tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45389990015096241072024-03-19T00:01:31.883-07:00 Originality by DesignGrace Augustine, Authorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02725393066439031680noreply@blogger.comBlogger563125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538999001509624107.post-67808366948247465052024-03-19T00:01:00.000-07:002024-03-19T00:01:00.136-07:00Easter 2024<p> </p><p> </p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsUmefOcmCKq_kli92Mwbhi2vxq-FVxDv87rm2Cr479wx5xBIpHApJEVAMjC6niIEPOSX2a4cWuJuuDz4RS9cZJO5_OnvyVcwSitZiYzmFkd0Il5TfgevyMlIdyqbXSs8P_hPrz_d0WqnYS9c5VT1eF3uujv9t7VDX5wxb_OhM8jvIc7FCuzs-pCA6wFVU/s549/IMG_2300.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="415" data-original-width="549" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsUmefOcmCKq_kli92Mwbhi2vxq-FVxDv87rm2Cr479wx5xBIpHApJEVAMjC6niIEPOSX2a4cWuJuuDz4RS9cZJO5_OnvyVcwSitZiYzmFkd0Il5TfgevyMlIdyqbXSs8P_hPrz_d0WqnYS9c5VT1eF3uujv9t7VDX5wxb_OhM8jvIc7FCuzs-pCA6wFVU/s320/IMG_2300.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div> <br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Easter seemed to be early this year, so I checked the earliest and latest dates it can fall, which can be anywhere from March 22 to April 25. So, not the earliest this year, but I still had to get hopping on card making!<br /><br />Pinterest is always a great source for card ideas, and Easter is no exception. I also found a tutorial for an Easter hat card on a blog by a card maker I follow. Along with patterned papers, ink, glue, die cuts, and the Cricut, several different cards are now ready for mailing.<br /><br />I love the simplicity of the card at the top of the page and the cute little bunny standing in for the letter “A”. The Cricut made this one easy.<br /><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1v1r833R_pkzyxzO_Pg0l3sYeuqgFnu3brvoV5Q550r_qNIMUjvNSzwRRIpGvj5ERvSH8FlEU8U8OV3C2Ic4qdtTtejLQ23TPEmpQjtp_1Bd5uql6cF7QLokbqFybIdyAVotyWiJRzPS66bKVhMJdgRxJ6Yll3_2KHiP7W_VcDTppgmhd_T6bK3A0vEss/s510/IMG_2299.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="510" data-original-width="404" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1v1r833R_pkzyxzO_Pg0l3sYeuqgFnu3brvoV5Q550r_qNIMUjvNSzwRRIpGvj5ERvSH8FlEU8U8OV3C2Ic4qdtTtejLQ23TPEmpQjtp_1Bd5uql6cF7QLokbqFybIdyAVotyWiJRzPS66bKVhMJdgRxJ6Yll3_2KHiP7W_VcDTppgmhd_T6bK3A0vEss/w158-h200/IMG_2299.jpeg" width="158" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">What’s Easter without a chocolate bunny? I used the bunny cut out from another card to make this one. The patterned paper featuring chocolate bunnies made a perfect background.<br /><br /><br /><br /> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia8Syjy0i-cwvImadkJJBWYchYnSE8ZMWEMJGA9AXixh2y27-oZDcfIi0bKhLVruoUQ20OGC9emi9dpN71ESrk-z7w33NcpK6c6TWvK8kOOwCEz5e800ZeDvg-a2Q6UtHMfiE8Xl2FD3-47pOXhxwMJoHX8Et-Dx4c_ch7HhQtex3JHJ4QxjElHx6xjCOr/s475/IMG_2298.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="403" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia8Syjy0i-cwvImadkJJBWYchYnSE8ZMWEMJGA9AXixh2y27-oZDcfIi0bKhLVruoUQ20OGC9emi9dpN71ESrk-z7w33NcpK6c6TWvK8kOOwCEz5e800ZeDvg-a2Q6UtHMfiE8Xl2FD3-47pOXhxwMJoHX8Et-Dx4c_ch7HhQtex3JHJ4QxjElHx6xjCOr/w169-h200/IMG_2298.jpeg" width="169" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> This card uses the reverse of the chocolate bunny card above and features an embossed design over patterned paper. The cut image allowed me to use another sheet of patterned paper.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlu8WImYTo9nh8QPkOJrbnL-15pflGUzKbCQ0-3XW45EySDMBKeMZcHx2eceThgMVrlYX50nfIvAhC7DgIIoORcd9TjLQ5tHIvbkTZgUnv1DfdxEvo80l3utUpUs9gjPnF4qcho4PEHncgU8tYqXuay6VUIRsMCOdi9LiXKqzyl3HjHuODNK-WAwJ8HaSr/s452/IMG_2295.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="348" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlu8WImYTo9nh8QPkOJrbnL-15pflGUzKbCQ0-3XW45EySDMBKeMZcHx2eceThgMVrlYX50nfIvAhC7DgIIoORcd9TjLQ5tHIvbkTZgUnv1DfdxEvo80l3utUpUs9gjPnF4qcho4PEHncgU8tYqXuay6VUIRsMCOdi9LiXKqzyl3HjHuODNK-WAwJ8HaSr/w154-h200/IMG_2295.jpeg" width="154" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">Here’s a cute little bunny peeking in to wish us a happy Easter. This one used very basic shapes and it was fun to powder the bunny's cheeks and draw on whiskers.<br /><br /> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhTN6qVRZI5qOcM8yGhieHIud8DArBIYkBYbDfkJSs0Q8n4LopECUwMdSVjhyphenhyphenICklrIxCIRAB9nDDhmWd3kEqZ-9ZmPuv8AAApQlZgr0W8illE3y8RVl7g5fWUwVNALLwbKw2Z7v5EGxcMC5qUQ9nKei2uCtwRL2qMnbcSIMq75ko9iSaO5o6kk4r95agh/s526/IMG_2301.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="526" height="155" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhTN6qVRZI5qOcM8yGhieHIud8DArBIYkBYbDfkJSs0Q8n4LopECUwMdSVjhyphenhyphenICklrIxCIRAB9nDDhmWd3kEqZ-9ZmPuv8AAApQlZgr0W8illE3y8RVl7g5fWUwVNALLwbKw2Z7v5EGxcMC5qUQ9nKei2uCtwRL2qMnbcSIMq75ko9iSaO5o6kk4r95agh/w200-h155/IMG_2301.jpeg" width="200" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">This card allowed me to use the most patterned paper of all the cards. It’s simple, and I love how it turned out.<br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs3mteyRzINy7ySpI9IT6P4Pod9zbVjsWLQzD7sZRoSmY5j8RedO_cv92nYYJvljEKWZorYlYdso8u1SLjoiKD2YkzE7w_ucx7udu5roSX6Wy1vcYpCtVYhZidfn0LGZeNXNzuYeI6GGUXZMJ6mWFZrSESqDAl6aOkb5p83BXdhPi0t2NJLOPXGzyD-qAm/s419/IMG_2297.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="309" data-original-width="419" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgs3mteyRzINy7ySpI9IT6P4Pod9zbVjsWLQzD7sZRoSmY5j8RedO_cv92nYYJvljEKWZorYlYdso8u1SLjoiKD2YkzE7w_ucx7udu5roSX6Wy1vcYpCtVYhZidfn0LGZeNXNzuYeI6GGUXZMJ6mWFZrSESqDAl6aOkb5p83BXdhPi0t2NJLOPXGzyD-qAm/s320/IMG_2297.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;">What’s Easter without an Easter bonnet? Yes, this is a card based on a card maker’s blog this month. The bottom of the hat opens up to allow for a written message.<br /><br /><br /> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">But the best Easter basket of all? This little cutie! :) </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFU2an7jbw1BZXvb9QkgVgwn_YhGjd2_iYiII9ivRCHSuk7hOzKyI52WR2gozR96zmsvqJdoUXik3ib0rAm6q9DS4JU5KKaRDwY4N4VMHqgvV7DqI6Ehb4JcH7NWJTuN2fWTeXn7NbLkgIWGY-sn22iMBFdM9F2NeYTzQQzTpTpQQr1QZzDzv5CAdI57BK/s667/Bridget%20Easter%20Basket.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="667" data-original-width="633" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFU2an7jbw1BZXvb9QkgVgwn_YhGjd2_iYiII9ivRCHSuk7hOzKyI52WR2gozR96zmsvqJdoUXik3ib0rAm6q9DS4JU5KKaRDwY4N4VMHqgvV7DqI6Ehb4JcH7NWJTuN2fWTeXn7NbLkgIWGY-sn22iMBFdM9F2NeYTzQQzTpTpQQr1QZzDzv5CAdI57BK/s320/Bridget%20Easter%20Basket.png" width="304" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Lexa Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17607145577589963375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538999001509624107.post-47326673812920072902024-02-19T00:01:00.000-08:002024-02-19T00:01:00.135-08:00Quashed!<p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHkfROrfWPW5Ip08jgE_2qU2WfOavKfz-6a2bse0fyIQ_zA4Oa46HlioWC8k7zz51HKxBWcqVVGoebJqyCOXcXy7PUPSr6DdupDP202Affd2JN3KHXqJADEUK111luoSrGclDaiOxQpqN38-PCPtddy_1-9jg8rL5U_baMxg7HXQxCvQ13JpZv2p-M1Z0z/s1608/Screenshot%202024-02-14%20at%209.42.11%20AM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1608" data-original-width="1438" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHkfROrfWPW5Ip08jgE_2qU2WfOavKfz-6a2bse0fyIQ_zA4Oa46HlioWC8k7zz51HKxBWcqVVGoebJqyCOXcXy7PUPSr6DdupDP202Affd2JN3KHXqJADEUK111luoSrGclDaiOxQpqN38-PCPtddy_1-9jg8rL5U_baMxg7HXQxCvQ13JpZv2p-M1Z0z/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-14%20at%209.42.11%20AM.png" width="286" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/pacific-nw-magazine/so-many-pumpkins-and-squash-so-little-garden-space/">Trellised Squash</a><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I’d been planning my 2024 garden for months, and double-checked a list of vegetables in the brassica family. Due to a thyroid condition I have to avoid brassicas, so they shouldn’t be taking up space in my raised beds. <br /><br />Plans quashed! The <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-plants-in-the-family-Brassicaceae-2004620">brassica list</a> is longer than I realized and includes the well-known broccoli, cauliflower, and Brussel sprouts. Never having grown those successfully, I wasn’t disappointed. However, greens I love such as arugula, Swiss chard, and bok choy are also brassicas.<br /><br /></span></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwbqrJGrEA7EiYphgXYXYmE_neymxnaDGv_m5RvVRS4QAebdfSNjXxEG9wZKOW4QzIHzmA2U_XGjd1sPceych57a6P-TEs9kZbas_ngbvk3p-z2U_132q3ULw9MzArQkwauqa12QjD-e7tlM8Hhpqjm4rgJcmMPjnyF7dws98o0fdZ_fDYuk_GcoQv60iU/s1290/Screenshot%202024-02-14%20at%209.54.01%20AM.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1290" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwbqrJGrEA7EiYphgXYXYmE_neymxnaDGv_m5RvVRS4QAebdfSNjXxEG9wZKOW4QzIHzmA2U_XGjd1sPceych57a6P-TEs9kZbas_ngbvk3p-z2U_132q3ULw9MzArQkwauqa12QjD-e7tlM8Hhpqjm4rgJcmMPjnyF7dws98o0fdZ_fDYuk_GcoQv60iU/s320/Screenshot%202024-02-14%20at%209.54.01%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://whatscookingamerica.net/squash.htm">https://whatscookingamerica.net/squash.htm</a></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Fortunately, I love squash so I searched the <a href="https://www.burpee.com/vegetables/squash/">Burpee seed catalog</a>
last month for several varieties to plant in the new 4x8 raised bed
that I have. This year I’ll be trying baby butternut (my favorite
squash), a new squash that resembles the look and taste of mashed
potatoes, acorn squash, sugar pie pumpkins*, and winter delicata.</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br />I don’t have a
lot of horizontal garden space, so the squash will grow on trellises (photo at top of page) which worked out well last year. Beans are a great companion plant
for squash, and this year dragon’s tongue and scarlet runner beans will
join the squash. The latter can also be trellised. Last year we had
more beans than I could enjoy fresh, so the rest went into the freezer.</span></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><br />*I use a lot of canned pumpkin as a replacement for oil or applesauce in recipes such as these bran muffins. Be sure to toss in a teaspoon or two of pumpkin spice and some cranberries for a fall treat!</span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrShpVmatXuKuzjDxED5KAcJzbz9tkwfgjMIBU_lM-Y6Ykr6gUAbG9rR41lj9OsW22vyI3EyglutLFPRJ4a7gUnSvY5tuuDWplV2r8L7yx-DSMgdal2aoiZHYs0nUZDZxWH9NshaAA9nvWDUg57ApZQCMdJyHTh0X0zANXiNUxbDggh-mNRGmx_H78hWA1/s886/Screenshot%202024-02-14%20at%209.59.04%20AM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="886" data-original-width="818" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrShpVmatXuKuzjDxED5KAcJzbz9tkwfgjMIBU_lM-Y6Ykr6gUAbG9rR41lj9OsW22vyI3EyglutLFPRJ4a7gUnSvY5tuuDWplV2r8L7yx-DSMgdal2aoiZHYs0nUZDZxWH9NshaAA9nvWDUg57ApZQCMdJyHTh0X0zANXiNUxbDggh-mNRGmx_H78hWA1/w184-h200/Screenshot%202024-02-14%20at%209.59.04%20AM.png" width="184" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://www.bobsredmill.com/recipes/how-to-make/moist-molasses-bran-muffins/">https://www.bobsredmill.com/recipes/how-to-make/moist-molasses-bran-muffins/</a> <br /><br />I am often low on eggs, so I replace the two beaten eggs in the recipe with a mixture of a tablespoon each of chia seeds and ground flax as a binder. It is so good that I make the muffins with the egg substitute every time. Extra fiber and Omega-3 too!</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Pumpkin seeds are a great substitute for nuts and I look forward to roasting my own pumpkin seeds this year. The original garden plan may have been quashed, but now it's squash!<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> <br /></span></span></p><p><br /></p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></p><p><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><br /><br /> </span></span></p>Lexa Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17607145577589963375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538999001509624107.post-70199644117405224812024-01-19T00:01:00.000-08:002024-01-19T00:01:00.137-08:00What a Wazer to Go<p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjThk5Cv6PxkRheEqVr6e2tmrs3HX6OO8fNbKuRjxagimquBaAiWFJgVjAjA2P-OddouvRbTa1W39b66LcJ1gv_KW4kIs3AeXcuDf4DZb-3-xKoltd4oVyffig0x3A8ujAeWQRkmM9y2z0eNuQRwsK_N4ZRXelh1gg6L-Z9y_AC1DRWt_hOIM1Dn-H-wGIW/s1008/IMG_2266.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="1008" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjThk5Cv6PxkRheEqVr6e2tmrs3HX6OO8fNbKuRjxagimquBaAiWFJgVjAjA2P-OddouvRbTa1W39b66LcJ1gv_KW4kIs3AeXcuDf4DZb-3-xKoltd4oVyffig0x3A8ujAeWQRkmM9y2z0eNuQRwsK_N4ZRXelh1gg6L-Z9y_AC1DRWt_hOIM1Dn-H-wGIW/w400-h300/IMG_2266.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Wazer: https://wazer.com/<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I retired last month after working 44 years at a large university. Woo hoo! Some people worried that I’d stay at home, just resting and rusting. Pffft! I've already found a couple new hobbies, one of which is stained glass work.<br /></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp-tWv_RrIH5NYTUp86d5fCdz_ntbYpH80sO5SxyrTyexP4Avie2OoYx5CQ5inbsu0Toj5Jr0YIOvogqiBrCr5vPgBpvmvnCTjOwFS9WUE_s0g_aCaGS73r8R9TuFrqMm7W4qQ2QkbRWYtve82S0ZKs1rmTY49ZS884IU0qn7_d3cejDiadCu3TB9ll71P/s871/IMG_2269.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="762" data-original-width="871" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp-tWv_RrIH5NYTUp86d5fCdz_ntbYpH80sO5SxyrTyexP4Avie2OoYx5CQ5inbsu0Toj5Jr0YIOvogqiBrCr5vPgBpvmvnCTjOwFS9WUE_s0g_aCaGS73r8R9TuFrqMm7W4qQ2QkbRWYtve82S0ZKs1rmTY49ZS884IU0qn7_d3cejDiadCu3TB9ll71P/s320/IMG_2269.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice clean edges, and simple pieces for beginners<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The first step on the
learning curve was to be certified to operate the Wazer, a water jet
cutter, at our nearby makerspace. It was </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">intimidating! It seemed there were so many steps to getting it set up, but after a few runs I gained confidence. Other than glass, the Wazer can cut steel, stone,
and tile. When cutting glass, the edges are smooth and no grinding is
needed, nor do I need to trace patterns and scribe the glass for manual
cutting. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaU5RDmToZnH4iV0em25U1qDP9q1d-wSOsrgV7ixbWRbP-_5LiqQqmbwO5wRDGUf5_2h8PmGYK1fCce3Avh_-KVLWLIIju9H2Za5_jIomTgE_s3-1Z8QvjMKOvFAfsx2vwlle6SHz9WuyYUVZAZsD7pAFuHaYBlyUeEpgub8spY9qzCTLxf1YXyISPvl1Q/s1127/IMG_2273.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="857" data-original-width="1127" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaU5RDmToZnH4iV0em25U1qDP9q1d-wSOsrgV7ixbWRbP-_5LiqQqmbwO5wRDGUf5_2h8PmGYK1fCce3Avh_-KVLWLIIju9H2Za5_jIomTgE_s3-1Z8QvjMKOvFAfsx2vwlle6SHz9WuyYUVZAZsD7pAFuHaYBlyUeEpgub8spY9qzCTLxf1YXyISPvl1Q/w320-h243/IMG_2273.jpeg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Having
learned to operate the Wazer, I now needed supplies: solder, copper tape, a fid (to firmly press the
copper tape onto each cut piece), flux, flux brushes, flux remover, and a
carborundum stone to smooth the one area the Wazer leaves to hold the
cut piece in place during the high pressure cutting process.</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiopVkngRwyGCKP-2bM7G-bq7LbmyxnhAVAsdSh9BhEHda30rIuQMjNRvpZvjHFXi8kUG5L_30SNZfZOQMCaNUfFSWYsXOInf7ukT2rhzO-QS2Mmh-IyUiRZ4FgIWuQaA54CRtxVuh4Q4a2J6oZK8n3zdSK4uiCnDa262CnAOPkLoeeaz9z0NZuPQQHtMA8/s518/Screenshot%202024-01-17%20at%206.11.46%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="156" data-original-width="518" height="96" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiopVkngRwyGCKP-2bM7G-bq7LbmyxnhAVAsdSh9BhEHda30rIuQMjNRvpZvjHFXi8kUG5L_30SNZfZOQMCaNUfFSWYsXOInf7ukT2rhzO-QS2Mmh-IyUiRZ4FgIWuQaA54CRtxVuh4Q4a2J6oZK8n3zdSK4uiCnDa262CnAOPkLoeeaz9z0NZuPQQHtMA8/s320/Screenshot%202024-01-17%20at%206.11.46%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></div></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Ready to assemble? Not yet. The PDF designs I </span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">purchased from Etsy needed to be converted into the DXF file format Wazer uses. I thought wrapping copper foil around each piece with only a millimeter of play was difficult, but learning to convert files took much more trial and error! Fortunately, my husband is a wiz with various software applications and patiently walked through the process with me over two days.<br /><br />So, in addition to learning how to solder stained glass pieces, I’ve now learned to use Inkscape to convert files for the Wazer, create the Wazer files, and save them to an SD card. Whew!<br /><br />Finally, some completed pieces! My foiling and soldering skills have a Waze to go, but I’m enjoying this new hobby. </span></span><p></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR0XcjdAV-OYWQ8Lxm2RB7lfuAgIxJ7IWvbGHqBegxebnG66BYPxCGUB4tdVz82YOnXxuvSMGPHT9JgDGU__nHb0l1VNJu7DeufwTJyryPh0koOMrdRNf7ZsK9YVlchM9FjDQ-Zmy3CooIQKES7XjLTDe-9XzG3LJJZtIdwpJWorlA_Fp8D3xvoYSw53eu/s868/IMG_2270.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="434" data-original-width="868" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR0XcjdAV-OYWQ8Lxm2RB7lfuAgIxJ7IWvbGHqBegxebnG66BYPxCGUB4tdVz82YOnXxuvSMGPHT9JgDGU__nHb0l1VNJu7DeufwTJyryPh0koOMrdRNf7ZsK9YVlchM9FjDQ-Zmy3CooIQKES7XjLTDe-9XzG3LJJZtIdwpJWorlA_Fp8D3xvoYSw53eu/s320/IMG_2270.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br /></span></p>Lexa Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17607145577589963375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538999001509624107.post-27440465027402613742023-12-19T00:01:00.000-08:002023-12-19T00:01:00.134-08:00All That Glitters!<p> </p><p> </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBg3PigaR1MBtKGbGdqDYV6P0b9beYoJasNo66NJH3ldPxlGTC8c_EskgJbT3RCJ52Y9rKFEDIG9DjZRbw36a4ywkdLyZDSHWuosHbv6im4wMWAJfk31i2wNeZ_jmP_uUqaiHLQ-AUDtduSoyOk0unNuRwdikRBI_T-gJLYgaa6EWDDm33fyZWT5VBBB6B/s605/IMG_3939.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="454" data-original-width="605" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBg3PigaR1MBtKGbGdqDYV6P0b9beYoJasNo66NJH3ldPxlGTC8c_EskgJbT3RCJ52Y9rKFEDIG9DjZRbw36a4ywkdLyZDSHWuosHbv6im4wMWAJfk31i2wNeZ_jmP_uUqaiHLQ-AUDtduSoyOk0unNuRwdikRBI_T-gJLYgaa6EWDDm33fyZWT5VBBB6B/w400-h300/IMG_3939.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Embossing folder, washi tape, and snowflake cut with Cricut.</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">It’s my favorite card-making time of year! As usual, glitter and sparkle graced each card I made. Every year some of the big card makers and card making suppliers host free classes on YouTube, Facebook, and their own web pages. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I learned a number of techniques I had to try, bought new supplies I loved, and discovered one very useful new tool. The new tool makes it easy to adhere very delicate pieces </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">such as greetings </span><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">on a card.<br /><br />Not only did I use stamps, embossing folders, and hot foil plates, but the <a href="https://cricut.com/en-us/">Cricut</a> also played a big part in drawing designs and cutting out a lot of glittery snowflakes.<br /><br />So let’s take a look!</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgALMgJYmfpyfR2CRkorE_mdcYYNydu7AWn9e_up6CMlIGb1YP7X8sEF-oJWiEFsudHGxYW563WgIEbTYx_N7J4rj5hrbVfUhpLot5sGHW_-Va-Jjad3yP2BDwRTFOzdyP1CRJF7tp-RXAXHMLdwZRdeT0PFvpqHYD1cf2duDNnriKDaeLOUGWGWTmQxLBy/s705/IMG_3958.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="705" data-original-width="542" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgALMgJYmfpyfR2CRkorE_mdcYYNydu7AWn9e_up6CMlIGb1YP7X8sEF-oJWiEFsudHGxYW563WgIEbTYx_N7J4rj5hrbVfUhpLot5sGHW_-Va-Jjad3yP2BDwRTFOzdyP1CRJF7tp-RXAXHMLdwZRdeT0PFvpqHYD1cf2duDNnriKDaeLOUGWGWTmQxLBy/s320/IMG_3958.jpeg" width="246" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">No end of sparkle here! A very simple card, but lots of visual impact. Glitter papers cut with Cricut. (Thank you, hubby, for aligning all those trees!)<br /></span></p><p><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI457cB2GeLMjO2xubZRzYkOrC0hVwKpGj3kGIF6TDP_dyQqB1p1YnZKxKJhyjxFIPDNjVmhm8_i-GMRn_7pJ2Gzr1tzi8fyZqWNZB5ZPk6cq_hek5MUOHZgA8M7SOpnMtQbjo5oB7cDxbosk2j38ubF01vwd6S1HdDUHLmmbiACe-J6B7Zof1NazN6WWR/s717/IMG_3955.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="717" data-original-width="561" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI457cB2GeLMjO2xubZRzYkOrC0hVwKpGj3kGIF6TDP_dyQqB1p1YnZKxKJhyjxFIPDNjVmhm8_i-GMRn_7pJ2Gzr1tzi8fyZqWNZB5ZPk6cq_hek5MUOHZgA8M7SOpnMtQbjo5oB7cDxbosk2j38ubF01vwd6S1HdDUHLmmbiACe-J6B7Zof1NazN6WWR/s320/IMG_3955.jpeg" width="250" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /> A stamped image with ink blending for the background. Lots of glitter drops for the ornaments, and a hot foiled sentiment.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJR41TROtBtkmUuJSqc2gsXWpbkOHjhERLim8ZJ9s3A8M2DpVsLbTq5UbtI3B4y7-mcTqI4ZyrBM1yL19XCdGYtLPlTs4FpZqGoSuRPpmjBKWdV7gCgeI8KoIYsfTGb48bkzWBhig9B7tUmapxUJg5KUPQnhkXwyJmN-FywFUe2Xlcrxv8k1eqrKBEtSbW/s3180/IMG_3959.