General Update

 

We have a ten gallon aquarium that started out with red cherry shrimp. Over the last year they did not multiply enough to maintain their population.  Since it is a planted tank and is growing well I did not want to take it down. I have used it as a hospital tank for a panda cory that has a fungus or bacterial infection.  Actually he is back in the because his tail is about gone.  I have treated him twice with antibiotics and with other treatments and it is just getting smaller.  I am not sure what else we can do but I will keep trying.  But in them mean time we bought a blue Betta for the tank.  At first his name was Turkey but then Baylor changed it to Peter.  Since all the fish in the other tank are Spud, I kind of liked Turkey better.  But I did not win that discussion.  But I did guide Baylor to the one I thought was the prettiest. Or most handsome since he is a boy. 

 

 

Last week at Baylor's school the read Elmer the Patchwork Elephant.   So we made elephant cookies to share.  I had grand ideas of brightly frosted patchwork but it was becoming late and frosting smothered in sprinkles worked out just fine.  I did drip some with color and swirled it around. 

 

But I think they turned out just fine and Mary side the kids enjoyed them. 

 

This week they were reading Dr. Seuss in honor of his birthday.  After a bit of internet(Pinterest) searching for inspiration I came up with our own green eggs and ham with supplies we already had in the house.  We used an ice cube tray with little round bottoms to make the green yolk with green candy melts. I used the white melts to make the egg whites and dropped a yolk in before it set.  For the ham I smeared green on top of tiny pretzels and added a white spot for the bone.  We brought them in on Monday and the kids were excited to see what was in the container.   

 

Wednesday was supposed to be a potentially big snow storm that did not hit our area.  We had snow in the morning but it was raining and gone by noon.  Since Baylor did not get to play outside in the snow we made snow in a bin in the house.  It was one box of corn starch and almost a whole can of shaving cream.  It bought about an hour of play.

 

And then he wanted to take a bath with his box of new fun.  He filled it up and played for quite a while. I walked by once to find him sitting in the little tub with a happy smile on his face. 

 

When we got home Thursday night, he wanted to make snow again.  But this time we put the lid on the bin to keep it for another night. 

Maple Syrup Anyone?

Saturday morning after Baylor's swimming lesson we headed to Heather's for a visit.  When we arrived the kids were not out of their jammies but that was fine.  Baylor just wanted to play anyway. The boys took to each other right way and were running around with the new S.W.A.T guns we bought Connor for his birthday.  We eventually bundled up everyone and all piled into her new GMC.  She had flier about a maple syrup demonstration at a local park we wanted to take the kids and of course see it ourselves.  She had never been to the park but a quick Google search and she felt comfortable about getting there.  We did not have any problems and we rushed from the car to the building because it was only 30 degrees out there.  I love the boys are holding hands. 

 

 

Baylor and Connor both asked for hot cocoa while Heather bought the tickets.  The boys also played by the fire to warm up, although they had both taken off their coats. 

 

Of course they had to be boys and pull some funny faces.  I do love Connor's swishy hips! 

 

They did Ring Around the Rosie in front of the vendors.  They had a water color artist, a photographer, basket weaver, jewelry maker, Stamping Up, and Pampered Chef.  We watched the artist paint a cardinal in the snow. We liked his techniques and when he was done he gave it to Connor. He was selling note cards and I told Heather that my first thought when I saw them was to buy one for Molly.  She would have loved one. 

 

Around 1:00 our tour was starting.  The boys suited up and played with their play phones.  They originally had play walkie talkies but I think Baylor left his in the car.  Thankfully he had packed his Elmo phone in case of emergencies. 

 

The guide walked us to pavilion to give us a history lesson of maple syrup, a taste testing of three syrups to guess the real syrup (it was number three), and give us a overview of what we would be doing and the tools we would need.  There is legend that an Indian (not PC but that is what we called them growing up) came back from a hunt and was swarmed by children.  He did not want to hurt the children with his ax so he threw his ax into a maple tree.  The sap dripped into a wood basin all night long. The next day his wife wanted to cook the deer and used the 'water' from the basin.  Apparently she made candied deer and he loved it.  But the mystery was where the sweet water came from.  Of course we will never know the real story but they may have watched the yellow bellied sap sucker tap maple trees.  The insects would be attracted to the sap and the bird would eat them.  Some how they figured it out but they also had to find a way to get the water out because the sap is only 2% sugar.  That is a lot of water to get rid of to make it mildly sweet.  One method they used was to let it freeze overnight.  The ice could be discarded and the liquid would be a bit more concentrated.  They did not have cooking pots until the Europeans arrived so I doubt they made syrup as we know it.  Then they passed out small pancakes and went around dotting them with three unmarked syrups.  I could tell my the thickness the first two were not real and by taste the third one was.  Heather liked the first syrup best which turned out to be Giant brand. The second was Aunt Jememia. 

