My year was quite exceptional. I learnt of life cycles on some levels that I'd not previously known.
The cycles of life are amazing. As I write it has snowed just enough to dust the land. Last week I found baby cleavers and had to pick some to have a green drink post haste. It was lovely! The smell. You just don't forget the smell, if that is the drink for you.
At the land today, snow patched walk, I thought I'd spy some more and there they were. I asked if I could try them again. I have not made it yet. I decided to write first.
I only took a tiny bit, but am excited to have it to look forward to.
This year I planted red potatoes under my rhody. They came out just perfectly! I planted in another area that they did not do so well.
my main plant has been the nasturium. It has taken over and is sooo lovely! It looks quite professional. And they are all volunteers for a couple of years now.
I had some purslane, but did only nibble. I didn't get to use it, but it will come back. It showed up on its on, and has come back ever since.
I grew Strawberries. They love it here! I also have a beautiful Rosemary!
I have also grown flax! It is so beautiful!
I lost one of the great loves of my life this year. Her strength we did sometimes contend. Contention is a lesson in itself, but this is the most complete of them all. My Mom left us in Novemeber; and she is greatly missed!
It was a year of exceptional growth in the ways of the cycle of life.
Chapter 2
I read on 'Walking in the Woods', just now. I really rather personal account of walking alone in the woods and that it is a personal gift. And that if they walked with you that it meant they must love you very much.
It is this way with walking thru life. The woods are so wonderful and I wish that each human has that opportunity. To be walked in the woods and allowed a little space to fancy it's magnificent magik on this earth.
It is my wish that you walk in the woods. Don't go alone, unless you are called to do so. And I think it is your duty to take someone if there is someone that needs to be invited into it's magnitude.
I also think that if you take someone that you don't love that you may just find a little place in your heart for them. If you teach them the way of the woods.
Happy Trails!
Chapter 3
Of the wood folk;
I have worked on cleaning an ancient cellar where two brown squirrels live. They were quite angry with me for disturbing their home. It was a quite large establishment and still is. I moved out some things that needed removed and left a box quite empty. The next day I went back to work and the box was quite full of walnuts from the walnut tree just above. The next day the box was empty and the ceiling of wrong way hung insulation and Styrofoam board was hanging down blocking the door. Poor dears had moved all of their stash into the ceiling of insulation and it had been too heavy.
I had to pull down the ceiling Styrofoam panel and insulation and throw it all away. I was scolded by the two residence. It was quite nasty anyway and I told them that insulation wasn't the best storage unit, but they apparently had no choice.
I am not a fan of insulation(fiberglass) and Styrofoam and it was such a conflict for me to deal with it in the first place, but I did and I hope the squirrels are not in any harm for living in it as they did.
Will write again soon. It's been such a full year! It is a good thing! I will now go sit quietly and contemplate on my higher potential.
©Allisonians
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SOURDOUGH STARTER with WILD YEAST
Wild yeasts exist in the air around you and to some extent on the wheat berries. There are wild yeasts on grapes (unsulphured) and apples and other fruits. It is those wild yeasts which are 'captured' to make a sourdough starter. The process takes from 3 to 5 days. I wish I had specific amounts for you, but you could start with 1/4 to 1/2 cup of flour and mix in enough warm (not hot) water to make a thin paste. DO NOT make it too soupy. That, in fact, is the trick to a good starter, according to the French bread makers, and I think they should know. And after you've fooled around with the flour and water thing, you might wish to branch out into adding those unsulphured grapes, apples, sour milk, etc as a catalyst in order to capture other strains of yeast. Each of these strains has a slightly different taste. In fact if you move to another area, you might end up with a starter that produces an entirely different flavor. For instance, San Francisco sourdough bread is well known and has a distinct taste due to the wild strains in the air there. On day one you mix the flour and water (and add any catalysts to encourage fermentation) and place in a warm spot. After 3 days, the dough should be moist, inflated, and slightly sour. More flour and water is added (mixed in) and left to sit in a warm spot. After 2 days the process is repeated. Then the next day it is done again. Note the order: 3 days, 2 days, 1 day. At this point you should be able to make a loaf of bread using part of the starter and adding back what you took out in the form of more flour and water. Rule of thumb: Use about 10% starter to size of loaf. In the case of a 2 lb loaf this is a bit over 3 oz of starter (3.2 to be exact). For a 1 lb loaf 1.5 oz would be used. A book that describes this process in great detail is The Village Baker by Joe Ortiz, copyright 1993, published by Ten Speed Press, Berkley CA. If it's not still in print, try the used books stores, that's where I got mine. Or try your local library. If they don't have it, they might be able to get it for you. ©2008 by Ernestina Parziale
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