flowers — Page 254

First Zinnia

July 20, 2014 at 8:00 am by Claudia

It’s Sunday.

And I’m still not feeling well. Friday night I felt feverish and I rarely get a fever. During that night I woke up shivering, and Don said my skin felt very warm. Yesterday, when I got up, I got a dizzy, clammy feeling and felt like I was going to pass out. (That’s something that has happened periodically to me over the years – it always has to do with sinus congestion.) So I took it easy all day yesterday – didn’t have a choice, really. Last night, I woke up bathed in sweat. Obviously, my body is trying to get rid of something – a virus? Anyway, I feel yucky yet again this morning.

I don’t like being sick.

Don had to mow the front lawn yesterday. We usually split that job and I like mowing. I couldn’t go to the CD release party last night. (Don brought me a cupcake.) I watched several episodes of Fixer Upper. I went to bed early.

Waaaah.

I managed to get outside yesterday to take a photo of the first zinnia to bloom here. They’re all planted from seed and are scattered around the property: in the Chicken Wire Fence Garden, the white barrels, and the kitchen garden.

Here it is yesterday:

first zinnia

And today:

first zinnia 2

It’s getting there. Hello first zinnia!

We watched Lawrence of Arabia the other night. That has to be one of the best films ever made. Simply stunning. Well, I should amend my previous statement. I watched half of it, then retired to bed with a fever. Don watched it all.

I miss Peter O’Toole.

Well, my friends, that’s about all I can come up with today.

Happy Sunday.

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What’s Blooming?

July 17, 2014 at 7:55 am by Claudia

Sleep deprivation continues. I’m sleeping, but not enough, and the cumulative effects are making me very tired and slightly snarly. When I am suffering from a lack of sleep, every worry and care seems heavier and more ominous. But I’m learning to not take my thoughts too seriously on days such as these because I seem to lose all sense of perspective. So, my friends, much to your relief I’m sure, I will not be listing all my worries for you today. No, I will post some pretty pictures instead!

blooms by the porch

Daylilies are fleeting, but I must say this year’s crop (the ones that haven’t been eaten by the deer) are more abundant than ever. This bed is right next to the entrance to the porch and is full of sedum, hostas, coneflowers and daylilies.

view of the porch entrance bed

The sedum Autumn Joy was here when we moved in, as was the giant hosta that is just outside of this view. Everything else, I added. This particular bed is one of my favorites because it looks so cottage garden-like. It’s densely planted – more so every year, as the coneflowers keep reseeding and multiplying.

A few years ago, I tucked a Hens and Chicks under one of the boxwoods in front of the house. At the end of our very tough winter, it looked pretty awful. I thought I just might lose it.

hens and chicks

But there it is, with little babies.

hens and chicks flowers

This one has bloomed for two years now. Aren’t the little flowers beautiful?

Some of you are suffering in a drought, some are dealing with high temperatures, and others, like me, are dealing with a lot of rain and humidity….so tell me, what’s blooming in your garden now? How does it look at mid-summer? Or, if you don’t have a garden, what’s blooming in the gardens around you?

Happy Thursday.

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Scrambling

July 16, 2014 at 8:21 am by Claudia

Today might be the last day of several days of rain. Fingers crossed. I’m really tired of it, though I know there are those of you out there that would give anything for some rain at this point. And I would gladly send it to you if I could. Everything is soggy. It’s humid. It’s dark. It’s depressing.

Again, when I ventured outside yesterday for a few short minutes…bam! Another mosquito bite. In the same place on my arm. The other day, I was bit on my eyelid. Lovely. I don’t really miss living in California, but I do miss the lack of mosquitoes there. For eight years, I was mosquito-free. Sigh.

new dawn bud

The Japanese Beetles have chewed on most of my New Dawn roses, save this bud. I’m pulling for it. A quick examination yesterday of the roses that border the porch revealed no beetles. Dare I hope that they have left the premises?

One of my day lilies had exactly two blooms on it, ready to open. Had is the operative word here, as they are no more. My friends, the deer, decided to dine on them.

moth on coneflower

These coneflowers really are this color. No adjustments to the saturation of the photo. This is how they look. Hello, little moth.

The other day, when I mentioned my few kitchen accomplishments, one of them being fluffy scrambled eggs, Kathleen asked if I would pass along my secret. So yesterday, when Don requested scrambled eggs and I immediately responded with “No. I have a headache,” I reconsidered my response, thinking that it might be a blogging opportunity. Don got his scrambled eggs, thanks to you guys. I hope he appreciates you.

By the way, I really did have a headache.

I read this tip years ago and I couldn’t tell you where at this point. Here’s the tip:

Mix together your eggs and milk, whipping them with a fork. Pour the mixture into a frying pan.

scrambled eggs1

And here’s the trick: as the edges start to solidify, push the solid eggs toward the middle of the pan. Constantly.

This means, my friends, that you really can’t leave the eggs to attend to other kitchen duties, like making toast. Assign that to someone else. Because the eggs cook quickly, you need to use that spatula to push the eggs toward the center.

scrambled eggs2

See? More of the solidified eggs have been moved to the center. Keep doing this, never letting the eggs stick to the pan, occasionally flipping them to ensure even cooking. I don’t flip them until the end of the process. If you leave the pan unattended, you risk scrambled eggs that have browned, which is okay if you like that, but not as pretty. Or fluffy.

scrambled eggs3

Here they are, just about done. Don’t overcook them. Trust me, they are light as a feather. Don loves them. Add some salt and pepper, have your child or husband or partner or niece or nephew or dog butter the toast, and you’re all set.

What the heck am I doing giving cooking advice?

The winner of a copy of Elizabeth is Missing is Shirley Elliott. Congratulations, Shirley! I’m sending you an email as soon as I publish this post. (And I love your name. That was my mom’s name.)

And there’s a new post up at Just Let Me Finish This Page. It’s a book review.

Happy Wednesday.

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First Zinnia

What’s Blooming?

Scrambling

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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