We were driving into town this morning and I was thinking about how things change. I realized that while ten years ago I was a HUGE fan of a certain romance writer, now I am ambivalent about those books on my bookshelf.
It is an interesting comparison. Just as authors change what they wish to write about or what genre they want to write, so too do readers wants change. I still read some of her new stuff but I am not breathlessly waiting for it. As I work more on my own writing I am finding some authors falling short of my expectations. I read through stories more critically. I really didn't thing I would get to that point in my reading. I remember my English professors talking about reading critically. The whole point in those classes was to analyze what we were reading. I did not enjoy those ventures. I wanted then and still do now to read for the escape that it can bring. This every day reality can get quite depressing, especially of late.
Reading for enjoyment is still what I wish. I am also working to escape into my own stories. It gives me something to focus on yet still feel like I am working. It is good to grow and change. Life would be boring if nothing ever changed.
What do you find interesting?
Take care!
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
Unity on the Homefront
My husband and I have been telling people - Plant a garden. I realized that is not easy especially if a couple don't agree that that is what needs to be done. I know that I was on that boat for a long time. Gardening was my husband's thing. i had other things that I wanted to do. I didn't wish to join in the effort. I am sorry that I put so much of that on him.
I still don't have a burning desire to garden but I know that we must create our own food as much as possible. I am a willing worker these days. That means I do what he tells me needs to be done. He is the planner and designer and he will be there in the execution. Now I will be there too. I will be in the garden planting, weeding, watering, harvesting, and preserving. The children will also be working along side of us as well. These are skills that they need.
After you have committed to gardening, then you have to recruit your help and support. Don't get discouraged - it has taken my husband five years to get me on the bandwagon. Of course, it;s helped that I am not good at executing my own dreams. I write just about every day but i am not good at pursuing publication. I have many works in progress that tend to get little attention. I have moments but I don't use them very constructively.
So I am happy to be a worker bee. Point me in the right direction and I will do the assigned task. I enjoy seeing the excitement on my husband's face when we discuss the garden layout. He complains sometimes about how hard it was to pull us along. Our oldest daughter will probably continue to resist, but we continue to hope that eventually she'll get it.
So plan,recruit, direct and then plant, nurture, grow, and harvest.
Good luck to you all!
I still don't have a burning desire to garden but I know that we must create our own food as much as possible. I am a willing worker these days. That means I do what he tells me needs to be done. He is the planner and designer and he will be there in the execution. Now I will be there too. I will be in the garden planting, weeding, watering, harvesting, and preserving. The children will also be working along side of us as well. These are skills that they need.
After you have committed to gardening, then you have to recruit your help and support. Don't get discouraged - it has taken my husband five years to get me on the bandwagon. Of course, it;s helped that I am not good at executing my own dreams. I write just about every day but i am not good at pursuing publication. I have many works in progress that tend to get little attention. I have moments but I don't use them very constructively.
So I am happy to be a worker bee. Point me in the right direction and I will do the assigned task. I enjoy seeing the excitement on my husband's face when we discuss the garden layout. He complains sometimes about how hard it was to pull us along. Our oldest daughter will probably continue to resist, but we continue to hope that eventually she'll get it.
So plan,recruit, direct and then plant, nurture, grow, and harvest.
Good luck to you all!
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Knowledge Can be a Hard Thing to Keep Quiet
We read through the news about twice a week. We go online and download articles, read them and share them with each other. We are taking our own stance at surviving the coming Greater Depression. We are working at getting as much of our own food as possible. We have a system to get heat and cook without electricity. We also have a way to store water both for our land and for our won consumption should the need arise.
Because we are so immersed in this I forget that not everyone “gets” what is going on. This makes me think of my sons. Both of them kind of understand. I made the mistake of sharing some of the stuff we had been reading about with one of them. The silence was very telling and made me remember to whom I was speaking. I tried to change the subject and make light but I don’t think it worked. I apologize for sharing.
That is the effect of gathering the information. I want to share it with those who matter most to me but it’s hard to do without sounding like a complete nut. Many days go by and I hope that my husband and I are vindicated in our beliefs. I pray it doesn’t come at the expense of anyone in my family. I hope that they see it coming before it hits them square in the face. T’would be my prayer for everyone.
