Painting Murals

Kathy called me frantic saying she wasn't able to get a handle on this mural that Alwyn had kinda talked her into. Being that it was Thursday, it was Farmer Girl Day, I couldn't say no!
The Mural is out by an in the ground pool and we painted the garage wall that faces the pool in a beach scene complete with tiki hut and palm trees.
It was perfect work for the week as the temperatures were high and it was a great reason to bring the 9 year old with me to hang out and swim.

Kathy doesn't like to work around people, her creativity flows when she is alone or with one or two other people, but the first day we were there I think I counted 15 most of them being kids.
The second day was better only Kathy the 9 year old and myself.

We hit a few stubling blocks, but overcame them and the mural actually turned out quite good.

The bad news is that now the 9 year old is really sick with a temp of 102.5 this afternoon and 102.1 tonight. After doses and doses of tylenol, motrin and lots of ginger ale he spent the night puking his guts up.

I'm really hoping he's better tomorrow, and he doesn't get the swimmers ears started, I remember when I was a kid it would start like his is then I'd be a mess a few days and ready to get back in the pool again as soon as I could.

I'll show pictures of the mural when Billy get back from CA, he took the pics before he left but didn't download them for before he left.

Painting big stuff like a mural is sooo much fun. I hope the owners will love it when they get back from vacation.

My Bee's Are Doing Great!!

Maryland Department of Agriculture Apiary Inspector and Master Beekeeper Dean Burroughs came and inspected my hives yesterday.
My 6 year old colony with a 1 year old queen is brimming with honey and Dean says they are doing great.
As I told you in an earlier story, my other colony which I had kept out at my Granddads in Stockton, had died last year. I didn't want to purchase another colony, I wanted to try to start a hive on my own so this is what I did.

I went into my old hive and looked in the brood boxes and found a frame that had two queen brood sacs attached to it. I took this frame which was also filled with dozens of worker bees and placed it in hive in which the former colony had died. I then took two more brood frames out of the old hive; knocked off the bee's and then placed those frames in the new hive as well.

My hope was that the worker bees would feed and take care of the queen sacs and hatch them, then also take care of the brood that I had transferred over from the other hive as well. And it worked!

This is totally amazing to me. From what I have been told this is very iffy and unreliable, but it worked for me and I am stoked!

Dean recommended I feed them immediately as since they are so young there are not yet enough workers to provide enough food for them all yet and the queen will lay more eggs if there is a consistent food source.

Honey robbing time is quickly approaching. Karole and I usually do it the week after 4th of July.
She has a spinner and I help her with her hives and she lets me spin my honey.

I'll keep you posted on how much honey I get.

For all of you who are interested in seeing the robbing and spinning process, email me and I'll be happy to make arrangements so you can come down and be a part. It is an all day event, that involves eating, laughing, maybe getting stung once or twice and at least one bottle of wine.
If your interested in coming let me know and I let you know whats on the menu and you can bring a side. It will be a blast.
With all of the honey we ingest on this day, I don't know what really gives us the buzz, the wine or the honey!

The Older You Get...

The more involved everything becomes. I had to have a CAT scan earlier this week because I have been experiencing great pain in my abdomen where I had a hernia and surgery to repair it several years ago. Recently the pain has been so bad I went to see the doctor once again, turn out the cat scan didn't show anything and he believes it to be some sort of neuropathology, so he's sending me to some sort of pain manager. What does that mean? Can they fix it or not? I don't want to manage anything else, let alone my side pain.
On another note another doc wanted to do some other things but because of my heart issues I have to have cardiac clearance.
Good grief I have to go to two docs to have who knows how many tests just to see if I am a candidate for such treatment.
I'm coming to believe that getting old really does suck.
Nothing is simple anymore.
Before you go somewhere you have to be sure you have all of your meds, when planning a trip you have to count your meds and possibly order more. These are things that we never thought of when we were young and beautiful and free of such maladies.
Do you think that we get used to being old? I don't want to ... I want to fight it, I'm not ready to be old yet.
My poor Granddad is having such a hard time. He's not feeling good and he is getting injections in his knees that is supposed to re-create cartilage for him. Tomorrow is his last treatment, and so far he says it's not helping.
This year he will be 94, and I am awed by his perseverance, I don't know if I could have gone what he has been through, I'm not even halfway there yet and I'm freakin out.

