FOR THE BEAUTY OF THE EARTH!

After an extremely hot and dry summer where every growing thing seemed to struggle to survive, we finally got a good overnight soaking rain over Sunday evening and night.

I had to be out early yesterday morning, so I grabbed my camera and shot a few pictures of plants in my yard.  Plants that have been all but dead seemed to have been revived by the cooler temperatures and the rain.  Mother Earth has spring to life, in the plants, the birds and even the insects.

I got some beautiful photo's including the new one of the sunflower on my blog header.

I just had share some more of the beautiful wonders of nature here in my yard.  So here we go...

 I bought 2 packages of ornamental sunflowers this spring.  One was a miniature variety, and the other was these.  I have every colour of sunflowers you can imagine growing in my gardens at the moment... and they are just coming into themselves now.  The real short ones are not quite blooming, and these which are about 3-4 ft high are sort of in the middle of their bloom.  I just love them, and although I want to pick them and take them in the house, I want their seeds for next year even more.  So I am going to be watching these beauties very carefully so I can nab some of the seeds before my feathered friends steal them all from me.  Are they not just plain gorgeous?

My little blue grass - should be called rainbow grass at the moment - but it is starting it's transition from green to blue...  I will try to get another shot when it's all blue.

 

These Delphiniums were completely destroyed in a wind storm in early July, so I cut them back right to the soil.  These plants have grown only as quarter as tall as they should be - but every one of them is covered with new blossoms.  And the colour is brighter and better than it ever was this year!  I love that I managed to catch the water droplets on the flowers before the breeze knocked the drops away.

 


I have no idea where this sweetheart came from, I have no Poppies in my yard - or I didn't have - it appears I do now.  Isn't she going to be a beauty,  with her ruffly little collar of leaves?  Looks like I might get two flowers, if the weather stays nice enough.

My Zinnias have been the only pretty thing in my garden this year.  They have been big, and bright and plentiful.  I have every colour imaginable.  Do you see the little guest?

See it now?  A Daddy Long Leg spider, out for an early morning drink of water off the pretty flower.

My Dogwood has struggled so much this year.  It still is a tiny little shrub, but I have been trying to keep it watered during this hot summer.  I see it has a tiny visitor this morning as well.

I thought the roses were finished, but this morning, I see one rose newly opened to catch the rain.  The foliage is starting it's fall colour turn, but I will be cutting it back long before it all turns over.

I have managed to grow 8 smallish pumpkins this year.  The vines and the leaves have been looking very much done from the heat and dry conditions.  But after the rain... we have a new flower being a wee bit shy, but there all the same.

I have been feeling very frustrated with all of my gardens this year.  Seeing the life and beauty of these plants return after the rain, has revived me as well.  The growing season is all but over, but for a little while, I still might be able to enjoy viewings like this.

Isn't Mother Nature Wonderful!

THOMAS UPDATE AND ANOTHER GOODBYE!

Happy Monday everyone!

First of all, I would like to say a heartfelt Thank You to all of you who have been keeping our Thomas in your thoughts and prayers.  I am very happy to say, that after many transfusions to bring his blood levels up, his team of physicians were able to determine where the source of Thomas' internal bleeding was and start a treatment plan to stop the bleeding.

Thomas has been discharged from a in-patient, but cannot yet go home, so he and his Mom, my niece Alanna, are once again making their home at Ronald McDonald House in Vancouver, until such time as the medical team say he is well enough to return home.

I wish you all could know Thomas.  He is an amazing child.  He has gone through so much the past two years, and yet he has been able to keep his sense of humour, his kindness, and his determination to get better and as he says "Kick Cancer's Butt".

He is a warrior, and he is a survivor, and as I have said many times before - he is my hero.

He still has one more year of treatments ahead of him, and we hope and pray, this last year is an easier journey than the last two have been.

So Thank You all.  It means so much to me, but also to Thomas and his family.

Thank You!

