Friday Garden

Friday's pictures:

Testing, 1, 2, 3... Updated

Update  Got a call Friday evening from Dr. Lin's office.  He wants me to consult with a neurosurgeon, based on the MRI findings.

Oh, goody.

I have an MRI scheduled for tomorrow (Thursday) evening, and some sort of nerve testing early Friday afternoon.  The follow-up visit with Dr. Lin is scheduled for July 11.  I was told that if he thought something was urgent, he would contact me to get in earlier.

I'm relatively mobile, but lately it's been more painful to get around.  So I haven't been, much, except I've been expending my energies and mobility on the garden.

More later...

Friday Garden

Here we go again...

Establishing shot.  Can't believe how much has grown in one week.  I got out and trimmed back lawn and weeds, for a tidier look.

Tomatoes and melons.  The Early Girls are almost as tall as the Big Mommas.  Melons are doing well. too.

I potted several of the pepper plants, because most of them were getting over shadowed by the tomatoes.  So now I have 'Pepperland'!

Kitchen bed is well.  Two new garlic have sprouted!

Blackberry is healthy !

Onions and garlic!  New garlic sprouts in the lower-left quadrant!

Tiger Lilies and Royal Candles.

Tiger Lilies, and the lost-in-the-weeds blueberry!

Audit The IRS - 6/19 (Updated and Bumped)

More here!

I'd love to go, but the cost of gas is, shall we say, prohibitive.  I'm looking for someone in the York/Lancaster, PA area who would like to drive and split the cost of gas.  (I'll drive and split the cost if you prefer.)

Leave a comment if you're interested.

Thanks!

Update:  I've been put in touch with a group that is arranging buses to the rally.  The pick up sites are relatively close to the York PA area (Westminster, MD, Owings Mills, MD, and near Towson and Bel-Air as well.)

Info and sign-up at: Restore America's Mission

Father's Day, 2013 (Updated)

Had a nice, long chat with the Kiddo.  She was sitting in her car, on top of The Rim at the Billings airport, knitting while we chatted.  She had sent me a present, which arrived Friday.  I told her that I would wait until today to open it.  I resolved to open it when she called.  She called once, but it rolled to voice mail without ringing.  I left a message on her's, and since she had called, decided to go ahead and open it!

To my joy and surprise, it was a cook book holder.  It's collapsible, to the size of a smallish cigar box laptop.  And, it has some storage!  And a conversion chart, from teaspoons to cups, to ounces to milliliters.

The book support has a clip for holding recipe cards and such.

And of course it holds books!

Eat What You Want And Die Like A Man by Steve H. Graham

As part of dinner this evening, Crock Pot Beans!

`

If you're wondering...

1 lb white beans                       1 c brown sugar

1 large onion                             1/3 c yellow mustard
1 lb ham, in chunks                  1/4 c cider vinegar
1 12oz can diced tomatoes     1 tbsp liquid smoke 
1 can tomato paste                   1 tbsp Worchestershire sauce
About 20 oz stew run-off (chicken or beef - I'm not sure which.  Smelled good, tho.)

I started soaking the beans Friday night to de-gasifiy them.  (Safety tip!!)

Saturday afternoon, I put everything into the crock pot, and cooked on high for about 6 hours.  I turn to low when I went upstairs, and let it go over night.  Turned down to warm this morning when I got up.

All of the above are "to taste", measurement approximate, since I squeeze and splash instead of measuring.  YMMV!  I neglected to account for heat - a couple of Thai Hot Peppers should probably have gone in, but I can always add some Tapatio if I need heat!

Dinner: planning on grilling a couple of burgers (if it doesn't rain), and having some mashed potatoes. Brownies for dessert!

Update:
I should have added more sugar.  The amount I used was what normally works well when I use catsup instead of canned tomatoes.  Also, some more liquid smoke.  I didn't get around to brownies, but I did grill the burgers outside.  And got beer.

All in all, a great Father's Day.

I May Not Be Spock...

...but I had some cool toys to share!

The Kiddo and me, at the Bird Farm, 2004-ish.

My Dad Is...

...Mr. Spock!

OK, you win.

(Via Post Secret!)