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3180" data-original-width="2648" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJR41TROtBtkmUuJSqc2gsXWpbkOHjhERLim8ZJ9s3A8M2DpVsLbTq5UbtI3B4y7-mcTqI4ZyrBM1yL19XCdGYtLPlTs4FpZqGoSuRPpmjBKWdV7gCgeI8KoIYsfTGb48bkzWBhig9B7tUmapxUJg5KUPQnhkXwyJmN-FywFUe2Xlcrxv8k1eqrKBEtSbW/s320/IMG_3959.jpeg" width="266" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">The fanciest hot foil card I made this year. Breathed a sigh of relief at how well everything lined up!<br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHbe6ltvrsyWiWKmbODM05hT7ZJUxB839bXQ5NiDGXtR51JjBvZ_R7BBuGA25m1TtYYCUCTqEGMZuELG3RcEeAsXjr7BFQqydMwlGObQ6CBpZq67PX_BxUrNZvI0-JcglMioWawq_CT_OhaMIvdipk54h86WUCLM4gfAozrBSzC8C6duc0j_IOo-NgXKJn/s530/IMG_2261.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="530" data-original-width="428" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHbe6ltvrsyWiWKmbODM05hT7ZJUxB839bXQ5NiDGXtR51JjBvZ_R7BBuGA25m1TtYYCUCTqEGMZuELG3RcEeAsXjr7BFQqydMwlGObQ6CBpZq67PX_BxUrNZvI0-JcglMioWawq_CT_OhaMIvdipk54h86WUCLM4gfAozrBSzC8C6duc0j_IOo-NgXKJn/s320/IMG_2261.jpeg" width="258" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">This hot foil plate arrived a day late for the card to be mailed, but I love the holographic foil and how decorative the jewel embellishments look. I'll be using it a lot for next year's cards.<br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgpPXN0h5LV7KYSWOfnC3230OvT8O1-Q6LaOxpFqxfjz4aiBKclZnbWyMr4-DglN1v1r64MT_wxzaGyFTfTF8IBKuFyEbkikKGqLqw6SD1GO91IOedHWSmwD7d4H4gBr7Q37GmLY1UJjDKjcYqXdzPKD7UzBtwMtTJyJgjLPjX7fkG6NyR9XjviIMSzKil/s731/IMG_3947.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="731" data-original-width="549" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgpPXN0h5LV7KYSWOfnC3230OvT8O1-Q6LaOxpFqxfjz4aiBKclZnbWyMr4-DglN1v1r64MT_wxzaGyFTfTF8IBKuFyEbkikKGqLqw6SD1GO91IOedHWSmwD7d4H4gBr7Q37GmLY1UJjDKjcYqXdzPKD7UzBtwMtTJyJgjLPjX7fkG6NyR9XjviIMSzKil/s320/IMG_3947.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">I loved this design cut with the Cricut and using holographic paper for the background.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidgUc1y32m_gFoFAM7DwGFscIdzrDmwfKKAAHeUtNY6qmEGBqmkZjiJtkhlp8qX_fXXTQSl3efY1f_A2i5tFCBwkmrCgXzcdot-7AAZ-RuEIUp_MNDQGtGrJuS2_HwFLrc3eWbe0bz_KAWAxVZQSTaP4D5bEAvz8vasmwenV9j2_pv0suyKawHvNROEtwW/s594/IMG_2256.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="404" data-original-width="594" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidgUc1y32m_gFoFAM7DwGFscIdzrDmwfKKAAHeUtNY6qmEGBqmkZjiJtkhlp8qX_fXXTQSl3efY1f_A2i5tFCBwkmrCgXzcdot-7AAZ-RuEIUp_MNDQGtGrJuS2_HwFLrc3eWbe0bz_KAWAxVZQSTaP4D5bEAvz8vasmwenV9j2_pv0suyKawHvNROEtwW/w400-h272/IMG_2256.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">The snowflake design was drawn with the Cricut and I added jewels for sparkle. The card with all foil is made with the first 3D embossing folder I bought after watching a class where it was used. Another chance to embellish with jewels!</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">One more card I made to announce a very special day--an historical day! </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEharxlJ4HvRaDSvyPHt-Zpi-3m1OAjGy-C_gYMSR4PR_cB9q7kJoP2d5DedOWC_22aGL3cdsUzX2eIS5e6eoGP1WB4CIlko7FSjVV4YB4QFCUyot0FGpHU1Qe5uhu0LKtAwrQPA0cmKzyu9U-4RViUERXMMc18wMt3SpBx622XZ-2uBTWlnlwAVckmFibWk/s605/IMG_2258.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="454" data-original-width="605" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEharxlJ4HvRaDSvyPHt-Zpi-3m1OAjGy-C_gYMSR4PR_cB9q7kJoP2d5DedOWC_22aGL3cdsUzX2eIS5e6eoGP1WB4CIlko7FSjVV4YB4QFCUyot0FGpHU1Qe5uhu0LKtAwrQPA0cmKzyu9U-4RViUERXMMc18wMt3SpBx622XZ-2uBTWlnlwAVckmFibWk/s320/IMG_2258.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That's 44 years at the University of Washington.<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">I'll have so much more time to use my crafting supplies now. I'm going to need a bigger Christmas card list! 😁<br /> </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p>Lexa Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17607145577589963375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538999001509624107.post-91881761862659571182023-11-19T00:01:00.000-08:002023-11-19T07:38:33.034-08:00Humble Gratitude<p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6tsU3uki51RMI96Uesh4Ljyr3jZc91IQc7gfKz6HDe6pbQsqxOLB7_b55Vw5WWfBtsSlwJ7d_N22XBlNDljeRJPgjA9S-qGxgHDuxnXAQQhPosqtfdm0d-O4fQJ9l64N9u-mICgfTw3ycEUs6vtxAczSlsUIe50JeFMmS4ynKwu6PBiYIVnT1sRyOhKa2/s580/IMG_2245.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="580" data-original-width="461" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6tsU3uki51RMI96Uesh4Ljyr3jZc91IQc7gfKz6HDe6pbQsqxOLB7_b55Vw5WWfBtsSlwJ7d_N22XBlNDljeRJPgjA9S-qGxgHDuxnXAQQhPosqtfdm0d-O4fQJ9l64N9u-mICgfTw3ycEUs6vtxAczSlsUIe50JeFMmS4ynKwu6PBiYIVnT1sRyOhKa2/w318-h400/IMG_2245.jpeg" width="318" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">November is the traditional month for expressing gratitude and thankfulness. Many may be grateful for luxuries such as an expensive vacation, the latest fashion in clothing, or sparkly jewelry. I often remind myself to be grateful for simple things such as a warm house, good food, and having enough. A humble gratitude.<br /><br />Sure, housework is a daily chore, but I’m grateful I have a house to <br />clean and don’t lack the energy to do it. My washer and dryer are small enough to necessitate daily laundry, but I'm grateful I don’t have to go to a laundromat. Tending the garden takes time, but I’m able to grow fruits and vegetables to supplement our weekly groceries. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7rjXy35mqw1hekUdoIAWevybla_4l9nbRscuIeDp3YBw6XmXcCJ432vpmOIdbyzbyz3DN1t9qXHifDlHQfUQ-VU8QU1A76E8-8ifz2KNmMbBOeKHOzfHLACy5ZaQjAWwpIqgYjKQ2Q6Mhr5gf687KzWtraU_ZRLY5PTbgkNCNkBnNfCsv9YJEvP0XS6tH/s702/IMG_0336.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="702" data-original-width="564" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7rjXy35mqw1hekUdoIAWevybla_4l9nbRscuIeDp3YBw6XmXcCJ432vpmOIdbyzbyz3DN1t9qXHifDlHQfUQ-VU8QU1A76E8-8ifz2KNmMbBOeKHOzfHLACy5ZaQjAWwpIqgYjKQ2Q6Mhr5gf687KzWtraU_ZRLY5PTbgkNCNkBnNfCsv9YJEvP0XS6tH/w161-h200/IMG_0336.jpeg" width="161" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">And when I’m ready to relax for the day, I have my furry friend to curl up with. I’m grateful I can afford vet bills. </span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5nRUvGVr9cywu8xLbS-6wyxi1r8xmYcYL_smYUZvtfmOi25tr_814CiV3Efwvfd3wf6ppVBwECVqxCxWQn-v3GuGTvn42YGSQ4h80QQ-p95chUu5rKFr0efOYVPsWtX2iMx5t35upcyw1BINYWefxLoB8YNJo19R8R-vag7R36iu-6jjS-mf-xoBaZ1cD/s1330/Screenshot%202023-11-12%20at%204.59.59%20PM.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1330" data-original-width="1328" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5nRUvGVr9cywu8xLbS-6wyxi1r8xmYcYL_smYUZvtfmOi25tr_814CiV3Efwvfd3wf6ppVBwECVqxCxWQn-v3GuGTvn42YGSQ4h80QQ-p95chUu5rKFr0efOYVPsWtX2iMx5t35upcyw1BINYWefxLoB8YNJo19R8R-vag7R36iu-6jjS-mf-xoBaZ1cD/w320-h320/Screenshot%202023-11-12%20at%204.59.59%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">https://positivepsychology.com/gratitude-appreciation/</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I
looked into what others consider humble gratitude and found most
references were rooted in religion. Psychology also offers great insight
and definition. This image was especially helpful in describing many
aspects of simple gratitude.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /><br /></span><br /><br /></p><p><br /></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBMvyfOw3lIFaod7uHCrDKAoauncObgG6J1E6ZthkGjHSSjbsqtL7wPdo_j7SzkVvTPHHWdHUXRViLFTwb1uJc7sNt8qJdWEvxZY8mnATzVb0Usxi3_8MQJvdmu_sWvPfqRXdKkATZ46tQ33EViI_OhPNRBjqaWYiiOYvuD7B4LhAxDR4RHf1vbtXFWUpb/s1420/Screenshot%202023-11-15%20at%205.53.06%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1420" data-original-width="1218" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBMvyfOw3lIFaod7uHCrDKAoauncObgG6J1E6ZthkGjHSSjbsqtL7wPdo_j7SzkVvTPHHWdHUXRViLFTwb1uJc7sNt8qJdWEvxZY8mnATzVb0Usxi3_8MQJvdmu_sWvPfqRXdKkATZ46tQ33EViI_OhPNRBjqaWYiiOYvuD7B4LhAxDR4RHf1vbtXFWUpb/s320/Screenshot%202023-11-15%20at%205.53.06%20PM.png" width="274" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">This beautiful image I recently saw on Facebook depicts humble gratitude. Appreciating the seemingly small things like those mentioned above bring us joy when they are not overlooked. </span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi00gJPxMPVcsNaYMDWNFJa6HHoibAB4_Buc0ItyDGuBloAfddfIy4Y0Pdo-tFLlGoWut91MXJkac1wv7KIeRgzeqccirnWcJhD-DaLQde2EnvFC1KmRNaogJMH8B6sVGMes7S2yLtQwhpsctb4ZULG3luloj3JXcxybuenJxRTkUHjf4EDeEgnVCbvWQkB/s1462/Screenshot%202023-11-15%20at%206.36.04%20PM.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1462" data-original-width="1352" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi00gJPxMPVcsNaYMDWNFJa6HHoibAB4_Buc0ItyDGuBloAfddfIy4Y0Pdo-tFLlGoWut91MXJkac1wv7KIeRgzeqccirnWcJhD-DaLQde2EnvFC1KmRNaogJMH8B6sVGMes7S2yLtQwhpsctb4ZULG3luloj3JXcxybuenJxRTkUHjf4EDeEgnVCbvWQkB/w185-h200/Screenshot%202023-11-15%20at%206.36.04%20PM.png" width="185" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">thegoalchaser.com</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">There
are many sites with gratitude quotes, but I confess I most enjoyed the
humorous ones. My favorite is from an unknown author. I’m grateful I
have at least a small sense of humor. </span><p></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"></span><p><span style="font-size: large;"> If you’d like to practice humble gratitude, the site <a href="https://masteryourmind.ca/3-stages-of-gratitude-how-to-be-grateful-for-what-you-have/">Master Your Mind</a> can get you started with three simple steps:<br />1. Acknowledge what you have<br />2. Express thanks<br />3. Take action by volunteering, donating to charity, or doing something nice for someone<br /><br />So this month when we focus on gratefulness, we should remember not to overlook things that are often taken for granted.<br /><br /></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjChqt49OMY7_4pqCCILyCjXPs2Nlweb4cLZuWf_c6Y_sMPVCEOMrn6-M_WqVWaRQf8bcw-eyfYi6s-Rzw3LwgZqUcPMmiYB4kMpKsJ_P_KZMtEJnC_kMGQMtkFyVmAYnlYByMzBbf49KWVzfKQmPgQjr5ZYEhyByslhi7d100DjnDKRKux-Db56NTHahLY/s1024/DALL%C2%B7E%202023-11-18%2016.20.04%20-%20A%20heartwarming%20scene%20of%20a%20peasant%20woman%20expressing%20gratitude%20for%20her%20simple,%20warm%20home.%20She%20is%20dressed%20in%20traditional,%20modest%20attire,%20reflective%20of%20he.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjChqt49OMY7_4pqCCILyCjXPs2Nlweb4cLZuWf_c6Y_sMPVCEOMrn6-M_WqVWaRQf8bcw-eyfYi6s-Rzw3LwgZqUcPMmiYB4kMpKsJ_P_KZMtEJnC_kMGQMtkFyVmAYnlYByMzBbf49KWVzfKQmPgQjr5ZYEhyByslhi7d100DjnDKRKux-Db56NTHahLY/s320/DALL%C2%B7E%202023-11-18%2016.20.04%20-%20A%20heartwarming%20scene%20of%20a%20peasant%20woman%20expressing%20gratitude%20for%20her%20simple,%20warm%20home.%20She%20is%20dressed%20in%20traditional,%20modest%20attire,%20reflective%20of%20he.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AI Art depicting humble gratitude created with DALL-E<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><br /><p></p>Lexa Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17607145577589963375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538999001509624107.post-60755876657383731332023-10-19T00:01:00.001-07:002023-10-19T00:01:00.161-07:00Digging in the Wrong Country<p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP_qBVYTm25mNeA9zXLWitIHjlSxgjInTbxABFMfqOXVokz8-LHzhDG9_Fi4iirNAcHgQVwcW-I-slWK_yRzKVz6RJFlBoq-SccD34kWDa_jjMiYS6VqiKq7b26HjKNlNPnGedcokJEJsql7-77zQ_zLPugZVf2qQJ-9zecBsYLkPUuiMdXdXcxunWLIt_/s1070/The%20Scotsman.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="1070" height="205" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP_qBVYTm25mNeA9zXLWitIHjlSxgjInTbxABFMfqOXVokz8-LHzhDG9_Fi4iirNAcHgQVwcW-I-slWK_yRzKVz6RJFlBoq-SccD34kWDa_jjMiYS6VqiKq7b26HjKNlNPnGedcokJEJsql7-77zQ_zLPugZVf2qQJ-9zecBsYLkPUuiMdXdXcxunWLIt_/w400-h205/The%20Scotsman.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.scotsman.com/heritage-and-retro/heritage/scottish-castles-history-and-origins-explained-4248103">The Scotsman</a><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmf7PHOukDafTwfG5a4E_9J2yndPDBXLZpR4UEXX1YA1FSoIhOlD0nQzvqkJMfPHE587Zs9ll1HcmWCPq_kQOjZ7x_2ETMHVqMiQIGl6zfSS7Ggh5Lo8PycYb2wFdKgQfp3e4gA8y5R8BexnF4_LGStfsPfdEwBwM2K2O5Ur9sCYDYJD4OuQ25tMARO2K_/s1070/Scottish%20Highlands.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="550" data-original-width="1070" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmf7PHOukDafTwfG5a4E_9J2yndPDBXLZpR4UEXX1YA1FSoIhOlD0nQzvqkJMfPHE587Zs9ll1HcmWCPq_kQOjZ7x_2ETMHVqMiQIGl6zfSS7Ggh5Lo8PycYb2wFdKgQfp3e4gA8y5R8BexnF4_LGStfsPfdEwBwM2K2O5Ur9sCYDYJD4OuQ25tMARO2K_/s320/Scottish%20Highlands.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.isango.com/glasgow/scottish-highlands">Scottish Highlands</a><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">My recent enjoyment of dual timeline novels has involved two stories set in Scotland, a place I'd never given much thought to. Until now. Were I to consider travel again, the lush forests, high <br />mountains, and especially, castle ruins in Scotland are high on my list of places to visit. <br /></span><span style="font-size: large;"><br />This new fascination with early and medieval castles led me to search for YouTube videos of Scottish archaeology and castles. I also found a trove of archaeological videos produced by Britain’s <a href="https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=time+team">Time Team</a>. Oh, the finds waiting in the dirt! Time Team videos highlight relics from the iron age up to the 18th century. Imagine the excitement of such treasures and putting hard evidence together with written documents. I certainly can!<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiONAPFp9PthrMd6JL2obFV00k4dnFMlTKt1QjwZR64qRAQcwbemk1Gj09O1sICriWBeumx-Tibwh05l1xWQ6GWdM5H5Fs8D901cBW4IpulovrQz2f8usLoMzVwVI_t6VJvSoMu9hfBXNuwm77dyuU47p90INX0tTUJ5eG9JBaXd_8sq7ucCIXPfo1p6_1K/s1062/Screenshot%202023-10-15%20at%206.24.27%20PM.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="734" data-original-width="1062" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiONAPFp9PthrMd6JL2obFV00k4dnFMlTKt1QjwZR64qRAQcwbemk1Gj09O1sICriWBeumx-Tibwh05l1xWQ6GWdM5H5Fs8D901cBW4IpulovrQz2f8usLoMzVwVI_t6VJvSoMu9hfBXNuwm77dyuU47p90INX0tTUJ5eG9JBaXd_8sq7ucCIXPfo1p6_1K/w200-h138/Screenshot%202023-10-15%20at%206.24.27%20PM.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://joanallen.co.uk/blog/top-5-hoards-metal-detecting"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> The Grouville (Jersey) Hoard.</span></a></td></tr></tbody></table>There have been many stories of incredible archaeological finds by amateur metal detectorists as well. This hoard, for example, of more than 69,000 Iron Age and Roman coins found in the UK. <br /></span><p></p><p><br /></p><span style="font-size: large;"></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">And even more impressive are the Sutton Hoo finds, also found in the UK, which consist of more than coins and jewelry. Below is a 6th - 7th century iron sword found there.<br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9NvUpGYzmQ4dKV1lnkkeHo7AtIVaeuW5wHOVkssOzLvPtPycpj9j5ud7zUSzMSLlyqPyJkuKBtZlYmRVzT3cfMuAs2bw-kf3O8d4EzO2pQjdvLKgHjG6_nJJxLgLqTkg66rRIjdkVAgP15o35W-KcuFcjjbs9fG5eJFW0bWr4RWDaHnLofgtLFVTH-71w/s2486/Screenshot%202023-10-18%20at%204.47.47%20PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="2486" height="69" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9NvUpGYzmQ4dKV1lnkkeHo7AtIVaeuW5wHOVkssOzLvPtPycpj9j5ud7zUSzMSLlyqPyJkuKBtZlYmRVzT3cfMuAs2bw-kf3O8d4EzO2pQjdvLKgHjG6_nJJxLgLqTkg66rRIjdkVAgP15o35W-KcuFcjjbs9fG5eJFW0bWr4RWDaHnLofgtLFVTH-71w/s320/Screenshot%202023-10-18%20at%204.47.47%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_1939-1010-95">British Museum</a><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho8udz9N2-cPIZhC4lxKCaoePEntnuN1btK5511WbWtzvLTUXsheLoSQCWrK29IqRl5gSqxJWStZJGTL4-dyN2QFzfn4_QiBk0yk-gRr0mkpXIItPdCWwPhKd8d-X7uqDY5-UwZWD4poOz-14eE04-0TkHt2ifbom3LCtmIHUj6F_W2sj1y_UnYOGb9EfS/s706/Screenshot%202023-10-15%20at%206.31.06%20PM.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="534" data-original-width="706" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho8udz9N2-cPIZhC4lxKCaoePEntnuN1btK5511WbWtzvLTUXsheLoSQCWrK29IqRl5gSqxJWStZJGTL4-dyN2QFzfn4_QiBk0yk-gRr0mkpXIItPdCWwPhKd8d-X7uqDY5-UwZWD4poOz-14eE04-0TkHt2ifbom3LCtmIHUj6F_W2sj1y_UnYOGb9EfS/w200-h151/Screenshot%202023-10-15%20at%206.31.06%20PM.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://geokansas.ku.edu/crinoids">Source</a></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">As a child I loved looking for fossils. So much so that recess often </span><span style="font-size: large;">found me scraping through the dirt on a steep slope at my
elementary school. I had success too. Though, my finds consisted only
of tiny fossils like these crinoids.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> Not as impressive as Roman relics. 😏<br /></span><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">No matter where I dig in the US, it's highly unlikely I'll ever come across a Roman coin. Though I'm searching in the wrong country if I long to uncover such exciting finds, perhaps one day I'll have the chance to visit magnificent ruins. <br /><br /><br /></span></p>Lexa Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17607145577589963375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538999001509624107.post-82912507555007876322023-09-19T00:01:00.001-07:002023-09-19T00:01:00.151-07:00 A Fair Month<p> </p><p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUYrlTKAsiIBpRGoiVfhDCkmHYEFgE7kwRh-TTWUTkHur6sH7lP3Sh_V0sw7SVTZOsBNpSP0Bhw8lko1ul_W3oGrojnZRd-atnGthSnd4mZGgPGL0ZI9E1Jr5vaM7uQZFOsZblwyVL2CJVbtvrhqF1CLBCNekK3hhA6ZIOEBErTA3cOcXJbXxiO-A2xtfy/s1354/Screenshot%202023-09-17%20at%201.30.15%20PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="650" data-original-width="1354" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUYrlTKAsiIBpRGoiVfhDCkmHYEFgE7kwRh-TTWUTkHur6sH7lP3Sh_V0sw7SVTZOsBNpSP0Bhw8lko1ul_W3oGrojnZRd-atnGthSnd4mZGgPGL0ZI9E1Jr5vaM7uQZFOsZblwyVL2CJVbtvrhqF1CLBCNekK3hhA6ZIOEBErTA3cOcXJbXxiO-A2xtfy/w513-h230/Screenshot%202023-09-17%20at%201.30.15%20PM.png" width="513" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">https://www.facebook.com/WashingtonFaire/</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">It wasn’t the weather, though that was pleasant, and we were even blessed with some rain to help clear the wild fire smoke. Rather, in three weeks we attended three fairs! <br /><br />The first fair was the Washington Midsummer Renaissance Faire. I’d never been to this faire but was looking for something my husband might enjoy. The line for parking was terrible and I said I’d rather forget it if we had to wait an hour. Thank goodness just 45 minutes later we were parked and getting our first sight of knights, fair maidens, and fairy creatures.<br /> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb-eB0AERp87vkjQN8zP8-0ZIQTFSUWKiEN3v6EOR7lOVOOFZ2bQ7ALSGvT7W0FzesqLgVqprciG3f9KD_IT0NPeSh1Fah_SxGtcaYkKJwJu0-fzN11bfggWsORD_ZG0TPnIMHXc1I7ADw3wn0DfTMcfs-6Mli6fgAt7qCnPy9ve8-PJ8z7yloI5v0Dwkk/s1026/Screenshot%202023-09-17%20at%205.53.45%20PM.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="1026" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb-eB0AERp87vkjQN8zP8-0ZIQTFSUWKiEN3v6EOR7lOVOOFZ2bQ7ALSGvT7W0FzesqLgVqprciG3f9KD_IT0NPeSh1Fah_SxGtcaYkKJwJu0-fzN11bfggWsORD_ZG0TPnIMHXc1I7ADw3wn0DfTMcfs-6Mli6fgAt7qCnPy9ve8-PJ8z7yloI5v0Dwkk/s320/Screenshot%202023-09-17%20at%205.53.45%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">https://www.facebook.com/WashingtonFaire</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">I had the best time. Ren Faire is now my favorite fair and we<br />will
be back next year. Seeing all the period costumes inspired me to
look for clothing appropriate for an herbalist of the time. I
