Suan and Dick Hanson

Suan and Dick Hanson are two of the most talented individuals we know.  Suan plays flute, composes music for our UU Choir, writes stories for her three grandchildren, and sews many of her clothes.  And she knits.  Plus she is an artist and pens tiny black dots as her medium.  We have two of her pieces, one of our house on Augustine Way and another of the house out here in Charterwood.  Suan has pet turtles, big guys. 

Dick is one of these fellas who can can build, remodel, or fix car problems.  Dick was instrumental  making the new entry way to the Church a reality with his expert engineering skills.    Dick likes to sail and hunt.  As a springtime ritual, Dick and a group of his buddies head up to the boundary waters to hunt.  Plus he has this sail boat.  One of our friends needed Dick to travel out East with him to pick up a boat the other fella purchased.

Both Suan and Dick did the first remodel of the RE lower level of the Church years ago.

They sing with us in Civic Chorale as well as Choir at UU.

Julia Child: TV's First Cooking Show Host

The other day a Master Gardener buddy sent this link about Julia Child, the first person to host a TV program about cooking.  Julia's first cook book, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, remains popular today. I used mine for many years.  The recipes are detailed because she insists the successful cook needs explicit instructions and therefore in places, the recipes read like narratives.  This link is in song and makes Julia look as though she is singing.  The message? Of utmost importance -- "freshness is essential, that makes all the difference." Very clever! (No way to delete the Walmart commercial --- aarrruuggh!)

Her TV show, the French  Chef, 1963 - 1973, was viewed even by non cooks. She became a beloved TV personality.    The sets for her TV show(s) were built with kitchen counters high enough to accommodate her  height of 6' 2".

• Cooking with Master Chefs  
• Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home
• In Julia's Kitchen with Master Chefs.

After the Goldman-Sachs commercial, you will see Julia punch down a ball of risen yeast dough -- BOOM!  Martha Stewart shows Julia how to make an exquisite  three tiered wedding cake decorated with marzipan cherries and raspberries.

Her marriage to Paul Childs is an inspiration.  She was diagnosed with breast cancer when she was 56 -- no matter, "Paul did not marry me for my breasts."  My Ed said something similar when I had my mastectomy. 

Julia was born in 1912 and passed away in 2014 at the age of 92.

My Holiday Greeting

Squirrels

The Ring Cycle and the Metropolitan Opera Brass Section

When sadness happens such as the death of Nelson Mandela, favorite musical pieces -- in this case a video of the Metropolitan Opera brass section soothes my soul.  Richard Wagner designed a special tuba specifically for the Ring Cycle.   Metropolitan Opera YouTube - an explanation of the leitmotif.

Nelson Mandela 1918 - 2013

Yesterday we lost a hero of the world at the age of 95.   Nelson Mandela from South Africa was imprisoned for many years because he spoke out against whites ruling over South Africa with the blacks coerced into a state of less than second class citizenry, apartheid.  Blacks and Whites lived apart from each other.  While in prison with other black demonstrators,  Mandela worked in the salt mines and his tear ducts were burned thus making it impossible for him to shed tears.   He cried in his heart.   Out of prison, he became the first black president South Africa.

Like Mahatma Gandhi, both believed in nonviolence.

As an aside, one of my favorite composers, Philip Glass, wrote an opera about Gandhi --  Satyagraha.  My opera guru, Karen Khusro let me know it was to be performed in PBS and I saw it ---- and LOVED it.  No subtitles, the music and the staging is all that is necessary to follow the story.  

Money Tree

The first time I saw a Money Tree was in Minneapolis way back when Neal was beginning his Ph.D at the University of Minnesota.  We had dinner at a Thai restaurant and I spotted a small plant with a braided trunk on the counter,.  Curious person that I am, I asked one of the employees if they knew anything about the plant.  They said it was a Money Tree and one was on display in the window of a florist shop down the street.  After dinner we saw the Money Tree is in the window, a much larger specimen, maybe about a two feet tall, with a price tag of $82.00.  Holy malolee!

December 5, 2013 before pruning

Through the years, though, these plants became available in many stores with price tags of about $10.00.  My first Money Tree, purchased at Target, lasted about two years.  They are sold with the  braided trunks held together with wire.  Unfortunately, the wire needs to be removed after a while but I was unaware of this and hence the tree died due to strangulation.

