Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Mending the back 40 (yards) and a link

Lots of summer chores - this deck work is DONE!

I had planned a more chatty blog post today.  However, with temps expected to reach 101-105 within a day or two, hubby and I decided we needed to concentrate on outside work while temperatures were reasonable.

I helped him fix some of the wood fence that surrounds our property. It is falling over here and there (caused by the wood rotting at the base).  Not that we have to worry about cattle or sheep or anything but it does make it look like Ma and Pa Kettle's property.

Actually, all I had to do was watch him do all the difficult labor while I held fence posts so they didn't fall over.  There is a lot more fence line to fix but at least our neighbors will know we're making an effort (not that they have said anything).

We're in a serious drought now with the driest June on record possible if we don't get rain through the weekend.  I have to water the garden every day (for at least thirty minutes) or I risk losing the veggies.  Some days the container flowers on the deck and porch have to be watered twice.

My herb garden already looks more like late August than late June.  We are going to harvest the rest of the lettuce tomorrow (it couldn't handle 100+ degree heat) and plant some bush beans in those rows.

I'm off to warm up leftover chili for dinner.  I love leftovers... especially in the summer.  While I usually enjoy cooking, I've never liked cooking in hot weather, even with the air conditioner going.  But once the first cool weather of autumn arrives, my appetite and my desire to cook returns.  :)

Speaking of cooking, I came across an interesting article when doing a little blog searching.  On The Survival Mom blog, she lists food which was served during the Great Depression... here

I remember my mother talking about some of these items and even serving quite a few when I was growing up.  A few are foods I serve to my family... but not things like bacon grease sandwiches.

This is a new-to-me blog which has been added to my rss feed for further reading.  It looks good.  Hop on over and see what you think of the list of Depression food!

5 comments:

Morning's Minion said...

We have the same conditions of heat and drought here in south-central KY--quite disheartening. We water what we can, knowing that we are helping the garden to endure, but I fear the moisture doesn't go deep enough to really sustain the plants to a good harvest.

Anonymous said...

I still make some of those things. (We used to call beans with hot dogs "weinie-beanies")

I won't say what we'd call some of those other dishes except 'best forgotten' :)

Lynne-Aussie said...

I had to laugh at the reference to Ma and Pa, that is exactly what I say to my husband about our property here in Australia, when it is looking a little unkempt.

Deanna Rabe - Creekside Cottage Blog said...

I was told that my grandpa's family ate lard sandwiches...10 kids, lots of mouths to feed.

We haven't had a lot of rain, but I don't think we are in a drought yet. Funny since late summer and fall last year we had rainy days every week.


Deanna

Thickethouse.wordpress said...

My grandmother made "conglomeration" during the depression and it was years before I knew that wasn't exactly a standard name for her sauted dish of ground meat, onion, celery, carrots and potatoes with salt and pepper and a little water. She would tell me that during the depression they had to eat ground meat every day (no steaks or chops). I accepted this as the standard of being poor until my husband who grew up in communist controlled Hungary after WWII said with some amazement, "You were eating meat everyday?" Different perspectives, and an eye opener for me.