Reigning Cats and Dogs

     Yes, the title is (sort of) a reflection of the weather... We have had torrential rains all last night and today. The yards are flooded, there's a small stream flowing down what was yesterday our driveway, yet still it comes. "Raining  cats and dogs", as the old saying goes.  I wondered where in the world that saying came from?  SO, I googled it, and came up with this article from yahooanswers.com:

     "We have all heard the expression "it's raining cats and dogs." There are several theories about this rainfall saying. It is possible that the word cat is derived from the Greek word 'catadupe' meaning 'waterfall.' Or it could be raining 'cata doxas,' which is Latin for 'contrary to experience,' or an unusual fall of rain.
     In Northern mythology the cat is supposed to have great influence on the weather, and English sailors still say the cat has a gale of wind in her tail when she is unusually frisky. Witches that rode upon the storms were said to assume the form of cats; and the stormy northwest wind is called the cat's nose in the Harz mountains even at the present day. The dog is a signal of wind, like the wolf. Both animals were attendants of Odin, the storm-god. In old German pictures the wind is figured as the "head of a dog or wolf," from which blasts issue. The cat therefore symbolizes the down-pouring of rain, and the dog the strong gusts of wind that accompany a rainstorm; and a rain of "cats and dogs" is a heavy rain with wind.
     There are numerous accounts of rains of frogs, hay, fish, and grain. All of these accounts seem to be due to tornado-like "whirlwinds." A good whirlwind can lift thousands of pounds and carry objects for miles. There is one reliable account of a fishing boat that sailed into a large waterspout. Fish flew everywhere. There are about seventy recorded rains of fish, but nearly all of the rains of fish are small ones. There is, however, one account of a fish fall in India in which more than ten people picked up fish weighing up to eight pounds each. There are many accounts of rains of ice-coated ducks, grasshoppers, fish, and frogs, but there is no account of a raining of cats and dogs
     The most vivid explanation of this picturesque expression suggests that in bygone centuries, the drainage in the streets was so bad that during storms, stray cats and dogs were drowned in the flood that ensued. When the water subsided, their carcasses littered the streets. Jonathan Swift gives us a picture of what it was like in his ‘Description of a City Shower', penned in 1710.
                'Drown’d puppies, stinking sprats, all drench’d in mud,
                Dead cats and turnip tops, come tumbling down the flood. ' "



Moxie, with the "praddy" hat



      But, here at the Ben-David house, we have REIGNING cats and dogs. Namely CassPurr and Moxie.



They are both so spoiled!  Moxie knows that  if she hangs out in the kitchen with me, she WILL end up getting a treat of some sort.  And, Cassie is simply quite aware that he will almost always get his way...

      
I have to admit, though, that Moxie is generally much more willing to please... She really, really wants "Mommy and Daddy" to like her and to be happy with her.  She loves attention and affection;  she especially loves it when we all lay on the floor to watch a movie.  Like a young child, she has to be in the middle so as to get all possible attention.  (Heavens  forbid that Mommy and Daddy pay attention to EACH OTHER!!!)  Moxie will cooperate with almost any project.  She will pose for pictures, help herd the chickens, and patiently wait for meals...


"Get this #*@! thing off  of my head!"

        Cassie, on the other hand,  wanders into the room,  looks at all of us, and makes the decision who he will grace with his presence... It's more often Moshe than me.  We can't decide if he actually prefers Moshe, or if it's because Moshe is closest to the door.  (No sense in over-exerting yourself, there, Cassie!)  Posing for a picture?  You-have-got-to-be-kidding-me.....  (See photo to your right for evidence.) Herding chickens?  "I will tolerate them as yet another lesser life form, but that's the limit of my patience."
Patiently waiting for food?  Oh, my.  Cassie prefers to eat about a tablespoon of food per feeding... about thirty meals per day!!!      Yes, the  cats and dogs are definitely
reigning,  Each in his own magnificent way, just as God designed  them to be.

                 SHALOM   Y'ALL - TWYLA

Waste Not, Want Not

 Cranberry-Orange Relish - yummy

    
     This past Thanksgiving I made a cranberry-orange-nut relish that I used to make many, many moons ago.  For some reason, I hadn't made it for several years, but thought of it this year. It was every bit as good as I remembered it... It was a hit.  Moshe is using up the leftovers by eating it over vanilla icecream, which got me to thinking... maybe I should make another batch of it and can it... So, that is exactly what I did this afternoon.  And, while I was cooking and canning,  poor Moshe was outdoors (in intermittent rain and constant cold), cutting and stacking more firewood, and restocking the indoor supply of wood for the pot-belly stove.
     And, I got to thinking, we are certainly not experiencing any real hardship in our lifestyle.  Oh, some people might think we are, but we sure don't.  What we ARE is frugal, prudent, ever looking forward.  We  try not to waste anything. 
     One example:  We save all our chicken and turkey bones, skin, grizzle, etc.  We keep throwing them into a gallon-sized zip-lock bag until it's full; then, I cook them with a few cups of water in the pressure cooker.  Once they are cooked, I grind them either in the blender or the cuisinart, and they become an excellent additive for Moxie's dogfood (which we also make!)

...later on we'll conspire.... as we dream by the fire....

