Split Peas

Yes, I found my split peas. Wal-Mart has them at $00.73 cents a bag. I got four bags and may get more later if I have left-over money. Ha! Can you "warm up" left over money in the microwave and make it stretch like day old meat and tatters? I also found the Mylar(space blankets) that I wanted. They were cheap enough so I got two. Also, found 22 long hollow pt. shells. Got them, too. Wanted and found a Magnesium Fire Starter(made in China) for my"go bag." So, in my aimless wanderings in Wal-Mart I picked up some items that I wanted to add to my stocking up stuff. I was wondering when they would start ID-ing people picking up rifle shells-now they do. What's next?



I didn't work in the garden. My body said "no" to that and I said, "Oh, OK." Tomorrow is an other day.



The melon I planted puts out blossoms, but no melons. I'm sure I put out two melon plants, but can't see/find one. The pepper plants are starting to perk up and put out blossoms again. I love peppers. I want to start a "summer garden" soon. The growing season here is long enough for a second selected garden planting. Soon as the potatoes die back and I dig them up I will have room for good vegetables. I don't know how the digging will effect my arm, but I will find out and persist no matter what.



It is almost 8 PM and I have not had supper yet, so it to the kitchen for something to eat.

END

Weeds

Weeds. I got into the garden and pulled lots of weeds. I filled a garden cart and I am not done yet. While we were having our little heat wave I opted for good health and stayed in the where it was cooler and safer from the high humidity. However, the weeds took over the garden and grew to about at least a foot tall or more in some places. Now I can see be where the beets are. I went up the middle of one row between the beets and onions. Pulling weeds also pulled up a few onions. Those landed in the kitchen sink and will find their way into a nice salad tomorrow. Tomorrow, if I can still walk or move, I need to get on the other side of the beets and in between the tomatoes. That will require a different approach. I hate to say that I will most likely use a pruner for some of the taller weeds. I am making progress, though. I hate that it got so bad. As I have high b/p in my "mature" years"...I let the weeds go and grow. Now, that we are having a few nice days before we jump back into the frying pan...I will try to make the most of the better weather.

I drank some wine tonight. Even though I make good home made wine I seldom drink any of it. I made myself a wine spritzer; a little wine, a lot of soda and ice. Pretty good for a change. I didn't have "lunch" until nearly four in the afternoon, When I am in the garden time stands still and I don't want to stop and check the passage of the hours. If I pay no attention to my watch I get more done that way. There is lots to be done.

I tracked a lot of loose dirt into the house. When you "got to go" you just have to carry the dirt in with you. There isn't time to change shoes and be neat about re-entry from garden to bathroom.

The ads for Wal-Mart finally came. There is nothing that I want or need. It's all about the commercialism of the 4th of July. Every holiday is a just that, and the price of gas spikes, too. Even with the big mess in the Gulf of Despair...there isn't a shortage. There is a glut of oil...for now. When it gets cold Corporate America will jack up the prices again and when the oil and gas prices rise, so does the cost of putting food on the table. "The rich get richer and the poor get poorer."

We are in Afghanistan for the "vast treasure house of minerals, oil and gold" that was "just" discovered. They have known of the riches over there for many years. Our soldiers are not there to liberate and bring democracy to the poor down troden. Our soldiers are bleeding and dying for Corporate Greed and corruption. If the government wants to bring freedom to an oppressed people they could start right here. They won't even protect our boarders. They could go into the hills of Eastern KY, VA, the Appalachian Mountains, and do some good-a lot of good-right here in our own backyard. Nah...no money in that. Blood and bone of brave American soldiers will not put money in THEIR pockets.

Well, that little bit of wine must have gone straight to my head because I am on a roll here-a mild rant. I had better quit while I am ahead. Besides, I am very tired. I got up before six.

END

Corn and tomato sauce

Finally-a little ear of corn.The corn is a good six feet tall. There is a saying, "Knee high by the Forth of July." It may be a common adage about the growth expectation of corn, but I hear it a lot from gardeners.

Yesterday I dragged the hose out and gave the corn a good soaking. The ground remains pretty dry in spite of an occasional rain "spit." There just isn't enough moisture in the soil.

I went to the Save A Lot store this afternoon. I am still looking for dry split peas. They still don't have them. While I was there I spotted tomato sauce on sale-4 for a $dollar. I bought a whole case for $6.00. I can make a lot spaghetti! Of course, I can use it for other cooking, too.

I am not fond of spiders, mice or snakes so I bought a couple of glue traps. No little mice yet, but the spiders are getting stuck on the glue boards and that makes me happy. One mouse must have gotten stuck, but it got away. I guess I will have to set a couple traps. I guess I now have mice because the boys next door are not mowing the grass. They have two dogs and probably dog food. Dog food will call mice and it is just a short excursion for little rodents from there to here.

