A Summer Tree Frog - 2007

Word of the Day

Defriend - To break off friendly relations with somebody; antonym to befriend.

I played Wii with #1 Son last night. I actually broke through that 200 ceiling after our fourth game at bowling. Consistency is not a word that you can apply to my Wii bowling game. I must say however, that I've had a lot of fun bowling this summer with #1 Son. Bowling is something that I used to enjoy when I was in college, even though my wrist would suffer from the weight of the ball. With Wii bowling, I no longer have to worry about that. #1 Son plans to pack up the Wii game for me so I can take it back to Arizona. I'm not sure if I'll have an opportunity to play or not before he comes visit us over Christmas break but....we'll see.

Poor #1 Son! I've really had him toting and carrying this weekend. Last weekend I had GI Joe and DD Daughter toting and carrying when we took in the dock and boat. This weekend I had #1 Son help me with all the plants and the Earthboxes. #1 Son will be heading back to the big city, back to college, later today. We won't see him again until just before Christmas. I've started a list of things that I need to make sure #1 Son takes back to college with him before he heads out. It seems that if I don't make lists these days, I always forget something. Which reminds me....

4 Days and a Wake Up Before HTP and I Fly South for the Winter

I have to make a list (kind of like an inventory list) of the stuff here at The Lake in the pantry, etc. Stuff that I have lots of and stuff that I'll need next spring. I started these inventory lists after I bought that lifetime supply of coffee filters. The thing is that I was always buying things that I really thought I'd need and then finding that I already had them in the cupboard. When you have two homes, it's not always easy to remember what you have where. Like....do I have toilet paper in Arizona? What about vacuum cleaner bags? Or paper towels? That's why I need a list. Not to worry. I'm finding lots of uses for those coffee filters. They work great when it comes to making Limoncello and Arancello.

Murphyism of the Day

Bombeck's Law of Heredity

Insanity is hereditary; you get it from your kids.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Part of being creative is learning how to protect your freedom. That includes freedom from avarice. - Hugh Macleod

#1 Son - Summer 2007

Word of the Day

Defugalty - A sound that has had its musical fugue styling removed.

5 Days and a Wake Up Before HTP and I Fly South for the Winter

#1 Son is Here! I have a list of things that I need to have him help me do while he's here. Those Earthboxes are heavy when they have dirt in them. I need him to help me carry them into the garage so they don't freeze and break over the winter. The geraniums on my deck will come back next year if I store them someplace where they won't freeze, get too much light, and where someone can water them a couple of times yet. That's over in my sister's basement. I need #1 Son to help me load all the plants into the car and then carry them down to my sister's basement. Wind chimes. I've got LOTS of wind chimes. I don't leave them outside over the winter. As it is, I'm losing some of the dingle-dangles because the strings deteriorate over time when they're outside all summer. I guess I'll have to get some new string next spring. Anyway, while I'm up on a ladder removing wind chimes, #1 Son can grab them and put them in their box so I don't have to go up and down and up and down and up and down the ladder....though...it might be good exercise. Lastly? I need #1 Son to pack up the Wii so I can take it back to Arizona to use. He knows all about wires and hookups and un-hookups. HTP does too but he always snorts at me when I ask him to help me with the Wii and other electrical stuff like that. I used to panic every time the power goes out because I know I'll have to make that blinking time light go away on the VCR again. Now...I don't panic so much because we stored the VCR in the closet and use a DVD player instead. Hah! Problem solved. Unfortunately, I still have to program the answering machine after our last power outage. I'm hoping that I can hold off until next spring for that.

I'm up early this morning. Well...not really. I always get up around this time. Habit. Yesterday I forced myself to stay in bed until 8 AM. There's really no reason for me to get up so early anymore. Oh well... Anyway, I did get up "early" this morning because I needed to bake bread. I made the dough yesterday but then #1 Son got here and I only had time to slip it into a pan and put it in the fridge. And then I forgot about it until about 2 AM and by then it was too late to get up and deal with it. It was fine this morning. It raised slowly overnight in the fridge so I just squirted the top with water to hydrate it a bit and stuck it into the oven this morning. Smells good.

I made the bread so I could use up all of my yeast, or at least, that was my intention. It's not like we really needed the bread...even though HTP wanted the bread. Anyway, here I was feeling so proud of the fact that I'd used up all my yeast and then HTP got back from The Store with three little envelopes of additional yeast. HTP likes my homemade bread. Let's not tell him that it's a special recipe which is also good for him. Anyway, I now have more yeast so I plan to make another loaf of bread for when HTP goes to the big city to see his folks next week. They like my fresh bread too. I guess I'll have to send a box of food stuff back to the big city with #1 Son when he leaves on Sunday. I'll add two packets of yeast to the list of things I plan to send with him. Waste not, want not.

There's no way that HTP and I can finish all this food in the few days we have remaining here at The Lake. I'm bringing some of the frozen items home with me. I bought some special gel packs which I'm freezing. I've found that it's almost impossible now to buy dry ice anywhere...especially here or in the city. I did find a place I could have bought it in the big city but that doesn't help much when I don't live in the big city. I need it here. Oh well...I've got one of those coolers that promised to keep ice frozen for up to 5 days and this gel stuff is supposed to stay frozen even longer than ice. We'll see.

After much thought, HTP and I decided that with the limited time that we have left here at The Lake, I won't go into the big city with him next week to see his folks. I've just got too much to do here to button things up. I'm working on getting stuff done but I still need to clean even though I'll have to clean again in the spring. I've never understood that but it's what we do. I suppose it's so that if someone breaks into the house over the winter while we're not here we won't get all embarrassed at how dirty the place is. Kind of like making sure that you're wearing clean underwear in an accident.

Murphyism of the Day

Simon's Law of Destiny

Glory may be fleeting, but obscurity is forever.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Education's purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one.

-- Malcolm Forbes

Me (The Old Grey Frog), My Dad (T-Square), My Mom, My Brother (Willie), and My Sister (Sis)- Quick Take A Picture of the Rare Event When We're All in One Spot on Planet Earth- Summer 2007

Word of the Day

Deficacious - Possessing the quality of seeming effective, but effectively just full of crap, mierda, shiznit, and the like; producing, or capable of producing, the effect intended; as, an deficacious law. Origins: by Erich M Wedding, esq.

