Choice Morsels

We had a hard freeze the past 2 nights, but I covered the tomatoes, lettuce and peppers and a few other things a day ahead, so they're okay.  I was surprised to see a sparkle of frost glittering on some plants in the front yard. Funny thing. The Vinca weren't effected. I guess it wasn't freeze enough for them.   T oday's garden pics: New Butterfly Weed: This butterfly weed is something I just planted this fall. I've already seen a few Monarch's visiting the flowers, but it's fall and they are really on their way migrating someplace else. So it was just a snack-stop. Tray of Basil for Drying: Knowing a freeze was expected Monday night, I scurried about collecting Basil to dry in my electric Presto dryer. Because the frost will kill the Basil. It's the only herb effected by frost. This is just one tray. I did 5 trays just like this.

 I haven't posted much this past couple weeks because stuff has been going on.  Hubby has been sick. He's in the hospital right now, since yesterday morning. It's pneumonia. He's in our local military hospital here and getting excellent care. Visitation isn't allowed nowadays, which is a bummer, but that's how it is. I spoke with him on the phone this morning and he's in good spirits. This evening I just sent one of our military friends over there to the ER to deliver Hubby his cell phone & charger. They'll send a staff member downstairs to get it from him and deliver it to my Hubby in his room. That's what the nursing station suggested. So hopefully that will work. Prayers for his full and speedy recovery are welcome. So I'm home alone for Thanksgiving. I got a pre-cooked turkey and fixin's from the local grocery today, so I can have some delicious tasting food over the next few days without having to actually worry about grocery shoppin...

  I was planting daylilies today. They were a replacement order. There were five in the first order, one being red, but it bloomed and showed itself to be pink. So I chatted with the online company and they re-sent the whole set of 5 daylillies. Hopefully, the red is red this time in this batch. Today's Garden Pics are a couple garden shots & freshly blooming Gerber Daisies! Sweet Potatoes: Container Patio Sweet Peas: Just taken today: A burst of bloom from one of my Gerbers out front! They actually like blooming this time of year in Florida.

 Today's Mama Kat prompt is to write about, "a time you did something sneaky." Once upon a time, we had two guys in our military singles Bible Study group named Rod and Bruce. They were room-mates in a house off-base. Rod's 26th birthday was coming up and Bruce got the brain-storm to throw Rod a surprise birthday party. His plan was to distract Rod and get him away from the house by suggesting to Rod that they go to some Chinese restaurant to eat, but it would be a Chinese restaurant he "couldn't quite remember the location of," so they'd be out driving around while we set up the surprise party at Rod's house. We brought cake and blew up balloons. There was about a dozen of us. As a gag, Bruce had also suggested we might all put on some article of Rod's clothing, so we raided his closet for hats, ties, jackets and so on. Then we sat down to wait in the living room, lights off, prepared to leap up with "Surprise!" They were only supp...

Today's Garden Pictures: Pretty fall colors in a front bed where I have Pink Vi ncas and Large gold Marigolds decorating the space around a cable box and an electric pole!  Red Salvia and Golden Creeping Jenny in the container.  Just took this photo a few minutes before posting. The sun angle starts getting really pretty around 3pm here. My Cardinal Basil out by the mailbox: It's huge now. And top heavy. Beautiful. Loved by bees. I had to stick the metal stand I hang my plastic owl on out in front of it to tie it to, so it wouldn't fall over!

I went out late this afternoon to miracle-gro water my veggies, daylilies, blackberries, blueberries and hyrdrangeas near the house. The tomato I planted back in spring sprouted new growth from all stems and is laden with blossom right now as well as some tomatoes I have sweet peas beginning to bloom. The beets. lettuce and spinach are still babies. The bell pepper is large and bushy and beginning a fresh round fruit-making. This is such a nice time of year veggies. No pests. Today's pics are two morning sun shots today captured back in early October: My Chocolate Elephant Ears: Actually, I read they are more related to Caladiums then Elephant Ears. They have roots rather then a bulb. But unlike common Caladiums, these are faithfully perennial. I moved a bunch of the roots to this container a couple years ago because they weren't thriving in the ground where they are. Now that they have a pot to themselves, they're doing better. They come up green with purplish veins, then ...

  I'm sort of picky about salad. I'm not always in the mood for something cold and I don't care for sour tasting dressings. I also like a bite-size chop on the greens and the grape tomatoes sliced; not whole. So, looking for a new salad option, I ran across this Autumn Salad on Pinterest. It's got apple, pear, dried cranberries, pecans & feta! And it includes a very easy and yummy home-made creamy Poppy seed dressing! It's a pretty salad as well. The feta makes a good contrast to the sweet of the fruit, cranberries and dressing. I think it'd be good with Blue Cheese also. I did alter the original Pinterest recipe by adding red onion & julienned carrots. I like a colorful salad. Note: though recipe calls for Romaine, you can use any type of lettuce you prefer, except for iceburg. Also mix in chopped baby spinach leaves. It's my go-to salad now and I've found the Poppy seed dressing delicious on Raisin & Apple Slaw, too! (Photo is my own) Autu ...