Breads and Babysitting

I had a great time in Minnesota babysitting my three grandchildren, ages 10, 7 and 3.  While there, my son took us to a comic book store where they were having their annual "free comic book day".  I am not very mobile, so I didn't know how much I would enjoy walking around... and there were wall-to-wall people filling the store and the parking lot outside.  Many customers were in costumes... mostly super-heroes... and there were many "super heroes" greeting the people as they arrived in the parking lot.  When we drove up, a red face grimacing with fangs appeared, banging on my window!  I had no idea who he was, but he was incredibly realistic looking... and appropriately terrifying!  Then he opened my door and with a gentlemanly swoop of his arm, invited me out, saying he also could work with the good force!

My son told me he was Darth Maul, and one of the group that uses the dark force on Star Wars.  Mark said the look on my face was priceless.  To the left is a photo Mark took of Quentin and Charlotte with some of the Star Wars characters.  Now tell me YOU wouldn't be a little bit startled if that guy with the red face banged on YOUR window!  The kids wet heads are due to the fact that we had just come from their swimming class.  

I was hobbling around the store with my cane in hand when an older man came up to me, pointed, and said, "I know who YOU are... I'll bet you walk into a closet and come out as Wonder Woman!"  It was a fun experience, all in all, and I urge you to go to one of those next year, if there is a comic book store near you.  Mark said they have them nationwide, sponsored by the comic book companies.  I can't say it was on my bucket list, as I'd never heard of it before, but I'm glad I had the experience.  The Star Wars characters looked very realistic, as did a few others... but some of them were not exactly as I'd have expected.  Indiana Jones, for example, had just about doubled in size, and didn't look in the least bit swashbuckling, and Wolverine looked nothing like Hugh Jackman! 

The little girl from Kick Ass was there, and she was a hoot (see photo at right)!  Her father was also dressed in costume, but didn't do or say much except stand by looking proud.  Ava wasn't in the photos, as she was on a camping trip that weekend.

Other than swimming lessons and forays into the fantasy world of comics, we were busy all the time.  Between homework, cooking, baking, and keeping a three-year-old occupied, I barely had any time to work on the knitting project I'd brought along.  We did a little beading together, did Charlotte's "homework" of flash cards, coloring, and reading every day, but Charlotte and I did have time to squeeze in a nap every afternoon, even though she thinks she's too big for naps.  After I'd left, she told Mark she was glad she could go back to school and didn't have to take care of Grandma anymore!  Quentin, on the other hand, told Mark if I would move in and live with them forever, he would gladly give me his room.  It was a joy to spend those two weeks with them, and I'm looking forward to summer vacation when they will be coming to stay with me for part of the time.

We made bread sticks (a favorite of all the grandchildren), French bread, cinnamon rolls, pizza dough, dough gods (fried bread dough) and Peasant Bread, using up two bags of bread flour and one of all-purpose flour.  They have bread sticks and rolls in the freezer, and a roll of chocolate chip cookie dough in the refrigerator to bake another batch of fresh cookies... or eat the dough.  I've mellowed out in my old age... I used to scold my kids when they snatched cookie dough while I was baking cookies... now I invite the grandkids to "taste" it!  Here's a great recipe for bread many ways in the bread machine:

All-Purpose Bread Dough:

Place in the bread machine pan in this order:  1-1/2 cups warm water, 1 Tablespoon Olive or other vegetable oil, 1 Tablespoon granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon salt.  Add:  4 cups bread flour.  Sprinkle 1 Tablespoon instant yeast over the top of the flour.  Put on dough setting and press start.  Check to make sure the dough is firm enough as it processes without being too hard... flours vary, and humidity has a bearing on it, too.  When the dough is done, shape it as desired and let it rise, covered by a tea towel so it doesn't dry out.  Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until done.  Brush crust with butter after removing from the oven.  This can be rolled and stretched out for pizza dough, or shaped into dinner rolls (makes about 1 dozen lovely rolls baked in a greased muffin tin), a loaf or two of French or Italian style bread (I make two smaller loaves, rather than one big one.)  Sometimes I add 1/4 to 1/2 cup of cracked wheat, and that's delicious, too.  You don't have to adjust the bread flour. You can fry small chunks of dough and then shake them in cinnamon sugar for dough gods, a poor man's doughnuts!  The following recipe for Peasant Bread is my favorite bread of all time!  I just put whatever I have handy into it, and it is a delicious artisan-type bread with a crunchy, chewy crust and moist interior.

