Cyclone Homecoming

 Last night at the homecoming football game, the students were to wear white.  They called it white out.  The entire student section was white.  Above--Ingrid in white and below Astrid!  The Cyclones won the homecoming game!

Growing Like a Weed

Clayton got out his winter pj's.  Looks like he has grown!  Erin told him that they would need to give 'em away and Clayton said "no, just wait, I can wear them for shorts in a little while!"

Same--Same

Fleta called and said George is about the same.  She is back in L R with him.  Be glad to hear when he is better.  Here he is putting up a bird house for Fleta!  Using his lawn mower as a ladder! 

Bending Over Backwards

 Greta can bend over backwards and stand back up.  She loves tumbling and sports.

 Sigrid is dressed up as the hippie.   She created her outfit.   Below Ing is hamming it up on football night.

Hope George is better today.  Fleta stayed in LR two nights but went back home Tuesday so she could work.  She needs to keep the insurance up.   Praying for relief for both of them.

Peas Please

I am shelling my peas.  Should finish today.  I am cooking some today and will have fried okra, cole slaw and corn bread sticks.

Siggie's A Hippie

 Siggie is dressing up all week.  They do that for Homecoming.  One day she is going to be a hippie...so she sewed some bell bottoms.  I told her I wore 'em!

September 24, 2017

 Erin and Greg took Greta and Clayton to the Demolition Derby.  Clayton is only interested in the snacks he gets while he is there, Erin said.

 Brother Clayton would be 73 today if he were still with us.  My three siblings in this photo have gone on!  I miss all three!

Fleta said George has improved.  He is semi-conscious.   I was thinking--we don't appreciate good health until it is gone.  Good sleep until we can't get a good night's rest.  So many things we should be thankful for that we just take for granted.  A good breath!  Oh, I know George would love a deep blast of good air in his lungs!

Volleyball Today

Siggie played in a volleyball tourney today in Little Rock.  She is posing with her friend Abigail.

Greta went to Branson with her Church group.  I said--where is Clayton?  Well, he did not want to go.  Greta wants to do whatever comes up.

Fleta said they transferred George to Baptist in LR, AR.  The med flighted him there.  She will go tomorrow.  Helen will stay with Hannah and Robert.  I am sure Fleta really appreciates Helen today.  I don't know what she would do without her sister.  Thank you, Helen, thank you so much!

Stair Biking

Greta loves her bike and bravely road down the steps to her front yard.   She is playing soccer and is signing up for basketball.

Send Rain

This pretty bird was at my bird bath yesterday.  I am filling it with fresh water each day because it is really dry and every afternoon the birds flock to it.

Okra Itch

I copied below about okra from the internet as I picked it this morning and itched so afterward I thought I would pass out. Also, with my low blood pressure, looking up or down for extended periods of time makes me sick.  Well, my okra is now about 8 feet tall.  I got a big harvest today and will take it to Middle School as I am going there to get Sigrid for her orthodontist appointment.  I kept enough to cook with my purple hull peas tonight but one picking would feed 6 families a mess of okra.  Laura told me that okra was a "super food" so I am appreciating it more this year.  

Below what I copied about okra!

There are very few vegetables that can defend themselves, but okra is one vegetable can give you a taste of misery in a hurry. You do not know the meaning of itch until you harvest okra.

Why do we tolerate this "stinging" vegetable? Because there is nothing better than fried okra or gumbo. Both names, okra and gumbo, are of African origin. "Gumbo" is believed to be a corruption of a Portugese corruption, quingombo, of the quillobo, native name for the plant in the Congo and Angola area of Africa.

Okra came to New Orleans with the African slaves, from whom it received its common name, gombo. In Angola, the Africans called the plant kingombo. The word was later shortened. By 1748, okra was being grown as far north as Philadelphia, and, in 1781, was listed by Jefferson as being grown in Virginia.

Okra is relatively easy to grow. That is true providing cool temperatures are not predominate and soil nematodes are not present. Either of these will stunt okra and cause it to be non-productive. 

