Sunday, July 28, 2024

Weekly Wrap Up 7/28

 Happy Sunday to all.  Here we are on the last weekend of July!  Man oh man, time is just flying by. 
It is a quiet morning here, a little warmer than many mornings this week.  Looks to be rainy today and probably every day this week.  The warmer temps are heading back into our lives this week.
Enjoyed the cooler days and lower humidity - it will come again.
I have noticed that daylight is getting a little shorter too!
I have 2 huge areas of the 'surprise' lilies.  They are just beautiful.  I love the soft color.  I also have tall purple phlox still blooming and the Doro lilies have started a second bloom.
                                                        Pops of color all around the yard.
It has been an interesting week for sure.  Not a lot of keeping busy, just things.
My neighbor, and my porch sitting friend had a major heart attack this week.  She had a blockage of 100% on left side and had 2 stints put in.  She is also blocked 70% on the right side - but they have to wait about 6 weeks to stint that area.  Doctors had no reason to believe she would make it (they called her condition a widow maker) - BUT God had other ideas - and she is home!!!  We had a prayer circle in a neighbor's yard this week - it was good to see all come together.  PTL

The BOOM - it has been determined it wasn't fireworks of any kind.  We have experienced those for years and it was nothing like it.  No meteor, as nothing was determined in this area (I checked).  No sonic boom - have experienced those.  It shook the entire neighborhood, knocked things off the shelves, the sound was unbelievably loud.  There appears no sign of trauma to the ground or houses.  It felt like an earthquake and sounded like an explosion.  It is a true mystery.

My frugal week:
  • I picked 3 zucchini, a handful of cherry tomatoes, and another pepper (will be a great year for peppers - they are loaded!)
  • Cleaned up all the firework debris from last weekend - it was all over the backyard - what a mess
  • Mowed and trimmed over 2 days - the older I get the slower I seem to move!
  • Pulled weeds and general yard clean-up when cool enough
  • Walked the alley a few times and did some cleaning up of debris all over it
  • Put together new bottles of shampoo, dish soap, foaming hand soap, and got 3 more loads from the 'empty' laundry soap!
  • Another neighbor brought me a large piece of homemade fruit pizza - a real treat
  • Went out one day - kitties favorite wet breakfast food was really low.  It is a flavor hard to find around here.  I ran to Kroger - no luck - and then stopped 5 places between there and home.  Nothing.  THEN I happened to think about Chewy (I get their flea meds there) - I ordered 2 cases from them and got it in 2 days (free delivery & good price).  One case had several slightly dented and 2 cans had popped open - so I let them know, and they sent another case FREE of charge.  I have plenty to make the babies happy for a while!
  • While at Kroger - I got 4 lbs. gold potatoes for .99, 3 large Portobella mushrooms for 1.39, bagels 1.29, chopped broccoli 1.09 - (those all clearance) - peaches .99/lb., a sweet watermelon
  • Stopped at a yard sale on the way home and spent $1 - guess what?  LOL - a church cookbook!!
  • Laundry, dusting, sweeping, just cleaning in general
  • Meals all from home and using what I have
Meals this past week:
'Enchilada' pasta bowl
Big veggie salad and hard-boiled eggs
Club sandwich
Scrambled eggs w/diced potatoes added, bacon and sauteed zucchini
Hard shell tacos
Chili cheese fries
Grilled zucchini steaks and stuffed portobella mushroom (used leftover chili and cheese)
Snacking on fruit, nuts and cheese

Kind of quiet really.  I have gotten some rest this week it seems, and have done some reading.  Some weeks are very busy, and others just run of the mill.  I have talked with and prayed with many neighbors this week - it is so nice how people have come together around here. 
Watched a couple YouTube videos and a couple of rehab shows (no Olympics here).

How was your week?  How are your 'grow'ceries coming along? I hope you all have great success with your growing.  Any good deals this week?
Check in and let us know what is going on in your life and your area.

I wish you all a wonderful safe and healthy week ahead.  Stay cool!  
Blessings to you and yours from me, the kitties and from my humble little home.
***********************

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that in due time he may exalt you.  Cast all your anxieties on him, for he cares about you. Be sober, be watchful.  Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.  Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experience of suffering is required of the brotherhood throughout the world.
1 Peter 5:6-9

Lord help us to reach the non-faithful and to pray for the evil ones.  There is so much wickedness being done by people today.  We all know You are in control, and You will always be in control.  We have eternity with You and for that we are so very thankful.  Prayers for peace for all the people of the world, may everyone know Your love.  Amen


41 comments:

  1. I grabbed 2 1dozen packages of beef Brats marked down to $5!!!!! A bag of 6 apples for $1 (supposedly imperfect-um, OK).

