An Early Morning Hike and a New Bike Rack

This morning I took Lula hiking on one of your favorite trails.  I didn't think it would be open, but I noticed the other day noticed that the driveway was no longer blocked off, as most of the others are.  There was only one other car parked in the lot when we arrived.  I made sure to leave very early in the morning.  We had the trail to ourselves.  It was glorious! 

California opened some of its beaches and state parks recently, but they will be closed again tomorrow.  (from what I understand.)  I brought my trusty mask that my friend made me.  Lula and I enjoyed the babbling brook,  fresh air, and the dense woods.  It felt incredible to be out in nature, on the trail.  Boy do I miss hiking! 

Today I bought a bike rack at our local bike shop, Canyon Bikes.  The owner installed it for me on my dad's Nissan.  I bought a lightweight used Schwinn bike that I've had my eye on to keep up at the cabin.  I have been wanting a sturdy rack like this for years, so I am really excited.  I also wanted to buy it from Sean, and not from a big box store.

I also purchased a bike pump.  It's handy to be able to keep air in your tires from home.  This one is easy to use, and it's well made. It's a Serfas floor pump.  I feel so relieved, now that I have it.  I used to walk or ride down the highway to the gas station when my tires needed air.  Now I am fully prepared.

Have you been able to ride your bike in this gorgeous weather?  I am so glad that we are still able to walk our dogs and take a bike ride.  It makes all the difference in my mental health.

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A Day of Sunshine, Friendship, and Working in the Garden

the first pomegranate bud

This morning, as I was digging up weeds around the fruit trees, my phone rang.  I  plopped the purple flowers into the green waste bin, and shut the lid.  I fished my phone  out of my apron pocket, and saw  that it was my friend Mark from New York!  We often sit and chat for a long time on Sunday mornings.  He asked if I was having coffee.  I explained that I was gardening, and told him that I would go grab a cup.   I put down my shovel, and raced into the kitchen to retrieve the mug of French press coffee that I had chilling in the fridge.  I love to have my third cup of coffee cold this time of year.  Settling into the porch swing, I asked him how things were going.

This rose is difficult to photograph, because it tends to glow-I love the green foliage

We caught up since our last conversation, talked about how our lives have been adjusting to these new shelter in place times, our families, our stocks, and our plans.  It's so healing to have old friends who know you so well.  I always feel better after I talk with him.  

aloe vera patch in bloom

Later on, I cut some blooms from my rose bushes and put them in vases with fresh greenery.  It's inspiring to glance at them when I walk through the bedroom or use the bathroom.  I have always wanted a cutting garden.  The new rose bushes are producing like mad.  It's a dream come true.

What's happening with you?

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The Dogs That Attacked Lula Attacked Another Dog

I found out a couple of days ago that the Rottweiler and Great Dane that attacked Lula in September  attacked another neighbor's dog.  The dog survived, and the owner  surrendered them to Animal Control to be euthanized.

I looked back at my report, and in it I wrote,  "These dogs are vicious dogs. They will do this again.  It is not a question of if, it is a question of when."  It's been a little over six months since  they went after Lula.  She still has nightmares.  I wake her up when she's crying.

I said a silent prayer to my mom to take care of the dogs.  She always walked her dogs every day and treated them like gold.  So did Juliet Prowse.  As I was watering the garden tonight, I hear Juliet's voice in my head.  "Don't worry about the dogs, they are SO much happier here," she said.  Her voice and accent were unmistakable.    

It made me laugh, because that is exactly how she would describe a situation.  Juliet even made her own dog food.  She loved animals.  It makes me smile to think that she's taking care of them.

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California Poppies, Celery, Pink Roses, and More Garden Photos

I have some more photos of the garden for you.  The picture above captures the  bright orange of my patch of California poppies.  I save the seeds every year and spread them in the ground.  If we have rain, they come back each spring.  They are so easy to grow here!

This celery plant I rooted from the base of a bunch that I got from the co-op.  I set it in water for about a week, changing the water each day.  It looks like it's pretty happy.  We will see it it regrows...