One of the Best Art Camps Yet!

As I told you earlier in the week the Worcester County Arts Council was holding their annual Arts Camp.
Each year the week after school is out about one dozen Artists of all kinds, and talents come to Berlin Intermediate School for the week to teach our children who have signed up to participate in the program a bit of their craft.
This year we had a Scupture class, Abrstract Painting, Art of the Islands, Drama, Dancing, Printmaking and Bookmaking, Pencil Drawing, Native American Arts, Leathermaking, Jewelery making, Paper Mache, basket weaving and loom Weaving.
Each child participates in three sessions per day where they work on one or several projects they have chosen in each craft.
This years work was a stunning, as we had so many talented children to work and share with.
On Friday the final day of camp we usually have the children who participated in drama and dance camps do a performance for all of the campers and their parents. We did this again this year, with the added bonus of a wonderful musical group that is from the US but have traveled and lived all over the world studying music and different cultures musical instruments all of which they brought with them today to share with us.
The Group goes by the name of Nada Bhrama (don't know what it means) and they performed great interactive musical numbers utilizing all of these strange instruments from alll over the world and getting our kids to play with them and actually sound good.
Needless to say every child and every adult had a great time with Nada Bhrama as our grand finale they were truly exceptional.
So don't forget next year when this time rolls around again, I have a link on this site to the WCAC, and get your kids enrolled in a great time!
You can also become a member of the Arts Council and when you do you will be included on our mailing list of featured artists who will be on display at the Galleries in Snow Hill and Berlin it is a wonderful organization and one that you can be proud of being a part of .

Fried Green Tomatoes

My absolute favorite summer treat...Fried Green Tomatoes!

If you have never had this Southern Delicacy; you absolutely must try it.

Super Simple to make, and delicious enough to make you talk to yourself.

I pick the larger of the tomatoes that I have to fry as you get more for your efforts.

Slice the tomatoes between a 1/4 and & 1/2 inch thick and set aside and sprinkle with a little bit of Sea Salt
Prepare two large shallow bowls:
1 with a couple of eggs lightly beaten and
2 Italian Bread Crumbs

Preheat a skillet with the bottom covered in olive oil

Using a fork (or else your hands will be a mess) dredge a tomato into the egg, and then into the bread crumbs, liberally coating both sides.
Place in the hot oil.
You can get about 5 or 6 going at the same time and let them cook for about 3 to 4 minutes on each side before turning (if you don't you will loose your coating). Once turned cook another 3 to 4 minutes until dark brown, not burned, but close.

Remove from pan and place on platter lined with paper towels. Make a tower of them, as they will be the most popular dish on the table that evening.

I always have to cook twice what I am expecting as I can't keep them on the platter, so now I put the platter in the oven on 'warm' that way passersby don't see them and can't get as easily.

You may need a little more salt and some black pepper, and you want to add this right after you pull them out of the pan.

Sometimes, I sprinkle Parm on them.

These are great served with any summer meal that your making. Sometimes I make them a meal all in themselves with some watermelon for dessert.

This is a must try!!

First Day of Arts Camp

I'm writing this as I'm riding the bus to Berlin Intermediate School. Today is the first day of Arts Camp, sponsored by the Worcester County Arts Council.
This year we have 18 kids attending from Pocomoke and Snow Hill. Almost double what we had last year.

Grayson is really excited about his pottery class that he has signed up for, and also his cartooning class.

I'll be sure to take lots of pictures, and keep you posted as the week progresses.

Happy Day Everyone!

