Coffee and...Part 23...! :-D

Hi and WELCOME (and/or Welcome BACK!) This is session #23.

Here's my usual message...
"Our door is *always* open to anyone who cares to drop in and sit a spell, If you have any special goodies to share, just put 'em on the counter with the rest of our absolutely, positively, NO-cal supply! We'd Love to taste them! :-)"

Here's the link to our last session:
http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/530489/

Today we have Blackberry cobbler and Bread Pudding on the counter...(There's a pot roast in the oven...the vent fan is going like crazy to keep the heat *out* of the kitchen! LOL)

~julie~

Our smoker is busy out in the yard - don't suppose you want to share those babybacks though do you?

Definitely NOT me wanting to share babybacks, LOL.

Darius, sorry that you are under the weather. DGD had a bout of upset stomach last night, but fine this morning Sarv, glad to hear that you got some relief for the pain. I just got in from watering everything. Today was just too hot to be out. Had to go get my hair cut today, and while I was out , went to Office Depot, and bought an ergonymic mouse and wrist rest, to see if that will help the pain I have been having in my arm. Thanks for the heads up Darius on handhelpers. Was inside most of the day doing some catch up on house work. Our weather is supposed to be cooler beginning Wednesday. Sure hope that I can get back to a gardening routine. Well folks, today was DH birthday, and I made Red Velvet Cake. I made an extra one, so dig in and help yourselves. BTW, it has cream cheese icing on it well I need to pay some bills and balance check books, so will catch you tomorrow.

Julie, you said:
>>>>all it takes is one picture added to the thread and the loading speed goes down the tubes. :-( I thought about starting a Thread in the Photo Forum just for our pics, that way we'd know we were in for a wait. <<<<

funny there was a whole 'nother paragraph. went something like:
oh dear no, please Julie, don't take away our occassional photos. we'd miss seeing Roberts bald head and pics of the treats waiting on the counter. That's part of the fun. there were after all 132 posts, orig starter and 131 replies.
That's a pretty good long thread all by itself.

This message was edited Jul 25, 2005 10:34 PM

That's funny I guess if you use those symbols you can't post further. Won't do that again. Because it was funny there was a whole 'nother paragraph. went something like:
oh dear no, please Julie, don't take away our occassional photos. we'd miss seeing Roberts bald head and pics of the treats waiting on the counter. That's part of the fun. there were after all 132 posts, orig starter and 131 replies.
That's a pretty good long thread all by itself. ~Blooms

went out chasing after sunset shots tonite. got back late. haven't even looked at them yet.

Julie- get your butt to the doc and get some meds for the fat, clicky fingers! I can't tell ya how much better I feel! It is like a mini miracle to me!! And did I tell ya the meds are making me NOT hungry and my weight is heading down too - what a bonus!! (or could it be this darn hot weather??)

Weather is supposed to break later on today - nasty storms last night - with more rain to help my weeds grow.

Darius -= hope the tummy is on the mend. Greasy foods tends to zoom thru me.... By the way, I liked the comment 'double ender' - I'll have to remember that one~~

Getting the hair chopped this morning. Had the mammo yesterday - new gal and she did a good job. People say it is painful, but in all my years I only had one that about sent me thru the roof (given by Helga - my name for her) They ususally have to redo one side, but this tech was a pro. They hardest thing to do was to not wear deodorant on a 94deg hot humid day!!!

No babysitting today, so I really need to bust butt. I have company coming and staying for a week for the wedding and I need to clean the bedroom they will be staying in, Wish they'd stay in a motel.....It is only my do nothing sister, so I don't have to clean too deeply!!!

Oh, I hope there is some of that bread pudding left. The only thing I have to contribute is 'pastry struddles' from a box!!! Even those sound good!! I'm gonna read for 1/2 hr, then get moving... Take care

Sarv, what does not wearing deodorant have to do with a mamogram?

LOL Blooms...Robert was the *first* table member that came to my mind for missing those occasional pics, too! Robert, I really *do* love seeing what you're up to and your sense of humor is wonderful!

