I Was So Surprised

I know that I have been spoiled in the past and have received lots and lots of flowers during the past two and a half years. But, the past year not so much. So, when I saw the man carrying this bouquet to the door a week and a half ago it really surprised me. The bouquet is gorgeous! These photos were taken quickly and don't show the full variety of all the different  beauties. I am enjoying them so much.

Capitola-At-The-Sea

Everything about this little vacation was wonderful!
 

Isn't this a charming picture. Does it look like you are in Italy?

I have a very busy day so I will share more later.

Friday Night Dinner At Home

Since the weather has cooled "a little bit" I thought it would be nice if I prepared dinner at home. Especially, since I am never expected to make dinner.  This is a photo of my interpretation of a little antipasto prepared with vegetables from my garden.
  

The cherry tomatoes, cucumber, yellow tomatoes and basil are from the garden. I paired them with a little red onion, fresh mozzarella cheese and prosciutto along with freshly ground black pepper, olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

And, this is Boneless Loin Pork Chops with Olive Caper Sauce.  It is a very easy recipe from Wearenotmartha.com blog. The capers and klamata olives give the pork a very good flavor. Steamed fresh green beans were a nice accompaniment.

These photos were taken quickly at the last minute! I almost forgot.

Next Monday, we are taking a little trip to the coast.  We will be away for three days visiting Capitola, California. It will be nice to go to a cooler part of the state where the weather forecast is in the 70's.

This will be a quiet weekend with only church and brunch planned for Sunday.

The Forest Fires Are Impacting More Than The Air Quality

There are so many fires in California and the Western States! It seems like every day we hear about another one! The impact is substantial in so many ways other than air quality. Economically, environmentally, quality of life and danger to home and life (especially the firefighters) and many subtle impacts that we are not aware of will be realized for years to come.

Today we were planning on attending the Annual Picnic of the Fly Fishing Association at Lake Alpine. We drive to Lake Alpine often and the only way to travel there from here is is to take Highway 4. The picnic had to be cancelled because of a forest fire caused by an escaped campfire last Saturday.  The fire has consumed more than 1000 acres in the Stanislaus National Forest. The Highway (4) is closed to through traffic. As you can see by the map, the fire is at the edge of the highway. In fact, it has jumped the highway. Lake Alpine is above the fire site. The skies are smoky and the temperatures are high.

I don't seem to be getting very much done today. But, we did have a good weekend. The movie, "Hope Springs" was fun.

And, we also went to the play, "Carousel" at the local Community Theater.

1956 Poster - Shirley Jones and Gordon MacRae

The music of "Rodgers and Hammerstein" was great and certainly brought back memories of when I first saw the play more than 50 years ago! The story line was modernized but was still very entertaining. One of the actors in the play is a friend of ours. He is the Choir Director of our church choir.   The talent in our Tri-county area is quite remarkable.



The Fires Are Burning

Unfortunately, there have been quite a few forest fires here in the Sierra Foothills and Up Country partly due to the low rainfall this past year.

Most of them have been a fair distance from me and have been contained without loss to property or lives. However, it is always sad to see the forests on fire! The fire services have been doing a fabulous job and we are so very grateful.

Wherever you live, please be careful with anything that may cause combustion and fire.

Our days have been very very hot! The last few days have been over 100 degrees.



What Have I Been Doing

A little of this and a lot of that - like, trying to make up for what I could not do while my arm was healing. Of course, it is still healing but it only bothers me if I overdo it.

• In the garden 2 to 4 hours a day, watering, weeding and pruning.
• Loads of laundry, catching up on what was not a priority like blankets and bath rugs.
• Folding, sorting and organizing my clothes closet which needed attention very badly.
• Cleaning out paper files. So time consuming! 
• Sorting and shredding paper - paper - and more paper.
• Organizing the linen closet. It is small. That is the biggest problem.
• Cleaning the upper surfaces in the kitchen that seem to gather "greasy dust". And, washing out a few cupboards if the mood hits me.
• Steam cleaning carpet a little at a time so I do not grossly increase my back pain. It is nice to know that it dries quite fast in this hot weather. I guess that is the "silver lining" with hot-hot-hot weather!

This is a my new patio clock/thermometer on a much cooler day. It is nice and easy to read! This week the weather is predicted to be over 100 degrees.

 

I am trying to get a lot done at the begining of the weeks so I can enjoy the last days of the week with all the fun things there are to do at this time of the year. There are a few medical appointment on the schedule also.

