Salads, Gardens, and the Good Life

Salad: 1) a usually cold dish consisting of vegetables, as lettuce, tomoatoes, and cucumbers, covered with a dressing and sometimes containing seafood, meat or eggs.  2)  any of various dishes consisting of foods, as meat, seafood, eggs, pasta, or fruit, prepared singly or combined, usually cut up, mixed with a dressing, and served cold.  3)  any herb or green vegetable, as lettuce, used for salads or eaten raw.

I've been freeing my mind from what I thought salads should be or what I was taught they should be, and I've been expanding on the concept of viewing a salad as a greens-based dish served cold with the addition of different ingredients to enhance or round out the flavor.  That's all very sophisticated upper-crust speak for I'm experimenting with adding different things to see how tasty I can make them lol. 



There are a couple reasons for this.  The first is I am highly allergic to eggs, which limits my overall diet signifigantly, and there are eggs in a lot of salad dressings.  I have a very limited selection when it comes to "safe" dressings, and they're usually along the line of a clear vinegrette or clear italian.  The other reason is that my leaf lettuce container has grown to the point where I can begin taking dime-to-quarter sized leaves out of it, if nothing else than to begin thinning it out a little.  It's a good thing, and only took about 10 days to get there.  I know thinning the leaves will be delicious lol, as well as giving the incoming growth more room for bigger leaf development.  About 10% of the salad I had today was from the planter pictured above.

Let me tell you about the salad I made, in the hopes it inspires you to try your own version or begin playing with different salad ideas.  I picked as many single leaves out of my little garden as I could, which all told would have made about 3-4 complete bites.  I rinsed them off, mostly to dislodge any critters that like snacking on them as much as I do, since I know they are not contaminated with e-coli or pesticides.  Then I added a handful of iceburg lettuce based premixed salad that I have in the fridge until the leaf lettuce fully comes in.  To this base of ingredients I added about half a can of canned mandarine oranges and some muenster cheeze that I had diced very small.  I'm sure I could have added just about any canned or dried fruit and cubed just about any firm cheeze, these are simply what I had on hand and suited my taste today.  I drizzled on about 1 tablespoon of italian dressing, just enough to give it a little tangy without overpowering the sweet of the oranges, the notes of the cheeze, and complimenting the tender freshness of the leaf lettuce.  I must admit the salad did not last long lol, and it was delicious :)



Update on my balcony garden. 

I have leaf lettuce in the barrel planter, which is really a cheap foam dressed up to look nice, but I'm good with that because I've found over the years the foam helps insulate the plant roots from the extremes in summer weather that Nebraska is known for, principly it gets HOT here lol.  In the pot behind the lettuce is my yellow squash, which are happily showing their 2nd and 3rd leaf sets, which means they're off to a great start.  Yellow squash, as with most squashes, are typically a "hill" plant, but I put them in a pot because I know they can sit on the table I have on the balcony and throw their vines happily this way and that, and I will simply wind them around the pot as they grow.  The biggest advantage to this is that the squash themselves won't be coming into contact with dirt, so they'll be less likely to pick up funguses and molds.  Critters might still be an issue, and I'll watch to see how that develops.  The white planter on the side is about a 2' long foam planter, and it's got a row of beans and a row of petunia seeds in it.  I'm not having any luck with the petunia seeds I bought this year, so I may end up just planting another row of about half a dozen more beans in it.  There's also a Mother-In-Law's Tongue plant snuck in there for it's summer vacation out on the balcony.  The little green pot in the foreground of the second picture is full of bell peppers, and I'm watching it carefully.  I've already thinned it out once, but it may need to be thinned again if the plants get to big.  There's also a tomato in a pot not shown, which was a quick adaptation after I accidently ripped open one of my topsy-turvys from last year and had to find a fast substitute.

Speaking of topsy turvys, in this picture you see the two I have, the one in the foreground being planted with a couple of zuccinis and the one in the background being planted with a medium tomato.  Yes, that is a wind chime in between them, and that is a lounger set under the hanging houseplants that are also on their summer vacation lol.  I did not see anything in the rules that said I couldn't relax once in a while lol. 

