The View from Here

What Works for Me

Today I thought I would give you a list of a few foods that are currently “working” for me. These are foods that are quick, satisfying, and low in sodium.

1.     Minute Rice Ready to Serve Brown and Wild Rice- This is convenient for me when Gary is working late. I usually eat it with chicken or fish.  Also comes in white or brown rice.

2.    Chicken of the Sea Skinless, Boneless Pink Salmon in Pouch- These are great for lunch salads or a sandwich.

3.    Birds Eye Steamfresh Selects- I use these for any vegetable I can’t get fresh or from the garden. My favorite is the Baby Brussels Sprouts.

4.  Dannon Plain Greek Yogurt- I was already a fan of plain yogurt and often use it as a dip for fruit or as a substitute for sour cream. However, this is the best!!  Also great blended with frozen fruit as a substitute for ice cream.

5.    Kashi Cinnamon Harvest Cereal- I love this stuff! Usually top with ¼ cup blueberries and 1tbs. chopped walnuts.

6.    Alexia Foods Select Sides- Good vegetable combos, great flavor, and low sodium! They also make sweet potato fries.

I’m also cooking vegetables from the garden and eating lots of fresh salads with plenty of tomatoes and some avocado.

Have a delicious day!

After the rain....

 

There is nothing unusual about today’s photos. We’ve all seen green fields, pretty flowers, and puddles. However, this is my yard and my view on July 10^th. July 10^th!  It is hot and unbearably humid today, but so green and beautiful that I can’t bear to complain. This is certainly a great gift for the plants! I hope we continue with a wonderful wet summer all the way through August!

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

  
 

My Carbon Footprint

From Time for Change-“Carbon Footprint-the total amount of greenhouse gases produced to directly and indirectly support human activities, usually expressed in equivalent tons of carbon dioxide (CO2).”

From The Nature Conservancy-“The choices we make in our homes, our travel, the food we eat, and what we buy and throw away all influence our carbon footprint and can help ensure a stable climate for future generations.”

I opened a bag of salad greens yesterday and had three nearly simultaneous gloomy thoughts: 1. The lettuce probably isn’t nearly as clean as claimed. 2. If the germs in the lettuce don’t kill us the emissions from the plastic packaging probably will. 3. I’m a bad person for even buying lettuce in a bag…perhaps just for buying lettuce. Probably grown in Mexico by a man who beats little children.  

I had a similar reaction Wednesday when I finally read the label on the new bra I had bought, and just pulled out of the washing machine: Made in El Salvador. I can’t win!

It seems lately that I am always ready to apologize for something. I’m too fat. I eat too much salt. I use herbicide. I use plastic bags. I drink bottled water. I eat salad from a bag. I buy foreign products. I drive a pickup. I run the air conditioner at night. Guilty, guilty, guilty. I’m sure there must be some reason for me to apologize for sitting here using the computer.

In the sixties I was proud of myself for not doing drugs.

In the seventies I was proud of myself for having a job and helping to support my family.

In the eighties I was proud of myself for raising intelligent, creative children.

In the nineties I was proud of myself for returning to college and getting my degree.

From 2000 until now, I’ve been proud of myself for being more financially responsible.

Now, halfway through 2010, I’m just proud to be alive. I’m proud to do the best I can to get through each day with faith and grace and dignity. If I also did everything that every friend, family member, neighbor, and nosy stranger asked me to do “to save the planet” I would not have time to breathe! First of all I would spend a LOT of my time just reading and researching, because chances are that even with all the required, approved labeling we do NOT know what is in most of the things we buy or where they are actually made, or how and by whom. Trust me; I’ve been in a few factories.

Example: Yes, I have three water bottles/cups that I refill and reuse. That does not automatically make them a better choice than commercially bottled water. I don’t know who made my water bottles or how the factory operates. They could be hiring illegal aliens, cheating on their taxes, and dumping waste into the local river for all I know. I can’t research each and every product that I buy to make sure that it has a positive impact on the world. Someone higher up the ladder has to do that.

I’m not saying that I’m not aware of the problems of the world, nor am I refusing to accept my responsibility as a global citizen to make intelligent decisions that will have a more positive impact on my environment. I try to do that each and every day. I try to be mindful of how my actions will impact others. I’m not saying that I’m doing whatever I please.

I AM saying that I can’t worry about everything. I can’t change all of my habits. I can’t adopt a totally new way of life. I have enough trouble adjusting in little baby steps.

