When life gives you tomatoes

 

Make some tomato sauce...

That is about a third of the Roma tomatoes we got from one potted plant. They just thrive on that hot side of the house. 

I bought a fancy food mill last fall to make pear butter and haven't used it since, so I set John to work yesterday milling that bowl of tomatoes. He enjoys kitchen tasks that involve sharp knives and mechanical gadgets. 

 It cooked up a bright pot of fresh tomato sauce, which we put on frozen cheese ravioli. 

 

It was tasty but a tad on the thin side, so some sausage or meatballs would help. I froze three containers for other pasta meals.

Speaking of the freezer, we are grateful this week that ours is packed with good food. The little bit of effort it takes to make a simple meal from scratch is so worth it. Anyway, our home cooked wholesome food is helping me get my appetite back. 

No one expects hospital food to be good, but with the exception of Cheerios, most of what they what they gave me was inedible. The meals were packed with cheap processed salty food, even though I was supposedly on a "heart healthy" diet. 

As I'm sure you know, wine has always been an enjoyable part of our lives-- a relaxing social time at the end of the day, and it makes good food taste even better. But for now I'm taking a vacation from all alcohol. This feels good actually, although life is a bit duller come 4 o'clock when John makes himself an old-fashioned. 

Well, life is also short, so put wine on the list of things to look forward to. In moderation, of course. We have a trip to the Napa Valley planned at the end of September, and I told John save your money to buy me a glass or two of expensive local wine. Quality not quantity is the new motto. My box wine days are over. 

A tempting sight

 

 

I'm impatient for the plums to finally ripen so we can preserve as many as possible. This is a rare year when the tree produces that many big ones. I want to replenish our stash of plum chutney and also can some halves for yogurt and cottage cheese. 

Understandably, with stone fruit averaging $3 a pound in the grocery store, these big beauties are a tempting target from the sidewalk. 

 

Yes, it came down to this. 

I saw a man jump up and grab some over the fence while his two little kids looked on. (Teach your children well.) Even though they look purple, they are still hard and inedible. 

I told him nicely we're happy to share excess when the time comes, but please don't pull green ones off the branches now. He looked guilty as sin and apologized profusely. I'm working on my reputation as "the mean old lady who lives on the corner."

 

The Seattle afternoons are warm and sunny, but the morning fog suddenly put a fall feel in the air. I've enjoyed our yard and birds more than ever this summer, and good thing, because we've been stuck at home since we got back from Europe in June. 

Fires are still burning in every direction across the eastern part of the state, so the smoke collects in the Methow Valley however the winds blows. Relief from that claustrophobic air pollution won't come until the fall rains finally extinguish the wildfires. 

My friend Karen said everyone who can get away leaves the Valley as much as possible this summer. On top of that, downtown Twisp is still torn up with construction as they renovate the sidewalks, streets and storefronts. Not a good time for bike riding or strolling around the peaceful shops. There's always next year. 

Puppy and pear

 

 

And a pretty girl in the orchard with "Yoko." 

They love her like crazy and she fits right into the farm life. But Maya said she might "never have children" because babies are too much work. So cute!

Some of my dear followers noticed that Feathers and Flowers went dark last week. Long story short, I was admitted to the hospital critical care unit for treatment of severe hypertension. 

The good news is, I'm on new medicines and everything is finally headed in the right direction. I feel much better already, and gradually getting back to my normal activities. 

Best of all, extensive testing did not reveal serious underlying conditions and the cardiologist pronounced my heart healthy. I follow up with him this week. Welcome to the senior years. 

I will spare you a long rehash here, but just want to say that John was wonderful support through the whole ordeal. Although by the third day, he was ready to take over management of that hospital. Pack your patience if you ever have to be there. 

"The greatest healing therapy is friendship and love." 

Thank you, everyone. 

 

And the cat came back

 

A newly discovered design, carved in the earth in southwestern Amazon, sometime  between 600 BC and 850 AD. Yes, that's a cat, with a ton of personality, lounging around as cats often do.

And this blogger is back also...

Have a good weekend. Enjoy these precious, waning summer days. 

 

If dogs could talk

Nica: Maybe it will go away soon.

Puppy: Hey, it looks pretty cool around here!

 Amanda and "Cowboy" 

And in other news, Happy Birthday to our Amanda today. 

The house has changed and so have we, but I'm sitting right where this picture was taken back in 1981. How blessed we are.   

Welcome to the family

 

 

 

This weekend, our Carlton family adopted this adorable Chihuahua mix puppy. She came from a rescue home in Bellevue, and they brought her over last night before we went out to dinner. 

About 3 months old and downright adorable. Also healthy and spunky, and like all puppies, a great big project. But the girls are jumping right in with the training and spoiling. Lucky little dog. I'll wager she soon finds her niche with the other house pets in front of the Russian stove. 

Happy Birthday to our darling Nova today. This is the poem I wrote 17 years ago. It feels like yesterday.

"A Poem for Nova" 

That morning you arrived,
You were our bright summer star.
And I drove East to greet you,
Body, Mind, Spirit--
With a prayer for every mile.

Time passed. Road and silence.
Mountains, rocks, fields,
The occasional gift of horses grazing.
And finally, clear desert light
Above the ancient river.

Then your Mother's call, at last!
Wonder and tears
Turning a roadside nowhere into Somewhere.
Oh, you thrilled us
With your big entrance: Here I Am.

So, an old story but still a fresh miracle.
And I arrived at a new place, too.
A little hand to hold,
Precious life to cherish,
The circle complete.