is the episiotomy or a big rip in the perineum to allow the baby to enter the world, which must be repaired. This is very painful once the anesthetic has worn off. Honestly the after affects of child birth is almost like being hit by an 18 wheeler truck. Sleep is much needed and so hard to get. There must be a reason for this, however I have not figured it out. I've been through it 5 times myself and am still wondering why a new mother is not treated with more consideration. Maybe it's preparation for the sleepless nights sure to come from taking care of a fretful baby.
The next day my daughter went home and was at last able to sleep for 2 hours at a time as the baby slept also.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Country Life The Retirees: New Life!
Country Life The Retirees: New Life!: If you ask me, mammal babies are the prettiest of all species. We all love looking at baby dolphins, whales, monkeys, puppies and kitties b...
New Life!
If you ask me, mammal babies are the prettiest of all species. We all love looking at baby dolphins, whales, monkeys, puppies and kitties but who doesn't love standing at the new born nursery window in a hospital gazing at all the perfect little human babies. They are all beautiful with perfect little bodies. The softest thing you can ever feel is the skin of a new born baby.
I cannot even begin to express the surreal experience of becoming a grand parent for the first time. I had the very honorable experience this week of attending the birth of my first grandchild...my own daughter's first baby. I think I was in shock throughout the entire experience as I watched my own baby bring forth her first child into the world. I cry tears of joy as I write this blog. It was not an easy pregnancy for her, but after being in labor almost 24 hours and pushing for one hour all her hard work paid off as the sound of her daughter's cry filled the room.
As my mom says,"all old hens think their little chick is the prettiest"....and I guess that goes along with the saying, "beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder". I took many pictures and videos of this baby as it came into the world. I let the parents get settled with their new baby and retreated for the night. The next day I was able to hold my new grand daughter for a nice nap. As I gazed into her certain to be blue eyes I thought to myself, "so what's all the hype about being a grandparent?" I knew the answer to that but I don't know if I can even begin to put it in words. It's more than carrying on the blood line and seeing the next generation of one's family spring forth. I remember holding each of my own children when they were born and feeling like a lioness ready to kill and devour anything that posed a threat. I think I remained that way well into their adult years and probably am still that way. Looking at my new granddaughter my emotions run like a river. What am I thinking about this perfect little human cradled in the bend of my arm? It's love for sure, it's longing to be young again and produce more of my own, it's a certain knowledge that I never will. It's like a period on a long sentence and a whole new chapter beginning. It's such joy and delight that I never expected and still cannot express. It's pride in my own child for doing such a good job. When she took her first breath outside her mother's womb and gave a little gasp and cry, I felt myself gasp also. Her parents cried from the overwhelming emotion and I was standing there with tears in my eyes also. Where did the time go? I want those years back. I want to be a young mother again and do it better this time.
I was so proud of my daughter for the long, never ending troublesome pregnancy and the perfect labor and delivery. I felt incredible gratitude toward the nurses and doctor for doing such a wonderful job. They were like angels moving about the delivery room performing each task like a symphony playing a beautiful musical piece, each note on key. It was delightful to watch. I could not have purchased the most expensive private seats to any performance any where in the world that would have equaled this performance. The players were spectacular. And what a fulfilling job, bringing forth new life every day! Each time must be like a confirmation that human kind will continue to move forward.
I left the new little family to learn the task ahead of them. I know this sweet little girl child will teach them as she makes her demands known. They will suffer from lack of sleep for the rest of their lives as they care for and worry about their offspring, just as I still do. But the rewards and joy are enough to keep us going and let us forget how tired we are.
I'm home now, only an hour away from them ready to jump into my vehicle and be by their sides if needed. Of course that's just me thinking they might and knowing they won't. They are perfectly capable of doing the job. Whatever it is in becoming a grandparent is making me yearn for that child. I'm a sucker all over again!
I cannot even begin to express the surreal experience of becoming a grand parent for the first time. I had the very honorable experience this week of attending the birth of my first grandchild...my own daughter's first baby. I think I was in shock throughout the entire experience as I watched my own baby bring forth her first child into the world. I cry tears of joy as I write this blog. It was not an easy pregnancy for her, but after being in labor almost 24 hours and pushing for one hour all her hard work paid off as the sound of her daughter's cry filled the room.
As my mom says,"all old hens think their little chick is the prettiest"....and I guess that goes along with the saying, "beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder". I took many pictures and videos of this baby as it came into the world. I let the parents get settled with their new baby and retreated for the night. The next day I was able to hold my new grand daughter for a nice nap. As I gazed into her certain to be blue eyes I thought to myself, "so what's all the hype about being a grandparent?" I knew the answer to that but I don't know if I can even begin to put it in words. It's more than carrying on the blood line and seeing the next generation of one's family spring forth. I remember holding each of my own children when they were born and feeling like a lioness ready to kill and devour anything that posed a threat. I think I remained that way well into their adult years and probably am still that way. Looking at my new granddaughter my emotions run like a river. What am I thinking about this perfect little human cradled in the bend of my arm? It's love for sure, it's longing to be young again and produce more of my own, it's a certain knowledge that I never will. It's like a period on a long sentence and a whole new chapter beginning. It's such joy and delight that I never expected and still cannot express. It's pride in my own child for doing such a good job. When she took her first breath outside her mother's womb and gave a little gasp and cry, I felt myself gasp also. Her parents cried from the overwhelming emotion and I was standing there with tears in my eyes also. Where did the time go? I want those years back. I want to be a young mother again and do it better this time.
I was so proud of my daughter for the long, never ending troublesome pregnancy and the perfect labor and delivery. I felt incredible gratitude toward the nurses and doctor for doing such a wonderful job. They were like angels moving about the delivery room performing each task like a symphony playing a beautiful musical piece, each note on key. It was delightful to watch. I could not have purchased the most expensive private seats to any performance any where in the world that would have equaled this performance. The players were spectacular. And what a fulfilling job, bringing forth new life every day! Each time must be like a confirmation that human kind will continue to move forward.
