Tomato Greenies Canning Post

Back on 12/31/11, I commented on beginning my search for pickled green tomato recipes. Unlike the last four years of pulling out the tomato plants in February or March when the fruits have stopped ripening and the green horn tomato worms have taken over, I decided to pickle the greenies rather than just giving up on them! So I added canning jars to my grocery/errand list that I'll tackle over the next week or so, errand running not pickling that is.

In cleaning up my blog posts, I realized that I'd never posted my findings! So here are a few recipe links for pickling greenies:

1. Amazing Ribs has a quick recipe for refrigerator version (my preferred method BTW, since it's not as involved as the hot bath method).

2. CD Kitchen has another refrigerator version. What I like is that it only takes five tomatoes so I wouldn't be stuck with tons of pickled tomatoes! Plus there's the added bonus of canning as the fruit gets to size.

3. Michael Ruhlman's blog lists a recipe using the hot bath and fermentation method.

4. Home Sick Texan has yet another which list both the refrigerator and hot bath techniques. I like the combo of flavorings in this one, except of course, the jalapeno.

5. Of course "Martha's" site had a slew of canning recipes. If you go to slide #2 you'll find refrigerator pickles. Slide #10 had pickled vegetables in general. Slide #16 had Bread and Butter Pickled Green Tomatoes. All in all, plenty of pickling to keep one busy.

6. About.com Southern Food has yet another recipe though this uses the boiling water bath method.

7. Closet Cooking also has a recipe using the heat sterilization bath. I listed it because even though I don't want to bother getting all involved with the hot bath method, I really liked the ingredients.
8. Organic Garden is a wonderful site with a wealth of information including a list of blogs. In fact for those who may have more than one plant and are up to their eyeballs in greenies, that link will take you to a recipe and this lovely photo. Organic Gardening is being added to my favs!

Photo Source

9. A Way to Garden had one that uses cukes, tomatoes or peppers that's from his mother.

10. This site has a ton of pickled green tomatoes photos, most of which, when clicked on lead to a recipe or site about them!

Well that should provide a plethora of ideas on how to use greenies of all sizes, as well as plenty of related advice based on experience. One last site I'll mention is on salt. It's here, at Smitten kitchen it's well written and clearly defines the differences in the assortment of salts available today.

My pickling will be limited to small batches using the refrigerator technique. Will definitely post pictures when I finally decide on which to make! Have fun searching these sites, I found them enjoyable and enlightening (even though I still haven't found any recipes for senf gherkins).

P.S. To readers in Europe, especially Eastern Europe, I hope you're all safe and recovering from what was reported by the media here, as record-breaking blizzards and snowfall!

2/17/12 Note from author:  After reading Joanne's comment and writing mine, I wanted to suggest that readers look at the finished results in the links. Some are bright green like the photo above and some look a bit discolored or brownish like results from a hot bath method. So do compare notes between them.

It's gotten cooler here, so my tomatoes should finally stop ripening (sorry to those in cold climes I don't wish to be insensitive...remember, I did live where the wind chill could get down to -30F (-34.4 C)...).

As soon as I have six or so fat greenies, I'll try one of the recipes and post my results. I'm also going to try a recipe that accommodates all the tiny greenies I'll get in March. Can't wait for my results! If you try any, please print the link for your results in the comments, or email me and I'll post them for you! My email is in my profile. Thanks!

Happy canning! 

Tomatoes in February Post

Back on 10/8/11, I wrote about my tomato plant (s) and how the sillies were still putting out blossoms and tomatoes despite the date. Well, here's a photo of the crazy characters still produching and even ripening!

The photo above was taken on 1/18/12. Since then, the darn things have gotten quite red! This has happened in previous years, but it never ceases to amaze me!!

You can't tell, but you're looking at three ripe fruits; hidden by leaves.

Here's a shot from two days ago, showing their gorgeous color. They're ready for picking. Yum! Hopefully they taste as good as they look! You can't see it, but it would appear that I've waited a bit too long to pick the tomatoes. The smaller one seen in the upper picture has been half eaten. Something (probably a rat) had a feast.

Due to the warm climate and plethora of fruit and nut trees, we don't have your run-of-the-mill "city" rats. No, we have fruit rats or roof rats. I won't post a photo of them, you can check out the link above if you're so inclined. The article is excellent though and written with a wry sense of humor.

Like squirrels they live in the trees, getting around on the many utility lines that we humans have kindly erected for them that create the network of highways they traverse. Being nocturnal, they spend the winter days "indoors" by squeezing into homes via cracks in attics and garage rafters.

In looking up the little vermin, I found this link at the above site. Apparently the city of Davis, California  actually "recruits" barn owls to control the long-tailed critters by putting up wooden boxes in the trees around town to encourage the owls to set up residence. Mice and rats are the natural dinner of barn owls who according to the article are "also the cutest and most charismatic owl". This way the city eliminates a good portion of the rats and reduces the use of pesticides.

Photo Source:  Daviswiki.com

Back to the tomatoes. One of the lovelies was so big it got stuck in the cyclone fence mesh and I had to sort of squish it out, but still quite nice and three inches across (7.6 cm). While out picking Thursday morning I checked the other side of the fence, I found yet another ready to pluck. Quite an amazing haul for mid-February!

I was going to photograph them all in a basket outside, but today's overcast skies followed by rain put an end to that idea. Hopefully we'll have a sprinkling of sun tomorrow. I'm quite impressed with the little plant(s) since I have done absolutely nothing to encourage this. The only water they get is from the lawn sprinklers. So this is just remarkable.

The plant(s)...can't tell if it's one or two...are once again loaded with bunches of two inch and larger green tomatoes! There's probably a good 20 to 25 and that's just at a glance. The other rather unusual thing I've observed is that (knock on wood) there are no green horn tomato worms in sight. That's usually why, in years past,  I've ripped the plants out by now.

Well, that's about all from my little 1.5 by 4 foot (.4572 m by 1.2192 m) "back forty". As always, life is truly exciting here at Grey House. Lol!

Gloom, Sleep, Corporations and Poverty Post

Regular (non-daylight savings) time is such a pain. Although I must say that keeping all my clocks set to DST, is helpful in avoiding the winter blues that come when it gets dark at four p.m.! Today's plan had, among other things, a list of over half a dozen pictures to take (meaning I'd have to snap four times that to get a decent pic) so I could complete several posts that are in the works.

