tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73615728856479767152011-11-27T19:29:47.143-05:00Like gardens? Like animals? Me too.Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.comBlogger611100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-32034758446620243632010-03-11T14:05:00.002-05:002010-03-11T14:10:01.735-05:00

Here comes the sun...And the robins, and new growth, and a sigh of relief. 11 days until the Spring equinox, but it's beautiful today.Winter AconiteAllium and poppies, under the protection of the goddess in her aspect of the Blessed Virgin Mary.Hellebore, or Lenten Rose, in the backyardAnd yellow crocus.My heart is lighter.

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-91993689882502595172009-12-01T11:23:00.011-05:002009-12-02T22:37:50.010-05:00

Like many Americans, I have mixed feelings about Thanksgiving. As a child, the holiday included a wide array of volatile personalities and unreasonable expectations. Add in the fact that my birthday is always within 3 days of the holiday, and you have a classic recipe for ambiguity.As an adult, my holiday ambiguity has a different face- the face of excess. I like Thanksgiving food, even as a

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-14151175888898708132009-10-31T18:18:00.003-05:002009-10-31T18:35:57.641-05:00

Happy Halloween! In our small town, Trick-or-Treating is always moved to a different day from the actual holiday, so the excitement is all over here. Thursday night brought out all the ghosts, ghouls and goblins. Since my dogs are disturbed by people coming to the door, and since Chuck had to work, I shut our house up and went to hand out treats at a friends' house. We were busy for the entire 2

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-87041817173435227612009-10-09T00:15:00.003-05:002009-10-09T00:24:03.551-05:00

And the blog has suffered. However, I believe that things have normalized, and I will be writing again. For now, here are a couple of the good things that came from this summer...

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-30569613022337231662009-07-06T10:05:00.010-05:002009-07-07T10:12:40.552-05:00

A few carrots, ( yes they are small but DELICIOUS!), some purple bunching onions- at least we are getting some harvest in the garden. The plants you can see on the left of the carrots are amaranth- good for greens and for grain if you let them go that long. Some tiny little tomatoes have set, and the beans are growing like weeds.6 week purple hull crowder peastomatoesThe garlic is looking

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-88413232511325485342009-06-27T14:44:00.009-05:002009-07-03T23:56:09.662-05:00

I think cherries must be the most generous of fruits. They give and give and give...and ask for very little in return.Friday was a perfect day, and Chuck and I went over the mountain into Adams County to pick cherries. Last year, cherry season was very short, and we missed it entirely- in fact, I stopped at the orchard on a Wednesday to see if they were still picking, and when we got there on

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-18584514390415514402009-06-10T08:34:00.006-05:002009-06-10T22:40:02.563-05:00

Eggplant, badly damaged by flea beetlesI had great hopes for the straw bales, but so far they have not met my expectations. Had I read the directions and then had Chuck read the directions before the bales got placed in the yard, maybe they would have been better. One reason I wanted to try the bales was to see if I could avoid the flea beetles on the egg plants and the squash bugs on the

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-76905572469614428582009-05-27T13:41:00.004-05:002009-05-27T23:43:53.703-05:00

sweet potato hillWe worked hard in the garden over Memorial Day weekend. Chuck got the sweet potatoes planted- 25 Beauregard plants, which we think are the ones we liked best from last year, and 25 Vardaman plants. I think next year I may order my slips from Sand Hill Preservation just to get a little choice and variety.The herb garden is filling out- 5 of a new kind of rosemary called

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-61322574870982748982009-05-21T12:53:00.007-05:002009-05-21T14:27:58.784-05:00

Spinach and spring onionsIt has been a spotty sort of spring for posting- but my temp job is over now, and I have pictures, taken this morning (5/21.) Most are posted here in Snapfish, since I know there are a few of you out there who have dial-up and may not want to see all the pictures. You know I am all about personal choice!What's doing well: The spinach, green onions and garlic are

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-12467508951450858812009-05-03T14:21:00.004-05:002009-05-03T14:29:15.006-05:00

I'd like to think that I understand the circle of life, and the basic facts surrounding prey and predator. But understanding or no, I really hated it when our dog Boodles found the nest of baby bunnies in the potato patch this past week.Here's a picture with Chuck's finger in it for scale. Most of the bunnies were not hurt. We hope we haven't disturbed the nest so that the mother won't return.

