Category: Life

Oh my, what a day! I knew it was going to be a busy one. I looked at my date book last night and hit my head! Why had we scheduled so much on one day? Because we’re insane, that’s why!

Hubby picked 3 bushels of near perfect MacIntosh Apples, and sorted them.

While he was working on this I went out to get my monthly treatment at the Fountain of Youth. This is my time to be pampered. I love what my hairdresser, Margarita, is doing with my hair these days. She is fantastic and I really enjoy our visits.

No sooner had I raced home, than I made lunch for Hubby and me. We ate quickly and set off for Hubby’s appointment with our doctor. He had to have a small cyst removed from his earlobe. I stayed with him, even though I know he would have been fine without me. Mostly I was curious to see the entire event.

It, was fascinating! When it was finally removed, I was shocked at how large it was! I know, ewwww, but really, fascinating! Three stitches later and we were out the door.

We raced home and I grabbed Fritz and the two of us went to the Vets. It was time for Fritz’s yearly exam and shots. He was such a good boy and I was very proud of him. He weighed in at 76 pounds even, and was just so sweet with the Vet.

I came home to find that Hubby was gone and so was Greta. I knew Hubby was bringing our apples to a local farm stand to sell,

but I didn’t know he was going to bring Greta. It turns out that not only did he bring her, but he was showing her off all over town! Daddy’s little girl!

By the time he was back and the dogs were fed, we started dinner. Keeping it simple, we made tacos with all the trimmings. It was done, eaten and cleaned up quickly and finally I was able to relax.

Tomorrow? Nothing that has to be done. Just some laundry and some writing and visiting some blogs I haven’t gotten to in a while. I just love days of doing not much at all. Those are the best!

I finally made reservations for Friday night down in New York. I had been trying to find a room for Hubby, Greta and me, but found so many places didn’t allow dogs, or if they did, they wanted $35.00 a night for them! Bah! I guess I am getting cheap in my old age, but if I am paying $135.00 a night for a room, then accommodations for 1 eighteen pound dachshund shouldn’t be $35.00 more!

Around the time I was ready to give up I called a smallish motel in the town the dog show is in. Did they have a room? Would I have to mortgage my home to reserve it? Yes, they did have a room and no, I wouldn’t have to take out a second mortgage!

The woman who helped me sounded so nice. It’s a family run place and she will be there to greet us when we arrive. She also mentioned that there is a good restaurant nearby for dinner and a diner up town which serves an awesome breakfast!

Now I simply have to worry about packing, and what to wear. I want to look nice when I present Greta to the judge from Germany. Each year the club flies a judge over to rate the dogs, and preside over the show. He looks like a kindly man. I hope this is true. I am so nervous about this, that I am afraid I will do something really stupid, like fall into his arms when I walk up to the judging table!

Many years ago before the end of the Cold War, I went to St. Petersburg, Russia with Hubby. He was working the flight, so I was in charge of getting myself through customs so I could meet him on the other side and ride with the crew to the motel.

I was rushing and in heels and a ladies business suit. A recipe for disaster! I came down a ramp, which was being reworked, and had plywood all along it. Just as I got to the end, my heel caught and I went flying…right into the arms of a stern looking Russian soldier! I nearly died!

So you see why I am a little worried that I might do something that embarrassing again. There is a precedent!

I did somehow manage to make it through the dog show when Fritz won Best Puppy in show,

(otherwise known here as “Fritz’s Glory Days”). I can only hope that I will stay calm and not be overcome by a hot flash!

Today I’m thinking that life goes by us far too fast. I wrote about Andre Agassi ending his tennis career yesterday and today Steve Irwin, The Crocodile Hunter,, has passed away. So, I guess I’m feeling a bit blue.

Steve Irwin made nature fun. He had a quick smile, made people laugh at the same time he was teaching us about animals we might never have considered.

My nephew, Taft loves Steve Irwin. He loved to play “Crocodile Hunter” in my sister’s living room. Taft and his brother Luke would pile the seat cushions up and hide the croc and then discover and tame it ala Steve Irwin. One of Taft’s birthdays we even had a croc cake and Taft dressed up like Steve Irwin. Luke was often forced to be Taft’s faithful sidekick, Baby Bindy. They had so much fun and Luke never did mind being the side kick of the “Crocodile Hunter”.

The other day I got sent one of those “Getting to Know You” email questionnaires. One of the questions was, “What are you afraid of?”

Well, there isn’t much. I mean, I don’t like snakes or mice, or those types of vermin, but I can survive them. I’m not afraid to die, although I admit, I’m sort of busy living my life right now and it would be a terrible inconvenience for me.

What I’m really afraid of, came to me while I was showering this morning. It was after I heard that Steve Irwin had died.

I am afraid of the people I love, dying.
I want my loved ones to live long and happy and healthy lives. I want to watch them all get gray hair, wrinkles and watch their children and grandchildren grow and to see and to know that their lives are good.

So yes, I have a fear. It’s just not one I knew I had.

Rest in peace, Steve Irwin, I bet Heaven is filled with wonderful wild animals, who were there to greet you.