I left the new little family to learn the task ahead of them. I know this sweet little girl child will teach them as she makes her demands known. They will suffer from lack of sleep for the rest of their lives as they care for and worry about their offspring, just as I still do. But the rewards and joy are enough to keep us going and let us forget how tired we are.
I'm home now, only an hour away from them ready to jump into my vehicle and be by their sides if needed. Of course that's just me thinking they might and knowing they won't. They are perfectly capable of doing the job. Whatever it is in becoming a grandparent is making me yearn for that child. I'm a sucker all over again!
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Sourdough Starter
I decided I wanted to learn to make sourdough bread. This is not the first time I have made this decision. I've tried several times in the past without success. After searching the web for recipes I finally decided on one in a bread cookbook lurking on a shelf in my kitchen... Fleischmann's Yeast Best-Ever Breads. It is a simple sourdough starter recipe to follow. I mixed up all the ingredients and did just as it said, "put it in a container with a tight lid". The recipe did not instruct me to put it in a much larger container than the actual starter. I mixed up the goo and put it into a plastic container with a snug lid and placeed it in a drawer with my glass bakeware. I was really excited when my husband returned from chopping wood a couple of hours later, to show him the starter and where I had stashed it. He loves sourdough bread so I was doing this for him. I didn't want him to come upon it by accident, open it and have a spill. As soon as I opened the drawer I exploded in laughter. The sourdough starter had become very active within two hours and had grown very large causing the "snug" lid to pop off and the starter was oozing out of the container and flowing like a volcano all over the dishes contained within. Oh my it was a mess. My immediate reaction was to clean up this mess which is exactly what I did before thinking to take a picture. I transferred the remaining dough to a large cooking pot and placed it in my pantry where it is now bubbling happily!
From this sourdough starter I have made so many different types of breads, below is a sourdough flat bread.
And this I am most proud of - Whole wheat sourdough hamburger buns.
The recipes for all this bread is one basic recipe taken from http://www.breadworld.com/ I just substituted white flour for whole wheat flour and then add whatever I want to the dough! Last night we made a flat bread and filled it with chopped up hatch peppers and Italian seasoning. It was like eating pizza. Below is a picture of it after cutting. I didn't think to take a picture of it fresh from the oven.
Now that the days are getting longer our chickens are laying again. Apparently the black chicken who lays white eggs wanted to start the laying season off with a bang! I'm pretty certain this one has a double yoke!
And this is a mohair merino wool scarf I crocheted.
I'm now working on a mohair merino wool shawlette to send to a friend in Arizona.
Peace, health and prosperity to all.
From this sourdough starter I have made so many different types of breads, below is a sourdough flat bread.
A sourdough loaf bread
A sourdough flat bread topped with sesame seeds and loaded with Italian herbs
A rustic whole wheat sourdough baked in a cast iron dutch oven
Italian wedding soup served with sourdough Italian Herb bread
And this I am most proud of - Whole wheat sourdough hamburger buns.
An awesome burger made from the buns above
The recipes for all this bread is one basic recipe taken from http://www.breadworld.com/ I just substituted white flour for whole wheat flour and then add whatever I want to the dough! Last night we made a flat bread and filled it with chopped up hatch peppers and Italian seasoning. It was like eating pizza. Below is a picture of it after cutting. I didn't think to take a picture of it fresh from the oven.
Now that the days are getting longer our chickens are laying again. Apparently the black chicken who lays white eggs wanted to start the laying season off with a bang! I'm pretty certain this one has a double yoke!
And this is a mohair merino wool scarf I crocheted.
I'm now working on a mohair merino wool shawlette to send to a friend in Arizona.
Peace, health and prosperity to all.
Friday, January 27, 2012
Let's Face It, I'm a Foody!
I've always enjoyed eating good food, who doesn't? Now that the children are grown and we only have two mouths to feed instead of 6, we can actually afford a little more expensive variety. I can splurge on impulsive buys at the grocery store now.
I was in our local HEB which is about 35 miles from our home. It was 1 pm and I was hungry. My protein filled breakfast taco had long worn thin and the aromas reaching my nose in the grocery store got my salivary glands flowing. I actually was there to pick up some magnesium glyconate to help me sleep. I have gotten into this irritating habit of waking up at 3 am and not being able to go back to sleep. Maybe I need some Melatonin also. Part of the problem could be from a pinched nerve in my lower cervical vertebra waking me up or it could be random text messages on my cell phone advertising loan money. The pinched nerve is probably due to a knitting marathon I had going for over a year or maybe I went too deep into a yoga move, possibly cobra which I am not accustomed to doing. Or maybe it is the black dog "Shadow" howling at the coyotes who are in mating season at this time. The pharmacy did not have my magnesium so I decided to browse through the store, of course looking for free samples
I came upon some wonderful Beemster Cheese, sampling two kinds, several times before finally deciding on one with field garlic in it. I needed a good bread to go along with it so I helped myself to several generous samples of different kinds of bread at last choosing a sourdough square. I had my mouth and hands full of bread as I encountered the free sushi samples. The sushi maker asked me which I would like to try and I told her I wanted to sample all of it. I then placed a couple boxes of sushi in my basket. From there I ventured to the seafood isle where I discovered Atlantic Salmon at a decent price. I really prefer the Steelhead Trout but it is rarely on mark down. I asked for a pound of the salmon. One can't be choosy about fish when they live in the Texas hills. The Atlantic Salmon was farm raised. I stood there a while wondering how it could be farm raised when it was suppose to come from the Atlantic Ocean. I decided there must be fish farms built along side the ocean where they trap and raise the fish? Sounds good to me. It is much better than a cat fish or bass caught from the local creek.
