The Mouse Story

I wasn’t quite awake yet but it sounded like reindeer on the roof.  Through the fog I rolled over and looked at the clock, 6:10.  Maybe I’m dead.  I’m never awake at 6:10 AM, except in cases of natural disasters like Category 5 hurricanes.  Maybe if I roll over on the other side I won’t hear anything.  Whatever it is will probably go away.  The noise has moved from above my head to the bedroom door and it is accompanied by a voice.  Oh that’s right.  I’m not alone in my one room apartment in very sunny, very warm, mmmm, south Florida anymore.  I am in the very cold spare bedroom of my very cute but extremely obsessive compulsive, vegan, emotionally kung fu like, get out of bed at 6 AM every day, boyfriend’s spare bedroom.   After the initial horror and shock, I realize that he probably was just dusting the attic rafters and has just worked his way to the cobwebs in the spare bedroom.   Maybe he’ll go away.

“Hey I need your help.”

“Come back after 9.”

“This can’t wait.  It could mean life or death.”

Ok he has my attention.  Maybe he’s decided to just do me in and do us both a favor.  I pull the covers down far enough to allow the cold air to touch my face and through the haze I see him standing there holding something that looks like a small plastic storage box, except there is a noise emanating from the box.  Adorable little eyes, and whiskers, and a tail.  A tiny little mouse.  Probably the cutest thing I have ever laid eyes on at 6:10 AM.  I didn’t know they were that cute.  He looked terrified.  Kind of like me.

“We have to go for a drive.”

What, the mouse wants a scenic tour of the area?

“For what.”

I can’t let him go here, he’ll climb back into the attic.”

“So walk him over to the neighbor’s house.”
“He needs to go to a wooded area where there’s fresh water or he won’t survive.”

Only a vegan animal rights activist would know this about a mouse.  I’m thinking he might not survive because I’m getting the urge to kill him.  It’s too cold to even get out of bed.

“We have to go now.  He needs water.”
I can’t have a mouse on my conscience.  I’ve got enough stuff on my conscience.   I drag myself up, put on my slippers and my sweats and head off to do my duty for mousedom.  Fifteen minutes later, after driving through fog, rain, and down winding roads I didn’t know existed except in country music songs, we arrived at the appointed area.

“Would you like to let him go?
“No, I think you can have the privilege,” worried that he might run up my pant leg looking for a warm spot.  My toes are frozen again.

We walk over to a nice wooded area next to the stream and he opens the trap door.  The little guy sits there looking in disbelief and fear.  A new life awaits him, in a new land.  After a few minutes of hesitation he takes off into the underbrush and just for a second he sticks his little twitching nose out and nods his head, as if to say thanks.  And then off he goes into mouse land.

“He should have a long happy life here where he can build a warm nest and have plenty of food and water, and lots of friends.”
I should be so lucky.

One of our favorite places to visit was the Susquehanna River in Millersburg, Pa  These are photos of a trip we took on a winter day.

Dedicated to Susan

My name is Mark and I was together with Susan for over 11 years.  In March of 2017 she was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer.  The doctors refused to offer treatment.  Susan had been using natural treatments before the diagnosis.  She continued doing this, but it was already too late.  Together we decided to use hospice, and for 3 intense months I took care of Susan.  During this time we talked about many things.  She showed me what she had written over the years.  There were journals, seed saving tips, home inspection lists, a list of house projects, poems, blog entries, and a wish list for me to fulfill when the time came for her to die.    

As of this writing in October 2017 it has been a little over 2 months since Susan’s death.  Susan used paper and pen to write everything, so I literally typed every word into the word processing program on my computer.  I consider this to be a mission, because I believe as strongly as she did that our society needs more than ever to read her message.  You may call it “A labor of love.”

As I walk through the house, everywhere I see reminders of Susan, her simple but elegant clothing, her simply ingenious inventions.  Curtains, boxes for my stuff, end table doilies, seat covers, window shades, all made by Susan.  There are many dollar store items that were repurposed into something that filled a different niche.  These are creations of Susan’s mind and a few cheap or free materials.  She was a master at finding joy in little things.   I had never seen her struggle to make any of these things.  The posts on this blog came from her life experiences in the Pennsylvania Dutch community.  Once again I’m happy to share these ideas with you, to invite you into Susan’s world.

