All posts by verily sherrilee

Directionally challenged, crafty, reading mother of young adult
2024, Business, Family, Farming Update, Seasons, Uncategorized

Hopping

23 Comments

The weekend Farm Report comes to us from Ben.

Hasn’t been much farming happening at our place this week. It’s tech week at the theater. So, all day every day there.


We got almost an inch of rain Wednesday and Thursday so that was really nice. Haven’t got my corn out yet, even though they had thought maybe Sunday and then he said maybe Tuesday but they’ll get to it one of these days. The weather doesn’t really hurt it at this point, I mean as long as we’re not talking blizzards or anything, the corn can take some rain.

The header photo is a view we haven’t had in twenty years. Kelly has done such an impressive job cutting and clearing all the buckthorn on this hillside. Once she got done working from the top down, I cleared some of the bottom of the hill and she started from the bottom up. It’s a good workout for her and it’s so great to be able to see all the way through again!

I did get all the hydraulic hoses replaced on my chisel plow a couple weeks ago.

I opened the big, fancy, new, garage door and backed onto the concrete and replaced or turned over the shovels so they all have good sharp points on the bottom. Two bolts in each, and I was smart enough not to hold it with my thumb as I mentioned a few stories back where I sliced open both thumbs doing this job. You might have to tell me things twice, but you don’t have to tell me three times. A couple of shovels were broken off, so I replaced those. There’s a point on each end that will wear off. Sometimes you can just turn them over and use the other point. They’ve got a slight twist to them so they either throw the dirt to the left or the right.

I was short a couple of bolts so I picked them up one morning, and then while home for an hour one afternoon, I finished all the shovels and now it’s ready to go once the corn is out.

I really like having the concrete in the shed and outside, and what I’m learning about having concrete is that it’s always dirty. I’m beginning to realize why the farmers with these concrete shops all have floor sweepers. Trying to keep it clean is an ongoing battle. In the shop, at this point without the fourth wall and the dirt floor just outside that, I use a leaf blower and just blow all the dust back out on the dirt. Same thing outside, although sometimes I use the lawnmower and drive back-and-forth with that to funnel the dust off one edge. Soon I’ll be buying more tools to keep it clean. Power broom? I’ve got shop brooms, they’re boring and too much work. Industrial vacuum? Drivable floor sweepers?? Industrial vacuum!!

Hopefully once I finish the wall and keep the door shut more it won’t be as dusty in the shop, but you can see from the photo that when I’m working on something I might bring a lot of dirt.

Speaking of buying more tools, the soybean check is in the bank and I’ve been shopping. (Yeah, yeah, I’ll get to the bills too.) I bought a few more deep well, impact rated, metric sockets to finish off the rack. Twenty mm – 26mm

And I ordered the wifi bridge so I can send the wifi signal from the house to the shop, and then put my remote thermometer and camera in there, and get the wifi thermostat hooked up, and the wifi-garage door. 😊

Also, I always get a couple new pairs of work boots with the soybean check. My lousy feet, I wear out a pair of shoes in a year.

The first college show is Saturday at 2 o’clock. “Still Life with Iris”, by Steven Dietz.

Sunday is the final open house at our old Haverhill Township Hall before the Rochester Fire Department uses it for a training burn. More on that later.

Next week we have two shows per day at the college with the final show on Saturday the ninth. I hope to be home working on my shed in the afternoons. This weather isn’t going to hold forever.

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO CONTROL THROUGH YOUR PHONE?

2024, Family, History, Technology, Uncategorized

Gateway Arch

30 Comments

When  I was nine, the St. Louis Arch was completed.  Not the whole she-bang (viewing room, elevator, greenway, museum) but the structure of The Arch.  It took 2½ years from breaking ground until October 28, 1965, when the last piece was put in place.

Although my family was actually living in Jefferson City at the time of the completion, we were St. Louis folks through and through.  The Arch was a big deal back then and we had been down to the site a couple of times during the build; it was exciting to see the two legs each inching up. 

As a child it seemed impossible to me that they could build each leg separately and actually have them meet in the middle.  The day that they put the last piece in place, joining up both legs, it was big news and as a family we watched it on television.  Here’s a short version:

At the time there were a lot of folks who thought once they put the last piece in place, The Arch would just fall down.  My father was not in that camp, asserting every time it came up in conversation that it would be an engineering marvel.  I guess he’s right – it’s been standing 59 years now.  Growing up mostly in St. Louis, I’ve actually been up in the Arch about a dozen times; it was always on the agenda when folks visited from out of town.  Since it’s my “home-town” monument, I’m pretty proud that it’s still standing!

