Bubble, Bubble

Fermenting pizza dough. I don't usually use a glass bowl.

The bubbles are large.

I finally got the lawn mowed. The mower is now over to Bill for some repair. It looks shaggy but it's done. Pixie had suggested leaving some wild. I have long thought about this, but Mark didn't like the idea. I did stop mowing about ten feet out from the front tree line about a decade ago. That is grown-in with bushes and bramble. Nature takes over fast. This mowing I left about twenty feet from the bramble area. Maybe I'll throw wild flower seeds in there. It has always bothered me to have so much tended lawn. It makes me feel like an Ugly American. Only Royals and Americans do this! It's how it was and it's how I've continued. Change seems in order.

Today is to be rainy. It's odd that we can use the rain considering we had five days of rain last week. I did get most of my plants purchased on Tuesday. A Roma and a purple slicing tomato, two eggplant and a zucchini. Several basil, a thyme, tarragon (my favorite), rosemary and sage. I planned to plant today but with the rain it will be tomorrow. I need to go to another nursery for Italian basil, which the nursery in St. Bonifacius didn't have. There's always too much to do in the spring, especially considering our short season.

This has been my life this week. All things considered, it's been good. See, I'm looking on the bright side, yay me! Find your bright side and let it shine.

Down and Out. The Yard, That Is.

We had a nice brunch yesterday with Matthew and his Yorkie, Homer. Matthew's wife was with her family. A chef cooking for you is always a pleasure.

When we pulled into the driveway afterward I started to laugh. Mark asked what I'm laughing at. I said it looks abandoned. A huge downed tree in front of the house, a falling down arena fence and grass in some places up to the knees. Oh My God!

In my defense, I planned to mow on the one day we did not have rain last week. The grass was getting high but not too high. The mower wouldn't start. Mark charged the battery. Still didn't start. He took the battery to Bill, they did whatever they did. Bill tested it and said it is fully charged. Then the rest of the week it rained. 

Today it's sunshine and mildly warm. Mark was getting the mower ready so I could get to it after lunch, when the grass would be drier. It wouldn't start. Bill is coming over this afternoon to see what's wrong. I have a small tractor I use to mow pastures, that one needs something done with the carburetor. Bill, our fixit guy, didn't get to it last fall. Two mowers, no mowing. 

Mark had started tearing down the outdoor arena fence last spring, then other things more pressing got in the way. A falling over fence does not add to the appearance, unless the appearance you are looking for is derelict. We got that look down!

I hope to visit with you all later today. I am actually busy, can you believe it? When the spirit moves me I must cooperate. It's such a rare experience. 

Ho-Hum

Yesterday was overcast, we'd had rain the night before, and humid. We had a temperature of 71 degrees and a dew point of 71 degrees. Somehow, this seemed like a day to simmer a meat sauce. So I did.

By the time dinner rolled around the temperature had cooled considerably. Cool, cloudy and rain in the forecast today, which is good weather for the soup I'll make this afternoon. We've been invited to visit the son and his wife on Mother's Day, which is a surprise we are taking them up on. I get a day out!

I've had a bit of ennui these past few days, I imagine the dreariness outside isn't helping. I started trimming the hedge along the east side of the house and then couldn't finish because of rain. The same for mowing, it's either raining or has rained. The grass and weeds are plentiful. For someone who needs to work up motivation this isn't helpful. So I cook, read and do some cleaning. Some. Next week I plan to buy my herbs and vegetable plants. It's early for Minnesota but it looks like we are out of a risk of frost. This is a good thing to look forward to.

That's about all there is on this end. Gatto is crazy, Frieda is huffy and Jiggs is above it all.

 

Preservation

I have spoken about preserving fresh herbs in cubes, particularly basil.

Other than drying, the only way to preserve basil is in oil. An ice cube tray is perfect for the job. This happens to be fennel fronds. I like preserving fresh herbs this way, even though they freeze well enough. All you need is to pop one or two into whatever you are making and you have the next best thing to right-out-of-the-garden. I thought it may be of interest to anyone who doesn't know this little trick. Completely uncomplicated, if you happen to have ice cube trays on-hand. I think they may be a relic of the past.

