Flowers

A new neighbor has started a business called
Bloomchick

Flowers delivered about an hour ago

Krynn

thank you....

Something New and just added an update

First
a memory picture
I just found
and to think they are now teenagers
and rarely spend the night with grandma
any more :(
can this really be just about 11 or 12 years ago.   My how we all change

Flax Seed Oil (good since seeds I use get caught in my teeth)
Oil Pulling  (did years ago and stopped, will say using coconut oil helps my dry mouth)
Calcium pill at night...suppose to help you sleep better
Oldest daughter seeing a specialist and these are some recommendations.
Now for 2 nights took Calcium pill before going to bed and did sleep better but may have been
because I was very tired :)  My over the counter is Calcium plus Magnesium.

I am so pleased with the view I have of my garden from every window, do not think ever
I witnessed so many blooms

I thought the market was grilling today, made a special trip but seems not so.   Bought a small steak
the best you can buy.  Need the calories and the treat
Plan on trying the new small George Foreman grill I just bought.  Would love to cook outside
on the charcoal grill but one small steak is not wise.

Made 2 small stuffed potato's, sour cream, butter, mashed potato, some cheese and sprinkled
my chives on top.

Last night made another jello salad that was made for probably over 50 years and children loved it.
One Lime Jello and one Lemon with Pineapple, cottage cheese and sweetened condensed milk.
Last week made the Orange Jello with Mandarin Oranges and Pineapple and was a nice snack all
week

Will add a yellow squash and zucchini to my meal in a while  and still want to make Nan's  Sweet German Chocolate Brownies,
 maybe this evening it will happen.....

Thankful
weather is a little cooler.

update

My meal looked so good, small grill worked good, meat tender
but
with Shingles affecting gums severely could not chew the steak, could a few really small pieces
So baked potato, veggies and Jello was good with an Orange Cookie still here.

I will say
that if anyone reading my words has not had a Shingle Shot
please get one
I did not and thought I was safe
but with a bad extraction the Shingles surfaced - now 4 months.

Met someone at the market that in the past helped me with trees
he said he had them on his face and took 8 months to go away :(

Relax

Relax is what I need to do
and why is it so difficult

still having a problem with my images.   I want them to go to picture file and they go to
Picasa and do not come up.  Need to get off of computer but information came up that a
firewall was in affect ?

Walked with walker on drive and so wanted to venture off into the surrounding gardens
but did not dare.   Did deadhead lillies that I could reach.

Tomorrow would like to make Nan's " Baker's Sweet German Chocolate Brownies"  Makes a 7 x 7 pan
and looks so easy for me, she shared she could mix by hand or a wisk, my kind of recipe.

It seems my doctor left where I go in local town and another back from vacation and no openings for 3 weeks, a new one that I have appointment with next week.

At one time no changes and everything was good and remained the same
but not anymore.

Read somewhere
"nothing remains the same"

a beautiful card (looks like me gardening: with special words from my Laurie in Tampa.

Orchids and Orange Cookies

Life by the woods continues peaceful
but seems I never stop.

Orchids love the old chop block this was not my choice for them but seems to be where
they grow the best with no problem.

New bloom of a sickly sale plant I rescued

this orchid beautiful and on sale 3 years ago, have to look up name and it has never bloomed again.

This is the bloom when purchased.   A beauty and so unusual.....
Online with information on this Orchid tells me it needs more watering then my other plants that I water once a week.   Also should re pot, keeping moist.
Now re potting is something I have  never done with my Orchids, since all are doing well
did not want to try this.

Unusual name "Papn. Raisin Pie" is the name of this unusual looking Orchid

Heat continues but determined later when it cools
to make "Nan's Orange Cookies" who writes from "Letters from a Hill Farm"
use many of her recipes.

Cooking

Started this morning after breakfast.
A long weekend and heat index upper 90's (do not like)
the best first corn at the market yesterday, cut off of the cob (was difficult)  and fried in old iron skillet like in the old days.
and to think I use to fill freezer with 50 bags every summer. for many years.

Before this made pineapple upside down cake, been a long time - so simple
and was difficult to flip iron skillet - but did it.

then orange jello with pineapple, Mandarin oranges and always stirred in Dream Whip when
jello started to congeal.   My family liked this through the years and made something similar
with Lime jello
Tasty and light in this very warm weather.

Fried some chicken, soaked it in butter milk a while before egg, flour, and egg flour again
then fried in an iron skillet, so good.

Opened last jar of Blue Lake Green Beans shared with me by a friend who had canned them
so I have enough to eat for several days.

Kitchen cleaned, tired and the whole time making this thought of my corn bread and mashed
potato's :)

All of this work was worth it.

Busyness

A favorite just bloomed.

Searching old cook books and my recipe books for old favorites made in the past.
Seems I am hungry just for my food.

Trip to market and have wanted a Butternut Squash,  Broccoli and Mushrooms. needed Avocado, a Lemon, Lime and
Orange jello for recipes with fruit and whip cream that I made when my children were growing up.   Also thoughts of a
Pineapple Upside Down cake, so simple and tasty, surely I can do this.

Also pulled out recipe for Alfredo Fettuccine, my crust less Quiche and would love to create
a fish Taco - he place in Nashville my son took me too, fish taco so good and has closed.