I spent the day out of the house because I wanted to shop before all the checks come out. I don't like fighting the crowd. The Wal-Mart flyers/ads are not out yet, but I want to see what might be on sale for stocking up By the way, the reason I put a hyphen in Wal-Mart is because that is the way it used to be spelled and I am from the old school. As it was spelled with a hyphen 20 years ago, it is sill spelled that way in my little mental dictionary.

I want to buy a Mylar blanket and a sheet/roll of heavy plastic. I want the Mylar blanket to carry in the van and the heavy plastic to wrap myself in, in case I want to ship myself somewhere. LOA!! Heavy plastic has many uses in and around the home and I have used up all that I had.

I stopped at the Goodwill store and bought a couple blouses and a pair of slippers. I hope they fit. I will not try on used cloths until I have washed them. I guess I am paranoid, wondering who wore them last and if they left anything behind. I left something behind for them: a huge bag of plastic bags. I am rid of the bags, the store always needs them and they have been recycled. See? I am helping to save the earth. Now if I could just go down to the Gulf with a big mop.

Not much else going on unless someone wants to volunteer and carry that case of tomato sauce in for me! Anyone?

END

NOTHING SUITES ME

That's right. Nothing suits me. Probably because of the heat. The heat index for today was 105 while the "real' temperature was only 94. I went out the back door a couple times and came right back in. It's a good thing that doors go both ways. All I did was refill the bird bath. I filled it last evening. It holds a gallon of water, but was dry today. Either the little birdies drank all that water or the hot sun sucked it up.



I did nothing today. Too uncomfortable to get out and go anywhere, so I didn't. Got the air conditioner in the kitchen window just in time to meet and greet the heat wave. Now the kitchen is cooler then the rest of the house.



I have been drinking a lot of fluids in this humid environment. I have come to dislike sugary drinks. It's like drinking syrup. I would rather have a big glass of ice water or sugarless ice tea. I suppose it is because I don't consume a lot of sugary stuff and have lost my taste for overly sweetened drinks or or food. Doesn't help my waist line much, though.



It may rain on Monday...then again it may not. I think I will sue the weatherman for breach of forecasting. It is really dry now and we need rain, but not gully washer.



Beverly has a birthday on Monday, the 28th. Hear that world? Wish my big sister a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!



Because I have stayed in, glued to the a/c, I have nothing to write about. So..that's it.



END

Trimmers

I have always had battles with trimmers. For some reason they want to act up and cause me lost time and effort. Today was not exception. I wound the trim line four times before the Weedeater would do I like I told it to do in the first place, contrary thing. I finally got most of the fence line trimmed up and looking good. Then I ran out of trim line...like spit! Now I have to go and buy more trim line before I can finish off what is left of the back and start on the front. That's modern society for you. Gotta keep the grass mowed and the weeds whacked to a presentable level. Mr. Greenjeans may be watching, driving up the streets or back alleys, just hoping to cite someone and collect a fine. Not gonna get it from me.

I have three trimmers. One is a gas trimmer, but is too heavy for my arm to handle now, a Black & Decker in need of a replacement part that I have to send away for, and the Weedeater that I used today. For the last two I have to drag a power cord all over because they are electric. They are lighter in weight than the gas trimmer and easier for me to handle, but oh, how I dislike the tether that I have to rewind at the end of the task. I think I'll buy a goat.

Working outside gives me a voracious appetite. When I come in I will eat anything that isn't moving. I'll never lose weight from working outside. I am afraid I will gain it.

This was a pretty good day to get outside work done. It made it up to 94 degrees and though the humidity was high, it was reasonable. It won't be like that tomorrow-Saturday. I wanted to get lots done, but I lost time messing with the trimmer.

Saturday is a day of no plans. I will take it as it comes, maybe try to do a little more shopping; stocking up. I did notice that the price of eggs had dropped to about $00.75 cents a dozen. It will be too hot to do much work outside. So, I will try to finish off some stuff inside that needs to be done.

END

Restocking

I have started my re-stocking a little earlier this year. A little at a time for now. I looked at meat today and left it in the big coolers. I bought beans instead. Beans are a good protein and packed with minerals and vitamins. I looked for split peas, but couldn't find any. I will have to go back to the "big" store and pay a higher price. I did come home with a ham hock for bean soup. I can freeze bean soup and I like it pretty well, but I do love split pea soup.

I also got out most of my freezer boxes and lids and washed and soaked them. And just to be sanitary and sterile, a little bleach is a good addition to the washing. Now comes the hard part: matching the lids with the containers. One type of container that is easy to match lids with is the cottage cheese containers. Yes, I do save them and freeze in them, just like my mother did. Lots of frugal people do the same. "Waste not...want not."

I walked around the garden this evening. The corn has a lot of really long tassels, but no corn ears yet...still waiting. Some of the tomatoes have blossoms, so I may have some tomatoes after a while. Rain/water would do the garden good. Weeding would also do the garden good. So, tomorrow morning should be a "weed away" day. The weather should be a little cooler for one more day. Around here...90 is cool.

The bird bath was empty. Where did all that water go? Birds were filying in, sitting on the rim and looking expectantly..."What, no water?" So I filled it.