Peasant Bread:

5 cups bread flour

1/2 cup rye flour

1/2 cup wheat flour

1/2 cup flax seed

1/2 cup oat bran

1/2 cup cracked wheat

1-1/2 Tablespoons instant yeast

1-1/2 Tablespoons salt

Stir to mix dry ingredients.  Add:

3 cups tepid water (or a little more to make a nice wet dough)

  

Stir well.  This dough should be wetter than a normal bread.  NO kneading!  Cover the bowl with press & seal, let sit for 2 hours.  Dough will rise up almost double.  I took out half and formed it into a round loaf.  Let sit on a lightly floured parchment paper covered with a tea towel for about 45 minutes or until about double in size.  Heat the oven to 450 degrees, with the casserole in the oven.  Put dough into the HOT casserole, slash the top, cover casserole and bake for about 20 minutes covered, then uncover the casserole and bake another 5 or 10 minutes.  I put the remaining dough on a floured tea towel and just rounded it up a bit on the flour so it could be handled lightly, then put it into a plastic bag and it can be refrigerated for up to 2 weeks before baking.  When you are ready to bake it, put the dough on lightly floured parchment paper covered with a tea towel, and proceed as with the first loaf. 

You can use just about any kinds of flour you like.  My youngest son thought sunflower seeds would be a good addition.  I think you could also add dried raisins or dried cranberries for a variation, but haven't tried that yet.  While I was in Minnesota, they had wheat flour and a 7-grain breakfast mixture that I used, and that turned out great, too.

It's good to travel and spend time with the grandkids, but it's always good to be home, too.  I have been busy cutting strips and sewing on four quilt tops, simultaneously.  I'll put pictures up when I'm finished.  The two Scrappy Squares are getting borders, and I'm finishing a framed 9-Patch that I made a long time ago for a class sample.  The fourth quilt is a scrappy heart pattern using 1-1/2" pieces... 16 of them to form the 4" body of the heart, set on point.  And there are others already forming in my mind!  My mind is so much faster than my hands.  

I hope it's sunny wherever you are, and there is just enough rain to make your garden happy!  

Addendum to Scrappy Squares

A quilting friend asked if this pattern could be adapted to 1-1/2" strips, so I worked up a sample this morning.  Here is a picture of the Scrappy Square block using the smaller strips... each square is about 3-1/2", finishing to 3", so the completed block would finish to 6".  I started with strips that were only half the width of the fabric, and got 7 squares from the half width, plus a little more... so you could possibly get 15 squares from the whole strip width.  That would make 3 blocks with 3 squares left over.  The photo to the right demonstrates the cutting process plus 4 squares set together (not yet sewn).  Now to experiment with 9-patch blocks separating the Scrappy Squares... I think it would be pretty with a fussy-cut rose in the center of the 9-patch.  I'll keep you posted!  Happy sewing!

April Showers and Scrappy Squares

It's already mid-April, and our weather has been alternating between rain and sunshine.  I prefer sun, but I know we need the rain. It's certainly better than northern Minnesota, where they had another wet snowfall over the weekend!  The rain also brings time to think... time to remember... time to ponder the scraps of my life... all the bits and pieces that have been joined together to fashion who I am.  I think of the people who have moved through my life and added the color, the laughter, and sometimes the tears.

Families fashion who we are, as well.  I watch my grandchildren moving through their lives... sometimes hurrying so fast to grow up that they fail to appreciate the importance of living in the moment.  Growing up doesn't always bring with it the ability to be responsible... that is a lesson we learn through the choices we make, by sometimes stumbling and being forced to make different choices, and sometimes simply by being wise enough to recognize the examples others might provide for us, whether those examples are positive or painful.  As parents (and grandparents) we come to know that we cannot prevent the pain, any more than we can provide the happy endings.  Always, we can surround them with love and support their decisions... with praise when their choice is made with wisdom, and oftentimes with silence when it is not.  If we believe in a higher power, we can pray that they will receive the protection that we cannot provide.

