Memory Boost

I keep reading that smelling rosemary will boost your memory.  I need to hang some from a hat and sniff it all day.  I've been on the hunt for things I can't find lately.  Besides, rosemary can't be planted just yet, so there goes that theory.

I went in search for a business card.  I literally emptied 6 or 7 purses to search for it, cleaning them all out for about 2 hours.  Later, I found the card in my jewelry box.  

I also went on a hunt for a flash drive.  Cleaned my entire dresser and other stuff.  Never found it.  It'll show up when I clean something else, ha ha!  I used another, loading umpteen photos to it for 2-3 hours, only to hear Hubby change his mind.  "Don't bother with it, it's just one thing to mess with at the party."  Ugh....

The photos were to be printed and put up on a board for the anniversary party.  I agreed.  No board.  

I couldn't find a store that sold photo corners anyway, and Hobby Lobby closed in the closer town.

No other interesting business going on here but rain.  Rain, rain and more rain.  Weather says it will be up to 77°F today, but rain at the exact time the weather peeks.  I'm not getting that septic dug, the garden remains saturated, and I'm stir crazy.  I'll have to dig into some sort of deep cleaning again today.  At least all my purses are cleaned out now.  In that process, I found $19.00.  I earned a little reward for that cleaning job.

Tidbits

We had a beautiful morning sunrise Monday morning.  It was cold out, but gorgeous sky.

Never hit your shin on something.  The pain is like no other.  I've been using up my freezer stash of comfrey poultices.  They are helping, but man...

(used my mortar and pestal for a small amount)

I've also been picking plantain.  I somehow got an itchy patch of a rash on my ankle (hm, could be from wearing flip flops out when it was warmer and brushing on something).  I got rid of it using a fresh plantain poultice in two days (second one I added fresh chickweed).  Yay, for the power of weeds.  Our plantain isn't very big yet, but we are getting some here and there.  I also ordered a free small food processor for small batch making. 

Does anyone here take horse chestnut for varicose veins?  Would love to hear your input.  Just wondering if I order the horse chestnut, do you make the extract as you would a "tincture?"

I placed my order for jojoba oil.  It's time to make homemade tick oil.  It can be used on humans or dogs and it works.  You can also make it with water and spray it on, but I prefer the oil, so I don't have to re-apply so often in the hot sun.

We continue to get rain.  The farmers are behind by 3 weeks getting into their fields, so you can imagine how far behind we are.  Flooding issues almost everywhere right now.  I told Hubby, if we can't plant with good timing, I won't plant at all.  It would be a complete waste of time.  We can't even get the tiller into it until it dries up.  We are not yet at our planting time, so say a prayer, send up good vibes and positive mojo.

Baked away the cold rainy blues - blueberry crumble.

The frustration is real

Does anyone have a natural ant killer I can use in my herb garden.  I was walking by it and saw a puffed up area in my oregano.  I stepped on it, and poof a bunch of ants came out.  Urgh.  Cornmeal doesn't kill them, and I can't use artificial sweetener nor borax.  I'd contaminate my herbs.  I am however, dumping boiling water on the hill.  I will have to do it a few more times, and if it works, replant some of the oregano.

This my friends, is my rose bed.  Does anyone have a natural homemade weed killer?  I don't care if it kills off the roses either, I want different ones anyway.  It's the most frustrating bed we have, and nothing has worked from weed fabric to 6 inches of mulch on top.  

Well, since I wrote up this draft for the post, I found another way to handle this weed garden from hell - roofing shingles and rocks.  We know someone re-roofing, so we hope to get some of the old singles soon. Until then, guests will just have to enjoy the weed fest going on. 

We are due to have 4 days of rain starting today (again).  Sunday we had planned to piddle around, but guess what?  We took off south to pick up a new radiator for our 19 year-old's car.  While we were there, my step-daughter called.  She gave birth to our 3rd grand child - a boy.  We drove north and made a visit to the hospital.  What a busy weekend.

I don't have clean house slippers to work around the house today.  Sigh.  Thanks to Jesse.  He's been so good off the leash, and in plain day light I just go out with him.  However, he smelled a dead rabbit in the road and went straight for it.  He's back on the leash after I ran through the sopping grass, saturating my slippers and socks.  My slippers are drying after a good washing.  As for that dead rabbit?  Hubby went out and shoveled it off into the field north of us.  We later watched a vulture having it's meal.

