image from augustexture.com 

       Good morning.  BUT we are cold again.  Coldest day for the next 10 days so that is encouraging.  Temperature is at -0F( -18C) with a high today of 14F.( -10C) We do have a clear, blue sky so that will help seeing the sun.  Stay warm, stay safe.
Australia family and friends for Jan 24 will be having 75F(24C) with 95% humidity.  Hot, humid for them.  Stay cool, stay safe.

Here is a list of houseplants to have in your home for purifying the air.  I know many of you do have these but if you want to add one or two more it will be more than just purifying the air.  Keeps our spirits up with seeing the green.
            `
The 10 Best Houseplants for Purifying Indoor Air  by Robin Sweetser
We all know that trees and plants help offset pollution and clean toxins in the air. So, would indoor plants do the same with indoor air? Let’s explore how plants purify the air—and we’ll list the 10 best air-purifying houseplants for your home
About Indoor Air
Today, Americans spend up to 90% of their time indoors, often in places with little or no ventilation. The air inside our super-insulated modern homes and offices can be unhealthy due to harmful chemicals called “volatile organic compounds” (VOCs), which can cause medical problems.
Indoor pollutants come in two major varieties: 1) particulates such as dust, mold spores, and pollen; 2) volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are gases released from paints, fabrics, wallpaper, carpeting, plastics, and solvents commonly found in most homes. Even household chemicals, such as bleach, ammonia, detergents, furniture polish, carpet cleaners, and moth balls, give off harmful gases.
Filters can effectively trap particulates, but airborne chemicals are difficult to eliminate unless we remove the source.
How Plants Purify the Air
Outside, trees and plants clean the environment of pollutants. They are natural air filters, cleaning the air by absorbing carbon dioxide (Co2) and releasing oxygen (O2), which humans and living beings use to breathe.
Beyond carbon dioxide, plants can purify the air from harmful pollutants such as VOCs, carbonyl, particulate matter, organic compounds, nitrates, sulfates, ammonia, calcium, ozone, and carbonate.
Plants can absorb these airborne chemicals through their foliage, break them down in their root systems, and turn them into sugars, amino acids, and other useful “building blocks” of life.
While plants can help remedy air pollution outdoors, how does this translate to plants indoors?
Several studies have shown that indoor plants enhance air quality, remove pollutants, and reduce the spread of bacterial and fungal infections. However, other studies conclude that you’d need a lot of plants to make this happen.
Back in 1989, a NASA Clean Air Study tested 19 different species of plants to see if they would effectively clean the air. They found that in just 24 hours, the leaves and roots of the plants removed up to 87% of the formaldehyde, benzene, and trichloroethylene from the air, while oxygen was returned to the room.
But then, a 2019 study by the Journal of Exposure Science & Environmental Epidemiology concluded that the effect of indoor plants on indoor VOC levels has been a bit overblown. While they do purify the air, you’d need 100 to 1,000 plants for every 10 square feet to start making a measurable difference.
A 2008 study in India showed that workers in plant-filled office buildings had 24 percent fewer headaches, 52 percent less eye irritation, 34 percent fewer respiratory conditions, and a 12 percent higher lung capacity than workers in plantless environments.
A study in 2012 supported the NASA study, showing that indoor plants improve air quality in schools and make indoor spaces healthier.
Joking aside, don’t let this discourage you from adding a houseplant or two. Every little bit helps! Maybe it’s more about the earthy smell of the soil, the extra humidity, or the scent of the leaves, but isn’t there something stale about a house without plants?
10 Best Air-Purifying Plants
Some plants are better at purifying the air than others.
1. Spider Plants
Spider Plants (Chlorophytum comosum) are powerful air purifiers that are able to remove formaldehyde, a gas that is emitted by cigarette smoke, dry cleaning, synthetic carpeting, fingernail polish, and more. Spider plants also remove carbon monoxide, which you may find in rooms with fireplaces or stoves. Fortunately, spider plants are very easy to grow and maintain. Just keep them moist in a semi-sunny to a shady spot, and they will thrive.
2. Philodendrons
Philodendrons, one of the most popular houseplants, are also excellent air purifiers and remove formaldehyde gases from the air. Plus, they are practically bulletproof plants with quick-growing trailing vines and pretty heart-shaped leaves. They can take full sun to shade if watered regularly. Heart-leaf, split-leaf (Philodendron selloum), and elephant ear philodendrons are the best air cleaners.
3. English Ivy
English Ivy (Hedera helix) is also a popular, hardy plant that is easy to grow. It removes most pollutants. Ivy doesn’t like high temperatures and prefers to stay cool. Keep moist and spray the leaves weekly to discourage spider mites.
A very effective air purifier that can take on benzene, as well as other compounds, English ivy tolerates fairly low light (although varieties with variegated leaves will lose their markings in too much shade).
4. Peace Lily
The Peace Lily (Spathiphyllum sp.) is a beautiful plant with a lovely white flower that thrives nicely in average indoor temperatures. Peace lilies are known to clean the air of alcohols, acetone, trichloroethylene, benzene, and formaldehyde. Keep moist in a semi-shady location.
5. Snake Plant
The Variegated Snake Plant (Sansevieria trivasciata), also called “Mother-in-Law’s Tongue,” is very easy to grow. Water heavily, then let it dry out before watering again. It can survive any location, from sun to shade.
6. Bromeliads
Bromeliads win a gold star for cleaning up most pollutants. They release oxygen and remove air pollutants at night while you sleep! These pretty plants, with their bright flowers and green foliage, do best with bright, indirect sunlight or fluorescent office lighting. This drought-tolerant plant doesn’t need much maintenance, but it will get root rot if you overwater it or don’t provide good drainage.
7. Dracaena
Dracaena likes to be kept moist in a semi-sunny to a shady location. ‘Warneck’, ‘Janet Craig’, red-edged, and cornstalk dracaenas have been rated the highest in removing air pollutants. The ‘Janet Craig’ is especially good at removing trichloroethylene; it’s easy to grow and tolerates neglect—buy one for your office and keep one next to your computer desk at home.
8. Weeping Fig
Weeping fig (Ficus benjamina) likes bright indirect light, high humidity, and warm temperatures. Water when the top of the soil feels dry and mist the top regularly.
9. Rubber Plants
Rubber plants (Ficus elastica) tolerate dim light and cool temperatures and remove air toxins from any indoor environment. This plant is especially good at removing formaldehyde, the most common toxin in the home. It grows slowly and tops out at about 10 feet tall indoors.
10. Areca palms
Areca palms (Chrysalidocarpus lutescens) are beautiful, easy plants that remove all indoor air toxins. They also humidify the air (a tall areca palm will add a quart of water a day to your home’s humidity). It is an especially good remover of toluene and xylene.
 More Plants That Clean the Air
If you would rather have flowering plants, two that fared well in the testing were Chrysanthemums and Gerbera daisies. They are effective at removing VOCs and producing blossoms, too!
Chinese evergreens (Aglaonema) like warm temperatures and medium to low light conditions. Allow it to dry a bit between waterings. Keep out of drafts, which can cause the leaves to brown.
Reed or Bamboo Palms thrive in low light as long as they are kept evenly moist. An excellent all-around air purifier that will cleanse your home or office of benzene, formaldehyde, and trichloroethylene, these palms are very easy to maintain.
Other great air-purifying houseplants include Boston fern, aloe vera, and bird of paradise.
https://www.almanac.com/10-indoor-plants-clean-air
till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa 641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365

