Ticky Tacky

Something I noticed while visiting in southern California . . .

Their houses are all the same. Or long rows and patterns of just the same, only to change to some different style of just the same.

Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes made of ticky tacky,
Little boxes on the hillside,
Little boxes all the same.

There's a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one,
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.

And the people in the houses
All went to the university,
Where they were put in boxes
And they came out all the same,
And there's doctors and lawyers,
And business executives,
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.

And they all play on the golf course
And drink their martinis dry,
And they all have pretty children
And the children go to school,
And the children go to summer camp
And then to the university,
Where they are put in boxes
And they come out all the same.

And the boys go into business
And marry and raise a family
In boxes made of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.
There's a green one and a pink one
And a blue one and a yellow one,
And they're all made out of ticky tacky
And they all look just the same.

This song applies only to the houses though. The people are diverse, the houses . . . not so much.

Trippin'

Long dry spell . . . but I have a good excuse! Hubby and I've been on a spur-of-the-moment trip to see our sons and grandbabies with a couple of daughters-in-law mixed in. And it's been wonderful.

We first stopped and stayed with #1 Son. He just got a new pool table and we had a great time getting royally spanked in every game. That boy's a good shot! Need to challenge him to a crochet-a-thon soon. Had a super visit with him, and while we were there Hair That Flows and Niece Of The East stopped by, so we got a two-fer (you know how I love those).

After a few days, we moved on to Southern California to see #3 Son and his wife and our two grandboys.  

(Just a little side-note here: Southern California should be its own state.  As beautiful as it is I could never live here! For one thing, I can't drive in a world where 2 1/2 feet of defensive space is acceptable at 80 MPH. And, if that's not bad enough, it's also acceptable for folks to jam themselves into that space if they feel the need to do a quick lane-change. Next time I start thinking about coming down here, remind me to stop and get a prescription for Xanax to deal with traffic. And that's not to drive - it's just to be a passenger in a vehicle with a perfectly competent driver!)

We've left the base each day to take little two-hour trips around Oceanside. We've gone shopping, to the beach, out to fun meals, and today we went to the Thursday Farmer's Market. Their market is lovely. It goes on forever! I feel lucky to have a really good market in Humboldt, but there is an unreal selection of fresh local fruits and veggies (and fish!) here for so early in the season.

Organic strawberries - soooo good

Spring greens.

Fresh local fish

Sweet Greek guy who let me snap him and his wares. "I'm so ockley, but shoor, shoor, you take picture." Yummy olives and olive oils & pickled stuff.

FRESH citrus. It's everywhere. (There was a LOADED lemon tree in the parking lot at Joann Fabrics.)

They give fair warning of their policies. Unattended children get an espresso and a kitten. Good to know!

It's gonna be super hard to say goodbye to our two little grandboys tomorrow. I'll have to get more than my fair share of drooly kisses and sticky hugs to sustain me on the long drive to see #2 son and more grandbabies. Bittersweet. But really, does life get any better than that?

(If you're the praying kind and think about it tomorrow, please send up a prayer for our safe return to Northern California and mostly sane drivers. If you're not the praying kind, a little good juju would be welcomed!)

Darned Socks and Mended Jeans

I once asked my nephew why fishing with live bait was outlawed around here. He said, "Because it works".

The worst part of getting old is that you find something that works for you, is of good quality, the price is fair, etc., and just when your "thing" needs replacing, it is out of stock or discontinued. It's happened to me several times in the past few years, and lemme tell you, nothing is more frustrating! OK, well, maybe those automatic butt-sensing, auto-flushing toilets that don't flush are more frustrating. Or that leak in the roof that you can't tell where it's coming from. Or trying to get a real person at the Customer Service number at AT&T.

One of my two *things*, my special *things* that are no longer available are my black Wilson ankle socks. I've decided black socks and flesh-colored underwear are the way to go. It's just easier. TMI, sorry. The Wilson socks are great. They're thick, they're tight enough that they don't disappear down into my shoe, but not so tight they're uncomfortable, they're made of cotton, they last for years. The only down side is that the bend from heel to ankle on the side of the sock seems to separate after a couple of years.