 

SEED SAVING

Onions-Harvest first season when tops begin to dry.  Hang the herbs to dry for 12 days (not in the sun).  Remove dried tops, braid and keep in 32-45 degrees over winder, 40% humidity.  In spring plant best ones for seeds.  Harvest when pods dry.  Will be viable for 3 years.

Garlic-Harvest when tops are partially dried.  Dry for one week before store, but not in sunlight.  Store in paper bags or hang in braided bunches.  Store at 35-40 degrees for 6-8 months in 60% humidity.   Plant individual cloves.

Cabbage, Brussels Sprouts-Dig cabbage carefully and trim roots to 12 inches.  Cover roots with damp sawdust and wrap head in newspaper.  Will keep for 2-4 months at 32-40 degrees with 80-90% humidity.  In early spring cut a shallow “x” in the top of the head for the seed stalk to grow out of.  Stalk will grow 3-4 inches before producing seeds.  Remain viable for 4 years.

Broccoli/Cauliflower- Where it does not go below 28 degrees.  Plant in fall and harvest the following summer.  Will produce seed stalks with yellow flowers.  Short season broccoli produces seeds in one season.  Cannot produce seed in long winter area.  Seeds are viable for five years.

Kale/collards-biennial.  In mild winter regions, harvest small quantities of leaves and over winter plant (usually kale).  Will produce seed second year; 5 ft stalks.  In cold winters, dig plant and store in sand or sawdust at 32-40 degrees for up to 2 months.  Replant in spring.  Viable for 4 years.

Chinese cabbage/Chinese mustard/pak choi.  Biennial, but should produce seed in one season if planted early.  In cold winters, plant dug plants with attached soil in damp sand.  Store at 32-40 degrees for 4 months, 90-95 % humidity.  Dig before first frost and choose largest, healthiest plants.  To get seeds first season, do not harvest all of the inner leaves.  Produce 3 ft. seed stalk.  Seed pods turn tan when they are ready to harvest.  Viable for 5 years.

Turnips-biennial.  In mild climates, plant in the fall and harvest seed the following summer.  In cold climates, overwinter in a root cellar.  Dig before a freeze.  Trim tops to 2 inches.  Store in boxes of sawdust, sand or leaves.  32-40 degrees and 90% humidity.  Or put in pots in a greenhouse until spring.  Early maturing varieties go to seed in one year.  Produces 3 ft. stalk.  Seed pod turns brown.  Viable for 5 years.

Radish.  Grows 3 ft. stalk.  Wait for seed pods to dry.  Pound pods with hammer if they don’t break when rubbed by hand.  Viable for 5 years.

All beets and chard.  Can be overwintered in the garden in mild climates to produce seed the next spring.  Otherwise, overwinter like cabbage.  Cut tops to 2 inches and roots to 6 inches.  Viable for 6 years.

Spinach.  Harvest only outer leaves to produce seed.  Let seeds dry out in sun for a few days.  Use gloves, can be prickly.  Viable for 5 years.

Quinoa.  Annual that needs a long season in order to get seeds.  Cut and hang in dry airy place or put in paper bag to dry.

Chicory, endive, escarole.  Biennial but will produce seed if started very early in season.  Can be overwintered under mulch of dug.  Trimmed to 2 inches and stored in soil or sand at 32-40 degrees.  Withhold water when seed pods form.  Break off entire pods and store them for planting or break pods with a hammer for individual seeds.  Viable for 8 years.

Artichoke.  Reproduced by division.  Perennial.

Sunflower.  Cut head when all petals have fallen off.  Remove seeds when no longer soft or damp.  Put in 1 inch layer in baskets and dry in warm area away from sunlight.  When a shelled seed in two, instead of bending, it is ready for storage.  Viable for 7 years.

Lettuce.  Only harvest outer leaves so the lettuce will go to seed.  Peel the center leaves of the head away so the seed stalk can emerge.  Harvest 12-24 days after flowering.  Shake the seed heads into a paper bag.  Hard to remove the debris from the seeds.  Can be done with a mesh screen.  Viable for 3 years. 

Watermelon.  Pick when the tendril opposite the stem becomes brown and dry.  Just wash the seeds and save from any ripe melon.  Viable for 6 years.  Need to hand pollinate for true seeds.

