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Post by emmsmommy on Oct 25, 2021 18:41:47 GMT -5
Went on the field trip with my daughter and was in charge of leading seven rambunctious second graders on a scavenger hunt which made me realize how glad I am to only have one. There was a shortage of parent volunteers so I brought my daughter home as soon as we arrived at the school as her aide was going to be needed for the second trip. I'm so happy to see that she's bonded with her aide and have absolutely no reservations about her. We took another walk after lunch and both of us took a nap. Tomorrow hubby has another appointment with the eye specialist and I'm hoping to stop at the thrift store nearby in hopes of finding a dark green flannel sheet to use in my aunt's rag quilt. Then it will be back home in time to pick up the kiddo at school.
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Post by centralilrookie on Oct 25, 2021 18:45:16 GMT -5
New refrigerator and dishwasher were finally delivered to finalize the replacement of all kitchen appliances. Sent a text to sweethearts three sons, who are all licensed plumbers, for a volunteer to install the dishwasher. Had response immediately and the dishwasher was installed before sweetheart got home from work. It was a good day…..
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Post by pepperhead212 on Oct 25, 2021 22:10:59 GMT -5
Today I did as much as I could, before the rain came, and got a lot done! I pulled most of the tomato plants that were left - just 5 cherries left. I pulled all of the tomatoes, including green tomatoes, leaving the smaller ones, except those that are small when mature. Some of the last tomatoes of the year, 10-25 by pepperhead212, on Flickr Green tomatoes, from the plants I removed today. by pepperhead212, on Flickr I trimmed my marjoram and Syrian oregano, to get a lot to dry, plus to root a couple of each, as a safety net, in case they were killed by intense cold. Each spring, I give the spare plant to a friend, and they just get larger! Marjoram Left, and Syrian Oregano, harvested on 10-25 by pepperhead212, on Flickr A few beans, I have been getting every day, but most had stopped, except for the Thai long reds. Seems the cold would have stopped those first! Just a few beans at the end of the season, including the dry pod, of red Thai long beans. by pepperhead212, on Flickr Here's the largest greens I have in SIPs, previously with tomatoes, and just a half tsp Epsom salts, and a tsp calcium nitrate, in the very beginning. Red Dragon cabbage, 4 plants in SIP, 10-25 by pepperhead212, on Flickr And here's something that I have to harvest soon - lemongrass! This is larger than it has ever gotten for me. 4 lemongrass clusters, next to a large sage and rosemary plants. Ready to be harvested soon, 10-25 by pepperhead212, on Flickr
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Post by Mumsey on Oct 26, 2021 5:14:09 GMT -5
Nice brisk walk yesterday morning. I'll be glad when we switch back to standard time, we can go earlier. Hauled another 6 bins of stuff out of the yard/garden. Then mowed the yard as I was in need of grass/leaves to cover the bare spots vacated by what I pulled out. There is still lettuce and chard out there, both have been tolerating the colder night temps.
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Post by gardendmpls on Oct 26, 2021 8:10:20 GMT -5
something that I have to harvest soon - lemongrass! I grew some for the first time, from seed. How do you harvest and preserve?
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Post by desertwoman on Oct 26, 2021 9:25:50 GMT -5
What an amazing harvest in late October! pepperhead212, I've mentioned before- we are the same growing zone but you have a far different experience in your 6b! My garden has been done for weeks due that earlier than normal hard freeze we got. But even without an abnormal freeze I would not have the harvest you have at this time. I do still have parsley. It loves cooler weather.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Oct 26, 2021 11:48:35 GMT -5
desertwoman I have some huge parsley out there! I was just looking at it yesterday, to see if there were any more swallowtail caterpillars, but none any longer. That's why I grow that patch of parsley - it's way more than I ever use. gardendmpls I dig the clusters of lemongrass up, and hose the dirt off. I take one cluster over to a board on my picnic table, and using an 8" cleaver cut the top greens off, leaving about 12" of the bottom. I put the greens in a clean bucket, then I cut the roots off of all of the stalks, until I got to the parts of the stalks where I saw the circular parts of the stalk - past the solid root stalk - just like when cleaning storebought lemongrass. Not much needs trimmed - most I just peeled one layer from, since they are fresh, and don't need several dried layers peeled off. The stalks are about 8", the thinner ones about 6". I don't bother with the really thin stalks, but 3/16" or larger I use. The greens I also use, cutting to about 10" long. All these things I vacuum sealed, in large packs, as well as smaller packs of the larger stalks, for individual recipes. Those vacuum sealed packs are still good, after 4 years! I'll have to thaw those, and maybe grind them up, and use them as some sort of bug repellent, out in the garden. Same thing with the smallest stalks.
