Tullamore Returns to the Celtic Ozark Music Scene

Tullamore, one of my favorite celtic ozark music groups will be returning to the SW MO Celtic Heritage and Music Festival on September 10, 2011. Read more....http://ping.fm/Qv0v1

Living the Summer Indoors

OK, living the summer indoors has its down side.  Some of the historic places to go, like Silver Dollar City and White Water, are just no fun when it is this hot. This is despite the fact that both locations have water rides. Even in the Lazy River, your head can fry.

This time of year, I love going to places like Roaring River State Park, and doing some fly fishing.  Well, you had better be up early to do so, and be waiting on the morning horn.  If you are lucky enough to get somewhere that allows waders, you can fish a little longer.  Fishing is almost out of the summer game.

Forget about frisbee golf in Springfield, MO, unless you get out early.  The heat can just drain you. 

So what do you do for fun?  Night fishing.......way down deep.

Guess I'll go back to playing on Facebook now.  Stay cool, and conserve electricity where you can. We don't need rolling black outs.

Ray Province
The Celtic Ozarkian

Dealing with Death in the Ozarks

This week, we were given the news that the daughter of one of our friends in the Ozarks had died.  She passed away from a tragic outdoor accident involving a lightening strike, water, and a canoe.  The whole town is hurting with her. So, the question is: how do we deal with death in the Ozarks.

One of the answers that I have heard involved rational thinking about how to have avoided the issue. We should not be on water, in a canoe, during a storm.  But that answer left me a bit shallow, though I do remember learning this safety rule as a Boy Scout.  "Get off the water."  It still leaves me feeling a bit shallow, though, because we don't know what this group did to avoid the problem.  We don't even know how far away a storm might have been.  We just know the canoe was struck by lightening. Rationalizing on what could have been done does nothing to help us deal with the death.

Another answer involved trying to figure out what to do in the post tragedy.  The young woman's daughter must be cared for now. The family must make plans: funeral, dinners, etc.  It is part of what we do to deal with death in the Ozarks.

The thing that makes me most happy, though, is knowing the whole community will grieve with the family. In small ways, we will all try to do something to let the family know we hurt with them. There  will be shoulders to cry on. There will be hugs to be had.

It takes a community to do grief counseling...

Ray Province, The Celtic Ozarkian

Canning Your own Green Beans

I finally had some time tonight to get the information up on the Food Supply Gardening website on how to can green beans using a pressure cooker. This was a sacred ritual in my childhood home this time of year. My dad and mom would bring grandma up, and they would have us all snapping green beans for what seemed like an eternity.  Eventually, grandma and mom would get to squabbling, and Dad would have to break it up. Grandma would always listen to whatever Dad said, which made my mother very mad.

Canning green beans was a family ritual. It is a shame that more families don't do that now. It was a time to bond as a family, and also put away food that we would eat all winter.  I didn't know what a canned beans from the store tasted like till I was out on my own.

Mom made the green beans later with onion, salt, pepper, and some bacon fat.  A little bacon grease went into the beans also. What a deal.  She said the Methodist women made the best green beans in the world, and she was right.

Give them a try,

Ray Province
The Celtic Ozarkian

Do Some Fall Food Supply Gardening

The month of July officially starts the beginning of the fall food supply garden. And food supply gardening does not stop, just because summer is coming to an end. In fact, many parts of the United States will have good weather well toward Christmas.
In the Ozarks, it is certainly got enough, but it will not be too hot to start the process of growing food in the fall. There are garden plots to prep and fertilize, seeds to propogate and start, etc. So, get yourself a cool glass of sweet tea or lemonade, and let’s grow some food this fall. Knowing how to grow your own food supply would not be complete, if we let go of several months of growing season.
Read on at http://ping.fm/1Qg0E

Joplin Tornado and Possible Help From Your Garden

Dear Friends,

As you know our Ozark neighbors in Joplin have been hit by an EF-4 tornado. So many folks have no home to live in. A large number of wonderful volunteers have made their way to Joplin to help their neighbors. All these people will need to be fed.

If you are starting to get produce out of your garden and live close to Joplin, please consider donating any extra produce that you have. Some outlets will include local churches and food pantries. The situation is very dynamic at this point, so there will be many opportunities provide food. It is amazing how healing a bit of normalcy can be in this type of devastation. A fresh spinach salad or fresh leaf lettuce can bring back some happy memories plus provide much needed nutrition in a suddenly torn apart world.

If you still have garden space, consider tossing in some extra tomato plants, green beans, squash, and herbs. There will be a need all summer to help these folks. It will take time to pick up all the debris, get new houses built and get the infrastructure back to normal. People who normally helped local food banks and church-based relief activities may now find themselves in need of help. It is time to pay it forward if you can.