Sarv...~grin~ You sound just like me giving advice to everyone else. And I *do* go to the doctor fairly regularly so next time I'll mention the fingers to him. I just thought it was more of the same (getting old and beginning to *stay* that way...sorta like the fingers that pull themselves downward and don't want to go back normal...STUCK there! LOL)

We got storms that started about 9:00 last night. We were lucky here, no terrible winds or tornados...that *always* scares me into thinking "What do I need to have ready at the top of the basement stairs?" And "Where's that darn CAT?" ...and WHY is it that you only think of the computer files you'll need in an emergency (Phone numbers, etc) when it's too late to make the backups?

I think we got another 1 1/2" on top of the 1/2" we got yesterday morning. We should be just about back to our normal average now. I hope it stays that way. My flowers, plants and weeds are most certainly enjoying this weather.

Right now it's cool and the air is dry. Only supposed to be in the low 70's today. My idea of absolutely *perfect.* Now, if the mosquitos haven't come out with a vengeance and the biting flies have drowned, I should be able to put in a full day's worth of weeding and mulching.

I'll see y'all later...have a GREAT day!

~julie~

I went over to see Happy_1 yesterday, when I left I was totalled surprised at the time that had passed. I had some spare things that I thought would look perfect in the waters edge of her canal/lake. And they do, and they will look even better when then get bigger and put out some blooms.

As I was leaving the afternoon showing were building up into black clouds and since I live on the east side of the county, I don't get to many of the P.M. showers, but when I got home, they followed me. My auto sprinklers were running in the rain. Doesn't that make me look silly? I see other peoples yards being sprinkled in the rain and I skoff at them. Well, I flipped the switch on mine and turned 'em off. It was a heavy T-storm, very heavy rains, but I think the gardens loved it.

I got a brain storm and decided today, I don't like the Leonotis by the mailbox. I think I shall move them and put those Blackberry Lilies out there with some African Iris. At my other house I had the tall Mexican Petunias around the mailbox, and they looked great! But now everybody else is doing that and I cannot stand being common. So I think I have time before my 12:00 appointment to get this done.

I'll check back later and maybe see some of you in chat tonight.

Molly
:^)))

Weather broke here finally - storms all Monday night - such big boomers Barney got scared and kept pawing the bed so I finally hauled him up with us and tried to calm him down. He just kept quivering, poor guy. Finally decided he didn't want that either so back down he went and he crawled under the bed, just underneath me. That's where he stayed.

Lightning started around 10 pm and it was still thundering in the distance at 5:30 when I got up. Close to 3 inches of rain again. Hallelujah! Farmers are thrilled, we were just getting to the really needing it point with no rain for over 2 weeks. All that booming and blowing brought in a cool front - it's only 59 degrees out. Isn't that bizarre? Saturday it's 103 and 3 days later its only 59!! Guess I better get some outside weeding done.

Samantha had a good time at the Little Miss Pageant - wasn't sure why she didn't get a trophy. lol Then she entered the Miniature Tractor Pull and won a 2nd place trophy. She was thrilled! We had a good laugh over that! All first and second place finishers are invited to the state mini pull in Oct. DD thought that might be a lot of fun and a good excuse to take a day off work! We'll see..... oh, here's Samantha in her 50's outfit...

Laura, she's a cutie! (I have to wonder what was going through the mind of the little girl on the far right of the photo, though. What a look! LOL)

59° !!! Holy cats! I don't think we're slated to go that far down. Talk about a roller coaster in the temps!

~julie~

My guess is she's explaining/complaining to the other girl that she only got a medal, not a trophy! lol This is the first year they've done the Little Miss and I'll bet they make some changes. It was open to ages 5-9 and that's far too wide an age gap in maturity and years. The 5 and 6 year olds are wide eyed and cute and do funny things but some of the older girls do this snobby attitude thing. Not very cute or funny. It'll be interesting to see the rules next year. In Inwood they only invite 5 year olds and then draw the name out of a hat. They have a nice dinner and a goody bag and all get to ride on the float. It sure avoids any hassles with snobbiness and mothers! lol

yup, it's 59º right now. Supposed to go down to 51º overnight!!

Morning, you folks on the east coast always have a head start on me. I'm always playing catchup with you guys.

Darius - if you are wearing deoderant it makes a dark spot on the mammo which block the 'rays'. I had washed mine off at the office once, and a little was left.... this resulted in both a repeat mammo and an ultra sound... as the dark area on the x-ray looked "suspicious". So don't wear it. Apparently the aluminum in deoderant blocks x-rays.