Seems Nashville is booming, construction on every street, loved this town I lived in years ago
now cannot drive there (too far) everything has changed and so many good small places their to eat.
Hoping in another couple of weeks when my driver is better we can take off for 1/2 a day.
Or I can meet my daughter half way and go into the big city.

Hoping this weekend I can make some of these dishes.
All of these creative cooking ideas, now need the energy to fulfill these thoughts

Something weird has happened, I always download my images from camera to a photo file
it seems to have disappeared and a lot of pictures that are not mine have appeared in my file.
and have deleted many......really do not have time for this:)

And my computer family has no time to help me......

Need to take trash off
trying to do a lot that I have not been doing
being careful..

Hot Days

Super hot days continue through June, July and August.  Inside a lot,,,
Morning walk
and seems a good size snack has taken up residency around the house,
last night resting on steps

I know he eats a lot of things not desired here, but still not attached to him or her.


Day lillies are blooming, they do not last long.

A long time since I made Jello with  fruit.  Refreshing in
this hot weather
an addition of pineapple, peaches and banana
was good...

Aging in place
still seems like a good idea
just a lot of maintenance here by the woods.

Seems I have not lowered my standards as my son suggested on his visit :)

Thank you to my Jamie
spending yesterday with me - a lot of errands taken care of.

A New Day

Early Sunday after an omelette, put on an apron that my mother made for me years ago.  Apron
has 3 big pockets in front, I put my phone, camera and clippers in the pockets.  This apron
out of blue jean material and she embroidered a big red E on the front.
So many items in this cottage she hand made for me and so thankful, keeps me ever close to her.

I walked a little with walker, water in a basket (a lot with me :) and could not do what I wanted, wanted to step into to smaller flower garden,
and weed, cannot do.

Inside and My aunt Lucille's banana bread I have wanted to bake, was given this recipe about
50 years ago, my girls have it and has been posted in the past and past on to many.

Put everything on the counter and finally at 1:30 it was ready to pour into 2 loaf pans.
Kitchen a mess
but so worth it
turned out so good....

Rain started about an hour ago.

Daily on deck, in garden is a male Scarlet Tangier.   He is beautiful and have not been able
to get an image

 Also Humming Birds number many in front and back of this cottage
at the feeders.

Something continual with computer
all of images I take in a photo file
now cannot pull up and going to Piccsa
and seems a number of pictures - not mine
are in my file ?
Do not like continual problems
but still enjoy my computer.

Later in the Day

So very pleased to drive to market again today - solo.

Enjoying rereading my books about Tuscany.  A dream of mine that never happened, that's OK
when I reread these books it is though I am there.   I see the flowers, trees, taste the wine and olive oil, pasta, different types of cheese and special sauces
and all the special foods they prepare and are favorites of mine.

My son and daughter tell me, "always buy the best Olive Oil that is available."

Prepared stir fry, a simple quick meal.  Squash, bokchoy, celery, carrots, mixed greens, (probably more and simmered in olive oil along with piece of salmon, enough left over for Sunday meal.
A diluted glass of wine, crackers and some slices of imported Gouda Cheese.

Keep thinking of my Banana Bread and bought extra bananas and going to make,  It simple
and surely I can accomplish these 2 loaves and maybe I will gain a lb or two

I have missed my passion of cooking and am trying simple things

Miss items from Nashville and the Trader Joe's store ( as you enter the buckets of flowers)
Someone would have to drive me, pleased can do local but not in the busy city of Nashville- maybe soon it will happen, missing my special bread from the bakery , family would pick it up for me and now it  has closed :)

Love my country setting but big city has some items I like to use :(

Update on Shingles
they are still here on my face, ear and around eye on right side of face, just trying to ignore,
pray and meditate for healing and I am confident it will happen.

Painful but will not have nerve shots or take pain medication.....

Early Morning Emails from Family

Love this image that son sent from across the ocean

and one from my Jamie
preparing for sweet 16 party

Very hot weather
in progress

Birthday Girl

The older of my youngest granddaughter's has a birthday today
16 years old and the memories are flooding of this special granddaughter.

Visits often her and younger sister in their early years and now their times are filled with
special activities and grandma misses them but understands the stages of life.

First image you at grandma's in your beautiful prom dress
and next
you as a toddler at grandma's in her old garden chair.

So many memories



Happy Birthday day to you my special granddaughter.

love you to the moon and back.....

Friday

I wish I did not become so emotional when computer problems arise.
The computer is my communication with family and special friends.
It just shut down last night but thankful within 2 hours came back on.
No one available or super busy
but daughter Beth did try to help me and I thank her.

Rain in my area all week and hopefully next weeks prediction is true with sun all week.

Continual Emails from my daughter Laurie, all of her family and many more in Martha's Vineyard
going over last minute details of my grandson's wedding.  Baby Graham, made it great from N.Y
to Tampa and then on Martha's Vineyard

A not good night
and still in my pj's and this is not me,   In last 10 days a visit to ER,  my doctor has left her practice and the group she works for
are on 2 week vacation
so unsettles me.

Continue lowering my expectations about much
and standard regarding outside work............yet everyone arriving says how beautiful but this one
sees every weed and just has to look at it.  Garden help on vacation.  My vacation is here by the
woods.

So now have to stay positive and  keep goals manageable or I will crash.

Have to do this
and accept
life is different when you age

A month's refund that I payed for and did not stay is due from facility I stayed in January and February, difficulty in reaching them for March refund.
Hopefully I can handle this or may need help.