Bird on a Stick...Fish on a Stone

I zonked out last night.  Wow.  Great night's sleep, which was a good thing as I had a busy day ahead.

The house hadn't been cleaned since the weekend prior.  I don't know about the rest of the world, but housecleaning and laundry always fall on the weekends for me.  Since I was up in Ohio this weekend, it was easily overdue and today was the day.  (I even cleaned the carpets!!!)

When I set myself tasks I often mull over conversations I've had.... or replay the book that I'm currently reading... or even just daydream about future plans.

Today, I thought about a conversation I had this weekend with my older sister Tracy.

We spoke of our father who passed away some 7 years ago.  She pointed to a barometer that belonged to him.  To someone else it was likely a piece of junk but it meant alot to her.  It kept Dad close.

I told her about the silly little "bird on a stick" that I have hanging in my kitchen. 

I always remember going to my Grandpa's house and seeing it there.  I loved that "bird on a stick".  When Grandpa passed, us kids and my Mom went through his belongings and the "bird on a stick" was what I wanted most.

SM teases me that he think it's one of the ugliest things he's seen.  He doesn't understand why it's hanging on the wall.  I just tease him back.

"What about your "fish on a stone"?

When SM's Dad passed away, (15 years ago?) he found this "fish on a stone" amongst his Dads thing's.

It's funny the things we remember.  The little oddities that you'd never think would be considered valuable by anyone.

Notice how simple (crude?) these items are.  My grandfather and SM's Dad were of a generation.  They were peers. 

Even my Mom... (Hi Mom).... has a place of honor in my home.  She's amazing at needlepoint.  It's by my front door.  I look at it everyday and try to make each day valuable.

My Dad had given me this when I was 16.  It's never been opened. 

(Probably nasty by now)...but I've always kept it because he looked at that bottle and (for some reason) thought of me.

It makes me wonder what will be left behind that someone might cherish of mine. 

Back From Ohio Part 2

Short post today as I'm exhausted...

I went to Ohio again this past weekend.  This time was my family reunion...actually it was my niece Kristins' wedding and we took the opportunity to get the siblings together.

We had a great time reconnecting...too bad it's such a l o n g drive. 

You're a Cooking Fool...

SM points out that I'm a "Cooking Fool" this weekend.  Well, if the motivation strikes!  (grin)

Last night, I made an egg custard.  (motivated by a blog on Down to Earth)

This morning I baked up some chicken legs.

Cooked up all those Granny Smith's we swiped.  I left about 20 good apples whole for eating.  7 quart bags for the freezer.

Made another pasta salad. (no pic...I mean do we really need another pasta salad pic?)

And SM asked for apple pie...all those apples! Sure, why not! 

After all that...I went out and pulled up weeds in the backyard.  Filled 2 trash cans!  Yikes!  I really have been a slacker.  Freaking Bermuda grass just will not DIE without chemical intervention!  Guess I'll be spraying tomorrow.

Looks sad doesn't it.

I've been "Craig's List-ing" manure sources locally.  Horse manure seems to be easily available.  As in "free" if you bring the truck.  I think I'd like to try working a fall garden in just 1 patch and take the other beds and start the "manure/buildup" process for next year. 

If it stays hot... I just might scrub the fall garden and concentrate on next year.  (I'd really like a cold frame with lettuce started this fall though...)  We'll see.

Check out this hummingbird plant.  (I got the seeds from a neighbor a few years ago.)  It's going bananas this year!

SM has been trying all the tricks on getting the truck up and running.  Still no go.  We'll have a mobile guy come out and Dx tomorrow.  We think it's the ignition.

We have an appointment tomorrow morning with Wells Fargo to sign the house re-fi.  Hopefully, we'll close later in the week and have that behind us.  I still think we should suck it up and just pay it off.  But marriage = compromise and SM promises that we'll pay off asap.  I respect his need for a bigger "security blanket".  He's right...We have no idea what the future holds.  Best to keep the finances flexible.

And I have my GI Dr appointment tomorrow afternoon.  Guess we all know what I'll be doing in a week or two.  (weeeeeee....)  Well...not really "weeee" but there's just no good way to imply the other....