want to join in the fun rather than just be a spectator.</span></span><p></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">The mead (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mead">honey wine</a>) tent offered half a dozen varieties and I enjoyed the traditional mead we shared. We brought home two flavors of sarsaparilla, and for lunch we enjoyed a meat pie (with every bite I pushed Sweeney Todd out of my mind 😬), and Scotch eggs. <br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">Amidst the many vendor tents, shows, and events, these were all the nicest people I've ever met. Everyone was so happy to live in a different time, if just for the weekend.<br /><br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfNqGHG4G2ICGeXS420c-RBX2MVHP4cidnvsAEuyndWJ2N3vzY3TclSsGpMwDZjs_a7C3MEtrHLfikGSUwWhygAh2diAouGqrfgmJUqVTr4thl_GmnBs6Ufy4ThTIMCSwEBTbcOw3TcOoSQrVoZr11SvbEHGPK4LGng3kebyxcEvFMgmee0egkJUJgJQpY/s4032/E3286A52-79FC-44FA-A0A1-3112C473FB8B.JPG" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfNqGHG4G2ICGeXS420c-RBX2MVHP4cidnvsAEuyndWJ2N3vzY3TclSsGpMwDZjs_a7C3MEtrHLfikGSUwWhygAh2diAouGqrfgmJUqVTr4thl_GmnBs6Ufy4ThTIMCSwEBTbcOw3TcOoSQrVoZr11SvbEHGPK4LGng3kebyxcEvFMgmee0egkJUJgJQpY/w150-h200/E3286A52-79FC-44FA-A0A1-3112C473FB8B.JPG" width="150" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Two weeks later we were off to the Evergreen State Fair. Unfortunately, this fair has diminished greatly since Covid. But we did run across this fancy creature I’ve dubbed Llama Hood. He even had a bow and arrow strapped to his side.<br /></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Xs23x9nWUIYjwg7S6rUBIQ8iSw-aNKdvTGZ6c1j-0P_1lnW8alDLnSs6CTYNL1f79AKMeS1UBO9sVVEqEfqDLPcGUrH7OcFjKKiAoOxg5hmp6VNVpkKzUSx82ohqyLpvcjC6DbCOvOlkTu-t67MajKEjOFXmd18lMZz6MdQ6ZWlxGw6Tmb36Hza9K3Hi/s2394/IMG_3720.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2394" data-original-width="1889" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Xs23x9nWUIYjwg7S6rUBIQ8iSw-aNKdvTGZ6c1j-0P_1lnW8alDLnSs6CTYNL1f79AKMeS1UBO9sVVEqEfqDLPcGUrH7OcFjKKiAoOxg5hmp6VNVpkKzUSx82ohqyLpvcjC6DbCOvOlkTu-t67MajKEjOFXmd18lMZz6MdQ6ZWlxGw6Tmb36Hza9K3Hi/w158-h200/IMG_3720.jpeg" width="158" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">My husband had never been to the Puyallup Fair, now known </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">as the Washington State Fair, and really wanted to attend. So, another week later, we drove an hour to a much bigger fair than the Evergreen State Fair. The first creature we ran into was Cameron, the camel I rode. A camel ride is very rocky, so it's easy to understand one might suffer motion sickness.<br /></span></span><br /><p></p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpNmznrSi9gpGbfUn4zQm8q5l5OBRgAoN7GNcWjPQqHwSKgXgDTTz90_FSdEZlgoU6eBSkdCCb2nhtXFMQMl3M5OxTWnd3GADexv7Ezd0o-J-bvWEG0n1-nxN36K7Uc_e2i4iwwJSwnlN6bR5prNceHZTiD6lUUGjF5vmO9lsuQJgq4ETEt3uIkps1mEk7/s2253/IMG_3725.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2253" data-original-width="2037" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpNmznrSi9gpGbfUn4zQm8q5l5OBRgAoN7GNcWjPQqHwSKgXgDTTz90_FSdEZlgoU6eBSkdCCb2nhtXFMQMl3M5OxTWnd3GADexv7Ezd0o-J-bvWEG0n1-nxN36K7Uc_e2i4iwwJSwnlN6bR5prNceHZTiD6lUUGjF5vmO9lsuQJgq4ETEt3uIkps1mEk7/w181-h200/IMG_3725.jpeg" width="181" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Both state fairs are known for the <a href="https://fisherscones.com/">Fisher scones</a>, and I admit, I got sconed. 😄 I love the fair scones served with a generous portion of raspberry jam.<br /> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">While I eagerly await the fairs next year I will be researching medieval history, customs, and clothing so I can do better than "Can ye tell me where the olde restrooms be found?" (Happily, those were modern.)<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p>Lexa Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17607145577589963375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538999001509624107.post-32814000951613140942023-08-19T00:01:00.001-07:002023-08-19T00:01:00.147-07:00Time Split<p> <br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPz5Npiyda_0XRHFHR2J1-_f346WbUo8xpaPUn2TnpfBBm-89UC6gMR9t3HekAI_B46Rf5G0jR0ke3OyTRSvOBs8ydQYD45_4tTrGMzYxkyY1766WK2QBWeVBtLsPllgIxOdAOeZ7bHQGbxDoonWlpWsTJHVbXP6dsVVEfKxZRrO3blCy165UYsH36aExw/s2997/viktoria-spokojna-x7zB-es4jXc-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2493" data-original-width="2997" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPz5Npiyda_0XRHFHR2J1-_f346WbUo8xpaPUn2TnpfBBm-89UC6gMR9t3HekAI_B46Rf5G0jR0ke3OyTRSvOBs8ydQYD45_4tTrGMzYxkyY1766WK2QBWeVBtLsPllgIxOdAOeZ7bHQGbxDoonWlpWsTJHVbXP6dsVVEfKxZRrO3blCy165UYsH36aExw/s320/viktoria-spokojna-x7zB-es4jXc-unsplash.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@viktoriaspokojna?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Viktoria Spokojna</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/x7zB-es4jXc?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a> ">Unsplash</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">Some of us would love to see the future. Others want to know the past. I’m in the latter group, fascinated by how people lived in ancient Rome, medieval Europe, and as they settled the United States.<br /><br />Through this fascination I stumbled upon what is now my favorite kind of book: the time split or dual timeline. This type of story is in the point of view of a present day protagonist, and alternates with glimpses into the past. </span></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">Chapters alternate between present day questions and historical clues.</span></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"> Both reader and characters discover how the past shaped the present. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZbaxGqg9jfJTEOTUWw_27vCS4sJRanPnIKaV5BnEpe85cLqWFbehvbKVYLBt4VVoHmOJQJ-DWhy96KoW-5He4QPGljWQ0AHD-Okaa2aUKZYB0jmjmbPlj0yDpcmoIySjqayswR0bzkWPY0lOzJ94AkmTv8F9WLS37rovO85rKTPGis9cTAX4HoN_JIeeG/s3556/shannon-tremaine-NRz7SfpnqUM-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2164" data-original-width="3556" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZbaxGqg9jfJTEOTUWw_27vCS4sJRanPnIKaV5BnEpe85cLqWFbehvbKVYLBt4VVoHmOJQJ-DWhy96KoW-5He4QPGljWQ0AHD-Okaa2aUKZYB0jmjmbPlj0yDpcmoIySjqayswR0bzkWPY0lOzJ94AkmTv8F9WLS37rovO85rKTPGis9cTAX4HoN_JIeeG/s320/shannon-tremaine-NRz7SfpnqUM-unsplash.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@shantricky?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Shannon Tremaine</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/NRz7SfpnqUM?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a> ">Thames</a></td></tr></tbody></table></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">My absolute favorite time split book is <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Apothecary-Novel-Sarah-Penner-ebook/dp/B087JJ2K54/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2PYWLGA26HY7Y&keywords=the+lost+apothecary&qid=1691946804&sprefix=the+lost+a%2Caps%2C189&sr=8-1">The Lost Apothecary</a>, by Sarah Penner. The present day story begins with <a href="https://www.frommers.com/slideshows/848024-mudlarking-in-the-thames-might-be-the-best-thing-i-ve-done-in-london">mudlarking</a> in the Thames where the protagonist discovers a small blue bottle lodged in the muck.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">As the story alternates between past and present, the protagonist researches in the Bodleian and learns the history behind the blue bottle. It’s a wonderful blend of how finding the lost apothecary leads the protagonist to find her own truth. Pouring through archives, old diaries, and city records sounds romantic to me. 💓<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEVVJ5ghU91Jv4M8tH8BkQSsA4rR2kErV0qj--b3_4SXhTbgsW4NLuut-4KxWTZY0PzEqj5Wp4zjGWFKEBSPVQ_h_lcNSq-3S1ebwAW5rNkaGLFgvhzvYpPvMSBG-MH1MJlkyZBNIamxZHjEmBQvqmrJ_14MoUsA5_ROJ83DWPtc5XFatDWtqfvf2HMqD0/s4237/patrick-fore-MdvUdNsXY08-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Unsplash" border="0" data-original-height="2731" data-original-width="4237" height="206" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEVVJ5ghU91Jv4M8tH8BkQSsA4rR2kErV0qj--b3_4SXhTbgsW4NLuut-4KxWTZY0PzEqj5Wp4zjGWFKEBSPVQ_h_lcNSq-3S1ebwAW5rNkaGLFgvhzvYpPvMSBG-MH1MJlkyZBNIamxZHjEmBQvqmrJ_14MoUsA5_ROJ83DWPtc5XFatDWtqfvf2HMqD0/w320-h206/patrick-fore-MdvUdNsXY08-unsplash.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table></span></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">I grew up in the country and one of my fondest memories
is coming across an old cabin in the woods. Digging through the
remains, I found silverware, broken jars, and a child’s tiny tea set. I
wanted to know who lived here, what were their lives like, where did
they go? It was only as an adult that I would learn how to research
county records, genealogy, and newspapers as far back as a town had
preserved them.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">This memory led to a story I wrote last year, but only in the present time. As I learn more about writing the time split genre, the story will be revised to include chapters set the past. I'm excited to create a history for my old cabin and weave its story into my protagonist's present life. Who knows what she and I will dig up?</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIqi5Q7GrTh-Nn4xnmpayZFZhrUCw--U5SZSPsbP7J-2wKRL94eFlJBxPnjYnsQq8i38TPLFCkQdTscTyvgWpijbGVWL319VGl9r0Q-xAESDEp1L5z311ImwQWGJwwsEYnH87nGYB4Gh-jbtaZ-MYgCXZ43I6rQeCdldCAeah-v6i4mwnuW2ORUuyXGWZQ/s5773/tim-foster-8iNmC7ZJFnY-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3849" data-original-width="5773" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIqi5Q7GrTh-Nn4xnmpayZFZhrUCw--U5SZSPsbP7J-2wKRL94eFlJBxPnjYnsQq8i38TPLFCkQdTscTyvgWpijbGVWL319VGl9r0Q-xAESDEp1L5z311ImwQWGJwwsEYnH87nGYB4Gh-jbtaZ-MYgCXZ43I6rQeCdldCAeah-v6i4mwnuW2ORUuyXGWZQ/s320/tim-foster-8iNmC7ZJFnY-unsplash.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@timberfoster?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Tim Foster</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/8iNmC7ZJFnY?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a> ">Unsplash</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /> </span></span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><p></p>Lexa Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17607145577589963375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538999001509624107.post-32892624109484201782023-07-19T00:01:00.002-07:002023-07-19T00:01:00.158-07:00R&R<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh5ZXPGk-BJyKvb2ExlMBd16oL53OTLD9Qj-AIQXg-CSM-DrrQJ_hevf70kSuKFwd3rj70pPmg5BD97_lUCf20J0I9YL3qKC15kmLoBGeiXPORQYLy4pDXICrPb9lNicMpYWCteEZFcBEjtn-tbdjKi__gtwNzqmpCJCq3AoEFcsZDlT5XxVVLOUtnLtwb/s1002/IMG_3480.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="612" data-original-width="1002" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh5ZXPGk-BJyKvb2ExlMBd16oL53OTLD9Qj-AIQXg-CSM-DrrQJ_hevf70kSuKFwd3rj70pPmg5BD97_lUCf20J0I9YL3qKC15kmLoBGeiXPORQYLy4pDXICrPb9lNicMpYWCteEZFcBEjtn-tbdjKi__gtwNzqmpCJCq3AoEFcsZDlT5XxVVLOUtnLtwb/w400-h244/IMG_3480.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leavenworth, WA<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;">While it wasn't <i>exactly</i> rest and relaxation, our vacation at the end of June was restorative. We hiked, shopped and ate in downtown Leavenworth, WA (a Bavarian village), hiked again, and rode the Tumwater Twister. <br /><br />Our first hike was in the <a href="https://www.summitpost.org/peshastin-pinnacles/153649">Peshastin Pinnacles</a>. Even early in the morning this was a very warm hike as the pinnacles are on the arid side of the Wenatchee river. We spotted a couple of lizards and a mink, and mountain goat tracks.The Pinnacles gave us a great view of the orchards below that are irrigated by the Wenatchee river. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiuDpkPhuGjEf-1ZmfHsG69dki2JMXIF0EiKhpNbAKvTj2w8QzGdOhteAOlQP5cTjgGKIjpv4kDNG18ckb5g_0-VJ4wT40CYSVz8FL6B0TcFuQa9zYzKOzwzefjlvTX3chnYLrCaJOG_s_vTd4hnSmw_fCKY2zuQWy6M1jqTJJ6UbiDyYCktxcppp04ne0/s16158/IMG_3516.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3948" data-original-width="16158" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiuDpkPhuGjEf-1ZmfHsG69dki2JMXIF0EiKhpNbAKvTj2w8QzGdOhteAOlQP5cTjgGKIjpv4kDNG18ckb5g_0-VJ4wT40CYSVz8FL6B0TcFuQa9zYzKOzwzefjlvTX3chnYLrCaJOG_s_vTd4hnSmw_fCKY2zuQWy6M1jqTJJ6UbiDyYCktxcppp04ne0/w640-h156/IMG_3516.jpeg" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;">As we hiked, I was intrigued by the wide variety of vegetation we saw. All of it was new to me though, I recognized many of the plant names we learned with a plant ID app: pineapple weed, fleabane, toadflax, broadleaf arrowhead, and yarrow. <br /><br /></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqgYTXNil-J3QfzR_rgk-6-VUWoV8mMV4Jv7xYZby3z3P7nfddvgQ-F7lKNcla9_MqZ5QubtFdmXLwqpJJpvUKeK7o7ferJyBxNhF6kVI2oPqLEQdxLwrmSV5vCljD7WOjOT7ts0Y6LPKxWV-Vroi7foaCd3UQI8Vk_cJJyl5m3zKkg5SMHd_cbOnvxjqz/s1172/Screenshot%202023-07-15%20at%206.54.51%20PM.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="https://alutiiqmuseum.org/collection/index.php/Detail/word/390" border="0" data-original-height="774" data-original-width="1172" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqgYTXNil-J3QfzR_rgk-6-VUWoV8mMV4Jv7xYZby3z3P7nfddvgQ-F7lKNcla9_MqZ5QubtFdmXLwqpJJpvUKeK7o7ferJyBxNhF6kVI2oPqLEQdxLwrmSV5vCljD7WOjOT7ts0Y6LPKxWV-Vroi7foaCd3UQI8Vk_cJJyl5m3zKkg5SMHd_cbOnvxjqz/w320-h211/Screenshot%202023-07-15%20at%206.54.51%20PM.png" title="Source" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://alutiiqmuseum.org/collection/index.php/Detail/word/390">Source</a></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;">I’ve always heard
that pineapple weed is a common backyard weed, but it’s not in my
backyard. Its fragrance is a cross between pineapple and chamomile, and it's supposed to make a good tea so I plan to try growing it next year. </span></span><br /><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /> </span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrhNqVsGunVIpmfgkOz5ln9xsHPYhTGjwFdLXCJfZWR9_SHRB8nSG5T3FkTYUHjzTPokmQUbWOoF4X75ufnJDoCKwwOHYlAiTlFepACmyHakU1bc9Z6IfG2xyOe5Qbc1oVxzYmOchn3ZOSclHpuW87N2qsWj1o4bUN6X5AyjreeXg_YuqZMyYKlkRySbzo/s2016/IMG_3535.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrhNqVsGunVIpmfgkOz5ln9xsHPYhTGjwFdLXCJfZWR9_SHRB8nSG5T3FkTYUHjzTPokmQUbWOoF4X75ufnJDoCKwwOHYlAiTlFepACmyHakU1bc9Z6IfG2xyOe5Qbc1oVxzYmOchn3ZOSclHpuW87N2qsWj1o4bUN6X5AyjreeXg_YuqZMyYKlkRySbzo/s320/IMG_3535.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;">Our next hike was much cooler as it was along the Wenatchee river and </span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;">under forest canopy. The trail is an old <a href="https://leavenworth.org/trail/penstock-trail/">pipeline</a> that provided water to a powerhouse that powered electrical engines pulling trains through the Cascade Tunnel between Leavenworth and Index, WA. </span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;">One of the best sights was a fern grotto.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0DXq89nyRSb0BhA-exp_d4cVwBsGqlyIz_meR9FeVz6fvl6tK6re8Nj_lIPkfkyMygw4EatEIxxxSFpyW_P1Y7y6uwKTi8-fyCCL_p70ilq7YKMfAkJmOTeeNRWXZrP_asCHvBiWGLZWLj0IAwrrFabBPVBKiQHAIsZQ8d07hDuSJWGdr4Oe0mjqZ4j3Y/s1393/IMG_3529.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1393" data-original-width="935" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0DXq89nyRSb0BhA-exp_d4cVwBsGqlyIz_meR9FeVz6fvl6tK6re8Nj_lIPkfkyMygw4EatEIxxxSFpyW_P1Y7y6uwKTi8-fyCCL_p70ilq7YKMfAkJmOTeeNRWXZrP_asCHvBiWGLZWLj0IAwrrFabBPVBKiQHAIsZQ8d07hDuSJWGdr4Oe0mjqZ4j3Y/w134-h200/IMG_3529.jpeg" width="134" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;">The <a href="https://www.leavenworthadventurepark.com/">Leavenworth Adventure Park</a> is new this year and features an Alpine coaster, the Tumwater Twister. The coaster is 2,700 feet long and features </span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;">three 360-degree spiral helix circles. I rode it</span></span><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;"> with my husband (who, I’m sure, got braking and accelerating backwards 😀). I had much more fun with my feet firmly on the ground while panning for gems in the bag of sand we purchased at a small price.<br /></span></span><p><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtPquND_o0aX9zNvDMJQ_jJiGLJX45kmwsa7k1kNsQYznhmaHil6NrHeoYFcSmNfvwsxv8meco7EpGg83lifOfZStGys8BgGhDTt8owEl8P_afUf1VPyRZxeyatDpLOED9iMjX4jm-qlJ1U2anFVCJ9suL6o-GwjKGaZEZ9PwgrSucXQPaBlOiyScxhhHb/s2016/IMG_2216.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtPquND_o0aX9zNvDMJQ_jJiGLJX45kmwsa7k1kNsQYznhmaHil6NrHeoYFcSmNfvwsxv8meco7EpGg83lifOfZStGys8BgGhDTt8owEl8P_afUf1VPyRZxeyatDpLOED9iMjX4jm-qlJ1U2anFVCJ9suL6o-GwjKGaZEZ9PwgrSucXQPaBlOiyScxhhHb/w150-h200/IMG_2216.jpeg" width="150" /></a></span></div><p><span style="font-family: helvetica; font-size: large;">Our gems included big chunks of aventurine, carnelian, jasper, rose quartz, and sodalite. We’ll run the larger pieces through our rock polisher to bring out their color and beauty.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">It was a refreshing two days at a cabin on a lake. With a few days left in our vacation, it was time to head home to rest and relax.</span> 😌<br /></span></p><p></p><p><br /><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Lexa Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17607145577589963375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538999001509624107.post-34664364713457926292023-06-19T00:01:00.003-07:002023-06-19T00:01:00.153-07:00Hungry?<p> <span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5qpzZscDWscRsoP8Lqh8nuVVDVdaaMSCPc-5BZfSj8w-Ef8_T6AZ6OJo0MiugSDxBJqSL5sps2ShQtFTXzZCGL0gsUn6UwtyOCJ22rJmhL9YBD2-cv0s35b4fbYG04B4OjxlzcBoCOZklvsudALyHuhQDZDBPX_ZejAClgfJ58qZnwFK9di6ZkKqhcQ/s2156/Screenshot%202023-06-18%20at%204.17.33%20PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1078" data-original-width="2156" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5qpzZscDWscRsoP8Lqh8nuVVDVdaaMSCPc-5BZfSj8w-Ef8_T6AZ6OJo0MiugSDxBJqSL5sps2ShQtFTXzZCGL0gsUn6UwtyOCJ22rJmhL9YBD2-cv0s35b4fbYG04B4OjxlzcBoCOZklvsudALyHuhQDZDBPX_ZejAClgfJ58qZnwFK9di6ZkKqhcQ/s320/Screenshot%202023-06-18%20at%204.17.33%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.urban.org/urban-wire/three-challenges-facing-food-banks-they-build-new-programs-improve-peoples-well-being">Three Challenges Facing Food Banks</a><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">This isn’t a post about recipes, though it is about food. According to Feeding America, 10% of U.S households are food insecure. </span></p><div style="text-align: right;"><span style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="230" data-original-width="446" height="103" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwUbADgxE5tGL1CKe3hzzI8Xkh5HdbNuSn2unNi4aTHtSIjtx1hG84_tSG2sIW8r6Ukgs_hlqV7UoX668wiaML0a5iG0nhOVxdaxvhBt98EHCqBj0ZbP2fUTJZo79tdqAHeRNn1qYXCzjbLSXa5f-rLQ3xaL3N9FCGC-pwDB5rh7taYNJ7Ep2J9LGt_Q/w200-h103/Screenshot%202023-06-13%20at%205.57.51%20PM.png" width="200" /></span><span style="font-size: large;"></span></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">Feeding America is a national organization helping food banks across the U.S through food programs and food rescue. <br /><br /> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">My local food bank regularly relies on Feeding America for many items. Hundreds of local food banks fill a large and growing need in communities throughout our country. My university also has a food pantry for students, staff, and faculty. Much of the produce comes from our university farm.<br /><br />I was able to volunteer at a local food bank for years and greatly look forward to returning when I retire this year. The food bank provides </span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.udistrictfoodbank.org/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="446" height="139" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlxfKA_z3X0K0nYSj5ZxL4_6xhJVugA5DaYDEfKlftXsasq_-_cnh_SMxyKV1pCdBo4f7OpSBnVKagMS8lRsSb8FzLG6bf1WyaVZcX0HsQ53U2ubDjgZQc9TbcIKt-PRGYaTdrYnU91tFKtwzKhHF_ibPU_ma8vDlsSiApmQhAvI2sssJLa9nHdAhB0w/s320/Screenshot%202023-06-13%20at%206.02.27%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></span></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">pantry staples, a small amount of pet food, and a few hygiene items to needy individuals and families weekly. It’s more than just food--it’s also a resource for community services such as health care, laundry and shower facilities, and housing. </span></p><p><br /></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbDaKSipaiq6FAUBgXtrJe8cf-0T4HZ1gEeky15rCti5f_tucSezCLJXgm9WG8NIj5XVRJY10nI2rlK9dZ94hTPlUOcLfXfQm50pIfJNC07feOIR7CtrNV8T7rAa1rVFmjTYrURwiZTDlO8RIwqG5WIYlHVJWt7OheLBujAmgQJw-6pBXr__GE9ZV_cg/s1136/Screenshot%202023-06-13%20at%206.05.33%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="858" data-original-width="1136" height="242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbDaKSipaiq6FAUBgXtrJe8cf-0T4HZ1gEeky15rCti5f_tucSezCLJXgm9WG8NIj5XVRJY10nI2rlK9dZ94hTPlUOcLfXfQm50pIfJNC07feOIR7CtrNV8T7rAa1rVFmjTYrURwiZTDlO8RIwqG5WIYlHVJWt7OheLBujAmgQJw-6pBXr__GE9ZV_cg/s320/Screenshot%202023-06-13%20at%206.05.33%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">In addition to being a regular food bank donor and soon a volunteer, I’m happy </span><span style="font-size: large;">to participate in a local little pantry that provides so
much. The neighborhood pantry fills a need not only for unsheltered
adults, but also local school children. Yes, it is sometimes abused
