Early Work Day

For me.  Most of you are probably up way before I am.  But 6:30 is way too early for me. Which is why I didn't actually get up until 6:45 and had to be at work by 8.

I didn't want to go to work.  Resented having to go.

See.  I tell G that this means I am getting closer to deciding to be "retired" or "semi-retired".

Today it was stinking hot at work, humid and I was damp and sticky by 8:15.  And then I had to go empty the water plant pools which had gotten thick and stinky.  OMG.  Sticking ones hands in the water and having slimy things "brush" past and touch you---- I felt like running around screaming. and then there were the water spiders and the frogs.  I ended up dipping stuff out and pouring it on the gravel.  We also hosed off the plants.  Later, while watering the sedums--I got stung by a BEEEEEEE

G and I had a nice dinner.  Steak wrapped in bacon (oh, stop), steamed broccoli, plain white rice.  I had vegetable kabobs as an addition to my plate.

I am trying to "eat mindfully" and at work I had a cucumber, cantaloupe chunks, water, ham and cheese rolled up (low carb), more water, a nice juicy "eastern" peach, and more water.  Mostly I was choosing foods that would elevate my water levels.  I think my "hunger" is more about being thirsty than being hungry.

I went out to the garden to get veggies for the kabobs and got many many many mosquito bites as it had rained about 30 minutes before I went out there.  Got a lot of cucumbers, some squash and a shirt front full of Sun gold cherry tomatoes.  I left the peppers and tomatoes for another day.

My parsley plants are almost 5 feet tall and ridiculous.  I need to pull them out and strip off the leaves and make my frozen parsley leaf rolls for use in SummerFallWinterSpring recipes.  Remember Princess SummerFallWinterSpring on Howdy Doody?

In Days So Deep In The Past

Jane Nicholas mirror.

I was once a crewel work stitcher.  And If I had know about things like the above mirror, I think I would have either been intimidated or inspired.  I hope----- inspired.

I especially love the upper left.  The white puff and the blackberries.  The insects are lovely as well.
I still have three little crewel works--simple vegetables--that have escaped the "tossing" that happens with each house move.  I don't know where they are--exactly--but I think they still exist.

I added this masterpiece to my picture file--to nudge me into trying, one more time.  To create beauty with threads of wool.

Autumn In The Air

The mums are here.  Well, at work.  In the parking lot.  Once the mums arrive--the air seems to change, getting cooler, drier and the days seem shorter.  "the end is near"

We have loads of Russian Sage on the perennial tables at the front of the store.  The tall, light blue
plant behind the sage.  Here in my Town it's actually referred to as the "Kentucky Fried Chicken Plant" because, at this time of year, the parking lot is dominated by the HUGE shrubs of Russian sage at the KFC.  

Customers see the huge billows of blue and WANT one.  They come to my work place and ask for the KFC plant.  Truth be told---I had to get in the car the first year this happened--drive to KFC, and then look at, smell and finally clip a branch.... for research purposes.  And to identify the plant.
Now, I know.  And I make sure to stock plenty at this time of year.

As is always the case, I cannot, for the life of me, grown Russian sage.  None of the five plants I have here at my house have ever gotten more that 6 inches tall and rarely, if ever, have they made any blue flowers.  We finally decided to move them to the highest, sunniest, driest spot on our property.  The circle of dirt that is the end of the driveway.  They are alive.  Which is all I can say about them.

I would LOVE to have waves of tall, blue branches.

The zucchini plants are slowing down.  The cucumbers made a big effort and are now--well, they don't seem to be doing much of anything, but a second planting is already tuning up.  No yellow squash but they also have a second planting waiting to get going.  The tomato plants look ragged and sad with a few tomatoes turning color each day.  I finish them off in the sunroom.  (meaning they turn red in the sunroom). Carrots from the first of many failed plantings are ready.  Beets are ready but I am waiting until I want to oven roast them.  Still too warm.

I harvested 12 plums from my very slow to grow plum tree.  First fruit in ALL the years we have owned it.  G moved it 2 years ago and it seems to being saying thank you.  The plums are small but very good.  And no worms hiding inside.  Not enough to re-create my grandmother's plum kuchen.
She grew plums just so she could make plum kuchen.  And it was so delicious.  As was her handmade apple strudel.   I have thought about an apple tree.  And using one of the crab apple trees  we already own as a pollinator.

Seven fat quarts of blueberries in the freezer.  I should make a blueberry cake for the gang at work. Or at least try a blueberry spinach smoothie.  Yuck.

Or a blueberry vanilla protein powder smoothie with some Greek yogurt.  Or just yogurt and blueberries.  Or, better yet---blueberry pancakes.

