The snow plow was a great investment, makes relatively short work of all the white stuff without the heavy lifting. Aleta loves it and enjoys spraying clouds of snow into the air, then Daniel does the clearout shoveling after. A good morning’s work - and all I had to do was ‘supervise’ 😆
May you quickly figure out moving your files and loading favorite programs. Am 1/3 way through our serious book this month—freaky and sad. Thinking of a few friends who have deep regret on how they cast their vote and all because of one issue!
On a brighter note I really appreciate your book “ China Bayliss Book of Days-365 Celebrations of Mystery, Myth, and Magic of Herbs…
I go through it every year for new recipes, reminders on herb growing and great quotes.
That book was so much fun. I think of doing another edition--or of doing something like it via Substack.
I'm glad to hear that at least some people regret their vote. They're likely to regret it even more before he's out of office. But the Project 2025 folk will probably clone him in 2028.
Getting used to a new place called home on the Big Island of Hawaii. The bird calls are different and occur both in the morning-my alarm clock- and at sunset. The full moon appeared out of misty clouds from my new bedroom window last evening. I can also see the Big Dipper without raising my head from my pillow!
Oh, you're there already! Wonderful news--hope the move went smoothly (or that it was only a *little* bumpy). Are you completely moved or will you have to go back?
We are here unpacking all of our stuff and trying to fit it into our little house, two 40 foot containers and an inclosed car tent! And we tried to eliminate so many things before we moved! We are pack rats!!!
Gees Louise! How have I missed your 'An Extraordinary Year of Ordinary Days'!??! I will be looking for a copy post haste.
Your post today is so, so lovely! I can smell that hay and the hay bails you were muscling around! How the air can get 'dusty' with it and fill ones nose. And big animals can get pushy at feeding time! lol And then the sweet walks out in the fields and nearby woodlands at different times of year. Though we were a little closer to built up areas then you, those are some of my memories, too. Looking for the pussy willows and listening for the frogs were some of my favorite things to do.
Once I was old enough, like you and your brother Susan, I became the 'farmhand' to do the early morning feeding of our 3-4 horses. And I was elected to clean the stalls and field with a wheelbarrow and rake and shovel. I had a love hate relationship with the chores. I loved the horses with their different personalities and can still smell the sweetness of their feed and both the Timothy and Alfalfa hays. I liked being sure they had water in the big concrete laundry sink turned into a watering trough and even doing things like brushing them and cleaning their hooves. Cleaning the field was less thrilling, but it taught me how to get a job done while thinking about where I might take my next ride. The area we lived in had little neighborhoods and big undeveloped areas. It was perfect for riding horses! I could head west towards the saltwater beaches of lower Puget Sound or east towards wooded hills and valleys with trails along rivers and creeks. My horse Brownie was such a perfect ride. She was rarely spooked and was more like a faithful dog in her way of staying at my side when I was on foot. A pretty Arab/Morgan cross with a gentle rolling walk and trot, she was always ready for a ride. Hard to believe now, that in my later teens my head got turned by boys and such, but up till then, she was my pal. My way to see all that is now gone forever.
It’s so obvious that you know the Lake District well, Susan, not just from research. Think I’ve mentioned before that Hill Top is one of my most favourite, magical places. Caryll and I did one trip there via restored trains, another by car (when she was still driving) and an extended coach trip. How true that talking about these times adds to the joy at the time. Caryll and I took every opportunity to visit different areas of the UK , though sadly we did miss out on the Harry Potter trips.
I appreciated our time in the Lake District even more after I learned just how much land Miss Potter contributed to the National Trust. She's the reason that lovely wildness is undeveloped--a gift that wasn't widely known until Linda Lear included it in her wonderful biography.
That book was my introduction to serious politics-watching, Sandy--and the markets, too. By that time, Bill and I had been "homesteaders" here for 20+ years, but we weren't "preppers" or "survivalists." But 2008 showed us how fragile our economy is, and we began thinking of more effective ways to manage our lives out here. 12 years later (blink of an eye in Earth time), we got another abrupt lesson, with COVID. These are wakeup calls. Hope others are listening.
Love your story about growing up w/horses. Kids these days miss so much, and can't enjoy the freedoms we had. That's sad . . . .
Love that Wendel Berry poem near the start. It is a wonderful way to reposition oneself with what is lost. Looking forward to reading this book! No worries about it being about the past. (What isn't these days! lol) I have requested the eBook be added to Libby.
So true about kid's loss of freedom. Heck, I don't see how any of us are going to get that back. At least in our lifetime. I don't feel safe waiting at bus stops anymore. Too many people see old people as targets and more or less worthless. Even so, the big loss of freedom is for kids. I don't see enough kids getting one-on-one time with the out of doors, to feel the kinship with nature that you and I feel. Without that, how will there be a majority of humans who care about wildlife? They may get to a point where they care about the climate for self preservation's sake, but not really care about saving the flora and fauna and all that supports it, because they never have experienced it enough to feel connected to it Being out in a ball park playing baseball is not the same thing as walking across an abandoned pasture or along a creek bed at different times of year. What percentage of kids in the US have experiences like that, these days? That is why I support things like the Christmas Bird Count as a little way to open the door to nature.
