A Bright, Sunny New Chapter

Here’s to spending 49 years with the same Valentine! Even though our story’s Prologue began in Jackson, MS, when Thomas and I met in 1975 a few days after my birthday, I always think of Valentine’s Day 1976 as the beginning of our Chapter One. The first paragraph was written on Youree Drive in Shreveport, LA. Yesterday we put the last period to Chapter Forty-Nine with lunch at La Madeleine across from the Mall of Georgia, in Buford. Yes, the names on the envelopes are still the same but the zip codes of where we exchanged Valentine’s cards have certainly changed over the years. Now I’m wondering where we will be celebrating the last sentence of Chapter Fifty?

Even though I’m (mostly) adhering to my hepatologist team’s advice on “eating small meals” [they want me to eat 5-6 small meals a day…I can manage the “small meals” part, just not the “5-6/day” part]…meaning, I typically bring home 1/2 of any restaurant meal…we couldn’t resist the temptation of a takeout of the heart-shaped, chocolate ganache-covered cheesecake for two. That came home with us, too. Wink, wink.

Say Cheesecake!

Truthfully, it wasn’t tuned to our taste buds. Too bittersweet, and a tad too dry. I mean, really! If you’re going to indulge your sweet tooth, shouldn’t the indulgence actually be sweet? And perfectly pleasant on the palate? So, we both made a “small meal” out of this dessert…small, as in teeny-tiny. Ah well. It’s as I have always said: bakery items look so delicious and tempting in the bakery case but are rarely as tasty as your imagination suggests. 

Reflecting on a day devoted to cards and flowers, I’m reminded of the many expressions of love following brother Terry’s passing last month. Each and every one was appreciated. Our trip to KY to join in the Celebration of his life was sad as well as sweet, draining as well as uplifting…all the emotions, all at the same time. 

Lovely Flowers from Lunn Cousins Ann and Sherry

Sweet photo of Daddy with baby Terry, 1944

As usual, knitting helped me work through the emotional roller coaster, as I’m calmer and more centered when I pick up my sticks. I finished my first projects of 2024: a shawl (pictured), two cowls, and a pair of socks…all begun in the final days of December and completed in January. 

Cranberry Fizz Sparkle Shawl

I have 3 projects on my needles now (two year-long blanket WIPs for a couple of KALs and my sage socks for the Ravelry Solid Sock Group KAL entry in the Herbs & Spices theme…pictured), with 2 upcoming MKAL projects (in the planning and swatching stages for March 1 and March 6 cast on dates).

Sage Socks for February KAL

I am happy to report what I’m calling “progress on the PBC* journey.” I remember having neither energy nor enthusiasm for last year’s Super Bowl…I may even have slept through some of it. This year was a different story, thank goodness, because who could possibly have slept through the 4th…or 5th, for that matter…quarter?  

Eager to turn a page on the listless previous chapter, I pulled out some favorite recipes for Peppered Shrimp (from those Louisiana days of Chapter One…;-), Edith’s favorite cheeseball (Momma always had a cheeseball for any party or nibbles-get together), Sweet ‘n Spicy Meatballs (adjusted a bit to tone down both the sugar content and the heat-level of the spices), along with the crockpot pairing of Rotel tomatoes and Velveeta cheese (ok…so protein is definitely king of our castle these days). Our Super Bowl “party” might have been an intimate gathering for the Adsit Family, but I finally feel like taking small steps toward Normal. BTW, I figured out how to add a few drops of green food coloring to a bag of shredded cabbage and made a “field” for the football-cheeseball…check it out:

Super Bowl nibbles

And in gardening news, Thomas spent a couple of days planting roses recently, including 2 Disneyland floribundas from Jackson Perkins (picture below, credit to J/P) and 3 English-style shrub roses from Heritage Gardens in the last of some XXXL green pots purchased from Home Depot last year. 

Seeing as how we have planted…and had to leave behind…scores of day lilies, irises, daffodils, and roses over the years and many moves, you will likely understand that we have now adapted our gardening style and have fully embraced container-planting. Ahem. 

I guess that’s how you make multiple moves work and love last through all the years: adapt and adjust. That way, you get to write a new chapter…one that begins with “It was a bright and sunny day…” rather than “It was a dark and stormy night…”

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For the non-knitters among the readers…

KAL= knitalong. A group of knitters who are knitting at the same time, usually (but not always) on the same pattern (if a designer is hosting the KAL) or using the same yarn (if a dyer is hosting) or the same kind of project (like a pair of socks or a gnome…I kid you gnot…;-). 

MKAL = mystery knitalong. Multiple people do the same unknown knitting pattern, usually released in installments, over a period of time.

WIP= Work In Progress. A project one is working on.

