The March Continues Placidly

I've spent long hours outside doing hard labor in my gardens.  It's not done, but I'm feeling a little reprieve since every available space in the veggie area is planted.  I've turned my attention to the flower beds.  Oy.

The record heat is a blessing and curse.  Sensually, I love it, but it's hard to germinate in these temperatures.  I've been using every trick I know to keep the vulnerable seeds moist.  Yea, the temperatures speed up the process, but only if the seeds don't dry out!

The heat has also brought an opportunity to test out my summer clothes choices after the big closet purge.  I decluttered two items yesterday, a dress and a shirt.

After my gardening stint, I showered and was looking for something cool to wear.  (We don't run the air conditioner unless there's a compelling reason.)  I tried on a blue, knit, sleeveless, tube mini-dress I had saved.  This revealed lumps in all the wrong places!  I peeled that off and tagged it for donate with no regrets.  I turned, instead, to my reliable collection of mini-skirts.  They are my go-to for hot days in the house.  A cotton skirt in a small, green print was cool and light.  I tried to pair it with a skimpy, knit top.  Trying that on, I remembered why I seldom wore that shirt.  There is a seam that cuts across my boobs in a most uncomfortable and unsightly fashion!  Again, donate pile and no regrets.

I really didn't have anything that matched the skirt, so I went another direction and pulled out a sleeveless cotton shirt with an orange print the same size as the green of the skirt.  Perfection.  Both items light and easy to wear.  I wore it all afternoon, even cooking in an already hot kitchen.  So comfortable I could take a nap in it or wear it to the store.  Bonus: Before bed, I rinsed the shirt in the sink and hung it on the shower bar to dry.  I simply folded the skirt to reduce wrinkles and put it away.  No laundry!  Don't you love summer?

Last night, after my mini-purge, I dreamed of decluttering.  In the dream, it didn't go quite as smoothly as it did in the light of day in my house.  I don't know if that means anything or not. 

Nearly January

It's a little warmer today, 40s in the late AM. The ducks are slow, as sedate as ducks can be--a relative condition, naturally.

We haven't had much precipitation this winter, and I'm getting worried, but then...I always worry this time of year...about moisture for the garden. It'll come, I remind myself. It always comes.

But what if it doesn't? I mean, droughts are not unheard of!

I can water from the hose once the real thaws come, but it's not the same, not at all. Soft water from the sky is not the same as hard water pumped up from the ground. The plants respond differently--true fact.

Duck Talk

The behavior and chatter of chickens is well studied. Although not all the mysteries of a hen's cackle have been revealed, there's a pretty good understanding of chicken talk. They're extremely simple creatures, after all.

I don't know how well duck talk has been studied, ducks like the mallards on my river, but I suppose, considering that a chicken can be understood, that I can speculate the ducks are having a fine time this morning as the gale howls down the stream in freezing temperatures.

While we cringe and huddle inside, the ducks are dipping and paddling almost joyously. Some fly in, some fly out of the throng, the ladies quacking greetings and departures (boys don't quack). One could probably resent them for their giddiness in such miserable weather OR...we can be glad someone, at least, is having a good time.

How's the weather? Just ducky!

Six Days til Mother's Night

I'm looking forward to Mother's Night on the 20th, just my personal, quiet celebration--like I do most things--a Mother's song (to the tune of Greensleeves) I found and a pine candle I bought. For a display, I thought I'd bring in a few sprigs (I'm not big on denuding my trees) of evergreen and add some apples and nuts from the grocery store. Frigg, Freya, Idun and Sunna will be the honored goddesses, and I will ask blessings on all the grandmothers, mothers, daughters and sisters I know. If that's not good mojo, I don't know what is.

About Idun (Idunn, Iduna, Idhuna): Ramblings

Idun ("She Who Renews") is the Norse goddess of youth, who grows the magic apples of immortality that keep the gods young. Her husband Bragi was god of poetry.

Remember Pagan immortality doesn't mean "forever pacing in heaven." It's about the never-ending cycles of renewal and death that we observe and in which we participate. Despite all the fearmongering, ancient and modern, there's no uncertainty in spring and winter; ya gotta love that. And when the sun and earth runs out, there are other stars, and when the stars all run out, there is still the universe, and when the universe runs out, there is rest and another universe. Do your worst, you dirty, carbon dioxide polluters, you can't outdo the gods!

But about Idun...

Loki, the god of mischief and fire, was once responsible for arranging Her abduction by the giant Thajazi. Without Her apples, the gods soon began to age, and threatened Loki until He agreed to rescue Her, which He accomplished by borrowing Freyja's falcon robe and fleeing with Idun who He had changed to a nut. (This story must be a season-cycle tale; there are lots of them like this, apple to nut, etc.)