6 Days and a Wake Up Before HTP and I Fly South for the Winter

It's a beautiful, clear, sunshine-filled day today. The lake is mirror smooth. Only...the wasps are swarming. Lots of wasps. I'd love to go sit on my deck but every time I step outside, I'm surrounded by wasps looking for a warm winter home. That and the ladybugs. HTP and I decided that we'd adopt a wait and see attitude toward the ladybugs this fall. We got rid of our exterminator earlier in the summer. He used to spray for bugs around the house but it never seemed to make a difference. HTP and I decided to see what happens if we don't spray at all. I know that my daughter ended up vacuuming and vacuuming this spring to get rid of all the ladybugs when she and D Buddy got here before us. And then, when HTP and I arrived, we vacuumed and vacuumed again. That was WITH exterminator. Next spring when we get back here I'll have to see if there are mass quantities of ladybugs inside the house or if extermination made absolutely no difference in their numbers. We did find one type of spray that is supposed to work on ladybugs. Ladybugs seem to be particularly hard to kill but this stuff is supposed to work. If I find mass quantities of ladybugs next spring, I'll purchase the stuff and spray the house next fall. In the meantime, I seem to have a bit of a wasp problem...which isn't too bad, if I don't try and go out and sit on our south-facing deck. *sigh*

Packing continues. I won't start any really serious packing until next week. There's a possibility yet that HTP and I might make a run into the big city to go see his folks one more time before we head off to Arizona. In the meantime, we're looking forward to having a last Friday Fish Fry with #1 Son today.

Murphyism of the Day

Finnigan's Law

The farther away the future is, the better it looks.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

I do not want to die... until I have faithfully made the most of my talent and cultivated the seed that was placed in me until the last small twig has grown.

- Kathe Kollwitz

This is a Picture of What it Looks Like Outside Right Now....Only, Replace that Blue Sky with Grey - Picture taken Fall 2006

Word of the Day

Decompliment - To immediately insult someone after complimenting them, thereby rendering the compliment void.

7 Days and a Wake Up Before HTP and I Fly South for the Winter

With only a week left to actually do things here at The Lake, I've been compiling things in the hallway. Things that need to go to Arizona. I'll start packing my suitcases on Monday.

In the meantime, #1 Son is coming to The Lake this weekend to pick up a few of his things that he doesn't want to keep stored here over the winter. This will be our last chance to see him before he flies down to see us in Arizona for Christmas. I don't think that MC Daughter or D Buddy will be able to come see us this weekend. MC Daughter only just started training for a new job. Oh well...there's always the internet and phone until next spring.

Murphyism of the Day

Nineth Law Applied to Prototyping and Production

After an access cover has been secured by sixteen hold-down screws, it will be discovered that the gasket has been omitted.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

There's only one corner of the universe you can be certain of improving, and that's your own self. -- Aldous Huxley (1894 - 1963)

Muggsy (1992-2007)

With a great deal of sadness, HTP and I brought our dog Muggsy into the vet this morning. After much soul searching, we decided to have her put to sleep. Her cancer had grown so much that she couldn't walk without pain. I couldn't even pick her up to help because picking her up caused even more pain. There have been mornings that she hasn't wanted to eat anything even though I've coaxed. We decided that it would be more humane if we didn't put her through the additional pain of that long trip back to Arizona. I'll miss her.

A Fall View of The Lake - 2006

Word of the Day

Decidribel - A unit used to measure the stupidity of a speech.

9 Days and a Wake Up Before HTP and I Fly South for the Winter

Laundry Day. After today, there will be only one more laundry day before HTP and I lock the door, turn on the security system, and hit the road for Arizona.

We got more rain last night. Around 4:30 AM, we actually lost power for a bit. A really small bit. Before HTP had decided that maybe he should call the power company to report the outage, the power was back up and running again. So...added to my normal morning activities, I've been running around the house re-setting all the clocks. I may leave the clock on our answering machine. That one is a pain to re-set and since we turn the thing off when we leave anyway and we'll be doing that fairly soon....

My garden is officially put to bed. I brought in all the tomato rings and plant supports. I still need to bring my geraniums over to my sister's place. Next week. I also need to bring the Earthboxes into where I plan to store them in the garage. However, I did get all the hoses stored away.

HTP got the boat serviced for winter and rolled it into the garage for storage. My To Do list is gathering more and more check off marks.

The lady bugs have returned. I counted six of the little buggers crawling on the ceiling of our living room. Their return is a sure signal that Fall has indeed arrived. Of course, I figured as much when the leaves started to change colors and started to fall. I could live without the lady bugs. I know that next spring it'll take weeks to clean them all out of the house again.

Murphyism of the Day

Eighth Law Applied to Prototyping and Production

After the last of sixteen mounting screws has been removed from an access cover, it will be discovered that the wrong access cover has been removed.

Ms En at The Lake - September 2007

Word of the Day

Deadvertise - To advertise and promote political causes by death.

I got to spend some time this weekend getting to know my grandchild a bit better. Of course, at one month old, most of our communications were rather one-sided. However, I did find out that she likes to dance. I didn't try anything fancy with her at this point but she seemed to enjoy the Foxtrot, Swing, and Waltz. Maybe we'll progress to the Tango, Samba, or Cha-Cha next summer.

Ms En got to meet all of her Great-Grandparents this weekend along with most of her Great-Aunts and one of her Great-Uncles. She didn't get to meet and greet everyone but...we only had one weekend. As it was, she was passed from person to person...kind of like that bucket in a bucket brigade. There was never a lack of willing arms to hold her.

10 Days and a Wake Up Before HTP and I Fly South for the Winter

Please note that I'm not in a total panic as yet when it comes to the very little time that HTP and I have remaining here at The Lake. GI Joe and DD Daughter helped us bring our dock out of the water. There was a discussion about terminology when it comes to what we do with the boat and the dock in Spring versus Fall. In the Spring, we have to "Put the dock in" and "launch" the boat. In the Fall, we have to "pull or bring in" the dock and "take in" the boat. I think the word "in" is the confuser here. Which direction is "in"? Anyway, there will be no more cups of coffee out on the dock this year. Both the dock and the boat are "in". We still have to get the boat groomed for storage but we'll do that this week.

