Last Harvest...

We were supposed to have our Community Garden plots cleaned out and "put to bed for the winter" by the first day of November. Well, we missed that by one day, but yesterday, the deed was done! Remy, Kat and I worked hard and all was complete in about two hours. As you can see, our very last 2009 garden season CG Kate bag harvest consists of....peppers! What a shock!!! Rem and I have wondered often and long this growing season why we thought it necessary to plant so very very very many pepper plants. Those babies were prolific beyond belief! And the nasturtiums? Right there with the peppers! Isn't that last bouquet beautiful? (My dad sent the seeds for both the peppers and nasturtiums - very hardy Missourah seeds there!)

Our plot upon arrival yesterday.

The dead tomato and bean plants had been removed last weekend, but I couldn't bear to remove the peppers, eggplant or nasturtiums until the last moment - they were still so vigorous! There hasn't been a frost yet and I do wish we could have let everything be until a natural kill...

But we couldn't,
so it was time to put our CG plot to bed for the winter.

Our Community Garden received a grant for close to $100,000. Because of this, the wheel barrow you see above (filled with the last of our plant vegetation) plus the tool sheds and all the garden tools they're filled with (plus so much more), is available for free to all of us lucky enough to have ~won~ a plot in our community garden.

~Gardeners Extraordinaire~
Rem & Kat
(with our CG Kate Bag)
And our cleaned-up plot!
(Remember this and this?)
(It really has been a good first year!)
~
Half-way to a full-circle gardening year.

We're already dreaming of next Spring!

That, my friends, is a glimpse into My World for this Tuesday.
Hope you enjoyed it!

~~~

xoabb
expect anything!

That's My World Tuesday
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(This week Klaus, the creator of My World Tuesday is the guest host.)

Eating Crow - What I'll be Doing...

I carried on and on a short time ago (go here) about how this fall wouldn't be nearly as colorful as last year. It is becoming painfully apparent, and more so every single day, I am going to have to eat a very large plate of crow.

Excuse me while I go get a fork.

~~~

xoabb
expect anything!

That's My World Tuesday
Do join us!

CG, Steroids & Stir-Fry. Yup, My World!

Stopped by our CG plot today and am pleased to report there's noticeable growth going on! Well, everything but the peppers are obviously happy with their home - guess we got the right amount of (organic) fertilizer to go with the amount of rain we've had. The tomatoes, which just last week were decidedly yellow are now green and growing like weeds. There's many flowers on the squash and cucumbers, and we're gonna have to build a higher trellis for the beans! The pea plants thought it best to grow along the ground, so we had to redirect them to grow UP their trellis. And the strawberries, which daughter Rem insisted we had to have seem to like their home as well. See that sparse area in the middle? The peppers...I am not happy with the peppers. And they are not happy with me. Hmmm....wonder what they need...

Of course, I thought our squash plants were doing well until I saw this monster. I do believe this gardener is cheating and giving that squash steroids! What the heck?!?! That sucker is 10 times the size of our squash plants!

I love to see what other folks are doing with their garden plots. This is a plot near ours and these gardeners have all their sections very neatly defined with string. That single plant you see there is a watermelon. Someone walking by on the outside of our fence asked them (rather incredulously) "Won't that take over your entire garden plot?" I listened to the plotters reply: "Oh no, we were sure to get miniature watermelon seeds!" The walker said a quick "Oh" and quickly turned away. I think there was laughter trying to be covered up. There are also corn plants here, and in a lot of plots, both down below with all us newbies and in the upper garden with all the "Martha Stewart Wannabe's" as I heard a newbie say the other day (possibly a little jealousy is involved?). We're not supposed to plant corn or sunflowers because they block out too much sun. Obviously the message is being rather poorly delivered.

