Earthquake!

 Another hot day and it would seem these triple digits are here to stay. It was 101 yesterday and today? maybe 105. In the Indeed, it was meantime, Alan is still in Alaska until Sunday and his temps are in the 50s during the day. It was raining yesterday there. Sunday night while looking out the hotel window and talking to Lisa, the curtains moved and the window too and so did he feel movement. He hung up and call down to the desk...they said not to worry it was only an earthquake. Alan dressed and left the 14th floor and went downstairs. It really was an earthquake that was about 130 miles north and it was a 6.1 magnitude. Earlier there were a few smaller ones that did not register in Anchorage. Alan said he would put hazard pay on his expense report!

This is the new egg cooker...small like a toy! It works just fine. Well, I do have to try the poached eggs again. The hard cooked ones are great.

It has accessories...a scramble egg bowl, an egg poacher dived dish and of course it  also has it"s own special measuring cup. It will musically start and when finished plays another tune. It is all automatically timed and as you can see in the first picture, it all stores under the cover. I just love gadgets and things to make anything easier.

Lisa and I did some crafting yesterday..

these are several Heating pad Llamas waiting for me.

Once Lisa cuts them out and all their pieces, I embroider the faces. She will then sew them into Llamas. I love doing the hand sewing. I must say, Lisa is gaining more confidence with her cutting out and sewing. 

A few months ago Alan decided to spread some flower seeds. Just as he began a bit of wind arrived and the seeds went ... well who knows. Nothing seemed to be growing until this Blanket Flower appeared.  I found another tomato  growing but it is as small as a pin head. The plant itself is growing so tall. The basil and oregano are doing great. I still need to replace the Rosemary and parsley as well as chives. That will be when Alan returns. 

Did I mention that there is a special door at my bedroom doorway?

Hope this means they will be moving in and help around here. In the meantime, glad to visit with you today. Thank you for your kind words and for your friendship. 

Must say thank you for all the good thoughts and prayers for my niece Tonya. She is doing so well.

Hot days are here

☀It would seem the triple digits are here to stay. Heat advisories daily...Murphy ignored them yesterday. He insisted on laying out in the lanai all morning. Today he is napping by my side.  It is 106 at the moment...so indoors we will stay. Alan and Lisa are at work so it is just the two of us. Me?, I am watching a movie. Lisa took me to Safeway this morning for a few things and I could not wait to get back home and remove the mask...

I made each of us 2 masks...one of Alan's was with him at work when I took this photo. So many are not wearing them in the market.
Our tomato plants are getting ready in the Kitchen Garden....

These are on the "old" plant and there are several. Glad I did not remove it when we picked the last tomato. We bought a new one

This is the new one which is Husky cherry  and already has several bunches. Since none are ready I had to buy some today.

This pepper plant is called Candy Cane...do you see the light creamy color stripe? The peppers will be stripped and sweet. The Poblano plant does not have anything yet. I need to replace the Italian flat leaf parsley when next I can get to a nursery. Lisa is tending to the Basil plant in a pot on the shelf.
Well, I am needing a good sit down. My injection area is sore today...an ache that will not quit. Swishing and fluffing in the laundry area is finished. The galley area of the kitchen floor needs a wash, but it can wait. So nice to chat with you all. I hope you are taking care and being as careful as possible. Thank you for your kind words and for your friendship. 

Yoo-hoo

… no, not the drink, you out there. Well how is everyone holding up? These are days of questioning...when will this be over? Days of worrying each time out if someone is near who might spread it. I must admit that I am not obsessed, but I am being more careful. The times out are for meds or food. Speaking of food.... I am not a food hoarder. If you are, please stop so the rest of us who are just buying food for the week can get what we need. I went to bake shortbread cookies last week and do not have enough flour. I usually buy as I need.... I have some just not what the recipe needs. The stores are out of flour and sugar and salt.... and do not get me started on toilet paper. There are 3 adults here.... need I say more.  Okay my rant is over for now.
The garden project is coming along nicely. We did have rain last week.

We have a pot of assorted pansy's for a real splash of color.
Alan is doing a great job. Today he will need to repair a control valve and then the irrigation is fixed. Top soil is next to be added to the garden and then fencing. The kitchen garden is all set except for adding basil and a summer tomato plant. Yesterday Alan painted the wall and of course as soon as he was finished, Murphy got into the area and of course there was paint on his side, tail and leg and not all on one side. No, no time for a picture as I had to get him to the sink to wash it off! Never a dull moment around here.
Today will be another lazy day as my hip is bothering me and a light headache. Maybe I will make a banana bread and tapioca pudding later. I will be trying to keep Murphy out Alan's way...key word is try. Glad you stopped by today. Thank you for your kind words and for your friendship. Stay safe....

So Dapper

The last few days have slipped away. The weather has been nice and today is expected to be even better. I made a grooming appointment for Murphy.. Scruffy no more.

What do you think?  He has a modified Schnauzer  cut for now. Until he is no longer interested in excavating the garden, keeping minimal fluff on him  will be easier to keep clean.  Being his first grooming visit, we did not know how he would behave...

His "paw-gress" report was good! He was very happy for us to pick him up and happy to return home. He is just a lovely velvet to touch sleek body now.

Just look at this bunch of 10, yes, 10 tomatoes! There are more on the other branch! We are patiently waiting to enjoy them. The rest of the kitchen garden is doing well. The parsley and chives are being used almost daily. The mint and oregano is also growing nicely. This area will be fenced in to keep you know who out.
Alan and Lisa are both off work today and tomorrow when they will be going to the Barrett Jackson Car auction, I will be going to the dentist! We now have need a calendar to keep track of who is where. We are doing well as a family... a fun home especially with Murphy to keep us busy. Soon I hope to work on my quilted runner. Probably tomorrow I will be able to sit at the sewing machine.
So nice to have a chat with you today... any day. Thank you for the kind words and for the friendship.