and a few neighbors will complain, but most patrons are respectful and grateful.</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Students from the nearby high school did an excellent video on the nearby pantry. Many of them benefit from the pantry and help maintain it. In the video, one grade school girl said the peanut butter and crackers she can pick up after school help fill her tummy on the hour drive home with her mother. She often gets extra packs of crackers for her younger brother and her mother.<br /><br />The experience of volunteering at the food bank and seeing the plight of so many has woven itself into the book I am currently writing. I’m a romance writer, and what better place for generous hearts to meet than at a food bank during the holidays?<br /><br />Until I can resume volunteering, I can at least live it through the book I’m working on.*</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrJSXRkFaxs46uRGClujgqYaFl878IwR-ExEkHSle0D5Qms6jxCBmZKLfKAS30UPdnVEec2StHdeLTAwCBw1T21s9Cda0EbqMycgFSRmp3CM4417YUkAd_ON5NEUbM_QNgnHcwG99ouu07tuiLdjyye9Dg-thdJ6LuGteovMolfa8H0ZJKzs-1hzJ4Dw/s380/IMG_2204.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="335" data-original-width="380" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrJSXRkFaxs46uRGClujgqYaFl878IwR-ExEkHSle0D5Qms6jxCBmZKLfKAS30UPdnVEec2StHdeLTAwCBw1T21s9Cda0EbqMycgFSRmp3CM4417YUkAd_ON5NEUbM_QNgnHcwG99ouu07tuiLdjyye9Dg-thdJ6LuGteovMolfa8H0ZJKzs-1hzJ4Dw/w200-h176/IMG_2204.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /></span><span style="font-size: small;">* All proceeds from my first book go to a local organization that provides free pet care for low-income families or the unsheltered. Proceeds from the next book will go to my local food bank.<br /></span><p></p><p></p>Lexa Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17607145577589963375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538999001509624107.post-71296141103874019452023-05-19T00:01:00.001-07:002023-05-19T00:01:00.146-07:00Bloom Time!<p> </p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9e7K9R7RvgwjHtyMEOjhZLaEaRL5_7knsdYsDlHQv7smtC7ZsbjmqKp0fxsl9hnPUObp9Zap5PL8QqJif5YlZuA-8EM4wpSBT2pCyIYTxtApk9oS0fdLRUAjzsbTDXv-1U-AoM0pMqkg_ey6OjB957TuvA_fo9wHFIrTNZsut7XJnO824F1G-IPezQA/s1178/IMG_3389.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1178" data-original-width="1148" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9e7K9R7RvgwjHtyMEOjhZLaEaRL5_7knsdYsDlHQv7smtC7ZsbjmqKp0fxsl9hnPUObp9Zap5PL8QqJif5YlZuA-8EM4wpSBT2pCyIYTxtApk9oS0fdLRUAjzsbTDXv-1U-AoM0pMqkg_ey6OjB957TuvA_fo9wHFIrTNZsut7XJnO824F1G-IPezQA/s320/IMG_3389.jpeg" width="312" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Now that plants have been well-watered by April’s showers and the sun is finally out, shrubs and trees are blooming and most notably, the neighborhood is filled with the scent of lilacs. The flowery aroma is filling the house this year because May has been warm enough to have windows open. On a recent walk we saw white lilacs and more shades of purple than I knew lilacs could be.<br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-2XGmfCygPo3-YmEC2dLpaVu9inKSSbZM8U_LjRAJhKxcu_hprh6XaQRq2brKX7dmprSa4iROFcHznFAMGf_fj0cx3_L7sERvHtqNYddQc-gB3VCRDKxQrRev4LRyiz4Y5WqY6iuwr_Hn5uuNp1F5n2-qc8eC1uJuOHXz4jSJ-kCs67X4Ii3aeYIrcg/s2016/IMG_3397.heic" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2016" data-original-width="1512" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-2XGmfCygPo3-YmEC2dLpaVu9inKSSbZM8U_LjRAJhKxcu_hprh6XaQRq2brKX7dmprSa4iROFcHznFAMGf_fj0cx3_L7sERvHtqNYddQc-gB3VCRDKxQrRev4LRyiz4Y5WqY6iuwr_Hn5uuNp1F5n2-qc8eC1uJuOHXz4jSJ-kCs67X4Ii3aeYIrcg/w150-h200/IMG_3397.heic" width="150" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />The state flower, rhododendron, is bursting forth throughout the neighborhood in shades from pale pink to the vivid red here too. </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /> </span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOQTUK4Nr_waXljU0hti7cPZbrbwPqArrAPHItf2mTiw2sJoT2zDJ3rlwCl_VhUidW-7dPZS2chkmBLlrIrHcbbOYwxbOv48IZg9ac7d7xNyQrsHTkAC0CTYN8_NCOC8rzX6xNHslEeUVcPfWcMOGWh8KCNGDrCBsq6JzYnWKRFXhJer71HJhPXiGvPA/s2016/IMG_2184.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1512" data-original-width="2016" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOQTUK4Nr_waXljU0hti7cPZbrbwPqArrAPHItf2mTiw2sJoT2zDJ3rlwCl_VhUidW-7dPZS2chkmBLlrIrHcbbOYwxbOv48IZg9ac7d7xNyQrsHTkAC0CTYN8_NCOC8rzX6xNHslEeUVcPfWcMOGWh8KCNGDrCBsq6JzYnWKRFXhJer71HJhPXiGvPA/w320-h240/IMG_2184.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Are we ever going to have apples this year! Pear, cherry, and plum trees also have tiny fruits beginning to grow. If I run out of freezer space for applesauce I can share the apple crop with a nearby little pantry.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /> </span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTBoT7w-z_TnfTo85ZOpMYAdxtKNd4hDsUBk5Ud-zzULdMGVKy6vWuJQv9laFZid_M-yKbXIKTpfK2AfVGhbapWeUc1t8FSCYX6OYlJUXioGIFuBxVkhFaBT2y_q596EIq9UpB4bwTPpcnYDtraj0sjZy8mORbhU3zLUUsKENx05ipPkg8sEq5t_-5ZA/s1574/IMG_2191.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1574" data-original-width="995" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTBoT7w-z_TnfTo85ZOpMYAdxtKNd4hDsUBk5Ud-zzULdMGVKy6vWuJQv9laFZid_M-yKbXIKTpfK2AfVGhbapWeUc1t8FSCYX6OYlJUXioGIFuBxVkhFaBT2y_q596EIq9UpB4bwTPpcnYDtraj0sjZy8mORbhU3zLUUsKENx05ipPkg8sEq5t_-5ZA/s320/IMG_2191.jpeg" width="202" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />The strawberry harvest looks to be shaping up for a good year, and I’m hoping to keep bunnies and squirrels from eating the fruit by covering it once the blossoms are done. Don’t worry, there are strawberries in the backyard for the wildlife to enjoy. Later this month more strawberry plants will be joining the blueberries and filling in bare spots in the yard.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">Speaking of blueberries, they are flowering and this will be the first year we’ve had a crop from the raised bed in the front yard.<br /><br /><br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA8jg8emY5fRrhFx4XuY0df55N5tZybwFE6gPSwcMeu3Ga053-Fu1KV7zbrqMEBtFui8lod7uPlBnUnL8yl81P2MQ-A1hZyslybNRUjJuwzr2S7LxxRq4PyyWColza2T9gsRNot2FbWrOthPTV2EqqTztoFrT1m4OvzyyIgomJgdPcPv4wpC00J92QBA/s1345/IMG_2188.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1345" height="193" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA8jg8emY5fRrhFx4XuY0df55N5tZybwFE6gPSwcMeu3Ga053-Fu1KV7zbrqMEBtFui8lod7uPlBnUnL8yl81P2MQ-A1hZyslybNRUjJuwzr2S7LxxRq4PyyWColza2T9gsRNot2FbWrOthPTV2EqqTztoFrT1m4OvzyyIgomJgdPcPv4wpC00J92QBA/w320-h193/IMG_2188.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;">This little creeper,
Kenilworth ivy, also graces the yard and didn't cost me a penny. Unlike many
gardeners, I’m happy to have it trailing around walls and planters. </span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> Soon bee balm, hyssop, lavender, and sage will be in bloom to provide a continuing buffet for bees that make all the fruit possible.</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4WgkCSpIgyLQ0C5RsTudzN1Z1Lvmmq5HU6XMvLt3B6bpfyVgUQJZ1LvlhWgNcm1r7nRgjW53R8H2172W-U5tF5DuIKi9_IKzu0gDbEjX0rPo_9eOYl1pcJl_1Y49xVRW65DiGJJccu0ZBs76qp7xMKkoCkLLf7PAcoLIujvO6YtxULJzFGGhphkCXXg/s2016/IMG_3397.heic" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></span></div><br /><br /><p></p>Lexa Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17607145577589963375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538999001509624107.post-91010522307563831782023-04-19T00:01:00.001-07:002023-04-19T00:01:00.223-07:00Ready, Set, Grow!<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAH3BTLk-YbpLXYpNEN6NTJkk80kWCckpTQg6eT0RatX9jOlz0iyI9d_xnDfuO1emhlJU2nI3iJPwDyRSVCApcEoLOE_sHJLM0JNaiL3qas4VJOsU08aHbaa1jLxN38qEo81guUOJZPnDb7tZujLcc8MUP9bIRjfmnXS86aOOIVAXPCUN6LYHS3IfVeg/s506/IMG_2173.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="506" data-original-width="504" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAH3BTLk-YbpLXYpNEN6NTJkk80kWCckpTQg6eT0RatX9jOlz0iyI9d_xnDfuO1emhlJU2nI3iJPwDyRSVCApcEoLOE_sHJLM0JNaiL3qas4VJOsU08aHbaa1jLxN38qEo81guUOJZPnDb7tZujLcc8MUP9bIRjfmnXS86aOOIVAXPCUN6LYHS3IfVeg/s320/IMG_2173.jpeg" width="319" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Asian pear ready to go!</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">It’s been an unusually cold, wet, windy March and April here in the Pacific NorthWet. Not many fruit plants are budding yet, but our Asian pear (above) is ready to get this season going! Buds are bursting out greater than previous years. </span></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">Most of the other fruit trees and vines are saying "Slow down, it's still too cold and wet!"</span></span><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnTse57Ja6zqEzYrtrFBZLA1P3sXgKBHQwp4QELQy0K0WtEfqjJiFB82t0XgNZNz3ZIL9wxjkxAxfM2uqvycDZnXy9KREU5fsgKQeHUmBueoECccalt9VhdR-l2yUYPIapW20dWvlZxeG1K_NIVVEhUR10U3vM-frxzcdlCf3zktnrIg1BK8EfUbkO8g/s561/IMG_2175.jpeg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="561" data-original-width="426" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnTse57Ja6zqEzYrtrFBZLA1P3sXgKBHQwp4QELQy0K0WtEfqjJiFB82t0XgNZNz3ZIL9wxjkxAxfM2uqvycDZnXy9KREU5fsgKQeHUmBueoECccalt9VhdR-l2yUYPIapW20dWvlZxeG1K_NIVVEhUR10U3vM-frxzcdlCf3zktnrIg1BK8EfUbkO8g/s320/IMG_2175.jpeg" width="243" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Plum just starting to blossom</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">I was diligent this winter (when it was milder) about fertilizing all our fruit plants in February and again in March, also adding compost to the soil to provide good nutrients. I’m eager to see how the blueberries, raspberries, cherries, pears (new this year), plums, and apples perform. I’d love to be able to do more canning and preserving of home-grown fruit!<br /><br /> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">Garlic left in raised beds over winter is coming on strong. The asparagus planted last spring is starting to come up, and rhubarb that I divided in late winter is also robust. Several onions that I'd left as failures last year are now reaching through the soggy soil.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />New this year are two elderberry plants that are slow to </span></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTDLkjak3AJFkSWg8n2BN5Q3G5xW2a5NJJldXhOmxMF39aYMV3l0AWMKboHzEmpK8Hznbo1WEGufGeryVlmubEP5xXndgbn1eAkk78RGGb-NDHuCfYvz90I2qkAw5t0Nv_xqcgQTNo50-UIYcRanpzg-QZehZHkaZMvzpKwopSzmToZMOqA1MdS5Le4A/s719/IMG_2176.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="576" data-original-width="719" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTDLkjak3AJFkSWg8n2BN5Q3G5xW2a5NJJldXhOmxMF39aYMV3l0AWMKboHzEmpK8Hznbo1WEGufGeryVlmubEP5xXndgbn1eAkk78RGGb-NDHuCfYvz90I2qkAw5t0Nv_xqcgQTNo50-UIYcRanpzg-QZehZHkaZMvzpKwopSzmToZMOqA1MdS5Le4A/s320/IMG_2176.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Hyssop coming back vigorously<br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">show growth, but the season is still young. I also doubled the number of blueberry plants in a raised bed last fall. Hyssop has surprised me with a vigorous re-emergence from last year, and the bee balm from last summer that I’ve already divided is coming along well.<br /><br />This year I will focus on more plants to attract bees and look forward to putting in more bee balm and hyssop. Calendula is a flower I’ve never grown, but will sow outside in a couple weeks. I’m hoping the poppies I planted last year have self-sown and will also come back.<br /><br />I've had some luck this year transplanting and propagating. Flowering red currant is one of my favorite plants for attracting hummingbirds, and despite the cold weather, it is showing its beauty. Later this year I'll plant ones I'm propagating for even more showy pink blossoms throughout the yard!<br /></span></span><p></p><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGE8rApAq8LLNFrQ9Ab_1OwIt8x9ZIKr-kPP9ua5Obl9_zXI4rsiQ409eawP4Aq1aWAnr8WyNHr79aWMy2QMn5xbQbPBfpgRj049RkbjWCLN_tDVnONoPAM-Al6s4vvrQogod6btsIiSwW7eH0yybAsM-WU8jYyvUvmOQI2Yyt7gneO2zWYQRDJKGbug/s1008/IMG_3326.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1008" data-original-width="756" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGE8rApAq8LLNFrQ9Ab_1OwIt8x9ZIKr-kPP9ua5Obl9_zXI4rsiQ409eawP4Aq1aWAnr8WyNHr79aWMy2QMn5xbQbPBfpgRj049RkbjWCLN_tDVnONoPAM-Al6s4vvrQogod6btsIiSwW7eH0yybAsM-WU8jYyvUvmOQI2Yyt7gneO2zWYQRDJKGbug/s320/IMG_3326.jpeg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Flowering red currant</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> </td></tr></tbody></table><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br /></span><br /><br /><br /><br /></p>Lexa Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17607145577589963375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538999001509624107.post-4577144926598376272023-03-19T00:01:00.001-07:002023-03-19T00:01:00.188-07:00Foiled Again<p> </p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9PBY425yPKqS6C7Pk2MzO1voSKoXGmRIM0FUPJwaSLS6qwIcqlH6lvAmceThf9HY65p_bpJPO-pNDm_gxVFq1EpXMmf_b7EL6o2BUB-86ieb0ZU1hEWQHIwH1gzzFDkXVN-gxhVaa37WAHf7AtAJO0oOAtp4sAnfW7bH3jHzGBGqqJGV6dXbTi2nZkA/s461/IMG_2159.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="359" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9PBY425yPKqS6C7Pk2MzO1voSKoXGmRIM0FUPJwaSLS6qwIcqlH6lvAmceThf9HY65p_bpJPO-pNDm_gxVFq1EpXMmf_b7EL6o2BUB-86ieb0ZU1hEWQHIwH1gzzFDkXVN-gxhVaa37WAHf7AtAJO0oOAtp4sAnfW7bH3jHzGBGqqJGV6dXbTi2nZkA/s320/IMG_2159.jpeg" width="249" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"> <br /></span><p></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP0aulBPLM7cmADen3UUnmzNlXRphwfAxOTTxxxhCTT6AZNDINmw9i-LIx-Ohgw3K8s3pBh3qavoqcd_MKXjBk8oNJkQnEKvONWX58dK-0LyC3iR420Lm_-O7ffwaVleLUuv5etHvqaRhw_j17_JonvIzO7nueNnoL4L32Yj6u4jgY3GKZh3V88VUdqg/s1559/IMG_2158.jpeg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1183" data-original-width="1559" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP0aulBPLM7cmADen3UUnmzNlXRphwfAxOTTxxxhCTT6AZNDINmw9i-LIx-Ohgw3K8s3pBh3qavoqcd_MKXjBk8oNJkQnEKvONWX58dK-0LyC3iR420Lm_-O7ffwaVleLUuv5etHvqaRhw_j17_JonvIzO7nueNnoL4L32Yj6u4jgY3GKZh3V88VUdqg/w200-h152/IMG_2158.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favorite foil<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span> </span>No, my attempt at something wasn't thwarted. Rather, while making Christmas cards I rediscovered the joy of foiling. I did also relearn the difference between the two primary ways I make foiled cards, so I guess you could say there were some foiled attempts through this process. <br /></span><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8W0J-kl_t_cvClXVQVAzBgKdK9r0RpbMaB0yeE_EW7O0LrDHAIno076QSt8JnmYKjATgRKcefokVfHUtdjPH9IO_QND1Vx27xLRQQzRoB4wlDy4mv410ZciVhK8U5xXmLa4fti5Rx0VgdJSgpmfIlxQYrOG8x5oBfnd3jGNCNPBTMot1P5oWwhRgE6w/s1008/IMG_2155.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="756" data-original-width="1008" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8W0J-kl_t_cvClXVQVAzBgKdK9r0RpbMaB0yeE_EW7O0LrDHAIno076QSt8JnmYKjATgRKcefokVfHUtdjPH9IO_QND1Vx27xLRQQzRoB4wlDy4mv410ZciVhK8U5xXmLa4fti5Rx0VgdJSgpmfIlxQYrOG8x5oBfnd3jGNCNPBTMot1P5oWwhRgE6w/w200-h150/IMG_2155.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The first way I can foil cards is with a device called the Go Press and Foil as seen at right.</span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This device uses plates that are heated and a special foil that is heat activated to adhere to the paper.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEckCozRFrpmeJScucjdmxPUBWIh8M8J3bOdHMEUAJIuNQAjuuN5ftUaXCIHLQQyBgJEHoWvV_hQfiUPCvZ9OnmxSH6IEi622gYEwql0WCsdIM1FcQKMOHmyAw2KdqmTReykBNG_7FWwJWJ3ET-ovYB6a8RoBUw13owjDr0MuGkbv8Ed6fpjFIz-HeQw/s1102/IMG_2145.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; font-family: arial; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="842" data-original-width="1102" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEckCozRFrpmeJScucjdmxPUBWIh8M8J3bOdHMEUAJIuNQAjuuN5ftUaXCIHLQQyBgJEHoWvV_hQfiUPCvZ9OnmxSH6IEi622gYEwql0WCsdIM1FcQKMOHmyAw2KdqmTReykBNG_7FWwJWJ3ET-ovYB6a8RoBUw13owjDr0MuGkbv8Ed6fpjFIz-HeQw/w200-h153/IMG_2145.jpeg" width="200" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">This is the birthday card I created for my sister using the hot plate shown above. The pink outline of the flowers is foiled and I colored in the rest.<br /></span></span></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></span></span><br /></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihn2J31p-5bew6PPwZkSNJ4FAu5b3t85bZ_9kW6iM4QZD6T9flEWXwMoy6zRDOMTIfkN612a0Ncvinv0YFIXwBSheRbwZG0xIqLkju_2jExlDrZIevZFAP9bNIJgQJTLdgrYHjf05cz9T1Lec9PKFthmJrB3fERKhC5dagNcKkXfV1-2HuG-iYz9fFnQ/s1156/Screenshot%202023-03-05%20at%209.40.20%20AM.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1146" data-original-width="1156" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihn2J31p-5bew6PPwZkSNJ4FAu5b3t85bZ_9kW6iM4QZD6T9flEWXwMoy6zRDOMTIfkN612a0Ncvinv0YFIXwBSheRbwZG0xIqLkju_2jExlDrZIevZFAP9bNIJgQJTLdgrYHjf05cz9T1Lec9PKFthmJrB3fERKhC5dagNcKkXfV1-2HuG-iYz9fFnQ/w200-h198/Screenshot%202023-03-05%20at%209.40.20%20AM.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The March kit<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">Now
that I’ve been buying quality products, I am delighted with this process
and even signed up for a monthly hot foil kit-of-the-month
subscription. Each month I get a new plate and die set along with a roll
of foil.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht3rwqDhDwp6EZDfKWXPvuIo6SRTtIOOPcwonL02z3Fvz4O4jGWJh4drzDXTJdoCToDqBZUM6q3MpX_epFxDcQK6dmw05TrvVZVK8lxuQZmXMtaHDCU9VLXL6OoezsvucCDKkOTm8iHKixIY1F2MHzirfoCztVDe8WmfvqNbnWw7UPYS_kBE2jbmoq6g/s1961/IMG_2156.jpeg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1071" data-original-width="1961" height="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht3rwqDhDwp6EZDfKWXPvuIo6SRTtIOOPcwonL02z3Fvz4O4jGWJh4drzDXTJdoCToDqBZUM6q3MpX_epFxDcQK6dmw05TrvVZVK8lxuQZmXMtaHDCU9VLXL6OoezsvucCDKkOTm8iHKixIY1F2MHzirfoCztVDe8WmfvqNbnWw7UPYS_kBE2jbmoq6g/s320/IMG_2156.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> The
second method of foiling cards is with the Glaminator. This machine
needs a product called transfer gel or embossing powder to make foil
adhere to the paper. It can be trickier to get clean results, but with
the Glaminator I can use stencils with transfer gel, or stamps with embossing powder that
melts to allow the foil to adhere. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><br /></span></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ZGfCP3dhxIk8S8w3DzbpugUKIvkhS1r0OGWbhNMI8OqwUfqIe4V36Ri8EBIprMkASTY2LuJ7QKosRgwkVD9Whn553OBj-7vUJV7XfOtYJGhcVa-zFO48yoyAZhTJxNvXQIauymqal4Z8y8kaYCfmcZlf_irtm-KZhZzBrlj8XfApAcb2DwG60pde9A/s397/IMG_1776.jpeg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="343" data-original-width="397" height="277" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1ZGfCP3dhxIk8S8w3DzbpugUKIvkhS1r0OGWbhNMI8OqwUfqIe4V36Ri8EBIprMkASTY2LuJ7QKosRgwkVD9Whn553OBj-7vUJV7XfOtYJGhcVa-zFO48yoyAZhTJxNvXQIauymqal4Z8y8kaYCfmcZlf_irtm-KZhZzBrlj8XfApAcb2DwG60pde9A/w320-h277/IMG_1776.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Glaminator success</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Foils for each machine come in a variety of colors and patterns. Having done a lot of practice this month, I now have everything well documented so there are no more foiled attempts at foiling cards. 😀</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdtx-lAnojb-Cu_JaCAHChljh9jIx9FHZJsPgWDdCtPVonWlR5v7P5XOIpyq5bWAI2JGvscbVlUqBmQlD8aOeXzV34T0BdS7c0ko73wR_x0Yo5N_Q26_fcSlAspiQdZTl_ULzBVMT91PwMfX_Pu6VgLUW-vDhCsvcvNEFeNWV-GgloDWq9u2sGzXXvYg/s1261/IMG_2157.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1261" data-original-width="1009" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdtx-lAnojb-Cu_JaCAHChljh9jIx9FHZJsPgWDdCtPVonWlR5v7P5XOIpyq5bWAI2JGvscbVlUqBmQlD8aOeXzV34T0BdS7c0ko73wR_x0Yo5N_Q26_fcSlAspiQdZTl_ULzBVMT91PwMfX_Pu6VgLUW-vDhCsvcvNEFeNWV-GgloDWq9u2sGzXXvYg/s320/IMG_2157.jpeg" width="256" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Happy Belated St. Patrick's Day Readers!<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"> </span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></span></span></p><p></p>Lexa Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17607145577589963375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538999001509624107.post-31581403909717078012023-02-19T00:01:00.001-08:002023-02-19T00:01:00.187-08:00Turbulence<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiumeBQu7pZFG8T3ylVmktGqJRvYU04SITssC-hsllBPgX1vfkA9a0aTR5cgoV-rW1V-ri5695pCVyJJAZ-07NELp9w5xu0vm_JBzVwZTupHwqctk7O_hxyzKoTLqxdVeCYpw70nN6-t0ZX7VkT0xunBwoMTE-aJy91oYwn3eomyrhRwZS4YlBUdEN-Q/s3774/jandre-van-der-walt-R47Tq7gGHv0-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2526" data-original-width="3774" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiumeBQu7pZFG8T3ylVmktGqJRvYU04SITssC-hsllBPgX1vfkA9a0aTR5cgoV-rW1V-ri5695pCVyJJAZ-07NELp9w5xu0vm_JBzVwZTupHwqctk7O_hxyzKoTLqxdVeCYpw70nN6-t0ZX7VkT0xunBwoMTE-aJy91oYwn3eomyrhRwZS4YlBUdEN-Q/w400-h268/jandre-van-der-walt-R47Tq7gGHv0-unsplash.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@jandrevdw?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Jandré van der Walt</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/R47Tq7gGHv0?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a> "><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Unsplash</span></a></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The old year didn’t end strong for me, nor has the new year been the best so far. In the midst of all this turbulence, my meditation group has provided stability through our practice and topics we are exploring.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhshJ7lcG88wd2AYu3Y7QGD64H4CrrO_3-R546W9DJm4wg6r3O0w1rkKUlJeGUhQYXyKGlJmf7MXA_wRDIrtHJeF8oaPzc86nkGK3EGDNQpQHiUnypsCoXPNWbUXBIHi0EnXpPxD4-F2eLcavm18gb_ing2aI5PyrFBcl8LiW1Rv3UxHuT933kZvy2IWA/s3950/michael-dziedzic-fTdnRCpRTdE-unsplash.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3104" data-original-width="3950" height="157" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhshJ7lcG88wd2AYu3Y7QGD64H4CrrO_3-R546W9DJm4wg6r3O0w1rkKUlJeGUhQYXyKGlJmf7MXA_wRDIrtHJeF8oaPzc86nkGK3EGDNQpQHiUnypsCoXPNWbUXBIHi0EnXpPxD4-F2eLcavm18gb_ing2aI5PyrFBcl8LiW1Rv3UxHuT933kZvy2IWA/w200-h157/michael-dziedzic-fTdnRCpRTdE-unsplash.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@lazycreekimages?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Michael Dziedzic</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/failure?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a> "><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Unsplash</span></a></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The worst thing to distress me was self-evaluation and