Since it is a warm season crop, okra should not be planted too early. It should be planted when the minimum average temperature is no less than 65 degrees F. The faster any seed germinates and the seedling emerges from the soil, the fewer will be the problems in getting a stand. Okra seed planted too early when the soil is cold may rot or produce weak seedlings. At a soil temperature of 63 degrees F., 17 days are required for okra seedlings to emerge. At 77 degrees F., 12 days are required, and at 85 degrees F. only 7 days are required for okra seedlings to emerge when planted 1-inch deep. 

Germination of okra seeds can be accelerated by soaking the seeds in water for several hours prior to planting. This tends to soften the seed coat and make emergence of young seedlings easier. Some gardeners have reported success in speeding okra germination by freezing the seeds thoroughly prior to planting. The frozen seed are taken directly out of the freezer and submerged in lukewarm water. This may break the seed coat and accelerate germination.

Depending on the variety, first pods are ready for harvest about 2 months after planting. If you plant in mid-June, you will not harvest until mid-August. If you wait until later, cool nights will decrease production. Of course, many gardeners have okra already growing that will continue to produce until frost. If these plants are too tall, they should now be cut back to a height of 4 feet so that re-branching and production will occur before cool weather arrives. 

Okra should be thinned to 10 to 12 inches between plants. Okra should be fertilized. Pre-plant with a complete fertilizer just as other vegetable crops grown in the home garden. The relatively long growing season required by okra necessitates side-dressing during the growing season. A side-dress application of garden fertilizer should be made after the plants begin to flower. Okra is moderately tolerant of drought conditions. However, weekly applications of one inch of water in absence of rainfall will greatly increase the yield and quality of the okra pods.

The key to maintaining okra production continuously throughout the summer is to harvest regularly. Only 3 to 4 days are required from the time the okra flower opens until the pod reaches harvest maturity. For this reason, okra must be harvested at least every other day during the growing season. Failure to remove mature pods from the okra plant will cause reduced yield and quality of pods which set on the plant later. The pods are either cut or broken from the plant and should be refrigerated or used as soon as possible after harvest.

Okra is an interesting plant. Actually, it is a nutritious flower with family lineage. Okra is the species esculentus, that is, edible hibiscus, of the Malvaceae (or Mallow) family. Many other species of hibiscus are used as foods in various parts of the world. In this genus belong many species of ornamental flowering hibiscus, several of which are natives of the United States. Cotton is the most important economic plant belonging to the mallow family, so okra does have family lineage that might as well be spelled lintage because of its famous cotton cousin.

Okra can be prepared and used in many different forms. It is easily dried for later use. A little dried okra in prepared dishes produces much the same result as the fresh product. In some lands the seeds rather than the whole young pods are of most interest. When ripe, the seeds yield an edible oil that is the equal of many other cooking oils. In Mediterranean countries and the East, where edible oils are scarcer than in our country, okra oil is no rarity. The ripe seeds of okra are sometimes roasted and ground as a substitute for coffee.

Consider How The Wildflowers Grow!

Luke 12:27-28
"Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; but I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. "But if God so clothes the grass in the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, how much more will He clothe you? You men of little faith!

 I have been enjoying seeing all the blooms on my morning stroll.  Gardens of blooms, not just one here and there!

 Song of Solomon 2:1-2
"I am the rose of Sharon, The lily of the valleys.

 So this morning, I packed my camera and am sharing their beauty with you!

 Here is a bouquet the Lord arranged.  He used lots of colors and it is perfect.

 There were bunches of tiny purple blooms.  My picture does not do the the scene justice.

 Airy daisies!

 Job 14:1-2
"Man, who is born of woman, Is short-lived and full of turmoil. "Like a flower he comes forth and withers He also flees like a shadow and does not remain.

 Isaiah 40:8

The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever.

 I forget what this is called.  My Sister Patsy would know.  She knew so much because she paid attention to what was going on around her.    Her favorite book was the dictionary and she read it a lot.