 Another example is saving anything paper to use as kindling.  Although this might sound like a "no-brainer", you'd be surprised how much you're accustomed to throwing away.    I still forget sometimes, and poor Moshe "rescues" the stuff I throw away and adds it to the burn box. There's no reason to throw away a paper towel, unless it is REALLY yucky - most anything on it will burn well.  And, how 'bout the cardboard core from TP and PT?  (Toilet paper and paper towels).  Empty pasta boxes. Junk mail!!! Even the ashes from the woodstove are carried out in the bucket and added to garden spots.

      We save all our eggshells... Some are added to the compost pile (several blogs could be written just on the subject of composting;   My hubby, Moshe,  has written about this subject on his blog, aptly named,  thecompostfiles.blogspot.com  )   We place the rest of our eggshells in the gas oven and let the pilot light dry them until they're real brittle;  then, we grind them in a spare coffee grinder.  This also becomes a calcium-rich food additive for the animals.  Ha!  Eggshells... they're not just for breakfast anymore!  We have discovered that when we harvest any type of vegetables or herbs, that the parts we previously would've put in the compost  can be diced up small, and the chickens absolutely love it!  They also love potato peels, carrot peels, apple peels, etc. diced up the same way. ( One day Moshe said that the chickens are just pigs with feathers!)
     There are, of course, many other items to recycle, reuse, rethink.  Waste not, want not/ back to basics is  the good life.
                Shalom Y'all - Twyla

He's Back and it's Deja Vu All Over Again

CassPurr on the guest room bed

 Okay, Third time's a charm, right?  Yesterday was the third time CassPurr pulled his disappearing act.  The first time it lasted about a month; the second time it was a couple-three days; this time, less than 24 hours.  He is  just weird!  He acts very strange when he gets in this "mode";  almost as if he's having some sort of endocrine episode... maybe too much adrenal activity?  Low blood sugar? I don't know.  He just looks insane; then, asks to go out; then disappears.  Sheesh. It was 23 degrees outside last night.  Where did he go?  When he came back this morning he was hungry, a bit skittish, but otherwise none the worse for wear.  After eating, he has chosen a new spot - sleeping on the guest room bed with several teddy bears and rabbits.  Trying to "blend"???  He cooperated with a short photo session; ate a bite again; then returned to the bed.   We'll see...

"Alright, already... lemme go back to sleep now."

Shalom
      y'all -

    Twyla

More about Colds and COLD

Colds:
#1: Q: What's a person with a cold's favorite kind of lunch meat?  A: Cold cuts.

#2: Q: What kind of telemarketing is done by people when they have colds?  A: Cold-calling.

#3: Knock knock.
      Who's there?
      Big Ish.
      Big Ish who?
      No thanks, I've already done that.

and, COLD:
#1: How cold is it? It's so cold, we had to chop up the piano for firewood - it gave us two cords.

#2: How cold is it?  It's colder than a tin toilet seat in the Antarctic.

#3: How cold is it?  It's colder than a brass brassier on the shady side of an iceberg.

#4: How cold is it? It's so cold I saw the Ty-D Bowl man playing ice hockey.

#5: How cold is it?  One word: Peecicles.

#6:  How cold is it?  It's so cold I saw a chicken in the yard with a cape on.

          Shalom y'all - Twyla

cold and cold

Brrr...

    WOW. Thanksgiving Day the high temperature was (a very abnormal) 75 degrees; last night the low was 32.  It has turned cold.  Much later than last year, but, nevertheless, it has turned cold.  Not as cold as "they" predicted (prediction per weather.com was 24), but, cold.  I got up twice during the night - both times just in time to revive the woodstove.  Both times there was one little burning ember from which to catch fire to paper and twigs, then kindling, then logs.  This morning I moved the chairs in "the Cozy" closer to the stove; yep, it's now officially cold!

Meanwhile, I HAVE a cold.  Ugh; the kind with the sore throat and dry cough.  The kind where you have the energy and vision of a new-born kitten. Moshe is being very kind; made me coffee, brought me the heating pad for my feet while I'm sitting at the computer, is currently making breakfast and some soothing herbal tea...
     Despite working in the medical field for nearly three decades, I find myself wishing there was some magic pill to make me feel better... Well, I guess there is... it's called time.  This too shall pass.  So, I'll put on another layer of clothes, surround myself with Kleenex and the Vicks bottle. Keep the heating pad nearby.  Relax with a movie, read, or nap.  Maybe a dog  will cuddle up with me?  Time will pass and the cold will be gone.  Thank you, Lord. Amen.
             Shalom y'all - Twyla

Thanksgiving - Israel 2006

Entranceway to Yad Vashem. 

     I can hardly believe it's been 4 years since I went to Israel.  In some ways it seems like decades ago; in others, it seems as if it only just happened.  At any rate, I was in Israel for Thanksgiving in 2006.  What a wonderful trip.  What a beautiful place.  Ha!  I didn't want to leave; and, guess what?  There was a government strike the day we were supposed to fly home... Government strike = airports closed = extended vacation.  I remember that some of the people on the tour were angry about staying extra;  I was thrilled.  Had we not stayed those few extra days we wouldn't have seen "the Holocaust Museum" - the museum of Holocaust Martyrs and Heroes - Yad Vashem - in my opinion, the most meaningful experience of the tour.  Sobering to say the least.  Man's inhumanity towards man. And yet, there were also stories of heroic actions, and examples of the best of mankind.  We stayed 4 or 5 hours; to really take in the  experience would take at least 2 days. I remember, there was not a dry eye leaving the building. Like life, there was only one entrance and one exit.