From there I made my way to the chef center where a cute little chef was preparing pasta with Vodka Sauce and shrimp with french bread.. Did I want a sample? Of course I did. Also for sampling was some nice french bread cut into chunks that I could dip into a wonderful olive oil dipping sauce. Oh my it was a delicious full bodied olive oil, not at all like the one I had in my pantry. I stuffed myself for a while and then noticed that if I purchased a bottle of the olive oil for $9.99 I could also get the Vodka pasta sauce, a french baguette and a package of pasta free. It looked like a deal to me. As the the cute little chef was loading my basket with these goodies I mentioned to her with my mouth full that I was a "foody". She said, "I can tell that by the things you have in your basket". She probably meant by the amount of food I had in my mouth and the crumbs on my sweater!
Before going to the check out I picked up some ripe tomatoes and a package of raspberries, feeling very excited about how pleased my husband would be with my purchases.......and of course he was. I left the store with several meals in my bag! The salmon and salad would make one meal, the pasta and sauce another, and the bread, cheese and olive oil dipping sauce another. Add a nice bottle of cab or merlot to these and who could ask for better?
HEB has this new deal, or at least it's new to me,,,,it's the meal deal where if you buy something you get all these other items free. Last week we were there and bought a pasta sauce, got a box of yekky rice crackers, some pasta, and a bottle of canola oil which I consider pure poison. On our way out the door I dumped the "poison oil" into a food barrel for the needy. I felt kind of guilty doing that considering the thought that if I couldn't tolerate the taste or smell why would I give it to a needy person. I'm still pondering that. I remember when I could purchase a large bottle of sunflower oil for $2.00. Now the cost of sunflower oil has gone through the roof. I don't know why...but it's got to be some sort of political ploy in my opinion. I'm not buying it though. I'll stick with olive oil and if I have to fry something that requires a lot of oil I'll just buy Wesson Oil or some generic veggie oil. The smell and taste of Canola oil makes me nauseated.
I can't figure out why Canola oil(rape seed oil) is better for a person than corn oil. And what's so bad about a little corn syrup. As I recall my mother telling me that's how they made baby formula back in the day. She mixed it with something and I thrived on it. Honestly I don't believe corn syrup, corn oil, butter, eggs and real milk are bad for a person. I think what's making us so fat and sick is fast food and packaged convenience foods. In my opinion that's not even real food. We drank fresh milk from the cow, with real cream on it and ate fresh butter, veggies from the field and corn syrup on our pancakes. My grandmother fried the extra fat from the chicken, hog and cow and those were our chips. I never ate chips of any other kind and didn't know what pizza was. But I was very familiar with beans and rice, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy and homemade pies. I never ate a doughnut or a hamburger with french fries. I didn't even know such a thing existed I never drank cokes either, just milk and water. We were healthy. We ate real food!
We had every childhood disease that came along and no immunizations. I stepped on rusty nails and never had a tetanus shot. I got chickenpox, mumps and more than one kind of measles. I had a bad reaction from the first polio vaccine and lost the use of my legs for several weeks. I was a lucky girl because eventually I got well and walked again. Damn that vaccine. I had my tonsils removed just because it was the thing to do in those days. I never went to a dentist till I was 16 years old. I'm still here and pretty healthy too and I'm not a young chick any more but I feel strong.
I have progressed a bit, at least I get my teeth cleaned on a regular basis now. I don't get a flu vaccine, I would rather fight the disease. I have agreed to get the pertussis vaccine to protect my grandchild who is soon to arrive.
I still love real food better than stuff from boxes. My husband makes an awesome granola with oats, flax, wheat bran, oat bran, sesame seeds, raisins, dried fruit and shredded coconut. It is so wholesome and satisfying. A cup of that for breakfast will hold off my hunger pangs till mid day!
The salmon turned out to be really good, seasoned with salt, pepper, a little cayenne and basted with olive oil and fresh lemon, then cooked on the grill. For another meal I mixed the olive oil with olive oil dipping spices and toasted slices of the sourdough bread, then cut them in chunks for dipping. Oh my it was good along with the Beemster Cheese.
A little fresh garlic added to the olive oil and spices
Before going home I stopped by my mom's to share the french baguette with some olive oil mixed with spices and a bottle of wine. When food is good I feel the need to share.
I feel very fortunate to have indulged in such wonderful nutritious food and always think of those without. Every day I send positive thoughts into the universe that no person will go to bed hungry. That all little tummies will be full and satisfied. We can only hope for a more balanced world.
I was in our local HEB which is about 35 miles from our home. It was 1 pm and I was hungry. My protein filled breakfast taco had long worn thin and the aromas reaching my nose in the grocery store got my salivary glands flowing. I actually was there to pick up some magnesium glyconate to help me sleep. I have gotten into this irritating habit of waking up at 3 am and not being able to go back to sleep. Maybe I need some Melatonin also. Part of the problem could be from a pinched nerve in my lower cervical vertebra waking me up or it could be random text messages on my cell phone advertising loan money. The pinched nerve is probably due to a knitting marathon I had going for over a year or maybe I went too deep into a yoga move, possibly cobra which I am not accustomed to doing. Or maybe it is the black dog "Shadow" howling at the coyotes who are in mating season at this time. The pharmacy did not have my magnesium so I decided to browse through the store, of course looking for free samples
I came upon some wonderful Beemster Cheese, sampling two kinds, several times before finally deciding on one with field garlic in it. I needed a good bread to go along with it so I helped myself to several generous samples of different kinds of bread at last choosing a sourdough square. I had my mouth and hands full of bread as I encountered the free sushi samples. The sushi maker asked me which I would like to try and I told her I wanted to sample all of it. I then placed a couple boxes of sushi in my basket. From there I ventured to the seafood isle where I discovered Atlantic Salmon at a decent price. I really prefer the Steelhead Trout but it is rarely on mark down. I asked for a pound of the salmon. One can't be choosy about fish when they live in the Texas hills. The Atlantic Salmon was farm raised. I stood there a while wondering how it could be farm raised when it was suppose to come from the Atlantic Ocean. I decided there must be fish farms built along side the ocean where they trap and raise the fish? Sounds good to me. It is much better than a cat fish or bass caught from the local creek.
