I Love To Go A Gardening
Growing Our Life in Northern Michigan
Timmy and Gourds
I am having trouble writing this post today–not because I am at a loss for words, but because for the last couple days our cat Timmy has been very cuddly and has been insisting on sleeping on my lap. He’s also giving me lots of hugs and kisses. The cats’ desire for lovings seem to be cyclical. Sometimes they don’t want much and other times they can’t get enough. In our house cats rule, which means that right the laptop is balancing on the arm of the couch and I have to type awkwardly. It is an indication of my dedication to this blog that I am persisting in my determination to write this post. I just wanted you all to know that.
The last couple days have been warm, humid, and rainy. I think warm, humid, and rainy is more enjoyable in the autumn than in the summer. Probably because it’s not as hot in the autumn as in the summer. The leaves on the trees have gotten more colorful in the last couple days. It’s almost time for a color drive, I think.
This morning EJ and I went for our daily walk. We went at the perfect time–any later and we would have gotten drenched. It was quite breezy outside and the wind swirled the leaves around in a wild dance. I love rainy windy autumn days like today.
I have been preparing the pumpkins for later use. I cut the pumpkins in half, scoop out the seeds and “guts,” put the pumpkin halves face down on a large shallow pan with some water in it, and baked them in the oven at 300 degrees. When the pumpkins are baked, I scoop out the pulp (or whatever it’s called), cool it, and then put it in the freezer bags and put them in the freezer. Meanwhile,
I prepare the seeds for baking. We love to eat pumpkin seeds. I have been doing a few pumpkins and their seeds every day.
I put the birdhouse gourds on the shelves above the wood stove to dry. JJ thinks it’s hilarious and several times I have heard him tell his internet friends, “We have GOURDS in the living room! Lots and lots of GOURDS!” It does look rather funny, but it really is the most suitable place to dry the gourds…unless, of course, it’s not. Hopefully it doesn’t get too warm there.
Autumn Harvest
This morning I told EJ that I wanted to exercise more so he advised me while I lift 3 and 5 lb weights. Then he, JJ, Danny, and I went for a walk out into the countryside up to the corn field at the village limits. I’d like to eventually walk one mile out into the country side and one mile back for a two-mile walk. It was a beautiful day and a wonderful walk. Although some trees are very colorful, many are still green.
When we got home, I saw that we are expecting a frost tonight. The overnight temperatures will be around 32 degrees. So I went out to EJ’s garden and harvested his squash. He has pumpkin pie pumpkins, butternut squash, and acorn squash. He also has a couple butternut and acorn squash that cross pollinated so they look like acorn squash but are the shape of butternut squash.
Later I went out and found a few more pumpkin and squash that I had overlooked before. I also picked the birdhouse gourds which I planted for the first time this year. They were more delicate than I expected so I accidentally snapped off the neck of some of them until I went inside and got a pair of scissors to cut the vine rather than pull or twist. I do not know if the broken ones can be salvaged but even if they are ruined I still have enough unbroken ones to provide me with birdhouses. have to try to find a good place to dry the gourds.
We have a table full of beautiful pumpkins, squashes, and gourds.
Celestial Delight
Last night I set my alarm for 4:30 a.m. so that we could watch the lunar eclipse. The eclipse was actually not supposed to start until 5:15 a.m., but I wanted to make sure I didn’t miss any of it. When the alarm went off, I groaned, dragged myself out of bed, and stumbled downstairs to make coffee. I actually only had about an hour of sleep because my thoughts were buzzing and I had trouble getting to sleep. I was very tired, but I love celestial events and was determined not to miss this one.
EJ woke up when I came downstairs. At about 5 a.m., I woke JJ up. When we went outside, the sky was completely clear, which was a treat. Because of the Great Lakes, clouds often prevent us from enjoying eclipses and meteorite showers. We stood in our driveway and we could see the moon just above some trees. I was afraid the trees would block the moon as it sank and we discussed walking to the field at the edge of town where we’d have an unhindered view, but the moon slid between two trees so we were able to watch it all from our driveway.
Ever since Little Bear got outside a few weeks ago, he keeps trying to escape. If the door is open, he makes his break and zooms into the great outdoors. He also opens the door if it’s not latched securely. Little Bear escaped last night when JJ went back inside and forgot to pull the door all the way shut. Let me tell you, it’s not easy to capture a black cat on a very dark lunar eclipse night, but I finally managed it and shut our rebellious cat back inside.
We watched the earth’s shadow nibble away at light of the moon and then turn it blood red. We each brought out binoculars so we could look at the moon more clearly. Through the binoculars we were also able to see the aqua ring around the moon that we had read might be possible. I took pictures, trying various settings on my camera and also using the binocular camera. I do not have an expensive camera with filters and lenses so my pictures are not as awesome as others, but it was fun anyway. JJ was very tired so he stayed only long enough for the moon to begin to turn red and not for the full eclipse. Then he went back to bed. EJ and I watched the full eclipse. We stayed outside until 7 a.m. when the sun began to lighten the eastern sky. We had read that the sun and moon would set at the very same time, but we were not in a place where we could see the horizon. As dawn approached, the temps got colder so when it grew too cold for our light jackets we went back inside and to bed. We all slept until about 11 a.m.
It was an awesome experience.
