day 4

Saturday morning...my name is Ellen Abbott and I'm a social media addict. It's been two days since my last log on. not to be making fun of alcoholics mind you Anyway, when I'm away I have no trouble not checking into FB. In fact I don't even think about it because my whole morning routine is different but sitting here in the mornings with my water first and then coffee, after I've read all the current blog postings or written my own then what am I supposed to do to fill the time til I get up to fix breakfast. I stopped reading the newspaper years ago and anyway, I'm avoiding the news as well for these four days. I don't want to hear or see anything Trump.

Here's an observation...white wing doves are bullies. They even chase off the blue jays from the totem bird feeder. They get on there, usually two at a time because that's all that will fit, though yesterday I saw third trying to come in and kept trying to land on the back of one of the others, and then they start knocking and tossing the seed out of the dish. The blue jay does that too and the sparrows. More than half the seed falls to the ground. The cardinals are very polite. They just perch on the rim and eat.

Overcast and chilly again today but I did get out there and worked on the front some more. Got the other yellow butterfly iris out, dug up all the baby century plants and weeds and grass that had colonized the front bed, fertilized and mulched the cut back roses. The twin grandgirls came out to hang out while their parents worked on their property. Jade brought 3 pairs of pants out to be mended so I did that.

My neighbor at the other end of the block, Leonard, gave me some seed potatoes that he had left over after he had planted some. Well, after I had grilled him on where he got them this early and were they red or white. Anyway he said he'd give me some but I had to bring his bucket back. Which I did today though I haven't planted them yet. That's one of the activities for tomorrow but I have to finish getting the johnson grass out of the small raised bed first. And I plan on doing some cooking and freezing of broccoli and cauliflower dishes tomorrow.

I have had friends I have relied on in the past to help us through lean times but never the government. I don't feel any particular pride in that. If you need food or housing assistance by all means you should apply for it for as long as it's available, which may not be long if the current administration has any say in the matter. I've personally been fortunate enough that those times when we have been on the brink, the universe has come through for us. That doesn't make me special, just lucky. Anyway, the plan is to plant more food and preserve what we grow and don't eat right away. Since I'm no fan of canning and the water bath, I prefer to cook the produce and then freeze the meals for later consumption. And so I have been looking at cauliflower and broccoli casserole recipes because tomorrow I have a lot of both to harvest.

Sunday morning and I did find something to fill the time...online shopping!