Adding Apple Jelly

Last night I added apple jelly to the list of jellies that I've made recently.

So far, between my daughter, her boyfriend, and I, we've gathered fruit for and made elderberry jelly, blackberry & elderberry jelly, and apple jelly. Still on my list of jellies to make are crabapple and apple & rosehip.

I'm running out of places to store all of the little jars. I like the small jars for jelly because they make nice little gifts.

Night Life

I still live a life of begging time on my children's computers whenever I need the use of one. My computer - which broke, um, I don't even remember how long ago - is still broken.

So while my son is at work, I have stolen into his room to check email, etc., before I head off to bed. The room is dark, the window is open, and I can hear a chorus of frogs reaching me from out there, somewhere, in the darkness.

I like to go out at night and look up at the stars. The other night my son and husband and I snipped out to see if we could catch any of the Perseid meteor shower. We saw a few, quick, faint meteors, and then one bright one which streaked across the width of the sky.

And tonight there is a froggy concert.

A lot goes on around here when the sun goes down. I wonder who books the talent?

Gardening Gone Wild's August Picture This Photo Contest

Gardening Gone Wild's August photo contest theme is "Down on Your Knees," encouraging gardeners to view the world from a different perspective.

Here's my photo entry, Flower Power Froggy:

To view other contest entries, visit the Gardening Gone Wild August photo entry post and view the links in the comments section.

Summer Adventure

Yesterday my daughter and I went out in search of a crabapple tree we had spotted on the wild side of a farmer's fallow field last fall. We've recently put away several jars of elderberry jelly and wild blackberry jelly and we are anxious to get our hands on some crabapples to make our favorite jelly in the whole world.

Last September when we were out in the field, it was full of shoulder high goldenrod. This year the field had been mown:

But we found all sorts of interesting things in and around it anyway. Like this tiny frog with a fallen blossom on his little bottom:

And a red-eyed tortoise:

Blackberries, yum! They were tasty and juicy:

A dragonfly:

And butterflies:

It's unbelievable, but we weren't able to find the crabapple tree again. We were very disappointed, but we decided to go into a certain part of the forest in order to do some exploring.

To reach it, we had the option to blaze a trail through thick, torso-high growth which hadn't been touched by a blade, or to cut into a thick barrier on one side of the forest which consisted of tangled, close-growing, shrubby growth.

This picture shows what we chose - that's me, hunched over, trying to find the best way through woody stalks, and, of course, Strider at my side:

My daughter broke through at one point only to discover a pond blocking our way:

Finally we reached a point where the growth opened up and we were able to make our way into the forest:

Some of the trees there are very old, and some are very tall, like this one:

After wandering around in the forest, we decided that blazing a trail through the tall brush would be a better choice than back-tracking through the thick, woody shrubs:

I can tell you that Strider was happiest in the open forest and in the mown field. He's wearing a bandanna in the picture below. He doesn't usually wear one, but for our adventure we doused a bandanna with Deep Woods Off and tied it around his neck.

We also doused our own clothing with it in hopes of keeping the ticks off, and sprayed Strider's legs and hind quarters with an all natural repellent - I dread any of us getting Lyme disease:

We were all bushed when we finally made it home. And no crabapples, but we know where to find other crabapples. We'll get some before the season is over.

Elderberry Jelly

Yesterday I made a batch of elderberry jelly. Actually I, my daughter, and her boyfriend made the jelly.

I harvested the berries from a couple of very large bushes that grow nearby. I had exactly half the amount called for in the Sure-Jell recipe, but my daughter and I spent the afternoon picking wild blackberries so I thought we would make up the difference with blackberry juice.

It turns out we didn't need to because I cheated a little when processing the elderberries. The recipe calls for you to crush the berries and simmer them for fifteen minutes to juice them. I added a little bit of water (just shy of covering the berries), and in the end I ended up with the exact amount of juice needed for the recipe. I worried that it would set/taste all right - but everything worked out well. The jelly set perfectly and it tastes wonderful.

Now to turn all of those lovely blackberries into sparkling jars of jelly!

