 |
| Crocosmia Flower Stalk |
It was a beautiful sunny spring-like day on Monday with an afternoon high of 75F! I was so happy!
Of course, the house was cold when I woke up (I didn't put the heater on last night). I debated putting the heater on when I woke up, but, then, decided not to. Instead, I opened the doors and windows to try and warm up the house and sat outside in the sunshine to warm up! After my morning cup of tea, I walked around the garden to check on things and I took some photos for my monthly garden post. I was going to do that post, today, but, it will have to wait until tomorrow. I'm posting the picture of the crocosmia as a preview! LOL.
 |
| Mama Cat's New Water Dish! |
I filled Mama Cat's water dish this morning with fresh water, but, apparently, drinking water from the bowl is too easy and not as much fun as jumping on to the empty litter bucket that I've set out to collect rain water and then, balancing on the tall vase to drink the water from the smaller vase; I've some moringa stems kept to root in some water in that smaller vase. Silly cat!
Today, I watered the front garden and the back garden. We are supposed to get some rain later in the week, but, the newly transplanted seedlings and some of the other plants looked like they could do with a little watering before the rains come.
Afterwards, I did a load of laundry (in cold water) and hung everything up to dry.
I spent the afternoon repairing the quilt and watching videos.
Some of the original quilt pieces are still good, but faded after many years of use and washing, like this piece which had a black background; it is from a dress with a tiered skirt that my mother had made for me:
 |
| Original Piece of Fabric |
 |
| Same Fabric Remnant |
The funny thing is, I still had a remnant piece of the original fabric in my fabric stash! I cut out and sewed a new patch near the old, faded piece as a contrast! I found it very amusing to see that I still had fabric that was bought in the late 1970s/early 1980s in my fabric stash! Not just this fabric, but another one, too:
 |
| Old Faded Piece and Unfaded Remnant |
In the evening, I watched news and a couple of other TV programs, spoke with friend R, cleaned the litter box, and took the trash can to the end of the driveway for trash pick up, tomorrow. Guess who came to visit, this evening?
 |
| Racoon! |
It was by itself, today, and I've no idea if it is a he or a she, but, I think I'll call it "Bandit"! It was helping itself to the cat food I had left out for Mama Cat!
Brunch had been two banana muffins. Dinner was inspired by what Lyssa had served as Sunday dinner, sausages and mash. As soon as I read that, I thought to myself, "I have sausages; OK, they are the store brand version of hot Italian-style sausages, not the typical British sausages, but nevertheless, they are sausages, and I have potatoes that need to be used up as they are starting to sprout". I thought I could make a salad to go with it or cook some broccoli or something. Lyssa said that sausages and mash are typically served with fried onions and thin, brown, British-style gravy, although a salad would be goodm too. Well, I didn't make the salad, after all, but, I added some vegetables to the sausages, because I have to sneak in my vegetables when I can!
 |
| Bless' Sausages and Mash Potatoes with Vegetables! |
I browned the Italian sausages and added some sliced onions, celery cut in very thin strips, bell pepper strips, tomatoes, and, at the very end, a handful of snow pea pods from last summer's garden (all the vegetables, except for the onions, were what I had in the freezer; I sliced and froze the rest of the onion, too). The sausages (there were five sausages in the pack) and the vegetables created their own gravy as they cooked.
But, first, before I cooked the sausages, I peeled and cut my potatoes into small pieces, covered them with cold water in a pot, covered the pot, and brought it to a boil. Once the water came to a boil, I turned off the heat and left the pan sit, covered, until I finished cooking the sausages. I was experimenting and the experiment worked! The potatoes were cooked all the way through when I tested them with a fork! Woo hoo!
I enjoyed my dinner; thank you Lyssa for the inspiration! There's leftover mashed potatoes and four more sausages for future meals! This week's meal plan will feature sausages (with leftover mashed potatoes, with pasta, etc.) and some sort of soup (for the cold, rainy days in the forecast for the latter part of this week).
Today, I am grateful for:
- A lovely, sunny, warm day
- Garden flowers
- My fabric stash
- Water for the garden
- Urban wild life!
