Evening at the Pond by Wendy Jenkinson

Thanksgiving. That word conjures up visions ofgolden-brown turkeys, bowls of mashed potatoes,pans full of green-bean casserole, little kidssneaking the black olives out of the condimentsbowl so they can put them on the end of each littlefinger. It conjures up memories of overeating untilyou suddenly realize that you are a genius forhaving put on your expand-o-matic pants thatmorning! I bet that if you closed your eyes and satquietly for a few moments and thought aboutThanksgiving Days Past, you might even be able tohear voices of family/friends close by, laughing atsomething, or arguing over whether Aunt Ruth's piehad a handmade crust or if she used a premade one.You might also hear others yelling at the TV as thefootball game becomes extra intense! And don'tforget the dog---he is sitting silently nearby you inthe kitchen, hoping you don't notice him but standsready to become a doggy-Hoover at the firstpossible chance, snatching up anything that happensto fall off the counter and land on the floor.

I bet you can also recall Thanksgivings-Past wherethere was a lot of unplanned family drama in thehouse. I think there are holidays like that in everyfamily. You may recall those times fondly or youmay recall them with dread and are crossing yourfingers that this year won't be one of “those” years.This year, 2020, is going to be one filled with adifferent drama, due to Covid, which has soprofoundly affected the world and our country.Things are not normal, not as-per-usual, notcomfortably familiar, for anyone. This is the year

that we fall back and punt because we have to, notbecause we want to.

Macy's Day Parade is still happening but it's goingto look a LOT different than any of us are used to.Football is still happening but there won't be anyonein the stands. The Thanksgiving dinner is probablystill happening but it may not look anything likewhat you expect to eat that day and it probablywon't include the need to add the extra leaf to thedining table. This is the year we have learned howto think differently and to make things happen indifferent ways. This is the year that we use thegood china/crystal/silver even if it's only going to beone or two of us sitting down to a much smallerfeast. Thing are the same while are also verydifferent.

This is something to be thankful for. The humanspirit that continues to try to keep life and events asnormal as possible, even while knowing it HAS tobe different this time. It's not forever but it'snecessary for right now. I hope your holidays canstill happen as you want them to---even while Iknow that they won't be exactly same as those inprevious years. I hope that you have more laughterthan tears as we navigate a time of year that is oftenone of the most stressful. And I prescribe an extraserving of dessert for everyone because you shouldindulge yourself when we have years like this. Oh,and don't forget the dog---he would appreciate anextra treat too!

----Wendy Jenkinson Editor

The Quilting Club Activity Leader: Nel Doll The MVE Quilters have been busy doing the thing we love most, QUILTING. Four of us completed 8 quilts to bedonated to the Soldiers Home, nearby. The fifth member of our group has been busy making masks for childrenattending schools. We want to thank each of you for purchasing tickets for our “Spring Quilt Raffle”, that happenedin August of this year. The quilt was won by Cindy Wells, on her birthday!! Here are pictures of the quilts made bythe Quilters, with funds from the Raffle Quilt. Hope you enjoy them--- Nel

Backyard Bird Friends By: Miki Eastwood

Sweet Hospitality for Hummingbirds

The snow had been coming down in heavy flakes for acouple of hours. Already it had blanketed the lawn likesoft bedding. I was scoping the scene from the warmthof our cozy living room, thankful we were both homefor the night. The birdbath had a fluffy four inchesdelicately layered on top of the frozen water. From myperspective, the top three inches were untouched andperfect for making a large bowl of snow ice cream.

Before I could get my mixing bowl, I heard the distinctchatter of a territorial hummingbird. Diving down fromthe cherry tree's bare branches he pulled up swiftly,hovering near the feeder about eight feet from mywindow view. Chirping his incomparable chatter andbeating his small wings so fast they were barely visible,he too was scoping the scene. I am sure he wasdetermining whether I was friend or foe, and where wasthat pesky cat? Pepper was soundly snoozing, missingthe delightful winter show. I felt relief that I had cleanedthe hummers' feeders and resupplied their sugar waterthat morning. Once this aerodynamic genius decided thecoast was clear, he zipped towards the feeder aiming hisamazing beak straight at the tiny hole and began lickingthe homemade nectar. Hummingbirds have tongues that are grooved like theshape of a “W” with tiny hairs on them, which enablethem to lap up nectar at lightning speed. They are theonly bird that can fly up, down, sideways, forwards andbackwards!