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*PBC=the name of my New Normal. Here’s what the Mayo Clinic says:

“Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is an autoimmune disease in which the bile ducts are inflamed and slowly destroyed lead(ing) to permanent scarring of liver tissue, called cirrhosis. It's considered an autoimmune disease, which means (the) body's immune system is mistakenly attacking healthy cells and tissue. Researchers think a combination of genetic and environmental factors triggers the disease (but have generally ruled out alcohol as a cause). It usually develops slowly. At this time, there's no cure for primary biliary cholangitis, but medicines may slow liver damage, especially if treatment begins early.”

From a Thursday’s Child

 

Do you know the poem about the day of the week a child is born? The following from Wikipedia is supposed to be the common “modern version:” 

Monday's child is fair of face, 

Tuesday's child is full of grace. 

Wednesday's child is full of woe, 

Thursday's child has far to go. 

Friday's child is loving and giving, 

Saturday's child works hard for a living. 

And the child born on the Sabbath day Is bonny and blithe, good and gay. 

Both Thomas and Maredith are Tuesday’s children. I am a Thursday’s child, and if my lifetime of travels and moves is any indication…well, no argument could be made against the fairness of the prediction of having “far to go.” 

Still, as of August 4, 2021, just how much further I would be going was thrown into question. I haven’t written much about my health in my blog…heck, truth is I haven’t written much about anything in my blog for a few years now, but since that date it’s practically been the sound of crickets. Well, time to make a 180° change! 

I hesitate to call this about-face a New Year’s resolution, but the timing is too close not to recognize the connection. And I know that resolutions are easier to keep if one eases into motion (hence, starting a few weeks before a new year begins) and if one doesn’t bite off more than one can chew at once (hence, limiting my posts to once a week). And, for that one day/week for my posting…looping back around to the poem…I’ve decided on Thursdays. 

Well…it’s a Thursday, 4 weeks before 2024 arrives…so, here we go…again.

 ===== Photos are this year’s knitted rose ornament for the tree (something I’ve been doing for several years now), modeled on our At Last floribunda rose…which you see Rowan sniffing.

A Time for Healing

Glad that week is behind us. Thankfully, the healing has begun.

Recovery from Mr. T's shoulder surgery is going well. He feels much better as he heads into the second week, although the localized pain around the surgery site is pretty intense at times. Most thankful for his pain pills, now that he no longer has the benefit of the On-Q pain block thingee. For some reason, he has the most pain from a spot on his back/shoulder blade that doesn't appear to have been involved in the operation. No stitches, no redness, no lump, bump, or bruise. Odd. Well, maybe we can learn more about it at his upcoming follow-up visit on Friday. We shall see.

"The kiss of sun for pardon,
The song of the birds for mirth,
One is nearer God’s heart in a garden
Than anywhere else on earth."
          -- Dorothy Frances Gurney

Those lines from Gurney's poem are on a metal plaque that Momma purchased for her garden in Smithville...then I had in every garden since 1990...until Missy M "inherited" it during the move from MO to NC. At our house, as you are no doubt aware, the garden is a source of much solace and healing. And, with our current situation, we are relying on what we know to help make us better. Since Mr. T's usual vigorous participation in yardening activities is limited (ever tried hoeing with one hand, your non-dominant hand at that...the dominant arm being trapped in a sling?), our weekend Fall clean-up was briefer than usual. Still, he probably did WAY more than he was supposed to...any surprises there? Paid for it the next morning, of course...but he's back out there today, playing with Abbie. (Post is up on our garden blog, Gardening with the Giants. Click here to go there.)

John F. Kennedy - 11/2013

Of course, flowers always make boo-boo's heal faster, don't you agree? Here (left) is a picture of one of the most beautiful blooms that we've had this year from the John F. Kennedy rosebush. It went into Mr. T's "Get Well" bouquet.

'Gethsemane Moonlight’ mums

Actually, we have two JFK bushes in the back yard, along with a couple of Sheer Bliss roses and one Miss All American Beauty, and they are ALL putting on buds like crazy...most of which will be nipped when this latest 'artic front' blows through tonight ("they" are saying possible snow mixed with the rain!) . Everything else is pretty much spent, with the exception of the perfect-for-Fall persimmon-colored Pat Austin roses in the Rose Garden and the Chrysanthemum X ‘Gethsemane Moonlight’...clumps of which are now scattered throughout the property, thanks to my unexpected success with turning late Spring prunings (when you clip off the early growth in order to encourage lush flowering later on) into rooted cuttings. Here's a shot of the clumps growing at the mailbox (right).

So, that's how the physical healing is progressing. The emotional healing from the loss of our dear Elmo is happening...albeit at a slower pace. We have moved beyond hourly showers to just a few daily sprinkles. And we are more aggressive in moving into the phase of "remember when Elmo..."  The grief is still there, still close to the surface...but telling his story makes it much easier to contend with.

Until...

From our walk...

