Six Leap Frogs

 

Utah has four seasons: almost winter, winter, still winter, and road construction. We’re in the middle of the road construction. These past few days I’ve driven on several freshly paved roads that don’t have lines painted on yet. It’s very disorienting, and weird to remember that before the turn of the last century, this is how all paved roads looked. According to the story, one day in 1911 Edward Hines, chairman of the Wayne County Board of Roads in Michigan, was driving behind a leaky milk truck. He noticed the steady stream of milk “painting” the road, and had an epiphany. He imagined a line painted down the center of the road would in no way impede traffic, but might reduce accidents. A contemporary of Hines’ – Dr. June McCarroll of California – claimed to have the same idea after she was nearly hit by a truck. But she didn’t have a leaky milk truck story.

Bear Paw

 

This year’s garden got off to a rocky start. We planted radish, beet, carrot, onion and sunflower seeds, but the quail and squirrels wiped us out. Then we replanted with tomatoes, peppers, corn, eggplant, beets, and Swiss chard. The tomatoes are delicious au naturelle, and we had some of the peppers in Philly cheesesteaks Monday. Last Thursday we enjoyed the first of the chard in this recipe. We harvested only the outer leaves, so there should be lot more to come.

 

Sautéed Swiss Chard

 

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon butter

1/4 small red onion, sliced

1/2 tablespoon crushed garlic

1 bunch Swiss chard, stems sliced, leaves coarsely chopped separately

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 tablespoons grated Parmesan

 

In a large frying pan, sauté onion and garlic until fragrant. Stir in chard stems and heat, stirring, about 5 minutes. Add leaves and keep cooking until wilted. Toss with lemon juice, Parmesan, salt and pepper.

Chickadee

 

Back when there were three TV stations (plus UHF), Daddy used to pay us to find The Thing (1951) in the TV Guide. The whole movie takes place at a remote arctic outpost, so it’s especially fun to watch when the A/C isn’t pulling its weight. Watching James Arness imitate a veggie stir-fry is a bonus. Daddy’s favorite film for hot summer nights was The Mountain (1956), starring Spencer Tracy, Robert Wagner, and a lot of ice and snow. My favorite “cool” flicks are The Day After Tomorrow (2004), where everything north of the Mason/Dixon line freezes, and The Empire Strikes Back (1980), with an entire planet of ice. I also love The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2005) and Frozen (2013). If you don’t mind R-rated movies, I hear the hedge maze at the end of The Shining (1980) will make you forget how hot it is outside.

Five Aloe Veras

 

“I share three recommendations which I think are particularly relevant: First, don’t underestimate the importance of doing what we can to rescue others from physical and spiritual challenges. Second, gratefully accept the Atonement. We should strive to exhibit joy even as we face the challenges of life. Our goal should be to live optimistically on the sunny side of the street. I’ve observed my precious companion, Mary, do this her entire life. I’ve appreciated her sparkling, uplifting approach even as we’ve faced problems throughout the years. My third counsel is to set aside time to faithfully contemplate the Atonement. There are many ways to do this. Attending sacrament meeting and partaking of the sacrament are especially significant. Equally important is attendance in a temple. The temple provides a continuing remembrance of the Savior’s Atonement. Even more important, temple attendance allows us to provide a spiritual rescue for our deceased loved ones and more distant ancestors.” – Elder Quentin L. Cook

Two Red Diamond Stars

 

I own at least half a dozen kids’ cookbooks. Most of them I bought for Heather, as the recipes are bare-bones simple; easy enough for her to follow on her own. She DOES use them, but not the way I’d expected. Mostly, she thumbs through them to find a dish she likes, then leave the book open on the counter as a not-so-subtle hint she’d like ME to make it. Now. Here’s the recipe “we” cooked Monday:

 

Oodles of Noodles

 

16 ounces uncooked spaghetti

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 tablespoons soy sauce

4 tablespoons water

1 tablespoon honey

A dash of hot sauce (We like Cholula.)

Toasted sesame seeds

 

Cook spaghetti as directed on package. While it cooks, whisk together peanut butter, oil, soy sauce, water, honey and hot sauce on a large bowl. Drain cooked spaghetti and toss in bowl with peanut sauce. Makes 4 servings.

