Category: Memories

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What is a Redding Formal?

We recently had a great privilege to participate in a beautiful evening. Several people have asked me, “What is a Redding Formal?” Our son Gabriel hosted the first annual Redding Formal. This was an evening which was planned far in advance. Invitations were mailed, dresses shopped for, caterer hired, etc. It was a wonderful evening to celebrate being Redding. The music, the food (right down to the dessert), the program were all a reflection of things we were familiar with. It wasn’t a surprise to hear people break out in a song from some classic musical or to share crazy projects and adventures from the year. From building crazy amazing things like a floating house to finally summiting Mt. Rainier and a lot of travels from Paris, France, New Zealand, and Malawi, Africa and great plans for next year. It was a wonderful night of celebrating. Both grandmothers were able to attend as well as some out of town Aunts dressed fabulously I might add. Thank you Gabriel for an amazing evening!

 

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Winter Fishing Trip- Cotton Patch

Winters in my northern Alabama home were not so severe that we had to stay inside for long periods of time, as is so in more northern states. Snows deep enough for snowballing, sledding, or building snowmen were seldom, and I don’t recall a single snowfall that stayed on the ground for days and days.

Living in the country and with few luxuries, we didn’t always have sufficient clothing for the worst of weather, but I enjoyed the outdoors and was seldom restrained from being outside whenever I wished. We didn’t seem to worry about bundling up for fear of getting sick. It seems there was an unwritten law that said as long as you can stand it, enjoy it. That may not be practical for all children, but my happy memories include those times of playing out in the very cold, fresh air.

My recollections may be somewhat colored by a childlike delight with snow and the fun it can provide for the young and the young at heart. On the other hand, I can remember times when my hands and feet were so cold that they had to be warmed slowly and gently back to usefulness.

One particularly cold experience, when I was about ten years old, was a fishing expedition with my parents. It was rather common knowledge that my parents loved to go fishing, but it was also a way of putting more food on the table for their family. There were many Saturdays and holidays from school that one or both of my parents went fishing, and on this very cold holiday, I decided that I must go along. After warning me of how cold it was and that there would be no turning back, they left the decision up to me. We rummaged around through the family clothing and came up with a snowsuit, a knitted hat and some gloves that I could wear, and we set out to go fishing.

We lived near some back waters created by dams on the Tennessee River, so there were several good fishing places within driving distance from home. Dad chose to drive down some back roads that took us only a few miles from our home at Oxford. We launched our boat and headed out across the cold, cold water in search of a good fishing spot. Dad probably, as he often did, looked for a tree top that had fallen into the water making a likely place to find a big school of crappie, but I don’t remember all of those details…I was cold! In fact, I was so cold there was no keeping me quiet enough for my dad, who was a fairly good fisherman , with some rather strict rules. The first rule was that of being quiet, and the second one was that of being patient. Fish must be given time to find your bait. According to this master fisherman, holding one’s mouth just right was very important. We didn’t really believe him, but this and many similar bits of humor added to the fun of fishing trips with Dad.

Because I could not control my shivering, Dad pulled up to the shore, built a good roaring fire near a nice big log that became a warm, comfortable place for me to sleep while my parents did the fishing. I don’t know how long I slept, but Mom and Dad caught the limit allowed for three fishermen and were forced to quit. They came back for me, rowed across the lake, and proceeded to take ‘our’ catch home.

On the way, we were to pass the home place of an uncle, who was a writer and photographer for a paper in Auburn, Alabama. As it happened, he, along with his wife and two children, were visiting his parents, and we stopped to show off our big string of fish. The men started talking about making a picture, but Mom would have nothing to do with posing for a photograph, so one of my cousins and I were selected to help hold up the heavy chain of fish.

