Estimated reading time: 6 minutes
Memories: Mom, The Creator! My dear Mother was super creative; she saw art everywhere, not just paintings. When we were in Arkansas one summer, she visited an antique store, her favorite place to haunt. She picked up an old wall-mounted telephone pre-dialing days (roughly 1910) when you had to turn a crank and generate electrical signals to send to the operator if they were on duty.
Turning the crank generated over 100 volts of electricity!
So, Mom brings this back to California and guts the insides. I saw the generator and globbed onto it immediately; I was in Junior High School, so this was about 1955.
Mom stuffed an old Packhard-Bell desktop radio into the phone, and I assisted her in making the volume and tuner accessible from outside the phone. Mom had her wish; she placed it in the breakfast room on Comey Avenue, and everyone visiting thought it was beautiful!
On the other hand, I had a generator to experiment with. I first put electrodes in the ground and turned the crank, driving the redworms up and out of the ground. Then, I had another idea — I would take it to school. Monday morning, I went to school early and wired the doors to the gym to the generator using the thinnest wire I could find, probably 30 gauge.
The magnets made it very heavy!
When the coach came in and reached for the handle, I turned the crank as fast as I could, and he jumped six feet in the air. I was in trouble again! Off to the Boys VP, Richard Nida, and I got a stern lecture and a swat across the butt. The generator was never used for electrocuting people again!
PT bright and early; who decided Monday at 9:00 am was a good time anyway? Mary took a shower and got ready, and I wrestled the remaining Mother’s Day dishes into the dishwasher. My shower will come in the afternoon after I battle the gardens.
Mary gets good advice from her therapist!
We stopped by a new nursery, got some veggies, and then went to Home Depot to get supplies. Finally, by 10:00 am, we are home again!
There is some truth to this, BUT it is much cheaper than a gym membership!
What do you get if you cross a four-leaf clover with poison ivy? A rash of good luck.
Mary remembered we had corned beef and potatoes left yesterday, so she turned it into a fantastic Corned Beef Hash topped with eggs. A delicious brunch it was, and we dined outside using our new patio furniture.
While Mary was preparing brunch, I unloaded the car carrying two wheelbarrows full of goodies to the garden.
Brunch is served!
To top it off, we finished the remaining Irish soda bread and the last of our cantelope! This day is starting out to be fabulous!
I remembered buying the corned beef. I said to the woman at the deli, “I’d like to buy a corned beef with pickles.” She replied, “Sorry…”We only take cash or card.”
The chef joins the table!
Two years ago, our driveway was full of cabinets as we reconfigured the garage to allow room for a workshop for me and storage for us. Under the tarp are very lovely cabinets that came with the house, but we are not in the “proper” location for our plans. We had easy work removing the cabinets before the garage floor was sealed, thanks to Joe and Zack. We relocated the cabinets after the floor was dry, and voila, a full-sized workshop for me!
Two years ago today, we were redesigning the garage!
Some of our onions have bolted. Bolting is a response to stress because the plant responds to the stressful stimulus by entering reproduction mode early. It’s a response to the danger that the plant perceives. Once this reproductive process has started, the plant won’t spend more energy developing tasty onion bulbs.
We can listen to the corn grow!
The sweetpeas are just amazing! While Mary picks them, you can hear her whistling, “Thistle while you work.” It scares the neighborhood cats away!
The sweetpeas are magnificent!
The business end of the garden needs some organizing. We keep tools, wire, tape, labels, alcohol (to wipe the cutters clean), gloves, and drip-system parts at the ready!
Where the work gets done!
The Daikons are coming up rapidly. These radishes are white, large, and very mild. They are white with a milder flavor than the small red radish and can grow up to 3 feet long and weigh up to 100 pounds, although they are usually harvested at 1 to 5 pounds. Daikon can be eaten raw in salad, pickled, or in stir-fries, soups, and stews. They have a pleasant, sweet, and zesty flavor with a mild bite.
In another six weeks, it will be Daikon time!
We worked for an hour or so in the front yard, with Mary deadheading the roses and me digging in peat moss and manure into the soil to break it up and add nutrients. I use the Makita cordless drill with the auger on it, and it is like rototilling!
While working together, I often suggest putting our tulips together.
Finally, we stopped at 4:00 pm and had our tea! I am trying to start a tradition of having tea and a sweet pastry (tiny) at four every day when we are home.
Dinner was easy, I finished off the Indian food, and Mary finished off a salad. We watched “Heat” on TV. Summary: A group of high-end professional thieves starts to feel the heat from the LAPD when they unknowingly leave a clue at their latest heist.
