Birthday Eve

Bing is at his last league golfing of the year and that tells me that the summer is on the wane. It got down to 34 degrees last night too and that's a real good sign that the summer days have to now be cherished and hugged and enjoyed to the max because there are few of them left in this year of 2008. Tomorrow is Bing's sixty sixth birthday and I am so happy to have known him for forty four of those years. A song we sing in church comes to mind when I think of the wonder of our love that has blossomed and grown over those years. I don't know the title of it but it says: "I have loved him with an everlasting love, I have loved him and he is mine. I have loved him with an everlasting love, I have loved him and he is mine." When I think back to my early days, I can hardly believe that such a handsome prince came into my life. I really thought I was called by God to be a nun so I entered the convent . But in the convent, I heard, as clear as a bell, nope, this is not for you. so out I slipped just as the Mother Superior instructed me. Tell none of the other candidates and leave while they were busy. But, holy cow, now what? In my naivete, I supposed that I must then be made for marriage. I acquired a holy card somehow that had a prayer on the back and it was a prayer for a good husband. I was a daily Mass goer in those years and I would always recite that prayer at Mass.. Our fire of '88 destroyed all our old artifacts so I don't know exactly what it said but it was asking God to send me a husband who had the traits of Jesus. For seven years I said that prayer and what a fine answer to a prayer - my Bing! Happy happy birthday, Bing and now I've been asking God for many many more decades of happy healthy years together.

Crop 27 - Peppers

The pepper crop is doing well. Bing planted the seeds last February so they got a good start in the sun filled living room. After the last frost they were moved outside. Most of them are five or six inches long and we have enough to let some stay on the vine and turn red. We only grow the mild sweet Bell peppers. They are so nice and crunchy right off the vine.

I'm just throwing in a picture of some of the flowers on the hillside. Flowers are such a nice gift from our God - they sing flower songs of praise as they sway with the Earth's vibrations. If you stand amid a flower patch, close your eyes and listen very carefully and you'll hear the tiny chorus.

Crops 24, 25 and 26 - Fruits that Failed

Three of our favorite foods failed to produce this summer. The cherries, raspberries and blueberries just provided a few fruits each. We think it's just a bad season for the cherry trees and the blueberry bushes because their new and old growth looks lush and healthy but the raspberry bushes have to go. They are spindly and tiny and just a shadow of their former selves. We started them about twenty five years ago and at their peak I was picking five quarts per day. This year we didn't even get a pint so we're going to rip them out, try to remove the quackgrass in the area, and we'll plant some new bushes. We've read that wild raspberry bushes in the area of domestic ones can overtake the domestic and we think that may have happened. There are many wild raspberry bushes up here. I used to get kind of tired of making jam and removing seeds and freezing the oodles of berries but now I miss them. They are so delicious with a little milk and sugar and the nutritionists now know what a healthy treat they are.

Crops 21, 22, and 23 - Bok Choy, Broccoli and Cabbage

I'm quite a bit late with the Bok Choy. That's the beautiful celery shaped plant that adds so much to a stir fry meal. We like the white stalk and the dark green leaves for the taste, texture and nutrients. It was one of our earliest crops that came in and I forgot to mention it. It lasts nicely in the garden and I've learned to just take some outer leaves off it instead of picking the whole plant.

Two other great performers from the Cole family - green cabbage and broccoli. They're ready for picking and they will produce till after the light frosts. Life is good!

Neglected Rosemary

Whoops, another mistake - in the last blog, I placed two lavender pictures and none of beautiful Rosemary, so here is Rosie!

Crops 15,16,17,18,19 & 20 Herbal Delights

Garlic is such an important and beneficial ingredient in so many different ethnic cuisines. It also contains remarkable medicinal properties. Bing planted some last August and just harvested it last week. This is a first time crop for us so we don't really know if this is a good harvest or not but it's interesting that you can just plant the individual cloves from a garlic bulb and you get a new plant from each clove. We'll try it in our refrigerator dill pickles as soon as the cukes start pouring in. The other five crops mentioned here grow in our special narrow little garden set aside for herbs. Parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme - now where have I heard that before?! And don't forget lovely lavender, historically and presently prized for its beauty and soothing scent.