Harvey

 While outside on a break from work today I noticed a tiny baby mouse on the sidewalk. Tiny,eyes still shut and scared for it's life this poor little thing was barely crawling across the ground looking for help. I admit that at first I walked away,went back to work and tried to go on with my day. I kept checking on him out the window while people,bikes and shopping carts wizzed by barely missing him...it broke my heart. So on a later break I retrieved an old tupperware container out of my van,lined it with paper towels and grabbed a plastic shower cap to put over the top..just in case he was more mobile than he appeared. I scooped him up in the container and hoped that would do until I figured out my next move. On my lunch break I confessed to Vern what I was up to as I gathered bits of food from our fridge.  He was afraid I was signing up for a pet mouse..no no no. I'm not a Mama mouse and there's only so much I can do until I have to accept the inevitable.Nature will take it's course.
I decided to at least give him a name and say a prayer for him. So I said a prayer for Harvey and returned to work while he waited in my van. He slept so hard that he squeeked when I woke him after work. I assume it had been a long day! Honestly I was surprised he was still alive. I knew the best thing to do is to take him out to a safe little spot in the woods tomorrow morning and drop him off. Hope for the best. Satisfied I did what I could...
I went about my evening as normal but I couldn't stop thinking about Harvey out in my van and all alone. So out of curiosity I googled how to care for a baby mouse. Feedings every 2 hours,stimulate bowel movements etc etc etc...oh goodness.Survival rate very low..something about kitten milk...yadda yadda.No way-too much for me! Or is it? After much debate with myself,I decided I would feel better about "nature taking it's course" if I did what I could for now. I went out to the van with some warm, watered down, milk in a shot glass and a washcloth.He didn't move much,I thought I was already too late...then he began to wiggle,I think he was asleep again. I snuggled him in the cloth and turned him on his back so I could drop milk into his mouth with a toothpick.The website had said a drop or two is enough and I had to improvise with real milk and a toothpick but....it worked pretty good!Gosh he was so cute! He drank a few drops,his eyes still unopen he stretched his head out to eat. I loosely wrapped him into the washcloth and put him back in the container. I found one of those instant  hand warmers in my van console and put it under the container for some extra warmth. It was a sweet little moment for me,feeding this helpless little baby and admiring his tiny little feet and face.I felt better knowing that if he passes tonight,he won't be alone,hungry and cold. None of God's creatures deserve that,not even Harvey.
So I am promising myself that I will do what I said I would tomorrow. Drop him off somewhere where he can go back to being part of the circle of life..but I won't lie...it's going to be hard. That tiny creature reminded me that we are all important, no matter how insignificant or broken we may seem to the majority of passers by..
and I pray that the bits of goodness I am able to share with the world makes a difference.I wish I could do as much for Harvey as he has done for me.
Thanks Harvey :)

Food Spoilage Guide, A Guide For The Rest Of Us!

Food Spoilage Guide, A Guide For The Rest Of Us!
 

Finally, a way to know what to pitch and what to save!

THE GAG TEST
Anything that makes you gag is spoiled (except for leftovers from what you cooked for yourself last night).

EGGS
When something starts pecking its way out of the shell, the egg is probably past its prime.

DAIRY PRODUCTS
Milk is spoiled when it starts to look like yogurt. Yogurt is spoiled when it starts to look like cottage cheese. Cottage cheese is spoiled when it starts to look like regular cheese. Regular cheese is nothing but spoiled milk anyway and can't get any more spoiled than it is already. Cheddar cheese is spoiled when you think it is blue cheese but you realize you've never purchased that kind.

MAYONNAISE
If it makes you violently ill after you eat it, the mayonnaise is spoiled.

FROZEN FOODS
Frozen foods that have become an integral part of the defrosting problem in your freezer compartment will probably be spoiled - (or wrecked anyway) by the time you pry them out with a kitchen knife.

EXPIRATION DATES
This is NOT a marketing ploy to encourage you to throw away perfectly good food so that you'll spend more on groceries. Perhaps you'd benefit by having a calender in your kitchen.

MEAT
If opening the refrigerator door causes stray animals from a three-block radius to congregate outside your house, the meat is spoiled.

BREAD
Sesame seeds and Poppy seeds are the only officially acceptable "spots" that should be seen on the surface of any loaf of bread. Fuzzy and hairy looking white or green growth areas are a good indication that your bread has turned into a pharmaceutical laboratory experiment.