Circumstances did not cooperate however. First was the heavily overcast sky. There's a 60% chance of rain tonight and 40% tomorrow. All I can say is that we'd better get some rain in trade for all this gloom. It isn't just a white grey yet bright sky, we're talking Portland-type gray skies. Cement skies. Taking pictures, at least the kind I want, is just a waste of time in this kind of limited light and a flash doesn't help at all.

The second thing that put a wrench in my to-do list, it was my body. Didn't sleep well (or much at all for that matter) last night. Finally fell asleep about 7 a.m. which is very annoying. Woke at 2:30, which by my clock is 1:30. Yes, I'm an odd duck, what can I say? On top of that, I felt under the weather physically; rather sick to my stomach so I stayed in bed for two more hours.

It reminded me of something I read the other day by Ronni at the blog, Time Goes By. It was an article on sleep as one ages. She wrote about how every now and then she'll wake up, go through her normal morning routine and after a bit, just not feel quite right. She follows her body's signal and goes back to bed. Though she's tried to define the problem or cause , in the end she just attributes it to getting older.

Of course, I just felt like a wimp since she's older than me, but that aside, the comments she got were fascinating. Apparently, a wide range of people come across this "malady without a cause" in their lives. Anyhow, I don't know if it was a delayed power of suggestion or what, but I felt better about it and just revised my plans for the week. No big deal.

As far as her blog goes, it isn't something you'd necessarily run across or pay attention to if you were under 45 or 50. It addresses a wide range of topics and is labeled as an "Elder Blog". Now this is a shame since it contains a world of information (and not just on aging) that most people would be amazed at; articles both obscure and targeting current events.

What I like is the variety. For example, a Guest Blogger wrote an article about the whole Susan B. Komen charity debacle where they cancelled funding to Planned Parenthood, an organization that provides basic services like mammograms and other cancer screenings to women who couldn't afford it. (Note:  scroll up in the link for the article vs. the comments.)

She also questioned the endless churning out of licensed "pink" merchandise under the guise of a potion of the profits going to breast cancer research. The guest blogger included a quote from Huffington Post in 2010 that said "Komen trademarked the phrase “for the cure” and according to several reports, spends at least a million dollars a year defending that trademark against other, smaller charities". An interesting and questionable use for charitable funds I thought. So it seems breast cancer has become "big business".

This post had an excellent video by Barbara Ehrenreich on the "corporatization of breast cancer" that is a "must view" in my book. There's also an excellent video by Stephen Colbert talking about the Komen Corporation in the first part of the video addressing Komen's suit happy activities to protect its trademark, "for the cure"(TM). Stuck the trademark symbol in there, just in case....

Well, it's almost 10:30 p.m. and this was not the post I intended to write, but it's what popped out of my brain after yet another "nap".

Funny, back in the late 80's, I had a party for all the neighbors (whether I knew them well or not) who endured one of our longer house re-habs. During the event I finally met the woman across the street who drove the latest Mercedes, always wore lots of diamonds, and had a vintage '59 Mercedes 190 or 300SL in her garage.

Photo Source:  Wikipedia

While I don't begrudge anyone hard-earned wealth, I was taken aback at the party. We were chatting which led to her profession. She was owner/organizer of two large homeless shelters in L.A. To my complete shock, she laughed  and bluntly commented "there's big money to be made in poverty".

Since that day I've always looked at charities with a jaded eye, especially the huge, incorporated ones that license their logo for profit. There's a fine line between real charity fund raising and flat out product marketing for profit in my book. Especially when donations like $1,000,000 per year go towards things like frivolous lawsuits, huge media campaigns and TV commercials. I'm thinking of the United Way which caught a lot of heat in the late 80's for using more donation money for running their organization and executive salaries than was spent on actual charity work. I guess nothing's changed in twenty or so years.

It's 2012 and a Leap Year Post

Happy New Year! May this coming leap year (thanks for the reminder Laurie and Camrun!) bring you more happiness and love than you can imagine! Hey, we get one extra day this year! It's a gift! How bad can a year be if it brings you a present?!

In the last few days, after visiting the assorted blogs I follow, I've gotten a feeling that there's more gratitude and love out there than I've noticed in a while. I'm not sure if it's because people have lost and seen others lose so much over the last year that everyone is more attuned to the tiny joys of life or if we're all just glad to get rid of 2011!

Andrea at Under the Blue Moon had a wonderful post yesterday. She photographed her hand-written "To Do List" for 2012. In her words " I don't think of them as resolutions so much as the way I would like things to be.  I just decided, to paraphrase a quote, to design the sort of life I want to live". I love this idea! Personally, I've never been one for resolutions, they always struck me as silly, well-intentioned but still...silly. Just couldn't get with the program so to speak.

I can totally get behind Andrea's concept. It's gracious, less punitive. You're striving to make your life happier, more beautiful, not to change yourself from night to day or bad to good. It's a much more positive way to look at things IMHO.

A resolution seems more pass or fail...at least in my eyes. Don't reach your goals? You've failed. Not a very positive alternate outcome. And since one of my wishes for the new year is to continue trying to be more positive and not so negative (the result of the five year long divorce among other things), an idea of a list like Andrea's appeals to me.

If you get everything on your list done, great. If not, you don't have the same incentive to punish yourself when you "fail". If you fall short of your wishes it's your loss and that's enough "punishment" in my book. If, on the other hand you succeed, you've given yourself a better life, one you truly deserve.

To that end, I'm going to start thinking about what I want, what would make my life better and design my own "to do" list. I'm actually kind of excited about it, something I never felt when contemplating going with resolutions; they always felt like I was telling myself "you've been bad and so your disciplinary actions are as follows". No, not something I want to participate in.

So with this positive note I'm kicking off 2012, may we all be better for it and find love, peace and happiness!

Last of 2011 Post

A late New Year's Eve Post. Gotta love L.A. No matter where you are on the Eve, you get to hear gun shots and fire crackers through the night. Makes Blue stark-raving crazy to the point that he barks at anything, even things I can't hear and I can't find his short leash to keep him close and calm him. He just stands about ten feet from the front door with "radar ears" tuning in to any sound he doesn't approve of...patrolling so to speak. The poor golden retriever across the street has been left alone in his front yard and is having a barking fit as well.

This has been the loudest, most explosive sounding NYE in the five years I've lived at this rental. People must be really happy that 2011 is over, lol!

