December

December was the last month of the old Roman year which was divided into ten months. The Saxons called it "winter-monat" or winter month, and "heligh-monat" or holy month, from the fact that Christmas fell within it. The 22nd of December is the date of the winter solstice.

We definitely had a winter month as you can see from my backyard a few days ago. Even my cold frames are covered (I checked my lettuce today.....they are all snug and happy).

I love my garden all year round, but the snow is particularly beautiful. I find it calming and contemplative this time of year......a time of quiet. Good for the weary soul. I am not in a hurry for spring to come yet, everyone needs a time of rest.

A snow covered echinacea plant......

"On the first day of winter,

the earth awakens to the cold touch of itself.

Snow knows no other recourse except

this falling, this sudden letting go

over the small gnomed bushes, all the emptying trees.

Snow puts beauty back into the withered and malnourished,

into the death-wish of nature and the deliberate way

winter insists on nothing less than deference.

waiting all its life, snow says, "Let me cover you."-

Laura Lush, The First Day of Winter

Sammy

Christmas Morn

Luke 2:7
"She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger because there was no room for them in the inn."

Dear God, thank you for sending your son in such a lowly and ordinary way. By this, you demonstrated your love for all mankind, there are no exlcusions. You invited an ordinary woman to carry the King of all kings. You invite me to the table too, an ordinary woman to carry your spirit in me, to show your love through my life.

Thank you Jesus for becoming fully man and yet still fully God. Fill my heart with your love for mankind, especially for those poor and oppressed.

Christmas is a reminder, a pause to re-orient our lives with your love.

Sammy

Merry Christmas

A Christmas Prayer by Robert Louis Stevenson

Loving Father, Help us remember the birth of Jesus, that we may share in the song of the angels, the gladness of the shepherds, and worship of the wise men.

Close the door of hate and open the door of love all over the world. Let kindness come with every gift and good desires with every greeting. Deliver us from evil by the blessing which Christ brings, and teach us to be merry with clear hearts.

May the Christmas morning make us happy to be thy children, and Christmas evening bring us to our beds with grateful thoughts, forgiving and forgiven, for Jesus' sake. Amen.

Arctic Blast Day 2

Well, we really are officially in an arctic blast of a storm. Church was canceled and we really couldn't drive anywhere, so we went for a very long walk. We bundled up and walked to Laurelhurst Park........see cute Karl.














Oops, someone forgot to turn off their fountain.....bummer.









Along the way we helped push a four wheel drive out of a snow drift, stopped for coffee, treats and made two potty stops. By the time we got home, our clothing was a sheet of ice. Thankfully we had soup on the stove waiting for us.





Here's the latest on the gnome. He's not very happy. He may not see the light of day for a while! I hope he can breath okay.



Our friends, Jill and Laurie, sent this picture of their dog, Scooter. Now to be called Scooter the flying pooch!

Sammy

Arctic Blast 2008

Our clever news studios in town have dubbed our latest storm "Arctic Blast 2008". It's actually very funny since 80% of the time they are wrong. But, it looks like they are right this time. We woke up to snow this morning and it's supposed to go all day and into tomorrow. Thank goodness it's Saturday! Karl and I decided to start early and take a long walk up to Mt. Tabor.

We stopped at Albina Press coffee shop on Hawthorne. They make some of the best coffee in the city. By then we needed a warm up and couldn't resist a yummy cheddar biscuit. Sustenance is important you know.

As we walked home the wind started picking up. According to the news, we're in for the storm of the year!

The gnome is scared!

We stayed home all day. Karl working on his paintings and me working in the kitchen. How much more perfect could a day get! I started getting ready from Christmas dinner. I am making a new beet recipe that has pickled red onions. So, to get a head start I made the pickled onions today. Hmmm, yummy.

Here's my little fairy in the front yard.....she's having fun playing in the snow!

Later, Sammy

Giving Thanks

Today is Thanksgiving. A unique and wonderful holiday that focuses soley on giving thanks and not on giving gifts. So, today I give thanks to God above for giving me a most amazing diverse and beautiful group of friends and family. I love you all!