END

No cooking

I could have cooked. I should have cooked. I didn't cook. No, I was just too tired to cook. Instead, I ran out to the deli and picked up my supper. Actually, there is enough for several meals for less than $20.00 because I also bought paper plates, cottage cheese, potato salad, Cole Slaw, Baked Beans and Gatorade. The Gatorade is because I lost a lot of fluid today.

The back yard is mowed and so is the front yard. I started to do some trimming along the fence, but quit around 3:30, took a shower and sat around trying to cool my engine. Even though I drank lots of water, rested often and wore my god-awful straw hat, I sweat profusely in the heat. On one trip into the house I decided that a trip to the b.r. would be a good idea and save me from having to come back in later..it just wasn't necessary. I guess I sweat it all out. Nothing.

Because I worked hard in the hot KY. sun I am posting this a little early so I can go to bed early. I just need to go out and put my mower away, lock up and call it a day. Tomorrow I will rest up and rub my sore muscles...LOA!

END

Movies

I enjoy a good movie, but there aren't very many good movies on TV anymore, so occasionally I will go to see a movie. It is my way of getting out of the house. Some of my favorite movies are older ones and some I have seen more than once, especially when they finally make it to TV.

1. THE INN OF THE SIX HAPPINESS

2. THE POSTMAN

3. GONE WITH THE WIND

4. THE BOOK OF ELI

5. THE BLACK STALLION

6. ALL HARRY POTTER MOVIES

7. ALL STAR WARS MOVIES

8. ET

9. THUNDERHEAD

10. ALL OLD LASSIE MOVIES

11. MOST JOHN WAYNE MOVIE

12. SHUTTER ISLAND

Not necessarily in that order.

SHUTTER ISLAND is a really good movie and will surprise you in the end. Go see it.

I just saw THE BOOK OF ELI. It was a bit on the violent side-an Armageddon kind of story, but had an inspirational ending. The ending was worth sitting through all the meanness and craziness of a future world of chaos.

I finally went out for a haircut. The beauty shop I usually go to was closed. I went to another shop that is twice as expensive and they told me that the owner was sick. I know she has been sick off and on and a very nervous person to boot. I hope she does well and recovers OK. And the fellow next door is still trying to fix his truck in the evening and dark in all this heat.

I have neglected the garden and it shows. I can't really work in the extreme heat-I ain't no kid anymore. The heat advisory is supposed to be over tomorrow-Wednesday evening. One can hope.

END

The price is right..or is it

I forgot to mention in the last couple of posts the the price of coffee is supposed to go up by 20%. Now is the time to buy or stock up on coffee before the price trickles up to the retailers and big box stores. The coffee producers Thailand had a poor crop due to the weather. No one knows yet about the crops in Brazil and South America. These coffee producers have had bad weather and problems, too. So, if coffee is your favorite brew you may wish to increase your stock a bit. Also, the price of groceries is supposed to increase by 40% in the not so distant future...but we are aware of that, aren't we. We already see food prices going up. Each time I go to the store the prices are a little bit higher.

Today I have been cleaning out my pantry. I want to get all my freezer boxes washed and ready for use. There are some things I simply tossed out and wondered why I was saving such junk. In the process I found some things I had forgotten I had, such as drink mixes. and new batteries. It was like "found money." I haven't finished yet and I will move some things out into the store room, out of the way until I need them. I mashed a couple spiders while I was at it. Bye Bye. I just don't like spiders...they bite.

The temperature hit 96 and is predicted to hit 97 tomorrow. I looked at three different weather reports and each is different. I know that this heat will spawn storms. We could use the rain to cool things off and nourish the gardens. I have not been into the garden to work because of the heat advisory. I walked through and picked off a couple peppers and ate them when I came in. The melon plant has a bloom on it. I like melons.

I have been making a list on what to stock up on or replenish. I need to buy meat products as I am a meat and potato kind of girl. The meat in the freezer is getting kind of skimpy. I would like to buy a half a cow from the butcher. They will cut it, grind some of it up for burgers, wrap and label it for you. I have done this before and hope to do it again.

I read about the virtues of couponing and I used to save coupons like crazy. Most of the coupon I see now are for non essential items or stuff I never buy. WE do not have an Aldt, a Price Chopper, a Sam's or Costco store that is close enough for me to want drive to one, let alone pay for a membership card. I have to settle for the local grocery store which may or may not have occasion bargains of something that I want or need.

The guy next door is working on his truck in the dark. He has run a cord from his house and has a lamp out there, but I don't think that it a fun way to work, esp. in this heat. I hope he is able to get it up and running.

Here is a question. Can you freeze spaghetti? Not that I will have much left to freeze. Just wondering.

END

You know

You know, there isn't much to write about. I stayed in and attached to the air conditioner 'cause it is too hot and dangerous for much outside work. Besides, my arm is hurting today and I don't know why. It feels like the pins are shifting and causing pain. It always hurts, just more so today.

