On Sunday

 

Making Fish Cutlets

Daughter forwarded the pictures she took of the fish cutlets.  She forgot to take a picture of the fish and potato mixture, but, the first picture shows the formed cutlets after being dipped in beaten eggs and coated with bread crumbs.  The second picture shows the cutlets being deep fried.  According to my daughter, the fish cutlets were a hit at the dinner with several of her friends who wanted to know the recipe and how they were made.  Which left daughter trying to figure out quantities because we didn't measure anything!  

Frying the Fish Cutlets

The potluck dinner turned out well and everyone took some leftovers.  In addition to the leftovers, daughter brought home some Vietnamese egg rolls and steamed buns that one of her friends had made for the party and kept aside for her to bring home to share with me.  Daughter had taken some extra cutlets to give to that friend and apparently they were shared with the friend's parents and sister, too.  The "food-go-round" as one of my friends refers to it is very much in evidence!  LOL.

Today, Sunday, is the last day of November.  It was a cloudy, cooler day.  Both daughter and I took it easy and relaxed.  I did a load of laundry and watered the back garden.

The orange tree is full of flowers, now:

Orange Blossoms

They perfume the whole garden, especially at night.

More Orange Blossoms

The bees are loving it:

Bees Enjoying the Orange Blossom Nectar

I hope the bees will pollinate the flowers and we will have a plentiful crop of oranges to enjoy next year.  This year's orange crop was a non-event as all the little fruits dropped off the tree in the spring.

Another Orange Flower, Another Bee

Friend R called in the evening and we chatted for a bit.  There was a cyclone in Sri Lanka which has resulted in severe flooding and mudslides and over 330 people dead.  It's very sad to hear and read about all the devastation.

Daughter and I had leftovers for both brunch and dinner, today.  We had Vietnamese steamed buns for brunch and Armenian rice and kebab for dinner.  

On this last day of November, I am grateful for:

- A warm and safe home
- Water for the garden
- An assortment of leftovers for meals
- Working appliances
- Packages being delivered

Today's joyful activity was spending time in the garden.

Plans for tomorrow include making milkrice for brunch, making some phone calls to set up appointments, taking the trash cans to the curb for pick up and some housecleaning.

How was your Sunday?  What are your plans for Monday?

November Meal Plans - Week 3 and Week 4

Sunday Afternoon Tea

Here we are on the last day of November and I haven't kept up with my meal planning!  I did make some meal plan options for Week 3, but, Week 4 sort of planned itself based of leftovers from daughter's afternoon tea, the week's grocery shopping, and the Thanksgiving dinner.

These were my meal plan options for Week 3 (November 17 - 23): 

Brunches:  Onion bagels with butter or cream cheese;  boiled mung beans with lunu miris; instant stringhoppers with chicken curry and seeni sambol; cold cuts sandwiches; leftovers

Dinners:   Instant tonkatsu ramen noodles and parathas with scrambled eggs and lunu miris (Monday) Chicken curry, dhal, broccoli and rice;  macaroni and cheese with canned chicken or tuna; scrambled eggs and toast or fried potatoes; beef pot pies; leftovers

Snacks/Desserts:  Fruit; crackers; chips; granola bars; leftover scones and maybe cookies and cakes, too

Here's how it worked out:

Monday:

Brunch:  Onion bagels with butter or cream cheese

Dinner:   Instant tonkatsu ramen noodles and parathas with scrambled eggs and lunu miris 

Snacks/Dessert:  Persimmons, grapes, chips

Tuesday:

Brunch:   Tangerine and crackers (me; I was feeling a bit off); onion bagel and butter (daughter)

Dinner:  Rice, chicken curry, dhal, broccoli, and mango chutney (daughter preferred my homemade tomato chutney instead)

Snacks/Dessert:  Pink dragonfruit; granola bar (daughter), dates (me), chips

Pink Dragonfruit Chunks

Wednesday:

Brunch:  We both skipped brunch! 

