And, It Finally Rained

Lovely picture.  If this street was anywhere near me, I would make plans, each day, to be there to admire the colors.  I like how all the cars are silver or black.  It's nice when the residents "get with" the color scheme.

Today was "supposed" to be 84 and blazing hot and sunny.  Instead, it was cloudy until about 10 minutes after we closed at work and then the thunder and lightning made it all very interesting just before the sky opened and dropped buckets of water.  It's Art Walk night and the streets were lined with lots of people, wandering from site to site.  Some were buying ice cream.  I was waiting at the railroad crossing (a train was making it's way thru Town) to turn into the grocery store.  Where I parked and waited for a break in the rain.  It came and I walked inside.  The sky opened a second time.  And a third, right as I was cashing out.  My walk to the car?  Not a drop of rain falling.  Two co workers are attending a birthday party in a field with tents tonight.  Oh, dear.

Riley was happy to see me.  I fed him and we went out to get the newspaper from the box by the curb. Now, after forcing me to pat and scratch his ears while I read blogs, he is sleeping under my feet.

I had the BEST breakfast this morning.  A few tweaks with the eggs (yolks were over cooked) and I have something I can make and eat all weekend.  Bacon, 3 eggs, cheese. All on top of one slice of fried eggplant.  It's better than toast.  This is why I had to stop at the grocery.  To get bacon.

I also bought baby spinach.  Last night I went to dinner with 8 of my co workers  (a farewell dinner for A) and had the BEST dinner and a margarita.  The weekly special.  An eggplant stack.  If I remember correctly (I meant to call the restaurant for the description in the menu)  it was baby spinach, ricotta cheese, tomato sauce, spinach, eggplant and mozzarella.  Spinach was in there twice.  Really good. Sort of a deconstructed vegetable lasagna with the fried eggplant starring as the "noodles".  The eggplant doesn't need to be fried but the breadcrumbs make it more substantial.  My usual cheat.  Breadcrumbs.

I am making my way through Bringing Up The Bodies.  Not as good as Wolf Hall.  Written too quickly.  The story is excellent but it needs more padding.  Reading like an outline.  I liked all the description and dialogue of Wolf Hall.  This seems, less. Diminished.  Makes me sad.

I met a member of that Art Club I had such high hopes for.  She remembered me and we talked about the 10 by 10.  Perhaps I was too quick to give up on Art Club?  It seems like this 10 by 10 has been a real eye opener for me.  Deborah, you were right.  This might be the change or chance I need. Some times the things that really change us are so offhand at first. Unplanned.

Well, it's time for a shower and then I'll make something for dinner.  Read my book.  Scratch Riley's ears.  And I'll hope it keeps raining. Softly.

And There Are More Tomatoes

Not that I am complaining about anything other than the chipmunk who continues to eat only part of the very ripest Brandywines.   G says I should "do something" about it.  I do. I pick the nearly ripe fruit and let it ripen here in the kitchen.  It seems that this is the best way to ripen the tomatoes.  I was just trying to beat the chipmunk.  Could be the chipmunk was trying to teach this old gardener a new trick.

Today we did "not much of anything" at work.  I divided a Clivia.  I repotted an orchid that had been over watered.  A trifecta would have been an overgrown jade plant to repot.

The 2% yogurt is not as satisfying.  I get hungry.  So when this last tub is finished I will return to full fat.  In fact, I have been hungry this week.  I'm eating all the regular foods but they don't seem to have much staying power this week.  I will need to up the "fat".  So much for trying to lose the saddlebags. When I am hungry, I tend to look for things to eat.  This is why I adore low carb.  I am hardly ever hungry and don't have an occasion to go looking for food.  Low carb is actually high fat.  Sigh!!

Tonight I am joining my coworkers at a farewell dinner with Anna of the Great World Race.  Everyone will be clean and dressed in "street clothes". The girls will be wearing makeup.  It will be oddly strange, but very interesting.

I need to make G a large plate of tomatoes, cheese and basil before I leave the house.

Sit Down For A Chat

Today was supposed to be cooler.  It was, sort of, but is now too warm, too buggy and I still have to go check the garden and pick things.  I may have to water.  Meaning I need to spray myself.

Riley is asleep at my feet. His day must have too much for him.

I ate all the wrong things today, or at least, in the wrong order.  I had eggplant slices and cucumbers for breakfast and a large bowl of romaine with carrots and Ranch Dressing for lunch followed by 2 spoons of peanut butter and SF Iced Tea.  I had lots of heavy work to do today.  And I tripped over a rock and fell down.  Landed on my elbow and knee.  At least I didn't smack my head on one of the table edges out there in the perennial yard.  We'd still be picking wood splinters out of my head. I was also expected to take a few trays of tiny plants and cover three 8 by 12 tables.  Hey, it turned out okay. I earned my money today.

Yesterday G and I had large plates of Brandywine tomato slices, fresh mozzarella and basil for dinner. Absolutely Delicious. G had French Baguette with his.  I didn't.  I don't have a clue what we'll be eating tonight.  I don't have leftover anything to heat up.  Perhaps burgers if the buns aren't spoiled.  And we have fresh sweet corn. Life would certainly be EASIER if I could just make some kind of pasta for dinner. It really is the perfect solution to a day that's been a bit too physical.  I'm tired.  I think I will make that zucchini dish that tastes like pizza.  G liked it.

