Completely... Baffling

Though perhaps it shouldn't be. All kinds of strange things have happened since I started this garden experiment. Like worms finding their way into my tubs that are on my platform and nowhere near the ground! But this... is a new one.

Take a look at that, and tell me what you see.

Yeah, I couldn't tell yesterday either. (Sorry the picture is fuzzy, but I still wasn't sure even looking at it up close, lol).

Now - this particular plant is in a hanging thing. Once upon a time it was part of my upside down tomato experiment (Goldie). And this one lasted a good long time, gave me lots of tomatoes, even after Mom planted marigolds on top of it.

Eventually the tomato plant died, and there was just one scraggly, half-dead marigold in there. But I started watering it more and the marigold came back.

Apparently, the marigold has buddies. I didn't see them because it' slightly above my direct line of sight. But I watered from a different angle tonight, and so could see in more easily. This is what I saw...

Why yes, yes they are. Those are *mushrooms*! Two mushrooms in this hanging basket that is not near the ground. HOW IN THE HECK DID MUSHROOMS GET IN MY MARIGOLDS?!  

Here they are from another angle. They're kind of cute in a mushroom-y kind of way... *sigh*


So there you have it. I don't have words, lol. (Well, other than the ones above that just recounted my discovery tonight, ha ha!)

:)

Still Working - Sort of...

Computer issues galore! I was going to do a garden tally tonight, start making plans for the "new" garden stuff, given this is the start of planting and growing season. But - I've been fighting with my computer all night. Let's hope things are truly fixed, but we'll just see what we see. 

I'll get on this this week, though. And you all will have, as always, a front row seat to my garden successes and woes, lol. 

:)

Sad Tomatoes and Happy Carrots

Would you take a look at these poor things? Aren't those the saddest tomatoes you've ever seen? If they can even still be called tomatoes. The plants/stems are still living for most of them, but almost every leaf is gone. And I don't know why! I've scoured them looking for tomato worms, and there are none. 

The tomatoes in the garden "proper" seem to be doing pretty well. They have leaves, they even have a few blossoms. But these... Every since ti tied them to stakes (and you see one has a cage and not tied at all), they've gotten scraglier and scraglier. I should do some research, but isn't that the story of my life? Lol

On to Happy Carrots, though!

Yep, look at these! They still aren't very big yet, even though I really want to pull 'em, lol. But they seem to be doing well, so I'm leaving them for now.

And these - believe it or not, these are the transplants. You're supposed to thin carrots when they get so big, but I couldn't bring myself to throw them out (you all know me by now). So I figured an experiment couldn't hurt. Replant them in an empty tub - and voila! Here they are, almost as big as the others. How cool is that?!

Still deciding what to do about the watermelon plant... *sigh*. Updates on that as they become available - ha!

:)

Post Card Saturday

Whew! After the past few weeks of long Postcard posts, I figured short and sweet tonight to get back into it. 

I picked this one because it seemed kind of fun, whimsical if you will. Cats in clothes and fishing - how cute is that?

Other than I know this card is older, and it was apparently published in Zurich, there's nothing else to know. 

There's not even a message, which does make me wonder what the story is about the card. Who bought it and didn't send it? How did it end up in a rummage sale to be bought with another book of them? Did it mean anything to the person who bought it, or, like me, did they just think it was fun?

So many questions, no answers, lol. That seems to be the norm when collecting other people's postcards.

And there you have it - enjoy!

:)

Another Yum Creation

Aji paste is the bomb! Usually the yellow
one is the best, but this rocks, too.! So versatile.

For those of you who cook, willingly or not, you know it can be hard to think of something different to eat every day. But if you've been doing it for a while, then you also get a general sense of things that might work, or might not. Add into that a sort of craving, and well, you might end up... experimenting.

We all know some experiments are dismal failures. But I had a great one the other night! Hurray! Because that sure as heck is the best, right? Lol

I've been craving pizza lately. Like - any kind of pizza. Frozen ones that I've doctored up, the kind they sell by the slice that's big and greasy, homemade, you name it. I have no idea why, but I have been.

And the other night, well... my mind got to working. I'd bought these pre-made pizza crusts ages ago. They've been around forever, and I was trying to think what to put on them. Aji chicken came to mind (I call it this, but it is by no means unique, I'm sure. Cooked chicken with onions, green peppers, and aji sauce sauteed in a pan for a while). I had some of this frozen, you see. 