From there I made my way to the chef center where a cute little chef was preparing pasta with Vodka Sauce and shrimp with french bread.. Did I want a sample? Of course I did. Also for sampling was some nice french bread cut into chunks that I could dip into a wonderful olive oil dipping sauce. Oh my it was a delicious full bodied olive oil, not at all like the one I had in my pantry. I stuffed myself for a while and then noticed that if I purchased a bottle of the olive oil for $9.99 I could also get the Vodka pasta sauce, a french baguette and a package of pasta free. It looked like a deal to me. As the the cute little chef was loading my basket with these goodies I mentioned to her with my mouth full that I was a "foody". She said, "I can tell that by the things you have in your basket". She probably meant by the amount of food I had in my mouth and the crumbs on my sweater!
Before going to the check out I picked up some ripe tomatoes and a package of raspberries, feeling very excited about how pleased my husband would be with my purchases.......and of course he was. I left the store with several meals in my bag! The salmon and salad would make one meal, the pasta and sauce another, and the bread, cheese and olive oil dipping sauce another. Add a nice bottle of cab or merlot to these and who could ask for better?
I can't figure out why Canola oil(rape seed oil) is better for a person than corn oil. And what's so bad about a little corn syrup. As I recall my mother telling me that's how they made baby formula back in the day. She mixed it with something and I thrived on it. Honestly I don't believe corn syrup, corn oil, butter, eggs and real milk are bad for a person. I think what's making us so fat and sick is fast food and packaged convenience foods. In my opinion that's not even real food. We drank fresh milk from the cow, with real cream on it and ate fresh butter, veggies from the field and corn syrup on our pancakes. My grandmother fried the extra fat from the chicken, hog and cow and those were our chips. I never ate chips of any other kind and didn't know what pizza was. But I was very familiar with beans and rice, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, gravy and homemade pies. I never ate a doughnut or a hamburger with french fries. I didn't even know such a thing existed I never drank cokes either, just milk and water. We were healthy. We ate real food!
We had every childhood disease that came along and no immunizations. I stepped on rusty nails and never had a tetanus shot. I got chickenpox, mumps and more than one kind of measles. I had a bad reaction from the first polio vaccine and lost the use of my legs for several weeks. I was a lucky girl because eventually I got well and walked again. Damn that vaccine. I had my tonsils removed just because it was the thing to do in those days. I never went to a dentist till I was 16 years old. I'm still here and pretty healthy too and I'm not a young chick any more but I feel strong.
I have progressed a bit, at least I get my teeth cleaned on a regular basis now. I don't get a flu vaccine, I would rather fight the disease. I have agreed to get the pertussis vaccine to protect my grandchild who is soon to arrive.
I still love real food better than stuff from boxes. My husband makes an awesome granola with oats, flax, wheat bran, oat bran, sesame seeds, raisins, dried fruit and shredded coconut. It is so wholesome and satisfying. A cup of that for breakfast will hold off my hunger pangs till mid day!
The salmon turned out to be really good, seasoned with salt, pepper, a little cayenne and basted with olive oil and fresh lemon, then cooked on the grill. For another meal I mixed the olive oil with olive oil dipping spices and toasted slices of the sourdough bread, then cut them in chunks for dipping. Oh my it was good along with the Beemster Cheese.
A little fresh garlic added to the olive oil and spices
Before going home I stopped by my mom's to share the french baguette with some olive oil mixed with spices and a bottle of wine. When food is good I feel the need to share.
I feel very fortunate to have indulged in such wonderful nutritious food and always think of those without. Every day I send positive thoughts into the universe that no person will go to bed hungry. That all little tummies will be full and satisfied. We can only hope for a more balanced world.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Speaking of Chupacabra
This legendary creature has really captured my interest. It's on my bucket list to set my eyes on one. If I ever get outdoor cameras installed which is also on my bucket list perhaps I will see one.
I was cruising down the highway yesterday with my cruise control set at about 73 miles per hour. I was in my own world, not a good place to be at that speed in a moving vehicle. I had the radio off and it was just me and the sound of the tires humming on the asphalt road. Suddenly a low slung creature with black and white spots and large ears appeared in front of my vehicle. It had a long skinny tail, short hair and was carrying a large bone in it's mouth probably the left overs of a white tail deer who met it's fate with a bullet from a hunter's rifle. I said to myself, "Chupacabra, this is a Chupacabra". It was obviously a stray dog and definitely some sort of hybrid. It resembled a coyote, yet had the markings of a dog. Oh my gosh I was so excited and I couldn't get a picture. By the time I stood my Tahoe on its nose and managed to gain control, the creature had escaped the highway and run into the brush. In broad daylight I think I saw my legendary creature!
I was so excited and kept wishing so badly I could have snapped a picture. My mind and thoughts were totally on the illusive canine and I kept saying to myself, "I saw it, I saw it, I know it was one" When I realized the chance for a snap shot was lost I quickly returned to my cruising speed still thinking of what I had just seen, not fully comprehending the flashing red lights indicating a red light and intersection ahead. I approached the intersection at 70 miles per hour. Suddenly I looked up to see the red light just in time to screech to a halt sending the Tahoe on a head stand again. A Volkswagen of all vehicles was approaching the intersection from my left. The driver saw me and was defensive enough to judge my speed....hanging back until he saw if I was going to make the stop. Oh my, a Volkswagen,,,,,,my Tahoe would have creamed it. When the light turned green I was frozen in time. Eventually I looked up to see other vehicles approaching quickly from behind me and I kicked it into gear. From that point on though I set my cruising speed considerably less at about 60 and forced my attention back to the road.
I was almost the victim of Chupacabra! Not really but it was an exciting moment. I wanted it to be my Chupacabra so badly but in hind sight I do believe it was just a wild dog.