Having been born and raised in the city, my cousin was not so accustomed to the slimy feel and strong smell of freshly caught fish as I. Dad held up one end of the chain and I strained with all my might to hold up the other, but it was really heavy. My cousin gingerly took hold of the chain in the middle and the picture was quickly taken. The strained look on my face, the delicate, ‘hurry-up-and-get-it-over-with’ look on my cousin’s face and my Dad’s proud look made an interesting picture of an unforgettable fishing trip.

I was a burden on my parents that wintry day, because I was not up to that adult task, but they quietly took care of my needs and were actually rewarded by being able to claim my limit of fish along with theirs!

Children often believe themselves more capable than they are, and no amount of reasoning to the contrary can change that belief. Parents, who can allow a child to participate in activities that are not harmful, will have more success when the answer has to be absolutely, “No.”

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What to Do When You Are Bored

My first introduction to John Burroughs was at the Redding’s house. I assume that my mother-in-law, Jo made the picture of my father-in-law standing beside a big sunflower that he grew and framed it with this quote:

I still find each day too short for all the thoughts I want to think, all the walks I want to take, all the books I want to read, and all the friends I want to see.

A man can fail many times, but he isn’t a failure until he begins to blame somebody else.
I go to nature to be soothed and healed and to have my senses put in order.
I remember hearing my father-in-law, Bill Redding say that you have no right to be bored.
A few months ago we had a sweet young friend who was spending her days in a strange city and had to stay inside during the day. Esther, Anya, and I came up with some suggestions for things she might do. These might be appropriate for someone who is confined to home.  There are many things adults and children can pursue when they are bored. If you have access to the great outdoors the possibilities are endless for hours of fun. This list is mainly for inside. I have modified a few of these so that they might be appropriate for all ages.
1. Memorize the ABC verses or other verses of the Bible.
2. Learn to do a plank. If you already know how to do one see if you can do a longer one.
3. Make a bucket list.
4. Do the dishes.
5. Make a lemon cake or lemon mug cake.
6. Read a good book.
7. Design a dress.
8. Learn a few words in another language.
9. If you have the internet learn a new dance move, if not create one.
10. Listen to your favorite music and have a dance party all by yourself.
11. Do your nails.
12. Write a note of encouragement to someone.
13. Make a nice cup of tea.
14. Make a bracelet with embroidery floss.
15. Cover a page with doodles or sketches.
16. Learn to do a french braid on yourself or lace braid.
17. Write notes to your dad and hide them in his apartment. Or to anyone where you have the privilege of being a house guest.
18. Draw a picture which would be good for a greeting card and enter to win $10,000 for college.
19. Exercise or run in place for 10 minutes.
20. Look out the window and draw a picture of what you see.
21. Design two posters with your favorite Bible verses.
22. Pray for your sister.
23. Pray for your brother.
24. Pray for your mother.
25. Pray for your dad.
26. Read your Bible.
27. Make up a game.
28. Learn about who is John Burroughs?
29. Learn where Abraham Lincoln born and when.
30. Brush your hair 100 strokes from top to bottom.
31. Do something nice for someone.
32. Count your blessings. Write them down.
33. Dust the baseboards in the house.
34. Complete a word search.
35. Find a simple design like a silhouette of a giraffe or elephant. Copy it onto a sheet of cardstock. Turn the cardstock over and glue one inch wide and about 8-12 inch long paper strips of varying colors side by side. Turn the paper back over and cut out the image. Then mount it on a solid piece of cardstock.
36. Write a short silly poem.
37. Sing a song out loud.
38. Memorize the 23rd Psalm.
39. Write down your favorite food and the first time you remember eating it.
40. Dance around the room. It’s good exercise.
41. Tell someone Thank You today.
42. Write down 3 places you want to see one day.
43. Hop on one foot.
44. Practice a handstand.
45. Cook dinner.
46. Practice your multiplication tables.
47. If you are not married write down 3 things you want your future mate to be like.  If you are married write down 3 things you appreciate about your mate.
48. Who invented the light bulb? How many times did he try before he got it right?
49. Write one thing you want to learn to do and come up with a game plan. Learn something new!
50. Write down your earliest memory.
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Day 2 of our Keene, NH Trip