I got a little inside work done. I washed the comforter from my bed and the quilt Cindy made for me, then put them through the dryer. So, that is done. I guess the "whites" will be next on the agenda.

When I got up this morning I couldn't see the patio umbrella. It had been blown over by the wind and rain in the night. I guess I slept through it. So, I got that up-righted and taken care of. The base is not very good and does not hold it up well.

I kind of felt bad for the guy next door. He seems to be having troubles with truck. He spent most of the day trying to fix it in this heat. I feel sorry for anyone who has car/truck problems.

Well, that just about drains my brain of any and all useless information. Stay cool. I intend to.

END

MOMMA MIA

MOMMA MIA! I have surrendered to my cravings! I have wanted spaghetti for a while now, but didn't cook any because of the stiffing heat in my kitchen. Now that I have a new air conditioner in the kitchen window I can start cooking again! I made a big pot of spaghetti and it is good!

There is not trick in cooking spaghetti. Plain spaghetti is pretty basic. The secret is in the sauce. Want to know my secret? Canned sauce tweaked to my desire and taste. I can not make

spaghetti sauce as well as my mother could, but I do all right, even when I make it from scratch. Really good sauce is simmered for hours using all fresh produce in the recipe. Most of us don't have time to simmer and simmer-unless we are mad about something-and then we can simmer all day long! So...enter Hunts Spaghetti Sauce. Add your favorite seasonings to your favorite sauce and walla! A good pot of Little Italy will appear in your own little kitchen! Yum, I say! Anyway, I have already eaten two bowls full and satisfied my desires somewhat.

We and everyone else, are having a "heat alert." It is too dangerous to do much outside. I went out on the patio and put on my tacky old garden shoes and promptly came right back inside. I tried to brave the heat several times, but finally gave up. At 6 PM I gave it another effort and did get some work done even though the humidity is high. I worked for about 1 1/2 hours, pulling weeds. The the Vampire Bugs started coming out(mosquitoes)and started using my skin for a picnic table. I stopped and came in, but was happy that I got as much done as I did. My old work top was fairly wet from sweat, but it has been worse. I guess I will have to switch my weeding to early evenings as the sun goes down.

When the potato plants start to die back I will be able to dig up a few new potatoes. They are very good and tender when they are about the size of a golf ball. I am still looking for the corn to form ears...waiting...waiting. Some of the beets are growing fast and I may have some beets in a couple of weeks. I will have beet tops in my salad, too. I will try to put in a summer garden in a few weeks, too. Turnips are on my list and maybe a second crop of beets. I'll have to think about it.

I am about to go back outside, put things away, lock things up, come back in, lock the doors and call it a day. June is half gone.

END

Future-rainy day stuff

Are you still prepping? I have about given up on trying to get people to stock up for "rainy days." No one seems to be listening or taking it seriously. Things change and not always for the better. The economy may be worse now than it was one or two years ago. I think people have become jaded, thinking things are getting better. Are they? The economy usually picks up in the spring and summer months because people are out and about and doing things that need to get done, spending money and using credit cards. I have no faith in the government's economic policy. I think it is a house of cards, built on sand and eroding away at the base. It will come tumbling down. I just can't convince anyone...call me paranoid.

I have had to to use some of my stocks from time to time out of one necessity or another. I plan on replacing and adding to my supplies very soon. It is OK to use some of your preps because then you can rotate them out and get more updated items into your stores. Most canned good will last a good, long time, but some canned goods may get a tinny...slightly metallic flavor. I guess then you could say your getting your minerals...hmm.

Home canning is my preferred method of "stocking up." Years ago I bought a book with that exact title-STOCKING UP. I believe PREVENTION put it out. I still have and use it. If you have or can find older cook books-when peoples were still cooking from "scratch,"- latch on to them and never let them go. If you have a good canner/pressure cooker or water bath canner hold on to it for dear life. Now-early in the canning season, stock up on canning lids and screw on rings. Do the same for paraffin and any supplies needed for preserving and pickling. There will be lots of home grown canners out there very soon with the same quests in mind.

If you don't know how to can, preserve or freeze, start learning. Most of what I know I have learned from my mother, my older sister or by trial and error. Trial and error are not the best teachers if you want to do it right and not waste time or food. There is always someone, usually someone older, who will teach the skills of home canning. Your local Ag. office or center will supply you with a lot of information, too.

A lot of peoples are afraid of pressure cookers. They shouldn't be. Especially because the new, modern pressure cookers are very safe and friendly if you just follow the simple directions. I use my mothers old pressure cooker with good results. It must be about 60+ years old now. When she passed away no one seemed to want it so I have it. After replacing the sealing ring, a handle and getting it up to canning condition...LOA!...everyone wanted it. So sorry. Mine now. It was part of my mother's history and now my history. If you don't have one some one in your family may have one. I have even seen them in yard sales. You can buy one, but they are expensive and I think the older ones were made better.