Time To Go Shopping

All the "back to school" advertising makes me want to go stock up on index cards, Sharpie pens and glue sticks BUT I got so much of that for Christmas, I don't need any.

I also feel the urge to go shopping for clothes at Goodwill.  Almost all of my clothing is bargain shopped.  I don't care to buy retail anymore.  Not that I "need" anything.  The closet is packed with 20 cent pants and tons of $2 shirts from the "retail job" a few years back.

It's just that "back to school" was such an exciting time when I was growing up.  New clothes, new shoes, fresh notebooks and pencils.  A Fresh Start.

Like all the mistakes and failures of the previous school year (and there were so many in my life) were erased and I could start over-- a do over--- fresh.  It never quite worked out that way.  I had a tendency to repeat the mistakes over and over.  Procrastination.  Oh, that was always my biggest problem.  I'll study tomorrow.  Start that paper next week.  Read that book--well, never.

Not so much anymore.  At work I tend to get right down to business and get the projects done. Here at home I tend to get the canning, cooking, cleaning, washing up, done.  The annual taxes?  Not so much.  That's when I procrastinate.  Books?  Love to read and hate to stop once I begin.

I have a site in the sidebar with a recipe for zucchini salad using a "spiralizer" something I have wanted but didn't buy.  During my low carb time period--the long zucchini noodles would have been a delight served with meatballs and sauce.  Long enough to twirl around the fork.  But I am not doing low carb.  In fact, I had better decide what I am doing as I have a weigh in at the doctor's office in 2 months.

The garden really "enjoyed" the past three days of rain and high humidity.  I have a pile of cucumbers to work with, more zucchini and fewer yellow squashes (after I make pickles--I actually have little need for zucchini and would prefer to have too many yellow squashes).  Contrary to food writers--the two are NOT the same.  Tomatoes are beginning to show some color (other than green) and the peppers are starting to turn red as well.  I have carrots and beets I can dig up.  All in all, the garden is showing signs of getting tired and ready to call it quits, though it still looks good and the basil plants are thriving and producing large leaves.  So Not the usual in my garden history.

I made a very large pot of ratatouille on Saturday.  This time oven roasting the yellow and green summer squashes and the cubed eggplant until all the watery juices had roasted away.  Then I sautéed an onion from my garden and garlic from my garden on top of the stove and then scooped the oven roasted veg into the pot and mixed in a can of Trader Joe's excellent marinara and a handful of fresh from the garden basil leaves.  It was super wonderful.  I think I will make it again and freeze it in portions to enjoy this winter with spaghetti or rice or beans.

I guess, in the summer, my diet is mostly vegetarian.  Which is a good thing.

Now, back to shopping.  I need an eggplant and a few limes.

The Sun Came Out And It's Super Humid

I made another 7 pints of zucchini bread and butter pickles this morning and shredded three more zucchini to make fritters.  Then I sprayed Riley and myself with bug spray (his is 100% organic and mine isn't) and off we went for a walk.  I also took a bottle of water and riley drank most of it. We saw two dogs, a jogger, a family on bikes and a bazillion deer flies.

Now Riley is spread out in front of the A/C unit.  I am poised to create lunch for myself and then read.  My book is due on the 24th.  A deadline.

Last night as I went to bed (after watching the Bruce Willis movie 12 Monkeys), my last thought was--Sunday paper in the morning.  Only today isn't Sunday.  For some reason, being home alone (no husband) has made the ONE day I have had off so far, seem like two.

The picture above is of a cucumber.  Finally, I am getting a decent crop of cucumbers every two or three days.  I have eaten quite a few cucumber sandwiches, made a half gallon jar of refrigerator dills, and a large bowl of sliced cucumbers mixed with sour cream and dill and I have a large bag of cucumbers in the fridge waiting to be used up.

Same deal with the zucchini.  After worrying myself into a state (I can do that) thinking I wouldn't have enough zucchini to make pickles for the winter--I now have way too many and 20 pints of pickles in the closet.

Last summer I made a run to the grocery every few days to get eggplant and made the excess zucchini into ratatouille.  So, I am getting my shoes on and am off to buy an eggplant and some corn. I saw a lovely recipe for Mexican roasted corn nachos.  Got to have some!!!!

In reunion news:  G picked up (on purpose) another guy's name tag at the "ice breaker" last night and introduced himself as that guy until he finally had enough fun and told them who he really was.  They didn't believe him. He also said his wife was home taking care of "our little boy".  Now, that got them going.