I'm going to put my garden to bed this week. I need to bring the tomato rings in, and I might as well pull and discard the dead vegetable foliage while I'm at it. I also need to bring in the wire supports for the lilies and peonies. And...I have to trim my geraniums and get them ready for storage in Sis' basement. She can give them a periodic drink of water before she and her hubby close their place up for the winter. Lots of outdoor work to do before we're supposed to get rain again tonight. On the "treat" side, I enjoyed a small bowl of fresh raspberries this morning from my tame raspberry plants. They weren't affected by the hard frost that killed the vegetable garden. Yummy!

Murphyism of the Day

Seventh Law Applied to Prototyping and Production

A purchased component or instrument will meet its specs long enough, and only long enough, to pass incoming inspection.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Oh, I don't blame Congress. If I had $600 billion at my disposal, I'd be irresponsible, too. -- Lichty and Wagner

Fall Colors at The Lake - Fall 2006 (I could run outside and take a new picture, download it, and....it would look pretty much the same. Fall 2006 is looking a lot like Fall 2007)
Word of the Day

Dasho - The area between a car's windshield and dashboard, where coins, pencils, etc cannot be humanly retrieved.

13 Days and a Wake Up Before HTP and I Fly South for the Winter

It rained last night. A real lightning and thunder boomer. One of my gauges reads that we got 1 inch of rain. My more techie gauge tells me that we only got .79 inches of rain. However...that rain sure seemed to be coming down in a manner that maybe "techie" gauge doesn't always feel all the drops.

HTP and I are driving to The Big City this morning to meet up with DD Daughter and family. Since things are going to be kind of busy this weekend, I may not take the time to blog in the coming days. I plan to take LOTS of pictures of what I'm sure will be LOTS of Kodak moments.


Murphyism of the Day

Sixth Law Applied to Prototyping and Production

A failure will not appear till a unit has passed final inspection.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

To become acquainted with kindness one must be prepared to learn new things and feel new feelings. Kindness is more than a philosophy of the mind. It is a philosophy of the spirit. -- Robert J. Furey

Sis Washing Bottles....LOTS OF BOTTLES! Fall 2007


Prep Work. Wash, Sterilize....then Fill. Fall - 2007


Syphoning. Sis Gets the First Tastes of Wine. Fall - 2007


Wining, My Poor Aching Feet! - Fall 2007


Filling 100+ Bottles with Wine - 2007


Corkers - Fall 2007


100+ Bottles of Wine on the....Sis and Me - Fall 2007


A Toast to the Wines of 2007


Tasting Vintage 2007 Prickly Gooseberry Wine


Word of the Day

Dark matter song - A song of such awfulness that it alone outweighs the rest of an artist or band's body of work.

A Blog in Pictures today. Sis and I started bottling wine at around 9:30 AM and we finally finished our clean up work at around 5:30 PM. I predicted 84 bottles of wine? We ended up with over 100 bottles of wine. Sis and I were desperately digging in my basement for additional bottles that we could use. With the three boxes (24) of bottles that we bought at the little wine shop in the city (that's all she had in stock), added to the one box (24) of bottles that I had stored in the basement (my wine cellar), we NEEDED more bottles. Sis and I are going to have to make sure that we warn the local wine shop owner next summer. THE TWO SISTERS ARE BOTTLING WINE AGAIN! Our favorite wine this year? I think it's a tie. All the wine is VERY GOOD (WONDERFUL) this year, but, we've got a tie for our favorite. Prickly Gooseberry Wine is so good that we aren't sharing. The bouquet is hard to describe. Although this wine is NOT sweet, the bouquet reminds us of candy and the memory of the aftertaste of the SweetTarts we used to get in our Halloween Trick or Treat bags lingered pleasantly on our tongues. I'd love to hoard our Dandelion Wine this year too but Sis and I did make enough to share...a little...maybe. We made Dandelion Wine last year. It was wonderful. We doubled our recipe and....this vintage is completely different. Better? This is a semi-sweet wine but not cloyingly so. The taste of honey and walnuts come to mind.

14 Days and a Wake Up Before HTP and I Fly South for the Winter

With only two weeks to go here at The Lake, DD Daughter and her hubby GI Joe are bringing Ms En. to see us this weekend. Mom and Dad are eager to hold her. HTP's folks are eager to hold her. HTP's sister is eager to hold her. Sis is eager to hold her. And that's just the start of my list. I could go on and on and on with all the people who are going to be cuddling Ms. En. Oh...and I've got three bottles of wine, vintage 2007, that I've prepped for Ms. En to open on August 17, 2028. She'll either have some wonderful wine to sip on as she celebrates her 21st birthday or....she'll have some wonderful vinegar to make into salad dressing. It's the thought that counts.

Murphyism of the Day

Old Grey Frog's Law on Wine Bottling

No matter how well you plan and do the math, there is always more wine than will fit into the bottles that you've bought. If you bought "n" bottles and you plan on "n+5" bottles, you will need "n+9" bottles.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Music with dinner is an insult both to the cook and the violinist.

-- G. K. Chesterton (1874 - 1936)

Sis Wields a Mean Knife - Making Horseradish 2007


Old Grey Enjoying Her New Toy - 2007

Word of the Day

Dallywaddle - To take an excessively long time, especially involving motion on foot; to dilly-dally in going somewhere; to drag one's feet.

15 Days and a Wake Up Before HTP and I Fly South for the Winter

It is so nice to cook when you have the proper equipment. When you don't? Well...the last time I made pesto, I was still cleaning up globs of green stuff and oil a week after I discovered that my blender just wasn't up to the task. After my sister described her problems when making pesto over the weekend (and she has a food processor...of sorts), I decided it was time to go out and get "the proper equipment". If had only been a pesto issue, I may have attempted using another piece of equipment that I got for Christmas last year. Only....Sis and I were planning on making horseradish. The thing is...I already own a really nice food processor that would have worked wonderfully for both of these projects. The only problem is that this wonderful food processor is 2000 miles from here. It's a wonderfully strong Cuisinart Food Processor that HTP bought for me a LONG TIME AGO. It still works wonderfully. I love it. I need it. I need it here. I need it there. Too bad you can't magically transport all these culinary making wonders from here to there and back again. Poof!? Oh well...Sis and I went out shopping yesterday and I bought a brand new Cuisinart food processor. It's wonderful! Wonderful!