 I realized, while showing the Russian girl my garden, that we are actually eating 80% of what is growing in the garden.  I am not wasting very much.  Things may still go bad while waiting in the fridge, but it isn't often or much.  This is amazing.  I am picking and making dishes this summer.  It helps that I am eating vegetables for breakfast.  Makes me feel good about having a garden this year.  Virtuous.

Time to get up out of the chair while these old bones still move.  Sitting down is always a big mistake when I have been lifting, carrying and pushing carts of plants over the lumpy gravel from 8 to 2:30.

I've Been Pinning

Things of interest.  And I absolutely LOVE this idea and may carry a drawing of my head with me to all events where a picture may be taken.  I have to make one for the top of the blog.  I have to make one to hold up at the start of the next class I teach.

Today was okay.  It started out cloudy and gray and I was hoping it would cool off.  Wrong.  The sun came out just as I was loading the car with my work bag and the dog.  And with the heat--the humidity.  I think it was 86 outside the greenhouse and 100 plus inside.  I had sweat running into my eyes.  And when I arrived at 11:30 the greenhouse hadn't been watered.  So.  I got to add more humidity to the party.

Breakfast was cucumbers in dilled sour cream plus a tomato and some mozzarella with EVOO and vinegar.  Coffee.   Lunch was 2% yogurt and blueberries.  I've lowered my daily yogurt fat from 10% to 2%.  Because I am Pear shaped and fat is deposited in the bottom of my Pear.  So, less fat.  We'll see if I can undeposit some of this stored fat.  Did you know that fat below the waist is hardest to get rid of? Well, now I know.  Do you think any Apple shaped people dream of being Pear shaped?  Apple shapes can wear skinny jeans, have thin legs and wear pencil skirts with stiletto heels.  I can wear small tops over wide skirts.

The key to changing my Pear shape?  Lifting weights.  Like a guy.  To build SHOULDERS.  Once my shoulders are big and muscular, my butt will seem smaller.  I may make a drawing of me with a small butt and skinny legs and hold it at my waist when pictures are taken.  LOL  I'm sure people will be eager to "pin" me.

In The End: It Was All Good

Daughter spent the day crying but now, at bedtime, she sounds tired and ready to fall asleep. The visit with the Russian girl was delightful.  We visited my garden and tried translating the names of herbs and what sort of foods we use them in etc.  She had never heard of Russian Sage.

I showed her my 12 by 12 quilts and she "got" them.  We discussed design issues and the color choices I made and how I go about the design etc.  Marianne--what a great comment you left--and it made me think "why not" and I am SO GLAD I went and set the pieces up on the dining room table (completely cleaned off).  One of them reminded her of a classic Russian fairy tale.

We had a lovely dinner and discussed how to learn to cook, politics, WW2 and immigration.  She loves America and would like to live here.  And Cooking Shows are the MOST popular shows on Russian television.

I am going to read a bit, drink some more water and then go to bed.

The nicest part of the day--is right now. The house is clean and neat and everything looks lovely.  Why can't I keep it this way all the time?  Maybe that's why people invite company over--so the house looks nice.  That empty dining room table---wow.

Moomin

Passed away at the Vet's office an hour after Sam dropped him off.  He wasn't responding to the Lasix and she was going to have to "decide" what happened next.  The Vet called and she went over to see his little body.  Only 6 years old.   Such a sweet boy.

Cherry Tomatoes Organized

G lined up the tomatoes.  Sun Gold cherries.  Very sweet.  In short supply.  I only planted four plants and they are dwindling in the "fatigue" that is August here in Maine.  Spring came early and it looks like everything is a month sooner--and that will include WINTER.  So, the end of August is more like the end of September.

I am making the coconut flour  zucchini brownies one more time.  And I hope I can get the chemistry right (or better) so I don't experience that throat clogging dryness this time.  The recipe doesn't call for an egg but I am going to add one.

G worked very hard yesterday getting the house cleaned up.  Now I have to do my part.  We are having "company" this afternoon.  G is bringing home the Russian girl who has come to America to work in his McDonald's for the summer.   Last summer she worked in a McD's in Texas.  She thinks Maine is much better than Texas.  Well, so do I.  Anyway, I had been saying no to this visit all summer.  I hate being judged for my lack of housekeeping skills and the Russians are very judgmental regarding housekeeping.  She told G his McD's was "very dirty compared to a Russian McD's" and saw nothing wrong about saying this to her employer.

I decided to allow G to share his home, garden, dog and wife with this young lady--  as the comments on my housekeeping will be made in another country, on another continent and no where near me.  I decided I can live with that.  There must be any number of people saying uncomplimentary things about me, everyday, which I don't know about.

Did you know there is SCIENCE that says our self image and all our memories are illusionary.  We make it up.  None of it is actually real.  Our minds assemble a collection of memories at the start of the day, in hopes that it has chosen a nice collection suitable for a Monday.  Wonder why you are having a bad day?  Bad selection by the mind that morning.  This is also why no one in my family has any of the same memories of what I consider to be family history.  We all imagined a different history.  We are related but living entirely different, illusionary lives.

