Friday, January 29, 2021

Pretty Darn Cheerful


A very few of my azaleas have popped out of their candlestick buds although they, too, are still few and far between. 


We are moving on towards spring, even if it can still get quite cold in February, and of course, as I said before, freeze in March. By April I'll be bitching about the heat again. 

Today was a go-to-town day although I procrastinated for hours, hanging out the laundry and working on a mask I started yesterday just for the hell of it. The mask turned out beautifully as in, it looks beautiful. 


Unfortunately, it's not a good design for my particular face. Dang it! I was so careful and really paid attention to what I was doing and I love that fabric. Oh well. Life goes on. 
Anyway, I didn't leave here until after two, I think, and by the time I got home it was after four. Some people at Costco were wearing their masks improperly and some old guy at Publix was walking around with his hanging from one ear loop. What is WRONG with these people? I did make a discovery at Publix today which is that it isn't the fullness of my cart which is required for me to be able to find the secret exit portal, it is the amount of money represented in the goods I'm buying in the cart. 
I'll tell you this, though- I won't have to buy capers for months. Or brown sugar or blue cheese olives or whole wheat flour either. 

I got home, unloaded, put everything away, got my real clothes back on (sigh of relief), brought the laundry in, made up the bed with the clean sheets, gathered up the eggs, and went out to the garden to pick our salad greens. This still thrills me. 
Every. Time. 
Tonight's salad will be a mix of butter lettuce, Swiss chard, spinach, arugula, and different kales along with mandarin orange segments, goat cheese, and sunflower seeds. Along with that we're going to eat some leftover chicken thighs that I made last night that are so damn good that I want to eat them at least once a week, not unlike the roasted cauliflower recipe I've been using. Both of these recipes come from the New York Times cooking app, of course, and I have to say once again that the app has changed my life. And Mr. Moon's. The chicken recipe has lots of paprika, apple vinegar, garlic...good stuff. Also tomatoes and peppers. I could see doing tofu with it, actually. I've always thought of myself as a decent cook but I know that my meal rotations had gotten pretty darn predictable and boring and that is not a real problem these days. 

So. Here's a picture of Magnolia June that Lily sent around. 


She is holding a little lizard that the cat had brought in which Lily also sent a picture of. 


Rachel ID'ed it as a male Eastern Fence Lizard. I've never seen one before in my life. They must be very shy. Anyway, of course Maggie has named it and claimed it. He has been bestowed with the fine name of Cloud Rainbow. Hank noted in a text that Maggie is Eve Erwin. 
Get it? 
Hank cracks me up. 
So does Maggie. She is a friend of all creatures, big and small, as her mama says. I think she would adopt an alligator if Lily would let her. 

Here's one last picture. 



I only have a few cabbage plants this year but isn't that a pretty one? I feel as if I should start checking under it every morning to see if someone left a baby under it overnight. 
Oh! How I would love my little cabbage baby if I should find one! 

Happy Friday, y'all. 

Love...Ms. Moon



26 comments:

  1. What a magical post. The azaleas so far ahead of my little one, tightly closed for the winter. That dear little girl with the lizard.
    Good food, too.
    Thank you.

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    1. Thank YOU, dear Boud! Maggie loves her new friend Cloud Rainbow.

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  2. can't believe you have azaleas blooming....but I have to remember that you are in Florida LOL! Maggie and her critters....that girl is a natural. Is the NYT chicken thigh recipe you made the one with lemons and olives? Yum! Well, we are *drying out* today after a 36 hour rain and wind deluge.....got 5 inches rain. Most of the mess is from torn leaves and branches......but all else survived well and goodness knows we need it! Only sad thing was that one of the ancient old barns on this big property collapsed 2 nights ago....poor thing was probably over 100 years old and sadly, they don't last forever
    Susan M

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  3. Maggie had such a way with animals, and beautiful flowers are a welcome sight anytime. Wishing you a sweet night.

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    1. Maggie just assumes that all animals love her, I think. So far it's working...

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  4. That mask is heart stopping beautiful!
    What is it with too much foodstuff? My pantry is groaning and barely organized and far more than I can eat in a month, when I go shopping again.

