Quote du jour/Charles H. Spurgeon

 "Begin as you mean to go on, and go on as you began..."

Charles Spurgeon

I have often read these words in British books, or heard them on British television. And they have been spinning in my head as this new year arrived.

The past years have been pretty blogless for me. I haven't writtten much or read much. It's been an odd time, and I am going to begin on this day and go on. I miss writing. It is good for me. It takes me completely into what I am thinking about, rather like a meditation. But even more, I miss reading. I miss all the different voices of fellow bloggers. I miss reading about your lives, and gardens, and books. A blogging friend's father died and I didn't know for too long. That made me so sad, and pretty much brought about this new resolve. 

I am going to give myself the gift of sitting down each day in the study and either reading or writing or both. I love this room with its south and west windows, a computer desk, a writing desk for letters (which I am also working on doing more often) and paying bills (yes, I still pay as many as I can by check, which isn't a lot these days and I still check my checking account!). And the rest of the room is photographs, plants, books, and Tom's mother's dolls. It has two doors, so I can be quiet when I'm in here.

So, what brilliant topic will I write about on this first day of the year?  I thought I would tell you how much I love paper calendars. I have two. The one in the study, just to my left as I write this, is by a New Hampshire woman. 

 Cindy Hendrick does the most delightful drawings, and has created a whole little world of animals. Her website is here. 

The second calendar is in the kitchen. Susan Branch is probably very familiar to most of you. I've had her calendars for many years, and also have her address book and birthday book. I love her work, and all the wonderful quotes she has introduced to me. Actually, her newest book is one of quotes. I don't own it yet, but will before long.

I love this quote:

So, there you have it. A little blog entry to welcome in this new year, and as Mr. Lennon said, "Let's hope it's a good one, without any fear." That kind of says it all, doesn't it.

I don't write on either of these beauties. I have a desk engagement calendar I use for jotting down days we take care of the grandchildren, etc. And speaking of grandchildren, this is the 2022 Christmas card!

Campbell Walker, 8

Hazel Nina, 9

Indy Thomas, 7

Old sayings

One of the things that goes along with the shift from agricultural to urban in this country is that the old sayings most likely make no sense to someone who has never been in a farm or rural environment. Take this product, for instance.

A lot has changed since 1886.  I'm glad they decided to keep the slogan on the can for old time's sake. What it means is that when chicks first come out of the eggs, it is a little while before they 'scratch' - before they begin to use their claws to rake the bedding material. Chickens spend a lot of their time scratching up the soil for food, and probably that first scratching is an innate knowledge of what they need to do to survive.

So, for a product that promises not to scratch your sink, this is the perfect saying. There's a nice page about the company here.

I've read that more people in cities and bigger towns are raising chickens now, so maybe the saying will be better understood in the populace. I certainly didn't know what it meant until we began keeping chickens all those years ago. Incidentally, we have new chickens arriving in May. I've written about the experience here on the blog.

Loi Couscoussaki

This was new on my local co-op's shelf this week.

And because I always try any new-to-me pasta that I see, I bought some. We had it last night with the pesto recipe I posted recently. It was so good that I hated to see the meal end!

It has a different taste from both regular couscous, and Israeli couscous. I didn't happen to have any of the latter at home, but I do have some regular couscous - on left, so you can see the difference between them.

You may find out more about Israeli couscous here. I like it, too, but this Greek couscous is my favorite! I love the texture and the taste. The Greek couscous took a few minutes to cook, while you barely have to cook regular couscous. Last fall I posted a Couscous Tabouli recipe here. 

You may read more about the Loi company here. They offer several different varieties, and I plan to try them all.

Please do visit Weekend Cooking for lots more food related postings. 

Product placement/Little Secrets

Another product placement as my offering to Weekend Cooking.

A little mantra of my food life is that there is always an alternative. If a product is full of artificial colors and preservatives, there is a healthier choice. When I was 20 the only place to buy such alternatives was in so-called health food stores. Now, most every store offers these choices.

Recently Hazel Nina discovered the delights of M&Ms. She says "Emmam." As the natural foods eating Nana, I was so very happy to see a display rack at my local co-op of an M&M alternative. 

