catbird journal

Painted Turtle

2006-06-27T18:55:00.000-07:00

Yertle the turtle came wandering across the road. Some nice people stopped, rather than run it over, and put it on the other side of the road, which happend to be our front yard.

I think it was a "painted turtle". It was also, literally, painted, because it had the letters "PBR" painted on it's shell in pink nailpolish. What does that stand for anyway, "Pabst Blue Ribbon"? Stupid people.

Since we didn't think nailpolish remover would be such a good idea for a turtle, we gently chipped it off with our fingernails. My husband, Dave, my best friend, Joanna and I. It seemed pretty calm about the whole procedure.

We then put it into a galvanized washtub with a big rock to crawl on and some lettuce and peas from our garden to eat. We placed it in the sun. It seemed pretty content.

The next day we brought it to a nearby lake and let it go.

Bye Bye, Yertle. Hope you have a nice turtley life.

Look at that turtle go, Bro!

2006-06-27T18:54:00.000-07:00

Frog that came to visit.

2006-06-27T18:53:00.000-07:00

Mmmmmmm.....Peas.....

2006-06-17T06:08:00.000-07:00

Yum!

2006-06-17T05:10:00.000-07:00

Giant Ichneumon Wasp

2006-06-12T05:35:00.000-07:00

The other day I found a very interesting insect which I had never seen before. It was a bedraggled cat toy for the hordes of feral cats that my next-door neighbor feeds. I examined it and found it still alive. It was some kind of very large wasp, with a long tail. I guessed (correctly) that the "tail" was not a stinger, but an ovipositor. I examined it, took some pictures of the poor half-dead thing, and released it in an area with fewer feral cats.

Since the pictures didn't come out very well, I decided not to use them on my blog. The very next morning, as I was leaving for work, what did I find but another one of these weird bugs, right on the hood of my car! I went into the house and grabbed the camera, and here it is!

A little google searching taught me that the female giant ichneumon wasp uses it's long ovipositor to drill into a dead tree and lay it's eggs which then parasitize the larvae of another type of wasp living in the wood. The ichneumon larvae keeps the host larvae alive, while eating it from within. Something which has apparently been disturbing theologians for a long time.

As Annie Dillard wrote in (one of my favorite books) Pilgrim at Tinker Creek :

Fish gotta swim and birds gotta fly, and insects, it seems, gotta do one
horrible thing after another.

Still, this living thing was not alien to me, however distasteful it's behavior might seem from a human point of view. Perhaps the mystery of life is not the seeming cruelty or indifference of nature, (the universe, God, etc...) but our own mammalian empathy and compassion. We are the anomaly. Yet we too are part of the this strange mix.

I love nature, and I love the Creator, but I try not to romanticize either. We can't know. Life is bigger than us. That is a hard truth to accept sometimes. Still, it is interesting to study, discover and wonder, in our limited way.

This insect actually looked directly at me, it's head and eyes reminded me of a praying mantis. It looked intelligent, but alien. It's job is necessary. I found it beautiful.

But I'm sure glad I'm not the wasp larvae it will be parasitizing.

Landscape

2006-06-12T03:59:00.000-07:00

I've often thought that I would like to paint giant landscapes framed by car windows. This is how we see the landscape now.

Peonies

2006-06-04T17:26:00.000-07:00

These came from our garden, and I wish you could smell them. They smell *so good*! I had never grown peonies before, but the people who owned the house loved them and planted them all around. When they bloomed that first year I was amazed, and I still feel that way every spring.

Peonies are fleeting. The blooms are over-the-top fabulous for only a week or so in early June, and then they shatter and turn to lots of wet pink kleenex all over the place. Very messy. But I think they are well worth it.

It's Nettle Time Again

2006-06-03T05:23:00.000-07:00

I began this blog a year ago at nettle time. One of my first posts was about gathering nettles at my friend Liz's house last May. Here I am again! Last weekend I went to Liz's to get some more nettles.

Don't they look lovely and healthy? And nettle tea helps keep me healthy. I knelt down in the grass to meditate and communicate gratitude to the plants. I gave them a pinch of tobacco. I felt a little self-conscious, since Liz stood nearby, and I know she doesn't share my view of plants. But even so, I felt the plants' particular energy. Having drunk nettle tea all year, it was easier to tune in to their beauty.

As I gathered them I wore gloves, but my arms were bare. Liz was surprised that I wasn't bothered by the stings. I got a few on my wrists and forearms, but they were mostly just itchy to me, like mosquito bites. I guess to her they are very painful.

She shook her head at me as I went about my work. I showed her (again) how the dock plants growing nearby can be used to stop the nettle stings. She commented that she was always trying to get rid of the dock and how hard it is because it has such deep roots. I told her that the young dock greens could be cooked for food and how the roots could be tinctured. I told her they were nutritious and excellent for building iron in the blood. Her son, Joel, who is 8 stood nearby. He said: "Those are weeds. We don't eat weeds". I could tell that was Liz's view too.

On the other hand, Joel seemed interested in my little ritual, and asked if he could give the plants a pinch of tobacco too, so I showed him how. Despite his declaration about the "weeds" maybe he will see another perspective later on.

I asked Liz if she had tried eating any of the nettles last year, or making tea out of them. She said no, and told me that after I left, her husband would mow down this patch with a weed wacker. I was kind of upset by that, but she said "Oh don't worry, they grow back. That's prob. why these are so healthy, they get mowed all the time!" And I guess I can understand that she doesn't want them to spread, since her kids play in the yard.

Then we went inside to make some mint tea (apparently a "weed" that makes acceptable tea!) and brought it outside to drink under the tall lilac bushes. We observed a little bird going in and out and discovered 2 nests in the bush. I don't know what kind of bird it was, maybe a flycatcher? It was too quick for me to get a picture. We also watched a swallowtail butterfly in the lilacs. Our kids played together. We had a nice visit.

I like Liz, and I like her land. I do appreciate her sharing it with me. I hunt there in the fall too. We've known each other since High School. We used to always talk about having a farm. We both have big vegetable gardens. Liz studied sustainable agriculture in college. She worked with the Heifer Project in Africa.

But I feel sort of bad sometimes when I realize that she probably thinks I'm a little crazy. Well, I suppose I am. But not as crazy as I may seem. The things I do are things our ancestors did, it's only recently (in span of human existance) that we don't do these things anymore and we find them strange.

