Sunday Wrapup 9/14/2014
Hiromi's new work schedule of having Saturdays off pleases me a great deal. I'm also happy about his never having to work past 7:00. Since my first class starts at 10:30 and his work day usually begins about then, our morning schedule is compatible too. Lots of good togetherness going on here.
****************
After hearing about the insect-bite-healing properties of plantain, and after learning from Richard and Susan where to find it near school, I looked for it along the roadside near our place. Hiromi and I took a walk this evening and, since he politely asked me to do so, I named every plant I could identify. I saw many lovely grasses in full bloom, but not much plantain--one plant, to be precise.
"Is that what I've been working so hard to kill on this place?" Hiromi asked when I showed him.
"No. I think that's dock," I answered. I hope I'm right, but I'll have to check things out a little more to be absolutely sure. According to what I found online, plantain comes in many different forms.
During lunch on Friday, when Richard and Susan were at school, I was trying to remember what Plantain Lily is. Later I remembered that it's another name for Hosta.
All the discussion about plantain began when we looked at a large and beautiful flower arrangement that Sheri Nisly had given Norma, in honor of Anja's memory. She was a cousin to both of them. In the bouquet was a long oval-shaped leaf that we were all trying to identify, and Susan said it reminds her a bit of plantain. Since the bouquet contained many lilies, her comment triggered the Plantain Lily memory for me. That leaf may, in fact, have been a hosta leaf, although I've never seen that exact leaf form and color. Given the enormous variety in hostas, however, I wouldn't be surprised if some of the plant material has become part of the floral trade.
*****************
In bloom right now are these: Indian Grass, Big Bluestem, Silver Bluestem, Purpletop, Switchgrass, Foxtail, Lovegrass, and several less ornamental grasses--Goosegrass? and Orchardgrass? In flowers I saw Goldenrod, Ironweed, Smartweed, Plains Coreopsis, and Snow-on-the Mountain.
*****************
In school last week, when Dietrich casually mentioned a bite on his arm that was painful and itchy, I inquired about whether it might be from a brown recluse spider. He didn't know for sure, but he said his mom has been bitten twice by a brown recluse spider, and both times she recovered with no lasting effects after using plantain leaf to heal it. That's what Dietrich is doing for his bite. He had just started treating it.
******************
Some locations nearby saw frost on Friday morning. Frost this early is almost unprecedented. It's a month earlier than the average first frost date. I haven't heard of damage to vegetation--only frosty windshields, etc.
The temperature a few days earlier had gone to at least 99.
*****************
Lizzie Nisly had her 81st birthday yesterday. Friends of hers made others aware of the event and suggested ways to make it a special time. Last year, on her 80th birthday, no one could think how to celebrate. The birthday occurred between Anja's death and her funeral.
******************
(Big) Josh Yoder helped out his great uncle and aunt, Amos and Anne, by calling for quiet via the sound system during the visiting after church today. When everyone was listening, he said that the aforementioned relatives had received a lunch invitation and needed help remembering who had invited them. It turned out to be William Hershbergers, and Leroy was on hand to provide transportation for them.
******************
Friends of Anja's family are making plans to plant a rose garden at LaVerne and Rebecca's home to honor her life. Anyone is welcome to contribute. Some plants that complement roses will also likely be incorporated, so any dollar amounts can be put to good use. I haven't heard any mention of this, but I'm also hoping that mulch and drip lines will be installed to make maintenance easy. A single rose bush might cost between 20 and 25 dollars, although what is purchased and where it's purchased will make a difference. Money can be donated to Joanna Yoder (Mrs. Oren), Judy Miller (Mrs. Lowell), or to LaVerne and Rebecca directly.
******************
On our church bulletin board are two letters of thanks from a congregation in Monrovia, Liberia. Included are pictures of people who have just received food purchased with funds from our church. The Ebola sickness has created many secondary problems, including paralysis of normal work and marketing activities, and simply getting food on the table is more difficult than usual.
The congregation we're helping is the one where Lowell and Judy visited last spring?, and where Lowell spoke a number of times in a Christian conference.
******************
David is grateful to have received a ten-year multiple-entry visa to India. He and Lowell hope to go there later this year, and this time Larry Byler will likely go along.
******************
For the first time since we live here, the area around the back door is nicely cleaned up and mowed. I have not yet had the courage to inquire about the fate of some of the things that were out there. I think my suspicions are probably on target, based on Hiromi having produced a cast-iron grill plate today that he said we could use the next time we want to grill fish. (Last night's attempt was not entirely successful.) "I got it out of the recycling," he informed me.
"You had thrown it away?" I asked incredulously.
"Not thrown it away. Recycled it."
"What was it for?"
"It was part of the camp stove. I think Shanes have it."
That was even worse. He knew where it belonged, and where it could be used to good advantage, and still threw it away. (I mean recycled it)
I fretted and stewed over it awhile, and then told him that I've figured out what's wrong with him. I'm sure you can see that diplomacy and tact were oozing out of every pore at this point.
