Identify this flower. (100 points)
Friday, June 19, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
TAKE N. KOREA SERIOUSLY
Seldom do I enter political statements, but sometimes I feel prodded to do so. This time the prod is a vegetable.
As you know I belong to the local orchid society, and we recently visited the greenhouses of one of our members who happens to come from S. Korea. She is married to an American who was in the service there, and I assume is now a citizen since she works at the local Air Force base. They have a son who graduated from high school this year. In addition to the impeccable greenhouses she also had a vegetable garden in the back yard with four cucumber plants growing along the fence. She said they were Korean cucumbers; she had brought the seeds here.
My cucumber plant label said to harvest when the cuke was 3-4 inches long. Well, I was a little over eager, and the one I cut was 2 1/2 inches long. I stand corrected. However, I think you will agree that another half inch would not have made it look anymore impressive.
American cucumber on the left; Korean cucumber on the right. (The Korean cucumber has a very tender skin. No peeling necessary.)
Now if the Koreans are growing cucumbers like this without genetic engineering, etc., don't you think it's time to consider their exploration/building of nuclear weapons very seriously?
As you know I belong to the local orchid society, and we recently visited the greenhouses of one of our members who happens to come from S. Korea. She is married to an American who was in the service there, and I assume is now a citizen since she works at the local Air Force base. They have a son who graduated from high school this year. In addition to the impeccable greenhouses she also had a vegetable garden in the back yard with four cucumber plants growing along the fence. She said they were Korean cucumbers; she had brought the seeds here.
My cucumber plant label said to harvest when the cuke was 3-4 inches long. Well, I was a little over eager, and the one I cut was 2 1/2 inches long. I stand corrected. However, I think you will agree that another half inch would not have made it look anymore impressive.
American cucumber on the left; Korean cucumber on the right. (The Korean cucumber has a very tender skin. No peeling necessary.)
Now if the Koreans are growing cucumbers like this without genetic engineering, etc., don't you think it's time to consider their exploration/building of nuclear weapons very seriously?
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
The Cucumber-Zucchini War
So how many of you were holding your breaths waiting for Jaz and me to admit we knew next to nothing about planting a garden and how it would grow? You could have warned us at the outset that we were embedding those transplants too close together when we still had time to move them. Are you just maniacal? Go ahead and get your "tee-hee-hee's" over with.
However, we will learn from this (as I said at the outset), and we will probably have to provide purple hearts and medals for bravery to the pepper plants and the yellow squash. The tomatoes are also taking a battering from these aggressive plants. This picture is from a couple of weeks ago.
The zucchini has the enormous leaves, and the cucumber is to the left with a little lighter green leaves. The tomatoes are at the back. What you can't see is that the cucumber is stretching out its tendrils to everything around it and growing, and growing, and growing. We'll probably never find all the cucumbers. Anyway, I've had a small harvest. Take a look.
You see a couple of Swiss Chard leaves, parsley, zucchini, oregano, and lettuce (in a pot---not in the garden). I've also had a couple of grape tomatoes ripen. Anyway, that night this was my dinner.
You know what? Michele Obama is quite correct. It does taste better if you grow it yourself.
I am a little concerned about how many times a week I can eat zucchini and how many different ways to prepare it. Good news though. Dogs like zucchini.
More about cucumbers another time.
However, we will learn from this (as I said at the outset), and we will probably have to provide purple hearts and medals for bravery to the pepper plants and the yellow squash. The tomatoes are also taking a battering from these aggressive plants. This picture is from a couple of weeks ago.
The zucchini has the enormous leaves, and the cucumber is to the left with a little lighter green leaves. The tomatoes are at the back. What you can't see is that the cucumber is stretching out its tendrils to everything around it and growing, and growing, and growing. We'll probably never find all the cucumbers. Anyway, I've had a small harvest. Take a look.
You see a couple of Swiss Chard leaves, parsley, zucchini, oregano, and lettuce (in a pot---not in the garden). I've also had a couple of grape tomatoes ripen. Anyway, that night this was my dinner.
You know what? Michele Obama is quite correct. It does taste better if you grow it yourself.
I am a little concerned about how many times a week I can eat zucchini and how many different ways to prepare it. Good news though. Dogs like zucchini.
More about cucumbers another time.
Friday, June 5, 2009
OH, HAPPY DAY!
Because of a need for mailing supplies I dropped in on the local son at work to finagle bubble wrap from him. Achieving that goal I came home to work on the package. The phone rang, and it was my Texas son calling to give me good news. Following that conversation I called the local son to pass along the good news. We celebrated via Ma Bell.