This evening I enjoyed the holiday treat I've been looking forward to, "cannibal sandwiches" which are simply ground sirloin (not much is needed) spread on Jewish rye made by Orowheat. No, it's not rye from a "real" bakery or deli, (this is the "homogenized" version) but this dish is all about recreating the taste memories of holidays past. They're sprinkled with grey Celtic sea salt and topped with thinly sliced red onions piled high. I let the half sandwiches sit about ten minutes so the salt can begin dissolving and then feast. So good!

I would have taken a photo to share, but somehow raw ground beef is not that photogenic despite what the national beef association may think. So no photo. As I think I've mentioned, I've eaten very little red meat in the last year due to the skyrocketing prices, so it actually tasted a bit different than my memory. Hmmm.... Maybe next year, I'll go to an actual butcher vs. local grocery. Anyway, it was still a treat!

In the lull between pops, bangs and cracks I opened the back door to let Blue out and noticed a classic vintage-looking crescent moon with a "face". So lovely and magical! Would've taken a photo of it, but my SLR isn't digital and my point and shoot, even with setting changes just doesn't record night images very well.

I'll close now, before the clock strikes twelve and wish you the best year ahead. May all your dreams come true and then some! I'll leave you with this little video. Enjoy!

A Green Tomato New Year's Eve Post

Let's see, what's the date? Yup, it's December 31st and once again my "volunteer" tomato plant is loaded with green tomatoes. It's downright embarrassing! Some of them are actually quite good-sized. Of course they're all green, but the silly thing is still putting out flowers and setting fruit.

The one on the right is almost two and a half inches in diameter!

Very hard to tell, but there's almost a dozen tomatoes in the photo above! The leaves do a good job of hiding them.

Talk about persistence....

I really shouldn't be surprised (other than by the sheer quantity of little green fruits this year) since the same thing has happened for the past five years. Sometimes I have green tomatoes into March!

Since there were so many green tomatoes this year, it set me off on a search for pickled green tomato recipes. (To be honest, it was my mother's message playing in the background saying "waste not, want not".) Well, the tomatoes, the message and Cathy Barrows's blog Mrs. Wheelbarrow's Kitchen. Emailed her for permission to post photos of her inspiring giardinier and received the go ahead. Can't wait to share this with you!

Photo by Cathy Barrows

A few weeks ago I ran across her post for "salad in a jar, giardiniera" and haven't been able to get it out of my mind! So easy to make (other than chopping veggies) and so delicious looking! I'm up for any kind of refrigerator pickling. Here's a shot of the final product.

Photo by Cathy Barrows

What can I say? Love at first bite? Wouldn't this be wonderful to give as a hostess gift or to friends around the holidays? Visit her blog for the recipe, it looks sooo easy!

Cathy is a co-founder of Charcutepalooza. Kim Foster of The Yummy Mummy is the other founder. It was a group focused on A Year of Meat (among other things), which I followed and thoroughly enjoyed during the last year. One of the things I came away from with, was how to focus and appreciate the ingredients and their origins. You don't just grab something at the big store's deli case, you get to see how the final product develops from it's origins. It's a way to develop a deeper understanding of what graces your table and the work involved in making it especially if done by hand with love and shared with friends.

In her November post, Cathy sums it all up quite simply with these words "We’ve come a long way. We’ve salted, brined, smoked, ground, stuffed, packed and stretched our way through parts of pork, slabs of beef, flocks of chickens, dozens of ducks and hundreds of feet...". Her blog is a pleasure to follow. I want to thank her for allowing me to show you her great photos and introduce you to her blog! Enjoy!

Merry Christmas Post

This is a very odd weekend. Even though I'm telling myself that "Christmas" is going to last till New Year's, it just seems very hollow. This a long post, but please bear with me, there is a point (realization on my part) to it, I promise.

Yesterday I was smoked in my own house. Even had a whole rant post written about it. The people who live in what I'm now calling "the tree butcher's house" (even though he doesn't own it or live there) once again had a party but instead of the two guys who brought the giant grill for their last party and positioned it ten feet from my bedroom window, this time they brought a huge black barrel smoker with them. Again, set away from their house and close to mine.

We all know my thoughts on the exceedingly poor insulation/weatherstripping in this rental and soon it was filled with smoke. This continued for five hours. I finally tossed my jacket on (which I really didn't need) and walked over there. Door opened and I said hello only to be greeted with a blank stare, actually over a dozen blank stares, no hellos. Okay, fine. So I explained that my house was full of smoke which triggered my asthma and wondered how much longer the smoker would be going.

All I got was "hour" and "fish". Sighing, I rolled my eyes and I walked away.

The next "treat" was the major floodlights on the house behind me going on that evening. No big deal since they're on a motion sensor. Problem was, they never went off...all night. My bedroom was illuminated. Impossible to sleep. I was beside myself. Wound up staying up and watching DVD's on the computer.

Finally went to bed at 7 a.m.

I don't think I've mentioned that this rental sits on "siren alley". Yes, this is the street used by all police, fire, ambulances etc. because it has 4-way stop signs the full length of it, making it safer for emergency vehicles.

At 11 a.m. in the depths of sleep I was woken by the sirens of five vehicles. They ended somewhere nearby but I didn't look out. Finally just gave up on sleep and got up. I decided to call the people behind me to wish them Merry Christmas and ask about the spot lights. Turns out she was having a major panic attack.

Needless to say I felt lower than dirt but I also felt very blessed. One of my favorite sayings has always been "there but for grace go I". It's from the bible I believe and since I'm not a religious person, I've edited it...but you get the idea. That ambulance could have been for me. I had goose bumps.

So the point of this whole post is that we should "chill" a little more, take a deep breath and count our blessings because there's probably a whole lot more of those than problems. I'm very fortunate to have my health, a roof over my head, a car that runs and a friend or two.

In the coming year, I need to be more thankful and less petty, calmer and less quick to anger. I need to remember that I am not the only person on this planet and that I may never know the troubles of another. I must remember to give them their inch of grace. It costs me so little to do so.

With these thoughts the novel by Hemingway, For Whom the Bell Tolls came to mind. Off to Wikipedia I went and found my way to John Donne's work, specifically Meditation #17 from Devotions upon Emergent Occasions (1623). It's fairly religious, so I'll let you check it out yourself, just delete or substitute the references that aren't part of your belief system. But please do read it for it's well worth the bit of time in your day. The essence of the piece is universal and gives one pause.