Go hug someone,

Sammy

Heceta Lighthouse

Last weekend, we went to the coast and had the most amazing weather.......blue sky, warm, no wind.....in November.....couldn't believe it.

One of the places we stopped was Heceta Lighthouse near Yachats. There is a short walk to the lighthouse and that's very cool and all, but the coolest discovery was the Heceta Lighthouse Bed & Breakfast. This house was the keepers house and its a beauty.....as you can see. It sits up on a hill that overlooks the ocean. You can sit on the porch with a steaming cup of coffee watching the sea. It doesn't get much better than that. There are six bedrooms and in the mornings they serve a 7 course breakfast. Check out the details at http://www.hecetalighthouse.com/.

We did not stay there, but we plan to some day.

See you, Sammy

Fair Trade - Supporting Women

A cousin of mine referred me to this website/online store called Bambootique. The story the beginnings of this company is this.

"Bambootique was born in 2006 when my girlfriend Tammy and I (Beth) decided to make a real and lasting difference through, yes, shopping. We were co-workers at an international health organization and our work led us to the same conclusion - economic empowerment of women is key to ending poverty. We knew that when women have access to a living income, they reinvest in their children's education, healthcare and future. We knew we could do something about it. So we did." Click here for more.

Wow....I was in awe of the step Beth and her friend took to put their belief system into action. Beth also has a blog about sustainable living while still living in suburbia.....yes.....we can ALL do it.

Here is one of her more recent posts that says it all.......The Faces of Fair Trade at Bambootique.

Thanks Beth!

Sammy

Holidays Around the Corner

I will admit that I love the holidays (usually......most often........more times than not). So, here's a new blog I just found called Holidash.com. It has numerous holiday tidbits and should be a fun read during this crazy time. Enjoy!

Sammy

Obama!

I will take only this one post to espouse my political views. Last night as I watched the returns coming in and finally the call by CNN that Barack Obama was our President Elect.........I was stunned and didn't know if I could really believe what I saw. It took a few moments for it to sink in before I really could believe it happened.......and then I celebrated! I celebrated that we will finally have a leader that will inspire us......to encourage us to look beyond ourselves. I celebrated that people all over the country did not let race be a factor in their voting (bradley effect.....good riddance). I know this election wasn't supposed to be about race (and that's not why I voted for Obama).......but how can we not celebrate the election of an African American to the greatest position in the world. To me, it was a truly American moment.......reminding me how much I love this country!

Sammy

Speaking of Faith

Okay, I have to confess that I am a podcast junkie. I have all my favorite NPR shows that I download every week and listen to while I am cooking, gardening, running, etc. I wouldn't miss any of them each week......I LOVE them.

One of my favorites is called Speaking of Faith with Krista Tippett. It's a show about "religion, meaning, ethics and ideas". It's on OPB (91.5) on Sunday's at 7:00pm.

I just listened to the show from Sunday, October 25th. Krista interviewed Vashti McKenzie, the first woman bishop of the oldest historic black church in America. Mrs. McKenzie spoke about her particular experiences being a woman and black in America. She is incredibly articulate, knowledable and inspiring.

I thoroughly enjoyed the interview and came away with a few nuggets to ponder. Particularly she talked about being with her Dad in the South during the civil rights movement. She and her Dad were watching the freedom marchers and witnessed them being hosed down and yelled at. He turned to her and said......"never let anybody ask you what you did for your people and for your country." She decided she never wanted her children to ask her "what did you do", she wanted them to be able to see it.

I spent the rest of the day rolling those words through my mind. How can I make that true in my life? Who are the disenfranchised or marginalized in my world that I should be speaking out for or giving a hand? Right now, I will try to make a difference (large or small) every day.

Listen to Mrs. McKenzie's words and be inspired with me!