I was cruising down the highway yesterday with my cruise control set at about 73 miles per hour. I was in my own world, not a good place to be at that speed in a moving vehicle. I had the radio off and it was just me and the sound of the tires humming on the asphalt road. Suddenly a low slung creature with black and white spots and large ears appeared in front of my vehicle. It had a long skinny tail, short hair and was carrying a large bone in it's mouth probably the left overs of a white tail deer who met it's fate with a bullet from a hunter's rifle. I said to myself, "Chupacabra, this is a Chupacabra". It was obviously a stray dog and definitely some sort of hybrid. It resembled a coyote, yet had the markings of a dog. Oh my gosh I was so excited and I couldn't get a picture. By the time I stood my Tahoe on its nose and managed to gain control, the creature had escaped the highway and run into the brush. In broad daylight I think I saw my legendary creature!
I was so excited and kept wishing so badly I could have snapped a picture. My mind and thoughts were totally on the illusive canine and I kept saying to myself, "I saw it, I saw it, I know it was one" When I realized the chance for a snap shot was lost I quickly returned to my cruising speed still thinking of what I had just seen, not fully comprehending the flashing red lights indicating a red light and intersection ahead. I approached the intersection at 70 miles per hour. Suddenly I looked up to see the red light just in time to screech to a halt sending the Tahoe on a head stand again. A Volkswagen of all vehicles was approaching the intersection from my left. The driver saw me and was defensive enough to judge my speed....hanging back until he saw if I was going to make the stop. Oh my, a Volkswagen,,,,,,my Tahoe would have creamed it. When the light turned green I was frozen in time. Eventually I looked up to see other vehicles approaching quickly from behind me and I kicked it into gear. From that point on though I set my cruising speed considerably less at about 60 and forced my attention back to the road.
I was almost the victim of Chupacabra! Not really but it was an exciting moment. I wanted it to be my Chupacabra so badly but in hind sight I do believe it was just a wild dog.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
Baby Showers.
What an awesome baby shower for my beautiful daughter. After moaning and groaning for weeks prior to the shower about women taking over his house, my husband left town because all these women intimidated him. After a wonderful day of eating and drinking and playing with baby items we had a slumber party. There is nothing more fun than a slumber party with no responsibility except to laugh and have a good time.
According to the most recent ultra sound, in one month we will have a beautiful curly haired grand daughter. How times have changed, thanks to technology. There is no more waiting to know the sex of the baby or surprises at the birth of twins. Technology tells us a baby's gender, how much hair it has, and if it is basically healthy. Moms and Dads can plan the nursery color scheme and purchase all the clothing and paraphernalia in the color of choice months before the birth of the child. I myself am thrilled with the information because I've been knitting and crocheting items in all pink. I have dreamed this baby is going to have dark curly hair and dark eyes. And I knew way before my daughter conceived that her first child would be a girl. Mothers just know these things. I have one month left to complete a car seat blanket for this child....pink of course.
With each new generation there are more new inventions for babies that are intended to make mom's life easier. Some have been around for thousands of years, such as the baby sling. However it has been improved upon greatly. The door frame jumper has been around for at least 36 years. I know this because I had one for my first child. There are new variations of the walker which has it's own built in entertainment system. Then there is the infant seat which has turned into a bouncer now with a built in entertainment center. A car seat is no longer just a car seat. It is now a "system". The infant car seat that accommodates a child up to a weight of about 35 pounds comes out of the vehicle and fits perfectly into a slot in the stroller. Baby no longer has to be disturbed if it is lulled to sleep by the sound and motion of the vehicle it is riding in. Mom gets to where she is going and just unlatches the car seat and slips it snugly into the stroller. When baby out grows this "system" it progresses to a car seat that will last up to 65 pounds and from there it will go into a booster car seat which most recently is built into the vehicle. There is the pack and play which is a variation of the old play pen. This wonderful item folds up nicely and can be taken on overnight trips. Another item that fascinated me was a cradle type "thing" bed height that is tilted downward a bit from head to toe designed for babies with re-flux....now why didn't I think of that?.
Of course disposable diapers have been around a long time. I was in another country when my first two children were born . Disposables were not available to me so I was compelled to use cloth diapers. What a mess! But much better for the environment. According to http://www.realdiaperassociation.org/diaperfacts.php over 92% of all single use diapers end up in landfills. We should be ashamed but what to do about it. I myself would not want to go back to cloth diapers. The convenience of disposables is just too tempting. I used disposable diapers for my next two children but the Diaper Genie had not been invented yet http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diaper_Genie. This is an awesome gadget for keeping the little balls of excrement from smelling but they still go into landfills.
I was awestruck at the baby shower when a guest handed her 1 year old a vacuum pack of baby food. All she had to do was unscrew the top and hand it to baby. Baby just sucked his pureed food right out of that pack. That was surely a new one on me. As I watched this child suck his "organic" food from this container I thought "why didn't I invent that?" I recently crocheted a bib with an elephant trunk on it that holds a pacifier with Velcro snaps so when baby spits out the paci it doesn't land on a germ laden floor! The vacuum packed sippy container of baby food reminded me of when my own mother who had three children wanted to change my daughter's diaper. It was a disposable one and I knew she was not familiar with how they worked so I proceeded to tell her how to do it. She looked at me indignantly and said, "I changed a diaper once!". So I left her alone to do the deed so as not to make her feel incompetent....she put the diaper on backwards. Of course everyone present had a wonderful laugh on her behalf!
When I was 43, way too old to have another child in those days, I decided I would do just that. I was excited about all the new items I would have for my baby. Well I'm 63 now and I can't justify having another child in order to buy all the new goodies invented for baby, even if I could. I will just have to be satisfied with a grand child and her belongings.