Molly, those kinda brain storms could keep you busy all day long. teehee

Kooger, your Samantha is cute as punch in that outfit, and the drawing out of the hat for the little ones prizes seems ever so much more sensible than teaching them to compete for something they hardly understand.

Wait'll you see the pics of last nights sunset... they came out really good. ;))

It's been my experience that with the exception of getting to and from the mammo place, you don't need deoderant there. They are rooms of torture! They take you to a room, make you take off all your clothes and put on this shredded thing they call a gown, then they tell you to sit down and wait............for an hour. After they leave the room they go out and turn the a/c down to 40 degrees. No sweating under those conditions.

JM experience mind you.........

Molly - you need to come up to my joint for the mamo- I hardly had time to open a magazine, they hauled me in the exam room, gave me a gown (the tech stood there and talked while I disrobed) and latched me onto the machine - I was done in less than 10 min. - including dressing time! I took a zanax, so maybe it was a tad longer than ten minutes`` LOL We talked about gardens, so the time flew!!

Kooger- I agree about the drawing names out of a hat - I hate competition especially when it comes to kids. Brings out the worse in everybody.

Julie- I give out advice to everyone!! I think in another life I was a doc and a hair stylist!! I love to dabble in both!! My sis (who is in the health care field) calls me Dr. Sue as I always have a diagnosis for everything!! LOL Funny thing is, I quite often am correct! Glad to hear that you visit your doc - my DH hasn't been in 29 yrs - it is a real bone of contention between us. He is quick to point out that I've had my gallbladder and appendix out, have (had) migraines and arthritis = whereas he has had nothing go kepuut. He is one of those lucky people that always feels great and if he doesn't , he never lets on. I, on the other hand, get a yearly physical and all the girly things that go along with it - take vitamins and calcium etc. He just eats tons and drinks gallons of tomato juice!!

Weather here is still hot and humid, but supposed to break tonight and then heat up again for the weekend. Remind me of this in January will ya!

Pass me a piece of the red velvet cake - haven't had that in ages!!

Yesterdays visit to the 'hand specialist' was uneventful,fortunately.No problems, just arthritis in all the fingers, lack of cartilage in the painful thumb joint. He seemed to agree with me that my biggest mistake was in growing old. Knew I never should have gone past 40!! Temps supposed to be up to mid 80's over the next few days, then back to mid-high 70's. I love this time of year (the rest of the year ain't so bad either).

Kooger, what a beautiful young lady.She's a real sweetheart.

Darius, how's the tummy ? Lots of good remedies out there, best one seems to be 'time'. Found a loaf of what I think is whole wheat/rye bread in the freezer. Don't remember when I made it, but it's pretty good toasted, with butter and Gjetost cheese. The bread pudding has just the right touch of cardamon, but I forgot to add the citron.(I did remember the bread though!!) Also found an old box of puff pastry sheets in the freezer and wondered why I couldn't do a sopapilla thing with them too. They are several years old and may not be worth fussing with, but nothing ventured, nothing gained.

And as for the rest of you young ladies, I hope all are in a state of good health and spirits and the day treats you with all the joy and respect you do so deserve. (anddontletthemmengiveyouanyguff.)

Good morning. Well.... it still is morning here.

We were up with the birdies, and the sheep who found a way out of the pasture and went wandering and munching.Thankfully I had shut the gates to the yard and so they were just around the shop, barn and driveway/parking area and didn't eat the flowers in the planters. The neighbor (sheep owner) came and moved them to a new pasture with the aid of his Border Collie. They were getting out yesterday, too, and I kept putting them back in but they wouldn't stay. The owner was gone on some business all day and didn't come back until after dark. By then the sheep were bedded down for the night. They conspired overnight to make a break for it this morning before we got up. When they get tired of where they are they find a way to get to fresh feed and scenery. I can't blame them, I would too.

I've been researching joint supplements for my older endurance horse. He has about 5500 miles of competition and shows some early signs of arthritis so he needs some help. I started giving him a supplement about 3 weeks ago and already I can see some positive changes, so I ordered some more of it. There are a lot of supplements out there so there was plenty of reading to do. In the end I decided to stick with the one I have. We can't use it during competition but in between it will help and there will be a residual effect. It is similiar to some formulas used for people, and there are also things available to help our dogs and cats. This stuff smells kind of like cherry cough medicine but I haven't tasted it. It's a liquid that I measure into a large syringe and squirt into the horse's mouth. He smacks his lips and doesn't try to spit it out. One of the other horses always stands nearby and makes the same noises like maybe he would like to have some, too. Funny guy!

