More Garden Stuff

   Today's post is all about my garden. Firstly, my small patch of rhubarb yielded 1 kg of fruit, enough to make a batch of rhubarb and ginger jam. It turned out really well but next time I might cut back on the ginger slightly. The recipe I used called for root ginger and stem or crystallised ginger (I used stem ginger). I think the root ginger, which I grated,  was a bit too much. There is still lots of rhubarb left, enough to make some strawberry and rhubarb jam and maybe a pie or crumble.





   Next, here are some more photos of peonies and roses, this time a climbing rose that flowers profusely and over several weeks. The peony is a pale pink and flowers just a bit later than the red one. It also lasts a bit longer as the buds open in stages.






   I roasted a whole chicken on Sunday and am still eating the leftovers. Yesterday I had a chicken salad as I was going out to a "Coronation Celebration" (anniversary of Queen Elizabeth's coronation in 1953)  All the dances had some connection to the Queen or Royal Family. Then we had sandwiches and sweet treats.

   Today is chicken and rice - both leftovers but gussied up with an interesting sauce. I think I will use a balsamic vinegar and fig sauce called "Memories of Tuscany". Hope it reminds me of my trip to Italy.


  

First Rose

   It was too nice a day to stay indoors yesterday (so no post) but today is raining so I have fired up the computer before heading off to Starbucks for my morning coffee. This is not a regular indulgence but I have a coupon for a breakfast sandwich which is about to expire - so, use it or lose it!


   I have several rose bushes that are about to bloom but this one is the first. The rose was perfect yesterday but, unfortunately, will have become washed out with today's rain. This particular bush only has 2 or 3 blooms each year. I'm afraid I don't treat my rose bushes to any TLC - they just have to survive on their own.

 





 The primroses also only last a few days and don't like the heat so become quite bedraggled as the summer progresses. But right now they are blooming nicely. Most of my garden is perennials that come into bloom at different times in the summer. The only thing I have planted in the back are nasturtiums (from seed) but no flowers yet.

   Well, it appears to have stopped raining so I will take my chances and head to the coffee shop before it starts up again.

  
 

At the Splash Pad

   It started out cool this morning but had warmed up enough by 11:00 a.m. to get us outside. All James could talk about was the Splash Pad so that's where we headed, this time making sure to take a towel and swimsuit. James also brought me my camera before we left so I felt obliged to shoot some photos of him playing in the water.

    It turned out to be a little cooler than Wednesday so he wasn't quite as keen to get himself wet. However, armed with a stick (to prod the jets and investigate the outlets that weren't working) he was happily engaged for quite some time. Then back to the playground for some sand play with a little friend, then a trip up and down the mountain a few times.

   One last trip to the playground resulted in a cut lip when he slipped on the climber and put his tooth through his lip. There was lots of blood but no crying, just some spitting. Thank goodness I had brought the towel to mop it up. He was pretty wiped out by the time we got home - asked for a "piggy-back ride" on the way home. So it was a fast lunch then up to bed for his nap. After that there was just time to water the vegetables and check out the potato bin before it was time for him to head home.

   I clipped some bushes out front for half-an-hour, got hot and sticky and took a quick dip. The water was marginally warmer and I managed to stay in for several lengths this time. It was very refreshing!

 

Thursday Blues

   Luckily I am not a pessimistic person or today would have stressed me to the limit. The weather was against us this morning with on-and-off rain right through the hours we usually spend at the tennis courts on Thursdays. I had a job booked for the afternoon and trundled out to the car with 10 minutes to spare.

   Although the rain had dried up, another disappointment confronted me - no power in the car! I was forced to grab my bike and set off for the school, luckily quite close, but arrived rather hot and sweaty. I was greeted by the Principal whose first words were, "It's a difficult class" - not what a supply teacher wants to hear!
 
   Actually, they weren't so bad, also there were several interruptions which helped the afternoon to pass quickly. Once I got home (exhausted and sweaty again - no idea there were so many hills on that particular road) I called Toyota Roadside Assistance and had the problem fixed within an hour. Now I feel justified in vegging out for the rest of the evening. New episode of BBT at 8:00 p.m. Yippee!!