Lehman's Country Life

The wire skeletons of old lampshades can be transformed into olive oil chandeliers using common canning jars.

Monday, Sept. 7, 2009
United Feature Syndicate

MARYJANE’S EVERYDAY ORGANIC

There’s something about gazing up into a starry night sky that is deeply soul stirring. The sight of all that infinite diamond-studded darkness has the power to erase the trappings of modern life, bringing us back to a more primal part of ourselves, a part that is still exuberantly wild.

Not so long ago, you could simply drive a few miles out of town after dark and find nighttime as nature intended it — silent shadows draping the landscape, a black canopy of limitless stars arching overhead.
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As we start and end the day with cooler temperatures, the garden’s bounty is dwindling also.  I’m guessing you still have lots of zucchini and many tomatoes if you are like many of the callers I hear from on a daily basis.  Tomatoes are the most frequently home canned product in the United States.  If this is your practice, here are a couple of tips to make your job easier.
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If I had only one word to describe the end of summer it would be “rollercoaster.”  The good, the bad and the ridiculous all seemed to converge at my house, and as the Labor Day weekend drew the summer season to a close, I found I had a surprising capacity for enjoying even the less-than-great times that August-into-September brought.

Among the blessings that went above and beyond anything I could have imagined was when the same friend from work who had come and bush-hogged my land a couple of weeks ago, showed up with a friend of his who’s a skilled mechanic, and the two of them loaded up and took custody of my tractor.  It was hauled it off to the Barn of Generous, Skilled Mechanics, and returned a week later running like a top, with the only “invoice” a muttered estimate for parts alone, that I can cover with a bit under half the money in my Tractor Maintenance fund.

To paraphrase one of my favorite radio financial advisors who says that “goals are dreams that show up in work clothes,” sometimes angels show up in jeans and sweaty T-shirts.
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Fall is on its way and school is back in session. Keeping school papers and other household paper work organized is a challenge.  I myself have already misplaced papers that my daughter needed for school. There are many options out there to help keep us organized but many just look boring or utilitarian (and some cost a small fortune). A simple paper box that you design and create yourself can be an excellent way to store important papers in one place and show your personality at the same time.

Gather all of your supplies together before you begin. You will need: heavyweight drawing paper, cut into one 10 5/8-inch square and one 11-inch square; scissors; Crayons or markers; glitter glue, stickers or stamps; Paints and brushes.
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Many of us have fruit trees in our landscape.  They may be there for pleasure or profit.  On our farm we have a small cluster of different fruit trees – mostly for the fruit and spring flower enjoyment.  This year is the first that I have had to deal with bark damage on our trees.  Your first thought might go to deer peeling the bark which is a common problem.  Mine was less expected – our newly acquired dairy goat Mocha got out and has a great love for anything apple.  She has done some major bark peeling (check out the photos).

So I have had to do some learning about how to treat my damaged apple trees and wanted to share what I have learned with you.  I hope it helps others who also must now repair bark damage, done by deer, goats or whoever.
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