Any monument you think is particularly impressive?  Or not?

2024, Fantasy, Movies, Mysteries, Theatre, Uncategorized

The Game is Afoot

21 Comments

I have a fair few number of favorite fictional characters but I know it won’t surprise anybody here that Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot are tops in my book.   I have the movies Hound of the Baskervilles (Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce) as well as Murder on the Orient Express (Albert Finney) saved on my TV so it’s accurate to say I’ve seen them repeatedly.

Several years ago my BFF and I decided that for our birthdays we would do experiences together rather than do more “stuff”.  She does Cantus tickets for us and I do a play for us each fall.  I pick three options, write them up a bit and she chooses one.

This year, a production called Holmes/Poirot was finally scheduled at Park Square Theatre.  There had been discussion of it during the summer of 2023, but it never materialized.  When I presented BFF with the three choices this year, I had my fingers crossed that she would choose Holmes/Poirot.  Luckily she’s a sleuth fan as well.  We’ve done a couple of other Sherlock “knock-offs”s as well as doing the Science Museum exhibition a couple of years ago. 

The expectation was that the play would be a mash-up with the detectives pitted against each other, even though you’d have to mess with the time continuum to do this.  Considering I’ve read a book with Sherlock as a dog and another with a time traveling Miss Marple facsimile, I can handle a little time continuum disturbance.  When we sat down with our programs, it was clear that it was going to be two different stories…. Holmes in Act One and Poirot in Act Two.  The two main actors change roles for the second act.  Sherlock Holmes becomes Colonel Hastings and John Watson becomes Hercule Poirot.  The other seven actors switch up characters as well. 

During intermission BFF and I wondered aloud how long it would take us to re-orient ourselves to the actors changing parts.  We didn’t need to worry.  Within just a couple of minutes, we were all in.   It was an inspired juxtaposition; both actors were excellent and completely believable in their roles.  The second act was played for more comedy, which was perfect because…. well… Poirot.  It’s hard not to play him with a splash of silliness.

Absolutely no spoiler alerts here but suffice it to say that the writing was great and had BFF and I guessing to the end of each segment.  It was an immediate standing ovation.  I’m highly recommending this if you can stlll get tickets. 

Do you have a preferred detective?  Fictional or otherwise?

2024, Food, holidays, Kids, Seasons, Uncategorized

To Corn or Not to Corn

26 Comments

It’s another time of year for polarization.  Candy corn or no candy corn!  Hamlet said it best:

To corn, or not to corn, that is the question:

Whether ’tis nobler in the mind to suffer

The slings and arrows of autumn candy treasure,

Or to take arms against a sea of sugar

And by opposing end them. To gorge—to sleep,

No more; and by a sleep to say we end

The heart-ache and the thousand sugar shocks

That taste buds are heir to: ’tis a corn consummation

Devoutly to be wish’d.

I’ve always loved candy corn.  I know that many folks do not – in fact really really do not.  It took me a few years after I became a vegetarian to realize that my fall favorite is not a vegetarian product; the Brachs autumn staple is made with gelatin.  So sadly at about the age of 22 I gave up candy corn.  

About 15 years ago I discovered a few smaller companies who make candy corn (and also the little pumpkins) with no gelatin.  You kinda had to hunt for it.  For the last five years I’ve been able to find it at Hy-Vee but this is dangerous.  I drive all the way to Hy-Vee and then can’t seem to just get the candy and go; I always spend way to much at Hy-Vee.

This year Target is carrying a non-gelatin brand of both the plain candy corn as well as the pumpkin mix.  Woo-hoo.  I got a container of each (and didn’t end up spending a small fortune on other items).

When I got home YA gave me grief about buying candy corn and disparaged candy corn in general.  But I’ve seen her dip her hand into the candy bowl more than once since then.  Guess she’s on team candy corn whether she admits it or not!

Do you have something you just can’t stand? (Besides VS hi-jacking Shakespeare to validate her yearning for candy.)

2024, Food, Gatherings

Soup Swap!

18 Comments

It was the Soup Swap yesterday.  I’ve been going to these for almost 20 years and I always look forward to it.  You make 6 quarts of soup, freeze it in 6 individual bags and then at the party we do a round robin swap.  I think I’ve talked about it before.

