The Mountain Thymes

Last week I bought a large bunch of fresh-picked beets from Three Bird Farms and cooked them up right away.  I must have placed them too far back in the fridge.  They were frozen when I went to peel and slice them for our dinner so I used them in a beet soup, which is posted under Recipes .  It's a smooth soup, very healing and nutritious soup.  Cliff won't eat it, but I sip a cup before a meal and find it very satisfying. I also use a better homemade laundry soap from my DIY site.  This recipe is easier and quicker to make than the first one I posted some months ago.  It is pure and has no phosphates or chemicals to leach back into the earth. It's not very sudsy so may be able to be used in the newer machines. A juicy good thunderstorm came through last evening as we sat on the back porch listening to the rain work its way through the woods. Suddenly we heard pings on the roof and on the metal ladder Cliff had against the house.  The wind picke...

A few weeks ago we drove to Florida for our grandson's wedding.  Richard and Sarah decided on a romantic sunset wedding on the inter-coastal in Osprey.  John and Carolyn invited us to stay with them at their time-share in Lake Buena Vista, which is two hours north of Osprey.  Thinking about how hot it was going to be in the middle of June, Cliff bought a nice short-sleeve dress shirt, tie, and dress pants.  His new dress pants had to happen as he couldn't fit in his existing ones.  A few days before our travel, we found out that we were to be included in the wedding photos.  We headed to the mall in Cleveland, TN, about an hour drive, bought a light weight summer sport jacket and another dress shirt that was more suitable with the new jacket. Also, about two weeks before our travel date, I ordered a pair of black dress wedge sandals with bling on the straps and a pair of fun canvas slip-ons from DSW.  Delivery date was 4-7 business days.  Our c...

There are lots of things that come to my scattered mind for blogging, but I'd rather be outside so thoughts get neglected.  Sometimes I jot ideas down with the intention of writing later, but as time passes the thoughts seem mundane so don't get posted. For about 5-6 weeks we've found the forest to be noticeably quieter, void of bird movement and song.  The birds have been preoccupied with nest building, housekeeping duties, and incubating.  This past week the clamor and the movement throughout the trees returned.  Parents are feeding their hungry young and supervising the fledglings, talking and encouraging them to fly. It's comical to hear the young with their high pitched crackly voices that sound like pubescent teens.  Their parents are probably exhausted from the constant feedings and are looking forward to the empty nest.  Even our two hummingbirds were scarce during this time.  We've never seen or been aware of baby hummers.  We're told b...

The past week has been early "lazy hazy days of summer."  The humidity is nothing like Florida's, but after 6 1/2 years of NC mountain spring and summers, moist air makes us feel logy so here we sit on the back porch with our ice-coffee, on our laptops or reading, or just listening to nature.  We're due for thunderstorms later.  The gardens are dry.  This morning before heading to the gym I watered a few vegetables using my rain barrel supply.  I love that barrel!  Little things give me such pleasure.  My kitchen is still in limbo.  The new counter top should be ready any day.  It'll be nice to be able to get some order back in the kitchen.  I bought an Italian pasta maker that is waiting to be used and as soon as the kitchen is finished and I can find things again, I'll be cranking out fresh pasta.  I have lush basil growing in a little kitchen garden by the porch.  Will make fresh marinara and angel hair pasta.  Actual...