Growing

Purple cabbage nestled among Lambs Ear and Purple Cone flower, beside a Lilac bush. 

Golly Miss Molly! We have had a lot of rain this summer at my West Virginia location!
Between the rain and my work schedule I am so so sooooo behind on my weeding, dehydrating and all around garden maintenance chores.  I grow many of my vegetables in the same beds as my herbs and flowers. I started planting late this year because of the rain and decided to plant my purple cabbage near the Lilac bushes to protect them from heat. I had hoped to get a very late cabbage crop. Well we have not had the usual heat with all this rain. The bugs have been ferocious and a willowy friend turned me on to Captain Jack Dead Bug . My pretty purple cabbage may be past the point of no return but I sprayed them anyway and will hope for the best.

The cucumbers are doing great! See the big one I picked and then ate for dinner in the left corner?

I switched my cucumbers to a new spot this year, since they did really crappy last year. The herb borage  was already growing in that spot. I just weeded them back a bit so the cucumbers would have plenty of room to spread. Borage is a great companion plant for vegetables such as tomatoes, strawberries and squash. Maybe cucumbers too? Nothing kills the borage and they reseed them selves year after year.

Carrots, speckled roman tomato and sunflowers.

I was not a very good seed saver last year so I was very happy to see that the Speckled Roman tomato that had grown in that spot last year sprouted a few plants. I am not completely sure it is that tomato variety since I have not seen the fruit yet but my fingers are crossed. I really loved that tomato variety! The tomato variety was sweet, meaty and didn't have a lot of seeds. It was an excellent canning tomato that had curb appeal in my front yard garden.

Basil, Roma and Ox heart tomatoes.

The soil in this garden is not as weed free as my other beds. This is only the second planting of in this garden area. I pulled weeds that where as tall as me. I found bannana peppers, tomatoes, sunflowers, garlic,  potatoes and unfortunately evidence that other seeds I had planted did not survive. My pole beans and pumpkins where eaten or else smothered by the weeds. I still have more weeding to do!

Another volunteer plant.

The volunteer squash plant has just started to set fruit. Since the pumpkins and butternut that I planted did not make it (for the first time ever!), I am hoping it will be some type of pumpkin. Trinnity and Chloe planted the sunflowers and they have enjoyed watching 'their' plants grow bigger then they are.

 

Peppermint, oregano, wormwood and etc in the front yard garden.

I have several different gardens. The main vegetable gardens are on each side of my house and also a front yard garden. I do not live on a busy street so my gardens are not very evident unless someone pulls into my driveway to come visit. I do live within the city limits of a small town. I plant flowers, herbs and vegetables together. I applaud people that plant front yard gardens in areas where they are considered a violation or might be banned. I feel it is important to grow my own food and at least try to make a smaller carbon footprint. I think front yard gardens are beautiful. Really aren't the 'weeds' in our yards just agreed upon flowers?

Sunflowers (seeds for my parrot), bee balm, day lilly and nicotiana.

Yum, dinner of fresh cucumbers! Still 

garden dusty banana peppers and zucchini.

Tile Pile

Planning the tile pattern.

Planning the tile for the counter took a while. I picked out tile, stacked, sorted and then did it again for several weeks. I have a large pile of tile in my garage that is stacked in piles against one wall. A little part of me thought that maybe the stacks would help insulate the garage. Hmmm probably not. The stacks have become more of a stair step way around the wall of the garage for my outdoor cats. 

Getting busy and ready to add the corners.

I did have to purchase the edge pieces. They where expensive! I applied plastic to the wood counter top and then the cement board. I like applying thin set. There is just something about creating the goop with my drill and beater blade. I like to watch it swirl and combine with the water in the bucket to make goop. Applying the goop to tile is pretty fun too! It feels like spreading frosting! Yum, but no tasting necessary. 

Wet saw to cut the corners and a few other tile.

After I started applying the tile to the edge of the counter, I realized I had no clue how to cut the corners. On top of that I did not have any equipment to cut the corners! I went to the net and to youtube to research my options. I watched youtube video after video trying to learn how to cut corners with a wet saw for several days before I rented the wet saw. My daughter and I fooled with the saw for an hour (unplugged) before I tried to cut tile. I cut a few plain tile before I cut my first corner. I was so nervous! It came out perfect! I was so happy!!

The finished counter top!

Emergency Care

                                     

I was on break with a fellow nurse and she shared a few funny videos with me for a laugh and some stress relief. Laughter, after all is the best medicine!  I have worked in the ER now for six months. Here you would expect me to say how much I love my job. Well...to be honest I love parts of my job.

I would like to share all the wonderful and heart felt stories about people I have helped to get better and leave the ER but instead it is the yucky stuff that sticks out like a bad zit. Do you know what kind of zit I'm talking about? The kind of zit that suddenly appears hot red itchy and swelled at least an inch high that can be seen by looking sideways at the tip of your own nose. I just know that everyone else can see that aggravating huge zit and it is very distracting! Those are unfortunately the people that I am thinking about today. The above you tube video is a great zit story.   

