I noticed the other day that I have some very old pictures of the gardens, like when I first planted them. Compared with how they look today, it is hard to believe it is the same set of garden beds. I shall illustrate:
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| Then |
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| Then |
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| Both beds now. |
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| Then |
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| Then |
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| Both beds now. |
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| Main herb bed then: |
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| Main herb bed now, from the other end. |
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| Patio pots in May |
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| Patio pots today. |
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| Easternmost South Garden bed in May |
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| Today |
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| In May |
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| Today |
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| May |
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| Today |
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| May |
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| Today |
By C.K.Armistead
July 14, 2014
Seems only yesterday
The gardens were barren, brown.
And I went out to work
And set the plantings down.
Today they explode with color,
They bloom excessively
Almost unrecognizable
As what they used to be.
Seems only yesterday
This baby I held in my arms
Cooing and staring at me
Winning her aunt's heart
with her charms.
Today that same child
Is herself a mother
And there is a new smile
Winning her great-aunt's heart
With very similar charms.
Seems only yesterday
My love and I started this journey
With songs and promises
And smiles many.
Soon we celebrate
Thirty years of this love
That seems to us infinitely sweeter
Yet still as fresh as it was.
Sunshine and shadows roll
One day into the next
Slowly it seems at the time
Around this earth's ball.
Yet when you pause
And see this life sublime,
You understand the swiftness
Of ever fleeting time.
Sorry, didn't mean to wax all sentimental and kinda gloomy, but that poem's been thrashing itself out in my head for awhile now, and it suddenly wanted out. That's often how the process goes. I may or may not have physical notes, but there are usually a few images playing around in my brain that suddenly may decide "Now is the time!"
That's one reason I carry notebooks around. The other is that I'd forget my behind if it wasn't attached. Heck, I'm surprised I remember my own name some days lately. Getting older isn't for sissies. Your brain gets filled up with so many details over the years, and you find random things popping into your consciousness at odd times, and the things you really NEED to remember fleeing away across the synapses, hiding the the recesses of the ancient memory storage of your antiquated electro-chemical storage device.
Setting oneself new challenges can keep that retrieval easy, but not always. There will always be the day that your thoughts are so busy that you feel like a network with too much traffic and not enough bandwidth. Response to queries is slow because there's a bottleneck in the system somewhere. I often find that these are not necessarily age related, but multiple-responsibility related. Many people my age have jobs, families, civic duties, church affiliations and hobbies that run them in many directions at once. So do many younger people, but younger people, especially younger women, often sleep better than those of us dealing with 50+ year old bodies that have bum thermostats and the odd suspension/frame wear and tear problem. I wake at least once during the night burning up and breaking a sweat, and at least once because a shoulder or a hip is complaining of being in one position for too long. Never used to happen. Only after I passed 50. My pal Julie and I agree, once you hit 50, the warranty expires, and all bets are off. Things start acting up.
Add to this joy the need to take antihistamine because of all the things in Oklahoma that I'm allergic to, and it's a wonder my brain functions at all.
I set myself many new challenges, especially at work. I am doing all this blogging, and smart-phone using, and social media stuff because of a training program at work that introduced me to it, and got me hooked on it. So, my husband can't blame my obsession with Twitter just on my intrinsic fangirl tendencies, it's also due to the need to keep up with my job and the many social factors relating to it. (And if that ain't a grand excuse, I've never seen one! ) ;-)
A fellow Twitter-user shared this YouTube link of a song done by Jane Krakowski that talks about Twitter and the way some of us are obsessive about it. I will share it here because it is terribly funny. Hope I am not quite THAT bad!
Jane Krakowski "Tweet"
Here is the recipe for the sourdough starter that I keep in my refrigerator to use for making that fabulous bread:
Sourdough Starter
Basic Sourdough Starter
From The Sourdough
Cookbook by Rita Davenport Published by HP Books, 1981
2 cups all-purpose flour
3 Tablespoons sugar
1 envelope active dry yeast (1 Tablespoon)
½ teaspoon salt, if desired
2 Cups warm water (105 degrees F or 40 degrees C)
In a 4 or 6 cup plastic pitcher with a trainer in the lid,,
or in a large bowl, combine all ingredients.
Beat with a wooden or plastic spoon.
Fermentation wil dissolve small lumps.
Cover pitcher with lid, turning so strainer is at pouring lip. Cover bowl with a cloth. Set in a warm place free from drafts (85F,
30C). Let ferment 2 to 3 days. Stir mixture several times each day. To use, remove starter needed for recipe. Refrigerate remaining starter in the pitcher,
or in a glass or plastic container with a very loose fitting lid. (I use a
square, 1.5 liter glass canister without the plastic seal on the lid. Works great.)
Replenish every 7 to 10 days by stirring in equal amounts of water and
all-purpose flour. After replenishing,
let stand at room temperature overnight.
Return to refrigerator. If a
clear liquid forms on top, stir back into starter. Makes 3 to 4 cups.
If the starter starts looking dark, or gets even a little bit pinkish, dump it out and start over. This usually will only happen if you neglect the starter for too long. Use and replenish regularly, and it may keep going for years.
I think that's about enough from me on this miscellaneous and over-caffeinated Monday. Hope you enjoy!
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