Because we are so immersed in this I forget that not everyone “gets” what is going on. This makes me think of my sons. Both of them kind of understand. I made the mistake of sharing some of the stuff we had been reading about with one of them. The silence was very telling and made me remember to whom I was speaking. I tried to change the subject and make light but I don’t think it worked. I apologize for sharing.
That is the effect of gathering the information. I want to share it with those who matter most to me but it’s hard to do without sounding like a complete nut. Many days go by and I hope that my husband and I are vindicated in our beliefs. I pray it doesn’t come at the expense of anyone in my family. I hope that they see it coming before it hits them square in the face. T’would be my prayer for everyone.
Spring Teasers
Spring Teasers
Today is a spring teaser day. The sun is shining; the temps feel like 50 degrees; the snow is melting and we can see some green! It’s tempting us to believe that winter is ever, but it’s only February 7th. Spring is a long way off.
The sunshine and the warmer temps invite my husband to work, work, work, work, work. This is good because come real spring we will be working from sun up to sundown making sure we can accomplish our goals for 2009. These tempting days allow us to get the little things done so that we are ready for the very BIG projects of spring. The plantings and the fence building being just two of those projects. I am sure that we could use the help of five or six twenty-year olds. It would certainly get things in the ground faster.
But for now we will putz and enjoy not wearing five layers of clothing to be outside. We will enjoy the sunshine and be thankful that at least for a day we had spring.
Today is a spring teaser day. The sun is shining; the temps feel like 50 degrees; the snow is melting and we can see some green! It’s tempting us to believe that winter is ever, but it’s only February 7th. Spring is a long way off.
The sunshine and the warmer temps invite my husband to work, work, work, work, work. This is good because come real spring we will be working from sun up to sundown making sure we can accomplish our goals for 2009. These tempting days allow us to get the little things done so that we are ready for the very BIG projects of spring. The plantings and the fence building being just two of those projects. I am sure that we could use the help of five or six twenty-year olds. It would certainly get things in the ground faster.
But for now we will putz and enjoy not wearing five layers of clothing to be outside. We will enjoy the sunshine and be thankful that at least for a day we had spring.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Changing Tastes
I used to listen while nutritionists and other medical people would say - "Tastes change. you need to keep trying to feed your children new foods." Well, after too many dinners where my children gagged on vegetables they didn't like, I was done. No more trying to make them eat it. When I wanted something besides peas, corn, green beans, or broccoli, I made two vegetables one for my husband and I and one for the kids.
I am not sure when or who started passing both vegetables around the table. At first the bowl of different vegetables just passed everyone by. then one day, one of the children took some - to which my husband and I both were shorted. The real shock was when they asked for seconds of our vegetable! So we started making a little bit more to accommodate the one or two who would eat with us. This went on for about a year.
The other night we made spinach a sure fire make the kids gag vegetable. I remembered that the last time we had it Mac decided he liked it and was disappointed when there wasn't enough for him to have seconds. I also remembered that Mary Kate like it. So we made what we thought would be enough for the four us us, but then discovered that my other daughter, Shannon, enjoyed spinach too. I distinctly remember her gag reflex working very well with spinach when she was forced to try it about eight years ago. I was surprised to discover that she now liked it very much!
There are still a few vegetables that not everyone likes - brussel sprouts, and lima beans come to mind. Who knows how long that will last? I have some confidence that it will be longer than the spinach.
For those of you out there who despair of ever having your children eat more than beans, corn, and peas, remember the best way to get them to try something else is to continue to eat it and enjoy it in front of them.
Take care and happy cooking!
I am not sure when or who started passing both vegetables around the table. At first the bowl of different vegetables just passed everyone by. then one day, one of the children took some - to which my husband and I both were shorted. The real shock was when they asked for seconds of our vegetable! So we started making a little bit more to accommodate the one or two who would eat with us. This went on for about a year.
