The Mega Meme!

The week is over .... last post til Sunday.

I got the idea from Toni to use the Sunday Stealer Meme and here it is:

1. Have you turned the heat on in your house yet this fall?

Not yet, waiting for the really cold weather.

2. Do you allow your pets on the furniture? Yeah. But he is clean and neat.

3. What were your final words for September? ACCCCKKK!!

4. What are your first words for October? What happened to September?


5. Do you think you’ve ever seen a ghost? No such thing.


6. What is the one color that represents this time of year? ORANGE!


7. Which of your senses do you think is most sensitive this time of year?

Sight, smell, taste


8. What is your favorite thing to do at the county fair?

Never been to one.


9. What do you like when you have a cold?

Tea with honey and lemon, Vicks. Echinacea and golden seal too.


10. Are you willing to spend over $100 for a piece of winter clothing, like boots or a coat?

If that's what it costs, yes.


12. What do you have too much of in your kitchen?

cookbooks and pots and pans


13. What gripes do you have about this time of year?

Dampness.


14. Other than yourself, are you responsible for getting anyone ready in the morning?

Not anymore. I live alone now.


15. When was the last time you cleaned your gutters? Spring


16. So, it’s after Labor Day. Will you still be wearing white? No of course not.


17. What shows are you most looking forward to this Fall? Stargate Universe, Smallville (both of which I see on computer since they are not on nights I can watch television) Big Bang Theory.

18. What three things have you just not gotten around to from the summer, but probably should do before snow flies?
Paint some furniture on a warm day.

26 . Do you like someone? I do.


27. The last song you listened to? Theme from Ice Station Zebra. (preview here)
Theme HERE

28. What time of day were you born? 5:20AM

29. What’s your favorite number? 16

30. Where did you live in 1987? NJ

31. Are you jealous of anyone? Not that I can think of.

32. Is anyone jealous of you? Not that I know of.

33. Where were you when 9/11 happened? watching the tv

34. What do you do when vending machines steal your money? Sigh and move along.

35. Do you consider yourself kind? Yes

36. If you had to get a tattoo, where would it be? I would never have one because of religious belief.

37. If you could be fluent in any other language, what would it be? Not sure.

38. Would you move for the person you loved? At this stage of life, probably not.

39. Are you touchy feely? Oh heaven's no!

40. What’s your life motto? Get to the point.

41. Name three things that you have on you at all times? Clothing, shoes.. purse if out.

42. What’s your favourite town/city? Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island

43. What was the last thing you paid for with cash? Food

44. When was the last time you wrote a letter to someone on paper and mailed it? years ago

45. Can you change the oil on a car? yes. I can rebuild a carborator too.

46. Your first love: what is the last thing you heard about him/her?
Rich, successful , fat , bald and married to a dumpy and very unattractive, howling hyena

47. How far back do you know about your ancestry? Genesis(bereshit)35:21-29


48. The last time you dressed fancy, what did you wear and why did you dress fancy?
I wore a long black satin dress with ruby and diamond necklace and earrings, to attend the Metropolitan Opera. (don't let the necklace impress you.. JC Penney.. on the cheap

49. Does anything hurt on your body right now? Not right now.

50. Have you been burned by love? No, I always carry a fire extinguisher.

I hope more people will do these memes, they are such a nice ice breaker .


If you celebrate Halloween, I hope you have a nice time.

In The Wee Small Hours....

It was too chilly for crickets to sing much  last week, but this week has been warmer. Autumn warm, not summer warm.
Summer warm is thicker, heavier and the sunlight denser but autumn light is light and its warmth is not like the summer blanket that spreads out over you on hot summer days and nights.

