Real tomatoes…

YES!!  These are real tomatoes sent to me from my son in law’s brother and his wife from their garden.  THANKS!!! Tim and Val.  Now if only I had a zucchini.  Jim and I always had a garden.  Not a big one, but big enough that we always had plenty of tomatoes to share with our neighbors.  Even after Jim died I would go out to our garden area each spring and hoe up a big enough space to plant 4 or 5 tomato plants.  All I have room for here are potted tomato plants  This year the heat killed them even though they were watered daily.

Our garden at home.

I have to go out this morning to the pharmacy and to run a couple of errands. It is to be mid 90s today.  We have had 26 days this month with over 90 temps which ties a record from 1887.  Out of those 26 days over a week was triple digit highs.  We are way below normal rainfall and our whole state along with many other states are drought disasters.

Have a peaceful day.  Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

Here I am again…

I know I said I wouldn’t but here I am again complaining  no, just commenting, that yesterday’s actual temperature of 104 degrees is getting to be a little bit too much.  Everything is so dry and brown here except my front yard which maintenance is keeping watered.  I think that is one reason I feel out of sorts.  The heat is wearing me out and giving me cabin fever. 

My daughter is coming over today and is going to help me clean out the big closets in my bedrooms.  I am planning on sending a lot more stuff to Goodwill.  But first I have to go and find me some breakfast.

Breakfast finished.  Low sodium, low fat, no sugar cereal with a banana.  It just doesn’t get any better than that.  NOT! 

*****

Closets cleaned and 5 garbage bags full of clothes, some electrical appliances, shoes and books all delivered to Goodwill.  I barebones cleaned out the clothing.  If I haven’t worn it in the last 2 years it went.  Enough for a really good garage sale.

I fixed a bacon tomato sandwich for lunch.  The tomato wasn’t bad but still not tasting like the real thing even though they were from local producers.  The local peaches though were really delicious.

I have a ton of papers to shred from 2 files I found in one of the closets.

I will be by to visit you all later.

Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

More oppressive heat..

in store for most of the nation for the next week.  Yesterday we had a thunderstorm with big booms that left us only a trace of rain.  Then boom it was gone and the sun was out again.  My WV sis reports massive power outages for several counties around them because of the tremendous thunderstorm that went through there Friday evening.  Their roof was damaged and because of the widespread claims they won’t have an adjuster to check the damage until July 9th.

I am just back from visiting the fruit/vegetable stand .  Below you see Georgia peaches and Arkansas tomatoes.

Don’t they look gorgeous.  My two tomato plants are so stressed I doubt if I will get a tomato from them.

I hope today is a peaceful one for you all.  Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

Fantabulous Friday…

fan·tab·u·lous/fanˈtabyələs/

Adjective:

Excellent; wonderful.

Another day of being worn out but it was a lot of fun.  My daughter went with me to garage sales.  One thing nice about a larger city is there are so many garage sales.  I have stated before that I love garage sales.  I love meeting the people having them and I enjoy taking the the time to chat with them.  I am very particular about what I buy at a garage sale because I surely don’t need any more knickknacks  or things of that nature.  This morning at the Genealogical garage sale there were literally hundreds of books.  Now that is what I like to find at a sale.  I bought 2 boxes of books, all in mint condition.  At another sale I found 4 Nicolas Sparks hardbacks for 50 cents each.  I had just purchased 3 spools of thread for $2.39 each for my new sewing venture.  Today I found a whole ziplock bag of spools of thread for 50 cents. FUN!!

No eating out today though,  I fixed a sandwich here at home.  Tomorrow I am cooking chicken and fixing noodles with it.

It is very warm here today and starting to get humid.  No rain in sight though and we really do need some.  The tomatoes on my plants are bigger than marbles now, more the size of small plums.  I was talking to my neighbor across the driveway from me and two of her neighbors have planted tomato plants too.  I am hoping we have enough tomatoes for us all.

Have a peaceful weekend. Stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

A Blooming Wednesday…

Yes, that is right, one of my two tomato plants has a bloom on it.  So in another couple of months I might have a tomato, that is if nothing gets to it before I do.  I have about $14 invested in these tomato plants.  I could go to the store and buy $14 worth of tomatoes but what is the fun in that?  Besides at the price per pound of tomatoes right now that wouldn’t amount to much.

 

Can you all see that little bloom?                 My other plant.

 

The flowers that my next door neighbors have planted.

I finished the cleaning yesterday and today I feel lackadaisical.  I need to perk up though because I have a doctor appointment this afternoon.