My pink roses make my heart melt.  I thought that I couldn't grow roses.  I gave up on them for fifteen years.  Then I decided to try planting them in the ground instead of in pots.  I stopped trimming them and fussing over them.  What a difference!

They go through different stages of color.  I find their energy to be so spiritual and uplifting.  I love to sit outside and bask in their beauty.

The bearded irises are almost finished blooming.  They come all the way up to my shoulder this year!

This is the backyard.  All of the green spots are weeds that I am removing each day.  I have my work cut out for me. I use a shovel and they come up easily.  In time, this will be a forest of fruit trees...

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42nd Street European Tour 1992 ROME 3 Audition & Lullaby on Spanish Steps

Finally, Photos! Artichokes, Roses, and the Potager Garden

vibrant pink roses

Thank you to all of you for understanding that I couldn't post photos for a short while.  I was getting really frustrated, since everything that I tried to do didn't work.  I chatted about it this morning with my neighbor and her sister.  She explained to me that podcasts take up a lot of space.  So do apps.  I tried deleting the Google Photos, and voila!  Now I have plenty of room for more photos.  What a relief.  For some reason, when I can't get something right, I tend to think that I will never be able to do it again.

Here we go...let's walk through the garden...

this artichoke plant came back from last year

Today the first artichoke is ripe.  It is so exciting to make vegetables for lunch or dinner from food that you've grown yourself.

The bees and hummingbirds are busy pollinating the citrus trees.  This is a navel orange tree.

you can grow fruit, vegetables, flowers, herbs and trees together

I get a lot of compliments on the front potager garden from my neighbors. As they walk by, they usually stop to visit.  I hope that they feel the energy and healing vibration that the plants can bring.  As a child I sensed the uplifting spirit that some of the gardens had in our neighborhood.  It made my heart leap.

Back to planting!  I just put in oregano, peppermint, a tomato plant, and relocated some plump worms.  They do the work in the soil for us.  More photos will be coming soon.  Thank you for your kindness and patience.

Thank you for your comments.  They add so much talent and energy to the blog.  Please comment in English.  I'm sorry, but comments with links will not be published.  If you enjoy the posts here, please share them.  Comments may take a few days to appear; they are moderated.  

Cake For My Neighbor

Today I baked an old fashioned yellow cake using a recipe from my Betty Crocker cookbook.  It's simple and classic, and includes butter, sugar, eggs, vanilla, flour, and baking powder.  You blend the ingredients on high with an electric mixer.  I was thankful to have all of that list in my stockpile.  I have been reading Depression recipes for cakes that people used to make when they had food shortages.  In my case, I make an effort to be sure to use up what I have before it expires.  The rest of the milk needs to be used by tomorrow.  I will make a cream of cabbage soup.  I can adapt the broccoli cheese soup recipe that I have.

I had a carton of whipped cream in the fridge, and I wanted to use it.  I was planning on making a batch of lemon curd, as well, but I just didn't have the energy.  I decided to keep the cake simple, and see how it tasted.

I whipped the cream and added vanilla extract and sugar.  I spread it over the top of the cooled cake, and added some colored sprinkles.  I was very pleased with the effect.  Baking a cake in a large, rectangular pan is so easy.  I like the square slices  and the way they look on a plate, too.

I called my neighbor and asked if she would like some; she is always very appreciative of cake.  She go all excited and said that she needed a treat.  That made me feel so happy.  It's the little things that we can do for each other.  I left a very large piece in a pyrex container by her door.

I think the child inside of everyone gets excited over the thought of enjoying a slice of homemade cake.     

I have been getting requests for a few things that I just can't do right now.  People have been asking me for soap, ballet classes, and masks.  I just have to say no.  I feel badly, but it's too much.  We have to stay home.  I''m not able to take photos  on my mini ipad, either.  I don't have the storage space.  I deleted a lot of stuff, but it's still not working. 

I will still be posting regularly on the blog, but not always with photos.  I have been feeling a bit  pressured, and I'm just trying to not worry about the things that I can't control.   It's easy to get overwhelmed with this pandemic.  I'm just taking things one day at a time, and focusing on cleaning, cooking, baking, and the garden.   Are you feeling pressured and getting requests from people, too?


