Taking a little break

Right about now it's a little hard to keep the blog up with all that's going on with my health here of late.....I'll be popping in every once in a while to see what's going on with others....In the meantime enjoy the rest of the summer....wish I were at the beach. Ginny B.

It's sheer Hell not having a Pepsi!

My Dr has taken me off any artificial sweeteners..and also my "Diet Pepsi"....I'm supposed to have only water with a little lemon< Is she kidding me!
I've done it now for three days ....the water is good , but let me tell you..As soon as I'm feeling a little better...I'm popping that Pepsi Cork Honey with a glass full of ice...whoa mama I can't wait...Dr doesn't live her and Cecil would be afraid to betray me ...if he wants breakfast :o)
I've read somewhere that Honey is a natural and isn't harmful to diabetics, can anyone confirm that for me? I'm dying over here without having something besides water and I'm allergic to Milk, craps!and Tea without some in it to make it sweet craps again!

I'm tired but the Garden isn't ,it's giving a good harvest from this "Almost an Acre"farm :o)

Here's a group waiting to be put on the window sill....they are small and some tasty little fellows despite their name "Big Boy"...getting them ready for the freezer is so easy....just wash,cut off the top, then cut in half and drop into the baggie....if you don't get greedy and try the tasting every other one trick , :o) I love them with mayonnaise< that's a little feast to me....better than a slice of cake...
These will be just right come fall for some soup, or okra and tomatoes on top of some rice...or make a "Southern Dish" my mother in law used to make..."Stewed tomatoes" I think they are delicious

Tomatoes Tomatoes every where :o)

Cecil and I are so proud of these tomatoes...they are rather small to be named "Big Boy" but maybe the name is because they are big on growing ..especially for those who have "Almost an Acre" ( I just love putting that in there :o)
So far I've put about six healthy quart bags of them in the freezer...they are small but very meaty and sweet...and Cecil has been picking a handful every day ...by the time they sit on the windowsill the next day they are so nice and ripe....I'd love to put them into a jar....but I don't feel up to fooling with that for now....I've got some more Watermelon Rinds on the way to be pickled....and my Pear tree is so full I've lost two branches from it this year...the Dwarf Pear tree can't take the weight of the pears...somehow the Dwarf trees isn't strong enough to hold a full limb....No matter ...the other one has a few and I know where to go to get more if need be...

Getting back to normal< such as it it!

Thanks to those that missed me blogging....I've had to gather up some energy from whatever it was that was ailing...just tired without doing anything that mattered.
I've got loads of things waiting to be done...laundry is always with me almost better than ole Arthur Ritis < Arthur loves me as much or maybe more than Cecil , sometimes he's a pain in the "you know what" I get so sick of him sometimes...he is always all over me. can't get a break from him no matter what you do...he even has the nerve to follow me even into the shower.. Now don't you think that's a little too brazen?....One of these days ..I'm gonna find something to get rid of him! He doesn't like it when I knit, makes him so dizzy he has to leave me alone for a bit :o)...When I lift my leg to weave ...he gets a little madder cause it makes him fall off :o) and the knees get a good laugh at him...but ole Arthur is a persistant ole cuss! he tries to stop me from sleeping at night...won't let me turn over without giving me a whack and he doesn't care where...he almost makes me cuss!!

Hibiscus Baby growing

You can barely see the Hibiscus Baby! I don't remember which post it was that I showed you all the Hibiscus babies I was trying to grow...well, they all died except the one I decided to stick in a stand that's near the back door....and each time I passed it , I would give it a little pat and tell it to grow like the weeds....well she has been doing that, but there is weed growing nearby in the pot also..and I think the little weedie thought I was talking to it.It's trying to outshine the Hibiscus baby....well, as soon as Hibiscus baby grows a little bigger I'm going to take "weedie" out of there ..He isn't welcome!

Blooming Hibiscus, I'm late again!