I had an onion from the garden and a sweet banana pepper with my hamburger this eveing. Both were fresh form the vegetable patch. The fruits of my labor. I sometimes wonder if all my hard work is worth it...and then I bite into one of Gods abundant offerings and say...yeah, it's worth it.

END

Decent Day

I took advantage of this decent day to get some outdoor chores and gardening done. Even though it was in the 90's, the humidity was in the 60's instead of the 90's of yesterday. I really needed to catch up with the weeds in the garden before it vanishes in a sea of greenery. I still need to do some more weeding, but at least I can find the beets. The corn looks good, but is it? I do not see any ears forming as of yet. I wonder if I wasn't sold some sterile hybrid corn seeds and the same for the bean seeds that never came up.

I got the back yard mowed and it looks good. I need to do the front, but it isn't too bad. There is a call for more rain; it may have to wait because the garden comes first.

A bird flew into the window and fell near my feet. It must have stunned it pretty good because it just sat there near my chair for a while until I got up and started dragging stuff around..then it was gone. While I was on the patio I finally set up a patio umbrella for shade. That makes a big difference from setting in the broiling sun with heat radiating up from the concrete. I should have done it before and enjoyed the respite from ol' Sol. Maybe I'll get everything done before winter.

The "boys" next door are all in their pool. I looked at it earlier as I was mowing, thinking that the water looks kind of gray. Anyway, as I took the trash out there seemed to be a minor altercation going on. I think there was a near fight, but they hollered that they were just playing, I guess that my passing by put the brakes on. Makes me think of "six brothers" and their "play" that always wound up in a fight of one kind or another.

I need a haircut. I used to do it myself, but I can't get my arm up well enough to do it, 'though I am tempted to try. So..I guess I may go the the beauty shop tomorrow. She never gets it right and that is why I am tempted to make the effort myself.

Not much else going on. The trash is out, the tools put away and I even cooked some noodles in the kitchen. I am dirty and stinky and it is time to take care of me instead of yard and garden work.

END

Story for the day

Oh yes we did...get a very strong storm with 60 mile winds, heavy rain and lightning. There are some without power here and there, but I have mine. I had fallen asleep on the couch just about 4:40 when the storm came up so it woke me up. I looked out the back door and the rain was driven by wind in all different directions. It flattened my potatoes, but I think they will be OK. Funny though, the corn is standing straight and not blown over. The temperature dropped from the mid 90's to the 70's in just minutes and then it was over. I will check out the garden in the morning.

I went back to Wal Mart for my medicine and to look for the coffee that was on sale for $5.00 bucks. I found another brand, MASTER BLEND for $4.78 per five lb. can so I bought two of those instead. The can looks a lot like MAXWELL HOUSE and is probably packed under under a lesser brand name. That is why I fell asleep in front of Glenn Beck(hope he wasn't offended). I was hot and tired and had been several places getting stuff done, so I conked out after I got home.

I have no need to go out tomorrow. I will try to get into the garden instead. I need some hip boots. So that's my story for the day.

END

COOL

Yesterday, being Sunday, I was not looking for work, but was more than happy when some friends came and put my new air conditioner into the kitchen window for me. The kitchen has been so hot I have not been doing much cooking, relying on PB&J sandwiches or picking up fast food. I can not do that forever on a limited budget, but now I can do some cooking and eat some balanced meals. The kitchen is sooo much better and habitable.

Not long after the A/C cooled off the kitchen some country friends came with about another 40-50 dozen eggs to take over the nursing home. Because it was so hot I jumped into the van and ran them right over so they could go into the home's big cooler. I brought back a box full of empty egg cartons, a couple loaves of free bread and four boxes of glazed doughnuts-like I need the doughnuts, right? Well, they go nicely with coffee in the morning. Remember, if there is a non-profit nursing/home in your area, they need help or donations. The government is making cutbacks and that makes it hard for non-profit nursing homes.

I did stay in most of the day enjoying the "cool." The humidity was 90% yesterday and I didn't even bother to check it today. We did have a nice rain this evening and the air is cooler and may give humankind and all God's creatures a couple days of hot, but less humid days. It is the humidity that kills ya. Hey, if you have some of God's little creatures, big or small, provide shade and water to fit their needs. I noticed that the water in the bird bath was HOT when I was refilling it.

The things I intended to do today I will do tomorrow on Tuesday. Nothing is so pressing that a person must get out in the extreme heat unless it is a job and a "must do." This kind of heat is really hard on the elderly, the frail and sick.

So...Monday is just about a goner, another day to scratch off the calender. S0...what else is new in your little patch of earth?

END

Wally World

I went to Wal-Mart to cool off and was greeted at the sliding doors by lovely wafting flow of air conditioning. I wandered about for quite a while, but of course, I couldn't stay there forever. I found my little propane cylinders for the grill and bought a few other items. I stopped by the pharmacy and found I can get my B/P medication five dollars cheaper there. So I did order the pills of ills while I was there. I was surprised they still had me in their computer system. You have not secrets or privacy as you will be remembered on in cyber space forever. But we knew that, didn't we. I just don't like driving there and the hassle of finding a place to park. As I have to go to State Farm on Monday I might as well got the extra mile to Wal-Mart. If I can save $5.00 bucks here and there it will be worth the extra mile, if I can plan other trips around it.