Me, at the Gateway into Capharnaum


 Earlier in the trip we saw much of Israel's countryside... miraculous agricultural areas that fulfill the prophets of old;  the Jordan River, which, in places, is a roaring river, and in other areas is a mere babbling brook.  Many of us were baptized in the Jordan... let me tell you, it was like icewater!  Also, of interest were the white doves in the trees along the river's edge.  Yes, most everything reminded me of Scripture... We saw Cana, the site of Jesus' first miracle.  And Capernaam (Capharnaum), the home of Simon Peter and Jesus' "home base" during His ministry on earth.  The remnants of Peter's house is still there, almost next door to the old synagogue.
The Scriptures - both Old Testament and New - came to life as we experienced life in the Holy Land.  We saw the seat of Moses in the old synagogue there in Capernaam... Someone offered to take my picture if I would sit in it;  alot of folks were doing that, but it felt disrespectful to me, so I declined.  The seat of Moses is where a visiting Rabbi sits to read from the Torah scroll.

the sun begine to set on the Sea of Gallilee

One of my favorite photos - an oasis in Israel

Shalom y'all - Twyla

 I could probably blog about Israel all day.  But, life beckons.  It's Thanksgiving 2010, and family will be arriving in a few hours.  There are preparations to be made, food to cook, the regular household and farm chores to see to.  Meanwhile, my Hubby has fixed me a wonderful breakfast of latkes and scrambled eggs. And brought the plate to my desk!  Very unusual to eat at our desks!   My husband is my oasis.  So, on this Thanksgiving day I thank Ha'Shem for my marriage which is now almost a year old.

Chicken Run!

some neighbor's chickens

 Last night Moshe and I watched "Chicken Run".  He had seen it before, but I hadn't.  Goodness, did we ever laugh! (Or, should I say "cackle"?)   One of the silly lines was a comment from a rooster, saying that a particular hen was "poultry in motion".  And, of course, that reminded me that I haven't blogged jokes for a while.

      #1: Q: What is a chicken's ghost called?   A: A poultry geist

     #2: Q: What do you call a movie about poultry?  A: A chick flick

more  neighbor's chickens

     #3: Q: Who was the world's fiercest chicken?  A: Attila the Hen

     #4: Q: How do poultry farmers seal a business deal?  A: With a warm hen shake

     #5: Q: Name three poultry games.  A: Quack-Gammon, Crow-Quet, and Chinese Chickers

     #6: Q: What do you call a chicken who wears a bell on her necklace:  Q: An alarm cluck

     #7: Q" What do chickens serve at birthday parties?  A: Coop-cakes

Moshe's comment: "Do these feathers make my butt look big?"

     #8: Q: Which day of the week do chickens hate?  A: Fry-Day

     #9: Q: How do chickens bake a cake?  A:  From scratch

    #10: Q: Why did the chicken cross the road?  A: To show the possum that it CAN be done!

    #11: Q: Why did the chicken cross the playground?  A: To get to the other slide.

    #12:  Q: Why did the turkey cross the road?  A: To prove he wasn't chicken.

    #13: Q: Why didn't the chicken skeleton cross the road?  A: He didn't have the guts.

    #14:  Q: Why did the chicken cross the basketball court?  A: He heard the referee calling fowls.
             
               Okay, okay...  Enough with the groaning...  You  KNOW you laughed at some of them!

                          Shalom Y'all - Twyla
 

Goin' ta Town

     Yes, I remember living in cities (as large as San Francisco) and towns (as small as one square block). And all the hustle and bustle. The "importance" of  clothes, hairstyle, perfect fingernails... remember "Dress for Success"?  Make all the right appearances to fit in to the corporate world.  Or the hospital scene, which, actually is also the corporate world.   I remember thinking it was almost unbearable if I didn't go shopping every day.  At least window-shopping.  Ahhh, but now...

poor scared baby...

   Goin' ta town means we actually have to leave our little neighborhood.  We write lists of what we need and where we'll go to get these things.  Today we needed some groceries and a few things at the feed store.  We grocery-shopped first, then stopped at the feed store on the way home. The feed store is one of my favorite-of-all-time places.  It's like "Cheers" - where everybody knows your name, only minus the alcohol, of course.  This morning at the feed store we met a newly-adopted kitten;  she had shown up literally starving at their doorstep, and they took her in.  They already have one resident cat at the feedstore.  And a rabbit. So, what's one more little urchin?  I, personally, have taken in so many strays over the years, I doubt seriously that I could recall them all.

some of the more girly stuff at the feed store...

    
Like I said, I love the feed store.  We needed to buy  cracked corn, laying pellets, mash for the peeps.  We also bought a new choke chain for Moxie, since she lost hers a couple weeks ago.  The store is chock full of interesting things, many of which I haven't the slightest idea about what they are.  But, for someone like me, it's always interesting to see the farm equipment intermingled with cast iron skillets, country art items, animal feed, and a few antiques.  Conversation is always good at the feed store.  We talk about everything from politics to pig-raising. (Or,  is that the same thing???) Sorry... couldn't resist...
     Yes, I remember living in San Francisco, working at Macy's of California. Wearing those tailored suits.  I even had a couple jobs where I carried a briefcase!  I remember buying "Cosmopolitan" and "The New Yorker" magazine.  And, I remember  living in the Atlanta area, going to nursing school in Atlanta, wearing those crisp white uniforms and lab coats with "RN" embroidered on them.  The starched white nurses' cap - the pride of receiving the stripe on it.  And, I subscribed to "American Journal of Nursing" and "RN Magazine"
     And, NOW,  here is the cover of a magazine that caught my eye this morning:

