Garden Fresh Under-the-Bed Tomatoes in Winter

Remember those green tomatoes wrapped in newspaper we put in flats under the bed before the first frost (Nov 2nd)? This is what they look like now!



They also have excellent flavor. Not quite the same as vine ripened, of course, but still much richer than store bought. These taste like real tomatoes. A few of them didn't keep, but most of the ones I have pulled out so far were perfect. We enjoyed them sliced with salt, and I made a salad of them.


I had great fun playing "Guess what's under the bed?" with visitors over the holiday. Heh. There are still many more wrapped up under the bed, so I will post again in another month or so to see how they are doing as we get farther into the winter.

The Angel said: "Fear Not! I Bring News of Great Joy For All People!"

Thank you Lord Jesus for coming to us.

May God bless you and yours with love, warmth and peace in your heart this Christmas. Fear not, and rest easy, for because Jesus came, and died, and arose: all shall be well.

Luke 2:8-20 (King James Version)

8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

12 And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

14 Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.

15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

16 And they came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

18 And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

19 But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart.

20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Cardinals: Red Birds in the Winter

Cardinals tend to flock in the winter, and this week they've been in our yard. Devin pointed out this tree full of them and I was able to get some pictures.


Cardinals mate for life. I don't know if they stay together all year, but they do come back together each Spring to raise their annual family. There were females in this flock. The little ladies don't show up in this photo, but the beautiful red birds have decorated this tree themselves.


Mema saved a baby cardinal that fell from its nest before it had feathers. This would have been back in about 1952 - now we know that it would be ok to put it back in the nest, and if unable, we'd need to take it to a licensed wild bird rehab person. But at that time, it was not illegal for her to rescue the baby bird, brush the ants off of him, and raise him to adulthood.

Junior loved Mema. He thought she was his mother, I suppose. If she talked to him he would sing for her (and cardinals have the most beautiful song - you can listen to it if you click here then click the "Listen" icon on the eNature page). Nandy made a large cage for him, and they often let him out in the house to fly around. Because he didn't eat bugs, his coloring was more subdued than the wild birds.

Junior lived to be 16 years old. He passed away peacefully and naturally while I was still in elementary school. It's unfortunate that he didn't live wild, but he still had a very good life, warm and well fed, and we all loved him.

Cardinals are delightful wild birds. They LOVE the water sprinkler on hot days and will come bathe and play in the falling spray. They like to nest in hedges, and will come back to the same yard as a nesting pair if you keep a good habitat for them.

Oh It's A Wonderful Life! Still!

Guess who the two newest fans of Frank Capra's "It's A Wonderful Life" are? That would be a 10 year old boy, and a 12 year old girl, who each sat glued to the tv all the way through the movie.

We didn't really expect either to sit through it, and didn't make a lot of fanfare when putting the movie into the dvd player. Our grandson watched it first, and didn't fidget at all. He loved it. So we tried it again when our granddaughter came to visit. She pronounced it her new favorite Christmas movie.

This movie still makes my eyes well up with tears at certain happy moments. Each year that I watch it, one or another little detail will have a bit of special meaning. Whether it is ZuZu's petals, or George Bailey hitting the cigar lighter, or the tinkling bell, or Auld Lang Sine, the story is always fresh and new in some way. Gosh I miss Jimmy Stewart (James Stewart, the actor who played George Bailey). Remember The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance? Now THERE was a movie - James Stewart, John Wayne... oops, that's another post... heh!

We were surprised, that sophisticated, tech-savvy children were as enthralled as audiences have been for the past half century. I don't know if either of them have ever seen a black and white movie before, but it didn't matter to them - they were caught up in the story.

"It's A Wonderful Life" still makes magic. Watching it during the Holidays is one of our little traditions. The grandkids are really glad we shared it with them!

The Lovingest Season: Sending Christmas Cards

For years I prepared to send Christmas cards. Often I bought them. Sometimes I got as far as addressing them. I hardly ever got around to mailing them tho.

Sending Christmas cards does not have to be an ordeal, nor does it mean sending dozens. Once I understood that, I finally accomplished my goal. Write a few to friends farthest away. That done, write a few more to next door neighbors. A few at a time is the way to go for me. Simple signatures inside, no attempt at writing a letter. Keeping it simple keeps me from getting overwhelmed with good intentions. The past couple of Christmases, I have succeeded in actually sending them.

As a result, we get more cards too. It is a nice thing, to get a card in the mail. Each is a little bright spot in the day. A little more love in the Lovingest Season.

I bought our cards the other day. A bargain at $5 for a box of 18. We've had trouble the past couple of years finding traditional cards but this year they were plentiful. That is a good sign!

One cute place I found online, for printing your own cards, is Jan Brett's website, with adorable hedgehogs and mice. Just click the "Cards" tab. The envelope templates are there too. All you need is plain white printer paper.

If you find vintage cards, they are wonderful to recycle with a note of your own added. I used some 1950s greeting cards as markers for Bunko last time I hosted it and people loved them. It's a kick for a collector! Double the reason to pack the card away with the ornaments to enjoy again next year.

The vintage Christmas post cards in the photo above are from 1913, and are embossed with glossy color, as was common for the time. Two are actual Christmas messages. The third, with the meaning of Cedar in the language of flowers ("Cedar: I live for thee"), was mailed in October 1913. If you find or make blank ones, postcards cost only 28 cents to mail in 2009.

Christmas cards give us a chance to reach out to people we might otherwise feel shy about approaching, and to those we think of fondly. It's a small way to be a good neighbor, and a good friend.

