More Neighborhood Exploration

Recently when there was a break from the frigid temperatures and the cold rains, we explored another neighborhood park. We found tennis courts, ball fields, playgrounds, an exercise trail, and a nature walk. We explored the nature walk which had long ago lost any of its information. Below are a few pictures.

The temperatures were in the fifties and the sky was clear.

The trail was mostly dry with only a few muddy spots from the rains earlier in the week.

We walked for a while chatting before I spotted this interesting tree. I felt it needed more investigation.

Ward was happy to wait on the trail while I fought my way through the brush to find the tree.

It was worth the scratches and the sticks in my hair because when I got closer, I found the ground littered with hedgeapples.

The large tree that I went to see was pretty impressive, but I was most excited with the hedgeapples. I didn't remember a lot about them, so I looked up one of my posts I did several years ago about hedgeapples when we got home. It's copied below if you want to learn a little more.

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A Second Look--Hedgeapples

A Second Look guest this week--Miss Landers.  Photo credits: Miss Landers 

Miss Landers is introducing all kinds of things to me. First it was rutabagas and now it's hedgeapples which she found doing a Second Look around her vacation cabin.  Hedgeapples are something that I've heard about all of my life, but wasn't quite sure what they were.  Here are a few things I found out.

Hedgeapple

Hedgeapples are a bumpy fruit about the size of a grapefruit that grows on a thorny tree. They are a member of the mulberry family and have naturalized all over the United States although they are quite common in the prairies where rows of them were planted as wind breaks. Also, when they were allowed to grow together as a thorny hedge, the trees provided an effective fence for cattle. Hedgeapple trees were used extensively for cattle management until the invention of barbed wire. (Are you starting to get the idea of where the name "hedgeapple" came from?)

Although not toxic, they aren't as popular as you think they would be in the food world. The hulls are tough to get into which sends a lot of animals elsewhere. However, our friend, the squirrel, manages to chew to the inside to get to the tasty seeds.

Miss Landers found the ground littered with them.

We humans don't eat them either, but we do use the tree and its fruit for a few other things. Many people swear by the insect repellent properties of the hedgeapple, but as usual, the scientists don't see any real proof it helps. The wood of the tree is quite dense and is used to make bows. Many think it makes the best bows in the world.

This hedgeapple got caught between branches during its fall.

I know a little more about hedgeapples now. I can't wait to visit Miss Landers' vacation cabin and see the hedgeapples for myself.

(BTW:  Hedgeapples are also known as Osage oranges, horse apples, and bodarks.)

Want to know more?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maclura_pomifera

http://hedgeapple.com/

http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/hortnews/1997/10-10-1997/hedgeapple.html

Lagniappe

I like to say the word lagniappe. (Say lagniappe. I pronounce it the second way where the emphasis is on the second syllable). I first learned the word when I moved to New Orleans where it is used frequently. It means a little something extra like the extra doughnut in a baker's dozen. Recently I've received some lagniappe that I describe below. Mind you, I am using the definition of the word loosely in a couple of examples because, remember, I like to say lagniappe.

First, there was the letter from Costco stating that they got a better deal on the Ninja Bullet we bought in December so here was a $20 store credit. Great! The only problem was that we didn't buy a Ninja Bullet. After checking with the store that someone else wasn't using our account and buying blenders, they said just spend it. So we did. An extra $20. Now that's good lagniappe.

And speaking again of New Orleans, I got a fun surprise recently. My friends from there sent me a Christmas ornament. You may remember from my parade of ornaments that I needed to get one from New Orleans so we would have one from every place we have lived. And now we do. That was very thoughtful, very appreciated lagniappe.

The third extra things I acquired were three Corelle bowls. Aunt Martha was giving them away because she had gotten new ones. Even though the old ones had silverware stains from years of use, I took them. Now there's nothing wrong with eating from a stained bowl, but I decided to try to clean them. After a good scrubbing with soap and water, soaking with bleach cleaner, and trying baking soda's magic, I found that Bar Keeper's Friend did the trick. Now we have three shiny white bowls that already are getting frequent use. Thanks, Aunt Martha for the lagniappe. Glad you found a good sale on Corelle Ware because we are enjoying your hand-me-downs.

I bet if I paid attention, I would see more lagniappe around me. And then I could tell everyone about it. Because, you know, I like to say the word lagniappe. Have you been given any lagniappe recently?

But Wait There's More:

Here's what Mark Twain had to say about the word lagniappe in Life on the Mississippi.

