A house by any other name...

Nine years ago my husband and I bought a 3 bedroom 1 bath fixer-upper that was built in 1905. (Yes 1905, not a typo). Many people would say this house is not without it's charms. I would like to ask them what they are? No, really it's been the perfect house. Except for potty training, or trying to hang a dress in my closet, or when my husband nearly knocked himself out as he went into my son's bedroom. There is only one bathroom, which is also a hallway. My closet is so short that my dresses touch the floor. The doorway into my son's room is less than 6 feet tall. But it isn't all bad. I can clean the entire thing in one day and still have time to watch a movie. My children's rooms are really close to mine making the first year of each of their lives very convenient. I only had to stumble about 15 feet in the night. It really is a great house for small children. My children aren't that small anymore.

AND for the good news. We are about to build a new house. The city council approved the building permit. Now just a few more weeks of waiting and HOPEFULLY, we'll be ready to build in June. So this house was sweet but I am really looking forward to more space.

 

If you have any suggestions please offer them now. I don't want to ever have to build again so your help would be greatly appreciated!! Thanks to everyone who has given me advice so far. Much of it has been VERY helpful.

 

Coming up...The value of dirt.

Reduced Sugar Strawberry Jam

I've made more jam this year than any other. My family LOVES strawberry jam. I am not a heath nut but every recipe I've ever seen has as much or more sugar than fruit. I challenge this. A few years ago my sister shared with me a recipe her mother-in-law had shared with her. Instead of pectin Jell-o was used as a thickener. I tried it. It worked great. The recipe was for apricot jam but why wouldn't it work with any other fruit? So since cooking is an experiment, I did.

I like a looser jam so I often didn't use as much pectin as a recipe indicated anyway. This recipe works great for me giving me the consistency I desire with a lot less sugar.

This is also easy to make in a sugar free variety using a sugar substitute and sugar free Jell-o.

Adjust it as you like. If you like a really sweet thick jam this is not for you but it is for me!

Happy summer!!

 

Reduced sugar Strawberry jam (with Jell-O)

8 pounds strawberries hulled and washed

4 C. Sugar (or less to taste)

1 package (4 servings) Strawberry flavored gelatin

Cut strawberries into small pieces.  (I put mine in the food processor but you can just cut them if you like a chunkier jam. They do break down some while cooking.) Put in a large pot and stir in sugar. (This is where I taste it for sweetness. Remember that once the sugar and fruit cook together it will be sweeter.) Cook over high heat until boiling then turn to medium heat stirring occasionally. (use a really large pot or watch that it doesn't boil over. Big mess!)

The value of an appendage

While away on a work trip my town received about seven inches of snow. By the time I arrived home the following day the only evidence of the white blanket were the mounds that had been pushed in a parking lot. But in my yard (and a few others) the storm left more on the ground than snow. A branch about 18 inches in diameter had fallen from a massive tree in my yard.

The blessing in this: The tree has to come down so we can build a house in that location. My husband had planned to take it down last summer...As you know things don't always happen when anticipated.

So Saturday, limb by limb, we cut down the tree. It was bittersweet since the tree was a perfect tree house tree but with each "timber" we see the rotten center. How the tree stood as long as it did with that weak center surprised me.

In these adventures I hurt my thumb. Just a small gouge, no big deal. I didn't even stop to get a bandage. I just let it bleed. Monday at work I sat at a computer. Ouch, another word, another ouch. Man, who know such a small injury could cause such discomfort? I use that spot on my thumb to hit the space bar.

What does this have to do with writing? There are several things, symbolism, the huge tree had a dead center. You don't always know what you'll get. Even the smallest things can have large consequences. But me, I think I'll say that you can find an excuse to do (or not do) just about anything. Do you want it bad enough to push through the pain? (All that from a dying tree.)