I did get outside for a couple of hours yesterday. I got some of the overgrown hedging cut back. I'd hoped to get out this morning but my back was having spasms again. It's becoming a daily morning issue. I hope to get out after lunch. It felt good to be outside and doing something which used to be so simple but now isn't, yet still accomplishing at least part of the task. Otherwise, I have pork bones in the InstantPot cooking down for stock. It's good with lentils. The book, The Spare, finally became available through the digital library. I put it on hold January 13. It's popular. Others have liked it so I assume I will, too.

Spring Has Sprung

We had a beautiful day yesterday and a repeat today. I plan to take myself outside after lunch and try to trim the hedging around the east end of the house. I trim it at least twice a year and didn't do it in the autumn. It's very tall. I've been having back spasms in the morning, which eliminates doing much of anything until it abates by late morning. Those things can knock you to your knees.

Mark is spending the day doing a job which is necessary on a horse farm; spreading manure. He gets that sweet smelling task twice a year. He tried to teach me how to drive the tractor decades ago, I knew what he had planned, he's not good at sneaky. I wouldn't learn. I am good at sneaky. The horses usually are turned out to pasture by the third week of May and it will likely be the same this year.

I have a lot of packets of flower seeds I found when I cleared out my mother's house. They were old then and are three years older now, but I'm going to use them, who knows, some may sprout. I have lots of flower pots, so why not? If they don't, I buy plants. In the span of a few days it became spring, the urge to plant and prune and even mow is upon me!

We had a quick and good dinner of linguine and asparagus. I don't know what I would do without a pasta cupboard, sometimes I just don't have it in me to do anything other than boiling water. I did make chicken wild rice soup for lunch, enough to have it again today. We both really like it. I wonder if food costs will ever come down or if this is where they will remain. I kind of think the latter.

This is my bit for the day. Other than a spastic back I am doing well. 

Orange and in Charge

The box will be staying where it is until, or if, he tires of it.

After an evening of thunderstorms we have a beautiful day. It's too wet to work outside, so Mark is putting aside his tree cleanup tools for the day. I have a pot of chicken wild rice soup simmering for lunch, the dog and cats are quiet, the sun is shining. A good day. Wishing you all well.

Perseverance

Boxed In

Do not for one second believe the innocence in this face. This guy wears tight naughty pants.

What the box contained.

 

I like to make tortillas but didn't have a press, I'd use a rolling pin. I never got it quite right, so I had a brilliant idea....buy a press. So I did. Of course I've been talking about eliminating possessions, but hey, it's small. I had to buy a new kitchen TV last week. The old one was losing it's picture, it was getting too dark to see what was happening. This was a replacement and not an addition. I spend most of my time in the kitchen and like to have a TV there, even if I rarely pay attention.

I was able to get more done than usual yesterday. Today I'll be busy in the kitchen making sauce and bread. My self-diagnosis and treatment, with Dr. Google assisting, seems to be working. I'm starting to feel better. A long way from feeling anywhere near good, but also not feeling quite ready for the grave. I actually feel hopeful that I will get better. Mark is still waging the battle of the woodland. He will never win, but he keeps trying.

May we all keep trying, whatever the goal.

He's Learned to Dust

Mark did clear the dust ropes from the ceiling yesterday.

This is a task I did spring and fall until three years ago. I am so happy it is done.

Mark cleaned the ceiling fan blades last year but not the rest of it. I am not safe on a ladder looking up. That could be another definition of Death Cleaning.

After he finished I vacuumed and used the carpet cleaner on two rugs in the room. I'll put everything back in place today. I may spend the afternoon trimming the hedge along the round end of my house. I didn't get it done last fall and it is covering half the windows. Mark plans to clean up the flower beds, what's left of them. Mother Nature had her way with about half of my flower beds. We are having pleasant weather so I should get outside and soak up some vitamin D.