Before Dawn

The pups got me up early this morning...4:30.  I noticed it was much cooler (70 degrees) than it's been for the past month.  Usually 75 to 80, which doesn't give me much motivation to do anything. 

Since the appendectomy, I've only been putting in a mile.  Plus Boo, at 7 years of age starts "puffing" early on...too hot!  Today, since it was cooler we went our usual 2 miles.

I decided to pull up the garden.  After almost 2 straight months of 95+ heat, the spring garden has had it!  We've been dry this month and 2 days ago were deluged with 5+ inches.  (Pardon the darkness of the pictures.  It was about 6:30 when I took these and using a flash at that time of the morning is just wrong.)

So into that swampy, stinky, decaying garden I went.  Of course the invasive Bermuda is doing just fine...

Whats left of the few veggies.

Time to compost

Yick!

SM brought home the new lawn mower.  We didn't want to pay for delivery so SM took our old truck and brought it home.  But the truck died in our back yard.

I'm telling you, we're only 4 cinder blocks away from "Hicksville"around here.

Since running the new lawnmower, SM has decided to take this one back and upgrade to the Hydrostatic version.  Sears is willing to allow this and will also extend the 10% offer on the upgrade.  So SM has his plate full today.  Fix the truck, load the truck and return the mower.

Back From Ohio

SM and I went up this weekend for his family reunion.  SM is one of 8 kids, second to the last...but technically the baby boy of the family so his sisters can give him crap about being spoiled.  By them and by me.

I thought about bringing the camera but its just one more thing to keep track of in the mass of humanity.  His home town has an annual summer function called "Heritage Days".  Which brings, not only extended family together, but also childhood friends and their families.  It's not hard to have clusters of families with 50-75 people coming and going at any given moment. 

Screaming children, dogs, drunk husbands (and a few wives), tons of food (hams, chickens, burgers, dogs, roasted corn, kielbasa & sauerkraut and pierogies...along with baked goods)...beer everywhere...all this could be found at SM eldest sisters house.  Joanne has a huge Victorian house with a few acres.  Enough room to accommodate all.

Downtown there was a polka dance, softball matches, a car show and a band.
SM and I went to the dance and he played 2 softball matches.  We also managed to squeak in a bit of "off roading" (4 wheeling) for a few hours with a some of the family.  This town is small enough (and remote enough) that it allows golf carts, four wheelers and the new favorite ...the "mule".  Busy place.

We came back late Sunday after stopping and taking advantage of a 10% off sale that Sears had going.  I signed up for a Sears card that gives 6 months no interest and we ordered our new Craftsman mower and I also talked SM into replacing the crappy weed eater for a new one (electric starting model...Whooo Hooo!)  Our homeowners insurance will pay out a little over 1/2 on the mower, so all in all, I think things worked out well.

Casey missed Mom...What a sweetie!

While in Ohio we raided the families veggie garden and walked away with about a dozen of these monsters!

Bigger than my hand!!!  SM promises to eat tomato sandwiches, morning, noon and night!

My brother in law also mentioned a vacant lot with a loaded apple tree (Granny Smiths I think).  So we loaded up on those.  I guess I'll be busy making applesauce over the next week. 

Times like this I really miss Ohio.  But we love NC too much (blue skies) to leave.


On another note...

SM is always on the lookout for Trader Joe's products.  I made up 2 of them today. 

TJ Gluten Free Brownies ( They taste like brownies, chewie...but a weird aftertaste)  I'll probably try my own GF recipies this fall.

TJ Mediterranean Salad... NOT GF free.  This is for SM so I added extra pasta shells, more chick peas, corn, cuke, broc and cauli, green and black olives.  I used the seasoning packet but added some balsamic vinegar and oil salad dressing to compensate for the extra pasta and veggies.  SM says YUM!

No Rest for the Weary...

Oh...Well...not so fast.  Remind me to come back as one of my dogs in a another life.

Today I'm cooking down the apples that Deb gave me last week.  I added Splenda brown sugar, lemon, cinnamon and a bit of water as it all cooks down.