I never said I wanted to give up paper grocery sacks and carry home these ridiculously flimsy plastic ones. No one even asked me for my opinion. Some factory just started making them and the stores started offering them and pretty soon all the paper sacks were gone and no one gave me a choice. Now a choice is back IF I want to buy and carry my own cloth bags. This means I would have to know how many I’m going to use, and I would have to carry them. I can’t possibly do that each and every time I go to the store. Besides, I do most of my shopping at WalMart and that means it isn’t all groceries, and it doesn’t all fit neatly into little cloth bags. And don’t try to make me feel guilty about it. We do reuse and recycle the plastic ones for at least four or five other purposes, but if they are a danger to landfills then you go give that speech to the manufacturers and stores who started this nonsense. It wasn’t me!

 

 

 

 

 

Anticipation

 

 

  

We are expecting a big storm today and I already hear the first rumblings of thunder. The wind is picking up. Soon the showers will begin. When we have a thunderstorm it sort of “rules the day”. There is no internet, no walk, no work in the garden. So I anticipate a morning of little projects (a bookshelf to assemble, letters to write) and perhaps an afternoon movie. Gary is off today. The car is in the shop getting a makeover. It’s all good…

 

F words

I have decided that the letter F gets a bad rep in our society. Many things that make me happy begin with F! So let’s use these words and get everyone else to stop using that ugly word!! I’m tired of hearing it and tired of it being “bleeped” out on television. Find a new word folks!! Please.

Family

Friends

Flowers

Food

Faith

Faces

Fellowship

Fairs, Fiestas, and Festivals

Farms

Feathered creatures

Fawns

Felines

February

Fences

Fields

Fillies

Fish

Firsts

Flavors

Flying insects

Foliage

Feet

Fortitude

Freckles

Frozen treats

Fruit

Furry creatures

Finish…

 

 

 

 

Not Just Beautiful

I love walking in the garden and enjoying the beauty of the flowers. I even think leaves are pretty. And you know I’m a sucker for a cute dragonfly! But beauty, like everything else, is temporary and even the most gorgeous flower has a limited life span. I’ve been noticing the changes this week in many of the spring flowers as they dry up and produce seeds. It makes me sad to see some of them go, but even as their colors fade and their petals dry they still have an important role to play in the grand scheme of nature.

Every part of a plant- flower, fruit, seeds, stem, leaves- is used to replenish the earth. Flowers feed insects and produce fruit which feeds people and animals. Seeds feed wildlife and ensure the survival of the plant species. Stems and leaves decompose and feed worms and other critters and also enrich the soil. Nothing goes to waste! So as I tour the garden and see the flowers of spring “dying” I know they are really just living in a different way. They are still useful and beautiful!

 

Food for Thought

My thoughts for today began with a hole in a leaf. Friends and family often ask where I get my ideas for my daily posts. I can only tell you that most of them come to me in the garden. The process is a mystery. If you figure out how my mind works, let me know! I only know that God seems to give me what I need to say.

So yesterday I found myself staring at this hole and I realized it had been made by a grasshopper. Then I noticed a plant that had been stripped by a caterpillar. I’m inclined to be annoyed by the grasshopper, and tolerant of the caterpillar. Why? Because the caterpillar will turn into something beautiful! I realize that at each stage of a butterfly’s life it must have a different food, and so I am willing to sacrifice a few plants to the “babies” in order to enjoy the adults.

 

Stay on the path with me…my next thought was that while animals generally eat specific foods at various stages in their lives, humans will eat almost anything, AND try to eat like children forever! That stopped me in my tracks! That’s exactly what I’ve been doing. I know intellectually what I need to eat as an adult, but the child inside my brain wants to eat anything and everything that I ate at my mother’s table. Cookies and ice cream and cake and candy are the stuff of childhood- reminders of good times and celebrations. Macaroni and cheese, mashed potatoes, biscuits, fried chicken, and gravy are reminders of my mother’s love and devotion to us. But do I still need the food to convince myself that I am loved? No. Will eating the foods of childhood make the problems of my adult life go away? No.

I’ve lost two pounds this week. I accomplished that by getting very serious about eating only what is best for me- lots of vegetables and fruit, lean meat and fish, and very little else. God challenged me with something I can’t tolerate and I knew I had to rise to the challenge or be miserable. Before, during, and after vacation my feet swelled. You may have even noticed that in one photo I’m using a cane. After vacation my feet were actually worse and I had trouble walking, wiggling my toes, and just standing. Before vacation my doctor assumed it was a medication problem and changed my blood pressure meds. However, when I called him after vacation his advice was to “really cut out salt” and report back in a week. I cut my salt intake from 2,000mg to 1,200 and felt relief within two days. This morning my feet are free of any swelling.

