Earth Mother News

On Being Profound

     I haven’t the foggiest idea about being profound, but I am going to try.  My copy of Webster’s New World dictionary defines profound as "marked by intellectual depth, showing great knowledge."  Heck, that eliminates me right away...back into the fog from winch I came.  Let's say there are times I’d like to be profound; admired and ready to add to the value and meaning of the lives of others.  Intellectual depth has no actual definition other than considerable thought has been given to the topic at hand.  I feel that, as I sit here at my keyboard, the act of writing for others is rather profound.  Mist is rising and the fog is parting and a glimmer of light is creeping into being.  I found profound, Yes....

     Gardening in 2008 can be a rewarding experience to those who attempt it.  I was hoping that I might be off trekking in the wilds of northern France or the south of England.  I want to visit Monet’s garden and home in Givenery, France and visit the beaches of Normandy.  Another visit back to Cornwall would come in 2nd on my "to go list."  My only thoughts of this writing has been about planting vegetables in my flower beds.  I realized that most of the beds are now shaded and that idea won’t fly.  So it is back to basics.   My husband has this huge cultivator/tiller for his tractor and has huge plans to till everything in sight.  Actually that is the reason that I think France sounds so inviting.  I have been watching the remake of the movie Sabrina.  Sabrina says that, “Paris is always a good idea.”  You would not have to ask me more than once to go.  Actually, once the seed catalogs and gardening issues of Martha start arriving, I might just be overcome with a desire to garden.  Right now the tomatoes I canned, the pickles I made, and applesauce I froze are providing that taste of home goodness.  Now that is profound....

     To be continued: A travel tale is best told with the idea that you want the reader to desire to go there and experience it for themselves.  The natural beauty and the lively city of Portland make it a fine destination.  Portland is a rose city with a wonderful rose test garden.  Last year was the 100th celebration of their Rose Festival that hosts a rose parade, rose show and a host of garden related venues.  The climate is ideal for most anything you would like to grow.  You can visit the rose test garden with thousands of roses, a very well-groomed Japanese garden that hosts a wonderful view of the city of Portland and Mt. Hood.  My son couldn’t understand my desire to take him to these gardens.  My first visit there a number of years ago was on a bright sunny day with view par excellent.  This time the clouds dimmed the glory and the roses were nearly done for the season.  I tried....

   The rest of the day we headed out to travel the highway that follows the Columbia River and into the National Scenic Area.  The Columbia River is filled by all of the snow melt from the Cascade mountain range.  Mount Hood, Mt. Rainier, Mt. Saint Helen’s to name the biggies.  The river is so big and so deep that ships go the sixty miles to Portland.  The area is lined with places to stop and hike, take photos or just enjoy.  Waterfalls and virgin timber decked out in October colors.  If you have a chance it is a premiere experience....I will finish my travel tales next month.

     I decided to try some new recipes for my Christmas baking.  I buy those little supermarket holiday baking books that are by the cash registers.  I put them on the cookbook shelves and tend ignore them.  I decided to try a recipe for fruitcake bars, a tangerine pound cake w/rum glaze, a pistachio nut brittle, and a new sugar cookie recipe.  My husband said to save the fruitcake bars recipe.  The tangerine cake was a gift. My brother said that he likes peanut brittle better.  The sugar cookies I thought were good, but not as good as my old sour cream rollouts.  Not all recipes are keepers.  Might I be profound and tell you to venture forth into the wasteland of untried recipes and commit....

     My best wishes to all.  Remember to be kind, speak the truth and eat good food.  Yours truly, your Aarde Moeder.

Dateline January 1,2008
County B
Platteville, WI. 53818