Late Lunch:  A piece of curried chicken (daughter); instant stringhoppers with dhal, potato curry, and seeni sambol (me)

Stringhoppers, dhal, seeni sambol, potato curry

Dinner: Instant stringhoppers, chicken curry, dhal, broccoli, and potato curry (daughter); I didn't want dinner

Snacks/Dessert:  Pineapple guava (feijoa), apple juice, crackers, pomegranate

Thursday:

Brunch:  Scones

Dinner:  Leftover stringhoppers with chicken curry, dhal, and potato curry (me); leftover rice, chicken curry, dhal, potato curry, and sauteed curried okra (daughter)

Snacks/Dessert:  Tangerines, apple juice, olive oil chocolate chip cookie (delicious)

Friday:

Brunch:   Frozen burrito

Dinner:   Macaroni & cheese with canned chicken and green peas

Snacks/Dessert:  Chai muffins, crackers, ice cream

Saturday:

Brunch:  Burrito

Dinner:  Boxed pasta mix (Fettuccini Alfredo), green peas, ham slices from the freezer

Snacks/Dessert:  Chips, ice cream, tangerines and Fuyu persimmons

Sunday:

Brunch:  Ham sandwiches
Afternoon Tea:  All the goodies that daughter made for her afternoon tea party

Dinner:  Leftover mac & cheese, sandwiches, and fruit

Snacks/Dessert:  Leftovers from the tea party!

Which brings us to November Week 4 (November 24-30), which went by without a meal plan other than Thanksgiving Dinner!  But, it all worked out well.

Thanksgiving Dinner

Monday:  On Monday, I had my second dental deep cleaning.
Brunch: Egg salad sandwiches
Dinner: Canned chicken noodle soup and a cold cuts sandwich (me);  Pasta with ground turkey mixture (ground turkey, onions, celery, grated carrots, bell peppers, tomatoes) with pesto sauce (daughter)

Snacks/desserts: Various bits and pieces leftover from Sunday afternoon tea; fresh fruit (blackberries, raspberries, grapes, etc.)

Tuesday:  On Tuesday, we took Dancer to the vet's for his injection

Brunch:  Bread rolls sandwiched with cold cuts
Dinner: Fried rice: leftover rice, some of the ground turkey mixture I cooked on Monday, frozen green peas, and a scrambled egg)

Snacks/desserts:  Fruit, chips, various bits and pieces leftover from Sunday's tea

Wednesday:

Brunch: Leftovers (daughter), half a bread roll with dhal (me)
Dinner: Rice, shrimp curry, sauteed curried green beans, tomato chutney

Snacks/desserts:  Sliced pears poached in a sugar syrup with tangerines; maybe a pre-Thanksgiving slice of pumpkin pie and a mini pecan pie!  

Thursday: Thanksgiving Day

Brunch: Skipped brunch
Dinner:  Thanksgiving Dinner - Roast chicken, garlicky sauteed green beans, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry sauce, baked beans.  The baked beans came from a can, but, everything else was homemade.  I had planned to make cornbread, but, I ran out of energy and we had plenty of food anyway.

Snacks/desserts: Mini pecan pie (daughter); pumpkin pie (me); the pies were purchased.

Friday:

Brunch:  French toast
Dinner:  Ham and potato soup (daughter had boiled potatoes for the fish cutlets filling and there was leftover water from boiling the potatoes; I boiled three more cut up potatoes in the same water, added some diced onions, cut up leftover ham, a couple of table spoons of chicken bouillon powder, salt and pepper, some half & half and a little bit of the leftover gravy from Thanksgiving dinner to thicken it up)

Snacks/desserts:  Fruit (persimmons, grapes, dates), leftover pumpkin pie

Saturday:

Brunch:  Fish cutlets

Dinner: Vietnamese egg rolls (daughter's friend had made)

Snacks/desserts:  Toast with butter and strawberry jam (me); cream puffs

Sunday:

Brunch:  Vietnamese bahn bao (steamed buns)
Dinner: Leftovers - plenty to pick and choose from

Snacks/desserts:  Assorted leftovers

Going forward into December, I will be making milkrice on the 1st as that is a given.  However, I am not going to make a meal plan for at least the first week in December because the fridge is full with an assortment of leftovers!  I will, however, try to keep track of what we have for our meals, each day.  

