keljonma's Front Porch - Settling in and adjusting

[keljonma]

Had a great time yesterday with Jon and Erin. They left this morning. TR and I found we are "semi-addicted" to a board game called Ticket to Ride, which they brought with them to kill some time.

We've had great blueberry harvesting so far - but only a few berries at at time, so we had 2 each yesterday morning with breakfast.

We are hot, humid and temps are at 90 today. Austin, TX is at 99 according to the news. It looks like J&E are in for a hot ride home.

TR is working this week-end, I'm just doing church and housework.

Have fun!

 

[keljonma]

Harvest updates....

We have started harvesting some of our runner beans, but will same the majority for dried, I think.

The lima beans are just starting to pop out, so no harvest yet.

We got another dozen blueberries this morning, but I think the birds ate most of the berries from the other bush.

Some of the amaranth is already over my head - I'm 5' tall - and almost all have golden flower/grain heads starting. It looks like we might have a good amaranth harvest.

The buckwheat has been covered with bees, and is started to produce fruit. It is hard to say at this point how much we will have for harvest.

The marigolds, nasturtiums, purslane and red onions are growing well too. I found some of the flax is actually blossoming now, but it is not filling the 20' x 3' area we had planted as flax. There are some sunflowers, but not as many as we originally planted....

We are finally getting blossoms on the tomatoes (from the replanted seeds), so maybe we will get some harvest this year.

The basil is about 1/2 inch high, but the rest of the herbs are doing well. My friend Pat gave me 1 1/2 pounds of basil today, as her basil is growing like weeds.

There are a LOT of Queen Anne's Lace in the yard near the bee hive. Since the QAL flower heads have blossomed, it seems like we have less large black ants in the yard, however, the sunflowers are covered with them. Last year my beek club friend Rosalma told me she puts the QAL flower heads on the inner cover of her hives to keep the ants out, so I am trying this now.

Jon and Erin had an uneventful trip home. Erin is back to work now at St. Edwards University. Jon is still on vacation until Monday.

TR is off work today, so we stopped and did some chores at church but for the most part, just got things done at home. This Sunday is WOW at the Lake and TR and I are on the team for set up. Afterward is the church potluck.

Monday is our anniversary, and so far we are planning a quiet romantic evening at home (after TR is done working, that is).

Have fun!

 

[keljonma]

Just finished an EXCELLENT book

The Immortal Life of HEnrietta LAcks by Rebecca Skloots.

This book is about bio-ethics, and the true story of HeLa cells (taken from Henrietta Lacks) and how that effected her family and the world population. These cells multiply very quickly, and that is why they are called "immortal". They have been cultured since the 1950's to help scientists and doctors find cures for many health issues, including polio.



Edited to correct book title.

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

Sounds like an interesting read! i might see if my library has it, or can get it!

 

[keljonma]

Sounds like an interesting read! i might see if my library has it, or can get it!

I know our library (Henderson Memorial) has the book and the book unabridged on CD, as well. I think your library could get it through the Ohio Libraries Loan Program.

The author, Rebecca Skloot, spent a decade researching before the book was written/published. She became friends with the family members, so there is a great deal of science, but also the personal perspective as well.

 

[keljonma]

Food preservation update:

Dehydrated/Dried:
basil
dill seeds
blueberries

Frozen:
blueberries
beans
pesto
pistou
zucchini bread

Canned:
pickled beets
strawberry jam
blueberries

In Process:
watermelon rind pickles
more basil


Thunder and lightening with quite a bit of rain last night. Still, temps are at 93 this morning and weather forecasts are predicting with the heat index, temps will feel like 99 today and tomorrow!!

I was hoping to work the bees today, but NOT with the temps that high! Wednesday I sat down on the swing and put my left arm on the back of the swing. I was trying to position myself a bit better to watch the bees. There are wildflowers growing behind the swing. Ironically, in trying to watch the bees, my arm squished a honey bee, as I got stung near my arm pit. She was probably on one of the wildflowers, and I stupidly wasn't paying attention. My arm has a little red spot, which was terribly itchy yesterday, but doesn't seem to be bothering me today.

This morning I dropped TR off at work and then spent 3 hours cleaning the church kitchen. I had to get it done before the heat set in for the day, as the kitchen is one of the warmest rooms in the church. I didn't get everything done that needed to be done, but got 3 cupboards completely cleaned out and organized.

I'm very thankful that the temps are supposed to cool off to the upper 80s by Sunday.

Last night TR and I attended the WOW at Roaming Shores team meeting. I am working the refreshment stand with Cheryl (handing out free coffee, hot or iced tea, bottled water, donuts, muffins) and then after worship service is over, I will help to set up the potluck buffet in Laurie's kitchen. TR will be helping with traffic and parking and then will be an "outdoor host", which means he will walk among the people sitting out in the yard, on the stair-steps to the dock, and on the unenclosed patios and bringing them drinks.

The WOW service starts at 10:30, but we have to be at Laurie and Don's by 9 to help with set up. That means we will miss the 8:30 service at the church, which is my favorite. :/ Oh well, the service at Roaming Shores is wonderful too.

I still haven't figured out what to make/take for the potluck lunch after the service. Our computer got zapped with lightening during our last big storm (even though it was on a fairly new surge protector), so I don't have access to most of my recipes. I am at the library in search of an inspiration. I could make something or other with zucchini!!

TR has the week-end off, and we are hoping that we will be able to get down to meet up with the group from SS......


Have fun! Stay cool!

