Pumpkin Patch, Swan Gourds and Creepy Eyes...

A few weeks ago my Mom called and told me that she would like to plan a family outing to the pumpkin patch. I agreed it would be fun. When my family was younger every year we would take a Saturday in early October and travel to a tree farm to tag our Christmas trees. We would then go to Ebbert's pumpkin patch. We topped the day off with a late lunch of soup and sandwiches. This day was always filled with love and memories.
A few years ago I did a scrapbook for my Dad that included pictures of these trips. Ebbert's has a wooden pumpkin with a yardstick to measure yearly growth. These pictures were of the kids gathered around the pumpkin every year. It was a fun way of recording new births and yearly growth.

This past Saturday was the big day for our outing. It was a perfect autumn day. The countryside was scarlet and golden and there was a nip in the air. Perfect for a visit to Ebbert's Pumpkin Patch! My grandaughter was the "star" and I suspect the reason for the trip! We took alot of pictures including one of the "kids" gathered around the wooden pumpkin. Pumpkins and cider were bought and we returned to my parent's home for a scrumptious lunch!

When I drove into the parking lot at Ebbert's it appeared that there was a wagon of speckled green geese sitting in front of the market. I thought it was odd that they would have a wagon full of the pesky birds that cause mothers to exchange cleaning tips for baseball and football uniforms to remove geese poop. When I got out of the car I realized that the birds were awfully still for geese. I was even more surprised to see that it was a wagon full of gourds. These gourds are named "speckle swan" gourds. I guess it's a sign of getting old when you mistake gourds for geese. Personally I think they should be named "speckled geese" gourds but I guess swan is more romantic!
You can visit Ebbert's online at http://ebbertfarmmarket.com/Welcome.html

Some fun facts:
Pumpkins, squashes and gourds are the fruits of vine plants belonging to the Cucurbitaceae family, which also includes cucumber, watermelon, muskmelon and squash. Gourds are said to have originated in Central America around 5,000 B.C. and have long sustained civilization as a food source. When hollowed and dried gourds been used as ladles worldwide.
Gourds and pumpkins are packed with beneficial nutrients and vitamins.The book SuperFoods Rx. Fourteen Foods That Will Change Your Life, written by Steven Pratt, M.D., lists pumpkin as one of the 14 SuperFoods. Pumpkin made the list because of its high levels of alpha- and beta-carotene, which when converted to Vitamin A in the body, function as important antioxidants. These antioxidants have been shown to decrease inflammation, help protect against cancer, heart disease and even the effects of aging. I wonder if they would help my eyesight?

Swan gourds seem to be used more for decorative purposes than anything. This seemed to be a fun idea. I found it at http://simpledailyrecipes.com/2650/simple-halloween-gourd-ideas-making-eyeballs/ .

If you are looking for a creepy, cool Halloween idea for your table setting, try making eyeballs with Swan gourds.
Keep an eye out for Swan gourds at your local farmers' market or the grocery store. I recommend picking gourds with the darkest green color you can find, and the smoother the better.
Ingredients:
*Use a sheet of newsprint to cover your table.
*Craft acrylic gloss paints, black, blue, white/silver, and dark red
*small paint brushes
*small fan to dry quickly the paint
Directions:
Start with a base coat of white for the eyeball area and dark red for the neck of the Swan gourd. Allow each coat to dry thoroughly before painting the next layer.
Paint the iris and pupil of the eye next.
Finally, add fine lines with the dark red paint for the blood vessels in the eye. The more vessels the better it looks. Practice making fine lines on the newsprint with your brush, before starting on the gourd. It helps
It was a wonderful Saturday!

Pets, Dogs and kids...

I appreciate the emails and messages! I needed the extra love this week! I'm fine. It has just been one of those weeks.
I'm not Catholic but I love this tradition. The ceremony of blessing animals honors St. Francis. He believed that living a life of peace included living in harmony with all God’s creatures. He believed that our pets were a blessing from God and that we needed to give thanks for them. In fact, his main theological inspiration came from animals. He viewed them as living examples of spiritual integrity, blessing them and striving to understand and connect with them.  St. Francis said, “If you have men who will exclude any of God’s creatures from the shelter of compassion and pity, you will have men who deal likewise with their fellow men.”

I found this legend about St. Francis. A wolf was terrorizing the town of Gubbio. It was devouring both animals and people. The entire town was afraid to stray beyond the town walls. Hunting parties were formed. The town became determined to kill the wolf before the wolf killed them. St.  Francis convinced the people that the wolf’s hunger was the cause of his behavior. He met with the wolf, blessed it and said, “Brother Wolf, you have done great harm to this town, not only destroying other creatures without mercy, but you even have the brazenness to kill and devour people, made in the image of God. You deserve severe punishment, but I want to make peace between you and the town, so that they will not be harmed by you anymore. Nor will they want to harm you. After they have forgiven you, neither men nor dogs will pursue you anymore.” The wolf agreed. He raised his paw as a sign. St. Francis continued, “I promise that the town will feed you every day. I know that what you did, you did out of hunger.” The town promised to do what the saint had bargained and adopted the wolf and fed him until the day he died.

The bond between human being and pet is a strong one. Pets provide companionship and affection. They can be helpers and workmates. They have even been known to be life-savers. It is no wonder that people value the opportunity to take their animals to church for a special blessing.
These ceremonies are a fabulous way to celebrate St. Francis's compassionate appreciation for all creatures. An appreciation that we should all share and an appreciation stemming from the bond of being God’s creations.
I wasn't able to find any listings for Churches doing this in the Wheeling Area. Pastor Michael Palmer is planning a time at Greggsville United Methodist Church, to check the date and times phone 304-232-0861.

Instead of a recipe I thought I'd do the top 10 reasons why a dog is better that a child. This is just for fun!

1. Dogs don’t ask you for money
2. Dogs love nap time 3. Dogs don’t need their own cell phone
4. Dogs don't care what's for dinner just that there is dinner.
5. Dogs can be housetrained in weeks.
6. Dogs don’t have to have the latest fashions
7. Dogs never grow out of being hugged and kissed in front of their friends
8. Dogs are not embarrassed by what you wear in public.
9. Dogs don’t constantly ask you “Why”
10. Dogs can be ready to leave the house in 5 seconds flat.