Big Storm in August
That was the view from my deck on a sunny summer morning. Wow.
Tree crew adds its own drama.
Readers, the tree stump is still in the ground, waiting for the final crew to come by and take it out. I hope the stump removal has little or no drama.
In the meantime, two lengthy power outages in the last year have made us a little more aware of what we need in terms of an emergency kit. Finding these photos on my phone reminds me: buy batteries. Keep the phone charged. Etc., etc.
I had this in my archives, so I looked it up in the hopes that my overabundance of pears would work in the recipe. I diced the ripe pears, pulled a container of strawberries out of the freezer, and then baked. The original recipe called for a can of fruit, so why not fresh? Why not, indeed; pears and strawberries made a perfect combination.
Quick and Easy Fruit Cobbler
1/2 stick butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour (or 1/2 cup all-purpose and 1/2 cup wheat flour)
1 1/2 tsps baking powder
1 cup milk
1 can canned fruit, undrained
1. Preheat oven to 350 F.
2. Melt butter in an 8×8 baking dish (can be done in the oven or microwave).
3. In a separate bowl, mix together sugar, flour, baking powder, and milk.
4. Pour batter over melted butter in baking dish.
5. Pour fruit over the batter.
6. Optional: For added crunch, crumble granola on top.
7. Bake for 45 minutes.
Don’t worry. We will rebuild!
I put this pot back together and it’s growing just fine, thank you very much. It’s not so easy when the tipped plant looks like this.
No raccoon pulled this over!
I did this list making task in May. Now it’s October, and the weather’s been lovely, so I’m out in the dirt after school or after supper before the sun goes down.
Let’s see: Done or Ta-Dah!
And to do:
And I suppose there is a list I could call keep on doing:
Got it? I think so. Good.
It’s happening again, dear readers. A coworker and close friend starts radiation today to treat breast cancer. She’s a very strong woman, and the entire office is throwing our moral support her way.
Remember the Lions of the Valley project? More than a few years have passed since The Lion King made its appearance in our fair city. Here is one example of creativity and caring. Another friend and coworker teamed up with another artist friend to decorate this fiberglass lion. The lion’s title is lengthy, but straight to the point: Breast Cancer Survivors: Not an Endangered Species.”
It’s now several years later, and the lion is still pink, I think. It’s been moved from its former sponsor to a hospital’s entrance, and the pictures have been painted over. I’m a little sad about that. It was the humanity of the design that made it work for me. But in any case, the lion still lives, and so do many multitudes of those who had breast cancer. Had. Past tense.
Did I mention that I know four of the women pictured on the lion? Eat your heart out, Jeff Probst — these women are the real survivors.
Folks, believe me, there will be updates. Today we switched roles; I worked in the kitchen all day and my dear darling husband, a.k.a. “Chuck,” worked in the garden. I made pizza from scratch, watched the Packers beat the Lions, and went to a furniture shop at halftime. Meanwhile, Chuck got out his tools and built a new garden area out of repurposed boards. Photos to follow, folks.
It’s getting cool at night. I am gradually clearing out those plants that are no longer thriving. The dill met its end last weekend. Next? The herbs may need to come inside for the winter. The tomatoes and peppers are still producing, so I’ll leave them alone until there is threat of a killing frost.
Meanwhile, I made more pear sauce tonight and canned it in my newly found 12 oz. jars. Yum!
And one more meanwhile – It’s off to the neurologist Monday afternoon for me. This is the first appointment in six months. I hope she’ll pronounce me healed, mostly. I have very few symptoms, almost none, and I’m quite a bit stronger than I was last time I saw her.
So, my faithful friendly readers, all is well at the O.K. Chorale. Photos of the garden expansion are still on my camera. You’ll be the first, or almost the first, to see.
So meanwhile, leave a comment and let me know what you’re doing!
Even a virtual teacher knows when the weather changes, so does behavior.
Even a teacher of online classes knows that storms stimulate craziness.
And on this crazy Friday, not a 13th of anything, not adjoining a vacation or even close to a full moon, either, we had a Teacher Friday. It started with a surprise for a coworker who heads into radiation for breast cancer next week. We all wore custom pink tee-shirts in her honor. Even the manliest of men on the staff bought and wore the bright pink with pride. And yes, readers, she wiped away a tear when she realized what we’d done.
