Thursday, December 8, 2022

Good Stuff


 I felt a lot better this morning but I still didn't feel quite up to a trip into town to wrangle boys even though they don't really require much wrangling. So I asked their grandfather if he would mind taking over for me and he was delighted to go. I believe the boys were pretty happy about it too. They called me a little while ago to discuss what they want for supper tomorrow night and breakfast on Saturday morning as they are coming for a sleep-over. Chicken and dumplings for sure tomorrow night, and Mickey Mouse pancakes with chocolate chips, chocolate syrup, and whipped cream for breakfast. 

Uh. No on that last part. 
We made a compromise in which for dessert after chicken and dumplings they will get root beer floats with a little bit of whipped cream and maybe a chocolate chip or two and breakfast the next morning will be plain old pancakes with syrup. 

They drive a hard bargain. 

Even though I didn't go to town I think I may have overdone it just a little bit here as the day progressed. I started out just leisurely weeding and doing a little mulching but it's so hot! I mean, not burning up hot but sweating hot. We are setting high temperature records for December here daily. It's ridiculous. I'm sure my greens are all going to bolt in this heat. And here's a thing- for almost fifty years I've been gardening in this area and I've always been sad that we can't grow lettuces and tomatoes simultaneously. 
And now we have. 


A few months ago we planted two cherry tomato plants hoping to get a few before it got cold and those plants are the healthiest cherry tomato plants I've ever grown and they are covered with ripening fruit. 
As I wrote a friend of mine today, I think I'd rather have winter. 

Anyway, I don't get to make that choice and might as well enjoy the salads while we have them. I turned the water on the garden after I'd finished weeding and picking those sweet little orbs of goodness because we haven't gotten rain in a long time and don't see any on the forecast either. 


I loved the rainbow the water from the sprinkler made and it made me feel as if even my garden was celebrating two very fine things that have happened today. 
One is that the House passed the marriage equality bill and it's on Biden's desk. You think he'll sign it?
Oh yes. I do. 
The other beautiful that happened was that Brittney Griner was released from a Russian prison where she was being held on possession of marijuana charges. I absolutely loved the picture of Biden in the White House, hugging Griner's wife, Cherelle Griner and reassuring her that Brittney was on a plane, safe, and on her way home. 


I adore that man. I simply do. Yes, he is old but he knows how to get things done and I do honestly believe that his heart is in the very best place when it comes to this country and its people. The man has a whole lot of love in him and I'm not ashamed to say that. 

So let's hear it for my rainbow representing the good news that came to us today! 

After I finished in the garden I decided to make some bread and gumbo. I needed to use up the shrimp that Mr. Moon brought home from the coast. And so I stood there in the kitchen, stirring roux and sweating for a good twenty minutes after I'd chopped the celery, onions, garlic, peppers, and okra. Making roux is a sort of magical experience. It starts out like this.


Flour and olive oil. And then with heat and constant stirring, it becomes this.


Alchemy! 

And then in go all the vegetables and some sausage and the broth I'd made with shrimp shells and the celery ends, a can of tomatoes, and spices. The shrimp goes in at the last minute. 
Add rice, praise the Lord, and pass the hot sauce. 

Okay. A few more pictures. 

I went out to check the progression of the banana-ripening process (as one does) and look who I found snuggled up between two of them. 


Is that the cutest little critter you ever saw on a banana?

And also this. 


The first picked camellias of the year. 

Plenty more to come. 

Love...Ms. Moon



45 comments:

  1. My husband and I are resting a little easier tonight. Thank you for your support.
    Paranormal John

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh John. My family would call you family. Thank you for those sweet words.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hooray, another fine day for you and though that bill is 30 years too late for me, I hope others reap the benefit.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Oh! So much love in your post!😍😍😖love to have some fresh tomatoes now! And your roux reminds me of my mom making roux for brown gravy.. and hooray for marriage equality, and Brittney’s release! Enjoy the sleepover!🥰

    ReplyDelete
  5. (Sorry- above was from Ricki in the mid-Hudson Valley,NY)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Ricki! Hello and I'm glad you're here.

      Delete
  6. I have never had the patience to make a roux. I feel like I could stir until the cows come home, and it would never turn the color of a bright new penny. I just go ahead and make the gumbo anyway. I'm sure it is not as good as yours, but we eat it anyway.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is a process. Maybe your heat isn't hot enough under your pan? I'm sure your gumbo is wonderful.

      Delete
  7. It was so symbolic that the marriage equality act passed as she was on her way home to her wife. E, that's generous of you, to be glad for other people. I'm getting more and more impressed with Joe's sheer expertise at getting things done.

    Glad you're doing better, Mary, but your stories of hot weather read like fantasy from this chilly region! Still planting and picking! I passed the farm today and it was all empty and shut, all the signs gone, displays down, sleeping for winter.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I, too, thought about how fitting it was for Biden to be getting that bill the same day he had Brittney Griner's wife in his office.
      I love that we can grow a some frost-tolerant things here in the winter but growing tomatoes during December is a new one on me. Also having to weed in winter is odd. And bugs are eating my broccoli!

      Delete
    2. It was a terrific photo op for Biden for sure. And I for one am glad he got it.
      This weather is throwing me off. Tomatoes in December? And bugs are eating my broccoli.

      Delete
  8. And I totally forgot to say that I, too, was moved by the emotion of this day. It was legislation that meant so much to so many. It is good to see the log jam beginning to break. The vote was not split down party lines!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Most people by now do know out gay people, many of them family members. I think that helps.

