10 Days Already???

Hi there everyone. My goodness, has it been 10 days already since the last time I posted??? Really, I must think it is summer and I can take time off or something....lol! So anyways.....thought I would give you a few shots of my summer here in "Louise's La La Land"

I never get tired of taking pictures of my garden and it's lovely flowers. These two rose plants make the prettiest flowers. The white rose above is a long stemmed white rose, so it always looks great in a tall skinny vase. She has been around for at least 10 years. I want to get a new rose bush, have just the right place for it. Next to my yellow bush. I am think a violet/blue rose bush. I saw one this past spring, but did not buy it. I will be on the look out this fall, or next spring.

This rose bush has been with us for at least 20+ years and has always been loyal in it's production of beautiful roses. It sits in front of the house and gets full sun. The white rose gets half a day's worth of sun. Mostly the morning sun.

Here is my little herb garden. Basil and cilantro is about all I have planted. If I see something else, maybe I will plant it.....but not really looking.

Oh the glory of my Black Eyed Susan's.....I love these flowers and love that they come back every year and last 4-6 weeks. They too are in full sun. I can't seem to get them to grow in the back yard though....too much shade.

Miranda's Bee Balm....This is quite the choir of flowers. They were just starting to bloom here....I should really take a picture of them now, they have take over the back section of my yard which is over-grown now. I bought a new Miranda Bee Balm plant last week....a fuchsia colored one....just have to decide where I am going to plant it.

My little pond....never get tired of it. No, there are no fish in there. I want to buy a few more plastic lilly pads at Menards....hopefully they are still there when I do finally get back there to shop.

Well I think I will close here for now....I have some exciting news to tell you....but it shall have to wait till my next post. So be sure to come back for the up-date. 

Time to go walk Kylie, she is begging me to take her out. Then she wants to eat.....that is her evening schedule. 

You all keep looking up better days are coming. Cheers ~ Louise

Just a Few Garden Pictures and a Blue Apron Meal

Hi there everyone...hope you had a wonderful day. One more hour and it will be JULY 1st!!! Are you ready for a new month? I still have not accomplished all that I wanted to in June....but, there is still 2 months yet to go, to get those projects done. By then, fall will be upon us, hopefully I can still enjoy the summer.

So I took a few pictures tonight of my black eyed Susan's in the front yard. They sure are prolific aren't they?

In this picture, you can see the plant next to the black eyed Susan's....it's a hissop bush. JP likes to dry the leaves (actually I dry the leaves) and make tea. The front of the house has lemon-mint growing, which has over taken the front yard. Tonight I made some mint tea....boiled the leaves and added some stevia...not a bad tea. I think I will make some mint jelly this summer...but I need to find a good recipe.

Along side the house are some more black eyed Susan's, Lillie's, star Clementius and purple Clementius, those purple flowers, I am not sure what they are.....they come back every year. They look awful when growing, almost like weeds, then they bloom these cute little purple bells....they dry up and then I pull them out....but they seem to come back every year.....hard to get rid of them.

So hey you guys, this meal was really delicious!! "Spicy Hoisin Turkey Meatballs with sautéed zucchini and brown rice" I just finished the last of it tonight. I need to make this again.

It was a pretty easy meal to make. Make the rice, quarter the zucchini, mince the garlic and ginger, slice the scallions. Add breadcrumbs, hoisin sauce and sambal oelek (spice) to the meat and make into balls. Cook the balls till browned and transfer to a dish and keep warm. Add the zucchini to the fond and cook to browned. Add the meatballs, remaining hoisin sauce and 1/2 cup water to the pan. Cook till the sauce thickens and the meatballs are thoroughly coated and cooked through. Place rice in a bowl, top with the meat and zucchini and top with scallion and sesame seeds. Yep, I would make this again.

Well, time to close this last post of the month....maybe July I will be more active. Showing you some of the things I have been making besides cards. Have a great day and keep looking up....better days are coming. Cheers ~ Louise

~ Feeling Better ~

Hi there everyone. So yes, as my title says, "Feeling Better" and that, I am. Each day brings a little bit less pain. It is hard to believe for me that this little hernia could have caused so many problems. Recuperating time has been tuff, but thank God for pain pills, they have helped. I did not take a pain pill last night, I have cut them down from 3-4 a day, down to one and none today so far. The pain is livable at this point. I walked Kylie by myself today, down the block and back. She was a happy camper. Picked a few red tomatoes and a green pepper. Maybe next week I might start walking my ceramic yard animals into the shed for the winter months....sniff...where did the summer go????

Since last October, I have lost 43 lbs. so maybe the weight loss has helped some with the recuperation. My motto for this year has been, "eat less, I guess, I guess, eat less" although there have been days I get very hungry and wanted to eat everything in sight. Dr. Flanigan, who preformed the hernia surgery said she was glad to hear I had been working on losing weight. It should also help in lowering the blood sugar numbers. Which will make my regular Doctor very happy.

I took a few pictures of the my "Star Clementius" this vine is about 5 years old now and seems to like where it is living....only problem is it is very messy and attracts lots of bee's, so sitting on the front porch can be scary at times. Don't want to get stung.

Here is a closer look.....abundant in flowers. I don't do a whole lot with this plant, don't even think I have fertilized it much....usually the only watering it gets is when it rains. Come fall when the flowers have died off, we will cut it down. So yeah, it must like where it is living.

In this picture, the Black Eyed Susan's have taken over my front yard this year....I am so happy they made their debut in my front yard. I would miss them very much. My only wish is to get them to grow in the back yard.....maybe next year.

Today Blue Apron came to my front door again.....Oh yum. I was looking forward to this dish. It is "Fresh Gnocchi and Maitake Mushrooms with Corn, Thyme and Browned Butter." The other day I made a beef roast in the slow cooker....delicious with mashed potatoes, gravy and asparagus. So making the fresh Gnocchi along with the beef was for today's lunch. UMMMM....not sure what I will make for tonight as the Gnocchi is almost gone. Maybe something quick and fast.

Tomorrow, depending on how I am feeling, I may take a trip to the store and bank (JP being the driver of course). It's been two weeks since I have gone shopping. JP is running out of fruit and there are a few things we are running low on. JP will probably come in the store with me and I might just drive that little cart around, just in case I get tired half way through the walk in the store.

Well, time to close for now, keep looking up. Cheers ~ Louise