"Some people hear voices.. Some see invisible people.. Others have no imagination whatsoever." - Author Unknown.


Sunday, September 30, 2012

Roasted Dandelion Root “Coffee”


Roasted Dandelion Root “Coffee”Iris flourish

When brewed properly, dandelion root coffee closely resembles the rich flavor of traditional coffee, and it contains a wealth of vitamins and minerals.
  1. Gather:
    One 5-gallon bucket of dandelion roots (to yield about 10 gallons of coffee).
  2. Prepare the Roots:
    To wash the roots, fill the bucket with water and agitate the roots with your hands. Pour off the muddy water and repeat this process a few times until the water runs clear and you have a pile of luscious golden roots. Don’t worry if there’s still some dirt left on them—you’ll wash them again after chopping. With a sturdy knife, cut the roots into chunks. Put these into a large bowl (or sink), fill with water, then rub the roots and rinse until clean. Drain until fairly dry or pat with a towel. Chop about 2 cups of root chunks at a time in your food processor until they’re chopped into small, coarse bits.
  3. Roasting the Roots:
    Spread the coarsely ground roots on cookie sheets about 1/2-inch thick. Place as many sheets as you can fit into your oven, set at 250°F, and leave the oven door slightly ajar to let moisture escape. The roasting process takes about 2 hours. Stir frequently and rotate the cookie sheets occasionally to ensure even drying and roasting. As the roots dry, they’ll shrink and darken to a rich coffee color—but be careful not to let them burn. Cool completely and store in glass jars. Flavorful additions such as anise, cinnamon, ginger, and carob can be added if you like.
  4. Brewing the Coffee:
    You can either grind the roots in a coffee mill and brew in a coffee pot, or you can place the coarsely ground roots in a tea infuser and boil in a pot of water. Use 1 tablespoon of roasted roots for each cup of water (1/3 cup per quart of water). Adjust to your taste if you like it stronger or weaker. Add a dash of cream and sugar if you like, and enjoy a steaming cup of Roasted Dandelion Root Coffee!

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Gypsy Window Hanging, Thingy, Whatyoumightcallitmacallit

I spent a couple of days trying to work out my design for 'this'.  I had an idea of what I wanted so I toyed with it and this is what I came up with.  I love it! I have never fallen in love with any of my own pieces of  * cough (ahem) 'art' but I love, love, love this one.  I might actually have to clean my bedroom window and hang it up because I can't stop looking at it.



A closer view of the wired wrapped glass discs


It looks so pretty and enchanting when the sun light fliters through and in some places bounces off the discs and crystals.  The Copper pipes and brass bells sound magical. *sigh*

Sunday, September 16, 2012

One of My Baubles

Turquoise Beads wrapped with stainless steel wire, the Toggle & dangling Leaf are Pewter.  The bracelet measures 7.5 inches long.

This bracelet is wrapped by hand, one bead at time so although I tried  it is not perfectly symmetrical. It's sturdy, stainless steel wire is pretty strong and should never tarnish.

I am a self taught, non-professional jewelry maker and this is one of my first pieces. 







Saturday, September 15, 2012



A nurse took the tired, anxious serviceman to the bedside. "Your son is here," she said to the old man. She had to repeat the words several times before the patient's eyes opened.

Heavily sedated because of the pain of his heart attack, he dimly saw the young uniformed Marine standing outside the oxygen tent. He reached out his hand. The Marine wrapped his toughened fingers around the old man's 

limp ones, squeezing a message of love and encouragement.

The nurse brought a chair so that the Marine could sit beside the bed. All through the night the young Marine sat there in the poorly lighted ward, holding the old man's hand and offering him words of love and strength. Occasionally, the nurse suggested that the Marine move away and rest awhile. He refused.

Whenever the nurse came into the ward, the Marine was oblivious of her and of the night noises of the hospital - the clanking of the oxygen tank, the laughter of the night staff members exchanging greetings, the cries and moans of the other patients. Now and then she heard him say a few gentle words. The dying man said nothing, only held tightly to his son all through the night.

Along towards dawn, the old man died. The Marine released the now lifeless hand he had been holding and went to tell the nurse. While she did what she had to do, he waited.

Finally, she returned. She started to offer words of sympathy, but the Marine interrupted her, "Who was that man?" he asked.

The nurse was startled, "He was your father," she answered.

"No, he wasn't," the Marine replied. "I never saw him before in my life."

"Then why didn't you say something when I took you to him?"

"I knew right away there had been a mistake, but I also knew he needed his son, and his son just wasn't here. When I realized that he was too sick to tell whether or not I was his son, knowing how much he needed me, I stayed. I came here tonight to find a Mr. William Grey. His Son was killed in Iraq today, and I was sent to inform him. What was this Gentleman's Name? "

The nurse with tears in her eyes answered, "Mr. William Grey........."

The next time someone needs you ... just be there. Stay.

Story from our friends at Operation Ooh-Rah