August's End

Here it goes...rushing off towards September, knocking things over in it's wake. We are having July weather here, the heat index was in triple digits again today. Too hot to breathe.  Life sucking heat. Yuck.

 And I feel crazy.  All the gardn stuff is coming in at once. The quality is so-so...thanks weird weather !  It got cool and cloudy when it needed to be hot and sunny. And then it stayed that way for too long.  Now it should be cooling some, and instead it's a hundred degrees and no rain for weeks  and the garden is about to go up in flames.  And part of me (that DISTURBED part) hopes it does and that I have a camera with me. Even though I don't have nearly enough food put by.  Even though I'm dancing as fast as I can. 


  I dehydrated tomatoes and okra today. Yesterday I picked about a bushel of edamame pods --the rest dried up and will be saved for seed for next year. I guess.   A bushel of edamame pods isn't nearly as much as I would like to have...it may turn into 3-4 quart bags tops.  I'd much rather have 15-20 bags, as usual.  SInce I blogged last (I think) I have canned diced tomatoes, tomato sauce and sweet relish. There are ugly giant green beans out there that are good for nothing. I don't even want to pick them.  It's been so hot you can't be out in it for more than about 15 minutes at a time. It makes for some tedious gardening. The chickens are sufering, even though they have shade and 3 waterers...they are panting like they want to lay down and die, and I know just how they feel, because the heat does that to me too. Egg production has been off this whole season.  This is turning into one of those years that make you glad you have overcanned and dried and frozen the past couple of years. You know (fingers crossed) you aren't going to starve, but you may wind up eating some (cough) interesting meals. I'll be glad when it's over.


 
  It's a holiday weekend.  We are talking of a possible picnic on Monday, IF it cools off.  If not, I'm content to stay home with the drapes closed. Watch movies.  Eat like a pig.  I'm trying to stay close to my food plan, but some days (like last night) I ate too late and we went to a Mexican place and I had a couple of tortilla chips (corn is a no-no) and a dab of sour cream (dairy is a no-no) and a shrimp quesadilla with some cheese sauce (more dairy--eek!  and the flour tortilla (wheat is a no-no). Sigh...but it was surely tasty.  I got on the scale this morning and I did indeed gain back a pound.  I haven't been eating ENOUGH either--this weather makes it really hard to eat.  This too shall pass, I'm sure.  Today I bought some protein powder packets to add to smoothies or juices. That will help.  Bought a couple of different ones to try before I buy a big expensive container.I ate a snack this morning between breakfast and lunch, but then I didn't eat another one like I'm supposed to. Had a nice veggie stir-fry over rice for supper, with a reasonable piece of broiled salmon on the side. I'm still not hungry, and need to have a snack. Maybe I can choke down a few almonds....



 My nephew and his girlfriend dropped by unexpectedly tonight, with his newest adopted sister.  His mother is a child hoarder. Her youngest one is grown now, so she adopted 2 more.   A very sweet girl and we had a delightful; visit. My house, of course, was a mess. But--so were they. They had been out at a local lake swimming all day and I felt loved by his wanting to stop in and see his old auntie.  Warmed my mean old heart...

 I finally found those goofy light bulbs for my kitchen ceiling light. They're a halogen bulb and a little expensive, but the damned thing kept burning out bulbs one at a time until there was only 1 left, and I couldn't see well enough to do anything in the kitchen. I feel like I have died and gone to a well lit heaven now.   LOL  I bought that light on a clearance sale, and I was afraid I was going to have to buy a whole new fixture. Had pretty much decided to just go back to another fluorescent, as much as I dislike them, because it was easier and cheaper. Problem solved.

 Okay. I need to get to bed at a reasonable hour tonight.  I'm finishing up my almonds. I'll drink the rest of my water and  mosey off in that direction.

 Happy Labor Day Weekend, folks.




Namaste.