Some say that Gerd the Giantess is another aspect of Idun. Freyr brought her eleven golden apples and Draupnir. Sunna may also appear as the aspect Gerd, whose beautiful white arms, raised aloft, illuminated sea and sky. Freyr could see her from a great distance and fell in love.

As we are in love when the morning sun rises or when She returns from southern climes as She will begin to do on Mother's Night, gracing us with her light and warmth a little more each day. Even in the coldest winter, the longest night (literally), she holds the promise of renewal. I'd say that's a miracle or...humankind's propensity for hope. In either case, it's worth celebrating.

End of Ramble.

Plans for Soup

Inspired by the turning leaves and colder weather, I'm planning soup for supper. I've had a butternut squash in the crisper for a couple weeks now, waiting for this particular idea to pop into my head. Originally, I planned to bake and mash the squash like potatoes, which is great, too, but today soup seems even better!

Recipe for--um, what shall I call this?--Butternut Cheese Soup!

I already cut the butternut into fourths and deseeded it, turned the open sides down in a glass, baking dish and added about a 1/2 in. of salted water. It's baking right now at 375F. Takes about an hour to be soft enough to mash, which is what I want.

With that done, I have to make the cheese sauce, a simple roux to which I will add shredded cheese, sharp cheddar, because that's what I like.

Here's how I make the sauce (this is mostly for Kami):

1. Begin with a melted fat/oil like margarine, butter, bacon drippings, depending on what flavor and how many heavy calories you want.

2. In equal amount to the hot/warm oil, add a helping of flour. So if you used a tablespoon of margarine, use a tablespoon of flour. This stirs up into a paste.

3. Now add a liquid; water (if you don't want flavor) milk, cream, beef, chicken or vegetable broth. You add only a few tablespoons at this time. Let it sit in the pan to warm before you try stirring it in. I don't know why, but I like to use a wooden spoon. The first "stir-in" is the most important. If you can make it creamy at this point, then you don't have to worry so much about how fast or how much liquid you add after that. Continue to add the liquid until you've gotten to the volume you want as your sauce or gravy.

4. Important: Taste and salt and season. I like pepper in gravy, for example. For stroganoff, I add paprika, etc.

5. You want to let this heat for a while so the flour cooks (uncooked flour tastes pasty) and the sauce thickens. O, and you can't stop stirring at this point. It's stir and serve.

If you use only butter, flour, salt and milk/cream, then you have what my mom called white sauce. She made it for nearly every meal. Now if I add shredded cheese to melt, then I've got cheese sauce.

AND, if I puree butternut squash and incorporate that, I'll have soup!

June Rain

Squalls shake the Basho
tree -- all
night my basin echoes rain.


-Basho

Every Year the Miracle

Honeysuckle and roses. How can it be that they bloom together every year?

Dad and I are simply in awe each time we step outside the door. My pictures are sad shades of the glowing colors of the roses, and there is no pictorial facsimile at all for the heavy, drowsy, drifting fragrance of honeysuckle.

"But what of the elegant, the exquisite, poppies you posted last year, Angel? And how go the zinnias?"

"Never fear. I'm getting to that, gentle reader. Post pending."

edit: exchanged cloudy morning pic for a new photo taken once the sun (Bless Her golden heart.) sizzled away the clouds; added a sunny photo of the red roses

Making Progress-Lots Still to Do

Eihwaz-Algiz-Othala

It began to rain just as we were dumping the last wheelbarrow-full of concrete. It rained hard enough to alter the surface as fast as I could smooth it. Then a drip off the roof developed that persisted in washing out a small pit right in the center of the slab. All in all, we managed, and it was an adventure to add to our stories.

Among a Host...

Yesterday, Sunna was gentle on my head. Sif worked with me hand-in-hand. Odin and Hel reserve places for me among the honored, but I think I will not stay long with either of them. I am too much a Thor's woman, and we are more concerned with life, for which death is only the fertilizer.

Wizards and Mages

Here are the Mage of Labyrinths followed by the Wizard of Rivergarth first walking through the labyrinth while thunder grumbled and rain threatened, spit, then passed us by.

The Wisdom of Rainy Days

.............CXXXIII
.
Water is taught by thirst;
Land, by the oceans passed;
Transport, by throe;
Peace, by its battles told;
Love, by memorial mould;
Birds, by the snow.

-E.D.

State of the Garden

Here, roughly, is how the tomatoes are set up. They're planted about 4 feet apart on center, caged in 5 foot high surrounds of what I call "hog wire" and watered by soaker hose. I gambled and planted all Bush Celebrity, hoping for a big crop of big tomatoes. If the variety fails, then I lose it all. There are 16 plants. Three already were clipped off at mulch level by cutworms, but I was expecting that and replanted immediately with backups I purchased at the same time. The plants are now about 3x the size of when I planted and, hopefully, beyond the size of their cutworm vulnerability. Naturally, I'm braced for the next disaster.

