The abandoned herb

I planted lemon balm probably about 5 or 6 years ago and until this spring I have only noticed it when it comes to life each spring when it wakes up with the blooming daffodils. Lemon balm is easy to grow and does best in shade. It has a subtle, delicate lemon taste and has many medicinal qualities that you may want to check out for yourself. I've been experimenting with it and one of my favourite recipes that I've created is this pesto. Here is my recipe:
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil; 1-2 small cloves of garlic; 1/2 lemon plus the zest; salt; 7 pecan halves; 1 cup chopped lemon balm leaves. I have found that the best way to make this is to put the olive oil, salt, pecans, lemon juice and zest and garlic cloves in the blender and blend until smooth. Then slowly add in the chopped lemon balm leaves. Serve over any type of warm or cold pasta or oven cooked potatoes. When my plant grows back I am going to add 1 tablespoon of freshly grated Parmesan.
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X15 Fiskars

As I write this I am lying on the warm ground partially under the shade cast by the sword fern fronds. Pumpkin is busy making jelly and the ravens around us are having quite an animated discussion. I am tired and so my mind is drifting like the cirrus clouds above me. But I did want to tell you about my new axe. It's a Fiskar and they are made in Finland. The other axes that I had to choose from while 20.00 cheaper did not say where they were made and I am finished with making any purchases of value from china. It slices kindling like a knife through warm butter and is so much easier on my hands. I haven't had it long enough to tell you if it holds it's edge but I will write about that another time.

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Wood stoves

I found this stove sitting dejectedly beneath the towering douglas fir trees. Behind it was a pile of ash where a cabin before it was demolished once stood. Once I got it home I waited another year while it sat on my back deck as the stove I had used much longer lengths of firewood. After the winter the wood was gone and the new to me stove got moved inside and I hooked it up. Unfortunately it has a bit of rust on it. I've always disliked things that are at this stage. If it was covered in rust I could let it go but since most of the stove is not rusted I have to do something. There are several possibilities. 1. I could paint it. If I do this should it be flat black or glossy or should I go for burgundy or chocolate brown or some other colour? 2. Since I don't have a grinder I cannot do the spark test and I can only assume it is a steel stove. Apparently I could use stove polish but that is for cast iron although there are a few people out there using it on there "steel" stoves but maybe they have cast iron and they are confused. 3. I could put peanut oil on it sort of like conditioning cast iron cookware after removing the rust. And again since it is probably steel the results are uncertain other than I would have one greasy beast to clean up. Now the rusted stove that was inside is sitting outside the gate.....maybe someone will come by and take it.

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At the end of the day it is the beautiful I want to remember. Right now that is the warbling vireo's nesting outside my bedroom window, the first red rose from the garden and the fact that I can now shut the lid on the laundry basket.

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Keeping the perspective

The baby robins are gone but when I ask my daughter what she wants to thank Jesus for at meal time she says, "baby birdies." So I will pray, " We thank you Jesus for the (at this point she joins in with me and says) baby birdies and amen."


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