Being a vegetarian at a soup swap in the autumn can sometimes be rough.  In fact, at the very first swap I attended, I was the only one who brought a vegetarian soup; I went home with 6 frozen bags of meat soup.  (I distributed them in my neighborhood).  But the party is fun, so I’ve taken my chances many times since then.  Yesterday was a mixed bag.  We ended up with multiples of the same soups: Minestrone, African Peanut & Sweet Potato, Rosemary Lentil.  In addition to these soups, I made way more of our soup that needed as YA is always complaining that I never make enough for US to have some.  I made four batches:

So here is the recipe:  Golden Caulifower Soup (thanks to Carissa Stanton and her Seriously, So Good cookbook.

Roasted cauliflower
4 c. chopped cauliflower florets (about 1¼ lbs)
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. ground turmeric
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. salt
¼ tsp. red chile flakes (optional)
½ tsp. pepper

Soup
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 yellow onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed (about 2 cups)
4 c. vegetable broth
1 can (13 ½ oz) full fat coconut milk

Pumpkin seeds (garnish)
1/3 c. pumpkin seeds
½ tbsp. olive oil
¼ tsp. garlic powder
½ tsp. salt
Pepper to taste

Roast the cauliflower.  Heat the oven to 425°F.   In a large bowl, drizzle the cauliflower with the olive oil and sprinkle with the turneric, cumin, salt, chile flakes and pepper.  Toss until coated.  Arrange the cauliflower on a pan lined with foil and roast for 20 minutes, turning the florets halfway through.  Set aside (but leave oven on).

Make the soup.  Heat the olive oil in a large pot over medium heat.  Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is translucent (5-7 mns).  Add potato, broth, coconut milk and the roasted cauliflower.  Increase the heat to high.  When soup boils, reduce heat and simmer covered for about 15 minutes.  Use either in immersion blender or stand blender to blend the soup until smooth.  Serve with the pumpkin seeds as a garnish.

Toast the pumpkin seeds.  Drizzle olive oil over the pumpkin seeds and sprinkle with garlic powder, salt and pepper.  Lay out the seeds on foil lined sheet and roast at 350° for about 12 minutes.

We have plenty of soup for the fall (although I’m sure I’ll have to make tomato soup soon to use up our surplus tomatoes).

 

Do you have a favorite soup for the fall?

2024, Business, Family, Food, Seasons, Uncategorized

Fall Bonanza

20 Comments

You all know my weakness for seasonal goodies – so does Trader Joes.  There is normally a slew of new items each season, most of which won’t be back when the season is over.  YA and I went out a couple of weeks ago, right after the latest Fearless Flyer (Trader Joe’s newsletter) arrived in my mailbox.  There are plenty of things we like to shop for but looking at and maybe picking up some of the seasonal stuff adds to the fun.  In this respect, the YA apple didn’t fall far from the tree!

We tried fall leaf tortilla chips and potato crisps in the shape of ghost and bats.  A big jar of harvest soup, a bag of apple granola.  Pumpkin pasta.  At the last minute we tossed a box of apple shortbread cookies into the basket.  Normally the seasonal items we pick up are nice but nothing that makes me sad knowing they won’t come around again.  But this year is different.   The tortilla chips, the ghost potato crisps and the apple shortbread were all winners.  I even whipped up some fresh salsa to have with the tortilla chips.  YA ate most of the apple shortbread before I even got one. 

Over the weekend, I had to pick up a couple of things at Michaels… and when I came out of the store and headed toward my car, my eyes lit on the Trader Joes on the other side of the parking lot.  I didn’t even hesitate; headed right over and picked up more of the chips, crisps and the shortbreads.  YA was very happy to have two more boxes of shortbread but thought that my extra bags of chips and crisps boarded on “hoarding”.  She also suggested that I shouldn’t be eating the ghost/bat crisps until it’s a little closer to Halloween.

Considering that the world has been celebrating Halloween for a couple of weeks; the scary movies started up on October 1st on the dot.  I like the fall and Halloween, but I prefer not to have my wits scared out of me by scary movies and creepy designs.  I do like most folks yard decorations at this time of year; how do they keep those giant skeletons standing up? 

So we’ll be enjoying our fall goodies for a few more weeks; I’ll probably have to make more salsa!

Do you prefer the cozy side of Fall or the spooky side of Halloween?

2024, History, Uncategorized

Retro Crochet

30 Comments

The month before my junior year in high school, I spent an inordinate amount of time working on the outfit I would wear on the first day back.  (Yes, I know that doesn’t seem much like me now, but in high school I was still worrying about this kind of thing.)