Walk, Mouse, Rainbow, and an Eclipse
This morning I made French toast using last Friday’s Challah bread. It was very yummy.
After we ate, we all went for a walk–EJ, JJ, Danny, and me. We went out into the countryside a bit, which was very enjoyable. I had hoped to see the woodpeckers so EJ and JJ could help me identify them, but we didn’t see them at all. However, we did see many woolly caterpillars crossing the road. Most of the were brown and black, but we also saw an all black one and also a couple of light-colored ones. Some were quite big, and others were teeny-tiny. Some were smashed where they had been run over by cars. I told EJ that I felt like gathering them up and taking them safely off the road–like in the Starfish Story. EJ did scoop up a few of them and put them in the weeds alongside the road. We all enjoyed walking, talking, and enjoying the autumn colors. Danny loved snuffling in the weeds.
After EJ left for work, I studied Hebrew with my friend. We always have so much fun studying together! A little later, JJ noticed that the cats had caught another mouse. They have caught one mouse each day for the last three days. Either little mice are leaving a nest and exploring our house or mice our moving into the warm house to escape cooler temperatures. The cats have been putting the mice into our shoes. Although I am not thrill that the mice are being dropped into our shoes, I think the cats are very clever to imprison them this way. JJ was able to rescue the first mouse by taking the shoe outside and dumping the mouse out, but the other two mice were killed. Fortunately, the cats did not leave them dead in our shoes.
Later this afternoon the temps dropped a bit as a cold front came through. We got some rain and even a couple rumbles of thunder. When I saw it was raining and the sun was shining and the light was a strange yellowish color, I ran outside to see if I could spot a rainbow. There was one! I considered walking to where I could have an unhindered view, but decided to just take pictures while on my porch–which was just as well because the rainbow quickly faded.
Here are some pictures from today. You can click on them to make them bigger:
Before sunrise tomorrow there will be a lunar eclipse. It is supposed to be a blood-red moon–pretty awesome. I have set my alarm and we are going to try to get up to see it. If you’d like to see it also, you can check out this website to find out what time it will be in your area:
Birthday: Day 2
Over the weekend, we ran out of milk and eggs, so I didn’t have ingredients to make breakfast today–egg omelets, French toast, pancakes, or cereal all require either eggs, milk, or both. When JJ asked “What’s for breakfast?” I said, “Donuts….Duh!” I am such a good Mom. LOL.
Actually, I was headed into town anyway and planned to stop and buy them then. EJ went with me, and our first stop was to the post office to pick up our mail. (Our village is so small that all residents have post office boxes.) In my box was a homemade birthday card from my friend. She makes the most beautiful cards. She’s sent cards to JJ and me throughout the winter while JJ was having Chemo. We always looked forward to them.
The Postmaster saw me getting my mail so he came out behind the counter to wish me a happy birthday. He even sang a few lines of the Happy Birthday song. I thought that was really sweet. There are advantages to living in a very small town.
Our next stop was at the veterinarian. Luke has been losing weight and hair and throwing up. Luke has a chronic urinary problem (he has to have special food) and I was dreading the possibility that he could be seriously sick or that treatment might be so expensive that we wouldn’t be able to afford it. EJ didn’t think anything seriously wrong, but I tried to prepare myself and JJ for the possibility. I knew that if we had to put Luke to sleep, JJ would be distressed and argue against it. On the way to the vet, I asked God to please let JJ’s beloved cat have nothing seriously wrong. The vet examined him and said that he believed that all that was wrong was that he had developed an allergy to fleas. I haven’t really noticed any flea problem, but Luke did have a couple on him. I hadn’t treated him because I was afraid that maybe he was allergic to his flea medicine. The vet said that Luke was throwing up because he was licking off his hair, which causes agitation in the stomach. The vet weighed Luke and said that he actually had not lost as much weight as it seemed. He gave Luke an injection and also gave us a good flea medication to treat all the indoor cats. Whew! I felt such relief. I think the news that Luke has no major problems is the best birthday gift ever.
I actually encountered another problem at the veterinary. Our vet has a “free” cage in the reception area for kittens needing good homes. Several times over the years we have gone to the vet with one cat and come home with two or three. Today there was a six-month old kitten in the cage. EJ sat down on the floor and played with the kitten while we waited to take Luke into the exam room. The kitten was very playful and cute, and EJ kept talking about “bringing home our new kitten.” I kept saying, “No…No…No….No!” We barely escaped without an additional kitten.
We stopped at the store and picked up the items we needed. When we got home, I put one of the homemade chicken pot pies in the oven. Homemade pot pie is one of my favorite meals and worthy of having on a birthday. We got hungry waiting for the pie to bake, so we had donuts as Hors d’œuvre. When the pie was done, I ate a piece and it was so good that I had another. And then I regretted the second piece because I was so totally full.
After EJ left for work, I took Danny for a walk and then talked to my friend on the phone. I also enjoyed all the wonderful birthday wishes I received at Facebook. Birthdays at Facebook are so much fun.
It was a really good day.
Autumn Celebration
Tomorrow is my birthday, but we celebrated it today. EJ bought me four (of many) books that I have wanted. I’d rather have books than new clothes or flowers or chocolate or jewelry.