Since I started having physical problems nothing has been kept quite up to snuff. We have made an agreement to get what we can done this year, which I optimistically said would be about half of what needs doing. We are both working on having realistic goals without self-recriminations if it doesn't work out. This is more for Mark than me. He tends to over-plan. 

I did read the book on clearing out your things. I didn't learn anything new, just a pleasant reinforcement of what I knew. She does stress what I learned when I started. Start with the easiest to part with. Take your time. I would take one room at a time and maybe not do another for a few weeks or even months. For me at this time it's getting organization back. An organized space is much easier to handle, even if there is still too much stuff. She also says it's ok to get rid of gifts. I have some of that I hung onto because it didn't feel right to give away. This is something to do on rainy days.

That's the days ramble. Time to get to it.

The Candlewick of Time

The book I ordered, The Fine Art of Swedish Death Cleaning, arrived yesterday afternoon.

I started clearing out about a decade ago and did eliminate a lot. That said, there is still too much. I read the introduction to the book and she says a truth; even if you aren't nearing the age of concern, everyone benefits from an uncluttered home. 

I have thought for awhile about some of my finer possessions. Things I used regularly in Saint Paul when I still entertained. Then I used twice a year here with family on the two major holidays. Which I no longer use. I have Waterford crystal wine goblets and flutes. Lennox crystal wine, water and brandy glasses. I now have three sets of china, acquiring my mother's Haviland Limoges after her death. It's still in the box I packed it in, in a corner of my office. Do I sell it, or use it? It is expensive. I have decided I'm going to use the wine glasses. No reason not to. I like them, they don't need to sit in a cabinet in the butlers pantry collecting dust. I know I cannot let go, at least yet, of my treasures. But, I can use them as an everyday item. There is still a lot to go through that I will let go, I cleaned out a huge amount of baking pans and such several years ago. Time to clear out more. I gave away about twenty tablecloths and I have equally as many still. I had a problem. If I get rid of the clutter it would be easy enough for my son to sell the better items when it's necessary. 

I will read the book, it's a short read, and get serious about eliminating the unnecessary and unused. I wish I'd had the motivation over the winter.

Mark is removing clutter outside. We have wild raspberries by the thousands growing along fence lines and tree lines and anywhere else they decide to be. He's pulling them out with heavy leather gloves. It's a job, but they bother him. I have some need of his help inside. My living room is vaulted. I would use a tall ladder and a long duster to take the dust down. I'm not safe to be on a ladder looking upward so I've asked Mark to do it. It's been a couple of years and it's forming ropes. I would like it done today. He has his own agenda, but I think I can get him to do it.

This is what is swirling around in my mind at the moment. This and what to make for lunch. I don't know which is taking up more brain space.

Try It. You'll Like It.

I have a longtime internet friend, one of the nicest guys I've never met. He breeds Arabian horses, which is how we became acquainted on Facebook years ago. We trade recipes, he likes to cook. He sent me something he saw in a reel yesterday, a chopped salad for a sandwich. You can use whatever you have on hand. I made it for today's lunch and it is delicious. I used romaine, kalamatas, artichoke hearts, avocado, tomato, onion, chicken and tarragon. I put some of the artichoke marinade oil in with mayonnaise. It is so fresh. He told me I would be surprised at how good it is. Mark loved it, which is saying something. It could also be simply a salad.

 I did put a little to the side on my plate.

Give it a try, whatever vegetables you have and protein if you want it. My friend used ham. 

Other than a very satisfying lunch, not much to say. We have sunshine and cool weather. It's supposed to be 70 F by Thursday. That is weather I like. I had a couple of down days but I've perked up.

I ordered this book last week.

I like this sort of thing. I started going through our stuff starting at least ten years ago and have winnowed a lot. Somehow there is always more. After my mother died in 2020 and I had the job of clearing out sixty-two years of accumulation without ever having much elimination I have become more thoughtful about how I leave things. Besides, I like organization and would like to see if there's something I can get from this. We all have our foibles, this is one of mine. There are more.

I will visit later today, the afternoon is slipping away and I have things I promised myself I would do today.