I'd considered darning, but my only darning experience is hearing Hubby's stories of his Nana mending his socks. From the tone of the stories, I don't think it went great. He says he appreciates the love and time that went into them, but wouldn't voluntarily wear the socks after Nana went back home.

I looked up "darning socks" on Pinterest and came up with a tutorial by Brenna at Sock Dreams. Love it! So easy to follow and so easy to do. Not the big ordeal I had imagined. I got an old hard baseball (don't have a darning egg) and my black cotton sockish-weight yarn and big-eyed needle and commenced weaving over the holes in my socks. It's been four months now and they're still wearing strong. Thanks, Brenna!

The other *thing* is my jeans. I have a hard time finding jeans that fit well and feel right. I found a brand that I loved and ordered four pair several years ago. Now that my jeans have some issues, I can't find that brand anywhere! I have some "jiggly bits" and, let's just say, some of my bits jiggle more than they should. So, the thighs of my jeans get more mileage than the rest of the garment. It's been my habit to wear my jeans until the thighs are threadbare (or holey!) and then go out and get some more. Well, now I can't. I thought about patching, but I've tried it before and didn't like the rough spots it created - especially when they rubbed on my tender inner thigh! I remembered my darned sock success and Pinterested "mending jeans". Waddya know, but Suzannah at adventuresindressmaking.com has a great tutorial using nothing more than iron-on interfacing and back-and-forthing with her sewing machine.

The ironed-on interfacing inside of the jeans

After machine sewing back & forth to the tune of half a spool of thread

I'm now the owner of five perfectly serviceable pair of jeans! Yesssss! What would I do without my little MacBook Pro and Pinterest and Brenna and Suzannah with their amazingly simple, down-to-earth tutorials? I'd probably be, "Naked and bleeding in Kathmandu!", right, Eddie Murphy? Or, just afraid to leave the house because I have nothing to wear. Thanks, ladies!

Easter Traditions

I woke up to pounding rain this morning and my first thought was, "It's going to be an indoor Easter celebration!" I laid a while longer in the bed of my empty nest wondering what my boys are doing with and for their families this Easter Sunday. Then my mind wandered to the Easter traditions of my mom's family and the things we as a family adopted or invented.

My mama was all about the Easter dress and bonnet. We girls got new (no hand-me-downs!) dresses and bonnets every year. And we had professional pictures taken in those dresses and bonnets every spring. Sometimes we went to church, sometimes we didn't. It depended upon where we lived. We always colored boiled eggs the day before with food coloring and vinegar. Not the packages with the egg wands and coloring pills they have now. I still remember the smell of vinegar while dying eggs. There was always a new Easter basket hidden somewhere in the house. We didn't reuse baskets - probably because we moved so much it wasn't worth packing them up and moving them with us every time. Our baskets were filled with green plastic grass, jelly beans, and a solid chocolate bunny. We always nibbled the ears first. The colored eggs were usually hidden from us - in the house if it was raining, or outside if not - during breakfast. Then after breakfast came the egg hunt! I still wonder why it was so exciting, but it was. I didn't even like boiled eggs then. The constants for Easter dinner were always either turkey or ham with deviled eggs (must use up those hard-boiled eggs!) and the green jello. Not the orange Thanksgiving jello or the red Christmas jello.

Hubby and I had boys. No dress and bonnets to worry about, but we did have them dress up in slacks and button-down shirt if they had it, or nice polo if not. No professional pictures, but I was a snapping freak when they were young - I was always behind the camera and have the albums and boxes of loose pictures to prove it! Sometime in the days before Easter we would dye eggs. Sometimes with food coloring and vinegar, sometimes with the pills and wands, sometimes with "new" ways to dye eggs that always come up around Easter.

On Easter Sunday, we'd have breakfast and hide the eggs in the house if raining, outside if not. You have to be sure and count them so none are missed only to be found by the lawnmower later on. We'd hide the basket (with grass, candy, and solid chocolate bunny) somewhere in the house. The boys would find theirs and get to finding eggs! It was always a competition to see who would get more colored eggs, but, you know, I never saw them voluntarily peel an egg and eat it. Easter dinner was always ham at our house or turkey or ham at Sweetie's house. And, of course, deviled eggs. We dropped the green jello tradition.

