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