This Bush is an early bird....if I don't get the picture before 11am it has bloomed and the flowers have fallen to the ground.....I've been trying for three days to catch her for a good shot....guess I just can't get there soon enough...watching the "View" at 11am keeps me straddled to the chair...some good topics come up and I can't tear myself away! One of these mornings I'm gonna get her:o)

Super Duper Collards :o)

Would you believe these Collards....they don't want to die! and I don't want them too.
I don't remember what kind of Collards they were...I should have planted a whole row of them...Remember the older post where Cecil cut them down..they wee growing into seed tall as he ...and then we had some kind of beetle coming to snack on them...so it was time to take them in hand by cutting them back....which we did ....and as you can see....they are coming up again and looking as healthy (hope they stay that way).
When I see Collards , I'm thinking of Corn bread to go with it..Corn bread with all the good stuff inside of it....onions, Jalapeno pepper, corn , bacon chips< I think I'm making myself hungry...but today I'm going to surprise Cecil and make him some old fashioned "Pan Bread"...(like making biscuits , just cook them on top of the stove in a iron skillet..< now that's down home cooking :o) And I'm here Down home in North Carolina..straight from good old New Jersey < Rah! Rah! Rah!

This post should be below the post below!

I still haven't learned the knack of putting the picture in the right spot...but this one caused me some concern...I didn't know which one to show you! So I'm showing them both :o) ....it's amazing to me how fast some things grow..Get a close up view to appreciate the growth ...(either picture will do :o).

Surprise! Surprise! look at this growth :o)

Take a good look at these beans :o) if you take a close up look ,those white spots you see are future beans< I tell you this "Almost an Acre" is strutting it's stuff!:o)
I think the egg shells and shredded paper are doing a good thing here...At last I have found a solution for all that advertising that I get in the mail....and here of late everybody and his brother is sending some kind of message to get into my pocketbook. Gas prices are causing fewer trips to the store...I'm doing all I can to keep the budget down..you can't go for a leisurely country ride anymore..and you better make a list before shopping....and if you forget something...do without. Keep some flour handy and make your own bread. it doesn't have to be fancy..If I could I'd buy a bike to ride local, Cecil could do it...but at our age it's too dangerous. We are too close to main Highways to even think about that....there isn't a back road to a store. I've had a couple of neighbors offer to do any shopping or pickup that we need at night..I think that's wonderful that they have offered , Sometimes you don't think people know your alive! and most often don't give a crap! It's a pleasant surprise when you find a couple that do....

Trying to Revive an old Smelly Book

Lat week I was able to find "Key to Weaving, by Mary E. Black" on the Internet and the book was published in 1978....I won't mention the seller....for more than one reason....but the book was the foulest smelling book I have ever been in the presence of, It smelled so badly I couldn't leave it in the house...I had to leave it outside the house...and only bring it in in the evening so it wouldn't get damp ....I did everything I could think of to get the foul smell out...(I think it had been in a damp basement it really reeked).I aired it for a couple of days...and the smell was still there..then I added baby powder to just about each page to "soak" up the dampness and I believe the cover was made of Linen. Last evening I sat outside and had to pat just about each page to remove the powder...and it appeared that the pages were whiter (Cecil agreed with me!....Then this morning I put the book outside and left it open ...and I tell you Angels are all around us!Ready to help in any way they can... The wind blew the pages back and forth< which removed more powder and "aired" it good..don't know if I can take it to bed with me yet! but maybe in another day or two.Gives me a lot of encourgement...I also sent a prayer by the wind to let the knowledge in the book stick good into my head :o) after all a lot of effort is going into reviving it.

Time to make a Cake around here!

Today was a day just for cooking!.....Last night I put a fresh pork on with a lot of spices(Vinegar,salt,Habenero pepper with crushed garlic, and Sprigs of fresh Rosemary
from the Garden of "Almost an Acre" :o) just thought I'd add that in...
I tried this once before and it worked out terrific...only last time i didn't add vinegar...big mistake....this time the flavor was out of this world...I'm going to give you the secret...(no charge)..I put the FROZEN pork roast in the pot with all the goodies and put the gas flame on LOW! and it cooked all night....stayed in one piece and then I put it in the 400 oven for about 15 minutes to brown wrapped it Aluminum foil and let it sit for a bit! My new Trick! Don't have to worry about boiling over etc. I could have even used my Crock pot it would have fit and would do the same thing....I keep forgetting I have that pot :o) somebody is getting old..I made a pot of Black eyed peas, and Collards mixed with other greens from our garden
and a pint of Candied yams from the freezer..no rice..Felt like I had enough starch.The cake turned out delicious....made my own frosting without a recipe (bet I can't do that again:o) would you believe I put some chocolate in the microwave to melt and the darn thing burned :o( I just threw it out and made up my own..Micky loved it too!....I added pecans in it almost like a "Sock it to Me" Cake.it;s good as it looks :o)