Happiness at the side of the road

Last night my husband, dog, and I drove to a hike a bike trail for a walk after dinner. I took along a small back pack with plastic bags in case we came across anything interesting to gather. We didn't. But on the way home I spotted a woman and her son gathering something at the side of the road.

My heart soared. Someone else out there was like me. I wanted to stop and talk, but evening was coming on and it looked like she and her son were feverishly trying to gather all that they could (blackberries, I think) in the remaining light and I didn't want to disturb their concentration.

And now I know where some more blackberries are : )

Off to gather what they missed...

My garden, such as it is...

I had such plans for gardening this year. I was going to grow mostly veggies in the plot at the back of the yard, and prepared a new plot in a half-circle design in which to plant herbs.

Well, we left for our marvelous vacation at a bad time garden-wise, and in the rush of a million things to do (one of us didn't have a passport until three days before we left because this particular person had to send in more proof of citizenship before the passport was processed - slowly; and we had a large, dead tree taken down, the aftermath of which had to be cleaned up; etc., etc...), the grand garden plans became drastically altered.

The back garden plot didn't get turned or planted, and the new plot was barely prepared enough for me to throw seedlings into mere days before we left. The result:

Our only garden plot, a haphazard mix of herbs and veggies, before:

and now:

The veggies consist of four varieties of tomato - three of which we started from seed - peppers, cucumbers, zucchini, and I just planted some peas and some bush beans, as an experiment. They are sprouting as we speak and it will be interesting to see if they produce anything before the frost sets in.

The herbs here are medicinal, evening primrose, elecampane, holy basil, motherwort, calendula, and sage. The sage, of course, is also culinary, and we have a few other culinary herbs in pots around the patio.

In one large pot we have two types of basil and a pineapple sage. Here's the pineapple sage, not only is it pretty, it smells just like pineapple:

I also have a couple of gladiolas growing alongside the patio which are beginning to bloom:

Here's a bud ready to unfurl:

One of my favorite medicinal herbs that I'm growing is the holy basil it smells wonderful, I wish the picture was scratch and sniff:

And, of course, the calendula is always so bright and sunny. It just started blooming in the last week or so. It'll continue to bloom until the frost finally takes it:

Unfortunately, the Japanese beetles have been a huge problem this year. Whole trees have been denuded by the pesky buggers. They really like my evening primrose, too, darn it:

The garden plot in the back has reverted to the wild, but wonderful things can be found there if you take the time to look:

The black-eyed Susan is the state flower of Maryland, where I grew up. It's nice to have it make an appearance back there:

These tiny beauties, baby's breath, are a remnant of some mixed wildflower seeds I spread out back there several years ago, they were the only things to grow from the seeds I spread:

And so goes the gardening this year. I had such grand plans, the half-circle herb garden laid out so nicely, and wonderful veggies in the back. The reality turned out a bit hurried and mixed up, but there's always next year!

I've already got my eye on several varieties of heirloom seeds I want to try out in the back, and I'm planning on doing my little medicinal herb garden right, and with a few more varieties of herbs.

I was able to plant a small patch on the side of the house with some yarrow and two types of lavendar, which are doing very well and I hope they overwinter and come back in the spring.

In gardening, hope springs eternal.

A Walk in the Cuyahoga Valley

We went for a walk along one of the trails in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park today. It was a bridle trail, but we only met a few people on horseback toward the end of our walk. My camera batteries were low, so I only got a few pictures. One was of a stream with only a little bit of water:

Strider liked it, even if the water only cooled his feet:

There were all sorts of wildflowers, and blackberries ripening, and other interesting things, but you'll have to take my word for it.

Afterward we stopped at a small drive-in restaurant so that we could get a little cup of vanilla ice cream for Strider. That's the only reason - the sign advertising homemade strawberry and banana ice cream had nothing to do with the decision : )

The Hobbit wouldn't cut it in today's market!

Over at literary agent Nathan Bransford's blog, there's a funny guest post - a rejection letter written to J.R.R. Tolkien for his children's book, The Hobbit.