After shopping for the things that Sis and I needed for our wine project, and finally tracking down a good food processor, Sis and I finally returned to her place to make our horseradish sauce. Powerful stuff. I think they should bottle the fumes from that stuff in a spray can for women to carry in their purses for protection purposes. Mace has nothing on this stuff. With windows open, the new food processor powered through the horseradish roots. We made two quarts of the stuff. Too bad it loses its potency so fast. Sis and I will have to see if there's some additive that we can find to add to our sauce so that the heat will remain longer. In the meantime, my horseradish sauce will last for about three months, albeit, by that time it will have lost most of its heat. I plan to give some to MC Daughter and #1 Son...and maybe DD Daughter. I have plenty. I also plan to bring a root back to Arizona with me. I can make fresh horseradish sauce...in a couple of months.

And then....I got back home, finished up the laundry, and used my new food processor to make four batches of pesto. What a difference the right equipment makes! No mess. No fuss. No globs of green all over the kitchen. I cleaned up the processor in the dishwasher and it's already stored in its box down in the basement. Done! I made two batches of wonderful pesto, using pine nuts. And two batches of wonderful pesto using walnuts. OH....and, I was able to use the same food processor to grate the cheeses that I needed for said pesto. Wonderful!

So...the plans for today?

Sis and I are bottling our wine. If my calculations are correct, we'll end up with over 84 bottles of wine. Of course, each of our bottles carries a mere 375 ml. but Sis and I decided that 375 ml. is plenty for at least two glasses of wine. Until we finish our project today, I won't be able to tell you if my calculations were correct or not. Stay tuned.

Murphyism of the Day

Fifth Law Applied to Prototyping and Production

A transistor protected by a fast-acting fuse will protect the fuse by blowing first.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Charm is the quality in others that makes us more satisfied with ourselves.

-- Henri-Frédéric Amiel

Fall - 2006

Word of the Day

Cryiest - Describing something or someone who has made one cry more than anything or anyone else ever has before.

It's Raining! No...really....it is. It looks like we're finally going to get more than a spit of rain. Too late for the blackberries but at least the peonies and daylilies are getting a nice drink of rain.

16 Days and a Wake Up Before HTP and I Fly South for the Winter

Sis and I are also going into the city to buy the supplies we'll need for our wine project. We're going to work on that tomorrow.

The TV news is continuing its 24/7 O.J. Marathon. I turned off the TV.

It's laundry day.

The leaves on the trees are finally turning. Fast! I'm totally amazed.

Murphyism of the Day

Fourth Law Applied to Prototyping and Production

A fail-safe circuit will destroy others.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Every mile is two in winter. -- George Herbert (1593 - 1633)

Fall - 2006

Word of the Day

Crustmonger - A person who is extremely crusty.

Instead of watching a pot while awaiting the water in it to boil, I decided to leave it alone to do its thing while I blogged. Of course, there isn't much to blog about today. It's not raining. Does that count? Our drought doesn't really put that into the ALERT column. OK. Let's see....

17 Days and a Wake Up Before HTP and I Fly South for the Winter

I usually spend my days with the "white noise" of the TV news. Somehow this alleviates the constant ringing that goes on in my ears. Unfortunately, the news today has been non-stop O.J., the Juice, Simpson. Ad nauseum, they've gone on and on and on about how he's been arrested in Vegas for breaking and entering etc., etc., etc. And then...to add to the nauseum, they decided to bring a custody hearing for Brittany Spears into the mix. PUKE!!!!! I could care less than less about either of these people. Please God, don't let Paris Hilton add to this nauseating fest of pukedom.

Murphyism of the Day

Third Law Applied to Prototyping and Production

A motor will rotate in the wrong direction.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

All appears to change when we change. -- Henri-Frédéric Amiel

Me and My Bushel Basket - Fall 2007


Sis "Relishing" - Fall 2007


Piccalilli Relish - Fall 2007

Word of the Day

Crudmuffin - An item of food so disgusting that one can't even stomach it. A food so sick-looking that one can't tell what it's supposed to be.

Another weekend come and gone. #1 Son is just packing up and getting ready to head back to The Big City. Me? I'm thinking about what HTP and I should have for supper tonight.

My sister and I canned 9 pints of relish yesterday afternoon. I canned 3 pints of Italian Green Tomato/Eggplant pickles. Then...#1 Son helped me by digging holes for me to plant the peonies and daylilies that I got in the mail last week. After that? I dug out some horseradish roots because Sis and I will be making horseradish sauce next week. Busy,busy. Because.....

18 Days and a Wake Up Before HTP and I Fly South for the Winter

Sis and I will also be bottling wine next week. Next weekend DD Daughter and her husband and Ms. En are coming to visit. Lots of things to do between now and then and then lots more before we're finally all packed up, loaded up and on the road.

Murphyism of the Day

Second Law Applied to Prototyping and Production

If a project requires "n" components, there will be "n-1" units in stock.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Dreaming permits each and every one of us to be quietly and safely insane every night of our lives. -- William Dement

Cold!-- Fall - 2006

Word of the Day

Crubbers - Little rubber things that appear after you use a pencil eraser. Eraser shavings.

I'm glad that I harvested everything from the garden yesterday. The temperature dipped down to 28°F last night...although, it was 32°F when I got up this morning. I woke up late. Now that the sun has risen and things are warming up outside, I can see the wilted mess that my garden has become. Still...I may just leave that wilted mess to clean up in the spring. In the meantime...