From My Friend Who Can't Have Enough of Them...Dogs

If I Didn't Have a Dog
I could walk around the yard barefoot in safety.
My house could be carpeted instead of tiled and laminated.
All flat surfaces, clothing, furniture, and cars would be free of hair.
When the doorbell rings, it wouldn't sound like a kennel.
When the doorbell rings, I could get to the door without wading through fuzzy bodies who beat me there.
I could sit on the couch and my bed the way I wanted, without taking into consideration how much space several fur bodies would need to get comfortable.
I would have money .....and no guilt to go on a real vacation.
I would not be on a first-name basis with 6 veterinarians, as I put their yet unborn grand kids through college.
The most used words in my vocabulary would not be: out, sit, down, come, no, stay, and leave him/her/it ALONE.
My house would not be cordoned off into zones with baby gates or barriers.
My house would not look like a day care center, toys everywhere.
My pockets would not contain things like poop bags, treats and an extra leash.
I would no longer have to spell the words B-A-L-L,, F-R-I-S-B-E- E,,

W-A-L-K,, T-R-E-A-T,, B-I-K-E,, G-O,, R-I-D-E
I would not have as many leaves INSIDE my house as outside.
I would not look strangely at people who think having ONE dog/cat ties them down too much.
I'd look forward to spring and the rainy season instead of dreading 'mud' season.
I would not have to answer the question 'Why do you have so many animals?' from people who will never have the joy in their lives of knowing they are loved unconditionally by someone as close to an angel as they will ever get.
How EMPTY my life would be!

Great Past Salad Recipe

A friend of mine turned me on to a great pasta salad that she said that kids really liked a few years ago. It's true they do like her original recipe.
However, I'm a little bit of a Control Freak and can't follow recipes obediantly and I have added a few things here and there over the years.
I think it's a nice twice to the usual Macaroni Salad, with lots of protien and flavor that can be served as a main dish dolloped on green salad for easy summer dinners.

Steph's Tuna Mac Special

1 lb cooked pasta I like to use bowties or ziti
1 handful of chopped red onion
1 handful of chopped celery
1 can of tuna
3 pinches of fresh dill from the garden chopped up fine
3 big pinches of fresh lemon basil from the garden, chopped up fine
1 can of pineapple pieces or 1/3 of a fresh pineapple cut to bite size pieces
Too much cracked black pepper the bigger the bigger the pieces the better
2 good size pinches of 'Old Bay Seasoning' to taste
Pinch of salt if you must, but it you want more flavor add another dash of the Old Bay

Combine all of the ingredients together, and place in the fridge to chill. This will bring all the flavors together. If it still needs just a little something add a dash of cayenne pepper.

If you don't have the Lemon Basil, and Dill substitute Lemon Pepper instead.
If you add regular Basil, it will change the flavor and essence completely and the dish will head down a more Italian road.

This is a great summer dish on those nights it's just too hot to cook, but you know you and your family needs some sustenance.

Sweat Equity

I don't think anyone really expected the heat that came on Saturday. Maybe it's going to take me some getting used to but I was absolutely miserable!

I felt suffocated it was so hot.

My friend Carol had a beautiful Belmont Stakes Party at her house with a whole Pig and fabulous sides, and a delightful drink called a Belmont Breeze. I don't know all that was in it, but it was very punchy and fruity not too sweet, and the moment I felt as if the drink was going to my head, I prespired the very thought out of my mind.

After allllllllll of the rain we have had the garden plants didn't know what to do with themselves on Saturday either.
Once Sunday morning arrived the poor Brussell Sprouts were wilted, and droopy. They looked like they wanted a drink of water, but the ground had more than adequate moisture.
Thankfully, the temperature didn't feel quite as hot on Sunday as Saturday's oppression, and by day's end they looked like they felt much better.

I did have lots of weeding to do. As I mentioned last week, when I stepped in to pull a weed my foot sunk in almost to my knee!

I went through with the hoe and cultivated everything and it looks once again like a cared for garden. I am having some concerns for the leeks however, I think the rain was too hard on them as they were all fallen over and looking pretty sad. I took dirt and propped around them, and now today they look a little better.

I still have to cut the grass, as I have been cutting at it, and have yet to complete it.

It's just toooo darn hot.

Maybe after the sun goes down tonight I wack at it some more.

I So Totally Caved In :(

So after eons of rain, sinking to my knees in my fabulously tilled earth, diligently picking and squishing worms & eggs I find on the Brussel Sprouts, and those pesky little flea beetles that have set up a small country on the Baby Eggplants; I found that I was fighting a loosing battle.

