porch sittin'

A New Place

2009-09-03T11:30:00.000-07:00

I have continued blogging under an new name.. A Bountiful Supply. Thanks for stopping by.

IRISH UPDATE!!!!!

2009-03-16T14:57:00.001-07:00

“The Irish–Be they kings, or poets, or farmers, They’re a people of great worth, They keep company with the angels, And bring a bit of heaven here to earth.”
~Irish Saying

I contacted my cousin Jeff Godwin who is a genealogy buff. He has traced my maternal line back as far as 1697 with verified records. DRUM ROLL..... both sides of my mom's parents are strongly from Ireland. So, the Davis clan that grew up in the mountains of Boone, NC are Welsh, Irish, and peppered with a little German from Great Gran Kline. Know wonder the Blue Ridge called us..... Happy Saint Patrick's Day to all.....Here is a note, mainly for my children to read, from my cousin Jeff...
"Hey cuz!! I have verified records of the Godwins back to 1697 from Virginia that came from Ireland. Before that are speculations but no written proof that our line of Godwins descended from Godwin Earl of Wessex to his son Harold ( The last English king). The one defeated at the Battle of Hastings in 1066. His sons escaped from England and William the Conqueror for Ireland. One of his sons Edmund is the one our line is from. I'm in the process of verifying this information. In regards to the Daughtry's I have no concrete proof but Grandma Godwin's family came over from Ireland (County Donegal) during the potato famine. I do have some records that indicate her grandfather but not 100% sure it is him. I will let you know the more I work on it." A link to Donegal http://www.unimportant-man.co.uk/photos/ireland/county-donegal-5.php

St.Patrick's Day and Wales

2009-03-15T20:57:00.000-07:00

I like St. Patrick's Day. I like green, Ireland, Colcannon, four leaf clovers, and that Spring is just around the corner. Somewhere along the way I was told we had Irish ancestry. With so many fair skinned red heads in my family I believed it. Well, an aunt and a cousin of mine decided to to an intensive and extensive search of my dad's parents... ie, my paternal grandparents. The surname Evans and Johnson are both Welsh. Especially my maiden name Evans. It is the 7th most popular last name in Wales as of the last census and Johnson is listed as # 10. (A side note here..Davis is very Welsh and is listed as number 6.) I have a copy of the ancestry that has Lott Evans of Glamorganshire, Wales on board the ship Welcome with William Penn. Here is an excerpt I found online which confirms the information my cousin found.
This Evans information below was compiled by Delaney Evans - excerpt from Evans family of the Cape Fear Section of North Carolina, as written to Mrs. William G. Holmes (Nee) n Rebecca Locke Evans. (http://worldconnect.roostsweb.com/cgi-bin/igm.egi?op+GET&db=1173)

"The Evans family is of the Royal Line. John of Gaut, Sir Owen Tudor, Sir Edmund Tudor, and the House of Stuarts, was of that Family. The progenitor of the Evans Family of Cumberland County, North Carolina, was Lott Evans, of Glamorganshire Wales, said to have not only to be an intimate friend of William Penn, but a kinsman, and who with Penn, and his family, formed a part of the one hundred settlers, that set out from Deel England, upon a large and stately ship of some 360 tons burden called the "Welcome" with Robert Greenaway as master. While the voyage was commenced in late August 1682, adverse winds delayed the departure, the ship being detained in the roadstead, did not put to sea for many days thereafter. It was a long and melancholy voyage, and Small Pox breaking out, among them, some thirty settlers died en-route, being buried at Sea, Lott Evans among them. The voyage was not completed until October 1682 when a landing was made on the Delaware River in the Province of Pennsylvania, at a spot said to be in Kensington District, now within the corporate limits of the city of Philadelphia, later pushing on, further up the River to the Site of the present city of Chester. Lott Evans family included three sons, Thomas, Charles and John (Some authorities say the last named was Lott, Jr)...... Then all the begattin started that landed a descendent in the Cape Fear area of NC.. , I plan to make Colcannon on Tuesday. Here is a link to Glamorganshire Wales http://www.panoramio.com/photo/15896447

