Veraison

Veraison is a word I learned of recently.  It is when the grapes turn color from green to purple, as explained to me by a local winegrower.  I had seen what she spoke of, a bunch of grapes hanging on the vine glistening in July sunlight and showing greens and purples and the many hues in-between.  This short occurrence happens in its own season and at its own time.  A perfect process that rewards the sampler of the fruit once completed.

Grape growers know the process cannot be rushed. They understand that nature takes over and a magical change will determine the quality of the fruit once the grapes turn purple.  As the farmer waits to harvest, he knows Veraison determines what will be the reaping of the benefits of their labor.  While harvesting the grapes, winegrowers hope for the finest results, the making of fine wine.

My friend and I have been having long conversations about how life presents itself in the day to day.  The routines, the joys and the challenges.  We have been doing this for decades now... finding that so many chapters we each go through parallel - despite 1000 miles between us.  Neither of us is a stranger to the grief journey, yet we both find that each episode tests the durability of our hearts in new ways...  Understanding the natural phases and steps that are typical does not ease the quest for a way out, wanting to "get through it all" and be done with it.  Hanging out with the uncertainties of what will be, feeling the pain of loss, and trying to let go of something or someone we held so dear creates new and different challenges each time around.

We want our grapes to turn purple! It was one of those Aha! moments as the metaphor crystallized in my mind.  My husband remarked when I was editing a photo that I had taken of the grapes in their sacred state of Veraison.  He thought I was changing the colors on the individual grapes with my photo edit program and he quickly commented that I should change all of the grapes back to purple "like they should be".

I connected "Veraison" with the idea that to be hanging out with all the turning colors is something to be trusted... as with the grapes. The many lessons along the way will bring the quality of the purple grapes to its fullest glory.  It is a time of Veraison, a temporary process, not be hurried or overlooked.

This new word to me, "Veraison" shows a great example of many of the theories I have tested over time.  I will apply this phenomenon to so many more ideas along the way.

....While I wait for the grapes to turn purple. 

Simple Solution

I have a great recipe to share!  Now, before you get your taste buds all worked up for something delicious, this recipe will not deliver what you are hoping.  But get ready to save some money!

I have your attention?  Good.  I found this on Pinterest and just had to try it!  This is super easy.

The recipe is for an all purpose household cleaner and you might be very impressed with the results.  Save your spray bottles once you run out of your other purchased cleaning products, you are going to need them.

• Peel an orange (or two), you are going to use the peels only.  You might like to use another citrus fruit, but have the quantity equal that of one good size Orange.
• Fill a 1-Quart Mason jar with white vinegar leaving enough room for the Citrus peels.
• Place the peel in the jar with the vinegar.
• Store for two weeks.
• Discard the peel after the two weeks and dilute the mixture with water, equal parts. (1:1)
• Place mixture in a spray bottle for counters and bathroom surfaces or bottle to use in buckets for floors, walls, etc.

I am not sure how this method works so well or what takes place during the two weeks that the peels sit in the vinegar.  I am kind of hoping that a knowledgeable scientist might drop into my blog someday and explain what takes place during this process.

In a previous post, I showed you how I make our laundry detergent.  I have saved a ton of money and repurpose my white vinegar bottles to store my batches of Laundry soap.

Recently, I discovered that plain old white vinegar could be used instead of "Round Up" to keep weeds at bay on our walkways and rock path.  It also keeps ants away!

Baking Soda sits right on my counter top in a "cheese" shaker, ready for scrubbing pots and my kitchen sink.

It seems that our previous love affair with having fancy brands and convenient household cleaners (one for each different cleaning purpose) got us all trapped into an expensive and chemical lifestyle as we became bogged down with the huge variety of solutions and cleaners.  Finding a place to store all the different cleaning products or just finding the right cleaner at the time you need it has not been very convenient!

I saved the lemon peels form the lemonade we made for the 4th of July!  Guess what I'm making.....