Here the grass is going to seed so there will be more next year.  God's plan is perfect and He has a plan for me, too!  

Staying Alive

Larry still is getting around like an invalid.  I keep hoping each day he will be better.  Some days he seems to be able to move and then the next we are right back to the horrible pain.  It has been over a month since this started.  I hope the end is around the corner.

I spotted these flowers the Lord planted by Galla Lake and thought they were beautiful.  Don't you?  

Sig came to visit last evening.  Pop and she watch little surgeries on utube and Laura hides her eyes.  They always bring Phoebe now when they come and Phoebe is so glad to see us.  After Pop gives her the 3 treats, she is ready to go back home!  

Clayton and Greta are growing up.  They love having friends over.  Whatever is going on, they are having a blast.  

Woodland

The teachers where Clayton and Greta go to school post lots of pictures on FB.  These came from there excepting Clayton and his rock.  Woodlawn only has one of each grade so it is a small school.  It is also very near their house and their Dad went to the same elementary. 

Greta and friend showing off their socks.

 Clayton found this rock at his other Grandparents' house.

 Lined up for success.

 Clayton working in his classroom.

 Greta with classmates.

 Maybe it was polka dot day?

 Greta with her spelling words!

Walmart Won't Price Match Anymore

I got around early.  I had marked all the sale items from different stores and went to Walmart to retrieve all the things I wanted.  I had a cart full at the checkout.  Well, the checker started to price match the first thing--Dasani water--and then remembered a notice.  She said, "oh, as of September12 we do not price match"!  Sam would roll over in his grave.  He always wanted the best price! Well, I did not buy any of the items and now know I will need to just go to where the ad says the item is on sale.    Walmart has price matched for a long, long time!  What do they have to offer? Checking out it slow!  No, sales!  Huge store that you have to wander around in to find anything! Most of the older checkers are not even nice!  Now,  lowest price is not important to them!  I already went somewhere else if I could and I will continue!

Stole this from FB so I would always have it.  This is my Syble and her two girls and son, also, The Lady  in red shirt is her daughter in law. Three great grands in the photo too!   She is really thin but she made another birthday, September 7th.

Patsy's Great Grands

 Burley Coley and Caty are Patsy's Great Grands and Jonell and my Great niece and nephew!  Jonell took Barb to Fayetteville to the Dr.  She still have the infection!

Fly Away

I walked this morning and watched these lovely creatures fly toward a new home!

Fall Around the Bend

 When I walked early yesterday, I noticed Laura had a new wreath on her door.  I took a phone photo.  The door is red but looks pink here.  the colors on the burlap are correct.  I am not sure if she created it or not, but I think she might have.  Helen was fixing a wreath for her door when I spoke to her.

 Clayton and Greta got progress reports and are both doing well in school.  Greta's teacher is impressed with her "kind heart".  What a compliment.

Sigrid has a volleyball game today.  I will attend and cheer her on about 4:30.  Larry is still hurting.  He did fall on the concrete back porch.  I will just be glad when we are able to get back to our ordinary, boring life.

Arkansas Has Everything

A guy who works for an electrical company spied this snake on a rock.  He put on those big gloves the lineman have and pushed him in a box.  He said the two headed snake was just sunning.  Helen's dog got bitten by a snake.  When our dogs were bitten by a poisonous snake in the past, we gave them benedryl.   It helps keep the swelling down.  Usually in a couple of days the dog will be fine.

It is cool here today.  I walked at the trail today for the first time in a long time.  I did the 3 and half miles.  I think I need to do this everyday for a while.  My leg sure felt better after the long walk.  Larry's side is not much better.

Muscadine Jelly

 Laura made muscadine jelly.  Boy, it will be good on a hot biscuit!

 Ingrid went to the Razorback game and had a great time.  We lost, but that did not dampen her fun!

 Greta is playing soccer again and I finally got my new tires so maybe I will get to go see one game!

Love these "weeds" out in Galla Meadow.  Not sure what they are but some type of wild sunflower I suppose.