I sprinkled Sevin Dust on them...

I'm an organic failure!

I'm so disappointed in myself.

I'm sorry to my faithfull readers who I know were pulling for me every step of the organic way.

I was simply at wit's end and even with the suggestions from Swampy, my neighbor caught me at a week moment and waived the bag of Sevin in front of me and told how simple it would be, and I So Totally Caved :(

Mental Health Day

Nothing went as planned today. Karole got called away to the beach by her boys and we weren't able to get together and make scrubs.
Having my plans cancelled allowed me to focus on things that I have been putting off here at home.
Only problem is every time I start one thing it seems to always be connected with another and task that requires my attention and I get frustrated and often end up neglecting the original task.
I have wanted to rearrange the studio for quite some time and as I had told you earlier I was embarking on the 9 year old's room who wanted the Harelequins.

None of this has gotten accomplished because I need to get his old loft bed out of his room. However the plan was to bring the 4 poster out of the studio to replace the loft bed. But I haven't been able to do this because my Granddad has been spending the night with us about once a week because he has had doctor appointments for his knee and at his age it is getting to be too much on him to go to the Dr., and the grocery store and back and forth from his house to mine in one day.
So, I have been picking him up the night before his appointments and he is having dinner with us, which we all have been loving, and he spends the night on the 4 poster in the studio (he doesn't do stairs) and in the morning after breakfast we go to the Docs.
This has been working out well, but has been impeding my renovations. Which is completely fine, as I enjoy the time we are able to spend together and the time my kids gets to spend with his Great Granddad.
With the oldest having flown the coup I'm looking at replacing the studio bed with his bed, but as earlier stated leads me into a whole other project.
Well I did get the studio rearranged and I got some other piddly stuff done. Maybe next week I will tackle the bedrooms.

It's Time to Break Out the Ark Building Kit

Three nights in a row, and we have received over an inch of rain each night.
The Lettuces are digging it. The Radishes are splitting open. The Tomato's are hanging in there.
The Eggplants are have more flea beetles on them then I can smush. The Onions are doing OK.
The Leeks were laying on their sides today and needed propping. The Beans are poppin, and with all this rain the lawn needs a choppin.

As I was proppin the leeks today I sunk into the mud. I know our groundwater levels were dangerously low this last year, but I'm thinking they are probably OK by now.

Lets hope for a few days of dry weather, without much humidity so we can dry up.

Why Does This Work?

This is pretty neat
DON'T CHEAT BY SCROLLING DOWN FIRST!

It takes less than a minute. Work this out as you read .
Be sure you don't read the bottom until you've worked it out!
This is not one of those waste of time things, it's fun.

1. First of all, pick the number of times a week that you would like to go out to eat. (more than once but less than 10)
2. Multiply this number by 2 (just to be bold)
3. Add 5
4. Multiply it by 50 <>
5. If you have already had your birthday this year add 1758...
If you haven't, add 1757.
6. Now subtract the four digit year that you were born.
You should have a three digit number
The first digit of this was your original number. (I.e., How many times you want to go out to restaurants in a week.)
The next two numbers are
YOUR AGE ! ------ (Oh YES, it is!)

THIS IS THE ONLY YEAR (2008) IT WILL EVER WORK, SO SPREAD IT AROUND WHILE IT LASTS

Crazy for Edamame!

I just love Japanese food and love the ritual of eating edemame.
I'm going to visit the Southern States store and see if I can purchase some that aren't 'Frankenberries'.

I hope I can. They are so fun sit with a table of friends and enjoy!

I Finally Got My Seeds!

When I first started this Blog a couple of months ago, one of my readers referred me to The Great Sunflower Project
If you go to their site and register they will send you a pack of Sunflower seeds and a form for you to document Honey Bee Activity in your yard after your Sunflowers bloom.

According to their site they were overwhelmed with requests and people who wanted to participate, so it took them a little while to get everyones seeds out to them.

There is still time to take part in this project; especially if you have already started your own sunflowers.

Just click on the link above and print the form and conduct your own study and send it in to them so that they can calculate the data.

Remember... Bees: Responsible for Every Third Bite of Food