May 23rd

Looks like my little cherub is hiding.

He's tucked in between the sage and mint.

 

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Today is "Lucky Penny" day.

You know the old adage....

See a penny, pick it up and all the day you'll have good luck.

Does that count if you find it in the wash?

I hope so.

In the past week I've made 45 cents in petty cash!

Somehow my luck didn't improve.

Yet....

 

My oldest son came home for a few days to help

us celebrate the 7th grade graduation of my granddaughter.

It was a sweet occasion.

I came headfirst into the reality that she's getting older.

No, 13 isn't old by anyone's definition, but I can see

the years slipping by.

They are flying way too fast for my liking.

Jeez, I've got shoes older than she is!

(a matter of fact, those Birkenstock's may

have been there when Moses parted the Red Sea!)

But, that's another story......

At that wise old age of 13, she's quick to remind me

that we are now in the 21st century, Grammy!

Oh, how well I know that!

I don't feel like I'm circling the drain yet, or

lining up to be a resident of a nursing home.

(or as I like to refer to them,
God's Waiting Rooms)

Just seems unfair that the closer you get to

"Check Out Time",

the faster it seems to go.

 

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My Mother's Day gift in full bloom.

We had to put them outside

due to the smell!

I knew I had seen them before but I didn't know their names.

Such a beautiful flower.

Such a stink!

 

The gardenias are almost finished blooming.

I had cut branches of them loaded down with blooms,

to bring into the house.

I just love this scent.

 

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In a relative kinda way, this is a Magnolia flower.

Same kind of waxy bloom with an intoxicating scent.

We were in City Park to see the new Sculpture Garden.

It was beautiful!

A manmade waterfall....

in New Orleans,

How cool is that?!

An odd, steam punk looking sculpture.

I liked it!

I had to take a picture of this.

Back in the day, on the Morgus the Magnificent Show,

Dr Morgus had a skull

that he called Erik.

Erik spoke to him on the show.

And....

I have an almost life sized ceramic skull that I break out

every Halloween.

Guess what his name is?

Yep.

Erik.

That's the first thing my son said when he saw the skull.

"Look, its Erik"

 

And this little guy

fields of wildflowers on Marconi

Takes your breath away!

 

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A handful of cherry tomatoes.

Two are regular ones and two are purple.

Soooo tasty!

 

We've harvested 6 cucumbers so far.

They are so much better than the ones from the store.

The CEO like them sliced with a little Italian dressing.

 

 

This is three kinds of potatoes: Yukon gold's, Russet, and Purple Fingerlings,

Mirlitons, Purple Bell Peppers, Yellow sweet onions, cherry tomatoes,

Celery, the cucumbers and about a weeks worth of eggs.

I made potato salad and the only thing I use that's not from the garden

is mayonnaise, salt, pepper and paprika.

Yay!

Do you see a pattern here?

We have an impressive amount of

purple veggies.

New to the Chicken Scratch Farm.

We also have yellow and red as well as the usual green

bell peppers not mature enough to pick.

Cauliflower

 

Romanesco Broccoli

the florets look like fractals.

Taste is milder than regular broccoli.

 

Oh, and we made Green Mint tea.

Just boiling water, bruised mint leaves and stevia to sweeten it.

Tastes amazing!

 

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It really feels good to be able to grow/raise

our own food.

(nope, we won't eat the girls)

 

Speaking of the girls,

Ethel is broody.

At least each season, one or more get broody.

That's when all she wants to do is sit on her egg.

Yes, we remove the eggs daily, but

she sits on everybody else's too.

Bless her feathered butt!

She'll leave to grab a bite to eat and drink water,

and back to the nest she goes.

Hazel, on the other hand, gets impatient 

so she started laying eggs in the mint pots.

She just lays the egg and hops out.

No broody-ness for her.

Yet.

Now she's dug a hole in the garden and is

chilling out.

Silly hen.

 

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and grandchildren.....

 

and

still missing our Leia.

 

 

 

Remember.....

Gardening is cheaper than therapy,

and

you get to eat stuff!