Now we're cooking

 

 

The flowers are mostly finished in our bedraggled looking yard, except for the last roses of summer giving it their all. August is an easy month for the gardener with nothing much required except watering and deadheading-- it's been so dry even the weeds have given up until the fall rains arrive.

Good thing, because I'm not back to my normal activity levels yet. This is the longest stint I've ever spent staying just at home and I'm getting pretty restless. Yesterday I took my first sole driving excursion (to Safeway where else?) and even that felt liberating, doing something resembling my normal life. 

I've recovered from the hospital and feeling pretty dandy other than medication side effects brought on by the sudden lower blood pressure. Maybe, too low. Hopefully that gets adjusted when we see the cardiologist tomorrow for follow up. This is a trial and error thing in the beginning. 

 

We canned 14 jars of plum chutney on Saturday, so that's progress, although picking 8 pounds barely made a dent in the tree.

And I made a traditional German plum kucken, which was good with vanilla ice cream in front of the television. We've been watching old BBC Masterpiece Theater detective series, the ultimate escapist TV. 

Non-atttachment

 

 

Nice numbers. What a relief.

I watch nature videos on YouTube now while I take my blood pressure. What's the big deal? 

My hypertension was an ongoing issue for months, shuffling me between unhelpful appointments, then urgent care, then finally the emergency room and hospital. It's too bad it took a medical crisis to finally get the right care, but I'm grateful.  

And along the way, I developed this phobia about using a home monitor. When I saw those scary numbers, I panicked. Honestly, who wouldn't? Anyway, that started the classic negative feedback loop. 

Speaking of observation: 

"The ability to observe and not instantly react is the highest form of spiritual intelligence." Blah blah blah. 

Total non-attachment to outcome is the stuff of saints and monks. We can try, but we're fighting human minds naturally wired for instant judgement and flight or fight reflex. 

Many good things have already come from this ordeal, some small, some life changing. As the numbers started coming down, I was finally able take it at home without dread. And now I'm watching that it doesn't go too far in the "right" direction. A nicer problem. 

Only one week ago today I was released from the hospital, barely able to walk and looking and smelling like a pile of beach wrack! Yesterday I made 6,000 steps. Onward we go. 

Have a wonderful weekend.  

Cute alert

 

 

Millie? Can we be friends?

 

Learning from Nica, the fine art of being underfoot in the kitchen...

 And getting loved to death...

And the art of total relaxation comes naturally to this breed...

Hey, maybe I wouldn't need pills with a little lap dog? 

 

It's been a quiet week on the home front. Our excellent, hardworking gardener came yesterday to cut back an overgrown lilac and give the laurel hedge its annual trimming.  Neat as a pin. 

 

Seattle summers are warmer than they used to be, warm enough to sit in the yard after dinner without a jacket. When I turn on a sprinkler, the chickadees show up and take showers in the olive tree. Speaking of blood pressure, this sure beats the evening news. 

 

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.