Then I called the D.C. daughter to send the good news even farther. More celebration. Then, guess what! The Illinois daughter called me (really to get D.C. daughter's phone number; I am Information, please), and I got to tell her the good news too.
I got to talk to all four of my children (adults though they are) on the same day. What a great day!
Then I called the D.C. daughter to send the good news even farther. More celebration. Then, guess what! The Illinois daughter called me (really to get D.C. daughter's phone number; I am Information, please), and I got to tell her the good news too.
I got to talk to all four of my children (adults though they are) on the same day. What a great day!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
YOU ASKED FOR IT!
A few months ago I related and depicted the trials and tribulations of redoing my kitchen floor. At that time one of my daughters, Plug, asked if I had before and after shots of my “bordello bathroom.” This piqued Heather’s curiosity (she is unrelated, but a blogger buddy), and she wanted to see my “bordello bathroom.” Goo, my other daughter, chimed in that she supported my choices for decorating. So, this became a challenge to try to recreate for you how the bathroom evolved.
I don’t have before shots of the bathroom, but I do have a picture of one scrap of the wallpaper which was there.
Picture it: This wallpaper combined with this shower curtain
(Chill had this in his bathroom (the non-functioning one) until he and Jaz moved in Jan. which was when I took the picture.)
combined with this tile on the walls
and this tile on the floor.
The cabinet under the lavatory was a pine wood finish with really worn brass hardware. The white formica top is still there.
My bathroom is very small, and the whole room felt very claustrophobic.
Unfortunately, I don’t have a picture of the original light fixture, but it was a two branched antiqued bronze thing with fluted glass bells over the bulbs. (Couldn’t sell it in 5 yard sales and finally gave it to Good Will.)
If I’d had the money to gut the bathroom and start over, I might have. But I didn’t, and I didn’t have another bathroom to use in the meantime. So . . . I decided to go with what I had and “play it as it lays.” Here is the result.
The wallpaper pattern is Fishnet. (Remember you can see enlarged pictures by clicking on them.)
The border pattern is called Bootylicious, but I think of it as Jacqueline, Honore, Helene, Genevieve, and Marilyn.
Many thanks again to Goo who made the window curtain and helped me with the wallpapering while in pain. I still love my bathroom. Now, I ask you. Is this a “bordello bathroom” or a whimsical bathroom with a great sense of humor and a tiny touch of class?
I don’t have before shots of the bathroom, but I do have a picture of one scrap of the wallpaper which was there.
Picture it: This wallpaper combined with this shower curtain
(Chill had this in his bathroom (the non-functioning one) until he and Jaz moved in Jan. which was when I took the picture.)
combined with this tile on the walls
and this tile on the floor.
The cabinet under the lavatory was a pine wood finish with really worn brass hardware. The white formica top is still there.
My bathroom is very small, and the whole room felt very claustrophobic.
Unfortunately, I don’t have a picture of the original light fixture, but it was a two branched antiqued bronze thing with fluted glass bells over the bulbs. (Couldn’t sell it in 5 yard sales and finally gave it to Good Will.)
If I’d had the money to gut the bathroom and start over, I might have. But I didn’t, and I didn’t have another bathroom to use in the meantime. So . . . I decided to go with what I had and “play it as it lays.” Here is the result.
The wallpaper pattern is Fishnet. (Remember you can see enlarged pictures by clicking on them.)
The border pattern is called Bootylicious, but I think of it as Jacqueline, Honore, Helene, Genevieve, and Marilyn.
Many thanks again to Goo who made the window curtain and helped me with the wallpapering while in pain. I still love my bathroom. Now, I ask you. Is this a “bordello bathroom” or a whimsical bathroom with a great sense of humor and a tiny touch of class?
Sunday, May 17, 2009
WHAT'S IN A NAME?
I love to go to the races---horse races. I don't do it very often, but it is tremendously exciting, and I enjoy reading all the data about the various horses, trainers, jockeys, and trying to decide where to place my bet. O.K. It's usually $2, but it's the spirit of the thing.
Like most of you I was caught up in the Cinderella story of Mine That Bird when he won the Kentucky Derby after being driven from New Mexico to Kentucky with a stop over in Texas for exercise. The unknown who comes out of nowhere and wins at 50-1 odds. So, I was rooting for him to win again in the Preakness, but I didn't have a bet on him. I only bet when I'm at the track to see it for real.
Then I realized today as I read the results of the Preakness that I would really have been challenged to pick a winner for there was one filly entered, and her name was Rachel Alexandra. I couldn't have resisted, and there would have been two bets placed. You've got to love a horse with a name like that. Right? And besides, she was taking on all the guys, so there's a feminist angle to this as well.
