Happy Sunday all. Hope this finds you all well and safe. It is a beautiful morning here.
We sure had a week! It got hot, hot, hot! We had a high temp of 98* on one day (actual temp) and a couple others of 95* and 96*. TODAY is perfect. Humidity has dropped, this morning is very cool and my windows are open!
Friday we got rain - sweet, beautiful rain for most of the day and evening. It was a nice rain - no storms in my area. It was greatly appreciated. Enough? Nowhere close to being enough. We are like 4" below normal rainfall. So, still in drought. But it sure was lovely. I went outside and stood in it for a while. I am sure I probably looked like a crazy lady - but that is OK. It felt marvelous!!!!!
Basically it has been a quiet week here. I was inside much of it, except for feeding the kitties and checking water bowls. I did go out early in the mornings to do a bit of yard work - but it never lasted long.
My first tomato harvest! Orange cherry tomatoes. The best taste ever - fresh tomatoes. Waiting on big ones!
My week:
- Hosed the porch, railings and furniture down - so dusty!
- My perennial bed is very natural in its growing. Got out and pulled out a lot of weeds andwild stuff growing amongst flowers
- Weeded the garden 2X - once first of week and once after the rain. Amazing how weeds grow even in the dry!
- Gave the back bushes a little haircut & trim
- Picking more zucchini, peppers and cherry toms
- Used dehumidifier water in laundry and lined dried
- Did cat maintenance! Trimming Momma's nails - this hasn't taken several sessions - as she does NOT like it. She isn't super active and her nails had gotten long. Coming them all - it is so hot, so getting all that extra fur off. Momma had several hair clumps (she has longer hair) - got those all taken care of. Again, she was not happy - but has to feel better!
- Neighbor brought me more cucumbers
- My rain barrels are now full again!
- I raked again this week
- Made a batch of cucumber and onions for munching for a few days
- I made a Philly beef and cheese mock skillet. I used ground beef, peppers, mushrooms, and onions and cooked together. Added drizzle of Soy sauce and a drizzle of Worcestershire sauce. Served of toasted hotdog buns and topped with Swiss cheese. My goodness, it was good!
- Made more hummingbird nectar
- Just doing all the normal stuff around the house.
- NO grocery store at all this week.
Meals this week:
Hot dogs and cucumber/onion salad
Fried zucchini and corn on the cob
Grilled cheese, cuke salad and chips
Pork chop, corn on cob and salad
Taco salad
Spanish type rice (rice & salsa) topped with l/o taco meat, sauteed zucchini
Philly beef and cheese
Snacks: fruit, ice cream
I plan on going out in a few and doing a little yard work - trimming things that shouldn't be growing out there! No grass cutting still - it is still pretty dormant. I do want to trim around the fence - weeds!
How has your week been? Are you getting decent weather, or have you been experiencing this awful heat? Gardens growing? Deals, this week?
I love hearing from everyone.
I hope you all have a wonderful week ahead. Blessings from my humble little home to you and yours.
Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who gets understanding, for the gain from it is better than the gain from silver and its profits better than gold.
Proverbs 3:13-14
There's always a list of things left undone, isn't there, Cheryl? I don't know how anyone can be bored with a house, yard & pets to look after. My neighbor hauled my garden tiller for repair and that's the last item to be fixed after the myriad of breakdowns/things gone wrong last month. Lawn cutting happens every 5 days around here. It looks so good when done. I enjoy my home and yard immensely. There was 14mm of rain this week and one really humid day, something we don't often contend with. I got the weeds cleaned out from under the deck and weeded the rock path. I worked on the perennial bed yesterday. After an hour in the sun, I retreat to the cool shade of the verandah. I picked up Stanley Tucci's book, Taste, from the library and am enjoying that as well as Run, Rose, Run by Dolly Parton & James Patterson. The Calgary Stampede is being televised and that takes up time in the heat of the day when the rodeo is on and in the evening for the chuckwagon races. I'm looking forward to a lunch/scrabble date with a friend this week and also planning a 65th birthday party for a friend the following week. The menu highlight was a grilled sandwich with ham, brie cheese, sauteed onions & roasted red pepper. Which reminds me, I also prepared 2L of green onions for the freezer. And that was my week.
ReplyDeleteYes mam, there is always something to do. The list never ends. Glad your fix-it items have come to an end, at least for a long while!
DeleteNormally my grass gets cut at least once a week - maybe twice, but with all the dryness, that is not the case at the moment.
You will have to tell us if you like Run, Rose, Run. I heard about the collaboration of those two. Sounds interesting.
Your lunch plans sound wonderful - nice to get out and visit with friends.
Scrabble - boy that takes me back. My Dad and Mom played A LOT when grandma came. Grandma never believed Dad's words!! LOL (he was pretty smart, and had good ones). She hated to lose!
My goodness, the grilled sandwich sounds tasty.