 

We slept well in Erie, Pa. We awoke early and got packed up and ready for the trip. We then all went down for breakfast. We were so happy to find out that the rest of our team had arrived! The Logue family! We sorted out who was riding where and hit the road. We were hoping to arrive by 5 pm to have dinner with the elders. As we were driving we passed a sign that said, Niagara Falls. Until that moment I did not realize we would be traveling so close to the Falls. I was so busy getting ready for the trip that I really did not pay attention to any sights along the route. But no time to stop, we had to save that for another day.

We had a few issues with GPS along the way and a jaunt over the mountains passed by Hogback Mountain and through the woods. We finally all arrived at the church building in Keene, New Hampshire. We met with our wonderful brethren and made a plan for the work we would do during our time in Keene.

We found out the timetable for Sunday Morning Bible Class and Worship. We didn’t want the church to show up with us still in our jammies! We set up our air mattresses in the church building and got ready for a rest. We would be showering at the Y but could not get our passes until Monday morning.

Hogback Mt. 

 

Sleeping in the Church building

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Dad and the New Century – Cotton Patch

This is a reprint from the Cotton Patch (2000) Written by Jo Redding and talking about her father who was born in the year 1900.

If my father had lived until January first of this year, he would have welcomed in the new millenium 2000 A.D with a passion. Having been born August 1, 1900, he could have seen, except for a few months, the entire twentieth century. That would have been exciting!

If Dad were here today, he would delight in telling everyone what tremendous changes had occurred in his lifetime. Concerning the first quarter of the century, he would recall how horses, horse-drawn carriages and trains slowly gave way to automobiles, so that by the late twenties, many families owned their own cars.

Change begets change. Rough, muddy streets were not as easily traveled on in the newfangled vehicles as they had been with horses, and poor pedestrians and onlookers were subjected to more dust or mud being stirred up and slung at them by fast rotating wheels. Streets needed to be changed to harder smoother surfaces and sidewalks became a necessity for the comfort and safety of shoppers walking about town. As more and more families began to travel together, women’s clothing had to slim down to allow room for everyone to fit into their vehicle and so ruffles, bustles and hoop skirts gave way to slimmer styles of the “flapper” era.

Dramatic changes resulted from everyone having their own automobile, but during the second quarter when electricity became available to rural Americans, the door was wide open to a variety of new experiences. Electric lights, stoves, refrigerators, washing machines, sewing machines and radios became standard items in a household. Following that came record players, tape recorders, typewriters, etc., and in the late forties TV antennae began to adorn the roof tops of city homes.

Of all the electrical gadgets that developed during those years, TV has been the most controversial and yet it has influenced our lifestyles considerably. From active, creative, outdoor recreation to sedate, passive indoor entertainment. Indoor, interactive family fun with games such as Monopoly, Tiddlywinks, Checkers, Bingo, Old Maid, Dominoes, jigsaw puzzles, charades, plays and skits (made up on the spot), singing, story telling and readings have been laid aside while the TV does the entertaining of its passive living room audiences who interact very little among themselves.

My parents had a TV, and I know they enjoyed being in touch with what was happening in the news and weather. Although I had moved away by then, I can imagine them enjoying the Lawrence Welk show and Red Skelton. Mom would have loved historical novels and Dad would have kept up with political issues. He was a true patriot of our country and always said he enjoyed paying taxes! He knew that without them his schools would suffer from lack of funds, and he realized how much we all enjoy good roads and public facilities that make life easier. He certainly made good use of the government-owned TVA lakes in northern Alabama where fishing became one of his greatest passions.

Dad was very interested in science, history, geography and math, and as I make this statement, I recall that he held a high regard for the disciplines of English and literature as well. Perhaps being the dedicated teacher that he was, he developed an interest in all areas that could provide him with knowledge that he considered important to the many students he hoped to influence.