Sammy

Silver Falls State Park

Saturday, Mr. K and I played hookie from house projects, gardening projects and art projects to do one of our all time favorite things. We've been hiking the Silver Falls State Park Loop once a year for as long as we've been together. Silver Falls State Park is south of Silverton, OR. The drive there alone is plenty worth it meandering through farm and forest land. The town of Silverton has a nice small town feel and is a great stop along the way. They have a number of coffee shops, so all the better. The hike is 7.2 miles round trip passing 10 falls....really.....I'm not kidding. It's absolutely beautiful especially this time of year. Click here to see more info on the park. The park also has a log cabin that houses a huge fireplace, gift shop and cafe. We brought our lunch in and ate it in front of the roaring fire after the hike.

The original log cabin.


One of the Falls.


Self-portrait

Another Fall

Since we were in the area, we stopped at the The Oregon Garden in Silverton. All I can say is WOW.....really a very beautiful garden to visit. It's quite extensive and worth the trip.

Funny pumpkin sculpture


In their Children's Garden

All in all, a great day!

Sammy

Seckel Pears

Last week on the The Splendid Table, a weekly cooking show on NPR (which is awesome and I listen every week.....you can podcast it too), she had a guest talking about pears. The woman spoke about these little baby pears called Seckel Pears. They are best for roasting or poaching. I had never seen or heard of them before and really thought nothing of them after the show. UNTIL, I stopped on Friday at the Apple Festival at Portland Nursery. I was perusing the apples and pears they had for sale and saw these little babies. I figured what the heck, I'll take a crack at poaching and canning them. I found a recipe on the web for them. I've included the recipe below.

Poaching in water, sugar and spices.

The finished product.


I have to admit it was a lot of effort for just two jars worth. You have to peal (PEAL) each tiny pear.

But, they were all yummy goodness. You just eat them seeds and all.....they practically melt in your mouth.

Spiced Poached Pears

2 doz. Seckel Pears
3 sticks of cinnamon
2 whole star anise
4 cloves
6 cups of water to cover (or whatever it takes to cover) and half that amount of sugar.

Peel the pears leaving the stems intact.
Place in a saucepan and cover with water.
Add sugar and spices, cover and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat and simmer till tender when pierced with a fork.

Either refrigerate them for eating within a week or two or can them using the boiling water process.

Enjoy,

Sammy

No Farm, No Food

Last night I finished reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kinsolver. Barbara and her family moved to a farm and tried to grow or buy locally 95% of their food for one year. This book is about that journey. The idea wasn't about saving money (although they did), it was to better understand the importance of not relying on food that has to travel many miles. One of the things I loved about the book is that she was never preachy; she was informative and insightful. For me, it taught me things about God's creation that I didn't realize or took for granted. It's a book that opens your eyes and makes you think about your habits and how you can change in small or large ways. I encourage all of you to make it a part of your reading library. You will be glad you did.

On that note, I went to a workshop yesterday on organic gardening at an urban farm. The farm is Zenger Farms on SE Foster Road. Their website is http://www.zengerfarms.org/. It was opened as a Diary Farm in 1913 by the Zenger family and stayed in the family until 1994, when the City of Portland bought it to be a part of their long-term conservation plans for the Johnson Creek Basin and Watershed. In 1999, the Friends of Zenger Farms was established to provide unique experiential learning opportunties for youth, farmers and families. They are also a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture).

The farm offers classes throughout the year and anyone can also help on the farm. I attended my first class yesterday called Pest, Plant Disease Managment. I thoroughly enjoyed the class. They strive to be informative, but also experiential. We spent class time learning about the various pests especially to the NW and then spent the last hour in the field actually finding them. I LOVED it! Next week's class is on cover crops and winter gardening. They are also starting a 4 part series on Saturday's in November on Organic Gardening. I'm planning on signing up. If you're interested, contact Ryan at ryanlee.hofrichter@gmail.com or 786.972.1333. (Bruce, wanna come with me???)

