It was 60 degrees here today. Quite a beautiful day for February. We took the opportunity to hike a trail that tends to be muddy.
I received a gift of hiking poles for my birthday this year. Thanks to my brother who knows me well! This is the first time I’ve used them, as we’ve been sticking to paved surfaces and easy hikes during the previous icy and wintry weather. Actually, I used one pole today. I held the dogs’ leashes in one hand and the hiking pole in the other. It worked out well since I normally hold both leashes in one hand 75% of the time anyway.
We started on one of the bridle trails at West Branch State Park. In my experience, horse trails are muddy a good bit of the time. After all, horses hooves are essentially shovels at the end of their legs. And horses are heavy, so the ground gets compacted. This portion of the trail was muddy and slick, but thankfully flat. The poles helped! When I slipped, they gave me better balance. I wasn’t tensing to keep my balance nearly as often.
About half a mile out, the Buckeye Trail crossed our path and we turned onto that. Most of the mud cleared up, but the trail started going up and down hills and winding around. At some places it became narrow. What I call bunny trails. This is where the hiking pole got really useful. I felt much more stable going uphill on a narrow path. Usually, I feel like I’m going to tumble down the hill if I’m not careful. I switched hands with the pole and leashes here for better balance. Going downhill was better too as the pole took some pressure off my knees which tend to hurt when hiking on grades.
We had a couple shallow stream crossings and I was able to keep my balance better and let the pole absorb stress rather than my knees when balancing on the logs in the water. I think the added confidence may increase my hiking speed slightly too. I am a slow hiker, so every bit helps.
And lastly, I found an unintended use for the poles! When Zekie stops directly in front of me to sniff something, I can tap him with the pole to get him moving again. This works much better than my previous method of trying to push him away from apparently tantalizing odors with the side of my foot.
When I walk dogs, Claire is to stay on the right and Zekie’s assigned spot is on the left. This keeps leashes from getting tangled and wound around each other or trees on the trailside. They are pretty good about staying in their spots but occasionally try to switch. I found that rather than a verbal correction, I can just physically guide them back to their place with pressure from the pole. It didn’t seem to phase them at all. They just corrected their positions without even slowing down. Kind of like a herding staff.
The last portion of our hike to get back to the car was along the campground road. I just shortened the pole to its shortened storage length and attached it to my pack with a carabiner and an elastic loop. It worked great.
My experience trying the hiking pole was a success and I foresee getting a lot of use out of them. I hope you were able to get outside and enjoy some beautiful weather too!
I thought I would share pictures that inspire me to stay indoors and read as I share my lists of books read. And with this post, I will be up to date on sharing my reading progress! I didn’t complete many books in January. I’m not quite sure why. Must have been too much television and too many magazines.
Books Read in December 2023:
The Bone Hacker-Kathy Reichs
Tempe Brennan, forensic anthropologist, travels to the Turks and Caicos Islands on this unexpected case. Bones are found on the island, and everything is hush hush because it would be bad for tourism. Tempe uncovers evidence that is leading to the killers, but will she solve the case in time?
2. The Milkweed Lands-Eric Lee-Mader (Non-fiction)
This book has lovely illustrations to go along with the text. Very informative with information about various insects and animals, life stages, and much more.
3. Pretty Pastel Style-Selina Lake (Non-fiction)
This is about decorating in pastel colors. It covers every room in the house, plus workspaces and outdoor spaces. The pictures are gorgeous.
4. A Simple Act of Gratitude-John Kralik (Non-fiction)
The author decides to see if he can change his less than happy life by being more grateful. He undertakes a year plus of writing 365 thank you notes. This book was not fast paced or full of exciting stories. I kept with it because I thought I would obtain value from reading it, and I did. There are lessons to be learned about the difference simple, kind acts can make.
5. Botanical Style-Selina Lake (Non-fiction)
A design and style book with beautiful photographs. There are some simple projects included too.
6. The Land of Lost Things-John Connolly
This is a dark fairy tale that begins and ends in our world. I enjoyed the story of Ceres who falls through a hole in a tree and comes out in another world. She must fight off all sorts of evil creatures to return home to care for her daughter. I did not realize this is the second book in a series, but it stands alone so that was ok. I will read the first book (The Book of Lost Things) sometime because I enjoyed this fantasy world.
7. Treacle Walker-Alan Garner
This is a short little book with another story that I would call a fairy tale. I found the story to be confusing and hard to follow. I understood enough to get something out of the tale though.
Magazines: Entertain & Celebrate Christmas, HGTV The Christmas Idea Book, Hobby Farms, Cottages & Bungalows
Zekie Bear during the winter snow.