image from iStock 

      GOOD NEWS we are above zero.  At 12:00 Noon we are at 25F(-4C) degrees.   14F ( -10C) when we got up this morning.  High today 31F(. -5C) low 1F ( -17C) we are having little snow flurries, but not much accumulating.  Cold again in the morning, but the next 10 days looks like it will be warmer.  This is good.  Easier to stay warm and stay safe.
Australia family and friends are having on Jan 23, 2025, high today of 72F (22C) with rain.  Humidity is still at 88%.  Stay cool, stay safe.

I know this isn’t about gardening, but it is about you.  I have been experiencing all winter very dry skin, and it is uncomfortable.  How about you?  Here are some remedies for it.
​
Home Remedies for Dry Hair and Skin
Want Healthy Hair and Skin? See These Tips to Beat the Dryness!  By Margaret Boyles
Do you have dry hair, hands, scalp, or skin? If there’s one thing that we love, it’s making our own natural remedies and treatments. Check out these fantastic recipes to restore and liven up your hair, face, and skin—and not break the bank.
Kim Remedies for Dry, Itchy Skin
Again, let’s start out with some basic tips on caring for your skin so that it doesn’t become dry and itchy.
Apply moisturize every day or even twice a day if you are over 40. Apply immediately after showering or bathing when your skin is still damp. Do not scrub your skin dry.
Choose a lotion brand that has petroleum jelly or lanolin high on the ingredients list.
For super-dry skin, use olive oil. Rub it in before a bath or shower. You may substitute peanut, sesame, or sunflower oil.
Avoid steaming hot water or lengthy immersions, which will strip your skin of its natural oils. Dermatologists suggest taking shorter baths or showers in warm (not hot) water. If you have severe dry skin problems, keep your showers to no longer than 5 minutes and use lukewarm water.
Use a mild, glycerin-based soap. And stay away from hair or skin care products that contain any forms of alcohol, which are drying agents.
Wash gently. Vigorous scrubbing can further irritate sensitive skin. Gently clean around the “fold” areas of your skin—underarms, neck, and groin—and feet. Use very little, if any, soap on your trunk and limbs.
Don’t go outside in any season without using SPF sunscreen of at least 15 on your face and hands.
To soften dry skin, add 1 cup powdered milk to your bath. (It worked for Cleopatra, supposedly.)
Try adding lemon juice or vinegar to your bathwater. Soap, being highly alkaline, may make your skin feel itchy.
Oatmeal Bath for Itchy Skin
If you have itchy skin, try a soothing oatmeal bath.
Blend 1 cup of oats in a food processor or blender. Run a lukewarm bath (NOT hot). Pour the oats into the warm water and stir. Soak in bath for 15 to 20 minutes and very gently rub into skin.
Rinse with warm water and pat the skin dry. While the skin is still moist, apply a hypoallergenic moisturizing cream.
A quart of milk in a hot bath is a luxury, as well as a skin toner. It’s a trick nearly as old as time.
Homemade Oatmeal Scrub
For a homemade scrub, mix ground oats and honey. Rub all over your face—especially your nose. The abrasive will remove dry, scaly skin while the honey seeps in as a moisturizer. Rinse off completely and pat dry, and your skin will be glowing and baby-soft. Use this remedy only once a week.
Coffee Scrub
Coffee grounds work to help diminish cellulite and varicose veins, in addition to improving circulation and smoothing the skin’s texture.
2 cups used coffee grounds
½ cup sugar or sea salt
⅔ tablespoon unscented massage oil
Mix all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Massage gently on the skin, then rinse with warm water.
Weekly Conditioner for Fly-Away Hair
Try a weekly deep conditioning. For a rich conditioning treatment that you’d pay $80 to $150 for at a salon, mix a couple of tablespoons of olive, coconut, or castor oil with 1/2 cup of full-fat mayonnaise (alternatively: a ripe, mashed avocado) and massage into your hair and scalp. Then, wrap your hair in a large plastic grocery bag and top it off with a warm, dry towel for about 30 minutes. Wash and rinse as usual (but sometimes twice is needed to remove the oil).
Moisturizing Leave-in Conditioner
Mix 2 parts water, 1 part witch hazel, 2 parts vegetable glycerin (a natural moisturizer available online or in health/natural food stores), and a tablespoon of olive or other cooking oil per cup of liquid in a spray bottle. If you have aloe vera gel on hand, add 1 part to the mixture. A few drops of essential oil will give you a scented product. Spritz on wet or dry hair before styling.
Oily Hair and Skin
Add 1 teaspoon of baking soda to 2 ounces of your shampoo. This works as an alkali to absorb excess oil.
Baking soda works the same way with skin. It absorbs oil and also neutralizes excess acid. Make a paste with baking soda and water.
Try lemon juice as an astringent facial cleanser.
Remedies for Dry Hands and Nails
Let’s start with some good tips and basics on keeping your hands from getting dry and cracked.
Add moisturizer right after you wash your hands. Apply it when your skin is damp to help it retain some of the water.
Avoid any alcohol-based cleansers on your skin. Consider liquid soap that contains moisturizers.
Use the right moisturizer! Look for products that list ceramides (oils), dimethicone (a type of silicone), and shea butter to provide a good seal for your hands. The thicker the cream, the better.
If you polish your nails, find an acetone-free polish remover, as acetone is a serious drying agent.
It goes without saying that you need to wear gloves when using any harsh chemical ingredients to clean the house.
Also, when you go outside, make sure to wear gloves or mittens to prevent the dry winter air from drawing moisture from your hands and nails.
If your hands get so dry that they crack, be careful of infection. Clean the area with hydrogen peroxide and apply an over-the-counter antibiotic ointment.
Some dermatologists suggest coating hands and nails with Vaseline or another strong barrier and wearing cotton gloves overnight to treat dry nails and cuticles.
Remedies for Dry, Tired Eyes
Used tea bags make excellent eye cosmetics. After being dunked (and allowed to cool slightly), drain the tea bag and place it over your closed eye (one for each) and hold it there for a few minutes. Redness, soreness, swelling, and irritation will disappear like magic.
If you suffer from dry, scratchy, itchy eyes, try laying a warm, moist washcloth over your closed lids for a few minutes each day. This simple, effective treatment helps to liquefy the lubricating oil in glands located along the eyelids. It may take a few days, but if you use the compresses faithfully, you should experience relief.
Remedies for Dry, Chapped Lips
To prevent cracked or chapped lips, use lip balm and apply it often. See our post on how to make your own lip balm. If you make a big batch that’s a bit heavier on the olive oil, you can also use your homemade balm for hands, fingernails, facial moisturizer, and (just a dab) hair conditioner.
Plain honey is an excellent remedy for chapped lips. Blend fully into lips.
General Advice for Beating the Dry!
Forget the idea that drinking plenty of water is the only thing necessary for keeping your skin (eyes, nasal passages, nails) moist and your hair well behaved. Dermatologists say that while drinking water is important for overall health, as far as moisturizing skin, hair, and nails is concerned, you need to add moisture from the outside and prevent it from escaping into the drier surrounding air.
Use a humidifier. Indoor heating removes moisture from the air and your body. Humidifying dry indoor air helps to provide moisture. Try to maintain indoor air at 30 to 50 percent humidity. It’s especially important if you suffer bloody noses and respiratory infections. You could run an electric humidifier, but passive solutions may do the trick. We maintain a lot of well-watered houseplants that transpire water into the indoor air. We keep steamers going on each of our stoves that pump moisture into the air whenever the stove is running.
Another great strategy is hanging your laundry on bars indoors. It doesn’t take much longer to dry near the woodstove( I wonder how many have those anymore)  than in an electric dryer, and while it dries, your laundry humidifies the air around it.
Humidifier
Use a humidifier or an alternative method (see above) to keep air humid.
When Dry Skin Is Severe
If your dry skin gets to the point of inflammation, unbearable itchiness, or scabbing, you may need to see a doctor. They can prescribe thicker, richer emollients.
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/home-remedies-dry-hair-and-skin
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected]  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365

