Left are peaches I got from my neighbor.
It has very light flesh, a peach scent with and under-current of lavender flower. Amazing and very lovely to eat.
It is called a 'donut peach' because (and I made this up, but it sounds right to me :D)
you can push the pit out with your thumb and it looks like a donut !
Crazy, huh ?
It tastes great, like peach AND lavender flowers. Yummmmmmm.




I know , I need a life....and happily, this is IT!!

Berry, berry good ! Peachy, too :D

This afternoon, in the continuing, unforgiving heat, I picked black berries. This has to be done no matter what the weather, when the berries are ripening. It is a task I enjoy for several reasons.

The bounty of the garden is a pleasure to cook and eat. I eat quite a few of the berries as I pick, yet I get a quart or 2 every day. Then there are the swallows that 'cheep, cheep' from the near-by power lines, as I pick. Flying insects are stirred up as I move the bushes to find the treasured berries. SO everyone is happy and reaps benefits !

I have frozen about 20 qts. of blackberries, so tonight I made a microwave cobbler or 'slump'. (Not sure what a slump is, but that word sounds like what the dessert looks like when done !) To the quart of berries, I added 2 huge, ripe peaches that a friend gave me. With a bit of sugar, some oats, etc., it tasted fabulous. (Let me know if you want the recipe.)

Berry, berry good :D

Sewing skills - a life of learning.

Last week after sewing a little dress for my granddaughter, I decided to make new drapes for our living room now being remodeled. Found some perfect fabric that actually compliments my sofa. Then the club chair and ottoman looked awful in contrast. So off to find fabric to make a new slipcover for that chair. I love sewing, fabric stores, and the whole process of creating something attractive and useful.

In this process, I realized that I have some truly valuable skills in sewing.
Sewing an outfit with a pattern is quite simple for me. I have been sewing since I was quite young....7th grade, I think, making simple clothes for myself.

Making the slipcover (in process in first photo) is a test of not only design skills but the 'engineering ' of the construction as well. Figuring out which pieces of the item to sew together first so it actually works is fun and frustrating too. I have been known to make mistakes !! Oh, well, just rip out and do over.

Today I made finished the seat cover...quite a pain of a task. Today I am putting on the trim for the bottom of the chair to make it look finished.

But now....off to lunch !

What's for dinner?

Just got in from the garden. I decided it was time to see how the potatoes did this year. Not bad ! These are a russet type and I will make a meal of salmon cakes, fresh broccoli I just picked (below) this evening and a light salad from the garden.

Wish you could join me for dinner :D

Sew what ?....well, just about anything !

Sewing is my solace, my calming mechanism, my BP reducer, if I need it.
I have been sewing since I was about 11 years old. It was a good time to
bond with my mother. I am grateful for her encouragement and patience with my early efforts.

The dress here is for my 4 year old grand-daughter. It was the first time I have made clothes for a child since my daughters were that age....over 35 years ago. It was an easy project and since I love sewing, a pleasant diversion on these blistering Ozark summer days. I hope she likes it. The flowers remind me of her personality....a bright flower.

Here are several typical things I might sew or in the case of the quilt remnant, repair.

The quilt piece below is from the 1940's I believe. The quilt was quite ragged. Some years ago, I made a pillow cover for each of my mother's grandchildren. That was very connecting for me. The old quilt was found in the drawer of my Mom's dresser when I cleaned out her home after she died. I think my mother's sister, Anna, worked on it mainly.


The seat cover (lower left) was for a friend. He needed covers for well-worn kitchen stools. This was a fun project, since he left the choice of fabric and how to design the seat cover up to me. His only requirement was that it be green ! Easy !


I love picking out new fabric and coming up with a design for the curtain that fits the needs of the project. My next sewing project will be curtains for our recently re-habbed LV. Can't wait.

Epenephrine, or how I got 'wired' at the dentist !

Recently, I had a small filling done on a molar at the my dentist. I got the usual Novocaine shot...well, two for that spot. Nothing seemed different than the gazillion times I had fillings done in my lifetime.....until I went to write the check. My hands were shaking and I felt keyed-up. And that was NOT from having to pay the bill.

