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Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Around Home: Rain, Pets, Cooking

Life has been pretty busy in a simple way for most of the past week. Here's a few pics of what's going on.

1. Rain--and rain and rain and rain. We've had a few sunny spots but basically, it's rained. The early garden is doing all right, although the cabbages and broccoli almost drowned; I am not sure they're going to make it.

2. Walks--Larry usually takes a daily walk, accompanied by various of our pets. Yesterday he had a lot of company on his way up the driveway. You can see the irises we transplanted a few weeks ago, coming into bloom:
3. Roses: The Knockout roses Larry planted for me last Mother's Day are coming into their own this year:






Don't look at the grass! I assure you it was neatly mowed and trimmed on Friday, but it's growing so fast and the continuous rain isn't helping. There's no way to mow when the mower gets stuck in the lawn. And it has.

4. Cooking: I have been cooking! It is so pleasant to have time to plan meals and make good use of the food we have on hand. Yesterday's cooking was blackberry pie with berries from the freezer:

It tasted ...like summer:

Even more than just cooking, I love cooking on my Tappan Deluxe and using vintage kitchen tools. Recently at the Salvation Army Store I discovered a big yellow bowl like my mother used to have. I have always wanted one because of my many good memories associated with cooking in the kitchen with Mom and using her bowl. This one was priced right ($4) and I took it and the cherry red smaller bowl ($2) home with me.








5. Herb Garden and Patio: I finally got the patio cleaned up, pressure-washing it in the  rain but what the heck, I was going to get wet anyway. It looks a lot better for the cleaning; of course, we found places that Larry needs to repair in the process. No good deed goes unpunished!

The herb garden is still really muddy. I hoed out some weeds and mudded in a few plants after this photo was taken because they were starting to look puny in their pots. Whenever the ground dries and the weather warms up a bit, I'll plant my seeds. Today it's 49 degrees...and raining.


Which brings us back full circle to number 1, doesn't it--rain. Are you getting drenched in your areas like we are?

14 comments:

  1. Looks good. Rain here, too much as well. Lettuces look awful. I suspect they are history. Great stove. Delicious looking pies. Always more work to do, but its great to be able to.
    - Joy

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  2. We've had way too much rain this year Granny Sue! We finally were able to put the tomato plants, cabbage and pepper plants in our garden on Saturday. Didn't have time to plant the seeds yet because it RAINED! It's been raining all day here today.

    One good thing about the rain though, I can wash as many clothes as I want without worrying about the water in my well!

    Your stove is so beautiful! Love that big yellow bowl too.

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  3. I have the same two bowls, but am looking for the blue one that is between those two in size.

    Isn't it cozy to be baking while the rain falls? Your stove is beautiful! And so is the pie -- mmmm mmmm.

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  4. That range automatically makes better food...right off the bat. It's so cool!

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  5. That blackberry pie looks good. I have a yellow bowl that looks just like yours, I got it and 2 smaller ones (green and orange) that I got in a set for my wedding shower. I think we all need to get together and chant 'rain, rain, go away and come again another day.'

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  6. Has been raining cats and dogs here and cool (which I love). Here in KY there is just about a garden for every home but hardly any have been planted due to the mud. -- barbara

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  7. We've had a few nice day lately without all the rain but today ~ rain and more rain.
    I managed to plant a teeny tiny garden a week or so ago and from the looks of things all is growing well.
    Love your old stove! I so wish I could find an old one. My new one (6 mos. old) is waiting for a repair man for the 3rd time now.
    They sure don't make things the way they used to!

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  8. I love walking your yard through the pictures...of course, it makes me miss you all the more and now I really can't wait until Thursday night when I get to see you again! Love the picture of Larry walking with the cats and the dogs! Too cute for words!!!

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  9. It sounds like I'm not alone in my mud-bogging gardens! Joy, we've had about 3 salads from the seeds planted on February 10th, but all subsequent plantings haven't germinated--I think the seeds rotted in the ground.

    I must be an optimist, Angela, because I planted more lettuce on Sunday. And now more rain and cold. Since I am currently dryer-less (waiting for Larry to hook up the gas one) I am really, really glad I bought that large drying rack at ReStore a few months ago.

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  10. Kate, I'll keep my eye out for one. I'm sure I could have found these eventually at a yard sale, but at 60 I'm not too patient with eventually :)

    You need to come by and sample for yourself, Warren. Some weekend I promise we'll be home...

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  11. Janet, I'll join you in that chant:)

    I was so happy to get this stove, Jessica. I agree with you, the new ones just don't hold a candle to the older stoves. Made in the USA meant something, didn't it?

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  12. It sounds like WV, Barbara. We noticed on recent trips that the gardens here are so far behind this year; no one can get out to plant. Here and there we saw potatoes, and today we noticed that some people had managed to set out tomatoes. I'm reluctant to risk my tomato plants until the temps are warmer--it just barely got over 50 today.

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  13. Lizzie, we've got to get you up here in person, that's all there is to it.

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  14. Hi GSue,

    It's rained and rained here in Motown as well - I did finally till up the garden on one day that it didn't rain, and later that evening part of Morgantown was flooded by a gullywasher! So I have plants set out - tomatoes, potatoes, onions, and peppers - but I'm wondering if any of them will grow or simply drown. It's rained almost every day here for the last month! Luckily the temperatures have always been above 60, so it's warmer just WET.

    I also regrouped and replanted the herb garden - and all this in the mud!

    By the way, you and I have the same patio chairs! The ones with the flat backs and bottoms. I like your caned ones too. Very nice.

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