The rainy weather gives me a chance to hibernate in my house and work on projects, since I'm not inclined to venture out in bad weather.  My current project is a Scrappy Squares quilt... a pattern I've been wanting to execute in fabric for a long time, but have been procrastinating.  I have projects already bagged up waiting for the finishing touches, and didn't need another one... or so I kept telling myself.  But there are days when my energy level just isn't up to hunkering down and doing the work it takes to finish them up.  I keep telling myself that one of these days, I will feel energetic and able to be on my feet for long enough to get some quilts pinned, ready for machine quilting... and one day that will happen.  It's happened before, so I know it's possible!  But today isn't that day.  I always seem to have more ideas than energy, and the creative urges are strong within me, and so I create... believing that some day the mundane finishes to the creativity will happen, also.  

Scrappy Squares Quilt:

2-1/2” strips of light pattern fabric

2-1/2” strips of dark pattern fabric

Tools needed: 

½ square triangle ruler

6-1/2” square ruler

12” square ruler

Rotary cutter and mat

Sew one light strip to one dark strip.  Set seam by ironing on wrong side, dark side up.  Then lift dark fabric up and press from the right side, and the seam will be pressed toward the dark fabric.  Make two sets.  Join into a tube, alternating dark and light fabrics.  Press tube flat.   See photo at the right.

Cut triangles with a right angle ruler. See photo at the left.  There will be just a few stitches at the top of the angle.  Open these stitches… you probably won’t even need a seam ripper.  Again, set seam on triangle by ironing the stitching, dark side up.  Lift point and press from right side, pressing the seam toward the dark fabric.  You should get 8 triangles from each strip.  When pressed open, they form 6” squares.  Square them up using a 6-1/2” square ruler.  Each square should measure 6” when finished.  Join in sets of two, alternating light and dark points.  Photo below shows 4 strips joined before joining them into the tube, and also what the square will look like and how they should be joined to form the block.

Work gently, as you will be working with bias sides on your square.  Join 2 sets of two  to form an 11-1/2” square.  Square this up, if necessary.  To make a scrappy quilt, each strip should be of a different fabric.  It takes 4 of the 6” squares to make the large square.  Note that each “tube” of 4 strips, 2 light and 2 dark, will yield eight 6” squares, or two 11-1/2” blocks when joined.  Figure how big you want your quilt… for example, if you want your quilt to be a lap quilt for your sofa, you might want to make it 55” x 66”, and therefore need 30 squares (5 squares wide by 6 squares long).  You can add a border to extend the size somewhat and frame your quilt blocks.  Since we know it takes 4 strips (2 light and 2 dark) to make 2 full squares, in order to obtain 30 squares, you will need 15 total units, or sixty 2-1/2” strips, half light and half dark. 

 Join the 11-1/2” squares in rows, making sure to butt them to opposite colors.  See photo at the left, which shows 16 blocks.  Try to space the squares in such a way that each one is next to a different color.  Add borders, then quilt as desired. If you like, you can make the pattern in just two colors.  I chose to use jewel tones for my quilt… purples, blues, and greens in various shades.  This is an easy quilt to make, even though the sides are bias.  I pinned them carefully without stretching, and it worked up beautifully without distortion.  I plan to put a light 2-1/2” border all around the quilt top, then add a piano key border to each side, binding in a darker color, and will probably quilt in the ditch with a walking foot.  

There is usually a sense of satisfaction and accomplishment when we can convert our thoughts and ideas into fabric.  Our friends give us praise for a job well done.  We gratefully accept their accolades... feeling fortunate to be able to release the artist within us by working with fabrics as well as other mediums.  But perhaps the highest accolade we can receive is from our children... at least, it is for me.  My oldest son and I were dancing to It's a Wonderful World, the Mother/Son dance at his wedding, and he whispered in my ear that when he hears this song, it reminds him of how I raised him to see life.  I think that may be the highest praise I've ever received.  