While I keep a garden, I guess I am also incorporating a kind of hunter-gatherer spirituality in my life that seems alien to most people in our culture. Maybe she thinks it's phony or something. It's not phony to me, though. It seems like the most natural thing in the world to me. The more I express my true feelings and self, the more strange I must appear to others. Even those who I thought would understand.

Oh well, I guess that's part of getting older. Things that are in us just have to come out eventually, whether or not other people find them odd.

swallowtail

2006-06-03T04:44:00.000-07:00

nest 1

2006-06-03T04:43:00.000-07:00

Heron....almost

2006-05-26T05:41:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I think I should call this blog: "Things I *almost* got a picture of"!

You can sort of see the blurry great blue heron as it flys off. This was right behind my garden, in my backyard.

I was getting ready for work when I heard Betsy give an excited little bark that sounded different from her normal "Let me in" bark. I went to look and there was the heron, fishing in the creek. I snuck around to the back porch with the camera and just caught it taking off.

Sorry this is such a totally crappy picture. It was taken through the porch window at a distance of about 100 yards, and the bird was in motion.

I've seen them in the creek many times, but I've never been quick enough to get a picture.

Sadly, this in no way captures the feeling of seeing this huge bird in your own backyard. I wish I could have shown its shrew efficient zen stillness as it poised looking for frogs and minnows. I wish I could have shown it's narrow tallness, it was as tall as Danny. I wish I could have captured it's nervous awareness that it was being watched, looking around, not seeing me but feeling me watching it. I wish I could show you it's grand prehistoric wingspan as it flew up. But this blurry image is all I have to show.

BTW: If you should ever want to help an injured heron, or one trapped in the ice or in a net: be aware that their first instinct is to aim that dagger sharp beak right for your human eyeball, and pluck it right out of your head.

Corn

2006-05-25T06:34:00.000-07:00

Maize Festival by Diego Rivera

I had a dream last night that I was having a long conversation with President Bush about GM corn.

Now, believe me, if I had a chance to have a real life convo with Bush, I'd be giving him a piece of my mind on *many* subjects, and corn would probably not be one of them! However, the person we are in dreams is different than the person we are in waking life, it seems. Shadowy, vague, unsubstantial, yet powerful in ways that we are not, and having motivations that are different from the motivations of the person awake.

So I talked to him about GM corn. Corn is the grain of this North American continent. The original wild strains of maize are thought to have come from Mexico. People there call it "Teosinte" and "Mother of Maize". I told him that this plant was very important, spiritually, to this continent, and that genetically modified transgenes that contaminated it could have a very negative, even disastrous effect on our country.

He actually listened and took this seriously, which surprised me. Perhaps he is different in the dream world too.

Bridal Veil

2006-05-20T14:50:00.000-07:00

Pretty, isn't it?

Aphids. Do they really harm roses?

2006-05-20T14:42:00.000-07:00

Because we've got a lot of them. Do I need to spray them off with a hose, or some kind of detergent/cayenne pepper/tobacco type thing? If I leave them there, what will they do?

These days, my gardening motto seems to be "wait and see". Watch. Observe. Wait. It seems like those aphids are food for something. They have their own reasons for being too. Why disturb them? The bush looks very healthy and it's covered with buds. It looks so healthy I think it wants to take over the front garden!

Besides, the truth is, I'm curious to know more about these tiny green suckers. Georgia Okeefe said: "No one ever really looks at a flower." I wonder, does anyone ever really look at bugs?

Poppies

2006-05-20T14:01:00.000-07:00

These may be Opium poppies. They came with the house. Big reddish-orange things. I used to try to dig them up but they always came back. I've grown to like them.

The buds seem kind of phallic to me.

Weedy weed.

2006-05-20T13:58:00.000-07:00

I have a big affection for this fuzzy weed growing by our old well. I think it's mullien? If so, it can be used as a smudge, like sage. Used to treat bronchial inflammation. Also good to make into an oil for earaches. I'll save some for the winter.

When our old well failed in 2004, it was a big trauma/drama for us, so somehow I feel this plant is growing right there as a sign of healing.

Hosta, one of many.

2006-05-20T13:56:00.000-07:00

I like this variety, with the big thick leaves. I'm not sure what it is. My garden markers have washed away. Plenty of forget-me- not's growing there too.

Bush on Global Warming.

2006-05-12T11:20:00.000-07:00

Will Ferrell - Bush on Global Warming (from Transbuddha) This is so hilarious.

You have to turn on your speakers for this one. It gets funnier and funnier as it goes along.

Nature's first green is gold...

2006-04-29T09:54:00.000-07:00

Nothing Gold Can Stay

Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
-- Robert Frost

Cherry Blossom Time

2006-04-29T08:56:00.000-07:00

I smelled the cherry blossoms today and they didn't smell at all the way I thought they would. They smell a little bit like honey, and oddly: a little bit like pepperoni!

Lots of honeybees buzzing around them. The peaches are blossoming too, they are pink. I'll take some pics of them later.

Taking a break from blogging...

2006-02-20T07:46:00.000-08:00

Hi guys! Sorry I haven't been updating my blog. I have been so busy with the Environmental Biology class I'm taking, I don't really have the time to keep up with it. However, I will return at the end of the semester, in early May. And when I do, I'll have a lot to say about nature and ecology. I'm learning a lot and thinking a lot, and I will be back. So please don't forget me! :-)

I may post a few things between now and then, but only sporadically.

One thing I'd like to say that I learned in my class is this:

If global warming continues as it's expected to, there may not be any more sugar maples in NY State. They need a cold period, apparently. No more maple syrup industry in NY, no more brilliant color in the fall, no more little "helicopter" seed pods fluttering to the ground. No more sticking them to your nose. No more canopy of green leafy maples arching over the streets. I can't imagine that.

I'll be an old woman by then and my son will be 48 years old. We'll be the old farts telling younger people how beautiful the maples used to be in NY, and they'll think it's normal that you have to drive much further north to see them.

Maybe this isn't as drastic as some of the other predicted harm that may come from global warming, but it struck home with me. I am intimately connected with the plants in my little area of the world. The sugar maple is that ubiquitous tree we all love, yet take for granted. How could it leave us? It hits me hard. I feel so sad about that.

UPDATE: Hey, guess what? I just came from an awesome workshop with this old retired veterinarian, Alcott Smith, who is FULL of woodslore and natural history knowledge, and we talked a bit about global warming and I asked him about the maples and he said it's not all the maples that will be affected, just the sugar maples. They need a temp of 34 degrees F to germinate. He said it's prob true that they won't be in this area anymore, but at least we'll still have some other maples, like red maples. Just thought I'd let you know. :-) Love to all of you.