I am grateful for the abundance and variety of food with which we've been blessed and the generosity of those who have shared their food with us.

How did your November meal planning work out?  Will you be making meal plans for December?

On Saturday

 

Rice, Kebabs, and Cream Puffs, Compliments of 
Neighbor S

On Saturday, I helped daughter make the fish cutlets.  I suppose one could call them fish croquettes.  Daughter made the balls, dipped them in beaten eggs and coated them with the breadcrumbs we made on Friday and I deep fried them.  She took a picture of the finished cutlets, "For your blog", but, forgot to forward the picture to me and she's not home right now, so I will post the picture another day.

The mixture we made was enough for 50 fish cutlets.  She set aside 25 of them to take to the Friendsgiving potluck dinner her friend is hosting, set aside another dozen or so to give to her friend P who was giving her a ride to and from the dinner, we sampled a couple of them, ourselves, and when neighbor S called to say she's bringing me some leftovers from their Thanksgiving dinner, we gave her some of the fish cutlets to try, too.

S brought us a container of rice, a container of kebabs, and two of the biggest cream puffs I've ever seen!  We put the rice and the kebabs in the fridge since we were both rather full from sampling the cutlets, but, we did try a piece of the cream puff:

Half of the Cream Puff

My daughter and I shared one quarter of the cream puff.  It was delicious, but, the filling was very sweet and neither of us could manage more than a couple of bites, each!  

Later in the evening, I dropped daughter off at her friend P's parent's home.  P's parents came to the car to ask me in, but, I declined as I knew they would have been tired as they had just driven back from visiting family in Nevada.  

After I came home from dropping daughter off, I relaxed, watched some online videos, knitted a bit, and sorted through some of my craft supplies.  I wanted to make my holiday greeting cards, but, I made only one.  I need to buy more card stock or blank cards to make the rest.

I had made some ham and potato soup, on Friday night for dinner, and I was going to have some of the leftover soup for my dinner, tonight.  Instead, I had a craving for buttered toast with a little of my strawberry jam and that was what I had for dinner!  

On Saturday, I am grateful for:

- Being able to help daughter make the fish cutlets; she was very appreciative of my help
- Neighbor S blessing us with some delicious food
- Being able to share some of the fish cutlets with her in return
- Daughter getting a ride to her friend A's Friendsgiving dinner and back
- Daughter being able to enjoy getting together with her friends

Saturday's joyful activities included making a card (even if it was just one card) and knitting.

Plans for Sunday include changing my bed sheets and doing a load of laundry and doing some cooking for the freezer.  The garden should be watered, too.

How was your Saturday?  What are your plans for Sunday?

Thanksgiving Week

 

Thanksgiving Dinner

Happy Thanksgiving!  I know I'm a day late, but, we can give thanks year round, can't we?

This week has whizzed by!  Daughter worked on Monday morning and took the afternoon off as well as Tuesday and Wednesday, so, with Thursday and Friday being holidays, she had most of the week off.

On Monday, I had an appointment with the dental hygienist to get more deep cleaning and a digital scan done.  Daughter accompanied me and drove us back.  I also put away the tea things used for Sunday's tea party, made cranberry sauce in advance, and had a chat with neighbor S, who said that the stray puppy belonged to one of my neighbors and she was able to return the dog to them.

We had egg salad sandwiches for brunch and I opened a can of chicken noodle soup for a quick and easy to eat dinner for me.  Later, I cooked a package of ground turkey with diced onions, bell peppers, celery, grated carrots, and tomatoes added to it and boiled some pasta for daughter's dinner.

On Tuesday, we took Dancer for his monthly arthritis injection.  This time, he threw up the sedative even before we left the house!  However, with daughter sitting in the backseat with him and petting him through an opening in his carrier, he was fairly relaxed during the car ride there and back.  