Some quotes I like from The Secret Life of Bees

2009-03-12T15:37:00.000-07:00

I hadn't been out to the hives before, so to start off she gave me a lesson in what she called 'bee yard etiquette'. She reminded me that the world was really one bee yard, and the same rules work fine in both places. Don't be afraid, as no life-loving bee wants to sting you. Still, don't be an idiot; wear long sleeves and pants. Don't swat. Don't even think about swatting. If you feel angry, whistle. Anger agitates while whistling melts a bee's temper. Act like you know what you're doing, even if you don't. Above all, send the bees love. Every little thing wants to be loved."
— Sue Monk Kidd

"Nobody around here had ever seen a lady beekeeper till her. She liked to tell everybody that women made the best beekeepers, 'cause they have a special ability built into them to love creatures that sting. It comes from years of loving children and husbands."

— Sue Monk Kidd (The Secret Life of Bees)

"...some things don't matter much. Like the color of a house. How big is that in the overall scheme of life? But lifting a person's heart--now, that matters. The whole problem with people is...they know what matters, but they don't choose it...The hardest thing on earth is choosing what matters."
— Sue Monk Kidd (The Secret Life of Bees)

"After you get stung, you can't get unstung
no matter how much you whine about it."
— Sue Monk Kidd (The Secret Life of Bees)

"I wanted to know what happened when two people felt it. Would it divide the hurt in two, make it lighter to bear, the way feeling someone's joy seemed to double it?"
— Sue Monk Kidd (The Secret Life of Bees)

"The first week at August's was a consolation, a pure relief. The world will give you that once in a while, a brief time-out; the boxing bell rings and you go into your corner, where somebody dabs mercy on your beat-up life."
— Sue Monk Kidd (The Secret Life of Bees)

Sweet Potato Biscuits and Bees

2009-03-11T10:32:00.000-07:00

The Davis women, Secret Life of Bees and Sweet Potato Biscuits mix well together.. When the movie came out on DVD the plan was made, mostly by Meredith, that we would watch it together. Three of the Davis women did with two Davis men roped in. We all enjoyed the movie but as always the book was better. Throughout the movie sweet potato biscuits were made and talked about. That made us want some sweet tater biscuits. So, I set out to make them. Many recipes have lots of sugar. cinnamon, allspice... But I tweaked a traditional southern recipe without all the sugar. Here's what I came up with. My family's vote was for the wheatier biscuit. Enjoy.

SWEET POTATO BISCUITS
3 cups all purpose flour (Mixture of unbleached and whole wheat you decide what combination).
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
3/4 cup shortening
2 cups mashed sweet potatoes
1/3 cup buttermilk or milk if no buttermilk

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder. Cut in the shortening (I like to use my hands) until it resembles coarse meal. Add the mashed sweet potatoes to the flour mixture (again, hands work really well). Add the milk, and mix .
Pinch off a small roll size and roll in palm of your hand. You may need to dab a little flour on hand so dough does not stick. Then place on a greased baking sheet. Pat it down a little. Bake at 425 for 10-15 minutes or until lightly brown on top.

Gleaning from the Cabinets

2009-02-28T07:44:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I decided to do something about all the little bits of this and that in our kitchen cabinets and refrigerator. I pulled out 2 cereal boxes that could make one bowl of cereal, a little bit of crystallized honey in the bottom of a jar, one hard tennis ball sized lump of brown sugar, some out dated skim milk, about a cup of dry lentils, a couple of cups of dried pinto beans, one large can of crushed tomatoes, found a bag of shredded mozzarella, a little oregano, .... and more. I laid it all out on the counter and planned my course of action. I added some staples like whole wheat and unbleached flour and a couple of eggs and oil to the cereal and sugar remnants to make what I call cereal muffins. Made pizza crust from flour, yeast and oil to use the tomatoes and cheese and oregano. Voila! 4 large whole wheat crust pizzas. I did find about 6 olives in a jar I sliced and some onion to put on the pizzas. I pressure cooked the pintos while cooking some brown rice for burritos or just to eat together later. Made lentil soup from the rest of the tomatoes, some onion, a can of vegetable juice and the bean stock from the cooked pintos. I put some of the cooked rice in the soup and added a few cut up carrots. I went to bed with almost 2 dozen muffins, 4 pizza's, a large pot of lentil soup, one container of pintos and a container of brown rice in the fridge. All from gleaning the cluttery things in the kitchen. It felt good to "work" from home and enjoy what I was doing. I work out of the home 2 days a week. I had the thought of "working' a 3rd day to save almost as much as I make in one day out. Thus 3 days income. Thanks for sharing my life.....