And that brings me to my Christmas message for you. It's universal and crosses all religious boundaries (IMHO):

When I'm worried and I can't sleep
I count my blessings instead of sheep
And I fall asleep counting my blessings
When my bankroll is getting small
I think of when I had none at all
And I fall asleep counting my blessings

I think about a nursery and I picture curly heads
And one by one I count them as they slumber in their beds
If you're worried and you can't sleep
Just count your blessings instead of sheep
And you'll fall asleep counting your blessings


by Cole Porter

I'll leave you with this beautiful video of Diana Krall singing this song at the piano amidst glowing candles.

Merry Christmas my friends and thank you for reading.

Relaxing Post

Was able to snag a few hours sleep in the morning so I'm not going bonkers. Very glad that all my errands and so on are done. Oh sure, if I was really crazed, I'd go to Whole Foods and hit their olive bar for olives with Provencal herbs (sooo good) and cheese counter (a pricey bit of heaven*). Happily, I can do that early next week when everyone else is hitting the after Christmas sales.

Source:  Wikipedia

*They do have Leyden cheese which I fell in LOVE with when visiting my friend in The Netherlands. So good for breakfast, sliced wafer thin with a wee bit of butter on black bread (and I don't mean pumpernickel). Awesome.

Still need to pick up a few prescriptions (thank heavens for the "drive-thru"), get gas in the car (saw it for $3.59 at a nearby station), pick up two things at the cleaners, mail two birthday cards and stop at the bank. But, because I have nowhere to go or be in the next three days, it can all wait till next week. Yay! No holiday insanity or dealing with crazed drivers here! Aaah....

Source:  Amazon.com

Listening to Pandora radio while I write. Every now and then a holiday piece comes on from Diana Krall's Christmas Songs album, which I love. So relaxing.

So with that I'll close, wishing you all a peaceful, relaxing evening or morning (depending on your time zone). Time goes by so quickly.

So early 60's!

P.S. That just jogged my memory. As we now step into the "way back machine" a la Rocky and Bullwinkle...a song from long ago (like 1965!), Unchained Melody by the Righteous Brothers. Music simply to die for. Melt, melt, melt.... Enjoy!

The Saga: Final Post

Back in the Midwest again, this time for my mom's funeral; as I said in an earlier post...deja vu. Rerun of a bad movie. I was again amazed at the number of people that appeared, people I went to grade school and high school with, some of whom I hadn't heard from in decades. As I said, I was a wreck. My brother wrote and read a poem about my parents' weekly, 10 a.m. Sunday phone calls which was thoughtful.

I read Auden again and some Emily Dickinson, sobbing as before. Really, really bad movie rerun. My bro' arranged for the same type of wooden coffin as dad's. He brought her favorite heels for her. They didn't fit her feet now. Diabetes type two had taken a toll on her feet and legs but damn, they were on her feet again (whether they fit or not) and she was going to be dancing her way into eternity in them if he had anything to say about it.

This time he had all white flowers, a voluminous cloud of them, draped above her head and across the foot of the casket. White pillar candles and votives nestled in the flowers. Her signature red lipstick highlighted her face just as in life. The fragrance of the flowers brought back memories of Locker's Florist in the village during Spring. Breathtaking.

Again, no religious entity. Just loved ones and friends sending her off through all the tears, even though it broke our hearts.

After a while we all said goodbye and retired to their house. My brother's in-laws had arranged for nibbles. It was far more somber than my dad's funeral. I think because everyone was still stunned...29 days! How unfair!

I'm glad I read the W. H. Auden poem again. The last few lines will be inscribed upon my mind till I leave this world.

My brother and I stayed on for a week, clearing out the food (dry goods were donated to a food bank) and clothing etc. sorted and donated. Basically getting the house ready for sale. We laughed and were quiet when we'd trip over a memory. Of course, going through the day to day "stuff" was like trying to cross a mine field without incurring casualties. The most insignificant thing could trigger a cascade of emotions. The permanency of death was slowly descending upon us.

We left all the furniture in place so the house would "show" better. We interviewed a real estate agent and put it on the market.

The funeral home hadn't even gotten my dad's ashes to us when mom arrived on their doorstep. So we told them to hold onto them and when mom was done in the oven, put her ashes in with dad's.

Sorry about the oven comment but to this day "gallows humor" can creep out when I least expect it. It must be a sanity mechanism of one's brain...you can laugh or you can cry and I keep choosing to laugh when possible.

Gallows humor first appeared when my bro' and I were both home in late February of the same year because mom and dad had heart attacks together. Matching heart attacks as it were, how "cute".  (Taking a deep breath.) We were driving to the hospital in their car and my brother started making jokes about the whole situation which in turn, got me started and like so many rides home from my Aunt's after Thanksgiving, we were laughing hysterically at anything.

As we approached the hospital, my brother said we should probably appear more serious. I said, I agreed, we didn't want to appear to be horrid "children" to the nurses, laughing at the miserable state of affairs. (We, the "children", were in our late forties at that point.) On the way home, he said it was gallows humor.

What is gallows humor you ask? Per Wikipedia:  "Gallows humor is the type of humor that still manages to be funny in the face of, and in response to, a perfectly hopeless situation.^[1] It arises from stressful, traumatic, or life-threatening situations, often in circumstances such that death is perceived as impending and unavoidable." A perfect description!

That's pretty much it. Stopping for now. I may have a post or two down the road about further thoughts. Thank you for your patience, now go hug someone you love.

Saga Continues Post

My, I was quite the serious little blogger yesterday wasn't I? Sheesh! Somehow I can't be quite as serious today...I have to take it in small doses with a bit of time between sharing stories. So the tale of that period when my parents died will be resumed at a later date. It's just a little too intense to re-live so close to the holidays.

However, having just re-read my post, I'll go on a little further with my tale. Maybe it's because I'm listening to Pandora's R and B and Pop holiday music. Makes it hard to feel sad to that kind of music. Plus there's something about this saga that's begging to be told. Can't explain it...kind of a gut feeling, nagging at me. No guarantee how far I'll get.

Thus back to this little memoir.

Just so you know, we didn't stand my dad's casket up in the corner or slug back a shot in his honor. Lol! But the grieving began. There's no escaping it. Here I am, more than ten years later, with tears welling up and the memories are as clear as if it all happened yesterday.

My mom was in a wheelchair at the funeral and had the most vacant look on her face. Almost like she was watching a play. When we got back to the house she said she kept thinking it was all a bad joke. That any second my dad would pop his head in and with a twinkle in his mischievous Irish eyes say "Surprise". But he never did.

