Halloween in the Kingdom

I haven't seen the black cats tonight, but I'm sure they're avoiding the commotion. A neighbor left the porch light on and house decorated, so LOTS of kids have stopped there to find no-one home. We are lit up, but not in a line of lit-up homes, so we get passed by a lot. We just got "missed" by a whole HORDE of what appeared to be middle-to-high-school kids, so it is just as well. Most of them were not even wearing costumes. It is O.K.- I didn't buy huge loads of candy this year, anyway. It was too expensive. There are some smaller groups, usually a few quiet teen girls with small children you know to be their own, that I would really rather offer GROCERIES rather than chocolate bars and fruit-flavored candy. But they want the candy, and we give it, so they get to be the kids they are again, for a night.

I wore my Spanish outfit today to work. It got a few compliments and a lot of quizzical looks. I like it, and it is comfortable and functional. I like dress up days- you get to be a kid, again, for a little while. Letting your inner child out to play once in a while is important. I remember one of my best teachers always seemed to have a bit of the inquisitive little boy in him, even though he had 5 daughters and was approaching retirement. You could see it when he took apart capacitors in front of the class, or he watched a sunrise through the window during an early-morning review session. I hope you (and all the little people you know) enjoy the evening. Little blessings mean a lot.

It Ain't Over Yet

The garden does not appear to be dead, even though we had 2 nights of frost. The wind has turned to the south and the day seems really nice (as I press my little nose against the glass of the window at work, staring at a gorgeous blue sky). We may get more beans yet out of those plants. OH! And I'll soon be harvesting my 3 lemons from the dwarf lemon tree! They're turning the appropriate yellow-orange color. It is exciting. Above is a picture of the lemon tree in bloom (Lemon tree, very pretty...). This was back in February. Lemons take a long time to grow and ripen. Patience is a virtue, and gardening helps you develop it.

Sweet Potato Harvest

Here are the sweet potatoes I harvested this year. I only planted 4 slips, and I'm still in the process of improving the soil. Compared to the pinkie-finger-sized nubs of last year's experiment, this is a real improvement! Even the rootlets are good peeled and roasted with beets and red potatoes, with olive oil, rosemary, and pepper. 

Rescue the Perishing

There was frost on the garage roof this morning. More due tonight. I showed my husband this shelf of immature tomatoes I harvested last night before the frost, and he said, " You rescued the perishing!". Hence the title. They'll ripen with time, because all of them are at least a little red. They wont be the same as vine-ripened, but they'll still be better than grocery-store orange cubes.

Beans in my Pocket

Pain in my Heart... (Strange misquote of an old song). The low is due to be in the mid-to-low 30s tonight. Frost likely. I harvested so many bean pods that my basket was full, and so were the pockets of my oversized jeans.The limas produced A LOT of beans. If all the plants had the room and light of the ones along the fence, I would have had to ask for a "300 Ways to Fix Lima Beans" cookbook for Christmas.
I brought in lots of tomatoes (any with a sign of pink on them- pics when I have time). I will miss those plants. I will also welcome time to do some sewing and repair my clothing. I have learned so much from growing food this year! And it has been a wonderful opportunity to get to know my neighbors. I'm already planning next year, Lord willing.
Here's the Perfect Sunday Afternoon picture from yesterday. May we all relax like that tonight. God bless you.

A Perfect Sunday Afternoon

A Wonderful Sunday afternoon was spent napping and making apple butter for christmas presents. Except for my poor chapped, calloused hands I'm as happy as a cat napping in the warm afternoon sun. Every warm day as we head into winter is a gift from God. Can't upload the pic of the sleeping cat, but it says it all. Maybe tomorrow.

Harvest Time

Today was one of those Little Piece of Heaven days. Cool in the shade, comfortable in the sun with sweaters on, today was the day to bring in the sweet potatoes and the basil. We are getting close to frost time (avg first frost date November 6). Here are shots of the basil:

Before the harvest, being smothered by tomato plants.

Look how huge the plants were this year!

I don't know how purists do it, but I strip the leaves off into a bowl (with a cat warm from the sun snuggling up to my back as I sit on the ground), swish in water to clean, spin in salad spinner to dry, wrap in wax paper or parchment paper in recipe-sized increments, and freeze. When I go to make tomato-basil soup, I just remove the right-sized packet, crumble the frozen basil, and dump it in the soup. It works for me.

More People Should Do This

My husband and I started "pedestrian dating" recently, after gas prices shot up. I had been oblivious to the whole thing until I saw 70s-era LINES at local gas stations just before Hurricane Gustav. I got home with the groceries and said "I don't want to give those money-grubbing crooks another dime". My husband suggested walking, and another fun date-night activity was born. There are several locally-owned restaurants within walking distance of the house (2 just down the street), so this is fun. And we don't have to drive across town and back in traffic for it. We sometimes get dessert. We'll walk it off if we go to the pizza place. We enjoy the walk together, looking at the unique houses in the neighborhood. We don't dress up or go anywhere fancy- we can split a 10-inch (good- from a local shop) pizza for less than $10 if we both drink water. At most we spend less than $30. And no gas money, no downtown parking, fewer hassles. We may not do it as the weather gets colder (or we may stick to the corner cafe), but I sure have liked it so far.