Come to think about it, eating a salad on the lounger, enjoying the gentle breeze beneath my quickly growing balcony garden, it seems to me this might be a good example of the good life.  Enjoy!  :)

Living By The Three G's

I found an article in a magazine I read often, and it stressed living by the Three G's: being Grateful, being Generous, and being Gracious.  I've developed myself to where I try to live more and more by these principles over the years, and while I still have my temper tantrums and bad moments, I'm amazed looking back over the years at how far I've come.

Being Grateful

Grateful - 1) warmly or deeply appreciative of kindness or benefits received; thankful.  2) espressing or actuated by gratitude.  3) pleasing to the mind or senses, agreeable or welcome, refreshing. 

It doesn't take a lot to be grateful-what I've found it is mostly takes an attitude shift.  I also use the word Thankful interchangeably with Grateful, as it seems to work well for me.  "I'm thankful the sun came out today."  "I'm thankful for the rain that feeds the the flowers so I can take beautiful pictures of them."  "I'm grateful for all the good and decent people in my life."  "I'm grateful that my circumstances are not worse than they are or have been."  "I'm grateful for my modest standard of living."  And on and on.  I've found if I can concentrate on the things that are right in my life and that I really am grateful for rather than the things that are not going the way I'd like them to, overall I'm just a happier person, just on this one attitude.  I'm not going to try to kid anyone, this has taken years of practice and reminding myself to be grateful, but it's been well worth it in the long run for me.

Generous - 1) liveral in giving or sharing; unselfish.  2) free from meanness or smallness of mind or charactor, magnanimous.  3) large; abundant; ample.

It doesn't take a lot of to be generous either, and again it can be much more about attitude than anything else.  Most people immediately think being generous is all about giving stuff or money away, but being generous can also be when someone is facing difficulties and challenges in their life and just need someone to vent to, or being generous by noticing someone is wearing a nice looking peice of clothing and telling them you like it, for example.  It can also be lending a hand when someone's moving, just to help carry boxes or pack them, or it can be about spending time volunteering.  Notice in the definition above that it doesn't say anything about material items!  Being generous creates it's own dividends also, whether it's making someone else's day, or building a reputation of being a go-to person or being known for your kindness, etc.  These are things that can't be bought, they're intangible and are difficult to measure.  Again, it's taken me a lot of practice to develop this trait over the years, but it has been well worth it for me.

Gracious - 1) pleasantly kind, benevolent, and courteous.  2) characterized by good taste, comfort, ease, or luxury.  3) indulgent or beneficent in a pleasantly condescending way, especially to inferiors.  4) merciful or compassionate.  5) fortunate or happy.

Gracious is an old fashioned sort of word I learned during the time in my childhood that I lived in Atlanta.  I listened to my Grandmother's relatives talking about being gracious, but really didn't understand the concept at the time.  I've tried to develop being kind and courteous, as well as indulgent, which is not at all old fashioned.  It takes little time and effort to remember to say please and thank you, but in doing so you elevate the person you address this way, showing they are deserving of your common courtesy and respect.  Being indulgent by listening to a story someone is interested in sharing with you is enriching to both parties, for the storyteller by sharing something in their life or experience, and for the listener by receiving this gift.  It is a basic building block of civilized relationships and allows for the respect and common decency every person is entitled to in my opinion. 

So these are a few of the pillars I've built my life on, and they aren't the expectations I have for others, although I certainly recognize it when I come across it, rather they are the standards I've set for myself, and they seem to be higher than the norm these days.  I hadn't really thought about it until I ran across this article however, and the reason I'm writing my own is to pass it on in some small way.  Enjoy!  :)

Business and Getting Orgainized, Part One

Today is a day I've been putting off for a while.  It's the day I start organizing my shop (at Horsefeather Nuggest on Etsy.com).  I have almost 100 listings on it now, and have plans to expand that to at least 240 listings by midsummer, so I need to standardize a lot of the things I've just been doing from the seat of my pants, starting with my item descriptions. 

