The Mountain Thymes

This is the last curtain that needed to be made. Kitchen/dining windows are done. Looking out the kitchen window this morning about 9 AM, i saw our young doe in the front garden. In April I planted 10 caldium bulbs, watered the area faithfully, and waited for them to come up. Finally, by the end of June, some of the bulbs sprouted through the cement hard clay. She looked up and saw me looking at her from the kitchen window. "What's for breakfast?" Trying to decide whether to stay for breakfast or eat else where. "Things taste pretty good here so I'll just stay and sample some greens. That fat cat on the porch is no threat." Notice that red and green leaf is totally gone! I walked out the door as she approached the porch steps (maybe she was going to eat the fat cat next) and she let me take her picture. "Did you eat my caladiums?" "Moi?" Going to see what the neighbors have in their gardens.

OK....so i'm still learning ...just posted from my draft july 12. needed to edit and publish expecting it to publish in the new spot. it doesn't work that way so it published by date. if you want to view our hummingbirds, scroll down.

Yesterday the heating and AC contractors were here to install the new heating unit so CLiff wouldn't freeze and whine all this winter. He was so miserable last winter that he was ready to move back to hot humid FL. I put on another sweatshirt and told him to send me an alligator postcard. The quintessential electrician worked on the fuse box and as soon as he opened his mouth, I expected to hear him say "get 'er done!" I had Larry the Cable Guy in my home without paying for the comedy show! Propane people are here this morning so Cliff has his propane hard hat on supervising this job. So many hard hats when you're retired. I think he creates these projects so he can don his foreman hats. More to come. Also, as you can see, we survived the grueling 3-day food fest. After all that work, neither one of us want to fall back on our old eating habits. Cliff looks better. I can see a slight difference in him. I don't feel anything!! We don't have a

This was Day 2's lunch...the whole lunch! Our dinner...day 2. Not a happy camper!!

Well, we got established with a new doctor and as a result of our visit, came home with a diet to try. Cliff is about 25 pounds overweight and I've gained 12 in a year...most of it up here relaxing and living too well. The diet is Baptist Hospital Weight Reduction Clinic Diet and is proven effective. You follow it strictly for 3 days then eat sensibly for 4 days (1800 cal. men, 1200cal. women) then go back on the diet for 3 days. If you live, you can do this for 1 month and drop as much as 40 lbs. I told Cliff I would do this with him. I love a challenge, enjoy cooking and preparing foods in a creative way. There is no creative way for this one. 1st day breakfast: 1/2 c. grapefruit juice, 1 slice toast, 1 tbls. peanutbutter, tea/coffee....that wasn't too bad. Lunch: 1/2 c. broiled chicken, 1 slice toast w/ cheddar cheese, tea......not too painful.....Dinner: 3 oz . small broiled steak...well that's redundant, 1 cup green beans, 1 small apple (size is relative) 1/2

we don't have the large number of hummingbirds this july like we did last summer. people on the mountain told us with all the rain last year, the flowers are plentiful. who would drink fake wine when you could have the real thing? dissolve 1/4 cup sugar to 1 cup boiling water....no food coloring. in the summer change the drink about every 4-5 days and make sure there is no mold growing around the openings or anywhere else. molds will kill these little creatures. these guys were taking an awful chance when we were on that 3-day diet.

i've been sewing like crazy.......kitchen window made 2 pairs of shorts for grant, a sundress for hayden and sofia lightweight summer drapes for our bedroom still working on tiebacks same material for living room french doors and kitchen curtain made 6 pairs of curtains for kitchen/dining area, still have one more to make for window at the sink...might just make a valance or thinking about a drop-down shade type. i found flat sheets on sale for only $7 each. bedroom only cost $28! soft booties for olivia....hope they fit...made them for a 9 month old! love retirement!!!! have the time to do all the important things...things that i enjoy!!

on the 4th of July the neighbors on the mountain all headed to Hiawassee, GA for a cookout and to view the fireworks. the parking has about 7 tiers with enough room for double rows of parking and a drive-thru lane. we arrived around 5:30 to set up and eat. cliff was in charge of setting up our newly purchased chairs check out the size of the grill these people brought! were they cooking ribs? um...ahh....let's see...... this one pulled in next to us......some people brought screen rooms, folding banquet tables, games, children, dogs, sparklers and their own fireworks. this was our view from our site on about the 4th tier. fireworks were set off in the baseball field adjacent to the lake. how many old retired guys does it take to light a small round cooker? um....are there directions with this thing? fireworks went off around 9:45 Great food, great company!

t his our morning walk for exercise ....... can't figure out how to get rid of this underline!!!!! how did that happen?!?!!?!? the downhills are the easy part...we're walking down boulder creek rd now....the road off to the right is red oak...nice houses up there too yellow wild flowers along our walk and lots of poison ivy, which we try to avoid.......there were thousands of wild daisies or some white flower growing along the mountainsides until the mower chopped them down....i don't know why you would mow in the mountains! our (there's that stupid underline again !!!) mailbox is around the last bend......it's .6 of a mile from our house. starting back up the hill to our house with the mail lots of curves using muscles we don't often use to get back up to the homestead start the struggle up clay durret t rd view of the rising sun from our driveway thank goodness the deer don't eat caladiums butterfly bush awaiting butterflies fancy daylilies if you not