 _ _ _

While I was reading the wonderful news that Thomas was improving on Saturday morning, a message flashed across the top of my screen from my cousin, informing me that my Aunt had passed away in the early hours of the morning.

My very first thought was: One was spared, and One was taken.

I have no idea why that thought popped into my head - but after it did, I realized that it was very very true.

11 yr old Thomas was gravely ill, but he had his whole life ahead of him, if only he could have life.

My 93 year old Aunt, was in a nursing home, rapidly deteriorating, and had expressed to me in the past few months how ready she was to pass on... she had lived a full and wonderful life - she was ready to die.

And so One was spared, and One was taken.

In that one moment, all was explained to me, and in that very simple explanation I found peace and hope, and even joy.  Joy for Thomas, and even Joy for my beloved Aunt - for they both received the blessing they so desired.

Gary and I will really miss her.  She lived very close to our home, and we saw her every week, someones several times a week.

Rest in Peace Auntie Olga.

You were loved, and you will be missed...

PRAYERS NEEDED FOR THOMAS!

I am rapidly loosing interest in everything to do with gardening and working outside.  Same thing happens every year at this time - it's like my body says - "Okay, that's enough - I'm tired, done, not having any fun - lets move on!"

Trouble is my body tells me this when I'm not quite finished harvesting my garden, or dealing with all the fruits of my labour. 

Earlier this week I was cleaning up my kitchen after doing some baking late one evening, I turned without moving my feet - something I seem to have a habit of doing  a lot, and pain shot up from the  arch of my foot into my leg.  And just like last fall, I couldn't step down on my foot once again.

I had been standing in the kitchen working on produce all day long - I did have my good support shoes on, because since last fall I have had to wear shoes in the house all the time - but my feet and legs were fatigued, probably giving me signs for hours to get off them - but I didn't listen.

Here we are a couple of days later, the foot is slowly improving, but I have boxes of now ripe tomatoes sitting on my floor, half of a garden still to deal with, and I am all but sidelined, with an I Don't Care attitude to go with it!

Then yesterday, our sweet Thomas, who has been battling childhood leukemia, for two years, took a real bad turn.  He has been battling a dangerously low red blood cell count for months, and yesterday it completely tanked.  He had to be air- ambulanced from Kelowna to BC Children's Hospital in Vancouver yesterday afternoon, and he is very very ill.

His cancer journey has been heartbreaking for us all to watch - he fights so strong, is such a sweet little warrior, but he just seems to never be able to improve, no matter what treatment they give him.  This latest is another in 2 years of setbacks, that has left his Mom and siblings and all who love him devastated.

The ONLY thing that is on my mind, is Thomas.  I can't seem to hope enough, pray enough, that he will jump this latest major hurdle, and be able to finish his one last year of treatments successfully so he can put three years of horror behind him. 

Thomas isn't even 12 yrs old yet.  He is fighting so hard for the chance to live a full life.

So I beg you all - if you can - will you please say a special prayer for sweet Thomas.  He needs every prayer we can give.   Thank You all who do...

Till next time...

CRAZY FOR BAKER CREEK!

I am really looking forward to next year's gardening season for many reasons, but in a lot of ways it will all be an experiment to me - well the vegetable garden portion of it, will be.

I have never grown a garden in a raised bed, and I have never grown vertically.  I've seen it done, but always in someone else's garden - never mine.

I always grow the same varieties of tomatoes, and beans, beets - well everything, actually.  But next year I am going to shake it up a bit.  I am going to step out of my comfort box and really try and get creative and adventurous.

I have found a seed company that deals strictly in Heirloom seeds, and they have so many different things to try, that I want to try them all in one year - But I won't.

Here are some of the things I will be trying next year.

Chinese Noodle Beans - they come in both red and green are supposed to be delicious!