Where do the days go?

Good afternoon..... I know..... where have I been and what have I been up to. I am still right here and not doing too much. I have been out of sorts lately… actually for a few months. A visit to the doctor with Alan and things are getting back on track. I am touched with the emails from some of you checking on me.... I could feel the hugs wrapping around me. Thank you.

We had 3 days of rain storms last week and now they say we will get more this week. Just look at the first tomato! The kitchen garden is growing leaps! The Mr Lincoln roses have been wonderful to pick and have in the house. The fragrance is lovely. There are more buds on the bush. Here it is end of November and the Prickly Pear Cactus is blooming...

I love the feel of the flowers....they feel waxy. Of course taking a picture requires being very careful...

The pads, or Nopals are eatable... not that I have tried them. They should post a warning:
Spines and tufts of barbed bristles (glochids) can cause significant allergic skin  reactions... not to mention painful when pricked!

The red fruit appears once the flowers finish and they make the best jelly.

The Fairy Duster plant is also in bloom....the hummers love it as do the bees. So nice to have color in the garden at this time of year.

On Satrday, Lisa and I went to a faire in Scottsdale... not as good as the Litchfield one, but we had a nice day. While we were out, friends across the courtyard, Robyn and Dave, told me that a large healthy looking coyote walked up to the birdbath in the front and stood there drinking. He could each without difficulty. I would have loved to seen that!

Hopefully my desire to get back to creating will return soon. In the meantime, thank you for the lovely caring messages. I will make more of an effort to post as I always did... often. Thank you for your thoughts and kind words and most of all for your friendship.

A chicken and a spider

The weather has been absolutely wonderful...sit outside with morning coffee and sliders open all day. I know…. in other parts of the country it is cold and dreary.... but this is why I moved here.

Do you see her? A patchwork chicken in the kitchen garden! Of course the show stopper is the Mr Lincoln rose bush...just look at all the blooms. The fragrance is wonderful. In the top picture is the chive and basil pot, the bottom is the tomato that is growing very strong and soon will need a support. There are flowers already. All in all it is growing well and we have been able to use the herbs in cooking.

Look carefully....I did not see it when I took the picture but there is an ugly spider in the rose! He can remain as long as he keeps the bugs away!
Not anything to show for being creative... just not happening right now.  It is not for a lack of things to create, it is just me myself and I not interested at the moment. Soon.....
How about an update on dear friends Don and Glenda... Don is doing well at the moment as is Glenda but please continue to keep them in your thoughts. Okay, time to get back out to the lanai and listen to Sarah Brightman.... Alan hooked up Dennis' electronics so we have music out there...next will be the TV. Thank you for visiting and for your kind words.... thank you for your friendship.

Busy is busy

Goodness, it is a very chilly morning. The temp is reading at 50 outside....I have socks on my feet! The sun will hopefully get things warmed up outside. Yesterday the Kitchen Garden was finished... at least for now.

The large planter has a patio tomato and parsley with the mum. The smaller planter has chives and basil with the petunias.

The 2 year old oregano was moved just a bit over to make room. In the Spring I will plant another vine for the archway to the left of the oregano.

There is a small plater of mint...not going to put it into the ground where it will take over the garden!
Right next to it is a special plat...a Mr. Lincoln Rose. It was a favorite rose for me and Denny. So in his memory there is one in the garden that he loved  and took care of daily. For now this completes the Kitchen Garden.

This fuchsia plant is Dragons Breath in the cobalt planter it looks great. As it fill out, if there is room I will add a small plant I the front.

Do you remember the huge rosemary plat that did not make the move to another garden spot? This is a replacement...starting small as the other did because if it takes off it will need the room.
That is what was accomplished yesterday. Today is a new day.... but I will make it a relaxing day. I am sure it will warm up and the sitting outside is the plan.

I am still here.....

Thank you for asking, and yes, I am still here. Things here at the Horton House have been a work in progress. For two years it has been just me.... now there are three of us.... all new. It is one thing when people come to visit and then leave and another when they stay. There are different ways of doing things and schedules and … well you know what I mean. Alan is on a temporary schedule. This week he is using my car to give his a rest from the 3,000 miles it travelled to get here. Speaking of getting here; the Pod is arriving today.... sometime between 8am and 8pm. Alan will be off tomorrow and that means we will have a sofa and chair in the living room! Then the task of unloading will keep them busy. Alan has insisted that I do nothing with this unpacking.

I am still trying to decide on what project to do next. My mind has not yet settled to choose. I have been spending time outside reading each day. Today is starting with quite a breeze... almost windy. At the moment it is around 77 and should reach low 80s... a cool down.

This past weekend Alan did a garden clean-up. I told him I wanted a kitchen garden (Dennis and I planted one some years back which has gone lost!) so I decided where and we readied the spot. So far...Oregano and a Mum are there!  It will be just outside the garage service door which is off the kitchen. The Oregano is 2years old and really doing well. Sorry for the sun glare. I decided that it is not breezy, it is windy and it is flowing thru the abode nicely. I think I will work in the garage this morning. Still a few things to do. I am having hip/back issues today so it will be a take it easy type of day. Always something for those of us growing on in years.

to my friend Dianna who is celebrating her **th special day in Hawaii.

Once again I am asking that you continue to keep my dear friend Don (and Glenda too) in your thoughts. Glenda has expressed thanks for your special thoughts and prayers.
Okay, off to the garage.... thank you for spending time with me. Thank you for your kind words and thoughts and for your friendship.