I watched this little fellow fly back to the bare tree forsafety and then come straight back to the feeder. Thesnow was falling heavily and I'm sure it weighed himdown. His wings needed to beat unhampered at a rate of50 times per second. That wet snow was not making iteasy. He commuted back and forth a few times,evidently needing caloric nourishment before dead ofnight set in. Like I said, he's a genius, with the catsnoozing and me safely behind the glass, he decided tomake the best of the situation and flew to the back wallof the covered porch, resting his tiny feet on a wroughtiron wall hanging. Hmm, no snowfall there; fairly warmin comparison to the cold bare tree. He decided to spend

the next couple hours either dozing on my wall hangingor dashing back and forth to the feeder. Sometime in the night he slipped away, somewhere inthe wild unknown. It was a good feeling sharing ourshelter in the storm with the little hummer.

All that to say, don't put your feeders away! On thePacific coast we are pretty lucky to have Anna'sHummingbirds stay through our generally mild wintersinstead of migrating south. Their diet consists only ofnectar and bugs. In the winter, nature still supplies a fewbugs and you and I can help out with homemade nectar.It's easy to make ahead of time and store in therefrigerator. I make up a large batch that fits comfortablyin an easy pouring bottle with a cork cap. Make a simplesyrup using 1 cup of sugar to 4 cups of water. Use onlyregular white sugar, which is the closest imitation toflower nectar and therefore safest for their bodies. Donot use alternative sugars or red dye. Your bright redfeeder is enough to attract their attention. An internetauthority on birds says a higher ratio of sugar is hard ontheir liver, same as us, so stick with 1:4 because it bestimitates nature's natural nectar.

For years I used a typical feeder that had hidden parts,perfect for notorious northwest mold! If your feeder isn'tcleaned often enough and the mold completelyeliminated, know that your hummer is taking death backto her tiny babies. Mold is their enemy as much as it isours. Clean your feeders with dish soap and a pipe-cleaner a couple of times a week. If you find mold, usebleach to eliminate it. I found a simple glass feeder onAmazon that is easy to clean and easy to see the level ofsyrup as well as the condition of the syrup. It hangswithin a wrought iron design that is perfect for them torest on.

Be aware that freezing weather will freeze the sugarwater. If that happens you'll see the little hummersfrenetically buzzing their feeder. If temperatures aregoing to drop, I bring the feeder in after dusk and outagain early in the morning. There are articles on theinternet about stringing up Christmas lights near thefeeder to keep it warmer. That might be easier in the

long run. Whatever you do, you will be rewarded seeingthe little hummers feeding on your homemade syrupduring the dead of winter. Recently, my neighbor founda hummer hanging upside down on the bar of her feeder.The hummer stayed in that position for several hoursbefore flying away! When food is scarce and they are

fatigued, hummingbirds can go into a hibernation-likestate known as torpor to conserve their energy. Hanging upside down indicates that little hummer wasin torpor. Possibly she was an immigrant from Canadawho found Ellen's hospitable feeder as the perfectsolution to her fatigue and hunger.

Better Backyard Bird Suet ½ cup rendered fat or lard 2 cups chunky peanut butter 2 cups beef broth 2 cups old-fashioned oats (not quick cooking) ½ cup raisins or nuts 1-1 ½ cups wild bird seed

Use orange juice or milk cartons for disposable molds, perfect size for most suet cages / holders.

In a large pot, combine lard, peanut butter, broth and oatmeal, stirring frequently. Heat to a boil, then reduce to asimmer. Simmer for 20 mins. or so, or until mixture is the consistency of thick oatmeal. Stir in raisins and/or nuts. Remove from heat and stir in bird seed. Pour into disposable carton mold and put in freezer, cooling until hardened. Once hardened, remove suet from freezer and tear off disposable paper mold. Allow the suet brick to soften slightlyto ease in cutting slices to fit your suet holder. Store thawed slices in refrigerator for up to one week or refreeze witha sheet of wax paper in between.

Note: This recipe is not practical for the hot summer months, when your cake will turn rancid quickly as well asmelt to the ground, but is great during the winter months when it will maintain its freshness and shape.