X Country skiing pic 9

2006-01-30T17:09:00.000-08:00

The Snow Man
by Wallace Stevens

One must have a mind of winter
To regard the frost and the boughs
Of the pine-trees crusted with snow;
And have been cold a long time
To behold the junipers shagged with ice,
The spruces rough in the distant glitter
Of the January sun; and not to think
Of any misery in the sound of the wind,
In the sound of a few leaves,
Which is the sound of the land
Full of the same wind
That is blowing in the same bare place
For the listener, who listens in the snow,
And, nothing himself, beholds
Nothing that is not there and the nothing that is.

X Country skiing pic 8

2006-01-30T17:05:00.000-08:00

X Country skiing pic 7

2006-01-30T17:03:00.000-08:00

Still some green moss and ferns under the snow.

X Country skiing pic 6

2006-01-30T17:02:00.000-08:00

X Country skiing pic 5

2006-01-30T17:01:00.000-08:00

Many of the trails go right along the rushing creek.

X Country skiing pic 4

2006-01-30T17:00:00.000-08:00

Pretty, eh?

X Country skiing pic 2

2006-01-30T16:59:00.000-08:00

That's little Danny skiing ahead of me on the trail.

X Country skiing pic 1

2006-01-30T16:55:00.000-08:00

My new exercise machine!

2006-01-29T09:59:00.000-08:00

This is my birthday and Christmas present - the Country Living Grain Mill. I've wanted one for years, I'm so excited! Dave also bought me the cute little cabinet it's mounted on, and I have already filled it up with grain.

This is what the whole wheat flour looks like after grinding.

2006-01-28T22:04:00.000-08:00

Why would I want to grind my own flour? It is a lot more work then buying bread in the store.

But, it's tastier and healthier. I tried the low-carb diets, and I lost weight quickly, but I couldn't stick to it. Bread is the staff of life, but the kind you buy in the supermarket is made from flour that is old, has lost most of it's nutrients, and has often had the bran and germ removed. Also, the way it is ground heats it up to the point that many nutrients are lost. It also loses flavor. This flour is fresh, it contains all the parts of the grain. I bought organic hard spring wheat from Sun Organic Farm.

Homemade bread, right out of the oven.

2006-01-28T22:03:00.000-08:00

The smell was soooooooo yummy. Nothing like that smell of baking bread!

I used a terra cotta breadpan for one of them. I love the way it makes the crust nice and crisp and the inside steamy and tender. I plan to get another one soon.

Mmmm. Fresh bread.

2006-01-28T22:01:00.000-08:00

It didn't rise as much as I wanted it to, but I'm still learning. I have some plans for geting my next batch to rise higher.

It was delicious!

Sorry I'm not around as much lately!

2006-01-26T12:45:00.000-08:00

Hi Everyone! I'm taking a Biology class this semester so I'm kinda busy, but I'll try to get some blogging in soon. I want to tell you all about how Dave bought me a grain mill for Christmas and I've been grinding my own grain and baking homemade bread, and stuff like that. Also, I want to show you my knitting, and take some pictures of the beautiful spot where Danny and I are going cross-country skiiing lately. I hope to post some stuff this weekend.

In the meantime, my dearest pal Joanna has a new blog I want you all to read, called Teach Choice. Check it out!!! :-)

Ok, now I must go look at tiny little creatures under microscopes. Yay! See ya later.

I am a margarita! :-)

2006-01-26T12:39:00.000-08:00

You Are a Margarita

You aren't just the life of the party, you are the party!You mix a good drink, bust out some great music, and know how to get down.

What Mixed Drink Are You?

Borrowed this quiz from "Do Not Enter the Tearoom". :-)

It says I am my favorite drink! Mmmmm. Wish I had one right now. With salt.

Tulsi Tea

2006-01-18T14:36:00.000-08:00

Tulsi is a new friend to me. She refreshes me, smells and tastes good, clears the mucus from my lungs, nose, and throat, calms my cough, makes me feel warm inside. What more could I ask for in a friend?

http://www.yogitimes.com/12_2005/aromatherapy.html

http://www.omorganics.com/product_pages/teas.htm

http://www.horizonherbs.com/tulsi-seed-plant.html

Sick

2006-01-15T15:52:00.000-08:00

Sorry I haven't posted. We have the flu.

Not the pseudo-flu, but the real-honest-to-God-used-to-kill-people-fever-of-103-body-aches--teeth-chattering-chills-headache-hacking-unproductive-cough-choking-on-phlem-can't-breathe- sleep-all-day-in-sweaty-sheets-and-beg-for-mercy-influenza.

All three of us.

Yuck.

Send us some good thoughts, will ya? Thanks.

Soldiers-per-gallon

2006-01-11T07:44:00.000-08:00

http://store.pomosideshow.com/

I just received these bumper stickers. I put one on my car and one on the door of my office.

Carl the cataloguer says my tires might get slashed. Ah well, you gotta do what ya gotta do! :-)

3 Quick Things To Say...

2006-01-09T16:08:00.000-08:00

I have just a few minutes and 3 things to tell you guys.

1) Danny and I started cross-country skiing on Sat and we love it! It's so fun and it's great exercise. It was a beautiful, sunny, cold day with snow, and pine trees, and a half-frozen creek, and little birds all around. When I woke up the next day I had pains in muscles I didn't know I had. :-) We will do it again next week.

2) You know you truly love someone when you hear these words in the middle of the night: "Mommy, I threw up in my bed!" and a little boy in pukey pajamas comes into your room and wakes you from a sound sleep and tells you his bed is "covered in throw up", so you get up and help him clean up and get new pajamas, sheets and pillows, all the while gagging yourself. And no matter how gross it is, you are more concerned with how that little person feels than with your own discomfort. That's love. I did that last night.

3) I'm taking a class in environmental biology this coming semester! I'm a little scared. I'm an arts and humanities type so wish me luck!

That's it! Gotta read bedtime stories with Danny.

January 8th Will Be Guerilla Impeachment Day!

2006-01-04T12:46:00.000-08:00

Jan 8 is the day to tell everyone you think Bush should be impeached. Make some stickers and/or signs and stick them in public places.

I'm planning to participate in this. In fact, I couldn't wait so I've already made some stickers and placed them around my town. I've given out stickers to some friends who say they'll do it too. It only takes a few minutes to do and it made me feel better.