Kajari Melon

Collective Farm Woman Melon

Lemon Summer squash

Patisson Golden Marbre Scallop summer squash

Purple Coban Tomatillo

Sweet Corbaci Peppers

Aunt Molly's ground Cherry

These are the only things I have decided on yet - but several new varieties of tomatoes will be added to the list, as well as some new flower seeds and maybe some herbs.

Is it any wonder I am excited about putting seeds in the soil next year?

Are you looking for some inspiration for your garden next year - check out this company.  They ship seeds world wide.

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

http://www.rareseeds.com

In the meantime, I am saving my own seeds from things that I really liked this year.  I have seed heads drying all over the house.  On the piano, in the spare bedroom, on my kitchen desk.

 

  Varieties include, Calendula, Cosmos, and my gorgeous Zinnia's that have been a real show stopper of colour this year.  

I have never grown Zinnia's in my garden before, and I think I will never have a garden without them, again.   They are bright, they fill a space and they just keep going from early summer to fall - even in a drought.  They were by far this years' success story.

So this year instead of crocheted snowflakes, some folks may be getting seeds in the their Christmas Cards!

That's me - always looking ahead...

Till next time!

CHERRIO, MY FRIENDS!

When I was walking home from town on Sunday evening,  I witnessed something that brought tears to my eyes.  I would have completely missed it, if not for the fact that most of the time when I walk - my eyes are looking up.

Huge flocks of Robins were gathering in the sky right above my head, they were so quiet - not making a sound, as we all know they can.  I have seen this every fall for the past three years now, and each time I see it, I feel a huge lump in my throat, as I silently wish them a safe journey, and pray that I get to see them all back next spring.

It's no secret that of all the wild birds, Robins are my favourite - always have been, always will be.  In the spring they are my constant companions in the yard as they are busy building their nests from things they pick up in my yard.  Then they are robbing my worms, or truth be told - I am throwing them worms from my flower beds and garden if they are near by - and they are always right there close by, waiting as if they know I will make their work easier.

While their babies are growing they are constantly around the yard.  Singing me awake in the early morning, and blessing me with an almost nightly evensong outside my studio window every evening.

By mid July, they are seen less as they get on with rearing their young.  In August, they fly by but seldom come to visit in the garden - except in the evening when I am watering my plants - then they appear for a drink, but are gone again.

By mid August, my yard is so quiet, that for me it's no longer as comforting to sit outside on the park bench and watch and listen.

And then, like Sunday evening, they are gathering - and then they are gone.

 - - -

Yesterday I decided to start removing the Plums from my tree in hopes of getting one more batch of jam before we have the tree removed this fall.

The tree is diseased - and after looking at the Plums I decided they weren't really something I wanted to make jam from, so I started cutting the branches that held plums, putting them in garbage cans.  Before I knew it, I had taken most of the branches off the tree

 

But then, I found these...

There is one in the plum tree every year, I usually find it when the leaves are off the tree.

So I changed my mind.  I'm not cutting the plum tree down.  It's staying - I am going to make sure it doesn't produce plums, but instead it is going to be a condo for the Robins, and maybe even the Cat birds, because I do believe the larger nest is a Cat bird's nest.

I am going to have feeders in the trees, plants all around it, and make it a nice place for them to grow their families.

It will be waiting for them in Spring - 

And so will I.

I FEEL A RANT COMING ON!

Last week, a friend of mine was threatened on social media for sharing an opinion on an article she read on a news feed.  This friend is an mature, educated, responsible and kind person.  She is not a person who attacks others, is mean to others, or causes others trouble in any way.  But like most of us - she has her own opinion on things, and she simply shared her opinion on the subject matter.

For that she was publicly chastised and threatened in a way that caused her much stress and concern.

How does this happen?  It's not okay to have an opinion on something, but it is perfectly okay to publicly (and I say publicly because the venue was social media) threaten someone in a way that could truly harm their livelihood?

How did we get this way - where only one voice is the correct voice; only one opinion matters?   Who gave people the right to threaten others who had a different opinion than theirs?
There is no such thing as a Diverse opinion anymore, it seems.