Per his wishes, my father was cremated. My brother and I hired the caretakers full time for my mom. He lived on the East coast and I on the West. My parents home was in the middle. As I said, I should have just stayed there, time is such a gift and gone so fast.

My brother tried to convince mom to live with his family so she wouldn't be alone. But try as he might, she wouldn't budge. With dad gone, I think the house and her memories were all she felt was left.

My husband was still the man I married (not the doltoid I divorced years later) and upon arriving home he had a trip to a bed and breakfast in Wales followed by a visit to my penpal in the Netherlands lined up. We were gone ten days. Wales is stunningly beautiful in Spring, the countryside soothed my aching heart. I would love to live there. The time with my friend in the Netherlands was just the icing on the cake of life. But the experience was short lived.

Upon returning to L.A., I called my mom to let her know we had returned from the trip.

A day and a half later she died in her sleep. Just 29 days after my dad. I was devastated. It was like she held on until she knew I was home safe and sound.

The funeral had to be delayed a week due to the Memorial Day holiday weekend. On the flight to mom's I was awfully disoriented. Discombobulated would be the perfect word to describe it. I even left my calendar with it's history of six months of pain, on the plane when I got off. I had documented all the trips to and from the Midwest. All gone...as quickly as my parents.

Siskel (R) and Ebert (L)

Deja vu. It was like a bad re-run of a crumby movie. "I'll give it two thumbs down Rodger". My brother once again swung into action. Okay, need to stop here, this little walk down memory lane will be continued.

On a lighter note, Laurie at Crazy Aunt Purl asked about chili recipes (12/7/11) so I sent her this one. My mom used to make something almost identical when I was growing up:

Shirley's Fantastic Ohio Chile (where my friend came up with the name, I'll never know)

1 lb. lean ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

1/2 - 1 green bell pepper, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, minced

salt and pepper to taste

1 can dark red kidney beans

1 can regular stewed tomatoes

1 can tomato sauce

dash chili powder/cayenne red pepper to taste

Brown meat. Drain fat (if any). Add onion and bell pepper and sauté lightly. Then add the rest of the ingredients. Simmer for 30 minutes, uncovered. Serve with chopped onions or sour cream or grated cheddar or all of the above, on top.

This recipe is easily doubled.         

Changing the subject yet again, this little blog had 162 visits on Monday, 119 of them from Slovenia. I almost fell over when I saw those numbers! Hello, and thank you for visiting!

While listening to Pandora radio, the male a cappella group Straight No Chaser came on singing Somewhere Over the Rainbow. Totally divine! I LOVE that group, they have such wonderful voices and their music arrangements are amazing! Have a look for yourself, I think you'll enjoy it.

Sorry this was so long. Thanks for reading!

Stop All the Clocks Post

The power outage still has over 9,000 people in the dark and cold. I know we're weather wimps here in California, but it's supposed to hit 38F (3.33C) tonight. That's cold!

Was thinking about the quote at the bottom of yesterday's post, then re-read the last paragraph about the permanency of loss and found myself floating back in time to the period when my parents died just 29 days apart. If only I knew then what I know now, I would have just moved in with them in the final months rather than agree to hire caretakers.

I had no real idea or understanding of the seriousness of their condition. The doctors glossed over it. My parents would just say "comes with the territory". I believed them and was lulled into a false safety zone. They were my parents...they "couldn't" leave. Life is so flaming fragile...I had no concept.

The end of April came and so did "the phone call". It was my brother. The doctor in the emergency room had called him since he had the medical power of attorney. My father had lapsed into a coma after another heart attack. The prognosis was bleak. We both knew (since he clearly told us more than once) that he had no desire to be put on life support. He was a strong believer in the quality of one's life vs. the length of it.

Afterwards, my brother told me that the doctor confided in him that he'd "never seen anyone so pissed" at death. He was enraged by it and that he couldn't will it away. Just like my Irish father to the bitter end. I always used to say "he may not be right, but he's never wrong". The following weeks were a numb fog.

My brother and I are so different. In times like that I fall to the earth like a dried leaf, where he instead, marshalls his forces. He took care of everything for the funeral. My dad was buried in a wooden coffin just as he'd wished. It was actually made by Hasidic Jews with no metal parts, only dowels and glue (according to the funeral director). I'm sure the director was not happy since the coffin cost only $600.00 (447.96 Euros). Most coffins today run into the thousands of dollars. It's a big business.

The casket was swathed in a rainbow of fresh flowers and not the "funereal" type. He'd found about half a dozen black and white photos of my dad from throughout his life, then framed them in an assortment of silver frames. Those sat among the flowers on the lower half of the coffin. It was amazing!

He read "Stop All the Clocks, Cut off the Phone" by W.H. Auden. It's a glorious poem, so perfect for the day. I read, "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost. It always symbolized my father's unique life. I also read Dylan Thomas' "Do Not Go Gentle Into that Good Night" because I felt it summed up my father from birth to death so perfectly. I sobbed through the whole thing.

A surprising number of people showed up at the funeral home. Apparently, everyone in small Midwestern towns reads the obituaries. Former employees and even his early morning coffee "buddies" from George Webb's made a visit.

We did not have any religious entity present because my father's wish along with the wooden box was to be stood up in the corner while everyone else had a party in his honor. So we kept it very simple. The family and close friends were invited back to my parent's house for an afternoon feast with food brought by friends, family and neighbors.

My brother seriously thought of handing out shots of whiskey to everyone there for a toast, but felt my mom might have a coronary, so he didn't. It was a very hard day. It didn't hit any of us, the permanence of death. As time passed, it settled in painfully.

To be continued in the next post....

Quiet Note Post

On a quiet note, I'd like to share three links with you. I hope you'll go visit them.

First is Corey Amaro's blog Tongue in Cheek. On her flight home from visiting family in California, her cousin suffered a pulmonary embolism and slipped into a coma. This is her latest post and my heart goes out to her.

Second, a commenter on her post today, shared this moving piece of music, I hope you enjoy it.

May you be surrounded by peace and love today. Find joy in every second you have with loved ones, life is so fragile and can vanish in a blink. The permanency of it can hit you harder than you ever imagined. Take nothing for granted. Share a smile with someone you don't know today.

Yesterday is history, tomorrow a mystery, today is a gift, that's why it's called the Present.

Laugh or Cry Post

Following my last post, I've been a bit embarrassed to write. I really try not to be a whiner. So I just hovered out there in blogland, trying to decide what to do or think or say. That's when I was reminded of Allie's blog, Hyperbole and a Half. She finally had a new entry...of course it was hysterical...