Melons/honeydew/musk.  Save seeds from ripe melon.  Put in bowl with water.  Rub debris from seeds.  Hollow seeds and debris will float to top.  Pour off until clean seeds remain.  Rinse thoroughly.  Lay out to dry.  Viable for 5 years.

Cucumbers.  Let ripen past edible stage.  They should begin to soften on the vine.  Should be hand pollinated to avoid cross breeding.  Tape female flower shut the night before it will open. In morning, pick male flower and rub stamens on female flower and tape shut again.  Mark this flower, so those cucumbers can be saved for seed.  Put seeds in large bowl and put in sunless area to ferment for 1 to 3 days.  Stir daily.  Mold will form on top.  Viable seeds will settle on the bottom and the gel coating will float to the top.  Stir daily.  When ready, add more water while stirring until clean seeds are left on the bottom.  Dry on a non-stick surface.  Viable for 10 years.

Squash, pumpkins (winter and summer).  Hand pollinate like cucumbers for pure seeds.  Can use blossoms from different plants of the same variety to ensure genetic diversity.  Winter squash and pumpkins must be fully mature.  Summer squash are left on the vine until they have a hard shell.  Cut from vine and let sit for 3 weeks before cutting open for seeds.  Rinse in colander and dry.  Viable for 6 years.

Hard shell gourd.  Pick when stem changes to brown.  Separate seeds from pulp and air dry.  Pulp causes allergies in many people.

Legumes-peanuts, garbanzo, soybeans, lentil, lima, aduki, fava, cowpeas, peas.  Leave seeds on plant to dry.  Remove from pods and let dry 2 or 3 weeks.  Seeds that shatter when hit with a hammer are ready for storage.  Freeze in air tight containers for 5 days to get rid of weevil.  Do not open airtight container until it reaches room temperature or condensation will cause mold to form.  Viable for 4 years.

Peanuts are harvested when the plant turns yellow.  Pull out of the ground and hang in garage for 2-3 weeks for drying.

Garbanzos.  Withhold water after flowering or pull plants and dry under cover.  Thrash plants to remove seeds.   Pods can cause skin irritation.

Limas.  Cause severe allergies in some people when eaten.  Dry pods on vine.  Remove seeds from pods and freeze.

Tomatoes.  Squeeze seeds from ripe fruit into a bowl.  Allow to ferment in water 1-3 days, until mold forms on top.  Process like cucumber seeds.  Viable 4-10 years.

Egg plant.  Allow to ripen on vine to almost rotting; remove and dry seeds.  Viable for 7 years.

Tomatillos and ground cherries.  Save seeds from ripe fruit and dry.  No need to ferment.  Viable for 3 years.

Potato.  Planted from tuber cuttings.  Start in sterile soil to prevent disease.  Remove new shoots, cut to 2 inches high and plant in new sterile soil.  Destroy original plant.  Sprouts will root and go out in garden in a couple of weeks.

Peppers.  Perennial in warm climates.  Can be overwintered in greenhouses.  Green peppers are not ripe.  Use peppers with no sign of disease for seeds.  Clean and dry out of sunlight until seeds break when folded.  Should not bend.  Viable for 3 years.  Germinate with bottom heat.  Will not tolerate any cold.  Use seed starter mix and transplant twice before setting outside.  Must have full sun.

Celery.  Biennial: Carefully remove a few outer leaves for harvest and leave center of plant for seed production.  Can overwinter in the ground in cold climates.  Or dig and store in a cellar in damp earth or sand.  Trim tops.  Will produce flower stalks in spring that must be prevented from crossing.  Isolation is necessary.  Harvest seed pods as they mature.  Viable for 8 years.

Carrot: Isolate ½ mile to prevent cross pollination.  Will also cross with queen Ann’s lace.  Can be overwintered outside to produce seed the next spring or dug and stored with tops out to 1 inch in sawdust or sand for 6 months.  Cut seed pods when fully mature and dry for additional 2-3 weeks.  Pods should be brown.  Rub pods to remove bearded seeds.  Viable for 3 years.

Parsley, biennial: Produces seed second year.  Will tolerate below zero temperatures outside when covered with leaves or mold or dig and overwinter at 32-40 degrees.  Harvest seed heads as they dry.  Viable for 3 years.

Amaranth-Annual: Goes to seed in 1 year.  Harvest when almost entire seed head is mature.  No other processing needed.