I mentioned the shaking to the receptionist and she said that it was from the EPINEPHRINE that is used a a vaso-constrictor in local anesthesia shots. That was a huge surprise to me, since this shaking, and feeling on edge, had never happened in this situation before yesterday.

We were already planning to drive 50 more miles to other shopping destination, and I asked my friend to drive, rather than me driving. I just felt strange.

About an hour later, my left eye-lid got 'lazy.' It worked, but a smidge behind the right eyelid. Next I felt like I was on uppers, or what I think it is like to be on uppers. By the time we got to our destination an hour later, I was still shaky, red as a beet and stayed flushed for 2-3 more hours. Finally, when the numbness in my cheek and lip was gone, the keyed-up feelings went away.

When I got home, I called the dentist to have this reaction put on my record. I don't ever want that type of shot again! From what I read on the net, one can get the Novocaine or similar anesthesia without epinephrine. That will be my choice next time !

Happiness: Choosing to be happy !

Happiness seems to be a hot topic these days. Many definitions for this word can be found. I see many books on the subject. Health segments on TV news often talk about 'how to be happy.' On page 70, SIMPLE magazine even has an article on how to find simple pleasure in your life everyday. Author Bloom, suggests....guess what.....smiling ! Seems people react more positively to you when you smile, and "facial feedback"(looking happy) fools the brain into being happy !

Being happy has been a life-long goal of mine.
Maybe it is for everyone? I have not always been successful, but of late, I seem to be doing better.

My mother, who had many reasons to be overwhelmed, often 'made' herself smile. It seemed to ease her pain somehow. I hope so. She often quoted the song title: "Let a smile be your umbrella (on a rainy, rainy day...."). I believe that she intuitively knew somewhere there was a place of happiness and joy inside herself. I do not always give myself access that place, but I KNOW it is here, in me. (I learned a lot from my mother, but that is for another posting !)

I used to think being happy was somewhere out there; something to be found in other people, in activities, in seeking ways to take my mind off my problems, and in destructive actions. It is not 'out there' or to be found in other people. No one can 'make' you happy, or UNhappy.

It was a revelation, some years ago, to discover that no amount of exciting diversions, no activities, no other person can make me happy or unhappy. Happiness was a choice. I believe that very strongly.

What I learned was that I could choose to have a good day, or a bad day. To create a bad day, all I had to do was think about how pissed off I was about some trifle, or how 'right' I was about some event, or think about how things did not go my way when I wanted them to. Some small perceived hurt could be turned over and over in my mind, potentially setting up a bad mood for days.

Life has many sad and hurtful things in it. Being in touch with the panorama of feelings that we are blessed with gives me insight into what I need, or want, to do to make those difficulties take their right place in my life. And to deal with them appropriately, when 'crap' happens to me. (Am I perfect at this....heck no, yet I will keep trying.)

When I have grief, I may cry. When I am angry, I may rant and rave about it....or not. Anger sometimes requires a physical outlet, but one that does not hurt myself or others. Stating the hurt and asking for clarity is often the best solution for me. I can be happy and still deal with anger, sadness or grief. Not being happy is about choosing to be unhappy, or angry....or moody, another form of anger in my view. I try to find the cause of the hurt or misunderstanding that brought the anger in the first place. Usually a misunderstanding or mis-interpretation. Alternately, if I am joyful, I just enjoy that or perhaps share that too. All feelings can be shared with a trusted, willing friend or partner, if that is appropriate.

It is so much easier to be happy. It takes less energy and it seems to garner more humane and positive responses from others as well. Let me clarify....I am not talking about being sweet and syrupy and insincere. What I mean by choosing to be happy is to deal with life's difficult situations, life's daily disappointments with a calmer, clearer, positive mind. So each morning, when I wake up, I think about how I want my day to go. I choose it to be happy ! That seems to work for me. Maybe it will work for you ?

Brocolli leaves-waste not, want not.

How many times in my youth did I hear that phrase: "Waste not, want not?" I thought my mother was just too thrifty in those years of plenty. The 1950's were a boom time of economic growth in my family. Dad had a successful propane business and a full-time job. Our family wanted for nothing. There were plenty of clothes, healthy food, and a sturdy home. For that I am grateful.

