Several years ago I wrote a simple prayer for my daily use:
Dear Lord
Help me to walk in your way
And in your light
Help me to love your children
As you do
And to obey all of your laws
Please come further into my heart
And help me to enjoy the beauty of this world
You have created for us
Thank you for all of your blessings
Please forgive me for my sins
And keep my family and myself safe
Amen
“To create is to live twice.”
Albert Camus
Nature “is a weekly international journal publishing the finest peer-reviewed research in all fields of science and technology on the basis of its originality, importance, interdisciplinary interest, timeliness, accessibility, elegance and surprising conclusions. Nature also provides rapid, authoritative, insightful and arresting news and interpretation of topical and coming trends affecting science, scientists and the wider public.”
Lambiek “has a global reputation for its impressive collection of comics and art from around the world, with many genres and from many different eras. It is famous for being a hotspot for comic artists, collectors and fans. Festive openings of artist expositions in the gallery have become legendary, and we host many special events such as book presentations, workshops and the annual 24 Hour Comics Day.”
HistoryExtra “strives to be the best and most trusted place for history content. We’re home to more than 5,000 features and over 500 podcasts by world-renowned historians including Dan Jones, Michael Wood, Suzannah Lipscomb, Tom Holland and Tracy Borman. All our content has been expertly-written and rigorously fact-checked, and because we follow BBC guidelines you can be sure everything you read here is accurate and trustworthy.”
The Ways To Wealth “is an independent personal finance website that publishes reviews, “how to” guides, best-of lists, product comparisons and more. Since our inception in 2016, over 10 million readers have turned to us for insights and recommendation.”
Here in our part of Iowa we have been enduring a cold snap since the last snowfall several weeks ago. The coldest night so far was 20 degrees below zero. The drought continues, with that previous snow being about the only measurable stuff we have had so far this winter. Large cracks in the soil have appeared all over our yard, it is so dry. The Old Farmers Almanac is predicting a warmer and wetter spring this year. We are hoping they are right. We are back up to at least two rabbits again as I have spotted them together in the driveway and the yard. Curious about gestation and liter sizes I consulted Wikipedia, which told me “The rabbit gestation period is short and ranges from 28 to 36 days with an average period of 31 days. A longer gestation period will generally yield a smaller litter while shorter gestation periods will give birth to a larger litter. The size of a single litter can range from four to 12 kits allowing a female to deliver up to 60 new kits a year. After birth, the female can become pregnant again as early as the next day.” We might just be in for a whirlwind of baby bunnies out here again. Finally, on kind of a strange note, we found a mouse in a trap in the garage upside down and backwards from how they are usually found. Meaning the mouse was on its back with the tail in the bait. This led to some speculation as to what in the world that critter was doing just before the fatal moment. Some things are best left undiscovered.
A perfect winter meal. Serve with your favorite bread.
Ingredients:
Small onion, diced
Large carrot, sliced
One celery stalk, sliced
Two potatoes, cubed
½ stick of butter
Four cups of chicken broth
Four cups cubed ham
Two cups of milk
Two cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Dry ground mustard, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
Worcestershire sauce, to taste
A couple shakes of Parmesan cheese
Four ounces of cream cheese
Add all except cream cheese into a slow cooker on high until veggies are tender. Add cream cheese ½ hour before serving. Don’t forget the bread.
Once a month I highlight a piece of art I have created and posted on my Fine Art America site. This one is titled Buckeye Dream from the Scan Art Collection.
None of them had any idea yet what was coming.