We are told how we must think, feel and be - by our peers, our schools, our politicians, and sometimes having a Diverse opinion seems to be cause for public humiliation and shame, as in the case of my dear friend.

Funny that word Diverse - from which we get the word Diversity - the word we hear everyday on the news or in the newspapers - the word we are told we must all accept and practice.

I personally have nothing against the word, or it's meaning - I learned both many years ago as a child at school... it's the warped interpretation of the word by individuals that don't care of it's meaning, but only use the word as a tool to get what they want - that's what really bothers me!

So let's do it -lets go back to school on the word - Diversity!

Check it out - the Winston Dictionary that we were given in grade school - I still have one!

It was published in 1954 - one year before I was born... It's Ancient!

- this dictionary that myself and anyone older and at least 10 years younger than me would have been taught the meaning of words from this book... it says Diversity means: difference; variety;

Dictionary. com says this:   ( note "diversity of opinion" - on the first line) .... hmmm that's interesting!

Diversity | Define Diversity at Dictionary.com

https://www.dictionary.com/browse/diversity

the state or fact of being diverse; difference; unlikeness: diversity of opinion. variety; multiformity. the inclusion of individuals representing more than one national origin, color, religion, socioeconomic stratum, sexual orientation, etc.: diversity in the workplace.

So - pretty much the same basic meaning for the word - or have I not read that correctly?
You know - maybe I should step up to the times, who the heck still uses the Winston Dictionary any more, except me?

So I went one more step to Wiktionary  -  and I got this!  Hope you can read this.

It says - the quality of being diverse or different; difference or unlikeness.

We've all got this now - I think!  

But the truth of the matter was my friend's comment was not diverse in any way.  She was stating the obvious, and it was purposely taken out of context by someone who saw an opportunity to use it against her.  The Troll mentality  - Armchair Warriors who do not have the mindset to sit down and use their own words to write their own thoughts in an article or a post - but have no difficulty tearing apart other's words, just because they feel the need to put people in their places.   There is a word for them as well.

BULLIES!

Ah now, here is something I know an awful lot about - bet you all do as well.  They are everywhere, child bullies, teen bullies, and the worse bullies of all - Adult bullies!

Childhood bullies are bad - but adult bullies can take you out.  They can ruin your life, your happiness and your livelihood.  . Maybe that is why this incidence has flared my distaste, so much.  My friend's bully threatened to have her fired from her job - this struck a cord with me. 

 I lost the final position in my career because of a bully just like this.   A person I worked with, whom I thought was my friend, fabricated lies, twisted my words, and presented me in a way to people who did not know me, but who had authority over my position, because I refused to join a conspiracy to oust our manager, whom this person had a personal vendetta against.

The bully succeeded in her mission - I lost my job.

 - - -

When my son was very young, there was a child in our apartment complex, a little girl, who was constantly terrorizing the small children.  She particularly loved to torment my son, who was always friendly, happy, quiet.  One day while they were playing outside, she took something of his that he dearly loved, and she threw it into the garbage dumpster.   We had always taught our son, that every action (good or bad) had a consequence ( good or bad).  So I asked her to retrieve the article she had thrown in the dumpster and give it back to our son.  I did not yell, I did not touch or threaten the child in any way - I just stood firm beside the dumpster and waited.  It took awhile and she was visibly upset by the time she had retrieved and returned my son's belonging - but she righted her wrong, and we thanked her for it.

Not 5 minutes later her mother was pounding my door down, screaming and yelling at the top of her lungs.  She pushed her way into our home, called me every name in the book, and then threatened to 1. report me to the police 

2. report me to child and family services as an unfit mother, so I would loose my child.

Words of terror for any Mother to hear, and yes - I was afraid.  But I also recognized  her daughter;s behaviour in her.  They both were bullies.  So I took a chance.  I grabbed a piece of paper and a pen and I wrote my full name, address and phone number down, and handed her the paper.  My words to her were  - if you are going to do that - here is the information you need - I'd hate for you to get it wrong and someone else be in trouble with the authorities because of my actions.