As the boys got older, they got less and less excited about coloring and finding hard-boiled eggs. When they could read well, we'd put clues in plastic eggs - basically a treasure hunt to their Easter basket. One Easter we did the treasure hunt between Sweetie's and Hair That Flows' houses. They'd find a clue at Sweetie's that would lead them to Hair That Flows' (about a block away on the same street) and back and forth until they found their baskets. It was still a competition even though they each had their own clues - they RAN from clue to clue! They were so sweaty and when they finally found the baskets - but that's the Easter they still talk about.

I wonder what traditions my boys are adopting or creating. I'll have to give them a call tonight!

Garden Update: Little Green Shoots!

Tiny green things poking up in the garden!

Carrots

Bush Beans

Peas

Leaf Lettuce. Can you see them?

First asparagus spear of the season.

Artichokes coming on.

Cherry tomatoes in the greenhouse. We don't have enough heat for them to do much outside.

Now for an update on some older stuff:

This is one of three little trays of apples I started from seeds. They got a layer of mold on top of the dirt and most succumbed to damping off disease. It started as an experiment to see if I can get any apples produced from seed. Hopefully at least one of these little guys will make it to the tree stage!

The blackberry brambles started from cuttings. They were a little wilty for the first couple of days, but they're coming back strong.

Not sure if you can tell, but I added an oregano unibrow and soul patch from my herb bed. The garden entrance guy is starting to take shape. 

That's all folks!

DIY Cream of Mushroom Soup Mix

Pinterest, how is it that the four-pack of boneless, skinless chicken breasts and the can of Campbells Cream of Mushroom Soup I bought at Winco together in a crockpot for four hours makes "Awesome Homemade Chicken and Mushrooms"? What's homemade about that, again? Is it that the crockpot is in my home?

I've gotta say I'm a fan of "easy" and "time-saving", but the above "recipe" doesn't scream "homemade" to me. (Is that enough quotes for you? I almost put quotes around "me" for fun but that just would've been wrong.) Especially when I consider the ingredient list of a can of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup:

Water, Mushrooms, Modified Food Starch, Wheat Flour, Contains Less Than 2% of: Salt, Cream, Dried Whey, Monosodium Glutamate, Soy Protein Concentrate, Yeast Extract, Spice Extract, Dehydrated Garlic, Vegetable Oil: Corn, Cottonseed, Canola and, or Soybean oil

The list starts out well, but soon goes downhill. I still haven't found a good source for Soy Protein Concentrate, or Yeast- or Spice Extract. So, several years ago I went looking for homemade DIY substitutes for Campbell's Cream of Mushroom, Cream of Chicken, and Knorrs' Onion Soup mixes. These are the three I use a LOT in my recipes.


I tried to find the internet site I got the Cream of Mushroom mix recipe from, but had no luck. It was before I was aware of or invited to Pinterest. I'll just say that some smart and savvy blogger I happened to run across one day while checking stuff out on the computer has a great dry Cream of Mushroom Soup mix recipe. It makes a half-gallon of dry mix. If I can find the site later, I'll be sure to post it here.

Here are the ingredients:

4 Cups lowfat powdered milk
1 1/2 Cups cornstarch
1 Cup chopped dried mushrooms (I use a full ounce of dry mushrooms, which is about 2 Cups)
1/2 Cup beef bouillon granules
2 Tbsp thyme
2 Tbsp basil
1 Tbsp pepper
1/2 Tbsp parsley
1/2 Tbsp garlic powder

I keep all this stuff in bulk in my pantry - with the exception of dried mushrooms - , so it's easy to mix this up when I run out. The mushrooms I get in the Asian section of my local Winco. They might be in the bulk section of your store.

I roughly chop the mushrooms.

Add them to the rest of the ingredients in my mixing bowl, whisk to mix.

Dump in 1/2 gallon Cream of Mushroom Soup Mix jar.