Tonight I am up very late in the wee small hours. 
But I am not alone.
There is a cricket who is perching somewhere outside my window singing as if spring had just arrived. He stops only when the light rain begins to fall again as it has sporadically now for a few hours.
In between the bouts of sprinkles,  the clouds are scudding across the nearly full moon creating ghostly shadows across the lawn. Then, when the clouds come together they stop just long enough to sprinkle the lawns and move on again. The moon makes another appearance  and the cricket begins his song again.
In the smaller  front yard pond I can hear the waterfall trickling into the dense parrot feather plants that hide the fish  from the birds. Happy fish to have such green safety. The frog rests on his plants(they are his you know) and occasionally I hear a "plop" as he takes a moonlight dip in his pool.  His courting songs are behind him now as autumn brings chills with it.
But the cricket, he doesn't care what the frog or the fish are doing as long as he can sing his song into the night.
He is on the alert in his  yard. Singing to the fish and the frog and me.
What a happy, comforting and soothing sound floating in on the night air.

Sunny Monday and New Header

t's a sunny Monday and the temps have risen to 70°F and that's not bad.
I found this darling video of rapping kitteh's and goggies (its the I can Haz Cheezeburger terms for cats and dogs) and thought I would share it with you as it is a nice way to put a smile on your face at the start of the week.
Never a bad thing to smile and have a chuckle. Hope it makes you smile.



The new header was painted for my daughter who asked for this. Since October is known for it's dark stormy nights and since reading mystery novels is often associated with autumn, etc. I have put this new header up to try it out.
I imagine the people inside sitting by a fire reading Sherlock Holmes or Agatha Christie when suddenly a fierce autumn storm blows up... lightning cracks and they all jump. An eerie feeling settles on them as the trees scratch at the windows and lights flicker.

Thursday's Thoughts....

The weather today cannot make up it's mind. The sky was bright and sunny, then we had half an hour of black clouds and now lovely, yellow sun again.  It got dark just as if someone turned off the light switch for a bit.

Pond at end of summer season

I got a cute compliment from the baby girl yesterday. She will be three in January.
Her: "Mamah, you the best mamah in the whole world you know dat?"
Me:" I didn't know that"
 Her:" I tell you again later so you don't forget "








I just finished an apple from my apple tree. The first one I have eaten since planting it over 5 years ago now. Delicious! It is so exciting to eat things you have grown yourself.  Eating the first tomato from my vines this year was very exciting too. I just love things like that.
The apples are medium sized dark red apples. Macintosh I believe.
Glad I planted it, but it needs to be pruned into a better shape and fertilized.

Hope your Thursday is going along nicely.

Showers by Night

It rained, poured last night for hours. I could hear it for a long while after going to bed. Not from this very nice shower arrangement but from nature.. from the sky of course.
After a very dry summer I suppose we need it. I hope this isn't a portent of a watery or snowy winter ahead.  I want a warmer winter this year.
Isn't this shower wonderful?
We didn't have a shower when I was growing up. We had a Victorian claw foot tub. Something most people love today. They are deep,  you can slide down and be immersed in them. And, while they are cool, I remember having my first real shower after moving out of my parents house and how refreshing and wonderful it was.
We had a shower when I was very young and though it was also a Victorian tub in my grandparents home, it had a large shower head over hanging it. But when we moved into the house on the hill, the bathroom was tiny and had no real room for a shower.
This one looks especially wonderful.
The bottom one is cool. Indoors I think it would be nice like this  too.

I should change my signature below to something more autumny, but I love the little guy in this.  

Cooking for the Sabbath...

For Shabbat, the Sabbath, I make a stew on Friday and it cooks until Saturday afternoon when it is finally eaten. This way I do not have to cook on shabbat.
Here is my recipe for what is called Dafina.

  1-1/4 cups  dried chick-peas (soaked over night or use canned if you like, drained )


3 tablespoons Olive oil (more if you need it)

2 mediums Onions, chopped (about 1 cup)  I like Vidalia but many like Spanish onions for this. You can add more if you love the taste.

4 whole cloves garlic (or to taste)

1 pound of  Beef  or veal bones (you dont need to use these but it does add huge flavor.)

3 pounds Beef brisket  ora nice chuck roast, cut into 4 pieces . You can use cheaper cuts because you are going to cook the dickens out of it . It will be fork tender.

