Rain pattering on my window wakened me one recent morning and I pulled open the blinds to marvel over the wonder of God’s world. How intricate each part is, and yet how perfectly it fits together.

The rain hit just inches from my face, and as I was in a sleep-pensive state, I thought of how those same drops of water had been pelting the earth and being used over and over again. Time after time. Eon after eon. And yet each time arriving as fresh and clean as it was on that first day when He separated the earth from the water and ‘found it good.’

I sat up and considered how the very water on my window sill, no doubt once fell upon pre-historic man as he retreated to his cave until the storm passed by. It fell upon slaves in Egypt as they toiled under the master’s lash to raise the pyramids there.

The same water nourished the crops in Bethlehem to grow the grain, the tares and the fig trees, just as it fell here in our valley in answer to the prayers of Utah Pioneers as they faced starvation without it.

The very rain upon my window once nourished the Garden of Eden. It supported Noah’s Arc, Moses drank it in the wilderness. It carried the Pilgrim’s to our shores, and the explorers rode its waves as they braved the inland territories of our nation. Alexander, Caesar, Cleopatra, Hitler and his co-horts all drank it, as also did your own grandparents. And so do you. 

It’s the same water, from time immemorial.  At times moving gently, other times violently on its unending cycle. Today it falls on me and will within hours, become one with the earth beneath my lawn.  There it will sink lower and lower until it reaches the deepest, most outreaching root of tree or bush, and then, through osmosis,  will again begin the upward  journey through an intricate root, limb and leaf system to the surface. Exactly, don’t forget, it’s the same journey when it goes through our bodies as we quaff the wonderful stuff, use, and then eliminate it.

The hunger and thirst of the tree will suck it up, up and up and on every step of the journey, the tree will leech minerals and food from it. It will continue rising until it finally reaches the outmost leaf of tree or bush and there, through a miracle called photo-synthesis, it, along with the sun, will feed the very air we breath.  Re-charging it with oxygen, and thusly making it possible for all animal life, including you and me, to live.

And when that final act is finished, the drop of water will evaporate into the air, where  as dew and mist will rise again. And will remain so, as it is cleansed and re-charged with oxygen and minerals, while at same time, gathering together with other minute droplets of moisture until a tiny cloud, perhaps hundreds of miles in space will form.

How long does it float there? A year? Two?   Dozens or hundreds? Who can tell. But eventually it will become one with other small clouds, and the winds will send them through space, coming nearer and nearer to the earth and sooner or later drop again to the ground. Or perhaps it will drop and become one with the ocean and rise again as steam under some hot tropical sun.

Or maybe it will come as snow to some mountain top and remain there as a glacier for  thousands of years, but yet moving slowly, slowly downward until it drops into the ocean as an iceberg ‘calf’ that will ultimately melt as it drifts south.   Or perhaps it will drop on some arid African desert where man, animal and vegetable life will lift thankful arms and hearts to its coming.

Or, just maybe, it will continue its cycle of bringing sustenance to the earth by falling once more upon my window and wakening such thoughts of God’s harmony in my mind.  And  so, that’s how one of my days began last week. And, how was your day?

I hope just as wonderful, and that in some way you, too, travel through time and space as I did. And I thank God for how intricate and yet how simple He made our world, and for giving we mortals Minds to see, accept, and then explore His wonders.

Yes, oh  yes, I Thank you, God for raindrops on my window. Only inches from my eyes . . . . and Mind . . . and Heart.

ethelbrad@comcast.net

Just like a couple going on their honeymoon, but each going to a different Hotel . . .

I’ve written about Artificial Insemination before and have yet to be sued for malpractice or even threatened with a law suit. And so, here goes again. And my method is absolutely infallible. Time tested.

Of course, the fact that it happens to be Tomato Plants I tell about might be the reason for such indifference, but just the same, if you plant a few tomato plants in your back yard, and grow beautiful vines, but no tomatoes, try my method. It works like a dream.

I blundered upon this solution one year when I bought 4 or 5 tomato plants which had small tomatoes already formed. They grew into beautiful red globes, but, though the bushes continued to blossom, there were no more tomatoes.

Yes, they were getting enough sun.  Yes, I watered them and yes, I cultivated and even fertilized the soil, but still no fruit.

What I had forgotten, oh foolish me, was that it ‘takes two to tango’, and for two of the same species to create another of their ilk, the rules must be followed.

Yeah, I knew about the birds and bees, the boys and girls, and even the fish in the sea. But tomatoes? Frankly, I hadn’t given it a thought, and had to be reminded by one wiser than I, that if you have only one or two plants, spaced far apart, they just can’t do what they’re supposed to be doing, and will remain sterile.

Just like a couple going on their honeymoon, but each going to a different Hotel.

So, with fewer than a dozen words, that maven, my wise-one, gave me the secret to backyard failures and backyard triumphs.  And now I am an agricultural specialist and pass the information along to you. Pay heed and you too, will become an expert.