image from clipart-library.com 

     WOW…can’t say it enough but it is cold out.  When I got up it was at -) actual temperature with the wind chill it feels like -23F(C).  Australian family you would not like this.  It is hard to believe how cold this really is.  Larry kept the 3 stoves going all night, so that is good.  I am glad I am not growing little plants in the greenhouse, just need to keep it around 40 degrees at night.  Next month, we will have to keep it warmer.  Hopefully we will not have this extreme cold.  Stay warm, stay safe.  
Australià friends and family are having Jan 21, 2025, 84F (29 C) with 91% humidity.  Stay cool, stay safe.  
What are you doing this cold weather?  Going to work for most of you.  For some of us, we can stay inside and not travel to work. I am filling the day by doing cooking and baking.  I made a chicken salad from cooking ½ chicken legs and thighs.  I have to say that was very tasty.  Now today I want to make several vegetable dishes to have on hand to just warm up. 

1. Pickled beets
2. Cabbage coleslaw
3. Penny carrots
4. 3 three bean salad
5. Red cooked cabbage
6. Mashed potatoes

I am hungry for vegetables so found these two articles about eating vegetables.  Hopefully you will find interesting and informative.  Let me know what you fix for vegetable dishes.

Learn the Benefits of Eating Your Greens (and Other Fresh Vegetables!) by Catherine Boeckmann
Do you eat your veggies? We certainly hope so! Here’s a quick list of the common vegetables that pack a punch of helpful nutrients and minerals.
Fresh vegetables provide a cornucopia of goodness, and variety adds excitement to your meals. Be sure to rotate these winners onto your grocery list!
Green beans are a good source of vitamin C, folic acid, iron, and potassium.
Dried beans provide protein, B vitamins, folic acid, iron, magnesium, and potassium.
Cabbage is high in vitamin C, folic acid, calcium, potassium, and fiber.
Carrots are rich in beta-carotene, vitamins A and K, and potassium.
Sweet corn is high in beta-carotene and lutein.* It also supplies B vitamins, iron, magnesium, potassium, and folic acid.
Eggplant is high in fiber, potassium, manganese, and vitamin B1.
Leeks are a good source of fiber, iron, and vitamins A and C, and they contain the cancer-fighting phytochemical diallyl sulfide.
Okra provides vitamin C and the B vitamins, magnesium, lutein, and potassium.
Peas pack plenty of protein, B vitamins, vitamins C and A, manganese, iron, potassium, and lutein.
Peppers have lots of beta-carotene; vitamins B6, C, and A; and potassium.
Potatoes, with skins, are a good source of protein, iron, vitamin C, and potassium.
Shallots are a good source of potassium, vitamin B6, manganese, and folic acid.
Summer squash is high in vitamin C, fiber, potassium, and magnesium. Both dark green and yellow squashes are excellent sources of lutein.
Sweet potato is an excellent source of vitamins A, B6, and C; iron; fiber; and potassium. Plus, just 1 cup of sweet potato contains 4 times the recommended daily allowance of beta-carotene!
*Lutein is an antioxidant that helps prevent blindness.
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/vegetable-nutrition-healthy-veggies-add-your-diet
This article talked about fresh vegetables and in the winter here in Iowa it isn’t always easy to get fresh, so I looked up what the value of canned and frozen vegetables are compared to fresh.  I found this very interesting. 
Nothing beats that first juicy bite of a fresh peach or the undeniable sweet crunch when biting into a just-picked ear of corn. But sometimes, the produce you want isn't in season and can't be found fresh. Or because it's not in season and had to travel a distance to make it to your grocer’s, it's no longer that fresh or tasty. Or maybe you just don't have the time to prep all that fresh produce for dinner.
Enter canned and frozen fruits and vegetables. We know canned and frozen produce can be a lot more convenient—but are they worth it? Are you giving up nutrition or taste for convenience?
As with anything, there are pros and cons.
Frozen produce tends to be picked and frozen at peak season, so they're surprisingly fresh.
Canned vegetables are budget-friendly and keep for a long time, so you'll likely cut down on food waste and save money if you choose them. Sometimes, fresh beats them out in terms of taste and quality, but not always.
Frozen fruit is unbeatable in smoothies, and soups are a forgiving base for vegetables of all kinds.
One downside of frozen and canned produce is that it might have added sugar and salt, so be sure to read the labels.
