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 ?