Wednesday Wonders: Sunflower Field

Yesterday I went to the Dorr Farm store to pick up some vegetables.  Dear One and I had driven over there on Monday to find they were closed that day, despite the website indicating they were open every day.  Dear One did mention the possibility of calling before we went but I was a limp rag on Monday and really wanted some fresh vegetables and blackberries so I did not bother to call. Oh well.

 When I went by myself yesterday to the farm it turned out that the blackberries were either not in season or all sold out...BUT we did get zucchini, yellow crookneck squash, new red potatoes, one cucumber (we don't like cucumbers normally but these from the farm may be good with hummus--after I make the hummus!), and one Cherokee Purple tomato.  

As we drove into the farm along one side of the road on Monday I took great joy in the big field of sunflowers with their heavy heads hanging.  Yesterday I stopped and took some pictures.  Here is one of them.

These flowers reminded me of a trip my sister and I took to New Mexico one year ages ago where we also found sunflowers at the side of the road. In that case they seemed to be the smaller brand of sunflowers and the fields stretched for miles.  They were ALL facing the sun as we drove by.  A very sweet image.

These sunflowers at the Dorr Farm appeared to be the large sunflower-seed plants.  It is so nice to see all the beauties in this world Our Father has given us to inhabit and enjoy.

On the way back from the farm I drove by the road home but it turned out okay because where I thought I was supposed to turn right I recognized the name of the road which I had seen on the CORRECT way home...so I got to drive the whole length of that road instead of just seeing the sign for it at the other end!  It was a lovely rural journey and I still made it back to known territory before the rain struck, which was nice.

Wednesday Wonders!

 Here is a miraculous thing!

When I cut open one of the "over-ripe" tomatoes that I purchased at Bradleys (mainly because they really taste like tomatoes!!), I found something remarkable.

Inside the tomato a seed had sprouted and started growing a tomato plant!  I have never seen such a thing.

Here you can see one seed has a plant started that already has some green in it.  There is a second and even a third plant started.  Amazing!!

Wednesday Wonders

Here is a very late picture that I thought I would share.

Here in the South on the days leading up to Easter there are many icons with various colored cloths on them.

The most beautiful one is this one put up by a dear friend in the next town over.

There is a significance to the color of the draped cloth.

On Palm Sunday the drape is purple to signify that Jesus Christ is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

 On Good Friday the drape is black.

On Easter Sunday the cloth is white representing the Resurrection.

These crosses are everywhere in our town and even in our housing complex.

This pictured cross is by far the most beautiful with the palm leaf, the lilies and the purple drape.

It is so wonderful to live in a place where are so many loving Christians.  Not only that, but Christians who constantly talk about their religious lives.  So lovely.

Wednesday Wonders

The Young Women, their leaders, and some of the women in our ward, including me, are working on a 12-week finish-your-personal-progress program.  I thought it sounded like a good idea to do this...a way of self-improvement and a plan to try to become more regimented.

Each day the president of the Young Women organization sends a text out to all participants with assignments and encouragement.  Besides reading scriptures and other good resources,  there are things to do and goals to meet including writing in a journal PLUS a 10-hour project.  The first project was a Faith Project (the Young Women have virtues they work on to make an integral part of their lives, faith being the first one).

For my faith project I decided to finish two knitting projects I had started ages ago.  I thought I would have plenty of time but still I really did rather have my nose to the grindstone every day.  In the end I took nearly thirty hours to complete this project!

What we have here is a pair of socks, knit from the toe up using a cast-on from Cat Bordhi's book Personal Footprints with two socks at the same time on two circular needles US Size 2, then plain knitting for the insole part (including using a VERY tiny circular needle (US Size 0) on the bottom of the foot to make it more squishy and lovely to walk on).  For the heel I took the pattern from Cat Bordhi's Sweet Tomato Heel book.  The heels are wonderful and fit so well.  After that the leg was just knit2, purl2 with the leg being a little less than seven inches tall.  The socks look rather wonky but they fit very very nicely.  (And I have another pair just like them in the drawer!!!  Except they do NOT fit well and are pretty awful. I will probably pull them out and knit a matching pair that fit.)

The little doll is a Comfort Doll for which I received the pattern many years ago from a lady who encouraged volunteers to make them to send to the children in Biafra.  I made some at the time and had started another as a demo for someone but never got to finish it.  Now it is done. Dear One thought I should put more than eyes on the face, but there we differed.  Mainly because I was too lazy to find other yarn.  I could not make a blue nose or blue lips.  Well, I guess I could have but I preferred just leaving it with eyes.