I never saw the woman again, or her child either for that matter.  The authorities never called or came to my door.  And I truly hope that her daughter learned a little about the consequences of one's actions from me, and that she took that with her wherever she is now.

 - - -

And so - this is our society, it seems.  We demand Diversity, but we don't allow it.  We practice Diversity - and we are either not believed or we are bullied.  The Bullies usually win, and the circle repeats itself.

How sad a society we truly are.

So - To my friend -  share your opinions, your insight, your feelings and your wisdom.  Those that truly know you - will listen - those that don't..... ah heck - you don't need them anyway!  Keep being the person you are.  

And that's all any one of us can really do...

for the record... (disclaimer)

This post and the words I have written here belong to me, and No One else.  

This is MY Diverse Opinion.

RECIPE THURSDAY - MORE BEANS PLEASE!

I tried something totally new this year in my garden.  I grew beans meant for drying.  It was something that I have thought about doing for a long time, so I asked some friends who garden for a recommendation for a variety to do this with.

I discovered that not many people actually grow their own dry beans.  Why would they when they are so cheap to buy in the stores?

But one friend not only answered my plea, but gave me some of her seed beans to plant in my garden - so I did.

I planted two rows of a bush variety.  They were the first beans of any variety I planted that popped up through the ground, and they were plentiful.  It was hard not to pick the pods and eat them ( I could have) but I really wanted what was inside the pod, so I let the plants die down, and the pods dry on the plants.

Last week I decided they had to be dry enough as they were rattling in the pods, so I pulled the plants out and took the pods into the house to harvest my dry beans.

Aren't they gorgeous?  I can't wait to try them and see how they taste.  I will use them in soups and stews and they will be gone in no time.  I am going to pick through them and pull out some of the larger ones to hold back as seed for next years planting, because I am sure I am going to want to grow these beauties again.

And why did I grow them, when they are so cheap to buy in the stores?

Well for starters, when I look at these beans and the ones in the store - I know mine are fresh.  How do you know how many years those dry beans have sat in a bag on a shelf?  How do you know where they were grown, what they were sprayed with?  I know all the answers to the ones in my jar... and they were just plain fun to grow as well.

When I was looking for last week's recipe, I found a recipe that I am going to try when the weather turns a bit frosty in fall.  It will be a perfect tasty dinner on a cool fall evening.  Here it is...

CASSOULET

2 and 1/2 cups (1 pound) dried beans

2 quarts of water

3 medium onions - divided

2 whole cloves

3 medium cloves - divided

2 stalks celery with leaves

1 bay leaf, halved

1 teaspoon Thyme

salt

1/2 pound hot or regular pork sausage meat

2 cups diced cooked chicken or turkey

1 can ( 15 oz) tomato sauce

Minced parsley

Rinse and pick over beans( I don't have to do this - mine are clean); put in water in Dutch oven and soak overnight, or boil 2 minutes; cover; let stand 1 hour.

Bring to boil and skim off solids that rise.  Add 1 onion studded with the cloves, 1 clove of garlic mashed with a knife blade, the celery, bay leaf, thyme and 2 teaspoons of salt.  Cover and simmer 1 hour or until beans are almost tender.

Drain beans, reserving broth and discarding vegetables and bay leaf.

Put beans in a 3 quart casserole. set aside.

Shape sausage meat in 3/4 inch balls and brown in skillet over medium heat.  Remove sausage (reserve drippings) and drain on paper towels then add to beans with chicken or turkey: stir to mix.

Slice remaining 2 onions and mince remaining 2 cloves of garlic.  Brown in pan drippings until golden and tender, stirring occasionally.  Stir in tomato sauce and 1 cup of reserved bean broth, bring to boil and simmer about 6 minutes or until slightly thickened.  Season with salt to taste.