Dandelions and Caramel Apple Puffed Pancake

My yard is a riotous patchwork of color... filled with patches of violets and golden dandelions.  I'm sure my citified neighbors don't appreciate the fact that I refuse to put weed killer on my yard.  These so-called weeds are wonderful healers... whether in tincture form or flower essences.  The Native American root doctor, Tis-Mal Crow, taught that the plants know before we do what we need, and to watch for the plants that "volunteer" in our yards.  I am not yet familiar with the plants in this area of Ohio, but I do know the value of Dandelions!  

Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), rich in minerals, was probably introduced into European medicine by the Arabian physicians who were writing about its virtues in the tenth century, and it has sustained its strong medicinal reputation ever since!  Young maidens used the feathery seed balls of the Dandelion to determine if their true loves were really true: a maiden would blow on the Dandelion three times and if at least one of the fuzzy seeds remained, it meant her sweetheart was thinking about her. Dandelion leaf is a good natural source of potassium, rather than depleting the body’s potassium supply as is the case with diuretic drugs.  It makes an ideally balanced diuretic, and modern herbalists still value it as the diuretic of choice for treating rheumatism, gout, edema, heart disease, high blood pressure and in inflammation and congestion of the liver and gall bladder.  Dandelion has a reputation as a blood-cleanser and is considered helpful for many eczema-like skin problems that result when the kidneys or liver don’t remove impurities from the blood, as well as being a specific in cases of congestive jaundice. It is also suggested for women’s hormonal imbalances and PMS, and has been found to reduce blood sugar.  Even the most serious cases of hepatitis have rapidly been cured, sometimes within a week, with Dandelion Root tea, taken 4 to six cups daily with a light diet.  Young dandelion leaves are traditionally eaten in salads for their taste.  The roots may be roasted to produce an excellent coffee substitute that is naturally caffeine-free.  All parts of the plant are used for wine or tonic beers.  About 93 species of insects visit Dandelion for its nectar, and it is an important honey plant.  Possible side effects:  The fresh latex that appears as white sticky liquid in the root and stem can be caustic and cause skin irritations.  One advantage of this property, however, is that it removes warts if applied religiously a few times a day. Since the pain in my ankles and feet is especially bad today, I think I need to go out and pick some of those fresh leaves and flowers and brew myself some tea!  

As a flower essence, Dandelion may be beneficial for compulsive 'doers' who tend to cram too much into their lives, pushing themselves and leaving little time for relaxation, Dandelion releases the physical and emotional tension that accumulates in the body, particularly in the neck and shoulders; brings courage and endurance to those who feel worn out or discouraged. Dandelion reminds us we have right to be here. An excellent essence for those who are hindered by their own shyness. Excellent purifiers of intention, allowing us to look carefully at our deepest motives and impulses.

A few months ago, my daughter took me to the Original Pancake House, and she ordered a German Caramel Apple Pancake.  It reminded me that I used to make a similar oven puffed-pancake when my children were young, so I came home and dug up the recipe and tried it several times!  My daughter-in-law made these Caramel Apple Puffed Pancakes for brunch today for her family. It's a cloudy, gloomy day here in Cincinnati today, so it's a good day to put this recipe up on my blog!

Caramel Apple Puffed Pancake:

Put 3 Tablespoons butter to melt in a 9" glass pie plate in oven while oven is preheating.  When melted, add 3 Tablespoons brown sugar and stir well.  The butter will still separate a bit, but that's okay.  While butter is melting, peel and thinly slice 1 or 2 tart apples (I used Gala). You can add a Tablespoon or two of white corn syrup to make a softer caramel topping, if desired.

Mix in small bowl: 

2 large eggs, whisked until well blended

Add & whisk together:

1/2 cup milk

1/2 cup flour

1 Tablespoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon vanilla

few grinds of nutmeg (or can use ground, about 1/8 teaspoon), optional

Pour batter over butter/brown sugar mixture. Put sliced apples on top of batter. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon.

Bake at 400 degrees for about 20 minutes. Pancake will be cooked and puffed around the edges.

Turn onto plate.  EAT & enjoy!  