FLOUR
Flour is spoiled when it wiggles.

SALT
It never spoils.

CEREAL
It is generally a good rule of thumb that cereal should be discarded when it is two years or longer beyond the expiration date.
 
LETTUCE
Bibb lettuce is spoiled when you can't get it off the bottom of the vegetable crisper without Comet. Romaine lettuce is spoiled when it turns liquid.

CANNED GOODS
Any canned goods that have become the size or shape of a softball should be disposed of. Carefully.

POTATOES
Fresh potatoes do not have roots, branches, or dense, leafy undergrowth.

CHIP DIP
If you can take it out of its container and bounce it on the floor, it has gone bad.

EMPTY CONTAINERS
Putting empty containers back into the refrigerator is an old trick, but it only works if you live with someone or have a maid.

UNMARKED ITEMS
You know it is well beyond prime when you're tempted to discard the Tupperware along with the food. Generally speaking, Tupperware containers should not burp when you open them.

GENERAL RULE OF THUMB
Most food cannot be kept longer than the average life span of a hamster. Keep a hamster in or nearby your refrigerator to gauge this.

SEPTEMBER?!?!

How is it that tomorrow is September 1st? Where was summer? I was waiting for it to show up..it stopped by,said it would be back and....it never did  :(  Now fall is creeping in! I finally (but ever so reluctantly) put on my big fuzzy socks today,I'm craving comfort food and I am plotting Christmas..what the heck! SO I turn my thoughts to my fast approaching vacation. 7 days off ,6 of them in Sekiu with friends,family and fishing.. 6 whole days in paradise disconnected from the whole world. No running water and no flushy toilet yet for some strange reason...I love every minute of it!
Here's the campers we stay in,we stay in the one on the left-

Here's the toilet-

And here's the kitchen-

Here is the "busy " little fishing town full of anxious fishermen-

I love the sunsets in Sekiu,especially from out on the Straits Of Juan de Fuca.

A good morning fishing!I love this pic of my Dad,Vern and Lloyd. 3 very awesome guys and die-hard fishermen!

Oh now I am getting excited! Now I am also realizing I have A LOT to do in the next two weeks!Meal planning and precooking heart healthy meals my Dad will eat but that also taste good.He is very strict about his diet...and I want him around for as long as possible soo..turkey and chicken it is!haha
As for me,I sit here and think of all my favorite things I like to do while I am there..
I want to-
*wake up,make coffee and head directly to the beach. No checking the time or brushing your hair. Just barefoot in a cozy sweatshirt,waking up and having coffee with the tide and the sparkly rocks it scattered on the beach.

*skip the personal maintenance routine.Although I find a way to shower almost everyday, I love that for a whole week I have no use for make up,a blow drier or wearing fashionable matching outfits. Instead it's bandannas,sunglasses and a few layers of the most functional clothing I own..including rubber boots and rain gear if needed.

*have quality time with Vern without all the daily interruptions of our regular life. I love getting away with him and  relaxing and having fun with no cell phones,computers or schedules.

*fill the memory card on my camera. 1,100 pics is a fair challenge.

*sit on the beach,maybe even nap. When we are on the beach we are always moving. This time,I am going to bring a few good magazines,blankets and snacks and just go sit an hang out in a private little beach spot.If I am lucky enough to have a sunny day and a low,calm tide..I just might nap :)

*admit that I enjoy playing "house" at camp. Washing dishes with a hose,cooking over an open fire and keeping the camper somewhat organized. It's fun to change up the ol' routine!

So I change my opinion..HURRY UP SEPTEMBER! I want to go on vacation!
:)

Strawberry Bread

Strawberry bread
Preheat oven to 350

3 cups all purpose four
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. vanilla
2 cups sugaar
4 eggs beaten
1 cup cooking oil
2 1/2 cups sliced strawberries
Mix it all up by hand.
Add berries last and fold in gently.

Bake fro 35-45 minutes in small loaf pans or about 1 hour and 10 minutes in 2 large loaf pans.
Remember each oven is different so be sure to UNDER set your timer so you don't OVER bake!

My Notes-
When the loaves are cooling,I cut a section out of the bread lengthwise down the center of the loaf  (but keep the cut shallow so you don't cut through the bottom of the loaf!)and fill with cream cheese.