If your garden is too small to provide any extra that is okay. I am sure our neighbors would appreciate your prayers. The numbers of people who lost their life is absolutely mind numbing. Their families will need the comfort that only the Great Healer can provide. Unlike the produce which is perishable and needs to be grown close to the disaster, prayer has no expiration date. It can be transported over many, many miles without any wilting or spoilage.

Thank you for considering planting an extra row of crops to help. Thank you for your prayers and help. While I don’t live in Joplin, my heart aches for my neighbors and I so appreciate any comfort you can give these folks. Blessings to you and yours.

Ray Province, the Celtic Ozarkian
www.celticozarkian.com

Ten Thousand Missouri Gardens

If you live in Missouri and have a garden, do I have the website for you. The state of Missouri is trying to get 10,000 new gardens registered across the state. This project started small with a goal of 1,000 gardens several years ago. That goal has been met so it is on to bigger and better goals.

All gardens are welcome to be registered. You don’t need a huge truck garden to feel comfortable in this group. Any garden is welcome to apply. Whether you are growing food for your family, or flowers to feed the birds and butterflies, take a look at this site.

Actually, that is one of the reasons I love gardening. I can grow great tasting food for my family and have a little corner that produces food for the birds. I love growing sunflowers for the birds. Some people place net bags over the heads of the growing sunflowers to keep the seeds safe. I however, just let the birds eat them whenever they want them. It doesn’t necessarily make for the prettiest sunflowers, but I feel good about feeding the critters. It is my garden and I can grow it my way.

If you haven’t started your garden, it is not too late. In fact we are moving this summer so I don’t have a summer garden in this year. For the first time in forever, there are no fresh tomatoes coming from my labors. However, we will be settled in time to start a fall garden this year.

I may get in a few tomatoes before it is all said and done, but I plan to buy the majority from farmers markets this year. However, I will be planting rosemary and thyme as soon as possible. Then as the summer starts to cool, I will be planting lettuce, spinach, peas, and some corn salad or mache.

If you don’t have space for a garden, consider growing a small garden in pots. Herbs love to grow in pots, and there is nothing like fresh cut herbs to brighten any sauce or salad. I love to grow rosemary both inside the house and in the garden. I keep a pot of rosemary on the window sill for a quick snip for a sauce, a dice to throw in a loaf of bread that is rising to bake, or to toss a couple or sprigs on a baking chicken. It is so fast and easy and really makes a huge difference. I even just brush the leaves gently to release a wonderful aroma as I am standing at the sink doing dishes. All of that from one little pot of rosemary that I got on sale at my local nursery at the end of the season.

If you have a garden space but it has been too wet to get your tomatoes in, have no fear. Go ahead and plant your tomato plants now. It is really to late for seeds, but tomato plants will catch right up with your neighbors in the coming hot days. In fact, we have still had some pretty cool nights that have slowed down the growth of any tomatoes already planted.

Now is a great time to get beans and squash in the ground. If you can just find a day when the ground is dry enough, it has been a bit rough in this part of the Ozarks this year. But that is the life of a gardener. Too much rain, not enough rain, hail, and strong winds always make being a gardener a challenge! Speaking of challenges, here is the website I promised. Sorry I got so wordy; I just love all aspects of gardening. http://ping.fm/M1DNO

5 Reasons Why People are So Unhappy

Today we will look at 5 reasons why people are so unhappy. We will be looking today at some verses from Luke 10: 26-28 to help us. When asked about what it takes to be able to live forever, Jesus replied:

26“What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?”

27He answered: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.”

28“You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.”

Jesus was sharing about the requirements to have eternal life. What the crowd may, or may not, have realized is that eternal life was also there. If we are going to live forever, that time period starts a new every day, and we get a chance to live by the words of Jesus.

So, let’s look at some reasons why people are so unhappy in our day. Keep in mind the priorities that God set for our lives.

1. People that are so unhappy often focus only on outcomes, versus the process of getting there.
   We often spend all our energy on outcomes. But when we stop and love, we often are not concerned with highly goal driven outcomes. We are focused on being in the moment with that person, and doing what we need to get done.
2. People that are so unhappy often see failure is not a stop sign, instead of a sign post. It’s like the old saying, “if at first you don’t succeed, quit.” In the eyes of love, failure tells us we need to find another path to travel. Doing the same thing consistently, with the same unsuccessful outcome, is a big factor for people who spend a lot of time unhappy with life.
3. People that are so unhappy often think rejection is just about them. Most of the time, they are wrong. Ideas, concepts, plans get rejected all the time. Even Jesus rejected certain ideas and principles. For whatever reason, we think we are so important that the rejection must be about us. In love, have a five minute pity party, and move on.
4. People that are so unhappy have a constant internal battle of the mind and heart. In other words, unhappy people lose the ability to follow their heart. Often, the voice inside us is the right one.
5. People that are so unhappy are often never grateful for anything. When we can put our love of God and humanity ahead of ourselves, we can remember to be grateful for all the good we see every day. It’s like the old Neil Armstrong song, “Wonderful World.”Practicing these 5 reasons why people are so unhappy is the hard part. So, try this plan: try practicing just one of the 5 reasons why people are so unhappy every day. Make it a goal to practice the opposite behavior, whether you emotionally believe in it or not. Over time, the act of changing your attitude and beliefs will change you.