July 23 – Shelly and Jacob were up first and into town for a paper. None to be found in Eldora, so they made their way through the departing RAGBRAI’ers to Steamboat Rock. No paper there either so back to the cabin. The kids ate breakfast and then we were off to the Hardin County Fair! The kids both had money left and were so excited about the rides and games and prizes they were going to win. We parked and entered through what must be the back of the fairgrounds and checked out the livestock barns. There were the usual cows and sheep in a couple of barns. Another contained roosters, chickens, rabbits, ducks and geese. We walked on to the next barn and outside was a dog show, while inside was a pig show (I was wondering where all the pigs were) Next was an open area where some local kids had some games set up (Little basketballs to be thrown through a little hoop, plastic balls to be tossed into buckets, etc.) Then on to the last two barns which contained all the fair contest entries including baked goods, quilts, veggies, flowers, photos, clothing, drawings and all manner of crafts. Looking out the door of the last barn told us we had walked the length of of the little fair, there were no rides and the only games were the ones we had past. Shelly and I could see on the kids faces that this was it. We waited for their reactions. “Can we play some games now?” Shelly and I were relived and proud of them both for trying to make the best of it. They bought their tickets and played some games. We stopped for some lunch and then decided to check out the other Eldora city park. The kids played on the new wooden playground called Twister Park (very nice) and then back to our cabin. Shelly took the kids swimming again while I stayed behind to prepare Hobos for supper. When Shelly and the kids got back we started the fire, enjoying it before letting it burn down to cook on. Shelly and I ran the boombox out one of the windows and listened to music while the kids roller bladed and played. Everyone enjoyed the hobos when they were done and we spent the rest of the evening listening to music and enjoying the campfire.
July 24 – Up and at it for our last full day here at the cabin. Relaxed and lounged until I served a late lunch of almost all the leftovers in the fridge mixed with a dozen eggs. Then we were off to Upper Pine Lake so Shelly and kids could go around the lake in a paddle boat. When they got back they talked me into a canoe trip around the lake. Back to the cabin, and then a hike. Shelly and the kids then drove into town to watch “Mulan” at the Eldora Grand Theater. They came back tired and we all relaxed, cleaned out the rest of the fridge, and went to bed. I am tired now and ready for home, as we all are.
Part one can be read here.
Part two can be read here.
“It is not true that people stop pursuing dreams because they grow old, they grow old because they stop pursuing dreams.”
Gabriel García Márquez
Once again I kept track of all my reading for a year. The reading goal for 2021 was pretty much the same as for 2020, to make my way through the large library of unread books I have accumulated over the years. There were just a few books I started and decided not to finish, but all the rest made it on the list. My nine favorites are in bold.
One Hundred Dollar Misunderstanding By Robert Glover
Narrative of My Captivity among the Sioux Indians By Fanny Kelly
One Man’s Meat By E.B. White
Diane Arbus: An Aperture Monograph By Doon Arbus
The Bridge of San Luis Rey By Thornton Wilder
The World Without Us By Alan Weisman
The Magic Never Ends By John Ryan Duncan
Natural Cures They Don’t Want You To Know About By Kevin Trudeau
The World of the American Indian By National Geographic Society
The First Century By William K. Klingaman
Hermann Hesse Poems Translated By James Wright
The Greatest Presidential Stories Never Told By Rick Beyer
The Greatest Stories Never Told By Rick Beyer
Six Short Masterpieces By Tolstoy Translated By Margaret Wettlin
Schott’s Original Miscellany By Ben Schott
American Scripture By Pauline Maier
We Pointed Them North By “Teddy Blue” Abbott and Helena Huntington Smith
Twilight at Monticello: The Final Years of Thomas Jefferson By Alan Pell Crawford
Historical Viewpoints, Notable Articles from American Heritage, John A. Garraty, Editor Vol. 1 to 1877, 4th Ed.
The Road To Wellville By T. Coraghessan Boyle
365 Four-Star Videos By Leslie Hamilton
An E.B. White Reader Edited By Watt and Bradford
Best Known Works Of Robert Louis Stevenson
From Mexican Days to the Gold Rush By Marshall and Buffum
The Walking Drum By Louis L’Amour
One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich By Alexander Solzhenitsyn
Telling Writing By Ken Macrorie
Folklore Myths And Legends Of Britain By Reader’s Digest
The Rockefellers By Peter Collier and David Horowitz
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter By Carson McCullers
Any Survivors? By Martin Freud
Selected Tales And sketches By Nathaniel Hawthorne
Soldier’s Pay By William Faulkner
Off The Back Porch 