There's nothing like fresh strawberries

I’ve never been successful at growing one of my favorite foods—strawberries—but I plan to keep on trying. There can be little better than plucking a ripe, red, berry and popping it into your mouth. Maybe the only thing better is to have a freezer full of them. To take a bag of berries out of the freezer around December or January might just raise the bar on the happiness quotient.

This year, as in past years, I’ve had to rely on others to raise strawberries I can purchase.

This was the week I was able to buy a few pounds of berries.
When I set out to clean my berries, I went to my favorite gadget drawer to pull out a tool I bought last year but didn’t really use much. In fact, I had almost forgotten that I had it. I’m so glad I remembered, because this tool made preparing my berries for the freezer. This usually tedious chore was a snap with this tool. I’m not sure where I purchased it, but of course, it is available at Amazon. Pictured at right is my strawberry huller tool. It doesn’t look like much, but it is a wonder.

The tool fits comfortably between your fingers. By pushing the green button, the metal prongs open and close. To remove the hull of a strawberry, simply open the prongs, push into the berry, twist, and remove. It is that simple.

A little sugar sprinkled on to help them macerate and these beautiful berries are ready to eat. I’m just thrilled to have fresh berries at my fingertips once again.

Processing them was so easy with this tool. I highly recommend it to anyone, whether hulling one small basket of berries or a large quantity. This sturdy little tool is up for the job. 

Earth Day is my favorite day of the year

Happy Earth Day

Mother Earth was kind enough to give presents -- a gentle rain shower that turned our Arkansas back yard into a rain forest. The sun is shining now. Like all females, Mother Earth is prone to changing her mind. As I look out the window into the woods, droplets of rain on the still new leaves sparkle as the warm sun caresses them. The landscape shimmers as if dressed in sequins. Thank you Mother Earth. The effect is spectacular.

Forty years ago on this day, I experienced a kind of environmental awakening that has forever changed how I see and think about things. This new kind of spirituality inspires deeper thought, a kind of peripheral vision that takes in new dimensions, and a sense of connection to all living things.

"When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the Universe," said John Muir, founder of the Sierra Club, who was born on this day.

That quote has been my favorite since I first heard it. Connections are not always clear. Sometimes they are difficult to discern, but we must not be blinded by the obvious.

On that day so long ago, I walked with a group of other nature lovers along a trail. It was a time when "Save the Earth" was a popular slogan. I was disturbed about oil spills, killing dolphins in tuna nets, too much plastic that never degrades, landfills overflowing with trash that could be recycled into useful products, and the very future of the only planet we can call home. But as I walked the trail, in the forest remnant that had been largely untouched since it was carved out by glaciers hundreds of thousands of years ago, I realized that humans aren't able to save the earth any more than they can affect it. Mother Earth will save herself, even if it is at our expense. I fear for humans who totally miss the point. The only thing that man's work will destroy is man.

I'm saddened that little has been accomplished in the past 20 years. And I am frustrated -- no angry -- at recent political attempts to reverse protections of the environment.

Even though I'm unhappy that there must be legal efforts to thwart man's destructive behavior against himself, it is too important not to be supportive since not everybody gets it. My hope for the environmental future of mankind is that more people realize the connections. 




...reprinted from 2010 but as relevant today as it was then

Could this be Spring?

The temperatures have warmed to more than 70º during the daylight hours. The sky is the most beautiful shade of blue. Even the sky blue crayon can’t capture this color. It is indescribable. 

Upon waking, I recognize a new tone in the way the birds sing. It is different than it was just a few weeks ago. The buds on the Magnolia tree in the front yard have not just begun to swell, but to show color. And in some cases, they are in various phases of flower. As each day warms, there are more flowers. Soon, the tree will be in all its glory. It rarely lasts long. There is usually a heavy rain, windy day, or killing frost that stifles the spectacle,

but seeing this tree in bloom is a joy to behold.