I recommend it - if for no other reason than it provides some much needed stress-relief. :-)

Frozen Lake

2006-01-03T17:04:00.000-08:00

Winter sunset

2006-01-03T16:59:00.000-08:00

Hahahahahaha!

2006-01-03T16:57:00.000-08:00

We saw this giant woody-woodpecker in my Nana's backyard in Northern New Jersey.

Gray Christmas

2006-01-03T16:55:00.000-08:00

Foggy Christmas

2006-01-03T16:54:00.000-08:00

Missing Mink

2006-01-03T16:52:00.000-08:00

Tried to get a pic of the little mink who was playing in the water of the creek on Christmas Day. He dove under water and popped back up again, but I never could capture him with the camera. Still, it was cool. Pop! Goes the weasel!

Happy Holidays!

2005-12-24T08:34:00.000-08:00

These crazy little snowmen were made by Danny and his friend while they were waiting for the schoolbus the other day. They got a little melted before I could take their pictures, but I thought I'd share them anyway!

Hope you are having a wonderful holiday, however you celebrate. Peace.

Red-tailed Hawk Returns...

2005-12-20T13:00:00.000-08:00

Remember how I told you guys a few weeks ago about the red-tailed hawk that flew down from a tree and over the hood of my car, right in front of my windshield, for several minutes? Well, the SAME THING happened again on Sunday. Isn't that weird?

I was in the passenger's seat this time, and it flew directly in front of me, I was so afraid we would hit it. It was really close.

The oddest thing was, Dave, (who was driving), didn't even see it! He had his sun visor down and I guess it blocked his view. Danny was in the backseat and he saw it though.

What's up with that? Do hawks normally swoop down into traffic and fly right in front of the windshield of cars? If so, why?

Maybe this is a mysterious hawk-message I need to investigate.

We got married in a fever, hotter than a pepper sprout... [UPDATED]

2005-12-16T10:42:00.000-08:00

I have that song stuck in my head today. I was singing it in the car on my way to work. I loved these guys, who didn't? Who could NOT love them?

I think I'm going to go see "Walk the Line" finally. I know nobody but nobody could really play either one of them, but I think I want to see it anyway.

UPDATE:

So we went to see Walk the Line last night. I liked it! I had this mental block about the movie because I said to myself: "nobody can play them", but then it dawned on me:"Well, *duh*, so what? Get over it." So I did.

I think Joaquin Phoenix really did a very good job. He was actually better than I expected him to be. Dave didn't like the movie and said he thought that Phoenix overacted and "chewed up the scenery" throughout the movie. This is kind of true in a way, yet it somehow worked for me. Yes, he did a little too much brooding, snarling and lip curling, yes he swaggers and poses a bit too much... but he kind of had to, in a way.

It's ironic, since I associate Johnny Cash with a kind of understatement and substance-over-style... yet he was also so naturally charismatic that in order to give him that large presence that most people just don't have, Phoenix had to overdo it. Does that make sense?

And, as Rusty points out in the comments below, Cash was a performer, and I'm sure at least some of his own gestures and mannerisms were studied. It's just that he was subtle enough in doing it that it seemed utterly convincing. Phoenix may fall short at times, but I think he does as good a job as any actor could do in that role.

Those are big shoes to fill, and a big voice too. As for the singing, Phoenix's voice isn't as deep as Johnnys, so he has to reach for it. He missed a few notes, but he does a decent job. At points, it's great!

Now, I'm biased, since I hold her in even higher regard, but I was a little disappointed in the choice of Reese Witherspoon to play June. I know the critics loved her. I think she's a really good actress, she obviously gave it her all, she had tremendous energy, skillful timing and even sang like June.

The thing is, Witherspoon is just too cute to play June. She doesn't have that slightly goofy-amazing-grace that June had. I kind of wish they had picked some unknown actress who had that quality instead.

June, (even more than Johnny, and that's saying a lot!) personified that quality of wabi-sabi that I love. She was both hillbilly-homely and radiantly beautiful at the same time. She was so unapologetically herself that she embodied the essence of "cool" to me, whatever that is.

I think Witherspoon made June seem too perfect, a little too calculating. Watching Walk the Line, it's obvious that he is crazy about her, but not that she is equally crazy about him. They do have chemistry on screen, but it mostly seems to flow from him to her. He comes across and a psycho-drug-mess, and she as an hard-headed angel. I know that's part of their mythology, but I think they could have tried to show a little more than that.

If you listen to the lyrics of "Ring of Fire", you know she was totally madly in love with this man who was married. It was an inner moral struggle. I think she really feared going to hell. The movie gives me the impression that she was just afraid of public disapproval for being perceived as a "homewrecker". I think that sells her short. I also think Vivian, Johnny's first wife, is shown in a poor light.

Still, overall, Walk the Line was enjoyable. There are some great moments in it, it's funny and touching and and the music is rocking. It's T-Bone Burnett just as much as it is Johnny Cash, but it's still good.

Of course, nobody could really be like Johnny and June, they were each so unique and so authentically themselves. But I've decided that's ok with me. I see the movie as sort of a tribute to them, and I'm glad there is one.

Uncle Kevin's Socks

2005-12-11T10:08:00.000-08:00

I finally finished these giant socks for my Uncle Kevin. I've been working on them off-and-on since about last year at this time. (People often ask me how long it takes to make things and it's hard to say, since I knit a bunch of different things at once, and often stop a project for months, only to pick it up again. )

Kevin is my favorite uncle (even if he is a Republican!). He's a charming and lovable guy. He tells funny, colorful, unpredictable stories with ease, and he has a fine singing voice too. Both of these qualities are enhanced by a few beers, which he does enjoy. At every family gathering he and my dad would get a little buzzed and sing very loud. For some reason this upset their wives, who would try to get them to shut up, but we kids loved it.

I can't hear: "Bye-bye Miss American Pie", "Blue Moon", "Molly Malone", "Sea Cruise" or any Beatle's tune without thinking of him. He gave me my first record albums: the Beatle's Abbey Rd and Sgt. Pepper's, and I listened to them a million times.

He's very Irish, and I love that about him. He's a lifelong local politician and attorney. Also a former judge, so he married my husband and I. He also helped us with the closing on our house, and always gives me legal advice for free. I'm happy to be mature enough now to recognize that he won't be around forever, and I should do something to show him I love him and I appreciate how much he means to me. He's had a bad case of Lyme disease lately, so I worry about him.