No, we don't raise pigs.  And, we don't eat pigs.  But, I DO LOVE THIS MAGAZINE COVER!  "... Green Acres is the place to be..."
Shalom Y;all - Twyla

Brewster's Harem

This afternoon, while I  worked crazily on projects for Thanksgiving and Hannukah,  Moshe let all the chickens roam the yard near their arks (moveable coops).  This was the first time Brewster-the-rooster has been outside the coop since Moshe built it.  He was a LOT tamer outside the coop than he is inside. I guess when he's in there, he feels more threatened by people and dogs... no where to run, no where to hide... Well, anyway, they had a great time.  They dug  in the grass and leaves, finding "treats" such as bugs and salamanders. (Glad I'm not a chicken!) 

out for a stroll...

Moxie, keeping her distance...

      A couple times they tried to sample the greens growing in Moshe's winter garden, but we stopped them and herded them back down the hill.  Moxie was hilarious.  She couldn't decide where to be or what to do.(So many chickens; so little time.)  She tried to tell Brewster what to do, but Brewster pecked her nose 'til she whimpered like a kitten.  Never one to give up,  she quickly found some more receeptive chickens to herd around the yard.  Now, completely exhausted, poor Moxie is stretched out on the floor between our desks,  no doubt dreaming of chickens.

Shalom Y'all - Twyla



Ahh, The Peaceable Kingdom

Pretty Face

     Life is a learning experience.  And life on the farm is certainly a learning experience!  We never cease to be amazed at the occurrences here on our little homestead.
     Last weekend we moved all the baby chicks together -  3 that Pretty Face recognized as the ones she'd hatched, and the 6 that she rejected having been brought in as newcomers when a week or so old. We put all the Peeps together, thinking it would be best to combine them before they got to an age where they'd fight. (Admittedly, we don't know what that age would be, but we were basing it on the fact that the girls are acting like hens and the boys are acting like roosters.)
      So, together they went, and they did very well as one big family.  But, poor Pretty Face.  She remained in her little broody coop.  Alone.  She could see and hear her babies, but couldn't get to them.  It made me sad from the first moment. She cried and paced in her courtyard.  I was certain that she wanted to be with her babies!  Moshe kept saying, "Oh, she'll be alright."  But I just didn't think so...  More out of concern for me than Pretty Face, Moshe agreed to try putting her in with all the chicks.  It didn't work at all!  She pecked ferociously at the 6 "intruders", while happy to see her 3 chicks.  She went back to her solitary life.
     It bothered me all week.  It bothered me every time I looked out the back door, every time I went out to get in the Jeep, every time I went to get firewood, etc.  Ohhh, it bothered me.  I knew that Mamma chicken was mourning.  She paced nervously and talked incessantly.  I knew - like only another mother could - that she was missing her babies terribly. But, neither Moshe nor I could figure out what to do about it.

Peeps and the Peep hole

 

 Then, last night insomnia stuck.  I solved 2 or 3 problems during my middle-of-the-night-sleeplessness.
One of the solutions was the Pretty Face situation.  My idea was confirmed later in the morning when I spoke to my parents on the phone.  Mom grew up on a big farm with lots & lots of chickens.  When I described my idea, she said it was exactly what they used to do with the broody hens.  So, here it is:  We moved Pretty Face's broody coop adjacent to the Peeps coop, cutting a "Peep-sized" hole in the chicken wire so that the Peeps can go from cage to cage but Pretty Face has to stay in her territory. We figured Pretty Face's 3 Peeps could visit her, yet still interact with the other Peeps.  And, if the other Peeps came into hostile territory they could escape through the Peep hole. (No pun intended.)  My hope was that they could ALL learn to get along...
    

the combined coops

When the deed was done, sure enough several chicks went through into the broody coop.  Pretty Face immediately took her babies under her wing.  She started out scolding and pecking at the other Peeps, but in less than ten minutes she was accepting them all!  At one point I looked out the back door and Pretty Face had 6 chicks with her - and, only 2 were her original chicks.  Another time she was drinking simultaneously with 4 chicks, only one of which was "hers". 
     Moxie was really helpful during the transition.  While Moshe was cutting the chicken wire and moving the broody coop, he let Pretty Face walk in the back yard.  We knew she wouldn't go far... not with her babies so close by.  Moxie the Wonder Dog walked alongside Pretty Face, keeping track of her like a shepherdess with her sheep.
     And CassPurr?  He slept on the dining room chair that he has claimed as "his", totally oblivious to any and all the world's problems.  A total success story.

                 Shalom Y'all - Twyla

Thursday - A Day in the Life...

...CassPurr peeking out the curtain...