Here's a garden plot that has just been planted in the last week. I get a kick out of seeing the vastly different ways folks go about laying out their plants. These folks are very creatively is using shims to divide their various plants. What the purpose is I really can't decide. Maybe the cedar keeps slugs and other such gross bugs at bay. Whatever, their plants look good - wait a minute! Their squash plants are bigger than mine, too! What is going on??

Sometime I'll have to show you the plot that has a bowling ball and baseball guarding the veggies. Then there's the plot with at least 10 whirley-gigs madly whirling away, I suppose to ward off marauding birds and such.

Many of the lower garden plots are still under water. Since we were all supposed to have our plots planted by June 15th, some of the underwater plotters have attempted to plant anyway. It's not pretty, and I really feel bad for those folks. Hope the federal grant Fodor Farms received will help them do something to make those plots viable.

Enough already!

~

Dinner tonight:

It seems I'm in a new cooking phase of late. More often than not, I stir-fry some mix of veggies - always in an iron skillst - to accompany whatever meat we're having. I do believe tonight's mix was our favorite so far. We loved it! Of course, it involved Vidalia onions and, in my humble opinion, anything with Vidalia onions is good! Yum! Here's the throw 'n go recipe:

1 med. Vidalia onion, sliced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 med. yellow zucchini (not summer squash), sliced into 1/4" thick rounds

1 med. green zucchini, sliced as above

handful fresh basil leaves, chiffonaded (fancy way to say, cut into thin strips)

handful fresh parsley, minced

fresh ground pepper & (Trader Joe's) lemon pepper w/grinder

salt to taste (optional)

olive oil

iron skillet

Put enough olive oil into skillet to coat evenly and heat to medium high. Slice Vidalia in half down to bulb end. Cut onion in thin slices. Add to skillet and gently cook, stirring often, about 5 - 6 minutes until onion begins to carmelize. Add garlic. After a minute more, add the squash and sprinkle it with the pepper(s) and salt (add more oil if you think you need it). Let bottom layer of squash begin to brown around the edges, about 4-5 minutes, and then flip with spatula. Keep flipping until squash is cooked, about 10-12 minutes in all. Just before all is done, add the basil and parsley and give a final good stir. Taste,correct seasonings if needed, and serve! Delish! (As Rachel Ray would say.)

~

There! A little glimpse into my world.

~~~

xoabb

expect anything!

That's my World Tuesday!

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The Highs & Lows of My World...

High Tide

Low Tide

~

Beautiful!

~~~

xoabb

expect anything!

My World Tuesday!

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Give a Guy a Chainsaw...

Before...

After...

Hubby and son spent the good part of a recent weekend ~redesigning~ our front yard. What started with the removal of one bush that was ugly and in front of the bay window ended with the subsequent removal the crab tree and all the over-grown monster bushing lining our front steps. As soon as we get the stumps removed, we'll figure out what to plant next. That's a new female holly bush and the smaller one to the left is the male holly. (I want holly berries and you must have both a female and male for that to happen.)

Be careful what you wish for when 

you give your guy(s) a chain saw! 

Could get ugly...

~~~

xoabb

expect changed landscapes!

~

That's My World Tuesday!

Come join us!

First photo:  4/23/09

Second photo: 6/15/09

That's MY World!

Another bug...

~dancing~

What is it with me??

I think I take a half-way decent artistic kinda photo...

And discover it contains a BUG...

of the real-life kind of variety.

Darn it anyhow!

And on the home-front?

Here's the snapper nest. Just ripe

with eggs soon to hatch!

~~~

xoabb

expect anything!

That's My World!

Do join us!

My World Tuesday

Monday through Friday I travel down the road that skirts the Saugatuck River. No matter what the season, there's always something happening on my river (yep, I've claimed ownership). Because it's a river with tides, it's even more changing than inland rivers. 

If I didn't live on my adored pond, this is where I'd want to live. Perfection having that dock to walk down and be able to feed the birds of the river! 