    It's been too dang hot here (mostly 100s for weeks). So no garden plant is even contemplating flowering. I have 1 tomato that may be picked next week.

    Blessed Sunday ya'll :-)

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    1. Good deals! That heat will sure stop the flowering -what a shame. Hope you get something this season and some cooler weather soon.
      Have a wonderful week.

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  2. Wishing your neighbour a continued recovery from her heart attack.

    I've been picking peas and tomatoes this week, and need to cut more lettuce. The strawberries are finished, soon it will be just the carrots left in the garden.

    Strange thing, that boom. I'm sure someone knows what it was but just isn't saying.

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    1. Thank you.
      My lettuce went to seed long ago with the heat. Glad you are getting goodies. It all tastes so good.
      You would think someone would know - sure a puzzle for the rest of us.
      Have a lovely week.

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  3. Prayers for your neighbor.

    We never found out what our BOOMs were, but they did stop and have not (yet) returned. Odd.

    The rain has brought out the bugs - no-see-ums by the millions, and mosquitoes. I have worked outdoors anyway and am covered in itchy places, but they will subside with anti-itch cream thank heaven.

    Yesterday was beautiful, we sang hymns at an all-day event outdoors and *there* there were no bugs, only in my garden. Pot-luck lunch is so yummy!

    I love your Bible quote, hits the spot. One of our hynms says "though wolves and lions prowl around, his staff is your defense", and it's a phrase to hold on to. :)

    MaryB

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    1. Thank you.
      It is odd an the booms. Just hard to imagine.
      Oh the scourge of bugs! Nasty critters! Nothing worse that that itch.
      Glad you had such a wonderful day and a day of fellowship.
      AMEN - it sure is. We all need that protection.
      Have a blessed week.

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  4. I seem to recall reading a few years ago about some communities experiencing loud, unexplained booms. I don't if they ever determined what was causing them.

    Thanks be to God for your friend's recovery. My mother had her heart attack at the hospital the very morning she was going to be discharged. She'd eaten breakfast and had taken a walk in the hallway when she said she felt like she was going to throw up. The nurse checked her and all heck broke lose! She was having a heart attack. People poured into the room and then they wisked her down to surgery for a stent. She recovered.

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    1. I have read about booms and noises in different communities as well. A part of me can't help but think it is something govt.
      Thank you. Oh goodness, how scary that had to be for your mom and you.
      Her husband told me to go in the morning it all fell apart - and she was laying on the couch saying how bad it hurt - I snuck back out and didn't get in the way - she needed the
      'crew' more than me. So scary how things can change in a moment.
      Have a super week.

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  5. Oh wow! I am happy to hear your neighbor will be okay. We have those weird booms from time to time as well. So weird.

    I got five free jars of mayonnaise this week and two big bags of chicken tenders for 25 cents each. Win!

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    1. Thank you. Just a weird thing for sure.
      What a deal!!! Yay for you. That is a deal and a half on the chicken.
      Have a great week.

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  6. The Father honors humility. You are so right about the wickedness in this world today. At times the atmosphere seems dark and heavy with the demonic powers at work. In the Name of Yeshua Hamashiach, leave!

    Your flowers are gorgeous! The naked lady is very lush with blooms. (Covers her nakedness...ha!) The gardens have done well this year. Our cherry tomato plant is at least two feet over my 5'1" height.

    You have been busy, as usual. Can you imagine living somewhere with nothing to do, though? It is amazing how much is left in a so-called empty container.

    Hoping your neighbor is restored to good health. Even with yearly checkups and testing, things still happen. Praying for and with your neighbors is golden!

    We had a boom while eating breakfast this morning. A transformer went out and AES sent a truck almost immediately, restoring power right away. Erin said her power flickered too and she is a few miles east of us. She went with friends to see Barry Manilow Friday night. I didn't realize that he is in his 80's.

    Some rain and more expected. No outside work today. Plenty to do inside, however. See you Tuesday!

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    1. Thanks I think they are so pretty. Too bad they only happen once and then gone. I guess that is why they are special.
      Great on your tomato plant! They sure love the rain.
      Oh empty containers always have so much left. I rinsed and rinsed until I got it all!!
      Wow, hope you didn't lose power for long. I thought about that too - but that wasn't it here.
      How cool on Manilow. It is amazing how old 'they' are all getting - not us of course!!! I had friends that went as well.
      It has been raining her for a while now - an inside day for sure.
      Have a great week.