I had a new pair of high-waisted, washed out, bell-bottomed jeans along with a wide white belt that just barely fit through the jean’s belt loops.  On top I had a brand new, bright white t-shirt, a nice one – not your average Hanes deal.  Then the coup-de-grace… a crocheted top, consisting of various colored and patterned granny squares.  (If you don’t know what a granny square is, check out the photo.)  The whole ensemble was finished off with a pair of wedgies, fairly high-heeled (well, at least for me).  I was the cat’s meow, if I do say so myself.  Oh, almost forgot the big round watch with the white strap!

Imagine my surprise when last week, 50+ years later, I looked up while watering out front to see one of the local high schoolers come walking down the block, wearing my outfit!!  Almost exactly the same – the high jeans, the high-heeled sandals and the sweater/vest made of crocheted granny squares over a white tee.  The only thing she was missing was the big watch; she even had a white belt.   I thought she looked really cute.

Crocheted granny squares becoming retro hadn’t hit my radar.  50 years seems a long time for something to become fashionable again.  I won’t be running out any time soon to find any crocheted items for my wardrobe and although I did once know how to crochet, it’s not a craft I’m interested in reviving these days.  Guess I’ll just have to content myself with the memory that once I was in fashion and that fashion has returned for a bit.  Wonder if in another fifty years granny squares will make yet another comeback?

Describe an outfit of yours that you were really proud of!

2024, animals, Automotive, Business, Farming Update, Nature, Seasons, Uncategorized

A Little Bit of a Lot

27 Comments

The weekend Farm Report comes to us from Ben.

We talked about the first false fall the other day. And now the box elder bugs have arrived. 

Egg production is down.

Last year’s chicks are finally aging out. The header photo is monthly dozens. This year’s chicks have started laying practice eggs. Takes three small ones to equal two regular eggs.

IT’S FAT BEAR WEEK! 

https://explore.org/fat-bear-week

https://explore.org/fat-bear-week

I heard about this on MPR. Made me think about Bart from the Morning Show. We know his cell phone is dead by now. Heck, it probably wouldn’t even work on the networks anymore. Trust us Bart, we’re not fat-shaming. We know you’re stocking up for winter. 

I’ve seen a lot of farmers out combining soybeans. The big farmers are worried about that forecast of an early snow, so everyone will be pushing hard. Me? I just wait for the neighbors who harvest mine to get too it. But I’ll be hoping they’re pushing hard to get theirs done so they can get to mine. It will be what it will be. 

Last week I pulled out a fence post in preparation for some stump grinding and I cleared some brush. In the process of clearing said brush, I somehow knocked a front tire off the rim. I think I hit a log or stick and broke off the valve stem. Had Appel Service out on Monday to repair that. Just needed a new valve stem. 

Even though it’s tech week at the Rep, I’ve gotten a little work done at home. To prepare for the shop heater I am having installed, I met the LP gas dealer, and we discussed where to put the LP tank. (I just had to google ‘LP vs Propane’ because this is all new to me and I learned they’re the same thing with different names. Since we live out in the country and don’t have natural gas piping in the area, and we have all electric heat in the house, I’ve never dealt with an LP tank. I guess in our old house we used fuel oil.) Depending on size, an LP tank has to be 10 feet from structures. It can be right next to the gas or diesel barrels, but 10’ from a building. We decided to put it behind the shed. Out of sight that way. I scraped off some dirt and made a level spot. They will bury the line from the tank to the building, then it can run along the edge of the steel siding. Easier than trenching across the driveway. And as long as I remember to fill it before there’s two feet of snow back there, it will be fine. 

Then I used the tractor loader and finally got the brush mower on a trailer and hauled it to a welding shop so they can fix it. Hard to explain, but the four large bolts holding one of the gear boxes came loose. It vibrated and rattled so bad it enlarged the bolt holes, and the vibrations led to multiple cracks. Repairing it was more than I could handle. Last weekend I used the forks on the loader and pulled it out of the weeds and tipped it up so I could take off the blades and related parts in preparation of the repair.

Using my extensive knowledge of picking things up, I managed to lift it up, work on it and then, again with my extensive knowledge, inadvertently tip it over backwards – on to the trailer wheel well. Huh. Oops.

From there I was able to tip it back up and get it back on its bottom. The only real damage was to the hydraulic hose which I’ll have to replace. And then from there, yet again using my extensive knowledge of redneck farming practices, I picked it up and got it on the trailer.

