2010 Sistahs reunion at Cookies..the memories! #1

So sorry you're feeling bad, Crissy. Hope you're better before reunion time. Not fun trying to visit when you feel so lousy.

Joyce, if that liatris gives seeds, can you save me a small handfull please. They are so pretty. Even hubby said he liked them.

When Stacey and I went to the new quilt store last Monday I picked up two beautiful coneflowers and a blanket flower at a local farm market. I conned the guys here at the center to dig the holes for me so I could plant them on Thursday. Then Friday I went to Lowe's to get a hose to water my new babies and picked up a lavender and a pretty ground cover (can't remember the name) for $2.98 each! Put those in yesterday. Slowly I am getting some color in our bushy landscape.

Unfortunately, the hose wouldn't screw onto my front water pipe. It would go onto the back one and onto my neighbors but not the front so there must be a problem with that spigot. I'll talk to maintenance on Tuesday. Meanwhile, I am watering by the bucket.

Crissy, yesterday was the day I was nauseated, today bad headache and sniffles again..Diane called and wanted to know if I wanted to go up the lake and have supper, passed..still feel yuk..

Infact, Bernie just left, he was going to help me with the garden shed and I actually said can we do it next week? He is coming though providing weather is ok to do the deck..took all the measurements, says he thinks other than maybe $50. worth of lumber he has all I need..making the lower platform 5' x 5' - 3 steps from top and then 2 steps from lower platform..soon will be ready for you to move in..lol..

Liatris I believe is one of those plants that's a no-no here...I'll have to check that out..

Off to enjoy some sunshine

Betty, why would it be a no no there?
That back deck sure sounds nice. Bet you can't wait to get it d one! Hope your both feeling better real soon!

I'll have to check LindaKay...not sure if it is liatris, grows in ditches along roadside???? said it's anti environmental, causes much damage..will have to take a photo when I pass by..not allowed to pick them..

Hello..Jumping in to Say, Happy 4th of July!!

Yikes, still planting...Keeping watch on the Hibiscus, one isn't doing so well, And the red leaved one is struggling.
Going to plant the mum's, now what did you say about 4th of July and cutting them back to 8 inches??

The others are doing well keeping them moist until they all get in the ground...Plus, I am planning to take few up to the house this coming weekend...We are planning this time for all those that helped. Which means I get to see my brother and his wife. Yesterday they celebrated their 1st. wedding anniversary, oh and their will be four couples, we told the guys to bring their wives too.

Well, I haven't done laundry since before the Gathering so thats what I am doing today...

Yahoo won 24.80 at the races yesterday, so I added it the the 2011 Sistah fund!
OH, Sunshine, I took the recycling bag...

Love all the photos!!

It's 5 inches high by the 4th of July for the mums... 12 inches high by the 4th of July for the sedums.

I checked through the recycle bin all the way to the bottom...took everything out...nada. I check by where the van was parked EVERYDAY! :o( It may never show up in my lifetime!

Glad to hear things are going well. I'm inside for a bit as the 90 degrees and sun is just too hot to spread manure!

I made labels for my Japanese Maples...13 of them. Well, there are really 14, but two of them are the same kind!

It's the 4th of July - Happy 4th everyone! And I'm makin' up a batch of southern style potato salad - the only way I know to make it is enough for 10 people or more! LOL This is what I would have made up IF I had been at the reunion, if Cookie would have lent her kitchen.

So here's how to make it. FYI - the only thing my German heritage, ex MIL did for me was get me started towards this "recipe," for which I've never had a recipe! You can easily "trim" the amount made, because everything depends on how much potato you cook. Here goes...

Southern Style Potato Salad for a crowd. at least 16 servings

Potatoes - after 6 years in eastern Idaho, I use only russets. Potato salad is a great way to cook potatos gone past their prime, or use up russets too small or too large for baking! I fill my biggest pot full, around 5 lbs.

Wash them, put whole and unpeeled in a pot large enough for at least 1 to 2 inches of water over the top. Boil until a fork goes through them. [I am a forgetful cook, so I tend to put them on the burner in cold water, turn on the heat to medium high, and set timer for 60 mins.] It takes less time for old or small potatoes. FAST chill by draining off all the water and run cold tapwater over them until their pot is cold to the touch, them let them sit in the water for about 5 mins, or until the potatoes are cool enough to handle. Wash your hands and use your fingernails to peel the potatoes - their jackets zip right off. Chop into cubes slightly larger than you want in your salad. Place in a LARGE bowl - a huge dough bowl works well.

