Memories & Plans

 You know I'm BackToSchool. MySchool is much about distant studies. Last time I knit SocksForMe. Now I bought some more easy-yarn to knit more socks during the lectures.

It is officially autumn now because it already is September.

Summer included getting ready for the next winter. You need this to make the flu to fade away.

All the berries started to ripen at the end of the summer and still keep going on. In MyGarden I have very faithful red currants and they never fail me, no matter what kind of the year or season has been. The oldest shrub is from the late 40's - early 50's!!!

I do have black currants too. This year we've planted 5 more shrubs to get even more extremely healthy berries.

Summer means also I need to send MyStudents for a summer vacation. They share beautiful flowers with Me before leaving.

When the flowers fade away I always save the tiny decorations included for the further use. They bring Me so much joy!

It was lovely to find these pics of the flowers and I share few of them with you. Next week I'll see MyStudents again! It's nice to go to the work when I know they'll be waiting. (Yes, I work and study at the same time now so I'll get a bit busy every now and then.)

VeryPink!

Some of the flowers are sill with Me!

Roses are always so pretty!

Fireweed HerbalTea

Fireweed grows as a weed in MyWorld. I let it grow because it is beautiful when it is flowering all over but also in its autumn shades (see the background of the pics). Commonly it is considered as a trash and in Finnish we have a nickname for it which literally means Bum's Rose.

Despite of its useless reputation Fireweed is very useful plant. Old times it was believed to make the cows to milk better. According to modern medical investigations it is diuretic antioxidant which also eases the pain. It is calming, cooling and drying. It makes good to your blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels. It also prevents prostate troubles. Fireweed tea which is made of young leaves is used also to prevent, ease or heal head ache, asthma, cough, diarrhea and other problems in your digestive system. This tea also relaxes and eases insomnia.

I collect Fireweed from MyGarden and make bunch of 10 stems. If the weather is good I let them dry outside at first. Then I move them indoors to continue drying in MySauna.

When the leaves are dry I remove them from the stems. The stems include a lot of liquid and it only prevents drying. We don't use the stems so at this point you can just throw them away. (I compost them in MyGarden.) After removing the leaves from the stems I place the leaves over the trays and let them dry more.

The leaves are dry enough when you touch them and they start to break down easily. You can storage them like that. I shred them to make them to fit in a smaller space.

I don't have a lot of Tupperware but I do have Chop 'N' Prep Chef and Power Chef System I use here. They ease MyLife a lot because I cook so much at home. In MyWorld there is no other cheaper similar kitchenware available. Despite Tupperware is not MyHobby and I try to avoid its materialistic world quite much I must confess they have few practical and useful things for sale. Unfortunately Tupperware is quite expensive trademark and I am sure in the BigWorld you can find similar equipment much cheaper at supermarkets' kitchen department. You just need something with blade to shred it all to small pieces.

Alternative option is something to press it all against something. When the leaves are dry enough also that makes them to be shred. It becomes dust-like so be careful not to make it all to spread around like a blow of a dust and get lost. You need a bowl or something to keep it all safe in.

I use old kitchen glass jars I inherit from HisGranny to store MyHomeMadeTea. I have many of these glass jars in different sizes. They are very practical. Unfortunately the big ones are collectible and can cost a lot at SecondHandShops. But you can use anything that is clean and dry.

I use fabric as a lid to keep it all in and safe from the dust. This also lets them to dry out more during the time because moisture can evaporate through the fabric. If you live in more wet climate the original metallic / plastic lid could be more useful to keep the moisture out. When closing up a jar by impermeable lid you must be sure the leaves are dry, otherwise they start to mildew.

OpenWaters

Hello everyone! How are we? What has happen since MyLastBlogPost? Well, well well... This year we made some kind of record with the snow. We had it for about 200 kg per each square meter. Yes, 200 kg on every single square meter of the ground. So, on the 4th of May we got pouring rain. Before that I still had much over half of MyGarden under 20-40 cm snow cover. We got also another day with pouring rain showers. It all means that today there are just tiny stubborn snow spots here and there in MyGarden. So, since MyLastBlogPost I've been gardening a lot.