I'm afraid poor old Bilbo would have a hard time seeing the light of day in today's publishing atmosphere.

Farmer's Market

Yesterday, hubby, dog, and I strolled down to the farmer's market. We had a very pleasant walk, the weather was beautiful. We even bumped into my son's girlfriend who was on her way to the market too.

The market was busy with people. This is the market's third year in our quaint little downtown. In its first year I was a participant and sold homemade candies and fudge. I really enjoyed the experience, lots of happy people all enjoying the market on a Saturday morning.

Yesterday we came away from the market with these various items:

Honey from two sisters (I would guess teen and pre-teen) who have been keeping bees for the past four years. They started beekeeping as a 4-H project.

A sixpack of fern cakes from the local owner of a Gaelic Imports shop who sells pasties and pies and confections at the market on Saturday mornings.

Three breakfast cakes from a seller of all-vegan treats.

A package of double ginger almond biscotti from a local baker's booth.

A small bag of green beans.

And not pictured here because I forgot about it when taking the picture, a bag maple coated puffed spelt which I bought from an Amish man. It was homemade and the maple syrup was locally produced.

Also not pictured, a little package of homemade dog biscuits - peanut butter- for Strider. He enjoyed them while we sat at outside a local shop and hubby and I slurped fruit smoothies.

Today it's back to the damp, drizzly weather we've had for most of the past week. It's nice that the damp took a break for the market.

Using family members as guinea pigs

I made up a batch of salve with some plantain infused oil that I made up a couple of weeks ago. In an earlier post I mentioned how fresh plantain leaves, crushed and the juice rubbed on poison ivy, is an excellent source of itch relief.

Well, I infused some oil with fresh plantain leaves, but it didn't have the same effects on poison ivy as the fresh juice. It did seem to be very good for mosquito bites, though. So I made up some salve hoping that it would be a good treatment for bug bites and stings, but now I have to try it out to see if it works well before putting it up for sale on my Etsy site.

I asked my son, "Do you have any itchy bug bites?"

Him: "No."

Me: "Oh. That's so sad."

Him: "It's sad that I don't have itchy bug bites?"

Me, the good mother: "Yes."

In the evening I purposly lured my hubby out on the back porch. After a while -

Me: "The mosquitos are out - do you have any bites?"

Hubby: "No, lets go inside."

Me, going inside: "No, stay out a while longer. I need someone to get an itchy bite."

My family loves me.

Where the wild things are...

That describes my yard.

If I turn my back on it, it begins to go wild. I've been battling weeds, spraying poison ivy, trimming wayward hedges, trying to keep the herb garden from going native, removing dead squirrels (actually, delegating said task to hubby), and rescuing chipmunks from the jaws of cats.

But its all waiting for just a few short days of neglect. If I turn my back for just a moment, the wild will return with abandon.

A well ordered yard takes a lot of effort - a half feral yard takes even more.

Whew! I need a tall class of iced tea.

A Peacock Picture for your Perusal

Busy with herbs

I've been busy gathering herbs.

I found an elderberry bush from which I've gathered some blossoms. The bush grows near the old farmhouse that's close by. I'm sure that elderberry was there on purpose for use in the household way back when, but now you've got to wade through waist-high goldenrod, ironweed, and assorted other things to get to the bushes. And you have to battle the wild roses that grow alongside to get to the blossoms - all the time trying not to rub against the poison ivy.

My daughter laughed at me because after getting through all of that and wrestling with the bush to reach the high-up blossoms, my head was covered with the little, star-like flowers which had shaken loose and showered down on me. The Elder Mother, whose permission you are supposed to ask before taking the blossoms, was playing games with me. I hadn't asked for her permission : ) So instead, finally remembering my manners, I thanked her as I left.

I also found several spots where yarrow is growing wild - the wild edges of the park next door, on a hill by a roadside, etc. It's in bloom right now so I've gathered some of that, too.

I added lavender to my garden this year and I've been gathering blooms off of that.