So when Mom would scrape every bit of food from a can or use all the parts of a vegetable that were safe to eat, it seemed too, too frugal. She saved plastic bags to reuse, and reminded us to turn off the lights when we left a room. Now I realize she was a conserver. I could have respected that more.

So here is my tip for the day on making the most of the food you buy or grow. Why waste it, especially when you paid for the food with hard earned money or hard labor in the garden?

Broccoli leaves and stems are said to have more minerals than the flower head. So wash the leaves and cut them into chunky pieces. Cook as you would broccoli rabe, kale, chard or spinach.

Here is my favorite quick and simple recipe:
Saute the broccoli leaves. Heat olive oil with a bit of onion in a large skillet with lid. Toss in the wet , cut-up broccoli leaves. Stir to wilt and then cover and cook on simmer for about 8-10 minutes until the stems are tender.

As you see in the above photo, my home-grown broccoli has lots of leaves. These will be for dinner tonight. The head will be frozen for use next winter.

Keeping Carrots

Some times just two of us cannot eat those baby carrots fast enough before they start getting ...well, slimy ! I do not toss them out. Just wash in cold, running water and use , unless, of course, they are rotten. You can figure that out !

To keep carrots in the bag fresh longer, just add a 6-10 drops of 5% vinegar to the bag. Vinegar is acidic and a mold retardant. Shake the bag around so all carrots are coated. Store in refrigerator. When ready to use, rinse and cook or eat raw.


This method can be used for tofu as well. I cannot eat a pound of tofu fast enough either ! For tofu, add about half teaspoon of vinegar to the ab. one lb. tofu. Add water as usual. Every 3-4 days, change the water anyway and put in fresh vinegar. The vinegar does not effect the taste of the tofu, as far as I can tell.

Wine cork - another nifty use !

Wine corks have so many uses besides keeping wine in the bottle.

The photo here shows how I prop the door ajar until the next wash day. The cork is just the right length to keep air circulating and moisture able to get out.

Recently I bought a new front-loading washer.
Our area had a tax-free week, and rebates from both the electric service and from the state. A very good incentive for us to replace our 32 year-old
top-loader.

The new washer has a door that closes automatically after use. That is fine, but the interior of the machine is damp, as well as the gasket area in front. Even after wiping with a cloth, the door needs to be left open for a day or so.
(Some front-loading machines have a cleaning cycle that uses high temps. to kill bacteria or mold. Mine does not have this option.)


Probably, I am not the first one to think of this, but I have never seen this solution using a wine bottle cork. Have you ?

Hope it works for you !

Benefits and plights of aging

So you think this is going to be a downer topic? Not for me ! I love getting older. I enjoy being old. I value the freedom it brings. Freedom that I didn't always give myself in youth or middle age. And that freedom was completely misunderstood by me then. I say 'give myself' because it was typically unwarranted fear that kept me from going forward in all aspects of my life. That was my experience.

Our media and cultural messages are not so favorable to aging. I hear the discounting casual comments about 'old people.' Old women are made fun of on TV programs. That is too bad. Being closed to all the stages and strata of human life is a great loss for those who discount. (In my view, discounting any part of the world's population is a huge loss for the close-minded.) **The only 'plight' of aging that I see, might be how we allow others' views of us to get in.

Why do we get so many messages that aging is not okay? That aging is a disease to be treated with surgery and medications? The word from the media is that aging is a big problem and not fun at all. I disagree. (This is not to discount very real illness that unfortunately comes to many folks, and may one day befall me as well! )

Maybe what is not addressed is a very real, human fear of dying?
I wonder if that primal fear of not existing anymore causes us to strive to stay young, wrinkle and sag free, in hopes of staving off the inevitable visit to the box in the dirt??
I don't know ?

But, you may ask, who wants wrinkles on the face, or hands that show tendons and veins? Who will love me when I am old and gray? Who will want me if my skin is 'heading south' along with my ....well, you know :D

It is often implied, in doctor shows and women's magazines, that if we survive into old age, one SHOULD look and feel like a 30 year-old. Nothing wrong with staying fit and healthy along the way, just that one's body....my body, and those of many I know.....changes significantly. I am grateful that I am healthy at this stage of my life. Yes, for that I am immensely thankful.

