Blessings Darlings!
I have set up a grocery pick up with Walmart, which I usually call The Evil Empire. I still worry a lot about their employees, but it's certainly better for them that folks do pick up than shop.
Apparently I'm not working hard enough for The Morrigan. A bit ago, I was PMing a friend (Hi Keri!) and a crow came by and told me to get back to work. So out to the garden I went, back to shoveling cow shit. Paused to talk to the farmer as she was driving away, having cared for the cows (3 new calves!), and after a couple of minutes of that, the crow came back to tell me off again.
An Morrigu is NOT the one sending those memes around saying "it's okay be not get stuff done because you're traumatized." Her message to ME (and yours may well vary) is "get shit done or you'll get more traumatized later." Not by HER necessarily, but by other issues/situations that come up.
Okay - apparently that message from The Morrigan was ... local. That I needed to work in the garden and get the laundry off the clothes line BEFORE IT STARTED RAINING. At any rate, I did as much as I could in the garden before my back and legs insisted that I stop. And then it immediately started sprinkling.
See what happened there? I made a mistake, and took the leap that a totally personal (and possibly just applicable for a few hours) message from the Gods was for everyone, everywhere, for all time. I declared it to be UNIVERSAL. And I was wrong. I . fucked . that . up.
At least I won't need to water the seedings today.
Anyway - did laundry, hung it on line, moved it to dryer when rain started. Worked a lot in the garden. Offering make to The Morrigan. Made bread. Went to the grocer to get things that Walmart said they didn't have. Will probably find out more things that they didn't have after I do the pick up tomorrow.
Frondly, Fern
Tuesday, April 7, 2020
Monday, April 6, 2020
Is this Monday?
Blessings Darlings!
Having a bit less 'active' a day today than yesterday. Laundry on line. Bill paying. Trying to do an online order of groceries, for either delivery or pickup, but all time slots filled. Trying that every few hours to see when they add more time slots. [Later] oh - it looks like they only open slots 'in the morning'. I'll have to check after midnight.
PM of England, Boris Johnson, now in ICU due to Covid 19. One of the asses who delayed his country's defense against it.
The farmer gave me two front-end loader buckets full of manure/hay mix, dumped it over the fence into the garden. That will make the next few days of work WAY easier! She's a lovely woman.
Useless day. Oh well. Maybe tomorrow will be better.
Frondly, Fern
Having a bit less 'active' a day today than yesterday. Laundry on line. Bill paying. Trying to do an online order of groceries, for either delivery or pickup, but all time slots filled. Trying that every few hours to see when they add more time slots. [Later] oh - it looks like they only open slots 'in the morning'. I'll have to check after midnight.
PM of England, Boris Johnson, now in ICU due to Covid 19. One of the asses who delayed his country's defense against it.
The farmer gave me two front-end loader buckets full of manure/hay mix, dumped it over the fence into the garden. That will make the next few days of work WAY easier! She's a lovely woman.
Useless day. Oh well. Maybe tomorrow will be better.
Frondly, Fern
Sunday, April 5, 2020
From Garden to Oven.
Blessings Darlings!
I have a lot of 'weeds' in my garden right now. It's too early for most things to be planted, let alone producing ... unless you count the weeds. As it happens, I DO count the weeds.
So I went out earlier today and harvested a colander full of 'wild greens', mostly chickweed, but some purple dead nettle was in the bunch. Brought 'em in, cleaned 'em, chopped 'em, threw the lot of 'em in a big saute pan. With a metal handle. Then I went back outside, to the onions that had over wintered. They have huge amounts of green onion action, but that's not what I harvested. I harvested the onion snapes - the long stemmed onion flower buds. Saving the thin tops and actual flower buds, I chopped the thick lower stems and threw them in the pan. Added salt, pepper, and the NOT extra virgin olive oil I use for sauteing. Once they were soft, I added diced canned tomatoes, some gorgonzola crumbles, and 8 well beaten eggs. The frittata is now in the oven.