Gift of Watermelon Rind Pickle

Remember I told you in one of the older Posts that a neighbor was generous with sending us out to "Libby Hills" for a treat :o)...Well , besides our kids giving us treats we thought that was an awful nice thing for them to do.....So just to show some appreciation for their thoughtfulness...
We thought A nice jar of Homemade "Watermelon Rind Pickles" would be a nice thing to do.....Now the only thing to do is catch them at home to deliver them :o)

Correction.....it's not a she .....

I was so busy laughing at the antics I missed hearing a male voice say "Give them the Evil eye SON! and I think I heard the name "Kevin". Just FYI :o)This pertains to the clip below ...enjoy it anyway...

Tickle for your funny bone

I just couldn't resist this little cutie! Just look how she does it on cue!
I think we have an actress in the making....somebody grab her up quick!:o)

Evil Eye (MOD)

I thought this was just too funny...I bnrrowed it from my friend Daisy's site..adorable

The Face of Beauty

This is the first bloom from this plant this year....it was given to me on a Mother's Day by a friend (Valeria Melvin) and it has taken these two (or is it three years) before she multiplied into two....I'm hoping she will have more sisters like the ones I have in front...Beautiful flowers seem to make one feel better when tired, ill, frustrated or just plain mean :o(

Sisters in Beauty

I had to wait a long time for these young ladies to get up some size and show themselves off.....seems it took so long the first year for the first bloom then more years before they muliplied and grew up together..like sisters. and I couldn't wait for the whole group to bloom at once....

Gladiola's in a bowl

Gladiola's in a bowl is a welcome sight when your tired from seeing shades of green making Watermelon rind pickles...I'm glad Cecil is enjoying them...we are on the first whole jar :o) ....I think I'll be making more of these this year!....
We had a very nice thing happen to us this weekend....One of the neighbors was delighted to hear we have been married for 60 years to her 20?(something) and said she would keep that in mind....well , the doorbell rings, (Ratz!, it's still out of order , Cecil is afraid of moving the siding and not being able to get it back.)finding someone to remove and replace the siding after they fix the bell without charging you two arms and a leg is like finding a needle in a haystack). so for now, the sign says "Knock" Bell out of order" the management! Me! anyway back to the story..
The knock on the door was the neighbor with tickets paying for a nice big meal for us at "Libby Hill" (they asked Cecil where and what we liked to eat "Seafood" was his first response...wasn't that a nice thing for someone to do.

Time to start up with the Watermelon Rind Pickles

This isn't a fun part....(none of it is, until it's all done and ready for eating :o)
I woke up a little tired this morning and didn't feel like messing with these cukes, but I was in the middle of the process and couldn't turn back...so ...I put the body into motion to move ....and as many times as I've done this ..I did it this time with half eyes closed :o) (just a matter of speaking). I really stumbled around for about a half hour until the Pepsi Kicked in....I wasn't ready for breakfast...

Close look at peeling

I like to use this tool on my potatoes also..it gets close to the skin...and you dont lose any of the meats...Have to give my daughter in law credit for introducing me to this gadget...( and she doesn't like to cook :o(...

First Pale Green Tint

This picture belongs after the one below.,I keep making the same mistakes of putting one before the other...seems I have to post it backwards...and I still mess it up! No matter..you get the point :o)....

cubed and salted to soak

As you can see I should have put this picture before the one above! Oh Well, as I keep telling you all , I'm not perfect, Yet! :o) after the overnight soak, Cukes are rinsed and cooked until tender....set aside to cool...and await for the next step.(that's the one above with the first tint of green.

Cooking Spices and Sugar for syrup

From this point I won't be able to show you the steps I use in filling my jars, and placing them into the hot water bath...no time for snapping pictures..don't want to lose a jar because of sudden temperature changes....

Deeper shade of Green

Now this shade of Green is more to my liking....it's deeper and reminds me of a Watermelon Rind....and what's the good of naming something and coloring it another shade....might have been Red, < but that's reserved for my Christmas Pickles.
You can see my set up on the side..ready for action..heating the cukes and placing them in the jars...then into the water bath....almost there.

