Learning the Trade

"Do What You Do, Say What You Say"   Be Proud of Who You Are

This is who I am! 

This is who I am!

 

 

 This is who I am! 

 

Rescuing the Paddle Boat

I was on a mission the other morning ~ with something that's been weighing on me for awhile.  Last Fall time got away from me and so did my paddle boat!  She had filled completely with water and not being secured properly she had drifted to the other end of the pond & almost sunk.

I wanted to secure the paddle boat on the west side of the pond so that I could bale her out from a less weedy location,  especially after seeing that little rat snake yesterday while I was bush hogging.  So before the coffee was finished brewing I slipped into some shorts & waddled on down to the pond to scoot my paddle boat to safety!  The water was deeper than it usually is because we've had so much rain all Winter and Spring.  Of course I slipped on the edge of the bank and plopped right into the water!  Even on the edge the water was up to my thighs.  The water was cool as I had hoped it would be.  Cool water not as likely to run into snakes!

It took several minutes to walk the paddle boat to the other end of the pond.  My shoes got tangled up in an old fishing line and with the boat being full of water inside and out it took some maneuvering to complete the trek!  I pulled her up on the shore as best I could then made sure that she was tied off.  Good thing too because rain has set in again and if I had waited I would have missed the envelope to 'Get er done!'

She is secure but not baled out!  I will save that task for another afternoon sometime soon when I have some little buddies around to help with the job!

Cleaning Out The Closet

Today I took on a project that has been a long time coming but for many reasons just hasn't been started & definitely not completed!

My husband Jim passed away 7 1/2 years ago.  I was 55 yr. and only working part time because of his illness.  I took a week to get things in order and then plunged into my part time job that eventually became my fulltime everything.  It took several months for me to be able to go to fulltime so in my free time I cleaned out SOME drawers and PART of the closet, but I never completed the task!  

Today while I was cleaning out some of my (lots) clothing I started going through Jim's things as well . . .

3 hours later I was still at it ~ I texted my boys to ask if they wanted any of dad's old coats.  I wondered if they wanted any of his old PanAm stuff, his cowboy boots the only 2 ball caps that ever fit his bushy head each step of the way memories started flooding back ~ remember where we went or did in this how he looked when he was casual or decked out ~ Jeez ~ it's been a day!  A day that should have happened a long time ago and yet a day that almost didn't happen even today!  I know some people put things in order very quickly on the outside, but never resolve the inner turmoil that death brings.  Obviously, I hold on to THINGS for a long time ~ FLIP I gave away a cape that I had gotten when I was 15 yr old today!!! 

It really isn't about the THINGS ~ It's about the memories I promise!  I just wanted to share these thoughts with someone, anyone really because sometimes it feels like I am the only one who still remembers!  I know it's not true, but as we go through life we gather our special moments that we only shared with that special someone & now it's only a memory!

Edible Flowers

Daylily

Rose

Violet

How many of you have ever thought about using flowers in your cooking adventures?  Flowers have been used by many cultures for thousands of years to add a special taste or flare to a meal.  There are some obvious flowers that almost anyone would recognize as being edible such as rose petals, violets, marigolds, but you may be surprised at some of the blooms in your garden that can add a whole new dimension to your food experience!  

Let me show you some examples of edibles that you may not be as familiar with~

Petunia

Nigella

Nasturtium

That's right Petunias! Nigella! Nasturtiums! 

Petunias are such a delight to add to a summer salad of mixed greens from the garden ~ gather your lettuce, fresh lemon basil, fennel leaf and whatever fresh veggies are emerging from the garden. Toss the greens together top with your petunias & serve with your favorite dressing.
Nigella will not only turn heads but lend an exotic aire to your room temperature pasta dishes, it will impart a flavor of subtle wild onion to the meal.  The flower is used along with it's seed to flavor many Middle Eastern & Indian dishes.
Nasturtium is probably the most versatile of the three flowers!  It can be used in salads, pasta & as a decorative addition to summer drinks.  Nasturtium has peppery taste and the buds are actually used as a caper substitute. 

I hope that I've piqued your interest in edible flowers if so drop me a comment and we'll revisit the subject some time in the future, because today we didn't even begin to explore the many uses of Edible Flowers!