 

Baylor was interested in the phone of course but when you look around these days, most people are.  It amazes me how many people are more involved with their phones than they are with what is going out around them. 

 

She passed out the tools we would need to tap our tree.  We sent the boys up and Baylor got the spile and Connor got the funnel.  Others had a hammer, awl, bucket, lid, and strainer.

 

We headed out to our tree. 

 

It was number 19.  He showed us a few tips for identifying a maple in winter (rough bark), what side to tap (the south side), and where to tap (look for a big root below and a big branch above).

 

They started the awl and then let anyone take a turn that wanted to try.  We sent the boys up for a spin. 

 

Baylor took the spile up to be put into the hole and as soon as she had it in sap started dripping out. 

 

Each tree will yield about 10 gallons of sap in a season.  I don't think this bucket had a whole gallon and they could not remember if it was a day or two that it had been collecting. There was some ice in the bucket too. 

 

 

Conner had the funnel and another boy had the strainer.

 

Between the two of them they strained and poured the sap into a collection container. 

 

And then it was back to the sugar shack.  Baylor loves bridges so he loved going back and forth over the two. 

 

The creek was quite pretty in its winter austerity. 

 

The first fire we went to was to heat a huge copper kettle.  It was the first step in boiling down the syrup.  It had some in the bottom already steaming away but we added our fresh sap and it really steamed up. 

 

Once it has cooked down some they move it to an evaporator tray.  The sap moves between three chambers while a wood fire burns underneath. 

 

And then we the syrup was ready it was moved to a big stock pot on another fire.  

We found out that it takes 40 gallons of sugar maple sap to make one gallon of syrup and 80 gallons of red maple sap to make one gallon of syrup.  In PA we have mainly red maples.  The concentration must go from 98% water to only 34% water to be syrup.  Once it boils down in the stock pot they move it to the small sauce pan to finish down to a proper syrup. She explained the Vermont grading system and got a bit snotty about VT syrup.  She cannot help it, I am sure she has never been there and is a bit biased to PA syrup.  She passed out popsicle sticks and we all had a taste.  It was fine but I mostly could taste popsicle stick. 

 

While all this evaporation talk was going on Baylor was swishing leaves with sticks.  It made a lot of noise so I had him move down away from the group so he would not bother anyone. He had a lot of fun with the rocks, sticks, and leaves.   

 

And we had a little fun with the camera.

 

After that we were on our own.  We did not stop an buy any PA syrup but nearly ran to the car to warm up! 

 

Life Celebration

 

Sunday February 24 was Molly's Life Celebration at her church in Mountville.  Lori was able to take the day off to join me.  After her shower, Baylor wanted to help her with her new hair style.  She had her hair cut and had highlights put in last week.  Since it is a new style for her and this was her first day styling it Baylor jumped in to help her.  Between the two of them, they made her hair all purdy again. 

 

 

We drove to Mom's house to pick up Mom and drop off Baylor. I did give him the choice of going to the funeral, with an explanation of what that was in case he forgot, or staying at home with Buddy.  Not that my dad did not know Molly and actually I never asked him if he would have wanted to go to the celebration, but I just assumed he would not be going.  Looking back, that was a bit rude of me.  But Baylor chose to stay with Buddy.  When we got there Baylor changed into shorts to be like Buddy.  Dad has been wearing shorts for a while now this winter.  He is kind of vague as to why and just says they are comfortable.  Baylor also brought his cape we made on Saturday.  (Cullen was over for a play date and had a cape on his shirt. Baylor brought me a yellowed t-shirt and I cut it to make a cape).  He ran back and forth showing me how it flew behind him. 

 

I had an emergency tie dye session last week to make us all new shirts.  I had made Molly several tie dye shirts and socks over the years. At the church her brother was even wearing one of them he found in her dresser.  Mom even wore one.

 

We took a few photos while we were at the house. 