Since his death in the early seventies, the standards for TV shows has changed tremendously. Dad would lament over the fact that immorality is displayed so unashamedly; in fact he would be very vocal about it. He would be saddened to tears at the perversion of love as it is portrayed in the lyrics of popular songs and in movies. So much of what he tried to teach in schools and churches would be lost in the flood of publicity that seems to laud the greed, lust and selfishness of human beings without a God. His patriotic emotions for his country would have been crushed by the immoral acts of our president and by the fact that his behavior got a mere “slap on the wrist.”

Except for mainframes and punch cards, computers were unheard of when Dad died. Had he lived to see PC’s in every school and home, he would see them as tools of education and be delighted at the opportunities they could provide. Upon further investigation, he would become dismayed by the availability of smut and pornography via e-mail and chat rooms as well as entire web sites. He would be torn in his judgement: “Does the good outweigh the bad?” He would not deny the use of computers or TV or anything that has such a great potential for education, but he would increase his efforts to teach right from wrong. He would impress on individuals the importance of maintaining their own integrity whether anyone else around them did so or not.

I believe this represents how Dad would have perceived a century of changes if he could have spoken to us on August 1, 2000 A.D.

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Games Your Grandma Played- Cotton Patch

Recently, I had a conversation with my grandson, Jonas about his outside play. I found out that he made up many of the games he and the neighbor kids were playing. This thrilled me! I really enjoy seeing children outside, making up their own games and sharing their creativity. Just watch and see, they are having a great time doing it! Whether they are making up their own games or playing with toys these are great experiences.  I believe it is so good for children to spend a lot of time outside and to come up with their own fun. I have many fond memories of homemade fun and of my children and nephews playing all over Redding Mountain. Below is another Cotton Patch article that was written by my mother-in-law on her childhood games. After you read the article please leave a comment about one of your favorite childhood games. –Reda

What did children do to occupy their minds and free time when there were no TV’s, no Jam Boxes, no stereos nor even radios? There were, also, no telephones on which to talk to friends. During, and for several years following the Great Depression, most parents that I knew did not have money to spend on gasoline to run around from one activity to another. There were basketball games associated with the schools, but even those were not attended by many people that lived beyond walking distance. So what did the children do for recreation?

If you can imagine having no TV’s, no computers, no radios, etc., and if you can picture a home that is not filled with things from Toys ‘R Us or Schwinn’s Cyclery, from K-Mart or even the Dollar Store, then you may be able to understand the task of “finding something to do”. Families were somewhat larger, then, and parents relied on the older siblings to watch for and entertain the younger ones. What better way to keep up with the little ones than to play games with them? Many of the games played during that time had survived through several generations, and some of them are still being played even today. It continues to amaze me to learn that people who grew up in Texas and West Virginia played a lot of the same games that I played while growing up in Alabama.

Some outdoor games that were favorites for groups of children included Hide and Go Seek, Red Rover, Red Rover, Farmer in the Dell, Drop the Handkerchief, Mother, May I?, Hop Scotch, Annie-Over, and many others. Kick the Can was not so popular, but it was so ingenious, that I must mention it. Most children could not afford a new ball every time something happened to their old one, but they always had access to an old tin can. What can one do with an old can? It can be kicked from a base, and while the player in the field is retrieving it, the kicker can try to run to a base and back home, before being tagged. Who needs a ball?