Planing on going to dinner at the Farmer's Market which is held at one of the many wineries on Main Street . Along with the the beautiful produce and foods from around the county the winery owner and French Chef Jeannine serves gourmet BBQ dinners to pair alongside their wines. We went one time last year and it was lovely and not expensive.

Also, planning on going to see the new movie, "Hope Springs" with Meryl Streep and Tommy Lee Jones and Steve Carell. It looks like it is good for a "lot of laughs".

What Does The Scale Say

I am happy to tell you that since May of this year I have worked hard to loose 7 pounds. And - I have been maintaining. My motivation has been to get to a healthy MBI ( Mass Body Weight). And, now my weight is within the normal weight range, albeit at the upper level of normal. I will continue to work on lowering the number. It is amazing how much different I feel - in my clothes - with this small amount of loss. Oh, so much more comfortable.

My almost 73 year old feet have had quite a few surgeries and they certainly show it! But, they still can take me where I need and want to go! In full disclosure, I softened the photo with editing. Yes, I still have a healthy amount of vanity. And, I hope I never loose it.

Now, look at this cute and appropriate coffee cup. I bought it this week when I stopped in at TJ Max. I could not resist. I think it cost me all of  $2.99. It now sites on my kitchen counter in a prominent spot where I will always see it. Maybe it could be a good receptacle for Hersey's Kisses - they would last forever - who am I kidding!

Making Progress And Getting A Little Glam

I planned on posting this a few day ago. But, it didn't happen. So, I will do it now. The photo below was taken the evening of surgery day for my fractured left radius in my arm.  And, I was in a lot of pain! It so happened that the "nerve block" did not take and I had to return to surgery the next day to have it redone. No fun! But it really helped with the pain management. The first few weeks were really tough with a high level of pain.

 

I returned to the doctor a week after surgery of placement of a plate and screws in my lower arm with anticipation of having a cast applied. Much to my surprise and delight, the x-ray showed so much healing that the doctor said that a brace would be appropriate instead of a cast. I was delighted! The brace was to be worn day and night, but could be removed to take a shower. I can't begin to tell you how nice that was.  

 

Since I had a gift card (since Christmas) to a local Day Spa and Salon I thought it would be a great time to use it. It was one of the best days I have had in a long time. I had an European Facial, Massage and Pedicure. It was just what I needed! And, then the day before seeing the doctor last time, I went back to have a Manicure. It really helped my spirits!

This is my arm today! Much, much better and still getting better each and every day. I still experience pain with some movements and overuse.



And, the garden started "outdoing itself" with beautiful flowers. I think the Simplon Oriental Lily is fabulous! Please enjoy it with me.

 

Food Prep For Weekend Dinner

I have enjoyed getting in the kitchen again after waiting for my arm to heal a little more. On Sunday evening my friend was preparing some Turf and Surf (filet mignon and lobster) for dinner for his son and daughter-in-law at his house. Along with the beef and seafood he served baked potatoes with all the toppings and asparagus. My contribution to the meal was summer Gazpacho and Blueberry Crisp with Ice Cream. Everything turned out great and tasted fantastic!

The recipe that I used for the Gazpacho is from The Pioneer Woman Cooks. I changed it a little based on what vegetables I had available to me. Also, I used Clamato Juice instead of Tomato Juice and I added about 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice and a tablespoon of Worcestershire Sauce.The Clamato Juice was my choice because I remember using it in Gazpacho way back in the 60's when I first made Gazpacho. I will definitely use this recipe as a starting point when I prepare it in the future.

We went shopping for the veggies at our local organic foods store The Outer Aisle. A lot of the produce comes directly from the fields. It is so - so fresh.

The recipe I used for the Blueberry Crisp is from  Foodnetwork.  And, I followed it exactly as printed. It is such a quick and easy recipe. Oh, so good. 

It was a very hot and busy day. The weather was in the high 90'. We attended church in the morning and then attended a Program on Central America presented by a professor and researcher with non-profit organizations. He shared his insight about how we as US citizens make assumptions about members of other countries based on misinformation we receive from our parents, our teachers, our textbooks and many media outlets. He believes that if we can recognize those biases we can change them and possibly affect the way other countries feel about us.

So Many Things To Blog About

But, first let me tell you it is very hot here in Northern California. It is over 100 degrees today. I went to church this morning and enjoyed it very much. Then the remainder of the day I spent in the high country (highest elevation 8700+ feet) enjoying beautiful lakes, scenery and clear blue skies with billowy clouds. It was nice to be in an area that wasn't quite so hot!