Another Beautiful Sweet Potato Moment

Here is another beautiful blooming sweet potato flower. To think the homely root has such nice flowers! God blesses us every day.

Working Hard

Is a lot of fun! Husband wanted to watch a movie, and I came home a little early, so we walked to the video store and back tonight. I must fix dinner. Here is a nice quote:

From The Garden Yard (1909) by Bolton Hall

"Suppose that a man owns his house, even if it be but a bit of a bungalow, and suppose he has a bit of land on which he can raise most of what his family eats; he may have to work hard, especially if his family cannot help in the work, but at least he is independent; at least panics, lock-outs, change of circumstances, or even loss of health will not reduce him to starvation." 

We don't have that much land, and we do have a mortgage, but it is a good thought.

Jorge the Mighty Hunter

Well, I found out why Jorge isn't coming around for the food pellets (actually, he did yesterday, but was more excited about the scratch behind the ears). Check out this picture. Yes, that is a bird in his mouth. I should feel bad about it, but I don't. The backyard is a jungle, after all. That is actually a neighbors yard. We DO mow our grass. Cats like high grass. It reminds them of their ancestral savannah.  They can feel like The Mighty Hunter On The Prowl. Mice and small birds take warning! Jorge is out for blood! (Most of the birds around here are invasive species anyway, so it is just as well).

Finishing the Bean Saga

O.K. We'll try this again.

Here's what we were doing during the Vanderbilt-Georgia game. The picture got rotated in the upload- rotate your head 90 degrees to the right, if you can.

And here's the finished product- peas ready for busy winter work-nights.

An Evening's Labour

When you've worked as hard as that, you want to spell it with extra letters! Older, more expert canners would probably pity my exhaustion, but 9 pints of apple butter was WORK for me- especially doing it alone. But it is worth it to hear those lids go "chink" as they cool.

Wanted to show my mom- these tomatoes on the windowsill were harvested in the past 3 days. The plants are pumping them out! I'm saving seed. It has been an amazing year for tomatoes.

Preserving the Harvest

Today at the Farmer's market I set myself up for another week-end of WORK! I bought a large box (probably a little over 1/2 bushel) of firm little red apples to make more apple butter (we ate a pint this week!!) and 1/2 bushel of unshelled purple-hulled peas. I processed the peas today.

Here they are at 11 AM, in the sack from the farmer.

                                       Shelling 

peas is the perfect game-on-the-

radio, sunny sun-porch-afternoon

 kind of activity.Blogger seems to be malfunctioning, so I'll post the "during" and "after" pics tomorrow.

Mending Pants

I have a Very Indian Looking outfit (shalwar chemise?)- long tunic like a minidress, long loose elastic-waisted pants, very comfy- that I like to wear this time of year. I finally finished the embroidery around the neckline this past year and was happy to wear it. I started it YEARS ago from fabric my mother gave me from her stash that may have been decades old, but was not rotten or anything. Well, I ripped the pants leg, one of those L-shaped tears taking up a square inch-and-a-half or so, coming in from the chiropractor tonight. Caught on a protruding piece of metal on the back door. Husband will repair the door. 

I must repair the outfit. If the repair shows too much, the hemline (it is close to the bottom of the pants) will get embroidery to match the neckline. I will fix it. I like the outfit too much. I'll post pics of the result.

I like traditional garments. When you wear them (not traditional formal wear-traditional peasant or workday clothes), you often find that they are more comfortable, functional (as in you can bend over without giving neighbors any views or get down to play with kids or go up a ladder for something), and beautiful than modern clothes. When I look at modern runway "fashion", the girls look a bit miserable. The clothes are awkward, ugly, and not something you would wear to scrub a sink or feed the kids.

 A shalwar chemise is a wonderfully comfortable garment. So is a simple shirt and elastic-waisted skirt combo like I bought in a traditional shop in Spain. the Spanish outfit is shown here. I bought the apron and scarf, too. I like aprons a lot. I'm too sad to show my other outfit yet.

Yes, those are athletic shoes. I embraced my inner geek long ago. If you like your arches, you should, too. Reaching an age at which you no longer care what others think of your feet as long as you're comfortable is a GOOD THING!!

A Cat Is A Sometime Thing

Jorge was out today. He did not come for morning or evening feeding time. Hope he comes tomorrow. He is male, though, and males do wander. He can hunt, so as long as he doesn't get hit, he can provide for himself.