G is now on the planned trolley ride (he didn't want to go) around downtown Cleveland with other classmates he met at breakfast who talked him into it.  He says, so far, it was a good decision.  My question: who do they think he is now? I bet there are people who actually attend reunions--falsely-- and have a ton of fun pretending--and it does seem to have been quite a lot of fun for G.  (and...to make it even odder--he was class president).  See, it's always best to choose happiness.

When Things Seem To Be Going Wrong

G has gone back to his hometown for his 50th high school reunion.  Things aren't going well.  He had things planned but they aren't working out.  Today--he's going to the Rock "N Roll Hall of Fame to buy a tee shirt for his collection.  He has most of today and all of tomorrow to fill.  There are a few other museums he can visit and a movie theater close to his hotel--so a movie?

He's hoping to connect with someone at the opener "ice breaker" tonight.  Perhaps some other "out of towners"  to do something with--at least lunch.  He has no family to visit.

I paid bills, washed clothes, walked the dog etc and now, instead of canning more zucchini pickles and getting all hot and sweaty, I'm going to sit in the air conditioned comfort of my couch and read a book.

Choosing happiness.

Heat Wave

We can't really complain.  Here in Maine.  Nothing's on fire.  Last August was very chilly.
But, still.  It's hot.  Humid.  And I was at work in a glass greenhouse.  UGH!!

Yesterday---when it was also hot--- I walked, gardened, sliced the heap of new zucchini (rather than waste them--I'll just make more pickles and give them to everyone for Christmas), fried the yellow squash with onions until it was all lightly brown and delicious--- which can take over 2 hours. In other words--I spent way too many hours in the kitchen near a hot stove.  And then, an equally long time washing all the dishes.

I also made crab apple juice and strained the pulp in a jelly bag.  I have 4 cups of beautifully pink juice that is also quite tasteless.  I put the jar of juice in the fridge.  Waiting for inspiration.  Will the addition of sugar make it taste like something???  Has anyone tried making crab apple jelly?

I also picked more blueberries.  I'll have 6 quarts (packed full) of blueberries when this last bit has frozen.  Last August (when the fridge didn't work) I had packed up 11 fat quarts in the loaner fridge out on the porch.  Then, when the fridge worked again-----whoa--where to put the frozen berries when Loew's came for the loaner??? So, I made jars and jars of blueberry jam--which is seriously delicious.  I actually would like to use some blueberries to make pancakes. I love blueberry pancakes.

G has graciously done the watering in the garden.  He also cut the grass late in the afternoon.  I carried three full tubs of garden/vegetable "stuff" from the kitchen to the compost pile along with the bag of shreds from the shredder (junk mail).  Wet and dry.

The dog is stretched out on the carpet.  I am tempted to take a long cool shower but I promised to haul hose and water the front garden beds.  Sigh.  Then the shower.

Stay cool.  (oh, and I finally got brave and reworked my reader list--- gold star for me!)

Between 70 and 80

I will get to the point of the title of this post eventually.  But I seriously LOVE this porch screen door.  

When my son was visiting he was trying to modify the "issues" my husband I have, regarding the sharing of the computer that I like to "call" my own (because I bought it).  I don't like opening the screen up and finding my husbands stuff.  And not mine.  The biggest issue was my husband saving pictures to the cloud.  So, in the calm and placating moments son and I discussed my issues--he remarked "you have way too many pictures in this file".  (711)

My reply?  "I had more--I just deleted half" (or I just think I deleted half)

He was speechless.

Gotta collect pictures of stuff like speechless children.

Now, to the title.  I have many amazingly open conversations with customers at work.  Not all the time. But often enough that it makes going to work--worthwhile.  One day this week an elderly woman and I were discussing age.

I feel very good for my age (one month shy of 69) but my customer assured me that the problems arrive between 70 and 80.  Things change and not for good she assured me.  And then patted my shoulder and suggested I enjoy my health while I still had it (one year and one month).  I felt like I had just had a psychic reading.

So now I am worried.  Now.  I wasn't before.  I was just going along, happy as a clam (no one  knows why a clam is happy) and now I am left wondering.  I want to ask people who "appear" to be between 70 and 80 if things are indeed trending downward.

Today I weighed the pros and cons of stopping in a parking lot on the way home and picking ripe crabapples (golf ball sized ones) from a tree that was dropping apples all over the asphalt.  Was I trespassing or foraging?  Anyway.  I now have a large bag of crabapples (barely dented the number on the tree and passersby didn't call the police or they did and the police haven't found me yet) and I am planning to try making crabapple jelly.  If done correctly it is a clear pale pink.

I intend to make every effort to "do it correctly".  Pale pink is one of my favorite things.

