TBT: KISSIN' COUSINS

TBT: My branch of the family is not very large as neither of my parents had siblings to provide me with first cousins. Therefore when a distant younger married third (?) cousin Sheri and husband Micky moved to Little Rock, my original stomping grounds, it was extra special to have family to visit when we came to town and even get to know better when our family moved back to Arkansas for 6 years.

Over those years we shared holidays, Temple, women's organizations and even preschool experiences. Two years ago Sheri and Micky even traveled to Atlanta ( photo below 2016) and graced us with their presence at our daughter Lori and Evan's nuptial. 

This weekend I am lucky enough to be able to join them in Dallas as their youngest, Eric, and and his fiancée Rachel exchange vows. 

Mazel Tov to you and yours, Cousins. Can't wait! And since I'm back in the South, we're kissin' cuzins fo' sure.

ADDICTED :DOWN, BUT NOT OUT...

As many of you know I just celebrated my 40th anniversary of being a Jazzercise participant. Besides telling folks that I started at a very early age, I know I could own a franchise by now. 

I have jazzercised in jazzercise centers/ rented business building spaces, gyms from hospitals, schools, community centers, churches/ temples/ their social halls and even parking lots. You get the idea, give us a large open space and we will use it. Flooring has varied from ideal wooden gym floors or suspended planking, rubber, low pile carpeting , sheet vinyl/ linoleum tiles.

While I've been in the La Crosse area, Jazzercise has convened in a hospital's gym with wooden floor which eventually needed remodelling and then room for their fitness programs. So we moved a block away to a church's basement social hall. There's no AC but cheap rent and the linoleum flooring is less than stellar in the summer months as it sweats/ becomes sticky/ slippery after certain cleanings.

We know to pick up our feet but sometimes we even have to towel off the bottom of tennis shoes for better traction.  Well, yesterday the floor got the better of me and my friend Judy who was exercising to my left. 

It was very muggy in the room despite numerous fans moving air around. We open windows for fresh air. We were sashaying to the right when apparently Judy's right foot stuck and unbeknownst to me down she fell to my left onto the floor and when I returned to the left fell smack down on top of her. As I braced the fall with both hands, more weight fell on my left palm and right knee. In a matter of seconds our good health wasn't so good.We helped each other up and asked if each other was okay as other folks rushed over to check on us. She continued working out.

I,  on the other hand, called it quits and departed from the exercise area since that knee and palms were really smarting. Luckily frozen washcloths were available and could be applied to the painful areas. I laid down on a long bench in the outer hallway with the compress and leg raised after taking an Aleve to control that swelling.

I had a plane to get on today and wasn't going to push it.  The ice and pain medication really helped and I joined the girls afterwards at our coffee place.  Judy was more worried about me than herself and I was more worried about Judy since she already has a hip issue , the one she landed on no less. She kept apologizing and the fact of the matter is it could of happened to any of us.

Last night I applied one of those athletic medicated bandages and awoke this am with pain minimized. It could have been super swollen and I can walk on it. 

So it's time for the church/ program to invest in a humidifier to help regulate that humidity before anybody else gets hurt. You know we don't heal as fast as we used to. We went down, but we're not out. We'll be back to Jazzercise as long as the body allows. Yep, you could call us addicts.  

FOGGED/ SCREENED IN

The End of the Rainbow Valley mornings have had more than normal fogged in beginnings. The plants certainly appreciated the extra dew watering but there's a different feel as if Fall is soon approaching.

My birthday gift is being installed and this recipient is super appreciative to have our favorite summer place, our screened in porch become truly screened in again. 

Natureman had assured me in 2011 while I was away in El Salvador that he would take care of the hole'y panels. You can imagine my surprise to return to his remedy by not replacing the panels but doing a quick fix of placing clear packaging tape squares on both sides of the holes. Ah, not quite the repair I had expected.  Now 7 years later not only does that tape need replacing but all the panels have new holes.