I'm probably the only one in the household that will eat this. The Spawn doesn't like onions, the Chubby Hubby isn't enamored with gorgonzola, and both are suspicious of me and my wild greens. But I expect wonders from it. [later that morning - I was right. About me loving it, CH not liking the gorgonzola, and the Spawn not being thrilled with the onions. But the Spawn also thought there were too many greens in it.]
Plague deaths in the US have topped 1000 each of the last two days. We're still at least 10 days from peak cases, and longer than that from peak deaths - and those estimates are for WITH total social distancing compliance. The asshole PM of England has Covid 19 so bad that he's hospitalized - after he fucking BRAGGED about going around shaking people's hands. OTOH, Queen Elizabeth II gave quite an inspiring speech about getting thru' it.
We spent quality family time today working in the garden, until the backs of us two old farts told us to stop. It only took one hour to get to that point. Still, we got a lot accomplished. The onions are mostly planted, and I should be able to FINALLY start the potatoes ... tomorrow or whenever I get permission from my back to do it.
After the potatoes are in, I get to work more on topping the garden with the manure/straw mix, and start transplanting the started seeds. I'll begin with the radishes and go from there. And I have a lot more seeds that I need to start.
My back is NOT going to be amused.
Let's see - also did laundry and line dried it. Did two batches of dishes. Baked bread.
Let's finish with a song, suggested by Byron Ballard https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ixbah9u234
Frondly, Fern
I have a lot of 'weeds' in my garden right now. It's too early for most things to be planted, let alone producing ... unless you count the weeds. As it happens, I DO count the weeds.
So I went out earlier today and harvested a colander full of 'wild greens', mostly chickweed, but some purple dead nettle was in the bunch. Brought 'em in, cleaned 'em, chopped 'em, threw the lot of 'em in a big saute pan. With a metal handle. Then I went back outside, to the onions that had over wintered. They have huge amounts of green onion action, but that's not what I harvested. I harvested the onion snapes - the long stemmed onion flower buds. Saving the thin tops and actual flower buds, I chopped the thick lower stems and threw them in the pan. Added salt, pepper, and the NOT extra virgin olive oil I use for sauteing. Once they were soft, I added diced canned tomatoes, some gorgonzola crumbles, and 8 well beaten eggs. The frittata is now in the oven.
I'm probably the only one in the household that will eat this. The Spawn doesn't like onions, the Chubby Hubby isn't enamored with gorgonzola, and both are suspicious of me and my wild greens. But I expect wonders from it. [later that morning - I was right. About me loving it, CH not liking the gorgonzola, and the Spawn not being thrilled with the onions. But the Spawn also thought there were too many greens in it.]
Plague deaths in the US have topped 1000 each of the last two days. We're still at least 10 days from peak cases, and longer than that from peak deaths - and those estimates are for WITH total social distancing compliance. The asshole PM of England has Covid 19 so bad that he's hospitalized - after he fucking BRAGGED about going around shaking people's hands. OTOH, Queen Elizabeth II gave quite an inspiring speech about getting thru' it.
We spent quality family time today working in the garden, until the backs of us two old farts told us to stop. It only took one hour to get to that point. Still, we got a lot accomplished. The onions are mostly planted, and I should be able to FINALLY start the potatoes ... tomorrow or whenever I get permission from my back to do it.
After the potatoes are in, I get to work more on topping the garden with the manure/straw mix, and start transplanting the started seeds. I'll begin with the radishes and go from there. And I have a lot more seeds that I need to start.
My back is NOT going to be amused.
Let's see - also did laundry and line dried it. Did two batches of dishes. Baked bread.
Let's finish with a song, suggested by Byron Ballard https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ixbah9u234
Frondly, Fern
Saturday, April 4, 2020
Salt free Saturday.
Blessings Darlings!