The day I took that picture of the mums at the mailbox (above) was a lovely Fall day: bright, crisp, with a bit of a cool breeze. The sky was the most brilliant blue...it took absolutely my breath away. Had to take a picture of it! (left)

I had taken Abbie for her walk (those are going very well, I might add) and stopped at the mailbox for the picture and the mail. There was the usual pile of circulars, ads, etc.; a bill or two; a "get well" card for Mr. T from Cousin H & S (cute card...thanks!); and a large, padded envelope. I tossed the first bunch in the green toter as I passed it in the driveway...garbage in, recycle out. When I got inside, something else caught my attention, so I dropped the surviving mail on the counter and headed off to take care of the something else. An hour or so later, when I came back into the kitchen to start supper, I noticed the mail and started opening the envelopes.

The padded one was heavier than I'd originally thought. I zipped the strip along the short edge and pulled a beautiful card from the interior. It was from the Emergency Animal Clinic in Greensboro, signed by the whole staff, sending their sympathy on Elmo's loss. The tears started flowing.

Then, from the depths of the envelope, I pulled a smooth, cream-colored disc...with his paw print captured in clay, baked into an ornament. Literally, took my breath away. I had to sit down...and then I had to jump up and find the box of tissues. The flood gates were open. I'm tearing up just writing about the experience. Showing the thoughtful gift to Mr. T, I had a partner in crying. We continued until we were both exhausted. Start supper? Forget about it. PBJs were about all I could manage.

The next morning, I knew I needed to let someone at the Clinic know how much we appreciated this beautiful gesture, but I couldn't bring myself to make the call. I just didn't think I could make it through a whole conversation without becoming weepy and incoherent.

Until...

I woke up this morning, much earlier than I'd intended since I'd stayed up last night watching Monday Night Football (not sure why...since I could care less about either Miami or Tampa Bay). And, something told me that I could make that call...now. Since the Emergency part of the Clinic closes at 8:00 a.m., I hustled into the kitchen and found the number. I spoke with the sweetest-sounding young lady...who took the time to listen and be gentle and kind in her responses...as she was aware that the emotion was still raw for me.

Breath in...breath out.

So, there you have it. Evidence that healing is indeed happening here at Casa 3917. And that's a good thing.

It's Raining...It's Pouring...It's Raining Some More...

Do you know when the Atlantic Hurricane Season officially begins? Those of us who live in states that have a coastline know the answer to that one: June 1.  And, it looks like we are going to have an active one, if this week is any indicator. We barely had flipped over the calendar before the weather wonks began with the storm updates.

Here's what our map looks like on the News 2 Weather ap. No Grasshoppers game for us tonight!

The first Tropical Storm of 2013 has arrived and been strong enough to get a name: Andrea. Oh Joy. Of course, she's been a mild one as Hurricane experiences go (remember...we were in NC for Hugo and Fran), bringing only rain to our doorstep.  Buckets and buckets of rain.

Still, I don't see rain as a bad thing. It has supplied the gardens with glorious gallons of H2O..and allowed me to do more inside than out...for the first time in a long while.  I finally got around to cleaning out, rearranging, and organizing my desk, workspace, and bookcase. Made it easier to concentrate on writing. Deep-cleaned our bathroom, which has only received a lick-and-a-promise lately, sad to say...casualty of a gardening obsession. Got the laundry all caught up. Made a 7-Up Pound Cake for Mr. T's return home from DC area.  Even found time for two new eBooks: The Bookman's Tale and The Kingmaker's Daughter.

But, I can't stay out of the gardens completely, don't you know? When we have had a break or two in the showers, I grabbed my camera to take some shots of the fat water droplets on the green and growing kingdom of the Way Back Garden.  I shared these shots over on my other blog, Gardening With Giants, which is why they all have the GWG watermark. No matter...here they are again. Hope you enjoy!

First, the flowers:

Always and Forever rose

Edith Ann daylily

Spanish Lavender

First Zucchini

Now for the veggies:

Goliath (green) tomatoes

Rose is a Rose...

What a great feeling it is to have one big thing behind me! I gave my "Earth-Kind(r) Roses" presentation at the Extension yesterday, and by all accounts it was well-received. Hooray and hallelujah! Over and done!!

Moving on...checking off the items on this week's To Dos.

Mr. T is making his way through the maze of medicos, getting all the prep-work done for his knee surgery tomorrow. So far, so good. EKG was normal. Blood pressure was excellent. And the insurance coverage has been confirmed. Looks like we are go for the launch! Counting down 'til Friday morning at 11:00.

Meanwhile, the gardens are beginning to give. While cutting roses for several arrangements to use for door prizes at the workshop yesterday, I noticed a ripe, red strawberry peeping out from the protective bird netting. And then another...and another! All that rain we had, followed by temps in the 80s, yielded rewards! 

