$10.00 Bell Pepper Plant and Of Course, more Work

Years back I was tired of my bell pepper plants not producing and paying a premium for red bell peppers. I can't remember where we were but there was this bell pepper plant about 2' high with 5 peppers on it.  I bought it for  $9.?? and Rick harassed me for days about it. 

It moved to it's new home this weekend.  I think I've had it about 4 years and it gives me bell peppers year round.  They are usually small and once in awhile a deformed one has to be thrown away.  Yet I can look at hubby and smile while reminding him that I have definitely got my money's worth out of this plant. 

That pretty red one ended up in tomato soup.  I got a quart of tomatoes we canned in 2013 and made a little soup (no recipe), meat loaf, and a new recipe for potato salad.  Didn't like the potato salad but the soup is a keeper.  I am looking forward to fresh veggies.  I have the new lettuces in the bed and wish I had fresh tomatoes.

The second bed is started and the first bed is planted.  The only plants I have left from last year was a sage plant, rosemary (in pot between beds), bell pepper, and aloe Vera.  The aloe vera's are overgrown in one pot.  I started separating them before we moved but I think I want to just have them in a bed somewhere instead of pots.  Spoiler alert - Rick checking smoker in the background.

Tomatoes were added in the first bed today.  I know Rick has them in his garden so I went for the petite.  I did screw up on one of them.  I bought the yellow pear shape which I love and then I went for a grape tomato which I discovered at planting time was yellow too.  I kinda wanted yellow and red which is silly but it'll be okay.

All the rain we were told was coming didn't happen so I had to watered the plants.  Prep for Texas weather coming soon.

Walking past the garlic I saw this little guy hanging out.

Then I went into the garage to move the clothes to the dryer and there were 2 more lizards hanging out in the window.  I didn't have my camera but they were just as cute as this guy.

Here's the sausage Rick made.  2 racks are deer and pork.  2 racks are pork only.

A lot of work goes into getting to this part but he loves it and other people love his sausage.  They have liked it enough to want to buy his pork only.  This man has many talents.  I run around trying to keep up and he sweetly doesn't notice.  40 + years and I am lucky to have such a great partner.

Well it's back to work tomorrow so I'll write again when there's time.

 

Work but Satisfaction

We went to Lowe's early to get a wagon I ordered.  I love my rolling green monster but it seems when I need a wagon Rick has it or vice a versa.  So I bought a metal one that can haul heavier loads.  I'll take pics and share soon.  Then we ran to the grocery store and then to the old house to load up more stuff.  We really need to wrap that house up and move on.

While at Lowes we picked up more dirt for the herb bed. Peppermint is in the bucket. Mint tends to go crazy so I decided to contain it in an old bucket.

It feels good looking at it. It's fun finally doing the things you enjoy. I also bought some lettuces and spinach.

Left in the picture is cilantro.  We have a love/hate relationship.

 

The plants are from the left, Swiss chard, then spinach, and above the spinach is romaine.  It would be nice if I could have a few salads before they die from the Texas heat.  I bought burlap and will try to provide a roof to help deflect the heat if I can. 

Hubby spent the day making sausage.  One of his employees loves his sausage so when he was given a bunch of deer meat he asked Rick to make sausage.  Rick spent all day prepping so I stayed out of the way outside.  Tomorrow he will spend it smoking the links.  Can't guarantee pics since we have 80% rain but will try. 

With moving and downsizing I have been going thru lots of boxes.  I found some loose stars in a box.  After digging some more I found the quilt above.  It's a friendship quilt and I'm guessing from around 1920 to 1930's.  I found 4 loose stars and after looking at the quilt I found 3 stars with dry rotted material.  I gently appliqued 3 on over the bad ones.  I love my modern life but every time I find something like this, it takes my breath away.  First because it is still here and second because of the work that went into it.  This whole thing is hand sewed.  How many of us do not have the patience to hem our pants much less hand sew a quilt.