Not for ONE MINUTE did I think that table salt would be an issue for us during 'stay at home.' But - here we are, and here it is. OTOH, I have 'enough' in the salt shakers for a week, and kosher salt, popcorn salt, canning salt, and pretzel salt to choose amongst for cooking.
I'm going with the kosher salt.
I'm being rather useless again today. Making bread. dropping the yeast starter all over the floor. Cleaning the floor. Doing dishes. Napping. Reading.
Frondly, Fern
Frondly, Fern
Friday, April 3, 2020
It's a foodie Friday.
Blessings Darlings!
It looks like the beets are sprouting today.
I'm bopping in and out of the house every 15 minutes for the next two hours, putting more soaked hickory chips on top of the charcoal in the smoker. Today is "Smoke a pork shoulder roast" at Chez Fern. It will be pulled pork tonight, egg rolls another night, and lots of other things. It's been in the freezer for a couple of months. I used part of it before freezing it, for a stir fry. We'll have it with fried potato wedges and cole slaw - I bought an extra head of cabbage on the cusp of the stay at home orders, as well as a small (for us) 5 pound bag of potatoes. I go thru' a lot of potatoes - the guys prefer rice. Whatever. Since the Spawn forgot to buy egg roll wrappers, I'll have to make those from scratch.
Will I have enough time? Welp ... yup.
Doing this IS going to 'not help' the knee tendonitis, due to the steps up and down from the door to the smoker. Life is far from perfection, and 'not helping' is a fact of life.
Bill Withers has died. I'm sad, and listening to his music.
The Chubby Hubby has agreed to garden work this weekend. The Spawn ... hasn't agreed, but I expect that he is just going to do it.
3 pm: pork shoulder has been smoked, is now in the over to actually cook. The concept of making cole slaw is overwhelming me, for no actual reason. Other than my back hurting, again, for no actual reason.
Well, gotta finish the food and my day.
Frondly, Fern
It looks like the beets are sprouting today.
I'm bopping in and out of the house every 15 minutes for the next two hours, putting more soaked hickory chips on top of the charcoal in the smoker. Today is "Smoke a pork shoulder roast" at Chez Fern. It will be pulled pork tonight, egg rolls another night, and lots of other things. It's been in the freezer for a couple of months. I used part of it before freezing it, for a stir fry. We'll have it with fried potato wedges and cole slaw - I bought an extra head of cabbage on the cusp of the stay at home orders, as well as a small (for us) 5 pound bag of potatoes. I go thru' a lot of potatoes - the guys prefer rice. Whatever. Since the Spawn forgot to buy egg roll wrappers, I'll have to make those from scratch.
Will I have enough time? Welp ... yup.
Doing this IS going to 'not help' the knee tendonitis, due to the steps up and down from the door to the smoker. Life is far from perfection, and 'not helping' is a fact of life.
Bill Withers has died. I'm sad, and listening to his music.
The Chubby Hubby has agreed to garden work this weekend. The Spawn ... hasn't agreed, but I expect that he is just going to do it.
3 pm: pork shoulder has been smoked, is now in the over to actually cook. The concept of making cole slaw is overwhelming me, for no actual reason. Other than my back hurting, again, for no actual reason.
Well, gotta finish the food and my day.
Frondly, Fern
Thursday, April 2, 2020
Achin' Bacon.
Blessings, Darlings!
Now the turnips are sprouting!
Dear Gods, my back went crazy after the garden work yesterday. Along with putting cardboard down, I'd forked up and removed some grass from the already-established garden. My back took serious offense at that. But my knees didn't! I really have to get the hubby and spawn doing more of this.
I wasn't this out of shape last year at this time. Last year I was working on regularly, losing weight, all those good things. Then ... I stopped going to the gym to save $ because it was clear that at the very least my hours at work would be cut back. And then they were. And three months after that, business at work dropped again, due to the virus.
It's a good thing I put bricks on the cardboard yesterday, rather than relying on 'thoughts and prayers' - today is extremely windy, and everything is staying in place.