Each day the gardener must stroll from one tomato plant to another with a Q-tip in hand, and gently, gently. touch each blossom with the cotton tip and then go to the next blossom and do the same, with the same Q-tip. and repeat the soft touch. Spreading the good stuff around, don’t you see? Oh, and be sure to keep that same Q-tip to use every day, again and again and again.

It works and this spring your tomato blossoms won’t dry up and fall uselessly to the ground, but soon there will be a tiny tomato sitting there, needing only time to develop into one you will take to your table. Or eat right there and then.

I always thought such impregnation techniques had to be performed by highly trained people, wearing white sterile clothing, etc. etc. But this spring, knowing nothing about reproduction (well, hardly nothing) you will be doing that marvelous job as well as a pro.

My   mother and dad could have used the wisdom of my teacher, as I did. They had a beautiful cherry tree and each year that tree bloomed profusely, but nary even one cherry developed.   Years later I read that certain trees, cherries included, have both male and female trees, and at least one of each must be planted close to each other before pollination can occur.

At one time, in what was then a vacant yard, and now Bill and Nina’s home, I had a Pie Cherry tree side by side with a Bing Tree. And had more fruit than I could ever have eaten and gave most of it away. And there, with a male and female tree, it worked.

Every farmer knows that a few long rows of corn won’t produce, but the very same number of stalks, bunched cozily together, will produce ears and ears of corn. The wind, which is the pollinator for corn, whips the precious ‘stuff’ into the air, but if the stalks aren’t right handy, the vital ingredient drops uselessly to the ground.

Even for tomatoes, you gotta have togetherness for the ‘birds and bees’ thing to work naturally.   And so, this summer, if people see you . . . with Q-tip in hand . . . going from tomato plant to another tomato plant, they will know you’re doing your job of matchmaker.

No, you won’t be in a doctor’s white coat, or in a sterile laboratory, or have expensive equipment in hand, but this method works, and you will have tomatoes by the dozen. Sometimes I amaze myself at the folk-lore that someone learns, passes along, and we all eat better because of it.

ethelbrad@comcast.net

And this time it really was . . .

I wager that we’ve all bought some item, found the promises made were phoney, and if the cost is small, we shrug our shoulders, and toss the item out. But this time I’d spent more than a few dollars. First I paid for the dang stuff, then paid for the repair bill for the damage it caused, plus the inconvenience of being without the use of what the stuff was supposedly for.

It was odd, for I finally hired a man to fix my problem, and as he was getting ready to leave, casually asked what I had used and when I told him, he said, “Yeah, I thought so, I’ve been getting other calls from the same stuff, and as soon as your call came, I thought “Here’s another one” and I was right.”

And, right now, I’m not saying what ‘it’ was. Liquid, powder, pill, or mechanism for house, car, bathroom, kitchen or whatever, and so I shall call it stuff. But yet it was sold as a good fix for a problem we all, at least every year or so, need.

The stuff works nicely at first, but in a few month’s time, it begins to have side effects and “You were lucky” the repairman said, “by calling for help before it really was a PROBLEM. I’ve seen some big ones from that little innocent looking stuff. ”

I knew darn well that the manufacturer couldn’t help but know of the strength, and the weaknesses of what they were extolling day by day, for the repair person ‘knew’ what had happened, before he even got to my home.

So, I wrote a letter to that company.  And quite soon got a letter telling first of all that it was my fault for not following directions, but, they needed proof that I owned the home it happened within, and was not a renter; a copy or the wrapping, bottle or box the stuff came in, the price tag, proof of what my expenses had been, and a picture of the damage I claimed done.

Well, it seemed rather demanding, but by then, I was determined and got together, a copy of papers to prove my home ownership, and I sent the bill I had for charges. They also asked for a picture of the damage done, but no, I didn’t take a pix of what had happened, but did mention that I have an Internet Blog where I tell in detail what happens in my life..

This time they answered quickly with a phone call, telling me again, that it had been my fault for not using it right. Right? Well, it seemed to be only one way to use that stuff,  but they said they would send me a check but only partial for I had not followed their directions.

And, they cover their bases well, for in big, firm language, it said that when I cashed the check, it meant I would never mention their name or what had happened. And so you see, I tell about the stuff in parables.

And so, so, so. We know advertisers blow up their claims as if they were miracle workers, and yet there’s also a part of us that wants to believes them. And, if the product isn’t as wonderful as they claimed, what can we do about it???

Well, we can do more than we thought. and that is the ‘why’ of my words today. And while I know it’s a bore to write a letter, but somewhere on every bit of ‘stuff’ we buy, there will be, in tiny print, an address or phone number where we can write or call. Do it. And do it swiftly and strongly. Let them know you’re one angry, disappointed customer. Be firm. And a talkative one, who will spread the message. and I think my mentioning an Internet Blog speeded things up for me.