Looks like I'll have enough for my cereal after all...:-)

So, today I'm headed for a long overdue catchup lunch with Momma's BFF AW. She's such a sweetie-pie, and I feel like I have neglected our friendship too long. That changes in about 15 minutes!

I'll let you know how things go...

Cheers!

Tote That Barge, Lift That Bag

Why does everything in the garden have to weigh 40 pounds? Or, better yet, 50?

I was taking a break this afternoon when it dawned on me that we have moved 2 tons of top soil from the driveway to the back yard and the Way Back Garden in the past few days. TWO TONS! Do the math: 100 bags of top soil at 40 pounds per bag = 4,000 pounds, or TWO TONS.

And that's not all, either. 50 bags of cedar mulch @ 40 pounds per (so far...still have 100 to go). One ton done, two to go. 25 bags of mushroom compost @ 40 pounds per (so far...we'll need another 25 before all's said and done). One ton in all. And 20 bags of Black Kow composted manure @ 50 pounds per bag...those are outta my league, I'm afraid. All I can do at that weight is cheer Mr. T on. He has a large wagon; I have a smaller one...and together we have put several miles on both in our efforts to move 4.5 tons of soil and amendments. Makes my back ache just writing it all down.

Not really. I have been very careful with all this lifting...warming up cold muscles before working, being realistic about my limits, and taking adequate breaks. I have been diligent about stretching and flexibly exercises over the Winter, to help meet the challenge of Spring. I know I'm playing with fire, so to speak, and a "bad back attack" is the last thing I need or want. No time for that...

Today I started getting the roses ready for their growing season. While I had already pruned them about a month ago, I had held off on the Spring Feeding just in case we had more cold weather...which we did. But all the rose bushes are leafing out now, so it is time to take action and get them ready to put on a show this Summer.

First I rake back last year's mulch. Then each bush gets a big helping of Patricia's Special Rose Potion: 1/4 cup Epsom Salt (magnesium sulfate); 1/2 cup bone meal; and 3/4 cup 10-10-10 granular fertilizer. I scratch this mixture into the soil from the main cane out to the drip line. Then I add 1/3 bag of mushroom compost as a thick mulch in a circle around the base of each bush. Water in...and voilá! Happy, healthy bushes. I finished the 15 bushes in the back yard today, with "only" 45 more to go in the Rose Garden.

Then, I'll turn my attention to the Orchard, where I'll need to mulch all 20 trees with more mushroom compost (no fertilizer yet, as none of these babies have borne fruit). Then ditto with the blueberries, blackberries, and grapes...all of which get both fertilizer and compost.

Are we done yet?!

I am under a deadline of sorts, in that April 15 is looming large...that's like the starter's pistol for the Warm Season Garden. After the Average Last Day of Frost for the Piedmont, we can begin planting all those summer goodies: tomatoes, peppers, melons, corn, beans, okra, etc. So, I want to be done with the other gardening chores by then.

A lot of work? Heck yeah. But oh so good for body, mind, and spirit. That's why I do it...for the joy it brings!

Just remind me of all that joy in the morning, when I won't be able to get out of bed! I wonder if I have any Epsom salt left? Supposed to be a good soak for aching muscles, right?!


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It's not all work-in-the-garden here at Casa 3917. I've also been writing about working in the garden...😃! Latest article published online, I Say Tomato! is located here: http://guilford.ces.ncsu.edu/2013/03/i-say-tomato/. Enjoy!

Sunshine, Tan Lines, and Mosquitos

What a bea-U-ti-ful weekend we had! Finally the perfect combination: good weather, no rain...and reasonably warm enough to be able to be outside. Yardening, here we come! Oh, how we've missed this...

While I gathered some essentials (gloves, pruners, etc.) Saturday morning, Mr. T began the day by refilling the bird feeders. Only...on this day, he had a new helper: Abbie! Look closely at the picture (below) to see Abbs with her paws up on the stump that is used as the filling station; you can barely see Mr. T's hand, as he had slipped back in the shed just as I snapped the shot. Oh yes, dear friends, she has taken to both master and routine like she's lived here for a year instead of just a week. She's discovered the doggie doors...and knows how to use them. Surely it won't be too long before she's chasing those d4mn squirrels away from the rich bounty in the Kingdom of our Back Yard.

The To Do List was lengthy and dynamic as we began the day. Mr. T was especially keen to get the 6 newly-arrived Flame Seedless grape vines in the ground in the Berry Patch, which meant he had to start with the Big Tiller to turn over the bed we had previously drawn up and marked off.

We have two Concord grape vines that are starting their third season (you may recall they produced some grapes last year), and we wanted to try another variety to complete our "vineyard." Research shows that Flames are heat-tolerant, which was the main consideration; whether we liked the grapes was the next most important item. While I like the Concords...and look forward to the day when I can harvest enough to make a jar of jam...Mr. T isn't a fan of their flavor...says they are too sour for "straight eating." Enter Flames: sweet and seedless...who could ask for more?

