A Country Way of Life

1952 - My farm family

I grew up on a farm in rural Indiana.  Today, I don't live on a farm although I live in the country.  It feeds my spirit and nurtures my introvert nature.  My need to see beauty is supplied abundantly.  

I'm Blessed to have had the same group of farmers surrounding my few acres on three sides and they are "good people".  They have no idea but they are a touch to my Indiana roots and their work, the progress through the seasons and friendly wave are a valuable part of my life in rural America.

My mom referred to our home as
 "The Barn" for good reason.

Having lived on a farm, I'm adapt to some of the more difficult parts of rural living - it's part of the package.  Some "city folk" should never move to the country because they constantly want city living, rules, atmosphere and conveniences.  They want to move into the neighborhood and then change the neighborhood.  

Recently, I was up at daybreak walking in my garden with my first cup of coffee and I could hear my neighbors' cows and rooster waking up.  I had to stop in my tracks and marvel at the perfect sound track I'd been given that morning.

4-H calf and my knobby knees.

I'm betting my house has a ton load more dust than you'd find in city homes.  Farming is a dirty business and the reason (and here is a duh factor) is it involves working the soil.  It involves working the soil in the spring when the wind is whipping the dust along in a vertical sheet.  I close my doors and windows when that's happening and it'll keep happening until the crops take hold.  It's called spring in the country.

When there's beans in the fields, the wind playing across the crops looks like ocean waves.  When the corn is tall and the fog lays close to the ground, the humidity can be held in like a tropical forest.  When the crops are dry, the rustle of leaves is like an entire eco system is marching through the night.  I'm not only used to those events, I look forward to them.  It means there's a good harvest coming.

I've been known to abandon most anything I'm doing to run get my camera when the harvest starts in the surrounding fields.  It's not money in my pocket that they're harvesting; it must be some DNA from centuries of my family farming that hits the excitement button.  

Country living is not a simple way of life as far as actual work.  When I hear farm families described as simple folk I have to laugh.  No business owner has to know as wide of range of functions as a farmer.  Even on my little bit of soil, nature always wants to dominate.  The more acreage, the more work, the bigger the tools, the bigger the risk.  

My risk is minimal considering it isn't my income that falters when crops aren't successful or the economy nose dives.  I don't have millions of dollars invested in machinery, buildings, land, stock, feed, seed and more.  It keeps my perspective in check knowing when I loose a mere favorite perennial, it's pretty minor in the whole scheme of rural living.  

No, it's not all fun and games and not all rural residents and situations are peachy keen.  Not every farmer is "good people" and not every situation easy.  Not every animal is welcome and not every smell floral.  

For me, rural living nurtures my soul.  And that's enough. 

Say What?

Say What:

My daffodil flowers have stayed strong and beautiful through being frozen solid and an 8-inch snow.  A good lesson on spitting in the eye of adversity!

There's a difference between (1) ineptitude (2) differing opinions and (3) evil.  The ability to differentiate takes maturity. 

Does patience involve not complaining?  Asking for a friend. . . 

We are taught "problem solving" our entire school years.  Those that failed are elected to congress.  Those that fail at being elected work in media.  And thank goodness for exceptions!  

When driving by a plowed field, do you ever want to stop and take a hand full of that black soil and say a word of "Thanks!"?

Have you ever noticed that the people who are doing nothing are the ones criticizing those who are doing something?

"You don't have to be amazing for God to do something amazing through you."  Joyce Meyer 

What a surprise it must be for some politicians to realize they are now expected to actually think and work for the greater good of the voters.

Seeing the fields around my house planted gives me a sense of peace and good will.  

Where is the marker between government protection and government overreach?  Where is the marker between government financial support and crippling dependency?  Very fine lines.

Is it modern to stop using complete words, good grammar and punctuation - or - is it just lazy?

LasVegas is a gambling town, anyone want to bet on the future of their current mayor?

Stimulus checks, grants and no pay back loans are help in a disaster not the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. 

At the 75 anniversary of the death of Ernie Pyle, I celebrate what true journalism can be and mourn what has been lost.

I can't imagine living someplace where spring isn't as dramatic as the Midwest; the excitement of 60 degrees, a bud opening, a bee buzzing.

We pride ourselves, as U.S. citizens, for being tolerant of other opinions besides our own, yet there are those that want to destroy the right to worship.  I ask, "What are you so afraid of?"

Quarantine meals mean getting all the right nutrients:  ice cream, banana, honey roasted peanuts and strawberry topping.  I think I have it covered!