Let me say this again. I have only worked in the ER for six months but I have already heard this several times a week. Part of my head is trying to get the real reason for their ER visit and part of my head is laughing hysterically at the total craziness of the conversation I am having.

I was flabbergasted the first time I witnessed a fake seizure! I have seen real seizures and have sympathy for people that have this serious condition and was totally appalled that people really do fake seizures. My preceptor turned to me and said 'welcome to the ER' while my mouth dropped and eyes popped in  shock. Well, my shock lasted a second or two because after all I am a nurse.  

I'm not a new nurse. I decided to change careers in my late 40's. I don't think I'm having a midlife crises but I could be. I have a new car too. Plenty of people and fellow nurses have suggested I must be crazy to switch to the ER. Since 1990 I have worked in different areas of nursing such as cardiac step down, post open heart, a float nurse, nursing home and even hospice. The ER has been a challenge and a blessing all in one inhale. I wouldn't trade my ER position for anything. Not even a Hershey Kiss, peanut butter cup, cup cake, double chocolate brownie or even a blueberry red bull. And boy that is saying a lot because I really love chocolate and caffeine!!!

No Diva Bull Here

 My body is not cooperating with my mind. In my head I am ready willing and able to leap tall buildings, jump, skate and stay up all night playing nurse Cindy! wink wink

Early this spring I tried riding this bull pictured to the left at a local restaurant bar post Derby party. I have ridden bucking bronco horses...mmm several or many years ago, so heck I can ride this mechanical bull my head told the rest of my body! I lasted 10 seconds. LOL But the ride was worth every single 10 seconds! I'm sad to say now with my knee feeling achy and wobbly I couldn't even jump on the bulls back, let alone ride for 10 seconds. Pout face. 

Diva of Home Improvements shakes her Fairy.....(insert favorite body part here)

New kitchen sink and counter top.

  

I set my sights on my kitchen this spring. I love my new open sink and large faucet. I have never had a separate sink hole for a soap dispenser and I it has proved useful. Since this picture was taken the window frame was painted a basil green color. I have all the tile picked out but I haven't had enough days off in a row to complete the tile project on the back splash. 

Copper hanging pan rack above center 

kitchen island.

Planning the tile counter top on the other side of the kitchen.

A friend helped me finish my pot rack with copper plumbing pipe. I love it! Love it! I think the copper goes so well with the ceiling I painted a dark mysterious forest green color. 

I have picked out the tile and made a design with tile on the other counter in the kitchen. I will have the rest of the supplies needed for that project next week when I again will have a few days off together.

Repainted and polyurethane center kitchen island.

I repainted my center kitchen table island. My cute granddaughter, bigger kids and my self had put a hurting on the previous paint job and it was quite battered, nicked and scratched. My Dad is putting new wood on my chairs because Trinity stuck her feet through the cane seat bottoms. I look forward to painting them dark purple. ")

Bling, bang and Knit

My knitting needles have been busy while my leg has been iced and elevated. While roller skating I hurt my knee. I am practicing different pattern swatches with one of my favorite books Knitting Stitches Visual Encyclopedia.
The book is an excellent stitch guide. I like the organizational style and the bright yarn colors the author chose in each knit swatch. As a beginner I wish there where directions or pictures to walk me through some of the basic stitches in each section so I would have the confidence to tackle some of the harder patterns.

Last but not least my finished baby hat and matching fortune cookies booties. ;)

Walking Meditation Sticks

On Monday I took my granddaughters to the Martin Luther King Jr march here in Lewisburg, WV. I usually attend the march, lunch and speeches every year to honor his memory and to see his dream becoming a reality. When my now teenagers where younger and I was home schooling them they came with me. I continue the lessons with my granddaughters who are 5 and 7. 

The march was chilly. Chloe, Trinity and I where bundled in several layers of warm clothing and coats yet our noses and toes still where cold. 

I was wearing a pair of very warm mittens knitted by my Aunt Ginger. She sends our family a box or two a year of lovely hand knitted items such as mittens in different sizes, scarfs and hats. She is amazing!

All of the marchers warmed up quickly in the church where we sat down together at long school room style tables to share a tasty lunch of sandwich wraps, tummy warming vegetable soup and chocolate cup cakes. 

We were not able to stay for all the post activities in the church sanctuary. The girls drumming group was energetic and kept my granddaughters attention but soon they began to fidget during the speeches and it was time to go.