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-25102732301421673142009-04-15T14:27:00.003-05:002009-04-15T15:29:07.480-05:00

On April 3, I was greatly honored when this blog was named by JD of Walk It Off as one of her favorites. I was very pleased, because I think JD is one of the most level headed, terrific people I know. We have been friends for about 15 years, and I know I can rely on her absolutely for virtually anything.I do want to apologize to her for not getting this post done sooner, but I am hoping for

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-13862795168795314152009-04-14T19:23:00.009-05:002009-04-14T20:42:27.754-05:00

Sunday was a gorgeous day. We worked in the herb garden- Chuck moved some peach trees from the herb bed to the front yard. The peach trees are actually volunteers from the compost bin 2 or three years ago. We doubt that we will get good peaches from them, since peaches are grafted and don't reproduce true from seed. But even if the peaches are little peach shaped rocks in the summer, we will

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-79794101182432839262009-04-02T19:01:00.001-05:002009-04-02T19:16:05.885-05:00

The tatsoi and the pak choi are peeking their little heads up in the garden- no sign of the carrots or scallions yet. The picture above shows pak choi.Seedlings under the light are doing well. I noticed some yellowing leaves, so I bought a container of fish emulsion, diluted it 1 Tsp: 1 quart water and started doing spraying it onto the plants for a foliar feeding. The yellow leaf on the

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-89100815141665858962009-03-30T18:58:00.005-05:002009-03-30T19:49:36.883-05:00

image courtesy of Freephoto.comGarlic is supposed to be planted in the fall. We usually put it in the ground in November, in a small bed that also contains a sage plant and a couple of peach trees that sprang from the compost bin like Athena from Zeus' head.*Last fall, though, was a tense and dreadful time, bounded with the fear of, and later the reality of, losing my job. In the wake of

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-80820415193150277892009-03-29T11:44:00.003-05:002009-03-29T11:54:08.906-05:00

Chuck and I ate tacos by candle light, and then took the dogs for a walk.Here is an article about how Calgary observed, and here is one about New York City and Time's Square. Here is a map of US Cities who participated- I'm proud that in Harrisburg, PA, the capitol dome lights were to be turned off. Below is a video taken at various places across New Zealand and Fiji.Now, what is our next step?

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-5946226390889323902009-03-23T18:57:00.005-05:002009-03-23T19:35:22.682-05:00

I like gardening best when I am the planner and Chuck does the work. However, this year I've vowed to shoulder my share of the responsibilities, even if it means getting dirt under my fingernails.Over the weekend I built a very small raised bed for my carrots, and I planted 2 rows today. I'll plant another row every other week, so we should have carrots maturing most of the season. It's still

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-50226350552582929802009-03-19T15:20:00.014-05:002009-03-19T16:22:50.614-05:00

The Vernal Equinox is tomorrow- spring arrives for me at 7:44 tomorrow morning.Here's what the day before spring looks like around here. New sage leaves amongst the old; Miniature Bronze fennel fronds; Ladies Mantle; The Earth Mother watches over daffodils; The bleeding hearts get huge each year, despite their small start.Columbine; And a rhubarb leaf about the size of a quarter.Day lilies;Hosta

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-63544527809793299202009-03-17T17:38:00.005-05:002009-03-17T19:18:36.808-05:00

Crunchy Chicken posted about Earth Hour last Thursday. The Earth Hour campaign, as I am sure you know, is a global event in which people turn off their lights for an hour on March 28, 8:30 to 9:30 PM. Participation is seen as an indicator that Global Warning is of concern.Her post focuses on alternative light for those who are participating, and mainly just pointed out that burning paraffin

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-62692782598464846342009-03-10T09:16:00.007-05:002009-03-10T09:47:05.267-05:00

It's been 3 weeks and a couple days since the sowing of seeds. Almost everything has come up well. The exceptions- absolutely NO Ancho chiles came up- I planted 16- and just a few- between 3 and 6- Thai round eggplant came up- planted 16 of those as well.The Red Kuri Squash are looking wonderful; they are getting true leaves. Everything else still has cotyledon leaves (the first leaves to

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-84604846893959314392009-03-03T19:48:00.007-05:002009-03-04T16:01:30.593-05:00

I was cleaning out a closet today, and I found a yearbook from the first year I taught as a "real" teacher, back in 1991. I spent a pleasant few minutes remembering my students and wondering what they were doing now. It was a terrific class and an exciting year. As a computer-themed magnet school, we were under a mandate to have every child in our classroom spend at least half of the day using

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-56605263938541526902009-02-24T11:07:00.002-05:002009-02-24T11:26:33.818-05:00

Melinda, over at One Green Generation asked the people participating in the Growing Challenge this question this morning:I’m curious, and I think it might be helpful to others: how and why you decide to grow from seed to seed this year? Are you growing food for the first time? Are you feeling more of an economic crunch, or want to take the next step in living a simple/sustainable life? Are

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-89304873817005094152009-02-23T14:19:00.002-05:002009-02-23T14:24:01.171-05:00

The tomato, squash and basil seedlings are up, off the waterbed and under the plant light. They will get 14-16 hours of light a day, under a flourescent fixture approximately 1 inch above the seedlings.No peppers have shown their faces yet- they must be the kind who sleep late!

