Salad anyone?

Weekend arrived. Rain poured down all morning Saturday. Heavy rain. Afternoon rains came softer.

After 2 hours of intense pickle ball Macho and I came home and vegetated most of the afternoon. 

Weather discouraged activity. We read. We watched teevee. Washed clothes. Discarded the recycles.

Ate leftovers for lunch. Cooked a huge pot of chili to eat on Sunday. 

Then we enjoyed several hours of The Tudors on Netflix.

Sunday arrived early. I had the duty at church and so the alarm went off at 5:30. A.M. 

I had a Krispy Kreme gift card burning a hole in my pocket...

I gave in. And enjoyed it. The guilt will last for days. 

And days. 

Finally we have a sunny blue bird sky. And. Frigid temps. 

Later we will go to a friends house to turn on their taps and open cabinet doors to avoid frozen pipes.

They are out of town.

I decided to harvest all the remaining romaine and a couple rows of the mache lettuce.

I covered the remaining mache with some newspaper to see if it would survive the predicted frost. 

Washed romaine. It fit in two gallon zip lock bags.

We will dine on lettuce most of the week.

One gallon of mache lettuce. 

If you ever get the chance to eat some of this, do. It is so delicious.

Jimmy Buffet just finished the national anthem at the Saints vs Rams game.

I am off to watch. 

Go Saints!

Shalom. 

One clear day.

Finally. A sunny day. It started with a brisk walk before the frost disappeared. I had a Master Gardener meeting this morning. It went well. I will be the secretary for two years. 

It's all good. 

A quick trip to the Kroger for a few groceries and gas. 

Wednesday is $5 sushi day. So. That's what was for lunch.

The temps got up in the low 50's and so I stayed outside for a bit with the hubby.

He was doing all sorts of little duties to make the best of the good weather.

We mined rocks out of our back bed. Daughter found this amusing. 

Pics of the week...

Yesterday I cooked navy beans and a ham hock.

Yes. They were good. Served over rice. Sprinkled with green onion (thank you Sister Mimi!). 

I was so excited to see this lone honeybee. He is dining on bok choy flowers. 

I was going to cut them down soon but think otherwise now. I will leave them a bit longer if the honeybees like them. I want to do anything I can to encourage the rare honeybees. I didn't see any last summer. It was fall before I espied a few on my blooming elaeagnus. 

I am trying to harvest my lettuces and greens this week so we can begin to prepare our small garden for spring planting. I picked some mache lettuce, romaine, a little bit of butterhead, and bok choy to eat tonight. 

***

I am not your total earth mother. Yet I do like to grow things and eat them right out my garden. I like to have flowers that invite honeybees and butterflies. 

It gives me joy. 

Shalom.

Tease.

January is teasing me. 

Two days in a row of sun has me all aflutter thinking of spring.

Backing out of the driveway this morning Macho squinted and asked what that bright thing was. I said we have been like moles underground. 

Minds and hearts are lighter today because of sun and blue skies.

This afternoon I went out to the Sharp Shop and brought two of my plants inside. They normally over winter in the shop. 

My "Christmas" cactus has fuchsia buds on it about to bloom. I am hoping they don't fall off inside. They have a history of doing just that. I have had good luck leaving them in the Sharp Shop all winter. And. It typically blooms for Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday. I hope to enjoy the entire blossom process this year. I also brought in my kalanchoe. It has buds all over it, also. Mine is a bright orange blossoming plant. I purchased it last spring or summer when it was blooming. I enjoyed a second bloom in late summer, while it sat on the back porch. And now it is full again. 

Macho and I perused our garden while we were outside. We are still harvesting bok choy, collards, kale, romaine, and mache lettuce. Our butterhead lettuce is about to play out. I think that we will try to keep eating these until the end of February. Then we will turn it under and get ready for spring crops. You do understand that we have a tiny garden? One salad table and one raised bed. Yet, it produces so much for the two of us. 

We are talking about some new things for the raised bed this spring. Not sure what. I'll let you know.

Tomatoes will be grown in pots this year. 

Butterfly garden is going to be relocated to the back yard. Our front beds need a total makeover. 

Much to do.

I know there are more cold and dreary days ahead. Our heater will cut on again. Coats and rain boots will be donned again. Hot teas and soups will be heated and eaten, again. 

But blue skies and the waning cold symptoms have me feeling all out door-sy and ready to get my hands dirty.

I even have a Master Gardener officer meeting this week to make me feel even more anxious to plant something in the yard.

Oh? Didn't I tell you? I am the secretary this year. 

These blue skies are inspiring me. 

They whisper spring. 

Shalom. 

We had a delightful visit with the Super Carrot this week.

She is the best ever house guest. Macho especially enjoyed her presence. 

She loves being busy from the time she wakes up until she goes to sleep. 

She is helpful, artsy, a good competitor, and is pleasant. 

We had a breakfast table art competition one morning. 

Nanny makeover.

Beginning instructions on planning the perfect wedding. 

We put a puzzle together, played Crazy Eights card game, several indoor hide-and-seek games including Granddaddy (she has some good spots!), read books, went to the library, shopped a little, had a Mass and brunch at church, and she and her Granddaddy indulged in a milk shake while I had a doctor appointment. 

She is a good sport. 

Took her back to the drop off point late yesterday. 

The house got quiet. 

Missed her hugs this morning. 

***

Super Carrot helped me get a start packing up the Christmas decorations. 

Today Macho and I finished the job.

We replaced the wreath on the door with one for Mardi Gras. 

And put a poofy Mardi Gras box on the mailbox. 

My Nativity is still on the piano.

It won't come down until after tomorrow, The Epiphany, Twelfth Night, the start of Carnival!

We had several players today at our pickle ball games. We have one court and we play doubles. We had three teams that switched play. Two hours of pure fun. 

And now our feet hurt. But it was worth it. 

***

In sad news, one of my Garden club friends died of ovarian cancer today. I saw her last at our Christmas brunch the first week of December. I am sorry. She was very nice to me.

Shalom. 

Happy New Year.

There will be more excitement this year. I promise. But today has not been it. We ate the traditional - pork chop, peas, and greens. Watched our dear old Dawgs lose their bowl game. Then took a walk in the neighborhood. That's it. 

But tomorrow! The Super Carrot is coming over for a couple of spend the nights. So there will be fun. 

Be sweet.

Shalom.