FEELING GOODBy: Dee Green

Do you have any medical equipment that is in goodcondition and not being used? Maybe a wheelchair, footscooter, shower chair, crutches, etc. that you would loanout to other MVE residents on a short term basis? Weare working on making a list of equipment that can besent out to MVE residents that may help someone forshort term medical use. You can set the time frame ofusage when you are contacted, such as one week, amonth, or please get it out of my garage! Please sendDee Green an email with your name, phone number andwhat the items are that you're willing to share.Deeonwillow@gmail.com

Medications Disposal

We all know that medicines help to improve our healthand that's a good thing. Once we get healthy though,what do we do with the pills we didn't take? Have youever thought to yourself “oh, I will put it in my medicinecabinet---you never know, I just may need it again?”Then you find it a year later and you have no clue whatit was for! So, how do you dispose of old medicine?You cannot throw the down the toilet because they willdissolve and contaminate the ground water, rivers, lakesand oceans. I sure don't want to eat fish that have been

swimming in contaminated waters. How about thetrash? Most of our garbage cans are outside whichcould be an invitation for the medications to get into thewrong hands. A drug dealer on Dr. Phil stated that shegot a lot of the drugs she sold from garbage cans.

Well, here's an easy way for you to dispose of those oldprescriptions: you can take your medications (not yourneedles/sharps) into Cope's Pharmacy in downtownOrting (134 Washington Ave. South) and drop them intothe kiosk inside the store during regular business hourson Monday through Saturday. Their phone number, ifyou would like more information on this program is360.893.2117

What is accepted at this kiosk? All prescription drugs.For privacy reasons it is a good idea to peel the label offof the plastic bottle. If it doesn't come off you can pourthe pills into a sealed bag and put them into the kioskdirectly.

What is not accepted at this kiosk? Herbal remedies;vitamins, supplements; cosmetics; other personal careproducts; medical devices; mercury-containingthermomenters; needles/sharps; illicit drugs and petpesticide products.

CLUBHOUSE

I lead the Fitness Group and am so ready to get back to leading my group again, but I am waiting for theclubhouse to reopen before that can happen. There have been questions about whether or not the clubhousewill be open soon, either for classes, meetings or parties. The clubhouse has been closed following therules and regulations of the government and will be waiting to open again when we achieve Phase 3 of theCovid guidelines. It's been suggested that we could open the clubhouse now if we required masks andmaintained the 6 foot social distancing rule and while this is a good suggestion, cleaning and sanitizing is avery important part of staying healthy and it would have to be done before and after each gathering. That isa lot of work for each group! We feel it is in the community's best interest to reopen the clubhouse whenPierce County gives the clearance. I'm in charge of the clubhouse and am going to take reservations forDecember parties/meetings, with the hope that we will have reopened by then. If you want to make areservation or have questions, call me at 253.686.3115 ---Dee Green

BICYCLING & DANCING CLUB (Activity Leader: Ginny Hook)

The bike club wrapped it up for this year at the end of August and Dance class began again on September1st. We’re keeping the same schedule as last year, dancing on Tuesday and Friday mornings from 10:00 -11:00 at the upper parking lot unless the rain or smoke doesn’t keep us inside. This year we started out witha new two-step dance to the music, “On the Cover of the Rolling Stone.” We’re enjoying two newmembers in our class and welcome anyone who is interested. If you have any questions about either club(bike or dance) you can reach me at my email address: d.vhook@yahoo.com ---Ginny Hook

PARKING

Overnight and extended stay parking is now available in the designated Visitor Parking areas. By hanging aplacard from the rear view mirror with the expiration date facing the windshield your family/friends canvisit for up to a week. The parking placards can also be used if you need overflow parking during homerenovations that leave you with nowhere to park overnight. If you have any questions or need a placard,please call either:

Bill Raybell at 360-747-2409 or Ron Anderson at 360-893-5501

As always - No Business Vehicles or RV’s permitted in Visitor Parking

The Ladies of Literature Book Club

By Judy Golder

Autumn Reading

Our book club has, as usual, been reading some interesting books, foremost among them was a non-fiction book, Upstairs at the White House: My Life with the First Ladies by J. B. West.

Mr. West was the “Head Usher,” at the Whitehouse for almost 30 years, serving from the Rooseveltadministration until the beginning of the Nixon administration. The Head Usher's duties involveddoing everything to assist “The First Ladies” in ensuring that the Whitehouse ran smoothly, and thatthe Presidents and First Ladies were satisfied and comfortable in their temporary home. Mr. West has a great story-telling style, and includessome rather comedic situations, as well as some surprisingly fascinating information regardingsome well-known events and of the persons who participated.

