A DAY TRIP TO HEART MOUNTAIN

My honey and I took a day trip yesterday to Cody, Wyoming. We intended on once again visiting the Wild Bill Cody museum but got too late of a start to do so. On the way, however, we were fortunate to be able to visit the Heart Mountain Relocation Center, which was actually an internment camp. This little-known site between Powell and Cody relates the fate of almost 11,000 Japanese people who were interned here at this particular camp for a three-year period during World War II...



We walked around the buildings in the photos above and below...



Because the US Government were at war with Japan and did not want any espionage or sabatoge by this people, they interred any and all Japanese living in certain parts of West coast states...

“Within two months of Pearl Harbor, political and military leaders prevailed upon President Roosevelt to sign Executive Order 9066, which gave the Army carte blanche to uproot citizens and aliens alike from their homes…”



Though I can see why our government took such actions (i.e. the post-911 fear of certain races of people in America), it must have been extremely sad and hard for these people to be plucked from their homes, upon short notice, and only allowed 100 pounds per person, or “what they could carry”. Homes, livestock, pets, furnishings, automobiles, and jobs were all abandoned. They were put on railcars and shipped on a four-day journey across the land. The blinds on the windows were closed so that no one could see out to where they were being relocated to...



There were 10 such relocation centers in the United States. At Heart Mountain alone, there were 550 babies born into captivity during the three-year period...



What impressed me the most was the absolute fortitude of these people. Though stuffed into small unfurnished and thin-walled barracks, they made the best of their situation. They raised schools, a hospital, a police and firestation, a court house, a sewage treatment plant, a swimming hole, and other ammenities found in any ordinary city...



They played organized sports...Sometimes playing against the local Cody boys...



Along with building a city, the Japanese people grew huge acreages of vegetable gardens to subsidize their food allotment...



They also had a hog and chicken farm...And, hand-dug irrigation systems are now still in use by local farmers.



Amazingly, some Japanese enlisted in the US military and went on to become friends with those they served in the government who imprisoned them...

As boys, these two men, one an American citizen, the other a Japanese American citizen, one free, the other interred, met as boyscouts and later served in the same government together. They have remained friends throughout their lives...



Here is an excerpt from their story...

A Letter from former U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta and former Wyoming Senator Alan Simpson about the HMWF Interpretive Learning Center

Dear visitor to the HMWF website,

The two of us have been friends now for almost sixty-five years – our entire lives in politics, and then some. But we think the most special thing about our friendship is the unlikely place it began, behind the barbed-wire fence of the Heart Mountain Relocation Center in Park County, Wyoming.

Heart Mountain was one of the ten so-called “Relocation Centers” that the government set up during World War II to detain all of the people of Japanese ancestry from the West Coast after forcing them from their homes. It was a harsh place, where hundreds of families like the Mineta family struggled to get by, charged with no crime yet interned on baseless suspicions of disloyalty. And it was a place that families like the Simpson family of Cody, Wyoming, knew little about, even though it was quite nearby.

But each of the places – the town of Cody and the Heart Mountain camp – had a Boy Scout troop, and the two of us were both scouts. That’s how we met – as twelve-year-olds at a Jamboree beneath the guard towers at Heart Mountain. We knew even then that we had a lot more in common than our government seemed to think possible. And though we were a lot more interested in tying knots and playing pranks back then than we were in the Constitution and civil rights, we now understand how important Heart Mountain was in forming our shared conviction that an injustice like the Japanese American internment should never again happen in the United States of America......Our friendship, begun as Boy Scouts at Heart Mountain, has lasted for decades. We want to make sure that future generations of Boy and Girl Scouts – and all who prize human dignity and freedom – will have the opportunity to learn the lessons of the Heart Mountain Relocation Center through a visit to the Interpretive Learning Center. We hope you’ll consider joining the Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation in this important effort...

Respectfully and Sincerely,


Norman Y. Mineta Alan K. Simpson

To read the entirety of their letter, view other photographs, and learn more about The Heart Mountain Relocation Center, please visit the website of The Heart Mountain Wyoming Foundation

May we never forget...

RANDOM RAMBLINGS

GARDENING...My gardening has had some ups and downs. The organic soil that I used made my little seedlings flourish…

It is called “Organic Choice Potting mix” and is put out by Miracle Gro...


I researched prices at Lowes and Home Depot, but Wal Mart was by far the cheapest.

It is wonderful soil and along with the organic seeds I planted, a prayer, and a little care…Not only did the plants come...



But so did the gnats! Their larvae have eaten the root systems of some of the plants and caused them to die off, including my beans and peas. I see that it is now affecting the dill…It is quite frustrating to say the least...

I don’t even know the official name of the bugs who have invaded our home. They seemingly appear out of no where. Really, though, they are apparently in the soil itself and once watered, out they come! Knowing the name would help in researching a cure. My daughter did seem to find something on them, however, that gave us the information that may nip their growth cycle…

You take off the top one inch of soil and replace with sand or coconut hulls. This apparently cuts up the larvae as they make their way to the surface and therefore prevents them from maturing into the flies that then lay more eggs that in turn repopulate your whole house...