Speaking of baby showers I can remember when the standard meal was cake and punch. Somewhere over time it became a little more substantial with tea sandwiches, maybe a dip and chips. Now it's a full fledged meal. My menu consisted of appetizers of veggie chips with white bean humus and a cream cheese, Gorgonzola cheese dip with baby carrots. This was followed by roast beef, potatoes au gratin, spring mix salad and whole wheat rolls. I chose a raspberry, lemon water punch which was very refreshing and pretty. I had not intended to serve wine since the guest of honor could not imbibe but some of the guests asked for it so I willing obliged. I .made a wonderful cheesecake with an apple walnut topping for dessert. Of course no party is complete any more without favors for the guests to take home. I gave little cellophane bags filled with homemade cookies and tied with a pretty pink ribbon. I ran out of cookies but had several bars of pretty soap I had purchased stashed away in a drawer. I put two bars into each bag and gave those as favors also.
As I said, "times have changed"!
According to the most recent ultra sound, in one month we will have a beautiful curly haired grand daughter. How times have changed, thanks to technology. There is no more waiting to know the sex of the baby or surprises at the birth of twins. Technology tells us a baby's gender, how much hair it has, and if it is basically healthy. Moms and Dads can plan the nursery color scheme and purchase all the clothing and paraphernalia in the color of choice months before the birth of the child. I myself am thrilled with the information because I've been knitting and crocheting items in all pink. I have dreamed this baby is going to have dark curly hair and dark eyes. And I knew way before my daughter conceived that her first child would be a girl. Mothers just know these things. I have one month left to complete a car seat blanket for this child....pink of course.
With each new generation there are more new inventions for babies that are intended to make mom's life easier. Some have been around for thousands of years, such as the baby sling. However it has been improved upon greatly. The door frame jumper has been around for at least 36 years. I know this because I had one for my first child. There are new variations of the walker which has it's own built in entertainment system. Then there is the infant seat which has turned into a bouncer now with a built in entertainment center. A car seat is no longer just a car seat. It is now a "system". The infant car seat that accommodates a child up to a weight of about 35 pounds comes out of the vehicle and fits perfectly into a slot in the stroller. Baby no longer has to be disturbed if it is lulled to sleep by the sound and motion of the vehicle it is riding in. Mom gets to where she is going and just unlatches the car seat and slips it snugly into the stroller. When baby out grows this "system" it progresses to a car seat that will last up to 65 pounds and from there it will go into a booster car seat which most recently is built into the vehicle. There is the pack and play which is a variation of the old play pen. This wonderful item folds up nicely and can be taken on overnight trips. Another item that fascinated me was a cradle type "thing" bed height that is tilted downward a bit from head to toe designed for babies with re-flux....now why didn't I think of that?.
Of course disposable diapers have been around a long time. I was in another country when my first two children were born . Disposables were not available to me so I was compelled to use cloth diapers. What a mess! But much better for the environment. According to http://www.realdiaperassociation.org/diaperfacts.php over 92% of all single use diapers end up in landfills. We should be ashamed but what to do about it. I myself would not want to go back to cloth diapers. The convenience of disposables is just too tempting. I used disposable diapers for my next two children but the Diaper Genie had not been invented yet http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diaper_Genie. This is an awesome gadget for keeping the little balls of excrement from smelling but they still go into landfills.
I was awestruck at the baby shower when a guest handed her 1 year old a vacuum pack of baby food. All she had to do was unscrew the top and hand it to baby. Baby just sucked his pureed food right out of that pack. That was surely a new one on me. As I watched this child suck his "organic" food from this container I thought "why didn't I invent that?" I recently crocheted a bib with an elephant trunk on it that holds a pacifier with Velcro snaps so when baby spits out the paci it doesn't land on a germ laden floor! The vacuum packed sippy container of baby food reminded me of when my own mother who had three children wanted to change my daughter's diaper. It was a disposable one and I knew she was not familiar with how they worked so I proceeded to tell her how to do it. She looked at me indignantly and said, "I changed a diaper once!". So I left her alone to do the deed so as not to make her feel incompetent....she put the diaper on backwards. Of course everyone present had a wonderful laugh on her behalf!
When I was 43, way too old to have another child in those days, I decided I would do just that. I was excited about all the new items I would have for my baby. Well I'm 63 now and I can't justify having another child in order to buy all the new goodies invented for baby, even if I could. I will just have to be satisfied with a grand child and her belongings.
Speaking of baby showers I can remember when the standard meal was cake and punch. Somewhere over time it became a little more substantial with tea sandwiches, maybe a dip and chips. Now it's a full fledged meal. My menu consisted of appetizers of veggie chips with white bean humus and a cream cheese, Gorgonzola cheese dip with baby carrots. This was followed by roast beef, potatoes au gratin, spring mix salad and whole wheat rolls. I chose a raspberry, lemon water punch which was very refreshing and pretty. I had not intended to serve wine since the guest of honor could not imbibe but some of the guests asked for it so I willing obliged. I .made a wonderful cheesecake with an apple walnut topping for dessert. Of course no party is complete any more without favors for the guests to take home. I gave little cellophane bags filled with homemade cookies and tied with a pretty pink ribbon. I ran out of cookies but had several bars of pretty soap I had purchased stashed away in a drawer. I put two bars into each bag and gave those as favors also.
As I said, "times have changed"!
Friday, January 13, 2012
New Year's Day!
I'm sitting here on my back porch on New Year's Day looking out over the hills drinking red wine and wondering how much more chocolate I can safely consume today! The temperature is a cool 59 in the shade and there is a north easterly breeze blowing. My corn bread is in the oven and I can't wait to bite into it with a generous slab of butter topping it. I hope it's good with jalapenos, corn, cilantro and cheddar in it. You guessed it, I'm a foody!
Below we have a cup of black eyed peas, rice, ham with Swiss Chard, cornbread with jalapeno, cheese and corn, all for good luck in the coming year:
As I look over the hills I can't help but think about the settlers. 200 years ago that came to this land. I've read enough books to know what a difficult time they had. I can certainly understand it. The soil is mostly limestone sprinkled with cactus. I've had a difficlut time myself trying to carve a garden out of this land. I can just imagine them facing more problems than I with no power tools, only hand held shovels and hoes. I've read that many starved to death or died of disease. I know for sure I would have starved considering nothing but Swiss Chard grows here in the winter and even that might freeze.