12 medium Potatoes peeled (you can even use sweet potatoes or yams for extra flavor. I use both white and sweet potatoes)

5 Pitted dates cut up  or 3 tablespoons honey (up to 6 if you like things sweeter. I use sparingly)

1 tablespoon Paprika  (use good Paprika)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground tumeric (news item says tumeric is a huge cancer fighter)

 6  crumbled  saffron threads (this stuff is expensive. The recipe is nice with it, but you can do without.)

2 teaspoons sea salt, about ( be careful) and you can use whatever salt you like, not just sea salt of course

Ground black pepper to taste  . Freshly ground just adds more flavor

 6 jumbo or large  Eggs, in  their shell  or 8 small ones. As many as the crock pot will hold as far as I am concerned. I love these eggs like this!

Saute the onion and  the garlic  in a bit of the oil until onion is translucent.
Combine all the rest of the ingredients in a large crock pot. Add  the onion and sauteed garlic and  cover the whole mess with nice water.
Oh.. don't forget to put the eggs in., uncooked and in their shells. They will change color and take on the flavor of the stew. They are absolutely delicious.
Set on low and let it cook overnight.  It can cook for 12 or more hours and still be delicious.
Enjoy.
I have a computerized crock pot that cooks for 10 hours then sets itself on low for the rest of the time.
10 hours usually will cook it all nicely .
As I make it pre-sundown on Friday, it cooks all that time until Sat. afternoon. So, don't worry if it cooks a long time.

You can serve the eggs with the meal . I have one at least that day but I put others away in refrig. to have for lunch and breakfast during the coming week.

Make Some Vinegar.

This recipe comes from the Farmer's Almanac where I find some of my best recipes.
Herbal or even fruit flavored vinegars make very nice dressing for salad and are nice on chicken, fish and in different recipes.
I love vinegar. Malt, Balsamic and I am really eager to find and try pineapple vinegar.
You can use raspberries, strawberries,etc to make your vinegar.


* 1 cup fresh herbs (basil, tarragon or thyme, for example)
* 1 quart vinegar

Place herbs in a clean quart jar. Heat vinegar just to the boiling point and pour it over the herbs, filling the jar to the top. Seal and store in a cool, dark place for at least three weeks for the fullest flavor. Strain the vinegar into 2 pint bottles and add a fresh sprig of the herb.

Strawberry Vinegar:
2 Tablespoons of vinegar
1 pint strawberries, hulled and sliced 2 cups white wine vinegar

Stir these together and let stand room temperature for about 2 days.
Take out the strawberries and then strain the liquid through cleaned cheesecloth.
you can store it in a tight capped bottle in a dark closet at a cool temperature.
It's delicious.
You can do the same for raspberries.

Bless the Beasts and the Children

It was a song made popular by Carpenters, "Bless the Beasts and the Children" for in this world they have no voice...

Adults are the advocates for the children and for the animals. It seems that it is the powerless and the weak who suffer the most , take the worst offenses the world has to offer. And that often in silence and with the most profound patience.



There are so many stories in the news of abuse, unconcern, marginalizing the very young and the very old it can make your heart cry out for justice and mercy can't it?

The song's lyrics say it all.  Having buried two children of my own, cared for a bed ridden relative until death and having said sad goodbyes to beloved pets since childhood, the song strikes a powerful chord in my heart.

Years ago I found a child around a year old on my doorstep. She could not yet walk , she smelled to high heaven of ammonia from  urine that soaked her from head to toe, hair matted with it  and stuck to her head. It was well into the afternoon and she was obviously still in the pajamas and diaper placed on her the night before.Her tiny hands, elbows and knees were covered with scratches and scrapes from crawling outside so far.

