Estimated reading time: 5 minutes
Finally, time to relax! We were up and moving around 7:00 am because apparently ‘relaxing’ now requires an early start and a schedule. Our big plan was to head to the Elks for Girls Night Out, which is coming up on its sixth year. At this point, we’re not just predictable—we’re a tradition with shoes. Sharing this helps friends and family stay connected with our daily routines and special moments.
At the Elks, we split the special of the day: lasagna, because nothing says “girls’ night” like layers of pasta and a possible nap afterward. We also returned Bob’s photo albums, which we’ve been scanning for his upcoming 80th birthday party in August. Handling decades of memories and hairstyles made some very bold choices over the years, and I hope sharing this brings back your own fond memories.
We didn’t arrive empty-handed, either. We brought a big mess of basil and several cucumbers—and not just any cucumbers. These were good-looking cucumbers. The kind of cucumbers that know they are attractive and would probably have their own social media account if we let them.
As an example: here are two images, but one was run through AI, where AI was asked to optimize, refocus, and adjust contrast if needed. This highlights how technology can enhance our memories and adds an interesting twist to sharing old photos with loved ones.
Bob and Donna got married, so the image is 45 years old!
AI makes it look like last week (except for Bob’s hair).
On the way out the Lodge door, we stopped and got our picture taken!
We match again!
We dressed for the occasion! Never too soon to become an Elk.
It was in the 90s when we arrived back home, but the house was a nice 74 degrees! Mary stayed inside and took apart the dried pea pods so we could have soup later, and then she got busy filling our pill boxes.
Here’s some fun trivia about shelling green beans after they’ve dried to make soup:
- They’re no longer really “green beans” at that point — once left to mature and dry in the pod, they become dry beans or shell beans.
- Old-time gardeners wasted very little. Beans that got too big or tough to eat fresh were often left on the vine to dry, then shelled and saved for winter soups.
- This was a common pantry food before freezers and canning were widespread.
- Dried beans stored well for months and provided protein during cold weather.
- Many familiar soup beans come from the same plant family as green beans. Pinto, navy, kidney, cranberry, and many heirloom beans are all varieties of Phaseolus vulgaris.
- Shelling dried beans was often a social chore. Families would sit together and pop the dry pods open by hand, sometimes saving the prettiest beans for next year’s seed.
- The sound is part of the tradition. Dry pods make a crisp rattling sound when the beans are ready, which is why some people say the beans “talk” when they’re dry enough.
- Some beans were grown specifically for soup. Heirloom varieties like October beans, cranberry beans, Jacob’s Cattle beans, and horticultural beans were prized for rich flavor in soups and stews.
- They need soaking or long cooking. Once dried, the beans become hard and usually need soaking overnight or slow simmering to soften.
- Bean soup was a practical meal. A pot of dried beans could feed a large family cheaply, especially with ham bone, bacon, onions, herbs, or garden vegetables added.
- Saving seed and saving soup beans were often the same job. The biggest, healthiest dried beans might be kept for planting, while the rest went into the soup pot.
I dared the Sun and went outside to water the veggies, making sure the ground was well soaked as the temperatures were in the 90s! As I was watering, I noticed we have a mess of Bitter Melons or Bitter Gourds. Now we have to figure out what to do with them!
When I came back inside, I worked on Mary’s Loft site and had a little fun doing it! The “Loft” is our upstairs multi-purpose room and Mary’s art studio! The website keeps all of Mary’s work over the past years.
Too Funny!!! Mary, our neighbor Geri, and Mary’s instructor!
Mary made a nice dinner, and we watched TV, keeping one eye on the outdoor camera as we expected we might catch our wayward kitty tonight. By 10:30 pm, we gave up and headed for bed!
At 10:30 pm, the iPhone went off; we caught a cat! Notice I said, “a cat”. We got an orange tabby who was prowling around, so I am sure it will not be back. Mary and I reset the trap, put in new bait, and reset the camera, which had been bumped in the furor! We hope Grace comes around at her standard 3-4 am timeframe!
