The Bowman Exit

Driving back over the Sierra from a visit to California in October, I stopped at a seasonal favorite. Machado Orchards is right off I-80, at (you guessed it) the Bowman Exit east of Auburn. They usually have a white blimp tethered advertising their fruit.  I love the Aeromotor windmill.  And the giant tree in their parking lot.

It's always welcoming even when the skies are rainy and grey, because inside they have every fruit and vegetable that's in season.  (Well, anyway I can always find what I want there.)

Better yet, the fruit is grown right here.  Acres and acres of fruit trees surround the shop, so you know things are fresh.  And I think it's important to support the small grower.  Nothing against Ikeda's just a hop and skip closer to Auburn where lots of folks stop, but I love knowing my apples came right from this very orchard!

Isn't it gorgeous?  I passed on taking a leisurely stroll munching on an apple that afternoon.  It was so rainy that I had to shield my camera for a quick shot before scurrying back to my little red Subaru with a lug of completely ripe, lusciously juicy Golden Delicious apples that we've been enjoying for the past month. 

Apples in lunchboxes, sliced apples for a snack, applesauce, apple turnovers...I wish computers had smell and taste built in so I could share with you.

Check out this seriously cute graphic on the box.

I see a potential redwork embroidery pattern there! 

'Appily,


Linking up to the Rednesday Party and other lovers of all things red.

Just Let Us Dream

The lone butternut squash has been harvested.  Zucchini are long gone.  The French filet beans are history. Our remaining tomato plants are black mush after the first, second and third killing frosts.

So what IS growing in the High Desert?

Lettuce seedlings.

Crazy, huh?  Lettuce seems like the very first plant that would turn limp and lifeless after a frost.  Mais non!
These little Mesclun-mix sprouts will grow all winter, flourishing underneath a blanket of snow (that they apparently consider their own personal greenhouse) and will yield fresh baby lettuce for early Spring salads. 

A few years ago I optimistically made a late-September sowing of leaf lettuce and wrote it off when the frosts arrived.  The following March after a hard winter they were still green and growing to my utter astonishment.  I purposely tried the same stunt the next fall and served the family Spring lettuce.  It's a successful part of our yearly routine.

Now if I could just get the lettuce and tomatoes to ripen at the same time...

The seedlings are in a raised bed getting full sun all winter.  And it's sunny most any day that it's not actually storming.  Still...gardening is full of surprises, isn't it!

At least my seedlings give me something to share at An Oregon Cottage's Party.

Healthy For Life

Is it because Turkey Day is shortly to be upon us? Or the leftover Halloween candy? Could it be the fall weather keeping us indoors, fluffing and nesting, instead of outdoors, hiking and biking and playing like kids?

Whatever the reason, I've noticed recently that I'm not the only gal in the Blogosphere dissatisfied with her lack of a healthy lifestyle and the sad physical result. I'm currently avoiding full-length mirrors and sidelining some of my favorite clothes that are a bit too tight. I'd like to drop a few pounds, but who doesn't? What I'm really tired of is feeling  so low-energy. My get-up-and-go has done git-up-and-went.

I've acquired some unhealthy habits that need to be replaced by better choices. I  need some sweat in my life.  And some great food so delicious that my taste buds retrain my mind.  I could use a well-placed kick to jolt me followed by some pats on the back as I change.

Things That I Know:

• Being healthy is more important than being thin.  Which is good because the thin that I possessed before kids and age overcame me, realistically, isn't going to happen again in my lifetime.  Healthy is possible however!
• I like to exercise.  Pumping iron makes me happy.  Slightly sore muscles, just enough to need an Advil, are a good thing.  Needing a higher level to get my heart rate up is a victory.
• An exercise buddy will have me happily rolling out of my warm bed an hour early.
• Humming along to upbeat music makes a solitary workout less of a burden.
• I have a Sweet Tooth...but I love fruit--especially strawberries and blueberries.
• Keeping busy keeps me out of the kitchen.

I'd love to wave a magic wand and be thin, young and healthy with no work on my part.  Yeah, not gonna happen. Sigh.