YAY on the green onions - they will be wonderful this winter.
Have a great one!
Excellent quote from Proverbs! We definitely need more HAPPY in this world!
ReplyDeleteYour tomatoes look fabulous! We have had only a couple cherry tomatoes and several more are turning. The tomato plants are almost as tall as the corn. Having eggplant today with leftover pasta sauce. Probably will spiralize a zuke instead of using pasta. Found a giant cuke hidden in the leaves so will probably make a tuna or chicken salad to go in it.
Wasn't that rain wonderful?! I got up early and worked on the flower beds very early while it was still cool. The Urban Farmer will be cleaning the little girls' chicken house today. That certainly is a stinky job!
We sure do need more happy. I love how everyone here tries to spread a little!
DeleteThey tasted so yummy! Like REAL tomatoes. I picked a regular tomato the morning. Smaller and cracked a little - but a tomato!
I like zucchini instead of pasta - I plan on zucchini today as well.
The rain was just heavenly!!!!!! A true gift. I had almost forgotten how wonderful rain could feel!
I just came back in - worked outside some this morning.
Ooooo - yes, stinky for sure. I wouldn't like that job!
Have a great day!
Happy Sunday, Cheryl! The Proverbs verse made me smile. Always expected that by the time there was this much white in my hair, wisdom would have naturally arrived. LOL!
ReplyDeleteWe've had hot, sunny days and then yesterday, blissfully, rain moved in again. I'm anxious to get flower seeds in--we bought 5 big bags of compost--but must wait for the guy doing our rain gutters to do the installation. He said materials have been delayed.
Nevertheless, when Hubby goes to Home Depot next, I'll see if the somewhat faded pots of daylilies are still there and ask about a discount if I buy what's remaining. There were about 10 pots the last time I was in their garden center a few days ago, each with at least 2 divisions per pot. I'd divide and plant them along the front of the house. He has plans to put in a block/paver patio to match the walkway he put in from the parking area to our front steps.
Most GOOD things this week have to do with nature... saw a few rainbows, spectacular sunrises, received visits from the neighbor's chickens and wild rabbits, and enjoyed the cool, damp breeze as monsoon clouds rolled in. Also good was I got a Prime Member deal from Amazon on a security camera system, saving $179. It arrived 2 days early and was easy peasy to set up. Also, I managed to get 2 cups each of pork and beef crock pot broth, so I'll make a big pot of tortellini and spinach "stoup" (as Hubby calls it) to feed us for a few days. --Elise
I know right? Who expected wisdom to come so late in life? LOL
DeleteI hope you can still get some of the lilies. Sounds like things are coming right along. That is great.
Your goods things - are wonderful things. All those little things that many may overlook! Nature sure is a marvelous thing.
Yay on the broth - and yes, there is a thing called stoup in my vocabulary as well!
Have a good one.
Here in S IN we were blessed with some rain four days in a row. Our total accumulation was 2.9inches. Yay! Crops were literally dying and gardens and yards were getting brown unless watered. We are so thankful as we were so very dry. We could always use more on a regular basis this time of year.
ReplyDeleteBlackberries have started yielding. Still eating lots from the garden but waiting for that first tomato...looks like just a day or two more.
Had lunch with a friend one day and went out another time to do shopping with the husband and we got bbq. This is not my normal week...felt so treated!
At home on the table if I can remember: Cheryl's yummy zucchini rice sausage skillet, chicken veggie kabobs over rice, venison and noodles, roasted chicken, corn on the cob, cukes, sliced tomatoes that we bartered cukes for, baked beans and lots of salads. As I had some Ed raspberries left, I made another raspberry glazed pie.
A week of abundant blessings and sure enjoying this milder and pleasant weather!
Yay, so glad you got so much rain. I am hoping for more in a couple days - but glad to get any. Things are really brown and dry here too, unless watered
DeleteMmmm blackberries. Glad you have had a 'special' week!
Your meals sound tasty. Raspberry pie sounds so stinking good. Red or Ed!!!! LOL
Have a good week.
That would be red raspberries! Oops! Ed would probably like it also..lol!
ReplyDeleteWe have had nine inches of rain in the last 8 days. It has not been gentle rains but a monsoon that seemed like a solid wall of water. We did need rain but this has been too much too fast.
ReplyDeleteWe seem to have solved the squirrel problem with our container vegetables for now. Finger crossed that it continues to work. We have one zucchini out there and I am stoked because no matter how many times I have tried to grow them I have never actually gotten any on my plants.
We had lots company leftovers from last weekend and only wasted a small amount of leftover grits. We were given a half gallon of Blue Bell ice cream and we were happy to take it home with us. Restocked chicken thighs in our freezer for 1.18 a pound. Canned green beans that we grew and 14 jars of dry beans.
Thursday morning we woke up to a hot house and thought our heat pump had been struck by lightening. Thankfully we got on the service list for that day and it was only a small repair and we were back up and cooling again.
