Summer Joys
One of the joys of summer is the locally grown and home grown produce that suddenly becomes available. I stopped by a farmers market just as it was shutting down and was able to buy twelve quarts of juicy strawberries for only $2 each. A steal as the regular cost is $3.50. I've hulled them and put them in the freezer to make jam and preserves later, it's too hot to cook today. My garden has a thick patch of mint, which grows even better when it's cut. I've been cutting bunches and making Mint lemonade. The mint leaves are pulled from the stem, cut and crushed with a mortar and pestle, then added to lemon juice, water and sugar. My mortar and pestle is one of my favourite non-electric kitchen tools. I love making curries, they are so much better if you grind your own whole spices. I stopped using sugar substitute about a year or so ago and have actually lost weight! Not that I am dieting, but some clothes are looser and I'm a size smaller than two years ago. And that's not counting the fifteen pounds I've lost since March, I'm sure that's related to my current illness.
My garden is quite a mess. I have a large full sun bed of native perennials, Bee Balm, Yarrow, Rudibeckia and Salvia. It's overgrown with weeds and grass. When I'm feeling better I'm going to have to dig the plants up and totally dig over the bed before replanting it. My shade garden by the river is not as bad. The new beds by the lower entrance are coming along well. I still need to put the landscape fabric and mulch on one. My tomatoes and peppers are planted thanks to Laura. I hope to get out and plant some beans and beets. A month late, but they'll manage. So much has been put on hold due to illness and time spent writing my exchange fic. I was exceedingly late. Blushes Thanks to mods for understanding and taking good care of me. I'd like to spend time revising it after feedback.
My sister and her son are moving back to Toronto to live with her fiancee and his father. Their relationship is over thirteen years old, but they have only lived together for about half of that time. Both are stubborn and Laura is passionate. This means that she lives with me for periods of months to years. We get on quite well, the usual stuff about who's turn it is to take out the garbage notwithstanding. I think I'm going to set up the lower part of the house as a Bed and Breakfast to help pay the bills. It might be a good source of income in the years to come as I don't have much of a retirement planned. I spent a lot of my working years exploring and volunteering, thus not much put away. I don't regret it but must start to plan for when I'm too old and creaky to be nursing.
My garden is quite a mess. I have a large full sun bed of native perennials, Bee Balm, Yarrow, Rudibeckia and Salvia. It's overgrown with weeds and grass. When I'm feeling better I'm going to have to dig the plants up and totally dig over the bed before replanting it. My shade garden by the river is not as bad. The new beds by the lower entrance are coming along well. I still need to put the landscape fabric and mulch on one. My tomatoes and peppers are planted thanks to Laura. I hope to get out and plant some beans and beets. A month late, but they'll manage. So much has been put on hold due to illness and time spent writing my exchange fic. I was exceedingly late. Blushes Thanks to mods for understanding and taking good care of me. I'd like to spend time revising it after feedback.
My sister and her son are moving back to Toronto to live with her fiancee and his father. Their relationship is over thirteen years old, but they have only lived together for about half of that time. Both are stubborn and Laura is passionate. This means that she lives with me for periods of months to years. We get on quite well, the usual stuff about who's turn it is to take out the garbage notwithstanding. I think I'm going to set up the lower part of the house as a Bed and Breakfast to help pay the bills. It might be a good source of income in the years to come as I don't have much of a retirement planned. I spent a lot of my working years exploring and volunteering, thus not much put away. I don't regret it but must start to plan for when I'm too old and creaky to be nursing.