To make some soup, you stir 1/3 Cup mix into 1 1/4 Cup boiling water in a saucepan. Stir over low heat until thickened. I turn off the heat and put a lid on the pot for about 2 minutes to plump the dried mushrooms. This can be added to any recipe in place of Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup, or eaten as is.

The Cream of Chicken Soup Mix also makes 1/2 gallon of dry mix:

4 Cups lowfat powdered milk
1 1/2 Cups cornstarch
1/2 Cup chicken bouillon granules
1/3 Cup chopped dry onion
2 tsp italian herbs
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp red pepper
1/2 tsp black pepper

Again, to make, it's 1/3 cup mix to 1 1/4 cup boiling water, stir on low until thickened.

Onion Soup Mix is much easier. I use as much beef bouillon granules to as much dry chopped onions as looks right (probably about 3 Cups bouillon to 1 Cup dry onion. Remember, I'm a dumper by nature, not a measurer!). I use 3 Tbsp dry mix as a substitute for a packet of Knorr Onion Soup in recipes.

These dry mixes make me feel like I'm actually using my ultra-frugal ninja-chef skills to make something wholesome and homemade. Maybe it's a little healthier without the funky extras like modified food starch or monosodium glutamate. AND I get to feel slightly superior to the poor folks who have to run out and buy the chicken breast four-pack and can of mushroom soup to make homemade chicken!

Hey, you poor folks with the canned soup! You, too, can easily make frugal-ninja-chef dry soup mixes! Hope this helps. It sure helped me. If you make it, give a shout-out to the brilliant as-yet-unnamed blogger for the recipes (I hope to find her soon to give credit where it's due).

Best Homemade Baby Gift

When making gifts for a new mommy, I try to think back 20+ years ago to my early mommy days. What was the most useful, practical, baby-friendly, old-fashioned-but-still-relevant item I received? We cloth diapered and I received a couple dozen homemade pre-folds as gifts - and, boy were they useful! But diapers don't really say "love" to me. Plus, most new moms use disposable.

Then there's the hat and booties.

They're cute, but how many mommies really use these on a regular basis? I didn't. You know that when they're just a few months old the hat is the first thing the little blighters rip off - and the socks or booties are next. Youngest Son preferred hatless and barefoot. I was really lucky if I could get socks on him to leave the house - he wouldn't stand for them inside.

No, the homemade gift items I treasured most were the baby blankets.  Just by looking at them I could see the amount of work and love that went into them. Being tactile little creatures, babies seem to enjoy the silky or soft ones. Of the several I received I had my favorites, of course - and I got two particular blankets I used ALL the time. Both were flannel receiving blankets. SO USEFUL! They were in use just as soon as we were out of the hospital to wrap baby up burrito-style, as a light cover,  for a cover in the carseat, tucked into a closed car window to shade baby on long trips, anywhere as an emergency changing station, as a barrier between baby and floor for tummy time, as a nursing cover, as a burp cloth, as an emergency cloth diaper. I got some real mileage out of those two receiving blankets! And when they were holey and frayed, I cut them up for spill rags and dusting cloths.

So, I've been a real fan of the flannel receiving blanket for a while. But then, when I was way past the young mommy stage, I went to a friends' from church who was whipping up the most amazing things on her sewing machine. Doubled flannel receiving blankets! Who'd've thunk it? She used three yards folded in half. Perfect. They're heavier, but still light enough to do all the things listed above (with the exception of emergency diaper - they're a little bulky for that), plus they last longer. Long enough for toddlers and walkers to love them, grab them for comfort or at nap time or to watch 'toons or for peek-a-boo, or just for snuggling with on mommy or daddy's lap.

We have a new baby coming into the family. A lovely (if her ultra-sound pics are any indication) girl-child. I'm not even the grandma of this one and I immediately went into flannel blanket mode. And I think I've one-upped my church friend. With crocheted lace.

Come home as soon as you're ready, baby girl. We're waiting!

The Speed of Commerce, Medicine, Government

Hubby lost his wallet last weekend. He wasn't carrying a lot of cash, so that was good, but he DID have that annoying chore of canceling and replacing many of his cards.