So, I will imagine the Russian girl is saying nice things about my housekeeping when she is back in Russia next week.  I just wish my memory had selected better memories of cleaning for me today.

I have to straighten up the living room and the sunporch.  Dog toys everywhere in the living room, which is just a big dog playpen.  Shoes and gardening mess in the sunroom along with grocery bags and the paper bags filling up with my Yard Sale Items.

I vacuumed my car out on Saturday, washed the car windows, and wiped all the dirt from work out of the interior. The tractor drives past the parked cars sifting dirt inside the partly opened windows. Then I breaded and fried the two eggplants I had sliced and salted last week.  I ate one third of the eggplant as soon as I was finished cooking.  Excellent.  I still haven't paid the bills and the pile is growing.

My daughter just called.  The cat is having serious heart failure problems and is now on injected Lasix. And to make things much more interesting, my daughter fell out of bed and broke her seventh rib.  She is taking pain meds and is having trouble breathing herself.  I will be needed to go get drugs.  Happy Days.

My 10 by 10 Carrots

So, so sorry about the blurry picture.  I was trying to get out of the house with the Carrots and to the drop off before they closed.  I think there will be a better picture on the official site when it is up and running.   Just stand back from the screen.  The original is really nice.  Bright and clearly, crisply focused.   I was amazed at the people there who knew ME and  remembered my work from the library displays.  That was such a surprise.  Another artist, who knows me, said that "only a Master Gardener could grow carrots this gorgeous".  Oh, My!!  Let's hope it sells.

I also decided to do a very thin turned binding with mitered corners on the Carrots.  I was gobsmacked when everything about the binding worked perfectly.  I did have problems with the sewing machine as usual.  The binding turned out so nice that I may do more of them on the 12 by 12's with raw edges.  It was a nice hand appliqué type job stitching the binding to the backside.

I also went grocery shopping and stopped at the bank to cash my paycheck.  I needed a few items for meals this week and I "needed" ten dollars to purchase a handblown vase (at the garage sale on my street) to make a terrarium.  It's tall and wide with a small mouth opening.  Perfect.

The garden is producing tomatoes now, green peppers and, pretty soon, green beans.  I will be frying my eggplant today and using the oriental thin eggplant from the garden to make a stir fry.  I was reading a wheat free blog and found an easy to remember list of acceptable foods.  Above ground vegetables only.  Makes it easy to remember.  And eliminates carrots from my diet.  I love carrots.

The Exuberance Of Flowers

These very tall daisy-ish flowers were never actually planted.  They hitchhiked in with something a friend gave me.  At first I only had a few.  Now this entire bed is over run with them.  They are cousins to Jerusalem artichokes.  The tuber that can never really be removed from a garden.  In the spring I pull and pull and pull as many of the small plants and tubers as I can.  And still--there are so many that reach maturity.  About five feet tall.  Tons of dancing daisies up above the green foliage.  The deer ignore them.  In the back you see the windows of my sunporch and the "chimney that needs to come down".  The house is not this color.  This is the color I wanted, but I have a more shortbread colored house. Too yellow.  Not enough pale silvery cream-- like this photo.

The good news is that these daisies have managed to choke out the Obedient Plant.

It is hot at work.  I keep hoping the cooler mornings will translate into cooler afternoons as well.  The Thunderbirds are flying overhead.  It's another stupid airshow weekend here in my little Town.  I wish they would give it a rest.  Fireworks tonight.  Since we live 6000 feet from the end of the runway there is little peace and quiet in my yard or at work.  And it is disconcerting to be sitting in one's car at a traffic light and see 6 fighter jets scream across the road in front of you.   Our trees have grown in the 20 years we have lived in this house and I don't have the bird's eye view of the planes as I once did.  We hear the screaming engines but can't see the planes (below the tree line).  The Air Force planes aren't as loud as the Navy planes.  Yesterday G and I watched the planes go up in the starburst (from our back yard) and over the top we could see a commercial jet.  This pale ghost shape of a big 747.  Now, that was an amazing photo.  I hope someone got it.  G thought the airshow space was supposed to be "no fly".  And, I have never before seen a commercial jet look like that.  I have seen the jet trail but never the plane's body.  Startling.

I have my resume and artist statement ready.  I still need to add binding to my piece.  I don't know what I want to do.  Facing.  Pillowcase.  Mitered binding.  I don't want to detract from the Carrots.  The frame that "10 by 10" puts on the work will cover any binding I add so it's not really important.  If someone buys my work, the frame is included.   It's these picky little details I don't enjoy at all. I was visiting a blog and saw that she added facing and then stitched a square over the back to cover most of the facing.  The quilter thought it added "substance" to the small piece.  Made it less of a potholder is what she was trying to say.  It ALWAYS comes down to that.  No one tries to wipe up the counter with a small watercolor but they always think a small fiber work is a potholder (and larger works are placemats).

