SECOND VACCINATION – CHECK!

Mike and I had our second Covid-19 vaccination on Wednesday (Feb. 24). We’re glad to have it behind us. It seems to make some people very happy to be vaccinated against the dreaded virus, and while I’m pleased that we did our part, the future remains to be seen. The experts say the virus is here to stay and we’ll need a booster every year. How could it be otherwise, they say.

With this second shot, we both had reactions. On Thursday, I dressed in my regular uniform – warm-ups and sweatshirt. Then I put on a hoodie and covered my entire ensemble with my fleece robe. I was so cold! Mike felt well at first and spent the morning running errands, but when he came back, he said he felt like he had the flu. Personally, I think when you have that shot, you should plan on at least one day of quietude, but it’s not Mike’s way. This, too, shall pass. It’s better than the actual disease.

Mike has worried a bit that our water consumption is too high. Initially, I suggested that the new dishwasher, which actually uses water, was the culprit, but with our February statement, I had to agree that our usage, especially compared to last month, was too high. So, Mike asked the utility district to come over, and sure enough, we do have a leak in the irrigation system, which also runs to the shop. This isn’t good news, but Mike just won’t have water in his shop until the weather is warmer and he can fix it.

And then, also this week the chimney on the shop blew down. We figure that over time and through many windstorms, the screws probably worked loose to the point that a strong gust finally took it off the back wall of the shop. This wasn’t good news either, but Mike pointed out that it puts things in perspective when we think of the folks in Texas dealing with what may be the worst disaster in their history. Son Clint came over this morning to help with re-installation. I tried, but I was no match for the chimney.

Here we are at the end of February. The days are noticeably longer and temps a little warmer. The snow is gone, but all danger of snow and frost is not yet past. Nevertheless, the signs of spring gladden our hearts. The weatherman says March will come in like a lamb.

And that’s the update from here. KW

THE "GLACIER NATIONAL PARK" AFGHAN -- FINISHED!

I don’t like to start things that I don’t finish, but it happens. When I found myself losing interest in the afghan that I started last spring, I tucked it into my place on the loveseat where it was impossible to ignore and somewhat uncomfortable for me. There it was – taking up my place on the loveseat and making me feel guilty. Even so, weeks went by when I didn’t work on it, but as the desire to crochet other things grew, I made myself finish it.

Generally speaking, I’m a lover of lace and femininity, but I also love Pendleton’s “Glacier National Park” design – black, yellow, red, and green stripes that pop against off-white. I have a few towels in that pattern which seem really out of place in my house, but I love them anyway. I hatched the idea for this afghan when I saw similar ones online, but instead of single or double crochet, I decided to use the star (or daisy) stitch. Crochet stitches abound, but so often we just use the simple beginner stitches, and I wanted something different. I had learned the star stitch years ago and thought it would add an element of interest to this rather plain design.

Another incentive was leftover yarn. I had the colors and some off-white, so it was an opportunity to use up some yarn from my stash. But of course, that never works out – not really. I did use up some of the colors, but I had to buy more of the off-white and green. That’s the way with a scrap afghan. There’s really no such thing.

I was just feeling my way along, doing my own thing with this pattern, and I didn’t know how big to make it. As it turns out, it fits over the top of our queen bed so would be adequate on a double bed. Since it’s rather large and the star stitch is dense, I worried that it would overload my washing machine. However, it came out just fine.

I’m always unhappy with the finished product for a day or two, and this was no exception. I spread the afghan over our bed with some trepidation, but Mike said it was worthy of being entered into a fair. “I won’t do that again,” I said. The last time I competed, the winners were baby afghans made tightly in single crochet with fine yarn in lackluster colors. I received honorable mention for “good use of color.” Maybe the judge thought that my gauge could be tighter. Or maybe that's just the way it goes. KW

TOO MUCH GARLIC

A pretty snow day earlier this week

My mother was especially sensitive to spices. She avoided allspice, fennel seeds, and pepper. I don’t think my dad had such aversions to spice, but they both used garlic sparingly in their cooking, and I didn’t develop a taste for it. It’s possible I never would have. I don’t care for garlic, but I’m not the only one living here, and Mike enjoys his meat more highly seasoned than I do.

Frankly, I prefer that we season our meat ourselves, but I had two of those pre-seasoned cylindrical pork roasts in the freezer, and on a nice Sunday – months ago now – Mike decided to grill one. During brother Chuck’s regular Sunday call, I confided that I wasn’t looking forward to the evening’s meal. Too much garlic for me.