The credit cards should be in the mail in 3-7 days.

The medical card should be in the mail within 30 days.

The drivers license should be in the mail within 90 days.

Really, DMV? 90 days? Well, I can't say I'm surprised.

Camping with Children

We're campers. Many people aren't. In fact, an old co-worker of mine told me once that she couldn't understand camping. She said the whole principle was based on taking all the nice clean stuff out of your house, packing it in the car, driving a long ways, and throwing it in the dirt.

For us, camping was one of the most important elements in our child-rearing bag o' tricks. It was also a frugal way to get the family out of the house.

We're lucky enough to live in an area with streams, rivers, lagoons, Pacific ocean, mountains . . . any and all the places you could want to camp. Here, I'll show you. Day-before-yesterday we went for a drive along the Trinity River and stopped at a likely camping spot:

With a pit toilet,

And a picnic table and fire pit,

And a bald eagle in a tree across the river. These are the types of places we went.

We still keep a tent, sleeping bags, a couple of coolers, and a kitchen box even though our days of camping "in the dirt" are just about behind us. The kitchen box has camping stove and fuel, lantern and fuel, a pot, a cast-iron pan, cooking utensils, plates, napkins, forks, etc., matches, dish- and regular soap, a hatchet and machete, a plastic table cover, citronella candles, bug spray. We always took enough wood from home for camp and cooking fires and only rarely used the camping stove. This is the stuff that helped build our boys. And the stuff that uncounted memories are made of.

Like the time we camped at the lagoon and built a shelter out of driftwood and everything was all good until Middle Son took a fishhook in the cheek. Or the time we named a favorite spot the P.O.S.H. place (poison oak swimming hole) as we were applying Calamine at home. Or the time #1 Son, then 13, drove our stick-shift all the way home because Hubby hurt his back and couldn't move, I wasn't there, and they didn't have a phone. Or the time we watched the twin baby bears who'd been kicked out early by mama silently sneak into our camp and take all the paper plates into the woods to shred. What a mess that was! Or the time our old Shepherd ran ahead in the trail and killed a rattlesnake, saving Youngest Son from a nasty bite. Those were hairy times, but they're also some of the times the boys talk about most. There were also good times. Great times.

Like the time the two older boys learned to build fires safely and we had six campfires that night - each with leaves and needles carefully swept away and a ring of rocks. Building and racing pontoon boats made of found soda bottles, fishing line, and sticks. Holding big rocks as we walked into the river so we could stay on the bottom and watch the fish awhile before dropping them and heading up to the surface. Our Samoyed/Retriever towing us  across the river with her tail so we (and she!) could dive off the rocks. Teaching friends to swim. Or the time Older Cousin came out of the dark woods with his sleeping bag around his shoulders and Younger Cousin leaped on BILs head (almost turban-like) screaming, "Bear, bear!"  :)    Body surfing the rapids. Bowling for elk in the mist with a box of apples (OK, rolling apples to the elk). Oldest boy playing GI Joe Commando and trying to sneak as close to us as he could before we said, "We can see you!" That time we camped at an oxbow in the river and caught the pollywogs with legs in the slow warm water. Cooking s'mores. Reading Indian in the Cupboard aloud by lantern light, swatting at moths and mosquitos, because we were so close to the end and couldn't put it down. Whittling with a pocket knife. Chopping at the wood pile with a hatchet. Playing cribbage until the flashlight batteries went out. Silently sitting around, poking the campfire with sticks. Counting falling stars and satellites.

Those were some of the best times. Even if nothing happened. No phones, TV, Playstation, XBox, or electronics of any kind. No distractions. Just a family hanging out. And I wouldn't trade all the mosquito bites, itchy patches of poison oak rash, or long nights on the hard ground for any amount of luxury hotel stays. Believe it. It's true.

I love you, boys.

Rock Painting

Sometimes I just get a wild hair and want to paint something. Not like a canvas or something "normal". More like something off-the-wall or unusual or something from nature.

Here are a couple of rocks I painted that were intended to be doorstops, but I don't know what their jobs are since they were gifted.