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-80571543406948826502009-02-19T11:06:00.005-05:002009-02-19T12:57:17.105-05:00

The organic/sustainable agriculture communities were not pleased when President Obama appointed Iowa Governor Thomas Vilsak Secretary of Agriculture. His ties to agribusiness giant Monsanto and his support for bio-tech, bio-fuels and genetically engineered crops were the focus of their ire, and calls went out to block his appointment. Many felt author Michael Pollan, with his focus on food

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-81199705158711190882009-02-17T17:28:00.003-05:002009-02-17T17:38:35.399-05:00

I started 56 pots, with 4 seedlings each on Saturday- 4 pots each of 2 different eggplants, 4 pots each of 5 different peppers, 4 pots cherry tomatoes, 6 pots each of purple and striped tomatoes, 4 pots of greek basil, 4 pots of purple basil, and 4 pots of Red Kuri Squash. It's a little early for the squash. Yes, the seedlings are sitting on a waterbed- it provides nice bottom heat, and no one

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-29000132322920910462009-02-12T12:09:00.007-05:002009-02-13T18:08:41.231-05:00

The last of the seeds I ordered this year arrived today. This was a last minute order brought about when Baker Creek was out of the Black Cherry tomatoes. A Googlesearch led me to Trade Winds Fruit, in Chula Vista CA. They had a terrific offering of things I can't grow here in Pennsylvania and I daydreamed and drooled for a while, then ordered Georgia Southern Collard Greens, Ancho and Anaheim

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-50402316621679290712009-02-04T16:19:00.009-05:002009-02-17T17:41:16.756-05:00

I hope that I am never too old to learn new things about myself, even if they are uncomfortable to think about.Had you asked me, 5 or 6 years ago, if I was actively protecting the environment, I would have assured you that yes, indeed, I was. We gardened, we composted, we didn't litter. No fur, no ivory, no teak or mahogany. When we bought new appliances, we got energy saving ones. In the

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-10052787683024828652009-01-28T12:08:00.004-05:002009-01-28T12:53:55.996-05:00

Each year about this time, I start looking at my front yard and thinking about how much wasted space is out there, covered in grass. I think about how many more vegetables and fruits I could grow if I could only convince Chuck to let me garden in the front yard. His reply is invariably "I like lawns. The back yard is yours, the front yard is mine." Personally, I thought he would jump at the

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-3445331680494351682009-01-23T11:00:00.011-05:002009-01-25T16:03:12.749-05:00

When you going to plant it, when you going to plant it? (to paraphrase the White Stripes).I don't know exactly when I will be planting, except for potatoes (March 17) but I ordered seeds last night from Baker Creek Heirloom and Botanical Interests. The cool thing about Botanical Interests is that I was able to pick a not-for-profit group from a list to which a donation from my sale would be

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-24435572578576917742009-01-21T21:09:00.005-05:002009-01-21T21:38:34.196-05:00

Chayote and tomatoes in a Panama City Rey store- photo by Bart and Katie AdastraMy sons have always made fun of me because, no matter where we travel or what we are doing there, I have two stops I invariably must make. I have to go to a grocery store- preferably more than one- and if there is a farmer's market, I have to visit it as well. If pressed for time, I think I would choose to visit

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-22610429505051232952009-01-13T11:55:00.008-05:002009-01-14T00:36:47.964-05:00

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."-- William Shakespeare I spent the weekend at what may have been one of the best weddings ever. After 8 years, my son and his fiancee were married in a tremendously moving ceremony developed and officiated over by my sister. The ceremony was followed by a blow-out party that reflected Bart and Katie's

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-45908607321859149392009-01-05T18:14:00.009-05:002009-01-07T20:50:39.889-05:00

It's been just over 18 months since I last wrote anything here. As I said in that post, my new job was wonderful, but was monopolizing all of my time and all 18 of my brain cells. No fears anymore, though- the job fell to the economy, and I have joined the legions of unemployed Americans.However- when I can ignore the feelings of dread that come from being unemployed in this economy, I am