Today the temperatures fell into the 50s after a day of drizzly rain. Winds from the north are bringing a chilly bite to the air. Eat those gorgeous tomatoes while you can! Winter cometh, when the only decent tomatoes ARE canned- and I have 11 pints of those (out of 13 canned plus 2 frozen containers, from 1/2 bushel of tomatoes bought over the summer). If you buy the "Culls" (tomatoes from behind the stand, separated out because of cracks or flaws), you get a very good deal.

Green Square Feet

I can't really say "Green Acres", because I don't have acres, but the square feet are doing well. The green beans seem to be recovering (enough to produce a side dish of deeply green, healthy steamed beans for tonight). I think the yellow wax bean plants died in the heat of the summer, but the green ones are TOUGH. Kentucky Wonder. 

The tomatoes are still producing, as are the limas, the nasturtiums are back up (but not blooming), the basil is blooming and setting seed and the potted peppers are still producing despite faded leaves and steady production all summer. Did you know banana peppers can turn red? I have one on the plant now. I think I'll take that as a sign of maturity and save the seeds.

That is a good progress report.

Good Harvests

Harvesting continues, pretty steadily. Tomatoes, beans, etc. Husband is reminding me to save seed from the tomatoes. This will be my first year to try to save seed. We'll see how it goes.

I have a big presentation tomorrow at work, gearing up for my proposal in the spring. Must go.

Sweet Potato Blooming

Look at this flower! I was thinking of digging up the sweet potatoes, to see what I have, but this earned them a reprieve.

It's a jungle out there. From foreground to background, there are lima bean vines, sweet potato vines, and tomato plants with a bit of basil on left side of the tomatoes.

Saving Money on Laundry

Money is tight all over- work, home, nationally, internationally- what can we do? Small things do count. Like minimizing the use of your clothes dryer. Some advise using it for heat in winter by disconnecting the vent hose from going outside, but if you have a gas-fueled dryer that may not be safe. Even for an electric, you'll be releasing warm, WET air into your house, and you may have problems if condensation forms and mildews your furnishings. Some fungi like cool, wet conditions. Our dryer growing up actually blistered the silvering from the back of the mirror of an antique sideboard. So if you use a clothes dryer to double-duty heat your house, use caution.
If you have an old house like we do, you may be blessed with a partially or fully floored attic with stairs. After we bought the house, I noticed clothes lines in the attic. I thought nothing of it until one day I went up there for something on a sunny day and thought, "It's as hot as the clothes dryer up here!". Then it clicked. So now I hang clothing in the attic (morning or evening), then go back later and get it. Solar clothes drying. What an idea.

There Once Was a Farm

I am often homesick
For a place I barely knew
Where men smelled of hay and sweat
Where women sang and swept
And rested only after dinner
Nodding over the Bible by
Dim evening lamp light.
I bring it back (small) again
Urban backyard overflowing
Tomatoes and beans everywhere
Harvesting "hay" in an alley
Nodding over my keyboard
Dim evening screen-light.

Cooler Days Ahead

As I was picking beans this evening, a breath of winter teased me from the North for just a moment. It is coming. Maybe we'll get a real winter this year. Soon I'll be digging in compost and leaves and other amendments and putting the garden to bed. I'll miss those tomatoes! This picture is from a freak March snowstorm. We get unseasonable storms enough to make life interesting. Looking forward to hot chocolate, warm blankets, and frosty mornings (especially on Saturdays, when we don't have to get up)!

At Home with the Ancestors

The more we hear about economic trouble, the more I think about my family's past. One of my ancestral groups owned an entire bend of a small river in middle TN, due to the founder lying about his age (he was 16) to fight in the war of 1812. His descendants were frugal and saved everything- there was a chest in the old house I grew up in for everyone who EVER lived there! My grandmother and great aunt cleaned most of the trunks for their use, so most of the stuff is gone, but I still have a pile of old handwritten receipts (not recipes- receipts for goods purchased) from 1853 to 1935. Family history in the form of spending habits is interesting stuff. A blacksmithing bill totals $1.15 for 10 old horse shoes, 2 of them "found" (a road ran through the property). An interesting bill from 1858 charges 10 cents for a vial of laudanum and 85 cents for a gallon of whiskey. Two doctor visits in 1860 cost $4.50. Obstetrical services (home visit) in 1865 were $10.00. Oh, how times have changed! Those folks grew just about everything they needed. They created their own tiny town with school from wilderness. If they could do all they did with the little they had, we can live, too. No matter what Wall Street decides to do.

