Hey everyone, it's a rainy Saturday.  I love rainy days.  Last week I planted some zucchini and some little cukes, seeds that is, and they are coming up!

I pulled out my tomato plants, I had a bunch of tomatoes left, about 8 pounds, so I am going to make some tomato bisque soup.  I need to get a food mill, so when we go to bed bath and beyondtoget the razor cleaner for George's razor, I will get a fod mill.

I now have some green peppers growing.  Some burpless cucumbers, chives, parsley, thyme and basil.  Oh yea and eggplant.  Idon't think anything will come of the eggplant...but never say never.

Otto had his yearly exam by Dr. Martin this morning.  He is 77 pounds.    He is my BIG boy!

Meta gets here in a little over a week. I am looking forward to it, even though it is only for one night.  I really wish we lived closer.

Well better go.  I want to read my book, and eat my lunch.

Good Morning!!  Happy Saturday!  Weather has been very hot lately.  Surprisingly, I am very happy...none the less.

Last night we went out for dinner.  Went to a chinese place called Won Lee.  Boy, was that good.  Old fashioned chinese cooking.  The restaurant was a throw back to the 70's.  I thought I was never going to find another place like 3-6-9 in Winter Springs...but I did!

Then we went to Lowes and I got 7 bags of top soil and 7 bags of manure.  I expanded my garden.  I want to plant the little pickeling cukes aind the zucchini again, before I put in my winter veggies.

Otto chewed his bed again yesterday.  You just can't figure with him.  Sometmes he is good, and sometimes he just loses it.  It must be the voices he hears.  Well, I fixed it.  I hope doesn't do this much longer.  I think he is getting better...I hope.

I am also reading a very good book.  Second in a series of I think 7.  The last one came out about 2 weeks ago.  Diana Gabaldon, the Outlander series.  I read Outlander (recommended by my cousin Dale) the first in the series.  I thouroghly enjoyed it.  Now I am reading Dragonfly in Amber.  So far I am loving it.  It is over 700 pages, an I am looking forward to reading every single one.

Well I amgoing to run. It is 8:42, and I want to get an hour of reading in before I start to spread my soil and manure.

We had dinner yesterday, and it was very enjoyable.  Everything turned out great.  My favorite was dessert, and Otto was very good.

Today it was very cloudy, and rainy.

George didn't feel well and finally went to the doctor.  His blood pressure was of the charts.  So he went for x-rays and blood work and he has to go back tomorow morning.

I picked 9 more tomatoes.  I think I will need to find someone who I can give some to.

Otherwise nothing else is new here.

I am making naan bread for dinner. We are having left over chicken, tziki sauce, feta cheese, tomatoes (of course), onions and some lettuce.  I am kind of excited actually.

Tonight we can have ice cream for dessert.

I have to be honest.  I really want to lose about 15 pounds, but I really love dessert.  Nothing else has much flavor to me.

I think that is why I liked working in theyard so much.  It took my mind off eating.

George just went out and picked more edging that I ordered.  I really need to use it.

Well that is something I need to plan on doing the next week or so.

We are having company for dinner tomorrow.  Our friends Tony and John are coming for dinner.  I am making Eggplant Rollitini, Penne pasta, Bruschette, kale chips and a Calaprese salad.  I am only making a small salad, mainly because I only picked half a pound of fresh mozzerella.  Should I make sangria?  I forgot the ingredients.   You know what, a glass of red wine will be just as good.

Tonight I am making a roast chicken.  It is 5:00 now and I am sure the chicken will need to be in there at least an hour.

So cutting this one short, so I don't get yelled at that dinner is late.

I will let you know how everything turned out.

Here it is...another beautiful morning.  I have to say, this morning as I sat on the porch, reading up on how everyone is doing...two blue jays land on the lawn. Cardinals, blue jays, downy woodpecker, carolina wrens;  all this, nothing exotic, but so nice compared to hot sun, cement, rushing cars.  I am not sure what is so difficult to understand... I tried to surround myself with trees, plants, gardens, but it wasn't the same.

Now I will admit, there were some ducks that found their way into our old neighborhood.  There were also some armadillos that would come in at night. However the homeowners associarion hired a "pest" company to trap them.  Happily the armadillos won.

George will be mowing the lawn today, tomorrow the backyard.  Wednesdsy we are having company for dinner.  I ordered more edging for my trees and gardens.  I am going to try and get a plum tree this week.  Maybe Wednesday or Thursday.  Today I will get my hydrangea.  Then I have to start researching roses.

I so love having a yard!

Happy Mothers Day!   Been a lazy day, I finished my book, "Outlander", by Diana Gabaldon. It was good, think I will get the follow up book.  I could probably get it from the library...maybe I will.

I have to get more edging for my trees and my gardens.

Oh, my latest bit of exciting news... a wren, believe it was a Carolina Wren, made a nest in one of my window boxes of geraniums.  Of course I took pictures!!

That is my latest news.

Other than that...I must go now to load the dishwasher and wash a few dishes.  I think I will also peek in on my wrens...quietly

Today as I sit out on my back porch, I have decided to put in a rose garden.  I will put it in on the east side of the house, in the back of course.  I am not sure of the exact location yet.  From what I have read, for central Florida, you can plant all year long.  There is a rose soceity that meets at Mead Gardens twice a month.

So now I am going to study the yard to see how the sun works and make my decision where to plunge my shovel into the ground.  Of course I have to consult with George, since he does the mowing, however he usually tells me it is up to me.  I think I will start in the back yard, and if I am successful move to the front yard.

Other than all this, my blood pressure has been giving me trouble again.  I have started with a new doctor here in DeLand.  I think I am going to tell him that I want to go back on the non-generic BP medication I was on for many years.  It was called Benicar.  It was more expensive, but it worked.  Since I have been on the generic, I have had nothing but problems.  I appreciate the savings, however, I want to feel better than I do.

On another note...on observation of my yard today, I have found that my fig tree is getting figs.  I am hoping they are bigger than they were while the tree was in a pot.  The tree is gorgeous, it looks healthier than it ever has before.  I am in the mood for mt fig cake, but I also am looking forward to some larger figs to cook with.

SURPRISE!  I'm baaacck!  I know I have said that before, and I will probably say it again, but this is my blog, and quite honestly I don't think anyone has missed me.

So what's new...?  We moved, we live about 40 miles north of Orlando.  We have a house now.  We have a new dog.  Otto.  He is a rescue, in the truest sence of the word.  His background is a huge question mark, up until 2 days before we brought him home.  He was a 5 month old malnourished male.  Let me tell you ot doesn't get much worse than that.  That being said...I love him.  He loves me too!  George, not so much.  Well let me clarify that...he doesn't dislike him conciously.  He was mistreated by some creep.  That creep happened to be a man.  That is how he has become attached to me.  So he has become my sloe responsibility.  That is a very large responsibility, one that is very big at times.  I have to admit, at times I wonder if I know what I am doing, but then I look at him, and how hard he tries, and I say... he is worth it.  This is what it must be like to have children.  Is that sick?  So be it!

I have a garden!  I grew peppers, tomatoes, large cucumbers, small pickling cucumbers, eggplant, zucchoini, parsley and I transplanted my chives.  The  status at this point...I have lots of tomatoes, about 7 peppers.  I got these huge plants for my zucchini, lots of blossoms...no zucchini.  The eggplant, well I have plants but they will never produce anything.  Only two huge cucumbers.  Lots of blossoms on the pickling cucumbers, but so far... no pickles.  My guess...too muchh in too small a place.  So I am doubling the size this summer toplant a wnter garden in September.

So if anyone has some dog or garden advice...all comments are welcome!