I am also thinking of using the carrot top greens to make meatless free meatballs (Food 52) and zucchini to make a green curry zucchini soup (101 Cookbooks).  Today, on the way to work, I purchased soft white bread and mayo and made cucumber sandwiches for lunch.  With my own home grown cucumbers.  Only way to roll.  The sandwiches were outstanding.  My first time eating a cucumber sandwich.  Why did I wait so long????

Watched Disney/Pixar's Ratatouille last night.  The movie.  Loved it.  As usual.  So now I need to also make ratatouille.

How Can I Make Summer Last?

Here in Maine, the nights are cooler already.  Today is sunny and breezy.  Perfect weather.  I just got home after 2 hours of walking and chatting with my friend from the library.  We found a brook and a bridge on an (unknown to us) Town path.  It was lovely to hear the water bubbling under the bridge.

I should be in the garden watering.  We haven't had any rain for quite a few days now and things seem rather dry.  I have onions I can pull out of the garden but nothing else is ready.  No squashes.  No tomatoes.  No peppers.  I must wait.  The walk has tired me out.  My fingers feel stiff and arthritic. I feel older.

I wish I owned the hanging light fixtures in this picture.  I wish I had the blackboard in my kitchen listing things in the fridge and freezer.  Mentioning errands needing doing.  Listing phone numbers for friends and family.  I wish I had more time at home.

I think I am ready to stop working (outside my home). LOL

It just happened.  I wasn't even considering it.  And then there it was, like I had decided I was ready while I wasn't even conscious of thinking about it.

I think moving all my art supplies, fabric, felt and thread upstairs--actually handling my supplies--awakened old dreams.  Old plans to paint every day.  Old plans to finish things I began so long ago.
Sorting my paint brushes, pans of watercolors, colored pencils.  Set aside.  Forgotten.  Even my jars of beads whispered to me.  When will you have time for us again??

I can't make summer last any longer that it has ever lasted.  I can't live longer than my expiration date. But I can choose to spent my time doing things that are creative and pleasurable.

Stay tuned.

Rejected

I entered this in the 10 X 10 last September and it didn't get purchased.  I still wonder what was wrong with it.  Too pale?  Not enough on the right side?  A mistake having the tall stem going off the left side?

My astrology guide for this month suggests August 11th will be amazing.  I will be crowned celestial favorite.  So far, in this astrology guide--I have not been gifted with any of the dazzling wonders suggested for my sign. Perhaps someone will bake me a pie?

My past retail employer is filling the papers with ads for employment but I have received no "invitation" to reapply.

My list of rejections grows.

I have received news that I should whittle my closet down to 10 items of clothing.
That I should be filling quart canning jars with salads to take to work.
That I don't meet the criteria to be gluten free.

August 8th- The Re-entry

To life.  I was kinda in a holding pattern as we got ready for my son's visit, had the visit and then were sad that the visit was over.

Now, it's the hubbub of garden life.  The watering, the picking, the weeding.  Then the slicing, salting and pickling of the zucchini (7 jars this morning).   The slicing, the cooking and the eating of the fried yellow summer squash (a huge kettle full sliced after the pickles came out of the canner).  The watering, worrying and waiting for the first tomatoes.

I've gathered up the shallots and garlic and have them "curing" in the heat of the garage.  In that empty space I have planted 8 French eggplants.  Supposed to be lavender with white stripes. I saved three squash plants (acorn, butternut and buttercup) from the dumpster at work and planted them where the pea stalks (and weeds) were.  We'll see if they are grateful enough to produce a few squash each.  I love roasted butternut.  In fact, as soon as the roasting tray is out of the oven I start eating the little cubes--and then they are all gone.  Next summer I want to plant pattypan.  The yellow "flying saucers" that I saw on a vegetarian cooking program.

I am a vegetarian all summer long--- except when I crave a hamburger. (smile)

We watched the 2 hour finale of Poldark and I was left feeling sad and cheated.  Who knows when PBS will air the next 8 episodes????  It's unfair to make us wait a year or more to find out what happens.   I am also watching Last Tango in Halifax and found the tire changing scene and the chat in the bathroom with the bride to be very well written and acted.  Regarding not being sure if she wanted to get married--the bride was assured that there was always the possibility of a divorce.

I also am watching Mr. Robot.  But I am not quite sure what is going on (though I am really trying to follow the dialog).  I do know that most of the characters are seriously "mental" as my friend P always says when describing her family.  I am missing the usual summer shows--Longmire, Covert Affairs, Perception.  Have they all been cancelled?

