When I visited my grandmother as a child she had viili, homemade sour milk, in her kitchen. My mother had been raised with the clabbered milk as a part of her diet. The slippery consistency of this sour milk did not appeal to me. Now I recognize the health benefit…
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Abundant Berries: a Recipe for Black Raspberry & Blueberry Pie
The berries in my backyard are abundant . . . and so are the Japanese beetles. The upper leaves of my cherry tree were eaten, just the skeleton of leaf veins left. So pretty but so destructive! I have even been up on a ladder, shaking the branches of the…
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Owls in My Cherry Tree
Every Friday the FMF community writes for five minutes on a prompt given by Kate Motaung. Sometimes the first five minutes of writing stimulates more thought, and I continue on . . . Today’s prompt is: EXPECT expect: to anticipate or look forward to the coming occurrence The sweet cherry…
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Petite Purple Irises and Stinging Nettle
It is the last day of February and my dwarf irises are blooming. I was surprised to see their purple petals as I returned home from a weekend trip. Winter isn’t over, but my tulip and hyacinth bulbs are sprouting leaves. What will our spring be like? My thoughts turn…
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A Sweet Reward in the Garden
It is always a special delight to find fall raspberries as I clean up the backyard. I savor the sweet treat and bring a few inside to share. Wilting vines A layer of leaves, Flash of red Ripe fall raspberries I am giving thanks for the glory of autumn,…
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Healthy Homemade Applesauce
Apples, fresh from the orchard, are one of the blessings in September. I enjoy making applesauce for the grandchildren. Each year I get a little more efficient. Two appliances have simplified the process of making applesauce for me: a crock pot and a victorio strainer. What is a victorio strainer?…
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Pregnant Creation: We Have Much to Anticipate!
For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. Romans 8: 19 ESV All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world are simply birth pangs. But it’s not only around us; it’s within us. The Spirit…
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Scenes from the Keweenaw Peninsula
We just returned from a trip to the Keweenaw peninsula of northern Michigan. Calumet (the town where my father grew up) is now a part of the Keweenaw National Historic Park. Copper World is on the main street of Calumet. The shop still sells my novel. The Rosetta Cafe is…
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Lacy Loveliness of the Elderberry Bush
Strawberries, blueberries and raspberries are familiar. We see them in the grocery store. God has created a multitude of other berries. I feel blessed to have elderberry bushes in my backyard. After reading about the benefits of elderberries I ordered bushes from nursery catalogues. Now I have four bushes and…
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Berries, Cherries and a Beetle Infestation
It is a good year for berries and cherries. I have been harvesting cherries, raspberries, currants and gooseberries. My cherry tree and berry bushes have been delightfully full of fruit. It is also a good year for the Japanese beetles. I have had some every year. It has been…