The Faith project end goal was this past Sunday.  I happened to wake up at 4:44 that morning and popped out of bed to finish the last inch of the leg and cast off.  After Church I wove in the ends then stuffed and finished the doll.  Finished on time.

May I say that it was a wonderful experience to study, record, work toward a goal, and finish in good season. Sort of good season.  Even though it just about killed me.

Now we are on to another project these next two weeks.  I will tell NO ONE what that project is because finishing it in two weeks is almost an impossibility...but then, I was not sure about the last one. That is what faith is all about...after all.  Feel totally free to pray for my stick-to-it-ive-ness . AND that my computer will cooperate.  Currently, it is giving me fits.

Wednesday Wonders!

Having been listening to the Plant Fit Summit interviews this past week and hearing again and again how important exercise is to add to healthy whole plant foods eating, I thought I would go for a walk. 

The stroller (which gives me a feeling of security when I walk) is stored in the garage but under and behind some other stuff, like the lawn mower, and some bins that need to find permanent homes in the house, or recycling if I cannot find a place for their contents soon.  Anyway, I pulled out the stroller, put on my headset, put "Born To Run" by Christopher McDougall on my phone as inspiration--a thoroughly interesting read--, started the Map My Walk app, and headed out after saying goodbye to Dear One.  He gave me a wonderful encouraging smile and off I went.

After the first turn in the road there looked like a leaf blowing across the road up ahead.  It kept blowing in the same direction and at the same speed.  Perplexing.  When I got a little closer I realized it was not a leaf.  It was a turtle.

It was not a very attractive turtle, at least from a distance.  I started to get closer to it so I could really observe it, but he or she stopped in its tracks and looked around at me.  I did not want to bother that little creature so I just spoke kindly to it and then went on my way.  When I got home and reported the sighting to Dear One he wondered if it was a snapping turtle.  Someone had suggested that if there are alligators in our pond, the turtles there are probably snapping turtles.  Not sure why, but...one man's opinion, I guess.  I have the impression that snapping turtles have a pointed shell which this one did not appear to have, so I am in a quandary.  It certainly did not look much like the mud turtles I have seen in Vermont.  The shell was kind of a humped oval.

The rest of the walk, which I thought was taking me on a big loop back around to our street, in fact took me all the way to Route 15 by the SAFE Credit Union.  (Speaking of the SAFE Credit Union, if some financial institution calls itself SAFE, do you get a better feeling about it, or a worse one?  I am thinking if they have to say they are safe, I might want to shy away from them.  Sad, because they are so close to our house.)  So, when I got to SAFE I realized I had gone the wrong way to get back to our house in a circle.  Oh well. It was a longer walk than I had thought I would be doing but I survived it.  Doing more than you intended, even inadvertently, can be inspirational.

When I got back home I was ready for a long lie-down!  The top of my left foot really was screaming at me about what a loser I was to make this trek.  It took two days to calm down.  This makes me think that I have missed some of the things that Christopher McDougall has been saying about walking/running.  Since I am almost done reading the book, well, maybe running is actually not for me.  I never really planned on it, but have thought that walking was a good all-around exercise...and just maybe sometime down the road...?!

Maybe I will head to the YMCA pool this week...

Wednesday Wonders

Living in the city was a new thing for us when we went to Oregon.  There were big trash bins and recycling bins in the apartment complex. At least once a week big old trucks came and dragged everything off.  When we lived in Vermont we had a compost pile.  We had a recycling bin on the east porch which we took to the recycling center every Saturday.  We had a trash man come to the end of our driveway.  Every two or three weeks we left a bag for him since we did not generate very much actual trash.

Here in South Carolina we have Wednesday trash pick up. Also Wednesday recycling pick up.  We have one bin for each of them.  There are VERY SPECIFIC rules about what can be picked up.

If there is corrugated cardboard to be picked up we need to call the Department of Public Works on Thursday to notify them that we have cardboard to be picked up, place the flattened cardboard ONLY (no paper, no plastic, no styrofoam, no fake wood that was in the box) at the curb BEFORE SEVEN AM, and most likely the cardboard picker-upper will come by sometime during the day as long as the cardboard cowboy comes by earlier and verifies that there is cardboard at the curb.

Today almost the last of our cardboard was taken away.  Yay!

The truck came and picked up a good-sized load from the curb.

And emptied it into the truck!  It will be great when all the cardboard is gone.  Did I say that the bug guy who came the other day told us that cockroaches just love cardboard?!!!  Well, that put an end to my collection of nice bankers' boxes and apple boxes with handles.  We will just get more if we need them at some distant time in the future, and JUST BEFORE we need them loaded!