You see for some reason the designers of fabric screening didn't take into account birds liking to find their dinner in spider web's captives and in many of the corners the birds have pecked right through the screening. One by one the holes have continued. We have found numerous birds making the porch an aviary and sometimes becoming very frustrated and worn out trying to discover an exit. I have become pretty good at ushering them out after opening both screened doors. 

The doggie entrance now with out a dog to use it has become an entrance for squirrels to run around chasing each other on the screened walls like those motorcycles zooming around at state fairs on those inverted circular tracks. New doors are also needed as the opposite doors lower loose screen has become a highway for the chipmunks racing through the space. 

So the Amish have arrived to replace the holy fabric screening with yes the old fashion metal screening.  The only issue is our area stores don't carry metal screened doors and the doors need replacing. 

A grandfather and 15 year old grandson worked all day yesterday and almost finished the job. The horse and buggy will be back to finish up the last 2 upper panels, front patio screens and doors.


I can't wait to move back out onto the porch without all the extra wild kingdom for meals  with / without fog.


Soon...

EASY COME, EASY GO

The saying may be easy come, easy go but such is not the case in the anticipation of kids visiting/ leaving. You see, the youngest grandchild came to visit this past weekend. 

A handoff of the baby was planned halfway between where her parents needed to be for a family wedding and the End of the Rainbow Valley. Timing was almost perfect besides an earlier plane arrival time and a little one lane road construction. Not a lot of time except time with an almost 1 year old can always seem much longer. 

We met where we could have some lunch together before heading off in opposite directions. You know the 'never enough' conversation time for parents but sometimes just being together and a hug hello and goodbye has to substitute for information. 


With baby seat and baby strapped in and a full diaper bag with the essentials beside her, the trunk loaded with a back pack carrier and a small full suitcase off we went. Some 15 minutes later was our first stop in the small town of Fennimore where there's a historic rail road museum with some rail cars to climb on. It was a stretching opportunity as lunch was just more sitting besides car time. 

Our next stop would be an hour later at our local park where there are swings. By the time we were home and said hello to all the animals, it was a little play time, dinner and bath time followed by bed. I made up a couple of bottles from the frozen breast milk to be ready should the need arise for our teething visitor.

Sure enough a hungry cry went out late evening, a quick diaper change and feeding and back to sleep.  A little peep during the night but we all slept well until my usual am wake up time and the granddaughter's. It was light enough to visit and pet the animals followed by breakfast and playtime. All before Natureman ever awoke. Then a short morning nap for squirt and time for her grandparents to eat breakfast and do chores. 

Playtime and getting dressed needed more strategical planning. We would go in separate cars due to the next nap and lunchtime.

The day would be full of seeing folks and some new introductions of our special guest. Time for naps, snacking, bottles and playing with 40 year old wooden blocks that belong to the previous generation. A fun, full day bonding...

Bedtime came and before we knew it we were back in the car returning her to her folks...



So this am finds the linens cleaned, trunk reloaded with the borrowed baby gear needing to be returned to their respective owners and the house quiet.


Perhaps children never realize until they too are parents how much energies parents/grandparents expend in love for a child/grandchild. There's never enough time but we take what we can get... Not so easy come/ easy go.

FOTO FRIDAY: QUESTIONING

FOTO FRIDAY this week "focuses" on questioning. Have you ever noticed something just not quite right? 

Today's pic has to do with a particular plant that just disappeared after doing great and even multiplying in my flower garden. It is a pretty flower called liatris. It's in the sunflower family, sometimes called Blazing Star native to North America. It usually grows erect and eventually has its own colony. 

Two years ago mine just didn't return. I realized how much I have missed it after spotting liatris growing  on the university campus all of the flowers were erect except for one ...

Perhaps this one is reminding students why they are there which is to remember to question and find those answers... 

Anything growing/not growing a bit differently in the plantings you've seen lately? Do share.