The School Of Life Teaches Again..

agoraphobia

–noun Psychiatry .

an abnormal fear of being in crowds, public places, or open areas, sometimes accompanied by anxiety attacks.

 

I had a client recently with this disorder. She was very upfront and honest about it. I was thankful for the opportunity to meet her yet I realized I had zero knowledge on the subject,or how to help make being in my chair easier! Once we got chatting the appointment went very well. She shared with me her struggles with agoraphobia,praised her patient husband and 3 happy children and her new style was cut and dried before she knew it. Victory! She had survived,she felt beautiful AND she had fun! Victory! I love my job....;)

  compassion 

–noun

a feeling of deep sympathy and sorrow for another who is stricken by misfortune, accompanied by a strong desire to alleviate the suffering.

 

 

Feelin' Chesty...

I SCORED at a garage sale today!

I got a chest freezer for $25!

Funny thing..I wished for a chest freezer a few weeks ago when I realized trimming the food budget means buying in bulk.

We are true carnivores at this house and meat is a huge percentage of the food budget!

Plus fishing season is coming soon..

If it goes as well as last year we will fill that freezer full of salmon in a week!

All that zucchini in the post below equaled 16 cups of grated zucchini!

I froze it in 2 and 4 cup sized for making my Mom's recipe for chocolate zucchini bread.

I love watching people wolf it down having no idea how healthy it is..

especially people who claim to dislike zucchini..he he

Seems I lost that recipe when I had the computer bug a few months ago,

damn internet.

I will post it after I call my Mom and get it

:)

I found a great deal on strawberries and made a few loaves of strawberry bread today.

I filled one loaf with cream cheese-it's beyond words it's so good.

Are you drooling?

Do you want the recipe?

I will try to freeze the rest of the berries before I am tempted to make more bread.

It disappears fast!

The rock tumbler is still tumbling in the garage.

Week one of medium grit sand accomplished.

Now it's in week one of polish grit.

Then one more week of another polish...

But

The rocks are starting to look impressive!

Smoother than river rocks and soon to be shiny like gems for jewelry!

Back to work tomorrow..

pray the back to school rush is gentle on me

:)

Friday...Again ALREADY?!?!

I have done my best to savor every little bit of falling in love and starting a relationship. We have been together 2 1/2 years and yet we still have so much to share and learn as a couple.I love the newness of it all,learning how to communicate and how to best be supportive of each others' needs despite life's ups and downs.I saw a great quote once that explains what I'm feeling-"I can tell you in an instant that I love you but it will take me a lifetime to show you how much". I feel lucky that I get to learn how to love and care for a man that loves me as much as Vern does!I might sound old fashioned but I take great pride in keeping my man happy and my house in order (as much as possible,keep reading..)!
My newest lesson hit me today. When Vern works 7 days a week for more than 2 weekends in a row..I need to pitch in more with housework! I didn't realize how much he does before I get home in the evenings!We have our hands full taking care of Del AND his house and yard! So I am switching gears and preparing to do some meal planning tomorrow and some much needed dusting and cleaning before I go back to work for the week. The make ahead meals were a life saver last week, so I thought I would do a few more for this week. As for the house,I will bleach and vacuum what I can and sanitize and windex the rest.The deep cleaning will have to wait. I appreciate my hard working man,I will continue to do my best to support him anyway I can :) Even if that means I have to keep cleaning up after his 48 year old brother..*sarcastic sigh*

 On a lighter note,I wanted to share this weeks harvest from our garden! The little corn were so delicious despite the fact that they looked a bit funky! haha Tomorrow I am grating and freezing all that zucchini for bread this winter.Thankfully this year I have a food processor,thanks Vern!

AND THEN..
I found these cute little things at Rite Aid and couldn't pass them up..

I am going to spray paint them...just not sure what color yet. Perhaps I will see what we have in the garage..
I want to use them for planters yet...they would be cute inside too...like maybe with sand and candles or magazines...or a houseplant. Hmmmm? Any suggestions creative friends?
PS- I edited my mole and crow's feet out of the pic above for the "Botox" effect(haha) and erased under eye circles! Did you notice? What do you think? I don't think I look different enough to ever consider getting stuff injected in my face!