 She had , it turned out, crawled for blocks before reaching  my home and with her tiny hands was tapping weakly on my door.
I scooped her up off the ground, bathed her immediately, fed her, clothed her and called my next door neighbor whose husband was with the sheriff's office. 
The sheriffs arrived quickly and said I should have left the child as it was. I said, no, I could not allow that baby to suffer in that condition one second more and they agreed I had done the right thing.   No one could have allowed that.
The mother was located fairly quickly at a neighbors house enjoying  a coffee klatch.  She was duly embarassed I suppose but I never heard the outcome of the case though I tried to find out.
The sheriffs took the baby , dressed in my sons baby clothes and took her downtown along with a bottle I made for her.
As he left, the sheriff said that he believed there was a special place in heaven for those who save children and animals without thought of reward.

I don't write that for any reason other than to say that this is the least of what anyone can do. It was nothing at all.How could anyone do anything less? I still worry that I did not do enough.
I have seen so many others go way farther above the call of duty in caring for their children, strangers children and their pets or strays and I do hope there is a special reward just for that alone.What mercy has God shown to us because of their service to their fellow man?
Because, contrast this with someone who would leave a child alone, beat or abuse a pet and the difference is estimated in light years I think.
  There are some out there  who have and still do go  far out of their way to serve others.
I don't put children and animals on equal par either by saying that, but, I simply mean that many are able to open their hearts to those who cannot speak out for themselves and children and animals certainly fit that description.
Without the kindliness , love and concern of those who care for the weak , the sick, the poor, the elderly,  this world would be a desolate place. 
I wonder if people  realize the valuable lesson in service and love they teach their children when they take care of a pet, take in a stray , visit the elderly, etc?It is nothing short of a loud witness to the world of the power of caring , serving love. Something we need much more of.

"Bless the beasts and the children
for in this world they have no voice
they have no choice
Bless the beasts and the children
for the world can never be
the world they see
Light their way
when the darkness surrounds them
give them love
let it shine all around them
Bless the beasts and the children
give them shelter from a storm
keep them safe
keep them warm
Light their way
when the darkness surrounds them
give them love
let it shine all around them
Bless the beasts and the children
give them shelter from a storm
keep them safe
keep them warm
The children
the children, the children........"

Laundry and Which Star are You?

Yahoo is wondering how often people wash sheets and towels. Some wash daily. Some weekly.

I wash towels after 3 days since I am alone and keep 3 towels in the bathroom. Oftener if guests come, still more often if I am ill.

Sheets are washed weekly in hot water. Oftener if there is sickness in the house.

When kids were at home I washed more often, especially towels. Washcloths are used twice, then washed and kitchen towels get washed until they are begging for mercy!

What do you do?

Now .. What movie star are you .. so you know what part of you is NOT doing the laundry.



 I scored 38 and 40 as there were two questions  that I was able to answer with definites on two choices.They say that makes me like Grace Kelly. I like that. She was just a lovely person.
Number your paper from 1 to 10, then answer each question with the choice that most describes you at t his point in your life , and then add up the points that correspond with your answers. 
 
1. Which describes your perfect date?
a) Candlelight dinner for two
b) Amusement Park
c) Roller blading in the park
d) Rock Concert
e) Have dinner & see a movie
f) Dinner at home with a loved one