Rag Quilts and Ramblings

It's hard to believe that just a few days ago I had the air conditioner on... and now I have the heat going again!  I finally gave in and turned the heat on when the thermostat in my house dropped to  62 degrees and I was freezing.  We have warmer weather on the way again, but evidently the circuit board for my air conditioning unit hasn't come in yet, as the repairman hasn't been back to fix it.  He rigged it so it works, but the fan runs continuously.  He said it is actually preferable to run the fan always, as it circulates the air better whether it is heating or cooling, and is minimal in cost, estimating around an additional $15.00 per year.  He also said it is less stressful to the furnace or air conditioning unit to run the fan continuously.  My oldest son was here when the repairman came, and he said from an energy standpoint, he thought it's preferable to put the strain on the unit rather than further deplete our energy sources!  He's the quietest of my children, but has always been an activist for human rights and our environment.  He's the one I go to for advice, politically, also.  He's informed and not shy about expressing his opinions to me.  


Cool weather brings thoughts of quilts again.  Our quilting group at church has made a lot of Rag Quilts for Project Linus, which distributes them to babies in hospitals.  A few of us do the actual sewing, while others do the pinning and snipping.  I have learned through experience NOT to wash and dry them in my own laundry room, as I clogged the dryer and had to have a repairman come and fix it.  Next time, I will bring them to the laundromat and do them there... and save my appliances.

RAG QUILT

Supplies needed:

sharp scissors

rotary cutter

cutting ruler/guide

cutting mat

sewing machine

neutral colored thread  (white or off-white)

quilting pins

You will need:

7" squares of flannel for the front and back of each square and 6" squares of batting to sandwich between.  You can use any weight, but should be consistent throughout the quilt.

You might want to use the same fabric for the backing squares, with a variety of prints for the front.  This is a quilt where just about anything goes and you can use up your leftover fabrics and pieces of batting left from other projects. 

 Amount of fabric needed (Figures are based on fabric that is 44” wide):

Each 7" strip of fabric will yield 6 squares, and your finished block size will be 6", with 1/2" seams on all sides.  You can compute the total yardage needed by figuring out how big you want your quilt, how many squares of fabric you will need, and multiplying it out. 

Baby quilt, 36" square:  36 squares of backing flannel and 36 squares for the front, plus 36 batting squares = 6 squares per 7” strip, and since you need 36 squares, that is 6 strips, so you will need a total of 42” of fabric each for the backing and front (7” strips yielding 6 squares each, 6 strips X 7” = 42”), approximately 1-1/4 yards each, front and back.  Baby quilt, 36 X 42":  42 squares of backing flannel, 42 squares front squares, plus 42 batting squares.  Fabric needed:  approximately 49” (approximately 1-1/2 yards each).

Of course, you can make them bigger, using these guidelines to figure the amount of fabric needed.

 Directions:

Sandwich batting square between a back and front square, with the right side of both pieces of flannel facing out and the batting on the inside.  Pin at each side of the square through all thicknesses (4 pins parallel to the edges) and sew diagonally across all thicknesses, stitching an “X” on the square, corner to corner.  When all “sandwiches” have been completed, sew them together in strips (I use 3 pins on each seam, with the 1/2” seam on the right side.  The back side will look finished when it is sewn.  Sew strips together to form the quilt, and sew around all four outside edges, ½” from edge.  Clip ALL seams just to stitching, every ¼”, including the outer edge.  Be careful not to clip into stitching line, but clip as close to the seam as possible.  When all seams have been clipped, wash and dry your quilt to form the shaggy look.  

 Note:  You can use any size squares or rectangles you wish.  Just make sure your batting is about 1” smaller than the front and back, and that the front and back are the same size.  You can also use denim or homespun, as these will fray easily, as well.  I do not pre-wash any of the fabrics.  

I found some special "snippers" at JoAnn Fabrics made especially for snipping these types of quilts, and they really simplify the job and make it much less stressful on the "scissor hands".  These quilts are soft and as colorful as you want to make them.  Since I quilt, I like having a pattern that uses up all the little pieces left over from quilting bigger quilts.  I sew pajamas for my grandchildren and lounge pants for my children, so the leftover flannel is put to good use in these Rag quilts, also.  My granddaughter, Maddie, made one of these Rag quilts for her nephew when he was born, almost a couple of years ago.  It was a fun project for her, and a good way for a beginner to learn to sew.  