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I Got My Stimulus Check!

The other day, while checking my bank balance, I noticed that the IRS had deposited  $1,200.  into my account.  I have it set up with direct deposit.  I was thrilled.  I transferred the money from my checking account into my savings.  There's no time like this pandemic to have an emergency fund. 

Suze Orman explained  on her latest podcast that the paper checks will take much longer to receive in the mail than the direct deposits.  You can go on the IRS's website and enter your account information there.  I'm so glad that I already had it set up for several years.  My accountant typed it onto my tax return form.  I get a refund on my health insurance, as well.  That's my largest expense. 

I'm sorry that I haven't been around on many of your blogs lately.  I was catching up on some much needed housecleaning.  I have also spent hours weeding in the garden.  There is still much more to do.  The new fruit trees have made the backyard feel very peaceful and spiritual.  Everything is getting so green; the sumac is rapidly climbing along the back fence.

I am so excited about how the front garden is looking.  It  really is spectacular.  I have dreamed of having roses for twenty years, and now I have three bushes that are in bloom.  They have completely changed the energy in front of the cottage.  Flower power...  

Our tax deadline was extended; that is my next project.  It's always a relief to have  taxes completed.  Itemizing my deductions is on the agenda over coffee tomorrow.  What are you up to at home these days? 

Thank you for your comments.  They add so much talent and energy to the blog.  Please comment in English.  I'm sorry, but comments with links will not be published.  If you enjoy the posts here, please share them.  Comments may take a few days to appear; they are moderated. 

Let Me Entertain You - Gypsy - Reinking/McKechnie/Rivera

Rain, Weeds, and a Cranky Easter

I hope everyone had as happy of an Easter as possible.  I know it's a challenge with the pandemic restrictions.  Mine was a bit of a cranky Easter. Poor Lula was on the receiving end of my short temper.  I apologized to her over a cup of coffee and she seemed to understand.  She is so forgiving.  I even did a little beating of the bed to release some frustration.  I had tiptoed upstairs and closed the bedroom door, so that she wouldn't hear me.  She was sleeping downstairs in the den.

When I finished my short anger releasing  therapy session, guess who was laying outside the door?  Lula had crept up the stairs, but she didn't scratch on the door.  I almost never shut it.  She is so sweet, and so loyal.  I thing in mating season animals get very distracted.  Lula seems to have tunnel vision these day. She completely ignores my commands; it's like I'm not even there.  It triggers a very unattractive inner rage deep inside of me.  I don't want to become one of those yellers, but I was well on my way today.  It's sort of a whisper yell, so the neighbors don't hear.  (Like a hiss...)

I pulled two buckets full of weeds in the garden today.  They came up so easily.  We had some gorgeous low clouds and light rain.  The roses are starting to bloom and they look colorful and spectacular!  I am so glad that I put them in the ground and let them grow wild.  I used to prune them heavily in pots.  My neighbor lets his grow extremely tall, without cutting them back, and the blooms  are the size of dinner plates.  He also gives them a thick layer of mulch.  I decided to try his method, and so far it's working.  The bearded irises are almost up to my nose.  All of this lovely rain has been a Godsend.

How was your Easter?    

Thank you for your comments.  They add so much talent and energy to the blog.  Please comment in English.  I'm sorry, but comments with links will not be published.  If you enjoy the posts here, please share them.  Comments may take a few days to appear; they are moderated.  

 

Baking Apple Crisp and Doing Yoga at Home

Today I decided to use up the bag of Granny Smith apples that I bought a couple of weeks ago, and to make an apple crisp.  It's a delicious dessert that I bake a few times a year.  I peeled and sliced the apples, added the water, cinnamon, and nutmeg, and then mixed the sugar and flour with a cube of butter for the topping.

The aroma of it baking in my vintage oven reminded me of Mrs. Hutchinson.  She was my favorite neighbor when I was a little girl.  She used to make apple crisp  and she topped it with frozen Cool Whip. Her husband and I loved it!  We would sit at the table by the window and enjoy it together.  She always sent me home with a bag of Pippin apples, already sliced, and instructed me to keep them in the freezer.  I would make the recipe for my family, and bring some to her.  She was a wonderful and patient teacher.