Here's the muffin recipe Cereal Muffins

12 muffins

1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup honey
1 cup flour
1/4 cup brown sugar, packed
3 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups breakfast cereal (like Raisin Bran, All Bran, Rice Krispies, any cereal etc.)

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Grease muffin pan very well..
In a mixing bowl, beat egg and whisk together with oil, milk and honey.
In a large bowl combine the dry ingredients; mixed well.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and stir just until flour is moist (batter should be lumpy).
Fill muffin cups 2/3 full with the batter, and bake for 20-25 minutes until golden brown

Children's Books

2009-01-19T13:19:00.000-08:00

I have always loved children's books. Taking the children to the library was a highlight of our week. Story hour a couple of times a week was extra special. I would check out books just for me. Not grown up books but wonderfully written and beautifully illustrated children's books. The ones with the art you would love to frame and display somewhere in the house. In fact, I have two framed old Sunday school lesson pictures from the late 1950's framed and hanging in our bedroom. I have recently come across a couple of web sites that can make it a little easier to find wonderful children's literature. Now, with grand children I have a great excuse to check out kids books again! Thought I'd share. Enjoy. PlanetEsme , Just One More Book

Clara and Depression Cooking

2008-11-30T12:52:00.000-08:00

Randomly found Clara. Thought she was so cute and encouraging. Nothing wrong at all with eating the same thing every day. Most cultures do. Why do we think we need lots and much variety. Nutrition is important but hey, let's not complain if we have to eat pasta or potatoes everyday. Cheers!

I Like My New Name

2008-11-19T20:22:00.000-08:00

Faithful Kitchen Ladies

2008-11-13T06:31:00.000-08:00

One of my first blog posts was about one of my most favorite things to do.http://porch-sittin.blogspot.com/2008_05_01_archive.html Bread making is probably a tie for first along with hanging out clothes.
Today is one of those late fall rainy days. I felt the familiar draw to the kitchen bookshelf. I gaze at my books even though I cook a lot less than I used to. My friends through the years. My cookbook friends have lived in the heart of our home. It is common to hear the phrase if "trees could talk", today as I look at my "friends" I think "if my books could talk?" They have seen it all. The blood, sweat and tears of the kitchen. I'd like to introduce you to a few. The best one has a spiral side. Her name is "Cooking More With Less". David and I brought her home from our honeymoon almost 28 years ago.

2008-11-02T19:39:00.000-08:00

Beware of activities that require new clothes.
– Henry David Thoreau

Why Buy Bottled Water?????

2008-10-15T16:43:00.000-07:00

WATER Check out this link update.. Just found this in today's USA Today Update Water Link

Top Five Reasons to Give Up Bottled Water
5. Disposable plastic water bottles are not meant for multiple uses.The #1 polyethylene terephthalate (PET) is fine for a single use, but reuse can lead to bacterial growth and leaching of dangerous chemicals.
4. Bottled water is full of oil. Making bottles to meet Americans’ demand for bottled water requires more than 1.5 million barrels of oil annually, enough to fuel some 100,000 cars for a year. (NY Times) To put it another way, the entire energy costs of the lifecycle of a bottle of water is equivalent, on average, to filling up a quarter of each bottle with oil. (Pacific Institute)
3. Bottled water is expensive! Drinking the recommended daily amount of water using bottled water can cost an average of $1,400 per year; drinking the same amount from the tap costs around 49 cents for the year. (NY Times)
2. Your tap water is fine to drink. Tap water is more highly regulated than bottled water and over 90 percent of water systems meet EPA's standards for tap water quality. (If the taste or color is a little off from your tap, your pipes are probably at fault—a simple filtration system should do the trick to take both aesthetic problems away.)
1. At least 40 percent of bottled water is tap water anyway. That’s right: you are paying a huge premium on water that you could have just gotten from your tap in the first place. (Natural Resources Defense Council) You probably like tap water more than bottled water, too! Want to test that out? Try the Tap Water Challenge!

