Sunday, March 14, 2021

slowly but surely and, sigh, politics


More survivors, the yesterday/today/tomorrow has put up new growth, the little fig tree that got run over last year has some small green buds, and the spider lilies are showing growth. The amaryllis are all growing and one has even put up a bloom stalk. All but one of the small azaleas that were all completely brown and are now mostly just sticks are showing tiny nubs of green. Still nothing from the hibiscus, rangoon creeper, morning glory bush, porterweed, gardenia, mexican bird of paradise, bougainvillea, or the pink crinum lilies or the nile lilies. 

I got the night blooming cereus repotted and the white orchid tree but I've run out of bigger pots for the yellow trumpet flower and the bird of paradise and so far have not found the size pots I need. Still have two clumps of aspidistra to trim back but I also got some weeding and watering done. And I need to get the plumerias moved around to their spots in the yard, either pots sunk or plants planted so the wind won't be blowing them over all the time.

I mentioned that all the evergreen trees were completely brown and didn't think much past that but last week I noticed that the live oak trees, of which there are many in this small town, started dropping all their leaves and while they usually do drop their old leaves this time of year, not like this and I've never seen them so bare. They're blooming now I noticed while taking the dog out for her walk and will soon be putting on new leaves.  I didn't even notice the damage to the two huge yew trees on each front corner of the house so focused on the ground as I have been and the last two days they have been dropping so many leaves there's a nice thick carpet of them on the ground. And in the last two days many of the deciduous trees have popped out their spring green and the ornamental pear trees are blooming along with the pink magnolias 

and red buds 

and my native peach on the back corner.

It hasn't all been working out in the yard. I bought a couple of eggplants earlier this week to make eggplant parmesan which I did Friday, starting about 3:30 and finally putting the assembled dish in the oven at 7:30. This is the craziest recipe. It calls for two eggplants, about 2 1/2 lbs worth (mine totaled a little over 2 lbs). Slice in 1/4 thick sections, should yield 16 to 18 slices (I got that from each eggplant), place on wire rack and salt both sides and let sit an hour, then rinse and pat dry, coat with flour, dip in egg, dredge in a mix of bread crumbs and grated parmesan cheese, fry in olive oil til both sides are golden brown, and then assemble in an 8” x 8” baking dish. 3 layers...sauce, eggplant slices, cheese. No way all 34 slices of eggplant are fitting in that pan and the 3 cups of sauce it calls for isn't nearly enough. It's a good thing I had a large jar of tomato basil spaghetti sauce in the pantry. Anyway, it took my 10” x 10” dish and a smaller one. We ate all the smaller one and this one will get divided up for future meals. I guess it's a good thing it makes so much since it is so labor intensive and time consuming but it was really good.

it looked better straight out of the oven instead of straight out of the refrigerator overnight

As of last Thursday, Marc and I are fully immunized, or as fully as it gets, as it's now been two weeks since our second jab. I'm still wearing a mask when I go out, giving Biden his 100 days, and I'm glad to see that most people around here at least are still wearing masks even though our stupid governor lifted the mask mandate last Wednesday even with Texas being #2 in total infections and #3 in deaths through his lackluster and anemic response to the pandemic and he is now saying that any rise in infections and deaths will be due to migrants coming across the border because of Biden's more humane immigration policy even though Biden approved federal money to test migrants before allowing them in which our governor has refused to implement. Whew! How's that for a run-on sentence.

Democrats passed and Biden signed the American Rescue Act, an immensely popular bill, without a single Republican vote and of course Republicans are out there trashing it calling the relief checks and expanded unemployment 'free money' and calling for people and states to return the funds because...national debt, the very national debt they had no trouble creating by giving permanent tax cuts to corporations and the very wealthy and only care about when the Democrats are in charge. And so while they are calling for the working class to return their stimulus checks they are also calling for another tax cut, an end to the estate tax which only kicks in if the estate is worth $12M or more so once again this tax cut would only benefit the very wealthy. But these stimulus funds aren't free money. American workers pay taxes, often at a higher rate than the most wealthy Americans pay and so the average working American is just getting some of that tax money back to see them through the pandemic.

So once again, in order not to end on sour grapes from the Republicans, I looked up the other morning to see this walking across the yard headed to its burrow under the house,

a picture of Minnie,


are we doing something?

and last night's sunset. 




