IS IT JUST ME, OR DOES THIS TASTE DIFFERENT?

It took Mike about three minutes to snap the cap off the bottle of Kraft Ranch Light Dressing, my favorite brand for years. It took minutes more to remove the inner seal. When I finally got to eat my salad, I noticed a tasteless difference and said as much. Mike agreed and commented on the blandness – no zip at all. The only favor I could discern was a faint hint of garlic, and you know that's not one of my favorite flavors. Really, I could barely finish my salad. My plan is to shake the bottle well, and if no improvement is noticeable, I'll probably mix it with some ranch dressing mix from a pouch. If that doesn't help, I have no interest in finishing the bottle. In fact, I've already purchased a different brand for my reserve bottle.

Hallie called recently and as our conversation was winding down, she mentioned that she was making Kraft Macaroni and Cheese for supper. "But it's not the same," she said with a tone of wistfulness in her voice. "I'm sure they've changed it because it's just doesn't taste like it used to. Definitely not as good."

And I thought of Campbell's Cream of Tomato Soup – one of my favorites both as soup and as a cooking base. You could always depend on Campbell's Tomato Soup for its smooth tomato flavor, but these days something just isn't right with it. The smooth "yumminess" that made it one of my comfort foods just isn't there. They can't tell me they didn't change it.

And at embroidery club I heard Ann, our token young mother, complaining that Litehouse (brand) had changed the formula of one of her favorite salad dressings and now she doesn't like it at all.

What do you think? Have you noticed flavor / texture changes in your favorite foods? Well, such changes to prepared food won't affect tonight's mostly-from-scratch dinner at our house. We'll have tuna-spinach Bisquick impossible pie. Despite the recent rains, I was able to get into the garden this evening to pick the spinach.

The storms have moved through in wave after wave. When it isn't raining, the sun warms us into the 70s -- even reached 80 the other day. In the picture, Nellie ponders whether or not she wants to get her feet wet or if it would be better to continue her morning nap on her pillow. The flower pots I picked up at the cemetery on Thursday by pre-arrangement with my sister.

The NAIA World Series ended last night when Cumberland beat Lee, both Tennessee teams, 11-9. Mike and I are both anxious to get to the farm again, so stay tuned for further plans. KW

CHANGING THE COLOR SPECTRUM

My segue into machine embroidery has not been without challenges. Finally last week I really got a hankering to use the machine. I had a few ideas and I went for it.

I am somewhat handicapped yet because I don't have a full complement of colors in my thread box. A modest estimate of what I've spent for thread would be about $200. The colors last a long time so it's not as bad as it sounds, but on the other hand, I have had to exercise a little restraint and ease into this a color or two at a time.

I don't know how many companies manufacture embroidery thread. Some are good and it's fine to use those threads, apparently interchangeably. Some are not good and might mess up your machine or shred before your eyes or fade and cause you to cry. Stay away from those. Regardless of good or bad, each company names and numbers its colors independently of others. When I try to coordinate the color sheets accompanying the designs with my seemingly meager supply of thread, I just have to laugh to myself. And if you're picking colors mainly by name instead of number, which you often have to do, just how do you determine these colors?

Taupe – Is taupe a real color, and how does it differ from "putty" anyway? Taupe today was silver yesterday and light gray last week.

Finding a color to be golden tan was bad enough. What's light golden tan? Well, today it was the same thread that was cream brown yesterday and yellow the day before. (I really do need to augment my collection of yellows.)

Cinnamon? Hmmmm. Or rust brown?

What color is dark stone? And how is it different from charcoal?

Cool gray, light silver. What's the difference?

Pine green, light pine green, dark pine green. Grass green. Apple green. Brook green. I don't have a color I can call brook green. I had to go with blue. I wished I'd had brook green. I'm not sure I'd know brook green if I saw it.

Now think – What's cornflower blue? Now find light cornflower blue and dark cornflower blue. Smoky blue. Dusty blue. Dark dusty blue.

I figure all that matters is that I coordinate my colors and remember by which name I'm calling which color today. I can line up the spools according to progression but it gets tricky when colors are re-used. Now which one of these browns did I call cinnamon today? Which spool did I call taupe and which is light silver?