Full

2008-10-02T10:05:00.000-07:00

Since mid summer my life has been full of soul searching, exhaustion, joys, "thought talks" with Jesus, and wonder at it all. For the time being I may only post snippets that touch my heart. Thanks for being patient with me.

What it's ALL About

2008-09-11T08:54:00.000-07:00

Give someone a smile today.

Happy 19th Anna Rebekah

2008-08-21T18:40:00.001-07:00

What laughter you have brought to our home over the past 19 years. God sent you to complete our family. Now, if we could just do something about the shoes! HAPPY BIRTHDAY.....
see her papa's article here.

Good Stewards of God's Creation

2008-08-16T15:43:00.000-07:00

A friend sent this information to me today. Thought I'd share it. I try to keep a variety of cloth bags in the car and by the door. Sometimes I forget. If so, I ask for paper. Please click this site for more information about plastic bags. Thank you. http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080506/MULTIMEDIA02/80505016

Happy Birthday Best Friend -

2008-08-11T19:00:00.001-07:00

Happy Birthday! I have loved sharing the past 27 of your 53 birthdays. You are my best friend.

August 12

The Best Dog Ever-------PT

2008-08-08T18:52:00.000-07:00

Came across this picture of Jacob who is now almost 21 and Anna 19 with what our family considers the BEST DOG EVER IN HISTORY. PT short for" pretty thing" was loved by family, neighbors and friends. Just a small happy part of our family history. To you PT.

The Ants

2008-08-07T20:09:00.001-07:00

Lately I have been in a purge mode. As part of the purge I cleaned all around our stove. Took old stuff away and made room for new "stuff". I decided to put a variety of canned loose leaf teas on the top part of the stove where I used to have jars of herbs. Thought it would be handy to have our honey pot sitting along side the teas. Pleased with the new arrangement, I go on to other things and to work the next day. Come home, use the oven for dinner, decide to put the pan up close to the vent,( where the hot air escapes the oven) to keep some potatoes warm for David. As I do I notice a faint flicker of movement. The honey pot lid was circled with little ants that where climbing down the wooden honey dipper into the thick golden honey "bath". My eyes quickly followed the path of this precise moving dotted line. It went across the top of the stove, across a small section of wall that connected the counter to the stove top, across the counter, down the side of the cabinet to this sliver of space that connects the cabinet to the wall. Now, tell me, how did those ants find the honey?I quickly take the honey, ants and all, place it in the sink with running water, open the lid and see lots of deceased ants, some just plain stuck in the honey bath. Running back over to the stove, the line is still going but the little guys look real confused. Behind them the perfect little line keeps coming. I felt like a giant squishing each little ant one by one as they appeared on the stove, then cabinet, and wall. I had to remove all my just fixed, rearranged, wiped down, organized stuff. David came to the rescue and sprayed a little bug spray at what appeared to be the point of origin. I felt a little guilty using the spray. We hardly ever use the stuff. After it was all said and redone, I thought the little guys were actually cute in doing what we expect ants to do.

2008-08-04T06:18:00.000-07:00

Canning Sweet Cucumber Relish

2008-08-04T05:21:00.000-07:00

I was blessed with several big cucumbers. Too many to eat before they would go bad. Guess I'll make some relish.

The End. Heard the lids pop. With a last check they all sealed. Now, to leave them on the counter awhile so I can enjoy looking at them before putting away.

Happy 1st Year Jesse and Melissa

2008-08-03T11:38:00.000-07:00

We were so busy last year this time. Good time. Family rejoice time. Love you guys!

Twenty Three Years

2008-07-29T17:49:00.000-07:00

All day long I have had our daughter Emma in my thoughts. Thinking back to her birth and the joy she has brought and continues to bring to the life of our family.

Transitions

2008-07-28T08:25:00.000-07:00

I have not sat down to write on this blog the last few days. The past week has been really full of transitions. Birthdays, a Graduation, shifting of furniture, getting ready for an upcoming family visit..Just summer stuff. All is well yet very full.