One of my favorite vignettes was about Mamie Eisenhower holding morning meetings/writingcorrespondence while she was in bed. Mr. West added that Mamie was fond of mentioning, “Ibelieve that every woman over 50 should stay in bed until noon.” Mr. West’s remarkable talents andintegrity are further demonstrated by the fact that after reading the chapters of his experience witheach administration, it is virtually impossible to tell which President/First Lady that Mr. Huntenjoyed working for the most! So, if you are looking for a true, entertaining, and pleasing book, thisis one you will find fascinating.

The Cooking Tipster

By Arnie Doll

Thanksgiving is coming up and I was giving some thought to brining a turkey for the event. But mywise wife, Nel, asked me how many people did I think would have big family dinners with Covidhanging around? I had to admit the number may be small. Nonetheless, let's talk about briningbecause it's a cooking technique that will enhance the flavor of almost any kind of meat and can beused throughout the year, not just for holidays.

What is a brine? A brine is a simple solution made by mixing salt and water. Some recipes includesugar for browning and other ingredients , such as spices, herbs, juices, to add flavor to the meat.Brining foods before you cook them adds flavor, tenderness, and reduces cooking times. Un-brinedmeats lose up to 30% in weight during cooking but brined meat only loses about 15%.

The basic brine is 1 Tbsp. of Kosher salt (no iodine or other additives) to 1 cup` of water. The brinemust be cold and salt dissolved before you add the meat. You will need enough brine to completelysubmerge the meat without any part being out of the liquid. The brine will kill bacteria as long as itis submerged.

When a piece of meat is soaked in a brine, that solution is slowly drawn into the meat and eventhough some of it is inevitably lost during cooking, it still makes a big difference. Since the meatstarts out with more liquid within, it ends up juicier when cooked. A salt solution can denatureproteins, essentially unfolding and unraveling them. As they unfold, water works its way in betweenthese proteins so there is more water in between the meat proteins as the meat cooks. This results ina more tender cooked meat.

So what can you brine? Just about any meat except beef as it already has a ton of water. All othermeats benefit regardless of how you plan to cook it: grill, roast or frying. It also works with largecuts of meat and with fish and shellfish.

You can replace the water with other non-acidic liquids too but not with acidic liquids like wine,vinegar, or fruit juice—these are for marinating, not brining. As for spices, imagine that you aregoing to be using a spice rub, but instead of applying the rub directly to the meat you simply add itto the brine. The brining process works better at pulling the flavors into the meat than applying arub will.

Here is a simple chart of brining times for various meat, using Kosher salt. If using table salt,decrease the amount by 1/3 listed because it contains more sodium than Kosher or sea salt. Brinefirst, then marinate. But do not brine meat that has been “enhanced” as it is already mostly salt; thebrine will make the meat too salty.

Fish 15-30 minutes, depending on thickness Shrimp 15 minutesScallops 30 minutesWhole Chicken (4 to 5 pounds) 2 to 4 hours. Do not brine a kosher chicken, it is already brined.Chicken pieces 30 minutes Chicken breasts ½ to 1 hr.Cornish Hens 1 to 2 hours, depending on sizeTurkey (12 to 14 pounds)* 12 hrs. Do not brine a kosher turkey, it is already brined.Lamb chops 30 minutesPork Tenderloin (whole) 12 hoursPork chops, 30 minutesPork Roast 3-6 #s 3 to 6 hrs., depending on size *Because turkeys roast so long, do not add sugar as it will cause over-browning.

Now that you are an expert on wet brining, let's touch on dry brining. Dry brining gives you a littledifferent result but yields a delicious crispy chicken. You get the same juicy, flavorful meat andcrispy skin you expect from your favorite rotisserie chicken. Remember, do not brine a Kosherchicken as it is already brined.

Place the chicken (4lb whole chicken) in a baking dish and sprinkle with salt inside and out (about1 Tbsp. Kosher salt) and refrigerate, uncovered, at least 8 hours or overnight, longer is better. Rinsewell and pat dry. Then let bird sit uncovered in the fridge to let the skin dry. Again, the longer thebetter, a dry skin crisps, a wet one steams.

There you have it, whether you'll be cooking for Thanksgiving or any other meal/event, briningwill make you the star of the show!

YOU DON'T SEE THAT EVERYDAY! (Thanks to everyone who sent me these interesting photos, all seen in MVE---keep 'em coming!----Wendy)