Sweet potatoes-perennial vines:  Cannot be grown in the north.  They have serious diseases and pests.  Propagate from shoots or tubers.  Put in moist/warm soil to form shoots that are then broken off and rooted.  Require a frost free season.  Use sterile soil to start new shoots and don’t touch the soil.  Destroy original plant.  Can be stored for eating for 3-5 months at 50-60 degrees.  Cure for 2 days to harden skin.  Then wrap in newspaper or put in sawdust.

Sorghum-similar to corn.  Cut seed tassels when stalks begin to dry.  Dry until shattered when hit with a hammer.

Corn: Has to be separated by 2 miles to avoid cross pollination or hand pollinated (complicated).  Use seeds from many different plants, not just one.  Leave ears on stalk until completely dry.  Or remove mature cobs, husk them, and dry under shelter at moderate temperatures.  Remove kernels when cob and corn is completely dry.  Discard malformed kernels.  Save from 25-50 ears to avoid rebreeding difficulties.  Viable for 3 years.  Popcorns viable for up to 10 years.

Asparagus-perennial: Overwinters in garden in cold climates.  Produces berries.  Remove seeds from berries and dry for a few days.  Viable for 5 years.

Okra: Warm weather plants.  Wear gloves to remove dry pods.  Green pods can be left to dry in the sun until they split open.  No other processing needed.  Viable for 5 years.

My advice to young women

As I look back on my 59 years I can see more clearly how the choices in my life have deeply affected my happiness as I got older.  Here are some of my thoughts that I would like to relay to young women starting out their lives.

Cultivate self respect, dignity and steed footness first, before seeking a relationship.  Learn to speak in a respectful way.  Learn to dress in a modest, respectful fashion.  Study older women with dignity and grace and learn from them.  Respect for yourself will not allow you to become involved in bad relationships or make choices that are not good for you.  Hold our head high, speak clearly and learn to love yourself.  You are a blessed child of God and need to be treated as such from the man and friends in your life.  Choose your friends carefully.

Have a guiding compass to follow.  Make God your guide.  Study the Word.  Learn the wisdom.  Make your decisions based on this guiding light.

I believe most of the reason for my regretted decisions in life is not following my compass when I needed to.  I became selfish and made decisions out of spite or anger.  Many decisions in life are life changing.  Make sure you make them with a guide.

Most of life is not about what is happening but about how you react to what is happening.  Life can be painful, scary, down right nasty.  How you react to these things can either leave you content or miserable.  It’s really our choice.

It’s the simple daily routines that make up life.  Learning to be content with those simple things is the key to happiness.  When you get older you will not remember the details of the vacation you took but you will remember the things from your children and the daily traditions that you instill in your home.

Even though I have traveled extensively and had a very interesting life my favorite memories are from my childhood.  Decorating for Christmas with my mom and snuggling in bed with my brand new flannel nightie on Christmas eve, picking blackberries and then going home to make a wonderful pie.  Watching my mom sitting in her favorite chair and quilting.  My trip to Nantucket Island is a blur, but these memories of simple joys are clear in my mind and comfort me.  Cultivate the simple joys.

Consider carefully your choice to have children or not have children.  I chose not to because I wanted to have the opportunity to travel and have a career.  When I was young there was a trend to become a professional and dedicate your life to your job.  Over the years the career and the travel has never given me the happiness and satisfaction that I feel I would have derived from being a mother.  I chose the career because I did not feel I could do both.  And I still feel that.  I feel a child needs his mother at home, like I did when I was young.  Now that I’m older my heart breaks for myself.  Every time I see a friend with their grandchild my heart aches.  I feel that I deprived myself of a great joy.  As you ge you will understand the importance of family and children.  You will appreciate that when you become ill your children will be there.  You will also appreciate the opportunity to teach your children and grandchildren traditions and things that you love so they can carry on those traditions.  It’s a little piece you carried on forever.  And I think it’s important.  It would give my great joy at this point in my life. 

Make your home, no matter where or what it is, your sanctuary.  I always spent a lot of money furnishing my fancy apartments to impress my friends.  But they were never really home.  I learned as I got older that home is where the ones you love are.  You can make any ugly place cozy with very little money.  Hang cheap curtains from the thrift store, put pillows in a corner to curl up and read books.  Use bright cheerful colors and dollar store items.  It’s important that children come home to a cozy comfortable place where they can feel protected from the world.