Living with grand children is interesting to say the least. I recently found my Lilith alter in my room dismantled, placed in side a plastic jack-o-lantern and rearranged up under my desk. I took this as an opportunity to do some serious alter cleaning. I unlisted the assistance of my smallest but bravest granddaughter Trinity to help. This provided an opportunity to teacher her about Goddess Lilith. From experience I'm sure she is also the culprit who dismantled my alter. The picture represents only a very very small part of the whole ...

I am on call at work today and surprisingly I have not been called in to the hospital where I am a cardiac nurse. So this morning I had unexpected time to myself. I work hard at maintaining a daily spiritual practice. This morning I was able to give myself the gift of extra time. 

Now I will shamelessly insert plugs and kudos for my previous teacher Thorn Coyle and one of my favorite books Feeding your Demons by Tsultrim Allione.
I live in gratitude to Thorn teaching excellence and assistance helping me understand and finally appreciate daily practice. I think it is up to the individual to craft their own practice. My practice embraces my Feri spirituality which includes meditation, devotion, honoring Gods/ancestors and connection to self divinity with different exercises that I enjoy. I will not be sharing my personal exercises or Feri. There is plenty of information out on the world wide web to explore and lots of helpful hints enabling others to create their own daily practice.
I like to meditate with other people but that is not possible for me or my schedule. I was introduced to insight timer  by a friend and I love being able to connect and meditate with people from all over the world.

Feeding your demons, shadow work, mirror work or what ever name you feel comfortable with has been healing and self empowering for me. I love Tsultrim book and I reread it frequently. My book is filled with pencil notations and sticky notes. I love her approach because it taught me how to shift to tolerance, integration and compassion. Demon or shadows hinder liberation and Tsultrim explains how to change our story to what is happening, instead of what should be happening while embracing demons. 

Believe it or not knitting has been very helpful tool assisting me on my journey to be able to focus, relax within myself and to meditate.  

I consider myself a beginning knitter. Even though I learned to knit way back in high school, I have very few completed projects under my belt. Knitting is fun and frustrating at the same time. I have continued to try and try again because I like a challenge and (wink) I like to play with pointy sticks. I recently took a online class at Craftsy which was fun and a confidence building experience. I also learned I am an English knitter. This may explain some of my past knitting misunderstandings. I learned how knit from my grandmother who was from Nova Scotia . Do knitters from that area of Canada typically knit English style? I do not know. I have never visited but my parents have returned several times to visit our family living there. Some day I too would like to meet my distant relatives.

I have just finished knitting a top knot baby hat for a fellow nurse at work. She is now out on maternity leave with her daughter Anne Marie. I used size 6 us size double pointed needles for most of the hat. I usually don't use metal needles but this is what I had and I didn't want to buy another pair. I prefer bamboo or some type of wood. Metal is slippery and I have had to really concentrate when changing from one needle to another.

Knitting language can be confusing. The directions state, knit around to get the stockinette stitch. Well I did what I thought was knitting in the beginning but the stockinette stitch was forming on the inside of the hat. That is not what I wanted or what the directions stated. I was knitting on the outside of the stitch and when I changed to knitting on the inside or pearling everything turned out lovely. Another lesson learned!

The Art of Sorta Doing Nothing

I'm working on the 'art of doing nothing' since I graduated from an RN BSN program. I heard about this concept while reading the book  Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert. It sounded so good when when she talked about the Italian concept but I guess I'm as American as apple pie making me more of a 'doer'. My hands, mind and eyes are always busy and usually doing at least three task at once. Sometimes the task are joyful and other times it is stuff I have to just get done. I guess I'm a work in progress. My attempt to get into the spirit of the art of nothing was on Sunday. But first...there was Saturday.

Saturday my Roller Derby team the Greenbrier Roller Vixens had a Boot Camp event. Women (sorry guys, this is woman flat track) interested in the contact roller skating sport could try it out from 10a to 3p and get a taste of derby. There where about 13 women raring to get on skates and check out derby. I had a great time. The day was busy. So busy I did not get any pictures. There was an introduction and of course paper work, gear, safety, warm up off skates, introduction to import skills such as stopping and falls, practice skating fun, skating games and a Vixen demo bout. All that expended energy deserved great food. And there was! I made barbeque turkey, and others provided a variety of foods such as  tasty rolls and buns, sweet potato vegetable soup with blue cheese crumbles, baked macaroni n cheese, black bean corn dip with corn chips, green salad, peanut butter cookies and delectable blue berry bacon cupcakes. All of the dishes where so yum! I had seconds!!

This picture was taken in September before a parade we skated. I'm the tall blonde in the blue stripped tights. Another wonderful derby day.

I have to rave and toot my own horn about my barbeque turkey dish. It was tummy rubbing good and it takes two days to prepare.  I used the directions to bake a twenty pound turkey from the 1975 edition Joy of Cooking cook book. It is my most used and favorite cook book. I received the book as a gift when my first (unfortunately yes, there are others) husband and I married in 1983. The book cooks much better then my first husband and I ever did. Insert sad face but only for a second.