December 5, 2013 after pruning

These are pictures of of my second Money Tree.  It is common for the tips of the leaves to turn brown.   I chopped off the branches and in time, new ones grew back and healthy leaves appeared.  I am hoping for a repeat performance.

Also, the plant may do better in a location with less light.

An important part of gardening is learning plants only thrive if they have the correct amount of light.

Today is January 17, 2014.
Not even a month has passed and new growth
has appeared. .

Here is an excellent example of how regenerative pruning can benefit a plant.  That is, doing a major cutback.  If all goes well, the Money Tree will produce new branches and leaves.

Today is Februrary 17, 2014
Four weeks have gone by
and the plant is filling out beautifully.
 

Ivy from West View Cemetery in Pittsburgh

When we visit Pittsburgh, a trip out to West View Cemetery where Digby and Mole  are laid to rest is usually part of our visit.  While there last summer, I pinched a few pieces of ivy from the graves, rooted them in water and potted up the rooted cuttings.   As you can see, the plant is spindly.   Should I do some trimming?  This is the usual technique to create a bushier plant.  

Because we share approximately the same climate zone as Pittsburgh, if the cuttings grow, a new home in the patio garden will be in the plan. 

Digby and Mole are the loving nicknames my twin brother Jan and I gave to our parents when we were teenagers.  

Thanksgiving at UUBN, Recipe Treasures Culled

We joined our UU buddies for the  annual Thanksgiving meal, an event we used to host every now and then but have not attended in a while.  Turkeys and dressing are provided by those who host the dinner, and those who attend  bring other foodstuffs.  Always delicious! Always enough left-overs for everyone to take some home.   My friend, Joan Netzbandt,  made bulbous, buttery, soft rolls and I brought 4 home.  Ed had 1, I consumed 3.   

Postscript:  Joan emailed the rolls were purchased at Great Harvest.  

I signed up to bring an apple crisp but since there were a few bags of fresh cranberries in the refrig, it seemed like a good idea to add some to the crisp.    When I found several recipes on the web, I chose this one and the results were yummy.
 
Apple Cranberry Crisp

• 2 cups cranberries fresh cranberries
• 3 cups sliced, peeled apples -- I used Fuji
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice -- A few squeezes from an orange worked fine
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1 cup quick cooking oats -- I used regular, not quick cooking
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 5 tablespoons butter, room temperature

Combine cranberries, apples, granulated sugar, lemon juice, and salt; turn into a shallow, buttered 1 1/2 quart baking dish. Combine brown sugar, oats, and flour. Cut in butter. Spoon over cranberry-apple mixture. Bake at 325° for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until topping is crispy and fruit is tender. 

Upon adding this recipe to my Recipe Treasures folder, something told me there were way too many saved recipes.  Therefore I culled the files keeping any written in Grandma Mimi's or Aunt Ruth's handwriting or for that matter, any recipe written by a friend.   

Consumerism Gone Rampant

As many know, Signy, Roslyn and Liesl have many, many toys. 

At UU yesterday, a friend and I were talking about the excesses some children have.  The girls will arrive here during this holiday season.  Our idea this year was to do donations to charities with them at the computer to help key in the information.   My friend, a promoter of Fair Trade, wanted to know the ages of the girls and when she learned they are young, she suggested to do the donations but to purchase a small gift as well to symbolize the particular charity. 

Crossroads was open yesterday, Sunday, for us UU's, to do our holiday shopping -- these are like-minded folks who are offended by glitz and the consumerism that envelopes many.

Shopping, done.

From my Master Gardener Friend

She sent me an email asking

if I needed any firewood because
the tree was hit by lightening.  This gal has an incredible sense of humor because on the subject line of her email, "Need any firewood?"

Only 45 Minutes West of Us

At UU yesterday, I hung around with others and before we knew what was happening, our office manager came to shepherd us to the lower level because of a severe weather alert.  No electricity -- there we sat for about half an hour and then left only to find out how tortured those were a mere 45 minutes East of us in the town of Washington, IL a tad west of Pekin and East Peoria. The area was proclaimed a federal disaster area with as many as 500 homes taken away by a tornado.  Over 80 funnel clouds were observed out here on the Central Illinois Prairie.  Several people were killed. 