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  7. It's much cooler here thanks to all the rain we've had this week. Only 78 degrees outside and 71 inside with no air on today, which I love. I can't believe it is the last week of July! The students will be going back to school here on August 5th.

    I'm glad to hear your neighbor is Ok after the heart attack and I love that you all had a prayer circle for her. Good customer service from Chewy to replace the cat food that was damaged. Some flavors of those are hard to find. My Archie likes only a certain brand and will turn up his nose at the others. LOL

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    1. Glad you have cooled down - I know you hate that heat. Schools start here this week and one started last. It just kills me - it was always after Labor Day for us.
      Thank you.
      Chewy is really a good company. My cats are picky too. Give them something they don't like and they just look at me like I have 5 heads! I guess we like what we like too!
      Have a lovely week.

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  8. We are in the midst of the Dog Days of Summer. It's been hot! And humid. One nice thing about the wildfire smoke (atmospheric, not local) is it kept the sun from being so intense. Yesterday the wind came from the south and blew it back and you could really tell!
    My best bargains were yesterday when the farm store had 12% off Everything in the store! I found shirts for the grandkids for $5 and then the discount. Farmer got a cattle tank on sale and then later in the day determined our riding mower was too expensive to repair, so found a new one on sale and then the discount. Yes, it was an expensive day for the Farm, but sales help so much.
    This week I also got 2 pairs of capris from Kohl's with a 40% off discount and my $10 store cash. They were less than $10 a piece.
    Final deal, we had the grands here last night. They wanted pizza. I found a special for 2 Jumbos for $20.50 each when you buy 2. The price for 2 mediums regular price was just under $40.00. We got the Jumbos and sent home the leftovers for their family of 6 to enjoy this week.
    No other great grocery deals as we are eating out of the pantry and freezers.
    We did eat out for my birthday this week but we used gift cards.
    Stay cool and hydrated!

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  9. Thinned carrots; weeded the cacti bed; put away the kiddie pool, garden hose & tools; weeded under the deck; vacuumed the bedroom - that was this morning. There was an inch of rain this past week & cooler temps. Had a massage & a Reiki treatment this week. Enjoyed the neighbor little one day; we went to a local lake & waded in the water & played with water guns. Sad news in our province: 30-50% of the popular mountain town of Jasper was destroyed by wild fires this past week. In the kitchen: chocolate chip cookies; fried potatoes; swiss chard; stir fry; broccoli salad. I'm off to watch wagon races later this afternoon.

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    1. Well you had a busy morning! Glad it is cooler and you all got rain. That is just so sad about that town. Wildfires are so horrible. I hope no life was lost.
      Sounds like fun with the little neighbor and the wagon races sound fun. Yummy food!
      Have a great week.

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  10. I love Chewy. It's cheaper than Walmart, often has good discounts, and I can get it delivered at home.

    We were doing work on the house and discovered termite damage, so that's on hold until we can get Terminix down here to see how bad it is. I dread how expensive it will be, especially as we live in a log home. Hopefully the damage will just be contained to that one area.

    On the frugal side, I received an extra avocado in my pickup order, was given some free corn and a tomato, and found several free books for the toddler.

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    1. Chewy is really good. They deliver so quickly and have so much variety.
      Oh no. I so hope it is limited to the one spot/area. I guess one of the downfalls of having a log home - though I sure would love one. Fingers crossed.
      Any free food is wonderful and nice to have. Enjoy.
      Have a lovely week and good luck!

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  11. How fortunate that your neighbor is recovering. I hope all goes well with her.
    Isn't it funny the lengths we go to to keep our pets happy! I have to buy turkey fancy feast for my cat, nothing else will do. Chewy comes through!

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    1. Thank you - I hope she continues to do well too.
      Yes mam, those kitties get what they want. Mine is turkey/cheese shreds - they have to have that every morning!!
      Chewy is a good company.
      Have a super week.

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  12. I picked a handful of green beans today, not enough for a meal for two, but I added them to the salad we are having tonight. That is something I have never done before. Picked a few cucumbers today and used one in our salad for tonight.
    Cherries all picked and I will be making some more pie filling out of what is left (second batch) and I made jam out of a bagful.
    Picking and dehydrating herbs is ongoing and I hope to get enough for the winter and beyond.

    God bless.