I agree, Sandy. this piece is so evocative. I didn't grow up on a farm and yet I too could smell the hay, feel my fingers icy and stiff, imagine my warm breath a cloud before my face. I missed that book until now but just found and ordered it from Thriftbooks. They only had one copy so I didn't hesitate.
For as long as I can remember, I've yearned to see Puget Sound. I'm such a homebody and don't have much wanderlust at all but two places I have wanted to see since I was a teenager are Puget Sound and the shores of Greece. It has been so long that I can't really remember why or when that desire began. It's just always been with me. A stained-glass artist friend who has visited both said to me, "That's interesting, Leenie, because the two have a very similar feel." Who knows the origins of these tugs to places unknown?
Sorry to have been slow to reply. We are having exceptionally cold nights and I have been doing what i can to keep pipes from freezing and pets and plants snug. Wish me luck on getting through tonight as it is supposed to start warming ever so slightly after that. So interesting about your desire to see both Greece and Puget Sound! My only knowledge of Greece is secondhand from a dear friend who was thirty year older than me. She wanted to take a last big trip and ask everyone for suggestions. One woman said Australia and another suggested the Greek Island of Mykonos and said Australia is a young country and very like the US in many ways. Greece still has ways that are ancient and a culture the reflects those long roots. So off to Mykonos she went all by herself at close to 80 and she had a wonderful time!!! With simple pictures of the people she met and shared meals and conversation with, and the lovely surrounding seaside place where she stayed. She was very happy that she took that trip! And I was very happy for her!
Puget Sound has many aspects worth exploring. the upper portion where the San Juan Islands are is sometimes referred to as the Salish Sea and where our few remaining Orca whales can be seen. It has it's own unique feeling and makes a wonderful Get Away from today's busyness. Then of course there is the stretch that Seattle is built on known as Elliot Bay and the several islands nestled in that area which can be approached by ferries. Even a day of walk-on ferry travel is worth the views of both the Olympic and Cascade Mountains Including Mt Rainier! BTW - You can also do walk-ons for the San Juan Islands, too. (Best not to do ferry travel over any of the holiday weekends as there are always long waits then.) Otherwise the ferries are a wonderful way to kickback and take in the views whether driving or walking. The lower portion of Puget Sound is where Tacoma is, with it famous Dale Chihuly Glass Museum. And the Tacoma Narrows Bridge sometimes still referred to as Galloping Gertie! Under that bridge the Narrows is quite deep and is home to some very large Octopi among other remarkable sea creatures.
If you ever come, do plan to stay for a few days. There is lots to see! :-) Tulip Festivals, Strawberry Festivals, The Pike Place Market, Rain Forest walks, and so much more!
Susan, you have my sympathy. Was given a new iPhone at Christmas to replace my elderly (small!) one and it’s caused endless problems, especially with online banking. Thank goodness for my teenage granddaughter who patiently explains to grandma how to overcome this or that roadblock 😆 It sure takes a lot of patience and work. I loved reading this post, evoked parts of my own childhood.
Oh, those phones! Just way more tech than I need, and I'm continually making mistakes with it. But ours saved us today: the clutch on our old (2005) Honda gave out on the way back from grocery shopping, 10 from home on a country highway. Called our longtime repair shop in Austin (70 mi), called an Austin wrecker to arrange a tow, called a neighbor for a ride home. Bill had forgotten his phone--what if I'd forgotten mine? What would we have done without it??
Oh my Susan! So glad all of those connections worked out and that you and Bill got back home okay. Hope all goes well with the car repair. You and Bill deserve a good rest and night cap!
One thing Aleta has me well trained about - my phone is always within reach! Either in a pocket or hanging from my neck in a small pouch. Also it’s kept charged plus I have a battery as backup. One emergency like yours is a wake-up call. Especially living where you do! The new phone is so sensitive though, have to be ultra careful how these clumsy fingers touch it.
This brought back such happy memories, Sandy, of a wonderful cruise in the Mediterranean that took in several beautiful Greek islands - the food, the people, black beaches, donkeys, a different sunlight - also (while living in Alberta) of trips covering Seattle/Victoria/Vancouver and the many islands in the Sound. Wonderful times!
Hey Lynn, good to hear from you. I was wondering how you are doing. I wish I had a phone savvy kid around to help with tech stuff! I have to get a new phone to make my online deposits, too! I think this is a racket that the banks and phone manufacturers have cooked up. At least it feels that way when I have to buy an expensive new phone just to make the deposits that I have been making for years.
On a happier note I loved hearing of your Mediterranean Cruise! Oh that sounds wonderful!
Hey, Sandy, it’s been rather challenging lately, what with the new phone, the weather, some problems with my poor husband at his resident home, sister and brother both having health problems - sometimes it gets to be a bit overwhelming but this forum, my reading, crossword puzzles all help to keep me sane and laughing 😁 And it’s a real blessing having daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter so close at hand. And I’m so very glad Hal and I traveled while we were younger and didn’t wait until retirement - we saw a lot of the world while we were active and able to make the most of it. My sister and I also did quite a bit of traveling when I visited her in the UK, including a wonderful cruise that took us into the Baltic and as far as St. Petersburg in Russia. We did a tour of the Hermitage museum there, a highlight of my life. Couldn’t do that now! Thanks for the link, I’ll take a look at it. Take care of yourself 😍
Bill and I were lucky to travel together in our younger years too. Our favorite trips were the months we spent in England, researching the Robin Paige books. The trips gave us a purpose, destinations, and much continued conversation (and more research) after we got back home. We remember years of our lives by the book and book-related travel of that year. Less favorite, maybe, but still fun: book tour travel together, from one little town to another across the U.S. We still hear from people we met and places we visited (libraries, bookstores, gardens). Lovely years, lovely memories. And yes, we couldn't do that now, for lots of reasons--and not all age-related.