Here are the ones that are the M&M variety: the only one they offer in milk chocolate, which is good because that's what the kids are used to.

From the look of the rack, the dark and milk chocolate are the most popular.

This is the ingredient list for the milk chocolate variety

The website for Little Secrets which you may visit here, says this on their FAQ page:

These colors are crazy gorgeous. You’re sure you’re not using Yellow No. 5?We’re sure, and we’d never do that to you. We use turmeric to make yellow, beet juice for red, spirulina for blue, pumpkin, carrot, and radish for orange, and red cabbage juice for purple. We realize that sounds like an intense drink at a juice bar, but we promise our candy doesn’t taste like the produce section at the farmer’s market.

Both times I have checked out with some, the young men at the cash register raved about how great they were. And the best thing is that Hazel Nina loves them. She walks in and points to the shelf asking for 'little secets.' Today I put them in a jar, which I think will delight her. She might want to try the other ones, too, the ones her grandparents think are delicious.

Product placement/Dave's Killer Bread

I really mean to put up a Weekend Cooking post each week, but it has been quite busy lately and I haven't had much time to read blogs or write postings.


As you may know if you've been reading my letters for a while I bake my own bread. I usually make it twice a week, but when I don't have a chance I always have a couple loaves of store-bought bread in my freezer. It is difficult to find organic, whole wheat (or mostly whole wheat) bread, but recently I came upon a new display in my local co-op for Dave's Killer Bread.

This company makes several kinds, including a regular white version

This bread is packed with nutrition!

What is special about this bread, besides the fact that it is so healthy, is what I learned from the label.

My co-op is a small store in a little town so if Dave's Killer Bread is available here, it must be all over the country. I'm happy and proud to be buying this product. It is delicious bread toasted or in sandwiches. Healthy for me, and good for society.

You may visit the website here.

Product placement/Himalayan salt

I saw this salt at my local Co-op, and thought I'd give it a try. It is apparently like a million times better for you than good ol' Morton's iodized salt, or even sea salt. There's a lot of info here and here, if you are interested in learning about it. In addition to the benefits, I can tell you it is delicious. I am a big salt girl. I don't feel badly about using salt because I don't eat processed foods which are usually loaded with it. And this stuff really tastes good. I use the one on the right for salting soups or adding to things and the one on the left for salting my food. It is a bit crunchy and sweet, and it looks so pretty! I love this salt.

If you'd like to read more food related postings, please visit Beth Fish Reads.

Product placement/chocolate hazelnut spread

When you read the subject line you may have thought, Nutella. That product is the most famous, and is probably the first way people taste a chocolate hazelnut spread. It is fine tasting, but it contains an artificial vanilla flavoring. Here is the list of ingredients:

Sugar, vegetable oil, hazelnuts (13%), cocoa powder (7.4%), non-fat milk solids, emulsifier (soy lecithin), flavor (vanillin)

For all of my adult eating life, I have tried to avoid artificial colors and flavors. Because I like the taste of Nutella, I went searching for an alternative, and have now tried three different companies. Each of them is out-of-this-world delicious with much better ingredients. Yes, they cost more, but so do the organic vegetables and fruits I choose to buy. I would rather spend money on my health than have many pairs of shoes. 

The one I have settled on as my very favorite is Barefoot and Chocolate. 

Ingredients: organic cane sugar, hazelnuts, certified sustainable palm fruit oil, organic cocoa powder, organic sunflower oil, organic skimmed milk powder, sunflower lecithin, organic vanilla. 

I keep it out on the counter and have a couple spoonfuls a day. Makes me happy and tastes delicious.

As well as being a 'product placement,' I think I'll offer this as a Weekend Cooking posting. If you aren't familiar with this weekly series, you really should go visit if you are at all interested in food!

Today's picture, and Product placement/socks

My Old Farmer's Almanac calendar's offering for this day is

Wear mismatched socks to bring good luck

And today Hazel Nina showed up in these socks!

They come from a terrific Vermont company called Solmate Socks whose motto is

Life's too short for matching socks

Product placement/baby food

It’s a wonderful time to be a baby! When my kids were little there weren’t any organic baby foods. And now, there are wonders beyond wonders. Any fruits you can imagine. Interesting combinations like bananas, apricots, and baby rice. Amazing offerings like vegetables and beans. If you click on any of the links below you can see the huge range of products available. 