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    1. That is without a doubt, the prettiest mask I've made. Too bad it's useless to me.
      I have no idea what's going on with the food thing. I guess it's some deep evolutionary urge to stock up when we can, especially during times of stress. Maybe?

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  5. That’s an impressive cabbage and beautiful mask! Darling Maggie and her animal friends are just the bit of sunshine needed! Much love.
    Xoxo
    Barbara

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    1. I am quite happy with the way that cabbage looks. And the way Maggie looks too, actually.

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  6. baby girl!!! OH what a lucky lizard- and the mask that you built is fabulous!

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    1. The lizard now has his own little world to live in. Lily's house has become a zoo.

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  7. The mask is beautiful...lovely colours. I wish I could find a lizard in the garden....I have always wanted to have a lizardy thing as a pet, but they are too much trouble and need "live" food which I wouldn't like! I make do with my fancy goldfish ( and the dog!)
    Is finding a baby under a cabbage a thing in US? The saying here is finding a baby under a gooseberry bush!
    Just looked it up ,and one explanation is that "gooseberry bush" was 19th century slang for pubic hair, hence the saying when children were asking awkward question.... Who Knew!!

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    1. Yes. Lily's already bought crickets for Cloud Rainbow.
      I suppose it is a US thing to find babies under cabbages. Like storks bringing babies? Who knows? I should ask Hank. He knows everything.
      I love the gooseberry bush/public hair connection. That would make sense!

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  8. You might want to try this mask pattern - either I did something a bit wrong or it just needs fine tuning but it is great in that it leaves your nose and mouth free space. https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=8UNTP-m_K4E Pattern is under the video

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    1. I gave it a look and it appears to be a lot of work! I have a simpler pattern which is similar and I think I'll try that one again. Thank you, though! I love the idea of masks for singers.

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  9. my azaleas hardly bloomed last year and it doesn't look like I'm going to get many blooms this year either on the ones around the pecan tree. I'm pretty sure I fertilized them but not too late. that is a pretty mask. send me the recipe for the roasted cauliflower please as I have one in the fridge and I'm tired of steamed. also the chicken recipe as long as you're at it. I did don't have their app but I do get the daily briefings and they always include a recipe. so I tried the apples, shallots, and italian sausage roasted in a sheet pan which I made last night and it was very good. I did have to google to find out how big is a 'sprig' of rosemary. I'll trade you that one if you haven't seen it.

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    1. I never fertilize my azaleas! I never even think of it. Every year Mr. Moon bemoans the fact that he didn't trim them back after they bloomed. Thus- they are huge.
      Let me know how the recipes turned out!

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  10. I'm afraid the Eve Erwin bit went straight over my head, but that's a lovely picture of Maggie and that lizard!

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    1. Google Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin. You'll get it.

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  11. Gorgeous cabbage! And I like that mask. We are no longer allowed cloth masks in public and at work, only on top of a medical mask. I thin I just stay out of public spaces for ever.

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    1. Staying out of public places is just about the safest thing we can do. I did buy some thin medical sort of masks that I will start wearing under a cloth mask. Here in the US if we could just get people to wear ANY mask it would help.

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  12. Your Maggie is fearless! Good for her! I am not brave when it comes to lizards (or snakes or alligators).
    The flowers are so pretty - we have a long wait yet...
    You are a happy and busy woman today, Ms. Moon!

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    1. Maggie is far more comfortable holding critters than I am. Certain ones, at least.
      I did have a very good day.

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  13. That is a beautiful cabbage! Maggie is so cute with her lizard -- I think she'll grow up to be a biologist or somehow working with animals, as comfortable as she is holding critters. Where I grew up farther south in Florida, February was always azalea time.

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  14. I don't have the NYT app but every now and again I email myself a recipe from their online paper. My main go-to recipes are the ones on the BBC website. I type in what ingredients I have and it comes up with something nice. Sheer magic. Of course I always adapt them. Maggie is a little dear, what a look of interest and happiness on her face. And Cloud Rainbow is the nicest name.

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Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.