The area chosen for the vineyard is in the correct pH range (5.8 per our Soil Test in 2011), and appears to have a sandy streak running through the red clay. As we haven't improved the soil in this spot, we made a tasty mix of the soil removed from the planting holes, top soil, mushroom compost, Moo-nure, leaves (saved last Fall, remember?), and peat moss. While the last ingredient isn't recommended in this area due to a tendency to contribute to the soil's acidity, we made an executive decision to go for better tilth over pH. The support posts also got pounded in (no easy task), and the only thing remaining is to string the support wires and secure the vines. Those new grape-babies sure look happy in their new home!

Meanwhile, I continued with the pruning of the roses (doesn't sound nearly as much fun as The Running for the Roses, aka The Kentucky Derby, now does it?). Remember, I had finished this chore in the Rose Garden, but there were still the 17 bushes in the back yard? All look healthy, with the possible exception of the Sterling Silver hybrid tea. The first "blue" rose introduced in 1955, and the parent or grandparent of almost every lavender-blooming rose out there, this bush has always seemed less hardy than the others. Now it looks like it is on the Intensive Care roster. Sigh. It's one of my favorite blooms, too. You know how much I love purple, right? (I mean, who else paints their shed doors PURPLE, I ask you?) Well, this rose blooms a lovely, delicate lavender. Of course, "delicate" is probably the operative word here.

While I was pruning the roses in the Rose Garden, I had a thought: why not try to root some of the hardiest trimmings? With yesterday's snips, I had quite the collection. Sooo, out came the rooting hormone...and the nursery pots...and a new "rooting mix" (potting soil, peat moss, and sand). I got 12 pots of trimmings...and if just a few root, well...that's OK. It will be my first time to root my own roses...and probably the last time I ever buy another rose bush. As I am doing this for my own garden, with no plans to sell any successes, I'm ok on the patent laws...teehee.

As I dipped the last stem into the rooting hormone and pushed it into the last space in the last prepared pot (see photo above of the cuttings), Mr. T was tilling up a new rose bed in the Way Back. You see, we need to move some of our back yard buddies to a sunnier area. We made the mistake of planting them that first Spring we were in this house, thinking the sun factor where we put them would be constant throughout the growing season. Wrong. They just don't get enough hours of Summer sunshine (hybrid teas do best in full sun...8-10 hours a day). A reminder that one should live in a house...and garden...for a full year before making any changes.

Next up: potatoes in bags! Yes, we are planting our potato crop in bags again this year (instead of dedicating a row to them). Worked well last year, thriving on the benign neglect that was Garden 2012. I had prepared 10 sprouting chunks (3-4 eyes each) a couple of days before, giving them time to scab over on the cut edges. Mr. T helped me set up the Potato Farm, by laying out cardboard next to the asparagus bed, where we put 3 blue grow-bags, pouring top soil in to the depth of about 3 inches. As the sprouts grow, we'll add soil to cover the new growth until it reaches the top of the bags. At the end of their growth cycle (after the flowers, and when the green stems on top begin to wilt and die back), all we have to do is dump the bags out and-- voilá--potatoes! No digging!! And we have the added benefit of being able to recycle the "used" soil. Winner, winner...baked potato dinner!!👍

While taking a break, I could tell my face was getting more than a goodly amount of sunshine. As I'd had my visor on (I cannot wear a hat...just can't...too hot...) mainly for eye protection from the light and the glare (yeah, still an issue), I knew I was starting on one of my most bizarre tan lines: the one across my forehead, between my hairline and where the visor droops down over my eyes. Like a bald-heated man who forgoes his baseball cap at the beach.

And, just as we were enjoying a refreshing snack of Braeburn apple slices and cheddar cheese with crackers (agreeing that we'd truly missed these little impromptu picnics), what should buzz Mr. T's ear and alight on my exposed hand (since I was wearing long sleeves and long pants to protect me from all those thorns, I was fairly well covered elsewhere)? Why, a big, black mosquito! Already?! Guess so...

Before we collapsed on Sunday evening (remember...an extra hour of daylight!), Mr. T finished installing the last two Country Garden fence corners in the Cool Season Garden. Beautiful! We plan to redo this space with raised beds, and the corners provide just the structure needed.

And, then as everyone and everything left the Way Back, I mixed up the Dormant Spray and doused the fruit trees, grape vines, and roses. Sunday was the perfect day for this chore: a partly cloudy day in late winter (of which there are only 10 more days!), with no rain in the forecast for 24 hours; temps above 40 and below 85; with the area well-watered (the ground is still well-saturated from all the rain we have been having); and no chance of frost. While this stuff (basically, horticultural oil) is safe, there are warnings to remove people and pets from the 'active' spray area. And, although I am a "be nice to your Mother Earth" kind of a gardener, I recognize that an ounce of prevention in the dormant stage is worth the need to spray a pound of cure later on...and risk harm to any pollinators that come during the blossom stage.