A few things that I'm excited about that I have in my garden this year are: holy basil, evening primrose, elecampane, and, of course, calendula.

The scent of holy basil is amazing. I think it's my new favorite! It's spicy in a clove sort of way. I'll add it to teas to stave off oncoming illness (colds/flu) or to help when a person already has something nasty. I'll also mix it with lemon balm for a relaxing tea.

I've purchased several new jars in which to keep my dried herbs.

A few things I've made recently with fresh herbs:

Elder blossom infused cider vinegar

Plantain infused oil

Yarrow infused oil

Plantain glycerite

It's important to always check on the safety of the herbs you want to use. I have several books which told me that elder leaves could be infused in oil to be used on the skin and wounds, etc. I was happily making some of this oil when I brought up elderberry on one of the medical sites which summarize uses, clinical studies, and cautions of herbs and their remedies. Turns out the leaves, bark, root, and unripe berries of the elder should not be used. They contain a cyanide-like compound which can be poisonous. So out went the oil being infused with elder leaves.

If I feel industrious I'll try to add a few pictures to this post later.

Cupid and Psyche

Here is a sculpture, found in the Louvre, depicting the main characters in one of my favorite mythological tales, that of Cupid and Psyche:

A beautiful sculpture for what is both a beautiful and, in some ways, sad story - even Cupid had troubles with love. But it has a happy ending.

Click on the image to see a larger version.

Happy 4th of July weekend!

Here are some fireworks for you:

Bang!


Ahhh!

Ooohh!

Pop!

Wow!

Ahhh!

Boom!

Pop!

Swii!shhh Bang!

Ooooh!

Ahhh!

Wow!

Ohhh!

Bang!

And the finale ......

Boom!

Happy 4th!

I should be cleaning, but... an update instead

We are having people over tomorrow for a fireworks party. Our nice little town has a spiffy 4th of July display, usually just before, or just after the 4th. We have the best seats in the house because the fireworks are shot off in the park right next door. The whole neighborhood is practically one big party on that night - which, this year, is tomorrow night.

So I should be tidying up, but, always looking for an excuse to take a break, I've decided to post an update on my manuscript.

Way back in February a literary agent requested to see the full manuscript of a work that I had submitted the first chapter of. I said back then that I would keep you updated.

Well, I think this manuscript may be cursed, because I never heard back. Even after politely emailing when the three month mark had passed (which is perfectly acceptable to do). The funny thing is, this is the second time this has happened.

This particular manuscript has been requested three times. One agent responded really rather quickly and passed on it. One thanked me for sending it and said that she would get to it right after Book Expo America (last year's BEA), and then I never heard from her again (even after a polite 3 month email, too). And then came this last request and... nothing.

So perhaps it's cursed.

I'm working on a couple of other projects, though, so I'm thinking this one will go into a drawer now.

It's very exciting for an agent to request your manuscript, but it's equally frustrating when you realized you've dumped it into a black hole and will never ever hear anything back.

Ah well, time to move ahead. And get back to cleaning ; )

Yew trees and churchyards

Apparently many churchyards in England have yew trees growing in them. Some of the trees are much older than the churches, and some have obviously been planted there when, or after, the church was built, sometimes near a door, as in the picture below:


The religious/spiritual/ritual/sacred significance of the yew goes back beyond the advent of Christianity in England. Churches were sometimes built on sites that had pre-Christian sacred/spiritual significance, hence the presence of yews already.

The yew continued to signify a connection to those gone before us to the hereafter, and of death, but also of life everlasting - resurrection in Christian terms. So they were often purposely planted on church grounds.

This particular door with its yews is said to be the possible inspiration for the doors of Moria in Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. It is found at the rear of a church in a small town in the Cotswolds, where Tolkien is said to have gone wandering and sketching. In Tolkien's version, however, the trees flanking the doors are ancient hollies.

An interesting aside, in the Harry Potter books, Voldemort's wand is made of yew wood (it dispenses death, yet its wielder seeks everlasting life), and Harry's wand is made of Holly - anciently thought to be a ward against evil.