Archive for the 'Home and Family' Category

 Wild Blackberries? … No, They’re Mulberries

Freshly picked mulberries in a bowlLast night, as Chris and I were walking in the back meadow, near the woods, we discovered a mulberry tree. We had been looking at a wild blackberry bush and talking about when the blackberries might be ripe when Chris looked up and saw a nearby tree covered with what appeared to be blackberries. Chris ate a couple and declared them to be good. I was praying that they weren’t poisonous.

Once home, a little research revealed that the berries were not blackberries, but mulberries. More research showed that they are quite rich in resveratol, a natural anti-oxidant, along with an abundant amount of vitamins.



 Sandwich Bread Recipe

My last blog post was about the pleasure of baking bread. The recipe I used was from Mother Earth News and had almost no kneading, yet did not have the long rising times of typical no-knead bread recipes. I promised to post the link to the recipe online if Mother Earth News had it posted […]



 Baking Bread

After watching the Walton family in their simple, yet very fulfilling lives, I was inspired to bake some bread. I had a recipe for Mediterranean Tuna Panina sandwiches, and I wanted to use a special bread.

I baked a recipe from Mother Earth News. It was for a basic sandwich bread and I followed the recipe except that I substituted 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour for part of the unbleached all-purpose flour. The recipe was very easy and involved almost no kneading.



 Defining Moments

Sometimes we hear a few words, have a chance interaction, or get an unexpected result and suddenly our world shifts, our perspective changes and we feel the impact of something powerful. We emerge lost in thought, awed, perhaps confused, or perhaps glowing with sharp clarity. From the experience, we’ve become a different person.



 The Strawberries of June

The first strawberry of the season; it was magnificent and unexpected. I looked at it for a moment, feeling such a quiet, reverent joy from seeing it that I hesitated to pluck it from the plant.



 Maybe This is Why You Are Feeling Low

Sometimes our sense of empathy can be too strong. Just being in the same room with a negative person can leave us feeling depressed, vulnerable, stressed or, at best, vaguely sad. No matter how hard we try, we end up being deeply affected by the negative person’s emotions.



 Saving Gasoline – It’s an Art

I calculated that whenever I drive “into town” from my home in the country, the round trip takes about a gallon of gas and costs at least $4.00, or the current price of a gallon of gas. I’d have to add in the other wear and operating expenses of the car to get a real cost. So every time I can eliminate an extra trip into town, it’s a $4.00 savings.



 Rainy, Grey, Spring Days

The last few days, the weather has been cold, grey, rainy, with a fierce and unrelenting wind. From the window, the lawn seems mysterious and darkly romantic, much like a Daphne du Maurier novel.



 Start a Gratitude Journal – Love Your Life

When was the last time you experienced something and felt a flash or a wave of joy, happiness, or deep contentment?  It may have been just a moment of pleasure- such as glancing out of your car window to see a lovely garden of flowers.  It might have been something more substantial, such as your […]



 An Empty Box Helps Clear Clutter Like Magic

This clutter clearing tip works like magic for me. I actually find it a little fascinating, although many will argue that it has perfectly logical explanations. Perhaps so, but it works and that’s what matters to me. At the least, it makes a fun game and I’m really getting my home clean and clear.