Pour over bean-meat mixture, cover and bake in preheated 350 degree oven until beans are tender and flavours well blended - about 1 hour.

If too dry stir in some more bean broth.  Sprinkle with parsley.

Makes 6 servings

Enjoy!

NEW GARDEN - POTAGER PLANS !

A few weeks ago,  I spent a very hot day outside with a measuring tape, pencil and paper,  measuring our back side yard which is where my vegetable garden now is.  This area is going to be the first area I begin work on in creating my new potager garden.

After I had everything measured and roughed out on paper, I went up to my desk, got out some graph paper and drew my dream garden out on paper.  For now I am leaving all the grass alone and only concentrating on the areas that are already garden space.  I am lucky, I already have a nice large area of garden space so this first part of the plan is fairly easy. 

The top half of this plan is exactly the dimension of my garden as it is now.

My first task will be to make the raised beds.  I have already changed my mind on those a bit. I have decided to go with a  4x8 and a 4x12  bed in each row.  I Don't think the small 4x4 beds are going to be of much use to me, so I am staggering the large beds.  On one side the large bed will be at the front, and on the other side it will be at the back. 

I am also changing the wildflower garden area as well.  Instead of dividing that space into two areas (wildflowers and in-ground) I am making the while thing a sort of small wildflower meadow.  

We have decided not to do a deck, but will do a patio instead, that way we can change it at a later date, if I decide I want to make a change somewhere along the way.  And the patio might not be where the deck was going to be - that part of the plan is not 100%  as yet.

Because I want to do a lot more vertical gardening, I am going to be attaching a cattle panel or wire fencing panel between the two front raised beds creating an arch for climbing plants over the path area.   And if money allows I would love to do it across the two back raised beds as well.  

This gives me much more growing potential as I plan on planting many things that grow on vines next year, like melons, squashes, beans, cucumbers etc...

The grass area at the top of the plan is where I am planting some fruit trees.  That is north of the garden area so it won't interfere with the sun on my garden, but will also provide much more protection to the yard from the north wind.  I am on the hunt for some free raspberry canes and would love  to try and start my own fruit trees from cuttings from trees known to produce.

So lots of work coming very soon but so exciting for me to be even this far in my new garden plan. 

First comes a shopping trip to the lumber mill for some lumber for the beds.   My hopes are for a long fall, so we can get the beds built and ready before the snow flies... 

But first - I have some ripe tomatoes that need to be washed and frozen today, and a little boy emptied my cookie jar last night - so that needs filling!

Have a Great Day, Everyone!

THE END - OR THE BEGINNING?

What horrible hot weather we have had!

I spent a little bit of the extremely hot weekend picking green tomatoes and pulling out the dead plants that they were clinging to.  Although I still have some living plants that have a lot of tomatoes on them that I hope will vine ripen - this is the third vegetable I have had to pull out of the garden because the plants were finished.

I pulled five small tomato plants and got all these off those 5 tiny plants.  Mostly green, which is not at all what I had hoped, but still a fairly good crop, all things considered.

I am not the most patient person, I really would rather not have to wait until these all ripen to process them, but I have had a few suggestions and hints passed my way to make the waiting a bit easier.

To use up some green tomatoes, it was suggested I make some Green Tomato Chutney.  I have tasted other chutney's and loved them, so no reason to think I would not love this as well, so I have looked up several recipes online, and have decided to make some Green Tomato Apple Chutney with some of my green tomatoes.

The other hint I received from a friend is that if you don't have enough ripe tomatoes to can, or process however you were going to - you can pop them in the freezer after you pick them without doing anything to them ( except wash of course).  When you have enough in the freezer to make into whatever you want to make - you simply take them out of the freezer, set in a bowl of WARM water - the skins will peel off easily, and you can proceed to process them as you would.  They don't loose any flavour or colour when you do this, and you don't waste any tomatoes while waiting for others to get ripe.