Here's the first view (I think) that I've published of the new firepit in the "Annex," that piece of land I stole to add to the garden's eastern end in order to obtain more sun-lit acreage for tomatoes. (That's why I can squeeze in 16 this year.) At this stage, I'm merely collecting stones and playing around with the arrangement. Once I have enough, I'll purchase sand and set them in. There's also a possibility that I'll move the pit. Nothing is definite yet as I only stole this land last winter and need time to think and play and watch how the seasons change it.

Here's the garden layout (minus the Annex where I'm standing). There are more raised beds, more mulched paths, better borders. The A-frame was necessary for peas, because the entire northern fence length is devoted to tomatoes this year. I took this picture this morning after very heavy rains last night.

What's this? It is my bane and my blessing, a morning glory seedling. To my eye, it forms a prominent "M." Does anyone else see it? They begin sprouting as soon as it's warm and wet enough, that would be about now, late April, early May, and I fancy the M is for May, a herald of the 1st. There are thousands and thousands of these little seedlings and as fast as I clear them from the beds, they sprout again, fat, little M's from fat, little seeds forming carpets of M's that will grow into mats and mats of twining vines to lift pink whirls that will daintily unfurl in worship of all those yellow, morning suns to come.

Big Loss

The recent thunderstorms that moved through here came with high winds and deluging rains. One of the casualties of the storms was this tree in the neighbor's yard. It's a big loss, and we'll miss it this summer and for many summers to come.

Plans for Italy

I wrote this on Wednesday, because I knew I'd be too busy to blog today. Today I am adding the last items to my carry-on and heading to the airport. Our flight for Sorrento leaves around 2pm. Notice I added a weather bar for Sorrento over at the right. The weather is roughly the same as here, 50s to 60s, chances of rain now and then. We're used to that, because we always go about this time, early spring. It makes packing that much easier.

The weather may be similar, but I must admit to looking forward to the magnificent ocean views. The hotel claims to offer views of the bay in one direction and a view of Mt. Vesuvius in the other. It's a win-win!

What I don't look forward to is the 10 hour flight. My husband and I dread that, but once again we'll fold our aging, aching bones into our seats and beg stewards for water throughout all for a chance to unfold once again in Europe in spring.

This year we're going back to Italy, because when we last went to Rome we regretted that we had missed Pompeii. We had to correct that. We'll also visit the Isle of Capri, including Anacapri and the Villa of San Michele. Heavens above, I can't wait for that! We haven't decided yet about the Blue Grotto. I'll let you know when I return. Naturally, we'll spend a day in Pompeii. We're also considering a day trip to Rome, but it depends on just how strong we're feeling.

Rome was for us a fairy tale. We fell head over heels in love with that city and both knew it needed more time than the week we spent exploring, but we're older and slower. If we could detour to Florence, I'd definitely go north, because one can not gaze long enough at Michelangelo's "David." These days it may be enough for us to get to Pompeii, Capri and Naples. We'll see.

The best thing about Italy is the gelato! ...To-Die-For Gelati! When in Rome, we had it from nearly every vendor we passed. One of the numerous guides I've read about Naples promises the same, streets and streets of gelato vendors! Bless the Italians!

Singing in the Rain

I'm singing in the rain

Just singing in the rain

What a glorious feelin'

I'm happy again

I'm laughing at clouds

So dark up above

The sun's in my heart

And I'm ready for love

.

Let the stormy clouds chase

Everyone from the place

Come on with the rain

I've a smile on my face

I walk down the lane

With a happy refrain

.

Just singin',

Singin' in the rain

Dancin' in the rain

Dee-ah dee-ah dee-ah

Dee-ah dee-ah dee-ah

I'm happy again!

.

I'm singin' and dancin' in the rain!

I'm dancin' and singin' in the rain!

Sun and Snow Sculptures

Sun is on the Rise

Two days of light snow, but more than that, everything is frozen solid. Bustling activity outside Dad's window at the feeder. In five minutes of viewing, I saw cardinals, house finches, starlings, robins, juncos, a red-bellied woodpecker and a carolina wren. Not to mention the six squirrels. As I write, the shadows of birds flit across my window shades. Thank heavens for the shadows, because that means the sun is on the rise. Yes, the sun!

Jealous of Dad's feeder, I must set some birdseed outside my own window!

Sunny Day

Rejoice! The sun is shining!

Dad and I went for a short walk today. 45 degrees, sunshine and little to no wind. Dad's gear is a bit deceptive here; it wasn't nearly as cold as it appears! And no, he's not going into hunting--yet. The camo was just a loaner I snatched up before we went out. Also, next time I'll remind him to smile, for heaven's sake!

Two Hobbits

Like two hobbits in a winter burrow, Dad and I are withdrawn from the cold to read and drowse and wait for spring, he in the west room, I in the east. We meet, perchance, for tea.

Overnight

While I slept, it snowed so silently that I was unaware. This morning, pretty surprise.