After we came home and let Dancer out of his carrier, we went grocery shopping.  We went to the Armenian grocery store to take advantage of their Tuesday special of pork chops for $1.99/lb.  We also bought some large head-on shrimp on sale for $4.99/lb., although the fish counter service person initially charged me more!  I disputed it and showed in the flyer and the sale sign with the price per pound posted on the glass case.  He still had to come around to verify it, but, he acknowledged the posted sale price and I got the shrimp for $4.99/lb.  We also picked up some fruits and vegetables, bread rolls, and a few treats. My total came to $48.49.

Grocery Receipt

Later in the afternoon, I put in a grocery order for pick up from the supermarket, which included a whole chicken, salmon fillet, a pumpkin pie and two mini pecan pies, whipped topping, and a dozen bottles of flavored water.  When I came home, I realized that, while they had charged me for the flavored water, they had not included it in the bags of groceries that were loaded into my car!  I called the store and they weren't even sure if they had any left in stock.  So, I put in a request for a refund, online; I received a message that the refund went through, but, it would take a few business days for it to be posted to my account.  

Here's the original receipt:

Order Summary

Original Item Total$77.89

Item Coupons/Sales-$19.57

Fulfillment Fee+$0.00

Other Fees+$0.20

Sales Tax+$1.17

Order Total$59.69

---

Item Details

18 Items

Bakery Fresh Mini Pecan Pie, 3.25 oz$3.00

2 x $1.50 each

Bakery Fresh Pumpkin Pie, 21.5 oz (6 servings)$4.99

1 x $4.99 $5.99 each

CA Redem Val$0.60

1 x $0.60 each

CA Redem Val$0.60

1 x $0.60 each

CA Redem Val$0.20

2 x $0.10 each

CA Redem Val$0.20

2 x $0.10 each

Farmer John Maple Pork Sausage Links, 8 oz$5.00

2 x $2.50 $2.59 each

Foster Farms Fresh & Natural Cage Free Whole Chicken, 1 bag$9.67

4.86 lbs x $1.98 $2.99 each (approx.)

Fresh Atlantic Whole Salmon Fillet Farm Raised (sustainably sourced), 1 lb$9.09

0.91 lbs x $9.99 $14.99 each (approx.)

Martinelli's Gold Medal® Sparkling Apple Cider, 25.4 fl oz$7.00

2 x $3.50 $4.99 each

Reddi Wip Original Whipped Topping Made With Real Cream, 6.500 oz$5.98

2 x $2.99 $4.49 each

Sparkling Ice Lemonade Variety Pack, 12 ct / 17 fl oz$11.99

1 x $11.99 $14.99 each (not received)

---

Other Fees

$0.20

Bag Fee$0.20

2 x $0.10 each

The original total came to $59.69.

But, the refund for the missing flavored water amounted to $13.16 ($11.99 + $1.17 tax)

So, total paid would amount to $59.69 - $13.16 = $46.53

No turkey since it was just my daughter and I for Thanksgiving dinner and a whole turkey would have been too much for us and we prefer chicken, anyway.  I had invited my late friend A's husband and two daughters to join us, but, they had made other plans.  I was a little disappointed, but, daughter had been worried that I'd get too tired preparing Thanksgiving dinner for company.  As it was, it turned out for the best.

On Wednesday, daughter woke up with a migraine headache.  Gardener M was here and we did a little tidying up of the garden and chatted a bit.  Afterwards, I went to the pharmacy to pick up my medication refills that were ready.

In the evening, daughter was feeling better and we did a craft project together, making some gifts to give at Christmas or New Year.  Then, we tried to unclog a slow draining bathroom sink and I'm afraid our efforts might have made things a bit worse!  I am probably going to have to call a plumber, next week.  

I cooked rice, shrimp curry, and sauteed curried green beans for dinner and poached some pears for dessert.  We might have also sampled some of the pies we bought for Thanksgiving dinner, a day early!  LOL.

