Author: iagardener55

It has to be the ginger that is ruining my Kombucha batches.

Whenever I get a wild hair, deciding to put some healthy ginger in a batch of Kombucha, invariably there is no second fermentation that takes place. No effervescence, no natural carbonation, just flat, full of ginger tasting liquid. It does not taste good.

As I am not a real ginger fan, I do believe this lesson has been learned. I do not care how healthy it is, I am no longer going to put it in my second ferments. Do not even ask me; I will not use it. Yuck.

I now have thirteen more bottles of this mess to drink, and hope I can stomach them, as I really hate throwing “good” things out. Only time will tell. However, I find it hard to believe I can possibly drink close to two more gallons of this. Ewww.

Stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones.

But do NOT put ginger in your kombucha.

Many times, I have noticed the different smells of a place.

Sitting here, at the table in the living room, it is eleven thirty in the morning, on a Wednesday. The smell coming through the open windows has caught me unawares.

It is cool, and has a scent that I have come to enjoy immensely. I cannot describe it very well, but it very refreshing. There is no smell of toxins, smog, gasoline, laundry softener, or anything noxious. As I eluded, it is fresh, and clean smelling. It is a smell I, somehow, associate with my childhood.

For several years, we grew up in a very small town on the Mississippi River. The air there, too, was sweet, and clean smelling. Here, however, we are no where near either a small town, or a river. Hmmm. I am at a loss as to understand from where, exactly, the smell originates. But, neither do I care.

I am just going to enjoy it; while it lasts.

Stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones.

Our Plectranthus Barbatus is going to bloom, for the first time, in another week, or so. It is a first.

It does not appear, today, that it will be as full a bloom as when we bought it, but there are new buds, waiting to open.

It is a delicate shade of purple when blooming. Maybe, by the time I need to post this, I can take another photo of it in bloom.

Most of the plants we have left are green, non-blooming plants. Right now, besides this one, the only color is coming from the lilies, the red and the white Flamingo lilies. That is ok with me- for now. As soon as I can find more Primroses, I will snatch those up, and keep them going as long as possible. They are so pretty. The violets are so small, still, they have no blooms coming. Maybe next year. I can wait.

Until then, mis amigos, stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones.

Yesterday was Revolution Day, here. Vacation!!

Of course we went to LA, for two days.

You really cannot imagine how relaxing it is there, until you get there. When you get out of the car, it hits you; fresh, clean air, bright warm sunshine, and, as important, peaceful quiet.

It is soul soothing, time away from the smog, and big city noise. The noise here is continuous, almost 24/7. I do not think most people here even realize how they are constantly bombarded with it. Horns, cars, buses, trucks, the mobile vendors, selling food, or collecting sellable items; all in constant motion. All making a cacophony of noise.

Not in Los Altos. The occasional truck goes down the street, or the infrequent motorcycle. One of the loudest things, we notice, are children playing, and laughing. A welcome sound that.

It is very similar to where we used to live, in Iowa. The setting was idyllic, near a creek, with children growing up next door. There was the interstate about fifty feet to our West, but we became so desensitized to its noise, we really no longer noticed it was there.

This, however, is a huge city; awake twenty four hours of every day. In our suburb, however, the noise is a bit less, probably because of all of the trees in the park.

Within the condo, itself, however, dogs bark with nearly intolerable frequency. And let me not forget to mention a toddler that cries every day, off and on, for about two hours. I swear the child needs a nap. Ugh.

Stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe my friends. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones. Please.

Frequently I talk about Los Altos, about how quaint it is, and how familiar it is becoming. Here is just a peek at its beauty.

This photo was taken along the road that goes up to Lizbeths parents home. Next time we go back, I will take another photo, without the cables, and a bit more majesty. This one was hastily taken. Additionally, however, you may be interested to know that the puffs of clouds, in the back, above that mountain, is actually a semi active volcano. It burps out smoke for awhile, then it stops, for awhile. Gorgeous.

While we were there, we took a drive into Perote, and bought a fruit cup. WOW! A beautiful, plastic cup, full to overflowing with freshly cut fruit; all sprinkled with a not-too-spicy chile powder. Here; this is what I am talking about.

Here is what is (was) in the cup: oranges, cucumbers, jicama, cantelope, papaya, coconut, watermelon, and pineapple. This cup was full to the line above the cup top (in the photo) before I got started on it. Then, I remembered that I needed to take the photo. Well, I could not put the eaten fruit back, so this it what you get to see. It was ambrosial.

Stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones.

The fair returned, last month, to celebrate the harvest season.

We missed the one at the beginning of the growing season; we did not go to this one, either. Gabi went with Liz’s parents. (Better them than us.) Not that we do not enjoy a country fair, we do. It is just too darned cold once the sun goes down.

