Tuesday, July 30, 2019

A Very Good Day

Krista had a job interview this a.m.  She was offered a job - not her dream job - but a good job nonetheless. When she got home I took her and Dad out to one of my "favorite" coffee shops and treated them to a celebration.  Dad says I "sure have a lot of favorites." ::wink::  I will miss the daily routine of taking dad for a paper and coffee - both things readily provided here - but it's his routine in OR to go to Freddies for coffee and a paper every morning. 

When we got home Dad took a nap. 

I got busy in the garden - I need to spend quite a bit more time out there. I picked a whole bush of kale...we've been eating lots of kale...12 plants may have been too much to plant. I'm not sure how to preserve it - so we keep eating it. Kale in the salad, kale in the stir fry, kale skillets for breakfast, kale/quinoa salad......"Kale in the morning. Kale in the noontime...and blimey if it doesn't look like kale in the evening." 

I took an armload of kale inside and then gave the roots and main stem to the chickens. I hung it on the fence and enjoyed watching them get it down...and strip it. 

I pulled enough chickweed to find the remaining bean plants....poor things were overrun. I pulled other chickweed....and found more cucumbers.

I visited Michael in the garage. He worked late into the night on the drawers, and was at it again this morning. Note Krista in the background....they have gone to meet Cy at the rental to attach the "runners" and paint them.

I left them working and went inside to figure out how to make Kosher pickles....this was my first water bathing experience...and I overfilled the pot of boiling water....had a big flood when I lowered the jars....and I need a second big pot....but I got er done.  I did a jar of beets as I need to figure out what to do with the beets in the garden next. They are not quite as wild as the kale and radishes, but nearly as bad and ready for me to deal with them.

 I also sauteed the celery and put it in the freezer for soups and stir fries this winter. Stacia was amazing and made veggie pot pie for dinner. I used the air fryer to prepare a big zucchini. I didn't get a crisp result  - but it was good; all but Alex had seconds.

Krista and Michael are gone - but the burn ban has been lifted and we've not had one campfire or s'mores this summer. Alex got the fire going.

Bachan started something. Benny came beside me while I roasted a marshmallow...the smoke was ferocious and so I said, "Cover your eyes, Benny," and covered his eyes with my hand.  When he and Arielle went to roast....yep....he covered his eyes.....years from now when he is asked WHY he covers his eyes when making s'mores this post will explain it for him. LOL 


Nadia called or Dad called Nadia....in any event they talked beside the fire. 

Road Runner is our smallest hen of the new ones. Well the lame hen is smaller....but anyway...she is thin enough to fly out of the chicken yard - and she does often.  Tonight she perched on the door of the big girls' coop. She flew into their yard. They weren't too fazed. Alex got her into the other side before they attacked her.

Stacia tells me it's time to replenish the s'more kit. I have found sugar free chocolate.....but I don't believe they make sugar free marshmallows...I'll have to settle for melty chocolate on a graham cracker. LOL 
Enjoying Summer - One S'more at a Time
Taken at 10 p.m. 
It hit me today we have about a month left of our visit with Dad. We have  enjoyed having him here. He is the only grandparent our kids have left. We are treasuring time to sit over a cup of coffee, or visit in the back yard....and trying not to get overly sad as we think of him going back to Oregon. It is enough that we've had these months with him.  We have eight of our nine children within driving distance (and we CAN drive to Juneau if need be)....I choose not to be anything but grateful about our location.   It's been a very good day.

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