The tin can was also used to provide other forms of recreation. With its label still intact, it could be a can of food on the shelf in a make-believe home. But the most fun that I experienced with tin cans was by using them as a short version of Tom Walkers. (You may better know them as stilts). Tin cans were substituted for the wooden legs, and it was not so far to the ground if one fell down. To make the “walkers”, two holes were punched in the bottoms of two cans by using a “rock” hammer and a nail. (If you could get the holes punched without smashing a finger or causing the nail to fly through the air and land in some unknown place, you were quite lucky!) A rope was then threaded through the holes so that both ends of the rope were on the outside. While in a standing position, a would-be walker held the ends of the rope firmly in his hands as he placed each foot on the bottom of a can. Holding the ropes tightly enough to keep the cans in contact with the feet, one could thus walk around feeling like a giant. Taller cans made taller giants, naturally, but they were not nearly so scary as Tom Walkers on which one’s feet were about 36 inches off the ground.

Playing House was definitely for girls, but sometimes the younger boys were persuaded to join in to help make a *real *family. I enjoyed two different kinds of playing house. One was definitely a fair weather activity, but the other one could be played indoors or outdoors, and the cost of all the equipment in either case was practically nothing.

The fair weather house was built outside, preferably in a lightly wooded area. The “house” was outlined on the ground with limbs and sticks, or rocks and occasionally bricks. Rooms were also outlined, and sometimes pretty green moss was laid like carpet on some of the floors. Inside the house, various lengths of wooden boards laid across two rocks became anything from a chair, a sofa, a bed, or a table. If one had bricks, layers of boards and bricks made good cabinets with several shelves. Pieces of colored glass made beautiful dishes, and leaves of various sorts became green vegetables to be cooked. Dirt and water could be mixed up to make mud pies or anything you wanted it to be.

The amount of fun that one had with these simple activities was limited only by one’s lack of imagination. Were those the “Good Ole Times”? I’ll leave that to your imagination.

When a child’s imagination is not directed by ready-made toys, programs and directed activities, he does not as readily suffer from boredom. A child, who creates an object or a situation, will not be as critical as when someone else creates it…he will more likely be content.

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Mom’s Whoopie Pies

While in the Northeast recently I came across a lot of whoopie pies! One of the ladies from church brought some to share AND she was willing to share her recipe with me. Well, actually it was her mom’s recipe. She brought two kinds of whoopie pies to share: these yummy chocolate ones and some zucchini ones.*  I got permission to share her recipe. Thanks, Beth!

Mom’s Whoopie Pie

(Boy, these will take you back to the good ole days!)

Ingredients:

2 cups flour

1 tsp. soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1/3 cup cocoa

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

3/4 cup milk

1/3 cup oil

Sift the flour, soda, and salt together. Mix the cocoa and sugar together and combine with the flour mixture. Beat the egg slightly and add the vanilla and milk to it. Combine with other mixtures. Finally, add the oil and mix well. Drop on a baking pan.  2 Tablespoons for each cake. 12 cakes to a pan. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes.
Whoopie Pie Filling
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup Crisco
1 cup confectioner sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3 tsp. marshmallow fluff
Beat butter, Crisco, sugar, and vanilla with an electric beater. Fold in fluff. Spread between halves of the whoopie pie cakes. Wrap in plastic to store.

 

Marie Hazelton passed this along to her daughter Bethany Guion and we appreciate that for sure. Keeping passing those recipes down folks! Share your stories!

  • You can find the Zucchini Whoopie Pies here: https://www.sixsistersstuff.com/recipes/zucchini-whoopie-pie-cookies
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Oxford School – Cotton Patch

Revisiting the familiar territory around Oxford School where I had attended fifth and sixth grades under my father, brought back more memories of the years between 1939 and 1943.

We lived in the teachers’ home which had 2 small bedrooms, living room, kitchen, pantry, 2 porches and a “car shed”.

The bathroom was an outdoor building that also served the school. It was on a slight hill on the other side of our large fenced garden spot making it quite a distance from the house. Because such a walk was unthinkable in the dark, we used a small portable facility called a “slop jar” at night. The job of emptying it was not a favorite thing to do, but we each had our turn. Once, it had gotten dark when I remembered that I had not brought the “jar” in for the night and, being somewhat afraid to go get it, I mentioned it to my oldest sister and asked her what I should do. Well, she gave me an extremely effective answer; one that has also become a very popular saying among Christian young people today. She merely asked, “What would Jesus do?” I didn’t have to think …I knew…and it gave me the courage to accept my responsibility. Knowing that I was doing right empowered me to lay aside my fears that night, and that question has been useful to me many times since. When the WWJD bracelets began to be worn a few years ago, I was excited about the positive influence they could have in the lives of those who used them properly.