Today I'm headed for town to do my weekly shopping. I had intended to mow the lawn before going but will do it after it gets to 90+ this afternoon, or maybe tomorrow. So much for planning, my research took too long and I wanted to get it ordered today so there won't be too much of a gap between the last of what I have and the new stuff.

Julie, I think the pictures belong here on the conversation thread. It is too disjointed to have to go to another thread and if something was posted on the photo forum then other folks would be adding to it and it would have no continuity at all. I can wait for the thread to load, it isn't that long even with dialup.

Have a great day and count your blessings.

Hello All!! My day has been busy. I got out early this morning and weeded staked some tall plants, cleaned the pool, and did some watering. Finished some bookkeeping that I do for several organizations. DH came in with green beans he had picked. Helped me break them, so after supper tonight will put a canning on. Don't want to heat up the kitchen before I start cooking. After supper it will be hot anyway, then I can put it on and maybe go out and do something else.

congrats everybody for getting to the Dr and having things checked out. I need to schedule my "girlie" things too.

Yesterday took my anniversary ring to have it checked and cleaned, and had to have it resized due to arthritis in knuckles. Sunday night I took it off, and thought that I would have to have a finger amputated to get past that knuckle. They had to resize it 2 sizes!!Will keep a closer watch on it as it was painful getting it off. Used soap first then when that didn't work, cooking oil!! It came off with that.

I will be in the chat room tonight, so will see you there.

Hello GOBs, I hope everyone is feeling fine or better. This will teach me a lesson about reading DG a couple times a day to keep up, took the better part of a half hour to catch up! You all have been so industrious, I feel like a slug!

Let's see, got up at 5, poured a cuppa, crawled back in bed and watched a movie I taped last night, got up again, made breakfast, played backgammon for a long while, called my ISP about the rate inccrease I got in the mail (it was a mistake, I'm good for two years at my current rate for internet/cable access), made the bed, took a shower, got dressed, went to the post office to mail a book, picked up a salad for lunch, came home and ate it, read for a while and took a nap!! How's that for record setting sloth?

Meanwhile the weeds have gone gangbusters after two days of showers, so if it's cool tomorrow like they predict, I'll chase weeds. Sister called this morning, so it's good I got the spare room tidied up as she will come down Sunday. DH asked how long she was going to stay, I said, "Not nearly as long as your brother". LOL

Some juvie in the neighborhood put firecrackers in our mailbox the other night. Didn't notice it until we went out to get mail. Stupid kids. We think we know who did it, but proving it will be impossible.
He's already started a fire in the woods, rolled his parent's van, shot off illegal fireworks for days after the 4th, and generally been a pain in the patoot. Not my problem.

Our neighbors across are gone for the week so I'm keeping an eye on their house, mail and newspapers and took a walk around it today to make sure there weren't any visible problems. Saw their backyard for the first time. Bo-o-o-ring. They did put in shrubs and trees in front, but the back is as naked as a ball park.

Haha, big joke on me....those seedlings I thought came up through the wood chips, that I carefully separated and tenderly replanted..... are WEEDS! Pulled them out today. Duh. LOL They sure were healthy!

Do the horse joint supplements contain Glucosamine/chondroitin like humans take? I keep wishing they would make them smaller, but I get them down because they help quite a bit. Except with this heat and damp, my knees have been creaking.

I lucked out when I switched internists, my dr.( who is a woman and teenytiny, only comes up to my shoulder) also does my girllie exam which saves me an extra trip and an office visit. She doesn't yell at me for my filthy tobacco habit either, just gives me a mournful look.

Waiting to see if my mail order Rx benefit is going to be cut off by my former employer. We were guaranteed lifetime benefits without changes when we retired, but more recent retirees are getting less and paying more. I suspect they weren't smart enough when they wrote our plan to give themselves wiggle room, but got smart later when medical costs started soaring. I hope.

I vote for keeping photos in the thread, we don't post that many, and I think we would lose continuity. I can be patient when I have to be.
I'm going to snitch something off the counter, and go try to finish that book so I can be productive tomorrow. Nite all!