I went out and hacked at the garden a bit.  Very disappointing.  I've pulled all but the healthiest squash plants. 

I picked a bunch of green tomatoes.  I've only got blossoms on the cherry tomatoes.  (I think all the rain stifled any continued production.) 

I eyeballed the peppers. 

The pumpkins are turning orange and the vines are dying back.

This may be it for the summer harvest.  I'd like to put in a fall crop but I think it's still way to hot to direct sow or transplant anything.  Perhaps in 4-6 weeks.  Usually by mid September temps become more tolerable.  I think I may just work out of one bed this fall and go ahead and compost/manure the other beds for early spring crops.

Look at this monster!  SM and I let this zucchini go just for fun.

Cute softball sized pumpkin

It's 9 am and SM is stirring.  Wash the cars, clean the house, mow the lawn (it's his turn to mooch a lawnmower from our friendly neighbors). 

It's weird.  We're both slightly cranky today.  We were both up and down last night.  I don't know about him but I'm cranky from having the mother of all zits right between my eyes.   SM says it looks like a Hindu dot.  Only this one hurts.  (sigh)  So much for being hot and sexy...and "NO" I'm not taking a picture of it!

This and That...

SM's brother told us that this is the second hottest summer since 1932. 

Figures.

The last time we tried to do a vegetable garden it was a record breaking year too.

So as far as the garden goes, everything has slown down.  I still get a few zucchini and cucumber but the peppers burn before maturity and the tomatoes are tiny and slow to mature.  Still no green beans.  The pumpkins are small and are already turning orange.  Thank God for the farmers market.  We went again Saturday and bought some more peaches for fresh eating, a musk melon, onion, romaine lettuce and some big ass tomatoes.

My neighbor Deb has an apple tree (Jonathon) that is already dropping apples.  She gave me a bag which I plan to make applesauce as these are not good eating  apples.

Ginny and Casey went for their annual shots.  ($320...Suck it up, Tami!)  Casey weighed in at a surprising 63 lbs. 

(Hey...She's a Pig!)  (I never seem to be able to rescue lap dogs...grin.)

Ginny is suffering from the heat or the grass, we're not sure which.  She gets these seasonal allergies that make her lick and scratch herself constantly.  We're trying a different antihistamine along with fish oil capsules to try and give her some relief.

SM continues to drive the Buick which has NO air conditioning.  He's trying to get a used AC computer control panel installed, but after 2 weeks the shop still can't get the right part in.  The only other option is to pay the dealer $700 which SM refuses to do, so for now, we're at the mercy of the auto shop....and the heat.

SM and I have been discussing refinancing vs paying off the house.  Our old interest rate was 6.25 with about 13 years left to pay off on it.  Our lender is offering a 4.25 on a 15year with NO closing costs.  If we switch, we'll be saving 11K over the life of the loan. (We would probably still pay off early but what if we can't?  Why not give ourselves some flexibility?)

We've gone back and forth with this.  We could pay off the house but that would leave us with only a small amount of emergency savings left and that still makes us a little nervous.

We feel that, for at least the next few years, the world will continue to be uncertain economically and that (like a lot of corporations) it's best to "hoard" your cash for now (when facing an uncertain future.)

So we're moving ahead with the refinance.  This ends up giving us an extra $100 a month in our pocket which, as SM points out, can go for auto maintenance or a future car purchase, which ever comes first.

Someone decided that our crappy 12 year old riding lawnmower looked pretty good to them and stole it out of our shed in the back yard!  ???? WTF???  I'm mean really?  This seems like something you'd want to steal?  Well the jokes on them cause this puppy was within a year of being replaced anyway. 

We filed a police report, contacted our homeowners insurance and it looks like we'll be able to get a new one with a little help from the insurance company.  So it actually turns out alright.  SM has been shopping but no purchase yet.  We've mooched the neighbors mower to cut our grass in the meantime.

Healthwise, I'm pretty much back to normal.  I tried to back off on the Prilosec but I could tell that the tummy was unhappy about that so we'll try it for a bit longer.  We'll see what the GI Dr says later this month.