Other activities are taking place, too. Crewing from The Saugatuck Rowing Club, is always happening in the no-snow months both when I drive to work, and when I'm going home. I understand they have a river crew class for women of a ~certain age~ that's really really good exercise. I've successfully avoided that class thus far. (And I expect this state of affairs to continue into the future.)

Oh, and someone's fishin'! Wonder if he caught his dinner...

~~~

xoabb

expect anything!

~

That's My World!

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Our World Tuesday

The Planting is done!

Tim, Rem & I worked hard and finally completed the planting of our community garden plot. As you can see by the tape measure in front of the tomato cage, Rem took the placement of veggies very seriously - down to the half inch. As you cannot see, Tim was the muscle behind our garden debacle adventure! THANK YOU TIM!!! You get the first ripe tomato! (If there is one.)

This is our first year and we know we'll have our successes and failures. BUT, the fun is in the learning...and ultimately in the harvest!

~~~

xoabb

Expecting wonderful garden delights!

P.S. A most happy and wonderful birthday to our baby -
Our Brynn Lee, the delight of our life.

May you have a perfection day - and life!

That's My World Tuesday!

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My World - It's Watery...

In more ways than one...

As you know if you've spent a time or two perusing this little old blog of mine, I have a strong affinity for water. We live by the side of a beautiful pond, my parents live on a pond as well, with a gorgeous creek flowing through the valley below their home. For years we spent Christmas on the ocean in Cayman, and I live a stone's throw away from Long Island Sound. Water everywhere I go. It simply fills my world. 

There's not much left here in lower Fairfield County that says New England. Too many "foreigners" have moved in to destroy the vestiges of what New England was - think the old "Christmas in Connecticut" movie. (Ahem...I happen to be one of those foreigners.) Today, to really get a taste of the ~human~ personality of New England, you really must travel to the north or north east (and quite a ways at that) of our fine state.  Just not a lot left here. 

However, we still have the quentessential New England shoreline. 

Completely unique, our cold-water coast,

Whether in Connecticut or Maine. 

And simply beautiful.

Isn't is amazing? The two photos above were taken within minutes of each other. 

Look at the difference in the light! 

Nature. Just Awesome!!!

~~~

xoabb

expect anything!

That's My World!

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P. S.  Monday, we spent a few hours at our Community Garden. Not much we could do - we're waiting for the delivery of the community top soil, and, of course, no one knows when it's to be delivered. And, of course, with night-time temps hovering in the 40's, that doesn't help at all either. Pics tomorrow of the itty bitty progress being made - Oh!! The anticipation you must be feeling! ;-)

My World - Beautiful & a Trifle Irritating...

We've ended up having just a lovely Spring here in lower New England. Though I've been complaining heartily about our weather, the blooms have been nothing to complain about. Now my wisteria the bane of my hubby's existence as he thinks it is ugly for 98% of its yearly existence - how could anyone say that looking at those magnificent blooms??? are in full and glorious bloom, most of the trees are leafing out, (well, except for the hickory and oak trees as I've been chronicling every Friday), and the birds, bees and butterflies are busy flitting about each doing their Springly thingy.

That brings me to the above photo. Anyone notice the broken fence to the right of my wisteria? Anyone wonder how that happened??? Wonder no more! A certain son of mine, who will remain nameless, backed out of the driveway, in a hurry as usual, and took out the fence. Car suffered no damage (which disappointed me), but fence? Down two rails. Nameless son is replacing the rails. We hope sometime in the next decade...

Ahh Wisteria!

Such beautiful blossoms and

Color I adore.

~~~

xoabb

expect anything!

My World Tuesday!

Do join us!

P. S. A haiku lesson is soon to come! At least haiku as I know it!

That's MY World!

Just last week I was complaining about the lack of blooms around my home. Found out all you need to correct this little problem is two days of 85º+ temps, which we had last weekend. You can guess what happens...non-stop bloomage! Above is a played-with photo of the weeping cherry tree you see below. Ms. Cherry Tree has really outdone herself this year! (And over the next few days/weeks I'll be posting more photos of her glorious glory! Aren't you excited now?)