However, the gift I ask for every year is an enjoyment of autumn with EJ and JJ. This year I chose to go to a nearby bird sanctuary. It wasn’t far but we had never gone to it before. We hadn’t even heard of it before. I found it on the Internet. The website said it is 900 acres and that among others, bald eagles, hawks, woodpeckers, bald eagles, blue herons, whooping cranes, and thousands of sandhill cranes can be seen there.
We had considered stopping on the way to the sanctuary at a cider mill for cider and donuts. I think that cider and donuts are the best birthday treat in October. EJ searched the Internet for a convenient cider mill, but he couldn’t find any that was close enough, and we all agreed that the sanctuary was our primary goal. We ended up stopping at a Tim Hortons for a dozen assorted donuts and coffee for EJ and lattes for JJ and me. Yum.
As we drove through the beautiful autumn countryside, sipping our hot drinks, JJ said that he was having so much fun that he felt like it was all of our birthdays instead of just mine. Which, really, is why I love to be given experiences as my birthday–because they are something we can all totally enjoy together.
When we had parked and walked into the sanctuary, we immediately saw a red-headed woodpecker in a tree. The scenery was gorgeous and the temperatures were perfect–cool, but neither too cold nor too hot. We each had binoculars. JJ used the camera binoculars while I took pictures with my camera when I wasn’t looking through my binoculars. I’m glad we had binoculars because many of the birds were far enough away that without the binoculars we couldn’t have seen much of anything.
We saw some sort of bird of prey with white tail feathers. JJ is quite sure it was a bald eagle. We walked along a trail that led through beautiful woods and meadows with grasses that were taller than we were. We stopped along a lake and saw ducks and a huge blue heron flying overhead. Then we came back to our starting point and sat on a bench and peered through our binoculars at huge whooping cranes flying gracefully in the marsh.
I had read that in the late afternoon the sandhill cranes come in to land and we had really hoped to stay long enough to see them. However, JJ started to not feel very well (he doesn’t know if it’s the respiratory infection he’s been fighting or the effects of the donut) so we left earlier than we planned. JJ felt really bad about being the cause of a shortened day but I told him that if it would make him feel better, I would insist that we return on another day (soon!) so that we can finish the fun and see the cranes land. I read that they will be in our area through November so we still have time. On the way home, we saw two cranes near the road and JJ took pictures of them. I told him, “See? We didn’t miss out on seeing cranes after all!”
When we got home, we ate supper and then prepared for a quiet evening at home. We will probably watch a movie together later. I started a fire in the wood stove. The temps are cool enough outside that a fire feels delightful.
I think my birthday celebration couldn’t have been better.
Autumn Walks and Drives
I spent Wednesday and Thursday afternoons in the kitchen. Wednesday I made two homemade potpies from leftover chicken. After I made them, I realized that I had enough chicken for a couple more pot pies so I made two more yesterday, which I froze for future meals. Homemade potpie is one of my favorite meals. I knew that we’d be busy this morning, so yesterday I also made homemade pizza and Challah bread. I made four loaves of round Challah bread and froze two for next week.
This morning we drove to the Cancer Center so JJ could have his port flushed. The port will not be removed until about a year after treatment ended to make sure it’s not needed. It has to be flushed every 6-8 weeks or so. JJ enjoys seeing the oncology staff, but he hates going to the infusion center. Sitting in the infusion chair and seeing all the other cancer patience receiving chemo feels to him like being sucked back into a nightmare.
But other than the nightmare aspect of it all, we had an enjoyable driving to and from the Cancer Center in the beautiful autumn. It’s rained all day, sometimes hard. In a nearby town, we passed many airstreams parked along the main street. The story I’ve heard is that a couple of years ago a few airstreamers parked along main street for the night. They received such a warm welcome from passersby that they and several more returned the next year. Word got around, and it’s become an annual event for a group of airstreamers to come to town at this time of year. They stay for the weekend and let people tour their RVs. We were planning to tour the airstreams last year but couldn’t because JJ had just been diagnosed with cancer and was having surgery that weekend. This year we hoped to go, but JJ had to have his port flushed and he just wanted to get home afterwards. Besides, it was pouring rain. Maybe someday we will get to go see the airstreams. Even though we couldn’t tour them, we enjoyed seeing them as we drove through town. I took a video of them:
On the way home, we made a brief stop at the grocery store and I dashed into it to buy flour and shortening because my baking frenzy had exhausted my supply. After EJ left for work, I made homemade bread. As it was rising, I paid bills and then took Danny for a walk to mail them and to return a library book. As soon as Danny saw me put my shoes on, he got excited. It was raining harder than I thought, but I couldn’t disappoint my expectant dog, so I just grabbed an umbrella and went on the walk despite the rain. It was quite a rainy walk, but I sort of like walking in the rain. Although Danny got quite wet and now smells like wet dog.
We’ve had some really enjoyable sunshiny walks earlier in the week. One day EJ, Danny, and I went a little ways out into the countryside and we saw a fox chase its prey across the road. EJ thought the fox might have been after a chipmunk. We have quite a few foxes in our area but we don’t often seen them so it’s always a thrill. Another day Danny and I walked out into the countryside and I looked up and saw walnuts hanging from a tree like decorations. I also saw two woodpeckers fighting. I think they were pilated woodpeckers. I got out my bird book when I got home, but whenever I see all the pictures of similar looking birds, I tend to forget exactly what the birds I saw looked like. But I think I saw pilated woodpeckers. I did try to take pictures of them, but Danny kept jiggling my arm so I kept losing my focus on the birds and wasn’t able to get a picture. Another day I saw groups of interesting mushrooms that I’ve never seen before. I managed to take a few pictures even though, again, Danny kept jiggling my arm.