When I first tried to learn to knit there was much cursing, ripping back and feeling discouraged, but my uncle was very interested in my progress, and always asked me to knit him some heavy wool "hunting socks" (he doesn't hunt, he just calls them that). He described watching his grandmother knitting such socks for him, and every so often taking a sip of the whiskey she kept in the cabinet.

He kept pestering me about the socks, but back then I wondered if I'd ever learn to knit at all, let alone make socks on 4 double-pointed needles, or "turn a heel". I did want to though. I appreciated that he cared, and didn't just say: "Why don't' you just buy some socks, what's the point of trying to make them?" like the rest of my family did.

"What color should I make them?" I asked. "The color doesn't matter, any color. But really thick socks" he'd say, "made of wool".

As I persisted and was frustrated, and one night, at a certain point I felt my hands guided, as though by another pair of older woman's hands. Was it the hands of my sock-knitting, whiskey-drinking great-grandmother, from Co. Galway, who I never met? Or just developing muscle memory and motor neurons? Who knows? But I like to think it was her, and maybe she taught me so that I could finally make these socks for Uncle Kev. After that, my knitting improved dramatically.

Kevin is over six feet tall and has size 13 feet. These socks are so big they look silly! But I had him measure his feet, so I think they are right. Even if they are a little big, it's not hard to shrink them in the wash.

There is a story my mother always tells about how my uncle came to visit us when my dad was stationed in the Air Force at Waco Tx, and our dog, Rain, a German Shepherd puppy, chewed up his shoes. He had to go home on the plane wearing a pair of my dad's shoes, which were way too small. His heels hung off the back.

He's very skinny too, so I hope I didn't make the calves too big. (I have huge-former-waitress-calves, so I tend to make them on the big side, but he has string bean legs. )

The pattern was from my favorite, and most used knitting book: The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns by Ann Budd.

The yarn is a strand of gray Icelandic wool from Tongue River Farms (this is awesome yarn BTW, I bought it at the NY Sheep and Wool festival a few years ago, and I liked it so much I bought a bunch more of their yarn this year). and a strand of natural Brown Sheep Nature Spun sport weight held together to get that rag-wool look. They are really, really soft and not scratchy at all.

The idea of making the cuff, heel and toe natural and the rest of the sock gray came from Folk Socks: The History & Techniques of Handknitted Footwear by Nancy Bush. It's a traditional Irish/Scottish/Welsh type color combination. The author describes knitting a pair of socks like this in Wales, and an older man coming up to her and saying "My mother used to knit socks just like that".

I plan to wrap them with a big red satin ribbon and send them soon. I hope he likes them!

Voices of Katrina Survivors - Race, oppression and murder.

2005-12-09T07:07:00.000-08:00

I try not to dwell on politics, world events, etc., not because I am apolitical -- actually just the opposite. I have a tendency to get so caught up in worry, rage, despair etc. about these things that sometimes I can barely function in my own personal life, and I have to make an effort to avoid that state of mind. That's one of the reasons why I made this blog, to focus on the positive, on my spiritual side and on my connection with nature, which gives me strength.

However, once and awhile I have to make an exception, and let my feelings out because I can't hold them in, and this is one of those days.

Amy Goodman is my hero and role model. I try to listen to her radio show as often as I can. I feel she is one of the only journalists who has any integrity these days. This morning I listened to her show in the car on my way to work. As I listened to the voices and stories of black people who survived being kept in an armed camp, dehydrated, threatened and starved by our federal government, during a crisis in which those very government agencies were supposedly "helping" them, day by day white people selected out of the crowd to be relocated elsewhere... a piercing pain split my head and tears seeped from the corners of my eyes. I feel so enraged by this. My head is still killing me.

One woman said: "They really left us there to die, and the only thing that they didn't expect was how many of us did survive.."

Once again, as I have felt so many times, I am ashamed to be white in this racist country. I am furious. After all we've been through, after the Civil Rights movement haven't we learned one fucking thing?

And once again, the mainstream media doesn't allow the voices of the oppressed to be heard.

Please listen to the download of this program if you have a chance. We need to hear these voices. Only by shining light on these things and talking about them openly can we ever hope to get to a better place.

The Master Key

2005-12-08T10:27:00.000-08:00

I think this is interesting. A little New Agey, but hey, that never stopped me before! :-)

www.GiveMeTheMasterKey.com

Check it out!

Weekend Update (no Tina Fey, sorry!)

2005-12-05T09:11:00.000-08:00

On Friday Danny was a play at school that he and his friends made up. It was called "Utica on a School Night". It's about a group of kids who go to Utica (on a school night, natch) to see a rock concert, by a band called "The Centipedes". The band is late, and when they do arrive, they suck. The audience heckles them. The band apologizes and says they will play at their house for free. The audience is placated. The end. Danny played a "Rockin' out Grandpa". He went up to the band and said: "You Suck!" in an old-guy voice. It was pretty silly.

Saturday we just hung around in our pajamas all day and relaxed by the woodstove. I hennaed my hair. I should have been hunting but I didn't feel like it. At night we watched a documentary called "Hell House", about the Christian Right making these "Haunted Houses" to show what happens to sinners in hell. It was wacky.

Yesterday we were going to go with some of our friends to cut down a Christmas tree, but Ginny's father (who lived with them and who they were taking care of, he was very old) passed away in Sat. morning. The poor things. They really loved him.

It's so weird because Joanna's dad died last year right around Christmas too. What's with people dropping dead around the holidays? This is corny, but I had the radio on Sunday morning, listening to Christmas carols at breakfast, and James Taylor was singing "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas", and he changed the lyrics a bit, to "Throught the years, we all will be together, if the fates allow, if not we'll have to muddle through somehow..." and I thought how sad that was, then I called Ginny and heard her sad news... Ah well.

We put up the artificial tree we had in the garage and decorated the house. I put eggnog in my coffee. It was delicious. I tasted the fruitcake, alas: it was soggy. Too much booze perhaps? :-(

I went to the pet store and bought Danny a beta fish and a little tank to put it in. He named it Charles.

I also went to the supermarket and bought roasted chickens and mashed potatoes and other stuff to bring to Ginny's house, since no one wants to cook when they are grieving. And all those neighbors stop by and you have to feed them something.

This morning I discovered that my wallet is missing.