All the people who searched so hard to find the right color paint, perfect furniture, special decor, copy every HGTV trend are now talking how awful it is to be "stuck" at that home.

Had my father been alive during this pandemic, he would have said at least once a day, "I told you so". 

Remember when we saw rain as life giving and a necessity for the world to regenerate and not the prelude of massive flooding in shore cities?

You know people have been under stress when there's a tornado warning and the reaction is "yea, yea I'm busy painting happiness rocks."

The new competition:  "My mask is better than your mask!"

The other new competition:  "Posting pictures of how you're suffering in home".  No folks, those really suffering don't have a camera phone nor access to a medium to post.

And with that - you say what!   

Side Note:  I apologize for the wonky colors and fonts - sometimes this blog app has a mind of it's own.  

Easter Blessings

As a garden blog, I've decided to share the bouquet love on this "Blessed reminder that Jesus died, rose and saved my soul kinda' day!"   Note:  To page through the pictures, click on the first one and then they can be viewed larger and be paged.  

Tomatoes From the Pantry

While hunkering down, you may be a bit stretched on how to use all those tomatoes you preserved or the cans from the store.  One of the most simple is soup.  

Soup has long been a comfort food, a way of stretching ingredients for a big family, a way to use preserved vegetables during the winter, a source of warmth and one-pot cooking.  Put a pot of soup on in the morning and it's ready when the work day has ended.

Heidi's pasta e fagioli soup

Tomatoes are often an ingredient for many soup recipes.  My niece, Heidi, just posted this picture of her pasta e fagioli soup.  Among the ingredients are tomatoes, beans and pasta.  Stick to the ribs peasant food.   

An obvious favorite American comfort food is tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches.  

Except for "blond" chili, traditional chili recipes' main ingredient is tomatoes.

Tomatoes nutritional values:

Amount Per 1 slice, thin/small (15 g)1 cherry (17 g)1 slice, medium (1/4" thick) (20 g)1 slice, thick/large (1/2" thick) (27 g)1 wedge (1/4 of medium tomato) (31 g)1 Italian tomato (62 g)1 plum tomato (62 g)1 small whole (2-2/5" dia) (91 g)100 grams1 medium whole (2-3/5" dia) (123 g)1 NLEA serving (148 g)1 cup cherry tomatoes (149 g)1 cup, chopped or sliced (180 g)1 large whole (3" dia) (182 g)1 medium whole (2-3/5" dia) (123 g)

Calories 22

% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0.2 g	0%
Saturated fat 0 g	0%
Polyunsaturated fat 0.1 g
Monounsaturated fat 0 g
Cholesterol 0 mg	0%
Sodium 6 mg	0%
Potassium 292 mg	8%
Total Carbohydrate 4.8 g	1%
Dietary fiber 1.5 g	6%
Sugar 3.2 g
Protein 1.1 g	2%

Vitamin A	20%	Vitamin C	28%
Calcium	1%	Iron	1%
Vitamin D	0%	Vitamin B-6	5%
Cobalamin	0%	Magnesium	3%

No fat!  No cholesterol!  And look at the good!

Another excellent thing about tomato based dishes, they provide a base for showcasing other flavors.  Onions, garlic, meat, basil, rosemary, bay, hot peppers are a few of the flavors enhanced through tomatoes.

A few hints, if tomatoes are not seasoned in any way they will taste acidic.  A bit of sugar will add balance.  Salt will help add depth of flavor to tomatoes.  I, also, recommend  tasting your tomato based sauces and soups as you season so it will be perfect for that batch of tomatoes.  Different kinds of tomatoes have different properties and tastes.    

Aside from soups, there's a multitude of tomato sauce based recipes from pasta dishes, stews, casseroles and even pie.  Most require long cook times to really blend the flavors.  Although not always preferred by an authentic Italian cook, crock pots/slow cookers are a help for the working family.  Hint:  If you plan to cook tomato based food in a slow cooker, don't use high heat.  High heat will eventually take away the subtle blend of flavors.  

If the recipe requires cooking the tomatoes down to a more paste condition (or cooking the water out) it's best done on the stove top with constant watching and stirring.  The rich reduced sauce has a wonderful flavor but is easily scorched.  

• Tomato sauces are also used to tenderize beef through the acidic properties.  
• Tomato products freeze well.  
• Tomatoes give flavor to plain tasting foods such as beans, pasta and rice. 
• Cooking pasta in tomato juice instead of water gives it additional flavor.  Don't rinse the pasta when done - simply add it all to the dish.
• If you are making pasta and rice dishes to freeze, don't add the pasta or rice until you have thawed the sauce while reheating.  Neither will freeze well; becoming mushy and ruining the recipe.