The rest of this rainy Friday I will be doing laundry.
1, 2, 3…
This morning JJ had an appointment with his oncologist. JJ and I were both really tired because we only got about 4 hours sleep. We never seem to sleep very well before a medical appointment. EJ slept really well.
We had a really nice drive to the Cancer Center and back. Our family always enjoys deep conversations about many subjects when we are driving around–and at other times too. We are a talking family.
JJ and I joked a lot while we waited for the doctor, as we always do. When the doctor came in, he said that JJ’s CT scans were good. After all the bad medical reports we’ve heard over the last year, we are now always slightly anxious when we go to the doctor and very relieved when the reports are good.
When we got home, JJ went immediately to bed. I fixed lunch (leftover soup) for EJ and me. Then I checked Google Maps. In June, the Google Car drove around our village. It passed me two times while I was walking Danny so I have been checking Google Maps every week or so to see if the maps had been updated and if I were there. Today, I found me and Danny! I found us at the two places that the Google Car had passed us. Later, I found us a third time in the distance. I think it’s funny that I am on Google Maps THREE times. I took screen shots so you could see us too. Here we are:
I went searched through my village on Google Maps to see if I could see any more of us. I did see us from different streets and vantage points, but those were basically the three locations that we were at. I told EJ that I am now immortalized on Google Maps. It is hilarious and SO COOL!
Visitation From Above
The day JJ had his CT scan, he felt progressively more sick–nauseous and so cold that I fixed a hot water bottle to warm him. We felt our memories yanked back to the weeks in which we all dozed downstairs to be available to help JJ through the nausea of chemo. I didn’t remember the barium shake affecting him so badly, but JJ said that he thinks that it did but its effects blended into the nausea of chemo so we didn’t really notice. JJ was up most of that night and finally went to bed shortly before I woke up. So EJ and I said the Rosh Hashanah blessings without him on Friday morning and ate some of the special Challah bread. The beautiful bread, stuffed with apples, raisins, honey, and cinnamon was utterly delicious.
In addition to feeling sick from the barium, JJ has been struggling with some sort of cold or respiratory infection. I’m struggling with one too, and keep sniffling and sneezing.
One of EJ’s sister’s asked if she and her husband could visit on Saturday. They have wanted to visit for several weeks, but they have had to wait for a day when both their schedules were free and the weather was nice since they were planning to fly down in their little airplane. They live more than 3 hours north of us, but in their airplane it takes only an hour, more or less, depending on whether the wind is with or against them.
On Friday I cleaned the house and mowed the lawn so both would look nice, and since I think it always tastes better on the second day, I also made a pot of chili to serve our guests. On Saturday morning, I woke JJ up at 11 a.m., as he requested, and he took a shower and got dressed while EJ and I drove to the small airport about 30 minutes away to pick up his sister and her husband. We had a really nice visit. C. brought EJ a box of childhood keepsakes. Their Dad died in 2010 and their Mom lives with another sister, so they’ve been cleaning out the old farmhouse. Our guests really liked my chili, saying that it was the best chili they have ever had. This is very high praise since R. is originally from Texas where they take chili seriously. After several hours, we drove our guests back to the airport and watched as they took off. Before they left, they said they hope to visit again. It’s cheaper and quicker for them to visit in their airplane.
Later that night, EJ and I went outside to see if we could see any northern lights. The night sky was clear and quite beautiful, but I think we see fewer stars then we did when we were growing up because of increased light pollution. We’d like to move further north someday where there are fewer people and darker skies.
When we came outside, I heard a cat meowing outside. I thought it was an outside cat, but EJ exclaimed, “That is Little Bear!” We rushed outside and I was able to find Little Bear, even though he is a black cat who blends into a black night. Several weeks ago, Little Bear accidentally got outside where he discovered a whole new world. Since then, he escapes whenever the door is not latched securely. I explained to him last night when I carried him back inside that it really is a dangerous time of year for a black cat to be outside. As Halloween grows closer, black cats are not safe. Little Bear didn’t care. He scratched at the door and cried for a while.
Today was another beautiful day. EJ and I were going to put the heavy plastic up to protect the firewood from the weather. However, when we went outside EJ saw many bumblebees buzzing around the berry bushes bordering one side of the woodshed so we decided it might be better to do the task on a cooler day when the bees aren’t active.
