Gardening

Stargazer lily blooming out front - Theo wanted to smell it.

In East Texas, these lilies were blooming and I saw several big, impressive clumps of them. Mine are all single bulbs so far but I hope they will multiply.

In the backyard, I have 3 barrel planters. One has yellow squash, one has zucchini,

and one has cucumbers.

Grape tomatoes - my favorite!

Early girl tomatoes - don't tell her that the grape tomatoes were earlier though!

Herbs - the 2 basil plants are growing the thyme all died.

Texas pictures

I spent the last week in Texas with my parents as they continue to heal and get back to normal. They are both doing better and I am back in Oklahoma for now.

Mostly I was with them at their home and went on errands with them and did their meals.

I took just a few pictures while I was there.

I went to really nice health food store and bought Nina some wheat free products. She is wheat intolerant, not as bad as wheat allergic. Wheat allergies are similar to Celiac and gluten allergies but not quite as restrictive. There is so much to learn and we are still learning.

Nina has successfully baked tasty bread with spelt flour. Spelt tastes good and is a cousin of wheat and seems to agree with her.

I found spelt pasta, spelt white flour and spelt whole grain flour. I also got the barley and oat flours because they had good-sounding recipes on the backs of the bags.

The store is called Granary St.

I think if you click on the picture, it will enlarge enough to read if you are interested.

My parents home is filled with many pretty things, most of them antique or handmade by Mom. I really like this little table. She did the round patchwork tablecloth years ago and it used to be in their bedroom. Now, it also has a crocheted topper and assortment of family pictures.

Boomer, my brother's dog

He is a very lucky dog as he gets to spends his days in sort of doggie day care at my parents home while my brother works.

My brother Rex - can you tell he was not real thrilled with having his picture taken?

I was there during his birthday and baked him a fluffy yellow layer cake with chocolate frosting from an Americas Test Kitchen recipe.

Inside the cake - it really was good too!

A pink stretched Cadillac - it was just in a parking lot and I thought it was interesting.

After all, what would Texas pictures be without something big? Texans really do think everything in Texas is bigger and better.

Overheard in an Orchard

Overheard In An Orchard

Said the Robin to the Sparrow
“I should really like to know
Why these anxious human beings
Rush about and worry so.”

Said the Sparrow to the Robin
“Friend I think that it must be
That they have no Heavenly Father
Such as cares for you and me.”

–Elizabeth Chaney - 1859

I spent some time looking around several blogs and came across this poem. It is very familiar to me, I think one of my grandmothers had it stitched on a sampler or maybe it was a painted plaque. So I am not sure where I've read it before, but it isn't it so sweet and true?

Week 22 - 2009

This has not been a normal week. For part of the week, I was at home and cooked meals there. But now I am back in Texas helping my parents as my dad recuperates from surgery and my mom from a fall.
I kept track of the groceries I bought but not of the meals I've cooked.

I bought some frozen food for Jeff and Jimmy to have while I am gone. They both know how to cook but after work, I am pretty sure they would just prefer to heat up something instead of cook a meal and then do the dishes too.

What I bought
Aldis
frozen chicken
3 cans each fruit cocktail, grapefruit and peaches
2 bags pretzels, brown sugar and vanilla
butter and margarine
3 bags spinach, grape and roma tomatoes, 3 bell peppers, 2 cucumbers and 3 pounds onions

Walmart
2 Neopolation ice cream used $1 coupons on each
5 frozen pizzas
2 Mexican dinners
4 pot pies
3 pounds hot sausage and 3 cans grands biscuits - made this into breakfast sandwiches
smoked turkey lunchmeat
1 loaf bread
12 jello used $1/3 coupons on these
2 drink mixes, case of bottle water, 24 pack sugar free sodas - we needed extra beverages for the car trips
2 jugs of juice - white grape and pink grapefruit


I've been cooking meals at my parents. I made a new banana bread recipe yesterday that I found on Elizabeth's blog. It has a cinnamon in it and it really makes a nice loaf of banana bread. I did add pecans to my batch.

Grocery Cart Challenge hosted by Gayle

Gavin - 4 months old today

Gavin's mommy took this picture with her I-phone as he was waking up this morning. She says he sleeps all night and almost always wakes up happy.
I think he wakes up pretty cute too!