Books Read in January 2024:
The Sunset Years of Agnes Sharp-Leonie Swann
I had a bit of trouble following the plot because some of the characters suffer from forgetfulness and dementia. A group of elderly folks live together in a house rather than going into residential care. They all have responsibilities and look out for each other. This works well until the murdered bodies start appearing. They must solve the crimes to stay safe and continue living in their home. The plot took some unexpected turns that kept me reading once I got past the slow start.
2. The Edge of Maine-Geoffrey Wolff (Non-fiction)
A National Geographic Directions book. The author talks about his experiences sailing the coast of Maine, peppered with local lore and history. Some stories are more interesting than others. Overall, I enjoyed the book.
3. Dead Mountain-Preston & Child
This is the first book I have read by these authors, and I will be reading more. FBI agent Corrie Swanson calls in her friend, archaeologist Nora Kelly to work on a case. Nine hikers disappeared under mysterious circumstances years ago and the case was never solved. Two more bodies were recently found, and the two women work together to try to solve the case. There are numerous twists and turns as new information is discovered.
Magazines: Cottages & Bungalows, Christmas Joy, Woman’s Day (2), Good Housekeeping (2), Food & Wine
No one of these books really stood out to me among the others, although several were good. If you want a thriller that will keep you reading, go with Dead Mountain. Otherwise, it just depends on your mood. I find that I like different books at different times. And I am often reading two simultaneously. I usually have a fiction book and a non-fiction one that I am working on. My mood and how quiet the house is decide which one I will pick up.
Grab a book and a cup of coffee or tea, and enjoy!
Like so many of you, I enjoy cooking, but the real problem is deciding what to make. So, after my trip to the grocery stores yesterday, I decided to come up with a menu for the week. And yes, that is grocery stores, as in multiple. I have three that I frequent to take advantage of the sales and the best products. One store may have a better price on some things, while another store may have a product that I consider to be of better quality. By the time I drive into town, hit all three stores, and drive back home, it usually takes me about two hours. Then add in my others stops that vary by week such as a trip to the library, the dollar store, or a thrift store and I’m looking at three hours. (Don’t tell about the stops I make at Dairy Queen for a Blizzard! The Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Pie Blizzard is my new weakness.) On to my menu, and these are in no particular order. I pick whichever I am in the mood for or have time to make.
Hamburgers, Sweet Potatoes, and Salad This is one for an evening when I am pressed for time. -I keep a bag of hamburger patties in a bag in the freezer. When I buy a bulk package of beef, I form all of it into decent size patties and freeze. I freeze it all this way, knowing that if I want beef for something else, I can just thaw out as many patties as I need and use it for something else like chili. I never buy ground beef that is less than 80% lean. I feel like, what’s the point because there is so much loss of grease. (I have a veggie patty for myself because I don’t eat meat aside from seafood.) –For the sweet potato, I may just microwave it, or I may peel, dice, and boil, then add butter and brown sugar with a pinch of salt. -I think the salad is self-explanatory. I like to buy bags or tubs of salad mix from the markdown shelf and then extras to them.
Stir-frywith Shrimp, Jasmine Rice, and Egg Rolls -I start with a bag of Asian medley vegetables from the freezer section and add other veggies of my choice to bulk it up and add more flavor. I prepared this item from the menu for last evening’s dinner. Always I start with a clove (or two!) of garlic and an onion. Yesterday, I also added quartered fresh mushrooms, a container of Napa cabbage, and some sliced peppers of assorted colors. I added in the bag of Asian medley last. Sometimes I’m not so creative and just use a frozen bag of broccoli to bulk it up. I do try to stick with vegetables grown in the United States because we have more regulations regarding the safety of food as it’s grown than some countries. -When I make stir-fry, I use Jasmine rice. It has a more delicate flavor than regular long grain rice. I keep three types of rice on hand that I use with different dishes, because I notice the difference and do not think one rice suits all. These are: long grain rice, Jasmine rice, and brown Basmati. These cover most of my needs. -For the egg rolls I almost always use fresh or frozen pre-made ones. I have made them from scratch before and they are just too much work. We don’t always have egg rolls with our stir-fry but it does make the meal seem fancier. -The shrimp for this meal was frozen, breaded from the supermarket. I could bake it along with the egg rolls which helped with time. If I cook the shrimp from fresh or use chicken, I cook it in the pan and set it aside, before sautéing the veggies. –Usually, I make my own sauce, but this time I cheated and used orange ginger sauce from a jar.