feeling I'm a failure. Does anyone stack up to what they expect of
themselves? Our meditation leader had me look into the concept of the
joy of insignificance. This doesn't mean we should give up, but to find value in the ordinary. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">A podcast exploring this topic is from <a href="https://www.tenpercent.com/podcast-episode/ron-siegel-431">Ten Percent Happier</a>
with the guest Dr. Ron Siegel, a part-time assistant professor of
psychology at Harvard Medical School and a board member at the Institute
for Meditation and Psychotherapy. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In his talk, Dr. Siegel discusses being kind to yourself and your expectations, being useful rather than successful, and how being special is a burden. Concepts I need to take to heart to get out of my personal rut of feeling I'm a failure. <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Another <a href="https://treatsandmore.com/2022/04/24/the-joy-of-insignificance/">article</a> on the joy of insignificance assured me that we don’t need to do something extraordinary in order to live a good life and that we should avoid comparing ourselves to others. </span><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge5kNwPo3fQ-Z86WAriOcpQxxnXB8cuUs0ZkpIGt9EPizFNHZH3vrEzwWAo7RAHAC2KMZkOLDH11d8L6RQHcbcCPF6S6huFyIOIipCDDx2WdZ3o0XnXyrr0pe5AV9NLNOoPMzzfEEwgiKtqdZVjN2cDnMg2ffOrIN5GQe6uNs7SFjvcliplVkotdmYVg/s3200/austin-schmid-hRdVSYpffas-unsplash.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="3200" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge5kNwPo3fQ-Z86WAriOcpQxxnXB8cuUs0ZkpIGt9EPizFNHZH3vrEzwWAo7RAHAC2KMZkOLDH11d8L6RQHcbcCPF6S6huFyIOIipCDDx2WdZ3o0XnXyrr0pe5AV9NLNOoPMzzfEEwgiKtqdZVjN2cDnMg2ffOrIN5GQe6uNs7SFjvcliplVkotdmYVg/w200-h113/austin-schmid-hRdVSYpffas-unsplash.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@schmidy?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Austin Schmid</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/joy?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a> "><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Unsplash</span></a></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p> <span style="font-size: large;">The idea of not surrendering your spiritual authority was
also suggested as a way of being true to yourself. This isn't a
religious concept, rather it is about the truth, beauty, purity, and
goodness that is and always has been you, and allowing it to flow
effortlessly through you to radiate out into the world. Embracing this
approach gives me comfort in being my genuine self.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Finally, a poem by Martha Postlethwaite, <a href="https://www.mindfulnessassociation.net/words-of-wonder/clearing-martha-postlethwaite/"><i>Clearing</i></a>, gave me additional peace and comfort and helped me find my way again.</span></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg42MkT435ZzF1pX8s7ihWn7TV4m9YLbsgSm5FC3j19c6Iu6_DJlpRl5s-GQ_OHisyGR-gKVPcqSLO4jU5ftTeGxHDftTPtXMHbz4aPjCxTYtSwkit4qzoPqBsbmvKklBzmaldHpyie9fJCoPOSb0e_Dx2crdbuehGwwyopOyNVAUv9oAAcfgBN2jroBQ/s6000/johannes-plenio-1vzLW-ihJaM-unsplash.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg42MkT435ZzF1pX8s7ihWn7TV4m9YLbsgSm5FC3j19c6Iu6_DJlpRl5s-GQ_OHisyGR-gKVPcqSLO4jU5ftTeGxHDftTPtXMHbz4aPjCxTYtSwkit4qzoPqBsbmvKklBzmaldHpyie9fJCoPOSb0e_Dx2crdbuehGwwyopOyNVAUv9oAAcfgBN2jroBQ/w400-h266/johannes-plenio-1vzLW-ihJaM-unsplash.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@jplenio?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Johannes Plenio</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/forest-clearing?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a> "><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Unsplash</span></a></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><i>Do not try to save</i><br />
<i>the whole world</i><br />
<i>or do anything grandiose.</i><br />
<i>Instead, create</i><br />
<i>a clearing</i><br />
<i>in the dense forest <br /></i><i>of your life</i><br />
<i>and wait there</i><br />
<i>patiently,</i><br />
<i>until the song</i><br />
<i>that is your life</i><br />
<i>falls into your own cupped hands</i><br />
<i>and you recognize and greet it.</i><br />
<i>Only then will you know</i><br />
<i>how to give yourself to this world</i><br />
<i>so worthy of rescue.</i></span><p></p><p><i> </i></p><p><i> </i></p><p><i> </i></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /></p>Lexa Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17607145577589963375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538999001509624107.post-27398944512380497912023-01-19T00:01:00.001-08:002023-01-19T00:01:00.194-08:00One Thing Led to Another<p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Cz4pI7RSd7ApGY2gWTq00Cw-9r_BuzMwFfDYJpS8adbVk9a8yjUebVQ0Z3_n3Tzv4g-hC5HF49LK-VRaO42EJXPKUWPq15aQZFxzkfpcXlaTvFd4K0VQZ2c9D97BQtbOhb4RnvpXuQ0UVpQQ5wdrDDaqvDqSfVGcLxDtU8ayr7yLp5nHka0Kg_xQrw/s1010/Screenshot%202023-01-17%20at%206.54.55%20PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1006" data-original-width="1010" height="319" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-Cz4pI7RSd7ApGY2gWTq00Cw-9r_BuzMwFfDYJpS8adbVk9a8yjUebVQ0Z3_n3Tzv4g-hC5HF49LK-VRaO42EJXPKUWPq15aQZFxzkfpcXlaTvFd4K0VQZ2c9D97BQtbOhb4RnvpXuQ0UVpQQ5wdrDDaqvDqSfVGcLxDtU8ayr7yLp5nHka0Kg_xQrw/s320/Screenshot%202023-01-17%20at%206.54.55%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://www.vecteezy.com/vector-art/3409190-colorful-hand-drawn-mind-map-with-geometric-shape">Source</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I vowed not to take any more online classes until I retired, but the temptation was so great that I took a writing class again last fall. Just two days into a week-long, lunch time class I realized I wouldn’t be able to finish due to work demands. Still, I love learning and had to find a way! <br /> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I turned to online self-paced courses and these, I’m delighted to say, are working perfectly. There are even Facebook groups associated with the classes, and unlike in-person classes, I virtually meet people from all over the world and learn from their questions and different situations.</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqxovn-C8It8F5vz2r8KnjBwtdZNYUtOQ_8WtnlWaW4_Jjcy4plYJeFS0hN-IJGZR0yDSIMM6vwMm_Wz4NFlhMtPfu3orVL6FJTClL01WdFbcCa6Q5I6qiKuy06OvMAEgNDClJbNAod-p5NX2LJCvpOW-a6ST2tZ0QFVsMqz6RAKmkMwMXQN76z36OnA/s584/Screenshot%202023-01-16%20at%205.37.33%20PM.png" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="584" data-original-width="506" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqxovn-C8It8F5vz2r8KnjBwtdZNYUtOQ_8WtnlWaW4_Jjcy4plYJeFS0hN-IJGZR0yDSIMM6vwMm_Wz4NFlhMtPfu3orVL6FJTClL01WdFbcCa6Q5I6qiKuy06OvMAEgNDClJbNAod-p5NX2LJCvpOW-a6ST2tZ0QFVsMqz6RAKmkMwMXQN76z36OnA/w173-h200/Screenshot%202023-01-16%20at%205.37.33%20PM.png" width="173" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">My first venture with an online class grew from my
interest in cooking with herbs and wanting to know how to use herbs in
healing teas. I’m especially interested in contraindications—when NOT to
use particular herbs. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">This interest led to an online class in herbalism
<br />with the <a href="https://theherbalacademy.com/">Herbal Academy</a>.
The class turned out to be much more intense than I was prepared for,
but I could take my own sweet time, any time, and it was a success! For anyone else interested, the additional cost for
the book set is worth it.<br /></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRjIctw7Nk5YTlUMvU_E1kWMz0IEB3bPMvatQNRo1MLCNMnXmU91Ghd-eOTp-3K-dhnAlbiuDBTZIiK0Z6YH1G5Wf1c95N-wxLMaF7IhsjoivSq3IbOsryJccYsbB2tUgdZasdpp4im_pvc5aKcinuljAfX6DTuRot231w4UMfc8XywZWIpC6s4SC45w/s574/Screenshot%202023-01-16%20at%205.41.35%20PM.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="572" data-original-width="574" height="199" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRjIctw7Nk5YTlUMvU_E1kWMz0IEB3bPMvatQNRo1MLCNMnXmU91Ghd-eOTp-3K-dhnAlbiuDBTZIiK0Z6YH1G5Wf1c95N-wxLMaF7IhsjoivSq3IbOsryJccYsbB2tUgdZasdpp4im_pvc5aKcinuljAfX6DTuRot231w4UMfc8XywZWIpC6s4SC45w/w200-h199/Screenshot%202023-01-16%20at%205.41.35%20PM.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/163136877X/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_image?ie=UTF8&psc=1">Amazon</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"> This class</span><span style="font-size: large;"> led to the purchase of an herbal calendar that I love. Every other day it has useful and interesting facts on herbs ranging from history, medicinal uses, growing tips, and recipes.</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwy3jsGpFHDrEtcENk5-rT97wN8h57SnIThIwK-gf-njl5_Dy43err3w05HB-aF1_Yr-isvcl2HkaVTGy_k66t6dtS6UCtv_zNHSC3_4taOziFHc5ZtUP-LQR6UDoCkes9Dq67zeTOfOPDdIKk8z7NbBNV_d5wvXpbqCu4_Vy0msQ5Uglzt2LskCY-g/s486/Screenshot%202023-01-16%20at%205.44.16%20PM.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="362" data-original-width="486" height="149" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAwy3jsGpFHDrEtcENk5-rT97wN8h57SnIThIwK-gf-njl5_Dy43err3w05HB-aF1_Yr-isvcl2HkaVTGy_k66t6dtS6UCtv_zNHSC3_4taOziFHc5ZtUP-LQR6UDoCkes9Dq67zeTOfOPDdIKk8z7NbBNV_d5wvXpbqCu4_Vy0msQ5Uglzt2LskCY-g/w200-h149/Screenshot%202023-01-16%20at%205.44.16%20PM.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://www.growforagecookferment.com/">Course</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Through the Herbal Academy Facebook group I then learned of <i>Grow, Forage,
Cook, Ferment,</i> a self-paced online class covering foraged plants and how to use
them. Yes, that led to me enrolling just a day after learning of this
course. <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br />All of this has led to even more herbs planned for my garden, such as purslane, purple dead nettle, self-heal, miner’s lettuce, calendula, and more. One herb I had to remove was lemon balm as it is contraindicated with thyroid conditions. My spiral herb garden is now where the lemon balm patch was.<br /><br />I’ve also learned of some edible wild plants that already grow in my yard such as chickweed, wild violet, plantain, and the ubiquitous dandelion. Since I grow organically and have no outside pets, I can be assured my plants are safe to consume (though I of course still wash them!).<br /><br />As my garden grows I look forward to seeing where my herbalism and gardening paths leads next!</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglZ3noKrFI7EONwP6hREeh3IzsOILdTSXg29YEBiVkdbrbnHsMA7Kfp9TUPGew3Bc8T5G0yePKGnviBVK94mG_Ok5AVvAaFTVbeqGUjuv6Xh6ODkBLodyVI6rIMMuexKSkmkgzQQFU9wQ1fWuKKKUETD_R8zsjUtbgtU0CYNdVSBxb4YZEZ2P6dKb5Mw/s438/pedro-ramos-tCT032aX0Ds-unsplash(1).jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="438" data-original-width="292" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglZ3noKrFI7EONwP6hREeh3IzsOILdTSXg29YEBiVkdbrbnHsMA7Kfp9TUPGew3Bc8T5G0yePKGnviBVK94mG_Ok5AVvAaFTVbeqGUjuv6Xh6ODkBLodyVI6rIMMuexKSkmkgzQQFU9wQ1fWuKKKUETD_R8zsjUtbgtU0CYNdVSBxb4YZEZ2P6dKb5Mw/s320/pedro-ramos-tCT032aX0Ds-unsplash(1).jpg" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@pdr_ramos?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Pedro Ramos</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/garden?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a> ">Unsplash</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><p></p><br /><br />Lexa Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17607145577589963375noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538999001509624107.post-73080439444632111572022-12-19T00:01:00.001-08:002022-12-19T00:01:00.178-08:00NaNoWriMo<p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfSIfcacOkqhChJzRGdtjIZ1_aKU5eKWIBWr7riOGpHT7DHdtX1okfpVDtpXC82m79bnMKuORyiaThdcBcmSM20JNgt3iU60V5aYeU9Ky2mb-A9YQ0vOvSvGDKhFdR0XIKdZLVJS2V6A814lZiyDIMluWEGE7pqmSwQbxKheeyEmf4XWiZw7gMqfN_MQ/s1670/Screen%20Shot%202022-11-13%20at%205.53.16%20PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="486" data-original-width="1670" height="116" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfSIfcacOkqhChJzRGdtjIZ1_aKU5eKWIBWr7riOGpHT7DHdtX1okfpVDtpXC82m79bnMKuORyiaThdcBcmSM20JNgt3iU60V5aYeU9Ky2mb-A9YQ0vOvSvGDKhFdR0XIKdZLVJS2V6A814lZiyDIMluWEGE7pqmSwQbxKheeyEmf4XWiZw7gMqfN_MQ/w400-h116/Screen%20Shot%202022-11-13%20at%205.53.16%20PM.png" width="400" /></a></span></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://nanowrimo.org/about-nano" target="_blank">What is NaNoWriMo?</a><br /></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">NaNoWriMo, National Novel Writing Month, is when authors strive to write a 50,000 word novel in one month. That’s 1,667 words each day. NaNo was started by a man who thought there was nothing else to do in November.</span><br /></span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhucV6TqB1cvgWCGcj5Im4gn4hFdPTCr-C457_bEDyB1al2T8rjKHPgwW2SXKySoOnK_8-LbyJ9JA-uRoaOwTgOcKnBUvWyqmPpsv0xIINeu0MbWtpWGpuFVinlVO0rdBpd6KX5-0qk1uRhsEcBhuswVr9LWXCfFGo5MCXBjT5cX8TSFT6973rTrzvMxw" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="137" data-original-width="207" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhucV6TqB1cvgWCGcj5Im4gn4hFdPTCr-C457_bEDyB1al2T8rjKHPgwW2SXKySoOnK_8-LbyJ9JA-uRoaOwTgOcKnBUvWyqmPpsv0xIINeu0MbWtpWGpuFVinlVO0rdBpd6KX5-0qk1uRhsEcBhuswVr9LWXCfFGo5MCXBjT5cX8TSFT6973rTrzvMxw=w200-h133" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Nothing else to do in November? I guess he wasn’t planning a Thanksgiving dinner, cooking it, cleaning house, entertaining friends and relatives, and then cleaning up. Bam! Then it’s Black Friday and holiday shopping is in full swing with Christmas sweeping in. </span><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">COVID slowed much of this busy time of year for families, possibly giving writers more time to focus on stories. Still, one thousand six hundred and sixty seven words are a lot to do each day for thirty days. Syntax, grammar, and major revisions happen for the next few months.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">Writers can plot prior to NaNo, but writing any part of the story isn’t fair play. I’m a huge plotter and mapped out what I wanted to cover each day of the month. Even with that preparation, I usually spend two hours a day getting those words on the page with some semblance of the English language.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2qgjY9xhYHsMjsoSj8IS4tlyMRO3LACHnc2_98nkSSD1U8NDT-_8xTGaddXUb1vN4RaPirWylgdwzIqRVGd-s8V_oWdR0O5DXpTS-hPF5DtPcfHUIzxVxj6OsTRfFb9GQi866KRo2rnNLHrks3uQSKqKDXPIg69frOzgG3dDQA-HbP4Pljsca3AJqJg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="135" data-original-width="179" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2qgjY9xhYHsMjsoSj8IS4tlyMRO3LACHnc2_98nkSSD1U8NDT-_8xTGaddXUb1vN4RaPirWylgdwzIqRVGd-s8V_oWdR0O5DXpTS-hPF5DtPcfHUIzxVxj6OsTRfFb9GQi866KRo2rnNLHrks3uQSKqKDXPIg69frOzgG3dDQA-HbP4Pljsca3AJqJg=w200-h151" width="200" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">I’ve reflected on the whole experience and came to the conclusion that in January of 2024 I will do my own version of NaNo—JaNoWriMo, or January Novel Writing Month. My goal will be one thousand words a day. Given that I prefer to write stories around forty-five thousand words, this will give me a good start on a new novel.</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;">January is truly the month where there is nothing to do. Shopping is done, the holiday decorations are down, and now the bills come in. Plus, there are New Years resolutions. Why not start out with the resolution to get that next (or first) book started? </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4gGDWN8un3qqlmvNmLIhfAi62zfCiAEd6431ex1g9sPsG7ybmc8lVMyKMgD6aREp0cYnMXaW3Z97o7LlWwHCft8jVpFOlvBrXNIFCmSKPOKrHWWA_5pHk3KQSw1thvj1YQFlHJpVLrCqyS322hLIvhZtXo4xQi_vA_sheVg0Npa7QCn3cnBIeyJWuIw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="404" data-original-width="387" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi4gGDWN8un3qqlmvNmLIhfAi62zfCiAEd6431ex1g9sPsG7ybmc8lVMyKMgD6aREp0cYnMXaW3Z97o7LlWwHCft8jVpFOlvBrXNIFCmSKPOKrHWWA_5pHk3KQSw1thvj1YQFlHJpVLrCqyS322hLIvhZtXo4xQi_vA_sheVg0Npa7QCn3cnBIeyJWuIw" width="230" /></a></span></span></div><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br />By the way, yes, I did write more than 50,000 words on a new story.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">All photos from <a href="http://Unsplash.com" target="_blank">Unsplash</a>.</span><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /></span></p><p><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: helvetica;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p>Lexa Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17607145577589963375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538999001509624107.post-27544548865260066582022-11-19T00:01:00.001-08:002022-11-19T00:01:00.194-08:00Grief and Gratitude<p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi6-Xo8LiM8psMf_AtgWXj1DdHtLrf0aaMgsjUYkKFoOHrlveFxKMPemJMfBlkVoB1hVoMnBQgjjiT3Ws_EpqNoBzbwsMT-mP2XE-1V87S_jCZyZ25pvUh6fl9obTQogrEcZG_zXJRJtqehthlX2cSoSt1_zzfuCiwHYSJUprvim2FZTmL5nMgGUNgwA/s548/ann-7GFDnQDOhqg-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="410" data-original-width="548" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi6-Xo8LiM8psMf_AtgWXj1DdHtLrf0aaMgsjUYkKFoOHrlveFxKMPemJMfBlkVoB1hVoMnBQgjjiT3Ws_EpqNoBzbwsMT-mP2XE-1V87S_jCZyZ25pvUh6fl9obTQogrEcZG_zXJRJtqehthlX2cSoSt1_zzfuCiwHYSJUprvim2FZTmL5nMgGUNgwA/s320/ann-7GFDnQDOhqg-unsplash.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@ann10?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Ann</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/grief?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a> " target="_blank"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Unsplash</span></a></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span>My mother passed away in late September—a heart-breaking loss for me and our family. My head knows no one lives forever, but my grief at the news was more than I was prepared for.<br /></span></span></span></span><br /></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHkhiU7aAJK_S4eyzbReaXLShNwdrZzx60uKtKFH2SonM2jIjjxg9upZgQ5AVFdCNIuaftbldQ6MEJP61xZhfO1GdpmAAmrwXQ8rJzRxk-K1Hh5ENIzAk87EaUhr3xTOVGwVGFSoSGbxQ2lwGdXrBshVmDduDipUA9yBjMT5XinAgXHyym0phFl1BGsQ/s311/matheus-ferrero-yfmjALh1S6s-unsplash.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="203" data-original-width="311" height="131" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHkhiU7aAJK_S4eyzbReaXLShNwdrZzx60uKtKFH2SonM2jIjjxg9upZgQ5AVFdCNIuaftbldQ6MEJP61xZhfO1GdpmAAmrwXQ8rJzRxk-K1Hh5ENIzAk87EaUhr3xTOVGwVGFSoSGbxQ2lwGdXrBshVmDduDipUA9yBjMT5XinAgXHyym0phFl1BGsQ/w200-h131/matheus-ferrero-yfmjALh1S6s-unsplash.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="Through sobs, I asked if someone was with her when she drew her last breath, did someone holdher hand? Yes, my brother held her hand and my sister was on a video call when our mother passed. (Technical incompatibilities prevented me from being on the call.)" target="_blank">Unsplash</a></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span>Through sobs, I asked if someone was with her when she drew her last breath, did someone hold her hand? Yes, my brother held her </span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span>hand
and my sister was on a video call when she passed. (Technical