Bountiful- a beautiful word

2008-07-22T18:45:00.000-07:00

I like the word bountiful. I don't remember the first time I ever heard it but it stuck with me somewhere. It is a full word. A soft word. A rich word. A simple word. I like the way it sounds as I speak it. I like hearing it spoken. I like the way it looks on a written page. The word itself conjures up images of homemade bread, soup, laughter with family and friends, rain, sunshine, the beautiful rock given by the hand of a child.....Bountiful. Doesn't mean stuff to me. In fact, it pulls up the opposite. I decided to look in the dictionary to find the official meaning. Dictionary Unabridged 1.liberal in bestowing gifts, favors, or bounties; munificent; generous. 2.abundant; ample: a bountiful supply. Synonyms 1. See generous. 2. See plentiful. I thought it interesting the first definition had to do with giving gifts. Maybe that's what I feel when I hear the word bountiful. I feel the richness of the bounty of the Lord. The liberal bestowing of gifts in my life. Gifts that are not man made. Gifts from heaven. Gifts He created. Earth. Sky and all in between. I feel full.

Southern Summer Sunday

2008-07-21T15:03:00.001-07:00

Homemade Peach Ice Cream by my husband. So good on a warm, in the mountains, July day. The pictures say it all.

Whatever Happened to Homemade Cornbread?

2008-07-20T09:02:00.000-07:00

It's dinner time. What am I going to make? Well, I've got stuff to make cornbread. What else? Found some left over marinated vegetables in the fridge. Think I'll make something out of this. Maybe a cornbread bake or casserole. I'll put these ingredients into to Google for some quick ideas. Checked the top searches for cornbread. EVERYONE OF the first 10 recipes I checked started me off using boxed cornbread as a base. WHAT?! Whatever happened to homemade cornbread from staples in the kitchen cabinet? This is ridiculous! I'll do this myself. I make a quick from scratch cornbread. Partially bake it. Take it out sprinkle a little cheese on top. Then layer the vegetables on top of that. Let if finish baking for about 10 minutes. VOILA! Something that resembled a deep dish pizza came out of the oven. Preparation for the whole meal from start to finish took about a half hour. My husband thought it was great!

BENEFITS FROM HOMEMADE

You are in total control of the ingredients..Whole wheat flour, good oils, etc.... Can enjoy knowing you are actually getting nutrition.

Much, much, cheaper.

In many cases, like this one, it is just as fast as a boxed mix.

The taste of homemade. Can not be bought in a store.

Moved toward Compassion

2008-07-15T15:34:00.000-07:00

Today and old friend called just to let me know she was thinking about me.
A true heart felt caring poured through her voice to me. "How's your health?" "How are the kids?" "I ran into your husband a few months ago. So great to see him." "Just wanted to say a prayer for you before I go. The kids just walked in." A sweet simple prayer full of care and love for me. As I hung up the phone a wave of emotion with sprinkles of tears engulfed me. I was blessed. Felt loved. Thankful. Convicted to move toward others with compassion.

A Tribute to Olive

2008-07-14T06:04:00.000-07:00

'Oldest' Blogger Dies, aged 108
News article from the BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7505029.stm

A temporary site because of heavy traffic to Olive's page
http://worldsoldestblogger.blogspot.com

No Place Like Home

2008-07-13T17:14:00.000-07:00

I love being home. My spot in the world shared with the closest people to my heart. Lots and lots and lots of food shared at our table through the years. Flashes of faces quickly go through my head just at the thought of the family table. Our children's childhood friends eating pancakes on Sunday morning, birthday parties, impromtu pizza dinners. Laughter over the snake that got out of the jar,which we never found. Hamsters eating through the water hose behind the refrigerator, spraying water like a fire hose all over the kitchen.. much laughter over many things.. Tears over close friends whose life was cut short. The death of the dog of all dogs, PT. Many other pets followed, passed, and tears came. HOME. Sounds a little Wizard of Ozish, but there is no place like home. I only work 2 days a week out of the home and can get home sick. When this happens I pick up the phone to call some one in the family until I get an actual voice on the other end. Homesick for the touch of family, the touch of home. Maybe it is a touch of the sacred here on earth. With that strong lonely feeling for home, I am aware that the full cure is to pull into that place where Christ dwells himself within my spirit. There He fills that air whole. That lonely place where I want family and the familiar. He is the comfy place I can cuddle into while standing at work smiling at faces that hopefully have a home somewhere.