I hope you are enjoying this change in seasons and the slowing of the hurried summer pace,

Sammy

What To Do With Quince

So, last weekend I was at my mother-in-law's for a quick visit and I spotted a quince tree in her neighbor's yard. Her neighbor is currently gutting the house and is not living there. So, I took liberties to swipe some quince, with the blessing of my very proper mother-in-law. What do you do with quince??? I didn't know. I just so happened to have picked up a Kerr Home Canning Book at a garage sale the week prior. The book is probably from the 1950's and opens with a letter from Ruth Kerr addressed to "Dear Homemaker". Okay, I will not take offense as I am feeling quite "homemakerish" lately. I have to find another word though.



Options for quince are fairly limited, as it is a bitter fruit. You can make jelly (I didn't have a jelly cloth), chutney (too many ingredients) or......ta da.......quince apple preserves. All I needed was quince, apples, sugar and water. Here's the recipe.

Quince Apple Preserves

Pare and slice or cube quinces and apples. Use 1/2 as many apples as you have quinces. Weigh and for each pound of combined fruit use 3/4 pound of sugar. Cook the quince in boiling water until tender, then add the apples and cook until the apples are tender. Pour into steralized jars and seal each jar as filled. I processed them in a hot water bath for 20 minutes and all of them popped nicely.

I can't tell you how my heart sings when I hear that pop.

Here are my quince apples preserves in front of pickles that were canned in August.

This fall and winter, I will use the preserves as a sauce over pork or ham. I would love to hear your suggestions for their future use.

Sammy

Summer's Ending

Today is beautiful and warm with 80's predicted for the next few days. September in Oregon is the most beautiful month, followed by a close 2nd of October. My garden is winding down, but I am surprised at how many flowers I still have.

The sunflowers are amazing. This is a beautiful burnt sienna variety.


I planted this about a month ago. It was in a quart size pot and now it's about 3 times the size. I love it and can not find the tag with the name. Does anyone know what it is?


This one was a surprise. It was a bulb I planted last fall, but I don't remember planting it or what the name is. Any help here?


My tomato's are going like gangbusters. I am having to can and freeze or we will look like two round red globes ourselves. Here is the before (bushel of tomatos) and after (a yummy roasted tomato sauce for freezing). Now we will have the flavor of summer on a cold January night. Can't wait!




I am currently reading Animal, Vegetable, Mircale by Barbara Kingsolver. It's become a source of inspiration to me. I really do want to live on a farm someday (Mr. K calls me Farmer Sam). I'll leave you with a bit of info from it. Organic produce shows significantly higher levels of antioxidants than conventional produce. These antioxidants protect us against disease, cell aging and tumor growth. Spending extra money on organic produce buys these extra nutrients, with added environmental benefits for the next generation.


So, grow your own victory garden or support your local organic grower.


See you, Sammy

Blog Beginnings

I finally broke down and decided to begin a blog......partly because I recently helped my husband put together a blog for his artwork and it got me thinking.....hmmmm, I could start one for me about things I love.......so here I am. I think it will be a mix of gardening....cooking.....reading...... ruminating about things in my head and my heart.......among other things. I'll start with the easy stuff.

First to my garden, which is a very special part of my sanctuary. To appreciate the fullness of it you have to see before and after pictures.

"Before" when we moved in 2 1/2 years ago......phfft!

"During" the process of landscaping.....getting better.

And this August - a garden o' plenty!

Beauty of flowers....

Love it Love it Love it.....

Me and My Corn Patch...

Before this I was never a dig in the dirt kind of girl, but something changed over the last few years. Working in my garden came at a time in my life where I needed space and time for my head and heart to heal. I needed good physical work and lots of time for my heart to work out some complicated things. It was a powerful healing exercise and still is today. More often than not, when I'm struggling with something, you will find me wandering in my garden working myself out. I also have discovered that I LOVE growing my own vegetables and flowers. I love the feeling of being able to feed my little family and bring beautiful color and life to our home. (Willie and Ginger especially appreciate the fresh lettuce and parsley).

Well, more on this later.

Sammy