On December 7, 1941, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor and we entered into World War II. It was a hard time for many families whose boys were drafted into armed services, but it was a time when patriotism was at a peak. We sang patriotic songs at school, and we were encouraged to buy ten-cent war stamps which, when enough were accumulated, could be exchanged for war bonds. The smallest bond cost $18.75 mature at $25.00. Gasoline, coffee, sugar, etc. had to be rationed, and communities worked together on many common causes.

In 1941-1943 I attended a Jr. High school whose principal had served in World War I and was a high ranking official in the National Guards. He incorporated army style marching (including presenting arms) into our physical education program. We learned to do right turns, left turns, about face, column march, march in place, attention, at-ease, etc. It connected us to the boys who were fighting in faraway places.

Aunt Ethel Bates, Dad’s sister, lived in a nice big yellow house about a quarter of a mile up the road in one direction and Aunt Vona Davis, Dad’s aunt, lived about half that distance in the other direction. Both families were a big part of the enjoyment of living in that community. Each family had a girl near my own age with which I shared some good times. Bessie was the youngest child and only girl in Aunt Vona’s family. Evelyn was the fourth child and the first girl in Aunt Ethel’s family of four boys and two girls.

Both of these aunts were good homemakers, diligent in providing for their families and in sharing with neighbors. Both husbands did well with farming and their homes reflected their prosperity. The homes still look good today because someone has continued to care for them.
Few tragedies have touched my immediate or extended family, but one which can’t be surpassed occurred in the Bates’ home. I seldom speak of them without the memory surfacing to haunt me still.

Aunt Ethel’s washing machine was on the side porch, and one day as she was busy with her wash, she had hot water in the washpot. Some of the children were playing marbles out in the yard and had been cautioned to be careful, but in the excitement of the game the youngest boy backed into the fire and fell into the pot of hot water. He was not killed immediately but died on the way to the hospital or soon thereafter. A sister-in-law related how Brice tried to comfort his mother on the way to the hospital saying that he didn’t hurt. Evidently, his feelings were gone and he felt no pain!

For months I witnessed the unbearable pain suffered by a parent in the loss of a child. The months became years before grief did its healing process well enough for that household to be restored to its former state of joyfulness.

Tragedies, though hard to bear, can teach us lessons that help us survive hardships that follow. They can also help form within us the softer qualities of compassion and concern for the feelings of others.

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Bluebirds 2 – Cotton Patch

Whenever I see Father Bluebird sitting on top of a nesting box flapping his wings and “singing” in a low raspy voice, I know that there is a Mother bluebird out there watching and listening. The prospective father will go in and examine the proposed home and return to his singing and wing flapping on top of the box until the female comes onto the scene.

Lady Bluebird may go into the box to look around, or she may go into another box first. It seems as though Father Bluebird tries to sell his lady on a particular building site, and if one doesn’t suit her, he carries his amorous display to other boxes. Eventually, the finicky lady decides which one suits her special needs or tastes, and a new family is about to begin. (My husband jokes over the female being so particular in choosing her house, that she gives the male a hard time over details that only women understand. If the plumbing is not in perfect order, or if her kitchen doesn’t suit her fancy, she will have no part of it). She evidently knows what her contribution to this proposed venture is worth, and can well afford to make such reasonable demands! This choosing process can go on for days before any actual building begins.