     I like Thursdays.  Thursday is usually my day to catch up on everything,  do miscellaneous chores, maybe bake something.  I hardly ever go into town on a Thursday, so it seems like the day is longer and more enjoyable. 
     The garbage truck picks up our trash on Thursdays. Now, probably to most people garbage day is not exactly something to get excited about... But, up here in these mountains, we can't put our garbage out until collection day.  If we do, the bears will come and overturn the trash can and scatter garbage all over the place.  So, whatever trash we accumulate during the week I have to store in my laundry room.  For a while there last summer, the bears were hauling our trash off into the woods.  I joked that if I could count on them to do so every time, I'd cancel the garbage collection service...  But, alas, even that would not be a very good solution... now that the leaves have fallen off most of the trees, we can see remnants of where the bears hauled the trash.  Moshe is out in the woods picking it up today.

feeding the Golden Comets

    
So far today I have done the normal chores like making the bed, straightening things up, doing laundry. I also fed the chickens so that Moshe could continue on his projects. Yesterday I made a BIG pot of my special "Sneak-in-the-Veggies" Spaghetti sauce.  We had some last night with Moshe's just-baked Focaccia bread. Yummy.  Today, I got out the big canner and canned 3 quarts and 1 pint of the sauce.  We had it again for lunch, and the remainder of the sauce is going in the freezer.  Oh, I baked a cake, too... haven't tasted it yet... it's cooling on the kitchen counter.  Should be scrumptious - pineapple, cherry, pecan upside down cake.  We will enjoy some of it, and the rest will go to the freezer for a rainy day or some such...
     Oh, I scrubbed all the kitchen cabinets and appliances with clorox solution.  One of those "thankless jobs", yet I enjoy doing it.  Everything looks so nice and white and clean... Yes, I am somewhat of a clean nut.  Some of this is, I think, because I was an Operating Room Nurse for several years. Once you really understand the difference between clean and dirty, it becomes second nature.  Nevertheless, somebody teased me once, saying, "You have to repaint your cabinets because you scrub the paint off; the rest of us have to paint our cabinets because they're so dirty."  Okay.....

  

...ready to pounce...

Shalom y'all-
Twyla

      CassPurr is in rare form today.  He made me laugh several times this morning;  he was feeling very playful  and kittenish.  At one point he was peeking out between the curtain panels that divide the art room from the "Cozy" room - the name  Moshe gave to the end of the kitchen with the wood stove.  After getting his picture taken peeking out, he began playing with the decorative scraps of fabric, yarn, beads, etc. I have hanging on the curtains.  Both CassPurr and Moxie LOVE walking through the curtains, looking as if they were wearing veils.

     This afternoon I'm hoping to have the energy to go outside and help Moshe pick up deadwood for fire wood.  I do have a disability, and can get fatigued fairly easily, but I  fondly remember the old days when I used to work outside all day. Nowadays a couple hours is enough.  Still, I would like to help. (Plus, it would be a good rationalization tool for eating some of that cake!)

Rainy Days

Cloudy skies

   Today is the second day of near-constant rain here in the mountains.  Yesterday it was a slow steady rain all day.  But, last night and today there have been episodes of heavy rain interspersed with the slower, more continuous showers.  Weather.com predicts thunderstorms this evening.  Oh, Boy!  CassPurr is scared of the thunder... He runs, howls, tries to find a place to hide.  Like a small child, he is best comforted by me holding him and talking softly to him, poor baby.
     Since Moshe can't work outside in the torrential rain, he has spent most of the day in the kitchen.  He's grinding grain and making bread dough, cutting herbs for homemade foccacia bread,  making a salad of fresh greens from the winter garden.
     I, on the other hand, have spent most of the day out of the kitchen - unusual for me.  Sometimes a change of pace is good for the soul,  y'know?

  I went into town this morning - had several errands to run, then a meeting to go to in the next town over - about twenty miles.  I arrived back home around 2 PM.   Occasionally the rain showers were heavy while I was driving, but they would let up each time I needed to get out of the car and walk into the store, the post office, etc.
       I said several prayers of thanks for that;  God is so good to me!  Then, when I arrived back home, just as I began backing up the driveway, the sky opened up and the rains came pouring out.  Amazingly heavy rain.  All of a sudden.  Simultaneously, my windshield wipers stopped working.  I couldn't help but think, "What if?"  What if I had been in the next town?  How would I get home if the rain was heavy, with no windshield wipers?  What if I'd been on the way home, couldn't see, and had some sort of accident?   Ah, the "What if" game... We women are especially good at playing it...
     Again, I could only say a prayer of thanks to God for His ever-abundant mercy.

A typical rainy day view of the creek

           Tomorrow it's supposed to be cool but sunny.  I'll be back in the kitchen... Plan on making a big pot of homemade     spaghetti sauce to go with that foccacia bread my Hubby is working on today.  Yummy.  I'll also tackle the laundry and the horrifically dirty kitchen floor.  Imagine - an off-white kitchen floor.  On a farm.  And it's been raining for two days and nights. And there's this big black dog living here... I'm NOT providing y'all with a photo ot THAT!!!
                                                                                                                                                                                                             
Shalom Y'all - Twyla

Pig Talk - A Fly in the Oinkment

My watercolor, "The Three Not-So-Little Pigs"

 
    #1: Did you hear about the pig who opened a pawnshop?  He calls it "Ham Hocks".

     #2: Q: What does a pig say when he's been in the sun too long?  
A: I'm bakin'!

     #3: Q: What is a pig's favorite karate move?   A: The pork chop.

     #4: Q: What does a pig do after school?   A: Hamwork.

     #5: Q: What did the pig say when he was on fire?   A: I smell bacon.


     #6: Q: What does a pig do while playing basketball?   A: Hog the ball.

     #7: Q: Why did the pig go to the casino?   A: To play the slop machines.

     #8: Q: How did the pig win at Monopoly?   A: He built hotels on Pork Place.

     #9: Q: How do you take a pig to the hospital?   A: By hambulance.

    #10: Q: Why was the hog a failure as a TV talk host?   A: He turned out to be a big boar.