On Thursday, Thanksgiving Day, daughter still had a lingering migraine, although she said it was more of a dull headache.  But, she had no energy to do anything although she vacuumed the living room.

I watched part of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and part of a football game while I did several loads of laundry and did some ironing.  All the laundry got put away right away, so we didn't have a mountain of clean laundry piled up on the table!  I also spoke with my sister and aunt, texted with cousins and friends, and exchanged emails with a couple of friends, as well.

I had planned to have Thanksgiving dinner about 4:00 p.m., so I started cooking around 1:00 p.m., putting the chicken to roast.  I made mashed potatoes, sauteed garlicky green beans, gravy, and there was canned baked beans and the previously made cranberry sauce for our Thanksgiving dinner.  Plus pies, of course.  I was going to make cornbread, but, I got tired and didn't make it.  I'll make some another day.

We enjoyed our Thanksgiving dinner and afterwards, I look a fairly long nap on the sofa!  We snacked on leftovers later in the evening and daughter helped me put away the balance leftovers.  She also rinsed all the dishes and loaded the dishwasher for me, which I appreciated very much.

Today, the day after Thanksgiving, we both relaxed and took it fairly easy.  I made French toast for brunch and we will have leftovers for dinner. 

Later in the evening, I helped daughter make the filling mixture for Sri Lankan fish cutlets, using canned mackerel, mashed potatoes, finely minced onions, herbs, and spices.  The mixture will be made into small balls, about one inch in diameter, dipped in beaten egg, rolled in bread crumbs, and deep fried.  I had toasted several pieces of bread crusts in the oven, last night, and daughter crushed them with a rolling pin to make the bread crumbs.  We will make the fish cutlets tomorrow and daughter will take some of them to the "Friendsgiving" potluck dinner her friend A is hosting.  

This Thanksgiving week, I am grateful for many things, but I am most thankful for:

- Being able to celebrate Thanksgiving with my daughter
- For the food we've shared and enjoyed
- For a warm and comfortable home 
- For family and friends 
- For all our blessings

My joyful activities have included spending time with daughter, doing crafts with her, chatting with family and friends, and tending to the garden.

Plans for the weekend include helping daughter make the fish cutlets, starting on my Christmas/New Year Greeting cards, and making a batch of blueberry jam (which I haven't made before, so something new to try!)

How was your week?  What were you thankful for this week?  What are your plans for the weekend?

An Afternoon Tea Party

Afternoon Tea

Daughter held her afternoon tea party for her friends on Sunday.  She had invited them to arrive at 1:30 p.m.  

Daughter made the sandwiches in the morning.  I especially liked how the the cucumber sandwiches looked while she was making them:

Cucumber Sandwiches with Dill and Chives

I helped her with arranging the food on the plates and doing the last minute preparations including picking chives for the cucumber sandwiches, ironing the table cloth, for the coffee table, picking fresh flowers for the vase, etc.    

One friend arrived just before 1:30 p.m. and the friend whose birthday they were celebrating arrived shortly after 1:30 p.m., which was fine.  I stayed in the family room while they sat in the living room and chatted and enjoyed their tea.  

Then they moved to the family room/crafts room to work on their craft project and I retreated to my bedroom, where I knitted and watched some online videos.  

They put together a "book nook" from a kit that one of the friends had gifted to my daughter.  It depicts a train (No. 315) on a bridge over a river with cherry blossoms:

Sakura Densya

It's hard to tell from my pictures, but, there are two people on board the train!

So Detailed!

It took them hours to assemble the book nook!  At one point, I suggested to daughter that she ordered a pizza or something for dinner, but, her friends didn't want anymore food as there were leftovers from the tea and daughter gave them some of the leftovers to take home, too.

They were here till after 8:00 p.m.!  The friend whose birthday was being celebrated stayed behind to help daughter tidy up the family room/crafts room and she left just after 8:30 p.m.  

Daughter put away the last of the leftovers and I helped her by washing all the dishes.  We ate sandwiches and leftovers for dinner and relaxed.  Daughter was tired, but, very happy and I was happy, too.