And now down tomato memory lane from Indiana farm folk:  

• No one would serve soup to company - it was a family dish.
• IF someone dropped by and there was a pot of soup on the stove, the cook would add water to "stretch" the soup.  
• Tomatoes were often grown as a farm cash crop.  A farm kitchen pantry held MANY jars of canned tomato juice, whole, sauced, or a version of tomatoes and vegetables together.
• At the end of the season, near the first frost, all green tomatoes were gathered, wrapped in newspaper and stored in the root cellar.  As they slowly ripened, they were used.  It took daily checking to make sure none spoiled.   

For those who froze or preserved tomatoes, for those who have store bought canned tomatoes in quantity - this is a time that proved you knew what you were doing.  Tomatoes are a staple of the stay-at-home-order kitchen.  And we all look forward to another summer of growing and eating fresh tomatoes.  As we plant in hope, let us extend that hope for a healthy tomorrow.  

Potting Pots in 2020

Today, and could change tomorrow, nurseries are considered essential businesses and can remain open with stipulations.  Most are offering curb side pick up after you order by phone or on line.  Some are letting a few people inside at a time but you must keep the distancing.  Still others are closed while waiting it out.

All businesses are facing extreme challenges and many have totally different issues.  With a greenhouse full of annuals, you either sell them in the spring/early summer or you'll have a lost season.  You loose the cost of the plants, fertilizer, heat, seeds, labor and I'm sure hundreds of other things I don't understand.  And like so many other businesses, this could ruin nurseries and greenhouses.

I see it on line with the "sales" being offered, the free shipping, the plea to order.  I see it on Facebook with local nurseries trying to do anything legal to get their plants into customers' hands. 

Apparently, they're essential because they sell food plants.  They can also sell other annual and perennial plants that can be sold along with the necessities.

Right now I was thinking of some plants I have in the ground that will suffice until I can get to my favorite greenhouses.

The ideas:  

• Hosta.  I have a ton of hosta, some so average I've divided it a zillion times.  A big clump in a pot would look nice the entire summer (in semi shade) and in the fall could again by plopped back into the yard.
• Daylily:  I have some vigorous daylilies might do well in pots.  A medium clump might work (in the sun) and might be worth a shot.
• Ground cover:  If I could dig ALL my ground cover and put them in pots and then hit them with a flame thrower, I'd be a happy gardener.  In leu of that, they might be pretty and they would vine/hang down.
• Black-eyed Susans:  Hardy (full sun) and might make the leap. 

The problem with growing perennials in pots, is that not many bloom all summer like annuals.

I have a few annuals that self seed.  Cosmos, Cleome and some salvia, morning glory.  No idea if they would transplant well but worth a try. 

Then there's the whole fun experiment of taking parts of vegetables/fruits and starting them in potting soil or water:  Celery, onions, pineapple,  potatoes, lettuce, leeks, carrots, basil, mint, cilantro, bok choy, cabbage.  Google if you want directions.

Using house plants is always an easy option - be sure to use the same conditions/care outside as inside.  That leftover poinsettia will thrive outside for the summer.    

Using the seed from an avocado - you won't usually get a producing plant but it might be pretty.  

You can always order seeds - do it now if you want them to be thriving by warm weather.  

That little tomato plant that self seeded would transplant easily into a pot.  

If you have cedars, they are always sending up seedlings and could be part of a pot design.  

One thing to consider is if you do use perennials in your pots, there's a chance they will eventually die before you can get them in the ground and established again.  Best to use extras. 

Another thing is if you don't have potting soil, you will have to use garden soil and it won't be as perfect.  It may take a little more care this summer to get things to thrive.

Keep a bucket of water in a planter and fresh evergreens will stay green for weeks.  Check often to make sure you aren't breeding mosquitoes - no sense trading one problem for another. 

Or use your garden pots for something totally different than growing things:  

• Fill full of glass balls.
• Turn them upside down and use as stands or tables on the patio.
• Turn upside down and put the saucer on top, fill with water and use as a birdbath or fill with birdseed.
• Fill with sand and let the kids play in it.  Cover with saucer when not in use to keep clean.
• Make a fairy garden using no or very little actual live plants.
• Put empty wine bottles upside down in the pot and wind some twinkle lights through for an outside nite lite decoration.
• Keep all the flip flops in one place.
• Use two upside down spaced apart, place a board on them and use as a shelf.  If they're heavy duty, use as seating.  If they're tall, use as a serving table/or/bar.