Ravenchase

 

“Set aside time to sew. We can be grateful for many advances in our sewing world. We’re glad to have new products to make the process more efficient, new books for reference and enjoyment, new classes to expand our horizons, new exhibits to inspire, and new friends to share our enthusiasm for all forms of needlework. Perhaps, though, you’re feeling frustrated because you have more ideas than actual time for executing them. A few suggestions: Be realistic about what you can do. Choose a project that will give you pleasure, and work at it steadily. Make sure your work space is efficient and your equipment is up to date. Take advantage of small blocks of time and you’ll be surprised how much can be done.” – Barbara Gash, Detroit Free Press

Five Leapfrogs

 

I miss the Ben & Jerry’s that used to be at Gateway Mall (I miss pretty much everything that used to be at Gateway). They carried flavors you couldn’t find at the grocer, like oatmeal raisin, or this:

 

Black Walnut Ice Cream

 

2 cups cream

1 cup milk or half-and-half

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/2 teaspoon black walnut extract

1/2 cup chopped black walnuts

 

Stir together all ingredients except nuts. Process in an ice cream maker according to directions. Fold in nuts, then freeze at least two hours in an airtight container.

 

Black walnuts and black walnut extract can be hard to find locally, but they’re both available through Amazon. If you’ve never tasted black walnut ice cream, it has a richer, more earthy flavor that you’d expect. And well worth the trouble.

Forty-Two Rolling Stones

 

Rhonda Watson’s Ten Commandments of Sewing, first printed in Sew News Magazine:

1. Thou shalt put away no ironing board before its time.

2. Thou shalt not expect meals, clean laundry, or a sparkling house when sewing calls.

3. Thou shalt walk through this room as if treading on needles and pins.

4. Thou shalt not use my fabric shears.

5. Thou shalt not covet my sewing machine.

6. Thou shalt stick no unthreaded needles in the pin cushion.

7. Thou shalt always remember a stitch in time saves nine.

8. Thou shalt not touch my organized mess.

9. Thou shalt remember that each item sewn is stitched with love and care.

10. Thou shalt praise God often for all creative talents.

Bear Claw

 

O’Hare – my least favorite airport – is frequently listed among the five worst airports in the U.S. But the guy it’s named for was pretty cool. Lieutenant Commander Edward Henry “Butch” O'Hare was the Navy’s first fighter ace. In 1942, Butch single-handedly attacked a formation of nine medium bombers approaching his aircraft carrier. I say “attacked” because he only had enough ammo to shoot down a few bombers. The rest he rammed with his plane or harried until they ran out of fuel. Then, he crash-landed his bullet-riddled plane on the carrier and lived to tell the tale. When Butch was thirteen, his parents divorced. His sisters stayed with mom, Butch went to military school, and Dad moved to Chicago, where he became “Easy Eddie,” Al Capone’s lawyer. Easy Eddie testified against Capone in 1931, sending “Scarface” to prison. Capone’s henchmen assassinated Eddie on a Chicago street in 1939. I guess that means nerves of steel ran in the family.

Four Prickly Pears

 “’Love one another,’ Jesus said. ‘By this all will know that you are My disciples.’ Very often, a person’s first testimony of Jesus Christ comes when he or she feels love among disciples of Jesus Christ. The Savior declared that He restored His Church so that faith might increase in the earth. Therefore, when people visit our Church meetings, the Savior wants them to leave with stronger faith in Him! The love our friends feel among us will lift them closer to Jesus Christ! That is our simple goal every time we gather. Anyone who is seeking greater faith in Christ or a closer connection to Heavenly Father should feel right at home in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Inviting them to our meetings can be as normal and as natural as inviting them into our homes.” – Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Two Blue Diamond Stars

 

Maria Beasley (1836-1913) patented fifteen inventions. One of them was the life raft.

Ellen Swallow Richards (1842-1911) – the first woman admitted to M.I.T. – was a pioneer in water purification and sewage treatment.

Harriet Williams Russell Strong (1844-1926) was an inventor, suffragette and conservationist. Her innovations made the Hoover Dam possible. Harriet was also a musician, and vice president of the L.A. Symphony Orchestra Association.