Most of us, when disappointed in a product, shrug our shoulders, vow we’ll not buy that again, and the producers keep on making a small fortune on the next buyer. But they don’t want angry people talking about their product, and that’s exactly what we are when we catch them in their lies. We’ve got to write, write, and WRITE, And don’t worry about using the proper language, but be sure to give them your name, address, phone number and email also. They don’t want their name being negatively tossed around the internet.

I doubt it, but just maybe they’ll learn not to exaggerate (read ‘lie’) so blatantly, and partial reparation is better than none, so the next time you get ‘stung’, write a letter to the company, and perhaps you’ll hear those lovely words I did: The Check Is In the Mail. And it was.

Who was it that said, “Half a loaf is better than none?.” Well, that’s exactly what I got. Half a loaf.

A grocer, a freezer and a micro are God’s blessings for anyone who cooks for one or two, for with that trio anyone can eat lavishly, easily, and quickly, too.

This is my method: Every meal needs a Protein, and I keep one freezer shelf for only such, and it’s stocked with a sack of Swedish Meat Balls, deli-baked chicken thighs and legs, sliced turkey, a meatloaf cut and frozen in single servings, fish cakes or what you like.   Each ready for a moment in the micro, and it’s as if you had cooked for hours.

Vegetables. Again you’re not cooking for a family, and want to be able to serve just one or two and so this is how to get around that problem. Open a can of peas, (beets, whole kernel corn, or whatever) but work with one can at a time.

Open, and Drain the can (of peas or whatever vegetable you chose). Discard the water, (or save and freeze to use as a base for your next pot of soup) and then spread the peas in a single layer, on an empty cookie sheet, or a flat surface that will fit in freezer, and freeze. That will be in less than an hour, AND each pea will be single unit and NOT a solid mass.

Put the frozen loose peas in a freezer bag, seal, label and when you want to have a serving of peas with your Meat, take out the amount you want, tuck the rest of them back in the Freezer. That one can has 5 or 6 single servings and can be used whenever you wish. Tomorrow or a month from now.

Repeat the same steps with sliced beets, string beans, asparagus, or whatever vegetable and soon you will have a variety of such to use as you wish.

Fresh veggies are a cinch. Take a sack of small carrots, put in a sack and toss in the freezer. They don’t freeze into a lump and I sometimes put them in the freezer in the sack they came in, but just be certain you can open and seal again.

Fresh veggies such as broccoli, cauliflower, or zucchine must be cut into serving-sizes and then, into the good ole plastic freezer bags and then the freezer. They do not freeze into lumps and so, require none of the special treatment cans of small veggies need,

And then come tomatoes, cream corn, cream soups. These are easier than the veggies. Open the can of tomatoes or such, put them, surprise, surprise, in an ice cube tray, and freeze. When frozen, again take from the tray and put into a freezer bag. The cubes will stay separate. You must dilute the cream soups before the freeze, (see my reponse at end of blog) but do as YOU want.

Your freezer is beginning to look like ‘something else’, but follow me. Take a full ‘stalk’ of Celery, (not just a stick) trim off brown or such spots, and then, starting at the root end, begin slicing, through the entire stalk and with each cut of your knife, dozens of small semi-circles of celery are yours. Do this next to a sink half-full of water, slide the slices into the water to clean of any sand. Drain, put in a freezer sack, freeze and voila, celery at your fingertips. Do the same with big white or purple onions, cutting as to how you will use them.

And do a white Baked Potato, and a yam. Get big potatoes and wash well, puncture once or twice, micro them until done, but firm, NOT mushy. Don’t peel, cut in half-inch slices, put single layers on the cookie sheet and freeze.   Then into freezer bags, and they will not stick to each other. And for months, you can brown a slice of white potato in a skillet, at the last moment break an egg alongside, and you’re in heaven. Same with the yam, only not for breakfast. Yum.

Canned beans, navy, pinto, lima, or any sort are blessings in disguise for dieters, or health-eaters,   Open a can, put in frig, not freezer,and eat a tbsp of them in the middle of the morning or afternoon or as you go to bed.  They are applauded by every health-menu planner, for health and good eating.

And for instance . . . for one of my meals, I will put 3-4 meat balls in a soup bowl, and then I go wild. I get ten or so sacks from the freezer, and add to that bowl, some celery, corn, piece of broccoli, another of cauliflower, peas, beets, green beans, and on and on as I please.

Salt, pepper, put a cover on the bowl, micro for 4 or so minutes, and while that’s going on, I get a wheat-bran slice of bread, a cup of my choice, and by the time ‘the table’s set’ and the daily paper at my side, it’s all ready. Well, you’ll have to stir your ‘meal in a bowl’ once, but, big deal, stir away.

Once you catch on to making these sacks, you’ll come up with your own ideas. So get with it. Today. You’ll eat like a queen or king, and no one will know how easy it all is.