Only few days ago all the waters got free from the ice. MySea Gulf of Bothnia had 70 cm thick ice cover and many ice breakers were still needed in May to keep industrial harbors open.

So far the floods are not as bad as expected... so far...

TheSnow belongs to our arctic spring. All the creatures are busy in breeding and nesting. DearNuka is sometimes a bit confused because of them. Remember, She was fixed, so She has no idea about it all...

These creatures don't mind if it is a bit chilly. They don't let the arctic climate to stop them. They are very determined.

I am happy to announce: It is not all about TheSnow anymore!

Spring is also a great time to make HomeMadeTea for the flu seasons. We pick up the annual growth buddings of the spruce. (You need permission for that from the land owner in Finland!!!) They need to be new, fresh and still light green. Then I just put them in tiny plastic bags and straight into freezer. I put ½ dl in one bag. It is one portion for one tea pot.

When you need them you can use them as frozen. When you pour the water over them make sure it is not boiling / too hot. Too hot water makes it all to taste just bitter and awful. After 3-5 minutes you have excellent drink for ease your stubborn flu.

NoReturn

 It has happen. There is no return anymore.

The 1st Autumn Storm was here.

The 3rd Storm will bring the winter in.

If you want to escape; do it now. You still have time left but there is no return anymore. Only after 10 months it will be tolerable warm again... Escape; if you are not used to the cold...

...if you have not been prepared for the long winter time. (Here TheCat & Him are making HerbalTea for the Winter.)

At the end of August I sheared all the angora wool for the last time before the Winter. I cut it to be extremelty short (2mm). It needs to be short because of the skin which needs to get a bit air in to prevent skin problems. During the cold season I must leave several centimeters for their own warmth; that's why I cut it very short on warm season. (On these pics they have grew it already back a bit.)

Despite it is not more than +14C on the day time and +4C on the night time they enjoy their ShortSummerHairStyle. They don't use their WinterNest yet (except when it was roaring 1st Autumn Storm). On the chilly mornings I find them cooling down by the doorway where's only a net structure as a door. Yep, despite they have now the short wool. Angora wool is very warm and it seems to work perfect by the Arctic Circle.

My ContinentalGiant Sandy is a big girl already. No, she is not paralyzed, she is just doing her DailyStretchingExercises.

All the rabbits love the moment when I share a bit of MyGarden apples with them.

MyWinterProject is going on little by little. Now I have connected the sleeves to the trunk. And spun more yarn for it...

Thistle & That

Some days ago I got a delivery from faraway. 1200g of camomile tea! It really does good to my voice mixed with honey during the LongColdWinter. Camomile inflorescences are TheThing. They are hard to find here. So, I am very grateful to my friend because of this gift. Thank you once again DearK.

How are my thistles doing?

Very well indeed!

This is how MyWinterProject is doing. No, I am not going to tell you what it is going to be. Be patient! It is my own design.

TeapotCover

 This TeapotCover continues my Dream Blue Sleepy Kit. Also this is my own design.

TheTeapot is ARABIAs 24h serial. Santa brought me it at YuleTime 2014. (Under TheTeapot is poncho which my dear friend K knit and gave me by YuleTime 2013.) I don't collect any ARABIA but this teapot has beautiful design and it fits well with my other tea stuff; like Lena Furberg mugs I found on my summer adventures.

The TeapotCover is fastened by buttons. It is washable and warm. The white yarn is 100% Novita wool.

Strawberry Tea

It is TimeForTea! 

Are you ready? 

Ready for HomeMade StrawberryTea?

It is easy to make your own tea from strawberries. At first you need to eat the berries. That's the best part! Then spread around on the paper the stems (or what ever they are called). Let them dry there for days -until they are dry.

When they are dry they look like this. They've lost their shiny summer strawberry colours.

Fill a jar. You can push them down a little bit as long as they don't get too tight. Air must fit in too to keep them dry.

You can cover the jar with a loose lid or fabric; again -the air must get through. You can store it and enjoy about the summer memories on the cold winter days.