    #11:  Q: What do hip pigs call their ladies?   A: Fine swine.

    #12: Q: What do pigs like with chow mein?   A: Sooey sauce.

    #13: Q: What kind of furniture do pigs like?   A: Overstuffed.

    #14: Q: What do pigs sing on New Year's Eve?   A: Auld Lang Swine.

               Shalom Y'all - Twyla

How Now Brown Cow

#1: Q: What does a farmer call a cow that doesn't give milk? A: An udder failure
#2: Q:What do you call cattle with a sense of humor? A: A laughing stock.
#3: Q: Why do cows wear bells around their necks? A: Because their horns don't work.
#4: Q: Does running out of a burning barn make a cow unusual? A: No; just mediem-rare.
#5: Q: Why was the cow considered a snob? A" Because she thought she was a cutlet above the rest.

My watercolor of Holsteins

#6: Q: How did cows feel when the branding iron was invented? A: They were impressed.

#7: Q: Why does a milking stool only have three legs?  A: Because the cow has the udder!

#8: Q: What kind of milk comes from a forgetful cow?  A: Milk of Amnesia

#9: Q: What do you call the spots on black and white cows?  A:  Holstains.

#10: Q: Where do cows go when they want a night out?  A: To the moovies.

#11:Q: What do you call a cow that can sing?
        A: A moosician.

#12: Q: What is a moosical cow's favorite note?
        A: Beef-flat.

#13: What do Hawaiian cows wear?
        A: Moo-moos

#14: Q: What do you call a cow that has just had a baby?  A: Decalfinated.

#15: Q: How does a farmer count a herd of cattle?  A:  With a cowculator.

My miniature watercolor & ink:  "Grampa's Barn"

SHALOM   Y'ALL -

      TWYLA

About the Sabbath

       After several years of study, prayer, and deep seeking I have embraced the belief that GOD loves the Sabbath.  He loves it, and He expects us to love it and observe it.   I used to think that Sunday was the Sabbath, because that's the day most churches gather together to worship.  But, the more I studied, the more evidence I found that the Sabbath always was and still is Saturday.  (I won't go into all the details of how this can be proven, but it is provable.)
       And so we observe the Sabbath (Shabbat in the Hebrew language).  We observe Shabbat by resting - not doing "ordinary work".  Although cooking isn't expressly forbidden, I try to prepare most of our food on Friday so that I don't have to cook much on Shabbat.  I don't clean house on Shabbat.  We feed the animals, of course, but we don't clean their coops on Saturday; this is "ordinary work" and can be done the day before or the day after... It's okay to do work that is life-saving.  Just think about it: God chooses life for people - not death.

        Of course, we also observe the Sabbath by studying God's word and by praising Him.  No need to wait until Thanksgiving... go ahead and give Him thanks and praise today!



Our Shabbat table



       Well, I could go on and on about Shabbat - what to do, what not to do, various opinions, etc.  But, what I really want to talk about is how we bring in Shabbat on Friday evening.  It's a beautiful ceremony, and it can be very meaningful.  The lighting of the Sabbath candles is a centuries-old tradition.  Moshe blows the Shofar before we gather at the table.  Tzedakah is given (this is a collection for charity). We read Scriptures ,we recite prayers  in both Hebrew and English,  and blessings are proclaimed over each other and the family. I light the candles;  there are special prayers/and/or songs, and we also read a poem about welcoming Shabbat into our home.  After the candles are lit, Moshe gives the blessings over the wine (grape juice) and the bread. 

     Then, we say "Shabbat Shalom", and it is time to have a nice dinner by candlelight, followed by at least 25 hours of rest.  Nice, huh?

       I didn't go into much detail, but, if you are interested, you can Google Shabbat and get more information on how to celebrate it.  Another time I'll write more about it and include photos of our dining room table when the Shabbat candles are lit and all the Shabbat items are in place.
     Shalom Y'all - Twyla



       

Purple Mushroom, Green Thumb, and I Am Blue



Cortinarius Violaceus:  Pretty, isn't it?

  
       Yep.   Moshe found a PURPLE  MUSHROOM on our property a couple days ago.   Have y'all ever seen a purple mushroom?  Neither of us had ever heard of a purple mushroom, let alone seen one.  But, there it was.
     I  couldn't help myself;  I googled the question, " What is the name of a purple mushroom?"  And,  I got my answer:  Cortinarius Violaceus.  Apparently, these beautiful mushrooms are rare here in the Southeast, so finding it was a treasure.  It sure was pretty.  Moshe is hoping he will find more of them in the same general part of our property.  He wants to try to cultivate them.  The man has a GREEN THUMB, so maybe he can successfully grow purple mushrooms!  After both of us carefully researched the mushroom, we found that it is not poisonous and not hallucinogenic. So, yesterday morning he tasted it, brave soul.  He said it tasted like the porcini mushrooms most of us are familiar with.  No ill effects noted after 36 hours, so, they must be okay... (Darn;  I was really hoping he would hallucinate and see me looking like I did when I was twenty-five. Sigh)
     In other news, I am BLUE. The peeps are permanently outside; my babies are gone. They have a nice little set-up, though:  a  pet carrier for shelter, surrounded by a chicken wire fence which creates a good-sized "courtyard" for them to eat greens, scratch in the dirt, and do all the chicken things that chickens do. The entire set-up is covered with chicken wire to keep the peeps in and predators out. They survived their first night outside with only one hitch:  they wanted to sleep on top of the pet carrier rather than inside it.  Moshe had to go check on them and encourage them to go in the pet carrier for the night.  I guess it makes sense that they wanted to be on top of it; they have the instinct to roost.  Maybe they need some sort of shelf inside the pet carrier...
     I am also blue because, after four years of not requiring glasses, I am wearing them again.   Y'see, I wore glasses practically all my life. Then, in November of 2006 I had cataract surgery.  After the surgery my vision was better than I could ever remember it being.   In fact, it was perfect.  I remember telling my friends and family that I could literally count the needles on a pine bough.  The doctor told me I could wear reading glasses if I needed them, but I seldom wore them.  But recently my vision changed, and I got my new glasses yesterday.  Sigh.  I am thankful for those four years without them.  And, I have to admit it's nice to be able to read the road signs... 
               SHALOM  Y'ALL - TWYLA