BIG HUGS to one and ALL! (Just because I felt like doing it! :-))

My *very* DH did something unheard of today. He *helped* me weed my biggest PITA bed...and NO I didn't mean pita *bread*...I mean PAIN in the ASpercream. hehehe

We worked so hard and for so many hours that I have a pulled muscle in my right arm. (DANG it *hurts*!!!) Those weeds are just a whole lot stronger than I am right now. LOL

Robert of everyone who visited the 'table' today it was your post that got the biggest chuckle...well...maybe the one I had with Sarv's post was pretty close. (Dr. Sue, eh??? Are you sure you aren't my MIL? LOL)

And how did I miss the Red Velvet cake??? It wasn't Kooger sneaking in here just before me, was it? Oh well...I'm not going back to see who baked it...I'll just cut a small piece to take to bed with me. (It drives the cat WILD when I bring food to the bedroom. hehehe)

Y'all have a great evening. See ya in the morning

~julie~

Hi, just a quick note. Today has been very full, including having my mother admitted to Acute Care for Aspiration Pneumonia (once they tracked me down for permission... I have her Power of Attorney). She's alert and talking, on IV and IV antibiotics, and liquid diet. I'm as concerned as they are that she's lost 30+ pounds in the last 2-3 months. I should know more tomorrow.

Oh no Darius, that's a lot of weight to lose in so short a time. very worrisome.

M5, LOL that's so like me, transplanting weeds, or like today pulling volunteer seedling Salvia Victoria. Oh, woe.

Then, while feeding my car a quart of oil, I see that the ceevee joint boot those Big O Tire folks in Bowling Green put on is slipping off... they never tightened the ring down enuff. my garage guy will fix it tomorrow... new clamp ring and another can o' grease. Gosh I'm glad I look at my car often. So I have an 8:15 ayem appointment to get it fixed in the morning.

and I too wondered if horsies get glucosomine... DS's kitty does.

M5 - that's MY kinda day...I usually do them when the weather gets crummy. Best thing about fall is the time I spend laying around doing nothing productive!!

I second on the weeds. They are growing wildly here. We have had rain everyday for about a week and a half. Nothing bad, just drenching showers, then the heat. Thank goodness it has cooled off - 56 deg as I type!! You'd think I would be sleeping like a log, but I've tossed and turned all night long and finally decided to just get up. Could it be the huge bowl of baked beans I ate along with the gigantic strawberry shake???

Folks dropped in last night and they kept apologizing. My house was a total disaster - newspapers all over, vaccuum out (I meant to use it!!) dishes undone, even one bed unmade!! Junk all over the bathroom and there I sat reading a cookbook...I was embarassed, but they dropped in on me - they should be embarassed!! Today I plan on busting butt and getting things done.

Made a big bowl of cukes and vinegar. Couldn't find a receipe that sounded good. Finally made one - it had 2 c sugar - 1 c vinegar - Doesn't that sound like a ton of sugar?? It was good tho!! It is the kind that you just keep adding more cukes as you need. I trellist (sp?) my cukes this year and it is the way to go!!! No cukes covered with dirt - they just hang down and are easy to pick!! One of my better ideas - the only bad thing is DS planted pumpkins close and they are trying to take over the trellis.

I take glucosomine/chrondoican daily. But my aunt told me to get the kind that has msn added to it. Anybody have any experience with that? I hate to be a guinnea pig, but sure would like to avoid joint pain for as long as I can!

Well, cat is at the window scraping her nails wanting to be let in= grrr- sometimes I wish I didn't have a cat. She has taken to spending the nights outside in the burr patch, then comes in during the day and leaves patches of them all over the house. If I find one in my bed - that will be IT!!

I'm gonna read for a bit until the sun comes up - then get moving!!

Good morning. Just a quick check in before going out to set up the gravity flow irrigation system in the vegie garden. I have a sprinkler going in the perennial bed and everything around the house needs watering. Yesterday I did get the lawn mowed, did the shady sides of the house before dinner and finished the hot side of the house after the sun went down and the laundry was dry and off the line.