The photo shows my recent embroidery work. The two lace edged pillowslips will become pillowcase dolls. The bicycle design was fun but is horribly puckered. I'm still learning about hooping. Hallie helped me design Mike's M-bar-W brand which I combined with a pheasant on Mike's pillowcase. And the crinoline girl with umbrella makes me happy. I searched the web for a design pack of these old-fashioned full-skirted ladies. It was difficult since I didn't know what they were called. These are the first designs I have purchased outside the user-friendly Embroidery Library. These ladies remind me of my mother and my grandmother and the ladies of the sewing circle. KW

AND THE WINNER IS . . .

I believe in nurturing the inner child. By that I mean we should pursue interests that bring wholesome enjoyment to our lives. Along those lines, I've been thinking about buying myself an American Girl doll, so last year I ordered the company's catalog and signed up for their email newsletters. But after considering well my reasons for buying, I decided against a new doll. I just want to be a participant in this fad and create a unique wardrobe for an American Girl doll. I love dolls but I'm not a doll collector – not really. "Mint condition" and "new in the box" are not phrases that apply to my stuff. I'm hands-on with my collectibles. So, I determined that I wouldn't mind rescuing a doll in reasonably good condition, and the model I wanted was Kit Kittredge, the Depression-era historical doll. She reminds me of my Aunt Shirley with her straight blond hair, clear blue eyes, and light freckles across her nose. I can just see my Kit in her Depression-era sugar sack dress with white starched apron.

So, last week, on a whim, I registered on eBay. I have put this off for years, but I finally wanted something badly enough to sign up. I was amazed at all the American Girl dolls and accessories offered on eBay, and when I narrowed the field to Kit Kittredge, I found plenty to choose from: Kit new in the box, Kit gently used with three outfits and no shoes, Kit barely played with in original box having smudge on cheek, etc. I lost my first two choices in the last minute of bidding. I am neither fast nor a strategist – yet. Or maybe there's just too much competition for this stuff. And I couldn't believe what folks were willing to pay for those used Kits! I reminded myself that I'm a grandmother who doesn't care about clothes and accessories. I'm going to make this doll a unique farm girl wardrobe.

Then, I saw her. A naked Kit. The seller said the doll had been "gently loved," and the photograph showed a doll that seemed to fit my criteria – one that needed rescuing. Somehow that Kit had my name on her and I submitted the opening bid, only to regret it when I looked at the other "Kits" in their clean loveliness. Suddenly I had the sneaking suspicion that $50 was too much to pay. I knew instinctively that no one else was going to bid on that doll. That was both good and bad – I would win the bidding but maybe I had paid too much.

And so it proved Friday afternoon at 3:20. The auction closed without the last minute flurry of bidding activity. I watched as the page congratulated me, the winner. I dutifully paid immediately and chalked it up to experience. One thing is sure, I noted to myself. This Kit needs me.

But – on Saturday I received a message from the seller, asking if I had noted the condition of the doll's legs. Polite discussion ensued. The seller said this Kit had been her daughter's favorite American Girl doll, and I thought maybe they were having second thoughts about selling her. After all, I still have my favorite doll – all of them – and I told her I would be willing to back out of the sale. In the end she found she could tighten the doll's limbs, and I agreed to accept her. I felt good about the purchase.

She'll be shipped tomorrow (Tuesday) after the holiday. I can hardly wait for her to arrive. Oh -- and her name isn't Kit – it's Shirley Ann. And now I've discovered a wealth of Depression-era patterns for the 18-inch doll of that day – Patsy Ann – that can apparently be used / altered to fit today's American Girl doll. What was my hobby budget again?

[Snow-in-summer blooms at the town house.] KW

THEY’RE HEPFUL IN HEPPNER

For the past two months I’ve been planning motorcycle trips in Oregon to follow up on my last year’s trip logging geocaches in each county in Idaho. This one is called “Counting the Counties in Oregon”. I had planned on at least two 4 or 5 day trips to cover the state. However, I haven’t been able to find dry weather forecasts for anywhere near that many days in succession. Not being the most patient person in the world I decided to make a shorter trip which would cut off one day of one of the longer ones I had planned. Finally it looked like a forecast of two days of not too great a chance of rain so I left a little before 7:00 am Monday heading west.