 

Back to the celebration.  Lori, Mom and I headed out but not before Baylor had to remind me we were going to a funeral.  I guess we were not leaving him fast enough so he could get to his boy time with Buddy.  I had been to the church before a year or so ago so I knew where it was.  We walked into the lobby and it was packed.  Her friend Linda found me and we hugged and talked a bit. We walked around the room to see the tables packed with photos, photo boards, memorabilia from her house and her life.  I had mailed Linda a few of my photos of Molly and they were able to use some and we found a few surprise photos of us Molly had at her house.  They had her rainbow slippers I had bought her.  The tie dye shirts and a pair of socks.  Plants, rocks, writings.  Copies of recipes she had sent into Gooseberry Patch and were published (both of them given to her by me. In fact our old boss at the job where we met was there and I told her one of those recipes was one she had given me)  We saw photos from all times in her life and it was wonderful.  I meet her brother Andy and her sister in law Tammie.  I meet Sharon and Sue, two friends from way back who were the name sakes to Molly's cats, Sharon and Sue.  I met Michael, her gay artist friend who lives in NYC.  He was also her escort to Homecoming when she was elected Homecoming Queen.  I talked to Linda again, her good friend from high school.  They had reconnected in the last 10 or so years and were like peas and carrots again.  Molly was always telling me where they were going, their nights at Molly's Place Pub listening to Sal play, having a drink and a good time.  I met Sal, the last person I know she had a bit of a crush on. I asked Linda if she thought Molly knew she was that sick and both her and Sue thought she was just in denial.  She had been healthy for so long I don't think she wanted to believe it had become so bad.  None of us did. But we think the fall and breaking her leg made it all happen faster than it would have had she not broken her leg. 

 The celebration started at 2:00 with a few words from the minister, a prayer, a song (I'll Fly Away, one of my favorites) a reading of scripture that Molly related to and a song sung by the choir she was a part of, Sal played a song on the piano and sang, the minister made a parallel between a geode and Molly (kind of dry (humor) and rough and closed up until you were able to break through and then she sparkled for everyone).  Then people were able to speak.  Her brother Andy spoke first.  He first thanked everyone for coming, for sharing in the celebration of his sister.  He said he was going through her house looking for her will and other papers and how if you have ever been to her house you know what a job it was.  He said he found this writing on her coffee table.  He did not know what it was for and it was pretty rough but he thought it would be good to read at the service.  It started with a quote for a magnet in my kitchen, "The barns burnt down, now I can see the moon".  I bought it in VT on the trip we wrecked our car and I needed something positive.  I was surprised to hear it being quoted.  She went on to write she always imagined an old geezer on his porch saying it and what it meant to him.  But the more she thought about it the barn could be the walls we build up around us. And when we allow the walls to come down, we let others see inside and we get to see the inside of other's. She said it much better than I did but that is what I can remember.  Several friends spoke and most of them even had it written out.  No matter when the story took place, everyone could relate because Molly was always Molly.  I remember one friend mentioned it did not matter how long they went between seeing Molly, things picked up right where they left off when they were back together.  It was so true. There was a lot of laughter and a lot of tears.  While the choir sang another song, we were invited to hang Christmas balls on a ficus tree that had red paper hands already on it.  Some of the were Molly's hands from another church service in the past.  Every year Molly would paint the inside of glass Christmas balls to sell for fund raisers so it was something special to her that she had requested. 

After the celebration, we went downstairs for snacks and drinks.  We went down  for a bit but since we really do not know many of her friends we did not stay very long.  I talked to Andy and he asked me if I knew about the letter/essay he had read and I told him I had no idea.  But we had not been to her house in a while and she had never mentioned it.  We talked to Karen and Tiny and promised to get together soon.   It was almost 3:30 when we left and headed home to pick up Baylor.  Mom said it was the best service she has ever gone to and she was glad she went.  Seeing all the people there for Molly made Mom think about when her mom died, there were no friends there.  But Grandma had moved to Springfield, MO when she was not able to live alone in AZ.  She did not drive and did not go out with out my Aunt or cousin.  When she went to the nursing home, she was not in a state to socialize.  All her friends that were still alive were in AZ and not able to travel to MO for her funeral.  I believe her ashes were sent to AZ or my aunt took them there to be placed in the vault with my grandpa.  It got me to thinking that since we are not church people we most likely would not have a church full of people at our service's either.  Molly also lived in the same area most of her life and had friends going back to grade school.  Mom had friends from grade school but they live all over the US.  I can go only as far as eight grade.  But that does not matter really.  If I treat my friends as well as Molly did, I hope my friends will show up to celebrate me.