I have a feeling I might be doing this as well.  I want to make some sauce and can some whole as well, so hopefully this method will work in my favour.

In the meantime, Gary and I are eating fresh tomatoes every day, and enjoying every bite.  Next year I plan to grow some different varieties, but more about that later on.

So the garden is coming to an end, but the work in the kitchen ( for me) is just beginning.  I have a feeling that I will be spending quite a few days processing a variety of vegetables all at one time, because nothing is going according to plan in my garden this year.

I am predicting that the garden will be empty - except perhaps for the beets, pumpkins and squash, within the next week.  And this year I am quite excited to have it empty sooner rather than later because as soon as it is empty, we plan to start our new garden plan for next year, which is going to require a few building skills.

So out to the garden I go - it's a cool day here today finally, and if it doesn't rain, I should be able to get a lot done  - I hope.


Take Care, and I'll talk to you soon!

FRIDAY RAMBLINGS!

Here it is - another week almost gone, and Friday is upon us once again.

It is only me that thinks the weeks are just flying by so quickly?

I sense a change in the season coming.  Yes, it is still really hot, and summer seems to still be in full swing, but there is a difference to summer now.  It is dying, not thriving.

All the vegetation is slowing down, some dying back completely.  Vegetable gardens are getting smaller, and the pile of vegetable plants at the dump is getting higher.

The trees are not as full and green as they were even a week ago - and even the birds are quieter.  I seldom hear a Robin singing early in the morning anymore - in fact, I can't say when the last time I heard a Robin sing - and they are still here, they are just quiet now.  Maybe they have nothing to sing about - after all they are facing a long journey in a few weeks time - maybe they are saving all the energy they can for their long flight south for the winter.

Along our drives out of town, crops are being cut down and harvested.  If anything signals the end of the growing season for us here, that surely does.  This is a busy time for farmers, and I wish them all sunny days and dry evenings and nights so they can get their crops harvested in optimal conditions.  I wish them bumper crops, and an economy that will allow them to sell their crops so they can continue to provide food for the world for another year to come.

I am harvesting tomatoes from vines that are all but dead.  I picked some this morning, and will most likely be picking every day for the next few days until they are all finished.  I won't have much of a harvest, but we will have the opportunity to enjoy fresh tomatoes for awhile.  There are not enough to can or freeze this year, so we will eat them fresh, and be thankful.  I did notice that some of them have some hail damage on them from last Friday's storm.

The cherry tomatoes are so good this year - somehow the flavour has really improved with the heat.  I keep a bowl on the counter, and we snack on them all day long.  Better than candy, they are!

This morning I also whipped together a simple drying rack for my onions - which are really small this year - but I have used a few and they are awesome strong!   I have not pulled many yet, but now that I have a rack, I can start pulling the ones that need to be pulled.  Eventually I would like to hang the drying rack permanently in the shed or garage, but for now it's just propped up in the garage.

I hope to spend the majority of this very hot weekend working in the studio.  I mailed off a few orders this week, including the one for The Gypsy Traders shop in Selkirk.

Here is the completed gypsy mug rug, I ended up sending them.

 I kind of love how she turned out.  Not sure how many people would want one, but I might make a few more sometime.

In the meantime I have 11 assorted mug rugs to make as gifts for family for next month, so I will try and get those done this weekend.

So be safe everyone, enjoy the upcoming weekend, and we will catch up next week.

RECIPE THURSDAY - CHERRY CRUMB CAKE!

I very seldom bake a cake, and when I do, it is usually for someones birthday - and if it is anyone in my immediate family, it would then be a Double Chocolate Zucchini Cake - because that is our family favourite cake.

Whatever happened to the concept of  -    If I knew you were coming, I'd have baked you a cake?

My Mom always baked a cake if people were coming to visit... her generation still did that sort of thing.  Unfortunately our generation has pretty much dropped that lovely tradition.