Mother Nature Rules

The Lowline

My nephew Jason just sent me this link about how NYC is tackling the creation of an underground park on the east side.  Amazing. 

Majesty in Southwest Utah

We flew to Las Vegas and drove to St. George, a town of 75,000 about 2  hours from Zion and 3 from Bryce.  This is where Brigham Young brought his people, to the land of Zion.  St. George receives on average 7" of rain and yet the deciduous trees were in full fall splendor.  No Ginkgos, though. Palm trees, yes! 

 

Dad at Zion

Me at Zion

    

Us and the Hoodoos at Bryce

Snow Canyon, a State Park with pale gray volcanic rocks

Snow Canyon, not far from St. George where we stayed,
 is filled with volcanic rocks of different colors.

Volunteering at Crossroads Is Like Playing Store! This Is Where Your Gift Gives Twice

Crossroads marks 25 years promoting fair-trade goods

What: Crossroads Global Handcrafts

Where: 428 N. Main St., Bloomington
Hours: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday
Phone: 309-827-0121
On the Web: www.crossroadsfairtrade.com

BLOOMINGTON — After 25 years in downtown Bloomington, Crossroads Global Handcrafts continues to provide an outlet for “fair trade” merchandise with an operation run almost entirely by volunteers.
“I often say we’re selling an idea as much as we’re selling merchandise,” said Charline Watts, one of the founders and co-chair of the board.
The idea they are selling is that people and the environment should be valued, she said.
“Fair trade is an alternative way of doing business that has as its bottom line the value of persons and the commitment to preserving the health of the planet,” Watts said.

Walking the NYC High Line with Laurie

For our 70th birthday in 1970, I wanted to be with my twin brother Jan who resides in Brooklyn Heights in NYC.   I also wanted to visit the Brooklyn Botanic (not botanical) Garden and see Sean Hayes, a theater graduate of ISU, in Promises, Promises, the musical version of the movie,The Apartment featuring the tunes of Burt Bachrach.  Dinner with my twin, then on to the theater.  What a marvelous visit!  Then to my surprise, my twin marched me to the subway not telling me the destination.   Upon leaving the subway, we walked about 5 blocks west, climbed up three flights of stairs and there my heart went thump, thump, thump, for before me were plants, many of the same Ed and I have in our Prairie Garden.  This was my introduction to the NYC High Line.  The first section was completed - I was in a state of awe. "A ribbon of nature atop a true ruin, the whole phenomenon just floating in its own time and space."

Aunt Phyllis, a gourmet cook, invited her son (my nephew) Jason to join us for dinner.  How I love this man!!

Laurie and her Cousin Jase -- they shared an apartment in Austin when Laurie was at UT for her first year of law school. 

Most people know how spiritually attached I am to the NYC High Line, a garden high above the hustle bustle of NYC.  In the 1930's trains that delivered food and mail were at ground level.   But many people were killed because they would not get out of the way of the trains even when the West Side Cowboys upon horseback would ring a bell to warn people of an oncoming train.  To remedy the situation, the tracks were elevated 35' above the streets.  In 1963, due to the trucking industry, the last train delivered a cargo of frozen turkeys.  From 1963 until  the early 1990's the tracks laid in a decrepit state and a group of New Yorkers wanted to demolish the tracks.  But alas!  Another group had another plan -- to create an elevated garden.

Last summer when Laurie and her family were visiting, she said how badly she wanted to walk the High Line with me.   And we did, this first weekend in November. 

Jan Hyde and Dr. Phyllis Hyde's Brooklyn Heights home

Gundula Christiansen and Bernd Ebert

When Laurie was a junior in high school she formed a close friendship with Gundula Christiansen, an exchange student from Germany one year older than Laurie.  They both played violin in the orchestra.  Ed and I adored Gundula as well.   

Gundula loved her host family very much and was in close contact with them through the years.  Her host father, Walt, was near death so Gundula and her husband Bernd decided to visit Walt before he passed.  Truly beautiful.

They flew into DFW and stayed with Laurie.

After attending Walt's visitation in Goshen, Indiana, they drove here.  Oh how we enjoyed seeing Gundula after 25+ years and meeting her handsome husband.  They were here overnight and left this morning after Ed made his famous waffles which they devoured.  They left this morning to drive to Houston and on to Corpus Christi for a much needed rest.  Then back to Laurie's and home to Germany.  They live way north close to Denmark!