Breakfast yesterday was fresh ripe tomatoes (Arkansas Travelers) with fresh mozzarella and basil.  This morning the remainder of that large container of sliced cucumbers, sour cream and dill.  G and I went to our regular Italian restaurant yesterday.  But I didn't have the fried cheese with marinara and I didn't have the fried eggplant Parm.  I had a large salad and the lobster in sherry cream sauce minus the puff pastry.  I had broccoli alongside.  I have been NEARLY "wheat free" for about four days now.  I am still adding Bran Buds to my yogurt at lunch.  I feel different.  I have no idea if it's good or just different.  I am VERY hungry in the morning.  I am not eating enough protein or fat during the day.  I am not craving any foods so that isn't an issue.  Not retaining water (rings are loose and ankles aren't swollen).

Watching 2002 (first season) of L&O Criminal Intent.  Watching season one of Luther on BBCA and have managed to set the TiVo to record season one of L&O UK on BBCA but haven't watched it yet.  These are very good things in my little world.

The Library Called

Yes!!!  Remember I was 46th on the waiting list?    All I know is---  I'm happy

The other item in the picture is a pair of Dr Scholls wooden platform sandals.  I keep thinking, in my 65 years, that I want a pair.  And then they hurt my feet.  And then I wonder why I wanted them.  This  barely worn pair (I have bought many pairs) has been around for awhile.  I wore them on the trip from the closet to the picture taking site.  My toes hurt. The toe band is so stiff it makes my toes hurt.  Yard Sale.

Work was interesting.  I got to do Boy/Loader stuff.  We unloaded a big truck.  Lots of shrubs.  Heavy. And then the straw truck came and we unloaded that.  Just another girl and me on the straw.  I HAVE to work on my upper body strength.  I could carry the bales of straw but I couldn't lift them so K could stack them higher. She had climbed way up and then had to bend down to the piddly height I could lift the bale. Now, the only thing I haven't done is drive the tractor and scoop mulch into trucks. I think I will stop before trying any of that.  The regular boy/loaders arrived just as we were finishing up the straw.  They cleaned up.  I got the straw sweepings for my garden.

One of our co-workers is going on an 11 month adventure in missionary work.  the world race.org if you want to check it out.  Today was her last day at work.  I have been trying to think of something to get her as a going away gift.  I guess at this point, money for any extras she may need would be what she needs most.  Eleven months with a pack on her back, a tent and that's it.  All her worldly belongings need to fit in the backpack.  She has been getting shots for every disease she could possibly get.  Yellow fever, malaria etc.

I couldn't do it. Could you?

What I Found Today

This stuff is now in a nice bag on the porch awaiting the September 8th Yard Sale at my daughter's house in Town.   The funny "long spoons" were something I made for the Terrarium Class at work.  We needed a tool for digging and scooping. I also added a few metal cookie tins and a pine cone basket (very nice).  I wish I could just put a price tag on the basket and sell it at work. I am enjoying the few minutes each day, looking for things I never use.  Where did the corks come from?  Are there jars somewhere without corks?????

Work today.  I trimmed the day lilies and while holding the leaves like a ponytail and then cutting, I was reminded of last year (or the year before) when I accidentally snipped my little finger.  A paramedic in line (customer) bandaged my finger and then I had to go lay down in the break room. I get extremely light headed when I see blood.  This is why I didn't follow my childhood path to being a nurse.

I watered the garden before work.  My tomato plants are looking pretty bad.  All the leaves are turning yellow with brown dots and then falling off.  The tomatoes look okay, slowly going from green to pale pink or red.  I have more little oriental eggplant and it looks like something happened to the tops of my onions.  The tops are gone.  The little kale seeds I sprinkled in the onion bed are about 1 inch tall.  That worked so I sprinkled some carrot seeds there also.  We'll see.  Planting them did no good.  My basil seedlings grew 2 inches over night.  Amazing.  I have to think about what I want to plant when I pull up the zucchini plants.  I have late summer peas I can put in.  I like growing peas.  I packed the sliced, frozen green peppers into bags for fall and winter cooking.  I need to do something with the jalapeño.  I think I will go on line to see if there is a simple pickled pepper recipe.  As soon as a few more tomatoes are ripe I will make a bowl of fresh salsa.  I will miss eating it with warm corn chips.  If I was GF I could eat them.  Perhaps I will decide to be GF for one day next week (smile)

What I Got Rid Of Today

A new segment for this blog.   I got rid of these Austrian enameled panels last year at the yard sale, I think.  If not, I will try and get rid of them this year.

I just spent an hour reading comments about owning things or being owned by the things.  The truest words were written by people who had had to empty the homes of deceased parents. Been there.  Did that.  Don't want to ever do that again.  In fact, I helped empty the quilt room of a fellow quilter who died and then a few months later emptied my dad's house, shed and basement.  It's an emotional battlefield.  There were times when it was all mindless and then there were times when I sobbed for what seemed like hours after finding some object.  Like my dad's belt buckle collection he wore when roller skating.

So.  Every day I will get rid of something and tell you about it.  Maybe even take a picture of it to remind me of how ridiculous it was to keep it.  The panel above was difficult to get rid of.  Handpainted and really pretty, it no longer fit into my life.  A souvenir of another time and place.  Another me.

There's the three bag rule also.  Walk around the house and pick up items.  They go in the "keep it" bag or the "donate it" bag or the "toss it" bag.  After a month, empty the "keep it bag".

