My cheese is beautiful! I got it waxed yesterday and now comes the wait. It won’t be ready to eat for 2 months and 6 would be better. I’m not a patient person so I made a mozzarella yesterday. Instant gratification! I need it anyway. I’m cleaning out the freezer and finding pits of vegetables that will only be consumed if hidden in a lasagna. I had planned to make one last night but the owners of the deli/grocery that Karen has worked since she was 13 took her out for a lovely dinner to celebrate her 18th birthday and we decided to have fish. We love fish but seldom eat it because Karen is allergic. We don’t eat it front of her because she loves it so but just being in the same room causes her to get hives and make her lips swell up.
I got a wonderful sourdough going. It’s such a crap shoot to make. This time I appear to have caught a good yeast and the flavor is awesome. I used potato water and it seemed to work just fine.
One week ago I was out in the strawberry patch, in short sleeves, pulling weeds and planning the expansion. Today, Phoebe will need her heavy coat for school. It looks to be cool and cloudy all week. This works as it seems I need to fly to Florida on Saturday or Sunday. My daughter, Neddy, had some emergency surgery last night. It was a ruptured ovarian cyst and she won’t be up to caring for her children for week or so. Chad can get the time off from work but he won’t get paid for it and this young couple just can’t afford that. I’m presenting at the Master Gardener’s Symposium on Saturday morning. I don’t want to bail on them at the last minute so I’ll look for a flight in the afternoon. I just realized that I have to carry all of my equipment back up the stairs from the basement and out to the car. I knew there was a reason I don’t like to do trainings two weeks in a row. It’s a lot of work!
I’ll be too busy to do much in Florida but care for my grandkids but I will bring a plot plan for the herb garden and strawberry patch with me. We have space that needs to be filled in. We had one plan but I had complained to Bruce that the herb garden, the prettiest spot in my yard, is no longer visible because of the second greenhouse. He had the idea of enlarging to the small plot that was going to hold the new section of strawberries. We could move the walkway and have a good portion of the garden show from the back porch. That works but now we nowhere to put the strawberries. I’m not sure there is enough sun in the spot that was going to hold the rest of the herbs. I could try to talk Bruce into sacrificing a bit more lawn( a big bit) but he does not share my permie dreams. He loves his lawn (crazy. crazy man) and I already dug up a section for the blueberries, another for the plum berries and let’s not forget that I have a big Oiko’s order coming in a few weeks. I’m thinking of feigning surprise when it shows up. “Who could have sent these plants to us? I have no idea where they came from. Whatever shall we do with cranberries, nanny berries, sea berries and several trees?” To be honest, I don’t remember what I ordered. I just can’t be trusted with a catalog and a credit card.
I have some fun stuff coming up. This is the time of year when my permie group and seed saving guild gets together for seed and plant swaps. Last year I gave away 300 strawberry plants and buckets of raspberry canes. It feels good to know that they produced and multiplied. This year, I’m looking for scion wood, Calendula seeds (I went and gave all mine away) and decent blackberry canes. I transplanted mine last year so the people next door could hang out laundry without being slashed by thorns and they have not done well in their new home. The cress didn’t take either. The first year it was killed by drought and last summer it was flood. Do locusts like cress? I hope not. I plan to try again.
March 30, 2012 at 10:03 am
I so wish I lived near you with some land. I’d happily take what you can’t fit and then trade with you and join the creamery and your groups.
Have fun with the grandbabies and may you your daughter feel better! Grandma is headed down here to babysit during Spring Break. Thank God for Grandmas!
March 30, 2012 at 4:11 pm
I can’t believe how the weather changed so quickly. I love growing strawberries and herbs, too. I was just gardening last week and planting flowers and now I had to halt my efforts. The kids were helping and started to take out the flowers rather than put them in
Grandkids are the best!
March 30, 2012 at 11:33 pm
I’m so sorry about your daughter’s surgery, I hope she’s better soon. Your family is so lucky to have you come to the rescue. Have a lovely visit with all of them. I’m trying to push back the lawn here, too. What on earth do we need all this grass for? Let’s grow something delicious.
March 31, 2012 at 9:00 pm
It good that we live in a time they could save your daughter. Double good that you can be there to help!
April 1, 2012 at 10:30 am
So sorry to hear about your daughter – lucky for her you’re able to help.
Don’t get suckered by the fabulous Florida weather. It’s been about 10 degrees warmer, in the mid to high 80′s, than usual and no rain – at least here in SW Florida. I have to water at least every other day, we do have a well and rain barrels (now catching dew runoff from the roof) so it’s not city water which is very expensive. Frost killed out first tomato, pepper and bean plants so we had to start over and all plants are setting fruit. But, remember, not much grows last half of June thru first half of Sept – much too hot. I think of it as our summer is like your winter without the cold, ice and snow