Acacia Armageddon
8:13 a.m. - 2011-03-21


This is certainly a cold and gloomy spring, but I finally got around to sending in the seed order last night. This was prompted, strangely, by a huge storm that blew through, really, it sounded like a mini tornado. This caused a tree out front to start leaning onto the power lines, and indeed, one line was dangling there in front of our faces. We went back into the house to check, but all the power seemed to be working, also the TVs (cable) and phones, so we guessed it was the old, no-longer-used cable line. The husband called the tree guy out, and then had to go talk to the neighbor, Emilio. Emilio came out to talk to the tree guy too, since the tree is right by the corner of his house, and it turns out that Tree Guy and Emilio originated from the same South American country, so Old Home Week ensued. It seemed like a good opportunity to get Tree Guy to trim the fruit trees, too, which we have been meaning to get around to, plus Tree Guy is glad of the work. This made me think of the semi-completed seed order, so I finished it up. The men just arrived this morning and I can hear the chainsaws starting up.

I am trying to get back into the swing of things after the sad events of this year so far, and I have been enjoying the visits of my sisters, who were taking turns visiting the old homestead every other week. I am also revisiting the exercise and diet routine, since it helps you pep up. I am also trying new recipes with mixed results. I tried making a chicken risotto, and though it turned out well, it wasn't to my taste. Slimy is just not appetizing.

Melissa, Sr., my Melissa, and I attended Stitches this year. I bought a few patterns, but came home with most of my spending money intact. I have plans for the rest of it, though. I finally tried out the embroidery machine that Eileen gave to me, and it was really fun and easy. Since it is an older machine, I need to buy a device to translate the embroidery patterns you can buy onto a card that will fit the machine, so that is what I will use the money for. The money mounted up over the months when I was taking care of my relative, and so, I am going to use it for something I would really like. So far I have bought a few embroidery cards, and found two more at the thrift store in Sebastopol. I paid only $3 each for those, and they work perfectly. Quite a savings from the $130 they want for the same at the sewing machine store.

Having a garden is a lot of work, but last night's dinner proved that it is worth it. We had freshly-baked rye bread/corned beef sandwiches with homemade cream of tomato soup using tomato sauce I froze from our own tomatoes, and a bowl of the most delicious peaches from the tree out front that I froze in syrup last summer.