Eggs - Cook 12 to 15 eggs (one large pot with one layer of eggs) and boil to hard boil stage, heat at medium high or lower - because I am a forgetful cook and tend to overboil eggs! Once done, FAST chill by draining off all the water and run cold tapwater over them until their pot is cold to the touch, them let them sit in the water until cold. In summer, add ice cubes if necessary. Drain until dry. I try to time the eggs to be ready to chop about the time everything else is already chopped.

Celery - for this many potatoes, use at least 4 large stalks, up to 1 whole small head. I cut off the fresh leafy ends for use in boiling chicken. My family likes it minced fine: once through the food processor on slice, then again with the chopper blade and just a couple of pulses. Do not turn it into mush! (I prefer it sliced fat) Any way you like it, there should be about 1/4 cup of celery minced to every cup of potatoes. Place in bowl atop the potatoes

Onion - I love to use the summer Vidalias (aka Walla Wallas). Any sweet or semi-sweet white or yellow onion will do, the milder the flavor the more onion you'll use. For this many potatoes, I use 1 to 2 onions, depending size and on flavor: taste the onion see how much kick it's going to have. The longer this salad keeps, the stronger the onion flavor will be. My family likes it minced, so I peel and quarter the onion and pulse it until it's minced. (I perfer it chopped.)
About 1/8 cup (more if onions are mild) onion per cup of potatoes, or more per your preference.

Once you have the potatoes, celery, and onion chopped and in your bowl, chop and add the boiled eggs chopped one or two at a time, until you have an amount about equal to the celery, or the celery and onion together. (Unused leftover eggs, still whole, can be deviled!)

Add:

Miracle Whip (or any similar salad dressing) OR Mayonaise (if using, add 1 to 2 tsp. of sugar) - I use low or no-fat varieties. For this many potatoes, start with 2 cups, and add from there until you have the consistency of salad you prefer.

Mustard - yellow - for this many potatoes, start with 2 tablespoons, and add from there to taste, or until you've got that marvelous yellow color in the salad

Apple cider vinegar - for this many potatoes, start with 2 tablespoons. Don't add more unless the salad tastes "flat" or very bland - as this salad refrigerates, the vinegar flavor strenghtens.

Pickle relish (optional) - I use about 2 tablespoons of sweet pickle juice, or about 1/2 cup, with the juice, of sweet relish

Salt and pepper to taste - 1 tsp. salt and 1/2 tsp. pepper to start, add from there. I use a low sodium salt. If you don't like the black specks in your salad, use a a lesser amount of White pepper.

Using the sturdiest spoons or spatulas you've got, start folding the ingredients together. (broken a LOT of spoons on this...) Check for taste after thoroughly mixing all ingredients together. I almost always end up adding more Miracle Whip or Mayo because my crew likes it a lot creamier than I do. I like it chunky and not so much mayo.

Go lightly on the seasonings and add them gradually, mixing well after adding, except the salt and pepper. The mustard, vinegar, and onion flavors intensify over time, so they shouldn't be strong now when freshly mixed.

Can be made a day, or even two days, in advance of any party, for best flavor results. Mine will keep in the refrigerator two weeks....if no one is HOME!!!

Happy 4th sistahs!!

Crissy, hope you'll have a good ole time!

Ahhh.. finally you'll be getting color Janice. So you did make that tour to the quilt barn?

Sistah Judy, you're on to a good start there!! I'm saving all the Fives!!

Cookie, I potted the plants except for the dl. They went straight into the empty hole that Kel had offered the resident to the lawnmower gods!!

You think I can do Liatris here? Love their foliage and height!
Yeah, wondering why they're a no no Betty?

LK, you just got to plan for next year!!
Waving to all.. hugs... and love.. and hope the heat is bearable for all!

Joyce, forgot to trim my mums! One is blooming now. Yikes!

You guys let me know if you can have them, and I'll ship them off to you now. I have so many babies, that I won't miss them at all. They MUST make seeds, or I wouldn't have so many of them!

Can't seem to make myself stay outside today....just too dern hot! (Can I say that Betty??????? ^_^)

I cleaned the pond filter this morning. Much to my dismay, my large frog had made it into the small skimmer basket and was dead, dead, dead. In the big skimmer basket was 3 of the baby koi. So I fished them out and put them in a bucket. Bertie doesn't want them, she has too many fish as it is...kids next door definitely don't need them cause they have a gazillion gold fish..asked Bertie if any of her friends with ponds would want them, and she didn't think so...called 3 pet stores, and they all said they'd take them, but they wouldn't give me any credit for them. Sooooo, finally called Ric and Robyn to see if any of their friends would like them...turns out that R&R have just the right place for them, so they're stopping by later after a picnic not too far from me to pick them up. I found one of those big containers that had animal crackers in it and put them in there. Must have been some cookie crumbs left cause they were scarfing up stuff off the bottom. Cute...