Instead, we went to the hardware store so EJ could buy things he needed for various projects he wants to do. Then we stopped at the grocery store to take back some empty bottles that have been rattling around in the car. A boy scout was selling popcorn in the entrance area of the store to raise money for his troop. We didn’t buy any because it really is very expensive but EJ paused to call a co-worker who had asked EJ to inform him if he noticed Scouts selling popcorn. While EJ was making the call, I went into the little room off the entrance where the bottle return machines are. I put in all the plastic bottles and then moved over to the machine that takes glass bottles. I put a bottle in the machine and heard a CRASH of breaking glass. I thought the bottles were breaking against bottles already in the bin on the other side. We don’t drink much pop (i.e., soda) so I rarely have a reason to use the machines. I put in another bottle as EJ came into the room. CRASH. EJ started laughing. I put in a third bottle. CRASH. “What are you doing??? The bottles are breaking!” He bent over laughing. “Not my problem,” I said as I put another bottle in the machine. CRASH! “TJ, stop it! You can’t do that!” EJ was laughing so hard he could barely stand. I put in another bottle. CRASH. “TJ! There is no bin on the other side! The bottles are falling and breaking on the floor!” “Seriously? Oh, I didn’t know that. Oops!” I stopped inserting bottles and he took the remainder out to the car to return later. In my defense, I have been feeling sicker as the day went on, with my head getting foggier and more achy. I thought the glasses were breaking against each other. EJ laughed all the way home. I haven’t heard him laugh so hard in a very long time. I told him it was worth it just to hear him laugh so hard.
When we got home, I warmed up yesterday’s chili for lunch. Then I curled up on the couch and dozed for a bit while EJ worked on some of his projects. When I got back up, he felt my head and said I was feverish. He poured me a dose of Nyquil and then walked to the little store to get me some cough drops.
I feel yucky.
Rosh Hashanah
JJ had a CT Scan scheduled for this morning. He has to have scans every few months to make sure the cancer is truly gone and has not reappeared. None of us slept very well in anticipation of this appointment. JJ didn’t sleep well because he’s been dreading yet another medical procedure, I didn’t sleep well because I was concerned that I would oversleep–I am responsible for getting us all up and ready. I think that EJ didn’t get enough sleep because it was just too early for him to get up, since he works second shift.
We enjoyed the drive to the center where JJ has his CT Scans. The day was beautiful with blue skies, warmish (with underlying coolness) autumn temperatures, and trees touched here and there with color. We have not yet seen the peak colors of autumn, but the trees grow more beautiful every day.
After JJ signed in at the reception area in the general waiting room of the imaging center, we were taken back to the inner waiting room where he had to drink two bottles of delicious barium shakes :p JJ and I tend to lapse into comedy whenever we are in a medical waiting room. I believe that laughing helps distract from unpleasant procedures and relieves stress. I took pictures of JJ drinking the awful shakes. I think his expressions of distaste and his lighthearted threats of breaking my camera are humorous. They make us both laugh. While waiting for JJ to be called back for his scan, we heard a bird thud against the window. JJ said, “I wonder why birds fly into windows?” I replied, “Maybe you could become a bird psychologist and figure out why.” He rolled his eyes, “Yeah, like that would be a career in high demand.” I responded with, “Well, owls could certainly use a psychologist.” “Why owls?” JJ asked. “Because they are always asking “Who? Who? They are obviously confused.” JJ said, “Yeah, because they have Owls-heimer’s Disease.” We cracked up. (We were laughing at the pun, not at Alzheimer’s, which is a terrible disease.)
EJ seemed to be dozing in his chair, but he suddenly was holding up a strand with a small worm dangling from it. The worm was roughly the size of a piece of rice. EJ said, “I was just sitting here and this little worm slid down in front of my eyes. I think it was on my hat.” He went over and carefully lowered it in the corner of the room near a small stool. I asked him why he didn’t just throw it away in the wastebasket. He declared that he was NOT going to throw the worm away. “Now the worm is going to start a riot,” I warned. EJ said, “That little worm is not going to start a riot.” “Yes it is, ” I insisted. “It’s going to gradually make its way over to the chairs and crawl up on some lady or girl. She is going to be like me and start screaming. The people in the other waiting room are going to hear the terrified shrieking and they will think something terrible is happening, so they will run out of the building in fear. See? A riot.” Laugh.
Every time we go to this place for a CT Scan,. I think of the first time we came here with JJ. It was last year on Halloween. We could hear a constant awful moaning and groaning every time someone passed a motion detection Halloween decoration somewhere in the inner rooms where the patients disappeared for their procedures. It was creepy but also kind of funny. We kept laughing that that was absolutely not the type of decoration for a medical place.
Anyway, JJ survived today’s CT Scan although the barium shake has made him feel less than well. As we drove home, I called ahead to our favorite Chinese restaurant for takeout. I have it on speed dial. The Chinese restaurant is on our route home and the food was ready by the time we arrived. Whenever JJ has a medical procedure, we always try to stop somewhere–usually the Chinese restaurant–as a way to give him something good to look forward to and enjoy.
After we ate, JJ went to bed and I prepared dough for Challah bread. I set it aside to rise and then I took Danny for his walk. His hair was still slightly damp from the bath I gave him yesterday afternoon. I don’t bathe him very often because he doesn’t like baths–although he patiently endures them. He is a very patient dog. But, also, his hair is so thick and so strange that it takes forever to dry.
When we got back from our walk, I punched down the Challah dough and then I dozed on the couch while the dough rose a second time. I made the Challah bread today because Rosh Hashanah began last night at sunset, which is celebrated for one day within Israel and two days outside Israel. The name means “Head of the Year.” It is the first day of the Jewish year. It is also considered to be the anniversary of the creation of Adam and Eve, the first man and woman, and their first actions toward the realization of mankind’s role in G‑d’s world. Rosh Hashanah emphasizes the special relationship between G‑d and humanity: our dependence upon G‑d as our creator and sustainer, and G‑d’s dependence upon us as the ones who make His presence known and felt in His world. Jewish traditions state that at that time the world is judged for the coming year. Jews read the Torah and say prayers asking for a good year and declaring God’s kingship over the world. The shofar (ram’s horn) is blown (Leviticus 23:24; Talmud, Rosh Hashanah 33b-34a), symbolically heralding God’s kingship, and calling to mind the covenant of Isaac (see Genesis ch.22). Festive meals are held in the home, and traditional foods (such as the well-known apple dipped in honey) are eaten to symbolize a sweet year. (To read more about this holiday, and its prophetic signifiance for those who believe Jesus/Yeshua is the Messiah, click here.)