Letitia Mumford Greer (1852-1935) was a nurse who invented the one-hand medical syringe.

Anna Connelly (1868-1969) was the first Philadelphian woman to submit a patent. She invented the fire escape, making urban life safer.

Marie Van Brittan Brown (1922-199) and her husband Albert L. Brown, African-Americans, invented the first home audio-visual security system.

Stephanie Kwolek (1923-2014), daughter of Polish immigrants, wanted to become a doctor. She took a job with DuPont to earn money for school, and invented Kevlar instead.  “I don't think there's anything like saving someone's life to bring you satisfaction and happiness.”

Scottie Dog

 

The first dog in the White House to receive attention from the press was Laddie Boy, President Harding’s photogenic Airedale. Teddy Roosevelt (and his kids) had several pets, including snakes, dogs, cats, a badger, birds, and guinea pigs. F.D.R. had a Scottie dog named Fala, and George W. Bush had three: Barney, India and Miss Beasley. Lyndon Johnson had two beagles, named Him and Her. Socks Clinton was the white house cat from 1993 to 2001. Barack Obama promised his daughters they could have a dog when they moved into the White House. They selected Bo, a hypo-allergenic Portuguese water dog. Until recently, the only U.S. president without a pet was James Polk. When asked about his pet-free situation, the current president said he didn’t have time to care for an animal, and adopting a pet felt phony. “Besides,” he quipped, “How would I look walking a dog on the White House lawn?”

Four Leapfrogs

 

“In spite of all my good intentions, I was the ‘Believe It or Not’ of the maternity ward. I had quintuplets the hard way; one at a time. That’s a lot of pickles and ice cream. After I had five kids in a row, Fang nicknamed me Bingo. I really never minded being fertile, but I have to admit there were times when I considered crop rotation. My neighbor asked me: ‘Are you expecting?’ I said: ‘I’m not expecting. I’m sure!’ I had so many kids I had dealer’s plates on my baby carriages. At one time our bedroom looked like a used crib lot. One day I picked up a bag of flour out of a shopping cart and burped it. Once I even said to Fang, ‘I’ll bet you don’t even know how many kids we got’ and he answered, ‘Well, when I used to count them it made me nervous.’” – Phyllis Diller

Three Dozen Rolling Stones

 

Fresh, ripe peaches are one of the pure joys of summer. They’re not around for long, so it’s important to enjoy them while you can.

 

Fresh Peach Ice Cream

 

2 cups ripe peaches, peeled, pitted, and sliced

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

 

In a medium bowl, combine the sliced peaches with lemon juice and half a cup of sugar. Allow mixture to sit 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Mash peaches with a fork. In another bowl, mix milk, remaining sugar, and vanilla. Add peach mixture and cream to the milk mixture; stir until combined. Cover the mixture and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Pour chilled mixture into ice cream maker and process 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to airtight container and freeze at least 2 hours before serving.

Rosebud

 

Many years ago, I learned to unfold and refold huge paper road maps. I could read them, too. I learned to drive with a stick shift (I never quite learned to like doing it). I can read and write cursive. I spent many hours practicing my autograph, in case I one day became famous. When I got married, I practiced my new signature until I’d perfected it. Today, I sign a rude squiggle with my index finger. My grammar and spelling were beyond reproach. These days, no one cares. I knew how to use a cash register, before they went digital. No one in my typing class had a higher WPM. I could write thank-you cards and business letters. I learned to write checks and balance a checkbook. I could use a card catalog to find the right library book. Sadly, the world I in which I live is not the world for which my education prepared me.  

Four Jade Plants

 

“Some say the Church is not meeting their needs; those substitute what they perceive as their future needs ahead of what the Lord has provided in His many teachings and opportunities for our essential service to others. Humility and trust in the Lord are the remedies for such deviations. As the Book of Mormon teaches, the Lord “doth bless and prosper those who put their trust in him” (Helaman 12:1). Trusting in the Lord is a particular need for all who wrongly measure the commandments of God and the teachings of His prophets against the latest findings and wisdom of man. I have spoken of the many mortal helps our loving Father in Heaven has given to help His children return to Him. Our part in this divine plan is to trust in God and seek and use these divine helps, most notably the Atonement of His Beloved Son, our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.” – President Dallin H. Oaks