19 Days and a Wake Up Before HTP and I Fly South for the Winter

I've got a batch of Italian Green Tomato/Eggplant Pickles all salted down and ready to drain. And yesterday, I went over to Sis' place where we combined our garden gleenings to start a batch of Picallili relish. I'll go over there again in a bit to help finish that project. I must say that yesterday I felt a bit like one of a couple of older women that HTP and I came across while in Italy. I had loaded up a bushel basket with things that I would need to make our relish. This group of older women in this Italian village were walking down the street carrying bushel baskets of tomatoes and stuff that they would need to make tomato sauce. Truth be told, it sure is nicer to make relish, wine, or whatever, when you've got more than just one. Many hands make light labor. Yes, Sis and I can and have purchased "store bought"relish but...it's just not the same. Same goes for jam, tomato sauce, salsa, etc. Priceless, because you just can't buy the flavor of homemade.

Murphyism of the Day

First Law Applied to Prototyping and Production

Tolerances will accumulate unidirectionally toward maximum difficulty to assemble.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Anyone who goes to a psychiatrist ought to have his head examined. -- Samuel Goldwyn

Herbs and Earthboxes on the Deck - Summer 2007

Word of the Day

Cromulent - Being well-formed; legitimate; of a word, especially a neologism, that is not previously attested in the language but obeys its rules of word-formation.

I'm having a bit of trouble blogging today. My hands are still so cold that they're stumbling and bumbling on the keys. I went out after breakfast and harvested everything from the garden. It's snowing! I've never seen snow this soon in the fall. OK. Nothing is accumulating because it's 40°F outside but I actually did see snow coming down. The temperature tonight is supposed to get down to 25°F. Brrrr! There was no putting off this chore for a drier, warmer day. I didn't get as many green tomatoes as I wanted so I'm not sure if I'll be able to make piccalilli relish as a planned. I picked all the eggplant. Many are really quite small but I did pick six large ones and about six smaller ones. Keep in mind that I've been gifting and eating eggplant as they've grown large enough to be usable so in my opinion, growing eggplants in Earthboxes is a good thing. I planted two eggplant plants in each of my two Earthboxes. I will grow eggplant in these Earthboxes again next summer but I may decide to limit myself to using just one of the Earthboxes for eggplant next year. Two plants provided plenty of eggplant to feed me and my family and my extended family. I bought two more Earthboxes that I plan to use next spring. My experiments from previous years using these Earthboxes for tomatoes and zucchini encouraged me to expand my Earthbox gardens. I'm tempted to try Earthboxes in Arizona. We'll see. They aren't cheap.

With all the wet and cold, I decided to just harvest everything and leave the plants where they stand. In the past, I've removed all the plants and left the gardens bare but on further consideration, maybe the old plants will help keep the weeds down. Or am I just being/thinking lazy? Oh well...it's supposed to be warm again next week. Maybe my thinking will be clearer when I'm not faced with cold and wet.

20 Days and a Wake Up Before HTP and I Fly South for the Winter

#1 Son will be coming some time today. I'm not sure if he'll be driving to The Lake after his last class or if he has to work and will wait until after work. I'm sure he'll let us know...not. Oh well...my fingers have finally thawed enough for me to go downstairs to make up the bed in his room.

Murphyism of the Day

Klipstein's Fourth Law Applied to General Engineering

Any wire cut to length will be too short.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

To wear your heart on your sleeve isn't a very good plan; you should wear it inside, where it functions best. -- Margaret Thatcher

Still Standing - 2007

Word of the Day

Croms - Something well-formed. This is an attribute of words.

My garden is still my garden. Untouched by human hand. I ran out of steam after making two batches of jam. I really couldn't call my jam Very Berry Jam because I also ended up throwing in some frozen rhubarb. So...I now have one batch of Sugarfree Mixed Fruit Jam and one batch of Mixed Fruit Jam. Since my sugarfree substitute isn't as cheap as sugar, I decided to make just a single batch of the sugarfree jam this time. I'm trying to clear most of the stuff from my freezer and my fridge. Because....

21 Days and a Wake Up Before HTP and I Fly South for the Winter

I don't plan on turning off my fridge over the winter but there's no reason to leave it fully loaded with meat, etc.

I was going to tackle my garden today but we got rain storms today. In other words, it's too wet outside. I really need to get things harvested and "put to bed" because I'm told that we're going to get a hard frost on Friday night/Saturday morning. It's really too bad because I noted that some of my raspberries have berries forming. I suppose that'll be a lost cause now. My tame raspberries are "everbearing". Oh well...maybe next year. I did get plenty of tame raspberries this year.

Murphyism of the Day

Klipstein's Third Law Applied to General Engineering

Dimensions will always be expressed in the least usable term. Velocity, for example, will be expressed in furlongs per fortnight.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

He who laughs, lasts! -- Mary Pettibone Poole

1/6th of the Veggie Garden - 2007

Word of the Day

Croctopus - A fantasy creature which has the head and partial body of a crocodile connected to eight tentacles similar to those of an octopus. Or....A Caribbean Reef Octopus.

I don't know how I slept a wink last night with the ominous words of the weather forecaster repeating themselves in my head. Frost Warning. I did what I could. I brought all my flower and herb pots inside. I covered my Earthboxes with a sheet. I did not go out and rescue or harvest anything from the garden. There were reasons for this. It's kind of hard to pick beans while you're juggling a flashlight. Oh well...I don't actually think that we got a hard frost. At least, when I got up this morning to check the temperature, it was 34°F. That's pretty darn cold. Unfortunately, it's supposed to get even colder than that by Friday. So...I guess I know what I'm going to be doing today...and maybe tomorrow. It's time to bring the harvest in and do something with it. Which is just as well because...

22 Days and a Wake Up Before HTP and I Fly South for the Winter

It's time to put the garden to bed. It's time to make piccalilli relish. It's time to can the beans. It's time to make dill pickles. And...I have just enough berries in the freezer to make some Sugarfree Very Berry Jam. I'm not bringing ALL of these things back to Arizona with me. Just most of the jam and half of the wine and liqueur. Of course, HTP is going to grump and groan about all the stuff I plan to bring back again but I'll worry about that another day.

Murphyism of the Day

Klipstein's Second Law Applied to General Engineering

Firmness of delivery dates is inversely proportional to the tightness of the schedule.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

The average person thinks he isn't. -- Father Larry Lorenzoni

The Lake - 2006

Word of the Day

Crispinization - The process that is undergone when a perfectly gooey, fresh baked chocolate chip cookie is left out for a day and a half, rendering it inedible and suitable for brickwork.