"You have no imagination," I said. "You look at something, and can't think of a single thing it would be good for, unless an insight happens to hit you in the face. All you can think to do is get it out of sight as fast as possible."
"We don't have room to store it," he said. Further evidence that he has no imagination.
Efficiency can be so overrated.
*****************
Time has a very informative article on what goes on during sleep. In short, the brain cleans and heals itself during this time. Cranking along during waking hours results in a build-up of waste material, and a slow-down of its processes. Too little sleep time results in waking hours during which the brain simply cannot function optimally because it's still clogged with wastes.
*****************
One of the stellar pleasures of teaching an adventuresome food production class last spring was the chance I had this summer of trying out some of the heirloom tomatoes they planted and shared with me.
Today when I provided a meal for my parents and Linda, I prepared the most beautiful plate of sliced tomatoes that I have ever seen. On it were slices of Ruthie's "white" tomato (actually a clear pale yellow), an orangey yellow Kellog's Breakfast tomato, ripe green slices of Aunt Ruby's German, and, of course, some ordinary red ones. The green one was from Kristi, since my plant like that had unaccountably died, after growing to a decent size in the garden. I think Kristi had originally planted the Kellog's Breakfast one too, which has produced well for me. I may be spoiled for life, and never again settle for just plain old red tomatoes and nothing else.
*****************
Kristi butchered the rabbit yesterday that she had raised for the "animal" part of the food production class. Not everyone in the class thought she would have the intestinal fortitude to prepare it for the table, but they were proven wrong.
When she did her "wilderness survival" for a school science project, she had shot and cooked a squirrel to eat, so I suppose a domesticated rabbit seemed easy, compared to that.
Jordan's pigs are still growing, and are regularly being treated to "people food" wastes.
Everyone else chose to care for chickens. Some are laying hens, and some were broilers that have long-since been packed into the freezer.
****************
My brother-in-law, Marvin M. was born in 1957. He turned 57 today. My brother Caleb turned 58.
As Perry Lee does faithfully, he got us all to sing Happy Birthday for Marvin after church.
****************
Bryan and Cynthia Shenk have come here to live. Bryan has lived here most of his life, of course, and Cynthia comes from Leon, IA. After having had three families from our church move away in the past year, it's nice to have one moving in again. Lyle Stutzmans moved to Indiana, Conrad Yoders to South Dakota, and Sanford Yoders to Miami, Oklahoma.
****************
Have I mentioned that soccer is the game of choice at school right now? In all the years I've been there, this has never happened before. It's a wonderful thing, in my opinion, given the fact that it's an outdoor activity, it's a participation sport, and it involves a lot of physical exercise.
****************
After hearing about the insect-bite-healing properties of plantain, and after learning from Richard and Susan where to find it near school, I looked for it along the roadside near our place. Hiromi and I took a walk this evening and, since he politely asked me to do so, I named every plant I could identify. I saw many lovely grasses in full bloom, but not much plantain--one plant, to be precise.
"Is that what I've been working so hard to kill on this place?" Hiromi asked when I showed him.
"No. I think that's dock," I answered. I hope I'm right, but I'll have to check things out a little more to be absolutely sure. According to what I found online, plantain comes in many different forms.
During lunch on Friday, when Richard and Susan were at school, I was trying to remember what Plantain Lily is. Later I remembered that it's another name for Hosta.
All the discussion about plantain began when we looked at a large and beautiful flower arrangement that Sheri Nisly had given Norma, in honor of Anja's memory. She was a cousin to both of them. In the bouquet was a long oval-shaped leaf that we were all trying to identify, and Susan said it reminds her a bit of plantain. Since the bouquet contained many lilies, her comment triggered the Plantain Lily memory for me. That leaf may, in fact, have been a hosta leaf, although I've never seen that exact leaf form and color. Given the enormous variety in hostas, however, I wouldn't be surprised if some of the plant material has become part of the floral trade.
*****************
In bloom right now are these: Indian Grass, Big Bluestem, Silver Bluestem, Purpletop, Switchgrass, Foxtail, Lovegrass, and several less ornamental grasses--Goosegrass? and Orchardgrass? In flowers I saw Goldenrod, Ironweed, Smartweed, Plains Coreopsis, and Snow-on-the Mountain.
*****************
In school last week, when Dietrich casually mentioned a bite on his arm that was painful and itchy, I inquired about whether it might be from a brown recluse spider. He didn't know for sure, but he said his mom has been bitten twice by a brown recluse spider, and both times she recovered with no lasting effects after using plantain leaf to heal it. That's what Dietrich is doing for his bite. He had just started treating it.
******************
Some locations nearby saw frost on Friday morning. Frost this early is almost unprecedented. It's a month earlier than the average first frost date. I haven't heard of damage to vegetation--only frosty windshields, etc.
The temperature a few days earlier had gone to at least 99.
*****************
Lizzie Nisly had her 81st birthday yesterday. Friends of hers made others aware of the event and suggested ways to make it a special time. Last year, on her 80th birthday, no one could think how to celebrate. The birthday occurred between Anja's death and her funeral.