And so, if Mr. T and I eventually recover from all of our strenuous activities, we shall pronounce this a successful weekend, and time well-spent. Huzzah!

First, You Make a Roux...

The seasons are a'changin' here at Casa 3917. And what better way to welcome Fall than a big pot of Gumbo! And we've been enjoying the perfect days for it, too...daytime temps in the 70's, nightimes dropping into the 50's. I love September, don't you?

Of course, it gets a little confusing around this time of the year. Take this week for instance: we have enjoyed seeing both the Greensboro Grasshoppers in their Minor League Baseball Championship Series, as well as the Duke Blue Devils win their home football game opener. Can basketball be far behind?

Oh well...where were we? Ah, yes...Gumbo!

Now, the classic Nawlins recipe for Gumbo typically begins with "first, you make a roux..." However, for me...since our days living in Louisiana...Gumbo has always started with our favorite Pepper Shrimp recipe a couple, t'ree days before. (Not a typo. Most folks from Sout' Louisiana lost their H's long ago...:~\). And it also helps if you have some leftover chicken and ham in the fridge. Bam! As Emeril would say.

And, before you can make your roux, you have to gather together your veggies to go in your Gumbo with your meats and seafood selections. And in our case, "gather" is a literal term. So, out to the garden for some okra (also called "gumbo," which is where this savory stew got its name), tomatoes, peppers, and onions. Bam, bam!

Alas, one sad thing about September is that the Summer garden is winding down. Fewer tomatoes...fewer peppers...less okra. Sigh. I'm excited that my cotton bolls are beginning to pop open...but you can't eat cotton. At least, I don't think you can.

Back to the kitchen...

Then you get out the two heaviest pots you own...one to make the roux; one to get the veggies going and eventually to host the simmering stew.

Here we go!

After you get the party started in the pots, you will have to watch the roux closely...and stir it constantly. You want it to brown slowly, but never to scorch.

And once you get it all together for the simmering phase, you can take a little break before you prepare the rice. For me, that means a pleasant stroll through the Rose Garden...where all of the David Austin roses are reblooming. Every single bush!

Here's a beautiful bloom on one of the Gertrude Jekyll's next to to patio in the Rose Garden. I so wish you could smell it!

Did I mention how much I love September?

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Here you go...my recipe for Gumbo. It's a combination of about 3 or 4 Louisiana recipes to get the flavors just the way we like...adding okra, and leaving out oysters and andouille sausage. See what you think!

Gumbo

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or bacon grease...or a combination)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1-2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined; cooked
1 cup cooked, shredded chicken (as in leftover rotisserie chicken) - opt.
1 cup cooked smoked ham, diced (can use thick-sliced deli) - opt.
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or bacon grease...or a combination)
1-2 cups okra, cut crosswise
1 onion, diced
2-3 stalks celery, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1-2 cloves garlic, minced fine
1 can diced tomatoes, liquid included
1 can tomato sauce
2 T. tomato paste
1 quart water, stock, or some combination - heated
1 cayenne pepper pod, whole
2-4 T. Parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon salt (or seasoned salt), to taste - depending on whether stock was used, etc.
ground black pepper, to taste
Tabasco sauce, to taste
Cooked rice

Directions:

1. Add 2 tablespoons each oil and flour to a heavy skillet over low heat, and whisk together quickly. Continue cooking and stirring until a dark roux forms. This can take 30-45 minutes...the lower the heat, the longer it takes, and the better it tastes! Watch carefully.
2. Meanwhile, in a heavy Dutch oven-type pan, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium heat. Stir in okra and cook until okra is tender; add bell pepper, celery, and onion, and cook until transparent; then add garlic, stirring constantly to keep the garlic from burning.
3. When roux is ready, add the HEATED liquid (water, stock, or some combination), as cold liquid will cause the roux to curdle. Continue to stir until liquid begins to thicken. Add this to the pot with the cooked vegetables.
4. Mix in tomatoes, tomato sauce, and tomato paste. Add salt, pepper, fresh parsley, and the cayenne pepper pod. Stir in cooked chicken and/or ham if desired. Cover, and cook slowly for 60 minutes.
5. Stir in cooked shrimp. Cook and stir for a few minutes, with the lid off. Adjust seasonings. If too thick, add a little tomato juice or stock (chicken or fish).
6. Serve in large bowls over a mound of hot, cooked rice, along with cornbread muffins. Enjoy!

We're Back in the Swing of Spring!

The Rhododendron is in the Swing of Spring!

OK, folks. Enough of this sickly, invalid business. I'm ready to get the party started again!