This spring, we began observing bluebirds in March, and by March 19, a pair had indicated that they would nest in a new blue box by our pear tree. The box is in the same place that an older popular box had been. I am always thrilled when birds choose that spot because it can be easily seen from our kitchen window and from the sliding glass doors that lead to the backyard. Without the aid of binoculars, we can watch and keep up with a series of events that was set in order at the creation. When God ordained that every living thing would produce after its own kind, the beautiful russet-breasted bluebird must have been there obediently taking its orders. That you and I today can enjoy the sound and sight of the eastern bluebird (as well as many other wondrous creatures) is a gift from God for which I am truly thankful.

By April 12, our nest had 5 little greenish-blue eggs in it, and we began watching for anything that might threaten the pair of birds in fulfilling their mission. By April 25, all of the babies had successfully hatched out, and the parents began their feverish work of feeding the hungry nestlings. As usual, I began digging around in my flower beds and in and around old rotting wood in search of big juicy grub worms. For some unknown reason, the “pickings” were slim this year, so I finally resorted to buying mealworms, which the birds love. I placed them in a shallow pan near the nest, and it was not long before the birds knew that when I “visited” their area they would find a good supply of food in the pan.

Bluebirds like a big open area in which to feed, and they prefer the grass to be short. They make use of low perches from which they can look for insects without the danger of being on the ground. 3 to 4-foot stakes driven into the ground make excellent perches, but of the three that I put up, our birds almost exclusively used the one which was placed about 8 feet in front of their nest.

On May 7th, the parents were hauling little white “diapers” out of the nest. According to the books, the parents begin hauling away white bags shortly after the babies are hatched, but we have not been able to observe this activity until a few days before the babies fly. A bag, which contains body waste, is collected immediately after a baby is fed, and then it is removed and deposited away from the nest… Even the birds, living in such humble abodes, are not exempt from housekeeping chores!

Our bluebird babies flew from the blue box on May 13 and 14. We do not know if they all survived, but we have hopes that they did. We heard the special call that parents make to their fledglings for several days, and then what we believe was a new pair visited the blue box, started a nest, and by May 21 when we left on an extended vacation there was 1 egg in the nest.

By the time we returned on June 30, the nest was empty, so we don’t know how many babies there were. We have boxes up at two of our rental houses, and one of them produced five babies even though the children had taken the scarcely-feathered birds out of the box and played with them! We wired the box shut and monitored it often. The little birds miraculously grew into fully feathered fledglings and flew to a new home as they were created to do, despite their early abuse.

Besides the possible 15 bluebirds launched this year, we had 5 black-capped chickadees get their start in one of our bluebird boxes. The parents dove at me each time I opened the box…but I got a great picture of the five little black caps with the white rings around them.

My space is gone, and you haven’t even heard about the Carolina wrens…However, they built on an old dirty shelf in a dark corner of the tool shed. Now, if they find our bluebird boxes in 1999… I’ll just have to write about our birds again next year.

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Lawrence’s Homemade Salsa

To say my husband likes salsa is an understatement. He has been known to eat a half gallon of salsa all by himself in one week. He can eat salsa on almost anything! Anyone who knows him knows his love for salsa and nachos. Chips are an excuse to eat more salsa. We have salsa making parties where the whole family gets involved chopping onions, tomatoes, peppers, and cilantro. It’s a happy day for the whole family when Lawrence decides to make salsa. Today I am going to share Lawrence’s salsa recipe that he developed from lots of salsa making!

Small Batch Salsa

4 cups chopped tomatoes

3/4 cup chopped onion

2 Tablespoons fresh jalapeno pepper

1/2 cup fresh cilantro

1/2 cup of lime juice

 

Big Batch of Salsa

4 quarts chopped tomatoes

4 cups chopped onions

1/4 cup chopped fresh jalapeno peppers

2 cups cilantro chopped

2 cups lime juice

Whichever batch you make you just chop all the veggies and mix in a bowl. Then dig in. Or wait a bit It only gets better and better.

By the way, did you notice my amazing bowl? A gift from my dear friend Betty!