The joint supplements are pretty much the same for horses, dogs, cats and humans. The one I use for the horse probably would work for the rest of us achey types. The process of making joints healthy is the same for all of us. Some folks take shark cartlige, some MSM, and some herbal formulas help the body do what it should do. The product I am using for the horse is Corta-flx Ha. It is described on the label as "a unique formulation of nutrients comparable to the active ingredients glucosamine, msm and chrondroitin". It contains Haluronic Acid and vitamins and minerals. I prefer as much of a natural approach as possible.

Dog is begging to go for a walk. Can't ignore those potty trips......

Well, just getting around to checking in. Am in the process of making tomato juice. I had to go to town, and when I came home DH had been to the garden and I had 2- 5 gallon buckets of tomatoes waiting for me when I got home. Yesterday it was green beans. I canned 7 quarts last night. Worked outside for awhile after the sun went down yesterday. After I get the juice done, I am sitting down and not moving until I absolutely have to.

Julie I am the culprit that baked the red velvet cake. Was sooooo good.

Darius, sorry about your mother. That is a lot of weight to lose in that period of time. Hope they find out about what's causing it.

I took glucosomine for some time, because of the bursitis in the hip, but stopped when the hip got better. In light of the fact that the arthritis in my fingers is getting worse, I think I will go back on it to see what it does for that.

Well juice is ready to come off the stove, so will check in later.

Interesting about the glucosamine. I know what they have been saying about its benefits. I was most concerned about my old girl "Baby" She's my four legger, getting on up in years. Her hip dysplasia is getting worse by the year and her old doggies arthritis is getting worse.

I found out that her dog food has glucosamine in it already and yet I wonder if it's enough to do her any good, or, if she wasn't getting it, how bad her pains would be.

Bonnie, that tomato juice sounds great, how about putting a few spices in there and bring along a couple jars to KYRU. I'll bring the lemon pepper, celery salt and worstershire sauce and we can whip up some beverages!

Just putting around today here on the puter. Looking up plants and stuff, thinking about making some entries but want to get the info right. Sure takes some research! My van is in the shop for trip check and other general stuff, so good excuse not to go to work.

I fertilized the grass and all my plants yesterday so feel like I got something accomplished. Moved some plants here and there. Making a plan for further disorganization in the garden.

That failed formal Allium bed is really starting to look good now. Put a plant here, there and there. Starting to look like something more than a barren sickly scallion patch.

I think I'm going out to try to catch a butterfly.......not literally....I mean with the camera. Those guys never seem to get tired.

Molly
:^)))

|Molly, I sure can do that, but do you know what kinds of spices go in bloody mary mix? When I finished with the juice, had 14 quarts. I sure am tired. DGD helped me. I might have gotten done sooner if she hadn't helped!! Oh well, I figure this is her higher education on the farm!! We are leaving for Gatlinburg on Monday morning. My twin sister and her 2 grand daughters and DGD and I. We have promised the girls that we would take them to Dollywood before school starts. I may very well regret that promise!! I am already dreading it, as I don't like amusement parks, and won't ride the rides. Then after that trip, I am concentrating exclusively on KYRU!. Oh, and our fish fry of Sept 10.

Hi Bonnie,

You sure are a busy lady. I hope you have a good time on your trek next week.

I was kinda thinkin of something like a V-8 juice....let me see, excluding all the chemical stuff, theres juice from carrots, parsley, lettuce, beets and spinach. yum yum. I took that right off the label. I shall bring everything else that goes into it. Even without that potent clear liquid, it still makes a great breakfast drink.

Things are going to get quite busy real soon now. Works picking up and getting trade lists ready, getting the van ready for a road trip, doing some things with coconuts and trying to motivate myself to get my store back up and running again. It's been almost a year now since I moved over here and time to get selling things again. Probly best now soon, temps will be cooling down a bit for shipping plants and stuff.

Make a plan and stick to the plan. Good motto if you can remember it.

Well, I'm off to play some Spades now. Talk to ya later. Maybe in chat in the morning.

Molly
:^)))

I have one (1) tomato. It's the size of a prune. I have blossoms aplenty tho so I'm sure that one day soon before the snow flies I'll have real fresh tomatos . Dcat are you using one of those grinder/seeder things to make your juice? My dad had a "Victorio" that works like a meat grinder, separates the skin and seeds from the juice in no time at all. I think you can still find them in the seed catalogs made by other mfgrs. They are truly labor savers, I use it for the juice, and also for the plum type tomato for sauce. You can do a bushel in a half an hour. All the seeds and skin come out a different chute and you just throw them out, (In the compost heap,!) I do it outside to save having to clean up the kitchen. You don't have to blanch to get the skin off either, just throw the tomato in the hopper and turn the handle. Big ones you can cut in halves or quarters, and take off the stem end, if it's big and tough.