I didn't go near the garden today. The heat index is/was 101 degrees while the "real temperature" was in the 90's. That is too hot for me. So, I tried to stay in and be cool or hang out at the big store where the a/c was refreshing.

While sh0ping/looking around, I found more of the shelf stable milk in the carton. I can get it $1.00 cheaper at the EVERYTHING FOR A DOLLAR STORE. I may buy some instant milk in the future, but for now I have other money fiends waiting for my money, swimming like fish in the water..with teeth.

Other than trying to stay cool there just isn't much to write about.

END

Drain day

Today was "drain day" because my drains were running slowly. It just takes a Philips Head screwdriver to unscrew the tub strainer, remove it and clean it. You would be surprised to see what kind of grossness lives in the drain. I used an old toothbrush, a used Brillo pad, plenty of detergent and Awesome. Rub a dub dub, clean up the tub...drain. I had it shining like new and very hygienic. I should have taken before and after pictures, but that would have been gross. I was on a roll so I re-cleaned the bathroom sink drain even though I just did it last week. Then on to the Kitchen. Here, I can not take it apart, but gave it a good scrubbing on the exterior of the drain. It looks pretty shiny and new, too.


Then I went out to the "weed patch" and pulled one row of weeds. That is about all I can do at a time, 30 feet of weeds and more to catch up on. As I was weeding I also filled a plastic bag with more Purslane. I just finished stripping the leaves from the stems and stuck them in the fridge. The stems I will try to pickle. I may have about a quart of stems to pickle. Tomorrow I will run the leaves through my handy dandy salad spinner. I did was them, but I will make sure all the "iron" is washed out.


It has tried to rain of and on all day. When the ground is wet the weeds come out a whole lot easier, but still it is a chore. I have to use a long stick or pole to help me along. My bender just isn't what a transmission ought to be...hee..hee.


Not much else going on. I keep putting off going to Wal Mart; I hate to fight the crowd.

END

Weather

I'm tired of writing about the weather because we will have weather, whether we like it or not. Be it good, bad, or perfect days of weather, I might as well shut up about it because I can't change the weather.

I didn't get a lot done this day. I did pull all my fans out of the store room, all covered with dust, and set them up for a interior breeze of warm air. I also pulled out my George Foreman's grill and set that up outside. I need to go to Wall Mart and get a couple small gas canisters so that I can grill on the patio and not heat the kitchen up.



I tried to get some vacuuming done, but the phone kept ringing. So I gave up and made a few calls myself. I did get some clean cloths hung and put away. Not a great accomplishment, but something...and the dishes washed. I don't know how one single person can create such messes, but I can. Either my house is too small or I have accumulated too much junk...maybe both.



A thunderstorm blew up and dark clouds were racing through the sky. As I watched it boil over from the southwest I saw little swirls of clouds try to form up into mini "down hangers" as I call them. I thought to take some pictures of them, but the clouds were moving so fast that the down hangers dispersed almost as quickly as they formed. Lots of clouds, no rain.



Not much else going on in my little corner of Kentucky. I hope to get some things done on Friday, but I will take it as it comes.



Did I remember to say a little Gold Finch or Wild Canary is enjoying the birdbath? See the pretty butterfly at the bottom. You may have to click it twice and the little arrow bottom at the bottom.



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Life is hard work and poor pay

I cooked a mess of Purslane to go with my 'burger and banana peppers. I do enjoy the delicate flavor of the plant. You can eat the stems, too. I can not really describe the flavor unless you call it a mild blend of Spinach, Swiss Chard and Asparagus. I intend to harvest every last Purslane "weed" I can find in the garden patch. Why buy canned greens or fresh greens when I can pull it up in the garden. I think if I am still able to garden next year I send for the seeds an have a Purslane patch of yummy organic greens.

I called Balken today, the maker of Balken Routers, and was connected to a tech I just could not understand. I tried, but he was telling to make connections that were imposable to do as my computer is a least 20-25 feet away from the router. I carried my laptop into the next room and found that the USB cable would not fit the slot. Woe is me! I called Insight and they want to charge $49.00 for a service call. Woe is me all over again! I had to pay my homeowners insurance, a dental payment, gas and lights are about due, plus a few other odds 'n ends...like $75.00 for eye drops and that sort of thing. Whatever happened to good consume service and "we'll make it right?"

There was rain in the night so the garden got a pretty good soaking. It is supposed to rain on and off for the next few days with a short cool spell. It got up to the mid-eighties with the humidity around 70 %. Old Ron, the weatherman was sweating buckets as he does his predictions and prevaricating outside on the station's patio.

I had other things to attend to today, like paying bills and parting with what little money I have, so I didn't work outside today. It is all mud, anyway. Tomorrow I intend to get back out there, muddy mess or not. You just can't turn your back on a garden 'cause if you do it will be "ATTACK OF THE KILLER WEEDS." I want a garden, not a weed patch.