Pear trees throughout the area now show signs of flowering as well. Soon there will be Redbuds, Dogwoods, and a variety of beautiful fruit trees showing off their colors. Daffodils are beginning to show up, bringing the color of sunshine to the muted landscape. This time of year is well worth the wait through a long and often times hard winter. We were quite fortunate this year. Here in my part of the Ozarks, there was no measurable snowfall. In fact, I only saw snow flurries once or twice. The wood stove barely got warmed up.

Outdoor changes are not the only ones taking place. I’ve noticed my own internal clock is adjusting. I feel more energy, a need to tidy things around the house, a desire to rearrange furniture and clean in places that haven’t been seen in a year. It is almost like I am programmed to notice things I hadn’t cared about for previous months. I want to wash the windows. It is like a frenzy to get my own nest in order. Normally mundane chores are not drudgery, but take on a kind of exuberance. And there is music.

Like the nesting birds, for me, there must be music.

I’m not crazy about today’s music, so I listen to the tunes that have marked so many life experiences. Music is so transformative. Daily activities are always better when there is music. While my hands perform cleaning tasks, my mind relates to the music I hear. So many memories…they all come flooding back. Nostalgia is not a wish to return to the past; it is a pleasant experience of joyful remembrance.

Happy Spring!

How I lived through a computer nightmare

I remember when computers were billed as time savers, a way to create a paperless office, and basically the end all, be all for everyone. What a con!

We all fell for it though as we embraced technology for all it was worth. That was a long time ago. There are now generations of dependent computer users, many of whom cannot even imagine being without one, whether they are in the form of a desktop, laptop, tablet, or phone. The internet is as vital to daily life as the electric grid. Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, for example, are the next best thing to chatting with neighbors over a fence or sipping tea on the front porch.

But when it doesn’t work, it can invoke panic and pain as surely as a bad case of the flu. When the computer is down and we lose data, it can have the same effect as a house fire where we lose all our possessions. We rely so much on our computers for business and personal use that we may not even realize how much of our lives revolve around it.

I’ve experienced such a loss, but I was really lucky. 

It occurred following a Windows 10 update, a fate for which I have been victimized before. On the morning after, I turned on my computer as I always do. I got my morning coffee, came back and found what is commonly known as the blue screen of death.

The screen said I could restart or click on ‘advanced,’ with the former highlighted. Neither the keyboard nor mouse worked, so I was stuck. Prior versions of Windows had ways of solving this problem, but I knew of no way to resolve this. As instructed, I hit enter. I got a new screen that said Windows would perform a diagnostic process. It told me the process failed, citing, “critical process died.” It said it would restart my computer. I held my breath, almost sure this was just a glitch and I would see my familiar photo on the lock screen as Windows loaded and all was well. But that didn’t happen. I saw only the same blue screen that told me to restart or go to the advanced setting, which I could not. I turned it off, unplugged the system, hoping that would do the trick. It did not.

I got my laptop and searched google for “critical process died.” Ouch! Most of the entries told me to try the advanced settings, WHICH I COULD NOT DO BECAUSE I HAD NO MOUSE OR KEYBOARD. I tried all kinds of things, but nothing worked. I tore the house apart looking for a thumb drive that had a Windows 10 recovery on it. Finally, I found it. I inserted it—still nothing.

My laptop had a few programs on it, but nothing like what I feared I had lost. I started to think about all that I had done on my computer when the panic set in. I called Microsoft. After waiting a prolonged period of time, I was told that someone would call me “in two days.” I felt completely helpless. Thank goodness I still had my laptop, a tablet, and phone. I was not off the internet grid.

I pay bills online and take care of all the family finances and manage health information. I’ve taken pictures, including those precious family photos, as well as those of my beloved cats who are no longer living. I had quilt patterns and favorite quotes, recipes, and so much more I would really miss having access to, not to mention the computer games I play to keep me sane. There was just so much. The more I thought about it, the more I realized what was gone.

But I am fortunate. I have friends who are young, smart and well-versed computer gurus who offered to help. They were able to restore my operating system and even back up my data. I have no idea what they did, but I am so grateful. They saved me from having to buy a new computer. They brought mine back to life, as if it is a new computer. 