The squash has cooked down by half, so I added butter.  I have to decide whether to pick and pickle the yellow Hungarian hot peppers today or wait for more peppers to turn a bit orange. G purchased a huge jug of vinegar for me and another 10 pounds of sugar.  Preserving uses up a lot of sugar.

I could also go out and pick blueberries.  Not as many as last summer but enough.  I have imagined baking a blueberry cake (and taking it to work).  Blueberry pancakes.  I already have two quarts in the freezer. G also purchased a 10 pound bag of flour for me.  In case I felt like making more whoopee pies.  Very popular.

Looks like I may be lucky enough to have fennel seed this year--if I can collect it before the birds eat it all.   I am hoping for pickling cukes--enough for a large jar of pickles--as I have an abundance of dill this year.

Well, I have bored you enough with my garden.  I will now take off my apron and go out and pick berries.  Water.  Weed.  Then shower and read after I fold laundry.

I have three days in a row off.  Love it.

Summer Squash Days

I have been picking summer squash every three or four days.  I have 8 pint jars of zucchini bread & butter pickles in the storage closet.  And enough yellow squash for a pot of fried (southern) squash to eat with rice.  It would be best with a big, ripe juicy tomato but there aren't any in my garden.

Today is the last day of my son's visit.  It was so VERY nice.  We cooked together--a cherry pie and two days worth of chicken potstickers.  Yesterday we did the Sunday paper Suduko together.  I wasn't at my best--I'll blame fuzzy thinking on my allergy tablet.  I will miss him when he drives away at noon.  I'll even cry a little bit.  He's easy to love.

Then I will be making the vegetable rice salad from Silver Palate cookbook for my lunches this week at work and pumpkin whoopee pies for my greenhouse co-worker who celebrated her birthday yesterday.  C will miss the excitement of making confectioner's sugar in the Vitamix.   I have regular sugar but no powdered for the filling.

G and Riley are having their walk.  Only an hour left.  Better spend it talking.

End Of July In The Garden

This one is not mine.  I don't have nearly enough straw to line the paths. And my fence has to be much taller as the deer could easily hop over this fence and eat everything and where's the gate?

The heat arrived a few days before my son.  He isn't used to humidity as his California location is dry and crispy from lack of water.  So, his first day here in Maine was difficult.  Almost 90 degrees, sunny and 85% humidity--and then it started to rain.

He also has been induced to help "lift and carry" -- something our daughter gets very irritated with. She doesn't mind helping, but, to her, it's "all the time".   C also used his expertise to remove hard drives from 3 older computers which are now on their way to the recycling station at the Town dump.
C and I took apart my 100 year old Danish dining room table (aka my sewing table) and carried it--wow is 100 year old wood heavy--- upstairs into the room which will be the new sewing room.

Sigh---- if I ever feel like sewing or quilting again.  With the retirement of the Twelve by Twelve challenges--my interest in quilting has dried up as I guess I needed the "push" of the challenges to get into the work.  I still have shelves full of pretty fabric, bolts of plain white to dye or paint, and lots and lots of unfinished projects.  I need to make pillowcases.

The 2015 garden is in full swing now.  Tomato plants are chin high.  I collected enough zucchini from the first plants to produce (4) to make bread and butter zucchini pickles--6 pints. (in the heat and humidity of my kitchen at 9 pm after work)  I have lots of lettuce.  The mustard plants have gone to seed.  I have plenty of kale. The cucumber plants are climbing the trellis and have lots and lots of tiny, tiny pickles on each vine.  The squash plants have lots of baby squash--- and since it has been very hot, and raining every day--I need to go out with my knife and garden basket and collect produce.  I've pulled half my garlic and will get the other half out today or tomorrow.

I am hoping the heat and daily rain encourages the FOURTH attempt at seeding carrots.

Today, C and I will be making potstickers.  We'll have to drive to Town to get supplies and then we'll stand around the kitchen island (together) hand folding and pinching dozens of little dumplings. Some we'll eat and the rest will get frozen and packaged for future meals.  I have also promised him a birthday cake.  Which reminds me that I need to find the recipe for the spice cake that was always his favorite, or he can have whoopee pies or a cherry pie (Whole Foods makes an astonishingly good cherry pie).  We'll see what he chooses.

Next birthday will be our daughter's in August and then mine in September.

I've often tried to suggest "birthday pie" instead of cakes but I haven't had much success--I am the only one who asks for a birthday pie.  Last year it was peach raspberry and I loved every bite of it. (LOL).   I would ask for a banana cream pie but I would be the only person eating it.  So I usually buy a little banana cream "tart" for just me.  I also love a good banana pudding.