Pasta with Mid’s Spaghetti Sauce, Meatballs, and Cheesy Bread -This is another easy one. Cook pasta of your choice. -Heat jarred sauce. We really like Mid’s. -I keep purchased meatballs in the freezer, ground beef and vegetarian. I just put them on a plate and microwave them. -What really jazzes this meal up is bread from the bakery. They make a cheesy Asiago bread that is amazing! -We also always have a block of Romano cheese in the refrigerator for grating on top.
Chili with Cornbread -Just canned tomatoes and beans (either kidney, pinto, black beans, or a combination), garlic, onions, peppers, and spices. Sometimes I add in corn or hominy, and a square of baking chocolate really adds a depth and richness. At this point I split it in half and add ground beef to half and vegetarian crumbles to half. -I love cornbread! I use a recipe from my mom’s church cookbook. I make it with Bob’s Redmill medium grind cornmeal as I like it to have some texture.
Chicken Breast, Oven Fries, Green Salad with Grapefruit, Avocado, Pecans, and Cheese -I keep a homemade breading mix in a Ziploc bag in the freezer. I coat the chicken and put it on a baking sheet. For myself, I pull vegetarian “chicken” from the freezer. -I make oven fries from whole potatoes that I cut into wedges, brush with olive oil and add to the baking sheet. I salt them when they come out of the oven. I can taste the salt better that way without adding extra. Truth be told, I will be using prepared frozen potatoes from a bag this week, because one of our grocery stores had them on sale for 99 cents a bag. Not as healthy but too good a deal to pass up! -I bought an entire bag of grapefruit recently so I got on Pinterest and looked up grapefruit recipes. I found this one with greens, grapefruit, sliced avocado, pecans, and cheese that looks good. I’m making just one change. My husband is not a big fan of the goat cheese that it calls for so I will substitute mozzarella. And I may toast the pecans, because after splurging on them, I want them to be as tasty as possible.
Pierogies with Peppers, Onions, and Chicken Sausage This is by far my easiest meal of the week. Boxed perogies, with sautéed onions and peppers. The chicken sausage will be cooked with the peppers and onions, then the perogies thrown in for a little browning. Grated cheese on top gives it a little pizazz.
You may notice that this is only six meal choices for the week. That’s ok. There are bound to be enough leftovers from all these meals to have for dinner one evening. I also try to make enough food that we have leftovers for lunch the next day. If we run a little short for lunch and only have enough for a side, I just throw in a quesadilla or a fried egg sandwich. We also have desserts which I usually make, but that’s for another time.
I hope you are able to glean some meal ideas from this list. I don’t always make a menu list, but it is nice to be able to hand it to my husband as dinner time approaches and say, “pick one”. It’s easier for me when I don’t have to think about it as well. Happy cooking. And happy eating!
What’s on my mind this morning? I’m afraid it’s nothing good. We were sitting around discussing the state of the world over morning coffee. One of my thoughts was how people in general, don’t seem to treat each other with respect anymore. Now maybe that makes me an old griper, spouting “Back in my day…”, but I’m going to share just one of the ways that I don’t think we treat each other as kindly as we could.
Often, when I am out in public, the grocery store parking lot, or a sidewalk downtown, I hear people cursing. And not just at each other, although that happens too. They are using curse words as adjectives, and frequently. The swearer doesn’t care or even seem to notice if there are children present, or anyone else who may be offended. They are sometimes in their own little world talking to their companion and don’t have a clue who is nearby. Other times, I think the person is using public swearing on purpose, because they think it makes them look cool and gives them a certain status. It does indeed give them a certain status in my mind, but I’m pretty sure it was not what they were going for.
Now lest you think me a prude, let me state that I too curse. I do it when I am angry, or to make a point. I curse with intent! And I do not curse in the presence of children or when I am representing someone else like an employer or social group. I try not to curse when I am in public in case, I may offend someone. And I do not want to be known as someone who randomly blurts out curse words instead of using words that are more descriptive and better suit my purpose. I was taught that people who use curse words are not intelligent enough to find other words to express themselves. This may make me old by the standards of today’s world. Those of you reading this who disagree, will at least know why some of us are offended by the everyday use of curse words. And no, I don’t think all of you who curse are stupid. The times have changed along with the generations as is the way of the world.
Our actions and our words set the tone for how others in the world see us. It’s not a bad idea for all of us to do a check on these and think about how the image we are presenting to the world aligns with the one that we want to present. Are we fostering the persona of who we want to be? If yes, you’re good to go. If not, maybe you want to make some adjustments. I know that I for one, always have room for improvement.
Sanctuary Acres 