2. What is your favorite type of music?

a) Rock and Roll
b) Alternativec) Soft Rock
d) Classical
e) Christian

f) Jazz
3. What is your favorite type of movie?
a) Comedyb) Horror
c) Musical

d) Romance

e) Documentary
f) Mystery


4. Which of the following jobs would you choose if you were given only these choices?

a) Waiter/Waitress

b) Sports Playerc) Teacher
d) Policeman

e) Bartender

f) Business person



5. Which would you rather do if you had an hour to waste?

a) Work out

b) Make out

c) Watch TV

d) Listen to the radio

e) Sleep

f) Read



6. Of the following colors, which do you like best?

a) Yellow

b) White

c) Sky blue

d) Teal

e) Gold

f) Red



7. Which one of the following would you like to eat right now?

a) Ice cream

b) Pizza

c) Sushi

d) Pasta

e) Salad

f) Lobster Tail



8. Which is your favorite holiday?

a) Halloween

b) Christmas

c) New Year's

d) Valentine's Day

e) Thanksgiving

f) Fourth of July



9. If you could go to any of the following places, which would it be?

a) Reno

b) Spain

c) Las Vegas

d) Hawaii

e) Hollywood

f) British Columbia



10. Of the following, who would you rather spend time with?

a) Someone who is smart

b) Someone with good looks

c) Someone who is a party animal

d) Someone who has fun all the time

e) Someone who is very emotional

f) Someone who is fun to be with



Now total up your points on each question:

1. a-4 b-2 c-5 d-1 e-3 f-6

2. a-2 b-1 c-4 d-5 e-3 f-6

3. a-2 b-1 c-3 d-4 e-5 f-6

4. a-4 b-5 c-3 d-2 e-1 f-6

5. a-5 b-4 c-2 d-1 e-3 f-6

6. a-1 b-5 c-3 d-2 e-4 f-6

7 a-3 b-2 c-1 d-4 e-5 f-6

8. a-1 b-3 c-2 d-4 e-5 f-6

9. a-4 b-5 c-1 d-4 e-3 f-6

10. a-5 b-2 c-1 d-3 e-4 f-6



NOW take your total and find out which Movie Star you are:

(10-17 points) You are MADONNA:



You are wild and crazy and you know it. You know how to have fun, but you may take it to extremes.. You know what you are doing though, and are much in control of your own life. People don't always see things your way, but that doesn't mean that you should do away with your beliefs. Try to remember that your wild spirit can lead to hurting yourself and others.

(18-26 points) You are DORIS DAY:



You are fun, friendly, and popular! You are a real crowd pleaser. You have probably been out on the town your share of times, yet you come home with the values that your mother taught you. Marriage and children are very important to you, but only after you have fun. Don't let the people you please influence you to stray.

(27-34 points) You are DEBBIE REYNOLDS:



You are cute, and everyone loves you. You are a best friend that no one takes the chance of losing. You never hurt feelings and seldom have your own feelings hurt. Life is a breeze. You are witty, and calm most of the time. Just keep clear of back stabbers, and you are worry-free.


(35-42 points) You are GRACE KELLY:
You are a lover. Romance, flowers, and wine are all you need to enjoy yourself. You are serious about all commitments and are a family person. You call your Mom every Sunday, and never forget a Birthday. Don't let your passion for romance get confused with the real thing.


(43-50 points) You are KATHERINE HEPBURN:


You are smart, a real thinker. Every situation is approached with a plan. You are very healthy in mind and body. You don't take crap from anyone. You have only a couple of individuals that you consider "real friends". You teach strong family values. Keep your feet planted in them, but don't overlook a bad situation when it does happen.


(51-60 points) You are ELIZABETH TAYLOR:

Everyone is in awe of you. You know what you want and how to get it. You have more friends than you know what to do with. Your word is your bond. Everyone knows when you say something it is money in the bank. You attract the opposite sex. Your intelligence overwhelms most. Your memory is the next thing to photographic. Everyone admires you because you are so considerate and lovable. You know how to enjoy life and treat people right.

Another Week Comes to a Close

  hat I thought was an allergy attack last week but it turned out to be a head cold. While the cold seems to be clearing up I am exhausted and headachy. Even the slightest exertion makes me feel like I need a nap. It is no fun getting older. You just do not bounce back like you once did. So there is a downing of EmergenC , echineacea and vitamins galore . The tea with lemon and honey drunk by the gallon too.
After having had pneumonia as a child, the cure sickened me more than the disease did. I have never handled colds well since then.

cedar water creek near me

The weather has calmed down and there are bluer than blue skies and sunshine along with lovely low 70's°F day temperatures and chilly 40-50 by night.  I have known it to be downright warm by October 31st. So hard to predict what will come though I swear by the Old Farmer's Almanac.