Happy to tell you, it is only snowing now at just below freezing. This is a very good sign. With the wind chill last night it was something like 14 degrees and the ground has been bare this whole time with no snow for insultation.. I actually threw an old comforter over the well-wrapped outside faucet at the pump house. We woman, do what we have to do, no matter what it may look like! : -)
Making Susan's Spicy Root Stew as a reward for getting through this stressful time! Yummo! It smells so good!
Yes! It was/is delicious with a dollop of cashew yogurt and I opted for cornbread in place of the dumplings this time. (I'm rather fond of cornbread for breakfast! :-)
I should correct my reference of Spicy Root Stew to the correct recipe name of Winter Root Vegetable Soup with Dumplings
from Susan's
Growing Green with the Zodiac
The Growing Green Workbook: Toward an Ecological Astrology
Leenie, I did that book with the University of Texas Press. They didn't do a good job of distributing their books (not their fault--it's just the nature of university presses), so not many copies got out there. I was glad to see that it finally (just a few years ago) was reissued in digital. What was important to me about the writing process was the way the diary format forced me to track the political/economic developments, which were so vivid and splashy at the time--but now, of course, are faded into sepia, if people remember them at all. I'm sure you understand this, as actively engaged w/journaling as you are. We understand and remember more when we get the thoughts outside of our brains and into a medium to which we can return.
Yes, that up-date is what will be making me do this dreaded thing, too. I do hope your pictures have been found. I lost all of Word a day or two ago but it happily came back when I restarted. Phew!
I hope you settle into your new computer soon, Susan! This takes me into an experience of a way of life I never had, which is a big reason I read, so I thank you for sharing it with us.
I'm lucky to have had it as a child, and to have it still--a privilege that I cherish, especially in this time of wilderness loss and climate change. The computer change is a challenge. Just "lost" the email download--got it back but not at all sure what happened. Eeek!
I appreciate your tenacity as. you tackle the required changes mandated by updating your computer. Patience is a virtue - one I sometimes lack.. When I moved to be near my daughter after my husband.lost his battle with cancer, she bought me a Apple portable. My entire computer experience had been with PCs (because of my husband). The first few weeks I was so sorely tempted to switch back to my old PC tower - but my daughter and her husband knew nothing about the PC platform. To this day there are "lost" files I would love to retrieve.
Since most of my childhood was spent living on military bases, I had little opportunity to experience nature as you and some others enjoyed. Your writing allows me to close my eyes and experience through your words.
My best childhood memories are from the summers my brother and I spent in Colorado with my paternal grandparents. My grandfather grew roses - we "cataloged" the colors and scents of over 100 varieties each summer. Denver experienced torrential rain during thunderstorms. The excess water spilled over the curbs onto the stretches of grass that separated the curb from the sidewalk. My brother and I spent hours playing in the water - with various "floating" objects. Afterwards our clothes were wrung out with a mangle as we took turns in the bathtub.
OMG - I do remember my Mom having a "mangle" in the utility room.... but hers was some type of ironing device. It was padded and covered in a muslin tube. She would iron sheets and carefully folded clothes in it, feeding them in very slowly. She and my grandparents and all the local farms and neighbors had wringer washing machines. That wring served to squeeze the excess soapy/rinse water from clothes before they were hung on the line. Mrs. Babcock across the street ran her hand through the wringer washer machine and my Mom had to call the volunteer fire department to dispatch an ambulance. I can still see that huge 1950 hearse-styled vehicle carrying our farm neighbor away.... Your grandfather's roses must have been amazing!
The mangle I remember was sitting next to the washing machine (very different from today) over a sink. The washing machine didn't "spin" the clothes - it only filled, agitated and emptied. After the wash/rinse cycle he helped my grandmother squeeze out the wet clothes and then they were hung on a clothes line outside.
He was a fire fighter in Denver (therefore exempt from being a soldier in WW I) as he was "essential personnel." He had 48 hour shifts and they did have the classic pole from the sleeping quarters upstairs. He was the cook for the firehouse - he always cooked for us - my grandmother only baked.
He was very skilled - he finished the basement, with a wall of cedar cabinets.
Ah - so a stand-alone device! Sounds like a very practical and useful addition to laundry day. When I was growing up, all the clothes were dried outside on clotheslines. I remember dozens and dozens of diapers flapping in the breeze when my "surprise" late-life twin brothers were born. Eventually Mom had a clothes dryer but still hung the clothes outside most of the time. We loved the way they smelled.
Ah, cloth diapers. I had them with my 3--and yes, hung them out until we got a dryer. Glorious smell but a LOT of work. And especially difficult on winter days.