Wednesday Wonders: Baked Sesame Tofu!

The LifeIsNoYoke website has so many good VitaMix recipes.  The Baked Sesame Tofu is one such.  I made this for the potluck last week.  Not many people ate these luscious little chunks of tofu that had been marinated in Bragg's Liquid Aminos, roasted sesame oil, garlic, and ginger, then baked.  Because I like my tofu more chewy than most people I baked them for twice as long as the recipe called for.

Because this is copywritten book that I used, I will give you the link so you can buy it yourself.

To let you know how good this is, and what people missed out on at the social, though in their defense, there was a LOT of really good food there so you had to make choices.  We took the leftovers home.  Yesterday I had a few pieces in a whole wheat tortilla.  Today for lunch I got out the dish of leftovers.  The bottom of the dish was almost completely covered with the little chunks of tasty tofu.  I asked Dear One to serve me some on top of my salad (greens in the bottom of the bowl then some of the Easy Black Bean Salad on top then a spoonful of the leftover rice conglomeration I had made a few days ago).  Dear One gave me two of the little plastic spoonfuls, maybe 6 or 8 pieces.

He did not take any at first but since it was in front of him and he had been fasting for 24 hours, I saw him reach for another piece. And another!  This is how the dish looked at the end of lunch:

Right!  There are only the tiniest crumbs left!  You could have knocked me over with a feather!!! I told him I thought I would season it a little heavier the next time I made it, though I thought it was just about perfect the way it was (which was me exactly following the recipe except for baking twice as long then leaving it to finish cooking in the shut-off oven) and he said, "Yes, it is!"

Can you believe it?!!!  I will probably make more later in the week.

Wednesday Wonders: Italian Heather

The other day I went to Fedex to ship some boxes home.  Right next door at Trader Joe's was a wonderful display of a gorgeous pink plant.  On looking at it further, it turned out to be Italian Heather.  I have never heard of that before.  So pretty and it has a lovely light fragrance. 

A woman who was standing beside me taking in the beauty told me that she knew of a man who had days or weeks left to live according to his doctors.  He asked to be placed in a verdant flower garden.  He stayed there and stayed there and eventually he was cured.  Nice story.  Nice lady to talk with me.

Wednesday Wonders: Lacy Tree

There is a tree outside the church building that catches my eye every time we come to church.  Which is actually pretty often. I do not yet know what the is called.

In my mind I call this the lace-y evergreen.  It is unlike any trees I have seen in Vermont.  In fact, there are many trees here in Oregon that are unlike any trees in Vermont!

A few Sundays ago it was very very windy.  This tree's branches were blowing in the wind.  It looked like an old-fashioned lady's skirts billowing out around her.  Such a lovely sight.

Wednesday Wonders: Rome Italy Temple

Dear One and I started our marriage together kneeling at an altar in the Cardston, Alberta, Canada temple nearly 46 years ago.

Cardston, Alberta, Canada Temple from Wikipedia.  No copyright information visible.

 At the time there were no temples east of the Rocky Mountains. So we made the long trip to Cardston by car, bus, train, bus, and car again.   In 1974 a beautiful new temple was dedicated in Washington, DC. 

This picture came from Wikipedia.  I could not find copyright information to credit here, either.

For years we did not get to go to the temple together as Dear One was teaching school and I was caring for five small children.  One year, when several of the children were in elementary school, sisters in the Relief Society took turns caring for the children in shifts so that I could attend the temple again. It had been many years, years when I began to doubt my spiritual worth.  That loving kindness by those sisters to allow me to attend the temple again re-ignited my spiritual lantern which continues to guide and direct me to this day.

As the children, grew Dear One and I together were able to make the trip to Washington, DC temple more and more regularly until we became ordinance workers there, and later, in Boston when that temple was dedicated.  The temple has been an integral part of our spirit's life for many many years.  It is such a blessing to attend and worship in the temple.

Now a new temple has been dedicated: in Rome, Italy.  It was so wonderful to participate in a virtual tour of this new temple led by two apostles:  Elder David Bednar and Elder Ronald Rasband.  I thought others of you might be interested in seeing and learning about this holy House of the Lord.

Here is that virtual tour.  This picture was taken from the ChurchofJesusChrist.org website.

Just click on the link beneath the temple to tour this glorious sacred edifice.

Wednesday Wonders: Snow on Spring Flowers!