I do apologize for the over-grown green tufts all over the yard. I think I have an idea of what causes certain patches of grass to grow much more vigorously than others...Stelllllaaaaa! I took this photo at 7:25 yesterday morning. By the time I got home around 3:15, the lawn had been cut and those annoying tufts were gone. At this very moment in our CT Spring, my front yard is truly gorgeous! And that's my personal world! Welcome to the view! And my world!

~~~

xoabb

expect Spring!

That's My World!

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Snail W/Blue

Helllooo!?!  I'm comin', just give me a minute!!!

A CD was shattered tonight (please don't ask the circumstances, it's not something I want to talk about...ok, frustration is the reason) and the above ~snail~ resulted. I have no idea why this means anything to me, but it does and I like it...it's part of my world!  

xoabb

expect idiocracy at times!

My World Tuesday!

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My World - It's Lacking in Spring Bloomage

Forsythia. It's

The only thing blooming here,

Besides daffodils.

~~~

xoabb

expect anything!

My World Tuesday. 

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A Wet World & Other Treats

If I were a duck

This is the pond I'd call home,

Rain showers and all.

~Perfect Pond Circles~

Photo taken yesterday afternoon from our back deck.

~

Back from NYC.

We had a blast! The bloggers

Meet-up was a hit!

Miss La-La (Mental Pause Mama) and I, along with her kids Augie and the Bird, drove in to meet up with our Daryl and meet (for the very first time) Miss Angie, of Big Hair Envy. Along for the ride was Angie's hubby and beautiful daughter. We all met for dinner at The Red Cat Restaurant and proceeded to spend the next two and a half hours getting to know each other, oh alright we really spent the majority of our time together just laughing ourselves silly! The company, the laughs, the place, the food were all simply wonderful! Thank you, my friends, my time was very well spent!

The above photo courtesy of Daryl. Thanks, my friend!

~~~

xoabb

expect unexpected friendships!

That's

My World Tuesday.

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My World...And Yours Too...

This Tuesday My World

Is Washington D.C. Heart

Of our Great Nation.

~~~

xoabb

always expect

patriotism in my world,

even in the heart of our troubles.
~
And here's a wish that all the world leaders
meeting in London this week listen to each other and
agree on answers/solutions to this
international economic crisis that's affecting
all of us in this world of ours.

~

My World Tuesday...

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My World...Late Tho The Post Is...

Every St. Patrick's Day the principal of our school makes several loaves of Irish Soda Bread (see the actual example above) for the staff of our school to enjoy. And enjoy it we do! Slathered with sweet butter, it is simply, deliciously a sublime bite! However...

Case in point: I was visiting my cousin's home. Let's just say, without naming names, my cousin had a loaf of "Irish Soda Bread" that had been gifted to her... It was a disc...a one inch tall very hard very heavy disc. She took an exploratory bite. And immediately spit it out. Inedible. Completely inedible. Had it been "frisbeed" toward someone, destruction and possibly death would have insued.

I'm just sayin'. Some folks certainly know their ISBs (Irish Soda Breads) some folks just don't....Irish or not!

~~~

xoabb

expect anything!

That's My World Tuesday!

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My World...My Neighbors

A few days ago, I was out on my bi-annual daily stroll power walk around the part of my world that is my neighborhood when I came upon these...creatures...

I ask you...

Is it any wonder I'm too lazy to scared to stroll power-walk around my neighborhood???

~~~

xoabb

expect anything!

~

Happy St. Patrick's Day, my friends!

It's corned beef and cabbage for me! And you?

~

That My World Tuesday!

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It Was So Very Good!

After it's over....it's over.

But...It Was So Very Good!

Auntie Care & the Con-man who is inquiring if possibly it's time for

Auntie Care to retire from her birthday activities.

That Con-man...such a thoughtful young gentleman!

What a wonderful birthday weekend we had!