I was planning to make a trip to Minnesota this coming weekend to help Quentin celebrate his 7th birthday on April 2nd, but cancelled my plans today.  (The photo to the right is Quentin Howard with my father, Howard, his namesake.  It was taken about 3 years ago... would you believe my dad was just a few years from 90 there?)  I will go at the end of April instead, and babysit all three of my Minnesota grandchildren while their parents take a romantic weekend trip together.  They think I'm doing them a favor... and I KNOW I am the one on the receiving end... they are giving me a wonderful opportunity to be a live-in grandma, enjoying my grandbabies for that time!  Perhaps I will have to do a little spoiling, while I'm at it!  I hope you have children around you, too, reminding you to look at the world through their eyes of innocence and wonder.

Blogging and Time

Tax time again... I don't know why I tend to put it off for so long, when I could just take the bull by the horns and tackle it on February 1st... or 15th... or even at the end of the month.  But... I wait until March rolls around... and rolls... and then before I know it, there's only a couple of weeks to the deadline!  And I am feeling stressed.  There really aren't many reasons for me to be stressed these days.  I'm retired!  And it's the best job I've ever had.  I can do what I want to do when I want to do it and for as long as I want to do it... or not.  I can work on a project until 4:00 a.m. and sleep until I wake up (or the phone wakes me).  Retirement can lead to a lack of scheduling altogether, and perhaps that isn't such a positive thing.  It's far too easy to put things off.  When I was working, I was forced to make better use of my time.

Now I have time... time to write a blog and read others' blogs. One blog that really caught my eye today is Michele's "With Heart and Hands".  Today's blog was especially appropriate, I thought... Coloring Outside the Lines:  http://www.with-heart-and-hands.com/2012/03/coloring-outside-lines.html
Too often we restrict ourselves by staying inside the lines, and it's good to give ourselves permission to stray outside occasionally.  And while you're at her site, read about her  Alzheimer's Art Quilt Initiative.  The quilts can be no larger than 9" by 12", and they are auctioned off to support  Alzheimer's research.  Hers is a very moving story, and introduces us first-hand to an extremely worthy cause.  All that's needed is the time it takes to sew a lot of love and hope into a little bit of fabric.  There are pages of photos of quilts that have been donated.  Michele's site also links to a  lot of free block patterns.

Another blog that I enjoyed today was Laurie's KniceKnitties:  http://www.kniceknitties.blogspot.com/
Laurie's blog today teaches you how to crochet Scrunchies... so colorful, cute and easy!  Both of these blogs link to other pages, as well.

Blogging might be seen as a waste of time to some, but for me it's a lifeline to the outside world.  Moving from the small town of Chisholm on Minnesota's Iron Range to the big city of Cincinnati, Ohio, I missed my friends of over 40 years terribly!  My telephone and computer keep me in touch with most of them.  And unlike years past when we had only snail mail or expensive telephone bills if we wanted to communicate with friends and family, today we can be in touch in an instant.  With Skype, we can even see our loved ones while we talk to them.

If you like making use of your time by multi-tasking, try crocheting these nylon net Scrubbies while you watch TV or visit.  They have many uses:  my youngest daughter says they are great for scrubbing foot callouses.  My youngest son loves them for cleaning his white-wall tires.  Most of us find them nearly indispensable in the kitchen or bathroom.

Cut 1 ½” strips across the width (72”) of stiff nylon net.   I usually get 2 yards of each color and put cut ends together to make a 1-yard piece.  Fold in half lengthwise, and again, in quarters, so you have a piece that is 1 yard long and about 5” wide when folded.  It works well to use a rotary cutter and ruler.  Each 2 yard piece makes 4 or 5 scrubbies (depending on how wide you cut your strips), with a few extra pieces leftover, which can be put together with other colors to make “scrappy scrubbies”.   Each scrubbie takes 8 strips.  Size J crochet hook.

Tie 8 lengths together with tails about 6” to 8” long.  If the net isn’t really stiff, I tie longer tails so it is more firmly stuffed when finished (the tails provide stuffing for ball).  Wind them loosely into a ball before beginning, if you choose.  I usually cut and wind all the balls before I begin to crochet the scrubbies.  Place them all in a bag and you are ready to go whenever you need some “pick up” work. 

Chain 3.  Join with slip stitch. Chain 1 (1st single crochet); Work 2 single crochet in the top of each chain (6 stitches). Row 2 & 3:  Work 2 single crochets in each stitch around for 2 more rows (24 stitches around). 