I made the zucchini brownies with coconut flour and high fiber Splenda.  They are crumbly and coat the back of my throat with this "dry" sensation.  I am waiting 24 hours to see if they become moist and fudgey over night as sometimes happens with these GF baked items.  I'm waiting because even with the throat closing dryness--they taste like brownies.

I walked the dog and had a big salad for dinner.  Just lettuce, carrots and ranch dressing.  Good enough.

Amazing White Marble Kitchen

When we lived in Germany, my downstairs floors were all made from white marble tiles.  The lovely Frau Loos had to be careful when washing and cleaning the marble as it stains easily.  The huge expanse of floor was bordered on the front side by a full glass block wall and front door.  The back side was a plain white wall where I hung a queen sized pieced quilt (which I didn't make as I didn't know how to quilt at that time) in the Jacob's Ladder pattern.  At the bottom was a long, hand made bench (G) in dark wood.  Later, I put a red and white wool carpet down on the center of the marble floor.  I think it was 8 by 10 feet (the carpet only covered the center area of the floor).  White wool center rectangle bordered in a faded red wool. There was no other furniture in this open space which was essentially a gigantic hallway. That being said, I like a simple, faded color scheme in my homes.  And I liked the white marble floors and window sills.

I don't think counter tops should be marble. Any acid will pit the surface and stain like crazy. Imagine the mess I would have made pitting the cherries for my breakfast today (with yogurt)?  Like a CSI crime scene.

Yesterday Riley had a lovely walk and G got to go see the Expendables.  Everyone was happy.  I didn't have to walk the dog nor see the the movie.  Dinner was a sandwich for G with two kinds of homemade pickles and chips and grilled hotdogs (no buns) and fried peppers (from garden) and onion and a side of cucumber salad for me.

G brought in tomatoes from the garden,  they were not ripe.  He also harvested cucumbers and one zucchini.  That zucchini is shredded and salted and is going to be the base for a experimental brownie recipe (#2) later this morning.  I bought two nice purple eggplant from a local farmer and I sliced them into lengthwise quarter inch planks and intend to make fried eggplant out of them.  Very few seeds.  It's not a "legal" food for me, but it's something I actually enjoy eating.  So I am making it and eating it.  More vegetarian than low carb.  As are the sweet potato burgers that I will be making this week.

I have a true and abiding love for vegetables.  All of them.  And here it is August and the gardens and farms are supplying me with lovely vegetables and fruits.  And I am going to eat them and not fool around trying to make everything low carb (and disgusting).  Sorry low carb-ers and Dino chow people, your nut flour solutions to all things that need flour do not taste or look good.  I eat the food plain most of the time to stay legal, but there are moments when I just don't care as much.  My daughter's reaction to Brownie #1 was to spit it into the sink.  Where it belonged.  The comments (with the recipe) were that it was "delicious".  Not true.  Paleo recipes always come with rave review comments.  And most of these recipes, that I have tried, have gone into the disposal of my sink. There was a coconut flour pancake recipe where the author asked people to please not write a negative comment.  She was only going to delete them.  How's that for honesty?????

So.  I am not ruining my eggplant with a nut flour crust.  I am using flour and breadcrumbs.  I may use coconut flour to dust the eggplant and then dip in egg and then into breadcrumbs.  After all, the eggplant I eat every week at a local restaurant is coated in breadcrumbs.  It's not like I haven't been cheating all along.  Yes, I will finally say it out loud.  I have been cheating all along.

I have the finishing details of my 10 by 10 (back and edges) to work on today.  I will be working Tuesday to Friday at work (I called to get my schedule) and this is my last chance to get the project done before dropping it off Saturday morning.  I also want to make the bunny pillow.  Oh, and those god awful artist statement and bio papers.  My daughter suggested "I like to make stuff"  period.

Running Bunny

Off someone's blog.  It's like Pin Interest.   I just slide the pictures I like onto my desktop and then into my picture file.  This bunny looks like it was drawn on linen with a pen and cut out and appliqued to the pillow.  Some frayed fringe at the bottom.   I like it. Would look nice on my couch.  I think I have a linen dress I could cut up to make this.

Riley went out this morning and rolled in something very stinky.  He came back in the house bouncing with happiness, my first clue that something was up.  When g woke up, it's his day to sleep in, he took the dog straight outside and washed him off.  The hose in the garage is hooked up to hot and cold water, so it was a pleasant dog bath.  Riley's visits outside need to be monitored until we find the source of the wet, stinky.

I worked on my 10 by 10 most of yesterday.  From my investigation of the auction format and the small size of the art pieces, I determined my best approach would be work that was saturated in color and pretty simple and graphic.  I made another set of carrots.  Same blue, brown and oranges as the 12 by 12 I made for the orange challenge.  Just smaller.  I wanted something that would read well from across a room.  And the people in the website photographs (I recognized them from years of work at the library in Town) were always sympathetic to "gardening" and my brightly colored quilts.  Who doesn't like brightly colored hand appliqued carrots?  We'll see.  Worst case, I get my carrots back, unsold.  I will link to the display of work when they have the 2012 pieces on the website.  Drop off is next Saturday.  I have to create a bio and an artist statement.  UGH!!