Auntie Care, the Con-Man & the Con-Man's mom, Jules

Of course, we were surrounded by the best of family and friends, and all was augmented by the very best eating and cocktailing experience any of us have had in a long while. Just perfection!

Our first night, we gathered at Taverna Cretekou, a traditional Greek restaurant in Alexandria, VA's Old Town. Atmosphere, service, & food were all simply fantastic. 18 of us were there, we all had different entrees, and it was just wonderful! I was going to have lemon/oregano chicken until my ~diplomatic~ - and I do use that term loosely - hubby announced to the entire table that if I had chicken instead of lamb at a Greek restaurant he was going to go screaming out into the night (actually he just threatened to never go to another restaurant with me ever again - almost as bad) because when in a Greek restaurant, you have what they do best - and especially if you love it...and I do...love lamb. I had the lamb. It was sublime. It was wonderful. It was one of the very best lamb dishes I've ever had! Seriously.

The next day all of us savvy world travelers - and again a term used loosely - decided to be the ultimate tourists and do the double decker circle line tour. It was just wonderful! Mr. Bob (as we named him) narrated us through all the major Washington DC highlights - we all learned more about this wonderful national capitol than any of us ever knew. Just before the end of the tour, we jumped off to go to the National Portrait Gallery - however decided en masse we needed lunch first. The birthday girl suggested an Irish pub she knew about. Hellllooo Fado! What a great place! Had the best Reuben there I've had in a long long time! Atmosphere was perfection, too. Go there! You won't regret it!

After our lovely lunch, off we all went to the National Portrait Gallery. Such a marvelous place to spend one's time touristing in DC - the portraits and associated biographies are simply phenomenal.

Later that night, we all traveled to Falls Church to Duangrat's Thai Restaurant, my sister's and brother-in-law's favorite, for her 50th birthday bash. I have to admit I've been to a not that good Thai restaurant once in my life, and my hubby never ever at all.

We both totally and completely fell in love with Duangrat's. Completely. And totally. No doubt about it. The spring rolls! The pork & asparagus! The Coconut Chicken Curry! That Beef thing! The...well, all the rest...I'm sure you get the picture. The food was simply sublime. Anytime you're in the DC area, do yourself a favor and visit this fine establishment. My sis was worried Duangrat's might not be "fancy" enough for a gathering. HA! It was simply perfection!

To top it all off, the weather for this first March weekend - a winter weekend, by the way - was just perfection. 70º weather, no rain and an overcast day. A taste of Spring. Sightseeing and walking perfection.

All I can say is this must mean my sis is a very good girl who was and will be blessed with good fortune on her 50th and for ever more. A perfect 50th birthday day - and a perfect life for her to come!

Happiness always, little sis, happiness always!

~~~

xoabb

baby seeester's are the BEST!

My World Tuesday was DC & VA this week!

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SOMEBODY Has To Direct!!!

A Conflagration

of Red Winged Black Birds...Someone

Must Direct...It's Him!

~~~

xoabb

Not expecting red-winged black birds!

But glad they stopped by!

That's My World Tuesday

Do drop by!

I know, I know, not a terribly good photo, but the red's were so skittish, I was lucky to get even this shot. It is very unusual for red-wings to be here this time of year, and I feel ~honored~ to even get this photo!

A Note:  I may very well go broke feeding the birds! (Just kidding...I think.) I had a snow day Monday so was watching the birds all day long. Filled the feeders just once, but threw out scoopfuls of sunflower seeds at least 4 and maybe 5 times. My birds were  -  and are -  very well fed!  That RW'ed blackbird wasn't hurt or looking for food. I had my camera on rapid fire because I wanted to get a photo of the red of his wing, so this fella was either flying in or out, thus his wings were spread. I still think he looks like he's directing an orchestra. ;-)

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!

Photo: Rosemary blossoms, February 2009

~~~

xoabb

expect anything!

That's My World

Do join us!