Red Diamond Star

 

When we read about people rounded up by the Nazis, we wonder, “Why didn’t they leave? Couldn’t they see this coming?” The Weissmann family in Poland saw it coming. But Julius, the patriarch of the family had suffered a heart attack and couldn’t move. Most of the family was sent to death camps. Gerda, Julius’ granddaughter, was forced on a 350-mile death march with 4,000 other Jewish women. Then she and 120 survivors were locked in a factory with explosives and a timer set to eliminate them. Heavy rain kept the timer from functioning. The day before her twenty-first birthday, Gerda was rescued by American soldiers. "I stood in the doorway of the factory, aware I was free. One of the men approached me. I said, ‘We’re Jewish,’ and he replied, ‘So am I.” He invited me to accompany him, holding the door open for me. He’s continued to open doors for me fifty years as my husband."

End of the Day

 

What do Ingrid Bergman, George Washington Carver, William Shakespeare and Merle Haggard have in common? They all died on their own birthdays. Given that there are 364 days you might kick the bucket that are NOT your birthday, it seems rather unlikely that the day you’re born and the day you pass would be the same. But there are people – famous and not – who’ve beaten those odds. Corrie Ten Boom, who was imprisoned by the Nazis for harboring Jews, lived to tell the tale. She died of a stroke on her own 91st birthday. George Kelly Barnes, better known as Machine Gun Kelly, was a gangster in the days of prohibition. He suffered a heart attack at Leavenworth the day he turned 59. Kamehameha V, king of the Hawaiian Islands, died just as his people were celebrating his 42nd year. Resigned, he said, “It is hard to die on my birthday, but God's will be done.”

One Dozen Flag Days

 

“If people wanna say 'God Bless America,' presumably, they believe in God. And if they do, they must have heard God loves everyone. That’s what he said. So why would these people ask God to do something that goes against his own teachings? You know what these 'God Bless America' people oughta do? They oughta check with that Jesus fellow. They’re always talking about 'What would Jesus do?' They don’t wanna know so they can do it – they just wanna know so they can tell other people to do it! Well, I’ll tell you what Jesus would do. He’d go up on the top of the Empire State Building and say: 'God bless everyone around the world forever and ever ’till the end of time!' That’s what Jesus would do, and that’s what these people should do, or else they should admit that 'God Bless America' is really just some sort of an empty slogan.” – George Carlin

Thirty Rolling Stones

 

A little over a century ago, a woman named Beatrice Harrison played cello in her garden in Oxted, Surrey. Beatrice had recently performed the British debut of Delius's Cello Concerto, which had been written for her. When weather permitted, Beatrice enjoyed practicing in the garden. The birds in the woods surrounding her house apparently enjoyed the music. Some of those birds were nightingales. Nightingales are famous for their ability to imitate the songs of other birds, even matching the pitch and duration of notes. Beatrice noticed the birds were copying some of the passages she played; a sort of bird-and-cello version of dueling banjos. After repeating this performance several nights in a row, Beatrice persuaded the BBC to record and broadcast the phenomenon. May 19, 1924 radio listeners heard a cello-nightingale duet for the first time. Audiences were so enthralled, they demanded an encore every spring for twelve years. 

Goose in the Pond

 

In 1889 a British magazine offered prizes to single ladies who sent in the best answers to the question “Why am I a spinster?” Twenty-one answers were published, and each author was awarded five shillings. Here are a few of their replies:

“Because I am an English woman and Americans monopolize the market.”

“Because I do not want another pet, and I think that man is a less docile animal than a dog, less affectionate than a cat, and less entertaining than a monkey.”

“Because men, like some pies, are deceptive: they appear pleasing to the eye, but on closer acquaintance they prove to be empty and stale.”

“As a wild horse roams free upon the prairies, scorning the lasso that would make him a prisoner, so I find it more pleasant to walk on the border between freedom and captivity, than to be caught by the marriage lasso.”