The Pot Belly Redo

the pot belly

  
      Day before yesterday Moshe finished installing the pot belly stove.  We've enjoyed the radiant heat in the evenings and mornings, despite it getting up to 75 degrees outside this afternoon.  Up here in these mountains, once the sun goes down it chills pretty quickly.  Imagine-  32 degrees this morning and 75 this afternoon!  We are staring to get in the habit of restocking the firewood every morning.  It makes a terrible mess of my kitchen floor...  But then, once it's brought in,  I can sweep and mop and get back to the "normal" routine. (IS there any such thing as normal?)
     Being an artist at heart and an interior decorator by some sort of gift since childhood, the new stove gave me another area to redecorate.   I am constantly redecorating.  Fortunately, Moshe doesn't seem to mind.  He always likes what I've done with the place.  He did comment, though, "It's a good thing you weren't Helen Keller's mother."

cozy radiant heat

  

      Well, you know how it goes.  First you buy the stove and the stovepipe and everything you need for the installation.  Then, you realize you'll need a bucket for ashes. (Sheesh!  Did you know that a metal pail with a lid costs 15 dollars???)  Of course, you'll need some sort of containers to hold firewood and kindling.  Oh, and some fire tools such as a stoker, a small shovel for ashes, etc.  Much like any household project,  it grew into a larger consumption of both time and money than we had planned... But, that's life.  And, I'm not complaining.  Take a look at some of the pictures after only one day of decorating.  All the paintings are my watercolor creations.

the backside of the stove, and the backside of Twyla (loading the dishwasher)

      This photo, taken by the resident photographer - Moshe -
is looking at the backside of the stove, on into the kitchen,  and then on into the dining room and the outdoors. Moxie is lying in the doorway between the kitchen and the dining room, no doubt hoping to get some sort of treat from yours truly.
     I LOVE THIS ROOM!  I love the various plaids together.  And, I love the old chairs.  The old rocker
to the left was my Grandmother's.  I remember it being at her house when I was a little girl.  Beautiful.

the beginnings of redecorating around the pot belly...

  
      The next photo is the front of the stove, looking out the window.  So far, I've hung a couple cast iron items,  put a few metal and ceramic cats nearby, placed my antique tea kettle on the stove.  I'm sure the project will morph as I think of more items that are packed away here and there throughout the house. The old tea cart under the window belonged to my parents "forever".  With the drop-leafs up, it served as our breakfast room table until we started the  redo.  Now, we eat at one end of the big dining room table.  I made the chair cushions and window valance out of an old plaid blanket.  Cool, huh?

the view from the laundry room...

    Shalom Y'all - Twyla

  
       This last photo was taken from the laundry room, looking towards the art studio/workroom.  The crazy black curtain with all the strands of various fabrics, beads, etc.  hides the workroom chaos AND keeps the heat in the parts of the house where we want it .   Last night,  even though the temperature went down to 32, the central heat only came on for about four minutes!  I love it!
        So, now y'all have seen some of our home.
Hope you've enjoyed it.  Stay warm.

Update on the Peeps



Me, feeding three chicks in a saucer,  10/20/10 = 18 days ago

  
 The  peeps - that is, the six that Pretty Face refused to adopt - have graduated to a cage on the the screened-in porch. The other three remain in the little chicken condo with Pretty Face.  All the peeps are growing beautiful colorful feathers which change on a daily basis;  they are growing up!  The six that were indoors with us are still very human-friendly.  When we open the cage to give food or water, they fly out and onto our arms and shoulders.  Yesterday, we had out of town visitors who got to witness them doing just that!  It was very humorous;  they ALL flew onto Moshe... He was covered with little chickens.
     A couple weeks ago three chicks could stand on one saucer and eat their mash (as per photo to left).  Today, one chick would be too much for a saucer.

