Patience, Gratitude, and Blackberry Jammy

After what has been one of the warmest and driest summers on record for the Pacific Northwest, this past weekend we abruptly cooled, and the rains moved in with a series of storms in the western part of Washington State. Our power was knocked out at the onset of the storm and it’s still out four days later. Having a generator relieves a few of the issues when losing power, but having patience and gratitude goes a long way in keeping us on track with the day-to-day disruptions.

When I was running in-between rainstorms yesterday, it smelled as if I was running on a trail through the woods. When in fact I was running on a paved road near my home. After the storm, the considerable debris from the cedar and maple trees lining the road made for a different type of run for me. As I dodged left and right, around and over debris, I was creating a strong woodsy scent along my way. By the time I finished my run, I was in a wonderfully happy mood. When I run, I generally feel happy, but I can honestly say I felt as if I didn’t have a care in the world. Even though I was longing to take a hot shower, but without electricity, a cold and let’s just say invigorating shower was what was on tap for me.

Prior to the recent storm, I have been enjoying my runs filled with the heady scent of blackberry jam from the large clusters of shiny, juicy berries aging on the vines in my neck of the woods. I am keenly aware of the scents around me from season to season, but now I'm thinking there has been an intense amount of aromatherapy going on around me as I run. When I researched aromatherapy and the scent of cedar, I found it to be a stress reliever. Well hallelujah, just what I need right now.  I also found the scent of blackberry to be strengthening and exhilarating, as well as a mood balancer. Wow! Combine that with the cedar and no wonder I was feeling so great after my run yesterday.

While one never knows what disruptions the day may hold, I will strive to hold onto my patience whether the power is up and running or not. And hey, I can always hit the road and enjoy an aromatherapy-inducing run if I find my patience waning. Through all this, I will continue to be grateful for many things. Even though I have found myself to be less than comfortable these last few days, I can grin and bear it when taking a cold, invigorating shower knowing the storm has slowed the fires burning out of control in eastern Washington. On a personal note, I will be grateful for a hot shower when the water heater warms up once again. And lastly, in the next few weeks I will be grateful for and celebrate running as those jammy berries age a bit more to the blissful aroma of blackberry wine in the mood-balancing last weeks of summer.

Just in case you were wondering - yes, I have eaten handfuls of those beautiful berries. And if that doesn't fill one with gratitude, I don't know what will.

Blackberry photo courtesy of Colin

Back Off

In the last few months I have been getting ready for a yard sale, and the preparation for this event gained momentum in the last two weeks. Priorities being what they were, I needed to focus on the job at hand - yard sale. Which meant I was not able to do the things I normally do and that included writing. Allowing myself time to write and post on my blog is important to me, and I miss it if I’m not able to. But, in order to simplify and not find myself running hither, thither, and yon, trying to do it all, I focus and back off from everything else - even the things I enjoy. This focus on simplicity and priorities helps me sort out the complicated, helps me get things done, and helps keep my sanity - seems like a win-win situation.

Backing off may sound counterproductive to moving forward, but it’s not really. In the end analysis, backing off guides me to re-evaluate that which I do. It helps me see what I do in perspective. It helps me prioritize what I normally do on a daily basis and appreciate the doing.

The yard sale is behind me and I can focus on getting caught up on the things I backed off of. I know there will be new priorities in my near future, and once again I will need to back off of my normal responsibilities. Until then, I will be glad to resume whatever normal is for me.

Connection photo courtesy of Viewminder

Returning History

One never knows where the road ahead will lead.

In 1805 and 1806, Lewis and Clark and the Corps of Discovery passed through what would eventually become Fort Benton, Montana Territory, on the Missouri River. My husband’s Great, Great, Great Grandfather, Sergeant Patrick Gass, was a member of the expedition, published the first journal, and was the last member to die in 1870.

In 1868 my Great, Great, Great Grandfather, John Peter Carolus, traveled the Missouri river by steamboat from St. Joe, Missouri, to Fort Benton, Montana Territory. In 1870 his son Jacque (Jacob) made the same trip with his brother George.

On March 13, 1993 my husband purchased an antique book binding press with the markings: Wells Fargo, Fort Benton, Montana Territory. We have since found that Wells Fargo was in the community of Fort Benton from about 1866 to 1870.

In the fall of 2013 my husband and I took on the mindset - we are moving! Those three words became great motivation to purge and clear a path forward as noted in my post Puzzling Moves. Since then, we have made major headway by donating, selling, giving, recycling, and tossing. What we have enjoyed the most on this part of our journey is the donating and giving. Thus, what to do with the book press?

“For it is in giving that we receive.”