incompatibilities prevented me from being on the call.)</span></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span>I’ve read that when one is close to death the veil between the living and those who have gone before is thin. Was my mother joyful at seeing her husband who had preceded her sixteen years earlier? I have hope but can never know. Never. </span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span>This thought led to more “nevers”. I’ll never make and send her cards again. I’ll never have our weekly call again. I’ll never hear about her childhood again. These losses are so hard to bear.<br /><br /></span></span></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhds1UfVUBraX9W5VtULBQWfnJZ9etX-fZlJ434dNeYYhD3U9RaLnhnprKyEs5HMx9DXvN0dV-6rZ4Nadui2ZA1oEUdVDE6wKdNWpUqEavprWvHjIihjYiX5bIJzZ30XEWokaIicvjbjkGYNDQFKjYM5dfnYpjS8rmub3910Lg6rAgGQOzIpAWIZ5t8bw/s193/lars-kuczynski-MEcR55ol3jM-unsplash.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="129" data-original-width="193" height="129" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhds1UfVUBraX9W5VtULBQWfnJZ9etX-fZlJ434dNeYYhD3U9RaLnhnprKyEs5HMx9DXvN0dV-6rZ4Nadui2ZA1oEUdVDE6wKdNWpUqEavprWvHjIihjYiX5bIJzZ30XEWokaIicvjbjkGYNDQFKjYM5dfnYpjS8rmub3910Lg6rAgGQOzIpAWIZ5t8bw/s1600/lars-kuczynski-MEcR55ol3jM-unsplash.jpg" width="193" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@codefriend_de?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Lars Kuczynski</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/soaring-bird?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a> ">Unsplash</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span>Yet, as I grieved I had much to be grateful for. First and foremost, how
wonderful my siblings, niece, and nephew are. From our mother’s final
breath to the moment her soul soared free, they involved me every day in
all aspects of her memorial. (Covid kept me from traveling.)<br /></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><br /></span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span></span></span></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span>During my mother's visitation service my niece connected to me via <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1gv--WTDh321N_dVZU4jXFRdO3AT_9_J9JymOF024H0MuY36WTp9GEtqb5Tt3Ccq9VCRTCTFutebRu3MmjJWdO-WfTnTtm3WHJouJ-aXQDEifBuPKA-LHGHb8xy8O6eaJ0NkxrPC6ugWApDh60Y0khl9NUiWwpRzdaBoSY78SJE6ri974wYwEQ6Rl4Q/s185/ruben-hutabarat-ZA1Wvos1WYM-unsplash.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="157" data-original-width="185" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1gv--WTDh321N_dVZU4jXFRdO3AT_9_J9JymOF024H0MuY36WTp9GEtqb5Tt3Ccq9VCRTCTFutebRu3MmjJWdO-WfTnTtm3WHJouJ-aXQDEifBuPKA-LHGHb8xy8O6eaJ0NkxrPC6ugWApDh60Y0khl9NUiWwpRzdaBoSY78SJE6ri974wYwEQ6Rl4Q/w200-h170/ruben-hutabarat-ZA1Wvos1WYM-unsplash.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@rubenhutabarat?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Ruben Hutabarat</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/prayer?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a> ">Unsplash</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table></span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span>FaceTime. I met neighbors who had been so kind to my mother for many years. I made new friends with several people who attended her memorial and reconnected with distant relatives. I’m grateful to know my mother was loved and cared for by family and her community.</span></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span> </span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span> </span></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span>Through FaceTime I didn't miss a single sentence or scene during her final service. I miss you, Mom. And most of all, I'm so grateful for the ninety-one years we were blessed with your love.</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span></span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrnDXORPelGQg9VzPP34T3_Vv9eNX-YhHCUbHNr2uqrxU7vFmMGiDsWSP95Uh-afUEbPhbllhQ04KZUpSjCG_odfzR5kI-18kOfoIdveDoi1Eyy5KVi1QpGUTY2TYKF0CCN-YDqtH5OhzzwmbtUmRk7kxzeuTnv5gMMNJSQILgpoPKkmvY3DicQti2LA/s600/Screen%20Shot%202022-10-15%20at%206.34.12%20PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="572" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrnDXORPelGQg9VzPP34T3_Vv9eNX-YhHCUbHNr2uqrxU7vFmMGiDsWSP95Uh-afUEbPhbllhQ04KZUpSjCG_odfzR5kI-18kOfoIdveDoi1Eyy5KVi1QpGUTY2TYKF0CCN-YDqtH5OhzzwmbtUmRk7kxzeuTnv5gMMNJSQILgpoPKkmvY3DicQti2LA/w191-h200/Screen%20Shot%202022-10-15%20at%206.34.12%20PM.png" width="191" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mom on her wedding day<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><span><br /><span><br /></span></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span> </span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span> </span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><br /><br /><br /></span></span></span></p><p></p><p></p>Lexa Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17607145577589963375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538999001509624107.post-66790355676017356362022-09-19T00:01:00.001-07:002022-09-19T00:01:00.166-07:00Down on the City Farm<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidCoX2HaBrUs-tJBFzibKBQ985RBxC0hRknlwQZjW4NypJL6K0gGWdMx_AOcGsxtmfNtcJce7ZwVoYztZOa9tPQP61EpENpYZbAxnxYg7j_GrzZli1YxF1zt8rh8ImjoB1AfLUo6fHo_RgPJbg8aQVhJAv5FobizgoWP3-fzzHfDQdl2eOQTvVVGI--w/s1540/Screen%20Shot%202022-09-09%20at%206.37.47%20PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="422" data-original-width="1540" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidCoX2HaBrUs-tJBFzibKBQ985RBxC0hRknlwQZjW4NypJL6K0gGWdMx_AOcGsxtmfNtcJce7ZwVoYztZOa9tPQP61EpENpYZbAxnxYg7j_GrzZli1YxF1zt8rh8ImjoB1AfLUo6fHo_RgPJbg8aQVhJAv5FobizgoWP3-fzzHfDQdl2eOQTvVVGI--w/w640-h176/Screen%20Shot%202022-09-09%20at%206.37.47%20PM.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="intro">The <a href="https://botanicgardens.uw.edu/center-for-urban-horticulture/gardens/uw-farm/" target="_blank">UW Farm</a> is a 1.5 acre student-powered urban farm
& educational facility located on the University of Washington’s
Seattle Campus.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In the past month I finally had the opportunity to volunteer with the University of Washington Farm. I'm proud to say, even in the city of Seattle, college students can learn how food is grown and then processed for food banks, UW campus dining, and community Supported Agriculture (CSA) boxes.<br /><br /></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP9Fi3gsuF6ajZuu-f9lSOrI3vyaY6MzSRWlftP5JKdk7a2u0Ie4PS68jG4EfWhi9gyU0TI_ovVu7-UzNYpmxZ-fdbGjRJoTKxt2Jb-F41RlUkAO6y9T_8R4YAEEtN1u1QxgXBv38_dhb996nee0mGZY_e74TjJT5iIhszq7i7rPQ28V2AG8CyzcvsaQ/s1266/Screen%20Shot%202022-09-09%20at%206.50.21%20PM.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1266" data-original-width="1238" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP9Fi3gsuF6ajZuu-f9lSOrI3vyaY6MzSRWlftP5JKdk7a2u0Ie4PS68jG4EfWhi9gyU0TI_ovVu7-UzNYpmxZ-fdbGjRJoTKxt2Jb-F41RlUkAO6y9T_8R4YAEEtN1u1QxgXBv38_dhb996nee0mGZY_e74TjJT5iIhszq7i7rPQ28V2AG8CyzcvsaQ/w196-h200/Screen%20Shot%202022-09-09%20at%206.50.21%20PM.png" width="196" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Sorting tomatoes for CSA bags</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">My volunteer shift started by learning about the
sanitization process for harvesting produce. We all had to wash our
hands, then cutting tools and food collection bins were dipped in a weak
bleach solution. The bins could not touch the ground,
so while we harvested the collection bins rested inside larger bins that sat
on the ground. If the cutting tools touched the ground, they were
re-sanitized before they could be used again. We also could not use gloves because they can't be cleaned well enough.<br /></span></span><p></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEOEK4tBX2RVUOKuI_fFwEngTUtVTB5Cbuxw7Qg8YE9FVui_C4lZc9l5kWfngxHNnYqdAOxp5cEDLN4GOEp26PmtogurMEEdR7jaPIaelXnQmzgAALrI5Hc0yJDLqIX4Kj8bvwJ24hwcjE-ATT3uF2PvRQSX7TI1sL7uErkmj2RmXsV9MvgKl3T1bpjQ/s267/IMG_2100.jpeg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="252" data-original-width="267" height="189" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEOEK4tBX2RVUOKuI_fFwEngTUtVTB5Cbuxw7Qg8YE9FVui_C4lZc9l5kWfngxHNnYqdAOxp5cEDLN4GOEp26PmtogurMEEdR7jaPIaelXnQmzgAALrI5Hc0yJDLqIX4Kj8bvwJ24hwcjE-ATT3uF2PvRQSX7TI1sL7uErkmj2RmXsV9MvgKl3T1bpjQ/w200-h189/IMG_2100.jpeg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">A boar tomato I was able to bring home</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Our first assignment was harvesting cabbages which took little time, but was dirty without gloves! Then it was on to rows and rows of various tomatoes. I learned that
crows attack red things, so any red variety of tomato was harvested
before fully mature. Some tomatoes had ripened in the past few days and
were indeed pecked by crows.</span></span><br /><br />I learned there are two types of tomato plants: determinate and indeterminate (<a href="https://www.gardeningdream.com/the-ultimate-list-of-determinate-and-indeterminate-potatoes/" target="_blank">potatoes</a>, too!). Determinate (bush) tomato plants are bred to stop growing usually somewhere around 3′-4′ feet tall. When flowers blossom at the tips of the branches, the plant has reached its full height.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Indeterminate tomato plants</span><span style="font-size: large;"> are tall and require staking or caging as they keep growing taller and taller all season. They produce fruits
over a long period and in tropical climates or heated
greenhouses, produce continuously. When grown outside they’re usually mid-season to late
types. <br /></span></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrrDf0tBqm5xheUqAFs54GMSYG4dOjry0sNRYgFUTvgQlWY1vrXialisMwjgVK4TPJRGPeYYo7yuh63UGpGYT1b0IwnTI_6PPPUIRj8EAUDt6ItKmXDigy0cdO6HOSmdib90U0AFU4lbO4arV2WEPbCaPz7Egi2PEdkyQivH9LuLU72DX9HLdlPmz9iw/s1320/Screen%20Shot%202022-09-09%20at%206.55.11%20PM.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="998" data-original-width="1320" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrrDf0tBqm5xheUqAFs54GMSYG4dOjry0sNRYgFUTvgQlWY1vrXialisMwjgVK4TPJRGPeYYo7yuh63UGpGYT1b0IwnTI_6PPPUIRj8EAUDt6ItKmXDigy0cdO6HOSmdib90U0AFU4lbO4arV2WEPbCaPz7Egi2PEdkyQivH9LuLU72DX9HLdlPmz9iw/w200-h151/Screen%20Shot%202022-09-09%20at%206.55.11%20PM.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://education.mdc.mo.gov/discover-nature/field-guide/common-purslane" target="_blank">Source</a></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">All through the rows of tomato plants, purslane was growing and is often included in the CSA boxes along with recipes on how it can be used. Purslane is <span class="ILfuVd NA6bn UiGGAb" lang="en"><span class="hgKElc">a vegetable rich in omega-3 fatty acids and can easily establish itself throughout a garden.</span></span> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">It was a great experience, though I'd expected to be
able to wear gloves for harvesting and it took days to get dirt out from
under my nails. 😀 </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlNGqCpEUj22YKcXjxlwcQ0Gh9QBNBTUWc7FcIty7w8-ocytJNprzO7eHz4SRQdvhPky4F5gqUbvlge8EHpQWUcSicJZYlUnx6AMp3cqdXL9_QAkiijBgk8boUDkDHYhFZsz14SUFfM91omQ1DYCxYvYi8LR54bkEDVXZSrcrUJI3Sddogyd6S3r8XqA/s363/chris-yang-zpG3x9pXS_8-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="205" data-original-width="363" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlNGqCpEUj22YKcXjxlwcQ0Gh9QBNBTUWc7FcIty7w8-ocytJNprzO7eHz4SRQdvhPky4F5gqUbvlge8EHpQWUcSicJZYlUnx6AMp3cqdXL9_QAkiijBgk8boUDkDHYhFZsz14SUFfM91omQ1DYCxYvYi8LR54bkEDVXZSrcrUJI3Sddogyd6S3r8XqA/s320/chris-yang-zpG3x9pXS_8-unsplash.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@chrisyangchrisfilm?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Chris Yang</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/gardening-hands?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a> " target="_blank">Unsplash</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></span><br /></p>Lexa Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17607145577589963375noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538999001509624107.post-50454872474986129032022-08-19T00:01:00.002-07:002023-01-18T18:35:49.036-08:00Homeostasis<p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ2pRFh1Aect4VhOVtYWBzco59CDg3QI5MKHj9gcpAcSD0RycXfYXfaW5zocA2B6Q-gefGZz4_GhUNNS596wsJOlBz_ZPcIeN4sBhLNATW_SEMKPsTy40UjPW-Ra1pTe_SlDfPUNm1AIxFNIYgCrYiqRzKwepFEeZv6J57z-OH0Y-yJhKoVoA9nXj5hA/s3821/bekir-donmez-eofm5R5f9Kw-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3821" data-original-width="2484" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ2pRFh1Aect4VhOVtYWBzco59CDg3QI5MKHj9gcpAcSD0RycXfYXfaW5zocA2B6Q-gefGZz4_GhUNNS596wsJOlBz_ZPcIeN4sBhLNATW_SEMKPsTy40UjPW-Ra1pTe_SlDfPUNm1AIxFNIYgCrYiqRzKwepFEeZv6J57z-OH0Y-yJhKoVoA9nXj5hA/s320/bekir-donmez-eofm5R5f9Kw-unsplash.jpg" width="208" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@bekirdonmeez?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Bekir Dönmez</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/balance?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a> " target="_blank"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Unsplash</span></a><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">This past month a lesson in my herbalism class dealt with homeostasis—a process by which the body maintains stability that is optimal for survival by adjusting to conditions. Just as the body physically processes food we eat, converts it to energy, and stores it for later use, this balance also applies to other aspects of life.<br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc3y0lsbQ5RJ5_ih5B9w3RyxZHT_pokGkULyWqZmfq0BAt9zyKNM39jQfvggYbhaLpk5nrublwXGHrj-zWBUkbHjAoZLCLO_BwhnnmN83Uq8BD_fyUOmmb_F5Az7hK9q26bRITdxnTPkwCbgBnv9q-zcIlWEuFrdjM28b1w6xeJEKJiTTDiYO4gW-ouQ/s5184/elisa-ventur-bmJAXAz6ads-unsplash.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="5184" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc3y0lsbQ5RJ5_ih5B9w3RyxZHT_pokGkULyWqZmfq0BAt9zyKNM39jQfvggYbhaLpk5nrublwXGHrj-zWBUkbHjAoZLCLO_BwhnnmN83Uq8BD_fyUOmmb_F5Az7hK9q26bRITdxnTPkwCbgBnv9q-zcIlWEuFrdjM28b1w6xeJEKJiTTDiYO4gW-ouQ/w200-h133/elisa-ventur-bmJAXAz6ads-unsplash.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@elisa_ventur?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Elisa Ventur</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/stress?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a> " target="_blank"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Unsplash</span></a><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">This concept was particularly helpful the past month when work was relentlessly stressful. At the end of a ten-hour day I couldn’t handle being in front of a computer any longer and I immediately headed outside to my garden, freed from hours of spreadsheets. </span></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">Fresh air and harvesting fruits and vegetables restored my mental and spiritual homeostasis. However, my writing time suffered as a result. While I wasn’t writing as much, I did indulge in more reading.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">Rather than feel guilty about what I <i>wasn’t </i>doing,
I recognized that the cognitive change resembled the ebb and flow of
tides. Instead of words and thoughts flowing out, the tide had changed,
providing a much needed mental balance.</span></span><br /></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">An article in <a href="https://www.everydayhealth.com/healthy-living/how-to-live-a-well-balanced-life.aspx" target="_blank">Everyday Health</a> describes a balanced life as embracing work, health, and emotional well-being. Responsibilities drain our batteries and we need the activities that recharge us. For me, recharging meant unplugging from obligations long enough to breathe</span></span><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">—</span></span>inhale calm, exhale stress.</span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUxbswilpMJHB36EsA9DqbI0XSvsVCXac94ateQCQttAYaHyotRERRV1QRZwce92VsDW2jezYq_fzUpE4zrepbl4auh__aArQF-j2Ul78aEspH9SNevcvd7KnTy_gSJztoOkiQQZXJKt17b4hUFFCeeRWEclL4K5LL4pq8aHeTgtgha7MSLcz7MVulyA/s1111/flash-dantz-XPVcAdIWxgo-unsplash.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1111" data-original-width="995" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUxbswilpMJHB36EsA9DqbI0XSvsVCXac94ateQCQttAYaHyotRERRV1QRZwce92VsDW2jezYq_fzUpE4zrepbl4auh__aArQF-j2Ul78aEspH9SNevcvd7KnTy_gSJztoOkiQQZXJKt17b4hUFFCeeRWEclL4K5LL4pq8aHeTgtgha7MSLcz7MVulyA/w179-h200/flash-dantz-XPVcAdIWxgo-unsplash.jpg" width="179" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@flashdantz?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Flash Dantz</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/exhale?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a> " target="_blank">Source</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">A friend posted a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CP2DIhC6PEg" target="_blank">video</a> earlier this week covering the importance of honoring our rhythms and rest. She compared <br />summer, a season of productivity, to winter, a time of rest. Like me, she stressed over not creating but recognized the stillness as a time for sowing one's thoughts so they can blossom.</span></span><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;">As a gardener, I'm well aware of the rhythms of plants and the seasons. I now realize my life needs these seasons, too. Homeostasis, balance, ebb and flow. The rhythms of life.<br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8V44v4YLl_VnSQEemjReP2DtMyDKoQZLxKhd3_W2z7iHPHzN9ruTO71CQYlvMjmUlIrtCR3-bVh73vQYJTBm1qy_JfgJIc5w-lWSetjs1nAlZ0h9RKtl3knuv3o-6wfNxEWy-H4AYhyz6zQXKXA7Yt4us-DgJFbZhYi-XfY7PUWjDMRDkL0ZXcuF1_A/s640/egy-rivera-9UD_79sR2JQ-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="427" data-original-width="640" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8V44v4YLl_VnSQEemjReP2DtMyDKoQZLxKhd3_W2z7iHPHzN9ruTO71CQYlvMjmUlIrtCR3-bVh73vQYJTBm1qy_JfgJIc5w-lWSetjs1nAlZ0h9RKtl3knuv3o-6wfNxEWy-H4AYhyz6zQXKXA7Yt4us-DgJFbZhYi-XfY7PUWjDMRDkL0ZXcuF1_A/s320/egy-rivera-9UD_79sR2JQ-unsplash.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@egyart?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Egy Rivera</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/@egyart?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a> " target="_blank"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">U</span></a><a href="Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@egyart?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Egy Rivera</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/shoreline?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a> " target="_blank"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">nsplash</span></a><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p>Lexa Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17607145577589963375noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538999001509624107.post-34975238965715561152022-07-19T00:01:00.002-07:002022-07-19T00:01:00.175-07:00Crafting with Herbs<p> </p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinpKCvq86TdsDLPdgOweD2AmAMAwjoB4o6e0s7SaEK6aq_y4ZCUcAUnsRTZoUeITA1n3miSC3C2VQ_AvVFmsnhAlEBr5glZ7n-hlx-OgxQJXCNm28C7Mq5dGeT6IYxEzKq_fEGhM0FaBaPe00nFwF6O8Anrf7MVeNg_vbkjwB4l-_BFkf4PE5l0iKx2g/s472/angele-kamp-kcvRHtAyuig-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="181" data-original-width="472" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinpKCvq86TdsDLPdgOweD2AmAMAwjoB4o6e0s7SaEK6aq_y4ZCUcAUnsRTZoUeITA1n3miSC3C2VQ_AvVFmsnhAlEBr5glZ7n-hlx-OgxQJXCNm28C7Mq5dGeT6IYxEzKq_fEGhM0FaBaPe00nFwF6O8Anrf7MVeNg_vbkjwB4l-_BFkf4PE5l0iKx2g/w400-h154/angele-kamp-kcvRHtAyuig-unsplash.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@angelekamp?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Angèle Kamp</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/herbs?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a> " target="_blank">Photo credit</a></span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I vowed not to take multi-day classes until I retired, there just isn't enough time. But retirement has been pushed out and I couldn’t wait. Understanding how to grow and use herbs has been one of my top interests. When I learned about <a href="https://theherbalacademy.com/" target="_blank">Herbal Academy</a> it didn’t take more than a day for me to abandon my vow and decide to enroll in the introductory herb class.<br /><br /></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKBKu0ern6uuCvN7wTpD29EHsTHWiEucWiTAaicN-gBDWcy9D8eZ5Bp91_jP4aPKOraw9ZcW2Wmzr1Iz791zBfsKUnO4ECRVhinQ-erIfjkkVzUR5Ezk56SmINQYCeJeTvYH_1ZiQRepUbJS0-lDPZDNqeMwtpg-dkdwlquriYFyH8hZVnlgHOMKrtnQ/s291/lucy-kral-QUtka9eUREA-unsplash.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="291" data-original-width="291" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKBKu0ern6uuCvN7wTpD29EHsTHWiEucWiTAaicN-gBDWcy9D8eZ5Bp91_jP4aPKOraw9ZcW2Wmzr1Iz791zBfsKUnO4ECRVhinQ-erIfjkkVzUR5Ezk56SmINQYCeJeTvYH_1ZiQRepUbJS0-lDPZDNqeMwtpg-dkdwlquriYFyH8hZVnlgHOMKrtnQ/w200-h200/lucy-kral-QUtka9eUREA-unsplash.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@lucykm?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Lucy Kral</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/borage?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a> " target="_blank">Unsplash</a></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">With plenty of borage outside my door, the first herbal
recipe I tried was fresh borage leaf tea. The taste is mild and not
unpleasant, quite like a weak green tea. Learning that it helps with
stress and insomnia makes it a winner for me. Borage self-sows and I