I am on vacation from work.  I had a long weekend off, worked two days and now have five off.  I may not go back (ha, ha).  I really like having time to wash windows (with newspaper and glass cleaner), then wash the glass on all the framed pictures on the walls, wash the dog's nose prints off the storm doors, clean the microwave, clean the large mirror in the bathrooms, vacuum, vacuum, vacuum.  Yesterday I sat on the steps and sorted seed packets.  It all feels "right".

Establishing A Guest Bedroom

In a house with four bedrooms and only one bed.  Sigh.  It hasn't gone smoothly.  My friend P is also trying to establish a comfortable (but not too) guest room for her guests.  We went looking for a full or queen bed frame for her guest room.   Me?  I prefer to have two twin beds in the guest room.

At one time, when guests were something that actually happened, I had one guest room with a queen bed, one with a king bed and the third room was my sewing room or G's office but could be turned into a third guest room with the two twins in about an hour's notice.  Our daughter has the queen.  A friend of the daughter--moving from a difficult situation with no furniture--got the king bed and the bedside tables and dresser.  And we never replaced any of it as we seemed able to fill any voids with stacks of storage containers.

We still have the 1950's maple bunk beds which filled (actually) the tiny bedroom I shared with my two brothers.  The youngest in a crib.  There was enough room for a child to walk (or fall out of bed) between the beds.  At each end, a wall.  Next to the crib--the door.  I think we had a window.  The walls were covered in parakeet wallpaper.  We shared that room until we moved when I was almost 10.  My brothers were almost 8 and 5.  Perhaps the youngest never really "matured" because he slept in a crib until he was 5???  Even with the side removed.

We are into day three with the new fridge.  It is very quiet.  The "other" one made a noticeable amount of noise with the motor and fans -- from the beginning.

The food inside is cold.  The ice maker is making ice.  Everything fit inside and I have empty spaces.
Enough spaces tall enough for milk containers and orange juice bottles.  The "chill" drawer has room for the deli sliced meats AND a week's supply of yogurt cups PLUS room for cheeses.

And, wonders to behold, a shelf above the ice maker "suitable for containers of ice cream".  It's been 2.5 years since we had room for a container of ice cream.

When the service guys came to install the new fridge and remove the old--they were rather stunned.  "This is a new fridge" they said to G when they first saw the Whirlpool.  And G said "yes, it's only 2 years old".  Why they asked?  Because it doesn't work and can't be repaired.  And they hauled it away.

Magnets don't stick to the new Electrolux.  It's actually stainless steel (or so G tells me).  The front of the Whirlpool--well, magnets stuck to it.  Enough said.

I have to get back to sorting out things in my sewing room and carrying them upstairs.  I have the paint and dye cabinet to work on this morning.  I have a Pfaff sewing machine that works on European wattage or with a transformer.  Anyone interested?

July And the Garden Is Busting Out

Thank Goodness for the fences.  I tied up the tomatoes--I seem to need to do this every 3 days. I counted 12 tomatoes (green) and lots of little flowers.  I hope there will be MORE.  With tomatoes, I am a glutton.  I always want more.  Early Girl and Better Boy.

The cucumber plants are finally tall enough to reach out and attach themselves to the fence.  And the baby plants that I planted as "insurance" and to extend the cucumber season are about three inches tall.  Lots of tiny yellow flowers.  I hope they hurry as the dill is ready. I am growing burpless European style cucumbers and the pickling ones.

I brought two plump jalapeños in from the garden--in my pocket.  I am going to taste test.  Last year's first wave of jalapeños was hot and the second wave tasted like plain old bell peppers. Disappointing. But the freezer melt down made "soup" of all those frozen peppers.  Bland as they were, I would have used them to season chili.

I checked the squash bed and I have two (maybe 3) zucchini growing.  One more yellow squash.  Lots of flowers on the yellow plants but very few on the zucchini plants.  Fingers crossed they start producing like rabbits in the next few weeks.  I need to make bread and butter pickles.

All of the bell pepper plants have one and more likely two or three peppers growing.  I like to leave them until they start to show some red and then pick them.  The finish turning red here in the house.

Tomorrow my walking buddy (2007) and I are walking--at our old time of 8:30 am.  I am so looking forward to it.  After the walk, I'll eat breakfast, read the paper and then go off to work.  I even have a good lunch to take with me to work.  I actually eat it around 3 or 4 pm and then don't have supper.

Well, I have to sign off and check the news to see what The Donald had to say today.  He is certainly adding interest to a rather DULL race so far---  I don't see him as a viable candidate, but actually there aren't many who will make it past September.

Moving Ahead

With trepidation.