Obviously it is time for me to eat like a grownup! At this stage in my life my physical health is more important than my emotional whims. So, my feet have led me to better path and I will try my best to stay on it!

The garden has helped me in other ways this week. I am harvesting the things I love and eating them daily. I had squash and okra with some couscous for lunch yesterday. Last night we had fresh raw zucchini with our dinner. I love it! Can’t wait for the tomatoes to start ripening.

Just a couple of random notes:

1.    I located a butterfly identification book that I bought several years ago. I can’t specifically identify individual butterflies yet, but I’ve figured out some of the basics. Butterflies are divided into two superfamilies: true butterflies and skippers. Skippers are the hairy little ones that we often mistake for moths. I know now that the groups I’ve photographed so far are hairstreaks, sulphurs, angel winged, fritillaries, swallowtails, checkered, blue, and boldly patterned. I can’t tell you if today’s duskywing skipper is a “funereal” or a “mournful”, and I don’t know if the buckeye is a “Florida” or just a regular, but I’m not sure I need to be that specific!

2.    Gotta love those end of season sales brought on by heat and panic! LOL Yesterday Lowe’s marked their vines and shrubs down 75% and since Gary was at work  he noticed, called me, and brought home a huge hardy hibiscus, a lavender clematis, a blackberry, and a blueberry-all for $24. Yeah!

Yesterday there were three different dragonflies within two feet of each other in the garden!

 

 

Worries

 

Each day when we turn on our television or computer we are told by the media to worry.

Worry about the economy.

Worry about our health.

Worry about global warming.

Worry about our safety.

Worry about how we look.

Worry about our privacy.

Worry…worry…worry…

It’s no wonder that the news is quickly followed by ads for ulcer, heart, and depression medications!

Good grief!

I know that the intention of the news media is to create a concern that motivates us to action. I know that we need to be concerned about many things in this world that are wrong. However, in my mind there is a big difference between concern and worry. And I think we become far less effective whenever we cross the line between the two.

Concern does often motivate us to action. It stirs compassion in us. It sets our mind to the task of solving problems and helping others. It makes us take better care of our bodies. It makes us think before we act.

But worry keeps us awake at night. Worry frustrates and depresses us. Worry makes us afraid and often defeats us before we begin a task. “What if…” is such a powerful thought that sometimes we can’t get beyond it. Worry develops into fears and phobias that can imprison people mentally, emotionally, and even physically.

I’m not a risk taker or daredevil by any means. My children and husband will attest to the fact that I have my share of fears and phobias. I have to leave the room the first time Gary lights the propane heater in the winter. I can’t drive over Roosevelt Bridge without both hands on the wheel. I won’t walk to the edge of a mezzanine. I can’t even think about swimming in the lake or a pond. The list goes on and my son chides me about it. However, my general approach to everyday life and the worries that the media encourages is “Let go and let God”.  I don’t think there is any other way to live once you realize the futility of our worry. Jesus asked in Luke 12:25, “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” Who indeed?

I’m not advocating giving up or sitting at home and doing nothing. There is much to be done in this world and I firmly believe that God helps those who are called to action, especially on the behalf of others. But let’s stop wasting our time with thoughts of doom and gloom and remember that God blesses us each and every day. If you are reading this you are blessed to be alive and to have sight and intelligence. Begin there. Begin your prayers today with gratitude, not worries. Begin your thoughts with hope, not despair. Be concerned about the cares of the world, but be not overcome with problems and fears. Proverbs 17:22, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.”

Be cheerful today!

 

Drowning in Photos

It rained all morning and I wasn’t able to use the internet for more than a few minutes. So I impulsively tackled a little job that I had been putting off for months- filing extra photos. I have a basket where I toss photos that don’t get framed, shared, or put into albums. I also occasionally pull out a photo, scan it, and then put it into the basket until I can re-file it. And while I had everything pulled out anyway, I decided to sort Robert’s photos and put them into a new box. So…three hours later…my photos are filed and Robert’s photos are in a bigger box, and I discovered at least a dozen photos I’d totally forgotten about.