have it all around the yard from spring to fall. </span><br /> </span><p></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKYXMlmELwMtdcbUT7rVR42qfko9-eoHnfiLmYftKOF-BaAMr11o0WajgqS-e305slbeYLJ0JPmT38BGoosyoZWxrVy2d8TqsTdA5sulQV-reKq-JPX1vTfj96OCiRpsAlyAaBxkIxdqpFYzcMqwLLpPHoFC9Ulorbqtz_2TYeJ8M_Ya5Hzh3t2dftSw/s374/chelsea-shapouri-PwzCZVEw8vY-unsplash.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="374" data-original-width="351" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKYXMlmELwMtdcbUT7rVR42qfko9-eoHnfiLmYftKOF-BaAMr11o0WajgqS-e305slbeYLJ0JPmT38BGoosyoZWxrVy2d8TqsTdA5sulQV-reKq-JPX1vTfj96OCiRpsAlyAaBxkIxdqpFYzcMqwLLpPHoFC9Ulorbqtz_2TYeJ8M_Ya5Hzh3t2dftSw/w188-h200/chelsea-shapouri-PwzCZVEw8vY-unsplash.jpg" width="188" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@primal_harmony?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Chelsea shapouri</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/salve?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a> " target="_blank">Unsplash</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">July also meant another trip to my local nursery where I picked up more herbs for my new herb spiral garden. My purchases included the bee-friendly plants bee balm, hyssop, and lavender that are now blossoming. These plants can also be used for herbal teas, tinctures, and salves. I'm eager to make a rosemary-lavender hand <a href="https://theherbalacademy.com/how-to-make-a-healing-salve/">salve</a>.<br /><br />After the flowering plants have lost their blooms I’ll be saving the seeds to start next year’s plants. The sunny side of the backyard will become a bee haven!<br /></span></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVGhOzblSoJYCTmnyhm5CsCP6THF60ilhkCMBqRcA0s12-KXNO1GbjEH70q306QSTwc30QpouxkeTQteWD7ZX1iNDJVoynL8IDA7R47yBiIXzh1BjEzb6jlaxFgO5qTJr38k1RNz1aGiWptZUsksZvsaGRUkzVUk2gAy1bZXEQkasVobDsMuRha6E1ng/s1271/Screen%20Shot%202022-07-12%20at%207.29.17%20PM.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1271" data-original-width="853" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVGhOzblSoJYCTmnyhm5CsCP6THF60ilhkCMBqRcA0s12-KXNO1GbjEH70q306QSTwc30QpouxkeTQteWD7ZX1iNDJVoynL8IDA7R47yBiIXzh1BjEzb6jlaxFgO5qTJr38k1RNz1aGiWptZUsksZvsaGRUkzVUk2gAy1bZXEQkasVobDsMuRha6E1ng/w134-h200/Screen%20Shot%202022-07-12%20at%207.29.17%20PM.png" width="134" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://hormonesbalance.com/recipes/herbal-honey-for-hormones-and-immunity/" target="_blank">Source</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">Throughout the summer, bees swarm the chive, oregano,
rosemary, thyme, and savory blossoms. I’ve often wished I could get the
herbal honey they are making. Then, this week in my herb class, I
learned how to make <a href="https://theherbalacademy.com/herbal-honey-recipes-for-kids/">herbal honey</a> with dried herbs and I can’t wait to try this. My herbal class has introduced me to excellent sources of dried herbs for those that won't grow in my climate.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The next step in my herbal crafting journey will be <a href="https://theherbalacademy.com/mint-spritz/" target="_blank">stovetop hydrosols</a>. Perhaps if my new peppermint and spearmint plants are bountiful I can create a refreshing mint hydrosol before summer is over.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I'm very happy I decided to take this course as I can now use the information before retirement to get a head start on experimenting with cultivating herbs and putting them to various uses. In fact, I'm so happy with my decision that I've already enrolled in a month-long class during September. Life long learning is the true goal after all, so why wait?</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigk_d_7ntbLsj3xnGHyAy94BUDWCnOR6DrEGgBvsqSOzN42hIga5Ge5DekZdL_TokzKhKVPPVkatH_hMIdprD4Xr1qTI8z3aCJVvMvKsdOdkwxtws51GBqFlBprlkq4434I_TzEDqVfbby1T3MyQBKcRlVEnNUHR1PIBlDMglfafjsqjJ300XtfNo6lA/s461/nick-morrison-FHnnjk1Yj7Y-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="461" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigk_d_7ntbLsj3xnGHyAy94BUDWCnOR6DrEGgBvsqSOzN42hIga5Ge5DekZdL_TokzKhKVPPVkatH_hMIdprD4Xr1qTI8z3aCJVvMvKsdOdkwxtws51GBqFlBprlkq4434I_TzEDqVfbby1T3MyQBKcRlVEnNUHR1PIBlDMglfafjsqjJ300XtfNo6lA/s320/nick-morrison-FHnnjk1Yj7Y-unsplash.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@nickmorrison?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Nick Morrison</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/learning?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a> " target="_blank">Unsplash</a></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /><br /><br /> </span></p>Lexa Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17607145577589963375noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538999001509624107.post-83535856131231178742022-06-19T00:01:00.002-07:002022-06-19T00:01:00.183-07:00All Wound up with Herbs<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaQSmkjrMeJ_isj10uMlpyBhQ8X9rZE0GT7L4LZ-13kesp85Nb9lSaLR9eJZbxyaHmNbiHSF58xp3-CAXKv73jOMCF5lJXAi1P-Qz_XRXlSjBJMCT4NVhsg13osO6MwkuVNQYI5RVosUckHhHjP9HkKqO_bS-STbfffEHo9TnRTnPeRgLMMURELB3w2Q/s600/Screen%20Shot%202022-05-27%20at%2010.03.25%20AM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="600" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaQSmkjrMeJ_isj10uMlpyBhQ8X9rZE0GT7L4LZ-13kesp85Nb9lSaLR9eJZbxyaHmNbiHSF58xp3-CAXKv73jOMCF5lJXAi1P-Qz_XRXlSjBJMCT4NVhsg13osO6MwkuVNQYI5RVosUckHhHjP9HkKqO_bS-STbfffEHo9TnRTnPeRgLMMURELB3w2Q/s320/Screen%20Shot%202022-05-27%20at%2010.03.25%20AM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.canr.msu.edu/resources/purple-deadnettle-lamium-purpureum-l" target="_blank">Source</a><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Hours after pulling out several feet of the "weed" above I learned it is one of the medicinal plants I should be harvesting--purple dead nettle. Argh! Fortunately, there are a few plants I missed so those will come back in abundance next year.</span></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHEgZfIdvdmWFceAXu7n8GAkiKRT26muwTnW6wxeOSyVyKhjG6TBCEOn1rB523GQyYNH7dZn7yZs4ajClPkzgcQoF1aYVfv-axW66fgdFFPDuEBS2lnlmX9_Fkj461RLZMFXhufvn3dMX37iBlYAcghfyVg0-SNFALKACqbKGFFcUssGg443ny24AbiQ/s879/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-16%20at%205.09.10%20PM.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="797" data-original-width="879" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHEgZfIdvdmWFceAXu7n8GAkiKRT26muwTnW6wxeOSyVyKhjG6TBCEOn1rB523GQyYNH7dZn7yZs4ajClPkzgcQoF1aYVfv-axW66fgdFFPDuEBS2lnlmX9_Fkj461RLZMFXhufvn3dMX37iBlYAcghfyVg0-SNFALKACqbKGFFcUssGg443ny24AbiQ/w200-h181/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-16%20at%205.09.10%20PM.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.britannica.com/plant/Prunella-plant-genus" target="_blank">Source</a></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">Another "weed" I will be planting is heal-all or self-heal. Both self-heal and purple dead nettle can be used in salads and teas, the latter is my goal. Both have been used for centuries by indigenous peoples.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmGQBnA7te7hwNnG8JYkmYfJWL4Kn1jv8qUCJIDR2sf-2YXbSB3hqTnU_GQP4BJexsZKndtKoRJek-ZNCRCX5hFArmc7VOMPJujri3hLFvlfhmmOZNN86TXjbx9oU7fpktUvUnyyt76eFbMd3zG0Ix8H6E4ckqtYST1DklVy64at2JkOmmRbZilc-Zaw/s1190/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-16%20at%205.17.56%20PM.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1068" data-original-width="1190" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmGQBnA7te7hwNnG8JYkmYfJWL4Kn1jv8qUCJIDR2sf-2YXbSB3hqTnU_GQP4BJexsZKndtKoRJek-ZNCRCX5hFArmc7VOMPJujri3hLFvlfhmmOZNN86TXjbx9oU7fpktUvUnyyt76eFbMd3zG0Ix8H6E4ckqtYST1DklVy64at2JkOmmRbZilc-Zaw/w200-h179/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-16%20at%205.17.56%20PM.png" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://savvygardening.com/herb-spiral/" target="_blank">Source</a></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">While studying herbs and watching videos on their use, I came across spiral herb gardens. You can guess what happened next. 😀 But first, I'll share more about spiral herb gardens, as shown in the following photos. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyFoEJTruPYUvZFmpduwOCjDRVfrW3Cblc6J7LI7uSxtC501obHXmgSWU36F7nGJl2NZvEhWiqTs6ZYydkeCosj8P9Wo4iuzuGVpyULL-xMfoxH8mwuIcbBHY6vZVfvln0nrkQMGEzt-iesy4hfAekNJ4-06gS2RfJwmNSq-8vVsohkChYK0d8HsyRRg/s858/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-18%20at%206.46.23%20PM.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="766" data-original-width="858" height="286" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyFoEJTruPYUvZFmpduwOCjDRVfrW3Cblc6J7LI7uSxtC501obHXmgSWU36F7nGJl2NZvEhWiqTs6ZYydkeCosj8P9Wo4iuzuGVpyULL-xMfoxH8mwuIcbBHY6vZVfvln0nrkQMGEzt-iesy4hfAekNJ4-06gS2RfJwmNSq-8vVsohkChYK0d8HsyRRg/w320-h286/Screen%20Shot%202022-06-18%20at%206.46.23%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://thepermaculturecollective.com/building-a-herb-spiral/">Source</a></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">One advantage of a spiral herb garden is that it lets you grow a lot of herbs in a small space--six feet in diameter with three tiers. The taller plants in the center should be those that love heat, such as the Mediterranean herbs rosemary, thyme, and oregano. The lower tiers get more drainage and shade from the taller plants, and this is ideal for dill, cilantro, and sage.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Another advantage for me is that it clears space in one of my planter boxes in the front yard for more vegetables. The backyard space I've already cleared has sufficient sunlight for herbs.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Clearing space in the backyard went quickly, and building materials for the spiral herb garden have come from reclaimed sources already on hand--plenty of forest duff for fill and rocks pulled out of the ground for the spiral walls. Here's what we've accomplished in an afternoon's work. Not bad for the first day!<br /></span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK_221N71fKGOZ0VDgkvwk3aF4Bmhj_8_dpbTLtq18e-CkuAq0hd6jSostXHpvD7tGWflVxnS9sblOOYZqTR14fdBdA9bDiHEDf_k9xZ4ijsbQEzndu1DFKF1AWtrauRnJX0KjGuWf4TS1o-EibMTHByxuSFq8u0DF44wUjisUMhW1si1PFXpZKjF-mA/s436/IMG_2682%202.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="404" data-original-width="436" height="297" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK_221N71fKGOZ0VDgkvwk3aF4Bmhj_8_dpbTLtq18e-CkuAq0hd6jSostXHpvD7tGWflVxnS9sblOOYZqTR14fdBdA9bDiHEDf_k9xZ4ijsbQEzndu1DFKF1AWtrauRnJX0KjGuWf4TS1o-EibMTHByxuSFq8u0DF44wUjisUMhW1si1PFXpZKjF-mA/s320/IMG_2682%202.jpeg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ready soon for plants!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /></span><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /></p>Lexa Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17607145577589963375noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538999001509624107.post-10951342414473446252022-05-19T00:01:00.001-07:002022-05-19T00:01:00.188-07:00Anticipatory Joy<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfH7wVg7tjCpT9gGUSZ63vewewMJos2QWpBlcmzjW3A_VyP5jDKR3i-OorZsqN6tap_ce16o3Yt1IwsOu5hR714cRFeHnIwsBshl0CraprYJ-lit-s6x-IkVD8TqyrQJ0fWkpFicE8LZnw3QaBg8EZqQQ7dNwtwztsBQ0z8tVt_sayr4IMHT157QJmDw/s485/IMG_2602.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="485" data-original-width="433" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfH7wVg7tjCpT9gGUSZ63vewewMJos2QWpBlcmzjW3A_VyP5jDKR3i-OorZsqN6tap_ce16o3Yt1IwsOu5hR714cRFeHnIwsBshl0CraprYJ-lit-s6x-IkVD8TqyrQJ0fWkpFicE8LZnw3QaBg8EZqQQ7dNwtwztsBQ0z8tVt_sayr4IMHT157QJmDw/s320/IMG_2602.jpeg" width="286" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lupine at my favorite local nursery<br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I recently attended a lecture given by a nurse at our local teaching hospital. If anyone is qualified to talk about stress and tips for coping, it's healthcare staff. She told us that anticipatory joy is what gets her through long, emotionally difficult shifts. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.flourishinglifesociety.com/anticipatory-joy.html" target="_blank">Anticipatory joy</a> is defined in the linked article as "the in-the-moment pleasure experienced when imagining a future event". Through anticipatory joy <i>"We can find joy in the present through luscious ruminations over wonderful things to come. Anticipatory joy can bring light to the dreary present."</i><br /><br /></span></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0gp4IOffxJhNce__Y8SoTVtPmCgxZWr4vc3NRuauDQTxMIK8X4HouITEqHIS_UFrzBqdYGudActQRBquM2GJZVMMjIe7yZWHSABi6MsndxtCB9zSuSoXAQx4bmZWM3nnCBYshEwoLIO46khJ5Bx0XlTC9YZSr0exEn-xyhMssh0hkLBTeYUo6mENmQ/s372/jason-rost-SqTxozXjWnc-unsplash.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="252" data-original-width="372" height="136" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd0gp4IOffxJhNce__Y8SoTVtPmCgxZWr4vc3NRuauDQTxMIK8X4HouITEqHIS_UFrzBqdYGudActQRBquM2GJZVMMjIe7yZWHSABi6MsndxtCB9zSuSoXAQx4bmZWM3nnCBYshEwoLIO46khJ5Bx0XlTC9YZSr0exEn-xyhMssh0hkLBTeYUo6mENmQ/w200-h136/jason-rost-SqTxozXjWnc-unsplash.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Unsplash</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">In Seattle, our first week of May saw more rain than we normally get in a month. My husband joked that we'd need a boating license to get to the post office. It was wet and so very dreary. Every soggy day I looked forward to that first trip of the year to my favorite nursery. </span><p></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm60fXFMzq0Dbb1KqjkYXW6uYjL30lN0teh1THiM5t55vQ5iYgwlouWGWaSleYu_KOWvjJMkMMHONXe2fCPFBb1aXQCZ_kaOE7FcB3i7r8N_-kedhcpxe5aS3yve4FL8NzOmX733qcQoFITI0gf5yIKO7y3HvMXRsl57mVoJ9SjWZf-bSnDUmK4yRmSQ/s326/oriol-portell-AbwqpFnBDms-unsplash.jpg" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="294" data-original-width="326" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm60fXFMzq0Dbb1KqjkYXW6uYjL30lN0teh1THiM5t55vQ5iYgwlouWGWaSleYu_KOWvjJMkMMHONXe2fCPFBb1aXQCZ_kaOE7FcB3i7r8N_-kedhcpxe5aS3yve4FL8NzOmX733qcQoFITI0gf5yIKO7y3HvMXRsl57mVoJ9SjWZf-bSnDUmK4yRmSQ/w200-h181/oriol-portell-AbwqpFnBDms-unsplash.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span class="rTNyH RZQOk">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@oriol_portell?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Oriol Portell</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/honeydew-melon?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a></span></span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">On the long-awaited day the skies even cleared as I searched for herb and vegetable starts on the list I'd curated over the winter. It's still too cold to plant the honeydew melons that I most anticipate, but I've got them started indoors and have pored over tips to help me have a successful crop.<br /> </span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOnP2nBv6-FtNsUnwVLtFn-Zarz6Z7dPVDvw5WYqUS0iBJzc4be4FndTNAOaVwxvmulO-yv5mA7Nl_Vcv6cE3wtY69QJ6Omt4WZu6qpeiXwkICLKf3lh0qa-g4CFZCqBrKvrOfCUb7n0MY88stzwz6p-SSjuS922Oqtm0W6QIy40i5tLFc-9-Gcp2PmQ/s690/Screen%20Shot%202022-05-14%20at%205.57.45%20PM.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="690" data-original-width="520" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOnP2nBv6-FtNsUnwVLtFn-Zarz6Z7dPVDvw5WYqUS0iBJzc4be4FndTNAOaVwxvmulO-yv5mA7Nl_Vcv6cE3wtY69QJ6Omt4WZu6qpeiXwkICLKf3lh0qa-g4CFZCqBrKvrOfCUb7n0MY88stzwz6p-SSjuS922Oqtm0W6QIy40i5tLFc-9-Gcp2PmQ/w151-h200/Screen%20Shot%202022-05-14%20at%205.57.45%20PM.png" width="151" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">Another joy awaiting me this month is an online class "Tending Your Medicinal Garden". While I'm wildly successful with the many herbs I grow, I'm eager to learn about the healing benefits of native plants and which ones I might add to the garden. Or maybe I can seek them out in the yard, thinking once that they were only weeds.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">The heavy clouds that are soaking us this month have one silver lining-- the mountain snowpack has raised from 80% of normal to 126%. </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">I
expect a hot summer if climate change continues our dry spells and will be grateful for the snow and rains. </span>Soon,</span><span style="font-size: large;">
I look forward to a few days off to spend in the yard and garden. Until then, like the wild bunny in our backyard, I eagerly await the first fruit of the season, strawberries.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjyZRhGXIztfsVj2tFr2LE-4NNKpXRQUk4EvIYiG9qklnMFEzHzuYIXiSW_yapUBQJ9hshSkO7lF8kjN83xgg6GVKzSe4k5dlJWGiyRxG-dlFS7cnWs6l3YMfeQBq4IUn4JEmt3QzUz0ib_EorTuRAttMfP2KwPPThIa6DvJbSAfCCe6-A9WMUBneosA/s488/bunny%20at%20strawberries.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="488" height="315" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjyZRhGXIztfsVj2tFr2LE-4NNKpXRQUk4EvIYiG9qklnMFEzHzuYIXiSW_yapUBQJ9hshSkO7lF8kjN83xgg6GVKzSe4k5dlJWGiyRxG-dlFS7cnWs6l3YMfeQBq4IUn4JEmt3QzUz0ib_EorTuRAttMfP2KwPPThIa6DvJbSAfCCe6-A9WMUBneosA/s320/bunny%20at%20strawberries.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /> </span><p></p><p></p><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /></p>Lexa Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17607145577589963375noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538999001509624107.post-72795478862740055622022-04-19T00:01:00.001-07:002022-04-19T00:01:00.187-07:00The Blessed Bee<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvePvDnNrJsG0ucHXAgm7-O2sKvi6aW9pdDFFPLGvQtO1tVYRVSagl1vIdGDL2zY8xyJ5jz9ByirVS_eGTXtzQr1fiQMJN9NO-SwpSJ28EW5MiWla1_bzubZ7epgsb7SWppU2ey6a2oOil5K9t3rUNPBeD5I2uVHR8Br_odfMdCnYifRM3WFF9j95vKg/s540/lukasz-rawa-BJFymR2p2M4-unsplash.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="540" data-original-width="351" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvePvDnNrJsG0ucHXAgm7-O2sKvi6aW9pdDFFPLGvQtO1tVYRVSagl1vIdGDL2zY8xyJ5jz9ByirVS_eGTXtzQr1fiQMJN9NO-SwpSJ28EW5MiWla1_bzubZ7epgsb7SWppU2ey6a2oOil5K9t3rUNPBeD5I2uVHR8Br_odfMdCnYifRM3WFF9j95vKg/s320/lukasz-rawa-BJFymR2p2M4-unsplash.jpg" width="208" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo by Łukasz Rawa on Unsplash</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Now that my apples, plums, raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries are in bloom, it's time to focus on the all-important bee. One third of the planet's food relies on these tiny </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">tireless </span>creatures. Pollinators in my area include the honey bee, bumble bee, mason bee, and leaf-cutter bee. (Fig trees are actually pollinated by fig wasps.)</span></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyrq-w7T6QyW-kCKw7IQgRU6ATQKywleySxDemXFe8wBGgPRou6Cj3Uf1xfsefbTTv0GBPjozWOtod8MjVM5fDpE3obQb5umG9Bp-j5m5MgSkpi3tuH6rcqS76XZ2PK69eT9gx9-T5SgeSJkPT9Ily944GUnU-ibD9HlH8x_VOOFiwmMJjf_OK7M_hIQ/s946/bees-in-feeder.png" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="946" data-original-width="652" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyrq-w7T6QyW-kCKw7IQgRU6ATQKywleySxDemXFe8wBGgPRou6Cj3Uf1xfsefbTTv0GBPjozWOtod8MjVM5fDpE3obQb5umG9Bp-j5m5MgSkpi3tuH6rcqS76XZ2PK69eT9gx9-T5SgeSJkPT9Ily944GUnU-ibD9HlH8x_VOOFiwmMJjf_OK7M_hIQ/s320/bees-in-feeder.png" width="221" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Available on <a href="https://www.etsy.com/listing/1093402321/bee-feeder-for-wide-mouth-mason-jar?click_key=3dea76a1dd9da62728fa4cdb245878d9c8b524e8%3A1093402321&click_sum=86196738&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=bee+feeder&ref=sr_gallery-1-2&organic_search_click=1&cns=1" target="_blank">Etsy</a><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Flying from blossom to blossom makes a bee thirsty! My husband has been making bee watering stations that attach to either a standard soda bottle or quart-sized Mason jar. Do the bees like them? One beekeeper gave us proof! My husband started making the larger size for beekeepers so they wouldn't need to refill them more than once daily.<br /><br /> <br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin2a13GvoMpdQb_9zJZ5t9EPAf6emkJdThc07bZ43Lk-6ybYxsd4yipqDVQkDbrIRv2X1x2yvIOCqdKJNoc_vVAHV1ixcML5Vtbo_AAd81gyNCe9FiJQaOiWFdrBIqBOBWAxqwSnh3f3rGjpblxbxvymam5nKE1Y-9u6l2M0Xe4FfE8u-Cr8AA4VQteg/s806/Screen%20Shot%202022-04-07%20at%207.05.55%20PM.png" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="806" height="257" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin2a13GvoMpdQb_9zJZ5t9EPAf6emkJdThc07bZ43Lk-6ybYxsd4yipqDVQkDbrIRv2X1x2yvIOCqdKJNoc_vVAHV1ixcML5Vtbo_AAd81gyNCe9FiJQaOiWFdrBIqBOBWAxqwSnh3f3rGjpblxbxvymam5nKE1Y-9u6l2M0Xe4FfE8u-Cr8AA4VQteg/s320/Screen%20Shot%202022-04-07%20at%207.05.55%20PM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><a href="https://www.theprairiehomestead.com/2015/02/how-to-make-beeswax-candles.html" target="_blank">Photo from Prairie Homestead</a></span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">Bees
are more than just pollinators--they also give us delicious honey and
beeswax. Speaking of beeswax, the creative buzz followed us into the
kitchen where my husband recently tried his hand at beeswax candles.