Although a fresh fruit or vegetable would never be considered unhealthy, there are a few circumstances where frozen—and even canned—might offer you more health benefits than fresh.
frozen vegetables including peas, corn and spinach stacked on a blue background
Fresh Tomatoes vs. Canned Tomatoes
If you've ever eaten a tomato in February, then you are well aware of the challenges that a fresh tomato faces. It's a seasonal food. But even in season, canned tomatoes offer something that fresh can't. Tomatoes are preserved using heat, which releases lycopene—a carotenoid that may help prevent prostate and breast cancer. And canned tomatoes are super easy since they're already peeled, chopped and ready to add to your favorite recipe.
Choose organic canned tomatoes when possible and consider the packaging. Canned tomatoes are now available in glass jars or aseptic boxes in addition to "BPA-free" cans. Why worry about BPA? It's a compound used in can linings, particularly for acidic foods like tomatoes; studies have linked high BPA exposure levels to infertility, heart disease and diabetes. Though the FDA says there's insufficient evidence that BPA from cans causes any ill effects, research is ongoing. Most U.S. food-grade can manufacturers have voluntarily phased out BPA, but there's concern that similar substitute materials may carry risks as well. At this point, there's not enough known research to conclude the safety of these substitutes.
Winner: Canned tomatoes
Fresh Peas vs. Frozen Peas
Unless you have a garden or are shopping at the farmers market, frozen peas are the way to go. Why? Peas' sugars turn into starch as soon as they are picked. After 24 hours, those sweet little green gems can be grainy and dull tasting.
Frozen peas, on the other hand, are picked and frozen at the peak of ripeness, halting the process of sugars turning to starch. So, it's a better bet that frozen peas will have the sweet taste you're looking for. Plus, you don't have to do any shucking! Look for frozen peas with no added sauces, salt or sugar, and dress them up on your own at home.
Winner: Frozen peas
Fresh Lemon Juice vs. Bottled Lemon Juice
Do you squeeze the juice from a fresh lemon when you need it, or do you just reach into your fridge and use the bottled stuff? If it's the latter, then you might want to reconsider putting in the effort to use fresh lemon juice. Bottled lemon juice may have additives—like citric acid, sugar and water. And if you've ever tasted bottled lemon juice, you'll notice that the flavor is a little off—not bright and lemony like the real stuff.
Stick with squeezing fresh lemons. To have lemon juice on hand without always buying fresh lemons, squeeze a bunch of lemons and freeze the juice in ice cube trays to use as needed.
Winner: Fresh lemon juice
Fresh Broccoli vs. Frozen Broccoli
Yes, frozen vegetables may indeed be even better than fresh vegetables as far as their nutrition goes—depending on their season and how long the fresh stuff has been on the shelf. But there are circumstances where frozen vegetables can't beat fresh vegetables.
Take broccoli, for example. Frozen broccoli can be watery and often mushy when it's cooked. Add it to anything in its frozen state and you'll end up with a watery mess.
And though pre-chopped broccoli is certainly convenient, you're better off sticking with fresh. If it's convenience you're after, look for bags of fresh florets instead of whole crowns to cut down on prep time.
Winner: Fresh broccoli
Fresh Spinach vs. Frozen Spinach
There's a reason Popeye reached for a can of spinach rather than a fresh bunch. He knew that he could get more bang for his buck. You can squeeze a lot of spinach into a can or a box, delivering more spinach in less volume. You would have to eat a mountain of fresh spinach to get what you can in a 10-ounce box of frozen.
We prefer frozen spinach over canned because it has better flavor and is lower in sodium. Plus, 1 cup of frozen spinach has more than four times the amount of nutrients—including fiber, folate, iron and calcium—compared to a cup of fresh spinach, so if you want to power up, do it with frozen spinach.
Winner: Frozen spinach
The Bottom Line
Regardless of which version of produce you prefer—fresh, frozen or canned—the important thing is to eat your fruits and veggies. If you prefer fresh, try to choose in-season ones. If you're buying frozen or canned, choose ones with no or minimal added sugar and salt. And above all, get creative and make tasty, nourishing dishes that you love.
Taken from https://www.eatingwell.com/article/274447/fresh-vs-canned-vs-frozen-which-is-better
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected]  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365