Inspiration

2008-07-04T06:34:00.000-07:00

I have followed this family's progress for several years now. They are an inspiration on many levels. Enjoy. Here's something else. ABC Nightline

New Skin and Toxins

2008-06-28T06:07:00.000-07:00

Now that I'm going to be a grandma, I just happen to find myself in the baby department or aisle of whatever store I'm in. So many new gee-gaws and gadgets that weren't around 26 years ago with my firstborn or 19 years ago with our youngest. One day this week I was looking at all the baby lotions, pastes, oils, powders, etc. available. Being the label reader of most everything that comes in our home, my automatic reflex was to read the ingredients on the bottle. I put most every bottle back on the shelf. No, not that one, it contains sodium laureth sulfate. No, not that one, it has dioxane . I read enough to know how toxins can affect our bodies and environment. Envisioning that new grand baby's little body and fresh soft skin, I knew then and there I could not buy anything toxic to be rubbed or dabbed on this new life. We know that our skin is the largest organ of the body. What we rub or spray on ourselves goes straight into the blood stream. I know this for fact. I have had to deal with many health issues that stem from toxins in my childhood. As I have grown older my body seems to be more sensitive to many things that have unnatural ingredients in them. Why start a new life with more to handle than she or he has to anyway with just living everyday life? Here is an excerpt from a book I have recently become aware of. Not Just a Pretty Face

The Ugly Side of the Beauty Industry

By Stacy Malkan

Lead in lipstick? 1,4 dioxane in baby soap? Coal tar in shampoo? How is this possible?

Simple. The $35 billion cosmetics industry is so powerful that they've kept themselves unregulated for decades.

Not one cosmetic product has to be approved by the US Food and Drug Administration before hitting the market. Incredible? Consider this:

The European Union has banned more than 1,100 chemicals from cosmetics. The United States has banned just 10.
Only 11% of chemicals used in cosmetics in the US have been assessed for health and safety – leaving a staggering 89% with unknown or undisclosed effects.
More than 70% of all personal care products may contain phthalates, which are linked to birth defects and infertility.
Many baby soaps are contaminated with the cancer-causing chemical 1,4 dioxane.

It's not just women who are affected by this chemists' brew. Shampoo, deodorant, face lotion and other products used daily by men, women and children contain hazardous chemicals that the industry claims are "within acceptable limits." But there's nothing acceptable about daily multiple exposures to carcinogenic chemicals — from products that are supposed to make us feel healthy and beautiful.

The following link is an EXCELLENT SITE that has researched and rated many cosmetics, toiletries for men, women and children.
Skin Deep, cosmetic safety base

Make yourself aware. Be a label reader.

Sisters

2008-06-20T13:31:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow morning I am going to see my sister alone. All alone. It feels odd. I always travel with someone. Especially my husband. Tomorrow starts five days of sister time. We've haven't spent this long together, just us, since I left for college in the mid 70's. Sure, we've seen each other at a few holidays. The birth of her last child. Her 4oth birthday. The wedding of one of my sons. This time is different. We are adult women with older children that can look after themselves. Husbands that are supportive of us having our time. Time to do whatever it is we will do.

Sisters don't need words. They have perfected a language of snarls and smiles and frowns and winks - expressions of shocked surprise and incredulity and disbelief. Sniffs and snorts and gasps and sighs - that can undermine any tale you're telling. ~Pam Brown

Slow Down

2008-06-18T09:06:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning with the words slow down filtering through my head. The words from the 59th Bridge Street Song by Simon and Garfunkel quickly followed. The song is also known as Feelin'Groovy. I am probably the slowest as far as activities go as I've been in years. I continue to learn that living slow and deliberately is a position of the heart and not a matter of how much gets done in a day. Slowing down is not laziness. It is intentional living. Noticing. Breathing. Listening. I remember a time when all five of our children had reached "walkable" ages, somewhere between two and nine years old. We were a typical church going Sunday morning family. Getting the children breakfast, dressing up with Sunday clothes, preparing a crockpot with chicken or something for lunch . We most always had to be there early for some type of duty. I heard myself say to the children, "Hurry up and get in the van." I watched those little legs scurrying just to get from the door to the drive way which wasn't very far at all. The words rang in my head like a gong. I realized I said those words many times going to and coming from church or school. Those words stopped then and there. What difference is two or three minutes going to make. None! as far as the the destination but lots as far as the rest in my child's soul.