The bottom line is, and we have all heard it before, backup, backup, backup. I try to practice what I preach. In fact, just after I paid the bills this month, I backed up my data. I don’t always do that, but I did this time. I will now make it a habit every month.

I had also backed up my documents and pictures on a thumb drive, though not for the past two years. I figured I lost everything that I had done since then. I was resigned that this stuff was just lost. But I learned that when my friends were able to retrieve the current data as well. Basically, that means I have lost nothing. It is all there.

I had been through this computer nightmare before. The reason I backed up my information two years ago, was because that was the last time a Microsoft update killed my computer, a new one I had just purchased.

At that time, I called Microsoft. Over several different sessions, various technicians walked me through restoration, I remember sometimes, late into the night. I talked to several people at that time, some who knew more than others. Though they all tried to be helpful, some of the information they provided contradicted what others had said. The result was that my system ran, but was never really flawless, as expected. The ultimate answer once things were working was to simply start another user account and copy files from one account to another. We did this several times. It wasn’t a perfect solution because it didn’t fix the problem. It only masked it. As a result, I often times, looked for a file, knowing its location only to find a blank folder. It took a while for me to figure out that if I went to the previous user account, and looked in the same folder, I could find what I was looking for. It was rather nightmarish trying to find things. This problem also gave me multiple copies of picture files which I have been trying to delete, rename, and organize.

So now, my computer is really like a brand new system. It is actually running better now than it was before the crash, either crash.

Even with everything working, things are not quite what they were, so I’ve spent days at the keyboard trying to retrieve organization out of chaos. I have the data, but not the programs to access it. So, the first thing I did was to re-install programs I find necessary—programs that handle finances, word processing, email, picture management, and virus protection, etc. The more I put back into my system, the more I realized the obscure programs I have come to rely upon, that no longer existed. Reinstalling downloaded programs is difficult without serial numbers, keys, or registration numbers. Those should definitely be backed up along with the downloaded programs and internet locations.

It has taken me hours and days, but I have been able to restore all of the necessary programs I use regularly. My files are all in one user account. There are no longer redundancies. In many cases, I’ve been able to restore databases that go back to where I left off. I am even back to having all my photos in a jumbled mess, just like before. I thought I had lost all the work I put into them the last couple years, as I’d begun to organize them. I now have those files so I can continue trying to tame my thousands of photos.

The bottom line is that my next purchase will be an external hard drive. And, I like the idea of also backing up files onto a cloud. Not only is my computer restored, but my computer life is restored as well.

Living in the woods is like magic to me

Born a city girl, I will never tire of living in the woods. And I never want to go back. I love country life. The woods yield many surprises; one of them came to visit Saturday. 

This morning while gazing out the window, I happened to see this adult Red-Shouldered Hawk land on a tree right outside my window. 

It was Saturday morning, so I was talking to my friend Nancy on the phone at the time. Nancy and I used to work together. Since my husband and I moved to Arkansas, some fifteen years ago, Nancy and I have talked on the phone every Saturday, with very few exceptions. We talk for hours, sharing concerns, laughing, reminiscing, and generally enjoying each other's friendship. 

I usually sit in the sun porch with a cat or two or three on my lap as Nancy and I attempt to solve the world's problems, or at least harangue about them. As we talk, I usually gaze out the windows overlooking the woods in the backyard. Often times I remark about something I see that is notable, which was the case today. 

This hawk was definitely a part of today's conversation. 

As we talked, I couldn't keep my eyes off this huge, beautiful, bird. It was such a contrast from the tiny chickadees, finches, woodpeckers and titmice that visit the bird feeder which is also right outside my window. 

As I was watched, I saw a Blue Jay dive bomb the hawk, coming from a nearby branch above where the hawk was perched. The jay flew right at the hawk's head, punched at him with his feet, and flew off without missing a beat.  The hawk didn't budge, but I swear I detected the stink eye.

Once the jay flew off, the hawk continued to sit there, seemingly cozy and comfortable. He was there for more than an hour before he flew off into the woods.

Apparently the Blue Jays in the area don't like having predators around. For my part though, I'm kinda thrilled to have seen him. I hope he comes back.