This is something that my mom made sure of, despite living in poverty.  We had a cozy dinner on plastic ware.  We grew flowers in the backyard and brought them indoors.  And we didn’t fuss when friends came.  They were there to visit, and criticize our furniture.  We used what we had, appreciated it and took care of it.  Our lives did not revolve around these items, but around the cozy moments we enjoyed together. 

Do not let anyone talk you out of becoming a full time homemaker.  It is the most rewarding career you could choose.  From the home the world is changed.  Home nurtures, teaches,. And prepares children for lifes hardships.  There is no more important  institution.  Running a home is the most important profession in the world.

Your life mate can show up at any time.  For me it was later in life but when we met I knew instantly we were kindred spirits.  A person’s actions toward you are what prove his live, not his promises or what he says to you.  My sweetheart was an angel to me during illness and hard times.  This is the person you want to spend the rest of your life with.

Make you health and the health of your family a huge priority.  It’s important to eat wholesome healthy food as close to it’s original form as possible.  Healthy food should not be purchased in a box.  Later in life health is invaluable.  You have to take good care of yourself all along to have health in senior years.  Healthy children will have a lifetime of good years.  Teach them now to cook and eat properly.  They will be grateful in the end.

Cultivate a craft and use it for relaxation and recreation:  Quilting, sewing, embroidery, knitting, crochet.  My mom taught me all those skills when I was young.  I especially enjoy hand stitching and embroidery.  These things have been a comfort to my whole life.

Slow down, relax, enjoy.  I spent years at doctor’s offices with one ailment or another.  Most of my problems came from the fast pace of my life.  It didn’t suit me but yet I persisted with it.  Many years were lost to illness and anxiety.  When I finally settled into a slower pace my health problems went away and my life improved.  I have regretted all that time I spent running in circles.  Rest, relax, enjoy, take life easy.  It only happens one.  Life goes by very fast.

Study herbal healing and natural healthy care.  Take charge of your own health and do not rely on modern medicine.  Teach these skills to your children.  I have cured many a serious illness with natural remedies.  Do not underestimate the plants that God has given us for healing.  We have been given everything we need to be healthy.

Honor you family history.  Teach it to our children.  We all have a lot to learn from the past.

Cherish your femininity.  Being a woman is a beautiful thing.  As I got older I noticed that society had turned women my age into someone who didn’t wear dresses or have long beautiful hair.  The public perception is that as we age we lose our femininity.  When in reality the opposite is true.  I think I grew into it over the years and began to love fixing my hair, wearing long flowery skirts, wearing pink.  Aging should not deprive us of these things.  Being a glorious, feminine woman is such a lovely gift.  Cultivate this beauty in your children and yourself.  Enjoy every minute of it.

Finally-

Take nature into your heart and life.  Go outside every day.  Look at the stars, watch the birds, pause to watch the sunset.  Birds are angels and trees are His guardians.  The sounds and comforts of nature need to be a life priority.  Make it an important part of your children’s lives.  We are a part of the forest and God is in the leaves under your feet and the wind in  the trees.  We were meant to be a part of it and our souls can be deeply refreshed by closing our eyes and listening.

STROLLING

The definition of stroll is "to walk leisurely as inclination directs."

The fun of strolling is to not have a plan and thereby not know where you are going to end up.

I recently took a stroll around this lovely lake.

And ended up sitting in this romantic gazebo with a special someone.

The sun was warm and the breeze was cool.  Such a wonderful afternoon.

Along the way it's important to pay attention to the little things.   The sights, smells and sounds can be a wonderful healer for tired minds and hearts. 

We had the pleasure of meeting these wonderful newborn creatures.

And this little guy was peeking at us from his hiding place in the corner of the lake.

The scent of the flowers was intoxicating. 

As we rounded a corner we came upon this beautiful lady watching over our progress.

She reminded me of the ladies from centuries past who walked hand in hand down the garden path on cool summer evenings.  I thought maybe she would come down off her pedestal and join us.  But sadly we had to leave her in her flowery home.

Promenade is another word for strolling.  It's a beautiful word isn't it.

Promenading used to be a popular afternoon pastime.

I think we should bring back that tradition, don't you.

I hope you have a chance to add a stroll to your day.

Enjoy every minute of it.