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    1. Good for you on the veggies and fruit. I like fresh raw green beans - I think they have a good taste.
      Glad you are getting things you can use and that will help with the groceries.
      I think you do so many neat things with the herbs. It is interesting.
      Have a blessed week.

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  13. Love all the neighborhood praying. Count yourself so very fortunate to be around those kinds of people. Ditto to your prayer too! Keep forging on for Jesus. Linda TšŸ˜‰

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    1. It has turned out to be such a nice group of people. It took us a while to get to know each other, but now we have such a lovely and caring group of people.
      I most definitely will.
      Have a lovely week.

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  14. Had another busy week. Picking lots of cherry tomatoes. The Better Boy slicers have been a disappointment, probably won't plant them again next year. Mowed the weeds and weed-whacked and did some other yard work on Friday before it got too hot on the weekend.

    Drove by a home with @150 ft. frontage all planted in blooming Surprise Lilies this morning. Beautiful! So hot and dry here the past couple of days, but a better chance of rain this week. I'll believe it when I see it.

    The last time we had an "earth-shattering KABOOM" (to quote Marvin Martian) was a few months ago when an old private gas well blew up a house killing both occupants. The home was ten miles away, but the blast shook my house. I would guess your BOOM was an experimental aircraft creating a sonic boom. The government keeps that type of thing top secret. Anything else would have been in the news.

    Cheryl, your neighborhood sounds a lot like mine, as I wrote in Wed.'s comments. Most of us look out for each other. I pray that your neighbor recovers fully.

    Saw Roger today. He didn't want to get out of bed or eat breakfast (unusual for him), and he was running a low fever which responded to Tylenol. They kept him in bed in his room today in case he is contagious. He did eat all of his lunch and was more lucid than usual. We watched the Olympics for a few hours. I'll check in on him tomorrow on my way to the Project Linus workshop.

    Back in 2000, before we met, Roger made prepaid funeral arrangements at a funeral home near where he lived. He will be buried with his late wife in their associated cemetery. Since the funeral home is an hour from my house, I wanted to change to the local funeral home that handled my ex-husband's funeral (I know the funeral director.) I met with the first funeral home to clarify exactly what he had paid cash for (the entire burial), but am going to transfer the prepaid funeral insurance policy to the local funeral home when I meet with the director on Tuesday. The hospice chaplain is going to perform the service, and there will be military honors. It is emotionally difficult to plan his funeral, but I'd rather do it now than at the time of need.

    After not playing my piano for over 30 years (neither husband would put up with listening to it), my 105 year old piano is beyond reasonable repair. It is a large upright grand, and would have been too large to take to an apartment in the future, too. So I decided to buy an electric piano with a headphone jack so I don't torture the neighbors. I found a beginner/intermediate level 88-key Yamaha on Amazon at a very good price (less than the cost of repairing the old one.) It arrived yesterday along with a stand. Now I just have to get rid of some furniture in the living room so I have a place to put it. I'm so looking forward to playing again. I almost never buy anything for myself that isn't purely practical, so this is a real treat. Playing the piano again is on my bucket list, and I didn't want to be like my ex-husband who finally bought his long desired fishing boat only a couple of months before he died.

    I will not be getting my ex's cat as I wrote last week, but that's good news because my sons are going to live in their father's house and can keep the cat. It's only about 1-1/2 miles from me. I drove past there the other day (it's on a main street), and my son was there, so I stopped in and we talked for a while. it's good to have my sons back in my life.

    Did have to go grocery shopping last week, but stuck to the basics. I was craving a tuna salad sandwich but don't really like traditional tuna salad, so I mixed the tuna with Miracle Whip, some onion flakes, and the last of some spinach dip. Very tasty! I also "weeded the house" (stolen from Mary B.!) and took a non-working TV to Best Buy for recycling. They charge $30, but you get a $30 gift card in return. I'm sure I'll use it eventually.

    Have the eye doctor appointment on Wed. to determine the Rx for my glasses lenses. I'll be so glad to not have to squint!

    Hope everyone has a safe and blessed week!

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    1. My Big Boys (4) are doing well. They have lots of green ones hanging on them. Sorry yours didn't do well.
      I bet that floral display was beautiful.
      I am thankful you had a nice visit with Roger. That is nice that the arrangements have already been paid for and made for that day - it is a tough thing to do. Funeral homes are in a market that takes advantage of emotions.
      How cool on the piano. I am happy you are doing something for yourself. That is neat to start a new thing. A couple of you gals are doing that. I find that pretty cool. Sorry about the kitty, but it sounds like it has worked out. I am so happy you have reunited with your boys. It kind of sounds like your ex may have stood in the way of that over the years. It is neat they will live so close.
      Good luck at the eye doctor. It will be nice to see perfectly again.
      I hope you get some rain - we are getting are share and maybe yours!
      Have a blessed week.