Thank goodness ! it's all done

Now that it's all done I can sit back and enjoy the fruits of my labor ....but first another sip of nice cold Pepsi with a homemade sausage sandwich for breakfast! I tell you Mikey is lucky to have such a wonderful wifey :o)

Where's the Watermelon! Ginny

I haven't forgotten to show the Watermelon Rind Pickles....I'm working on them!and I'll have a few pictures to show...I've got two recipes and I'm "Doing it my Way".
There are a lot of steps to take doing this stuff! That's another reason for people to be grateful when they receive a jar of homemade goodies and be appreciative :o) especially if it taste good too...:o)
In the meantime...enjoy the posts I've put on the blog today...especially when I'm so busy trying to get my pickles ready...Mikey is already "tasting" :o)

The Banana Tree finally caught on and is Growing

We planted this Banana Tree about Three years ago in one spot and it didn't do anything, we pampered it like there was no tomorrow..we got sick of trying so...we decided to put it down near the Garden and let it decide it's own fate..We were sick of giving it our all and it not even trying....Well, this year it saw that we weren't going to pamper it any longer and it started to shoot right out of the ground and do it's thing...I doubt if we will ever get a banana from it , but the novelty of having it is enough..Sometimes I think plants react just like people, you try to do your best for them and they don't respond...leave them to themselves and then they decide to act like they have some sense.( most do anyway).

Now on a more pleaurable note

This Post was to be after the Pear Tree...I'm still not perfect :o(
I'm happy to see the Canna's doing so well, a friend who has a place in the mountains gifted us with these and we were hoping they would survive...and we are happy to report they all did :o) These are doing very well on this side...the ones under the trees are doing well also , but not as well as these....I think they are getting more shade and the tree is taking a lot of strength...but that's where Cecil wanted to plant them ...and I let him have his way this time ( I thought it was a good idea too. especially since I can't dig up the dirt anymore :o) I tell you women have agenda's :o)

Loss of a Pear Tree Limb

Yesterday we were saddened by the loss of a Pear Tree Limb!(If you look closely you can see where we trimmed her branch.(center):o( We were puzzled as to what happened to it....First we thought it was hit by Lightening!, then we thought the Deer had nibbled on it and caused a problem...The pears were doing so nicely and I was "Counting my Pears before they were ripe" then all of a sudden the Pears on the end of the branch began to shrivel up it was obvious they weren't being fed!...We even thought that the Wisteria tree we removed that was still growing underground was choking the tree:o( So being the "Supervisor" that I am (Cecil knows better than to cut my babies without asking if he wants to live a peaceful life with me).I gave permission to cut off the limb so as to save the rest of the tree if there was a disease to fight.....From what we could see , the limb was so "laden" with Pears the branch pulled away from support of the tree..We had stabilized one branch with another branch that had died (or was hit with lightening. This morning she looks pretty solid , and we are praying she will recover and continue to grow and do what her purpose is ....Supply us with her fruits.

Watermelon Mess for now!

Last week another Blogger made some Watermelon pickles ....and that only reminded me of how good they were and how long ago it was since I had any....too busy making Cucumber Christmas Pickles (which are also delicious and a special treat for Christmas guest). Ended up buying a delicious Watermelon and started cutting up the rind...Haven't decided which recipe I'm going to follow ...I researched all my old Ball books (they are almost as old as me :o) and found a couple that might fill the bill...one has use of 16 Cinnamon sticks (no way, that's too much).Sometimes you have to use good judgement. As soon as we eat up the rest of the Watermelon...I'll get started...some are already cut up and saved in the Fridge..won't spoil ..
I'll post as I go along...In the meantime ....go look at the beautiful color of some spun yarn and a Fuchia plant..it will be a feast for your eyes... visit "Riverim" for the feast...look on my blog on the side to get there.....

