Plumbago in the Evening

the beautiful flower, plumbago, that dad grows in a pot on the deck - color not enhanced by me - at 6:00pm.

the same flower (different cluster) captured at 1:30pm in the full sun - color not enhanced by me

Plumbago flowers

No matter what time of day

Beautiful you are!

~~~

xoabb

Chicken-of-the-Woods - An Edible Treat!

photo taken on 7/31/16 @ 3:49 pm

  

photo taken on 8/1/16 @ 2:31pm
(covered in mud spots because of the hard rain that fell last night)

photo taken on 8/2/16 @ 3:20pm

photo taken 8/3/16 @ 3:27pm just before harvesting

Mom has been watching a certain oak tree all spring and summer just waiting for the perennial chicken-of-the-woods to reappear. Yesterday it finally did! On our way back from Claysville Store, she looked over and saw her c-o-t-w's for the first time! (It hadn't been there when we left at noontime.) After we were dropped at home, mom and I immediately got in the car so we could go take a photo of it and try to estimate when it would be time to harvest it to eat. That first photo is of the mushroom yesterday. It rained all night and most of today so it wasn't until just about 24 hours after the first photo was taken that we were able to go check on the c-o-t-w's and see if anything had changed. MAN! Talk about growth spurt! Look how much that baby has grown in just a days time! (If you look at the little green plants on the left, you can see they're exactly the same in both photos.) If that were a human baby, I'd say it had gone from an infant to a 10 year old in one day! At this rate, it'll be ready to harvest in the next couple of days! Can't wait to see how big it is tomorrow!
We harvested it today, the 3rd of August. Had a bit of it tonight just to try it, and will have more tomorrow - will let you in on the secrets of Chicken-of-the-Woods preparations!

~

Chicken of the Woods

Soon on our dinner table

Deliciousness waits!

~~~

xoabb

Sunday Serenity - Sounds of a Summer Night

I've never realized

There's ebb and flow to the sounds

one hears in the night

~~~

xoabb

(I didn't change the volume level - that's just the loud/soft sounds of a Missouri night)

Sunday Serenity

Bleeding Heart

I took this photo back in 2009 while in NYC visiting Daryl near her home - can't remember the name of the lovely
park we were walking. Kate had come in from MD, and Lauren and I had traveled from CT to join in.
Bleeding hearts have always been on of my very favorite flowers...well haven't yet met a flower I didn't love...
and this is a photo I've held dear for more than a few years. 

Little dancers! All

In a row, bobbing along

To their unknown beat.

~~~

xoabb

Evening Serenity by the Pond

My parent's beloved pond around 6:30pm. What memories this body of water holds for our entire family!

Evening's peaceful calm

Spreading over the landscape

And now...day is done

~~~

xoabb

Chanterelle Gold

Mom & I were on her golf cart hunting for chanterelles in the woods surrounding our parent's home. Did we ever walk into a chanterelle-gold treasure-trove! (It was in the same place in the woods we've found a good patch in previous years, but never in this quantity.) Only problem was, it wasn't where mom (she's golf-cart-bound) could drive to it, so, you get the ~glorious commentary~ from moi as I was yelling back to her so she could ~share~ in the find. (Just turn your volume down and no snotty thoughts on my commentary or my voice!) The number of chanterelles this 2016 summer has just been unbelievable! We've had them on pizzas, in stir-fries, in pasta toppings, in sauces for steaks and chicken, as a side dish. 
We have refrained from including them as part of our frozen yogurt dessert churning!
YUM!! 

A pirate’s chest spilled
on the forest floor, spreading
it’s chanterelle gold

~~~

xoabb

Poor Beans, 0 - Critters, for the Win

Blue Lake Beans...
valiantly trying to grow...it's not going well.

