August is right around the corner…. literally. I wanted to give a shout out to my friends (old, new, and unmet) who have wondered when the next Women’s Health class is. It too is right around the corner! Hope to see you all there. August 7th (a Monday) 6:30pm CST.

Remember, these classes…. while free…. do require an access code to attend, so you’ll need to sign up. Hope to see you there!

You can sign up HERE.

Have a blessed and joy filled day! ~ liz

​Note: 8/6/17 The link to the class has been sent out this morning. If you signed up and did not receive a link, please contact me. Thanks!

Yesterday was such an awesome day! So fun…. Henri brought the kid(s) down for a meet and greet. Honestly, I’m not sure if there were one or two babies. Briefly, it seemed like there were squirrel sightings all over our porch. In retrospect, I believe there might have been two. Teenage squirrels are not the best climbers. It’s definitely a skill that is honed with age and experience. Neither is jumping and leaping….. I would have to give them a solid ‘B’…. and that only for attempting everything their mama asked of them.

Henri chattered pretty much incessantly all morning. She scolded, coached, and cajoled them, and then would talk to me. Her body language was so very interesting. She wanted to make it very clear to ‘the kids’ that I was a friend. Henri jumps on me occasionally…. maybe once or twice a month. Yesterday, she bounded back and forth between my shoulder and the porch railing as if to say, “See, she’s harmless!”. She also spent time with the dogs, talking to them ….. venturing close to them…. and even once left the porch railing to run between their legs.

In addition to introducing the teens to me (and the dogs), Henri also made a clear effort to show them the food stations, where the water was, and how to get from the roof to the porch (there are a few ways she does this). The coaching lasted well into the afternoon…. a surprise……she usually takes a siesta during the heat of the day. I’m fairly certain she was giving them all the info so that she could shut off the free ride/milk supply. They are about the age Henri was when we began acclimating her to living outdoors. I guess we handled that right as adoptive squirrel parents!

​I’m praying that these little guys/gals will decide to relocate to the trees behind our house and not choose to live on the porch with Henri. Everything I read states that squirrels generally prefer solitude vs running around as a pack (technically, a scurry)….. and I hope it’s true.  I don’t want to get a reputation as the crazy squirrel lady!

Yowsers! We have figs. In fact, we have a disproportionate amount of figs. We have figs coming out our ears all from one very happy (but unknown species) tree.

We planted the little gal (there are male and female plants…. the girls being the producers) about 7 or 8 years ago, and it got off to a very rocky start…. multiple times. Every winter it appeared to die back to the brink of true death until two years ago. Last year we got spoiled by simply eating all we wanted off of the tree. There were enough to pick and eat daily, but not enough to make anything with. This year, the stars must have been lined up right because we have whopper crop this year. I’ve had to get on the ball and start collecting fig recipes. There are some amazing ones out there! 

I’ve found this collection at BonAppetit (the figs with bacon and chile is on my ‘to do’ list… Wow… I’ll bet those flavors pop!)

I found a ‘cheeky chilli pepper fig chutney‘ ….. you know anything chef Jamie Oliver puts together is going to be good. My dear friends Aryanne and Martin gave us one of Jamie’s cookbooks several years back. The man knows how to use his ingredients, no question about it. I love that he focuses on using fresh ingredients and prefers seasonal cooking (cooking with what is available at the appropriate season of harvest). I do think that was God’s intention anyway. We were never supposed to eat the same thing 365 days a year like we are prone to do now. It’s probably one of the reasons  the standard American diet is typically out of control and obesity and other body system dysfunctions continue to plague our country. If it’s not fresh, it’s likely filled with preservatives and other chemicals to make it taste more appealing.

And finally…. a ‘pear-fig-ginger-jam (with ahem… a dash of whiskey)‘ that we’re gonna have to try. That sounds like it would be incredible over a block of yogurt cream cheese (labnah) or cream cheese with some crackers.

Figs are a food of the Bible, and are loaded chock full of health benefits. God is good that way… giving us just what we need.  Dried figs… the most common way people eat chem…. are even more densely loaded with nutrients than fresh. Although I like to eat them both ways, fresh from the tree is my preferred route of nourishment.

The Fig low down:

• high in fiber
• great source of magnesium, manganese, copper, potassium, and calcium (1 dried fig = the calcium in an egg!)
• rich in vitamin K and B6
• contain powerful antioxidants that neutralize disease and dysfunction causing free radicals ( just like some oils I know, love, and use!)
• According to Dr. Mercola’s website figs have some other more unusual uses too… ” Traditional medicine around the world has made use of figs as poultices on tumors, warts, and wounds. The fruit and leaves have been pulverized and gargled to relieve sore throats. Fig extracts and dried figs have been found to contain ingredients that protect the heart, regulate kidney and liver functions, lower blood pressure, lower incidences of macular degeneration, and inhibit some cancers, specifically post menopausal breast cancer.”  Holy smokes Figman…. my cornucopia of wellness tools just got a little fuller!

Any of my local friends want some figs?  Give me a shout and this farmgirl can hook you up!

Take care, and have a blessed day,
​liz

Henri has not yet revealed her babies to us. We can tell they are still nursing, so we just have to assume they are ok. Surely we’ll see them soon!

Squirrels are such interesting little characters. They truly are one of God’s cheeky little creatures….. full of sass and impertinence. As vulnerable as they are, you’ve got to give them credit for ingenuity and confidence…. well, until their indecisiveness kicks in when they are trying to cross a road!
I was curious about literary greats who used squirrels in their works. (Don’t ask me why… it was a squirrel moment for me.)  Sadly, squirrels don’t seem to portend anything happy or good according to a list I found…. at least in literature. But for me, they are a symbol of joy with a dash of bossiness thrown in for good measure!

I did find this poem in my search. It’s clever. I read a fair amount of RWE in high school and college. He too apparently saw sass and impertinence in our fox tailed friend!


The Mountain And The Squirrel
By Ralph Waldo Emerson

The mountain and the squirrel
Had a quarrel,
And the former called the latter
“Little prig.”
Bun replied,
“You are doubtless very big;
But all sorts of things and weather
Must be taken in together
To make up a year
And a sphere.
And I think it no disgrace
To occupy my place.
If I’m not so large as you,
You are not so small as I,
And not half so spry:
I’ll not deny you make
A very pretty squirrel track.
Talents differ; all is well and wisely put;
If I cannot carry forests on my back,
Neither can you crack a nut.”

Source

​Y'all have a blessed day,
 Liz