My Friend Jorge

About a year ago I saw a pair of golden eyes peering at me from the darkness under the holly bushes when I reached for the garden hose. He acted wild. He would not come near or speak to me. He ran if I came within feet of him. He liked cat food, though, and was willing to be fed if I kept my distance. Tonight he rubbed his head against my denim-jeaned leg and closed his eyes with pleasure as I scratched behind his ears.
Cats are a lot like people- you have to earn their trust, especially if they've been hurt before. These cats act abandoned, which would leave them with trust issues. I like trying to befriend them.
Animal rescue people call me a "magnet"- I attract animals, just like my father and paternal grandmother. There is at least one dog in almost every picture I have of her. I don't want a dog unless I can give it the acreage to live a dog's life- sniff, hunt, protect sheep, etc. A cat's life can be lived in a small backyard. Plenty of food, water, shelter, and the occasional prey to keep one svelte. Speaking of water- here is Jorge drinking from his preferred water source: a water bucket I use for my plants.

Fall Miracles Do Happen

Sorry to interject sports here, but I am a Vanderbilt alumnus. For the first time since Roosevelt was president, they have a 5-0 season. Vanderbilt fans learn patience and longsuffering, especially during football season, so this is welcome good news! In the midst of all the turmoil around the world and in the financial markets, something GOOD is happening! And I picked 5 small tomatoes today, 2 jalapeno peppers, and about 1/3 cup of beans. I'm glad I don't have to live on my production, but I'm grateful for it all the same. I have a wonderful husband writing code on the porch, cats out back guarding the house, a fertile garden in the midst of the city, and a beautiful old home. Praise be to God.

X-ray tomato

Beautiful day AGAIN! Check out the afternoon sun in my kitchen window, shining on as well as through a small tomato. Must get the cornbread out of the oven. Enjoy.

A Beautiful Day

Start with a cool bedroom and warm blankets. A good night's snuggly sleep after an open-air free concert within walking distance of home. Wake up to bright sun and blue skies. A farmer's market full of yummy produce, and a little discussion with a farmer about the wonderful quality of their summer squash- in October!
Come home to get necessities at the regular market. Put away the car for the day. Second breakfast at the local cafe, with wonderful tea. Walk to a few yard sales, enjoying the cool air and warm sunshine. Barefoot housework listening to fall football, dust- mopping wood floors to a shine. Walk to the hardware store with loving spouse for some wire. Return for bean picking, watering, football and dinner- chicken, green beans with red potatoes, stewed pears, cole slaw. More housework, then another pleasant sleep. simple life is certainly a lot of work! But it is worth it.

Mild Asthma as a Gift from God

I was diagnosed with mild asthma as an adult. As a child, I knew I coughed uncontrollably if someone was smoking in the car with me. The spell usually frightened them badly enough to put out the cigarette and open all the windows so I could breathe. I also knew I was last in the school races because I lost my breath easily. But nobody told me it was asthma until I had a real, stop-breathing asthma attack as an adult due to walking into a room with a high concentration of perfume (a spilled bottle). I remained conscious, but it was really scary not to be able to tell anyone what was wrong until I got into some fresh air and started coughing.
The doctor was surprised to find no allergies to the usual pet dander- a slight one to dust and mold, but he said everyone has that allergy. The smoke and perfumes that cause me to react were not testable at the time. Potentially cancer-causing chemicals cannot be injected. Real roses are no problem, but cheap floral scents are. Weird.
Why would I say this is a gift from God? Think about it- you're about to send your child off to college. What if you knew she could not smoke pot, and she could not walk into a bar or a club full of smokers? How much trouble would an allergy like that help her to avoid? I avoided a LOT of trouble. There was smoking in the dorms, so even my choice of friends was affected (do they respect me enough to let me breathe?). It was God's way of putting a protective hedge around me, and with all the papers I read connecting second-hand smoking to health-related issues, I'm glad God restricts my breathing around it. He knows what is good for us.

Lima Beans

I'm amazed at the production of the two lima bean plants next to our bit of white picket fence. I'm glad I have an understanding neighbor, as they have really grown on her side of the fence. This is her side. They seem to be producing because of something in the soil- the green beans did well there last year. I was afraid to put the same kind of plant in the same place 2 years running, so I planted 2 "extra" lima bean plants in a bit of space between the cucumber plants and the dill. Those two plants have overwhelmed everything but the Malabar spinach, and will probably take it over with cooler weather. It's great to still be picking things in October!

Walking Alone vs. Walking Together

As I was covering ground fast to get to the car and home, to pick my beans and tomatoes and water my (still producing) pepper plants this evening, I noticed something about walking. I am tall and thin, with long limbs. Alone, I tend to break into a "loping" stride that really gets me there fast. It tends to leave other people behind. After I'm home and we go walking to discuss the events of the day and relax, neither of us (though both tall and thin, with similar stride lengths) walks as fast. We adjust to each other, hold hands, slow down, and walk side by side. Neither leaves the other. That is one of the best things about being married- not just the obvious needs met, but the simple companionship of a walk on a cool fall evening- and falling asleep holding hands at night. God blesses us most in the simplest joys.