      Delete
  9. Today was good all around, from Brittany to protecting marriages to that cute little fella in the bananas.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Really nice post today Ms Moon, and a good day, with Ms Griner being released and Congress protecting marriages. Although I must confess I am a bit jealous of your weather as I look at the 10" of snow in our front yard. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, I sure wouldn't want to cope with that much snow.
      I'm glad you liked the post. It was a good news day.

      Delete
  11. We are wondering what happened to our summer! We switch from airconditioning to hotwater bottles in a blink. I am sure come January I will be complaining long and loud about the heat.
    Surely the powers that be in your fine country can see that other countries that have legalised marriage equality haven't gone to hell in a handbasket? But then I think of our gun laws and ... never mind.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. America doesn't even pretend to learn from what other countries do. And we did have marriage equality. We DO have it. It's just that the supreme court has been making noises like they might want to weaken that.
      We are weird. And quite honestly- often stupid.

      Delete
  12. I live several hundred miles away and even from that distance I am so grateful for Joe Biden being in charge there. He's done so much good! It's beginning to feel as if your country might get itself turned around and sorted out again.
    Beautiful rainbow in your veggie patch and a cute little anole too in the bananas.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Every time I start to feel a little hope it seems like things get chipped away again but yesterday felt like a good day for all of us. I hope so.

      Delete
  13. I can't imagine what Brittney Griner has gone through. I hope she gets some counseling once she gets back home because I'm sure Russian jails are appalling.

    I'm glad you're feeling better and will get to spend time with your grandsons this weekend. Hope everything turns out fine for Mr. Moon with his biopsy. Sending hugs.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Can you imagine what she's been through? What a nightmare!
      There's been good news about Mr. Moon's leg. We are feeling reassured but we'll see on Monday.

      Delete
  14. Uncle Joe stays the Course and gets things done. In this Twitter World they just cannot seem to wrap their Minds around how effective that is and how being underestimated has been an asset, he's gotten more done in the first Quarter of his Presidency than most Presidents have in Two Terms! That Rainbow in the Veggie Garden is Magical... and Grandpa with his Grandbabies, well, that's Magic too, isn't it?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes. Lots of magic all around!
      I am loving Uncle Joe. What a relief he's been to our country.

      Delete
  15. Love the photo of those gorgeous boys with their grandfather.
    Can you send a bit of your heat this way please. The garden looks like it has snowed this morning, but just a heavy frost. About minus 5c last night apparently !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I wish I could send you some of this heat! Especially if you could send us a little bit of your cool air!

      Delete
    2. You are welcome to some of our cold.....the thermometer on the outside of the bedroom window was reading minus 9c at 8am !The garden is even whiter than yesterday.

      Delete
  16. Your pictures are just beautiful and fresh tomatoes in December???? I wish! I'm off to start shovelling snow!

    ReplyDelete
  17. Hearing about your balmy weather is actually making me look forward to my visit, even though it's not quite typical for a Florida winter. That little anole is very cute. Our banana tree is looking rather sad, having frozen the last couple of nights.

    I was happy about Brittney Griner too, although I have concerns about setting Viktor Bout free.

    Can you imagine the kids if they'd eaten the pancakes a la chocolate sauce that they wanted? They'd be bouncing off the walls with all that sugar!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Watch- we'll have a cold front while you're here.
      I agree about the Bout situation.
      I can't even imagine eating pancakes with chocolate sauce AND chocolate chips. Yuck! Even regular pancakes are more sweetness than I want to deal with in the mornings.

      Delete
  18. Enjoy the sleepover and have a nice weekend. Hope it cools off a little for you! We have chilly and rainy here today so I will keep busy putting up my Christmas stuff...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think it's going to cool off at least a little bit here. I hope so.

      Delete
  19. All of that, and also I love the wood bowl the cherries are in.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Our across-the-street neighbor has gifted me with many wooden bowls that he's made. I love them.

      Delete
  20. 37paddington:
    Good news all around. Except I hope you get some rest, woman.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Well, I do sleep about ten hours a night so...

      Delete
  21. I can hardly believe your Floridian weather Ms Moon. Complaining about the heat in December. That is kind of crazy.

    Mr Biden does seem like a good man but pursuing a second term seems unwise. He has been the transitional guy - healing the wounds and some of the damage caused by The Big Bad Trump. But he should pass the baton on to a younger, sharper follower in my opinion.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. But who? That's the problem. I'm sure there are plenty of qualified candidates but I can't think of one who might actually run and have a chance.

      Delete
  22. The stuff you do always sounds so wonderful to me. And I agree about the photo of Biden and Cherelle Griner - so moving. These days we expect politicians to be big media personalities. I think that's a shame. Biden has done a really hard thing. Here in England the prospect is of two more years of a despicable bunch grabbing all they can from the people they're supposed to be serving... hope I'm wrong though!

    ReplyDelete
  23. It's been in the 80s here. I don't mind warm in December but hot is just too much. re Bout, he had been retired for 10 years when the US lured him out with their sting operation, he's been in jail for 10 years and would have been released in a few anyway. So he's 20 years out of the arms loop and I do not believe he will start up again. Besides, the biggest arms dealer in the world is this country who has no problem arming insurgents to take down governments we don't like.

    ReplyDelete

Tell me, sweeties. Tell me what you think.