Mermer Gets Ready For A Gathering

It is not at all unusual for someone who grows a garden to feel the need to check it daily, sometimes even more often. 
I have even done this reconnaissance with a flashlight when I've come  home from a little trip after dark. 
So yesterday evening, Mr. Moon and I took a stroll out to our garden so that he could check the progress of what we've planted and he could see what I've planted during his absence. All looks pretty good but then he noticed the little nymph grasshoppers you can see in that photo above. That's a potato plant they're having a jamboree on. I write about these nymphs every year because they always show up in numbers like that. I have seen what must be hundreds before. They will eventually grow into the Georgia Thumper grasshopper and I talk about those every year too. Some people call them Eastern Lubbers but I've always heard Georgia Thumper. 
Whatever you call them, they are huge. Like so big that if you'd never seen one before and then came across one, you might doubt your eyes.

(Picture from a Facebook page for the Florida Master Gardener Volunteer Program.)

They're common around here and they can tear up a garden when they get big enough to really get at it. Even my beloved rattlesnake beans fall prey to them. I haven't seen signs that any of the plants were completely destroyed but I see them chomping away on the tender green leaves. Most people smash the hell out of them when they can and that's what Glen did to a lot of the ones in the picture. 
I'm sorry. I know all life is sacred but so is my garden.

I figured I'd give myself a break today and stay in and do all the cooking for tomorrow that I could. And I did get most of it done. I cooked a huge pot of greens which cooked down considerably, as they do, but there are still a goodly plenty. 
I decided to also make a pot of last year's field peas that I had in the freezer. I have GOT to get the freezer and pantry cleared out before we start picking fresh stuff again. So that was going on too. 
I realized I hadn't kicked bamboo in two days so I did that while greens and peas were cooking. 

I had a little bit of a startle when I, too, had an oak snake encounter. I stepped over what I subconsciously identified as a little branch until mid-step when my brain caught up and whispered, "snake." I didn't scream or run away or anything like that. I just sort of said, "Oof!" and took its picture.

It was long but skinny. A spaghetti snake! 

I did two loads of laundry and cleared the back porch table where I mostly live and washed the tablecloth that covers it. We'll be using the table for sure tomorrow. 

Glen got me that lamp for Christmas after I had pointed it out at the Oak Tree Treasures resale store. I love it and it goes nicely with the tablecloth I think I may have also gotten at Oak Tree but who knows? Definitely at some thrift store or another. 
A strange lightbulb came in the lamp that works just like a regular one but if the power goes out, it stays on. I thought it had burned out a few weeks ago so I unscrewed it and put it in the trash and a few minutes later Glen said, "Come look at this!" and by golly the dang thing was just glowing away in the trash can. I re-screwed it in and it works fine. 

I made a huge batch of angel biscuit dough which is in the refrigerator, all ready to be rolled out, cut and baked tomorrow. I've also made a loaf of Challah. 

My Challah is not intricately braided. It's just a simple three strands braid and this loaf rose so nicely that you can barely tell it's braided at all but oh well. 

I have been making this same recipe for many, many years and it has never once failed me. The loaves just leap into height. Perhaps they are holy. 
Then again, what home baked loaf of bread isn't? 
I must ask though- how many dietary laws of the Jewish faith do we break eating Challah with our ham? 

Of course all of this required a great deal of clean-up and I went through the refrigerator and tossed things I knew we'd never eat to make room for the pots of peas and of greens and the ham, too, which I shall bake tomorrow. 

I picked some lettuce for tomorrow's salad which May will be making here. I finally picked this incredibly beautiful head. 

Google Lens says it's a variety which goes by several names including "Forellenschluss," "Trout Back," and "Mayan Jaguar."
And that is what I'll call it. The seed for it came from a package of mixed heirloom lettuces and that's the only one that came up. 

Now the ironic thing about all of this is that I am more weary and my back hurts more than after my past few days of yard work in the heat. Just standing can be hard. Ask any cashier. 

Speaking of backs, Rachel won't be making it tomorrow to our little gathering. Hank may come or he may just stay home and hang with his sweetie. If he does come, he might bring Mark whom I have already invited. Mark does love my ham and bread and greens. We sure would love to see him. 
Maurice probably would too. 

I'm looking forward to seeing all the grandchildren tomorrow. It's been too long since we've all been together. Long enough that I'm sure I won't believe how much they've grown. I mean, one week's time is enough to notice that and it's been maybe a month? As I said, too long. 

As with after the days of doing yard work, I feel good, despite my tiredness and a little backache. I have recently been made quite aware of how much lighter I feel in mind and body since I've lost weight. I have more stamina, I can deal with the heat better, I can move easier and get up off the ground easier. And- my joints do not hurt nearly as much when I'm working or when I get up the next day. I am no longer moaning every time I go from a sitting to a standing position.
And boy, do I love wearing my Target men's cargo shorts. 
It all feels rather like a miracle. 
I was talking to a very old friend of mine today via text about all of this and he said, "You have added years to your life."
I responded saying, "Well, I don't know about that but I do know that whatever time I do have left will be better." 

Okay! May the Easter Rabbit fill your basket with all of the good things in life you may desire. Chocolate, ham, kisses, shorts with many pockets, hugs, jelly beans, relief from pain, peace in your heart, the joy to be had with the arrival of spring in whatever form that takes for you.
And remember, as Ross always said, "Look up." 
I plan on it. 

Love...Ms. Moon