G and our daughter are going to the movies this afternoon.  Which means I am left here with the dog, G's chore of vacuuming the house and the remaining laundry.  I managed to get all G's shirts ironed yesterday before ironing freezer paper patterns onto the orange fabrics.  We had steaks for dinner yesterday.  I am enjoying the steak and G grilling the dinner.

Breakfast today was a low carb "bread" with Jalsberg cheese (mayo, egg, almond meal, flax meal and gluten meal).  I thought I wanted pancakes but I lost the link to the coconut flour pancakes I looked at before going to bed last night.  The link to the recipe was from a guy who uses the cold pancakes to make sandwiches.  Which, due to the big fiber in coconut flour, are very dense and filling.  I am going to look in the History file and see if I can relocate the recipe.  Coconut flour has good results if you mix it correctly.  I think I need to weigh the stuff on my little scale.  Like I weigh my yogurt.  Did you know yogurt weighs in differently from container to container?  Another of life's mysteries.

Time to start vacuuming.

New Stars In The Garden

The heirloom tomatoes, green peppers, last of the cucumbers and a few oriental, and very purple, eggplant which I think will star in a stir fry this weekend.  Tons of green peppers and jalapeño.  I wish I liked poppers.  I'm thinking I will pickle them.  I like the jalapeños with avocado, in salsa and on nachos.  Oh, how I adored nachos in my "other life".  Good nachos.  Loaded with melted, crusty cheese, topped with sour cream, guacamole, tomatoes and peppers.  I tried making a plate with all this and no chips, because all the toppings are okay for me to eat, just no chips.  It wasn't the same.

 Dinner tonight will be grilled steak, baked potato and salad.  I have a large bowl of sliced cucumbers salted, waiting for me to mix up the sour cream/yogurt/ cider vinegar/sugar to coat them.  I think this is the last big bowl (4 quart size) of cucumber salad out of my own garden.  I can truthfully declare that we (I) have eaten every single cucumber I grew this year.  LOVE them.

I am just on the edge of miserable.  I have had a rash or an itch or bug bites or something for the past few days.  My entire right arm is itchy.  I was out in the garden cutting plants back, tossing stuff in the compost, trying to support tomato plants that are tipping over from the weight of green tomatoes etc etc.  Any of these experiences could have caused me to itch.  And, no matter how often I spray myself--the mosquitos find me.  Swarming and buzzing around my head and ears.  Blood sucking monsters.  This is when I just give up on vegetable gardening.  Too much mess and bugs.  Yesterday I kept thinking I would see that huge garden snake in the leaves and stems I was hauling to the compost.  Gave me the willies.  Speaking of compost--- I asked to teach that particular class at work next month.

I just finished reading Garwood's new FBI romance.  Sweet Talk.  Not so good.  I had enjoyed Ideal Man last week and was happy to see the newest book in my pile from the library reserve list.  What a waste of reading time.  I kept Riley up long past his bedtime last night trying to finish the book.  He is still under the bed sleeping, poor dog!  Of course, it's raining and he doesn't care for rainy days.  I have two Norwegian mysteries on the book table waiting.  Bringing Up The Bodies is still far away on the list.

After I finish my coffee and read a few more news stories I will do some shirt ironing and then move into the work room and fiddle with fabric for a few hours.  There's the Maverick piece to start thinking about (someone who doesn't follow rules), the 10 by 10 and just about anything else as I have a whole pile of fabric to sort and work and play with, I could even paint more.  I should work on getting the pieces ready for some hand appliqué for the evening hours.  I just about decided to add four ovals (with pointed ends) on top of some of the circles I stitched to five inch squares.  Make things more varied and interesting.  I just need to make more freezer paper shapes and iron them to fabric scraps or extra 5 inch squares (of which I have many as I always seem to cut too much).

I was reading Art With A Needle and Katherine was explaining how she started writing her blog.  We all start out with a need to set our words and thoughts down, and then, as K observes, we become whores to the comments.  We get over that, well most of us do, and write for the few loyal readers, lurkers and family members.  BUT I still get such a thrill to find comments waiting when I open the computer, because they are so few and far between. What must it be like to have hundreds of comments each day?  And get offers to write books?  Such a wonderland for those with something to say.

Rolling with The Day

The garden continues to produce but the signs of fatigue are evident.  The squash leaves are getting worn out.  The tomato plants are having more yellowed and spotted leaves (which you are free to cut off the plant and dispose of, but not in the compost).   I am "almost" ready to harvest some of the larger tomatoes.  Slowly they are turning from green to pink.  We have been thankful for the one Early Girl plant which has provided enough early tomatoes for us to have mozzarella, tomato and basil salads.  But. I want to eat my cheese and basil with the big ripe tomatoes.  The Heirloom Arkansas Travelers and the Brandywine. I potted up a new supply of  baby basil in anticipation.

Today is day number one of my second four day weekend away from work.  But, I really WORKED at work for the three days I was there this week.  I helped with inventory of the Nursery side on Tuesday, moved perennials all day Wednesday and yesterday, in the pouring rain, we brought in the herbs and cleaned them up.  I like it when I have hard work to do.  And I got my haircut.

