Thursday Musings

 Hello,

Well, It's a sticky mess out there, isn't it?  The temp is already up there and not much air is moving.  I'm trying to get stuff done early this morning.  I've already cooked bacon to put in a broccoli salad and I have shrimp thawing - I will cook them in a bit and we will have cold shrimp and salad for dinner.  I've also hard boiled some eggs to make deviled eggs - much easier for a warm morning than frying or scrambling an egg.

Years (decades) ago when we moved into our house, our woods beyond the back lawn were filled with wild blackberry bushes.  We would pick tons.  Then all of a sudden, there were a. lot of ticks and I stopped going into the woods.  Fast forward to this year and Fletch announced that there is a wild blackberry in the garden!  It's right by the fig and hibiscus.  Yesterday when I got home from Colin's I strolled out to the garden to take a peek.  Sure enough - and the berries are beginning to ripen!

The off-white thing in the background is a raised bed (tall cylinder) where we have lettuce (an over-abundance) growing and bush beans beginning to grow.  You may need to enlarge the pic to see the berries, but they are there!  I'm hoping we get some before the birds grab them all.

I also noted that our Sun Gold Cherry Tomato plant at long last has tomatoes!  Woo-Hoo.

I have a bit more cooking on my agenda.  We are headed to Mailing's parents tomorrow for a cookout.  Well, Bonnie will be on her way to China, but Zhongren is hosting and he has requested that we bring cookies.  I've decided to make Basil Lime Shortbread (which both Colin and I LOVE) and a recipe for bars that I found - it calls for mixing oatmeal, peanut butter, pumpkin and some other stuff and baking in an 8" pan.  Then melted chocolate goes on top.  Sounds good to me!  On Saturday, the 4th, we will be at C&M's for a cookout.  I've been tasked with making and bringing a corn & black bean salad.  Easy peasy.

 A trip to the library will also happen - there are 5 or 6 books waiting for me to pick them up!  Finally, I hope to find some time for stitching and knitting, but we shall see.

Thanks for all your nice comments on my hair.  I love the cut and am so happy to be rid of so much length!

Please take it easy if you are in the midst of this heatwave.  Our township (Lower Providence) has even cancelled the July 4th celebration and fireworks due to the excessive heat warnings.  And Fletch read that our air quality (lack of) is being impacted by the fires out west.