COCONUT HULLS...One of the things that Keira got me For Mother’s Day was a compressed brick of coconut hulls. It was only a little over $2.00. You mix it in water, which expands it. I believe that it makes 2-1/2 gallons. I’ll get that done this weekend...We’re keeping our fingers crossed that it does some good.



COMPOSTING…My compost bin is complete thanks to my son and his friend. I have transferred my scraps from the temporary five-gallon bucket, which I have been using, into my new wooden bin. Mine is about four feet high by three feet long.



WEBSITE…If you’re interested in composting, visit “Composting 101”. On this site, the gentleman talks about different kinds of bins that can be purchased and also offers a resource that gives directions for building your own. The site is easy to read in sectioned-off one-page commentaries.



CONTAINER GARDENING…DH just has to put the bottom onto one more wooden box, and I’ll have a second above-ground garden container. It is a bit longer than we had originally planned, but nonetheless, it will work. That is one of the nice things about container gardening; you follow the basic rules of square-foot sections but can sort of tailor the dimension of the boxes to your needs as well.

MONEY…We personally chose to not spend any money on our garden containers. As our aim is to save money, be self-sufficient, and at the same time, spare more trees from being cut, we have been re-purposing, as they now say. My husband was able to get heavy wooden shipment boxes from his work to be used for both our container gardens and our compost box. These are being changed a bit to fit our needs and will then go on to their new callings!





DO THE WORK...If you would like to do this, look around wherever you can in your own area. Are there pallets that someone has thrown out or that can be purchased cheaply? At one time, we made a whole deck out of pallets. It was cheap, and it served the purpose. These can easily be turned into container gardens or compost bins with a bit of restructuring. Use your imagination, talk to the neighbors and co-workers, go to the county dump, or heavy equipment companies. The parts that they get in are often large and heavy requiring more than just a cardboard box. It’s amazing what can be found when there is a strong will behind you!





WEBSITE...Interestingly enough, I just came upon a site called Living Off The Grid. I'll give you the exact site to the compost-making page, but check out his home page also, as it looks to be good! The first paragraph says NOT to pay for them (pallett boxes) because there are ways to get them free. Isn't the internet great!



WEBSITE… If you’re interested in this type of food cultivating, check out Square Foot Gardening. This is a great site for beginners with pictures and tutorials. Under the tab “Square Foot Gardening’s” drop down menu, click on “How to Get Started”. Mel goes into the kinds of boxes and grids you’ll need, care of the garden, including how to plant them (they are different from the standard in-ground garden), watering, and harvesting your fruits. He also has a special soil formula that apparently works wonders. These gardens are meant to be low-maintenance for even us city folk!

Let me know how yours is working—even if it’s the typical in-ground garden! I would love to hear of any organic solutions for pests and any other information that you might care to share with us. It’s a great time to be green!



DINNERS…I love goulash. I never follow a recipe just throw in basically the same ingredients each time and season to taste. It’s easy, fairly quick, and goes over well at our house.

RECIPE…SORT OF…(These measurements are all guesses)

GOULASH

2 lbs. Hamburger
1 lrg. can Stewed Tomatoes
1 small can Tomatoe paste
¼ c. chopped Onions
1-1/2-2 c. Macaroni Noodles

To taste Ketchup
To taste Salt
To taste Pepper
To taste Sugar

Brown hamburger and onions then drain.

Combine hamburger, tomatoes, tomato paste, and cooked macaroni (If you have too many noodles, save for another meal or make macaroni and cheese for tomorrow’s dinner)

Add ketchup, salt, pepper, and sugar to taste

Cook on low for 20 minutes or long enough for all flavors to combine

And…

I LOVE rice pudding…

RECIPE

RICE PUDDING

1 c Heavy Cream
2/3 c Skim Milk
3 Eggs
½ c Sugar
¾ t Vanilla (Pure vanilla gives the best flavor)
To taste Cinnamon
1 c White Rice (Pre-cooked)
As desired Raisons

On stove, heat milk until scalding point; remove—cool a little then add to egg mixture

(You don’t want it to be real hot, or the eggs will curdle). While the milk is cooling…

Beat eggs until blended; add sugar and vanilla

Combine the milk, egg mixture, raisons, and rice in casserole dish; sprinkle with cinnamon

Bake at 350 degrees for ½ hour. It should be a little custardy in the middle when removed from the oven—not too stiff.

Enjoy!

To round out the meal, I added cottage cheese and a wonderful and simple deviled egg recipe that I got from The American Homemaker





For DESSERT…We had...

POLK CAKE...



And...CROCK-POT CAKE...(Served with Heavy Whipping Cream poured over the cake)



Both of which were also gotten from The American Homemaker…

My family felt as though they were eating like Kings...Ahhh...Makes a Mama proud...