I don't quite understand why drivers drive so fast,weave in and out of traffic, and tailgate just to get to the next stop light. It thrills me when I go with the flow of traffic noticing things around me and end up at the same place as tailgate driver with maybe a minutes difference. Have you noticed in grocery stores how people can be flustered or in a hurry then get backed up in a long line at the check out counter and quickly get an attitude? I notice how the check out person looks pressured to go fast, hardly looking up, not breathing to make me "happy". Many times I ask them to stop take a breath and look up. A small quick sense of rest comes and check out is smooth and pleasant. The take a breath to the the waiter who is running around understaffed trying to please. Let's notice those around us caught up in hurry. Speak rest with or with out words. I leave you with the lyrics and a youtube video of Feelin' Groovy.

--The 59th Street Bridge Song (Feelin' Groovy)
P. Simon, 1966
Featured on Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme

Slow down, you move too fast
You've got to make the morning last
Just kicking down the cobblestones
Looking for fun and feeling groovy
Ba da da da da da da, feeling groovy

Hello lampost, what'cha knowing
I've come to watch your flowers growin'
Ain'tcha got no rhymes for me
Doo-it in doo doo, feeling groovy
Ba da da da da da da, feeling groovy

I got no deeds to do
No promises to keep
I'm dappled and drowsy and ready to sleep
Let the morningtime drop all its petals on me
Life I love you, all is groovy

Papers, Papers, Papers

2008-06-14T18:04:00.000-07:00

Paper stuff. Paper scraps. All with the idea I will surely use, one day. The many uses for salt. Yes, make a copy of that. Easy mix-it-yourself cleaning recipes for a cleaner house. Easy house cleaning! Better tear that article out. Paper... Create a T-shirt quilt. I don't quilt but could learn. Finally! A use for all those project graduation volunteer shirts. Make a copy of/tear out the article from/ jot it down...on Paper. Sooo many great ideas not to be overlooked or wasted. Tired of the clutter, I look through collections of well intended intentions to save ideas on Paper. Over the aha moments of the past. I am left with a dilemma. Do I keep my Papers so as not to be wasteful of all the resources that went into creating them? Or create a giant note pad? Maybe make a computer file with all the ideas in one place with no Paper? Think I'll do a little of it all. Before I leave this post I have to leave you with just a few of my Paper gleanings.

In the Tub
Oily Skin? cut two oranges in half and squeeze into bath
Dry Skin? Run a warm bath and add 2 Tbsp. of honey under the running tap.
Super Dry Skin? add a coup of nonfat dry milk to bath water

Cleaner House
All-purpose cleaner and deodorizer
* 4 tablespoons baking soda *1 quart warm water
Great for: Kitchen counters, appliances, and inside the refrigerator

Glass cleaner
*2 cups water *1/2 cup white or cider vinegar *1/4 cup rubbing alcohol
Great for windows and mirrors

Did You Know?
Revive Mushy Veggies..Just sprinkle Parmesan cheese and a little black pepper over soggy carrots, beans or broccoli. I will bring back the flavor instantly.
Mend Cracks in Pastry..If your pie crust dough falls apart or cracks, lightly brush with ice water and gently press back together.
Zap Driveway stains.. Erase oil stains from your driveway by pouring a can of cola on them.
Ease Puffy Eyes...To relieve swollen eyes, chill two metal teaspoons in cold water. Place the spoons concave-side out over your eyes for around a minute.

If you could only see the Paper pile I have created around the computer!

