tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30173158024405744812026-04-14T13:24:54.410-05:00 The History Behind the StoryUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger481125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3017315802440574481.post-27549782309941566732026-04-13T19:30:00.006-05:002026-04-13T19:52:30.217-05:00

 Don-Qui Soapy!While buying supplies for making more candles today, I got side-tracked by the soap on the shelf right beside the candle-making supplies. Donkey milk caught my eye. I admit, I had no idea soap could be made with donkey milk. On a whim, I bought a big block of 'melt and pour' donkey milk for making soap, along with dyes, scents, and a mold. The process is remarkably easy

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3017315802440574481.post-75962991914098406592026-04-09T18:35:00.001-05:002026-04-09T18:35:08.148-05:00

 Lemon Mint: Lemon and mint: we think of them as two very different things. Monarda citriodora, however, combines them. Known as lemon mint, lemon beebalm, or lemon bergamot, it is a fragrant, citrus‑scented member of the mint family used in cooking, and for medicinal purposes. It is known for antioxidant properties, digestive support, and being a pollinator‑friendly plant in the garden

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3017315802440574481.post-44988651599118000682026-04-02T15:34:00.006-05:002026-04-02T15:50:48.241-05:00

 Silence, Expectation, and the Breaking of the Gates The Medieval Holy Week Series: Palm Sunday Holy Monday Holy Tuesday Holy Wednesday Maundy Thursday Holy Friday Holy Saturday Medieval Easter Medieval Easter CarolsHoly Saturday was a day of paradox: Christ lay physically in the tomb, yet He was also believed to be storming the gates of Hell

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3017315802440574481.post-34973396511049764902026-04-01T23:43:00.002-05:002026-04-02T15:47:28.397-05:00

 The Medieval Holy Week Series: Palm Sunday Holy Monday Holy Tuesday Holy Wednesday Maundy Thursday Holy Friday Holy Saturday Medieval Easter Medieval Easter CarolsCross, Silence, and Cosmic SorrowGood Friday was the most solemn day of the medieval year. Calling the day of Christ's death 'good' seems counter-intuitive. However, it can be

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3017315802440574481.post-27196622026860357452026-04-01T18:21:00.006-05:002026-04-02T15:50:07.486-05:00

Washing, Watching & the Eucharist The Medieval Holy Week Series: Palm Sunday Holy Monday Holy Tuesday Holy Wednesday Maundy Thursday Holy Friday Holy Saturday Medieval Easter Medieval Easter CarolsMaundy Thursday--does anyone today know what maundy means? It comes from the Latin mandatum, which means commandment. It refers to Jesus'

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3017315802440574481.post-68945727174645586762026-04-01T17:25:00.002-05:002026-04-02T15:49:35.175-05:00

 Judas, Shadows, and the Price of a Soul The Medieval Holy Week Series: Palm Sunday Holy Monday Holy Tuesday Holy Wednesday Maundy Thursday Holy Friday Holy Saturday Medieval Easter Medieval Easter CarolsI hate to disappoint, but Spy Wednesday is not a day to watch James Bond movies. I mean, I'm not saying you can't. Watch James Bond if you

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3017315802440574481.post-85628150159633175512026-04-01T15:45:00.003-05:002026-04-02T15:49:01.155-05:00

 Christ as Teacher, Scholar, Disputer The Medieval Holy Week Series: Palm Sunday Holy Monday Holy Tuesday Holy Wednesday Maundy Thursday Holy Friday Holy Saturday Medieval Easter Medieval Easter CarolsMedieval lectionaries (especially those standardized under Charlemagne and used across Western Europe) assigned the following Gospel texts to

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3017315802440574481.post-55050566125055235372026-04-01T15:00:00.005-05:002026-04-02T15:48:36.788-05:00

 The Medieval Holy Week Series: Palm Sunday Holy Monday Holy Tuesday Holy Wednesday Maundy Thursday Holy Friday Holy Saturday Medieval Easter Medieval Easter CarolsToday, we barely think of Holy Monday as anything other than another Monday. However, the Gospel reading for the day is John 12:1-11, which recounts the story of Mary in Bethany pouring