Luna got a ride in the truck ALL BY HERSELF that day being as the other two dogs still have a faint skunk aroma too them.

I was able to get a little work done in my shed. Started framing in the double door.

Friday, Olson’s Tree Service was out to grind out those stumps that was clearing last weekend. Glad to have that done. I can check it off the list now. 

We could use a little rain. The winter rye is off to a good start but doesn’t seem to be growing too fast. Rain would really help.

There’s a new bakery that opened on my route between dropping off daughter and me going to work. They have a Mexican version of rosetta’s called ‘Bunuelos De Viento’. Oh my are they good. 

So, a little bit of a lot going on this past week. 

Anyone grow up with frost on their bedroom ceiling nails?  What are you stocking up for winter? 

2024, animals, Mysteries, Nature, Technology, Uncategorized

Amazing Cell

13 Comments

Yesterday I trekked over to Gertens; I had a great coupon.  Normally just a coupon wouldn’t get me to drive over there but they do carry that hot bird seed that I like, so figured a chunk of change off one of those cylinders would be nice. 

It took me a bit to find the seed cylinders – they’re ramping up their Christmas stuff and have moved a lot of the endcaps around in the feed department.  When I did come around the corner, what confronted me was a TON of products from the company who makes the hot stuff.  The photo above is the endcap with all of it.

Right next of my Flaming Hot Feast there was another big cylinder called Burning Love.  I looked at them both, different ingredients although both seemed to have the hot pepper that deters the squirrels.  But at the price point, I didn’t want to make a mistake.  As I stood there considering my options, it occurred to me that I could check online to see the difference.  And then I had the ephiphany that I could just call the company directly.  A helpful woman answered the phone right away and let me know that the difference was that Burning Love is just safflower seeds with hot pepper.  Flaming Hot Feast has a bigger variety of seeds with hot pepper. 

The Burning Love was almost a pound heavier at the same price point, so I decided to give it a try.  As I walked away, I thought about the amazing thing I had just done – used a small hand held device to call a company in Texas for no cost to get an immediate answer.  (Yes, I am aware I could have found someone who worked at Gertens and asked them, but I think this was faster.)  While I sometimes think technology is too big for its britches, yesterday I loved my cell phone.

Any technology that has amazed you recently?

2024, Family, Food, Nature, Uncategorized

No Bad Apples Here!

26 Comments

YA and I had one of “traditional” weekends.   We spent a day at the Zoo (new zoo), mostly to see the baby tigers.  Two Amur tigers were born in the end of May, one little girl and one little boy.  They’ve been out on exhibit for three weeks and are a cute as can be.  We started there, at Tiger Lair and after walking through all the rest of the zoo, we circled back and watched the babies some more.   Packed our own lunch and ate outside in the sunshine.  Lovely.

In what is our most enduring tradition, we headed out to pick apples as well.  I picked apples even before YA was born; she was three when she went for the first time.  We’ve done this almost every since then.  No apples picking in 2019 when she broke her foot and had survey for plates and pins.  And no apples in 2020 when most of the orchards didn’t open for ‘Pick Your Own’.  Even her first year at University of Wisconsin Eau Claire we did apples.  She called me the end of September and asked if I could come visit the next weekend and could we find a place to pick apples.  No problem!

So now we have a peck of Connell Red, half peck of Honeycrisp and half peck of Kinder Krisp.  Since I refused to go down the pumpkin spice trail, which is rampant at this time of year – time to ramp up apple recipes.  I’ve already made an Apple Manchego salad – apples and Manchego cheese sliced into matchsticks, tossed with a bit of lemon, olive oil and chives.  The crumble topping for Apple Crisp is done as well – two recipes of it – in the fridge for use in the next week or so.

I have some really cute molds to make hand pies.  The pie crust is thawing in the fridge.  If I’m remembering correctly, one package of pie crust should make six hand pies.  Just the right number for the two of us.  Mixed Berry & Apple bars are in the running, although the recipe doesn’t use too much apple.  I found two savory dishes.  The first is a Brussel sprouts apple salad with a citrus maple vinaigrette and the second is an apple cabbage sausage back (using vegetarian sausages).  Not sure if I’ll be able to tempt YA with Brussels sprouts, but I might try.   We’ll probably end up freezing some of this stuff, otherwise we’ll both start looking like apples ourselves!!

Any favorite apple recipes?  Or have you succumbed to pumpkin spice this year?