My joyful activities today included spending time in the garden and video chatting with my daughter.
Plans for tomorrow include doing a bit of tidying up and continuing to repair the quilt.
How was your Monday? What are your plans for Tuesday? Are you planning to make pancakes for Mardi Gras/Fat Tuesday?
Anybody else has 40+ year old fabric in their stash?
Mama cat obviously likes a challenge. How wonderful to have the original fabric still in your stash and what a contrast to the faded piece. No plans for pancakes as I only have one egg and no flour left and totally forgot about Shrove Tuesday to be honest, never mind. It was a lovely warm and sunny day yesterday, you can read about my day on my new blog.
ReplyDeleteBless, could you do an experiment for me and let me know if clicking on my name takes you to the new blog or old private one please, thank you in advance.
Mama Cat definitely enjoyed the challenge, I think! Yes, I was happy to have the original fabric in my stash - I hadn't used it because I rarely use black in my quilts.
DeleteWell, maybe you can have pancakes another time. :)
I clicked on your name as requested Eileen and it took me to your Blogger User Profile and your new blog is listed under your name; I clicked on it and it took me to your new blog.
I have now added your new blog to the list of blogs I follow so I can receive notifications of your new posts. :)
We lived in New Orleans for several years where Mardi Gras was a big thing, but we never had pancakes on Shrove Tuesday. We were either celebrating or getting out of town to avoid the crowds. I think we'll have pancakes today. Thanks for the reminder.
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your pancakes if you make some, June.
DeleteGrowing up, we rarely had pancakes for breakfast - it was often served at afternoon tea time, as a snack. Pancakes, for us, meant the thin, crepe-like ones, usually sprinkled with sugar and lemon juice and rolled up. Sometimes, they would be spread with jam instead of the sugar and lemon juice, and, occasionally, "pani pol" which is grated coconut boiled with palm treacle, as a special treat. :)
Mama cat is into performance art I think! I have an ancient scrap quilt with some faded pieces but I don't think I have any of the originals. Bandit is a good name for the raccoon. I like your experiment with the potatoes, another way to save power and also to avoid having to watch that they don't boil over!
ReplyDeleteI've been gathering up information for the dreaded tax form. I intend to get it out of the way as soon as possible.
Ha, ha, yes, I think she fancies herself as an acrobat! Or, should that be "acrocat"?
DeleteI believe I might have more of the original fabric from that quilt in a suitcase in the crafts closet, along with several yards of upholstery fabric I had bought on clearance, with the intent of recovering the sofas! I should pull that suitcase out and check!
I think the trick for the potatoes is to cut them in small (about one inch) cubes. Any bigger and it might not work. But, now that I know it works, I'll be following this method to boil potatoes!
Oh, good luck with filing your taxes! I've been putting most of the statements and tax related items into a folder as they arrive in the mail. I am waiting for one additional item to come in by the end of this month and then, I should have everything I need to take to the tax accountant! It is costly, but, I've given up trying to figure out my taxes!
Cats are strange creatures. Mog seems to prefer drinking the stagnant water in the container pond, instead of from her stoneware bowl full of fresh water! X
ReplyDeleteI think it's their way of asserting themselves! Mama Cat will often drink the water from small puddles left from watering and Dancer will ignore his water bowl and drink from the buckets in which I collect the water that flows from the tap while I wait for the hot water to flow (I use the collected water to water some of the non-food garden plants).
DeleteThank you for doing that for me Bless it's much appreciated. I don't want to feel like I am hiding away, so people can read and comment if they wish to or not as the case may be.
ReplyDeleteYou are most welcome, Eileen; it didn't even take a minute to do so. :) You might need to email some of your previous readers to let them know that you have a new blog or leave a comment to that effect on their blogs. It is possible that they aren't aware of the fact because, until they add your blog to their reading list, they don't get automatic notifications that you've a new blog and are posting now. :)
DeleteMama Cat is just being a cat - they are sooo awkward sometimes and she looks so ridiculous! I love it when cats aren't their usual graceful selves. I hope that raccoons get on with cats!