Laundry Day. The weather has cooled but I haven't resorted to turning on our furnace as yet, unlike Sis and my folks. So far, I've made do with an extra blanket on the bed at night and a sweatshirt during the day. Right now, it's 54° outside. I'm told that we may have frost some time next week. It's beginning to feel like time to head back to Arizona.

23 Days and a Wake Up Before HTP and I Fly South for the Winter

#1 Son says he's going to be coming home this weekend. I've been able to put off washing the sheets so far. *sigh* No longer. Oh well...that's what laundry day is all about.

Murphyism of the Day

Klipstein's First Law Applied to General Engineering

A patent application will be preceded by a similar application submitted one week earlier by an independent worker.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

My personal hobbies are reading, listening to music, and silence. -- Edith Sitwell

Fall - 2006

Word of the Day

Creedle - Any of several microscopic indentations on a golf ball.

I forgot to warn you about not blogging yesterday. HTP and I drove into the Big City yesterday and didn't get home until late. We had originally planned to celebrate HTP's folks' 60th wedding anniversary. Unfortunately, HTP's Mom had suffered a fall on Friday of last week for which she's still in the hospital. She seems to be doing better but her doctor wants to make sure that she's really up and on her feet again before letting her go home. So...HTP and I visited her in the hospital and we had dinner with HTP's Dad. I'm sure HTP's Mom will soon be back home. She's looking forward to seeing and holding little Ms. En. Our first grand-daughter and HTP's Mom's first great-grandchild.

Our return trip to Arizona is starting to set itself in wet cement. HTP and I have begun making reservation plans. So, let the count-down begin. Please note that at any time, events may alter this countdown. I've learned from Murphy's Law, never to write anything in stone. My Marine Mom friends (and I) often blame a certain military character, Semper Gumby, for all delays and alterations of plans. I believe one of my friends actually tried to drown him in beer but....he floats. Anyway....

24 Days and a Wake Up Before HTP and I Fly South for the Winter

OK....we're driving but let's not quibble. I'm starting to ponder all the things that need to be done in little more than three weeks time. Panic is being held at bay.

Murphyism of the Day

Jaroslovsky's Law

The distance you have to park from your apartment increases in proportion to the weight of the packages you are carrying.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

They were so strong in their beliefs that there came a time when it hardly mattered what exactly those beliefs were; they all fused into a single stubbornness.

-- Louise Erdrich

Among the Missing - With a Plentitude of Acorns in the Forest, the Squirrels Have Moved to Bigger and Better Things.

Word of the Day

Cravatinize - To procrastinate, usually from a function, party or church, whilst putting on a tie, cravat, bow tie, or other neckwear.

I finally took down the hummingbird feeders. My folks still have their feeders up but I think they plan to take their feeders down as soon as their supply of pre-made nectar runs out. I imagine that any remaining hummingbirds that were around our place will have flown south...at least as far as the next remaining meal ticket. I've got all my hummingbird feeders washed and ready for winter storage.

I opened my last 25# bag of bird seed this morning and filled my seed feeders. The birds have been hitting them pretty hard. If I were to remain here all winter, I'd have to really stock up on the bird seed. As it is, I'm hoping that this bag of seed will last until the end of the month. If not, well...I just may end up taking the seed feeders in and storing them for the winter, empty. I don't like to keep bird seed over the winter. Mice.

The bane of HTP and my existence up here at The Lake is mice. The best that we can do is remove all sources of food, plug up all holes that we may find, put out poison, and then hope for the best. When MC Daughter and D Buddy opened up this spring, they found eight dead mice and a mess of "mouse tracks". *shudder* Thankfully, all evidence was removed before HTP and I had arrived. Well....almost all the evidence. The problem with D-con is that the mice don't die right away. It took me a while to find and clean up the stashes of d-con that they stored in various parts of the house. The beds, under the seat cushions, in shoes, etc. etc. HTP and I are going to try a different sort of poison this year. No little tidbits to carry around. Plus, we're going to try a few different types of traps. Build a better mousetrap....

The weather is cooling, as they (the weather guys) permitted. HTP and I are enjoying the cooler temperatures with windows open versus AC.

Murphyism of the Day

Rita's Rule

The one time you don't put money in the meter will coincide with the one daily visit of the meter maid.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Cynically speaking, one could say that it is true to life to be cynical about it.

-- Paul Tillich

Giant Puff Balls (these were the smallest ones) - September 2007


Old Grey Frog With Giant Puff Balls - September 2007


Me and My Mom Posing With Giant Puff Balls - September 2007

Word of the Day

Craptent - Content that lacks quality.

Puff the Magic....Puff Balls?

HTP and I were driving down our driveway on the way to go shopping in the city. We try to avoid or minimize these shopping trips because of the gas prices and the fact that the city is 20 minutes away from The Lake...but...needs must. Anyway, as we were heading down our driveway a glimpse of white hit my eye. White where there shouldn't be such a startling shade of white. White mounds. Giant Puff Balls? No way, no how. I'd never even seen one before...outside of the occasional newspaper article. "Stop!", I called to my husband. "STOP! Back up!" His reply was predictable, "Huh?" "Back up! Back up!", I said. By this time, he's looking at me with that peculiar look that I've become fairly accustomed too over the many years of our marriage. Anyway. He backed the car up. There...off to my right... "The Fabled Giant Puff Ball"....A Myth...OK...it exists but a thing so rare that I've never actually seen one in person. Three! My husband was poo-poo'ing this siting...almost as rare as a Big Foot siting, at least here in Wisconsin. Despite his obviously negative attitude, I exited the car and braved the blackberry thorns (I was wearing shorts and did major scratch damage to my legs) to check out these wondrous mounds of white. "It's just rocks!", claimed my hubby, from the safety of the car. Hah! I was right! Giant Puff Balls. Huge! Each one (there were three), larger than my son's basketball. I delicately gathered each into my waiting arms. Actually, it was kind of hard to do this because they were so huge and I must have looked like, and certainly felt a bit like a juggler juggling three basketballs. As it is, I broke one of these giant puff balls as I struggled back to the car. No matter, a broken puff ball tastes just fine. I brought them back to the car and....my husband said, "You aren't actually thinking of bringing them inside this car, are you?" *sigh* He's got a cold. Forgive him. "Just leave them on the side of the drive and we'll pick them when we get back from the city.", he said. No way! No how! This was like telling me that there's be no reason to take that picture of Big Foot and that Big Foot would still be there when we got back. So....I loaded my treasure into the car and HTP turned the car around in our drive so that I could store my "legend" back in the kitchen of our house.

