SUPPORT AND KIND WORDS     "Have I told you today how beautiful you are?"  There it was......the question.  Hearing it always made me blush and duck my head, even at five years old.  Just about every time I ever saw Dr. A for an appointment, he asked that question.  Of course after responding I would always be at ease, no matter how sick I actually was.  He could give me any manner of shot (injection) or prescribe the yuckiest of medicines, and I would take it because the nice man said I needed it.

     Dr. A was so kind and had such a gentle manner.  I remember he would talk to me about things I liked or what I liked to do.  Before long he learned I liked flowers and one day gave me a glass paperweight from his desk because there was a painted flower design in its center.  I was shocked!  I also still have it.  Now every time I look at the paper weight I think of Dr. A and how smart he was at making connections.  A seasoned physician, Dr. A probably figured out just how to reach patients many years prior to me. But I believe he was really that kind of person.  Isn't it amazing what a kind word will do?


     My Grandmother Margaret liked taking care of people.  In her lifetime this included her stepbrothers and stepsisters, her husband and their two children, their grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.  Outside of her family she had a nursing career for many years at the local hospital and later served as a sitter for children of friends and also the elderly.  My mom used to tell me that all her school-age friends liked my grandma because she made them feel so welcome when they visited.  I'll vouch for that.  I will always remember my grandmother as warm and friendly.
     When I grew old enough to ride my bike to her house a few streets over, it was such a treat to visit her.  Of course there was a bit of spoiling going on.  Haha!  I would ask if I could have a snack of some kind and she would reply, "You can have anything you want."  If she had it, then whatever it was became yours.  My grandmother allowed me one day to pull out a large box of old black and white photos from her closet.  There were printed faces in there I had not seen before; some in matted paper frames and others loose.  She allowed me to look at them, even allowing me to dump them out in a pile.  (Can you imagine the mess?)  But she sat there with me while I asked about each one.  It was Grandma doing this over and over that helped me learn a lot about the maternal side of my family (not to mention, all of their names!).
     Grandma was also a very good listener.  I'm sure she didn't always agree with all of my thoughts, (as I well remember her laughter) but she let me express them nonetheless.  I admit that she and her home were sometimes an escape when I was a teen and my mom and I did not see eye-to-eye on things.  I would use Grandma as a sounding board.  There were certainly times when I was wrong and she would set me straight.  But she had this way of softening the sting by explaining the behavior of others that made anyone listen, especially teenagers.  Though I might be disappointed or had hurt feelings, she made things easier to understand.  I always left her house happy.

     Grandma had a lot of wonderful qualities.  One thing I will always remember is her saying that I could be whatever I wanted to be.  So......."if only I could be as supportive and caring as you, Grandma."

FLOUR

     I have been baking for local farmers' markets for five summers now.  Granted, not a long time, but enough for me to learn that more people are looking for baked goods that have alternatives for all-purpose flour and regular sugar.
     I was recently reminded of some tips associated with baking substitutions when I reviewed a Better Homes and Gardens Special Interest Fall Baking issue from 2014.  I have used a couple of different kinds of gluten free flour.  One seemed to be more grainy than the other.  BH&G says to use more liquid in recipes that call for GF flour because it "absorbs more moisture." I did not know that or somehow I missed learning that fact.  Actually when I did use that particular grainy GF flour, I DID use more moisture because the batter was stiff.  I also read that one should use smaller pans when using nut flour.  BH&G says it does not rise as well as whole wheat flour.
     When substituting regular sugar with an alternative, "add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract for every 1 cup sugar substitute used in a recipe."  BH&G says this will "boost the flavor."  Also apparently using a sugar substitute keeps your baked goods from rising as much.  "Achieve more height by switching from 9-inch pans to 8-inch pans with 2-inch sides," BH&G says.
     Lastly, this BH&G issue supports using banana, canned pumpkin, or applesauce as a fat substitute.  Banana and canned pumpkin can be used as a fat in cookies and also provide their flavors.  Canned pumpkin and applesauce can be substituted in cakes and quick breads.  I can already vouch for using applesauce as a fat in quick breads.  I do this a lot when a recipe calls for a cup or more of oil.  Somehow that much oil alone does not sound appealing.

applesauce

 

     FLOWER

     I was lucky enough to catch a swallowtail butterfly on one of my zinnias recently.  Boy, do I have a new respect for nature photographers.  Waiting for the exact time for this butterfly to relax his wings just so I could take this picture was a little challenging, especially thinking I would scare this one away.  I have always read and heard that they like bright colors.  The orange was the ticket that day.

     I have been really lucky with basil this summer.  I have started so many plants just from taking cuttings from what I already had.  It seems that all one has to do is turn around twice, or go to bed and get up the next day and the basil has grown a foot!  One can see how this plant is beginning to flower in this photo.  If you see this make sure to pluck the bloom away or cut it off.  The basil leaves become bitter if you allow your plant to flower too soon.  Rest assured I snipped off these blooms so this plant could continue to grow.

     The above photo shows two types of sedum.  This plant has succulent leaves and flesh-like stems.  It can grow in shade, but does well in sun.  The lighter green plant has a bloom that begins white and turns to pink.  The darker green variety has a dark pink-colored bloom.  Both have grown in this flat bird bath container for several years.  That should tell you that sedum can live through the winter and return each year, thus it is a perennial.