Rows 4 and following rows:  1 single crochet in the top of each single crochet around. 

When 6 tails (7 strips) have been used, turn right side out and using 8^th strip, begin to decrease, working one single crochet in the top of every other single crochet until top is closed.   End with slip stitch in last stitch.  Pull remaining end through to knot and hide in center of ball.

When I was visiting my son and his family last year, his cats got into my tote bag of nylon balls waiting to be crocheted... and there were bits of colorful nylon net shredded all over the floor!  What fun they had!!!  I'm glad I could put some joy in their life, however unwittingly.  Gabriella and Griffin helped me clean up the mess, all of us laughing hilariously while we worked.  The cats sat innocently on the sidelines, pretending not to notice us.

Marching into Spring

Cincinnati didn’t have much winter weather this year!   Here, in mid-March, we are having record-breaking high temperatures in the 80s.  Unbelievable!  The Bradford Pear trees on my boulevard are blossoming.  The bushes and trees that border my back yard are leafing out, once again giving the impression that I am alone in the “woods”, as they block out the view of any houses beyond the trees (see the photo below).  The Forsythia bushes around my deck are blooming, and the bright yellow blossoms are a welcome sight and good eye candy.  Squirrels scamper along the cables beyond the deck, performing on the high wire.

Today, there was someone mowing across the street from me, but my grass isn’t long enough to mow yet.  The weather has been dry, and I lost 2 majestic pine trees in the last two years.  The lovely Dogwood tree in my front yard died the first winter I was here, and I haven’t replaced it yet.  I would love to put in some fruit trees… dark cherry and peach… but I am sure the squirrels and birds would eat the fruit before it ripens enough for me to pick.  It wasn’t warm enough in northern Minnesota to plant any fruit trees other than apple, and I had three varieties of apple trees in my back yard there. There are berry trees edging my back yard here, and we’ve only tasted the berries a time or two… otherwise, the birds and animals pick them clean. 

My children were all here this past weekend, and it was so hot we turned the air conditioner on.  By Monday, it had stopped cooling and I had to call a repairman (thank goodness for home warranty insurance!).  He "hotwired" it to work, but had to order a new circuit board.  Without the air conditioning, our allergies were having a hay-day!  Now, it's nice and cool again, and the air is allergen-free.   

This is the season for allergies and colds to flare up.  I have atomizers in my bathrooms, and fill them with Thieve’s Blend Essential Oil, especially when I have company coming.  If I feel a scratchy throat heralding a cold, I tuck a tissue with a few drops of the oil into my shirt, so I am inhaling it all day, and it usually wards off the cold.  Herbal legend tells us that robbers looted homes during the Black Plague, and the blend of essential oils prevented them from contracting the disease, hence the name “Thieve’s Blend”. Here is the “recipe” I use.  I use the dropper in the oil to measure each one.  I don’t count out drops, but fill the dropper about ¾ full, so the balance between all oils is roughly accurate.

Thieve’s Blend Essential Oil: 

18 droppers Clove essential oil
9 droppers Lemon essential oil

9 droppers Cinnamon Leaf essential oil

5 droppers Eucalyptus essential oil

5 droppers Rosemary essential oil

Combine in 1 oz. bottle. NOTE: NEVER use the essential oils directly on your skin.

Another natural remedy that is available to everyone is Garlic.  We use fresh minced Garlic on our salads daily, as well as in many of our foods. We love the flavor fresh Garlic adds, so it's easy for us to include in our daily diet.  Garlic supplements are available over-the-counter, if you prefer to take it in that form.  My younger sister told me that people mentioned to her that she smells like Garlic, and offered her breath mints!  She looked at the bottle of Garlic supplements that she was taking, and it was not odor-free, as she had thought.  So be aware that is available in odorless or regular form.  

I looked for a photo of some of the herbs in my garden in Minnesota, but didn't find any of the plants in this essential oil blend.  I did find a picture of the prettiest flower in my garden... granddaughter Madelyn, who loved to sit on the terrace and smell the flowers.  Now that lovely flower is blossoming into womanhood at 13, but I think she would still enjoy smelling the flowers.