The trash is out, the doors are locked and I have had supper. All is right with the world...so far.

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PURSLANE

Purslane originated in India and Persia. It is a succulent plant. It is prised garden vegetable in much of Europe and Asia, but you won't find it on many American tables because we think of it as a weed

It is a ground hugging annual that seldom reaches up two inches, although it may be more than a foot across. Each plant has several tender stems radiating from the center of tender plant, forking freely as it creeps along the ground. The stems are about a quarter in in diameter inch in diameter near the their origin and reduce in size at each forking. The tiny yellow flowers are found in the forking of each stem and open only on sunny mornings.

Purslane is probably most often served by boiling for about ten minutes. Season with salt and butter. You may also fry several small pieces of bacon, drain off excess fat, dump in about 1 Qt. of Purslane tips and fry in the drippings for about seven or eight minutes.

You can also pickle and freeze this nifty little "weed" vegetable. As in all greens from the garden, thoroughly wash before preparing and eating. You can find a few recipes on line, but it it is not a well known foraging plant in America. You can also find seed if you want to grow "domesticated" Purslane in your garden. It isn't picky about the condition of the soil and makes it's home in your home garden. It was years before I knew what I was "weeding" out of the garden. If we only knew what to look for, less people would go hungry.

Today I went to Lowe's and bought a window air conditioner for my kitchen which is unbearable at this time and it is getting hotter around the edges. I had to put it on a card, something I really hated to do as I am trying to stay out of debt.

the worst thing is...I have no one to put it in for me. Sometimes you have to grit your teeth and do what you must, especially if I am to do canning in the fall.

We has had a little rain-very little. Rain makes it easier to pull weeds though, and the garden to grow. While I am hot and bothered, in upstate NY, near the Vermont boarder and Seranac Lake region, the temperature are in the 30's at night. Not very good garden weather for this time in June.

My computer problems are still not resolved, but tomorrow I will call Balkan who's router I have. Cuss, cuss, cuss! Or darn, darn, darn!

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Hours 'n Hours

I've been having trouble uploading my pictures so I hope these will do. There is a shot of my garden patch with the corn and the potatoes are in bloom. There is also a picture of Puslane, a "weed" that is edible and can be consumed in various ways. There is some Purslane on my plate along with some other greens, an onion and a banana pepper from the garden. I had some on a hamburger for supper.

I spent hours in the yard mowing the front and back yard.

I have had a lot of trouble with this blog. Half of what I posted has vanished. I won't type it again.

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Dang, it's hot

If I didn't know better I'd say it was a little warm in the shade. WEATHERMAN! Give me a break! I got up early so I could get into the garden patch and beat the heat. I lingered too long and finally went out to the veggie plot just before 9 p. m. I did get the other side of the potato row hilled up. Now both sides look OK. I planted the sweet green Bell peppers and hand watered the Banana peppers as well as the new plants. I dug holes for the new tomatoes and hand watered some of the poor looking ones. I never did put the new plants into the ground. By that time it was getting pretty warm and sticky so I came back into the house to cool down.

I saw a pretty little Gold Finch drinking from the bird bath. After that I didn't see any more. The water was getting to hot. My yard and the yard next door seem to be on the flight path for a lot of birds swooping and flying through. That is what happened to the beans and maybe some of the corn. As I am hoeing I find bean seeds everywhere except where I planted them.

I need to get the hose out. Even 'though we had a lot of heavy rain the other day the ground seems dry. As soon as I set new plants and hand water them the moisture is gone. Even some of the water in the bird bath seems to be evaporating way too fast.

I made a trip to the EVERYTHING FOR A DOLLAR store and bought more of the shelf stable milk in a carton. It is still in the van. I didn't carry everything in yet. I hope the heat doesn't affect it. I saved my trip to the grocery store for later...about 5:30 p.m., hoping it would be cooler. It wasn't. Wen I went out for the groceries all the light on the dash lit up. I'll have to check that in the morning. It may be low on oil(cheap oil available in Florida)or it may need water/coolant in the radiator. I hope that is all it is. The heat can be hard on cars.

Again, I didn't take any pictures of the garden or anything else. I will. It is just too hot to mess around. Back to the only small a/c that is working and sit there in front of it. Dallas, TX is supposed to be 100 tomorrow. Big brother has central air. Sigh.

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Swelter Valley

I did as little as possible-that I could get by with, today. The air is just too smothering. I went to Day's Nursery and picked up some more plants to plant. Sweet green peppers to add the to the peppers I got he yesterday. The problem is...it is just too hot to plant them. The only thing I got done in the garden was to hill up the potatoes on one side, and hill a few corn plants. After that I came in. I had trouble getting my cloths off; everything just stuck to me. Saturday is supposed to be another hot, sticky day, but I hope I get the other side of the potatoes hilled. They are pretty and in bloom.