When I bake, it's cookies for the cookie jar, muffins and loaves - nothing wrong with that and I have noticed that if I do bake a cake, I always seem to choose one without icing - like my Zucchini cake.

So why break my own tradition...

I was paging through the little community cookbook "COOKING FAVORITES OF PLUMAS"  and I stumbled upon what I would consider to be a perfect cake - especially for this time of year.

I haven't made this one yet - but I am going to, just as soon as I can get my hands on some cherry pie filling.

So here you go  - this week's recipe...

CHERRY CRUMB CAKE

1 cup white sugar

2 cups flour

2 tsp baking powder

pinch of salt

1/4 cup salad oil

2 eggs

1/4 cup cream

1/2 cup milk

or if you don't have cream use 3/4 cup milk and 1 tbsp of butter

Mix dry ingredients and add the remaining ingredients.  Pour into a buttered and floured pan.  It doesn't say what size but does say it makes the size of a jelly roll pan, so I would use whatever you would normally use for a sheet cake pan.

Layer 1 can of cherry pie filling over the batter.

TOPPING:

1/2 cup butter,

3/4/ cup sugar

3/4/cup flour.

Make into a crumb mixture and spread over the cherry filling.

Bake 45 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

I am pretty sure I have eaten this cake at some Aunt's home over the years - it sounds so familiar, so I am anxious to try it out, and see if it is as good as my memory tells me it is.

If you try this one, let me know how you liked it.

Happy Baking!

PRAYERS FOR ALONSA!

This summer has been very hot and dry for us here in Manitoba, and I believe that is the case pretty much all over the country.  While I have never been a person who adores the heat, I have been able to stay comfortable in an air-conditioned house.

That's not the case for everyone.  There are so many people who have suffered in the extreme heat, especially the elderly and the sick, and those that do not have the luxury of appliances to keep them comfortable.

Last Friday was yet another very hot and humid day.  It had been predicted the day before that the potential for severe thunderstorms existed, if certain conditions prevailed. 

As the day progressed our skies got darker and darker, we checked the radar on the weather station and there was a large storm system just north of us, and a severe storm warning had been posted for the area all around us.

By suppertime we were continually watching the skies.  You could see the swirls in the clouds, and by early evening the thunderstorm hit, bringing us heavy wind, rain and hail.

The 3 pictures below are some I took from the dining room window during the storm.

 

 

You can see the force of the water coming out of our down spouts..

We continued to watch the radar and knew that we could be in for a very bad evening, but we were spared.

Not, so our neighbours just 35km down the road from us.  While I was taking these pictures,  our neighbours to the east were being hit with a EF4 tornado.  It hit the community of Alonsa, and surrounding beach and camping communities.  

The people of Alonsa, are our people.  We share a lot of things with that community.  We share our ambulance, our health center, vet, our churches and until recently our bank.  There are people here, from there -  and people there, from here.  They are friend and family both, to many who live here.

The stories of survival being told by those who were there when the tornado hit, are incredible, and just as incredible is the fact that so many who could have lost their lives - did not.

One man did - a retired school teacher who lived and worked in the community all his life.  He was found on his property,  but everything on his property was gone.

It leveled homes, flipped vechiles and large campers over and one into the lake.  It's path of destruction was wide and complete, and the effects it left behind, will be in many peoples hearts, minds and lives forever.

Cleanup has begin.  Some will rebuild, some will not.

I know for a fact it will be the topic of conversation in my community for a very long time, because Alonsa is so well known to this community.

The pictures below are not my pictures, but some that have been shared on social media.  I choose not to share the ones of demolished homes, or those of the property of the man who lost his life.  There are many images of the destruction on the Internet - if you feel the need to view them, you can google them on your own.

 

Had this tornado made a slight turn to the west, someone would have been writing this tale about my community.  I don't take that knowledge lightly, nor does anyone here.

Rest in peace Mr. Furrie,

and

 God Bless the Community of Alonsa Manitoba