On Rosh Hashana, a round Challah bread is made to symbolize the beginning of a new year. It is sometimes braided to resemble a crown to symbolize G-d’s kingship. I have never made a round Challah bread before, but I decided I’d try it this year. I had originally thought to make small, individual-sized Challah breads–about the size of cinnamon rolls. However, I also wanted to fill the dough with apples, raisins, honey, and cinnamon, and I wasn’t sure I’d be able to get the strands small enough for individual Challah, so I decided to make two large loaves instead. I made a fancier design to resemble crowns. They turned out beautifully. I always feel like such a skilled artist when I make Challah bread. Besides Challah, we will have apples slices to dip into honey. We will also say blessings and wish each other a sweet year ahead. We plan to keep our celebration quite simple this year. I really love the Biblical holidays because they are so filled with deep meaning for the Jew, and also for the Christian.
I also have been blowing my shofar. (Click to read about the importance of the shofar). I cannot make the shofar sound good. However, I am the only one in my family that can make any sound come from the shofar at all, so it’s a talent I am quite proud of.
Since we were so busy today, we plan to eat the Challah and apples and honey tomorrow morning. However, the Challah looks so good that I am not sure we will be able to wait.
Fun at Lowes
This morning after a pancake breakfast with real Michigan maple syrup, EJ and I went to Lowes Home Improvement store to get some heavy plastic to put over the top of the woodshed to protect the firewood from the weather. Our woodshed used to be a grape arbor. Last year we put sides on it and we had hoped to enclose the top this year, but we have not had the energy so we decided it can wait for another year. Sometimes we wonder if we will ever get our energy back. Fighting cancer feels like the London Blitzkrieg during World War 2 with bombs falling and everything exploding and families are just trying to survive moment by moment. Like this:
Recovery from cancer feels like trying to get life back to normal again after bombs have destroyed a city. The battle might be over, but a cancer patient and his family has to rebuild their lives and regain a sort of “normal.” It can feel like this:
Anyway, EJ and I went to Lowes this morning to buy plastic for the roof of the woodshed. The sun was shining, and the sky was autumn blue, and the trees were touched with color, and the air was crisp. It was a beautiful day for a drive. We talked about Jury Duty and I described to EJ what to expect. I am, after all, very experienced at Jury Selections.
EJ and I always have a lot of fun shopping together. We joke a lot. Often we enjoy deliberately taking things literally. When we were children, we heard about “guerilla warfare” on the news and we both thought there were actual gorillas fighting. They were apparently very intelligent because they knew how to use modern weapons. Anyway, today when I saw EJ put Gorilla Tape in the shopping cart, I said, “You know, I still cannot understand why anyone would want to tape a gorilla.” EJ replied in an ominous voice, “They don’t want to. They have to….” Then I saw something called Frog Tape. “Frog Tape? Why on earth would anyone want to put tape on a frog? Poor things.” I asked. Then we laughed.
EJ had trouble finding the roll of heavy plastic. I said, “Ask someone for help.” EJ said, “No.” “I really think you should ask someone….like that employee over there,” I said. EJ replied, “That employee is busy. And he’s in the Kitchen Department. I can’t ask him for plastic.” I pointed at another one: “How about him?” EJ said, “Can’t you see he is really busy working in the Flooring Department?” “How about one of those two employees walking down the aisle. Ask one of them.” “I can’t,” EJ said, “They are on their break.” One of the employees asked, “Can I help you find something?” EJ explained and we found the plastic and put it in the cart. Then I said, “I have to go to the restroom. Do you know where it is?” EJ said that in the other Lowes store, it’s located halfway down the right side of the store. We went there and there was no restroom. EJ said, “Ask an employee for help.” “I’m not going to ask anyone where the restroom is,” I declared. “There are some employees behind that desk,” EJ pointed. “Ask one of them.” “No,” I said. “Can’t you tell they are busy?” But I was just being silly and I asked and was directed to the middle of the back side of the store. EJ and I have fun in stores.
After we left Lowes, we drove to a grocery store for raw Michigan honey and apples. Last year we bought honey at the farm market in a nearby town, but this year they haven’t set up until after EJ has to be at work so we haven’t been able to get any. We can buy it at a farm market-type store in the city, but we don’t always get over there. A couple of weeks ago we found the raw honey at the local grocery stores. I really need honey and apples because Thursday Rosh Hashanah begins and I want to make little round challah loaves stuffed with apples, raisins, honey, and cinnamon. Also, we need apples to dip in honey.
After we finished shopping, we came home, and I made lunch. After EJ went to work, I took Danny for his walk, studied Hebrew with my friend, made a newly awakened JJ something to eat, washed dishes, and started laundry.
(Un)Summoned!