Green Bean Chips for Jilly

I went into "Fresh Market" the other day and I spied some "Green Bean Chips" I could tell they would be a delight to eat but not very often at $11.99 lb....$2.00 is even enough to pay for a bag of potato chips :o( I'm not cheapo! just the budget won't allow such extravagence that often, anyway, I bought some and they were delicious, even "Mikey" enjoyed eating them they were something "New" and it takes him a while before he wants to try it..I have to do some tall talking...then I can't keep him out of them :o)

The Start of Freezing Zucchini

I almost missed showing you the size of this Zucchini...I started cutting it up so fast...it was a bigger than my foot :o) and that's pretty big :o)
Who says I don't have a Mini Farm! Seems to me I'm doing pretty good with having a bite to eat and some to put into the freezer..I can't help it if a neighbor who has a bigger almost farm than me ....raises more than he and his Mrs can use and shares it with us :o).....I've been eating Zucchini like there is no tomorrow!..this batch was still too much for one meal....so "Waste not Want Not" in the freezer for later times....
By the way...in the background you can see my eggshells in a bag before I've ground them to add to the soil to give more nitrogen....it seems to be working for the tomatoes.

Looks like I need a bigger pot....

I didn't think that I would fill up this pot and need another with just three Zucchini's and one little squash...but the Zucchini's were "giants" I think one must have hidden itself well, it was really a big one....

Needed a bigger Pot

All cut up Zucchini in the pot with a little salt (why the salt? I forgot, just been doing that for so long..maybe it's too add some acid ...or kill some bugs...whatever it doesn't hurt...

Fruits of the labor,

Didn't have time to pose the three quarts that I got from the fruits of my labor, and it didn't take long to do it ...(just a few more pots to wash).I kept thinking that one pot would do It, then needed two...then chucked that and used my big Spaghetti pot for this venture, that worked with another small pot.

Here is an Old Guy Hosta

This guy has been hanging around for a few years, but here's his story...he used to live in NJ...and at the last moment of the move to Greensboro NC..he was snatched up and put into a pot to remind me of "Home"..Well, the first place he was put was in the Garden (the spot where the Potatoes were ....and he only "survived" there. I moved him about five years ago and he really took off....his sibling close by didn't do as well ...maybe he's a "mikey" too :o)...anyway he is in full bloom and looks pretty strong for an old guy ....(like Cecil :o) hehehe

Pretty Little Shasta Daisy

When my daughter moved from Greensboro , she gave me this little Shasta Daisy that was in a flower pot ,and couldn't take it with her... she has done very well in this spot and never forgets to perform well..She is a reminder of Love lasting,anywhere! :o)

Bloom showing as Promised

Sorry that I can only show one bloom....but it's the best i could do..I only grow the flowers, it's up to them to bring forth their beauty! and this girl did the best she could do under the circumstances....she really needs more shade than she gets, Wish I had planted her a little closer to the house or under a tree where she could get some relief from the hot Sun a little earlier in the day...You can see her little blue buds in the center ..she is like the one in the corner only her bloom is much larger.....

Two Tomatoes that escaped Ginny's Frying Pan :o)

Here are two lucky tomatoes on the window sill...I let them ripen, so I can eat them in a salad ( they didn't get away after all :o) the monster Ginny got em!
You can see my neighbors fence....they haven't planted a shrub, plant or anything .the land is just sitting there! Every time I look at it...I think to myself, all I need is a Chicken coop to get started! hehehe ain't that "Coveting" thy neighbors goods < ooooh shame on you Ginny.Hey! I'm praying for me! They even took up some flowers in the front yard that were in a circle that I've never seen before not really a circle it was a perfect shaped star out of brick and it was beautiful.I must remember everyone isn't in to flowers or any kind of planting. Too much work for some...that don't enjoy the "Good Earth". "To each his Own".

Poor little garden beans

Poor little garden beans, they aren't growing too fast or getting too big and the little cukes next to them are a sorry lot! , but I've eaten them anyway! I don't think these beans are doing as well as the beans on the side garden.which you will see below and check out the photo in the older post to see the difference..
I do know from last year that every little bit helps....I only got half a hand full at time and it seemed they multiplied and lasted all winter and that's saying something when your feeding a "Mikey" like Cecil :o).

Whoo Hoo look at the Growth of these Beans

The Beans in the garden haven't done as well as these on the side have....maybe the trees take the strength or maybe the ground is tired from producing the potatoes , by the way which we had yesterday cooked with Cornbeef and cabbage....they were small but mighty tasty ...cooked with their jackets on...they didn't loose a thing.
Check out the growth from the older post of them and see the difference. Maybe my eggshells are making the difference :o) You can't beat the produce of "Almost and Acre" farm :o) ....it at least gives a meal now and then...If I could just raise me some chickens ...