This morning started slowly with Riley groaning his way back under the bed after having breakfast with G.  He stayed under the bed until I got up at 9.  Now he is tucked under the desk where I am sitting.  Sweet.

My horoscope for today suggests that I dig deeper into my past to see how my life, now, is being affected by my past actions.  My usual path is to do whatever seems appropriate at the moment but by digging deeper I can change the root causes of my behavior.  Oddly enough, I behaved differently in the past few days.  I liked the way I behaved.  It felt good.  I was kinder, gentler and less competitive. I let things roll away from me without trying to chase them.  Life is much easier this way. But you already know that, right?

I got the sweetest email this week from a blog friend.  Made me feel like a million bucks.  Someday, because these things happen if we are open to them, we will meet in person and share our work.  Until then we can read each other's blogs and emails. I have never been open enough or receptive enough to have an "art friend or group" to keep me company.  I did belong to a group of three and we met once a month.  It was a meeting I looked forward to each month.  One stopped making art and the other moved far away.  So long ago.  I have been invited back to my old quilt chapter.  Perhaps there are art quilters there now?  I should open myself to possibilities.  I should try to connect with someone.  The first step will be the Arts Are Elementary 10 by 10 auction.  One 10 inch square piece of art could be the key that opens a door.

Since it rained really good yesterday, I don't have to water the garden.  I do have to walk the dog and get a few groceries.  I also have two Jacob Klein bee balm plants to plant in my daughters garden. She wants red for the hummingbirds.  Planted by the back bedroom windows so the cats can watch the hummingbirds.  As soon as the squash gets nice and brown I will be out the door.  Have a nice day!

Working Pile of Fabric

I started working on the 10 by 10 for the Arts Are Elementary auction.  I need to drop it off on the 25th of this month.  I checked out the website and looked at last year's entries.  Not sure how many sold.  Or which ones.  I also visited the SAQA auction site to see what that looked like.  There is one piece I liked.  Really liked.  And oddly enough it looks sort of like what I wanted to make.  Which is probably why I liked it.  Be interested to see if it sells on the first day.

I woke up feeling sick today (my first day back to work).  I wish I could just throw up and be over it. I don't know what is causing the feeling.  At first I just thought I was really, really hungry.  I haven't been eating well while away from work.  I haven't been eating lunch.  And I am not actually interested in breakfast, as you know.  Now, I am also not interested in eating dinner, either.  Not that this disinterest leads to any weight loss on my part.  I guess it just leads to feeling nauseous.

I should be watering the garden.  Don't want to.  Didn't walk the dog yesterday, either. It's too damned hot outside. Have progressively lost interest in everything is those five days of not having the routine of going to work. I feel like a rudderless boat going around in a circle while I dip the paddle in on only one side.  And I am totally OVER summer.

I discovered my "who are you" was Russian sage about 10 minutes after writing yesterday's post.  Thank you to all who wrote to confirm my suspicion.  It was the leaves that I worried about and finding a picture of the foliage was difficult. Turns out that russian sage is a cousin of MINT and that means easy to propagate from woody stem cuttings.  Just cut and stick in the ground if you want a second or third plant.  But they need winter protection in their first two years in your garden.  After that, they grow like crazy.  The article even said the plants send out little babies around the sides of the big plants.  You can dig those up and move them.  But still protect from the cold for 2 years.  I guess they are slow to set deep roots.  I am going to work today and seeing if we still have any. We are in the middle of a big perennial sale.  Buy 10 and get 50% off all of them.   I hope the perennial yard is looking bare.

That "doing not much of anything" seems to be what perennials do in my gardens.  And then, after I have totally given up on them, they get big and go crazy.  Like the purple bee balm.  I thought it was completely dead and gone.  Bang.  It's four feet tall and covered in purple flowers.  I guess it reseeded. And the Obedient Plant is back.  I keep thinking I have pulled it all up and in a few years, it comes back, someplace where I never planted it.  Now it's in the Peony bed along with red bee balm which I hate.  My daughter wanted red bee balm and yesterday she visited and decided it wasn't "pretty".  Bee balm is never "pretty". So, she is thinking phlox might be what she wants.

Almost time to go to work.  I need to pack my bag and get the dog into the car.

Who Are You? Russian Sage

I have a specimen of the "gorgeous" plant from the landscaping in front of KFC.  Now to try and identify it.  It smells "sage" like.  Time will tell.

I am back from my job interview.  Took me longer to chose something to wear than to be interviewed. I think I was always destined for the customer service seasonal job at one of the call centers.  Portland or Lewiston.  LONG drives for either.  At night.  In the winter.  My night driving vision is terrible.  And, I did the math.  X equals the pay.  X minus extra gas, driving anxiety and the need to buy a cell phone in case of an accident equals not wanting the job so very much.  So, when I said no to driving to Portland or Lewiston the interviewer stood up and said "well, that's it and thank you for coming in".  And I was out the door and into the parking lot.  Home in time to serve Riley his lunch.