This is my great aunt Ruby's star.  She was still single at the time and used the same address as her mom below.

This was the granny that raised my mother.  Mrs. Clark Martin Schmidt.  My mother was born in the twenties and her parents divorced when she was very young, around 2-4.  Her father remarried a woman with twins and they proceeded to have 3 boys.  For whatever reason, her granny raised her and she grew up with all of these aunts and uncles as her siblings/parents.  She adored her real siblings and but always took care of the people who raised her.  I had not really thought of it until now but mom was there for most of their final days.  She sat at hospitals day and night.  Some she cared for at her home or theirs in the final days.  Mom was special.

Thanks for stopping by.

 

Sweet Birthday Surprise

Last month I had a birthday that I was trying to pretend was not a big deal.  My sweet in-laws came down and surprised me.

They got delayed and didn't make it here before me but it was still special that they decided on the spur of the moment to come down here for my birthday and bring me the boat.  My father-in-law has spoiled all of us for years at reunion by bringing a boat and letting all of us use it.  He decided a few years ago that it was time to sell it.  We decided last year to buy it.  We planned to go get it this spring.  They decided to come down and brought the boat.  It was so sweet of them to do this.  Most of all it was wonderful to have a precious 2 days with them all to our selves. 

My special in-laws, Billie and Richard with hubby Rick.  FYI - I am a little awed by the size of this boat.  Please remember that mostly I have seen it in the water not out.  I keep walking by going "OMG" this thing is huge.

The skies were beautiful and I just had to share my butterflies.

Does Home Interiors still exist?  That's where these came from.  Wicker like butterflies.  I remember them from when I was young.  I saw them at goodwill and bought them. 

Time to go.  Tomorrow is another moving day.

Still Having Fun

   We seem to always be working but we are having fun most of the time.  We seem to be stuck on burning things that just don't want to burn away.  They burn but seem to never get smaller.

This is the newest dead tree down.

This is the first one we cut down.  Scared the hell out of me.  I was scared it would go the wrong way and hit daddy's house.  When I tried to get him to go outside until it was done, he assured me that Richard would get it down safely.  Bless his heart, he was right.  I have faith but not like he and mom had.  And we still have the old cottonwood in the garden that we are still burning.  All of the trees we have cut down were dead or dying.  But now we may have to remove some living ones.  I hate that and we are constantly talking about it.  We are in the city limits of a major city and having a little land and trees is a precious commodity.  We have added fruit trees and hope to enjoy some of them in our lifetime but know that we can't start from scratch.

It's fun to see familiar things come back.  The daffodils have been coming up on the lot we bought from my cousin.  So I know these are stray bulbs from my great aunt Lillian.  She and my uncle Roy had a nursery for awhile.  I look forward to seeing them come back each year. 

 

I plan to transplant them and spread them throughout the property. 

Then there are new finds.  I saw this last weekend in the back yard of daddy's (my) house.  They have little white bells.  There are only four.  I'll protect them and as they multiply I'll spread them around.

See the tiny bell?

Hubby planted the garlic I forgot and look at them go.  Time to get busy with planning and planting soon.  I need to get another herb bed done and then help Rick with the big garden.

See you soon.

 

 

Hi, we are sick and busy at the same time.  Rick has his garden with rows of veggies and his tractor that tills things up.  I love it but want something of my own.  At the old house I had a herb garden with a few veggies too.  So we have gotten the first Debbie bed in.  Hopefully more are to follow. 

 

 

I also bought a climbing plant to put on Mom's arch.

Mom tried for years to have roses climb her archway but it just never happened.  I'll try with different plants.  It would be neat to see this arch covered in green and flowers.

 It's rusty as hell but I am painting it with rustoleum grey.

Mom's trellis used to overlook her uncle's garden.  Now it overlooks our great neighbors riding arena.  Life goes on.

My life has changed so much in 1 year, I am struggling to keep up. Thanks for stopping by.