This morning, we hit the computers to catch up with the bills! UGH! I had to backfill four days of the Daily Diary as we were too pooped after the vacation!
Dear Becky called from Tennessee this morning, worried about us because the Daily Diary was not updated for several days; we were pooped out. So, we are now up to date.
At 11:15 am, we headed to the Elks Lodge for our weekly luncheon. There were four of us today as Bill was at a funeral, Bob was in the desert, Iris was playing bridge, and everyone else was AWOL!
Girls night out!
Mary missed the Elk, so she had to stop and say hello!
Down, big fellow!
We worked in the garden all afternoon, and at 5:00 pm, we declared victory, and Dr. Mary fixed up a mess of greens! We had Swiss chard, beet leaves, radish leaves, white radishes, and several other ingredients. We also had chicken for the protein and even had a spot of wine.
Greens in process.
Mary had to let her digging tool rest for a while after we planted all the watermelons, string beans, and other goodies. It needed a rest!
Mary’s gardening tools are cooling off.
The apples are coming along well, and in about a month, we will have homemade apple sauce and several other apple dishes.
Apples are on the way!
The watermelon plants are small, but they grow amazingly fast. Over 1,200 varieties of watermelon are grown worldwide. Watermelon is an ideal health food because it contains no fat or cholesterol, is high in fiber and vitamins A and C, and is a good potassium source.
While we tend to focus on the melon’s succulent flesh, watermelon rinds are also edible and full of nutrients. In China, the rinds are often stir-fried or stewed, while in the American South, cooks like to pickle them. Across the Middle East and Asia, the seeds are dried and roasted (similar to pumpkin seeds) to make a light, crunchy snack.
Summer means relaxing by the pool, barbeques, and refreshing slices of watermelon, and no one produces more of this favorite summertime fruit than Florida. The Sunshine State is the top producer of watermelon in the United States.
The watermelons are planted; wait 90 days!
Every morning we pick fresh blueberries and serve them for breakfast!
We pick blueberries every morning.
The sweet peas are genuinely unique. In the language of flowers, a bouquet of sweet peas is a way to say goodbye or thank you for a lovely time. It can also mean blissful pleasure, good wishes, kindness, gratitude, and friendship.
We give flowers to our family and friends.
At 5:00 p.m., we quit, as evidenced by moving all the trash cans to the street in preparation for the trash collector to visit. Without trash cans, work has to cease!
Mary went into hunter/gatherer mode and headed for the garden, returning with a collection of greens, which we cleaned and stir-fried. UMMY!
- Health benefits: Green foods are full of vitamins and minerals, including A, B, C, E, and K, as well as calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, and folate. They also contain chlorophyll, which is similar to human blood and can help fight infection.
- Digestion: Greens are rich in fiber, which can help with digestion and elimination.
- Energy: Greens are high in beta-carotene, which can help increase energy.
- Low calories: Leafy green vegetables are low in calories, making them ideal for weight management.
- Bones and teeth: Dark leafy greens like spinach, kale, and broccoli are packed with calcium and magnesium, which are essential for bone and tooth strength.
- Blood clotting: Spinach is an excellent source of vitamin K, which is essential for healthy blood clotting
Dinner is served.
We watched Starman on TV, and by 10:00 pm, we were in bed reading. Today has been another excellent gardening day! Mary has the roses looking like a nursery!
Good night, Becky and Art. Thanks for thinking about us! We are thinking of you, too!
Toot-Toot!