On Sunday, I was grateful for:

- Daughter being able to host a tea party for her friends
- The sound of laughter as daughter and her friends enjoyed each other's company

- Daughter having some good friends who I know will be there for her

- Good food to share 
- A lovely day all around

My joyful activities included helping daughter with the tea party and knitting.

Another Look at the Afternoon Tea Spread

It was a tiring day, but, everyone enjoyed it.

On Saturday

 

Earl Grey Tea Mini Bundt Cakes

On Saturday, daughter vacuumed the whole house and I dusted.  Then, we both tidied up the living room, dining area, and family room.  I took the recycling, kitchen compost, and the trash out, checked on the garden, and did a load of laundry.  Daughter cleaned her bathroom.  We shared another frozen burrito and the two pineapple guavas I had picked from the garden for brunch.  Later, daughter baked the Earl Grey tea cakes and frosted them with a simple powdered sugar glaze.  I made the egg salad for the sandwiches and I also made a small batch of jam using strawberries I had bought and frozen in the summer.  They will have a choice of strawberry jam and peach jam to go on their scones.  

Neighbor S called to say that she had seen someone's dog come into my yard and her cousin managed to get a leash on him.  She asked if I would happen to know whose dog it was. So, I went over to her place to look at the dog to see if I recognized him. Both neighbors on either side of me have dogs, but, I haven't seen this little dog before.  It was obviously someone's pet, as it was wearing a little red plaid coat.  But, apparently no tags.  And we didn't see anyone out and about who seemed to be looking for a little lost dog.  I tried calling on the neighbors on either side of me to see if they knew who the dog belonged to, but, no one was home.  I suggested taking the dog to the shelter to see if it was chipped and if they could locate the owner.  I am not sure quite what they ended up doing.  I shall call S on Sunday to find out.

Daughter selected which tea set she wanted to use and washed all the items (they were stored in the china cabinet, but, things still get dusty in there).  While she washed the items, she asked me to repeat the story behind this particular tea set.  It was one of two sets that had been given as gifts to my step-father's mother by two of her daughters.  We had brought the sets back with us on a subsequent visit to Sri Lanka.  One set is more complete than the other, after more than 70+ years of use.  

Daughter's friend, whose birthday is being celebrated, doesn't know that daughter is planning a surprise tea party for her.  Her friend thinks they are just getting together to play some board games and maybe do a craft activity.  She texted daughter this evening to say that she's bringing some of the chocolate cake she had made for her birthday!  She is an excellent baker, too, so we know her chocolate cake will be delicious.

I cooked a boxed pasta mix with frozen green peas added to it and fried a few slices of ham I had in the freezer to go with it for dinner.  It wasn't in the meal plan, but, we finished most of the mac and cheese I made the other day and the little bit that's left isn't enough for a meal.  

The Mini Bundt Cakes Before Being Glazed

On Saturday, I was grateful for:

- A clear day after all the rain
- Daughter doing most of the housework and cleaning
- Working appliances
- Quick and easy pantry meals
- My strawberry jam turned out well

Saturday's joyful activities included helping daughter with preparations for the tea party.  

Plans for tomorrow include doing the final cleaning (removing the sofa dust covers and wiping down the living room coffee table - can't do it earlier because Dancer likes to sleep on it at times), helping daughter make the sandwiches, and putting the water to boil for tea.  Later, I will help daughter put away any leftovers and the clean up.

How was your Saturday?  What are your plans for Sunday?

A Whole Lot of Baking Going On

 

Olive Oil-Dark Chocolate Chip Cookies

Daughter has started baking for Sunday's tea party.  Due to the dietary restrictions of one friend, she is trying out new recipes using olive oil instead of butter and lactose-free milk instead of regular milk.  

She baked a dozen olive oil-dark chocolate chip cookies (no nuts as her friend can't eat nuts) and we sampled one.  I thought it tasted delicious and I couldn't tell any difference in taste from a cookie made with butter.  Then, again, it's been a long time since I've had a homemade chocolate chip cookie!  We gave one to M to taste test, too, and he thought they were very good.

