the
forecasters are calling for "patchy" frost by Wednesday
morning.
The trees here are just beginning
to change color, but there are plenty of other signs Fall has arrived
(and a hard winter is on the way according to some). Apples,
pears, pumpkins, cornstalks and mums are available in huge quantities
everywhere one goes and squash is beginning to appear. Believe it
or not, we saw one farm stand on Saturday that was still selling fresh
sweet corn! The walnut and chestnut trees are producing abundantly
this year and the squirrels and chipmunks have been kept extra busy.
Some enterprising kids have taken to setting up tables along the roads
and are selling chestnuts for $1 a bag. Another sure sign of Fall
is wooly bear caterpillars and they are everywhere this year. If
you believe that their color predicts the severity of the winter
ahead......start preparing as friends and family report mostly all
blacks.
Matthew celebrated his 18th
birthday this past Saturday. Like most teenagers he is chomping at
the bit to be grown up and on his own......if they only knew now, what
they will know in a few years. Matt registered for both the
upcoming elections and the draft a few weeks back. He did not want
a family party this year so we took him out to breakfast on Saturday
then into Monroeville to Guitar World to buy his present. He
wanted an electric bass guitar and amp. It seems to me that is
what most drummers take up if they learn a second instrument. That
night he went out with his friends for wings and midnight bowling.
We stayed home from church
yesterday and spent the day working around the house. I was a bit
behind on laundry and cleaning so enjoyed having a whole day to get it
back under control. Tim worked out in the yard, cutting the grass,
trimming and cleaning up in general. He cut down all the sunflower
stems for me. Those things were like small trees and had to be
sawn! With the ones around the chicken coop gone I was finally
able to plant some English ivy I'd bought on clearance at Wal-mart back
in July. I'm hoping it will take off on the wire of the run and
provide shade for the chooks next summer. Tim also helped me empty
out all the pots I had on the deck and get them put away. We still
need to cover the pool for the winter and wrap the deck furniture.
After that we'll be ready.
Two new critters have joined our
household. I've been missing having parakeets since our last one
died two years ago. I've been looking at them lately and would
really have liked to get an real Budgie which is 2-3 times the size of a
parakeet, but looks the same. Unfortunately, the price is 2-3
times bigger, too. Friday's mail contained a coupon from our local
pet store to buy a cage and get a parakeet free. Tim said I could
do that so I came home with a cage and one parakeet Friday night.
I would have liked to get a second one then, but they had the price
jacked up to $25. We stopped at a large pet store in Monroeville
while we were out on Saturday and their parakeets were much less so I
was able to get a second one. One is bright green and yellow and
is a real singer so I named him Bing (as in Crosby). The other is
blue and white and Megan named it Little John, who the kids tell me is a
singer, too. You couldn't prove it by me. I thought Little
John was Robin Hood's buddy.
Tomorrow I'm only working half a
day as I'm to get my root canals done at noon. As much as I hate
going to the dentist, I'm going to be glad to get this done and hope
that the rest of the work will be scheduled promptly. I've lost
more of the filling in one of the teeth and it is like having the Grand
Canyon in my mouth. It doesn't hurt, but I'm always working it
with my tongue and everything I eat gets stuck in there even though I've
only been chewing on the other side. My boss has been on my case
to postpone, more so than ever since we had a driver quit on Friday, but
I finished up a round of antibiotics last week and need to get the work
done before the infection returns.
I've started working on a hooked
rug. I think I'm going to give it to my mom and John for Christmas
if I get it finished. It's a new craft for me. I've done
latch hook, but this is my first punch hook project. I picked a
fairly simple, colonial looking design so I'm hoping I can get it
figured out and finished.
Before I scoot on back to work, let
me give you a really delicious recipe I found for using hot peppers.
I just made these over the weekend and Tim and Matt thought they were
great.
Time Out Jalapenos
8-oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 lb. bacon, crisply cooked and crumbled
1/4 t. salt
1/4 t. chili powder
1/4 t. garlic powder
1 lb. jalapenos, halved
1/2 c. dry bread crumbs
Combine cheeses, bacon, salt and seasonings; fill each jalape�o half
with mixture. Roll in bread crumbs; arrange on greased baking
sheet. Bake at 300 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes. Makes about
2 dozen.
Carpe diem!
Stacy |