 

lack·a·dai·si·cal/ˌlakəˈdāzikəl/

Adjective:

Lacking enthusiasm and determination; carelessly lazy.

Synonyms:

listless - apathetic - languid – apathetical

How is that for a word study lesson?

 

One of my new blogging friends, Nellie,  is a retired teacher.  Please,  stop by and say hello to her if you have a minute.  She welcomes new blogging friends.

Remember to stay safe and be happy!!

Beth

Tolerable Tuesday…

The sun is shining brightly here in the heart of Illinois at the Marigold Capital of the world. http://bethmariesmainblog.wordpress.com/2010/09/10/marigold-capital-of-the-world%E2%80%A6/  also see http://www.pekinchamber.com/  Because of this I planted marigolds around the lamp post in my front yard.  I think marigolds are so pretty but they don’t smell very nice.  I think I know a few people like that.

  

I am hoping the marigolds perk up after a few days.  Plants are very expensive this year.

  

My tomato plants.   Big Boy on the left and Early Girl on the right.    And so this is my garden.  And now I am homesick for my garden at home.  ;-(

I have to leave soon as I have an appointment to get my hair cut and also an appointment with the dentist.  Hooray!!!

Stay safe and be happy!

Beth

Use it or lose it…

Now how many times have I heard that phrase since I have been in my (shall we say) golden years?  Rae (my sis) and I have discussed it many times on the phone.  We have come to the conclusion that it is an accurate phrase.  You can put your own meaning on this phrase.  If you are young, of course you can think of all kinds of meanings.  If you are a senior it means use your brain and exercise your body as well as your mind.  If you sit down in the recliner or plunk your bottom end down on the sofa will you get up again?  Or will you just sit there and grow older letting body and mind atrophy?  I choose not to do that.  So even on days when it feels better just sitting down I force myself to get up and go.

With that thought in mind I finished the cleaning.  Sitting down every few minutes to rest my back.  Back surgery in 2000 did not cure my problems.  I would advise anyone with back problems to make surgery your very last option.

My SIL’s brother’s wife Val, brought more of those lovely big tomatoes in for me to share.  They are gorgeous and each tomato is huge and juicy.  THANKS!!!! to Tim and Val!  I have pulled my potted tomato plants as the hail storm killed them so I really appreciate the tomatoes from them.

I have to make a Kroger run this morning as soon as I have breakfast.  They are having the buy 10 at a reduced price and get $5 off your order.  I love that sale that they have quite often.  It is when I get stocked up and believe me, you had all better get stocked up because groceries are going sky high.  The drought in many of the states  will cause that.

If you notice the photo to the right of the post, it is my daughter on her first birthday chowing down on birthday cake.  And if you can’t see it clear enough I will post it here and you can click on it to enlarge it.

Remember, if you can, get up out of that chair and go somewhere.  Smile at everyone you meet and say hi.  Betcha get a smile or two in return.  Stay safe and be happy.

  Beth

Quite a weekend…

but I survived it.  We had quite a thunderstorm and hail storm Saturday afternoon.  No major damage except to my tomato plants.  The hail was about nickel to quarter sized and it decimated the tomato plants.




Click to make larger.

I will leave the tomato plants another day or two and see if they revive any.  If they don’t I will salvage what green ones I can.  I still have a couple tomatoes from my SIL’s brother and the word is out that I will take all I can get.  I had a bacon tomato for lunch yesterday.  (Sunday)  Delicious!

Sunday was a peaceful quiet day and I didn’t do much as my back has decided to keep hurting.  I have hunted out the pain pills from my last trip to the doctor for my backache and I have taken a couple.

I am not sure what I have planned today.  I should clean the bathroom, a job I hate that requires a lot of bending over, so we shall see.


In the meantime, have a wonderful week.  Stay safe and be happy!!

  Beth

Did you ever…

have something happen that brightened your day and left a big smile on your face?  I had that happen to me yesterday.  I received my first birthday present (my birthday is not till next month) in the mail.  It was a hobo bag from my sister Rae.  THANKS RAE!!  I have it all filled and ready to carry.  Note the extra wide shoulder strap.  I love that!!

Click photo to make larger.  These beautiful bags can be found online at http://www.catalogfavorites.com/.  Do check this site out as it has some really neat stuff on there.  In fact, I have already found something to order from there. 

It is a lovely morning here with much lower humidity.  I have the front screen open again letting some fresh air in the house.  Right now the temp stands at 70 degrees F.