images from Evelyn McAdam

       Good morning, and it is a good morning.  Temperature at 8:30 AM is at 30 F(-1C) High today of hold on to this 41F(5C) sun, blue clear sky.  It is going to be a great day.  Enjoy it here in Iowa.  Because on Sunday through Tuesday very cold arctic air.  One of those nights it will be -12F ( -24C)      I don’t think our Australia friends and family ever have that cold of night.  Maybe in the mountains during their winter.  NOT now because they are in their summer. Stay warm, enjoy Friday, stay safe
Australia weather for Jan 18, 2025, 78F(26C) with 79% humidity stay cool, stay safe.

I get comments on how they like it when I talked about Australia so today, I am going to talk about chickens. They too have the bird flu.  In Sale, where Evelyn and Tom live there are two major grocery stores, and you can pick up eggs.  But when we were there and still are having a shortage of eggs because of the bird flu.

What you see in the pictures is where Evelyn gets her eggs.  They are free range chickens, and the owners (the farmer) have this building by the road that you get the eggs and pay on the honor system.  Evelyn couldn’t get a picture of the chickens, but they were down the lane on the farm.  You will find this interesting what Eveyln wrote about the chickens. Evelyn wrote, “I don't have a photo of where the chickens lay their eggs, just the building we went to buy the eggs. The laying huts are out in the paddock and can't see them from the car park.”
The cost of a dozen of eggs from the farm of the free ranged chickens are $7.00 Australian dollar so converting to US money that is equal to $4.69.  We found that our food prices are getting more like worldwide prices. Again, I am going to say for us here in Iowa enjoy this lovely weather.
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected]  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365  

image from bolt.eu

      Good morning, and it is good.  The temperature is at 25F( -4C) at 8:30 AM.  High today 35F( 2C) and still warm tonight.  Tomorrow it will be even warmer at a high of 40F( 4).  So, enjoy this all that live here because Saturday through Tuesday it will be back to below zero at night and single digits during the day.  We are to have wind so there will be wind chill that will be unbelievably cold.  ENJOY, stay warm, and stay safe.
Our Australia friends and family is experiencing weather on Jan 17, 2025, high of 75F( 24C) with partly cloudy conditions. But the kicker for them is that the humiditiy is at 87%.    Stay cool, stay safe.
​
What are you doing today?  Hope you are doing a walk outside or just enjoying the warmer temperatures.  I will be going out to the greenhouse.  In a month, I will be planting so need to get things organized.  But to tell you the truth, I probably will be playing with the kitties too.  Here is part two of enjoying the seasons.  Hope you enjoy it and give you some insights.