Crisis Averted and other Tidbits

Saturday morning I had a plan to harvest as much chickweed as I could, but we had a crisis.  Daughter's prom.  Although she is very capable of doing her own hair and nails, she broke down and sobbed Friday night.  Overwhelmed.

Those are her real nails.

Prom "do"

We spent the day running her around to friends we know at a salon, getting toes, nails and hair done.  That really took up the day until we then had to figure out where to do photos.  Rain was moving in about the time we needed to do photos.  Prom prep went from 9am to after 4pm, then we took photos in a hotel lobby (rain).  Ran home and literally had 30 minutes before heading to the school.  Her Dad walked her in the "march" before prom, and I think it made happy tears for all who were there to watch.  He announced daughter's name being escorted by her "Dad" and it was so sweet to watch. 

We were so tired.  Not to mention broke.  One more year of a prom.  Whew.

Chickweed will have to wait.  I do hope I get some after our snow Sat. night.  Sigh....praying it makes a comeback and I get a lot of it.

I've been after Hubby to dig the septic cap for weeks.  I finally got him to do it, but he only half dug it out, and the shovel is still sitting there.  I'm about to dig it myself.  He needs a tea for motivation around here.  Oh, and try and convince him to put a riser on it so we don't have to dig it. Yeah, that won't happen either.

It's sunny today, but cold.  Woke up to the 40's and it's windy too.  

Random Ramblings

We are still unpacking, a week after our trip, ha ha!  It was our first "vacation" in almost or over 20 years.  I guess I deserve more time to unpack.  The nice part of it, is that what's still in our bags, is clean clothes we packed extra.

We are getting boat loads of rain, so there is no garden work going on, and we are to get rain for about the next 7 days.  It'll take a while for things to dry out.  We are down to the lows in the 30's again.

Jesse, eye balling my carrots.  I made roasted carrots to go with dinner and he had to have a few bites.  Crazy dog!

The other day Youngest Daughter got home from school.  I said I needed to put the hens in from the run.  She said, "I'll do it."  I was totally shocked.  When she didn't come right back in, I wandered out to see if she had trouble.  I heard voices in the barn.  I popped my head in, and she was not only standing inside the coop with the littles, but holding them and talking to them, ha ha!

The spring nettle is up.  I've been consuming much of it.  I do need to freeze some for breakfast meals and for other meals.

Finished this book on the trip to TN.  Sort of got boring 3/4th of the way through.  Donating it to Goodwill.  Ordered a book from the library.

Finished this dishcloth, and started another.  Not much time for "play time" recently.  I think it's time to dive right into the garage and utility room for indoor cleaning.  All depends on the weather and wind.

Wild Violet Jelly

The process of this spring jelly is so intriguing.  It starts out the color of this (above).

Wild Violet Jelly
2 cups freshly picked wild violets
2 cups of water, boiled

Place violets in a quart canning jar and pour boiling water over it.  Seal with the canning lid, allow to cool, and refrigerate overnight.

Day 2
Strain the violets from the liquid and add juice of one lemon or 3 Tbsp. of organic/non-gmo lemon juice.  Pour liquid into a steel pan and add 1 pkg. powdered pectin and bring to a boil.

Add:  4 cups of sugar, bring to a boil and boil 1 minute.

Power into sterilized jars, wipe rims, add lids and rims and place in canner pot to boil for 15 minutes.  (1/2 inch head space) Cool for 24 hours.

Yield:  approx. 4 - 1/2 pint jars or 8 4oz. jars.
(3rd time I made this, I squeezed the liquid from the violets, getting 1 more 1/2 pint jar of jelly.

Note:  I break this up into 2 days, since it takes a bit of time to pick all those violets.  You can just let the violets sit for a few hours, but I feel you get a better flavor and color if it sits over night (or up to 24 hours).

It ends up this color, and the house smells amazing.  I doubt I'll get enough violets to can this again, but I do have a good supply of jellies and jams.

Wild Violet Jelly makes a wonderful gift, so if you are already stock piled with jelly, gift it.  It's very pretty and tastes great!

I'm so thankful I picked them when I did.  Rain is coming, and possible snow this weekend.  Yes, I said snow.

Tiger

I'm posting a very short post today, since I bombarded you with a over lengthy one yesterday.

I had pulled paper out of a box, and I found him pouncing in the paper.  He then darted in and out of the kitchen, flying into the mound of paper.  So funny!  Glad he had some fun before I cleaned it up, ha ha!