At first I was engulfed in the creative process.  What do I want to make?  What colors, materials, styles, etc. do I want to work with, what do I want to design and bring to fruition?  What speaks to me artistically?  What do I find new and exciting in other people's work, and what do I find excruciatingly boring and uninspired?  What part of my artistic ability do I find worthy of bringing to the public?  I was busy answering these questions, practicing my creations, refining my ideas, testing their practicality and appeal.  And I've finally settled on some styles and creations which suit me.

Now that I have that part of my business settled somewhat, it's time to make things like titles consistent, both so clients can more easily find and interpret what it is that I'm making for them, and so that I can more easily determine what in the world I've made and listed in the first place.  For example, I have 3 basic styles of chain maille inspired earrings in 11 color variations in the section of my shop labled "In Blue And Green".  This is the section inspired by ocean colors, the rich blues and vibrant greens of the oceans and other bodies of water I've been exposed to in my lifetime, with the accent of silver to represent the reflection of the sun off the waves, or the foam on the water's surface, as well as the color of the bubbles observed when under water. 

I can't begin to explain how tedious I find this effort of organization lol.  While I know it's needed to provide consistency and a better working platform for me, it's still not something I look forward to, and I approach the task reluctantly at best.  It'll be one of the first things I farm out as I inlarge and expand my shop, i.e. the clerical duties.  But, I have to be more organized so I can more quickly decide what's still needed to be made, so I can make it and list it (according to my newly standardized organizational protochols), so I can more quickly decide what still needs to be made, etc.  It seems to go in an unending circle lol. 

Ah, well, they say no rest for the weary.  I'll just have to keep chipping away at it, because after I get all my titles standardized, it'll be time to move on to the descriptions........

Choices, first version

Choices.  We all have them, we make them daily, some won't matter much, and some will be life changing.  I don't often ruminate on such deep, profound subjects publically, preferring to stick to upbeat and light hearted articles that encourage people and give them a moment of pleasure or at least don't add to the daily burdens we all face.  Today is an exception to that trend.

I've been quiet for a few weeks now as far as blogging is concerned.  It isn't that I haven't had anything to say, it's more like I haven't had a lot that's positive or upbeat to say.  You see, I'm dealing with a teenager who has a drug addiction, and she's currently on a fast downhill slide that's going to get worse before it gets better.  I've watched her burn bridges, and restrained myself from trying to rebuild them for her, knowing that if I do, she'll just burn them again.  I've watched her roll down the track like a locomotive, seeing in the distance the mountain she's going to run into called reality, knowing that she's been gathering speed to rush to her destiny, and not being able to jump in the way to soften the collision that's coming.  While these are very poetic ways of describing the personal issues I'm dealing with, they in no way describe the chaos and heartbreak, and I'm not going to describe that here. 

Choices.  I'm choosing to reject the "omg, why is this happening to me/my daughter/my family, insert term here," mentality.  It can't happen to me or my family?  Why not?  Unless you're a hermit, the choices of others affect you too, and not everyone makes the best choices.  Please don't feel sorry for me, I am not wallowing in self-pity or denial.  I'll get through this, and I have a lot of my own choices to make.  Please don't feel sorry for my daughter either.  She was fully warned and walked into this with the knowledge she needed to avoid the consequences she's going to have to face now, the fruit of her own choices, and she's going to have to work hard to regain what she's in the process of losing, i.e. she's going to have to build her own bridges back up.  I'll be behind her, cheering her on, handing her the hammer and nails, maybe even cutting the wood, but she's going to have to do the heavy lifting by herself, no one else can do it for her. 