Disclaimer:  this is the part where I warn you to remember that I have a slightly warped and off-kilter sense of humor. Okay, you've been advised.

...I LOVE her blog. Her cartoon stories literally have me rolling on the ground! I've written about her blog in some previous entry that I can't find amongst my 400+ previous posts. Her most recent entry hit so close to home, that I just about choked as I laughed. Told you I've got an oddball sense of humor. But I could SO identify with this post. She's gotten over 4,000 comments on it!

It's amazing how many depressed people are out there! In a weird way, I felt better and was actually able to laugh at myself! Over time, I've learned that laughter is the greatest drug! I think I wrote of this before...there was a time in the late '70's when gold necklaces, bracelets and charms were the fashion craze. My friends and I "bought in".

Source:  Unknown/ Though kind of a nasty looking example.

One charm I remember was the theatre/drama masks of smiling/sad faces. I found it at a time when I could either laugh or cry and I chose to laugh. I'll never forget it. Unfortunately, I had to sell it with all my other gold (not much) last spring to pay part of my rent. But the thought always remained...laugh or cry. I chose to laugh (though not always the easy choice).

Hope you enjoy the link. Thank you to everyone who visits and reads my little blog, you are a gift.

Gobble, Gobble 2011 Part One

Happy Thanksgiving! I know the U.S. is one of the few countries to celebrate this holiday but I think it's a good one. This year, I'm listing just a few things that I'm thankful for, but first the day's news.

Apparently yesterday's experience took more out of me than I realized because I slept and slept. When I tried to get up, I felt like I'd been drugged and just dropped back into bed. Actually, it's one of the things I'm grateful for. I finally respect what my body is telling me and don't push past it. I honor and obey it's message. It took a long time to get here and lots of heartbreak, but the gift is peace and learning to release the strangling reins of "control".

Last year, when I decided to make my turkey on Friday, not Thursday, I was glad for my decision. It became my own little holiday, there was no rush, so I could spend Thanksgiving on myself. At about 3 p.m., I woke slowly from my mental haze laying there thinking that I was very fortunate. There is a roof over my head and it's not the one in my car. That was a big and very real fear all of last Spring. There is food in my fridge and I have a wonderful little companion.

When I finally got up, I looked out my window, the streets in this rental neighborhood, normally lined with cars, were bare and all rentals sat dark. Meaning everyone is off visiting family. But I have my little blog "family" around the world and for that I'm most grateful.

So, this afternoon, I'll be printing out the recipes I plan to use including the post about how I made last year's turkey. Plus, I found a delicious, super quick and easy recipe for Chocolate Sables at The Soup Addict which I plan to make. Have all the ingredients on hand! Perfect for giftie plates for neighbors.

Foodiewife, Debby over at A Feast for the Eyes had an excellent post for "make ahead" turkey gravy as well as how to make a smooth gravy to begin with. Even if you've already made your gravy, I suggest you check it out and bookmark it for the next turkey you cook. She's also been posting other holiday recipes and tips well worth reading!

Joanne, at Eats Well with Others has an incredible desert recipe that you must see! I'm not that ambitious at the moment and have no one to share it with but if you're looking for a treat to wow guests and family, this is it. Holy smokes, heaven in one dish. Won't tell you the recipe's name because you really have to visit her blog. Great photos too! As do all the other blogs I've mentioned.

This activity will be short-lived since I can barely keep my eyes open. Thus back to bed. I'll continue this post in a bit.

Recipe Land Post

If it hasn't become crystal clear to everyone who stops by my little blog, I love food and food blogs. But I'm also picky about which ones I frequent. Having searched the internet to find such sites as the 100 best food blogs which is put out once a year (by Time I think...?) I've found that a number of the sites mentioned are either the same old "popular" ones that I'm already aware of, or ones that have died off.

So when I came upon a button on "Frieda Loves Bread" (which is a very good recipe blog BTW) stating she was listed on the site "Very Good Recipes" I had to check it out. The author, Stephane did an incredible job with his site! One of the headings is "BIG list of food blogs". Holy cow! Jackpot! Not just a measly 100 sites, but over 100 pages of lists of blogs. My mind began singing a little ditty of "a-hunting we will go..." and I was off and running. As a challenge, I started with the last page, #113. 

Are you ready? Sitting down? I'm serious...there are 100 per page. This equals 11,300 sites!! Can you believe that? And I found it totally by accident! Such a happy accident. Not only that but he posts newly added blogs in the right column of his main page.

 

You can submit your food blog to be listed on the site. Here's how. You can also receive a crown depending on how many recipes you post per "kingdom". There are kingdoms for "each ingredient, dish, region or country". More how-to here. 

There's also a tab "World map of food blogs". Right now, 162 are listed on the world map which is updated every 20 minutes. He's also been working on a list of food blogs in French. The main page has recipes and links to that blog with a pic of the dish. These are not just itsy little fingernail size, but large postage stamp shapes. This is a very dedicated person.

So this winter, when you're snowbound or have cabin-fever, do yourself a favor and "get out of the house" via Very Good Recipes. You'll be happy you did!

Toussaint Post

Well, I lived through Halloween with no incident which makes me a happy camper. Actually, I didn't get myself out to the store to buy some candy till 3:15 p.m. yesterday. Then ran two more errands nearby,  getting back at about 5:45. I was actually tired so I lay down with ice on my knee for about an hour. No one rang the bell. By then, it was "safe" to turn on my Mac and watch some TV.

No one knocked on the door. At about 8 p.m. the "big" kids (teenagers) came out, a clear audio difference. High-pitched squeals of laughter and delight were replaced with louder, deeper voices teasing and taunting. Clearly the no porch light "rule" was understood by all.

So as I said, it was an evening without incident. Thank goodness. Must say though that you'd think I lived in a war zone the way I sound. I said a prayer last night for all the souls who really do live in fear for their lives even while they're in their own home as well as those who for whatever reason are without shelter. I can't even imagine....

Today is the Day of the Dead. A great holiday in my book. You can read my post about spending Nov. 1 in Italy in 2003, frankly the same feelings apply today, even thought it's years later.  I feel very fortunate to have been there and think I'll always remember that experience. This is also known as "All Saints Day"here and elsewhere. In France, it's name is "Toussaint". I found this out at Corey's blog, Tongue in Cheek, where she has some beautiful thoughts on the day.