This morning I made EJ one of his favorite breakfasts of scrambled eggs (with some of my garden herbs), homemade toast, a banana, and coffee. Afterwards, I prepared two homemade chicken pot pies. It is my favorite meal–and EJ and JJ love it too. By the end of the day, we had only one pie left.
After I put the pies in the oven, EJ and I went out to the garage and got out the insulated cat house he made last year for the outside cats. We carried the house to the front porch and put a tarp over it and the patio table–to protect both the house and the table from the winter weather. It’s not yet cold or wintry, but it is getting cooler outside and now the cats will be cozy.
When we finished, the pies were baked so EJ and I ate lunch. (JJ didn’t go to bed until 8 a.m. and didn’t wake until 5 p.m. His sleep cycle is messed up again.) After we ate, I walked to the post office to get our mail and also buy some stamps from the friendly Postmaster. The temperature was crisp today, but the sun felt warm so it was a very nice to walk.
I sorted through our mail as I walked home, and I felt a surge of dismay and anxiety when I saw the jury summons. You have to understand: Over the years, I have received numerous Jury Summons in the mail. Now, I understand that serving on a jury is a privilege and a right and a responsibility, and I think that it could maybe be interesting. However, Jury Summons always seem to come at very inconvenient times in my life. For example, the first time I received a summons, I was working, going to college, and it was during finals week. So not a good time. I wrote a letter and got a postponement, but I had to go in a few months later. I went through Jury Selection but was not chosen. (For those who are not familiar with the Jury Selection process, you can read about it here: Michigan Jury Selection.) The next time I was summoned for Jury Duty, the court case was scheduled to begin on Monday–two days after my wedding. I went to Jury Selection a couple of days before my wedding, preparing to throw myself on the mercy of the Court….but fortunately the jurors were selected before getting to me. Then I was summoned when JJ was a toddler and I had no babysitter. I went to the Jury Selection, but fortunately I was not selected. Then I was summoned during a time when I suffered a lot of health problems. The doctor wrote a note and I was excused. I have never had to actually serve as a juror, but you can see that I have been called numerous times.
Whenever I get summoned, I have to drive to a courthouse in the middle of a city that I am not very familiar with. This is a problem because I have a terrible sense of direction and I get lost super easy. So beginning the week before I have to go to the courthouse for the Jury Selection, EJ makes me drive the route several times with him in the car in order to help me become familiar with the route so that maybe I won’t get lost.
Added to this is the fact that I am an Empath who feels the suffering of others to the extent that going to hospitals is an ordeal and I can’t watch violent movies. So having to sit in a courtroom and listen to gory details of a murder case is a problem. Not every case is a murder case, of course, but with my luck it would be the most gruesomest murder case ever. I can imagine (with horror) fainting in the jury box or even vomiting. I wonder if a mistrial would be called if one of the jurors (me) couldn’t endure hearing the details of the case?
Meanwhile, EJ has never, never, never, received a Jury Summons. Not even one. Not in all his life. He thinks it would be interesting to sit in on a case. He doesn’t get lost. He doesn’t faint in hospitals or anything.
So when I saw the envelope with “Jury Summons” written on it, I froze with dismay and anxiety. Then I saw who it was addressed to. It was EJ, not me. I checked again. Still EJ’s name. I felt joy bubbling up. I felt like dancing down the street and shouting “Hallelujah!” (I didn’t.)
When I got home, I announced ceremoniously, “EJ, this is a very important day for you. This is a very momentous occasion. I hereby formally present to you…..” He interrupted: “I got summoned for Jury Duty, didn’t I”
YES!
Not me! Not me! Not me! Not me! Not me! YOU!
Whew!
I’m trying not to gloat too much because, with my luck, if I gloat I will get a summons in the mail tomorrow.
EJ sat down immediately and filled out the jury form and set it in the basket to be mailed.
After he went to work, I joyfully walked Danny, washed out some milk crates that we found in the garage, did some light housework, chatted with a dear friend, and made homemade bread.
It was a good day.
😀
Afternoon Rains
EJ was “on call” this weekend, which meant that he didn’t have to go to work unless there was a problem that required his presence. If he is called in, he only has to be there until the problem is fixed and then he can leave. Sunday is almost over and he was not called in so he was able to have a mostly quiet and restful weekend.
It rained both days this weekend, which doesn’t bother us because rainy days are cozy. Yesterday it was quite warm and the weather was stormy. We got a few rumbles of thunder, but the worst of the storms missed us–as they often do.
Yesterday I was doing dishes when I noticed that the late afternoon sunlight was rather yellowish so I went outside to see if there was a rainbow. I found a rainbow, called to EJ and JJ to come see–EJ did but JJ was busy–and then I took pictures 0f it. We live right in town and houses and trees block our view, so I walked down the street to get a clearer view of it but by the time I reached open skies, the rainbow had pretty much faded. I was in such a rush that I didn’t wait for EJ, but he caught up with me and we walked to the other end of town to enjoy an unhindered view of the sunset. (Click on the photos to enlarge them.)
This morning it was rather warm so EJ opened all the windows downstairs. Shortly afterwards, the rain moved in and the temperatures grew cooler so I went and closed all the windows. I debated building a fire in the wood stove, but it was not quite cold enough. The wood stove warms our house so well that a fire would have made it too hot. So I put on a sweater and a blanket and I was fine.