Choices.  I chose today to walk a mile to the grocery store, even though my legs objected.  I chose to walk at a pace that gave me shin splints, painful cramps in the muscles on the outside of the legs.  I chose to ignore the shin splints and keep walking at a rapid pace, because someday those doggoned shin splints will quit if I keep making my legs work.  I chose to make the walk with a perpetual smile on my face and enjoying the journey, even though there's a lot on my mind and I certainly had excuses not to smile if I chose not to.  I chose to buy about 35 pounds worth of groceries, knowing I was going to have to walk them a mile back home, stooped over and looking at the sidewalk for the most part.  The shin splints went away on the way home, apparently if I'm carrying that much I'm either not walking quite fast enough for them to develop or the extra weight mitigates them, something I'll have to keep in mind for future outings.  I chose to observe the sidewalk the entire walk home, because interesting things sometimes appear even on the sidewalk. 

Choices.  I'm choosing to write this article, even though it breaks some of the rules I've set for myself on writing articles.  A younger friend of mine encouraged me to write about what I'm dealing with, thinking perhaps it might be of assistance to someone else.  I'm also choosing to stay as upbeat and positive as I possibly can under the circumstances, knowing that mine also might get worse before they get better.

Choices.  I chose to apply for a good job today that will mean a 4 1/2 mile walk home every evening until I'm able to save up enough money to either buy a car or fix my truck.  I'll be able to ride the bus to work every day, but by the time I get out of work, the buses will have stopped running.  I'm choosing to be positive about the possibility of getting this job however, knowing it will give me more financial tools than I've had in a while, and also knowing that I'm capable of making the walk home, and that I'll be in better shape for doing it.  I'm sure tylenol will be a close friend for a little while while I'm getting used to it though lol.

Choices.  I've been choosing to improve my home environment recently, because it is one thing I have control over.  Spring cleaning is in full force, and I light big scented candles daily now because of their soothing effect on me while I'm working.  I choose to make long term plans for myself when the short term is unpredictable. 

Choices.  Today, for me, it's all about choices.  I look forward to the day when the choices I've made lead to the opportunity for a brighter tomorrow.

Mother's Day Giving :)

I found myself in the position this week of helping my daughter in law with the issue of a Mother's Day present for her mom.  She was concerned that she didn't have much of a budget (with a toddler and one in the oven, that's perfectly understandable), but she wanted to make sure her mom knew she was appreciated.  So she asked me for suggestions.  Wow, talk about an honor that she trusted me enough to ask, and pressure for me to deliver lol.

After some discussion, and considering they live across the country from each other, she decided that a t-shirt with her son's (her mom's only grandchild at this point) handprints all over it in fabric paint.  It's not an expensive present, but it's priceless, because any parent or grandparent knows that babies don't stay babies for very long.  I found very reasonably priced fabric paints on ebay from this seller, who was very helpful and prompt with shipping, and who included at no charge a piece of cardboard for testing the colors at no charge.  I sent my daughter in law the link so she could choose colors, then ordered the lot of 10 and had them sent to her.  I also suggested that she would need a piece of cardboard to put in the t-shirt to keep the colors from bleeding through to the other side, as well as paper plates to put the colors in, and for easy clean up afterwards, since my 18-month grandson is very active and not at all concerned with being neat and clean lol.  I'm waiting to see how it turns out.  :)

In working retail and in nursery departments for many years, I've also run across other inexpensive but lovely ideas.  I remember one person in to buy several flats of bedding plants and flowers, and she explained that her family tradition was that everyone went to her widowed mother's home for the holiday and spent the time enjoying her company, cooking for her and planting her flower beds for her for the summer.  I thought that was a great idea, because it was not expensive, not hard, but since her mother had gotten on in years, saved her some work as well as giving her a gift that lasted all season, much longer than just taking her out to dinner.  Another family I know of would pool their resources and purchase a couple of large ceramic pots for their mother's driveway (after some years she had a row of beautiful pots down both sides), and would dual plant them all with flowers and an edible plant so their mom wouldn't have to bend over a garden. 

As for me, all I ever asked for on holidays and for my birthday was a clean home and well behaived kids lol.  I'm not sure how many times I actually got that, but we had some interesting adventures along the way.  I would often take the kids to a state park for a day outing, or even to our lovely scenic downtown area where we would be tourists for the day.  We often took a lot of pictures, which are priceless today. 

To all the mothers and grandmothers reading this, Happy Mother's Day :)