I washed and then baked the turkey as directed in the oven with the usual spices sprinkled on the skin such as sage, salt and pepper. I cooled the turkey and in the evening I pulled off all the tender dark and white meat, putting it in a big crock pot. The pulled meat just about filled the pot. I added a half cup of white vinegar and then a favorite barbeque sauce. Bottled works. Usually I make my own but I was squished for time and used three purchased bottles. I added six cloves of crushed garlic. I still have 10 dried bulbs of organic garlic from my garden. I mixed it all up as best as I could since the pot was pretty full. It simmered on low in the crock pot all night. At the derby boot camp I mixed it several times and kept it simmering until it was time to dive in and munch down. It was tender, tangy and so delicious.

Back to Sunday and my attempt to prefect the art of doing nothing. When I think of 'nothing' what comes to my mind is enjoying or having such pleasure in the moment of being me within these five physical points that is myself a star. Nothing is not sitting as a bump (unless that is your pleasure) but being in joy and enjoying the pleasure of the moment to me. I did not do one thing that my head was telling me I 'should' DO. I did what gave me joy and I love to knit. My grandmother Clark taught me the joy of different fiber arts such as quilting and knitting. My grandmother lives every time I pick up her needles that where passed to me.
I joyfully picked out an online class at Craftsy with Stefanie Japel. I did nothing but enjoy my self as I knitted along and made a lace key hole scarf for me. My granddaughters visited me in my room throughout the day asking lots of questions and decorating my bed with barbies. I'm half finished with the scarf now and will post a completed picture on the Craftsy site later. I will do nothing again real soon, finish the other half and then block it so the scarf will lay flat and lovely around my neck.

Welcome Year of the Black Snake

Beginnings start with endings sometimes....

I am still in a state of mild shock. I do not have to study. I still feel so strange. I finally finished a long term goal on December 15 when I passed my final test. The registered nursing board test is darn funky doodle. I had been having nightmares about the test for weeks. Nightmares about  math problems with lots of kg, units and fluid rates bouncing up in down in cartoon shapes on my bed, obscure disease processes flowing over my body or weirdly having to identify strange rashes via text messaging from my phone. I am so glad I have completed my goal but at the same time I feel a little lost. My days since graduation in June have centered around book study, disease processes or lab test review and practice testing.
I have been thinking what is next? What do I do now? Thoughts have been rolling in and out like an ocean tide. I could, I could, I could...I could go back to school! I have been thinking about more school since the day I graduated.

Yup that is me in the funny white coat, covering up the dress I purchased just for my special day with my wonderful family.
Today I started an application to start my next journey in education. Family Nurse Practitioner. Intention...to be obtained from Wheeling Jesuit University. 

Today is January 2 and I am enjoying the fruits of my December 31 think cooking fun. I think, cook and fantasize while I and my kitchen create magical yummy food. I love lucky peas. Which is funny. If I love them, then why don't I cook them more often? I don't know, but I sure cooked up a mess to share with friends as the old year fell to compost and the new year sprouted...beautiful possibility.

Lucky Peas with Dumplings
1/2 pound bacon
1 whole onion chopped
4-5 cloves garlic
2 pats of butter
2 T flour (gluten free use rice flour) 
home made poultry stock
1 cup water
salt and pepper
5 cans of black-eyed peas
collards

1. Cook the bacon in a large pot. Remove the bacon, chop and place the drippings in a separate bowl. Set both aside for later. Add onion saute, and garlic saute some more in the pot with at least 2 T left over drippings and butter. When the chopped onion is translucent add the flour. Stir and cook 1 minute. Add peas and cover with stock. Add water. Bring to a boil. Simmer for at least 35 minutes or until peas are tender and thick and saucy.
2. Chop collards. In a fry pan add 1/2 teaspoon or less of saved bacon drippings and when it is popping hot add collards. Turn a few times to make sure all the greens are cooked and are a bright green. Put aside in a separate bowl.  Add the collards to the peas just before serving.  Mixing well.

Dumplings
1/2 cup flour (gluten free use rice flour)
1/2 cup white corn meal
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
2 or 3 scallions minced 
2 T cold butter
1 T reserved drippings
1/2 cup sour cream

1.  Combine flour, corn meal, baking soda and scallion in a bowl. Cut butter into the flour until it has a coarse texture, and add drippings, sour cream and chopped bacon. Stir the moist dough just enough to mix ingredients together.
2. Heat a fry pan with any left over drippings. Add teaspoon fulls of the dumpling dough spaced well apart. Place a cover over the pan and cook about 4 minutes, turn the dumpling and cook covered about 4 more minutes.

I found this recipe in Cooking Light Jan/Feb 2013 page 156. I of course changed it to suit my taste buds. Enjoy and change the recipe to fit your taste buds too. ")  Cook up some Magic!