As we sat down to that meal, Mike said, “I’m afraid you aren’t going to like this.”

“I KNOW I’m not going to like it,” I replied pointedly, and I was right! To me, it tasted like it had been infused with eucalyptus and garlic – a medicinal flavor. I ate one piece of meat and completed my meal with plenty of mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables.

It's not only the flavor of garlic but the smell to which I am averse, especially when it comes from the fridge. The odor of cold garlic is an assault on my senses, so I triple wrapped the leftover roast in foil before setting it in the fridge, but it wasn’t enough. The next morning, Mike opened the fridge and commented that we might want to put the meat in a plastic bag, which he did.

With plenty of leftover roast on hand, I googled how to tone down the garlic. Others had wondered the same thing, and I found plenty of ideas. Cook it more, add an acid, and add brown sugar were a few of the suggestions, so I sliced the meat, drenched it in barbecue sauce with added brown sugar, and cooked it for several hours on high in a Crock Pot. I couldn’t tell it made any difference. The garlic came through loud and strong. I choked down half a sandwich with two little slices of meat.

Then only half the roast was left. Would it never go away?

“Tonight’s the last night for that roast,” I announced.

Rain and melting snow today

A barbecued sandwich was just fine, Mike said, so I sliced the remaining meat, mixed barbecue sauce, brown sugar, AND vinegar and put it in the Crock Pot on low for five hours. Foodie Bess was surprised that I shared so generously as I prepared the meat. “One for the pot, one for Bess; one for the pot, one for Bess.” But no, the additional concoction and cooking didn’t help. Mike again enjoyed a whole sandwich with plenty of meat while I choked down a half with a slice or two. 

What about you? Do you use garlic? KW

 

NOTES ON LEWISTON HIGH SCHOOL, 1918 (UPDATED)

Lewiston (Idaho) High School, c. 1918

It’s cold. The ground is covered with snow that melts a little in the afternoon and freezes overnight to something rather treacherous to navigate in the morning hours. Nothing much is happening in real time, so here’s a post I promised months ago.

Despite having seen three children through Lewiston High School in the late 1990s, I am not well-versed on its history. The building in 1918 when my aunt and uncle were students is not the same as the one my children attended, which was built in 1927, though it is the same campus. With the 2020-21 school year, LHS left its downtown campus and moved to the newly-constructed building in the Lewiston Orchards. It looks huge.

“They were well-past needing that new building,” observed Mike.

Earle Dobson

Yes, the community spent at least 20 years arguing over whether or not a new one was justified. “All they have to do is fix the building they have,” said members of the community who opposed paying for the new facility. But son Clint explained that the old building simply could not be updated to meet the technological needs of today’s students.

Well, I digress. The LHS class of 1918 had 61 members and was the largest class up to that time. I counted 30 juniors but 80 sophomores. Despite the fact that Mr. Simmonds, the school superintendent, made much of Uncle Earle’s enlistment in the navy, three others were mentioned in the annual as “former members of the class now in the service.” Earle probably stood out because of his age (22) and career goals.

Frank Simmonds, center; Joel Jenifer, upper left

Frank W. Simmonds (1876-1971) came to Lewiston to serve as school superintendent in 1913 and was instrumental in developing the junior-senior high school program. Much to the regret of the community, he left in 1920 to work for the national chamber of commerce. He went on to serve in food administration under Hoover and then for the American Bankers Association until retirement in 1944. A talented administrator, he then served as president of the American Genealogical Society. He was also an excellent gardener, a skill he imparted to Lewiston students, encouraging them to grow vegetables during WWI.

Joel Jenifer became principal of LHS in 1902 and replaced Simmonds as superintendent in 1920. Mr. Jenifer retired in 1929 and then continued to live in Lewiston and serve in various positions in the public and private sectors well into old age. In 1959, 30 years after his retirement from the school district, the newly-built junior high school was named for him – Jenifer Junior High. Today, the school is called “Jenifer Middle School.” Mr. Jenifer died in 1964 at the age of 94.

There were 25 members of the faculty in 1918 – 9 men and 16 women. All the women were “Miss” except for the newly-married Mrs. Ray E. Williams, the former Miss Edna Marks. KW

[The history of Idaho School District #1 buildings can be found at this link -- https://www.lewistonschools.net/lewiston-schools-history/]