Or rainy days. My son was allergc to something in disposable diapers, so I used cloth most of the time. Fortunately I had a dryer - the winter cold was not as challenging as rainy days. Neighbors also didn't the look of a clothes line.
We too had a mangle, I remember it as huge but I was only about five at the time, but it did span the big washing sink. I was allowed to turn the handle but warned over and over to keep my fingers away from the rollers - I was scared of it!
Ah - those are impressive looking devices! Thanks for the link... I do love vintage household tools - if they could talk -- their stories would be wonderful!
I wonder if anybody remembers mangles, Georgeann--or have they gone the way of your lost PC files. Was that one electric or manual? My mother had both, the hand model from our years on a farm without electricity, the other part of her later Maytag. Lovely that you have your grandfather's roses to remember, especially given the years on military bases. And your mention of paddling in the water suddenly reminded me of a long-forgotten recollection of playing with a pair of baby ducklings in a backyard puddle. Thank you!
The mangle I remember was a hand-crank style. It did not do any of the ironing. My grandparents were always very watchful of us around the "new" electrical devices.
We lived in the "city." My grandparents' corner lot was almost 0.5 acre. Their dog, a
coal-black pomeranian, caught baby birds that fell out of nests; she also caught baby rabbits and once a baby fox. My grandfather always told us he put them back in their nests or burrows. At the time we never questioned what he said.
Congratulation on getting a new computer and for having the perseverance / courage - to gather all the bits and bobs back - after the upgrade! Upgrades can become Herculean tasks - Bravo for taking it on! I happily remember your book referenced in this post - in fact, I think I am going to find it in my book stash and read it again... I enjoyed hearing about your early farm life...it adds another dimension to the concept of you that I hold in my head, when I read your writings...
While we did not grow up on farm, we had the 2 Babcock brothers who farmed much of the land bordering the narrow (Stoddard's Wharf Rd.) where I grew up. We grew up picking wild blueberries by the empty qt. mayonnaise jars, eating from the pantry and freezer where my mom canned our garden and froze the cleaned/plucked/skinned rabbits and chickens which my father raised in big coop that came with the home we bought in the 50s. (He was from NY but always said "If there is a book about it, I can learn how to do it.") - and so he learned how to grow chickens and rabbits...and my mother learned how to can stuff and pluck pinfeathers by trial and error. Tramping around fields, gathering pollywog eggs, making moss gardens, picking princess pine and creeping jenny to make and sell wreaths for Christmas gift money for the family, 4-H, - all of those things installed in me a love of ordinary days, country places, country activities, insects, plants, rocks, caves - and peaceful solitude. Even here in my close-in suburb in Austin, my yard is wild - natives grow profusely and survive summer sizzle without irrigation, and every year the tomatoes and peppers in my yard triumph over TX heat with a little help. My neighbor's daughter tells me my yard always reminded her of a secret garden when she was growing up. I know what you mean in some of your writings, about slowing down -- I just turned 78 and somedays I need to drag the handy chair around with me when weeding or planting. And the day after a yard marathon, all my joints scream at me. But all of it - the dirt, the weeds, the plants, the birds, all of it - keep me coming back for more of the joy of it - each day.
Lucky you, to have those memories of an abundant natural world that a child could immerse herself in. (Thinking how different that is from the way kids are growing up today--and what a loss that is.) Blessings on thee for going native with your yard! The more people do that, the less drawdown on our fragile aquifers. And I'm with your dad: books (and now the internet) are here to learn from. Where would we be without them?!
Also good to hear that you're still doing well with tomatoes. It's hard to get them to set fruit when the nights are above 70, as they are now for most of the summer.
It's wonderful to recall as you do with deep longing, the memorable days that reaffirmed us and our place on earth. There's power in those footsteps that say, "I'm here!" Alive. Awake. Fully present. Here.
Susan, I'm so happy you see that dimension in our lives, how we are woven through time on our heroine's journey. xo
p.s. One of my students in my online class last Saturday is a big fan of yours and lives nearby in the Bay Area. Thanks for recommending my Substack that led her to take the class.
For a short two years in my childhood, a field/wetland provided such sense of place for me. I still dream now and then of the whoosh of walking among the dry, waist-high grasses.
Memories are wonderful. Revives the hope in our hearts.
And heaven knows we all need a little more hope!
Aaaaah, Hawai’i ❤️ We had over a foot of snow overnight so I’m envying you, though NOT the unpacking and sorting. Wish you luck with that.
A foot of snow! That puts things into perspective, doesn't it?
The snow plow was a great investment, makes relatively short work of all the white stuff without the heavy lifting. Aleta loves it and enjoys spraying clouds of snow into the air, then Daniel does the clearout shoveling after. A good morning’s work - and all I had to do was ‘supervise’ 😆
May you quickly figure out moving your files and loading favorite programs. Am 1/3 way through our serious book this month—freaky and sad. Thinking of a few friends who have deep regret on how they cast their vote and all because of one issue!
On a brighter note I really appreciate your book “ China Bayliss Book of Days-365 Celebrations of Mystery, Myth, and Magic of Herbs…
I go through it every year for new recipes, reminders on herb growing and great quotes.
That book was so much fun. I think of doing another edition--or of doing something like it via Substack.