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  15. Cheryl, my lengthy comment went to spam jail again. I have to learn not to write so much LOL!

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  16. Oh, bless your neighbor’s heart! Literally! I had a bypass on my window maker artery, and I hate hearing that anyone has to go through heart trouble. I love that y’all did a prayer circle for her. I pray she continues to improve! Keep us posted on her. Your flowers are so beautiful! And that is SO weird about the loud boom!

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    1. You had such a surgery and you are so young. My goodness. It is really scary. We are such a complicated and intricate machine and it all has a function. God sure knew what he was doing! There is a really good group of people here now.
      Thank you.
      Have a wonderful week.

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  17. so glad your neighbor is getting better. What a scary situation for her and I know your prayers helped. Our booms have stopped for this year..we had a theory and we believed it was from them installing new gas lines not a half block from us. Of course they would never admit that. Have a great day

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    1. Thanks. I talked with her yesterday and she is tired (they had a lot of company), but feeling better. She needs a bunch of rest.
      Hmmm, that is interesting. I don't think anything like that going on, but something to think about.
      Have a great week.

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  18. Hi there. I love reading about your weeks and daily posts! Thank you.

    I have a question for you and your readers. I have a couple of jars I want to make seasonings in. They are all gummy though. What is your best trick to getting all that yucky glue off? Please and thank you!!!

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    1. Thank you - glad to have you here too.
      Goo Be Gone is good stuff you can buy. A lot of times I just cover the jars with straight dish soap and let them sit a while. They usually wash/scrub clean in hot water (I do that for label gunk). Hopefully someone else may have an idea!
      Good luck and have a great week.

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    2. That Magic Eraser is good for removing well soaked glue residue. :)

      MaryB

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  19. For some labels, I've just used a baking soda paste and filled the jars with hot water to help loosen the residue. I have stopped saving jars for now, I was a jar hoarder. LOL. Our Celebration tomatoes are coming in now. They are sooo good. I only have one plant but it has lots of large clusters of fruit and it is indeterminate so it'll keep on fruiting. The cherry tomatoes (Jelly Bean Grape) are not great. The skin is too tough. Going back to Gardeners Delight and SunGold next year. GREAT pepper and cuke year here. Why do we always get torrential rain just when the large tomatoes are ripening? LOL We used to order canned dog food from Chewy but there were always many dented cans. Every single order. I wish I had complained! Now we just order kibble and vitamins/supplements. I top the kibble with home cooked lean meat /potato and vegetables and per the vet she is doing great. (She has some kind of digestive issue that calls for a low fat diet). Chewy has amazingly fast delivery! Glad your friend is doing better. Hope you don't get any more booms. Dee

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    1. Thanks for the jar tip.
      So happy your tomatoes are doing good. Other than cherry, still no ripe ones here. Something (I think squirrels) have gotten in the cuke plants and broken many - so nothing here yet.
      Chewy really is a good company. I have been pleased every time. I did have one order sent to wrong state - but they remedied that quickly. Have to take care of our babies. Many folks give their dogs veggies, that is pretty neat.
      Thanks.
      Have a great week.

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    2. The baking soda and oil worked like a DREAM. Thank you so much!!!

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  20. Good post, Cheryl. How wonderful you and your neighbors prayed together for your hospitalized friend/neighbor. I’m so glad you got some of your kitties favorite food šŸ˜». We were given some zucchini, yellow squash and cukes, so we’ve made 2 different squash casseroles and German cucumber salad. I didn’t know squash casserole was a thing till moving here to the southern plains LOL.
    I’ve seen some pretty surprise lilies around here, too. Delightful.
    No Olympics for us here, either.
    It’s getting hot again here, too, after the reprieve we’ve had.
    Resting’s good…take care and Lord bless you and the kits.
    Mary in OK

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    1. Thanks Mary.
      How wonderful to have received such nice garden goodies! So many things can be made with them and such tasty eating. Squash is such a staple here - it is used in so many things. The lilies are just gorgeous.
      Yep, that heat is coming back. Such a nice reprieve. It was enjoyed.
      Have a wonderful week.

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