******************
(Big) Josh Yoder helped out his great uncle and aunt, Amos and Anne, by calling for quiet via the sound system during the visiting after church today. When everyone was listening, he said that the aforementioned relatives had received a lunch invitation and needed help remembering who had invited them. It turned out to be William Hershbergers, and Leroy was on hand to provide transportation for them.
******************
Friends of Anja's family are making plans to plant a rose garden at LaVerne and Rebecca's home to honor her life. Anyone is welcome to contribute. Some plants that complement roses will also likely be incorporated, so any dollar amounts can be put to good use. I haven't heard any mention of this, but I'm also hoping that mulch and drip lines will be installed to make maintenance easy. A single rose bush might cost between 20 and 25 dollars, although what is purchased and where it's purchased will make a difference. Money can be donated to Joanna Yoder (Mrs. Oren), Judy Miller (Mrs. Lowell), or to LaVerne and Rebecca directly.
******************
On our church bulletin board are two letters of thanks from a congregation in Monrovia, Liberia. Included are pictures of people who have just received food purchased with funds from our church. The Ebola sickness has created many secondary problems, including paralysis of normal work and marketing activities, and simply getting food on the table is more difficult than usual.
The congregation we're helping is the one where Lowell and Judy visited last spring?, and where Lowell spoke a number of times in a Christian conference.
******************
David is grateful to have received a ten-year multiple-entry visa to India. He and Lowell hope to go there later this year, and this time Larry Byler will likely go along.
******************
For the first time since we live here, the area around the back door is nicely cleaned up and mowed. I have not yet had the courage to inquire about the fate of some of the things that were out there. I think my suspicions are probably on target, based on Hiromi having produced a cast-iron grill plate today that he said we could use the next time we want to grill fish. (Last night's attempt was not entirely successful.) "I got it out of the recycling," he informed me.
"You had thrown it away?" I asked incredulously.
"Not thrown it away. Recycled it."
"What was it for?"
"It was part of the camp stove. I think Shanes have it."
That was even worse. He knew where it belonged, and where it could be used to good advantage, and still threw it away. (I mean recycled it)
I fretted and stewed over it awhile, and then told him that I've figured out what's wrong with him. I'm sure you can see that diplomacy and tact were oozing out of every pore at this point.
"You have no imagination," I said. "You look at something, and can't think of a single thing it would be good for, unless an insight happens to hit you in the face. All you can think to do is get it out of sight as fast as possible."
"We don't have room to store it," he said. Further evidence that he has no imagination.
Efficiency can be so overrated.
*****************
Time has a very informative article on what goes on during sleep. In short, the brain cleans and heals itself during this time. Cranking along during waking hours results in a build-up of waste material, and a slow-down of its processes. Too little sleep time results in waking hours during which the brain simply cannot function optimally because it's still clogged with wastes.
*****************
One of the stellar pleasures of teaching an adventuresome food production class last spring was the chance I had this summer of trying out some of the heirloom tomatoes they planted and shared with me.
Today when I provided a meal for my parents and Linda, I prepared the most beautiful plate of sliced tomatoes that I have ever seen. On it were slices of Ruthie's "white" tomato (actually a clear pale yellow), an orangey yellow Kellog's Breakfast tomato, ripe green slices of Aunt Ruby's German, and, of course, some ordinary red ones. The green one was from Kristi, since my plant like that had unaccountably died, after growing to a decent size in the garden. I think Kristi had originally planted the Kellog's Breakfast one too, which has produced well for me. I may be spoiled for life, and never again settle for just plain old red tomatoes and nothing else.
*****************
Kristi butchered the rabbit yesterday that she had raised for the "animal" part of the food production class. Not everyone in the class thought she would have the intestinal fortitude to prepare it for the table, but they were proven wrong.
When she did her "wilderness survival" for a school science project, she had shot and cooked a squirrel to eat, so I suppose a domesticated rabbit seemed easy, compared to that.
Jordan's pigs are still growing, and are regularly being treated to "people food" wastes.
Everyone else chose to care for chickens. Some are laying hens, and some were broilers that have long-since been packed into the freezer.
****************
My brother-in-law, Marvin M. was born in 1957. He turned 57 today. My brother Caleb turned 58.
As Perry Lee does faithfully, he got us all to sing Happy Birthday for Marvin after church.
****************
Bryan and Cynthia Shenk have come here to live. Bryan has lived here most of his life, of course, and Cynthia comes from Leon, IA. After having had three families from our church move away in the past year, it's nice to have one moving in again. Lyle Stutzmans moved to Indiana, Conrad Yoders to South Dakota, and Sanford Yoders to Miami, Oklahoma.
****************
Have I mentioned that soccer is the game of choice at school right now? In all the years I've been there, this has never happened before. It's a wonderful thing, in my opinion, given the fact that it's an outdoor activity, it's a participation sport, and it involves a lot of physical exercise.
posted by Mrs. I (Miriam Iwashige) at
8:29 PM
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