We've learned a lot in just one trial! <br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Wick type and size, preparation of the wick, candle size, temperature of the wax and jar, all make a big difference in a successful outcome.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">While perusing one of my old books on candle making, we found the origins of some old sayings. Beeswax was mixed with a lead compound and used as a base makeup by wealthy women to enhance their beauty. This white paste was kept dry in the summer months by shielding the face from the sun with a fan. This way, the ladies could 'save face'. They were also careful never to express mirth so they wouldn't 'crack a smile'.* <span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><br /></span></p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitPhmpZyDav452-R6RwNDeHQhdGRwlsVTxR6s8Qecq--qiS4W-IstiYrzHw0UJvNOL464isRJWZmOVHNqNt83EBYK_B95SK3luKad9FHkeAAUdPuhJbimBAFs4OwC5wZKXybNAvNME4HHCvQxRc6xdhgs0egU2yy8b8wpF3R1algKxqdnECKkeBzfz7Q/s574/IMG_2542.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="447" data-original-width="574" height="156" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitPhmpZyDav452-R6RwNDeHQhdGRwlsVTxR6s8Qecq--qiS4W-IstiYrzHw0UJvNOL464isRJWZmOVHNqNt83EBYK_B95SK3luKad9FHkeAAUdPuhJbimBAFs4OwC5wZKXybNAvNME4HHCvQxRc6xdhgs0egU2yy8b8wpF3R1algKxqdnECKkeBzfz7Q/w200-h156/IMG_2542.jpg" width="200" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">My appreciation of bees extends to card making, and we can't talk about bees without mentioning the birds, too. We have a bird feeder in one window and it's popular with our feathered friends.<br /></span> <br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKP6gXsi0nxnmZH-6Hwcg1kXnP_oxKUKxzTccmTDvKc1IJCN4hg_g8M60Y46Svp6TpsP7Dzcc-PI2dE-tYt788KVhhX-Z_g09tjOxLQyBKHLzYTTMlGZRBvQa6cuk8KI0-nWJuvnC7pMv6mZYcEZo8XEUpeA8mnDF6Su8UrKNeApB3OEOzRXSrohu0bA/s488/IMG_2065.jpeg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="488" data-original-width="456" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKP6gXsi0nxnmZH-6Hwcg1kXnP_oxKUKxzTccmTDvKc1IJCN4hg_g8M60Y46Svp6TpsP7Dzcc-PI2dE-tYt788KVhhX-Z_g09tjOxLQyBKHLzYTTMlGZRBvQa6cuk8KI0-nWJuvnC7pMv6mZYcEZo8XEUpeA8mnDF6Su8UrKNeApB3OEOzRXSrohu0bA/w187-h200/IMG_2065.jpeg" width="187" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">However, the feeder leads to some bird injuries. Using more of my card making supplies, these holographic bees keep birds from flying into our windows. I've put half a dozen in the busiest windows to keep the birds safe. <br /><br /></span><p></p><p></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> *</span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Source: The Candlemaker’s Companion, Storey Communications, Inc. 1997, Betty Oppenheimer</span></span></p><p><br /></p><p></p><span style="font-size: large;"></span><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><br /></p>Lexa Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17607145577589963375noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538999001509624107.post-20524122408239336132022-03-19T00:01:00.001-07:002022-03-19T00:01:00.191-07:00Spring is in the Garden!<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgeE_zGufJp7Lu9HLQ0vaH_Vp1CVLMPoLh4f-UpKJobHcZQQOKBfUMX5DF2liqE6jyID3u1IF2tXIV-6etfHlWEC6PPPcFfB2aNEPKNVSAkBcVFIlY_klII7wDeUDjdLiws9m5aZevwEVrVhvIrHPIKDgItDrf-usBzoWZIEPahvpEvb9aP_eMluNiw5g=s493" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="329" data-original-width="493" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgeE_zGufJp7Lu9HLQ0vaH_Vp1CVLMPoLh4f-UpKJobHcZQQOKBfUMX5DF2liqE6jyID3u1IF2tXIV-6etfHlWEC6PPPcFfB2aNEPKNVSAkBcVFIlY_klII7wDeUDjdLiws9m5aZevwEVrVhvIrHPIKDgItDrf-usBzoWZIEPahvpEvb9aP_eMluNiw5g=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@gallarotti?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Francesco Gallarotti</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/sprouts?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a></span>
</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">It's every gardener's eagerly awaited time of year--spring planting. Despite the bit of snow and frost we had a few weeks ago here in the Pacific Northwet, I've already put in asparagus, a few potatoes, new blueberry plants, and a three-way grafted pear tree. </span><span style="font-size: large;">The pear tree replaced a plum tree whose fruits were the size of large olives and not our favorite, but we love pears. </span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">It's
every gardener's eagerly awaited time of year--spring planting. Despite
the bit of snow and frost we had a few weeks ago here in the Pacific
Northwet, I've already put in asparagus, a few potatoes, new blueberry
plants, and a three-way grafted pear tree. </span><span style="font-size: large;">The pear tree replaced a plum tree whose fruits were the size of large olives and not our favorite, but we love pears. </span></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-n5vbIqRh0wcpIJL3Ou6q8A4Xzlgqi8owijcMvE8SBQvHByXvPi8Lfp34GxmneDf2sh8oX8RPkf3vPQY7wMPW9pXUgMq9ZaMCeKSb-w53C7yXDrfiHUPqqa5jyv0UgQEnxfYYiYi7VGMRO0Umv5NpcUB42nch0YRWtPmidLCMoDAgMbvvLor_pQ9S9A" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="240" data-original-width="479" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-n5vbIqRh0wcpIJL3Ou6q8A4Xzlgqi8owijcMvE8SBQvHByXvPi8Lfp34GxmneDf2sh8oX8RPkf3vPQY7wMPW9pXUgMq9ZaMCeKSb-w53C7yXDrfiHUPqqa5jyv0UgQEnxfYYiYi7VGMRO0Umv5NpcUB42nch0YRWtPmidLCMoDAgMbvvLor_pQ9S9A=w300-h150" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">Asparagus, less than a week after planting. <br /></span><p></p><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjrjd3vfiAGAB_npm1nGDOTmWqFyTd55QDdnM2ar9agukUJrsd4MP_u-KJ85YgxeuouBANAGQ6EPvDs6ch5wHWredeVbCszEsokC3TWYUdLn7T8EngeKUrJ2sxfOHUf_ie3Ctzw2Yzluodu1_TNVx00-YvIdlmfGhG3Y2hIrYCCblC7ZDDvsL3QDC-rbg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="418" data-original-width="548" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjrjd3vfiAGAB_npm1nGDOTmWqFyTd55QDdnM2ar9agukUJrsd4MP_u-KJ85YgxeuouBANAGQ6EPvDs6ch5wHWredeVbCszEsokC3TWYUdLn7T8EngeKUrJ2sxfOHUf_ie3Ctzw2Yzluodu1_TNVx00-YvIdlmfGhG3Y2hIrYCCblC7ZDDvsL3QDC-rbg=w200-h152" width="200" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Beautiful ruby rhubarb shoots are also peeking out.</span><br /><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">This
year will see big changes to our front garden where we get the most
sun. A new 4'x8' raised bed will be added along with an herb tower. The
old 4'x4' raised bed will see its herbs moved to the tower with space
for 15 varieties. In place of the herbs in the raised bed, I'll be
planting honeydew melons and peas.</span></p><p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEilBYNwP3NWIg0-RoasKQJdPYFbymuP9nc-g_-4V1lULB_Yxu5vgPt3wKuKre-a1g08ya-SVBiZZ-EJoYLhDcaNfZDUibAy0u0LcrjPq1BR7U14Ru39pDEH-1jVrjcECe984BDGGHOm1LSEBITqBlo6lcgg-M7Taj0QpuiXU9FMsbjP9UxP5J1q3Myswg=s732" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="732" height="163" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEilBYNwP3NWIg0-RoasKQJdPYFbymuP9nc-g_-4V1lULB_Yxu5vgPt3wKuKre-a1g08ya-SVBiZZ-EJoYLhDcaNfZDUibAy0u0LcrjPq1BR7U14Ru39pDEH-1jVrjcECe984BDGGHOm1LSEBITqBlo6lcgg-M7Taj0QpuiXU9FMsbjP9UxP5J1q3Myswg=w200-h163" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://theworldwidevegetables.weebly.com/oxalis-tuberosa-new-zealand-yam.html">Source</a></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">I've
found a new plant to try, Oca, or Oxalis tuberosa. Oca can be eaten
raw, baked, fried, roasted, and boiled. The taste is said to be similar
to potatoes that already have sour cream, with a slightly acidic flavor.
It's a perennial, so should come back year after year.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiBjAKEfb1-ATbGilbmureqHYajb0gTjWkVYMGQEA27n-73ho28KB_NqihAGRbAggLeciosaMRH-38XGkebrWLTD00q1hSW8HYYYqZq17aZmVS7ad0ytv6zBSsr6V-F0uq2IcsDgXwmigDIiBXlXlAi7208ZH3MwC0YrcWp12sLFyEHFixlHm0inr_dZg=s1503" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="928" data-original-width="1503" height="198" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiBjAKEfb1-ATbGilbmureqHYajb0gTjWkVYMGQEA27n-73ho28KB_NqihAGRbAggLeciosaMRH-38XGkebrWLTD00q1hSW8HYYYqZq17aZmVS7ad0ytv6zBSsr6V-F0uq2IcsDgXwmigDIiBXlXlAi7208ZH3MwC0YrcWp12sLFyEHFixlHm0inr_dZg=s320" width="320" /></a></div><p><span style="font-size: large;">While
waiting for warmer weather, I've given hydroponics a try and am very
happy with the results. Hydroponics entails growing plants in water with
liquid nutrients. Many commercial varieties of produce are grown this
way, and I've had great success with the consumer unit I purchased. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">In
just three weeks we were enjoying fresh salads with lettuce and mesclun
from our countertop. Two months later we're still eating salads from
the original seeds. The best part? No worries of E. coli on our greens!<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Having
enjoyed abundant salads, I'm now trying a dwarf tomato, dwarf hot
pepper, and some spinach in the hydroponics unit. Branching out hasn't
been as successful and it's a learning process, but the pepper is coming
along great. I'll keep trying different seeds to find those that do
best, and </span><span style="font-size: large;">if nothing else, we'll now have salads all year round! </span></p><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></p>Lexa Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17607145577589963375noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4538999001509624107.post-55303915555798214242022-02-19T00:01:00.001-08:002022-02-19T00:01:00.171-08:00Feedback is a Gift<p><br /> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0ukdCMqpaIw7ckmHmv6U12plnP64kNEF5rKMyV-36OzPlvSuDNT_wrB3QMoA9KKE7gY18LQpZtY11LKDicsSIxDgdJsj55jR0yGnWRuVg7bqzr3bF0VsTyLKlOgrYApCF3lsGRNw1DVXxuXsVrDzNrgVLsGrAVrHcXTKUPvGb4A9XMoocFbeCjexv0g=s405" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="292" data-original-width="405" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh0ukdCMqpaIw7ckmHmv6U12plnP64kNEF5rKMyV-36OzPlvSuDNT_wrB3QMoA9KKE7gY18LQpZtY11LKDicsSIxDgdJsj55jR0yGnWRuVg7bqzr3bF0VsTyLKlOgrYApCF3lsGRNw1DVXxuXsVrDzNrgVLsGrAVrHcXTKUPvGb4A9XMoocFbeCjexv0g=s320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Ekaterina Shevchenko on Unsplash</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Feedback is a gift, it's often said. Wrapping gifts is an art, and as with birthday or holiday presents, not all givers are, well, <i>gifted</i> with the ability to package neatly. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">As creatives, we may need to catch ourselves before we react to that gift of feedback. The beautiful painting, dazzling necklace, or novel you've spent weeks or years crafting won't be everyone's idea of art. But like our creations, feedback comes from the heart.<br /></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgF0474yiadL1guCucqPgNBoELJQ912bwHLS5XO4C3sPG2CMMgaGPlHIJadaF7OFxiY9EgqA01uPDZitghfByjwuUxEHeTmZlVgEDHmx1uxJyWpwqgOP1olbaqh6upjs39-jl79lOo_Ki03qaUjUdAisbl3V-cmLIuITnx0YMCs0ZQx48vKODyjOhLx_g=s389" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="258" data-original-width="389" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgF0474yiadL1guCucqPgNBoELJQ912bwHLS5XO4C3sPG2CMMgaGPlHIJadaF7OFxiY9EgqA01uPDZitghfByjwuUxEHeTmZlVgEDHmx1uxJyWpwqgOP1olbaqh6upjs39-jl79lOo_Ki03qaUjUdAisbl3V-cmLIuITnx0YMCs0ZQx48vKODyjOhLx_g=w200-h133" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo by <a href="https://unsplash.com/@dericsamps?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Deric</a> on <a href="https://unsplash.com/s/photos/rocky-path?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText">Unsplash</a></span>
</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">I’ve been writing for several years with the goal of being a published author.
It has been a journey. The first steps along the path were rough.
Tripping over problems that at first crushed me, I’ve grown and now take
these obstacles in stride. Usually. 😊 I don’t think any writer’s ego
can go on this trek without some stumbling and humbling. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">It takes perseverance to stay on your path when a reader comments how THEY would have written the book, or even what your character should have been.<br /></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">Over the years I’ve learned to be more gracious when accepting feedback. I now look at the work through the reader’s eyes to find some kernel of insight that I can use to improve my writing.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">This experience with feedback has provided me with my own guidance:</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;"></span></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh2L05X6hmLXul2FW0wQ85ViXCcBtWk27i3dkmQAgsDxJ2Davq2eueaI0yvzgCYrrAAxLXKFYDeyYBKKDq17mtejZpjSG33TpI-0EsOE1ILu_n-WekMtwnmVDq6oGVJg-qTOsn34Dn5mTJ_fKC2DE2FnmRQ_QjiA2vI7ofkS6QUo2TwBefG6uwNzJuKqw=s225" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="174" data-original-width="225" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh2L05X6hmLXul2FW0wQ85ViXCcBtWk27i3dkmQAgsDxJ2Davq2eueaI0yvzgCYrrAAxLXKFYDeyYBKKDq17mtejZpjSG33TpI-0EsOE1ILu_n-WekMtwnmVDq6oGVJg-qTOsn34Dn5mTJ_fKC2DE2FnmRQ_QjiA2vI7ofkS6QUo2TwBefG6uwNzJuKqw" width="225" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo by Isaac Quessada on Unsplash</span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Write the first draft with <i>my</i> heart and soul, put all
of my passion into it, and let my spirit soar. Then, edit with the
<i>reader’s</i> heart and soul as the focus so I can pull on their
heartstrings.</span><br /><br /></span> <br /> <br /><span style="font-size: large;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIAbkABxRNg2aZl5JiElQZluaIC-OHeXSaE79cMZgFv5CXjpeNTFm5h9ouEQAQcjNdK-2bYhJ-9kLe31u5AQYiIuAVmTxvM_fVVaxMpUKPOlbrlFuZYuStUu3Q-Rwg6X9y1oIhdLL-OiiC0UQo8xKWYP4Z-PD8v05YQkasJs8EAzJiMC2n_9hB7kdrTw=s338" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="257" data-original-width="338" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIAbkABxRNg2aZl5JiElQZluaIC-OHeXSaE79cMZgFv5CXjpeNTFm5h9ouEQAQcjNdK-2bYhJ-9kLe31u5AQYiIuAVmTxvM_fVVaxMpUKPOlbrlFuZYuStUu3Q-Rwg6X9y1oIhdLL-OiiC0UQo8xKWYP4Z-PD8v05YQkasJs8EAzJiMC2n_9hB7kdrTw=w200-h152" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo by Marten Newhall on Unsplash</span></td></tr></tbody></table> </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">I also look at feedback as an intimate peek into the giver's
inner psyche. What do her words really say? When pressed for more
specifics, are her insecurities or suppressed wishes revealed? What I learn enables me to better shape my characters in future
books.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;">So, the next time you receive the gift of feedback, no matter how poorly packaged, see if you can dig deeper into what drives these comments. This has helped me develop skills to create deeper meaning in my stories, and I could also find a new beta reader.</span><br /></p><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjazyJmq24EtTgBRFr7gO7vHM729JkTewAdRa1sv-nOAtMSliimXkgi4M7t5awjsNL8XNJVWxej_b-t7uk3dvXuZ97YkM6ni8tFnalXIpPTGYJMXJYw-HSkfxXYRAlP3Nl2Vaxe6gI9Mf9R0fNl_YFSaFUf_Q4Fo471KJHHOMMFS-U6oj2mR0Q9qFYsTw=s1000" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="683" data-original-width="1000" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjazyJmq24EtTgBRFr7gO7vHM729JkTewAdRa1sv-nOAtMSliimXkgi4M7t5awjsNL8XNJVWxej_b-t7uk3dvXuZ97YkM6ni8tFnalXIpPTGYJMXJYw-HSkfxXYRAlP3Nl2Vaxe6gI9Mf9R0fNl_YFSaFUf_Q4Fo471KJHHOMMFS-U6oj2mR0Q9qFYsTw=w200-h137" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Photo from Today.com article</span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;"> </span><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br />Lexa Fisherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17607145577589963375noreply@blogger.com1