I'm glad to hear that at least some people regret their vote. They're likely to regret it even more before he's out of office. But the Project 2025 folk will probably clone him in 2028.
Getting used to a new place called home on the Big Island of Hawaii. The bird calls are different and occur both in the morning-my alarm clock- and at sunset. The full moon appeared out of misty clouds from my new bedroom window last evening. I can also see the Big Dipper without raising my head from my pillow!
Oh, you're there already! Wonderful news--hope the move went smoothly (or that it was only a *little* bumpy). Are you completely moved or will you have to go back?
We are here unpacking all of our stuff and trying to fit it into our little house, two 40 foot containers and an inclosed car tent! And we tried to eliminate so many things before we moved! We are pack rats!!!
Gees Louise! How have I missed your 'An Extraordinary Year of Ordinary Days'!??! I will be looking for a copy post haste.
Your post today is so, so lovely! I can smell that hay and the hay bails you were muscling around! How the air can get 'dusty' with it and fill ones nose. And big animals can get pushy at feeding time! lol And then the sweet walks out in the fields and nearby woodlands at different times of year. Though we were a little closer to built up areas then you, those are some of my memories, too. Looking for the pussy willows and listening for the frogs were some of my favorite things to do.
Once I was old enough, like you and your brother Susan, I became the 'farmhand' to do the early morning feeding of our 3-4 horses. And I was elected to clean the stalls and field with a wheelbarrow and rake and shovel. I had a love hate relationship with the chores. I loved the horses with their different personalities and can still smell the sweetness of their feed and both the Timothy and Alfalfa hays. I liked being sure they had water in the big concrete laundry sink turned into a watering trough and even doing things like brushing them and cleaning their hooves. Cleaning the field was less thrilling, but it taught me how to get a job done while thinking about where I might take my next ride. The area we lived in had little neighborhoods and big undeveloped areas. It was perfect for riding horses! I could head west towards the saltwater beaches of lower Puget Sound or east towards wooded hills and valleys with trails along rivers and creeks. My horse Brownie was such a perfect ride. She was rarely spooked and was more like a faithful dog in her way of staying at my side when I was on foot. A pretty Arab/Morgan cross with a gentle rolling walk and trot, she was always ready for a ride. Hard to believe now, that in my later teens my head got turned by boys and such, but up till then, she was my pal. My way to see all that is now gone forever.
Yes, Susan, her contribution was remarkable, especially as a woman at that time. Ms Potter is one of my heroes, a real inspiration.
It’s so obvious that you know the Lake District well, Susan, not just from research. Think I’ve mentioned before that Hill Top is one of my most favourite, magical places. Caryll and I did one trip there via restored trains, another by car (when she was still driving) and an extended coach trip. How true that talking about these times adds to the joy at the time. Caryll and I took every opportunity to visit different areas of the UK , though sadly we did miss out on the Harry Potter trips.
I appreciated our time in the Lake District even more after I learned just how much land Miss Potter contributed to the National Trust. She's the reason that lovely wildness is undeveloped--a gift that wasn't widely known until Linda Lear included it in her wonderful biography.
That book was my introduction to serious politics-watching, Sandy--and the markets, too. By that time, Bill and I had been "homesteaders" here for 20+ years, but we weren't "preppers" or "survivalists." But 2008 showed us how fragile our economy is, and we began thinking of more effective ways to manage our lives out here. 12 years later (blink of an eye in Earth time), we got another abrupt lesson, with COVID. These are wakeup calls. Hope others are listening.
Love your story about growing up w/horses. Kids these days miss so much, and can't enjoy the freedoms we had. That's sad . . . .
I found this free preview of the first 20 pages or so this morning on Google Books.
https://www.google.com/books/edition/_/cNvf_lqPW6UC?hl=en
Love that Wendel Berry poem near the start. It is a wonderful way to reposition oneself with what is lost. Looking forward to reading this book! No worries about it being about the past. (What isn't these days! lol) I have requested the eBook be added to Libby.
So true about kid's loss of freedom. Heck, I don't see how any of us are going to get that back. At least in our lifetime. I don't feel safe waiting at bus stops anymore. Too many people see old people as targets and more or less worthless. Even so, the big loss of freedom is for kids. I don't see enough kids getting one-on-one time with the out of doors, to feel the kinship with nature that you and I feel. Without that, how will there be a majority of humans who care about wildlife? They may get to a point where they care about the climate for self preservation's sake, but not really care about saving the flora and fauna and all that supports it, because they never have experienced it enough to feel connected to it Being out in a ball park playing baseball is not the same thing as walking across an abandoned pasture or along a creek bed at different times of year. What percentage of kids in the US have experiences like that, these days? That is why I support things like the Christmas Bird Count as a little way to open the door to nature.
I agree, Sandy. this piece is so evocative. I didn't grow up on a farm and yet I too could smell the hay, feel my fingers icy and stiff, imagine my warm breath a cloud before my face. I missed that book until now but just found and ordered it from Thriftbooks. They only had one copy so I didn't hesitate.
For as long as I can remember, I've yearned to see Puget Sound. I'm such a homebody and don't have much wanderlust at all but two places I have wanted to see since I was a teenager are Puget Sound and the shores of Greece. It has been so long that I can't really remember why or when that desire began. It's just always been with me. A stained-glass artist friend who has visited both said to me, "That's interesting, Leenie, because the two have a very similar feel." Who knows the origins of these tugs to places unknown?