There is a grave yard at the bottom of the hill with headstones carved indicating how some died. I love to walk through that cemetery and imagine what life was like for them. I once visited a very old cemetery about 50 miles from here in Frederiicksburg, Texas. So many children died from disease or starvation during that time that they have a separate area just for them. It's so sad looking at the tiny little graves and wondering. One headstone indicated a woman had been killed by Indians but not scalped.
Sometimes I can visualize an Indian on the horizon riding his pony. This was their land. I can't help but wonder how they felt being pushed from their land, dying in battle to protect it and suffering from the diseases that the white man brought. The white man considered the Indian uncivilized and the Indian felt the same about the white man and his kind. The Indians did not eat pig and thought the white was filthy and smelled because he did eat pig. One of the basic meats besides deer was hog. The settlers were considered pretty well off if they raised hogs and had a smoke house where they hung them to cure. It's unfortunate they could not have respected each other's ways and lived together peacefully.. History has proven that doesn't happen easily, if ever.The invaders are bullies and the invaded are always fighting to win back what was rightfully theirs.
The settlers came from all over, many from Germany, settling in these hills. Some came from Louisiana and further east. They lived from the land, killing wild animals such as deer, squirrel, possum and rabbit. Salt and coffee was hard to come by. When they ran out of coffee they would use their seed corn brought with them for planting,,, roasting and grinding it to make a kind of coffee. All I have to do is jump in my air conditioned suv and head to the nearest HEB or Costco to stock up when I'm running low. I don't have to watch for Indians over the horizon or shoot a deer or squirrel for our next meal. If my chickens aren't laying or the coyotes have eaten them it's only 30 minutes or less for me to the local grocery to get a dozen eggs.
When I'm walking my dogs I think about the settlers and the Indians. I imagine a brave astride his pony at the top of a hill and think if I were a settler what would I do? I like to think I would have made friends with them. However I know that they were so mistreated that they often killed for revenge and kidnapped women and children and who can blame them? They would steal a white child to replace a member of their tribe who had been killed and raise the child as an Indian. These children were rarely recovered because the Indians were constantly on the move. I remember reading a story about Lyndon B Johnson's ancestors who lived in this area. The men were off on a cattle drive and the women were home on the prairie alone. They saw Indians coming and hid under a false floor in the house. A little girl felt a spider crawling on her and she tried so hard not to scream and give away their hiding place. However she could contain herself no longer and let out a frightful scream. You are going to want to strangle me because I don't remember how the story went after that except she did live to tell the story so they must have survived. I remember her saying how guilty she felt for not being more brave.
I can't help but think of the people who settled this land as I live my life of ease. I wish they could see it all from the great beyond and marvel at it. Who knows, maybe they can!
Rugged limestone ground with cedar, cactus and scrub oaks:
The following information is taken from Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Longhorn_(cattle) "The early Texas settlers obtained feral Mexican cattle from the borderland between the Nueces River and the Rio Grande and mixed them with their own eastern cattle. The result was a tough, rangy animal with long legs and long horns extending up to seven feet. .The longhorn had the ability to survive on often poor vegetation of the open range. Many Texas ranchers keep herds purely because of their link to Texas history." Below is a picture I took of a Texas Longhorn walking along the county road. We pass them daily as we enter and exit the ranch.
I'm hoping the paw print below is from one of my daughter's dogs and not that of a cougar!
Below we have a cup of black eyed peas, rice, ham with Swiss Chard, cornbread with jalapeno, cheese and corn, all for good luck in the coming year:
As I look over the hills I can't help but think about the settlers. 200 years ago that came to this land. I've read enough books to know what a difficult time they had. I can certainly understand it. The soil is mostly limestone sprinkled with cactus. I've had a difficlut time myself trying to carve a garden out of this land. I can just imagine them facing more problems than I with no power tools, only hand held shovels and hoes. I've read that many starved to death or died of disease. I know for sure I would have starved considering nothing but Swiss Chard grows here in the winter and even that might freeze.
There is a grave yard at the bottom of the hill with headstones carved indicating how some died. I love to walk through that cemetery and imagine what life was like for them. I once visited a very old cemetery about 50 miles from here in Frederiicksburg, Texas. So many children died from disease or starvation during that time that they have a separate area just for them. It's so sad looking at the tiny little graves and wondering. One headstone indicated a woman had been killed by Indians but not scalped.
Sometimes I can visualize an Indian on the horizon riding his pony. This was their land. I can't help but wonder how they felt being pushed from their land, dying in battle to protect it and suffering from the diseases that the white man brought. The white man considered the Indian uncivilized and the Indian felt the same about the white man and his kind. The Indians did not eat pig and thought the white was filthy and smelled because he did eat pig. One of the basic meats besides deer was hog. The settlers were considered pretty well off if they raised hogs and had a smoke house where they hung them to cure. It's unfortunate they could not have respected each other's ways and lived together peacefully.. History has proven that doesn't happen easily, if ever.The invaders are bullies and the invaded are always fighting to win back what was rightfully theirs.
The settlers came from all over, many from Germany, settling in these hills. Some came from Louisiana and further east. They lived from the land, killing wild animals such as deer, squirrel, possum and rabbit. Salt and coffee was hard to come by. When they ran out of coffee they would use their seed corn brought with them for planting,,, roasting and grinding it to make a kind of coffee. All I have to do is jump in my air conditioned suv and head to the nearest HEB or Costco to stock up when I'm running low. I don't have to watch for Indians over the horizon or shoot a deer or squirrel for our next meal. If my chickens aren't laying or the coyotes have eaten them it's only 30 minutes or less for me to the local grocery to get a dozen eggs.