Last week's FOTO FRIDAY was about MILK.

TBT: I'VE GOT AN OLD ONE FOR YA...

Throw Back Thursday... I've got an old one for you. A father tomato, a mother tomato and their toddler tomato are out for a walk one Sunday. The park is very busy that day. The mother tomato is trying to to keep an eye on the young one and reminding him he is going to get separated if he continually stops  to pick things up. He keeps lagging farther and farther behind. The father tomato is becoming more and more impatient and is tired of his child not listening. He has had it so he turns around walks back  and stomps his foot on top of his child and yells : " Ketchup." ( Catch up) 

Sorry, I know that was bad, but this is what's going to happen to the tomatillos ( small green tomatoes) used in this Mexican stew/soup recipe I'm sharing today. They are going to get smashed up to make a salsa otherwise known as Ketchup by using a blender. This is one of my most favorite soups, Pozole Verde. I inherited some beautiful tomatillos this week from FB friend Paul who lives down the road a piece.He could say he has a million of them, tomatillos that is and probably jokes too... I promised to share this recipe from Food and Wine's January 30th, 2018 issue. Now you too can enjoy it.

"There are many variations on pozole, a traditional hominy-based Mexican stew closely associated with the Pacific-coast state of Guerrero. Anya von Bremzen's version, a green pozole, derives much of its flavor from tangy ingredients like tomatillos, cilantro and green chiles."  

Ingredients

• 7 c chicken stock or low-sodium broth
• 2 c water
• 4 chicken breast halves on the bone, with skin
• 1 pound tomatillos, husked and halved
• 1 sm onion, quartered
• 2 poblano chiles—cored, seeded and quartered
• 2 jalapeños, seeded and quartered
• 4 lg garlic cloves, smashed
• 1/2 c chopped cilantro
• 1 T oregano leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• Three 15-oz cans of hominy, drained and rinsed
Finely shredded iceberg lettuce, sliced radishes, chopped onion, diced avocado, sour cream, tortilla chips and lime wedges, for serving

Step 1    

In large, enameled cast-iron casserole, bring chicken stock and water to a boil. Add chicken breasts, skin side down, cover and simmer over very low heat until tender and cooked through, about 25 minutes. Transfer chicken breasts to plate and shred  meat; discard bones and skin. Skim fat from cooking liquid and reserve.

Step 2    

In a blender, combine halved tomatillos with quartered onion, poblanos and jalapeños, smashed garlic, chopped cilantro and oregano. Pulse until coarsely chopped, scraping down the side. With the machine on, add 1 c of the cooking liquid and puree until smooth. Season tomatillo puree with salt and pepper.

Step 3    

In lg deep skillet, heat vegetable oil until shimmering. Add tomatillo puree and cook over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until sauce turns a deep green, about 12 minutes.

Step 4    

Pour green sauce into cooking liquid in  casserole. Add hominy and bring to simmer over moderate heat. Add shredded chicken to stew, season with salt and pepper and cook just until heated through. Serve the pozole in deep bowls, passing the lettuce, radishes, onion, avocado, sour cream, tortilla chips and lime wedges at the table.

Make Ahead

The pozole verde can be prepared through Step 3 and refrigerated, covered, overnight.

Suggested Pairing

Because the dominant flavors are lightly spicy and tart, a rich but unoaked white wine will pair well; consider a smooth Alsace Pinot Gris.

MIDSUMMER IN THE END OF THE RAINBOW VALLEY

Just call me negligent as I am guilty of not posting summer blooms as of late but here are some  beauties which escaped the ravaging raccoons.  

I sure am glad they don't like eating everything... like coneflowers,

yarrow (l -above)

Dianthus

                                                                                                                              Petunias

Hollyhocks

clematis

Cone flower

Platycodon - Balloon Flower

Hellibore

                    Cosmos

Geranium I've kept alive for 3 yrs now. 

P.S. 

They didn't bother the succulents either. LOL.