Have you all ever had a chance to eat a bit, a bite, of legend? I've got pictures. I made HTP take pictures. I brought one of the giant puff balls over to my Mom. The last time she'd seen a giant puff ball was when she was in high school. We won't go into how many years have come and gone since then. And...she tells me that the giant puff balls that she and her Dad (my grandpa) had seen at that time were not nearly as big as these! There is a reason that I took pictures. A rare site, this may be my last opportunity to see such a thing. I gather puff balls here to enjoy but none of the regular puff balls are bigger in diameter than a fifty-cent piece, most measure closer to a quarter. As HTP and I were heading back to the house, I noted even more giant puff balls on the other side of our driveway. I harvested two of these after HTP and I returned from shopping in the city.

I eagerly called my Mom to report this wondrous find. I loaded one of the large puff balls and two of the smaller puff balls into the Sidekick to take over to my folks' place so they and my sister could share in this bounty. As I was driving down their 3/4 mile driveway, a glimpse of white hit my eye. No way! I stopped my car and went to investigate. Sure enough. More giant puff balls. I harvested two of the three, leaving one to "ripen" and maybe produce at some future generation, more giant puff balls. I gave my sister three giant puff balls (smaller...but as large as honeydew melons). I gave my Mom one of those smaller ones and another that was bigger than a basketball. Me?

I kept two of the basketball-sized giant puff balls (one broken) to fry up....to freeze and nibble a bit for supper last night. HTP won't eat anything that doesn't come wrapped in cellophane at the grocery store...well...OK...that wasn't nice. He does eat fish that we catch in the lake. Anyway, I've never understood how anyone can turn down a bite of legend. *sigh*

Anyway, there I was with two huge Giant puff balls. How does one cook a legend? I mean...there aren't any recipes for this sort of thing. Roasted Unicorn? OK...I figured it out. Butter. Garlic. A bit of salt and fresh ground pepper. I'm telling you that I've NEVER had anything near as wonderful as this! I had to quarter these huge puff balls and then slice and slice again and I could only cook a quarter of each of these puff balls at one time in my largest frying pan. I cooked them is Wisconsin butter with garlic with fresh ground pepper. How can I describe this? Every morsel melted in your mouth. Really! I mean...do you like mushrooms? You don't? Well, this didn't taste like mushrooms. It tasted like...I can't tell you what it tasted like because I've never had it before even though I've had puff balls before... but not GIANT PUFF BALLS. Wonderful! There's no description! I really feel like I've eaten a legend. Please note that I left a single giant puff ball in each clump so that spoors could develop and hopefully be fruitfull and propagate. I'm going to keep the locations of these giant puff balls recorded in my mind. I'll have to check back next year at around this time. I may even check back in a couple days to see if any new giant puff balls have decided to offer themselves up to my culinary expertise.

Murphyism of the Day

Dale's Parking Postulate

If only two cars are left in a parking lot, one will be blocking the other.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

There is no Them, there is only Us. Some of Us think this or some of Us think that, but we're all Us. -- Lisa Williams

Student Walker - November 12, 1979

Word of the Day

Cranial flatulation - Condition of the brain to cease functioning mid-sentence, frequently occurring during important meetings where one must impress others, leaving the user of said brain with a blank stare.

No need to panic. Just because an end date has been decided doesn't mean that I need to start panicking. Besides....nothing has been engraved into stone as yet. The thing is that our weather is going to be turning decidedly cooler by next week...maybe even starting tomorrow, with highs reaching only into the lower 60's. It's time to recognize that my garden is not going to be able to produce much more this year. I already am noting that my tomato plants aren't really producing fruit anymore, though it looks like I'll be getting a few more zucchini and more beans. I won't even go into how many eggplant I've got out in my Earthboxes.

I used two of my eggplants and a handfull of green tomatoes (stolen from my garden) to start a batch of Italian eggplant/green tomato pickles. Last night I peeled and sliced and salted everything down and I just need to wait until tomorrow to continue on with the process. The eggplant and green tomatoes need to sit for at least 24 hours before I can drain them and finish up making the pickles. I suppose I could make them after supper but I'm not sure if I want to deal with a mess that late in the evening. These pickles are preserved in olive oil after a mere 3 minute soak in a boiling vinegar/water solution, which ends up being drained off before adding the remaining ingredients (olive oil, GARLIC, and hot pepper flakes). In the past, I've waterbath canned them and the olive oil seeps out EVERYWHERE. I'm actually thinking of skipping the canning process this time since I think these pickles will be eaten almost right away instead of stored on a shelf/preserved. We'll see. I'll probably end up having to make at least on more batch of these pickles in a few weeks when I put my garden to bed.

I'd rather make some piccalilli relish from my green tomatoes this fall. For some reason, I brought all my homemade relish to Arizona with me last fall. I suppose I'll have to wait until I see how many green tomatoes are left out there. Maybe my Mom will have some and we can combine and share our relish. I love this green tomato piccalilli relish. HTP's not fond of it but HE likes that awful sweet pickle relish that you buy in the store. YUCKO! Oh well...no accounting for taste. I end up buying mass quantities of that stuff and re-canning it into smaller, more manageable jars.

It looks like we might be getting some rain later tonight. Maybe. I hope. This summer has been exceptionally dry. Read drought. While I don't really mind doing the sprinkler dance (ok...I'm lying...I hate it), it really isn't something that I like doing on a regular basis. I did manage to keep my lawn and gardens watered but there wasn't much that I could do with the surrounding acres of forest. Sadly, my wild blackberries suffered to the extent that there will be no blackberry wine for Sis and me to make in the spring. Maybe next summer. Of course, Sis and I did make lots of other types of wine so at the end of the month we're going to be spending a great deal of time bottling our product. I'm guessing that we'll have to make another trip out to the wine shop for more bottles and corks.