Hi Leenie,
Sorry to have been slow to reply. We are having exceptionally cold nights and I have been doing what i can to keep pipes from freezing and pets and plants snug. Wish me luck on getting through tonight as it is supposed to start warming ever so slightly after that. So interesting about your desire to see both Greece and Puget Sound! My only knowledge of Greece is secondhand from a dear friend who was thirty year older than me. She wanted to take a last big trip and ask everyone for suggestions. One woman said Australia and another suggested the Greek Island of Mykonos and said Australia is a young country and very like the US in many ways. Greece still has ways that are ancient and a culture the reflects those long roots. So off to Mykonos she went all by herself at close to 80 and she had a wonderful time!!! With simple pictures of the people she met and shared meals and conversation with, and the lovely surrounding seaside place where she stayed. She was very happy that she took that trip! And I was very happy for her!
Puget Sound has many aspects worth exploring. the upper portion where the San Juan Islands are is sometimes referred to as the Salish Sea and where our few remaining Orca whales can be seen. It has it's own unique feeling and makes a wonderful Get Away from today's busyness. Then of course there is the stretch that Seattle is built on known as Elliot Bay and the several islands nestled in that area which can be approached by ferries. Even a day of walk-on ferry travel is worth the views of both the Olympic and Cascade Mountains Including Mt Rainier! BTW - You can also do walk-ons for the San Juan Islands, too. (Best not to do ferry travel over any of the holiday weekends as there are always long waits then.) Otherwise the ferries are a wonderful way to kickback and take in the views whether driving or walking. The lower portion of Puget Sound is where Tacoma is, with it famous Dale Chihuly Glass Museum. And the Tacoma Narrows Bridge sometimes still referred to as Galloping Gertie! Under that bridge the Narrows is quite deep and is home to some very large Octopi among other remarkable sea creatures.
If you ever come, do plan to stay for a few days. There is lots to see! :-) Tulip Festivals, Strawberry Festivals, The Pike Place Market, Rain Forest walks, and so much more!
Susan, you have my sympathy. Was given a new iPhone at Christmas to replace my elderly (small!) one and it’s caused endless problems, especially with online banking. Thank goodness for my teenage granddaughter who patiently explains to grandma how to overcome this or that roadblock 😆 It sure takes a lot of patience and work. I loved reading this post, evoked parts of my own childhood.
Oh, those phones! Just way more tech than I need, and I'm continually making mistakes with it. But ours saved us today: the clutch on our old (2005) Honda gave out on the way back from grocery shopping, 10 from home on a country highway. Called our longtime repair shop in Austin (70 mi), called an Austin wrecker to arrange a tow, called a neighbor for a ride home. Bill had forgotten his phone--what if I'd forgotten mine? What would we have done without it??
Oh my Susan! So glad all of those connections worked out and that you and Bill got back home okay. Hope all goes well with the car repair. You and Bill deserve a good rest and night cap!
One thing Aleta has me well trained about - my phone is always within reach! Either in a pocket or hanging from my neck in a small pouch. Also it’s kept charged plus I have a battery as backup. One emergency like yours is a wake-up call. Especially living where you do! The new phone is so sensitive though, have to be ultra careful how these clumsy fingers touch it.
This brought back such happy memories, Sandy, of a wonderful cruise in the Mediterranean that took in several beautiful Greek islands - the food, the people, black beaches, donkeys, a different sunlight - also (while living in Alberta) of trips covering Seattle/Victoria/Vancouver and the many islands in the Sound. Wonderful times!
Hey Lynn, good to hear from you. I was wondering how you are doing. I wish I had a phone savvy kid around to help with tech stuff! I have to get a new phone to make my online deposits, too! I think this is a racket that the banks and phone manufacturers have cooked up. At least it feels that way when I have to buy an expensive new phone just to make the deposits that I have been making for years.
On a happier note I loved hearing of your Mediterranean Cruise! Oh that sounds wonderful!
I have been meaning to pass on this link to one of my favorite Canadian bird watchers and nature lover. He has this 1 picture a day site and take note of the Sunday Read link included as he always has lots of good stuff there, too. https://open.substack.com/pub/whilewalkingtoday/p/snowy-owl?r=2l04ge&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
Be well and good luck with the phone! : -)
Hey, Sandy, it’s been rather challenging lately, what with the new phone, the weather, some problems with my poor husband at his resident home, sister and brother both having health problems - sometimes it gets to be a bit overwhelming but this forum, my reading, crossword puzzles all help to keep me sane and laughing 😁 And it’s a real blessing having daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter so close at hand. And I’m so very glad Hal and I traveled while we were younger and didn’t wait until retirement - we saw a lot of the world while we were active and able to make the most of it. My sister and I also did quite a bit of traveling when I visited her in the UK, including a wonderful cruise that took us into the Baltic and as far as St. Petersburg in Russia. We did a tour of the Hermitage museum there, a highlight of my life. Couldn’t do that now! Thanks for the link, I’ll take a look at it. Take care of yourself 😍
Bill and I were lucky to travel together in our younger years too. Our favorite trips were the months we spent in England, researching the Robin Paige books. The trips gave us a purpose, destinations, and much continued conversation (and more research) after we got back home. We remember years of our lives by the book and book-related travel of that year. Less favorite, maybe, but still fun: book tour travel together, from one little town to another across the U.S. We still hear from people we met and places we visited (libraries, bookstores, gardens). Lovely years, lovely memories. And yes, we couldn't do that now, for lots of reasons--and not all age-related.