Why is it, when you have nothing to do, life goes excruciatingly slow? Why can’t it fly by, like it did when I had 60 pounds of peaches to can and only a few days to do it?

Ah, sweet mysteries of life!

I saw Dr. W. yesterday and she is very happy with my eye. We both sat there grinning at each other, as I’m not sure which one of us his happier, her or me! Here is my sweet Dr. W. with her favorite patient. I can safely say this because I brought a basket of goodies from our garden and orchard!

So yesterday was a real high. Happy, happy, happy! Today? Not so much. I woke up at 4 AM with a terrible eye/headache that has plagued me all day. I have tried everything and nothing has worked.

Oh well, into every life a little rain must fall.

Last weekend my cousin, Janet and our dear friend Megan
came up for a visit. They cooked, I ate and we watched movies. Life was so good. The cooking included Janet’s wonderful potato salad, a bean salad and Megan’s Chocolate Trifle! I’m still dreaming about that. I just go nuts for chocolate!

Thursday was a quiet day. Quieter than I had hoped or planned for. I took care of some paper work, and watched/listened to the TV. Fritzi kept me company much of the time. As did Greta and Emily.

Greta goes before the German judge in September for her rating. I am a wreck about this, (just call me a nervous stage mother!) and I hope she does well. Could I stand to have some stranger tell me Miss Greta isn’t perfect? I think not!

Finally, I am sad that Caroline Keptchure was fired from “The Apprentice”. I’m thinking that Ivanka Trump will take her place. Who says nepotism is dead?

It’s been another busy day. We canned 24 jars, (3 batches) of Heavenly Jam, (a peach jam).

I also went out and got my hair cut and styled. That’s always so nice. Having someone else do my hair for a change!

Cooking Day. Yes, today was cooking day. I planned it all out. I made the turkey stuffing in the morning, some brownies came next, a carrot casserole and then of course the main event, roast turkey in the afternoon.
I had an 11 and a 1/2 pound turkey in my freezer that I’d gotten for 49¢ a pound last December. So, it was time to cook it. I also decided to make up plastic containers of turkey, stuffing and gravy to freeze and now the bones are all simmering for a pot for turkey soup.
Why this sudden burst of domesticity? Desperation. I want to be able to eat while I am recovering.
Hubby is good with the usual things. He can mash potatoes, scramble eggs and he is absolutely legendary with shake and bake, but I learned long ago that his repertoire is limited, thus the sudden burst of cooking.
The brownies were fun to make. I didn’t have everything I needed to make brownies from scratch, so I found a great recipe for brownies made with…a chocolate cake mix! At first I thought this would be weird, but I have to tell you, if you like chocolate, make this recipe. You will simply never be the same.
The day is nearly done and I am taking off the apron for the day. A sense of domestic well-being is washing over me.
Ah, life is good.

The Peaches are coming in! Hubby went out and picked a medium basket of the large, ripe and juicy delights. Last year and this year as well, we will make Heavenly Jam, Brandied Peaches and then just can some. When we grocery shop, I will finish getting all the things I need to do this, including the, (hiccup) brandy!

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The lovely and talented Megan and her boyfriend, Jimbo came yesterday to share some food, some chatting and some wine. It was so much fun! We got to try batch #3 of the Mustard Pickles, and we also tried the Moonglow Pickles. Man of man, the Moonglow Pickles were some kind of good! I had only a few jars of this, and so I have decided that I need to make more. I will try to find some cheap pickling cukes to make up a new batch. I don’t think I will have 6 pints of cukes coming out of my garden in the next few days.
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Today was one of those really beautiful, warm, (upper 60’s) wonderful days. Instead of being like a day in August, it was more like late September. I will not complain, mind you, because I am not a hot weather fan. I like to be able to walk around in jeans and a shirt and not sweat to death. Today was like a breath of fresh air after the last few weeks of unbelievable heat! I say to the coming of Autumn, Bring It On!!!
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Have you ever noticed how there are movies you can watch again and again, or just have on while you’re working and you never get tired of them? Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets was on earlier and I had it turned on. I made dinner, I fed the dogs, and I could watch or not watch and not lose my place. Harry and Company are all friends now.
No sooner had that movie ended than Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban came on. So I switched over to that and have been watching/listening to that too.
I sure hope that JK Rowling doesn’t kill off Harry, Hermione or Ron. I would simply be heart broken if she did. There are other ways to end the series.
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Lastly, the next ten days will be busy ones as I prepare the house for my post operative down time. I’ve frozen some meals, and now I need to get all the laundry done, stock up on some simply meal components, and show Hubby a few little tricks to housekeeping, cooking and patient tending!

Tuesday was full of action.
It started in the basement with a fun filled morning of ironing. I always promise myself that I will iron stuff as they come out of the dryer. The trouble is, I’m lazy. I hang the shirts up and then leave them to be ironed “at a future time”. Lately the “future time” kept going on and on until this morning. It was either iron or my clothes rack was going collapse under the weight and fall to the floor. So after coffee and breakfast I headed to the basement.
I always think the basement is a cool place. I was wearing shorts and a tank top and there I was standing at the ironing board in my nice cool basement sweating like a race horse. I even had to stop and wipe my brow several times to keep from dripping on the clothes.
Was this ironing sweat or another hot flash? I’m not sure, but I can tell you it was uncomfortable!