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-32084555271633589812007-06-26T20:18:00.000-05:002007-06-26T20:37:07.582-05:00

1 year ago today- larkspur and hollyhock, with a lone hosta I see that it has been almost a month to the day since I last posted here. My friends Robbyn and Sveta have both come looking for me this past week. I'm sorry they had to seek me out, but it is nice to be missed!I apologize to anyone who enjoyed reading this regularly. My new job, which is writing curricula, is terrific- I am loving it,

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-6995835247682242002007-05-27T15:55:00.001-05:002007-05-27T16:04:49.557-05:00

It's been a while since I was able to do Weekend Dog Blogging, and while I was gone, Sweet Nicks discontinued it. But I have this lovely picture, so I figured, why not post. We spent last week in Missouri, visiting family, and Juniper had her first lengthy interaction with other dogs in a non-kennel environment. Here she is hanging out with the Slime Machines, AKA Beefy and Sequoia. Everyone

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-43449283887913147822007-05-14T21:33:00.000-05:002007-05-15T19:43:03.324-05:00

AlliumSunday was the jewel of the weekend- beautiful weather, pleasant activities and a yummy, 90% local dinner. The highpoint of the day, of course, was the phone call from my sons, who were spending the weekend together in St. Louis, attending something called Beer Fest. I'm told there was a lovely Blueberry beer served.Here in PA there was no Beerfest. Instead we took the dog for a walk on

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-62314440701992152992007-05-07T19:13:00.000-05:002007-05-09T20:25:09.531-05:00

Kwan Yin and the copper beech A great change is underway at our house. As of May 1, I am a full time employee, something I haven't been since 1992. I have a different job, albeit in the same organization. While I am thrilled to be employed, excited about my new job, I am also mourning the end of my old job, one I loved beyond words, with people who were superb to work with.I'm also worried about

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-39519553142558272602007-05-01T22:34:00.000-05:002007-05-01T22:59:13.109-05:00

This 1s why I love Spring...And it's all in my backyard. Happy May Day.grape leaves- who ever imagined they were so pretty?Lilac ; not purple, but lovely all the same DogwoodViburnum- and does it ever smell wonderful~Violets- one of my favorites- I trained Chuck and the kids to mow around them when in bloom Bacchus and the grape- Chuck's god of wine

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-9208598989396362192007-04-29T10:12:00.000-05:002007-04-29T13:47:20.482-05:00

Baby grape leaves on the vine I think I am going to write a new diet book; I'll call it Eat Local, Feel Better, Help the Earth, and Lose More than Weight. Too long a title? Yeah, well, maybe.I don't actually know if I lost weight during my local eating week, but I feel as if I ate this way all the time, I would. Whether this is due to what I was eating this week, or to the pressure of reporting

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-10403275424986516872007-04-27T22:24:00.000-05:002007-04-28T00:30:51.819-05:00

It was a tough day today in the real-life arena, and that bled a little bit over into the local eating thing too. Tomorrow is our final day; it will be nice to be released from the obligation to calculate costs, but I have learned a lot this week.Tonight's dinner contains one of the "local-est" ingredients. Um, maybe I am over exaggerating there, but I bet I'm the only person in the challenge

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-67327961668112363852007-04-26T18:43:00.000-05:002007-04-26T20:01:17.035-05:00

The list of bloggers participating in the Penny-Wise Challenge is posted over at the Eat Local Challenge blog. I'm anxious to read what others are eating, and how they are doing.I read this over on Jamie's blog, 10 signs like this "It's all too tempting to say a lot of what we eat is "free"--after all, we produce our own eggs and most of our own vegetables. But we know better than anyone that

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-69544678342272621802007-04-25T16:57:00.000-05:002007-04-25T17:54:29.341-05:00

I fell off the wagon today for lunch, but it was a planned fall- Administrative Assistants Day, and we went out to lunch. Our AA is the hardest working woman I have ever had the pleasure of working with, and I wouldn't have missed the day for all the local food in Pennsylvania. And I listened to Michael Pollan's An Omnivore's Dilemma on the way to and from the restaurant, so my mind was still

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-65558814593040228012007-04-24T21:06:00.000-05:002007-04-24T22:26:37.495-05:00

Hellebore, or Lenten RoseI love my garden. It's the best part of living in this house. About 6 years ago we put in a pond, and constructed a man-made creek that falls from a waterfall at the edge of the backyard. Chuck ran a hose under the creek to pump water from the pond up to the waterfall; with the flip of a switch we can have moving water. When I got home from work tonight, Juniper and I