Whirlpool has offered us a new replacement fridge (by August 20th) or a check for 75% of the cost of the broken fridge.  Since---and I thought about this a great deal--- I never really liked the style features of the French doors/bottom freezer drawer fridge I purchased--the center drawer, which means both French doors must be fully opened in order to get the drawer to pull out; the size of the freezer--(smaller in volume than the two door, freezer on top, with ice maker that we owned for 20 years), with so many shallow drawers that nothing actually fit into them and the really stupid slide in "pizza" storage area---wasted space ---I decide against the new replacement.   We are waiting for the check instead.

And I have chosen to buy a simpler, side by side door fridge.  Where I can see everything in the freezer and I only have one door to open to get anything in the fridge.  The in door ice maker takes up considerable space--but it's the only thing G says he must have.  It has few bells and whistles.
I am considering the Electrolux, the Frigidaire and the GE Profile.  So if any of you own one of these, give me your opinion.  I am purchasing the 5 year extended warranty on whichever one I choose.
I am considering the local appliance store and Loew's (because they have given us a loaner both times we needed one)-- and they were very nice about it.

We also just got the bill for the house painting, the new windows, and the carpentry trim inside--due to the new windows.  WOW!!!  It was much more than either of us expected.  We just kept saying "yes" to everything the contractor suggested.  He has taken care of this house for over 24 years and everything he does--painting, carpentry, roofing has been 100% perfect.

I think we will be taking a recess from home improvements until the bank balance looks more like it's former self.  And we'll spend the extra time in the garden.  Finally everything is filling out and growing tall.  And, since I am almost finished scrubbing the tile floor on the sunporch--I can start painting in there--so it matches the house.

And we are having a houseguest at the end of the month.  G is trying to find the side rails for the twin beds.  The beds my parents bought for my brother and I back in the day--when I was five and he was three.  Lovely to have them, still.  G is going up in the attic with a flashlight tomorrow.  LOL.

Now We're Gardening!

The peas are finally ready to be picked.  And eaten.  I eat them raw.  Never have bothered to cook any of them, and then the pods are returned to the compost heap.   My chard is ready but has yellow stems.  I was given six little broccoli seedlings for "fall planting" (which is now) and I also have bean seeds waiting for the peas to finish up.  I'll leave the pea roots in the soil to provide nitrogen to the beans.  My lettuce is still doing great.  The rocket (arugula) has gone to seed.  It bolts so quickly. The beets are doing fine and the 8 (yes, only 8) carrots are looking very fine, indeed.  I need to try and reseed carrots for a late crop.  This will be the THIRD attempt on carrots.

My tiny cucumber plants are just beginning to make those curly tendrils--reaching out to grab hold of anything nearby.  I gave them a few bamboo sticks to hold on to until they get tall enough to grab onto the trellis.  I also tucked a few more cucumber seeds into the ground--for later.

My yellow and zucchini squashes are growing--too slowly for my impatient gardening--- but there are flowers (mostly male) and I continue to water and feed.  All the bell pepper plants have made at least one bell pepper each.  They are so reliable.   The jalapeño plants have fewer baby peppers but I have high hopes this year.   I want lots of zucchini and jalapeño for my bread and butter pickles. We are officially OUT of canned pickles.

I have set out a total of 18 Hungarian Wax Pepper plants (I am crazy).  I think (???) I will be pickling them.  I remember my grandmother pickling these yellow peppers and serving them with sliced ham and rye bread for delicious fall and winter sandwiches.  All the plants have yellow peppers on them--growing upright, over the top of the leaves.  I need to do research on when to pick them.  I read a seed packet and the peppers are actually ripe when they turn golden or orange, so I may wait for that color change.

As you can tell, I am planning on preserving and pickling this year without much TRUST in the freezer. All the blueberries will be made into jam.  If I want blueberries with yogurt--well, it will be blueberry jam.  I will make jars and jars of pickles to restock my pantry.  I think this year's raspberries will also be processed into jam.   Unless I have a new fridge by the time they ripen in late September.

The blackberry bushes (thicket) looked promising when all the flowers were out but now--G reports that he thinks it's all the tiny, ratty wild berries and not the large ones I planted alongside the wild ones.  I prefer the large ones.  If---the second year in a row--I only get the small wild ones---then we will be mowing the thicket down.  No reason to have it.

The fridge has now lost any ability to cool.  It's averaging 60 degrees.  Good temp for growing bacteria. The freezer is 60 degrees as well. But the fan we had replaced last summer is still working. We are waiting to hear from Whirlpool.  Best case--they will send us a check which we can use to buy a new fridge.  I asked G to turn it off/pull the plug but he doesn't want to (restaurant background) as it will then begin to create mold and bacteria.  And smell. And the doors would have to be kept open wide. And neither of us is strong enough to move the thing.  And where would we move it???? It's all very sad.  The inability to "do anything" about any of it.  We feel defeated and just want to be able to move on.  Or to even know when we will be able to move on. If....