After topdressing the area by the rock garden and porch...

You can stay inside Joyce..I worked on quilt blocks all morning, 1 more to go, thought I'd work outside but fever struck me, I'm chilled to the bones, under 3 blankets, chills galore..I should have booked those 11 days as sick days not vacation days..sure hope I didn't put a damper on your festivities Joyce..think I should have stayed home..nope, now what would Crissy have done..I'd really have been in trouble now wouldn't I..



Just dropped in to check how your July 4th was going..did light my beautiful candle so I could celebrate with you all...

Back to bed...

Betty I'm sorry that you are still sick and running a fever. Be sure and take care of yourself and get well soon.

Yes, Stacey and I did get to the quilt barn but didn't find much. She didn't get anything and I only bought two white, cream pieces. I have to go back and see about the gold for Jaye's block and something for the challenge block for the Quilt Club here in Fostoria.

I did finish 4 of the quilt blocks as well as two sundresses for my DIL. I worked on those while she and son were with oldest son at his house and out on their boat this weekend. I wasn't invited.

Joyce, in case you didn't know, that blue and white container with tea in the bottom was mine. I walked off without it when we left. Life isn't normal if I don't forget Something when I go or return! Your rock will be in the mail on Tuesday when I mail my Christmas blocks. You should have it the next day as it will go Priority. Add it to the collection.

So far things are quiet around here and have been last night, too. The dog didn't seem to be bothered by the few small ones that were set off. Well, see what happens tonight when the town shoots off their big show. I'm going to stay at home and watch the Boston Pops and the White House show. I love the fireworks over the basin; I can see better from my seat in the living room.LOL

Happy 4th everyone!

Oh Janice...we saw your jug almost immediately. You probably weren't even to Dayton yet. Do you want me to mail it to you?

I haven't moved the rocks yet....still waiting for you sistah! After I have a shot with your rock included then I will be moving them about and taking pictures so you can all see where your rocks are going to live!

I'll sent you some postage $ when I send the rock and you can mail it back to me. It might even go in the box the rock will come in! I do like it as it is easy for me to handle. Thanks. Rock goes to PO tomorrow when they open.

Betty I can't believe you're sick again! I hope your feeling better today!!

Right after I posted I took a couple of cheepy joe walmart brand aspirin, laid down for about 30 minutes and dozed, Dave came in to find me as he was cooking up a green bean casserole to take with us and I felt a lot better. We went to the reunion and ate, then swam in the lake until I got cold, which means I'm sunburned Ooops!! :( then 3/4 of the 30 people who showed up left so we stayed and chatted, ate again, stayed for a little longer and chatted some more, then at 7:00 we left and went to our favorite hang out, Crosswalks, as our friend Terrell had smoked up 3 racks of ribs for us and we had to pick them up, turns out my cutie Josh was bartender happy happy joy joy, found out he's only 28 years old! ACK!! He is a cutie though! Had a great time, about 8 people in the bar, all regulars, we all knew each others name, so it was like a Crosswalks Family Reunion! I love it when the bar is like that, it's exactly like a Cheers episode.

OOOOO Bon thanks for posting that recipe! YUM!!

LOL! I was just going to say it sounded like Cheers!

Yes, Bon, thanks for the recipe. Sounds almost like mine except this time I sauted the onion first. Gave a nice subtle onion flavor. Pretty much everything else is the same. I had it for the shower as well as a pasta salad that Stacey said was "interesting". LOL....guess that was a nice way of saying yuk.

Got my son's dog for 4 days. She's a Giant Alaskan Malamute. I could see the hunger in her eyes as she looked at my flowers. Just one romp in the garden could shred it. So she's in the fenced in front yard. Cayenne is with her, so she doesn't howl. Both of them are standing at the fence wondering what they did to have detention....

Joyce-it was the green olives-sorry:( When I do my pasta salad it has green onion, peas, celery, cheese and Miracle whip in it. I just don't do well with green olives. I picked them out and was hunky dory;) My mom puts tuna in hers-YUCK!!

How about black olives Tink? I use those in my pasta salad. My youngest GD loves black olives and every time we go for pizza she always asked to have a bowl of them. Our favorite pizzeria always brings them for her. Keep the child happen and they will bring the parents back. LOL

Cookie, I am baby sitting (at their house of course) my son's chocolate lab. He is still young and a great big old baby. I have to give him a pig's ear to go in their yard or he knocks me down from his jumping. You can really tell he is missing the girls while they are away too.

Cloudy this morning but no rain predicted. At least it is cool so I will not complain.

Well, Bill took pity on the girls in the 90 degree heat, even though there is plenty of shade and I put a bowl of ice water out there, so they're inside now. Polly is still roaming, trying to get the feel of the place. When she lived with us before, we were still next door. She ate about $1,000 worth of plants then...sigh...

gee, Joyce, koi bring big $$ here in carolinas.