Daughter Brynnly and I have a plot at Norwalk's Community Garden. It's intended to be for us to reap the harvest of veggies to enjoy eating. This far, our plot is apparently for the ground hogs and rabbits to enjoy eating. The beans don't
have a chance, nor broccoli or cabbage. Thought we'd scored a home-run with the pepper plants. Yeah, the critters
hate the foliage, but the pepper flowers? They love 'em! The only thing that seems to be safe are the tomato plants and the
chive plant. Even our basil hasn't been safe. It. Is. SO. Frustrating!

Blue Lake beans, going

Going gone! Critters have won

We need a good fence!

~~~

xoabb

Sunday Serenity

Kousa Dogwood
"The spring blooms are probably the tree's largest selling point - and its most misunderstood.
The white "petals" aren't actually petals at all.
They are modified leaves called bracts that surround the small, greenish-yellow, insignificant flowers."

Like a flock of birds

Floating by on white white wings
Beautiful Kousa

~~~

xoabb

Our Sunday Family Dinners (2/29/09)

Rosemary blossoms, February 2009

I wrote the below post originally in February 2009. It pretty much perfectly explains what our
Sunday Family Dinners are all about and why they are so important to all of us.
For the original post, click here. For the re-posted post, click here.
For cousin Julie's wonderful take on SFD, click here.
(The oven fries recipe, below, is often a part of our SFD's.)

My World: 

There's one huge aspect of my world that I really don't write much about here, which is really quite odd, considering how important it is to me. It is something near and dear to my heart, whatever the aspect of it is. Matter of fact, it's quite near and dear to the hearts of my family and friends as well. We have shared many wonderful times over it, and, I suspect, will continue to do so ad infinitum. 

So what, you ask, does the above photo have to do with anything at all, let alone the mystery aspect of my world I'm blabbering on about? Nothing and absolutely everything, that's what! It's a pretty enough photo that I enjoy looking at, and hope you do to, but what it really stands for is...food. Food. It's such an important part of my world and I really don't talk or write about it as much as I should. How often have we gathered together, be it two, ten or many folks, to celebrate, commiserate, grieve, just be with each other, laugh, love, play, where food is the centerpiece of the gathering? How irritated do the children of this wonderful collective family of ours get when we miss Sunday Family Dinner two weeks in a row? (Right now they're really mad - we're going on our 3rd week of missed SFD with no end in sight. It's not a good thing.) How wonderful is it to gather together and share good times over good food? It is a pleasure to be forever treasured. And I know we're sending these children of ours forth into this world with the conviction that our Sunday Family Dinner gathering is a tradition whose celebration is sacred, should always be nurtured and never ever forgotten. Food is good. Life is good. For the most part. 

~

Those Oven Fries

potatoes, chunked, quartered, cut in wedges, whatever

extra virgin olive oil, enough to coat everything

garlic and/or onions, chopped

fresh rosemary leaves, stripped off tough stem

fresh ground pepper and salt

cayenne

(lemon juice is a most excellent addition)

oregano or other herbs if you think necessary - I don't

Now you know why I can't bake - I don't measure anything...ever. Preheat oven to 425º. Wash potatoes, cut into whatever shape you want. Using whatever amounts you want, place all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Pour on a cookie sheet in a single layer. Bake for about 10 - 15 minutes. Turn potatoes over and bake for another 10 - 15 minutes. Serve immediately. 

Delicious with just about everything, but especially good with roast chicken, lamb and salmon. It goes without saying (so why am I saying it?) they're delicious with hamburgers and steak. Heck, they'd be good with liver!

~~~

xoabb

expect anything!

Fierce!

Fierce Little Revolutionary Soldier

This young man's photo is from another stop on the tour Bly & Angie just took. This stop was a historical site that reenacted Revolutionary battle scenes that apparently included youngsters. This little guy really got into it - and got it! Look at that face! Fierceness personified! I'm sure he would have fought proud and hard had he been alive all those years ago. So wonderful to let the young-uns ~live~ history and what a great way to learn! Here's a photo of him and his friend leaving: 

Two little soldiers marching on

Two little soldiers

Marching on to adventures

Just 'round the corner

~~~

xoabb

expect anything!