I have been doing yoga each evening, and it's really helping me to calm down during this pandemic and to get centered.  Lula loves it, too.  She wants to lay all over me when I'm practicing.  I am so glad that I studied and taught yoga for so many years.  I started when I was very little, following Lillias, Yoga, and You on the black and white television that my family had in Seattle.  I would put on my black leotard, grab a chair, and follow her class.  I absolutely loved it.  Still do...it seems to induce a deep, comforting, sleep.

What are you doing for exercise while we are all staying at home? 

Here Comes Peter Cotton Tail!

This afternoon, I glanced out my window, and noticed this sweet little bunny grooming himself.  He or she carefully licked her paws, stroked her ears, and then settled in for a nap.  Her eyes squinted shut, as she faced me.

I see bunnies every day in my front and backyard.  If I were a hunter, I could use a slingshot and make rabbit stew, but they are just too cute and sweet to harm.  Instead, I silently thank them for coming,  and commune with them.  I love being in the presence of animals.  They are so calm, and in tune with nature.

My mail lady thanked me for the blood oranges and lemons that I left for her in the mailbox.  I always enjoy chatting with her.  She brought a box in the mail today containing items that I need to care for my teeth.  Not wanting to risk going  to the store,  I ordered from Zellies.  I now have plenty of tooth brushes, Crest regular tooth paste, Listerine, Closys, ACT, and zylotol gum and mints.  That is a huge relief.  The last place I would want to visit right now is the dentist.

How are your teeth feeling?  Sometimes stress and fear can make our mouths more sensitive.

Thank you for your comments.  They add so much talent and energy to the blog.  Please comment in English.  I'm sorry, but comments with links will not be published.  If you enjoy the posts here, please share them.  Comments may take a few days to appear; they are moderated.  

Knitting Socks During the Lockdown

I finished the socks today.  Phew!  It was so satisfying to get something done.  I plan to send them to a woman in Pennsylvania.  She is the founder of the dance studio, Steps on Broadway.  I posted a photo of them on Facebook, and she complimented me.  "Wow! Some socks," she wrote.  I taught at Steps when I was in my twenties.  It was a highlight in my dance teaching career.  It's a spectacular studio.  This is the first time they have had to close in forty years.

I planted some celery that I re-rooted in the window sill.  It has sprouted tiny leaves and stalks, so I hope that it gets healthy and strong in the soil.  I saw an earthworm as I was covering it with mulch.  That's an encouraging sign.

What are you doing to stay sane during this time?  Have you been cooking, baking, or knitting?  I am practicing yoga in the evenings to calm down.  Reading all of the death tolls makes me feel sick to my stomach.  I have to force myself to shift my focus and stay positive.  I made an appointment with an agent to buy Long Term Care Insurance.  It's seems even more important now.  Are your affairs in order?

Thank you for your comments.  They add so much talent and energy to the blog.  Please comment in English.  I'm sorry, but comments with links will not be published.  If you enjoy the posts here, please share them.  Comments may take a few days to appear; they are moderated.   

Sitting On the Porch While Staying Home

Since the Shelter In Place order in California, I have been spending some time each day out on my porch.  The pink geraniums are in bloom, the birds are flitting from flower to flower, and the sun is shining.  It's a relief to get outside in the fresh air and feel the comfort of Mother Nature. 

The rosemary is in bloom.  The bees are buzzing in and around the needles, collecting pollen from the purple flowers.  I plan to prune the right side of it this afternoon.  I have been getting rid of as much dead wood as I can on my fruit trees and shrubs. 

These navel orange tree buds are swelling.  Soon they will burst open; I am looking forward to their fragrant blooms.    These are my favorite oranges; they taste so sweet. 

Soon it will be time to harvest the artichokes.  This is the first one to appear.  You can almost watch them grow, like pumpkins.  

Thank you for your comments.  They add so much talent and energy to the blog.  Please comment in English.  I'm sorry, but comments with links will not be published.  If you enjoy the posts here, please share them.  Comments may take a few days to appear; they are moderated.  

Coronavirus in China | DW Documentary