Yikes, never did get better, just getting worse..going to see if I can find a doctor and go get some meds..

my problem is that I only have 1/4 of one and an 1/8th of another kidney, just enough to keep me alive..laughing here, when I spent over 1 year in hospital they put pig valves in my kidney's - now that's going back over 30 years..I keep saying I was always less than 100 lbs. - wasn't until then that I put on weight..know it's because I was healthy again but I SAY must be the 'pig' in me..lol...anyway, the minute I start to either be run-down or feverish, up comes kidney problems...

Fighting it...

Glad you are feeling better Crissy.. sounds as though you had a great family reunion after all...got all your problems fixed... need to see your photo's of Niagara????

Betty, I'm so sorry you're still not feeling well. I am really glad that you decided to come though. You were a trouper, and I only worried that you weren't getting enough to eat and drink. I know you felt really "cwappy" but you were still a great addition to the party!

Well, these little guys have some growin to do, but the pet stores weren't interested in giving me any store credit for them, cause they have enough already...so I'd rather give them to someone who will enjoy them!

Just went to Lowe's with Bertie...(sorry Jaye). We went in their pickup cause she was getting 15 bags of lava rock. When we were almost there, some guy pulls up beside us at a light and says you have some straps in the back that are almost ready to fall out. All of a sudden, Bertie realizes she's in deep doodoo. Herb told her to take his chain saw out of the back of the truck before she left and she forgot to do it. Sure enough..the next light I hopped out and all that was in the back was a gas can and two straps. At least a $300 saw. So we backtracked, and didn't find it. I'd say someone had a windfall......poor Bertie....

how terrible.. it's 107 here with humidex...can feel a storm brewing..hope so, could use a cooling down...

Betty, please call the Dr, and get your self feeling better please?

Ouch on the chain saw!

This is what it was supposed to look like before you sisters got here!

and this...

Sad thing is....that big bed I just showed you isn't finished yet. I still have one more wagonfull of manure to spread by the grass. Then I have to do that same bed by the path. Luckily, there's not too much space there cause of the plants!

This is my Aglaia Shasta Daisy....cheerful!

Sure are, nothing like having daisies in a garden, I like mine as well..crazier the better..lol..

Got an amarylis for Christmas from friend Diane, found the box about 3 weeks ago, thought I should put the bulb in the soil they provided...omg it just gets prettier as each day comes..still 3 flowerets not open...maybe it did so well with all this humidity..

Not sure what I do with it after it finishes blooming...cut the stalk and store the bulb???

Betty, don't cut it yet, you can let it dry, so you can get seeds from it. Then you can cut it back, and save it again for next year.

Do I take the bulb out and store it in a cool place LindaKay??? it will grow from seed? hmmm

Yes, I have heard if you let the stalks dry, it will develop seed pods. I have mine in the ground, and leave it there year round. Not for sure about your climate. This site, say's if you prune it back, it will make more flowers. Shows you how to do it.

http://www.rochestergardening.com/bulbs/amrylcar.html

.

thanks LindaKay, that was informative..going to have to purchase a few more..sure do like them..

Funny how one plant can turn into another addiction! LOL!
That sure is a pretty color!

it sure can..can't keep my head up, such a bad headache, am sure it's sinus, humity etc. - just took 3 headache pills, finding it hard to fight it!..Imagine, I'm sitting in the office with sunglasses on so the light doesn't bother me.lol if things don't improve shortly I'm heading home...

Sorry to hear your still feeling bad. Have you called the Dr. yet?

Dr's ??? use that as last resort...know it's just the high pressure..

here's amaryllis care: after your amaryllis blooms, cut off the bloomstalk and give your plant a gentle feeding. It will be happiest in the garden in full sun to partial shade, depending on your temperatures (this is a tropical bulb, but full harsh sun may be too much in a dry climate).

You can leave it in it's pot and water it with a little liquid plant food added, or plant it in the ground with a good rich garden soil. extra mineral feeding (potasium and manganese type bulb food) is good, too.

Prior to first frost, or by end of August, dig and remove dirt. trim off all foliage, and if really long, trim roots, too. set it to dry somewhere with low/no light and good airflow, so it can dry. I set mine on small cookie racks in a darker room with the A/C flowing.

Pot is by mid to late October in a damp, non-rich, peat based or other light potting soil and set in a sunny window for Christmas blooms. Or plant back outside after last frost in Spring. They tend to bloom six to eight weeks after they are watered again.

I've kept dried bulbs as long as 14 months without repotting, but they do diminish over time.

thank you sweetie, going to try that...