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Post by emmsmommy on Oct 26, 2021 14:30:19 GMT -5
I think the field trip and afternoon walk were too much for the kiddo as she woke congested with a runny nose and crying, which is rare for her. Messaged the aide, left a message at school and sent hubby to the bottom of the driveway to tell the bus driver as it was too late to reach him by phone. Hubby wanted to cancel with the eye specialist but I told him not too as it would be 3-4 months before he could get another appointmentand we'd stay in the car. Kiddo slept all the way to town and when she woke up we jammed to Halloween music in the car. She's feeling better but the congestion is still there. Good probability that we'll be keeping her home tomorrow too. I made a quick trip into the thrift store looking for flannel and came back with corduroy instead. Also found a quilting magazine and some beginning piano books on the free rack. Kiddo has taken an interest in her keyboard and I thought it would be nice to learn some new songs. Stopped at the small grocery store a few miles away as I wanted to grab some chicken breast and pork loin while they were on sale. Out of chicken breast but picked up a loin and a bag of bulk ground chuck. Currently have a meatloaf in the oven, chili in the slow cooker and a batch of hotdog chili cooking. 75% of it is destined for the freezer and I haven't tackled the pork loin yet.
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Post by pepperhead212 on Oct 26, 2021 15:54:12 GMT -5
It's been very windy here today, but no rain yet, so I went up to Dollar General, to get some milk, to make some more yogurt, and a couple of other things. They only had two 2% half gallons, but must have just loaded the 4% ones in! I got some more of those cheap "tagless tea bags" they have - price hasn't gone up on them, so I am stocking up on them. I got the yogurt started, once I was home.
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Post by emmsmommy on Oct 26, 2021 18:44:55 GMT -5
pepperhead212, didn't you mention making a lemongrass tincture earlier? Do you use that as a repellent too?
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Post by Latitude33 on Oct 26, 2021 20:10:31 GMT -5
Took a Monday and today off from work. Dumped a fair amount of collected rain water into the barrel, may have to get a second one soon. planted more snap peas and cilantro. Also planted garlic, lettuce and some various native landscape plants. Cut up my recently deceased Mexican papaya. Took cuttings to try new starts. Have a pineapple to start for Roxy's Hawaii facing garden slope.
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Post by Mumsey on Oct 27, 2021 4:42:00 GMT -5
Nothing at all to do outside yesterday. DH and I changed the lift supports on the vehicle. Easy 10 minute job! Today it's off to the big city.
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Post by centralilrookie on Oct 27, 2021 6:09:52 GMT -5
With sweethearts updated identification and marriage license in hand we went to our banks to update and close out different bank accounts. I’m relieved that process is over!
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Post by gianna on Oct 27, 2021 13:02:29 GMT -5
hose vacuum sealed packs are still good, after 4 years! Impressive! This morning I planted some snap peas in cells, and more sunflower seeds. The sunflowers grow stunted in Nov/Dec but make cute single cut flowers (1 foot tall). Am currently harvesting snow peas grown in 5 gallon containers, up on shelves, against the windows. I use small tomato cages for support. Birds sit on those but don't do too much damage. Kitty TV at its finest. Also picked a lovely bouquet of zinnias, Mexican sage, feverfew, and stunted sunflowers. Also picked ripe tomatoes to give away. This afternoon will play MahJong with the old ladies my friends.
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Post by emmsmommy on Oct 27, 2021 15:52:27 GMT -5
Hubby went to have lab work this morning and I took the opportunity to vacuum seal four slices of yesterday's meatloaf after I realized that he'd ate more than half of it. When he came back he pouted about it for a bit after swearing he had only eaten two slices. I told him with all the other cooking I've been doing I thought it was best to seal and freeze as much as possible so the leftovers didn't go to waste. He seemed to accept my logic and agreed that it would be nice to have some thaw, heat and eat meals this winter.
Spent this afternoon packing goody bags for my daughter's class party tomorrow. She and I had painted some wooden pumpkin cutouts a few weeks ago and I had a heck of a time figuring out where I put them so I could personalize them and put the finishing touches on. Thankfully there's only 14 in her class now so I had plenty of treats left. By treats I mean pencils, erasers, ink stamps, stickers and a crocheted ghost my mom made for the kids. I think she'll be well enough for school tomorrow but it will be challenging as hubby will take her home at 12:30 while I stay and help get everything ready for the party and parade around the school. Hubby will then bring her back and stay and watch her in the parade and then we'll go home.
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