BooBoos

When my grand daughter and I were walking today she got very excited to show me the squashed witch on her neighbor's door. As we neared the house Eden broke out out into a run, tripped and fell, scraping her knee. The tears fell like Niagara Falls, and all of a sudden she was not able to walk another step. She perched herself on the stroller and when we reached her house she hopped all the way up the stairs to where her mother was resting, hoping some mother love would heal the bloody (two drops worth) mess.

As her mother tried to console her the tears fell again, and even harder as the bandage was put in place. Eventually a popsicle eased her pain and within time (an hour) she declared herself all better!! Amazing recovery.

Now if only that amazing recovery could work for her mother and grandmother.

Over the fourth of July my sweetheart and I put a tile floor down during our laundry room remodel. In so doing I put my hips out. A few trips to the doctor and a number of weekly trips to my favorite Physical Therapist and I am on the mend, hoping that someday soon I will be all better.

About the time of Labor Day my daughter put her back out again. She was in an automobile accident a number of years ago and suffered a broken back. After 3 pregnancies and reaching the ripe old age of 30 her back is just not as strong as it should be. Now every activity in her busy day is an exercise in terrible pain.

I wish I had a magic bandage and miracle kiss to make her booboo all better. Instead I say a prayer for her and drive the 3 hours to stay for a few days to give a little help with her family.

Booboos are no fun. Most can be mended in time. Patience is a word I wish I did not have to hear so often. I wish the back and hips could heal as quickly as that bloody knee. That was an amazing recovery--Oh to be young again.

Wonder Oven Magic

I took a class at church a few months ago and was amazed.

It was a cooking class. The bread was moist and delicious.

The instructions spotty.

My desire to learn--high.

I came home with a pattern and a few website addresses.

I eventually gathered my tools:
left over fabric
a bean bag chair
locking top large plastic storage bin
large stock pot that would fit...
...3 metal juice cans

The pattern, though strange looking, sewed up surprisingly easy.

I laid out a sheet and filled up the two odd shaped pillows with the beans from the chair.

When they were just full enough I put them in the storage bin.

And then I started cooking.

Mix up the bread as usual, place dough in the cans and let rise a bit in the stock pot filled half way with warm water, cover and secure each can and turn up the heat. Put the lid on the stock pot and tie in place while letting it boil for 10 minutes. Transfer to Wonder Oven and let set for 2 or more hours.

Delicious hot, moist bread that will melt in your mouth, never overdone.

The same directions for soup or stew. Fill the pot with soup ingredients, boil for 10 minutes with lid on pot. Place in wonder oven and leave for 2 or more hours--hot dinner when you are ready.

Today I am painting, but I am not worried, dinner is in the Magic Wonder Oven doing it's thing waiting for dinnertime. I may be a dirty mess, but a hot delicious home cooked dinner will be ready when we are.

15 minutes on the stove and a roast, 3 loaves of bread or a large pot of stew is hot and ready to go when needed--from 2 to 6 hours later--no more fuel needed.

Perfect for camping.

Perfect for a busy day.

Perfect for a hot summer afternoon.

I am still learning, but I have experimented enough to know that magic comes from this wonderful box sitting in my kitchen.

I may live in the modern age but there is still quite a lot I can learn from my pioneer forebears. They got up in the morning and prepared for the day's travel by putting a hot pot in the hay box so dinner would be ready to eat when they stopped for the night.

I have a magic box and wonderful things appear when you open the lid.