I went back to the supermarket this morning and they had the transaction on video, and it shows I put my wallet back into my pocket as I left. So it either 1) fell out of my pocket in the parking lot or in my car (I've searched my car 500 times) 2) was pickpocketed on my way out of the store or in the parking lot (I don't remember anyone following me, but I guess it could happen) 3) fell out of my pocket somewhere at Ginny's house (she can't find it) or 4) it's somewhere at home, although this seems unlikely since I normally keep it in my jacket pocket and had no reason to take it out (plus I've searched everywhere). I went to the bank this morning and cancelled my debit card. Bummer, but it could be worse I suppose!

How was your weekend?

UPDATE: I found my wallet! It was in my friend's driveway, all frozen, like a wallet-cicle. Everything was in it. What a relief!

Random stuff...

2005-12-01T12:19:00.000-08:00

Too busy to blog much lately you guys, but here's a quick summary for any who may be interested:

Thanksgiving: We visited some friends in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont and it was a really nice time, very relaxed and comfortable. We took a long walk in the snow, if you want to see pics, visit my pal Fangmonster's blog.

Deer hunting: No venison yet. For those who might find it offensive, fear not... I'm not very good at it. :-) Also, I haven't had as much time to hunt this year, I've only been out a few times.

My method of hunting is called "still hunting" or "stalking". It's one of the most difficult types of hunting to master. Deer, like cows, must chew their cud, so after feeding they lie down and do that. I move very slowly and quietly, into the wind, and try to sneak up on them in their "beds". I managed to do just that a few weeks ago. (I'm actually kind of proud of myself because this is the first time I've actually done it. Deer are hard to sneak up on. )

I only saw the big rear end of a deer, and the flashing white tail as it leapt away from me! It was close, only about 10 yards or so. I didn't shoot because I will only shoot if I get a clear shot at the vital area. But I thought: "What an excellent rump roast that would be!" :-)

Rather than try to follow it directly (which I decided would be pointless, as deer are a lot faster than humans and always watch their back trail) I decided to follow it along a parallell path, hoping to meet up with it at another point further ahead. But no, that deer was too tricky for me, and dissapered entirely. I tried the same spot a week later, hoping to catch it in it's bed again, but it wasn't there.

My husband says I am making things too hard for myself and that I might be better off next year to get a tree stand. He thinks the chances of being able to shoot a deer while still-hunting are pretty slim. Maybe he's right. I like still-hunting though, plus I think I would be totally cool if I really learn to do it well. I do get a little discourged at times though. Plus, I do actually want some venison, so... maybe next year I'll get a tree stand.

My class: It's almost over, thank God. I'm working on their final exam.

Knitting: I finished a pair of giant wool socks for my dear Uncle Kevin, and I'll put a pic of them up soon. I need to make Dave another pair. I need to knit a hat for my neice, Grace, too.

Now I'm caught up in a flurry of Christmas shopping. Danny wants bongo drums. :-) I just bought some boots for a certain someone I know... :-)

Soon we'll be cross-country skiiing, if we get any snow!

Almost Rifle Season

2005-11-13T08:40:00.000-08:00

It's almost rifle season for deer hunting in Upstate NY. About 3 years ago I got this intense desire to hunt whitetailed deer. I have no idea why. The thought had never occurred to me, but it became a persistent thought that wouldn't go away.

As an animal lover, a former vegetarian and member of PETA, and as a mild mannered middle-aged mom and librarian, this seemed completely out of character for me. I didn't grow up in a hunting family, and I didn't know anyone who hunted. I was afraid of guns. Yet I couldn't shake this feeling that this was something I was supposed to do. I feel the earth speaks to me sometimes, and in this case, it was something I couldn't ignore.

When you get to your mid-30's a weird thing happens. It's like these buried parts of yourself you didn't even know you had come to the surface, and you can accept them. Maybe you just realize that life is ephemeral and you might as well enjoy whatever weird thing it is you really like, no matter what anyone else thinks about it.

I started reading about it and became even more obsessed. I went to a workshop called "Becoming an Outdoors Woman", and fired a rifle for the first time. I was a good shot. They gave me a little pin as a award for being the best shooter. They called it "the Annie Oakley Award". It said: "Girls with guns have more fun". LOL.

I learned how to gut a deer. None of the other women who signed up for that part wanted to do it, so I did it. I was surprised that I wasn't shocked or upset by it, but I didn't like the smell!

I learned about the natural history of deer, their habits, ways to track them. I'm still learning that.

I bought a Ruger .243 and joined a hunting club. I practiced despite being intimidated by the old guys there who seem to think I'm a curiosity and stand behind me while I'm shooting with their arms folded, just staring. I need to practice more, though. Being able to shoot from the bench is very different from shooting in the field, offhand, kneeling, sitting or lying down.

I bought hunting clothing that I only wear once a year. I wash it with special soap and hang it out in a tree to dry.

I take time off from work for this. But not as much as I wish I could! :-)

I love it. I still haven't actually shot a deer, but I will. Maybe this will be the year. There is a lot more I want to write about this, but I'll save it for another post.

One thing I was to say is: the hours I've spent deer hunting have been some of the happiest of my life. The way I feel alone in the woods, just observing, smelling, listening... it's a kind of alive like no other.

I will try to share some of this with you guys over the next month or so.

November

2005-11-13T08:37:00.000-08:00

October in Upstate NY is so colorful, but November is beautiful in another way. Maybe I prefer it?

2005-11-13T08:30:00.000-08:00

I think this is called teasel.

2005-11-13T08:29:00.000-08:00

I'm always facinated by the way the light illuminates the dried grasses and seedheads, but it's so hard to capture.

2005-11-13T08:28:00.000-08:00

Can you see the doe? (This is actually a closeup, she was about 100 yards away).

2005-11-13T08:27:00.000-08:00

Here she is!

2005-11-13T08:26:00.001-08:00

Old field grown up... deer can melt into this without a trace. Who knows how many are hiding here?

2005-11-13T08:26:00.000-08:00

Oak leaves are the last to fall.

2005-11-13T08:25:00.000-08:00

Mysterious seedheads....some kind of fern?

2005-11-13T08:24:00.001-08:00

These are rose hips, I think?

2005-11-13T08:24:00.000-08:00

Crabapples?

2005-11-13T08:23:00.000-08:00

Hypotenuse

2005-11-13T08:22:00.000-08:00

Magical Almost-Twilight

2005-11-13T08:21:00.000-08:00

Whoosh....

2005-11-13T08:19:00.001-08:00

Milkweed pods with fluff

2005-11-13T08:19:00.000-08:00

Milkweed pods

2005-11-13T08:18:00.001-08:00

Milkweed fluff

2005-11-13T08:18:00.000-08:00

Empty milkweed pods

2005-11-13T08:16:00.000-08:00

There I go again I'm all verklempt. Talk amongst yourselves. ...