My Tarot Card reading for today suggested "karma".  I had thought seriously of just calling to cancel but decided to go, be a "big girl" and see what happened.  The 30 minute drive was easier than I thought.  I was the first to arrive and the last one to be called to be interviewed.  My interviewer didn't seem all that interested in me.  Perhaps she was also a seasonal temp.  The receptionist was. Perhaps everyone at that site is. I sincerely believe the only way to get a good regular job at this famous retail mecca is to "know" someone who can get you in.  Now I need to think about why this was karma.

It's very very hot outside.  I may need to go water the garden.  The library hasn't sent an email with books to be picked up.  I still have art to work on for the 10 by 10 art auction.  I returned to my regularly scheduled work at the greenhouse tomorrow.  My last day of "vacation".  Sigh.

Simple Design For Sam

This is what I had planned for the renovation of my daughter's kitchen.  She had other plans.  I still cut and paste pictures of what I "saw" even if it never came to be.  I don't think minimalist will ever be the key word to her design style.

G and I had a late breakfast, dropped books off at the library and made a "test drive" to the site of tomorrow's interview and then, after he walked the dog (or the dog walked him), G wanted an idea of where the remainder of the day was going.

 He wanted to know the "plan".  I don't like having a "plan".  But, since I was on the phone with our daughter she suggested that G wanted to visit a restaurant or see a movie.  She knows him better than I do sometimes.  So we had 12 minutes to get across town for the matinee of the Bourne Legacy.  Worth it.  Very nicely done.  Then, since the theater complex is right next to KFC, I suggested some of the new chicken bites for me and G could get whatever he wanted.  While he was inside, I remembered customers had wanted me to identify the plants growing out front.  So I went looking. Brought home a few samples.  It's either a sage or catmint. But none that I recognize.  I think a large (6 to 8) planting of whatever this is, would be fantastic at the edge of my driveway, out along the street.  I just need to find out what it is.

I finished all the books I had on my book shelf.  Now that's a record, even for me.  Like a whole book each day.  The last one the Innocent by Stevens was very good.  Read The Informationist first.  It sort of is like the Bourne movies & the Girl With The Dragon Tatoo.  Which reminds me that I still haven't gotten to see the American version.  I may have to succumb to Netflix.

I hope the library sends an email tomorrow with news of books for me.

I called work and I am on the schedule for three days of work and two vacation days.  Summer is coming to an end.

G brought more zucchini and more cucumbers in from the garden.  And it rained overnight the past two days, so we haven't had to water.  Sweet.  The tomatoes are beginning to change from deep green so it won't be long before the Arkansas Travelers and Brandywines are ready to eat. I can't wait.  We've been happy with the Early Girls and the first Sun Gold cherries.  We picked our sweet corn and I cut kernels from a few ears for the Garden Chowder which was fantastic.  That odd zucchini casserole was delicious and G even ate some.  We still have bing Cherries.  It's all good.  Longmire is on tonight.  Ah!!!

Now, will I actually go to the interview?

Saturday Morning Blues

Here it is Saturday morning, my regular weekend day off, and I am not feeling the sweet happiness of being home.  Instead I feel oppressed.  Hemmed in by responsibilities.  Mostly stuff in my head.  The laundry is done, the floor was mopped on Thursday (even though it could be done again today), the sheets have been washed and changed, the groceries are packed into the fridge and the dog has eaten his lunch.

My breakfast today was four crispy strips of bacon, three fried eggs with runny yolks and 3 slices of cheese.  Coffee.  My daughter suggested Nellie's cage free eggs and they actually were pretty nice but not as fresh as I thought they would be (the white spread in the pan--not a sign of freshness) but the yolks were golden and there were no weird things attached.  I covered the frypan with a lid, lowered the heat and let the steam cook the whites.  Perfect.  Now a nice crisp slice of toast would have made all the difference.  Or a blueberry pancake under all three eggs.  That's the way I like them.

I have another zucchini experiment in the oven baking.  Sort of a pizza casserole.  Only I baked it incorrectly.  I was supposed to bake the 4 cups of shredded zuke, 2 eggs and one cup mozzarella for 20 minutes at 400 and THEN add the crispy browned beef, onion, spaghetti sauce and second cup of mozzarella.  Instead, I added the meat over the uncooked zucchini.  And I used pizza sauce.  That's what happens when you "think" you remember the directions.  It's now been baking for much longer than 40 minutes and looks very, very brown.

I am also wearing socks with my LLBean ballet flats.  Trying to stretch out the toe section so it doesn't rub on my toes.  The salesperson (years ago) suggested I buy the 9 and not the 9.5 because the leather stretches and the shoes will fall off.  Well, that never happened.  I don't wear the shoes often enough because they hurt my toes.  So nothing has stretched.  Today, socks and shoes until I get tired of it.  The heel portion fits beautifully. And on days when I have had no salt--- the shoes always fit, but still rub my toes.  I'd love to be able to wear the flats all the time with my three pairs of black pants.  Alas, I can't.

I am also apprehensive about an employment interview on Monday morning.  I applied on line for a seasonal job and got invited to an in person interview.  Now I am wondering why I did this.  Why complicate my life further?  I hope I don't get Googled.  What if they read this blog????  OMG.

I think I will have another cup of coffee and make a short list of "things to do" that I might be able to work on.  I also have the 10 by 10 art piece to finish by the 25th.  Riley wants a walk.  I need a nap.