Murphyism of the Day

Greib's Fightening Thought

Eighty percent of all people consider themselves to be above average drivers.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them.

-- Aristotle

A View of The Lake - Fall 2006

Word of the Day

Crackerslacker - The crackers that are found under the aluminum or plastic pouch when one finishes a package.

I'm considering making some simple syrup for liqueur making. I made three bottles of my strawberry liqueur the other day. I think I'll bring one of those bottles to HTP's folks this weekend when we go see them. The reason that I'm thinking of making more syrup is so I can make some wild raspberry liqueur to bring along as well. I think HTP's Mom would prefer a nice sip of liqueur at night versus my sugarfree jam....even though...my sugarfree jams are terrific. Aside from liqueur making, I'm thinking of making some Italian eggplant/green tomato pickles. I know Tom's Mom loves them. Actually, I know that HTP loves them. And it's not like I don't have eggplant to spare for the project. I'll get started on this project tomorrow. It always takes a couple of days...at least.

Murphyism of the Day

Benedict's Law of Carpooling

As soon as you switch to the carpool lane, the other lanes of traffic speed up.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Nature magically suits a man to his fortunes, by making them the fruit of his character. -- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Salut! - 2007

Word of the Day

Craptacular - Astoundingly piss-poor. Really awful, and particularly less than impressive.

OK. It has come to my attention that I have not given credit where credit is due for a while. This is a journal of sorts and where I do cite my sources on occasion, I am plead guilty of not citing my sources more than once a year. Occasionally, as a former teacher and a person who lives in fear of having someone proclaim her a "plagiarist", I will add a foot-note to my blog (not for profit blog) to give credit for my non-original entries. I do not think up these "Word of the Day" entries or "Murphyism" entries whole-cloth on my own, I don't grab them out of thin air, I'm just not that original...well...OK...a few of them are my own but 99.9% come for elsewhere. I have given credit to where I've found them but...not in every single blog. So....here we go...I'll find myself feeling guilty and citing my credits again next year about this time...maybe sooner. I have found some of my "Word of the Day" entries from Witwords and some from Unwords.com. I've found most of my Murphyisms (99.9%) from a wonderful book, authored by Arthur Bloch. He's written several but the one I'm reading (bought and paid for) in a wonderful book called, Murphy's Law 25/6th Anniversary Edition. I love it and recommend it. It's seems like the author reads my thoughts. I, on occasion, have found that I can add numerous of my own "corollaries" to these wonderful Murphyisms but...for the most part, they are what they are...Murphyisms. Thank you Arthur Bloch. Ummm...who else do I...Oh yes, I find endless wonder in the "Noteworthy Quotes of the Day" that I've found in this Random Quotes Page. If I have not given credit where credit is due, I beg forgiveness. Sometimes, I encounter quotes and words from sources where the site has failed to give credit. I don't always know where to direct the credit outside of the source where I have found genius and on top of this, anonymous is kind of hard to find. However, when I do finally find "genius" in which to give credit where credit is due, I feel , honor-bound to give it. Thank you very much, Jonathan Caws-Elwitt, for the Word of the Day that I used on August 23rd, 2006. "Sharetrek - Generic Star Trek-style science fiction that comes as close as it can to Star Trek without infringing any copyrights." I'm a true Star-Trek fan...the "Original" episodes. Dare I admit that my heart trembled and giggled a bit whenever Spock spoke?...oh, my poor adolescent heart. My favorite episode remains, "The Trouble with Tribbles".

Now...onto the mundane. Today is Tuesday. I did laundry. Oh...and I lost myself in the latest book by Christine Feehan. *sigh* I have yet to understand how I can't seem to sit down with the full intentions of reading "just a chapter" from a good book without finding myself unable to do ANYTHING until said book has been read from cover to cover. My children (thank goodness that they've all managed to grow to maturity and have since flown/escaped the coop/nest) and my husband (poor starving soul), all can find themselves starving as I lose myself within the covers of a good book. I lose all sense of time and dimension as I find myself transported in said time and distance when it comes to a good book. I'll go down and fold that last load of laundry after I finish this blog.

Murphyism of the Day

Hyman's Highway Hypothesis

The shortest distance between two points is usually under construction.

Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Stuffed deer heads on walls are bad enough, but it's worse when they are wearing dark glasses and have streamers in their antlers because then you know they were enjoying themselves at a party when they were shot. -- Ellen DeGeneres

Putting in the Dock - Spring 2007...we'll be having to reverse this process in a few weeks *sigh*

Word of the Day

Crabbit - A furry crustacean characterized by fluffy long ears and menacing-looking pincers.

We're home! And why we left to go to Laughlin....well...I know why but let us just say that there is no "free" flights to Laughlin. Oh well...I didn't lose all that much at the casino. And it was a break from the day to day life here at The Lake. Nonetheless, once again I have had my opinion of Laughlin reinforced. I prefer Las Vegas. And above all else? There's just no place like home.

Since getting back home, I've picked the tomatoes and more beans than HTP and I could possibly eat in one meal. I canned one quart of beans and left the rest to eat with our supper tonight. We're going to be eating a lot of zucchini in the coming days as well. I can't can that...unless....I probably could make some zucchini bread. That I can freeze.

I refuse to dwell on the fact that HTP and I will only be here at The Lake for one month before we return to Arizona. Arizona is home for us too but I will miss the peace and quiet up here at The Lake. I've got a long list of things that need doing before we can hit the road.

I still have hummingbird feeders outside on the deck. I plan to leave the ones with nectar out until the remaining hummingbirds empty them for me. The rest, I'll bring inside to clean and store for the winter. Today is Labor Day and the last day that they recommend feeding the hummingbirds. The hummingbirds need to start flying south for the winter and they won't go while I'm still providing them with a free lunch.

Murphyism of the Day

Rob's Lament

As soon as you become familiar with all the shortcuts and secret parking places in town, you will be transferred to a different town.


Noteworthy Quote of the Day

Be peaceful, be courteous, obey the law, respect everyone; but if someone puts his hand on you, send him to the cemetery. -- Malcolm X