2005-11-09T18:03:00.000-08:00

Ok, I just got an email from one of my students asking me for help and at the end of his email he wrote this:

"...I don't want to do something wrong and get a bad grade on
this paper. It seems like out of nowhere I have 5 papers due all
at once. If it wasn't for the information literacy class I would be
totally lost. Thanks for the help."

I literally started tearing up. I'm really verklempt! LOL. I'm such a dork.

I put a lot of work into this class and sometimes I wonder why I do it. The students generally complain about the work they have to do, it's so rare that someone says my class is helping them. Jeez. Thank you kid, you don't know how much this means to me.

Children's Picture Books I Have Loved...

2005-11-09T10:05:00.000-08:00

Dear Cjblue asked me for children's book recommendations. Being a librarian, how can I refuse? :-)

Besides, it's getting near Christmas, and you may know some little people who you'd like to read some books with.

Danny is almost too old for picture books now, (which is sad, because I love them so much). But there are still some we read again and again.

These are ones that come to mind for me as really beautiful picture books for kids who are about 5-8 years old.

The Gullywasher (Chaparron Torrencial) by Joyce Rossi
Pink and Say by Patricia Polacco
Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch by Eileen Spinelli
Old Turtle by Douglas Wood
Old Coyote by Nancy Wood
The Tenth Good Thing About Barney by Judith Viorst
Thinking About Ants by Barbara Brenner
The Lady and the Spider by Faith McNulty
The Paperboy by Dav Pilkey
The Nightingale by Hans Christian, illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline

Also, anything by Joseph Bruchac or Paul Goble.

And of course, we loved various illustrated versions of Alice in Wonderland, Robin Hood, King Arthur, The Wizard of Oz and all the Greek, Roman and Norse mythology. The Bible too.

For littler kids, you must get:

All About Alfie by Shirley Hughes (any of her Alfie and Annie Rose books are awesome, actually)
Only the Cat Saw by Ashley Wolff

and of course: Voyage to the Bunny Planet [BOX SET] by Rosemary Wells

Danny and I are reading a lot more chapter books these days, there are many good ones I could mention, but I'll save that for another post. :-)

What are some of your favorite children's books?

Election Fraud

2005-11-07T12:22:00.000-08:00

My boss just told me about this:

"The latest critical confirmation of key indicators that the election of 2004 was stolen comes in an extremely powerful, penetrating report from the Government Accountability Office that has gotten virtually no mainstream media coverage."

You can read the whole article here:

http://www.freepress.org/departments/display/19/2005/1529

It also has a link at the end to the actual GAO report.

God. Searching Lexis Nexis I can barely find any mention of this. What the hell is wrong with journalism today? What is wrong with our country that we can't impeach/overthrow these crooks?

And what is wrong with me that I sit here numbly staring at the screen feeling blindsided?

Red-Tailed Hawk

2005-11-06T12:57:00.000-08:00

Today was the second time when driving along a certain stretch of road on my way to work that a large red tailed hawk has flown low right in front of my car.

Today it was flying just in front of my windshield for at least 3 minutes. I could see it's reddish brown tailfeathers as though it were guiding me. But to where? Then it landed in a tree. I looked over my shoulder to see it. It's a nice specimen of an adult raptor, very healthy looking.

I wish I could have taken a picture of it, esp as it was flying right in front of my car, but I didn't have the camera, so you'll just have to imagine it. It was cool.

Danny and I just read a good book about hawks.

It's fruitcake weather!

2005-11-06T09:57:00.000-08:00

Here's a little quiz for you:

1) Do you love the Truman Capote story: "A Christmas Memory" and read it every year, crying at the ending each time?

2) Do you like hard liquor?

3) Do you enjoy tangy desserts made of dried fruits like "mincemeat pie" (the kind without the meat?)

4) Are you in favor of lots of actual butter and actual sugar in your desserts (as opposed to margarine and some fake sugar substitute?)

5) Do you like an opportunity to overindulge and be a hedonist at times?

6) Do you have a stubborn perverse desire to learn traditional skills that most people would find old fashioned, pointless and too much work (such as knitting your own socks or growing your own food)?

7) Are you brave enough to try things that others make fun of?

8) Do you think holiday parties need plentiful booze in many formats?

If you answered and enthusiastic "Yes!" to 2 or more of these questions, you might be a candidate for my new campaign to inspire a love of FRUITCAKE in an apathetic world!

Yes, you too might, in fact, grow to love fruitcake, bake it each year and foist it upon unsuspecting relatives and neighbors.

At least, I'm going to try.

As a kid, all family gatherings involved booze and plenty of it. Sure, we had many family members who were alcoholics, but that was just part of our charm, as far as I was concerned.

I remember fondly how my maternal grandfather always smelled of Dewer's Scotch, and he always had a glint in his eye and a tinkle of ice in his glass. I remember how my paternal grandmother always smelled of Tanqueray and cigarette smoke. They'd always give me sips. I remember how my favorite Uncle liked to drink his beer in a glass. I would sneak behind the back of his chair and drink the amount left in the bottle after he poured it, and soon he would need another. I'd do the same to that one and after a short time I'd be pleasantly high. I loved the strong rum balls my grandmother brought to Christmas and I associated that taste with a good feeling of mild relaxation and giggling. The adults thought it was cute if we kids got a little buzz on, why not?

So the taste of liquor never bothered me. I grew up with it. And it seemed to me that when my family drank at least they weren't so nasty and angry and stressed out and mean as they were sober.

One year my mom made homemade fruitcake. Now, since she was a nurse, afraid of germs and constantly making us wash our hands with Dial antibacterial soap, I think she might have had some fears about the fact that real fruitcake sits wrapped in cheesecloth in the basement for months. Sure there is lots of rum and brandy and sugar to keep it from spoiling, but perhaps a little more alcohol would kill off more germs? Hell, let's just douse the thing with more booze every time we go down into the basement, just to be on the safe side, eh? Don't want to be accused of poisoning anyone!

So the fruitcake was brought up and tasted, and oh, the relatives found it tasty. Strong, but tasty, and tipsy!

And I got to taste it, and I LOVED it. Because it was sweet and spicy and decadent and best of all, boozy. And I've been dreaming of it ever since. But each year, around Christmas time, when I long for it, I remember that you have to make it in advance. It needs time to cure.