My theory is that if people drop in unexpectedly and your house is a mess, consider why they came.... it wasn't to count your dust bunnies. And if it bothers them, hand them a broom!

Maybe rain tomorrow. Maybe more weeds!

Nowt. /;-)~

M5, I agree that if friends drop by, they'd best be coming to see me rather than inspect the messy house!

Bonnie, you sure sound like a busy gal! Have a good trip, it's supposed to be cooler next week than this one, and Gatlinburg is just a hop skip and jump from here. Just think, if you don't like the amusement parks, that area is Outlet Heaven for shopping. : )

I think the glucosamine/chondriton mix is good for a lot of us as well as our animals. I probably should start taking it for the beginning arthritis in my fingers.

I went off with my landlord yesterday to advise him on selections for mouldings for his new dining room. We got crown moulding, window casings for 2 windows and door casings with an ornamental corner for 2 six foot door openings. $775.00 just for the wood, and we didn't even get baseboards! The room isn't all that large, just that everything is so expensive. The crown was almost $5 a foot.

After he gets them stained, I'll do the mitering and installation and post a photo or two.

Morning everyone.

Darius - is the landlord getting you new heat for all your work?? He better!! I've always wanted crown moldings, but cannot decided on the size. I would like something to make a 'wow' statement, but when I look at them, they seem so big!! It's been on the back burner for years. Maybe sometime...

M5 - I bought one of those juicer things last year - man was it slick! I bought the attachment to do grape juice and that was a bust tho. I plan on doing a ton more juice this year- DH drank it like water. I don't care for it, but he certainly does. I meant to use it to make cherry juice- but the birds got in the trees before me - maybe next year - good intentions tho! I need to remember NOT to throw the skin/seeds into the compost tho - I had tomatoes coming up everywhere I added compost!! Will have to try it outside this year.

defo - good luck at the amusement park - I absolutely hate those things. Last year we took our DGS to a water/amusement part - mighty exensive for DH and I = we rode on maybe 2 things. He on the other hand just loved it and talks about wanting to go back. Good memories for him - lighter wallet for us!!

My pepper plants are stange this year. Huge, beautiful plants, but narry a pepper. Out of maybe 30 plants, the first 5 are producing peppers and the rest - nothing. What gives?? I never fertilize anything out in the veggie garden, so it isn't that!

Edged all the patios last night and will do a couple of the beds tomorrow - we have one of those gas edgers and they work slick. Sure makes the place look nice! Too bad I am too lazy to use it more often.

I have some humungous weeds that have taken over my daylily bed. I cannot even get the rototiller to go thru them - it just clogs it up. I don't have the arm strength to yank them out and man are they ugly....what's a gal to do?

Well, stomach is growling, so I better take care of it!! Oh, last night after all that yard work, I asked DH if he wanted to go to the local ice cream joint - he never wants to do much, so I went by myself (in a snit of course) I ordered a HUGE twist and sat in the parking lot for an hour, licking and reading a good book. Think I will make it a nightly thing! He's getting the cold shoulder today....

Meezer, I use the cone shaped juicer with the wooden bat-like thingy. As much juice as I do, I am going to look into the type you are talking about. Had to go to grocery today, so haven't done much else. Went to Dr and had an EMG done on my right hand and arm. He is sending the results to orthoapedic dr, but thinks it is carpel tunnel. Have posted trades for KYRU, and am getting real excited about going.

Sarv, the trip next week is one I am not looking forward to. However, we have decided that Tuesday will be the day that we do the Dollywood thing. We will go early and stay as long as they want to, and it just might kill me! MyDGD has already gone to 4 county fairs and is planning on going to the state fair in August, so I think that she has had a real good summer. She should be just about amusement rided out. LOL

Well going to start something for supper.

I could get amusement rided out before I even went through the gate! Last trip for me was about 15 years ago, went to Great America...rode the roller coaster....HATED it!! If you decide to get one of those juicer strainers, you won't be sorry. It also has a berry screen so you can keepthe seeds out of the jelly, and dont have to hull strawberries. They used to be about $30 but you might pick one up for less. The Gurney's catalog used to have them.