Interesting article about enjoying the seasons as we have them.  We do have 4 seasons that are all different.  Give this a read and get from it that you can do to help enjoy each season. This is part two of getting the most out of each season.

But What About Living Seasonally?
By living seasonally, I mean fully inhabiting your natural environment and letting your environment inhabit you. You can live seasonally even in urban settings, even if you spend your working hours in an office cubicle without windows.
“Live in each season as it passes; breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit, and resign yourself to the influence of the earth.”
― Henry David Thoreau, American writer (1817–62), in Walden
How to live seasonally? Here are a few ideas.
Get out more and pay attention once you get out. Get curious about what’s happening in the natural world. Notice what’s new or changed since the last time you ventured out.
Make yourself go out in all kinds of weather. (Okay, do avoid thunderstorms and extreme weather.) As the need arises, get some serviceable rain gear, a wind-resistant jacket and pants, sweat-wicking shorts, T-shirts for summer, and thermal long johns for the colder months, plus hats, mittens, and treaded boots. If you live in snow country, put some lightweight snowshoes and trekking poles on your gift list. Add a bike (speedy for commuting or just an old beater for jaunting around) if you don’t have one.
Buy or borrow wild and cultivated plant guides and learn how to use the identifier keys that they contain. Look at the weeds that grow from cracks in the asphalt, along the roadsides, or along the woodland path. Identify the aromatic flowers and shrubs that grow in a neighbor’s yard. Notice the insects that flutter around this or that plant. Friend or foe?
If you’re really adventurous, get insect, bird, and other nature guides, too. Identify which pollinator species is buzzing around inside that squash blossom, or which mammal left that pile of scat at the edge of the field. What bird species made that perfect, tiny nest in the lilac bush outside the town library? What kinds of fallen leaves are these?
The Benefits of Seasonal Living
If you get out more often to explore your surroundings, you’ll get more exercise, always a good thing. Taking a lunchtime walk, even on an overcast day, does wonders for recharging your mental batteries and sharpening your mind, as well as burning a few calories.
If you choose to learn more about the plants and animals that share the space around you, you’ll expand your knowledge, maybe even your wisdom. Your interior world will become broader, deeper, more diverse.
You may find new friends out exploring the same terrain. This, in turn, may lead to planning more extensive joint adventures. New relationships formed around similar interests can increase your emotional well-being.
As you notice and learn more about your local environment, you may start to care more about it and understand how humans impact other living creatures. People simply don’t take care of what they don’t know and embody.
More seasons? More celebrations! To my way of looking at it, every season, particularly if it involves a lot of hard work, deserves a holiday.
Depressingly long mud season? Plan a “mudluck” dessert social, where everybody brings their gooiest dark chocolate confection.
Harvest season winding down? Time to celebrate with an evening of Halloween pumpkin carving.
You get the idea. Go ahead. Name your private seasons—and celebrate one today!
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/how-live-tune-seasons
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected]  641-794-3337  cell  641-903-9365

image from istockphoto.com 

       ​Just going to post out how cold it is.  -7F( -14C) at 7:30 AM, now warming up to -6F( -13C)  High today of 16F( -9C) we will see if it gets that warm.  On a positive note we have a clear blue sky.  All I can say is stay warm, stay safe.
Across the globe and down under Australia’s are having 82F( 28C) with gust of wind up to 14 MPH with 91 % humidity so that would add to have it hot.  Weather forecaster said with the wind will make it feel cooler.  Stay cool, stay safe.
I will check out the greenhouse but don’t plan on working there today.  Soon enough I will have to go when baby plants come in around Valentine’s Day.  Then I hope this very cold weather is behind us.  Good note:  Thanks to Larry all the stoves are working well and keeping everything warm. 
Till next time, this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected] 641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365

image from chris lawton-unsplash 

       MORNING…temperature is at 0F (-18 C).  high today 20F(-7 C) with a low of -4F ( -20C) More clear sky which will help but still we be that brisk cold weather.  Tonight, clouds move in and so does the colder temperatures from the Artic. Please stay warm and stay safe.
Now looking at our Australia family and friends, they are having very hot weather. Jan 14th for they will be 81F(27 C) but looks like the when we warm up on Thursday, they will cool down. For you Australia stay cool, stay safe.  