St. Francis of Assisi

On July 16, 2015 we arrived in the community of Fort Benton, Montana, to return the book press. We met with historians from the Fort Benton/Great Falls area who were thrilled to receive the press, and to meet with a descendant from the Corps of Discovery. With the guidance of the Executive Director of the River and Plains Society, Randy Morger, we toured the heritage complex: old Fort Benton and the Starr Gallery of Western Art, Missouri River Breaks Interpretive Center, Hornaday Smithsonian Buffalo, Museum of the Northern Great Plains, Museum of Agriculture, Homestead Village, and the Museum of the Upper Missouri. While in Great Falls, we toured the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail Interpretive Center and were guided to various landmarks from the expedition by Don Peterson, a Lewis & Clark Foundation member, author, and historian. For anyone familiar with the expedition, we saw Decision Point, Great Falls, Great Springs and several of the Lewis & Clark portage sites.

Our recent experience in Montana was a trip of a lifetime for us both. Although we were returning history, our family history was brought home to us. While we continue in the process of downsizing our past to create a better future for ourselves, it has been remarkable what we have experienced, and look forward to wherever the road may lead.

I would like to personally thank Ken Robison, author and historian at the Overholser Historical Research Center in Fort Benton for introducing us to Randy Morger and Don Peterson. With all the history and new friendships, we hope to return soon.

Photo courtesy of Ken Robison

Coma Song

What’s your coma song? If you don’t know what it is, think about what song or type of music makes you move, wiggle a toe, or bob your head. Can’t think of anything? Come on, you know what I’m talking about, when you can’t seem to sit still whenever the song is playing. Perhaps you are ashamed to admit marching bands hit your groove thing. It’s okay. Whatever it is that makes you twitch, it has coma song written all over it, so to speak.

So now that you have a coma song, what should you do with it? You want to make sure your family and friends know what your coma song is in the event you should ever end up in a coma. I have even included instructions for my coma song in my Health Care Directives. Yes, in those documents you can make sure particular music, even marching, is played should you ever be in a coma.

For example: I can’t sit still when Billy Idol songs are playing, and it's not like I even had any of his albums; but nevertheless, that is the music I want playing should I ever be in a coma no matter how old I am! If there is any possibility that I can journey back from the depths of a coma, Billy will make it happen. So, once again, what’s your coma song?

Tuileries, Paris photo courtesy of Clark family archives

Eating to Live: Craving Kale

This spring we traveled to Asheville, North Carolina. The manager of the B & B we were staying at suggested we try Posana Cafe for dinner. She mentioned how incredibly wonderful the food was, it was a gluten free restaurant, and she now craves their kale salad and must have it on a regular basis. While we aren’t gluten free, I find restaurants fully committed to being gluten free usually have wonderful, fresh, and novel approaches to the food they serve. So, off we went to Posana.

Since my surgery last fall, my pipes (as I refer to my newly connected Crohn’s free intestinal zone) are working the best they have in years. I am eating foods I had long ago given up, and trying foods I have never eaten like kale. While kale has been around gardens and local grocery stores for years, it's the cool kids food of the moment. With the fact there are more interesting ways of serving kale than ever before, and the health benefits of eating it regularly are nothing short of amazing, I now add kale to my morning smoothies in small amounts and slice it sliver thin to add to salads. But I have never had a fully kale salad as I was unsure about all that fiber and how it would move through my pipes. Since I found the craving of kale comment rather interesting, I thought I better try this Posana salad. So I did, and now I crave Posana’s kale salad, too.

I found the recipe for the crave worthy salad on-line and can eat it whenever the mood strikes.  I know - how can anyone crave the rather firm, hard to digest kale with a slight cabbage flavor? All I can say is the executive chef at Posana knows food and knows how to do magic with kale. Since I have prepared the recipe almost weekly since our visit to Posana, I understand how the flavors work. First off, remove the hard center rib from each leaf, slice kale very thin and chop-chop to incredibly small pieces. Then, with your hands, massage olive oil and fresh lemon into the green chopped mixture. This process breaks down the firm kale leaves, imparts a light lemon flavor, and since you have had your hands in the mix - helps you become one with your kale! The addition of Manchego (a firm, nutty tasting Spanish cheese), and toasted pumpkin seeds (I use toasted sliced almonds) is just what the green glob of kale needs to override any residual cabbage flavor. The pièce de rèsistance is the addition of dried black currants. Their intense raisin flavor along with their natural sweetness finish this kale salad in a remarkable, but crave worthy way.

What’s this kale craze, or should I say kale kraze, all about? Consider kale a super food loaded with vitamins A, C, and K, calcium, iron, a great source of fiber, and, wait for it, protein! Wow, I know, right? I’m sure you are all quite excited over the possibility of kale in your life right now; okay, maybe not so much. But I just bet you will change your mind on kale when you try the Posana kale salad. Come on; be a cool kid and click the hyperlink to the recipe noted here. If you are ever in Asheville, stop by Posana Cafe and tell them hi for me! One last thing, you may be interested to know National Kale Day is October 7, 2015; party on!

Glowing kale courtesy of deedavee easyflow