That was just the beginning of October. Cannot wait to know how cold the rest of the winter season becomes. Yikes.

Stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones.

Post script: at the time of my typing this, it is eleven degrees Celsius here.

Again.

I have spent several hours, over the last forty eight, repotting most of the newest plants- again.

Most of the beautiful, tiny little succulents have drowned, and are gone. The few that are left, the medium sized ones, while still alive, are all looking a bit ……. unhappy.

I have taken the few succulents that were left in the pretty terracotta looking bowl, (I will have to find something else to put in that. Cacti, maybe. Hmmm.) and planted them, individually, in real terracotta pots. They need to be watered from the bottom up; set in an aluminum tray with water for fifteen minutes, then removed.

Evidently, they prefer to be watered from the bottom, not the top. Soak the roots, then let the whole thing dry out before doing this again. I do not remember reading that bit of information when I was researching them. Damn.

I also divided, and repotted the three small Birds Nest Snake plants that were growing in the same, small pot. Now, they each have a pot to

Live in!!! (That was funny. Admit it.)

I also have a Monstera Deliciosa, (Swiss Cheese plant), and a Schefflera, (umbrella plant) thriving, finally. Why, you ask? Because they are growing in water, so I cannot drown them. Yay!!!

I do believe that is all of this morning; I have loads of laundry that require my immediate assistance. For whatever reason, they cannot take are of themselves- go figure!

Stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones.

I must tell you that, when sliced, and cooked over simmering olive oil, peppers and onions are, truly, Heaven sent.

Whenever we get the chance to go to a grocery store, I try to buy three, or four, red, yellow, and orange bell peppers, and, two medium to large white onions. After we get them home, I slice them, put them in a large fry pan, with about a quarter cup of olive oil, then simmer them, covered, on a low flame, for about forty five minutes, sometimes an hour.

I set the timer on my watch so I do not forget to stir them, as I am not interested in burned peppers. I cover them for the first thirty minutes, or so, then uncover them once they have started “melting”, is what I call it. It is when they get all soft, and pliable, and smell Heavenly.

The oil is not meant to fry the veg; it is there to carry the flavor of the combined peppers, and onions, when they are used in the near future. I gently salt them, too, but only a bit. I do not know in what way I will be using them, and do not want to risk of them being being too salty, and, therefore, ruining the end result.

This morning, I fried a corn tortilla, and put a large tablespoon of the combo, the same tablespoon of some black beans I made recently, then the leftover eggs and chorizo I made yesterday. The peppers, and onions, took the leftovers to a whole new level.

Maybe I will make another one. Hmmm.

Stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones.

There are so many things that he needs to know; if I die tomorrow.

He does not listen to me; he does not think it is necessary. He does not want to think I could possibly go before him.

We are all mortal; we will all die; eventually. We have lived our lives, until this moment, together; never thinking we will be separated; divided; one, without the other.

There are so many things here, in the apartment, on the internet, in our lives, that he has no idea how to access. He has no idea how to …

He does not know how to find the bank balances, or, the credit card balances/monthly payments, etc. He does not know how to clean the toilets; how to change the batteries in the thermometer we use for cooking; how to change the time on the bedroom clocks, or the oven. He has no idea what medication he takes daily. He cannot fold his socks, underwear, or tee shirts. He will miss me if I die tomorrow. But,

I

will miss him more.

We live our lives as though we will be here for years to come; maybe we only have days, or weeks, or months. None of us has any idea what time will be given to us. We need to take each moment, grab whatever it gives us, and thank the good Lord for it. It will be all we have.

Please, stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones.

We are here, at the beginning of our lives together. This was before our prom dance in 1972. Notice that we both h have hair.

Who would have thought that eating a chunk of ham could be so good?!

No, I am not talking about those thin, insipid slices of ground up, smashed together, then sliced, pieces of lunch meat; I am talking about a chunk of ham, from a larger chunk of ham.

As I told you, we were able to buy more ham the last time we were at Costco. As I was cutting it up, to be vacuum sealed, then frozen for later consumption, an occasional piece accidentally broke off from the whole. Well, one cannot place that small(ish) piece in with the rest; it just would not be the correct thing to do. (That is my excuse. You have to come up with your own.)

As I have started feeling a bit better, though my energy tank is, once again, on the low side, I try not to use up my reserves. I was unable to go to the market the other day, as I had hoped, though, I am hoping to be able to go tomorrow. It drains me just thinking about the walk.

It is only five hundred fifty meters to the Plaza, and the same to return, but, when I am not excited about walking, it feels like fifty kilometers. That is what it feels like today. I can wait until I have more in my reserves. We will eat what we have. Now, that is a novel idea!! For me, anyway.

Stay happy, stay healthy, stay safe. Wash your hands, cover your mouth, and protect your loved ones.