The first half day was in Washington and I logged a few caches along the way to get a head start on next year’s adventure which will be the Washington counties. The temperature was in the low 40’s and my hands got a little cold but I stopped in Pomeroy (about 30 miles out) to get a cache and warm my hands. I kept to the back roads as much as possible but a good portion of Interstate was unavoidable which is not much fun on a motorcycle.

Finally, just after mid day at Biggs Junction I turned southeast on highway 206 toward the little town of Wasco, OR. Now I was on a great little country road with curves, hills and virtually no traffic. The first cache was at a beautiful little cemetery which required a short hike. Continuing on toward Condon I found “The Windmills of Sherman County”. Fortunately they were mostly stationary which suited me just fine.

At Condon two ladies helped me look for a cache right by the Chamber of Commerce office in the middle of town but we were unsuccessful. Although Condon is a very small town it can boast two Nobel laureates, Linus Pauling for chemistry and peace and William P. Murphy for medicine. Needing a Gilliam County cache and not finding it in Condon necessitated a side trip 10 miles to the east. The first of two caches there was “Rock Creek Cache” and I didn’t find it either. It was in a canyon which made getting an accurate GPS reading difficult. I pulled out of the canyon and wound my way up to the top and then hiked out in the desert-like country and found “Switch Back View”. That was a load off my mind! Although this side trip cost me some time it was a fun road so I didn’t much mind.

After returning to Condon I continued south on highway 19 to the little of Fossil where I was again unsuccessful in finding a cache that was supposed to be in the park. Keeping on 19 I continued south to Service Creek where I turned east toward Spray following the John Day River. I picked up a couple of caches along the way. One near Bear Hollow campground was a particularly nice one which required a little hike up a hill. The road along the river is absolutely beautiful. The terrain is a bit unusual with sagebrush mixed in with Ponderosa pines. Coming down one hill into a little canyon I came across a badger scurrying along the side of road at the base of a cliff. Although there are plenty of badgers around it’s fairly unusual to see one. At Spray I turned north on highway 207 toward Heppner. This road is a motorcyclists’ paradise. Beautiful forest scenery with hills and many many curves rated at 25 to 45 mph with almost no traffic. I had a blast!

I logged my last cache of the day at 8:15 just outside Heppner where I had planned to spend the night. I had ridden 440 miles but the caches had taken me much longer than I figured. There is just one motel in Heppner and although I didn’t have a reservation I had called the night before and they guaranteed me a room. This was a very old motel but it had been fixed up nicely although not modernized. Strangely, my room had a south seas motif. Everyone I met in Heppner was very friendly and accommodating. There are only a couple of places to eat in town and the pizza place had closed hours earlier. It was about 9:00 before I got to the Stables which is a bowling alley/restaurant. Although they were closing the lady there let me in and fixed me a delicious chicken salad. I slept well but awoke early, as usual.

I just had granola bars and milk for breakfast in my room and was on the road again a little before 7:00. I headed northwest on highway 74 to the little town of Lexington where I found a cache in a little park in the middle of town. From there I continued north to Interstate 84 picking up one more cache at a historical point of interest which told about the Oregon Trail and some travails the travelers had in that area which was now more open prairie farm country.

After getting to the Interstate I retraced my route from the day before but I picked up 3 or 4 more caches along the way to provide breaks. I particularly enjoyed one in Prescott in a nice little part where I took my morning break. I arrived home about noon having traveled only 215 miles that morning. It was a great trip and I’m glad to have the Oregon challenge begun. M/W

TAGGING ALONG TOGETHER

"Maybe we should just make a quick run to the farm," I said yesterday (Wednesday morning). "Maybe so," rejoined Mike. Our schedule for the next week will keep us in town, but Mike had left his prescription glasses on the dining room table last week and he also wanted his logging cables. "We can check on the cherry tree and water it," I said. "And go to the cemetery," Mike added.

By midmorning we were ready and the three of us (don't forget Nellie) set off in the Dakota. We stopped by the Dollar Tree where I bought a few bouquets for the cemetery at Gilbert.

We were at the farm by 11:00 or so. I headed to the vintage sewing room where I quickly reviewed my patterns while Mike removed the blade from the riding mower for sharpening in town and gathered the things he wanted.