It ended with teachers getting punchy and sharing quotes by building email. People, we couldn’t make this stuff up if we tried.
From teacher of 2nd and 3rd grade:
I just had a parent email me whose child is being benchmarked by Ms. W right now. She referred to Ms. W. as “The Reading Assessor.”
I wonder if that’s like a tax assessor? As long as she’s not a tax collector, we should be okay.
From a middle school teacher trying to help a student navigate the resources of the virtual school system:
Teacher: You can’t find the rubrics?
KID: What are rubicks?
Teacher: Go into the section message board.
KID: Aaaahhh, ummmm
Teacher: Do you know which icon to click on?
KID: Yeah. The pushpin thumbtack like thing.
ME: Great! Click on that.
KID: Ok.
ME: Are you in the section message boards?
KID: No, I’m at home.
Honestly, people we can’t make this up. Happy Friday, have a great weekend, and may the rain help your garden grow for a little bit longer. Monday will be here all too soon.
Amigo is a news junkie and a very creative young man. We’ve put him in charge of most of the research needed for our Eating the Opponent Packers Series. The other North Central Division teams make this a challenge because the Packers play them twice a year. I should have said AT LEAST twice a year, that is, because there’s always the possibility of a grudge match meeting in the wild card games.
Well, back to the question. Green Bay plays Detroit on Sunday. Amigo suggested we bounce off of the topic of Detroit’s bankruptcy and serve pork and beans, Depression style. Hm. Must think on this. It could work. Maybe.
I’ll let you know.
I’m bringing in tomatoes and peppers every day, but I’m still watering the plants left behind because they’re still producing (quite a bit of) fruit.
I’m pruning the tomato plants so the water and sun can go into the leaves and stems that are still growing and still producing. Meanwhile, I’m searching for a source that will sell me garlic bulbs to plant now. Now, I tell you. Not next May. And since no one in town seems to carry garlic for planting, I’m reduced to ordering online.
I’m also cleaning up some of the container gardening. The flowers are gone to that great compost bin, the potting soil is piled in a corner of the plot behind the garage, and the empty drawers that played host to impatiens all summer now sit under the mock cherry tree. If the drawers survive the winter, I’ll plant in them again. If they rot, they’ll go in the garbage.
We’re giving thought to getting a sunlamp for the herbs that winter indoors. There’s never enough sun, even though the shelves sit in a window bay with Southern exposure. The thyme and oregano struggle through the season until it’s time to put them out again in spring. Last year the thyme and rosemary didn’t make it; basil was hopeless. If we provide artificial lighting, we’ll have fresh herbs for cooking all winter and strong plants to move outside in the spring. Worthwhile, we think.
The office slash guest room is taking shape. We can almost use La Petite’s old closet as our own, thanks to purging for the August garage sale. We found a daybed at a reasonable price, and we may buy it later this week.
As long as the weather holds, I will keep at the garden tasks one week at a time. When the first true killing frost shows up in the forecast, any tomatoes large enough to ripen will come indoors. Now that, my friends, will be a picture to behold.
Readers, let me know. How are you handling the autumn season? Any plans for next spring, or is it too early?
Actual (almost) conversation while watching a cooking show
Daisy: those are really random ingredients for the mystery box. It’s almost like real life. It’s almost like — a pantry raid!
Chuck: That’s it! The real working mom’s Mystery Box is the refrigerator!
We discussed the funny options on a true to life reality show. The chief cook and bottle washer comes home from work, has an hour to make supper, and in the refrigerator he or she finds… what?
I’d look to the table, which is so covered with tomatoes that we have to clear space in order to set out the plates. Peek into the meat drawer, check out the bread rack – yes! BLTs!
But what about sides? There’s a half-empty jar of tart applesauce. And those carrots – no, we still have a rabbit to feed. Ah-ha! I pulled a banana bread out of the refrigerator last night to make room for some frozen corn. BLT, applesauce, and banana bread. And at the risk of overdoing the tasty fall harvest theme, rhubarb-apple crisp for dessert.
I skipped the applesauce. I’d already had some for lunch.
And then, just because I could, I made a batch of sourdough bread in the bread machine. Yum.
Eat your hearts out, Food Network. Don’t get too jealous, but my kitchen is where the real Master Chefs hang out, and we know our mystery boxes.