Lets Jump Together

Have you ever heard about the seed vault that resides just a few miles from the North Pole?

Since it’s opening in February 2008, millions of seeds have been deposited into it.  It has the capacity to hold 4.5 million seeds.

It is located on a small Norwegian island named Spitsbergen, and it was built to preserve and protect against the loss of seeds to regional or global crises.

There are several of these seed vaults around the globe, but most of them are in politically unstable or environmentally threatened locations.

This Svalbard Global Seed Vault was built inside a sandstone mountain that is high enough above sea level to be safe even if the ice caps melt.

There is very low tectonic activity and the permafrost level helps in preserving the seeds.

The Seed Vault is like a safety deposit box in a bank.  Norway owns the building, but the country that deposits the seeds is the owner of the box they are stored in.

Nobody has the right to open the deposit boxes - only the owners can open them to restore the seeds they have lost themselves.

With all the strife, natural disasters, equipment failures, and mismanagement of seeds around the world, it is good to know we have this insurance of preserving our food source for hundreds of years.

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.

~ by John Fitzgerald Kennedy

Happy Thanksgiving, my friends!

I remember each time I make it.  I never fail to think of my grandmother.

She used to make it for us, and it was the best - so much better than the ones in the jar that my mother used.

Eating it cold is my favorite way of having it.

Grandma always knew the right amount of sugar and cinnamon - it was always perfect.

She new it was one of my favorites, so one afternoon she gave me the job of making it.

With her guidence, she helped me make this most delicious treat.

And it was so easy - no recipe required.

We peeled, cored, and cut up about 10 apples.

Putting them in a saucepan, we then added water until it covered them about 3/4 of the way.  It is important not to completely cover them - it will be too watery in the end.

We then sprinkled cinnamon over them and stirred it in.  I would say it is about 1/2 to 3/4 of a tsp of cinnamon.  Use it to taste.

Putting a cover over the pan, we brought it to a boil.

Once it boiled, we reduced the heat and let it simmer until the apples were done - about 3/4 of an hour.

When the apples mush against the side of the pan with a fork - it is done.

Use a potato masher to smooth out the apples.

Add the sugar while it is still hot - it dissolves it.  Once again, add to taste - about 1 cup.

My mom is a diabetic, so my grandma used to set some aside for her before she added the sugar for the rest of us.

You can serve it warm or cold - either way it is delicious!

Hope you enjoy!

One of our favorite blogs has created a most beautiful award for all their friends.

This blog, The Right Blue, contains beautiful images from under the sea.

The authors are master divers who have spent many hours photographing, logging, and observing the underwater life over many years and all over the globe.

Filled with many facts, Bobbie writes with an obvious love of this sport, and makes you feel like you are right there beside her.

Some of their adventures include shark encounters, cave diving, wreck diving, and night diving.

All of the posts contain beautiful images - the colors are incredible, and the different species of life are amazing.

One visit to The Right Blue, and you too will be captivated!

My boys spend a lot of time working on projects - whether it be cars, house repairs, or building things from scratch.

They are very resourceful and use what tools and materials they have available - and that helps us save our pennies.

Over the years my husband has amassed quite a collection of tools.

In addition to all the hand tools such as screwdrivers, wrenches, and sockets, he also has the power tools for most jobs.

And I cannot count the number of tool boxes that he has to store all these tools in.

Now that my son is getting older, he also has been collecting his share of tools.

My husband always insists that they make great gifts which only makes my son too happy.

So that means that he needs a place to store his tools too.  We will have to make room for another one of those red metal tool boxes.

One thing my husband has always been adamant about over the years though, is he likes to purchase a certain kind of hand tool.

So when Sears puts their tools on sale you can be sure he will be there to check them out.

Saving money on the needed ones is what it is all about, and this time of the year is perfect for gift giving.

Having the right tool on hand for the job keeps the boys happy to do those sometimes dreaded repairs that make me happy.  It works!

A visit to the water treatment plant yielded a very surprising find.

My son is taking an ecology class and they recently took a field trip to study the workings in this plant and how it affects the environment.

Other than the extreme stench that one must deal with  while there, he enjoyed seeing how it all came together.

As they were walking in one of the outside sections, he was totally amazed to find hundreds of tomato plants with tons of tomatoes growing on them in a huge disarray.

Asking why they were there, he given this answer:

Humans do not digest the seeds of a tomato, and they pass right through our systems intact.

At the treatment plant, the treated water is put into drying beds, which are drained into the river through sand sediment filters.

The seeds get left behind in these beds and begin to grow.

Hence all these tomatoes and plants.  It is amazing that this little seed survives the acids in our stomachs and the chemicals in the treatment plant.

Thinking what they are growing in though, nobody has the courage to eat them!

The Lord gave us two ends — one to sit on and the other to think with. Success depends on which one we use the most.

-by Ann Landers