The Spawn shopped today - a day earlier than I expected that he would. So the list he shopped with was, at best, 'incomplete'. He spent $16 on what he thought were necessities. But no lunch stuff, no salt (we're out of table salt to refill things, but have superfine and kosher), no provolone, etc. We'll just have to wait a week for those. Oh, and no egg roll wrappers - we'll have to make our own. Excuse me, *I* will have to make our own. I'd better start the bean sprouts for the egg rolls, too. We're smoking some pork shoulder tomorrow, and while we'll use most of it for bbq sandwiches, 9 oz of it will go into a big batch of egg rolls.
Wintercress/creasy greens FTW! Using them as a Bi Bim Bap veggie today. Using it for 'spinach' crepes sometime this weekend. Getting all the veggies ready for the BBB is a bowl-intensive thing. Prepping them, and then washing everything afterwards, is a work intensive thing. But it came out amazing.
I'm taking my achin' bacon to bed now. Sleep tight.
Frondly, Fern
Now the turnips are sprouting!
Dear Gods, my back went crazy after the garden work yesterday. Along with putting cardboard down, I'd forked up and removed some grass from the already-established garden. My back took serious offense at that. But my knees didn't! I really have to get the hubby and spawn doing more of this.
I wasn't this out of shape last year at this time. Last year I was working on regularly, losing weight, all those good things. Then ... I stopped going to the gym to save $ because it was clear that at the very least my hours at work would be cut back. And then they were. And three months after that, business at work dropped again, due to the virus.
It's a good thing I put bricks on the cardboard yesterday, rather than relying on 'thoughts and prayers' - today is extremely windy, and everything is staying in place.
The Spawn shopped today - a day earlier than I expected that he would. So the list he shopped with was, at best, 'incomplete'. He spent $16 on what he thought were necessities. But no lunch stuff, no salt (we're out of table salt to refill things, but have superfine and kosher), no provolone, etc. We'll just have to wait a week for those. Oh, and no egg roll wrappers - we'll have to make our own. Excuse me, *I* will have to make our own. I'd better start the bean sprouts for the egg rolls, too. We're smoking some pork shoulder tomorrow, and while we'll use most of it for bbq sandwiches, 9 oz of it will go into a big batch of egg rolls.
Wintercress/creasy greens FTW! Using them as a Bi Bim Bap veggie today. Using it for 'spinach' crepes sometime this weekend. Getting all the veggies ready for the BBB is a bowl-intensive thing. Prepping them, and then washing everything afterwards, is a work intensive thing. But it came out amazing.
I'm taking my achin' bacon to bed now. Sleep tight.
Frondly, Fern
Wednesday, April 1, 2020
A Garden Day
Blessings, Darlings!
Gardening time.
Even tho' my knee is still extremely fucked up with tendonitis (It will need another 4 to 11 weeks before I expect it to be 'mostly better') I worked in the garden today. Not being an idiot, I focused on stuff I could do with minimal knee involvement. I focused on covering the newly mown grass (holy fuck, American Facebook doesn't think that 'mown' is a real word) with flattened cardboard boxes and weighing them down so they won't blow away in the mighty spring winds. This will help smother most of the grass, making it easier to turn it into garden without having to put lots of knee effort into it.
I didn't get a huge amount done, maybe only about 30 square feet covered. But it I do some every week, that's serious progress.
The cardboard boxes are empties I took home from work over the past few months. I knew SOMETHING was coming, and was clear about shit being shut down, but didn't know about the virus. So I prepared to increase the garden as cheaply and efficiently as possible.
They are weighed down with bricks that I really want to use for a different purpose, and if I can get my knee or my family to agree to haul manure to put on the cardboard to hold it down, I'll replace the bricks with that.
Now that I'm
not working, I will run out of cardboard pretty darn quickly, I'm
afraid. I'll have to look for new sources at that point. Probably the
grocery store.
Meanwhile, I have been starting seeds for the past week and today my radishes are up! Yay!
In the more daily daily - washed dishes, have started bread.
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