After we had lunch I decided to sit an watch “All My Children” before I started my afternoon project. The soap was pretty good today, although I think that Jackson should just leave Jonathan and Lily alone. Apparently I am the only one who thinks they make a nice couple.

After the soap, I got out the vegetables that were soaking to make the Mustard Pickles.

I drained and rinsed them and then brought the vegetables to a boil. I once again drained them and then made the mustard sauce. Now the mustard sauce is a big deal. You don’t want it to burn, so you must cook it on a low heat and stir constantly until it thickens. So, I stirred and stirred and stirred. For an hour I stirred until it was thick and then I added the vegetables. I cooked it until it was thoroughly heated and then Hubby helped me put it in jars and seal them. This entire process took me 2 1/2 hours! 10 pints of these wonderful pickles! This batch looks good and I have high hopes that it will be just as tasty as the first one I made.

So it’s been a productive day and I can go to bed tonight and feel happy that I actually got all of these things done. Especially the Soap Opera watching. I mean ironing and pickle making are good, but the Soap watching? Yeah, there’s the important stuff, right?

This must be vacation week.
I went to all my usual blog reads and no one is around. Maybe they’re around, and like me find that the dog days of summer leaves them little to write about. At least in the winter one can write about the injustice of snow, below zero temperatures and ones attempts to stay warm.
In the summer? You are just hot. Hot and cranky. Or lucky enough to be on vacaction.

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I’d hoped to be writing about my incredible weight loss, the fact that I was now looking like a slim, trim, bathing beauty, but that’s not going to happen quite that fast. I’m watching what I eat, but it’s taking me far longer than the two thousand previous diets I have been on. I’m blaming menopause for the slowdown of my metabolism. After all in my 20’s I had the metabolism of a, well, a 20 year old, and I could pretty much eat what I wanted and not gain weight. Now, well, since you all know how old I am I won’t hedge here, I’m a 47 year old woman, and my metabolism has slowed to a snails pace. It’s just not right.
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I’m making another batch of Mustard Pickles with the good recipe. I have the vegetables cut up and will be making the pickles later today. Hmmmmmm! I just love Mustard Pickles. At least my homemade Mustard Pickles. I saw some in a store a while back and bought them thinking they would be good and they were terrible! But mine? Hmmmmmm!
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The garden is slowly winding down. I’m pretty sure I won’t have many more cucumbers or summer squash. My Butternut Squash look good and I should have maybe a dozen or so.
My tomatoes are now starting to come on and they are so sweet and juicy. It’s amazing how fantastic real, ripe tomatoes can taste.
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I woke up on Monday morning with a stiff neck. I probably slept wrong. When I was a kid my Grandmother would tell me she had a cold in her neck when she felt like this. She would also have colds in her ears, back or shoulder. If she had an ache, it was a cold. And she had all sorts of home remedies. The one I remember best was lambs wool that she would stuff in her ear when it had a “cold”.
So this stiff neck has me thinking of her.

I puttered. I worked for three hours solid in the garden.
I pulled weeds. I took dead plants out of the garden. I took dead leaves off of the plants. I filled three wheelbarrows with garden garbage! And in the process got a little sunshine on my pastey white skin. In fact, the old back is a tad red tonight, and a wee bit sore!
I won’t lie and tell you that the garden looks better. It looks like it’s been mauled and maimed.

However, at least the dead and diseased plants have been removed for now and I harvested more cucumbers. Yes, more cucumbers! I don’t feel the garden has been a disaster, even though it got this powdery mildew. Call that an act of God!
We have eaten a lot of summer squash, some zucchini, made a ton of pickles and eaten a bunch too. For a first garden, I’m actually thinking it was a rousing success. Of course next year I will do things differently and I hope to avoid some of the pitfalls I encountered this year.
I’ve enjoyed the gardening, and I’ve enjoyed learning to make pickles. Oh, and I have a new favorite pickle dish, Mustard Pickles!!!
I came in after working like crazy and found I’d been stung by some sort of Bee 3 times! The little bugger! I was also breaking out in a strange rash. So, I jumped in the shower with my brown soap and washed and rinsed away my garden sweat. Ooops, my garden glistening!
I felt a little like I’d been run over and decided to lie down after lunch. No sooner had my head hit the pillow, than there was a knock at my door. An old friend from my previous life stood there. She came to introduce me to the new man in her life.
We sat on the back patio enjoying the breeze and talking. A little about the old days and a little about the new. We showed them the fruit trees, which are doing far better than my garden, and walked around the yard some before they needed to head off to go back home.
After they left I went back out and took a few pictures of the fruit. It’s looking rather delicious now. Soon the peaches will be ready to pick, then the plums, apples and pears.

One of our Peaches

The Plums

A Pear
Ah yes, life on a farm. Well sort of. We’re growing some of our food, and we have two animals, so that’s close enough! Right?