So for any of you who've heard many fruitcake jokes over the years but have never tried real fruitcake, let me tell you a little secret: it's all about the booze. I don't care what anyone says, who doesn't love food soaked in rum, brandy, butter and sugar? What's not to love? :-)

Seriously: don't knock it till you've tried it.

This year, I'm finally doing it. I used this recipe I found online, and I have them all wrapped in cheesecloth ready to go. You might even get one. You never know.

Enthobotany is so cool.

2005-11-03T06:55:00.000-08:00

I"m home with a lousy cold today, but I just wanted to share this with you guys:

Following up on the discussion (in the comments section of the "galinsoga" post) of poisonous plants and their potential uses, I found this very interesting article.

Someday maybe I'll go back to school to study enthnobotany. :-)

Today's entry is short and sweet.

2005-11-02T09:46:00.000-08:00

SOS: Students for an Orwellian Society

Galinsoga

2005-10-30T18:23:00.000-08:00

Using field guides, I was able to figure out that this weed, growing so abundantly in our garden, is galinsoga. It's also known as quickweed, gallant soldier and guascas. It's native to Central and South America.

I found out that it's edible, and I also discovered, through a little web research, that it is a very important part of a special Columbian soup called Ajiaco. Maybe I'll try to make it.

A google search turns up a mix of information about this plant. Homesick Colombians and American foodies are seeking this "guascas" to make the soup properly, while farmers are trying to get rid of it, seeing it as a pesty weed!

I cooked it up as part of tonight's dinner. I boiled it for 20 minutes and put some butter and vinegar on it. It was very tasty. How many times have we pulled this plant out and thrown it in the compost heap, not knowing it was food? But it patiently grows back. I'm glad I now know it as a friend.

Any recipes for green tomatos?

2005-10-30T18:21:00.000-08:00

We have 3 bowls full like this. Any suggestions?

poke berries

2005-10-30T18:19:00.000-08:00

These are poisonous, BTW.

bark2

2005-10-30T18:18:00.000-08:00

bark

2005-10-30T18:17:00.000-08:00

seedheads

2005-10-30T18:16:00.001-08:00

fall creek2

2005-10-30T18:16:00.000-08:00

This one came with a washed out yellow light that I thought was kind of cool

2005-10-30T18:12:00.001-08:00

fall creek1

2005-10-30T18:12:00.000-08:00

Mushrooms by the woodpile

2005-10-30T18:11:00.000-08:00

Mums and rose leaves

2005-10-30T18:09:00.000-08:00

Honeybees on Oct 30th.

2005-10-30T18:08:00.000-08:00

We still have roses!

2005-10-30T18:06:00.000-08:00

There are still roses, parsley, green beans (although we let them get too big and tough), celery, kale, a few carrots, lavender, mums... it's such a weird fall. Very warm for the end of October.

What a beautiful day it was today!

2005-10-30T18:05:00.000-08:00

Can you see the lettuce peeking out from under the dead leaves?

2005-10-30T18:03:00.000-08:00

Some volunteer lettuce.

I have no idea how to use the digital camera!

2005-10-30T17:59:00.000-08:00

This pic, taken at the same time as the one below it, came out so differently. I randomly play with the settings on Dave's camera as I actually have no idea how they work. I think it's interesting how the lighting came out so differently. If anyone knows how I did this, let me know, ok?
:-)

Jalapenos

2005-10-30T17:56:00.000-08:00

These jalapenos are the first ones I've ever had ripen till they turned red. They are getting a little dried out now, they've been sitting in this bowl for a few weeks. None are moldy so I think they are still fine. I want to make Lousiana hotsauce out of them if I ever get around to it.

Applesauce.

2005-10-30T17:53:00.000-08:00

We like to make this applesauce in the fall.

Here's how we do it.

Put a canning pot full of water on the stove and add 5 empty pint canning jars. Put the lids and rings in a seperate smaller pot of water but don't heat it yet.

Peel, core and chop 1 peck of apples.

It works best if the apples are crisp, tart and sour. You have to add more sugar, but the end result is better. Our tree produces rather tart apples of some unknown variety. I think they may be cortlands.

This year, our apple tree didn't produce any apples, and the ones I bought at the farm stand were a little mealy and overripe. So, I added the juice of 2 lemons and a few dashes of cider vinegar. I added only a teaspoon of sugar or so. If the apples were tart I might have added up to 1/2 a cup.

I put 1/2 the apples into a pot and cooked them over a medium heat. If they aren't juicy enough, add a little water.

As they cook down (and this is variable too, sometimes they cook down fast and sometimes it seems to take forever. This time they cooked down pretty fast) mash them with a potato masher. When they are a pulp, add the other half of the chopped apples. Let that cook down too, and mash it as well. There should be some little lumps of apple in the pulp.

Some years I leave the apples almost all in chunks (like apple pie filling) sometimes it's more of a sauce. This year it's more saucey. Again, it depends on the apples. Mealy apples are better this way, crisp apples are better in chunks. I have fears that the chunky apples could leave air bubbles in between the fruit, causing it to spoil, so I add more water when I do it that way, and more sugar too. This year I didn't have to worry about it.

Spices: I put in a mix, which also changes from year to year. It tends to be mostly cinnamon, but I also add nutmeg, allspice, ginger, cardamom, salt, a tiny pinch of cayenne pepper, all kinds of things... BUT, the trick is, not to overdo the spices. I have an empty jar labled "apple pie spice" and I add the mix of spices to the jar, put the lid on and shake. Then I put it into the sauce a pinch at a time, tasting it all the while. I want the spices to just make the apples taste a little more "appley", but not to take over. I think I put in about 1/2 teaspoon all together this time. Maybe even less. Sometimes I get all carried away and put in too much spice but this time I was careful, and I like the result better.

By now your canning pot should be boiling. If not, wait till it is. The water should almost fill the pot, BTW. In the smaller pot, heat the lids and rings but don't boil them.

Spoon hot sauce into the jars (I use a sterilized funnel to make it easier) and wipe the edges of the jars with a clean, damp napkin. Put on the lids and rings. Lower the jars into canning bath, put the lid on the canning pot and set the timer for 20 minutes.

When the bell rings, take the jars out with tongs and set them on a clean dishcloth on the counter overnight. Don't tighten the lids. Don't turnt he jars over. Just let them sit there and admire them. When you wake up the next day, put them in the basement. When it's spring and you're dying for a nice apple but there aren't any left that really taste like apples, take the jar out and open it. You will be happy.

Rasta sheep

2005-10-17T18:30:00.000-07:00