Sweetie told me they look aboriginal. For some reason that made me feel good. :)  I like the high contrast of black and white. Like black and white photos. Sister shoots hauntingly beautiful black and white photos that make me want to step into them and sit awhile. I don't have that talent. But I like to paint.  I like primitive. I like simple. I like art from nature. I should, like, paint more rocks.

Propagating Blackberries From Cuttings

I understand blackberries  - and all brambles - are some of the easiest plants to propagate from cuttings. They'll supposedly root from all the little "elbows" that're in contact with dirt. The same spots that leaf and branch. It looks pretty easy, because when some of my vines bend down and touch the ground, the tips will root.

So there's this wild strip in my yard. It used to be the chicken moat I had around the garden. The idea was that no bugs would make it to my garden veggies because the chickens would eat 'em before they even got close. Well, it mostly worked until too many weeds and volunteers grew in the moat. Now the chickens eye it like it's the Congo or something. Only the adrenalin junkies go in there. The rest of them  content themselves with the compost heap.

Anyway, in amongst the volunteer lemon balm and sunchokes and little redwood tree we keep hacking back and wild blackberry brambles and weeds are a few thornless blackberry vines that are poking out. A bird (probably a chicken) pooed some seeds back there sometime in the past and they've taken root.

I cut off a few of the longer ones.

And brought them into the greenhouse.

I need to know which end is up and which is down, so I cut these into pieces about 8 inches long with the bottom cut at an angle and the top cut straight across. The cuts are made just about halfway between the "elbows" or leafing-out spots. Then I strip all but the top two elbows of leaves. Because these brambles are thornless, I just ran my loosely fisted hand down the vine to knock off the lower leaves. Otherwise, I'd snip them with my garden shears.

These guys are ready to plant.

I prepared some pots by sticking a coffee filter in the bottom and adding compost. I don't have any potting soil right now, so we'll make do.

Since I want these brambles to have plenty of opportunities to root, I stuck them in the pots deeply so several elbows were in contact with the soil. Then they got watered in good, and the leaves got misted as well just to make sure they wouldn't get thirsty. I'll need to check them daily so they don't wilt or dry out.

There they are, the little beauties! If you think about it in the next few days, send out a little rooting prayer or good juju wish if you please! I'll let you know how they do.

Best Toy For Retrievers

Period. The end.

Just kidding! My dog, True loves toys. She knows the names of all of them and treasures each one individually.

True snuggling with Panda and Pinkie

I used to think she'd be a frisbee dog. True will go after frisbees and is crazy for the air-time, but Frizz almost didn't make it. His cousins definitely didn't make it. 

The bit of blue plastic that used to be Frizz no longer flies as well as it did before True trimmed the edges up a bit. She seemed to realize that Frizz was on the verge of disappearing and broke the nibbling habit. If I give it a toss, she will still retrieve it.

But the Chuck-it!, now that's the toy for a retriever! True will literally retrieve tennis balls ALL DAY without stopping unless it's hot out. Then she might lay in the shade for a minute or two before bringing the ball back.

These are the reasons I (and True) like Chuck-It!:

1. If you buy the green one, regular tennis balls can fit in it and you don't have to buy the Chuck-It! balls. This can save some money if you don't  have good aim and your throws end up in the bushes or on roofs or over fences.

2. It really saves my arm. This dog could wear through a rotator cuff in nothing flat.

3. It's a kid magnet. If kids are around, they'll beg to throw for your dog. But, again, they sometimes throw wonky so you may want to bring extra balls. I've started giving kids one chance only. If they blow it and throw over a fence or in the bushes, their turn is over. 

4. It throws FAR! Much further than my puny arm can do.

5. I don't have to touch nasty, dog-slobbered tennis balls. I just push the receiver end over the ball that's on the ground and it clicks into place.

6. I can load the Chuck-It! without bending.

7. If I release the ball so it goes high into the air, it'll bounce pretty tall and True can get air-time jumping after it (solving the frisbee dilemma).

I so recommend the Chuck-It! for all those OCD Retrievers out there. And for their owners. And for their owners' arms.