Ella's Kitchen

Plum Organics

Earth's Best

Stonyfield YoBaby

and one I didn't happen to have on the shelf when I took the picture - Happy Family Brands.

Product placement/towels

After we ate at the Mexican restaurant on St. Patrick’s Day, the four of us went shopping at BJs and then at Walmart. At the latter, I was amazed to find some towels that were made in the US. I stopped in my tracks and happily read the labels. 

And bought two towels. 

This is not your old-fashioned American textile manufacturer. It is a modern, truly global company. There aren’t whole towns all over the south making the towels of my childhood. But there are 200 Americans employed in the manufacture of these towels. You may read more at the site.

I’m not naive enough to believe that the American south will ever again make the towels of yesteryear. All the world is connected now. But it makes me feel good to know that within this giant company, there are 200 folks in Georgia doing the work that Rick Bragg’s family did.

Product placement/shower curtain

If you look under Letter Topics, you'll find very few 'product placements.' Of the six postings there, the camera has been replaced by one I like much better, and the crackers are not available in my area anymore. I also never buy that oatmeal now. I got rid of the tee shirt when Ben died. But the remaining two are still very popular here at Windy Poplars. Sadie gets her Sea Jerky every day, and at eight years old her legs are stronger than they were seven years ago. The pudding makes its way into the shopping cart occasionally.

In the US, people of both political parties bemoan the fact that so very little is made in our country anymore. I was delighted to find that the cotton duck shower curtains sold by The Vermont Country Store are made in Vermont with US grown cotton. A minor miracle in these times. And I don't find the cost prohibitive at all because these curtains last a long time. All you have to do is wash them occasionally, and hang them to dry. They are thick enough so water doesn't get through, eliminating the need for a liner. And you aren't throwing away those awful, stiff plastic things that take forever to biodegrade.

This is what the company has to say:

We didn't believe it 'til we tried it, but it's true: You can have a cotton shower curtain and your bathroom will stay dry. Which means you can get rid of that annoying, billowing liner that clings to your legs and cuts your showering room in half. Our 10 oz. 100% cotton duck fabric shower curtain's tenacity and tight weave ensure that water won't seep through. Available in 65" X 72" bathtub shower or 38" X 72" shower stall. Machine wash, line dry. Made here in Vermont.

    • Fabric shower curtain has rustproof metal grommets that won't tear out
    • Machine wash and line dry; any wrinkles disappear after hanging
    • Cotton shower curtain available for shower stalls or bathtub showers
    • Tightly woven 10 oz. 100% cotton duck fabric shower curtain will not let water seep through
    • Made in Vermont
At The Vermont Country Store we say it's curtains for the shower liner: Our heavy-duty cotton shower curtain is a solo act.

You may buy your own here. And if you buy two in the next month, you can get free shipping. Or you could buy one and buy some other great products they offer to add up to $65.

Enter Promotion Code FSPW36 in Your Shopping Bag

*Valid on in-stock items only. Not valid on previous purchases, sales of gift cards, product exchanges, or duties and taxes. Surcharges may apply due to size, weight, or special handling required. Multiple-address orders must have at least a $65 value to each location to qualify for Free Shipping. Not to be combined with any other promotions. Expires 12/12/12 at midnight ET.

In addition to all these positive factors, the curtains are beautiful. I have both the white one, and the blue tick stripe.

You can see the part that got wet during today's showers. The cotton duck absorbs the water. Also, I wanted to show you that it is wide enough to fit on the curved shower rod. Truly a perfect product.

Addendum: from the dictionary:

Cotton duck

Cotton duck (from Dutch doek,"linen canvas"), also simply duck, sometimes duck cloth or duck canvas, commonly called "canvas" outside the textile industry, is a heavy, plain woven cotton fabric. There is also linen duck, which is less often used.

Duck is used in a wide range of applications, from sneakers to use for artists' paintings to tents to sandbags.^[1]

Duck fabric is woven with two yarns together in the warp and a single yarn in the weft.^{[citation needed]}

Classification

Van Gogh, Vincent, Self-portrait with Bandaged Ear, Easel and Japanese Print, January 1889

Oil on canvas, 60 × 49 cm

Courtauld Institute Galleries, London (F527). Van Gogh wears a coat made from cotton duck.