I hope that you all have a very blessed week!

SPRING HAS COME!

I have to admit that growing up, summer was my FAVORITE season! I would lie outside in the shade provided by the North side of the house and look up into the sky. There I would find pictures, and there I would compose poetry, as I lay on the cool green lawn. Ahhh…those were the days.



As an adult, it seemed that I detested winter more and more with each coming year. I hated the cold; I hated the bound-up feeling and how hot I got with all the layers. Of course, when I was growing up and until about 20 years ago or so, we had real winters not the wimpy ones we have now. And, they WERE something to endure. Spring brought the wet and muck but also the hope; Fall brought the changing of colors from beautiful to dead and brown and the dread of what was to come. But, summer, ahhh, summer, THAT was season!



Back then…Boy, that makes me sound old!...Well, anyway, we would "lay out". The more sun the better, and the more baby oil, the more we would tan! One summer Mom and Dad were painting the house and had scaffolding set up. I donned the bathing suit, slathered on the oil, and climbed atop the metal sun bed.

Now days, rather than oil I slather on the sunscreen, keep my arms turned away from the sun as much as possible while driving, and try as hard as I can to keep from getting too much sun...

If only I had known the dangers! I shudder to think...

But you know, youth are infallible...



Well, as to the seasons…at some point about two or three years ago…my daughter and I had a talk. She told me that she actually lost weight in the winter! “Hmmm, how does THAT happen”, I queried. “Because I shiver, and that uses body heat, which in turn burns calories”, she replied. What a novel idea, thought I! We keep our house cool anyway to save on the gas bill, so I’m chilly a lot in the winter. Why not start looking at this horrid season in a positive way! I can lose weight!



As we talked, and as I thought…In the winter, you can cuddle up with kitty cats and books and Afghans. You can’t do that in the summertime!







In the winter, you can cook lots of homemade soups, which I love to do anyway…one more positive for the season! In the winter, you can hole up and hibernate much like a mama bear. It’s cozy, and it just plain feels good. The more I thought, the more I was beginning to like this time of year! In fact, winter ended up becoming my most favorite season of all…Gasp!



That being said, I have now begun to dread summertime ALMOST as much as I used to shrink from winter. I over heat and get so hot that I feel as if I might spontaneously combust. Now THAT’S dreadful! Summertime is quite claustrophobic to me what with being eternally hot and not being able to remove enough clothing to cool down yet still be presentable.

Well, what will be, will be and must be tolerated. Some of the things that I do to adapt are to wear a wet towel around my neck, and I have fans going non-stop in the living room, kitchen, and our bedroom. At bedtime when my feet seem to be burning up, I wrap them with wet towels. All in all, I’m glad that the good Lord gave us the four seasons.

This all brings me to thoughts of one of the finer more exciting features of this time of year...

Gardening!





This year seems to really be a beginning for many people, indeed. Countless numbers who have never gardened are—due to the economy—starting this year. Even the first lady is planting a garden—something that hasn’t been done since the Roosevelts were in the White House! Victory Gardens were a big thing for Americans during the war era. These efforts saved money, aided the war effort, and helped families be more self-sufficient.

As mentioned in another post or two, years ago when my babies were little (oh how I miss those days), I had gardens; I canned; I froze; I even dehydrated some. Those were the days—loads of work, but those were the days! Upon having to enter the quote-un-quote working world, the pleasures of homemaking and gardening had to take a back seat. So, for me this is an old beginning made new again.

I’ve been planning for quite some time now, since before the economy was really bad. Planning because I want to eat more organic. Planning because I want to be more self sufficient. Planning because…Well…it’s the right thing to do! So, I begin. Won’t you join me?



I just planted these little guys last Monday, and they’re poking their teeny tiny little heads above soil! The earliest any of them should have started to show was on day seven, and, many were in the 10-28-day range.

But...

Day Four...Broccoli arrives



Day Five...Peas pop!



Day Six...Dill, Carrots, Lemon basil, and Lavender show their little heads!

It is to me, such a testimony of our Heavenly Father’s plan. I see these tiny fragile plants that only He could create and instill life in. They, in turn, reach toward the light bending their little bodies Heaven-ward just as should we.



In the past, I have always had the traditional row gardens. I am quite impressed, however, and have been researching the above-ground container gardening. My thoughts are mostly formed, and next will begin the truly joyful sowing and reaping!





A wonderful site that I have found is The Square Foot Gardening Foundation. This gentleman has simple instructions and lots of advice on this gardening style.



I’ll keep you updated as we build, situate, and plant. To save money, I may get pallets, disassemble them, and use them to build the boxes. Next year, I’ll have my own compost; this year, I’ll have to buy it.

I pray that we may do all that we can to save this wonderful planet that the Lord has given us and, at the same time, get back to the basics.

Until I have my own vegetable patch to show off…

Please visit with me...

The Victory Gardens…