Dryer Lint

2008-06-12T16:18:00.000-07:00

OK, I know what I'm going to say may sound a little overboard, but I like to save and recycle dryer lint. From experience it is one of the very best fire starters around. The lint goes quickly during wood stove burning months. I filled a big plastic bag (I'm talkin' the kind of zipper bag that a new bed comforter comes in) full of lint once. I had grand ideas of making groovy homemade paper. It stayed too long cooped up in the basement and got a musty smell, so it all ended up in the wood stove as starter. Each time I take lint from my dryer I always see potential. Have you ever noticed the cool texture and colors that change with each load? Sometimes dense and thick with pink and grays or light and fragile from cottons. If you "fluff" anything that has down inside it, feathers become all entwined with the lint. Ideas can abound with this type of medium. A cool textured Picasso with a little natural dye. The sky's the limit for paper mache uses. Dryer lint can be composted or thrown outside to help birds with their nest making. The ideas shared just scratch the surface of the noble uses of dryer lint. There is a caution though, DO NOT USE DRYER LINT AS A STUFFING! Since it is very flammable it's the last thing you'd want stuffed in a pillow, quilt, or child's toy. A parting thought... Did you know you can make a clay out of dryer lint? I will post a couple of sites with more lint ideas. The next time you remove the lint from your dryer really look at it. http://www.allfreecrafts.com/recycling-crafts/dryer-lint.shtml http://www.stretcher.com/stories/01/011112g.cfm

In Honor of Cloth Napkins and Hand Towels

2008-06-06T05:25:00.000-07:00

I was watching Oprah on Earth Day with the shows topic of "Green" ideas to save the planet and save money. An idea given was to use cloth napkins and hand towels instead of paper. When was this considered new or novel. I have reared 5 active children through the 80's and 90's not using paper towels. We have used cloth napkins and hand towels for at least the past 23 years. It all started when I began to think of all the wasted money with a one time swipe and in the trash it would go. The same with paper towels. A huge roll of paper just to wipe up a spill? I've heard the argument of hand towels and sponges being less sanitary. Well, no one ever got the plague by not using a paper towel around our house. Maybe the fact that I was a stay at home mom with 5 children within a 7 year span forced the issue to cut corners. I'm glad I did. It was easy to look for cloth napkins at yard sales, thrift stores or dollar stores. Just recently for our 2'nd oldest son's rehearsal dinner, we bought colorful cloth napkins at the dollar store 4 for $1.00. Now we have lots of napkins for a long time with a special memory. The paper napkins would have been long gone in a land fill somewhere. Oh, when we have a large gathering of friends we pull out all the different colors and styles of napkins. The clean up is easy. Just throw in the wash with the next load. We also take cloth napkins on picnics. They are very versatile plus don't blow away as easily. I could keep thinking of reasons and examples, but you get what I'm saying. Now, disposable plates, and cups are another topic with many of the same convictions.

In Honor of Cloth Napkins and Hand Towels:

Cloth napkins—make a table look happy.

Cloth napkins are less expensive, even with washing. Just throw them in with your regular load. That's what we do.

Cloth napkins are easy to make. You can use almost any spare or scrap fabric, reducing the cost even further.

Cloth napkins last a long time. This dramatically cuts down paper waste thus saves trees.

World Environment Day June 5th

2008-06-04T16:38:00.000-07:00

Contentment and Clotheslines

2008-05-23T16:30:00.001-07:00

Today I did one of my favorite things. I hung out 3 loads of clothes. Something about the whole process feels holy to me. It slows me down. I feel the warm sun against my back, hear birds and the sounds of the neighborhood, feel a slight breeze , touch each individual piece of clothing. Decisions, " hang the towel where it will dry easier than where I place the cloth napkin. " The basket empties before I'm ready for it to. Later, the clothes are dry. Reverse the process. Take time. Touch each piece. Listen to the birds, notice the flowers growing all over the yard. My eyes take in the careful artwork designed by my husband. The growing terraced gardens full of all kinds of vegetables. The seed bed where he starts his "crop". Again, flowers everywhere. Basket full, I carry it inside and sit it down. Wait! I turn back, scoop up an armful of clothes, bury my face in it and take in a deep breath of outside. My body fills with a satisfaction and release of tension in my muscles. A holy moment. A rich simplicity of being me, aware of the presence of God. 1 Timothy 6:6 comes to mind. Writing from the Amplified translation....."And it is, indeed, a source of immense profit, for, godliness accompanied with contentment (that contentment which is a sense of inward sufficiency) is great and abundant gain."

See this website about the right to dry:
http://www.laundrylist.org/index2.htm

Nothing Much to Say

2008-02-06T17:21:00.000-08:00

I have nothing in particular to talk about for my first post. Just wanted to get her up and running to see what it all feels and looks like. Sort of like finding the right place to sit on the porch, whether it be the steps or chair.