She took top honors, and Mine That Bird came in second. Not a bad showing for him at all. Now my question is, what do I do when the Belmont comes up in June? If they're both entered who gets my imaginary $2.00?
Sorry, I couldn't steal her picture from the internet, but you can go to this site
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/05/16/sports/0517-PREAKNESS_index.html
and see a whole slide show. BTW her number is 13, and her jockey is in yellow. Take a look.
Like most of you I was caught up in the Cinderella story of Mine That Bird when he won the Kentucky Derby after being driven from New Mexico to Kentucky with a stop over in Texas for exercise. The unknown who comes out of nowhere and wins at 50-1 odds. So, I was rooting for him to win again in the Preakness, but I didn't have a bet on him. I only bet when I'm at the track to see it for real.
Then I realized today as I read the results of the Preakness that I would really have been challenged to pick a winner for there was one filly entered, and her name was Rachel Alexandra. I couldn't have resisted, and there would have been two bets placed. You've got to love a horse with a name like that. Right? And besides, she was taking on all the guys, so there's a feminist angle to this as well.
She took top honors, and Mine That Bird came in second. Not a bad showing for him at all. Now my question is, what do I do when the Belmont comes up in June? If they're both entered who gets my imaginary $2.00?
Sorry, I couldn't steal her picture from the internet, but you can go to this site
http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/05/16/sports/0517-PREAKNESS_index.html
and see a whole slide show. BTW her number is 13, and her jockey is in yellow. Take a look.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
LADIES LUNCH
A few days ago a friend called and asked if I would be available to go to lunch this week. She wanted to take out a mutual friend who now lives in an assisted living apartment who often feels the lunches there are cold and not very appetizing. I said yes, I'd love to go. She made all the arrangements for four of us to have lunch at a wonderful place where I had not previously eaten. She kept emphasizing that it was a nice place for ladies to have lunch.
Since we were going to a "nice place for ladies to have lunch" I made a special effort to look lady like and wore my red pant suit, red shoes with low heels (but heels, not flats), carrying my black purse. You probably wouldn't have known me.
The guest of honor ordered a Cuban sandwich (I still don't know what that is, but it was huge), two people had the chicken salad with toasted walnuts and grapes, and I ordered the fried oyster salad. Alas, they were out of oysters, so I opted for an avocado sandwich. Everyone declared their choices excellent, and I couldn't disagree. Oh, I forgot to mention that the hostess also practically mandated we drink the Mango Tea served there. It was outstanding. Then our hostess declared we had to order dessert; so the guest of honor and I shared a huge serving of carrot cake, and the other two shared an equal serving of strawberry cake. (Please, don't count the calories!) Half the Cuban sandwich went home with the guest of honor. So much for the menu.
Our friend who was honored has suffered a couple of mild strokes, and her memory is like a checkerboard. She will tell you right up front that she knows you but can't necessarily call your name. She's always been a straight talker, and I guess that will maintain. I hope so. But it became clear that she remembered us but doesn't recall the group that brought us all together, i.e. where we all met. And she remembers that the curriculum we studied together was quite good, but she doesn't remember being part of that group. So, it's a bittersweet experience. However, she handles it with grace, and I hope I shall be able to do as well should I eventually be in similar circumstances. I also hope that I will have friends who show such care and concern to take me out for a nice ladies lunch.
Since we were going to a "nice place for ladies to have lunch" I made a special effort to look lady like and wore my red pant suit, red shoes with low heels (but heels, not flats), carrying my black purse. You probably wouldn't have known me.
The guest of honor ordered a Cuban sandwich (I still don't know what that is, but it was huge), two people had the chicken salad with toasted walnuts and grapes, and I ordered the fried oyster salad. Alas, they were out of oysters, so I opted for an avocado sandwich. Everyone declared their choices excellent, and I couldn't disagree. Oh, I forgot to mention that the hostess also practically mandated we drink the Mango Tea served there. It was outstanding. Then our hostess declared we had to order dessert; so the guest of honor and I shared a huge serving of carrot cake, and the other two shared an equal serving of strawberry cake. (Please, don't count the calories!) Half the Cuban sandwich went home with the guest of honor. So much for the menu.
Our friend who was honored has suffered a couple of mild strokes, and her memory is like a checkerboard. She will tell you right up front that she knows you but can't necessarily call your name. She's always been a straight talker, and I guess that will maintain. I hope so. But it became clear that she remembered us but doesn't recall the group that brought us all together, i.e. where we all met. And she remembers that the curriculum we studied together was quite good, but she doesn't remember being part of that group. So, it's a bittersweet experience. However, she handles it with grace, and I hope I shall be able to do as well should I eventually be in similar circumstances. I also hope that I will have friends who show such care and concern to take me out for a nice ladies lunch.
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