Pots/saucers used as bird baths.

And when the Coronavirus is eliminated - flock to your favorite nurseries and help them stay in business while beautifying your own home and gardens. 

(I've scattered above some spring flowering bulbs and birds at my feeder just to have the beauty.)

It's Lonely at the Top

My early efforts at leadership

I started my work career as a secretary and ended it working in a leadership roll directly under the C.E.O. of a company that employed thousands of people.  I start with this bit of history, not as a "look at me brag", but to give creds to my experience making decisions at a high level.  Even at my own experience level, it was nothing compared with leading an entire city, state or country.  Some things do apply:

It isn't faith that eliminates fear, its faith that helps us travel through fear and be all we can be.

Being all we can be may not be the same as being all others expect us to be.  Being all we can be, personally, is the only criteria we will be judged when our days are done.

During a crisis is not the time to undermine your leaders.  They are already set in place and they need to concentrate on the solutions. It is counterproductive to make their job more difficult.

If you are under the leader, respectfully voicing your opinions and differing or supporting ideas is your duty.  Once the leader makes a decision, it is also your duty to support it even if it's not what you wanted.  Being able and willing to do this will be an indication of your maturity and your ability to see the big picture.

I guarantee you will never know all the factors that have gone into a decision a leader makes.  

Because you will never know those behind the scene factors, publicly second guessing your leader, during times of crisis, only makes you look weak and clueless.



A good many employees/citizens fail to notice their actions may be similar to those of little children:  

• Is your anger similar to a tantrum?  
• Is your logic based only on your own wants?  
• Are your deductive powers limited?  
• Do you bicker and undermine as negotiating tool?
• Are you happy only when you win?
• Do you fail to consider something bigger than you?    

When a leader must deal with childish behavior, they loose time working on real problems that need mature answers.

Is there a time to be angry?  Yes, in private.  To publicly display anger at your leaders, in front of people who need assurance, often undermines confidence and leads to instability.

When I see someone undermining leadership during a crisis, I immediately know their aim is to personally enhance their own self and know they are not acting in the interest of everyone.

There are bad leaders.   There are also good leaders who make bad mistakes.  You have a choice:  Quit or try to help them do better. One is easy - one is not.  

There will be a time, after a crisis, to write your opinion or your own history book.  Wait until then to analyze what went wrong, what you did and how it should have been done. 

  This also applies to those who must quit because they feel strongly they can no longer work for a leader.  If you quit and then publicly air your grievances during a crisis, it only looks like sour grapes; your comments will not carry weight.  Save it for your book.

What if you feel a leader will destroy a business, a community or a country?  In a democracy, you can leave and start a campaign to offer differing opinions.  What you need to know is if you aren't careful you can destroy the very things you're fighting for.  If the way you proceed is viewed as subversive or harming the greater good, your ideas will be dismissed by the majority.

When you attack a leader's personal habits (speech, dress, physical characteristics, family, etc) your position becomes weak.  It tells those listening you have nothing relevant to substantiate your dislike.

When a leader asks you to stop what you're doing or saying, it means they've heard you and they now need to make decisions based on many things, not just your needs.  The military calls it "standing down"; relaxing out of your readiness position and let others take the lead.  Taking offense or taking it personal at being asked to stand down shows a lack of understanding for the bigger cause.

Leaders can no longer discuss everything in detail with their employees, friends, family or with the public.  It undermines and causes unrest.  I'm not advocating subterfuge, eliminating teamwork or feudalism.  I'm saying a leader is put in that roll to make decisions.  At some point, after considering all input, that leader must make that decision alone.  Then that leader must move forward with the next decision process.

Leaders and those who work for them need to develop a sense of humor.  It can defuse tense situations and can help with tolerance.  Humor at work can not be sarcastic.  Sarcastic humor makes enemies and builds division.  

Know when to just shut up.  It's a quality that's lost its importance since the dawn of social media.  It's a quality needed today in both leadership and in those under the leaders.

Leaders have a personal life that is as important to them as your's.  They have family, friends, hobbies, a home, heartache, happiness and personal beliefs.  It's disrespectful to treat them as if they "belong" to you.  

The very old saying "it's lonely at the top" is still true today.  You should care that it's still true.  As I moved towards more leadership rolls, my close associates became fewer.  It's a natural process but it is a lonely process.  Having the personal support of people gives a leader strength.  It doesn't necessarily mean you agree but it means you care.  And that care may not even mean care for the leader but you care for the overall good.