The other night we made spinach a sure fire make the kids gag vegetable. I remembered that the last time we had it Mac decided he liked it and was disappointed when there wasn't enough for him to have seconds. I also remembered that Mary Kate like it. So we made what we thought would be enough for the four us us, but then discovered that my other daughter, Shannon, enjoyed spinach too. I distinctly remember her gag reflex working very well with spinach when she was forced to try it about eight years ago. I was surprised to discover that she now liked it very much!
There are still a few vegetables that not everyone likes - brussel sprouts, and lima beans come to mind. Who knows how long that will last? I have some confidence that it will be longer than the spinach.
For those of you out there who despair of ever having your children eat more than beans, corn, and peas, remember the best way to get them to try something else is to continue to eat it and enjoy it in front of them.
Take care and happy cooking!
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Lovingly Made
I read that you should pour loving thoughts into your cooking. It’s supposed to nourish your family spiritually as well as physically.
I practice this particularly when I am making bread. I love the kneading process. It feels very therapeutic. Kneading bread got me through some rough days after my parents died.
I remember baking bread with my mom. She would let me sift the four. We didn’t have bread four so we sifted it twice. She would give me a bowl – a huge green plastic bowl – set the flour canister next to me, hand me the sifter and tell me to start sifting flour. I imagine that I sifted much more than we used, but it was a good job to keep a little one busy.
She loved to knead bread too. Later, when I was grown, she and I had a discussion about the changes that were made to that bread recipe. Now they had you beat the mixture when you added the yeast, milk, shortening, sugar and salt to the flour. They also suggested using the mixer with the dough hook attachment to knead the bread.
She and I agreed that took all the joy from making bread. It also removes the ability to add love to the dough. Cooking shouldn’t always be about how fast you can get the job done; it should be about how much love you can infuse into the final product.
Happy baking!
I practice this particularly when I am making bread. I love the kneading process. It feels very therapeutic. Kneading bread got me through some rough days after my parents died.
I remember baking bread with my mom. She would let me sift the four. We didn’t have bread four so we sifted it twice. She would give me a bowl – a huge green plastic bowl – set the flour canister next to me, hand me the sifter and tell me to start sifting flour. I imagine that I sifted much more than we used, but it was a good job to keep a little one busy.
She loved to knead bread too. Later, when I was grown, she and I had a discussion about the changes that were made to that bread recipe. Now they had you beat the mixture when you added the yeast, milk, shortening, sugar and salt to the flour. They also suggested using the mixer with the dough hook attachment to knead the bread.
She and I agreed that took all the joy from making bread. It also removes the ability to add love to the dough. Cooking shouldn’t always be about how fast you can get the job done; it should be about how much love you can infuse into the final product.
Happy baking!
Baking Day
Baking day is a two-cups-of-coffee day. On the farm we have chosen to bake once a week. This baking includes bread, cookies and this week we added broth, lard, and soup to the list. We’re getting the top hot - we might as well utilize that too.
It sounded okay last week when I proposed it. It sounded a lot easier than it actually is. As I sit here taking a short break, I want to ask – “What the heck were you thinking?!” I chuckle as the sheepish reply comes out – “Gee, I was just trying to maximize wood usage.” Picture the foot scuffing the floor, the shoulders slouched and a quick shrug given.
I am not sure what is more work – splitting wood or baking all day. I spit two tractor buckets full of wood yesterday. While I used different muscles for each task, they both exhaust me about equally.
When I sit down tonight with a bowl of fresh homemade split-pea soup and warm homemade bread, I know that first bite of warm bread will be worth it.
Bon Apetite!
It sounded okay last week when I proposed it. It sounded a lot easier than it actually is. As I sit here taking a short break, I want to ask – “What the heck were you thinking?!” I chuckle as the sheepish reply comes out – “Gee, I was just trying to maximize wood usage.” Picture the foot scuffing the floor, the shoulders slouched and a quick shrug given.
I am not sure what is more work – splitting wood or baking all day. I spit two tractor buckets full of wood yesterday. While I used different muscles for each task, they both exhaust me about equally.
When I sit down tonight with a bowl of fresh homemade split-pea soup and warm homemade bread, I know that first bite of warm bread will be worth it.
Bon Apetite!
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