Interesting article about enjoying the seasons as we have them.  We do have 4 seasons that are all different.  Give this a read and get from it that you can do to help enjoy each season. This is part one of getting the most out of each season. 
​
Make the Most of Each Season!  By Margaret Boyles
Since many of us live by the clock today, it’s easy to forget that we live in a world of natural seasons and seasonal change. What if we were more in tune with the age-old rhythms of the seasons? There’s much research that shows we would live a healthier, happier, and more productive life. Here are tips on how to live seasonally—and make the most of each season.
Every main season in a four-season climate contains many micro-seasons of varying length. They arise and die continuously throughout the calendar year, sometimes overlapping, often coinciding, in some years never occurring at all.  For example:
Late March and early April bring seed-starting season, dandelion season, and mud season …
These ease gradually into the forsythia, volunteer-lettuce, and lilac seasons …
And then on into the strawberries, peas, lamb’s-quarters, and asparagus seasons …
Until we reach the August–September blowout: broccoli, green beans, tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, summer squash, and corn seasons …
And then we move under blankets with carrots, beets, and root vegetables that we roast, along with warm boiled soups, stews, and broths made with winter cooking greens, plus preserved and fermented jars of food, dried dates and fruits, and lots of nuts that give us heat and energy.
The annual sequence of food-producing, wild-plant collecting, and food preservation create many of my seasons, but there are others! For example:
 I observe pond seasons such as ice-out and pollywog seasons. I delight in the ephemeral seasons of puffballs and slime molds.
Each year brings a couple of hard-to-dry-clothes-indoors-or-out seasons, when the days are too short and cloudy for the laundry line and it’s still too warm for the constant of radiant wood heat that dries them on indoor bars.
The visible and measurable changes in weather and hours of daylight precipitate psychological changes. Each season brings a different kind of awareness. The way the air feels on my skin, the angle of light striking my eyes as the Sun moves across the sky, and the sensations of the ground underfoot as I walk or kneel all affect my thinking, my hoping and dreaming, and the way I put words together and go about solving problems.
Seasonal Eating
How many of us have no clue when fruits and vegetables are actually in season where we live? It’s worth considering the benefits of eating seasonally (as best we can):
Eating locally grown food throughout the growing season means you enjoy the most flavorful foods. Compare a tomato ripened by the Sun to lackluster hothouse tomatoes in wintertime. The mass-produced tomatoes prioritize uniform ripening and shelf life over taste. Consider strawberries at the peak of season to those tasteless (but pricey) specimens out of season.
To eat during each season also better maintains health and prevents disease. Foods at the peak of season are more nutritionally dense. In addition, foods that can naturally ripen are healthier than foods using chemicals, gasses, and ripening agents to slow down maturation and ripening.
Finally, seasonal eating contributes to the local economy; may save money; contributes less carbon to the atmosphere; and certainly, can introduce you to foods that you couldn’t find in the supermarket.
This is Part one, I will post part two tomorrow.  I am making it a small read so you can get the whole article and what to do with living seasonally. 
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/how-live-tune-seasons
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected]  641-794-3337  cell  641-903-9365

image from sacandagalife.com 

     Good morning it is Friday, it is cloudy, but the temperature is at 28F ( -2C) Larry mention with it being 15 degrees warmer is helping with the wood supply.  High today of 30F(-1C) that will seem like a heat wave.  Stay warm, stay safe.
Australia friends and family are having today (Jan 11, 2025) 86F (30 C) with a 40% of rain.  They will be grateful for the rain.  Stay cool, stay safe.

I know many gardeners also feed birds.  Let me know how that is going.  Are you going thru lots of bird food.  That is a great commitment for doing that all winter. 
​
How to Encourage Birds to Visit Your Garden  by Benedict Vanheems
Birds are an essential part of the garden, helping with pest control as they snap up aphids, caterpillars, grubs, and other insect pests. But winter can be tough for our feathered friends. Give birds a tasty, nutritious treat and discover other ways to encourage birds to keep returning to your garden.
Nutritious Food for Garden Birds
Birds often enjoy proprietary birdseed mixtures, unsalted peanuts, and dried mealworms. They’ll also eat leftover cooked rice or potatoes, unsalted bacon rind, cooked or raw pastry, and stale or hard mild cheese.
Hang feeders or position bird tables where birds can get a good view of their surroundings so they won’t be ambushed by predators. Only put out small amounts of food at a time, and replenish often to insure a continuous supply.
Some birds will eat tree fruits such as apples and pears—a great way to use up blemished fruits. Hang them from a tree or chop them up and scatter them on the ground for ground-feeding birds.
More Tasty Treats for Feathered Friends
Bird cakes are very easy to make. Mix dried ingredients such as crushed, unsalted peanuts, sunflower seeds, grains, mealworms, and dried fruit together in a bowl. Melt some animal fat, or coconut oil for a vegetarian alternative, then pour the fat into the bowl. Mix one part fat to two parts dried ingredients.
The fat mixture can then be used to fill a variety of molds. For instance, spike a hole into the base of an old yogurt container, then thread a piece of string through. Make a knot to secure the string to the bottom of the container, then tie on a stick to serve as a perch below the container. Fill the container with the fat mixture and leave it to set.
Pinecones also make good bird feeders. Tie string to the base then smear the cone with the part-set mixture. Or pour the bird food mixture into a flexible container to make a loaf of bird cake. Once it has set, remove the bird cake and put it into a wire cage bird feeder to hang up.
Offer Fresh, Warm Water
Water is essential for both drinking and washing for birds. You can purchase a birdbath or use a dog bowl or upturned dustbin lid, with a rock in the middle so the birds can get in and out easily. Make your first job of the day to put out fresh, warm water so that birds can bathe and preen their feathers (clean feathers provide better insulation from the cold). Keep the water topped up, and clean out the bird bath regularly.
Plants and Natural Food for Birds
Avoid tidying up ornamental borders until early spring. This will provide shelter for insects, which the birds will hunt for and eat. Grow plants that birds love. They enjoy the winter berries from shrubs like hawthorn and yew, and the seed heads of plants such as globe artichoke, sunflowers, and coneflowers.
Turning over the soil in winter can help to expose slug eggs and overwintering grubs to make it easier for birds to find them.  Enjoy and thanks for feeding the birds.
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/video/feeding-garden-birds-winter
till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected]  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365