For days the forecast has been for snow.  Dear One and I drove a missionary to the airport yesterday during the late morning.  There was wet snow falling as we drove through the city.  I was a nervous wreck just sitting there in the passenger seat.  We did get to the airport and back.  By the time we got back through the city and onto Route 26 heading west to the office there was no snow, and not even any rain.  The pavement was dry.  So nice.

This morning I was up early talking with my retiree representative to find out about the new prescription provider (big surprise yesterday: insurance coverage ended 12/31/2018!).  Dear One came into the living room and said, "The ground is white."  Well, isn't that a pretty pass...

When we were finally ready to leave the apartment I checked on our little spring flowers.  Here they are.  I hope they are not discouraged!

Wednesday Wonders: Spring Popping Up Outside Our Window

When we came home from the office, imagine our surprise when, just past mid-January, we saw this sight:

This is right outside the second bedroom/study (NOT TO BE CALLED WORKROOM just in case I get any funny acquisition ideas...) window!  So wonderful. I can hardly wait to see what it turns out to be.  I do think maybe daffodils and hyacinths.  If hyacinths, I will have to turn down the thermostat, open the window to the screen, put on a sweater, and breathe in the fragrant deliciousness.  I will keep you posted!

Wednesday Wonders: Finally--The Heron!

There is a wonderful park across the road from our office complex.  Early on we would catch a view of a giant blue heron.  I have taken many pictures of this guy but they were always far away and just not good.  Sister J taught me about enlarging photos BEFORE you take them.  The other morning I was out walking before coming into the office. It was too hot later in the day.  I melt down into a puddle of grease most days lately so the thought of making it worse by walking has been out of the question.  For me.  Everyone else in the office goes for walks.  I just keep my chair company.

Anyway, the morning in question I went out and walked around the third pond, and there he was! 

Well, maybe it is a she, but either way, there was a beautiful giant blue heron.  I got as close as I could without scaring him off and got this picture. I am so happy with it.

Don't you just love that he is out there with a friend?!

Then I took one more step to get a better shot.

 Gone in a second.

Can you even see him?  Just his left wing behind the branch and the water disturbed beneath him.

It was a great walk.

Wednesday Wonders: Red Dragonfly

Today I was out walking.  Well, I took some letters to the outside mailbox while listening to Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery on my phone.  Since I needed more steps I went around the defunct science building and kept on until I came to the ponds in the park.  There on the first pond I saw a red dragonfly, something I did not know even existed.  My picture is no good. It is another "Where's Waldo?" sort of picture.  (Look about halfway down near the right edge...)

However,  when looking on the internet this is one of the things I found:

"The dragonfly, in almost every part of the world symbolizes change and change in the perspective of self realization; and the kind of change that has its source in mental and emotional maturity and the understanding of the deeper meaning of life."

Well, isn't that an interesting thought?!!!  I have just started making some changes.  Maybe that dragonfly is evidence that the changes are a good thing and that this will be real lasting change, for a change!

Wednesday Wonders: Bald Eagles

More of our trip on The Fourth!  This was so appropriate.  We were at the Yaquina Lighthouse, almost to the lighthouse when a man came up behind us and said there were two bald eagles in a branchless tree.

You better believe I picked up speed so I could see them, and perhaps even photograph them.  When I got around the corner, all I saw was a wonderful small grove of some sort of green leafy trees.  Then, to my delight, a little further on, with the side of the lighthouse to my back, there they were!

So fabulous to see them.  I have seen a few in Vermont and New Hampshire but this was my first sight of them in a tree,  friends sitting beside each other.  So nice!

Wednesday Wonders: Rainbow in the Western Sky

In Vermont the only rainbows we have ever seen are always in the east. Even here in Oregon all the rainbows we have seen have been in the east.  Until Monday morning!  On this day, we were pulling into the parking lot at the office, and there in front of us was a lovely wide short rainbow, though very pale.

Here it is:

What do you suppose a western-sky rainbow means?

Wednesday Wonders

Recently I was out walking around the ponds in the park across from our office.  Mainly I had gone to see if I could clap my eyes on the Canada Goose family...a mom, dad, and four babies.  Eventually I did see them but in the meantime, I saw the coolest thing.

As I was about to step onto the bridge, I heard some chirping birdsong.  I looked up and above my head a mother bird was just leaving her nest, probably to go find some more baby bird food.

This is what I saw--as I was too slow to get a photo of Momma Bird...

It is hard to see but there are some twigs from the bird nest sticking out above to the left of center.

There are so many fabulous sights to be seen if we keep our eyes open...