Small traditions, like Christmas cards, add up to preserve a good way of life.

Vintage Waste Collection: Hot Cider on Trash Day

When I was growing up, razor blades and broken glass weren't just put in the trash, they had to be wrapped first. They told us, when we asked why, that it was so it wouldn't hurt the trash haulers. They had to lift the cans and carry them all the way down the driveway to the truck and dump them - then they carried the empty cans back and put them up at the back of the houses.

Plastic can liners were unheard of at that time, so trash was loose in the outdoor bins. Then as now, people looked out for others in practical ways. Razor blades were disposed of in a closed container with a slot in it - actually called a "blade bank" - which could be thrown away when full by wrapping it in a paper sack so that it wouldn't break. Nandy kept his blade bank in the medicine cabinet. It had a picture of a funny old man on it and a legend that read "For old blades, by crackey!" Same with broken glass: it was put into a paper grocery sack, folded over, and then into a second one before it was put into the trash.


Thoughtful people would bury spoiled food, rather than dump it, to help keep from attracting animals to rummage in the cans. "Garbage disposals" had not been heard of. It was easy to bury a bit of food with one quick push of the shovel, and this added nutrients to the earth.

Of course, there was far less food waste back then because we cooked all meals, ate leftovers, used things up, and most of the rest was fed to pets. If people didn't have their own pets, they would pass their scraps to their neighbors' dog, put it out for the alley cats, or save it for a friend's chickens. Stale bread not used for cooking was thrown out on the lawn for the birds. Chicken bones went into the trash, because they are dangerous for dogs (they splinter), but that was all.

I find that knowing who is picking up my trash makes me more careful of it too. I freeze chicken carcasses and put them out the morning of trash day so that our garbage won't smell bad. One of the haulers once complemented me on how tidy our trash is!

Before we moved here, we used to tip the guys who collected our trash - there were 2, one who rode the truck and one driver. A small tip of $10 each is a nice thing. One year I was unprepared and only had twenties so they got a "double" tip. We didn't expect it, but after that, they brought our bin all the way back up to the house after emptying it for the entire next year!

Blanket, where we live now, is so small that the City trash pick up runs one day each week, starting at 8 am and is finished by 4 pm. We have small individual can dumpsters that the truck can lift to dump, but the guys also will dump regular cans and pick up whatever else is left out for removal. It is very much like traditional trash collection always was.

They stop for a break at mid-day in warm weather and sit in the shade under the pecan tree in our side yard. We keep chairs out there for them - it's a nice cool place to rest in the hot summertime.

So, since we know these guys - we go to church and socialize with them and their families - they get cards at Christmas, like all our friends, and instead of a tip, they get a mug of steaming hot spiced apple cider on a cold trash day during the winter season. It is cold today so this was a great day for it. We drank hot cider in the cold sun and chatted about pecans. I really really like being able to know all the people that make our world such a nice place to be.

There's one nice cup left, steaming in the carafe, for Paul when he gets in.

Merry Christmas to All!

"Fear not! For Your Prayer is Heard"

Jesus wasn't the only surprise miracle baby of that first Christmas year.

Another couple also received a visit from an angel, announcing they would have a baby. This couple, Elisabeth and Zacharias, were old and had never had any children. They were so old, in fact, that it was almost as unbelievable as a virgin birth.

The angel said "Fear not, Zacharias". He told Zacharias to name his son John, and that the baby would be filled with the Holy spirit even before he was born.

This baby was John the Baptist. He who prepared the way with his preaching, and to whom Jesus would come to be baptised.

Elisabeth was Mary's cousin, as well as her friend, and she was six months along when Mary visited her, at the advice of the angel, to seek support for her own unexpected pregnancy.

When Mary walked into the house and Elisabeth heard her voice, baby John "leapt in her womb": in other words, the unborn baby jumped for joy when Jesus mother came in. He already knew that Jesus was near.

Two women, both with untimely pregnacies. One too young. One too old.

Two men, both faced with the unbelievable pregnacies of their ladies. One impossible, one improbable.

Let us thank God for Elisabeth and Zacharias, Mary and Joseph, that they believed the angels and rejoiced, despite their fears, in these babies: John, and Jesus.

Let us, too, believe the angels and rejoice in each baby conceived, no matter what. Fear not, for God is with you.


Luke 1 (King James Version)

7 And they had no child, because that Elisabeth was barren, and they both were now well stricken in years.

13 But the angel said unto him, Fear not, Zacharias: for thy prayer is heard; and thy wife Elisabeth shall bear thee a son, and thou shalt call his name John.

14 And thou shalt have joy and gladness; and many shall rejoice at his birth.

15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.

18 And Zacharias said unto the angel, Whereby shall I know this? for I am an old man, and my wife well stricken in years.

19 And the angel answering said unto him, I am Gabriel, that stand in the presence of God; and am sent to speak unto thee, and to shew thee these glad tidings.

20 And, behold, thou shalt be dumb, and not able to speak, until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season.

36 [And the angel said unto Mary] And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who was called barren.

39 And Mary arose in those days, and went into the hill country with haste, into a city of Juda;

40 And entered into the house of Zacharias, and saluted Elisabeth.

41 And it came to pass, that, when Elisabeth heard the salutation of Mary, the babe leaped in her womb; and Elisabeth was filled with the Holy Ghost:

42 And she spake out with a loud voice, and said, Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.

43 And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?

44 For, lo, as soon as the voice of thy salutation sounded in mine ears, the babe leaped in my womb for joy.

45 And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.

Amen