      And, so it goes.  The cycle of life. Fast.  Way too fast for lil' ol' me!  Before ya' know it, they will be out in the new chicken coop, providing us with more eggs and more peeps.  I only hope that they continue to enjoy our company the way they do now.
     Shalom, y'all -     Twyla
   

"Let Go and Let God"

   
 Sometimes it is time to let go.  It might be something small such as donating a favorite old sweater to charity.  Or, it might be something as big as ending a relationship.  Or moving to a new town. Sometimes it is simply time to let go.
     Once there was a man walking up a mountain in the cold.  The sun and the wind saw him and decided to make a wager as to who could get him to remove his jacket.  They each would have an hour to try. The wind tried  first; it blew and blew and blew.  The harder the wind blew, the tighter and closer the man held his jacket to him as he walked up the mountain in the cold. Then, it was the sun's turn.  The sun began to shine gently; then increased its' rays on a gradual basis until it was fully shining.  Within half the alotted time, the man had removed his jacket,  rolled up his shirtsleeves, and wiped his brow.  And so it is... the gentle rays of kindness will always get more accomplished than a blustery wind.
     I have often noticed, when holding cats, chickens and squiggly young'uns that they  have a certain tension in their little bodies when they want to get away.  When they want to be held, their muscles are relaxed, but when they are ready to get down, there's not much  you can do to change it.  And, so it is with people and relationships;  when a friendship ends or changes, the only graceful maneuver is to let go.
     One of the mottos frequently used by AA and Al-Anon is: "Let go and let God."  That's it.  We, for all our bravado and outward bluster, are helpless.  The only One with real power is Father God. And, He is such a Gentleman; we have to let go before He will show us all that He has stored up for us.
     Here is a little exercise in self-imagery...  See yourself walking up to a bunch of balloons on a stand.  Take one balloon; you can select your favorite color if you like.  Walk away with the balloon in your hand and stand alone looking skywards.  In your mind write the name of the person, habit, substance... whatever... on the balloon.  Now, when you are ready, release the balloon to the sky.  Watch it float upwards until it disappears.
     Let go and let God.
                Shalom y'all - Twyla
  

Twyla's Pear Delight

     A couple days ago I said I was going to prep, cook, and can the pears we bought last Friday.   Well, I did just that - right on schedule, too.  But, I never followed up with the recipe as promised. So, here it is:

Pear Delight on Moshe's homemade bread!

                 Twyla's Pear Delight
         (named by my hubby, Moshe)
                  7 pounds fresh pears
                  1 Orange
                  2 Cups Raisins
                  1 Cup Goji Berries
                  6 Cups sugar
              1 and1/2Tablespoons each:   Cinnamon,       
 Nutmeg, Cloves,  and Allspice
                   1 and 1/2 teaspoons Ginger
                   1 Cup Vinegar

     Preheat oven to 200 or 250 degrees;  place jars in oven to heat while making the pear mixture.  (This is THE  BEST  WAY to have your jars nice and hot for canning!)  Also, start heating your water  in your canner so that it is ready for water-bath canning when you need it.
     Wash pears. Cut into quarters and remove cores and any bad spots. Cut orange into quarters. Process all of this in food processor; place in large cooking pot.  Add all remaining ingredients.  Cook on medium heat, allow to come to boil, then simmer for forty minutes.
      Fill hot jars with boiling pear mixture; apply lids; and, process in boiling water bath for 25 minutes.
      Makes  approx. 8 pints.

Close-up of Fabulous bread w Pear Delight

  Shalom,
           Y'all -
                 
                    Twyla

The Cleft of the Rock

my watercolor, "In The Cleft of The Rock"

 
  This morning I went to the opthamologist; then, stopped to buy chicken feed; then, went to vote.  The trip was an interesting experience because the first stop was the eye doctor, where they dilated my pupils, making the rest of my errands interesting to say the least...
     This was my first time to vote in this county.  I thought I knew where to go to vote, so I went to the general vicinity and watched to see where people were parking and what door they were going in and out of. I discerned that a certain annex of the courthouse must be the polling place.  As I entered the parking lot, a lady walked by, and I asked her if I was at the right place to vote.  She said, "Yes.", so I parked and went on in.  (The reader must keep in mind that I couldn't see more than  8 or 10  feet ahead - and  even that was blurry.   I think I must've had an unusual reaction to the dilation drops... I don't remember being THIS incapacitated the last time I had my eyes dilated.)
     So, anyhow, I went in.  Had to wait in one line, then another.  They couldn't find me on their lists.  Not with my maiden name nor my married name.  Hmmmm..... Finally, they looked me up in their computer system and found that I was at the wrong polling place.  I needed to go to the highschool. Thankfully, I know where the highschool is, so getting there wasn't a problem. But, once I got into the driveway, the same dilemna was before me as I looked at the many entrances.  There were posters all over the place, stating such things as "VOTE",  "Vote Here", etc.  Problem was, I couldn't read them until I was practically standing on top of them!  Again, I watched as people came and went; and, decided  on a certain entrance.  It was, again, a good guess.
     There were two lines.  We all  had to go through the first line to have our ID electronically swiped and a voter card issued.  Then,  we waited in the second line  for a computer booth to become available.  It wasn't at all unpleasant.  People around here are friendly and easy to strike up a conversation with.  Although the wait was probably about 45 minutes, it went quickly. After casting my ballot, I wandered back out to the Jeep and toodled on home.  Slowly.  "Toodling" is always slow, y'know?  Nobody in a hurry toodles. Moshe was  mortified, as am I, at my inability to see for these few hours, and to know that I was out driving in that condition! 
     Which brings me to the point of my story.  The painting above is adapted from several photos I took a few years ago when I visited Israel.  I kept seeing  and photographing white doves in various locations.  I saw them at the hotel.  I saw them at the Jordan River where we were baptized.  And I saw them at the Wailing Wall - lots of them, perched on top of the wall, flying about, and this one dove safely settled in the cleft of one of the huge rocks that make up The Wall.
      That's what it's all about.  Next time I need my eyes dilated, I'll make arrangements for someone else to drive.  But today, despite my lack of vision,  the LORD kept me safely in The Cleft of The Rock.

             Shalom Y'all - Twyla