When I'm walking my dogs I think about the settlers and the Indians. I imagine a brave astride his pony at the top of a hill and think if I were a settler what would I do? I like to think I would have made friends with them. However I know that they were so mistreated that they often killed for revenge and kidnapped women and children and who can blame them? They would steal a white child to replace a member of their tribe who had been killed and raise the child as an Indian. These children were rarely recovered because the Indians were constantly on the move. I remember reading a story about Lyndon B Johnson's ancestors who lived in this area. The men were off on a cattle drive and the women were home on the prairie alone. They saw Indians coming and hid under a false floor in the house. A little girl felt a spider crawling on her and she tried so hard not to scream and give away their hiding place. However she could contain herself no longer and let out a frightful scream. You are going to want to strangle me because I don't remember how the story went after that except she did live to tell the story so they must have survived. I remember her saying how guilty she felt for not being more brave.
I can't help but think of the people who settled this land as I live my life of ease. I wish they could see it all from the great beyond and marvel at it. Who knows, maybe they can!
Rugged limestone ground with cedar, cactus and scrub oaks:
The following information is taken from Wikipedia, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Texas_Longhorn_(cattle) "The early Texas settlers obtained feral Mexican cattle from the borderland between the Nueces River and the Rio Grande and mixed them with their own eastern cattle. The result was a tough, rangy animal with long legs and long horns extending up to seven feet. .The longhorn had the ability to survive on often poor vegetation of the open range. Many Texas ranchers keep herds purely because of their link to Texas history." Below is a picture I took of a Texas Longhorn walking along the county road. We pass them daily as we enter and exit the ranch.
I'm hoping the paw print below is from one of my daughter's dogs and not that of a cougar!
Sunday, January 1, 2012
Happy New Year to All!
It's a bummer starting out the new year with a pinched nerve under my scapula. Not much takes me down cause I'm a tough old bird but this is really irritating. It's been hurting going on 3 days now and I'm getting tired of it. The only thing that relieves the pain is a heating pad.
We have finally finished all the Christmas left overs and it's time to start cooking again. I did make a cream of broccoli soup last week to keep the left overs from getting too monotonous. Here is the recipe:
A head or two of broccoli
1 box of Swanson Chicken Broth(no msg)
1 or 2 cups of water depending on how much volume you like or add more chick broth for a richer flavor
Simmer broccoli on low till soft
Chop and Saute an onion and several garlic cloves in olive oil with a tablespoon of butter for flavor
Add sauteed onions and garlic to broccoli/broth
Simmer a while longer
Puree in food processor, blender or use hand held emulsifier
Add 2 cups of half and half
Return to heat
Season to taste with salt, pepper, turmeric and curry powder
Heat slowly to warm, do not boil
This soup lasted 3 days for me and my hubby! It was delicious with a side salad and homemade flat bread.
Today is the day that we must all eat black eye peas and some type of greens. According to southern tradition eating these brings good luck for the new year.
I will cook mine with onions, garlic and the ham bone I saved from Christmas day. I've got some Swiss chard growing in my garden that the recent freeze didn't kill and will toss that in the pot for good luck and the health benefits. Some people like corn bread with their black eye peas. I do, but I also like mine with rice, ,,,just a family tradition.
I don't think I have ever begun a new year without consuming black eye peas no matter what country I was in and this is not going to be the first. So eat your black eye peas my friends and Happy New Year to everyone.
I'm not much for resolutions because they are rarely kept. Therefore I'm not making any that involve weight loss or exercise. I enjoy food way to much to make myself feel guilty for not sticking to a diet resolution. Actually I may resolve to eat more of my favorite things...chocolate for sure and drink a little more red wine. That would be an easy one to keep. I think I will try to be more meek and humble. It just seems like a safe way to be. I will toss a little creativity in there also so as not to be a bore! Most people who know me will laugh at that but maybe I will surprise them.
My hope for the new year is that all creatures of this earth be safe, healthy, prosperous and have a full belly. May goodness prevail and evil die among man kind.
We have finally finished all the Christmas left overs and it's time to start cooking again. I did make a cream of broccoli soup last week to keep the left overs from getting too monotonous. Here is the recipe:
A head or two of broccoli
1 box of Swanson Chicken Broth(no msg)
1 or 2 cups of water depending on how much volume you like or add more chick broth for a richer flavor
Simmer broccoli on low till soft
Chop and Saute an onion and several garlic cloves in olive oil with a tablespoon of butter for flavor
Add sauteed onions and garlic to broccoli/broth
Simmer a while longer
Puree in food processor, blender or use hand held emulsifier
Add 2 cups of half and half
Return to heat
Season to taste with salt, pepper, turmeric and curry powder
Heat slowly to warm, do not boil
This soup lasted 3 days for me and my hubby! It was delicious with a side salad and homemade flat bread.
Today is the day that we must all eat black eye peas and some type of greens. According to southern tradition eating these brings good luck for the new year.
I will cook mine with onions, garlic and the ham bone I saved from Christmas day. I've got some Swiss chard growing in my garden that the recent freeze didn't kill and will toss that in the pot for good luck and the health benefits. Some people like corn bread with their black eye peas. I do, but I also like mine with rice, ,,,just a family tradition.
I don't think I have ever begun a new year without consuming black eye peas no matter what country I was in and this is not going to be the first. So eat your black eye peas my friends and Happy New Year to everyone.
I'm not much for resolutions because they are rarely kept. Therefore I'm not making any that involve weight loss or exercise. I enjoy food way to much to make myself feel guilty for not sticking to a diet resolution. Actually I may resolve to eat more of my favorite things...chocolate for sure and drink a little more red wine. That would be an easy one to keep. I think I will try to be more meek and humble. It just seems like a safe way to be. I will toss a little creativity in there also so as not to be a bore! Most people who know me will laugh at that but maybe I will surprise them.
My hope for the new year is that all creatures of this earth be safe, healthy, prosperous and have a full belly. May goodness prevail and evil die among man kind.
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