The stock market took a pretty good dive today. Look for it to get even lower, jobs to vanish and the price of food and gas to jump. Food has been creeping up weekly so stock up where and whenever you can. My stock of TP is almost gone...oh no! I should get more or have Treesong send me some!!

I used my new hoe in the garden for hilling. I am still pleased with it. If I worked as well as the new hoe does I would have a weed free garden. Hoeing makes my arm hurt and the upper muscles stiffen up, so it is just as well that I don't do it for too long. 30 feet one way was enough.

I had intended to take a picture(how exciting!) of the new hoe and a few other items, but I didn't get that done either. Maybe tomorrow.

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Hoe ho ho

The sun shines down on Kentucky. Does it ever. I worked in the garden in the heat for two hours. You would think I would lose a little weight. Maybe I have and just don't know it...show it. I watered the plants with my perspiration.

I hand watered the tomatoes and the banana peppers. The peppers look OK, but the tomatoes look weary and sad. I hope they perk up. I went to Rural King and got a couple of replacements for the missing tomato plants. I also got some green peppers. I haven' planted them yet, but will tomorrow. I may get more green peppers and maybe more tomato plants. I found two "wild" tomato plants while I was weeding. They look pretty good so I will let them grow.

I hear people tell how tall their corn is. Mine are only about a couple of feet high, but growing fast. I will have enough for me and some to put in the freeze, too. I ate my first banana pepper this afternoon. It wasn't real big, only about two inches long-one bite. It as pretty good. More are coming on. The potatoes are ready to blossom and are about two feet tall, give or take a little. Anyway, the garden is generally growing well, along with a few weeds. Tomorrow I need to hill the corn and tatters. I am putting a lot of sweat equity into this little garden. I want it to provide good stuff for me.

While I was out at Rural King I looked for a new hoe. Mine is in old and in need of some small repairs. I didn't find the one I thought I wanted, but the one I bought works well. It has a narrow hoe-blade on one end and a sort of a"U" shaped blade on the other end. I like it. It does a good job. I'll fix the old one when I get a chance.

Again I had a late supper. I cooked a steak. It is just too hot in the kitchen for a lot of cooking. I'm not starving. It's just too warm to work in the kitchen in the late afternoon. I wonder how our mothers did it...over an old wood stove.

I know I am getting a bit repetitious, but it is what I do that I write about.

I think I will try to get to bed a little earlier. I am pooped from the heat.

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Lost Tomatoes

It dropped from 94 to about 70 in the space of an hour when a storm blew through a bit north of here. The humidity is still high, but bearable with the lower temperatures. We will probably get some rain tonight or tomorrow.

I walked out to the garden. Four tomato plants are gone...missing. I would guess the Grackles have pulled them out of the ground: they have done it before. A couple nice plants and a couple of smaller, weaker plants have vanished. If this were not in the middle of the city I could sit out there with my "popper and dispatch a few, sending them into feathered heaven.

I went to the GOLDEN CORRAL for supper. I figured it would be to hot to cook. When I went in it was still pretty uncomfortable. When I came out it was reasonably pleasant. I could have saved some money if I knew the heat was going to drop off like that. Oh well, at least I had a good meal and no dishes to wash.

I don't have a good book to read and TV isn't very good either..whatever will I do...

I don't know who invented the glue gun, but it certainly is handy. You can fix lots of minor problems with a little glue gun. Everyone should have at least some basic tools around the house and know how to use them. I think that would make me a good short article in my next post.

Anyway, this a short one and that's it for the day.

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SAME OL' THING

Water...water...water! The weather is taking the starch right out me and I am like a wilted plant in the garden. I worked out in the garden for about an hour and then came in. Tomorrow will be hotter-93 degrees. I will refill my soda bottle tonight and stick it back in the fridge so it will be good and cold for tomorrow.

My tomatoes are a little spindly, but may take off in this heat. After all, tomatoes are a tropical plant. Tomatoes were once thought to be poison. The poor, the dregs of humanity, were the first to consume them. Then the Royal Bumpkins decided they'd be good on the royal tables. "Yum," said the King and Queen and all their disloyal minions. Tomatoes have an interesting history, don't they? They are grown in the vegetable garden, but are really classified as a fruit.

Growing a garden in this heavy clay soil is not an easy task and requires a lot of maintenance. It is work intensive in the best of soils. I wish I had access to some good cow manure, but I don't, so it will be coffee grounds, banana peels, ground up egg shells, fish emulsion and whatever I can scare up. The very worst thing...and I have said it before...is Bermuda grass...hate the stuff.

I ate late as my kitchen is too hot to cook in. The fan works in the a/c, but the cold air is up in the Artic somewhere. I need a new air conditioner for the kitchen and will find one one ...one of these days, before it is time to can stuff from the garden. I have 20 tomatoes plants set out and if they take off, well, that is a lot of canning in the high heat.

As you can see, I don't have much to write about. I hope to post a picture of my little garden in a week or so, if I ever get the weeds all out.

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