So, I will take my broccoli seedlings, my carrot seeds, basil seeds and positive thoughts out to the garden.  Leave the negative thoughts here in the house with the fridge.

The sun is shining here in Maine and it is 82 but feels like 90 degrees. HOT.  Riley is spread out flat on the wood floor next to my computer desk.  Under the ceiling fan.  Recovering from his walk. Dog Days of Summer.

Salvia is Blooming-- Must be July

We are down to 6 hour shifts at work.  The summer slow down.  Today was hot, muggy and quite miserable.  Luckily, I learned from my experience yesterday and brought a proper lunch. I had a cheese sandwich, cantaloupe chunks, iced coffee---and I shared the bag of popcorn I had tucked away in my locker.  M helped me pop it successfully.  I do NOT know how to microwave popcorn.

The deer didn't eat anything overnight but, just in case, I clipped all the lovely pink rosebuds that could tempt the deer.  A very nice, sweet smelling bouquet.  The deer don't touch the peonies or the salvia.   They don't like the bearded iris or the false indigo either.  As of 15 minutes ago, they didn't enjoy the goat's beard's plumes.

The hydrangea are wrapped in chicken wire.

My saved zinnia seeds germinated and are now 6 inches tall with small, single magenta flowers.  I feel quite proud of them.  The deer won't eat them but last summer the slugs and snails made so many holes in the leaves--the poor flowers didn't have a chance.

The little window AC unit is doing it's usual fantastic job of eliminating the moisture in the air.

The carpenters showed up this morning (when I was hoping to sleep late) at 7:30 and power screwed the new shutters on the house.  Starting with the bedroom window.  So much for sleeping late.
Time to think about supper.

I Can't Let Life Beat Me Down

I love this line drawing of the Goat.  I should do one of my own.

G is watering the garden more often.  After his daily 2.5 mile walk with Riley.  The carpenter installing the new windows on the front of the house has given me some tips on what to feed my plants for maximum growth.  The growth I am getting this year is rather more skimpy than last year. I added manure and fertilizer but it doesn't seem to be doing anything--well, it DOES seem to be helping the weed population thrive.  And the mosquitos.

My hibiscus (swamp mallow) was really growing tall and beautiful.  The deer ate it to the ground. The rose bushes are full of blossoms.  I am wondering who will ruin them.  The deer or the Japanese beetles.  I walked (stomped) around the house saying "I hate this place" because of the deer.  Just as soon as I notice something is looking lovely---they (the deer) destroy it all.   There is little to no joy in gardening for me this summer.

I am growing tired of walking from the kitchen, through the sunporch, into the garage and then over to the loaner fridge to get  cream for my coffee or milk for my cereal.  Then back to the kitchen.  And then back to the garage to put what ever I needed back into the fridge.  The loaner is in the garage because G picked it up rather than the Loew's guys delivering.  And we couldn't carry it over the steps into the sunroom where we had the loaner last July.

I just found a tick behind my glasses earpiece, stuck to my skin but still wiggling. I don't know if blood was exchanged.  I have to have G look at the spot (I can't see the area above/behind my ear) when he gets back from his walk.  He has found 3 or 4 ticks on himself in the last few days.  I'm thinking we are picking them up in the vegetable garden.

I bought some tick deterrent but G hasn't (even though I have asked twice already) spread it around the brushy edges of the lawn as yet.  Hopefully, today.  I don't know if there is anything else we can do--besides staying locked in the house.  Lots of ticks at work--where this one on my ear may, more likely, have gotten on me.

Today was my last dose of doxycycline.  My RN friend said now I have to document and have checked any "new" symptoms.  Any rashes, aches and pains in joints, etc. etc.  She said Lyme's is similar to syphilis in that it waits in the blood for years and then comes back, worse, so much worse.
By then I hope the researchers have found a way to reverse it.

But for now--we will check my ear and see if another bullseye appears.  It's really not safe to go outside.

Trouble With Whirlpool Refrigerators

We had a service call from our extended warranty company.  I think he drove here from either Massachusetts or New Hampshire as there were (are) no technicians in Maine.

Our refrigerator was not repaired.

The closed end (sealed) fuel system which creates cold isn't working and probably was never working correctly.  The technician searched but couldn't find a leak.

G and I are left with a non-working, unrepairable refrigerator.