Duck is classified according to weight in a numerical system, with grade 1 the heaviest and grade 12 the lightest variety. Besides this, traditional names exist, which are rarely used today.

A numbering system is used to describe the various weights of duck cloth, based on the weight of a 36×22-inch piece. Weights below 19 ounces are called numbered duck. The grade of numbered duck refers to the number of ounces subtracted from 19 for a 36×22-inch piece of fabric. For example, a piece of #8 numbered duck with dimensions of 36"×22" weighs 11 ounces (19 − 8 = 11); those above 19 ounces are called naught duck.^[2]

Numbered duck is nominally made in weights from 1 to 12, but numbers 7, 9, and 11 are no longer used. Some typical uses of various grades (with weights in ounces) are^[1]:

• #1 (18 oz): hammocks, cots, sandbags
• #2 (17 oz): hatch paulins
• #3 (16 oz): heavy-duty bags
• #4 (15 oz): sea bags
• #5 (14 oz): heavy work clothes
• #6 (13 oz): large boat covers, heavy work clothes
• #8 (11 oz): work clothes, clothes bags
• #10 (9 oz): work clothes, shower curtains
• #12 (7 oz): light clothes

My camera

I have been asked a few times over the course of this blog what kind of camera I use. I believe there have been three in the almost four years I've been writing. The first was perfectly adequate. The pictures were fine, though not always as clear as I wished. For my birthday two years ago, Tom gave me a really nice camera. It was so wonderful of him, and I felt really badly because I just couldn't figure it out. I'm not one for technical details. I don't like fussing. My pictures turned out great most of the time, but I'd take many, many shots before getting a good one. I'd get frustrated, and then feel guilty because he'd given me this nice gift and it just wasn't for me.

In August we went to our nephew's wedding, and I couldn't take one picture. The focus button didn't work. I tried using Margaret's, the one we gave her last Christmas, and it was great. I could see the whole scene I wanted to shoot. And all I had to do was push a button. I finally admitted to Tom that I felt badly, but I wanted a camera like that. He understood completely. He had heard my wailings of frustration enough to know it was time for something different.

Well, I'll tell you, I couldn't be happier. This is the camera of my dreams. It has all I need and I understand it. Oh, and one of the best things is that it is small and light. I can pop it in my pocket or my bag. The other one was hefty, and I had to put it around my neck. I wouldn't think of taking it somewhere because it was just too much to carry around.

The cost was way less than the 'better' camera, but for me it is perfect. If you'd like one, here's the info.

Product placement/Sea Jerky

Look at our Sadie run! Ears blowing in the wind as she flies through the wildflowers.






Well, when she was a little one she couldn't do this. At first we thought she just had 'funky' legs - that she just ran funny, but as she grew to maturity, we realized that she had real problems. It was hard for her to get up when she had been sleeping. She couldn't really run. The vet thought there was probably some arthritis, but gosh, she was awfully young for that to set in. Then we found this stuff at the health food store. The owner told us that people swore by it. So we gave it a try, and it worked like a miracle cure. At five years old now, she is so much better than she was at one or two. It is pricey, but so very worth the cost to us. We are quite sure she would have had to be put down by now if she had continued on the way she was. You may read more about the product here. There are different flavors. The smell is quite alluring to the dogs, and they love the taste. Since Ben doesn't need it, Tom does what he calls 'the sleight of hand' each evening. He gets out the sea jerky and also a couple dog bones. He rubs the dog biscuits with the sea jerky strip, and Ben gets them while Sadie gets her medicine.

Product placement/pudding

When I was a little girl my mother used to make chocolate pudding from scratch. This 'store-bought' pudding is the closest I've ever tasted. There are many different varieties if chocolate isn't your favorite. A real plus for me is that the farm has a humane certification. You may read more about it here, and if interested may find out if it is available on your store shelves. They also offer mail order shipping to several states.

Product placement/Tee shirt

My new tee shirt! You may buy one at Bas Bleu.