The Almanac has pages devoted to "best times" which tell you when to plant, reap, cut etc.
The cutting or pruning applies not only to shrubs and trees but to hair, nails and surgery!
I tried it out on the hair and nails and yes, if you cut them on a day when cutting encourages growth, it does promote fast growth. If you cut on a day that discourages growth, yup, you guess it, the hair/nails/shrub will grow much slower.  It works. It really does work.

Why?  Well....."There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, Than are dreamt of in your philosophy." Hamlet Act 1, scene 5

And indeed there are . 

Have a lovely weekend.

Vikings in Newfoundland, Birds in My House

Saturday is Leif Eriksson Day so I looked a bit into the history of Leif Eriksson and the land he discovered.

L'anse aux meadows

Eriksson(yes the spelling is correct) arrived in Newfoundland (pronounced to sound like with understand..   newfin-land, accent on the newfin! ) 1000 years ago.
L’Anse Aux Meadows is a Canada Parks site declared by the UN to be a world historic site. It is considered that important.
Here the Vikings settled and lived in its pleasant mild climate, complete with wild grapes abounding.


Today the climate has changed and grapes are no longer found. It is not so mild anymore.

 Soddy huts were built.  Scandinavian immigrants to the US later built them on the prairies of the Dakotas, Minnesota ,etc.
The  violence of the Skraelings, the Viking name for the Indians and Eskimos there, made staying difficult.



In other news, my cold is slowly leaving... emphasis on slow, the weather is sunny but still chilly. I am reduced to wearing thick socks and sweatshirts for warmth!

I had a bird, a small wren fly into the house twice this week, silly thing.
I got him out both times but he does seem to want to live here. Garfield the cat is of another mind.
I wish I had thought to take photos of him sitting on the blades of the ceiling fan.
I suspect that he was sleeping on the Mum and sunflower decoration I had on my door. That seems to be the only explanation as to why he would abruptly fly inside.  I took it down now and hoping that will solve the problem For a while I will also exit through the back door.

Drizzly, Blustery Days

It is blustery and very chilly here. It has been raining and/or drizzling for a few days now and autumn is in full swing it seems.
 I developed a cold Friday evening. At first I thought it was allergies but its a head cold and I hope it doesn't go any further. My ears are stuffed and as I have positional vertigo anyway, this doesn't help. I can only sleep on one side now and have to be careful bending etc.
Here I sit with'Vicks', my' Ocean' nose spray and hankies watching the drizzly weather outside and hearing the geese and swans honk themselves silly as they do their fly overs.
My dear dog Brandy is gone 2 years this fall. She used to love to swim out into the bay to try and retrieve swans . Some of them as big or bigger than she was. Brandy was a Flat Coat Retriever. How I miss her company and friendship.

Flat Coated Retriever fans are very proud of how few people actually know about their breed! They have taken pains to preserve the both the breed's looks and its purpose. Unlike most other retriever breeds, having flat coats with titles in both field events and conformation (looks) is not unusual. These dogs are supposed to be able to go directly from the field to the show ring to the family room without faltering. Despite how versatile this breed is, they are a well-kept secret and the breed fanciers want to keep it this way.

This is an active breed. Individuals who think they should look into getting a flat coat because of its extraordinary good looks quickly find that breeders expect their puppies to go to people who will commit to a few hours of strenuous exercise a day, plus lessons in obedience, field work, and perhaps agility or other dog sports to kept the dogs healthy and mentally stimulated. Flat coats are cheerful and lighthearted, despite being exceptionally committed hunting dogs.

Last year at this time I also said goodbye to Sandy, my cat. His brother is still with me and I hope that lasts for a good long time. We grow to think of them as family.
Here is Sandy asleep inside a broken dresser drawer. That dresser is the one they were born in and it now serves as my computer desk.







Brandy's photo is to the left on the side bar.This large one is from the net, just to show what Flat coats look like.


I hope your weather is a bit nicer, warmer and your health bright and sunny.