"We picked up one excellent word--a word worth traveling to New Orleans to get; a nice limber, expressive, handy word--'lagniappe.' They pronounce it lanny-yap. It is Spanish--so they said. We discovered it at the head of a column of odds and ends in the Picayune, the first day; heard twenty people use it the second; inquired what it meant the third; adopted it and got facility in swinging it the fourth. It has a restricted meaning, but I think the people spread it out a little when they choose. It is the equivalent of the thirteenth roll in a 'baker's dozen.' It is something thrown in, gratis, for good measure. The custom originated in the Spanish quarter of the city. ... If the waiter in the restaurant stumbles and spills a gill of coffee down the back of your neck, he says 'For lagniappe, sah,' and gets you another cup without extra charge." - Life on the Mississippi

Source:  Mark Twain Quotes

The Fab Four

Beatles photo from 1963 Life.

Most of you know who I mean when I say the Fab Four. And if you are of a certain age you will definitely know that I'm talking about the Beatles. I was pretty young when they hit the scene in the US, but I remember the first time I heard of them. My oldest sister and her friend, Sandy, were very excited over the most recent issue of Life magazine. When I asked what they were looking at, they told me that it was the Beatles, and then went on with their excited conversation, ignoring me completely. However, talk of the Beatles was everywhere and it didn't take me long to figure out who they were. As I got a little older, I joined the frenzy and declared I was a Ringo person. I would walk around with my friends singing, "I love you (Ringo, John, Paul, George), oh yes I do. When you're not near to me, I'm blue, Oh, Ringo I love you."


Mind you I only knew a couple of their songs, "She Loves You, and "Hard Days Night" but that didn't mean that I didn't imitate my older sisters and go ga-ga over them. Several years later, I got to know their music and loved much of it. However, I never went to a Beatles concert. Even if I had been old enough, it seems their US tours didn't include rural West Virginia. But recently, I went to the next best thing.

During the concert, 1964 members wore long hair wigs.

Ward and I went to see the Beatles tribute band, 1964, last week.  According to the Rolling Stone, they are the best Beatles tribute band in the world. I don't know if that's true, but they did put on a very good show.  I had a fun evening singing along to the very familiar Beatles' songs. (Ward is not a sing-along type of guy. His job is to poke me when I get too loud.)

For a few days after the concert, we watched old Youtube videos of the Beatles on Ed Sullivan Show and other places. As it turns out, the members of 1964 had the stances, movements, and speech patterns down to a T.  And somehow, I think the current band members are probably better musicians that the Fab Four, but somehow still sounded just like them. That's talent.

Anyway, I thought later about how this was the perfect concert experience. I got to hear great songs. I mean, I actually got to hear them. As you may remember during the original concerts, there were so many screaming girls around, you couldn't hear much. Well, those screaming girls are all grown up now and would rather sing along than scream. So, I figure it may have been worth the 50 year wait to go to a "Beatles" concert.  I wonder if my sister is jealous? 🙂

This and That

Last time I posted it was Christmas Day and then, boom, here we are almost two weeks later. How did that happen? In much the same it way it always does, I guess. I get busy, both physically and mentally, and my mind says that I don't have time to sit down and write a coherent post. Much like it is talking to me this morning. However, I've decided to ignore that little voice and write anyway. The jury's still out as to whether or not it will be coherent.

Let's see. What's been going on recently? I only wish I could remember exactly what, but here are a few things that pop into my mind.

Baby, it's cold outside.
Like the rest of the East, we've been having unseasonably cold temperatures. For this area that means, single digits with winds at 30-40 miles/hour. Throw in a couple of snowfalls and that means that you were much more likely to find me on the couch wrapped in a fuzzy blanket with a cat on my lap than enjoying the great outdoors.

Darn that weather.
And while I love my couch time with the fuzzy blanket and cats, I wish the weather had let up a little last week. Ward and I planned a couple of days away from the hustle and bustle of the holidays to do some hiking and explore the little towns on the way to where we would spend the night. The reality was that most everything was closed for the season or for the weather (see above). So while we didn't commune with nature as I had hoped, darn that weather, we did find a nice art museum and some good unstructured time to just talk.

They're dropping like flies.
It's cold and flu season again and seems like everyone around is getting sick. Most of the people I work with have had some kind of cold, flu etc., and the holiday events have had their own share of ill people attending. Nothing like being in a crowded church pew with coughing people or at a holiday party with sneezing and coughing people. However, so far, no one in this house has been sick. We're hoping that the extra Vitamin C will continue to protect us.

It tastes so good.
And while we've been able to avoid the flu so far, we've not been able to avoid those extra pounds that often show up this time of year. I guess I should speak only for myself. I haven't been able to avoid those extra pounds that show up this time of year. Christmas brings out the best bakers and candy makers and I have really enjoyed the fruits of their labors. Not to mention the special chocolates and party food that abounded. I'm glad that we're almost done with all of the goodies because my pants are starting to get a little tight.


A Fresh Start
The new year is a time for reflection and for looking forward. A fresh start, so to speak. And as soon as we get the Christmas stuff put away, I'll start thinking about that. However by popular demand, all of our Christmas decorations are still up. We agreed to take them down on the Epiphany which is today. So in case you're interested, I think you can figure out what's on the top of my To Do list for today.

Until next time...