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-56745157042932125462007-04-23T17:46:00.000-05:002007-04-23T21:53:34.506-05:00

You know, I think I committed a cardinal sin yesterday, and didn't post the link to get to the Eat Local Challenge. I'll correct that now.I also forgot to link to an article on that blog by Heather C, Eating the Lawn, who used a different part of the dandelion for part of her first Eat Local day.Now, on to Day 2.Since the Attack of the Muffin Woman back in September, I have been trying to keep

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-59342777011044649972007-04-23T09:23:00.000-05:002007-04-24T09:27:26.332-05:00

Ingredients for the Cream of Dandelion SoupThe first day of our week long Challenge is under our belt, and it was harder than I anticipated. Not the food part- we ate just as we eat every Sunday. What was hard is figuring out the costs of things- I know, for example, how much I spent on a pound of oatmeal, but breaking it down to get the cost of 2 cups of oatmeal is trickier. Some foods I had in

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-59072334043046039352007-04-21T17:57:00.000-05:002007-04-21T21:32:15.438-05:00

A Real World Friend, who blogs under the name of Whozat tagged me on the Thinking Blogger Award. She says this:"I know Willa in the real world, but I feel like I've gotten to know her a lot better since I've been reading her blogs. Yumminess Ensues features recipes and more, while Plants and Animals... is mostly the "more" but both blogs have some really interesting insights into her strong

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-5299573527020809442007-04-17T18:32:00.000-05:002007-04-17T20:59:51.148-05:00

I have written some amazing cogent, coherent, down-right excellent posts for this blog. You have never read them. Written in my head, as I drive to and from work, by the time I got to the computer, they were gone like the memory of a dream.Recently, I did this with a post that tied together an article I read in Mother Jones Magazine, something I heard while listening to Michael Pollan's The

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-792906820732132512007-04-10T18:51:00.000-05:002007-04-10T19:56:55.868-05:00

And I'm a bottled water addict.Sad but true. Now, here's where I try to justify my behavior- "It's my only addiction." "I only drink bottled water away from home." "I recycle all the bottles."Actually, I do only drink bottled water when I am away from home. Well, OK, when I am away from home, or when I am downstairs and I don't want to go upstairs to refill my glass. And sometimes during the

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-27902711273945995972007-04-02T18:45:00.000-05:002007-04-02T20:36:24.443-05:00

I was out of town for most of last week, at a conference for work. For the most part, it was a good experience; I learned a great deal and had a pretty good time. I was immersed in a culture I know very little about- the conference was for people who are associated with youth summer camps. The not-for-profit for whom I work has summer camps as a component of the operation, but I am not

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-15017313877477589722007-03-27T12:46:00.000-05:002007-03-27T14:39:00.839-05:00

My hamstrings are reminding me that gardening season is here. I'm a middle class American, doing a sedentary job; I don't do a lot of squatting in the course of my work. But Sunday was a bright and beautiful day, coming on the heels of a lot of rain and gloom, and Chuck and I worked on the garden. And, like every year, I am reminded of my forgotten resolution of the previous year, namely, to get

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-14832572853928237672007-03-23T20:03:00.000-05:002007-03-23T20:43:42.797-05:00

Well, last week I posted pictures of my grandpuppies for weekend dog blogging. This week, it's Party Dog, the dog with garb for every occasion. Here he is wearing his Mardi Gras outfit.Party Dog, better known as Ender, came to live with us in late spring, 1995, just before my older son's 15th birthday. He was about 7 months old, and teenaged boy plus teenaged dog made a great pair. My son would

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-51328449045429979222007-03-19T20:26:00.000-05:002007-03-19T21:18:56.361-05:00

Most of us know to call a large group of loud black birds a murder of crows, thanks to the 1999 movie starring Cuba Gooding. But how many of us call the large group of starlings we see wheeling through the sky a murmuration? I don't know who chooses the collective nouns to identify large groups of animals, but I am always fascinated to read them. I understand an ostentation of peacocks, and a

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-60701255542552855692007-03-16T11:34:00.000-05:002007-03-16T11:47:31.297-05:00

I'm so excited about the idea of weekend dog blogging that I am writing this on Tuesday and saving it until the weekend. And these aren't even my dogs!These behemoths belong to my son and his girlfriend, but they are so cute I am compelled to show them to the world. Beefeater Maximus, the lovely brindle gentleman, is about 10 months old, and weigh about 140 pounds. His fawn friend is Sequoia-

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-22615595246601969302007-03-15T21:24:00.000-05:002007-03-16T11:18:02.893-05:00

Yesterday, the first crocuses.Today, a skein of tundra swans migrating overheadTomorrow, a predicted 7 inches of snow by 7 AM.Sigh.