Oh, and wishing you warmth and safety!🥶❄️
Happy to tell you, it is only snowing now at just below freezing. This is a very good sign. With the wind chill last night it was something like 14 degrees and the ground has been bare this whole time with no snow for insultation.. I actually threw an old comforter over the well-wrapped outside faucet at the pump house. We woman, do what we have to do, no matter what it may look like! : -)
Making Susan's Spicy Root Stew as a reward for getting through this stressful time! Yummo! It smells so good!
Enjoy that stew! And smart to add extra cover at the pump house.
Yes! It was/is delicious with a dollop of cashew yogurt and I opted for cornbread in place of the dumplings this time. (I'm rather fond of cornbread for breakfast! :-)
I should correct my reference of Spicy Root Stew to the correct recipe name of Winter Root Vegetable Soup with Dumplings
from Susan's
Growing Green with the Zodiac
The Growing Green Workbook: Toward an Ecological Astrology
Capricorn Season: December 22-January 19
It is definitely a keeper!
Oh, yum! Spicy Root Stew on a chilly, snowy day is so cozy. Enjoy every bite!
It sounds delightful! Thank you for the “tour.” 🌞💚
Leenie, I did that book with the University of Texas Press. They didn't do a good job of distributing their books (not their fault--it's just the nature of university presses), so not many copies got out there. I was glad to see that it finally (just a few years ago) was reissued in digital. What was important to me about the writing process was the way the diary format forced me to track the political/economic developments, which were so vivid and splashy at the time--but now, of course, are faded into sepia, if people remember them at all. I'm sure you understand this, as actively engaged w/journaling as you are. We understand and remember more when we get the thoughts outside of our brains and into a medium to which we can return.
Good luck with your new computer I'm dreading the day I have to find a new one for me
Thank you--do put it off as long as you can, Liz. I wouldn't have done it but the update to Windows 11 forced it.
Yes, that up-date is what will be making me do this dreaded thing, too. I do hope your pictures have been found. I lost all of Word a day or two ago but it happily came back when I restarted. Phew!
I hope you settle into your new computer soon, Susan! This takes me into an experience of a way of life I never had, which is a big reason I read, so I thank you for sharing it with us.
I'm lucky to have had it as a child, and to have it still--a privilege that I cherish, especially in this time of wilderness loss and climate change. The computer change is a challenge. Just "lost" the email download--got it back but not at all sure what happened. Eeek!
😅 I hope you don't have any more near misses with losing electronic files. 🙏🏽
I appreciate your tenacity as. you tackle the required changes mandated by updating your computer. Patience is a virtue - one I sometimes lack.. When I moved to be near my daughter after my husband.lost his battle with cancer, she bought me a Apple portable. My entire computer experience had been with PCs (because of my husband). The first few weeks I was so sorely tempted to switch back to my old PC tower - but my daughter and her husband knew nothing about the PC platform. To this day there are "lost" files I would love to retrieve.
Since most of my childhood was spent living on military bases, I had little opportunity to experience nature as you and some others enjoyed. Your writing allows me to close my eyes and experience through your words.
My best childhood memories are from the summers my brother and I spent in Colorado with my paternal grandparents. My grandfather grew roses - we "cataloged" the colors and scents of over 100 varieties each summer. Denver experienced torrential rain during thunderstorms. The excess water spilled over the curbs onto the stretches of grass that separated the curb from the sidewalk. My brother and I spent hours playing in the water - with various "floating" objects. Afterwards our clothes were wrung out with a mangle as we took turns in the bathtub.
OMG - I do remember my Mom having a "mangle" in the utility room.... but hers was some type of ironing device. It was padded and covered in a muslin tube. She would iron sheets and carefully folded clothes in it, feeding them in very slowly. She and my grandparents and all the local farms and neighbors had wringer washing machines. That wring served to squeeze the excess soapy/rinse water from clothes before they were hung on the line. Mrs. Babcock across the street ran her hand through the wringer washer machine and my Mom had to call the volunteer fire department to dispatch an ambulance. I can still see that huge 1950 hearse-styled vehicle carrying our farm neighbor away.... Your grandfather's roses must have been amazing!
The mangle I remember was sitting next to the washing machine (very different from today) over a sink. The washing machine didn't "spin" the clothes - it only filled, agitated and emptied. After the wash/rinse cycle he helped my grandmother squeeze out the wet clothes and then they were hung on a clothes line outside.
He was a fire fighter in Denver (therefore exempt from being a soldier in WW I) as he was "essential personnel." He had 48 hour shifts and they did have the classic pole from the sleeping quarters upstairs. He was the cook for the firehouse - he always cooked for us - my grandmother only baked.
He was very skilled - he finished the basement, with a wall of cedar cabinets.