One Dozen Wild Geese

 

“As the world grows more wicked, we need to grow increasingly pure. Our thoughts, words, and actions need to be unfailingly virtuous and filled with the pure love of Jesus Christ towards all men. The great opportunity before us is to become the people God needs us to be. Regular worship in the house of the Lord increases our capacity for both virtue and charity. Thus, time in the temple increases our confidence before the Lord. Increased time in the temple helps us prepare for the Second Coming. We don’t know the day or the hour of His coming. But I do know the Lord is prompting me to urge us to get ready for that great and dreadful day. As we diligently seek to have charity and virtue fill our lives, our confidence in approaching God will increase. I invite you to take intentional steps to grow in your confidence before the Lord.” – President Russell M. Nelson

Diamond Star

 

I have a big Costco bag of frozen blueberries in my freezer, right next to an even bigger bag of frozen strawberries. They’ve been there for quite a while, and they’re growing ice crystals. So, I’ve decided to make breakfast smoothies until they’re all gone. This recipe makes enough for Heather and me to share. It’s quick, easy, yummy, and healthier than a lot of things we might choose for breakfast. And when I’ve used up all the frozen berries, I can buy two more bags!

 

Berry Smoothie

 

2 cups frozen mixed berries (strawberry, blackberry, raspberry, blueberry, etc.)

1 banana, sliced (The riper, the better.)

1 cup strawberry yogurt (Plain yogurt works well, too.)

1 cup milk

1/2 teaspoon cane sugar (Honestly, this needs no sweetener. But you’re welcome to do you.)

 

Place all ingredients in blender jar. Cover and process until smooth. Makes two very generous servings.

Nine Flag Days

 

“If freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.” — George Washington

“May we think of freedom, not as the right to do as we please but as the opportunity to do what is right.” — Peter Marshall

“The function of freedom is to free someone else.” ― Toni Morrison

“Better to die fighting for freedom then be a prisoner all the days of your life.” ― Bob Marley

“I am no longer accepting the things I cannot change. I am changing the things I cannot accept.” — Angela Davis

“You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don’t ever count on having both at once.” — Robert Heinlein

“Those who deny freedom to others, deserve it not for themselves.” ― Abraham Lincoln

“True patriotism springs from a belief in the dignity of the individual, freedom and equality not only for Americans but for all people on earth.” — Eleanor Roosevelt

Leapfrog

 

Chicken Enchilada Chili

 

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 cups red enchilada sauce

1 cup green enchilada sauce

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 cup milk

10 ounces Rotel diced tomatoes with green chilies

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon salt

15 ounces black beans, drained and rinsed

15 ounces whole kernel corn, drained

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

 

In a large slow cooker, add chicken and both enchilada sauces. Cook for 3 hours on high. Shred meat with two forks; add remaining ingredients. Cook for another hour. Serve topped with sour cream, tortilla strips, avocado slices and more shredded cheddar.

Twenty-Five Rolling Stones

 

One of the things we love most about England is nearly every city, village and town seems to have its own local museum. We sniffed these places out wherever we went and admired artifacts from the Viking era, the Roman empire, and both world wars. Poole, Dorset has a small museum like this, currently closed for renovations. Among the items they displayed was a 2,000-year-old logboat and some of the pottery Poole has produced since 1873. In 2019, A young girl named Bethan visited the Poole museum. Her mum explained the items behind glass were significant and valuable specimens donated to the museum so everyone could enjoy them. Inspired, Bethan returned with her favorite rock. Not a fossil or gem, it was precious only to Bethan. Curators placed it in a glass cabinet, with a label explaining its importance and identifying Bethan as the donor. The rock and its story went viral, and before long Bethan’s rock was the most visited object there.

July Door Banner

 

"There's no art in this White House, no literature, no poetry, no music. There are no pets in this White House. No loyal man’s best friend, no Socks the family cat. No time when the president takes off his blue suit/red tie uniform and becomes human. There are no images of the first family enjoying themselves together in a moment of relaxation. No Obamas on the beach in Hawaii or Bushes fishing in Kennebunkport. No Reagans on horseback. No Kennedys playing touch football on the Cape. Where’d that country go? We used to have a president who calmed and soothed the nation instead of dividing it; a first lady who planted a garden instead of ripping one out. We’ve lost the cultural aspects of society that make America great. We’ve lost our mojo, our fun, our happiness, the shared experience of humanity that makes it all worth it. We’ve lost so much in so short a time.” – Bruce Springstein