ReplyDeleteThat sausage and mash looks very nice indeed! I'll try and remember to take a pic next time we have it. I'm glad that you enjoyed it (our sausages were vegetarian 'chorizo' style sausages)
It's amazing how the colour has faded over the years! Thank you for sharing the contrasts - it makes it so much more interesting when you have the original colour to compare it too!
Mama Cat was showing off her balancing skills! :D In general, raccoons and cats don't get along that well. Neither do possums and cats. But, in my garden, there seems to be a "live and let live" spirit among the animals who share it with me. The cats, the possums, the racoons, and the chicken all seem to get along or, at least, keep out of each others ways!
DeleteThank you, Lyssa. :) Sometimes, the Sri Lankan store will have frozen British sausages; I don't buy them because I consider them to be a bit overpriced, but, maybe one day, I'll buy a package and make a "proper" bangers and mash meal! :D
It is interesting to see the change in the colors of the fabric, isn't it? It was a very vibrant quilt when I first made it. I'm sure there is an allegory to be found in the faded and frayed fabric of the quilt! :)
I think that the visiting animals pick up on your spirit of love in the garden.
DeleteOr, at least, the scent of cat food! :D It was Percy Possum who came calling on Tuesday night. Yes, I've given them all names! LOL.
DeleteMama cat obviously relishes a challenge and the chance for some simple acrobatics! Your quilt repairs are coming along well and it will be nice to have different generations of mending with the fabrics, even those from the same cloth, ageing at different rates! It is a real heirloom! I am not having pancakes today as a) I have had them three times lately and b) I have lots of things in the fridge that want finishing up quickly. Your garden is still looking very green and lush!
ReplyDeleteMama Cat is being silly! But, considering how listless she was, last year, just before and after Snowball's death, she seems to have made a remarkable come back!
DeleteThe quilt I'm repairing is one of daughter's favorite quilts because it is so worn and soft. I've pointed out some of the fabrics to her - "this is from grandmother's dress, that is from a dress she made for me", etc., but, I don't think she remembers them the way I remember them. Which is fine, too; sentimentality can be a burden at times. :)
You have a couple of very good reasons for not having pancakes, today! I did make a batch of American style pancakes (but, I thinned down the batter as I don't like them quite as fully) and I had two of them with chicken curry and one with pancake syrup and butter! :D
The garden is looking good! I need to post my garden pictures, today!
Your sausage and mashed looks very good. That meal appeals to me too. I often see it on a British blog I read. She usually serves it with peas. (mushed or not:)
ReplyDeleteI am envious of your masonry garden wall. It's a very nice looking backdrop to your crocosmia. That is a plant I don't have but have other thought about getting it - they are so pretty. I've heard it can be a bit of a garden thug. Does yours behave itself?
Peas are one of my favorite vegetables (along with corn) but, both are considered to be "starch" for me and I try not to have them if I am having potatoes (I am maintaining my diabetes through diet after getting off the medications). But, snow pea pods are OK. :)
DeleteI have the wall on all three sides of my back yard. When I first bought the house, there were fences on two sides, but, over the years, my neighbors and I added the walls. The provide some privacy (although the neighbors behind me have an upstairs with a view of my back yard - one reason why I allow the trees at the back to grow so tall).
The crocosmia are survivors in my garden! They were here when I bought the house and my mother hated them! Because, after they flower, the leaves sort of flop over and she thought it was very untidy and a haven for snails (we had a ton of snails at the time - these days, I rarely find any). She had M pull them all out (I bought the house, but, she ruled the garden). However, some of the smaller bulblets escaped being uprooted and they eventually grew back. I've encouraged them to grow - mostly because they seem to be fairly drought tolerant. M dug up a clump, last year, when he was planting something else along that wall and he was about to toss them in the compost heap, but, I had him plant them along the back wall; they will establish themselves there. I think they will grow very well in your garden, but, if you are worried about them spreading too much, maybe you could plant them in a planter? By the way, they do have seeds, but, so far, I've had very few plants growing from the seeds, even though I've scattered them around.