17 comments:

  1. Nice pictures! We probably have a possum or an armadillo living under our house. There's a big hole leading that way right by the swing porch steps. I wouldn't mind if they didn't rip out insulation and ductwork.
    I wish Mr. Moon liked eggplant more because I love it. Have you ever baked the slices instead of frying them? Works pretty well, far less messy. Might not taste as good though.

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    1. no, never tried baking. maybe next time. the possums just drive Minnie nuts. she can smell them but she can't get under the house and occasionally she'll corner one and then I have to go rescue her. I'm not worried about the possums but I'm afraid in their fear they'll attack her but good thing if they do is that they don't carry rabies.

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  2. Such a beautiful photo of your home and that sunset is divine. I love reading your political summaries because I feel as if I am not alone. I agree with every word you write, and sometimes I can barely stand the hypocrisy and lies pouring from the GOP. But I do love how Biden has reframed bipartisanship as a bill widely supported by Republican governors, mayors, and voters. I hope said voters will remember that not a single Republican in Congress voted in their interests.

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    1. that's not my house in the top picture, just one in my sister's old neighborhood with a beautiful pink magnolia in the front.

      it's amazing how two faced the Republicans are and outright liars...refuse to vote on any Democrat bill for the simple reason that Dems proposed it and then accuse Ds of being partisan.

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  3. Seeing trees in blossom already is a real treat. Weeks more here, and our weather's turned cold again, not encouraging them to blossom out. I hope more of your garden recovers from your weird winter. What a lot of plantings you have. I hadn't realized until you started reading them off with reports on their condition.

    We are on the very northern edge of being able to grow magnolia soulangeana. I planted one at our first house, which grew very happily, blossomed massively and then almost every year was hit by a late frost, resulting in brown rags all over the tree, sigh. Lovely while it lasted. Star magnolia isn't as tender, I think.

    Very glad you'll be as safe as you can be. My second precious shot is April 1, and by the end of April I'm planning to resume my own shopping, how exciting is that!

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  4. Love seeing spring blooming there. The photos are beautiful, and I especially love that sunset. Nice to see the opossum there and your doggie too.
    Yes to everything you write about politics in these times.

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  5. That's my first opossum in the wild - virtual but still! Thanks for that. And there is still so much hope for more survivors, great news.


    I used to work in a co-op restaurant in a former life and eggplant parmesan was a weekly regular and we had it down to maybe two hours max but still it was a hassle, if a tasty one.
    Apparently, and I've been told from a reliable source, the recipes calling for salting and resting of sliced raw eggplants before cooking are outdated as they are based on varieties of eggplant that are no longer grown commercially. The salting was done to remove bitterness but since all bred varieties available now are much milder you can cut that step out completely.

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  6. That first picture could be a real estate ad. How lovely. How wonderful that your yard is coming back. Not springing back, but surprising you at every turn.

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  7. I have this problem all the time, a serious shortage of big pots and way to many little ones. I like this time of year, there is something new to look at everyday.

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  8. I love how opossums walk with their tails straight out. They are such unfairly-maligned animals. Your flowering trees are so beautiful - spring does help us balance out all of the toxic news that keeps streaming out of the news channels. Minnie is adorable.

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  9. I was wondering what your dog's name was when you pictured her in the bed in one of your previous blogs. Minnie is so cute!

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  10. Love your blooming trees! Apparently if the Republicans aren't trashing the bill they're taking credit for it. SMH

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  11. Congratulations upon being immunized. I always enjoy your news on the home-front and your thoughts about politics.

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  12. Did you see the latest outrage from Ted Cruz? Tucker Carlson criticized the military for not being manly enough due to too many pregnant women in uniform. The military reacted and said supportive stuff about women. Ted is now sending letters to Secretary of Defense demanding that the Commandant of the Marines appear in his office for a dressing down on all of this.

    So my question is: Do people in Texas actually like this nimrod?

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    1. he's an asshole. I don't know anyone that likes him and the only reason he gets re-elected is because of gerrymandering. and even so he barely defeated Beto last time. I certainly hope the Commander ignores the demand.

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  13. Minnie is so wide-eyed in that picture! Such a funny expression. I'm glad more of your plants are showing signs of life and the oaks are coming out again. Dave is convinced that voters will remember the Republicans' failure to support this relief bill, but knowing how short-term their memories are, I'm not so sure.

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