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3017315802440574481.post-76762014771797923962026-04-01T13:38:00.005-05:002026-04-02T15:48:09.538-05:00

 HOLY WEEK IN MEDIEVAL TIMES The Medieval Holy Week Series: Palm Sunday Holy Monday Holy Tuesday Holy Wednesday Maundy Thursday Holy Friday Holy Saturday Medieval Easter Medieval Easter Carols'Medieval' times cover approximately a thousand years, depending who you ask, so these posts about medieval times are more of a general overview than an

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3017315802440574481.post-9745009978689085282026-03-31T23:13:00.001-05:002026-03-31T23:13:12.452-05:00

I sometimes think about my current posts on gardening, plants, and animals, and their relation to The Blue Bells Chronicles.  They really are very directly related, as I'm going back to, and experiencing, something much closer to the way Niall and those around him lived in the 1300s. They depended on the plants they grew and the animals they raised. Chris and I are learning to do the

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3017315802440574481.post-60904951256620428122026-03-23T17:54:00.004-05:002026-03-23T17:54:47.669-05:00

Having ordered and planted a number of the perennial vegetables I learned about, it's exciting to see the horseradish growing like crazy. Less than four years ago--around May of 2022--I planted the first garden I've ever had any success with. From there, we've continually branched out and I continue to learn more. I've never had horseradish in any form other than the tangy condiment. I chose it

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3017315802440574481.post-78335145496283549852026-03-20T22:01:00.001-05:002026-03-20T22:01:08.328-05:00

 I've likely put the question to both Grok at X (which has recently suspended my account for 'repeated violations' while giving no previous warnings or explanations of what rules I've supposedly violated) and to co-pilot. So I'm a little lost in the answers. Here are Co-pilot's answers as to what I really meant.Do they resonate with what you read, are they great readings of the book, or do

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3017315802440574481.post-25411478207564813062026-03-19T22:44:00.009-05:002026-03-19T22:45:39.838-05:00

 The Remarkable Chayote Squash: Health Benefits, Nutrition, and How to Grow ItThe Chayote squash (Sechium edule) is a) from the gourd family, or b) a fruit? The correct answer is, c) all of the above, though it's treated as a vegetable in cooking.  Coming primarily from southern Mexico and Honduras, it's a warm-weather plant that grows up trellises on vines to produce a green

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3017315802440574481.post-80661419019140361032026-03-16T09:49:00.000-05:002026-03-16T09:49:27.051-05:00

 It's a meme--what the intellectuals say the author meant vs what the author says the author meant. Some time ago I asked AI about the symbolism in The Blue Bells Chronicles. Previously I posted about AI's answer as to the symbolism of the Blue Bells flower and the trombone, in relation to the story. AI had four more answers as to the symbolism I supposedly intended. I have to say,

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3017315802440574481.post-15797564638329956782026-03-14T21:57:00.002-05:002026-03-14T21:57:20.263-05:00

WHAT I'VE BEEN WORKING ON:It's been a long time since I put out a book. It has to do with two major moves since 2021, two surprise surgeries that kept me nearly bedridden for months (in the middle of the cross-country move no less), my on-going work at Gabriel's Horn and the Books and Brews podcast, and our on-going steep learning curve as we make the shift from suburbs to self-sufficiency. 

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3017315802440574481.post-87407357835286676182026-03-14T12:32:00.003-05:002026-03-14T12:32:17.891-05:00

Instead of paying for feed, instead of depending on stores to have feed available, consider buying these seeds and raising your own chicken feed. This information comes primarily from Pure Garden's video on how the Amish feed their chickens with these five plants. I'm giving the basic information as reference for what to plant but there's more in the video.Moringa27% protein, vitamin A and C and

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3017315802440574481.post-7546421615168480292026-03-13T23:36:00.002-05:002026-03-13T23:36:28.156-05:00