So I pulled it out, but it occurred to me that it might not really go with tomato sauce. I looked up a few chicken pizza recipes and boom - here's my thrown together sauce.

It is literally cream of chicken soup mixed with ranch dressing, lol. Thinned it slightly with some milk. Oh yeah, really, haha!

Here's the pizza in the assembly process: crust, sauce, aji chicken, and some chopped tomatoes.

With the cheese added (mozzarella and fiesta blend. It's what I had in the fridge, lol).


Man, did it smell good while it was cooking, let me tell you.

And viola! Here it is! Yummmm...

:)

And the Winners Are...

So the big drawing! Four winners for four prizes...

Here are the winners! Congratulations!

(Butterfly, I'm not sure if you found me on Facebook or here, but we need to get in touch somehow. If it's here, we'll have to think of something, lol.)

Anyway - I will keep the status of the prize distribution updated here and there as I can. 

Thanks for all the comments, you all. It means a lot to know that people have taken an interest in this little blog of mine. 

Garden stuff tomorrow!

:)

Post Card Saturday! (May-Elizabeth #8)

Tomorrow is the last day to enter for the free drawing! Go down four posts and leave a comment to be entered!  :D

Yes, that time again - Post Card Saturday! And not just that, the last of the May and Elizabeth Series. Still no idea what May was doing tooling around the South, or who Elizabeth was in relation to her, but it's been a fun ride, I think.

So let's get to it, shall we? May is once again on the road. This week's first postcard finds her in Chattanooga, TN, just a few days after the last postcard from last week. Up top is the front, of course. Here's the detail.

The full back.

And the message:
Thursday, April 4th
Am leaving Chattanooga this afternoon for Knoxville -- will not know my next stop until I see what I do there.
May

Hmmm... interesting. 

This postcard is dated eleven days later and is from Charlotte, North Carolina. The front up there.

The detail of where she is:

Here's the back.

The message:
Thursday, April 15th
It is very windy here to-day -- hope they do not stage a Cyclone for my benefit. Glad I am in no little frame house. 
May

Now - this postcard was written and sent *4* years before the Wizard of Oz movie came out! The books had been out long before, of course. Or maybe it was just an observation, lol. Who knows, but I thought it interesting.

And - click "Read More" for the last one of the day, and the series...

Gotta Be Sisters!

I had to share because, well, this is just darn cute! Sophie does this pretty often:

I don't know why, but she seems to enjoy the position to sit in. 

So when I saw this the other day, I had to get a picture of this, too.




Sisters! You're welcome for the dose of cuteness today!

:)

Sad Pepper Story

This was supposed to be a *great* story about another comeback when I was positive this pepper plant was gone, gone, gone.

I mean - I decided to start watering it like crazy again, and look!! Yes, those are two little tiny bell peppers!

There's this dead part, you see, and that was all I could find for the longest time. 

Because it's also been surrounded by parsley...





But a couple of days ago, I saw those tiny peppers and got super, duper excited.

*sigh*

Today, I tripped, reached out and grabbed... and broke the stem that has the tiny little peppers on it. I promise you, I almost cried.

I moved it back, it fit right back together. It's not going to last, I know it's not going to last. But for now, I'm going to hope. After all, this is one of the Little Pepper Plants That Could.

:)

Post Card Saturday to Sunday!

Comments now working again! Go comment on my previous post to enter the drawing!

It's hard to believe, but this is the next to last May-Elizabeth post! One more next week, and you'll see why I'm as stymied now as I was at the start. She drops a clue in the second card about what she's doing, but just the tiniest hint and no more. More questions than answers, as they say. If I ever do try more research on this, I will definitely post it here on the ol' blog, though.

But here we go - May is on the move again!

The first postcard at the top is still Miami, even written and sent the same day as the last postcard from the last post. But she is leaving. No reason why...

Here's the detail of the card:

The full back

And the message:  

Wednesday, March 6th
Notice the flowers at the Club House at Hialeah Track. I am leaving Miami to-day for Jacksonville, Florida.
May

The next one is, indeed, from Jacksonville, nine days later. Notice the little tear at the bottom. I wonder if these were in an album someplace and got torn out. It seems unlikely, given there aren't tears on any of the others.

Here's the detail of the card.

All of the back

The message - note the hint about working with a store...

Friday, March 15
This is a lovely park in the heart of town.
The store I am working with is on one side of this park.
May

Now of course - click "Read More" to... you know, lol. Read more!