Here’s to your happiness,

Raymond C. Province, M.Div.

St. Patrick's Day Celebration Buffalo Missouri

Come enjoy some Irish Celtic food and entertainment at the St.
Patrick's Celebration being held on Friday evening, March 11th at the
O'Bannon Center on Ramsey St. in Buffalo, MO. The fundraiser is for
the ninth annual SW MO Celtic Heritage Festival and Highland Games.

Dinner begins at 5:00 PM with a dinner consisting of Corned Beef and
Cabbage, Bangers & Mash, Irish Stew, Irish Soda Bread, and an
assortment of Celtic desserts, coffee and tea for $7.00 per plate, or
advance tickets are $5.00 per plate. Following the dinner will be an
auction offering over 40 Branson show tickets and attractions and
round off the evening with Celtic entertainment beginning at 7:00PM
There will be music by Jon Reneu, Sarah Hook, Irish music by Nancy
Daily Green, Irish dancing; Bagpipes by Daryl Dickerson and an
appearance by the infamous, Scotty the Fox. All these entertainers
will be performing at the 9th annual Celtic Festival which will be
held here on Sept. 9th and 10th.

Broccoli in the Celtic Ozark Garden.

It is time to think about broccoli in the Celtic Ozark Garden. BROCCOLI (Brassica oleracea Cymosa) is a yummy vegetable that deserves a place in any Celtic Ozark Garden. I hope that you will consider adding it this spring. Here are the basics you need to know.

The big heads of broccoli you see in your store is of the 'Calabrese' type. By far, it is the most popular type of broccoli grown. Buy seedlings if you have never grown broccoli before, as you will have a better chance of good growth. If you want to get experimental, you will need to start your seeds soon. You can start the seeds 8 weeks before your last frost, to give them time to grow. You’ll need plenty of sun, as the shoots emerge. You can also plant the seeds a month before your last frost, and let them take in the garden. Sow the seeds directly into the soil about ¼”, and let them do their thing.

Modern hybrids are fast growing, and if they are subjected to prolonged stress of drying, they may form tiny heads prematurely, and the plants come to nothing. That is why I always recommend that you use an heirloom style seed. You may not get a head of broccoli the size of a football, but you stand a better chance of getting a nice overall crop.
You need to provide a fertile soil and don't let the soil become dry. You can look through the archives of my blog for my soil recipe for raised bed gardens. I touched on this subject in the last blog. Add plenty of lime for the broccoli, as they like a pH 6.5 to 7.5. That is their 'ideal' range.
Plants growing in Spring, especially late spring, are prime targets for the green caterpillars that come from the white butterflies in your garden. A light netting can help to keep the butterflies off your broccoli. In about 90-100 days, your crop should be ready to go.

Sprouting broccoli can also be a good alternative crop to grow. Not many people grow this heirloom variety. You can find green, purple and white varieties of the plant. We like the white variety, because it looks a bit like cauliflower.
Spring is the time to grow this one. Sow the seeds directly into the soil, as noted above. You will need to watch for insects. But here is the cool payoff: your crop should be ready to eat in around 45-60 days. The small heads of the sprouting broccoli plants make it easy to go and pick just a portion for supper. You’ll have to grow plenty for freezing, as this crops is easy to use every day, leaving less for real food supply type considerations. Ah, but what a feast in the meantime.

Spring is the time people in cooler areas should sow sprouting broccoli. It is grown through the summer and carried over winter, for an early spring production the year following sowing. The advantage of sprouting broccoli is that, while it is not cauliflower, the white forms produce cauliflower like curds more easily than growing cauliflower itself, and the multiple small heads means that the serving sizes are right, with no waste. The disadvantage is the long time it sits around in the garden before it does anything.

There are a couple of other varieties of broccoli, but I will confine this installment of my blog to the two types I use. Good luck with your broccoli crop, and I will blog more soon from the Celtic Ozark Garden.

slainte,
Ray Province
The Celtic Ozark Garden
www.celticozarkian.com
www.celticozarkgarden.blogspot.com