May good memories bring you happiness today and the bad ones be forgiven and forgotten!

BellaKarma Post

Oh sure, just when I "kind of" talk myself out of the ripple afghan, Jill over at the BellaKarma blog posts pictures of even more colorful afghan goodness that she's working on...sigh.

Good grief, how totally CUTE and colorful!

Can't wait till she finishes it! She said she'd post the details plus how to handle all those pesky strands left when switching colors. They're such a pain. I have my own way or two but am always open to new and easier ideas! I really like her blog, there's a lot there to read, she's been writing since 2005 I seem to recall seeing somewhere (actually longer, I looked it up). She also has posts listed by category. (And she also dislikes Halloween...a woman after my own heart.)

Photo of her neighborhood, from her blog.

She lives in a totally different part of LA which sounds really wonderful. It's an old historic district near Disneyland. Love old neighborhoods that survive with new ones! It's amazing how "huge" LA is when you actually see where people live vs. you! So MANY different neighborhoods, each with its own "vibe".

 A finished Afghan being "claimed".

Do you have any yarn projects just begging you to start them? Or maybe a stash waiting to be re-assigned to something new? Go and check: www.ravelry.com.......you'll be happy you did! So very, very many ideas!!

Of course, saying this made me realize I hadn't checked on Ravelry lately, so I went over there and found that BellaKarma had "friended" me, so I wrote back and from there promptly got lost in the crochet patterns for an hour. I didn't dare check out knitting patterns!

Afterwards, I went back to working on my blog. But I noticed The Daily Corgi had a new post, so I popped in to see what was up and segued over to Facebook to vote for a Corgi, Bosco running for a spokespet contest. Do I know a spokespet for what? No, doesn't matter, it's a Corgi! Lol!

Needless to say, I got lost on Facebook for a while. Just joined a while back and still trying to figure out the whole point of it....

Hmm, would seem I lost my way in this post and meandered quite a bit this afternoon. Didn't mean to leave you dangling. Jill's blog, BellaKarma, is a delight, not only to read, but visually. The other thing is that it's not just about yarn, crochet or knitting, she blogs about a wide range things plus her kitters, Kali is such a cutie! She's a very engaging writer and may just have snagged me back into doing something with yarn :D Seriously, take a look at her blog, I think you'll enjoy it!

Added later:  Bosco, the Corgi won!

Bliss to Beef and Back Post

As you know if you've been here now and again, I am totally out of the knitting mode. Though I'm still trying to get myself interested in another pair of fingerless gloves I'm not having a lot of success. I am, however, tempted by crochet of late. Seems to go in streaks like this.

While surfing I've run across a few blogs that are tempting me. One in particular, Attic 24 is calling me, or maybe it's the author's picture of a bag full of Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino yarn in a rainbow of colors...drool...love that yarn!

*Source: Attic 24

Lucy, the author, is a woman after my own heart. She seems to love color! Her photos of the last dahlias of the year made me just melt. The colors were so vivid, so intense. There's a review of the book "Cute and Easy Crochet" which has a number of tempting projects in it.

Problem I'm having lately is that I can't bring myself to spend money on anything. It's a result I'm sure of having come so close to living in my car at the beginning of the summer. I can't justify spending any money on anything. Even food.

Costco is the only place to get steaks in So Cal that don't taste like cardboard. I used to buy a pack of four fillet mignons, freeze them and enjoy one a month. In the last year or two my beef consumption as a whole has shrunken to almost zero. It's just so expensive...even the "cheap" cuts. I mean, chuck roast at $3.99 a pound on sale? Even my purchases of fish have shrunk due to increased prices. Salmon, $9.99 a pound? About all I can justify is chicken which is often pretty cheap at Stater Brothers.

Last Friday, Von's had beef short ribs on special for $5.49...yikes! They're half bone for heaven's sake! I've never made them, but have collected some mighty tasty sounding recipes for them. Even beef shanks, that horizontal cut of leg meat with the marrow bone in the middle, costs $3.99. Used to find them at a small family owned chain grocery nearby for $1.79 on sale, but that closed when the company consolidated.

All these cuts of meat used to be the cheap ones. I don't even look at steak. The segue this post has taken is all due to the arrival in the mail of the Tuesday grocery circulars. Once again, nothing really on sale.

*Source:  Attic 24

Okay, enough about the cost of everything. Back to happier things like rainbow colors and flowers. As I was saying before the day's mail so rudely interrupted me, Attic 24 is really a nice blog. Lucy has a wonderful explanation for how to do a ripple aphgan, accompanied by excellent photos.

May just have to look through my stash and see what I can come up with that would require very little in the way of purchases to make the ripple. On the other hand, my brain and level of concentration don't have a lot of staying power as of late. So maybe I'll think about it for a few days before diving in.

*Note:  normally I get an author's permission before using any photos, but after searching Lucy's blog I can't find an email, so hopefully she won't wig-out that I used a photo or two, the post was after all, about her blog and wonderful eye for color. You should stop and visit her in her 100 year old house in the UK!

Beyond the Pumpkin Post

After my post about being "pumpkin-ed out" before we even got to Halloween, I did find some nice new (to me) food blogs as well as some combo (food and life) sites that I thought you might enjoy. Karen at the Soup Addict has some wonderful posts and recipes. Being a soup lover and one of my favorite things to make, I was drawn in by the name of her blog. She has other recipes too, not just soups.

For example, I found a solution to my quandary about making pies or cobblers for my neighbors as a thank you. A whole pie just seemed a bit over the top, plus, I wanted some of it too. A missing slice out of a pie would be too noticeable. Her "Tiny Pies" are the perfect solution! I'll just substitute my peach filling for the one in her recipe. What a perfect idea.

Her photos are also beautiful. I also liked her recipe for Egg Pouches. They're so cute...poached eggs that look like Chinese dumplings!

Another really good site is the Snippets of Thyme blog. Sarah's blog had me lost in it for over an hour with lots of recipes and gorgeous photos. Her family travels and has lived in many places, her blog is peppered with those tales a pictures and I have to say she's an engaging writer. Her post just before their trip to Ireland was for Irish Split Pea and Ham Soup which I now have on the brain with about 20 other things I want to make! Sigh.

Lastly, there's Rocky Mountain Woman. Her blog has a little of everything...recipes, woodsy photos and a house she's building in Utah. She even had the first Mac and Cheese recipe to ever entice me to contemplate making it! That's a big deal because I usually just blow by most M and C recipes. Of course, it could be I'm just hungry. Lol! Enjoy!