We have literally thousands of photos and slides. Both of us have always been camera freaks and we’ve managed to afford to take photos of most our special events and activities and trips over the years. In addition to our personal collection I have saved some of the photos that friends and family have sent me with cards and letters. And I have a collection of photos of Caddo, past and present. And I have hundreds of negatives that belonged to my dad. I still go through those from time to time and scan a few.  (I’m a bit phobic about fire, so I have many of my photos on CD and tucked into a fireproof safe.)

I love photos! I love capturing a moment that can be enjoyed over and over again.  I love being able to share experiences with others through photos- especially now that digital cameras make sharing instantaneous. Karen just returned from a trip to San Diego and was able to send a few pictures to me as soon as they got home. Then she shared more with me today. I love, love, love being able to see where they went and what they did, without waiting days and days for photos to be printed and mailed.

That being said…I still have to be very careful that we are not drowning in photos. I currently have ten photo boxes, two portable filing cases, a three-drawer rolling cart, and a banker’s box filled with photos. Our 1,000+ slides are in their original carousels and boxes.  Quick, efficient filing is necessary to keep everything stored in a way that makes retrieval possible. And I am not always quick OR efficient! Lol I tell myself it’s an ongoing process.

I’m never far from a camera these days. It’s either a blessing or an addiction, I’m not always sure. But I do know that it is a blessing to be on this hill. I never go out the door without seeing something interesting. Last evening I noticed a white heron on the pond and it seemed to be acting rather strangely. I’m accustomed to watching them feed along the shore, but this one kept returning to the dividing fence that dissects the far end of the pond. Herons are incredibly difficult for me to photograph because they startle at the least little sound or movement. I decided to risk opening the back door and I managed to take a few shots. However, as soon as I took one step out the door it was gone. What was interesting was that a great blue heron rose out of the water with it! When I zoomed in on the photos later I could see him on the other side of the fence. Mystery solved.

 

Well, my day is backwards because of the rain, so I’m going out for an afternoon walk. I’m sure I’ll find something down the road that will be worth sharing. Later….

Afternoon Lessons

 

 

I have come to the conclusion that the best moments in life are definitely the unplanned ones.

 Yesterday afternoon I went out to the clothes line to get the towels. While I was there I noticed that there was a lot of butterfly activity near the sunflowers. I took the towels inside and got the camera.

Now, you have to know that there are several critters on my “most wanted” list. I have yet to photograph a coyote, even though I’ve seen seven of them at the distant edge of the woods. I don’t want them in my yard- just within range of the telephoto lens. I would also like to photograph another skunk- last year’s shots weren’t that good. I want a really good scissor-tail photo. There are several butterflies that I see that avoid the yard and stay in the pasture.

It seems that good things come to those who wait…patiently. I wanted a turtle photo and finally got one this week.  I have been watching a bright orange butterfly for over a week and she finally posed for me yesterday. In fact, she hung around the garden for so long I got bored with her and moved on to other critters. Lol

It occurred to me yesterday that part of my success with nature photography is my ability to be still and quiet. I learned those skills as a child, wandering in the fields and woods, and I have neglected them as an adult. Women are constantly on the go, getting things done. It is only lately, with my critter photography, that I have learned once again to just exist. At first I tried stalking butterflies and dragonflies. Then I realized that they are creatures of habit and territory. If I observe their actions and figure out their territory I can go stand quietly for a time and they come to me. There is actually an area of the garden that is so thick with butterflies that they will land on my shirt!

I was also curious about why there is always a group of about eight to ten butterflies on the stem of the big sunflower, but never on the flowers. Yesterday I removed a few leaves from the morning glory vine on the fence so I could see it from the back side of the garden. There is a large oozing scrape on the back side of the stem and whatever is coming out of it must be candy for the butterflies!

 

By the way, if you look carefully you will notice that one of these butterflies has a broken wing. There is actually a big piece of it missing. I had always heard that if their wings are damaged they cannot fly. Wrong! She is definitely a survivor and is managing with her disability. I watched her flutter around the garden for quite some time just to make sure she was okay.

 

I was about to go back inside the house when I noticed these strange insects on the thistle by the gate. (Found out they are leaffooted bugs - Leptoglossus phyllopus.) I took a couple of photos, turned around, and almost ran into the squirrel! Serendipity!

 

 

So my lessons for the afternoon:

1.    Embrace opportunity.

2.    Be patient.

3.    Be still.

4.    Be observant.

5.    Be happy!