Olive Oil Scones

Daughter also baked a batch of scones using olive oil instead of butter and they turned out well, too.  These will be served with some jam.

Chai Muffins

Daughter also baked a batch of chai muffins. We sampled one and it, too, was delicious.  The chai tea gives it a lovely taste of spices.  

The final item to be baked is the Earl Grey tea cake, but, that's on the list of activities for Saturday.  

There was some rain in the morning, but, it cleared up by the time I had to go for a fasting blood test.  Later in the afternoon, daughter and I went to the dollar store and I bought a few items I wanted, including a large grid wall calendar for 2026, some solid air fresheners for the bathrooms, a couple of frozen burritos and some ice cream bars.  We shared one of the burritos for brunch, followed by an ice cream bar.  Then, we put away some laundry, daughter did her baking, we both tidied the family room a bit, and chatted with M when he came to tend to the garden.  I made macaroni and cheese with canned chicken and frozen green peas added to it for dinner.  

On Friday, I am grateful for:

- The rain for the garden
- Medical insurance
- Access to medical services, including screening tests
- Safe drives to the clinic and the stores
- M's help with the garden

Friday's joyful activity was knitting (and sampling some of daughter's baked goods!)

Plans for Saturday include cleaning the house.

How was your Friday?  What are your plans for the weekend?  

After the Rain: A Garden Tour

 

Rain Soaked Rose

You might not appreciate yet another garden tour, but, I took some pictures of my own garden after all our recent rains.  It is not a botanical garden, by any means, but, you are welcome to tour my garden with me.

In the front garden, we have, in addition to the rain-soaked red rose above:

Jade Plants
This one plant is about 3 ft. high

Aeoniums
This is one plant that is spreading out

Lantana

Euryops

And various other plants that I didn't take pictures of this time around.  

In the back garden, we have:

A New Strawberry Plant: "White Carolina Pineberry"
White fruit with red seeds

Plant Tag for White Carolina Pineberry

Then, we have the citrus plants:

Satsuma Tangerines Starting to Ripen

Lemons Starting to Ripen, Too

Lemon Blossom

Buds on the Orange Tree

The summer vegetables are mostly over.  But, this one butternut squash plant still has baby butternuts:

Late Season Butternut Squash

Then, there's what I'm calling my little glimpse of autumn colors:

Nectarine Tree Shutting Down

Plum Tree Turning Color, Too

In addition to the new strawberry plant, there are some more new plants for the garden, too, that daughter wanted to grow in the raised bed planters she bought and assembled:

Japanese Herbs: Japanese Mugwort, Mizuna, and Some Others

Japanese Herbs in the Planter
with Radish Seeds at the Other End

Daughter's Raised Garden: Arugula & Kale, Japanese Herbs,
Newly Transplanted Kale Seedlings in the 3rd Planter

Meanwhile, the plants in the "bulbery" (mostly bulbs that M shared) are thriving:

Calla Lilies and Irises

Another Look at the Bulbery

And on the other side, we have the Stonery:

The Stonery

Which seems to have its own little stumpery started!  LOL.  

The Mini Stumpery! 

M put the big stone and two branches down to discourage the garden cats from digging up and sleeping on the plants and I added a third branch more recently!

I am very happy to see that there are at least four nasturtium seedlings growing in the stonery, growing from the seeds that the previous plant, which died in the summer, had dropped:

One of the Nasturtium Seedlings

Currently, there aren't many flowers in the back garden.  But, if you look closely, you can find one or two:

Chrysanthemums Hiding Among the Four O'Clocks

Paperwhites 

It's raining, again, as I type this.  I know the plants are enjoying the extra watering.

The garden cats are not too happy, but, they are managing to keep dry:

Fluffy and Scruffy Sharing a Cardboard Box
Moo Sheltering Under the Patio Table
Patches, their Mother, Disappeared

Thank you for visiting my garden.  Hope you enjoyed the tour.