I showed you all my tomato crop yesterday and then my daughter told me that my SIL’s brother had given them a sack of lovely huge tomatoes.  I got to share in those and being the good neighbor that I am I took my smaller tomatoes to share with Deb and Joe and Myrna and Don.  Then for supper last night I had this huge bread, butter and tomato sandwich!  It was awesome.

I did some shopping at Bergners yesterday.  They have some really good sales going on right now.  It is really nice having a Bergners right here in town.  Kohls is several miles down the road on 29 which is a road that I hate.  The traffic on there is terrible and there is always construction.

I have already done laundry this morning.  Next on the agenda is figuring out what I am going to eat today.

Stay safe and be happy!!  Have a wonderful day!

  Beth

Ouch, Sorry…

Maybe I didn’t phrase that exactly right.  When I was talking about scruffy old men I hope I made it plain that I was talking about guys in the limelight, not specifically referring to anyone in my blogging family.  Our own guys, be they scruffy or clean shaven mean the world to us.  ‘Nuff said on that subject.

This was a very busy morning.  My daughter went with me to catch the garage sales this morning.  There were 10 in one area alone and quite a few others.  I got 20 books, all at a good price.  I am getting my stock built up for winter to save on my credit card bill for my Nook.

Click on photos to make larger.

All in all it was a very nice morning but I am pooped.

I have been having quite a few ripe tomatoes but the vines are starting to die.  I have thoroughly enjoyed them; it was like bringing a little bit of my back home garden with me. 

I hope you all have a great weekend.  Stay safe and be happy!!

  Beth

What can I say…

except it is hotter than blue blazes here, however hot that is.  It never cooled down all night and the AC ran non stop.  Yesterday the temp got up to 96 with the heat index of 107.  Now that is too dang hot for this old gal.

I am just home from the Kroger store buying the necessities needed for a hot day, such as ice cream and stuff for sandwiches.

Yesterday morning early I went out to Staples and purchased the scanner that I thought I couldn’t live without.  So far I like it.  I had forgotten how easy it is to scan something without having to pull out the printer drawer.  I scanned quite a few pics in and I am quite pleased with the results.  Below is a pic taken when my daughter was senior in high school and my son was a freshman.  Already you can see at 5’ 4 & 1/2 in I am the shorty in the bunch.  My son made it to 5’ 11 in and my daughter to 5’ 6.  Me, I remained the same height, just growing in a different direction. 

Click to make larger.  You know what, those were the good old days.

I have watered the tomatoes and talked lovingly to them this morning, promising them if they will get ripe for me that I will be happy to share them with bread, mayo and bacon.  I think they are responding as there are lots of new blooms on the plants.

I guess you can tell that I have nothing much important to say today.  Do be mindful of the heat if you are living in a state where you are affected.  You be careful Twin!!

  Beth

My tomato has a glow…

Yes! Yes! Yes!  One of my tomatoes is starting to turn red.  I am watching it as closely as I can to make sure the birds, squirrels and bugs leave it alone.

Click to make larger.

I am just home from garagesaleing.  Lots of fun. I got some really good junk, total cost about $5.  The day is perfect, checking in now at 77 degrees.

Nothing else much happening here in the heart of the midwest.  I hope you all are having a great day.  Stay safe and be happy!

  Beth

Verdict watch…OJ all over again!!

  I, along with millions of people around the world am watching the verdict watch.  Now this doesn’t mean I am watching TV every minute or on my Twitter page watching for Vinnie Politan’s update.  It means that I am checking in every hour so to see what’s up.  The jury began deliberating at exactly 7:30 AM CST.  My sympathy lies with the juror who has paid for a cruise leaving July 7, although that may speed the deliberation up a bit.  Casey Anthony was in the court room this morning wearing a pink and white striped long sleeve blouse with ruffles down the front.  She has worn a different color blouse with slacks each day of the trial.  My curious mind wants to know who is furnishing the clothes for Casey.  She has refused to see her family since she has been in jail.

I had a very nice 4th.  My daughter and son in law had me over for T-Bone steaks, brats and corn on the cob.  It was all delicious.  I also got the laundry caught up.  The weather was perfect, not too hot or too cold.

Thanks for all of your tomato tips.  I think my plants look better.  I took a picture a few minutes ago so you all can see the new little tomatoes on there.



Click on the pictures to make them larger.

Have a great Tuesday Monday everyone.  Stay safe and be happy.

  Beth

You all be the judge…

Is there any hope for my tomato plants??

Click on the photos to make them larger and don’t sugar coat it, tell me what you think.

  Beth