We learned they have traveled all over the world including a lengthy trip to Australia and New Zealand!  

Bernd and Gundula instruct teachers how to work with special needs children.  Gundula was a student in one of Bernd's classes when Gundula was at university so there is a 10 year age difference between the two.

Ugandan Milele Childrens' Choir

This group was in B-N for the week.  I had the honor of attending one of their performances at Westminster Village, a large retirement community.  Having been to Uganda coupled with the support our UU Church is providing to New Life School made their performance particularly significant.  See my post of January 12, 2012.  Their CD and DVD displays their brilliant talent. Some learned the Choirs local performance schedule in order to see them perform a second time!

The picture and the article below appeared on the front page of our newspaper. 

NORMAL — Life looked pretty grim for Eric Jjombwe, 7, of Kampala, Uganda, whose mother was jobless and whose father died of HIV/AIDS. That was before the boy became part of Imani Milele Children, a Christian ministry for orphans that gave him a place to live and an education. The group’s name is Swahili for “believe always” or “faith everlasting.”ow 17, Jjombwe is part of the 25-member Imani Milele Children’s Choir that is on a nine-month tour of the United States to raise money and awareness for the organization. The choir of 10 boys and 15 girls, ages 9 to 17, danced and sang jubilant African songs Wednesday at Olympia High School and Middle School in rural Stanford.

The Rev. Moses Ssemanda Mbuga, 
founder of Imani Milele Children, a ministry in Uganda

“It’s a great experience. I enjoy the roads, the food and the cars,” said Jjombwe, who hopes to be a lawyer someday. “We work a lot and balance school and choir,” said choir member Debbie Opaki, 16, who hopes to be a physician one day. “The best part is to have a chance to go to school and to travel in America.” Opaki, who joined Imani Milele when she was 8 years old, called it “life-changing.”The choir, hosted by Calvary United Methodist Church in Normal, will be in Central Illinois until Saturday, said Jennifer Bauersfeld, a member of the host church. Other performance stops include: the church; The Baby Fold and Parkside Junior High School, both in Normal; Westminster Village in Bloomington; and tonight at Decatur New Vision Church. The children travel with five Ugandan adults, including a teacher who helps them continue their education on the road, said Stephanie Graham, a nurse from Sebastian, Fla., who is traveling with the choir. Her church, Crossroad Christian Fellowship Church in Sebastian is sponsoring the tour, which will run until December.

The choir’s performances raise money for children at education centers in Uganda.
“Our target is $100,000. It’s not easy to get there,” said Sam Straxy, the choir director.
When the current 25 members of the choir return to Uganda, another 25

Hummingbirds

I hope I do not get into trouble for snatching this
hummingbird picture from the Google
website today.  Google's new update is called "hummingbird" and took effect this morning.  Google named it Hummingbird  because it is precise and fast.
The hummingbird has special significance for us because for the past month, they have been taking in nectar from the red blooms of the Pineapple Sage and also from the orange blooms on the 20' high Lion's Ear, native to Africa. They like to feed in the morning and at dinner time in the evening.

Pineapple Sage

Lions Ear

Hummingbirds

By Judy Hines

Written 9-19-13 to be read at Poetry Service at our UU Church

Tiny bodies, a blur of wings motion the air,

Suspended, hovering, touching red and orange flowers

Long beak withdrawing nectar, succulent and sweet nourishment.

Stay aloft a moment more for a photograph

Before slipping out of sight.

The Benjamin Ficus Needed Attention

We knew the tree was outgrowing its container because leaves were turning yellow and falling.   It was re-potted once when we returned from a trip to find a carpet of yellow leaves on the floor.  One of Grandma Mimi's persons who kept her company when she lived with us, read somewhere that wiping a very thin coating of mayonaise on the leaves would provide a shine.  Thus, this is why I thought the leaves fell but this was not the case after I checked with Casey's, my favorite nursery of the many here in town.  By the way, this occurred before I went through the University of Illinois Master Gardener training.  I learned the reason the plant dropped all the leaves was becasue it was root bound and needed a larger pot.  So this time not that many leaves dropped.  We knew what to do. 

This was a difficult job.  At one time Ed said let's get rid of the tree.  No way!