It rained most of the day, sometimes quite hard. At twilight the rain stopped (at least for a while) so EJ, Danny, and I went for a walk to watch the chimney swifts dive into the old school apartments. After the last of the swifts had disappeared, we took Danny for a walk on his regular route. It was quite chilly out–almost too chilly even in our sweatshirts, but it felt good too.
Fall Busyness
I spent most of last week cleaning and organizing the downstairs. I cleaned out the media closet, which is a small living room closet in the space under the stairs. I filled bags with videos which EJ later donated to Goodwill, along with other items. Some of the videos were favorite movies, but we no longer have a video player so I averted by eyes and put them in the bags.
I saw that the night-time temperatures were getting colder so I brought all the potted plants inside. I positioned them in front of various windows and then I spent several days repositioning them. They are large pots and heavy to lug around, but I have to make sure that plants that need more sunlight are put in places where they will get sunlight and I also have to leave some space for the cats on the wide window sills or they will lie on the plants. I had to put rocks in some pots to discourage the cats from lying in them. I also have to find the perfect place for my spider plant because for some reason the cats especially like to lie on it. Every autumn I bring a gorgeous spider plant inside and every spring I take a pathetic crushed spider plant outside on the porch to recover from cats. Some years I put the plant upstairs where the cats couldn’t get to it, but then I forget about it and it starts to slowly die of thirst. Last year I was able to put the plant in a place downstairs where the cats mostly left it alone. This year I brought in a peppermint plant, but I had to take it back outside because the cats were eating it. I think it’s related to catnip. If I remember, I will plant it in the yard before it gets too cold and hope it survives the winter. Mint plants seem to be very hardy. I only wanted it inside so I could have fresh mint instead of dried.
Little by little I unloaded the tenth and last load of firewood from the truck. I stacked most of it in the woodshed but also brought some into the house. EJ laughed at me that I was hinting for a fire, but although I love the wood stove, I really brought it inside because I couldn’t see unloading it from the truck and stacking it in the woodshed when I’ll just have to bring some in the house soon anyway. I figured I’d save me a step. The temperature has dropped into the 40s at night and a few nights it dipped into the 30s. Mostly our house has stayed very warm, but on the coldest night we did build a fire in the wood stove.
Late last week EJ came home sick from work. He is feeling better now, but JJ and I have been sniffling and sneezing a bit. I don’t feel too bad, but JJ seems to be feeling slightly worse.
Today I was uploading some pictures from my camera to the computer. I have my pictures divided into files and organized by year. I thought I had deleted all my pictures from 2014. I couldn’t find them anywhere. I was felt terrible, feeling as if I had lost the memories of the year. But them I found them. Whew. I immediately copied all the pictures into a cloud drive thing. At least, I think I did. I don’t really know how it all works.
When JJ was in the hospital last April, my friend had a bouquet of balloons tied to a little black and white stuffed cat toy. A few days ago, our black and white cat, Timmy, lay next to the stuffed toy. I thought it was so cute that I took a picture of them. (That is one of the pictures I had loaded off my camera.)
A couple of days ago both EJ and I spotted a leaf filled with rain or dew in the grass at the edge of the driveway. We thought it was so interesting that I took a picture:
Isn’t it cool?
Update: EJ said it was dew in the leaf and not rain. It sparkled in the sunlight so it caught our attention.
Autumn Organization
I have been busy over the last few days.
Sunday morning EJ and I bought our tenth load of firewood. We considered–briefly–buying another load, but decided we were too, too tired. We parked the truck–with the wood still in it–and went grocery shopping. On the way to the grocery store, we passed a barn that had been destroyed by the storm. It had debris scattered along the road for quite some ways. I could only take this quick picture as we drove past because there was a car behind us. This barn was only a few miles from our house. I am so glad these destructive storm totally missed us! On our way home from shopping we drove through the damaged town. There were downed trees and branches all over, some of them were quite large. Here is a picture of taken at park in the town:
Photo by Helen R. Broom
Yesterday we began cleaning out and organizing the kitchen food cupboards. We discarded food that got pushed to the back of the shelves and is now too old. We sorted food that we will donate to a food pantry because we have changed some of our food habits in recent years) or which was too old. I found new containers for some food–like dry beans and herbs–and I made sure everything was labeled. I rearranged everything so foods we use more often are at eye level.
The weather reports warned that we could have severe storms today with dangerous hail, damaging wind, and a possibility of tornadoes. There was talk that it could be even worse than the storms on Friday. Instead, we had non-threatening rain all day. I’m glad. I don’t want to have to deal with power outages or storm damage.
The rainy day made it a good time to continue reorganize. I mostly finished the pantry today. Then I cleaned out the fridge, which involved getting rid of old food and washing all the shelves. I also got a good start cleaning out the media closet, which is a small closet in the living room located in the empty space under the stairs. It’s rather small and cramped, but has been great for storing out videos and DVDs. Since we no longer have a video-player, I dragged out all the videos and put them in bags to donate. I kept the DVDs. I also will sort through the homeschool stuff, which we no longer need and the organize the closet the way that I want.
There is something about autumn that makes me feel like organizing. I only spontaneously decided to organize the pantry and it has spread to the refrigerator, living room, media closet. Who knows where it will end?
But right now I am tired and my feet hurt. I will spend the rest of the evening resting.