Wow that is a lot of rain in a short time. I like rain - but that is a bit much. Glad you have the tomato/squirrel thing remedied. Here's hoping you get tomatoes and lots of zucchini!
DeleteIce cream is a lovely gift! ice to have those beans for winter.
Glad the fix was easy and not major. Good for you for being on the list!!!!
Have a good week.
It seems like lately we have had some rain almost every day. The rain barrel is full and Harvey has a hose on the top to take the extra to our trees.
ReplyDeleteI am hoping to do some more weeding early next week and some of the flowers need a trim if I want them to bloom once again. I should really thin out the columbine as well.
God bless.
How fortunate you are to have the rain. Neat idea on passing the extra water on to the trees.
DeleteWeeding seems to be a never ending thing!
Have a good week.
Our tiny but productive garden is growing great this year. My husband helped me set up some wire grid trellises and that has been a gamechanger! I have been able to squeeze a decent amounts of potatoes, tomatoes, beans, peas, cukes , corn (36 plants), onions garlic and calenula and herbs in a 10 by 12 foot plot. I did have to remove the gorgeous row of calendula today to give my tomatoes more airflow and a row of onions more light. I have peppers and butternut squash planted in flower beds. We won't have enough to last more than a few months but every bit helps. (Garlic lasts for most of the year though : ) Artichoke seedlings are ready to transplant for next year but i don't know where to plant them! /even if we don't like them, the flowers will be pretty. The best part of the garden is sharing with neighbors, both seedlings and produce and ideas. I give everyone tomato starts. My neigbor is rooting a fig tree for me! Rain barrels are empty now, but everything is moist beneath straw mulch. Advice: grow borage. It brings so many bees! Love that Jane Goodall quote.
ReplyDeleteWow, you really have a lot of variety planted. That is fantastic. You are very right, every little bit helps. So kind of you and the neighbors exchanging items. That is really neat. Good example of not needing a huge lot to grow!
DeleteThanks for the tip!
Have a good week.
Swapping and sharing stuff from the garden makes the neighborhood more neighborly.
DeleteYummy looking cherry tomatoes! Sounds so hot there too, ugh. I’m glad you got some rain and some relief from the sweltering heat. That Philly cheesesteak dish you made sounds delicious! I’m going to have to make that soon here.
ReplyDeleteThey were yummy!!! The first tomato is always the best one!
DeleteIt was very tasty. I just wanted something different and that hit the spot. Enjoy.
Have a good week.
Sunday evening of a very relaxing day. Went to church, stopped at the market, and came home for a nap! The heat is so exhausting. It's been a steady couple of weeks of 100ish temps and humidity. It seems like 4pm is the point where my eyes start sagging! The big accomplishment around here was my hubs rebuilding a section of our backyard fence.
ReplyDeleteA funny story about our fence. We paid about $6500 to have it built in 04 by a highly recommended fence company. Hubs started replacing 12 foot sections in about 2017. Next door, the 30 yr. old mom with 3 kids under 7 and one in her belly built their entire fence herself while her husband was working and the kids playing nearby. She built it in 2002. She READ how to do it in one of those DIY magazines. Guess who has NEVER had to replace à nything in her fence?!?! They don't live there anymore but we see them occasionally. Her *baby* is still in college and I always remind her that her fence is older than her baby! I told her I think she missed her calling as a natural born fence builder!!
My husband hung all my stuff up in my craft room. It's been in boxes since the move upstairs 2 yrs. ago. I have one wall dedicated to my crafting roots. It has my crafts made at camp from ages 8 - 12! It's fun to see them and I remember how much I loved doing them. I was one of those freak kids that didn't get homesick at sleep away camp starting at 8 yrs.
On my reading pile...
On my nightstand - Midwest Living magazines. I'm waiting for a book from the library.
In my craft room CD player - First Family by David Baldacci. (Still!!)
With my Bible study - Beautiful in God's Eyes by Elizabeth George.
By my reading chair - Foxfire 40th Anniversary Book. Thanks for posting about this, Cheryl!! I had no idea it even existed and it's so interesting. It's a big read, but perfect for my reading chair because it's done in small segments so I can pick it up and put it down for even just a few minutes of reading.
Sounds like a nice Sunday. Relaxing.
DeleteOh my goodness, that is a great story. She must have been quite the lady. That is pretty amazing that the fence has never needed any repairs.
Glad you got your craft room all together and things up on the wall. Neat memories.
Enjoy your reading.
Have a good week.
I know I posted a comment here! But, forgot what I said. The heat is down from upper 90s to 90. We have had rain the last two days. Tommy is glad he does not have to water. I have been lazy this Sunday.
ReplyDeleteGlad the temps are falling a bit - yay on rain. We sure could use some more. Glad Tommy doesn't have to get out and mess with the hose.
DeleteLazy days are nice. Have a good week.