Sunday, February 5, 2017

day 4


Saturday morning...my name is Ellen Abbott and I'm a social media addict. It's been two days since my last log on. not to be making fun of alcoholics mind you Anyway, when I'm away I have no trouble not checking into FB. In fact I don't even think about it because my whole morning routine is different but sitting here in the mornings with my water first and then coffee, after I've read all the current blog postings or written my own then what am I supposed to do to fill the time til I get up to fix breakfast. I stopped reading the newspaper years ago and anyway, I'm avoiding the news as well for these four days. I don't want to hear or see anything Trump.

Here's an observation...white wing doves are bullies. They even chase off the blue jays from the totem bird feeder. They get on there, usually two at a time because that's all that will fit, though yesterday I saw third trying to come in and kept trying to land on the back of one of the others, and then they start knocking and tossing the seed out of the dish. The blue jay does that too and the sparrows. More than half the seed falls to the ground. The cardinals are very polite. They just perch on the rim and eat.


Overcast and chilly again today but I did get out there and worked on the front some more. Got the other yellow butterfly iris out, dug up all the baby century plants and weeds and grass that had colonized the front bed, fertilized and mulched the cut back roses. The twin grandgirls came out to hang out while their parents worked on their property. Jade brought 3 pairs of pants out to be mended so I did that.


My neighbor at the other end of the block, Leonard, gave me some seed potatoes that he had left over after he had planted some. Well, after I had grilled him on where he got them this early and were they red or white. Anyway he said he'd give me some but I had to bring his bucket back. Which I did today though I haven't planted them yet. That's one of the activities for tomorrow but I have to finish getting the johnson grass out of the small raised bed first. And I plan on doing some cooking and freezing of broccoli and cauliflower dishes tomorrow.


I have had friends I have relied on in the past to help us through lean times but never the government. I don't feel any particular pride in that. If you need food or housing assistance by all means you should apply for it for as long as it's available, which may not be long if the current administration has any say in the matter. I've personally been fortunate enough that those times when we have been on the brink, the universe has come through for us. That doesn't make me special, just lucky. Anyway, the plan is to plant more food and preserve what we grow and don't eat right away. Since I'm no fan of canning and the water bath, I prefer to cook the produce and then freeze the meals for later consumption. And so I have been looking at cauliflower and broccoli casserole recipes because tomorrow I have a lot of both to harvest.

Sunday morning and I did find something to fill the time...online shopping!




15 comments:

  1. So, what did you buy. I was shopping online for a truck to avoid salespersons and they are bombarding me. They require info to get quotes. Never again. It will be 70 here tomorrow so I am going to be working outside. Sigh. So ready for spring. Good for you growing much of your food. So much better for you, the planet and tastes much better. Freezing works great. I canned for 30 years and now only do pickles and occasionally freezer jam. Never got into Facebook or other social media. I'm an introvert and asocial, or so my extrovert husband says.

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    1. I bought a pair of shoes, canvas slip ons. I bought a pair 4 years ago and they are disintegrating so I searched for them on-line and found some! also I looked for glass freezer storage stuff. didn't buy any yet though.

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  2. The cardinals are polite, aren't they? I see them waiting in the camellias by the feeder for their proper turn. Unlike the blackbirds.
    I need to plant peas and potatoes this week. It is time. THAT to me is spring.
    Social media sucks. And yes, I'm addicted.

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  3. I love watching the cardinal feed. The male so often guards the area when his mate eats.. sometimes he even feeds her. They're lovely, loyal birds. I can't say that I mind some flock dominating the jays.. blue jays are big bullies themselves.

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  4. Our blue jays stuff their throats and then fly away. The nuthatch and wren have sharper bills and keep other song birds away while they eat. Our cardinal females do chase each other away sometimes. I am not crazy about canning because the food is not as tasty fresh as freezing.

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  5. Cardinals are politeness personified. So are sparrows. I am fascinated. I have one tufted titmouse at the feeder, a very few finches, one chickadee, and a flock of sparrows. Literally fifty to a hundred. They sit in the pear tree and on my neighbor's roof, and take turns. No squabbles; not like I've seen among other kinds of birds when I had half a dozen feeders in the big oak tree.

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  6. Online shopping? I hope you didn't buy my anything too expensive.

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  7. The moment I saw this post, I started roaring. I remember you saying that you'd be staying away for the weekend. Hey, we all need our addictions. At least yours isn't illegal or immediately fatal. Small blessings.

    I continue to listen to NPR instead of reading the newspaper, since some "mainstream" media makes me want to scream.

    I hope the cooking and freezing goes yummy. I've never canned a thing on my life, so I totally go with freezing and cooking for later.

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  8. Potatoes get planted on Good Friday here.It was a warm 33 here today, I hiked about 4 hours.

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  9. Oh yes, these are tough times on so many levels, for many folks. I too only frieze veggies in quart bags, enough for one meal but peas and beans and berries, I frieze first on a tray.

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  10. I only wish I had a freezer big enough to store a good bit. I really need to can, like my mother and grandmother did, but I never helped, don't have a clue how to do it, and have this irrational fear of pressure cookers. But when I remember my grandmother's "fruit cellar," which doubled as a storm shelter, I still remember how beautiful it was, with all those glass jars filled with red, yellow and green. Maybe I should give it a try. If nothing else, "death by pressure cooker" would make for a great obituary.

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    1. I don't like to can because the water bath cooks the life out of whatever. we mostly steam or boil for only a few minutes when we cook fresh. some things don't freeze well, like green beans, so I'm trying to just go ahead and cook stuff in a recipe and then freeze it in portion sizes. we'll see how it works. but I'm gonna need a little chest freezer if it works out.

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  11. I have always found the blue jay to be the most aggressive but all in all, most of our birds politely take turns at the feeders. Saturday, we were surprised (repulsed) by a different kind of bird who decided to perch on the railing of my deck. It was a turkey vulture and he seemed to be staring through the window at me.

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  12. I've reduced my social media time, too. It definitely feels healthier to do without for now!

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  13. My dad is all excited for us to move down there. He was going to do a smaller garden this year, but now he has all these plans. Of course that means I'll have to help him. Gulp! Manual labor!!

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I opened my big mouth, now it's your turn.