Tale as Old as Time

Well, maybe not quite as old as time, but we purchased our dining room set in 1973. It was new and shiny and beautiful. We had a large table and 6 chairs with matching hutch. At that time our family consisted of Johnny, me, a 2 year old and a baby. The toddler cut teeth standing on the chairs and chewing on the backs of them. They both crawled under and over them and made forts under the table. The hutch served as backdrop for family photos. We moved several times, each time selecting a place to live that had room for our table, chairs and hutch. Two more children came along and many joys were shared around that old table.

The children grew up and the chairs grew old. The shiny wore off and they developed a tackiness that would adhear to skin. The beastly brutes were particularly fond of the the area just behind your knee.

Not long ago a friend took the chairs and stripped the finish, glued the rungs and stained them to match the set. He finished them with wax and they no longer bite, they are once again shiny and beautiful.

The Pickle Project

Not all pickles are created equal, or equally created in this case. There are pickles that you make by mixing vinegar, water, sugar, salt and flavorings; packing in jars and processing . Those are good.
There are also pickles made by fermentation. Cucumbers sit in a bucket of salt water and flavorings and form their own vinegar. That is what I have brewing in the kitchen right now. We will know the results in 3 weeks.

Speaking of fermentation, that is what happens to cabbage to make sauerkraut. It has gone very well and will be served tonight with Polish sausage. Shredded cabbage, water, salt and three weeks are all it takes to make sauerkraut.

Slowly Wiping out the Paper

I don't know if it is environmental or economic,
but the toilet paper tube is shorter than it was before.
















Yellowstone Park has gone green and removed the center from the soap.