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-24020958522100737162007-03-13T11:22:00.000-05:002007-03-13T23:00:25.094-05:00

My email yesterday brought me some thoughts from the Eat Local Challenge blog. VI gives a report card of sorts on how the Eating Local thing is going at his house here at the end of winter. I decided I'd take stock as well, and found we are doing OK, but not as well as I thought we were.Our last couple of trips to the grocery store I had to buy garlic and onions, spinach and kale. Two sweet

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-38723978471336866892007-03-11T10:27:00.000-05:002007-03-13T13:09:55.380-05:00

Well, first the American Food Industry cheats me of my full quota of kinds of squash and melons, and now the robins lie to me. Life is hard, I tell you.Last Tuesday, March 6, I saw the first robin of the spring. I was very happy; while we had a late winter here in S. Central PA, with cold and snow not coming until February, once winter arrived, it was brutal. Temperatures in the deep freeze for

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-92049798004764145852007-03-05T14:38:00.000-05:002007-03-13T13:08:55.041-05:00

When you go to the grocery store, how many kinds of eggplant can you find? There's the deep purple one that everyone recognizes, perhaps the long, thin lighter purple asian eggplants. If you are really lucky, and shop at a "fancy" store, you might find white eggplants, smaller than the "regular" kind. At a farmers market during growing season, especially in an upscale area, you might be able to

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-64407481168266841012007-02-27T22:09:00.000-05:002007-03-13T13:07:59.216-05:00

The dog shrink came to our house last Friday, to visit the dog formerly known as Noelle. She was with us from 2 in the afternoon until 5:30, and charged us $50. Diagnosis- Depression, lack of socialization and anxiety.I was not surprised that Bonnie, the Dog Shrink, found Juniper (what we now call the Dog formerly known as Noelle) to be depressed; after all, she has spent more than half her life

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-63197456133287623212007-02-22T18:29:00.000-05:002007-02-23T09:24:59.150-05:00

Tomorrow we are getting a lamb. And that is something about which I have mixed feelings.This morning, when the sun came up, this lamb was out in the field, thinking sheepy thoughts, looking for edibles in the snow. By now, dinner time, it is no longer alive, and on Saturday, it will be in my freezer as chops, roasts and ribs. That is an awesome realization, that this lamb is no longer alive

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-32926457008535784842007-02-19T16:24:00.000-05:002007-02-20T23:25:37.724-05:00

Some days, I think we provide a free breakfast, lunch and dinner buffet to more visitors than some of the Las Vegas hotels! This month, with a 6 inch snow and ice cover, our birdfeeder is getting a lot of business. At the sunflower seed feeder, we have house sparrows, juncos, a Carolina Wren and a Cardinal pair. The sparrows and juncos come to the feeder, but also congregate underneath in the

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-15081686130815284942007-02-14T15:27:00.000-05:002007-02-14T17:45:01.274-05:00

We have a great vegetable garden. Ten years of composting has created some wonderful soil. When we moved here in 1997, we set up 8 4X4 raised beds, using cinder blocks. We grew some tomatoes and peppers, and usually some sunflowers.Last year we expanded the growing area to 2 raised beds, 4 by about 18, by removing the cinder blocks between some of the raised beds, and tilling up the walkways. I

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-11711987415260091872007-02-13T20:59:00.000-05:002007-03-13T13:07:12.483-05:00

We have a new dog in our house, and it is an interesting adaptation.Our dog, Ender, died December 23, 2006. He was 13, so while it wasn't unanticipated, it was a surprise- he really hadn't shown any signs of impending death. I did have a dream, around the first of December, in which Ender was playing with a dog my husband and I acquired one month after we got married, and who had died in 1990. I

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7361572885647976715.post-57413572668331434502007-01-10T16:16:00.000-05:002007-02-17T19:00:28.617-05:00

I've been planning the garden this week. The seed catalogs arrived before the Solstice, and I've flipped through them, lusting after enough varieties to plant a garden the size of Toledo. Now I have to winnow them down, picking what I can fit into approximately 99 square feet of raised beds.We have created good soil here, composting and occasionally buying bags of soil and composted manure. Some

Willahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10115110657993404611noreply@blogger.com0