We've all heard of yellow, green, white and red onions. We've seen sweet onions, Walla Wallas, and shallots. Far fewer know about the Egyptian Walking Onion. I came across it in a video about perennial vegetables. Egyptian Walking Onions are among only 6-10 in the Allium family that are perennial. Most onions need to be replanted every season. I, for one, am a huge fan of efficiency and not

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3017315802440574481.post-4457921390793294542026-03-12T19:26:00.003-05:002026-03-12T19:35:20.297-05:00

In 2021, saw 18.3 million new households take to gardening, largely as a result of the scamdemic. The increase was especially strong in growing fruits and vegetables. From 2019 to 2023, that number grew from 33% to 67% of households reporting growing some or all of their fruits and vegetables.My husband and I are among those new numbers. In 2021 we moved to acreage exactly to be able to be

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3017315802440574481.post-29687061655143485802026-03-12T12:35:00.003-05:002026-03-12T19:06:27.668-05:00

4 years ago, I'd never successfully raised so much as a head of lettuce. We're on a steep learning curve--but we are learning. Each year, I've done better with my growing, but I could hardly claim to have a green thumb, yet. I've put a lot of work into achieving middling results last summer. Almost none of my seedlings grew. Of the plants I bought and planted, I got a few cucumbers, a decent

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3017315802440574481.post-76276360008461673082026-03-11T19:05:00.002-05:002026-03-11T19:05:43.150-05:00

I recently came across the concept of 'vegetable trees.' On further study, it seems it was just a unique way of saying 'perennial vegetables,' some of which are tree-like, others of which are root vegetables. Regardless, it set me on a path of seeking out more perennials and considering planting some vegetables I was less familiar with. Some, I could only find through etsy and amazon.This past

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3017315802440574481.post-16829111105350291912026-02-26T22:31:00.001-06:002026-03-12T19:29:30.097-05:00

How life changes! I thought this as I nearly went down in the mud again today.In 2021, my life went very abruptly from very suburban to living on extensive acreage in the north woods, learning to raise animals and grow plants. It continues here in the Appalachians as we raise sheep, rabbits, and chickens. It's warmer here than in northern Minnesota, so we have less snow. (Hey, our last winter in

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3017315802440574481.post-58431485938263801822026-02-23T21:41:00.000-06:002026-02-23T21:41:05.086-06:00

White hawthorn, Crataegus monogyna, is a shrub or small tree that has been cherished for centuries both for its beauty and its medicinal attributes. It thrives in temperate climates and can grow up to 20-30 feet tall, forming dense thickets if left unpruned. So it's probably better to prune it.Unlocking the Medicinal Potential of White HawthornWhite hawthorn is packed with bioactive

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3017315802440574481.post-6181085613724447122026-02-20T23:18:00.003-06:002026-02-20T23:19:37.460-06:00

 You need to know the rules to be able to break the rules.Since 2019, Gabriel's Horn has published an annual anthology of poetry in traditional forms: villanelles, sonnets, limericks, quatrains, and much more. Our previous themes have been: JOY 2019NATURE 2020LOVE 2021LAUGHTER 2022MUSIC 2023FAITH 2024We are now taking submissions for CHILDREN 2025 and AMERICA 2026 and looking for our

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3017315802440574481.post-53127877338793909732026-02-19T23:31:00.004-06:002026-02-19T23:31:46.285-06:00

 Stories are the fabric of our lives--what makes us who we are. Once upon a time, as all the best stories start, my father took our family, along with my cousins, aunt and uncle, and grandparents, to dinner at the American Legion in Robbinsdale, MN. I remember it as being a nice place with curved stairs and a nice dining room with huge windows looking down onto what would have been one

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3017315802440574481.post-41594996281351028182026-02-10T17:25:00.001-06:002026-02-10T17:25:21.839-06:00

In the movie Dirty Dancing, a man asks Baby, the main character, about her plans for the future. Her father is very proud to say she's going to the Peace Corps. "She's going to save the world!" And what of Lisa, the man asks. Baby smirks. "She's going to decorate it." Beauty, to Baby, is clearly a frill, unimportant.With age and reading, I've come to believe differently. Beauty matters,

Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0