Apres Vacation Post

*Warning:  Quite Long........... This is what happens when one takes a writing vacation...I had time to think and ruminate. Thoughts build up! What can I say?

My info has Elizabeth receiving her first Corgi, Susan, when she was 18 in 1944.

While enjoying my time away from this little blog, I wound up cleaning the backlog of partially written and unpublished posts. The files are so much neater now. It's funny, but when I look back through entries, I really enjoy my blog! Maybe it's because I still write it primarily just for me and if anyone wants to go along for the ride, that's great! I appreciate it!

Life is short and each year as we get older, we can forget the small memories, experiences and realizations. Those tiny personal discoveries that one will never remember in a few days. This is especially true when one is under stress. There is so much that went on during my five year divorce that I'd never remember had I not written about it.

There's a great tendency when you're going through something like a divorce (or serious illness or death of a loved one) to start dwelling only on that. I saw that happen in the first two to three years. Though you may not have seen all those posts, writing about what was going on enabled me to see where I was  stuck in ruts of negativity and not moving on.

The fact that I didn't want this blog to become a "wailing wall" but rather a means to grow and get through the experience meant I actually had to "look" at my thoughts. If you throw a party only to moan and whine all through it, guests will leave early and no one will ever return! It provided a rudder that helped keep me on a more even keel. How's that for an old cliche?

I know I write about the mundane, everyday things that go on in life, but maybe that's what we need in this crazy world. Are people able to "stop" and reflect anymore? Time to be just with themselves and contemplate their hopes and dreams as well as the boring stuff too. So many people seem disenfranchised, so lonely. I'd comment further on how the political climate, lawyers and bankers, etc. and the economy they created are not helping this, but you know I try not to talk politics or get on my soapbox.

See, even the Queen is disturbed by it all. Sorry, you know I have an odd sense of humor ;)

So maybe in some way, reading my blog lets me into that rarified air of reflection. Though I try not to look at the stats, when I do and see I've had visitors, I'm tickled. It makes me smile. To those who leave comments, thank you! You all confirm that sometimes what I think is just everyday life may possibly be a little escape from your own world. Time you've given yourself for "you". For me, it's an honor to have you take time out of your day to stop by!

I really think this is why I like blogging. When I see the various countries listed, it intrigues the "pen pal" in me (I've written about this before).  My wee vacation from the Grey House Journal was enjoyable. I was getting stale and boring...even for me!!

Yup, that's life. The ennui of it can make you very one dimensional among other things. Take a break/vacation, however short, it's sooooooo worth it! Even if you don't go anywhere, you come back refreshed and energized. It's been so long since I consciously took a vacation, I'd forgotten what it felt like! Quite amazing.

Of course, being away didn't stop me from surfing the net where I found a number of things including Joanna Goddard's blog, A Cup of Jo. There's tons of stuff to see there. Unfortunately, she mentioned how addicting Pinterest is. This is not the first time I've heard Pinterest associated with the word "addicting" in the same sentence. Up until now, I resisted the urge to look.

So I looked. Holy Smokes! Big mistake! It's like visual crack (sp?). I may be going there for a permanent home since I essentially have had a Pinterest-like file labeled Inspiration in my documents before my Macbook went over rainbow bridge and took everything with it.

I can really see the use for this site. You won't loose your "love this" pics and so on if your computer croaks plus all those photos won't suck up space on the hard drive. Another plus, you'll be able to remember where you found the gem! I try to note where I found something but I'm not always successful and then when I want to go back and refer to it, I'm lost. 

Oh dear. Another thing to do on top of a way to store my photos on the net, not just my computer. Of course once I get the hang of it, I'm sure it won't eat up any more time than my own versions.

Since I'm talking about everyday life and the mundane I have to share these videos with you. I love this one with Queen Elizabeth and one of her Corgis. It's such a collision of worlds! QE dressed to the nines, tiara, long white gloves and all, sitting in what looks like a bathroom, teasing her Corgi into tug of war with her white fur wrap and then her gloves! Just love the dogs and to see the Queen as a regular old dog-lover is just priceless! Despite all the pomp and circumstance, the joy in day to day life can be found in the mundane...and for everyone on this planet, even a queen. Maybe it's what helps keep us sane....

Then there's this with Queen Elizabeth taking her pack for a walk in her "backyard" lol! You won't understand the announcer, but words aren't needed! Lastly, Queen Elizabeth boarding her plane for Balmoral with her pack. I love how some won't go along with the plan to go up the steps...so they get carried! Corgis aren't stupid, plus they don't know a queen from a commoner...lol! The Queen can be quite silly with her Corgis and I don't blame her! Probably keeps her in balance :)

Yes Mum, I work for the Queen! No, I don't do that or that. No that either. Let's just say she is my employer and let it be at that. Okay, okay....fine, I'm a member of her personal staff. No, not that, that either or that. I'm one of her Corgi Carriers. Yes, that's what I said Mum. Oh Mum, please stop laughing and crying at the same time! I didn't ask to be sent through law school. No, tell Dad I'm not a disappointment. Mmmummm....
Well, yes, I do have to carry a little clean-up/pick-up kit. Really Mum, please stop crying! They're very loving little dogs though these've been known to nip at people once in a while. Mum, they're a herding breed. No Mum, that doesn't make me a shepherd! 

Found this tidbit (here) about her Corgis' diet:  "The daily menu for the corgis is typed up and posted on the kitchen wall.  Some days the corgis have chuck steak, and other days there is poached chicken or liver or rabbit.  The meat is chopped up and mixed with boiled cabbage and white rice.  Besides fixing this yummy food for the dogs, the royal chefs also bake buttered scones to serve the Queen every day at tea.  Except she never eats these.  She gives them to the dogs instead."

This last week was in the 100's (37-38's C) so you missed my quacking about the heat :D...checked the gardenias in the backyard...more than two dozen blooms on it now! That's the most I've ever seen since I moved in!

Found more ripe tomatoes and finally tried some. In previous years, their flavor hasn't been all that great. Holy cow! Here I'd been giving them all away! Re-sowing their seeds must do something...because, while they are just as tough on the outside, this year they taste like "tomato heaven"!!! I almost fell over!  I do have other thoughts as to why, but, we won't go there....

So thank you for all your visits and for your patience while I took a little time off. You should try it, I highly recommend it! Wishing you happiness and peace. xox

P.S. Source of all photos is right here.