Yes, I feel better. Back issues subsiding. Vertigo lessening. And I'm sorely tired of gabbing about health problems. (Probably not nearly as tired as you are about having to read said gabbing...:)  Let's put the adventures back in The Adsit Adventure, how 'bout it?

Anyway, we have stepped it up a notch around Casa 3917 in the last couple of weeks. To start Mr T's vacation week off right, we took in our first Greensboro Grasshoppers game on the 6th, enjoying a double-header with the Lexington Legends, hot dogs and mustard, our great seats, and excellent fireworks.

We then donned our finery...including a hat for me (see photo, below)...to celebrate Easter Sunday, ending with brunch in style at Graylyn in Winston-Salem.  Question:  doesn't anyone wear a hat for Easter anymore?  I saw only three others the whole day...and two of those were on children, one on a little boy! I do NOT wear hats myself (for good reason, as you can plainly see...:), but I make an exception at Easter.

Desserts...and fab coffee
at Graylyn's excellent
Easter Brunch

In my Easter bonnet...
at brunch in Winston-Salem

Second order of bare root roses from David Austin arrived...
6 hours, soaking in the tub before going in the garden

Where we have been planning and prepping the new Rose Garden in the Way Back, we now have planted 34 new rose bushes [28 so-called English roses (left) from David Austin; 6 hybrid teas from Roses Unlimited]. By "we," of course I mean Mr. T.  He digs the hole, then uses the Mantis(tm) tiller to break up our rock-hard clay soil (photo, below)...incorporating lovely leaf mold (from all those leaves we salvaged from neighbors' curbs last Fall and composted all winter...:) and  Moo-Nure^® . I come along to add what we call the Secret Sauce: a mixture of bone meal and Epson Salts (which aren't really a salt at all, but magnesium sulfate...great for growing strong stems)...and water 'em in. We then add another layer of leaves as mulch around each bush. We have 6 more roses just arrived from DA in a box on the front porch to go in this weekend, weather willing (as well as three more crabapple trees going into the Orchard). Three more hybrid teas are coming from RU in early May. And that should be that for the roses and the fruit trees. (All who believe that, stand on your ear, as Momma would have said...:)

Mr. T with the Mantis in the Rose Garden.
(See the ones from Order #1, planted in the foreground.)

Paver patio at 10'x4' in Rose Garden...we're half way done!
(See the beginnings of the
Bluebird Bistro in the center.)

Finished: 10'x8'!  Now, must cure
for 72 hours.

Let's go to Atlanta!

Momma Bluebird bringing home breakfast
to the babies.

More importantly, we finished the new paver patio in the Rose Garden (photos above) last week when Mr. T was "on vacation." (Right. More about that in a sec.) Anyway, after a day of grueling construction work (done almost entirely by him, with me bringing up the rear of measuring, staking, sweeping and finishing with the polymeric sand), and waiting the required 72 hours to allow the sand to set between the pavers, he hauled the new teak glider out of the garage where he'd assembled and stained/sealed it, and we immediately found our new favorite spot on our property. We relocated one of the birdbaths and a hook with two feeders to a spot in front of the new patio, planted some perennials like delphiniums, yarrow, and thrift, along with some Spanish lavender (hey...I've tried English lavender without success in the Way Back...trying something new)...and we christened the spot The Bluebird Bistro, as it's about 15 feet from the fence with two active bluebird houses (photo, above/left). I cannot begin to describe how happy I feel when I'm there. It's like Mr. Bluebird is on my shoulder. It's the truth...it's actual...everything is satisfactual!  Zip-pa-dee-doo-dah!

"And that one is outta here..."
Go-ahead homer puts the Braves in the lead!
Tomahawk Chop!!!

I'm also happy to report that this vacation hasn't been all work and no play. Missy M also took the week off work, motoring down to NC on Easter Sunday. She took charge of the meals, keeping us yardeners happy. While she was here we got a sitter for ALL FIVE DOGS (God bless Miss Jan!) and headed the car down I-85 to Atlanta for a couple of days. Mr. T and I (and 50,000 of our closest friends...including President and Mrs. Carter, too...:) had tix to Opening Day for the Braves on Friday the 13th (photo, right)...which proved to be a lucky number for them, as they beat the Brewers in a battle to the last inning. Then, before we left town on Saturday, we managed to take in Ikea, Nordstrom Rack (can you say "new shoes?"), and a fav knittery in Duluth called Rare Purls. Well, M and I enjoyed that last one...:)


Yes, better health is contributing to more happiness in my universe. But I would not be telling the whole truth if I left out the tears that fell last week as well.

As I have said, this past week was looming as a mountain for me. So many milestones, so many memories. Daddy's birthday was April 11th...he would have been 89, if he hadn't passed away on April 12, 1990...and he was buried on Easter Sunday. Momma was also an Aries, and she would have celebrated her 92nd on April 14. As this was my first year without her, I imagine you will understand when I admit to having shed more tears on Saturday than on the other days of that week.