Ah - so a stand-alone device! Sounds like a very practical and useful addition to laundry day. When I was growing up, all the clothes were dried outside on clotheslines. I remember dozens and dozens of diapers flapping in the breeze when my "surprise" late-life twin brothers were born. Eventually Mom had a clothes dryer but still hung the clothes outside most of the time. We loved the way they smelled.
Ah, cloth diapers. I had them with my 3--and yes, hung them out until we got a dryer. Glorious smell but a LOT of work. And especially difficult on winter days.
Or rainy days. My son was allergc to something in disposable diapers, so I used cloth most of the time. Fortunately I had a dryer - the winter cold was not as challenging as rainy days. Neighbors also didn't the look of a clothes line.
The mangle that I remember was wider than the one on the washer. Something like this, only smaller: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mangle_(machine)#/media/File:Mangle.jpg And I remember Mom cautioning me about getting my long hair caught in the wringer. Poor Mrs. Babcock!
We too had a mangle, I remember it as huge but I was only about five at the time, but it did span the big washing sink. I was allowed to turn the handle but warned over and over to keep my fingers away from the rollers - I was scared of it!
Ah - those are impressive looking devices! Thanks for the link... I do love vintage household tools - if they could talk -- their stories would be wonderful!
I wonder if anybody remembers mangles, Georgeann--or have they gone the way of your lost PC files. Was that one electric or manual? My mother had both, the hand model from our years on a farm without electricity, the other part of her later Maytag. Lovely that you have your grandfather's roses to remember, especially given the years on military bases. And your mention of paddling in the water suddenly reminded me of a long-forgotten recollection of playing with a pair of baby ducklings in a backyard puddle. Thank you!
The mangle I remember was a hand-crank style. It did not do any of the ironing. My grandparents were always very watchful of us around the "new" electrical devices.
We lived in the "city." My grandparents' corner lot was almost 0.5 acre. Their dog, a
coal-black pomeranian, caught baby birds that fell out of nests; she also caught baby rabbits and once a baby fox. My grandfather always told us he put them back in their nests or burrows. At the time we never questioned what he said.
Susan, I find your nothing extraordinary to be quite extraordinary and delightful.
Congratulation on getting a new computer and for having the perseverance / courage - to gather all the bits and bobs back - after the upgrade! Upgrades can become Herculean tasks - Bravo for taking it on! I happily remember your book referenced in this post - in fact, I think I am going to find it in my book stash and read it again... I enjoyed hearing about your early farm life...it adds another dimension to the concept of you that I hold in my head, when I read your writings...
While we did not grow up on farm, we had the 2 Babcock brothers who farmed much of the land bordering the narrow (Stoddard's Wharf Rd.) where I grew up. We grew up picking wild blueberries by the empty qt. mayonnaise jars, eating from the pantry and freezer where my mom canned our garden and froze the cleaned/plucked/skinned rabbits and chickens which my father raised in big coop that came with the home we bought in the 50s. (He was from NY but always said "If there is a book about it, I can learn how to do it.") - and so he learned how to grow chickens and rabbits...and my mother learned how to can stuff and pluck pinfeathers by trial and error. Tramping around fields, gathering pollywog eggs, making moss gardens, picking princess pine and creeping jenny to make and sell wreaths for Christmas gift money for the family, 4-H, - all of those things installed in me a love of ordinary days, country places, country activities, insects, plants, rocks, caves - and peaceful solitude. Even here in my close-in suburb in Austin, my yard is wild - natives grow profusely and survive summer sizzle without irrigation, and every year the tomatoes and peppers in my yard triumph over TX heat with a little help. My neighbor's daughter tells me my yard always reminded her of a secret garden when she was growing up. I know what you mean in some of your writings, about slowing down -- I just turned 78 and somedays I need to drag the handy chair around with me when weeding or planting. And the day after a yard marathon, all my joints scream at me. But all of it - the dirt, the weeds, the plants, the birds, all of it - keep me coming back for more of the joy of it - each day.
Lucky you, to have those memories of an abundant natural world that a child could immerse herself in. (Thinking how different that is from the way kids are growing up today--and what a loss that is.) Blessings on thee for going native with your yard! The more people do that, the less drawdown on our fragile aquifers. And I'm with your dad: books (and now the internet) are here to learn from. Where would we be without them?!
Also good to hear that you're still doing well with tomatoes. It's hard to get them to set fruit when the nights are above 70, as they are now for most of the summer.
It's wonderful to recall as you do with deep longing, the memorable days that reaffirmed us and our place on earth. There's power in those footsteps that say, "I'm here!" Alive. Awake. Fully present. Here.
Yes--and all part of the heroine's journey, the past woven into the present and future.
Susan, I'm so happy you see that dimension in our lives, how we are woven through time on our heroine's journey. xo
p.s. One of my students in my online class last Saturday is a big fan of yours and lives nearby in the Bay Area. Thanks for recommending my Substack that led her to take the class.
Oh, good to hear, Kate! This platform is such a convenient place for us to connect. I'm glad we can all gather here.
For a short two years in my childhood, a field/wetland provided such sense of place for me. I still dream now and then of the whoosh of walking among the dry, waist-high grasses.
Lovely to have those memories--and yes, that past does reach into our present lives, often in ways we don't consciously recognize.
Love the extraordinary ordinary in this, Susan.