I watered the cherry tree which continues to look good in this cool growing season, counting 13 cherries this time -- still not enough for a pie. Trouble is, if it should suddenly turn warmer without moisture, the little tree could be stressed and we want to prevent that if we can. So I gave it several gallons of water.

Next I cut purple iris and made one live bouquet for the cemetery. "For my dad," I remarked to Mike. "He'd do it for me." I just don't have enough real flowers to make more than one live bouquet, but I would if I could. I remember fondly the days when lilacs bloomed abundantly in this place. It didn't bother me to cut the purple iris. They have reached their peak and are slowly going away. Grandma Ina loved the wild roses. I saw plenty of them as we drove up the Clearwater but they aren't in bloom yet at higher elevations.

On our way back to town we made our planned stop at the Gilbert Cemetery where fifteen ancestors / family members have markers. I didn't have enough bouquets to remember all of them and Mike teased me a bit about that. No one else had been to the old cemetery to show their remembrance -- and the cemetery is old enough that not many come by any more -- but then, it's early yet for Memorial Day. We just won't be back this way over the weekend. Mike has tickets to the NAIA baseball tournament at Lewis-Clark State College, which will begin Friday and last – well, however long.

Arriving back in Lewiston, Mike stopped for gas and I took these pictures from a vantage point above Thain. You can see the confluence of the Snake and Clearwater Rivers in the left photo. The one below shows the Clearwater and the confluence. And, of course, it's a good shot of a commercial area, which I usually avoid, but such pictures do have value as time passes. I learned that through my work at the museum.

Mike's plans to get wood with Ken today were cancelled due to the downpour of rain. Hallie said it was raining hard in Seattle yesterday afternoon, and sometimes that means rain will follow in the inland areas. Sure enough!

So what have I been doing? Practicing machine embroidery and planning a few posts, though Mike gets the next one. And – I finally got up the courage to register on eBay and am learning the ins and outs of bidding. Hallie volunteered to help me with my bidding interests, but I decided to step up to it myself. My theory is that you have to keep living life as independently as you can. If you become too dependent on your children, they'll show up one day to take you to the home. So what am I bidding on – dolls, of course, but that's a work in progress and a post for another day. KW

IMA STAR

Watch for a new post -- coming soon!

FOUND: THE STONE FACE

I am so excited to tell you about this. I found "the Stone Face!"

Undoubtedly you've seen "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World." The first time I saw it was at the theater in Orofino with my friend, Chris. We were probably 14 or 15. I particularly remember seeing the movie with Chris because she saw "the big W" before I did. Remember how the Dorothy Provine character sees the "W" and realizes that's where the money is, and you hear the angelic choir of sopranos sing "Ahhhhhhhhhhh." Well, now I know! There really is a choir that sings "Ahhhhhhhhhh" at the "ah-hah!" moment.

My dad never showed me around the perimeter of the farm. He leased the farm in 1965 or so, and life just didn't take us to the canyon rim. There weren't 4-wheelers in those days, and Daddy wasn't super-interested in hiking. As he got older, I think he was less interested in taking a mostly disinterested daughter to the canyon rim, especially since there was no real reason to go. It's not an easy trek across plowed fields, though it's not particularly far and it is do-able. And as he got older, it became harder and harder for me to say, "Daddy, there are things I want / need to know." I just couldn't bring myself to think the unthinkable: that he would change his address -- permanently.

Anyway, once Daddy mentioned to me that there was a rock outcropping the family called "the stone face," and since becoming active on the farm, I have been searching for it. I asked brother Chuck, but he said he didn't know. I asked our neighbor, a native of the area, and he said he didn't know. Always when I hiked the farm with Mike, I searched the outcroppings for the stone face.

When we arrived at the farm on Wednesday, Mike and I rode out to the west canyon rim to see if repairs had been made to the fence. We parked the 4-wheeler and hiked a short distance to a break in the rim rock where the horses come up from Little Canyon below. I suppose for the first time I stepped through the rocks and was standing below the outcropping. It was then that I heard the soprano voices. "This has to be the place!" I exclaimed. Together Mike and I looked over the outcropping until we identified the face.

You can compare the pictures for yourself: the black-and-white taken many years ago -- and the color photo I took just this morning. In some ways the old picture is better than mine but I can go back and do it better. Pretty cool that I found it, huh?