        Good morning, we are having a clear blue sky.  Very little wind but the temperature when I got up was at 1F ( -17C).   Now it is warming up at 10:30 AM and is at 12F ( -11C). It is still cold outside, but it is nice to see the sun. Stay warm, stay safe.
Australia weather for Jan 9, 2025, which is their day now high of 84F( 29C), low    55F( 13C) they will be having cloudy weather.   Stay cool, stay safe.
​
I am having a hard time this morning what to write about.  I was looking at my pictures and came across these.  We spent a morning when we were in Australia at a garden center.  IMAGINE that.  I took lots of pictures as this was the start of their spring. Larry spent the time looking at how they watered, and made things work.  Imagine that too.   I just know you will enjoy seeing color and green plants.  Did you notice what the mulch was made from?  Yes, our spring will come, as in Australia it is the start of their summer hot dry weather, while we are having our cold winter here. 
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa [email protected]  641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365  

image from thrive.org.uk

      Almost good afternoon.  Temperature at 11:45 AM 15F(-9 C). Partly sunny with a low tonight of 7F( -14C). stay warm.
Australia  weather for Jan 7th which is now.69F( 21C) with cloudy conditions.  They just had that 103F(39C) weather over the weekend.  Stay cool but enjoy these cooler temperatures for January. 
​
What counts as exercise?   By Margaret Boyles
I found this article about exercising with the work we do. I do believe this is why our parents and grandparents, if they were farmers, had plenty of exercising with the daily chores with farming.  Give some insight with gardening and taking care of your yard. 
Psychologists call bringing a new perspective “reframing” or “changing the narrative.” Think of daily chores as workouts! Long before I started reframing many of my daily chores as workouts, I’d learned the essentials of aerobic fitness, strength, and flexibility well enough that I knew how to tailor the work at hand to adapt to my current abilities.
I learned those basics in black-iron weight-training gyms, by observing and asking questions of seasoned athletes, getting injured and rehabbing with physical therapy, training for triathlons, and, reading many books and articles.
The Cardinal Rules for Any Exercise
Start slow. Work up to faster, heavier work gradually, over a period of days or weeks, especially if you’re out of shape.
Then, keep it up. Your body “detrains” quickly if you don’t require your muscles to move, lift, and stretch at their current capacity on a regular basis.
Mix it up.
Do 10 to 30 minutes of a job that requires what I call the grunt-work (lifting and hauling, moving heavy stuff around). Lift safely!
Then switch to some huff-’n’-puff work where you work up a sweat (rake leaves or mow the lawn fast).
Then finish off with some work that encourages stretching and bending (hanging laundry, weeding a garden).
Or, alternate the days on which you do various kinds of work. Too long, too hard, or too frequent a spell of a single activity may overwork some muscle-tendon systems, resulting in overuse injuries.
What Counts as Exercise in Everyday Life?
The answer: pretty much anything. Once you get going, you’ll find exercise in surprising places. For me, in my rural environment, I’d include:
Shoveling and spreading mulch around the gardens and berry bushes. A little strength work, a little huff-’n’-puff.
Pruning and hauling brush. Slow aerobics.
Buying groceries. Brisk 1,000 steps around the store, placing items in my cart as I go.
Running up and down stairs putting things away. In a three-story house with a basement, up with only a few items at a time, then down for more.
Splitting and stacking wood. Strength work. Need to have built upper body strength to begin.
Hanging laundry. Stretching and bending.
Mowing the lawn. Yes, a gas-fired power mower, but I take it fast, and our lawn has hills.
Raking leaves (also mopping floors). Put on the headphones and pick up the pace.
Planting/watering vegetables. Good opportunity for stretching.
Hoeing vegetables. Big garden lets me work up a sweat.
Shoveling snow. Grunt-and-groan or work-up-a-sweat work, depending on pace, how deep and heavy the snow is, etc.
Scrubbing floors and windows, vacuuming or sweeping floors.
Like most households, we already have the equipment and supplies required for the work: rakes, shovels, digging forks, pruning tools, hoes, weeders, wheelbarrows, brooms, mops, dusters, and plenty of cleaning rags. Also, a few power tools: a vacuum cleaner and two rototillers.
Reframing your drudgework as exercise won’t win you the hero status you’d get from completing the Hawaii Ironman or hiking the entire Appalachian Trail. But hey, you may come to appreciate those once-dreaded tasks as you build a stronger, faster-moving, more flexible set of muscles while you’re at it.
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/what-counts-exercise
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty, Iowa [email protected] 641-794-3337  cell 641-903-9365