Which leaves focusing on the things that I CAN do rather than thinking about all the things I should give up.

My goal is to make one great healthy choice every day.  It might be weight-training, meditation, berries and brussel sprouts (not at the same time), yoga, oatmeal, stretching, biking an extra mile, whatever.  I figure those daily choices will start adding up to habits as I go along.  I'll be retraining my mind while I train my tastebuds and exercise my glutes.  The result should be a healthy, energetic me.  A me with nicer posture, limber muscles, more stamina.

I'm always more successful with a support system though, and maybe you are too.  So I just created a simple blog where I can log my daily successes and be accountable in print without boring anyone visiting the Cottage--the Healthy Blogger Club.   Everyone's invited, there's no initiation fee or monthly membership and it's open twenty-four hours a day--some of the beauties of blogs.  There's no mirrors, no scales, no criticism, no fad diets (more good things about the blogosphere).  Specializing in camaraderie, positive-thinking, and healthier bloggers.  Drop by.  Inspire and be inspired.

Motivated,

My Guideposts - Week42

To achieve great things, two things are needed: a plan, and not quite enough time.

~ Leonard Bernstein

So now all I need is a plan...

When Irons Burp

The turquoise summer apron looks darling, cuter than cute, perfect sweet with the two hundred and fifty-three yards of pink bias trim sewn on. Okay, maybe it wasn't quite that much but I was thankful I had my BBC mini-series to distract me while I stitched away.

Unfortunately my steam iron gave a huge burp as I began giving the apron a final pressing before photographing it to torture you all with apron envy share the final product with you before I hung it up to await summer. A giant, dirty burp of hot polluted water RIGHT ON THE FRONT OF THE APRON where it can't be hidden, missed or ignored!

Soaking the fabric made no difference.  Rubbing it with soap brought no change in the stain.  Scrubbing the spots with a brush were fruitless.  Yep, I was beginning to panic that my beautiful fabric was beyond hope.

Oxy Clean to the rescue!  Most of the spots are gone (actually maybe they've all disappeared and it's my over-active imagination that's seeing slight brownish tones) so I've just sprayed it again before tossing it in the washer.

Pray for me and my apron.

Religiously,

Cheery Cheeps

Once upon a time a silvery duck basket came home with me and before she could say, "Quackers," I'd grabbed my country-blue spray paint and used her to store fruit.  Nope, this ain't her.

I would tell you this is our naked black hen, but I'd be lying.

Because she came with the cutest bread cloth ever...yellow, black and red.  Love!!!

Our west-facing kitchen suddenly is filled with sunshine-y cheer each morning.

"Cheep, cheep," greets me as I stumble downstairs to cook oatmeal and I smile.

I don't know where Chez Pooh found her, but I'm sure glad she's living in our cottage now!  Some presents are perfectly perfect.

Happily,

The Apron Lady Returneth

I woke up and saw my new summer apron-in-progress from across the room and my heart sang.

Seriously, roses on a turquoise background--is that me or what!  My instant morningtime reaction told me also that the pink contrast fabric I chose is a winner (I thought it was, but it's nice to have confirmation).  And, oh my, do you love the handmade lace detail on the pocket?   I had just twelve inches of it--not a fraction of an inch was wasted.

This romantic fabric spoke to me the instant I saw it in the quilt shop. It whispered, "Summer apron, summer apron, summer apron, summer apron." I couldn't resist. I'm weak that way when it comes to aprons.

I have three aprons, but they're lined so I admired them from afar during the summer.  Obviously I should possess a light apron to cook in while it's hot hot hot, right? 

Equally obvious that I should have spent the run up to Halloween sewing a summer apron which won't be worn for another ten months rather than cutting out and painting my little Frankenstein door hanger. My enthusiasm derailed my to-do list yet again!

At least I voted on time, although tonight I plan to avoid all network coverage of the election results.  Instead I intend watching a BBC Victorian mini-series called "Cranford" while I finish sewing my pink bias trim all around the apron edges.

Stylishly,