 

[keljonma]

Temps this week-end were in mid 90s with heat index of 100. Sunday morning it poured rain like made. By Monday the low temp was down to 64 and the high was 84. Perfect sleeping weather at night and the humidity dropped considerably after all the rain.

Because it rained, the WOW service at Roaming Shores was moved from the dock to inside the house. The praise band set up in the small enclosed porch and the congregation in the large enclosed porch, dining room and living room. Some people sat outdoors on chairs set up in the yard, under golf umbrellas that were provided.

In June, there were 160 people that attended the WOW service at Roaming Shores - weather was absolutely perfect then. The weather was so bad (hard long rain) on Sunday, attendance wasn't expected to be high. The count ended at 80 - which I thought was pretty good considering.

There was a ton of food for the potluck after the service. Pat roasted a turkey (she was freezer cleaning), Laurie made some spaghetti, Kathy made some pesto pasta salad, someone made Cajun shrimp skewers, Lisa made some chicken kebabs. We had one table for salads, one for main dishes and one for desserts. There were very few leftovers.

I made Peach Streusel Bars (recipe to be posted at another time as I don't have it with me now), which were a huge hit. I made 4 pans of them, and sent the last 20 pieces home with Laurie and Don's neighbors.

We sat next to Mindy and Pat during lunch. Mindy's dad, Fred, has cancer throughout his body (brain, hip, prostrate), but the tumor that is in the neck of his brain keeps growing back (after repeated rounds of surgery, chemo, radiation). He has been sick for over a year now. Fred owns a large farm where he produces grapes for a local winery. Mindy says they won't really have a harvest this year because the late frosts got the grapes. But the chores still need to be done (setting posts right, trimming, mowing, etc), so TR has offered to help Mindy with them. TR is working all this week and only has Friday off; but this Friday Fred will undergo more surgery for this particular tumor on the neck of his brain. So we are praying for him. I ask that you please keep Fred (and his family) in your prayers and thoughts.

There is one more WOW service at Roaming Shores, Sunday August 29 at 10:30. TR has to work that week-end, so we aren't signing up to work on the team.

For our anniversary we had pork loin chops with pearl onions cooked in a white wine sauce served with Caesar Salad. I made a pineapple cake with cheese cake frosting. I mixed some Nutella in a bit of the frosting to use for decorating the cake. The chocolate hazelnut spread was really a good mix with the cream cheese frosting.

After dinner, TR and I looked at old pictures from our rehearsal dinner, wedding and reception, and our honeymoon (Boston/Cape Cod). Then we looked at all the brochures I had saved from the places we visited (Mayflower, Plymouth Plantation, Sturbridge Village, etc). We had a great time talking about the "old days". We were sooo young and thin back then!

We didn't go to the Beek Association meeting on Saturday, as we were running errands.

The bees have been very busy and soon I need to check the honey supers again.

One of the local beeks (30 hives for the past 10 years) had honey for sale this week-end (buckwheat, locust, clover, and infused lavender). We didn't buy any but did have a great discussion with her.

Well, the library is about to close, so I better wrap this up.

Have fun!

 

[keljonma]

Got a pound of rhubarb from Fred (a local farm friend) for $2; elsewhere locally it is selling for $4 per pound. Froze it for future use.

Dehydrated some sage and some more basil.
Dried some scarlet runner beans for winter use.

Got a huge packet of pics from Erin and Jon from their vacation with us. They sent some great ones. I might take them over to Walgreens and get them put on a disc.

Did I mention that the computer has been zapped by lightening, so we are completely without a computer at home. I have no access to anything on the hard drive....so I may have to take it to the local computer doctor to see if they can't download my genealogy, farm/ss/diy files, garden layout files, bee journal, animal medicine and herbal remedies files, not to mention the past 10 years of photos to a separate drive. Yes I have backed up some files, but the newest files I have on disc are a month old, so I have missed a lot of pics. I am totally bummed out. The two books I was in process of writing and almost all my recipes are on that computer too. And I had just finished putting all my grandmothers' and mom's recipes on that thing! The guy at the computer doctor said that the surge protection bar should have prevented this. I am pouting big time here, so please just ignore my rant. ... .... ...

I spent the morning pulling poison ivy, broken glass, old aluminum cans, and discarded roof shingles from the front garden. I was hoping to transplant some yarrow in there today. But there is still a bunch of garbage and PI in there. It is supposed to rain tonight (severe weather headed our way), so I probably won't get to it again until Friday.

After gardening, I went to the Mary/Martha Circle at church, where we tied a quilt, batting and backing together. Pauline took it home today to finish it up. Next week we will start putting together another quilt top with batting and backing.

Today the M/M Circle donated 6 prayer shawls to families on the prayer chain. It is time to make some more, I guess.

I have 10 chickens knitted that need filled and assembled. I have 1 teddy bear completed and 6 more knitted that need filled and assembled.

After TR got home from work we harvested some blueberries and had them for a snack.

The bees are very busy. In the hour I sat by the hive from 4 to 5 pm, there were 25 drones that flew into the hive. They sound like B52's compared to the workers, and with their large bodies and eyes, they are very easy to spot. The girls have been bringing in white and yellow pollen. The yellow is very abundant, and the pollen baskets look like saddle bags.

I love the smell of the hive and could sit there for hours....


Well, I best get a move on so TR and I can get home and have some dinner. Pesto pasta with veggies tonight.

Have fun!

 

[framing fowl]

So sorry about your computer. That stinks. Hopefully the computer gurus will be able to get your info off of it.

I didn't know you were an author. How far along were your books?

I love your new avatar btw!

 

[Quail_Antwerp]

I hate it when computers get sick. I wish they sold a pill to fix them.