My hair is rapidly turning grey. Truth be told, it is streaked with a good percentage of grey, although for the most part I still appear to have brown hair. I will soon turn 65, so my having grey hair is no surprise. Funny thing is, my internal system waited until I had retired last June before the exponential greying process really became apparent. It is almost as though my internal ticker wouldn’t allow my outward appearance to grey until I was through with my professional teaching career, working with teens. That’s a good thing, I guess.
About Joy Healy
Retirement or Renewal
I will turn 65 my next birthday. Thinking back over my life, I can visualize the many “hats” I have worn, several of which now sit on a shelf gathering dust. Girl Scout leader, Neighborhood Chair for over twenty Girl Scout Troops, Merit Badge Counselor for Boy Scouts, PTA President, Seamstress, Cook, Cleaner both at home and for a professional service, Editor of a union newsletter, Mentor, Teacher, Knitter, Crocheter, Crossstitcher, Quilter, Embroiderer, Canner, Typist, Salesgirl, Secretary, etc., not to mention daughter, Christian, friend, wife, mother, and grandmother. None of these descriptive titles defines me, aptly revealing who I am. I suppose I am a composite of them all, and oh! so much more.
Local Apples
There is little that smells more tantalizing than a good sniff of a fresh apple. Autumn is the perfect apple time of the year; and that is why, today, I took a ride to an orchard to buy Northern Spies and Empire apples, fresh from the people who grow them. One bushel of apples will supply my husband and me with an apple a day (to keep the doctor away!) to eat raw, a barrel of apples to make Apple Kuchen, applesause, Apple Pie(s), baked apples…well, you get the picture.
Fruits of Canning
Veggies and fruit are all in canning jars in the basement, all in neat rows, visually enticing the visitor to the pantry to “Eat me!” Since the growing season is now behind us, a good deal of the canning season is behind us also, unless you are canning pears or apples or the like. Canning [...]
Making Bread
I have been pondering the rise of such products as Bisquik. Just as the name implies, using Bisquik makes baking biscuits (and other varieties of bread products) fast and easy. The difference is in the ingredients that the cook must handle in order to turn out a quality bread. Note the contrast of ingredients between Bisquik and the Wheat Roll recipe:
The Tale of a Tail
How does one place a value on the worth of a pet? The answer is a very personal one for millions of people in the world. For our family, the pet of choice has been dogs. Over the past 30 years, we have owned two dogs – Reggie (Jackson) and Bella – both males, both mutts, both obtained from the local Humane Society, and both loved. These dogs became a vital part of our family structure.
The Corner Store
Making a pie and I run out of cinnamon – ugh! What to do? No problem, I can just jump in the car and take a quick run up to Hufsmith to the general store, which is a lot better than having to drive all the way into Tomball to shop at Klein’s. Fast forward [...]
More Calories
159 more calories burned walking to the bridge again. The difference was that it has turned seasonably cool (55 degrees), making the walk even more enjoyable. There is something about the autumn of the year that is exciting! No longer are the trees a multiplicity of shades of green. No! Yellows, oranges and reds have intruded into the green scene, and now an artist’s palette greets the walker through the forest domain.
The Walk
One hundred fifty-nine (159) – that’s how many calories I burn when I walk two miles round trip to the bridge on Trout Brook Road. I don’t, however, concentrate on that magic number. Instead, my attention is turned solely to my senses, to what I see, hear, smell, and feel as I become immersed in nature.
Water, Water, Everywhere
Joyful Tales – Guest blogger, Joy Healy, remembers swimming in rural Tomball, TX as a child. The rain has been coming down for the past four days. Not a problem – it gives me a lot of reasons to do other things – like quilt!! Interesting how water has played such an important part of [...]
Hi, there! I’m Erin. I’m a crunchy Christian mom and artist. I love to eat local farm food and shop at thrift stores. I blog about our crazy life and baby girl (born April 2011). I love rainbows. My hair is messy. ^_^ I hope you enjoy my blog! (Read More about me here...)