Already made dinner, DH has been picky lately and I'm tired of making big dinners only to have him not eat so tonight it's chicken salad. And if we don't finish it, tomorrow night will be chicken salad, and if we don't finish it, Saturday will be .......LOL

DH won't go out for ice cream either..."we have some in the freezer" but I love the toppings and stuff they use at those places. He's hard to get off the recliner. Who says marrying a younger man gets you a social life? Good thing he's a dedicated cat pan scooper .............

dcat, I just looked on Ebay and there are about 6 or 7 Victorio strainers available, some are new. good prices.

Thanks meezer, I am going to e-bay after I leave here. They sound like the very thing I need. Say you are having Chicken Salad on Sunday too?LOL We had all fresh vegetables for supper tonight. I don't particularly have to have meat when I have all the good fresh veggies. Had fried apples, corn, tomatoes, yellow squash, fried green tomatoes and beans. Had a big ole' piece of cornbread to go with it. So you married a younger man, are there any advantages? I may need to look into this. LOL

Sarv, I feel a kindred spirit, I do the snit thing, not as often as I used to, but enough to keep in practice.

MollyMc, don't bring anything to add to the tomato juice, I found a recipe last night, for a V-8 type juice. I will try it and if it passes inspection, will bring it and some of the clear liquid that goes with it!! Matter of fact I am going to try 2 different recipes. One is put in jars and processed so that it will keep, and the other is just a mixture that can be kept in the refrigerator.

Have so many tomatoes, I am going to make Salsa, Ketchup, Spaghetti Sauce, the V-8 juice. If anybody else has suggestions, let me know. I will keep canning until I use up all my jars.

Went to Walmart today, hoping that they had some plants marked down, but they already have the Mums out.

Well, I am going out to water everything. The weatherman predicted heavy rains and storms last night, but all we got was a light shower and heavy dew this morning.

Hey ya'll - SIL just showed up with a bag of fresh picked blueberries! What's your pleasure? Got any good, EASY recipes you'd like? I haven't measured them, but looks to be about 4-5 cups. Some will be reserved for blueberry pancakes, the rest will be cobbler or what ever, or frozen til later.

Weird weather here. I talked to a friend today who lives about 15 miles from me. She kept talking about the mess -(what mess, I'm thinking), it turns out, the rumbles I heard last evening dumped 3 1/2 inches of rain on her, while we got nary a drop! But at least the temp was much more comfortable today, and there is still a chance of rain tonight.

Anyway, I took my Mom shopping today, always fun! She had told me she needed some sugar 'cause someone gave her a gallon of fresh figs, and she wanted to get them done before they went bad (she gave us some for eating fresh, went great with the cantelope "salad" at supper). One bag of sugar + $50.00 worth of other stuff later, we got her back home, food put away, quilt she's making ooohed over (its beautiful), we toddled home. No yard work today.

Thinking back, this is the first day in weeks that it was even close to bearable out, and I didn't get a lick of work done! Oh, well, Mom doesn't ask much of me, and she is so much fun to be with - it was NOT a day wasted!

Hope ya'll had a good day too.
ginni

Sarv, part of my rent besides the cash I pay, is 7 hours of labor a month, and my landlord has accumulated a bunch of my hours. So no trading heat for labor, LOL. However, he is an honorable man (I think) and I believe he will make it right for me. If not, I'll just move.

Y'all remember the Key Lime Marmalade I recently made that didn't jell? Well, I had a brainstorm, and looked up recipes for Key Lime Frozen Daiquiris and Key Lime Margaritas. I think I have a winner with a Key Lime Sauce for them!!

It is the coolest right now it has been in weeks, 73º at almost 8 pm. We are right at the edge of those 2 colliding fronts so storms all afternoon, but at least it cooled some and maybe I can sleep dry instead of sweaty.

M5, I think I'll look at those Victorio strainers when I get a few bucks. I have my grandma's old cone shaped ricer/strainer with wooden pestle but it's aluminum and reacts with some things.

Hey all, mom gave me some peaches today, and I made a cobbler, have vanilla ice cream in the freezer, or if you'd rather some whipped cream, help yourself. Isn't it good?