Sidney's Memorial Mimosa (in the cage)...
and a yellow iris (flag)

Of course, I can't really think of either of my parents with sadness for too many minutes...and I'm guessing that's progress on my part. In memory of Daddy, we transplanted a volunteer Mimosa sapling to a spot behind the new paver patio...right next to a bright yellow iris. A mimosa, you ask? Who plants a mimosa? It's an inside joke: Daddy...raised in the city and never the green thumb that Momma was...called EVERY tree a mimosa 'cause that was what he used to park under in our back yard in Henning. And the iris? Well, he used the old-fashioned name for it, calling them "flags." And, you guessed it...every tall flowering plant was a "flag."

And what better way to celebrate Momma's birthday than to go to a Braves game...and cheer them on to victory?! She was smiling on us that day...:)

Yes, everything is coming up roses...and mimosas and flags...here again. Swing, batter, batter...swing!


======>>>>======NOTE=======>>>>=======:

I have added a bar on each post that allows readers to SHARE the post on Facebook, etc. See it, right there below this info? (I have no control over the size of the tiny things...at least, none that I can discover...:)

Also, there is now a blue, Facebook LIKE button for the entire blog...see it there on the upper right column?

Hang on, folks...we're moving forward with a bullet!

Before...and After

The Before...


Hurricane Irene


Before I get too deep into this post, let me reassure those of you who are here because you are concerned about how Hurricane Irene might be impacting us.  We here in the Piedmont of NC are high-and-dry, and only a wee bit wind-blown.  As of mid-morning on Saturday, we have had wind gusts reach 32 mph, and if any raindrops have fallen, they have escaped notice.

Now, that's a mixed blessing in a way.  We are sooooo dry here that we almost wish we could get some of that rain that is falling currently at the coast...over 6 inches already at Wilmington, which wasn't even in the direct path of Irene.  Further inland, before this is all over, there will be significant flooding, especially in the towns on the sounds. I noticed yesterday that they were letting water out of Oak Hollow Reservoir (close to our house) and into the oddly-named Deep River, I suppose in anticipation of getting more water coming in than it could hold?  Don't think that's going to be an issue, though.  Ah, well.

And now to the After of the title.

I am happy to report that Mr. T survived his first major earthquake and the aftershocks.  On Tuesday of this week when the 5.9 quake struck the East Coast, he was in the Richmond area (of ALL places...:-), about 6 miles from the epicenter, preparing for a New Dealer Installation.  He sent me a text right away...and that was my confirmation of what had just rattled our house here in HPNC, long before our own news channel began to report it.  I was just sitting down to a late lunch when the house and all its contents rumbled and shook...and I thought "was that an earthquake?"  Don't think I've felt one of those since my Memphis days!  Of course, I grew up practically on top of the New Madrid fault, so earthquakes like this one were not unusual.  He, on the other hand, has only felt a few in his lifetime...and none as strong as the one this week.

As an aside, I do have to report something I read in the GSO paper on Wednesday.  They couldn't tell us what the magnitude of the quake was in the Piedmont.  Know why?  Well, it seems that the seismometer at NCA&T (the only one in this area) wasn't even turned on.  "Didn't need it." Wonder if they've plugged it in yet, after the fact?

Well, three weeks after Momma's death, I feel as if I am stepping out of a fog into the sunshine.  As I mentioned in my previous post, I am concentrating on volunteering to draw me along my path through grief.  I have been participating in a variety of Master Gardening volunteer activities and have signed up for several more.  One of the major commitments I have made is to be on a committee of three that will bring the new Earthkind(r) Rose Trial Garden to life over the next year...a first in the state of North Carolina!  I won't go into great detail now; you will be hearing way more about that in the next 12 months, I'm sure. If you just can't wait, follow that link to the home of the Trials at Texas A&M. (Oh, I know that set one Aggie's heart a-flutter, didn't it?  :-)

And yesterday, I had my first session with Amanda, the Hospice Bereavement counselor...lovely lady.  Thankfully, she had boxes of tissues placed strategically about her office; however, I didn't need quite as many of them as I had anticipated.  She asked me several thought-provoking questions, listened to my answers, and in general made me feel that I was on the right track.  She gave me some suggestions and a reading list.  I will have another one-on-one session with her, then I will join a group called Healing Hearts.  More on that in future posts, too.

I can also report that I have made it through the clothes in Mom's closet.  ATT, my BFF from childhood, gave me some great advice based on her own grief experience:  don't be too quick to complete this chore.  After her mother died, circumstances required her to move quickly on going through her Mom's things, and now she wishes she'd been able to take a little longer. Thanks, A, for sharing that with me...and giving me permission to slow down!

It's so much better to know these things before...rather than after, don't you agree?