It was so relaxing - especially after getting to bed late last night. A few days ago a friend called to ask if I would like to join her and some women friends and attend an Outdoor Theater at one of the local Wineries  to see the Shakespearean play, The Tempest. Even though it probably is my least favorite play by Shakespeare, I felt eager to join them.

Several years ago I attended a lot of plays at the same outdoor theater and I always found it very enjoyable. Even though the play doesn't start until 8 PM we go about 6:30 PM with food and wine for our dinner. There are terraced lawns for lawn chairs and room to spread blankets.

And, since my friend had offered me an extra ticket, I thought it would be nice if I would bring the food for the four of us traveling in the same car. I haven't done much in the kitchen since injuring my arm (more on that later - "I'm doing good") and I felt like fussing around in the kitchen. So, I spent yesterday afternoon doing a lot of chop, chop, chopping.

My little menu was Apple Tuna Salad on Croissant Rolls, Fruit Salad with a splash of Lemon Juice, Honey and then freshly grated Nutmeg on the top. I also took a bowl of Mixed Nuts.

Since the food was quite filling along with the wine that was brought by one of the others, we waited until intermission for the dessert, which was Blueberry Crisp with Vanilla Ice Cream. 

I am sorry, but I didn't take photos because I was just too, too busy. But, I would like to tell you more about the dessert. I guess I was "feeling a little creative".  How was I going to work with Ice Cream when it was 95 degrees outside?  OK, I put some Blueberry Crisp in the bottom of a small Rubbermaid Take-Along plastic container. Then I took the top off of a Haagen Dazs single serving (3.6 oz.) Vanilla Ice Crean cup and placed it up-side-down on the crisp and then screwed the top on. I placed the four containers in a small insulated bag with some ice packs.

When it was time for dessert, I just unscrewed the lid and lifted the cup up and off of the ice cream that had melted just enough for it to be removed easily.  It worked so good and the Ice Cream and Crisp tasted so good on the very warm evening!

As I said, I have been busy! Yesterday, at noon I attended Murphys Homecoming Celebration in the Murphys Park. Free lunch was served for anyone 70 years old and older if they have lived in this area for ten years or more. It was a lot of fun. For the past 35 years, the Community Club has sponsored the event. There also was a Little Yellow Duck Race in the creek at the park as a fund raiser for the Animal Humane Society. 

I think I am going to sleep late in the morning. 

           

My "Super Purple" Daylily

The Daylily opened late yesterday. They are called Daylily for a reason. So, I thought I better not wait to take a photo. The color looks somewhat different than the photo that I posted yesterday. Cameras and computer monitors can make such a difference in what we see with our eyes. None the less, this is the first time I am seeing "Super Purple" bloom in my garden. It is kinda fun after the long wait.

This Years Surprises In The Garden

And, there have been several. I have been pampering a small Gardenia Jasminoides 'Radicans' plant for a couple years and this year it has rewarded me for my efforts. It is a miniature gardenia that grows to one foot tall and three feet wide. The flowers are fragrant, large, double white.

 

The gardenia is planted next to White Dianthus and near White Foxglove.

The biggest surprise so far, this year, is the possibility of my Black Mission Fig producing fruit for the first time. The tree is planted in my White Garden and has not gotten enough sun since I planted it about five years ago because of a very large Oak Tree in the neighbors yard. This past year the tree was removed because of disease. As a result, my White Garden is getting more sun than in the past!

Upon close examination, there are many tiny and little buds of figs. Even if there are only a few figs this year it makes me want to do "a happy dance". Do I love my garden or what?

Many of the Day Lilies are blooming throughout the garden. But, I have a 'Super Purple' Daylily that has never bloomed. And, it looks like this is going to be the year. It blooms late and is small. It really is a "late bloomer" because I have had it for a few years. This is a photo from google. I will have a photo of my 'Super Purple' when it opens a little more!

I know that all of my garden would bloom more consistently and bountiful if I had been able to bring in lots of top soil when I first started planting. This soil is almost  all clay with rocks. If you can call that soil! Each plant was  usually a one-gallon plant and I tried to dig a large enough hole and fill with planting mix. And, then hope for the best.

Yes, it would have been great to have lots of top-soil, BUT, I am so thankful I was able to have a "mortgage" and a garden! If you know what I mean! AND, I am so thankful that I have been able to keep it - - - so far!