Not just a favorite treat for bears, the huckleberries that grow wild in Montana are a yummy addition to baked goods, jellies, preserves, pies, syrups, and sauces. Huckleberries look similar to blueberries but while blueberries have many small and soft seeds, huckleberries have large tough seeds. Interestingly enough no one has succeeded in growing huckleberries commercially. Because of this, huckleberries are a true natural food grown without pesticides and fertilizers. Huckleberries are also high in vitamins B and C, potassium, and iron.
Ready to try some tasty Huckleberry products? Larchwood Farms in Trout Creek, Montana, offers delicious huckleberry syrups, jams, and jellies. My favorites are the Huckleberry Syrup and Organic Huckleberry Jam.
*"I'll be your Huckleberry" is an expression that means the right person for a given job.
I had not flown in several years so I was pleased to find several sites online with suggestions on flying and packing. Travelite.org quickly became one of my favorites. I was able to condense a week of travel into an under-the-seat bag.
Note: As suggested on the site, I did away with the toiletry kit and used a couple baggies. I should also mention I am a fan of Nalgene bottles. After having a cheap travel bottle bust open at the seam during a camping trip last year, I plan to use Nalgene exclusively. (Photo credit: venignotus)
I am blessed. On any given day I have a drawer filled with socks to pick from. I have four pairs of thick wool ones that I save for really cold days. I have a few pairs of thin bamboo socks that are so thin and wonderful for those warmer days. I have several short white ones that I wear in the evenings after my shower during the winter months. If any sock wears out I turn it into a rag and quickly replace it with another pair. I've done without things in my life but I've always had socks.
No wonder hearing Hannah Turner's story touched my heart. Yes, it's that drawer full of socks that reminds me every day that some people do without essential items. Some people do without socks. Some people do without food. Some people do without a place to call home.
Several Saturday mornings I have had the opportunity to reach out in the community by distributing socks and other essential items (scarves, hats, gloves, underwear, thermals, etc.) with Hannah's Socks. The first time I did so was on a cold February morning. The snow was coming down the whole time, piling high on the heads and shoulders of all. Our table sat at the end of a row where people were lined up for a sack lunch and hot beverage from Food for Thought.
While people were shuffling through the line, I heard more than once, "I didn't think you all would come out today with this snow." It seemed the least of our worries when these people braved the cold and the onslaught of snow for something to fill their tummies and a dry pair of socks. People were so grateful for so little.
I cannot easily forget the men, women, and children I meet on these Saturday mornings. While not all are homeless, many are. Several are newly homeless. Some cram into shelters while others live in their cars or any nook they can stake out. On those dreary cold Saturday mornings there are tons of smiles and loads of gratefulness... and that's something we can all share. (Photo credit: Leroy Skalstad)
I was trying to remember something from my childhood. Searching for Pippi Longstocking, I found Patti's blog. What marvelous writing. I clicked on one blog entry, then another, then another. Her writing made me smile, it made me cry, it made me think... think deeply. I asked, "Who is this woman writing this blog?" I read Patti's profile, her reason behind the writing, and I realized we have a common bond. Our lives had been altered by our experiences with death.
Those of you who have known me long enough and well enough remember Ron. His death set me on a journey of discovery and caused a massive paradigm shift - not just for me, but for many who knew him. After all, it is difficult to fathom the fact that an apparently healthy 28-year-old can go off to work one morning and never return home.
Yes, we all miss our old friends... the friends with whitened hair and wrinkled skin, the friends who live to be a ripe old age. I loved my grandfather. He lived a long life, watched his children grow, and lived his last days happily tending his garden and tinkering in his garage. Because of his age, death was no surprise. It didn't make it easy but it is very different when a person dies before their time.
It's hard to accept the death of a someone young... someone who has never had the opportunity to order off the senior section of a restaurant menu. So, when my stepfather died at the age of 54, it refueled my inner journey. He had been ill, so it was not unexpected. However, that does not make it any easier.
Death brought me a gift - a gift to see things around me differently. It's difficult for me to explain. However, my friend Patti can explain it well. Her writing is exquisite and I was thrilled when she was offered the chance to publish 37 of her essays in a book. She called out to her readers and friends for art to illustrate the stories chosen. I volunteered to create a piece of art because I felt the overwhelming urge to be part of her project. She calls it an artistic barn-raising and I am grateful I was part of it...
"In a country as prosperous as the United States, no man, woman or child should want for something as basic as a warm pair of socks." (from Hannah's Socks mission statement)
While helping her mother serve Thanksgiving Day meals at Toledo's Cherry Street Mission in 2004, Hannah Turner noticed a man with tattered shoes and no socks on his feet. Her mother tried to convince her the man would be fine but Hannah was obviously upset. She was ready to give up her socks when her mother assured her they would buy some socks to share. That is how Hannah's Socks, a nonprofit organization, was created.
Hannah's mother realized that of all the materials donated to shelters, new socks and undergarments are given the least and needed the most. Hannah's Socks addresses that problem by serving homeless shelters and domestic-violence shelters by collecting and delivering clothing essentials such as new socks and undergarments.
One person can make a difference in the life of many...
Visit this website and meet Lee the HorseLogger, a man who was diagnosed with lymphoma and has been traveling the country in his homemade wagon with his three horses and dog since. "It's a dream of connecting..." Lee said.
Lee reminds us, "Life is short. You’d better do things now because you don't get a second chance." Ye Haw! (Photo credit: Quapaw)
My blog is mixed with a bit of this and that, some history, a few thoughts, quite a lot of wondering, some personal reviews, and a little whimsy. Remember, this is a blog and not an academic journal. So, I am not intending to be thorough or even knowledgeable in any particular subject I may mention on the blog. It's merely for entertainment.
Note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are inappropriate, indecent, or not relevant to the blog post.
Not just a favorite treat for bears, the huckleberries that grow wild in Montana are a yummy addition to baked goods, jellies, preserves, pies, syrups, and sauces. Huckleberries look similar to blueberries but while blueberries have many small and soft seeds, huckleberries have large tough seeds. Interestingly enough no one has succeeded in growing huckleberries commercially. Because of this, huckleberries are a true natural food grown without pesticides and fertilizers. Huckleberries are also high in vitamins B and C, potassium, and iron.