Now, the wound has healed. I'd love to tell you that is why I haven't spent as much time writing as I should. Or maybe it's work, with only 20 school days left in the year, I am busy. But really, I'm just being a slacker. On a positive note, I'm making strawberry jam. Next time, if I'm not being a slacker, I'll share with you my low sugar recipe.

A word of praise

Think back to high school. Who won prom royalty the year(s) you attended? Were they good looking? Popular? Vain? Selfish? Many high school movies would lead you to believe that this is the kind of person peers nominate for the prestigious title of prom king or queen.

 This is not the case at all schools. I must praise the students who nominate and vote for those who need this positive recognition. The students who are brave enough to stand up and declare that people are people and have something to offer, even if they aren't "typical." I know a school where this has happened not just once but multiple times. When I hear of events like this I have hope for a great future, with leaders who not only think of themselves but of others. This VERY simple act may change the course of a lifetime. Not only for those who receive the crown, not even just those who award it but for people everywhere who struggle with some limitation. Which really describes all of us. Even with weaknesses, disabilities or inabilities we all have value!

In writing news, this is the cover for the Christmas anthology with my story in it. If you read last years story this one is a companion. If you didn't, it won't affect your understanding or enjoyment. With the support of  wonderful friends I sent $500 to the National Down Syndrome Society last year. This year all profits will be donated to Autism Speaks. Since I've worked in special education for the last seven years I can fully support anything that provides knowledge of how to help those with limitations. Our goal in special ed is to help all students reach their full potential. Their abilities are often greater than their disabilities.

Tragedy is inspirational

A follow-up post to the last one regarding Elam Jones. While entering his funeral I was asked by a news person for a quote. Caught on the spot I didn't have one but after thinking about it for a while I came up with a great one. Of course the news crews were gone by the time I left the funeral so my brilliant quote remained unsaid. But I think you deserve to hear it.

"The way Elam's family is handling this tragedy is inspirational. Where hatred and bitterness could grow they are cultivating love and faith."

My father worked in a coal mine for 27 years and I never thought about how he risked his life to support his family. The dangers are real in any job. Some offer a larger chance for accidents. So count your blessings. You have lived another day. No one knows when their time will come, so make the most of it!

One Man Dead Another Injured

            Not a great title for a writing blog but what do you think when you read it? How sad. What happened? But if you stop and really think about it you will speculate on this man's life. Who did this man leave behind to mourn his lost? A wife, children, maybe parents or siblings? So back to the real question, why did I start this way? Simple. This was the headline that reported the lost of a friend. A brother, son, husband and father has been reclaimed by heaven. Much like the victims of September 11th he probably kissed his wife and two young boys goodbye and went to work. Just another day. No one suspected that he wouldn't come home. He was killed in the line of duty. Will people see him as a hero? He only mined coal. That is not a hero's job. Or is it? Is the light on above you? What is powering the device on which you are reading this? So my opinion is he was a hero and should live in our heart as such.

            Now if you're reading this for writing information there are several things you could take away but I'll give you this one. Now that I've told you a little about the man from the headline you may feel sorrow or sympathy at a greater level. Did you think of someone you lost? If so, did that ache renew in your heart. I'm sorry for causing you pain, wait, no I'm not. Isn't that why we read? To allow us to feel emotions, escape our reality for someone else's if only for a while. As a writer you need your readers to like your character enough to sympathize with him or her.

            With that I dedicate this post to the memory of Elam Jones. May his dear sweet family know that they are not alone in mourning his loss. Who will join me?

Can editing be fun?

Another week and I've almost finished editing one of the books I've written. It is a just for fun about a student developing a crush on a substitute teacher. Don't worry, the teacher resists his advances. When I first started writing I didn't think editing could be any fun but as I edit this book it's like Christmas. Each night brings a little surprise. I wrote this story three years ago and some of the finer points of plot have been forgotten, so it's like a new story. Now that I've been writing for a few more years I also see an increase in my skill. So can editing be fun? Can rereading a book be enjoyable? What do you think? How often do you reread?