Desiring to be the way we were at 25 or 40 is not realistic. Men go through late-life changes too, but they seem to be more gradual and begin at a later age. For women, especially after menopause, very real, and often sudden, changes happen. It can be sudden and shocking, or gradual and...just as shocking! The FEAR of not being acceptable in the eyes of others is just not worth the energy. There too many are important things to do !

For me, the pleasure of just letting go of the hang-ups that bolstered my life in former years is worth all the wrinkles. Wrinkles are proof I smiled a whole lot. My thinning skin lets me see what I am made of inside ...literally and figuratively. As for my gray hair, I always say I earned everyone of them and when I look in the mirror, I see who I really am today, not who I was 30 years ago.

Of course, do what feels right for your own health and well-being. That may mean taking hormones at menopause, or getting wrinkles botoxed. Those options are just not my choice....and that works for me.

Where are the honey bees?

Yesterday while I was picking raspberries, I saw ONE honey bee on a berry flower. Just one. I was so excited. You see, I have not see a honey bee anywhere in my garden in 2 years. And it was 4 years ago that I saw the last hundreds together on my poppies.

The pollinators that I do see are mainly wasps, bumblebees and various beetles and other flying insects. Oh, yes, and the much-dreaded Red-necked Borer. It does a little pollinating, I think. (The borer chews the leaves and lays its eggs in the berry canes to hatch next season. Not nice and a real pain to deal with.)

Today I didn't see any bees in the garden. It is cloudy and gray, a good day to work on my blog !

Red beets ready to pickle.

Here are the red beets I picked this morning. to pickle. (Does anyone know how to grow bigger beets? ) Mine are never uniform in size, though they get the same fertilizer, same watering, and sunlight in the same bed. Any ideas as to why mine vary so in size and typically get only 2 inches across at the most? I would be happy to get some suggestions.

Beets are quite easy to grow overall and have lovely deep green leaves. The greens or ‘tops’, taste very like a hearty spinach. that taste so good when cooked as you would spinach or kale. And they’re high in calcium, minerals and vitamins. (They are all in the same family I think: spinach, beets, chard.)

Beets are relatively bug-free, too. Not many folks I have asked eat the leaves. Wonder if it is an assumption that because the bugs don’t eat the leaves, they must not taste good? I don’t know !

Here is my standard way of cooking beet leaves:

Heat some olive oil in a large heavy skillet Toss in some onion and/or garlic if you like those. (Some folks don’t.) After the onions are soft , toss in the washed, coarsely cut leaves. The stems are fine to include, if you wish. Toss around to coat all with oil. Add about 1 tablespoon of water, salt lightly , put a lid on and turn the heat to low, Simmer for about 12-15 minutes or until all leaves are well wilted. Serve as a side or toss with precooked pasta for a lush simple meal.

Gardening on the cusp of the South

Okay, my favorite thing to do around our home is pulling hay out of the bales to mulch the garden. (See photo) For this I use a garden rake and 'comb' the hay into bunches for the cart. (WATCH for snakes. They love looking for mice in the bales.!)

The second fave thing I do is using the pick-ax to dig holes when needed. Both tasks don't take much skill but lots of energy. The feeling of working all my muscles and accomplishing a needed job are the rewards.

The mulch is used for the paths around my 'dedicated beds' (I don't call them raised beds since they are not much higher than the surrounding paths.) The veggie beds are never walked on. In the 10 years I have been gardening this spot, I have added only rotted manure and hay. The bales of hay for mulch come from neighbors too. I always ask for 'sour' or old hay that are no good for the cattle. When the garden is producing, I give the neighbors fresh veggies that they like in trade.

The manure I use (very left in photo) came from a neighbor with horses. Sadly, she left the area. Now I have a very kind neighbor who will go the the nearby cattle sale barn and for gas money, will bring me a big load.

Right now it is harvest time here. Spring spinach is done. Broccoli and red beets are the current works in progress. The black raspberries are beginning to ripen....red beets to pick, so back to work.

BIrth of my blog

Well, I am a bit out of sequence here. This was to be my first blog.
It took me a few days to figure out how to post anything and then how to add photos and edit. I did lots of editing !

On this blog, I hope to share my thoughts, ideas, skills, successes and mistakes in gardening, life.....and well, anything that pops into my mind.

Welcome to my blog.