Puttin' Up Okrey! (AKA Okra) -- What's for lunch Mama Gladys?

Well I missed out on meeting up with my pals Joy and Amy at Bald Head Island, NC this year (sob). I definitely felt a tinge of sadness this week since I couldn't make it. I'm glad I had family and fun to keep me busy.

Mama Gladys and I put up a bushel of okra. It took us, cutting as fast as we could go, 4 hours to finish it all up. Cousin Joan and I also picked a gallon of Blueberries each. Cousins Carla, Karen and Susan all picked a load of blueberries, too. A neighbor has a blueberry farm where folks pick and have a big time with their families. They offer a hayride and other blueberry fun. If anyone is interested I can get the info to you if you're in the Chipley, FL area. Anyway, when the season is coming to a close, he opens up the pickin' for friends and family.

Mama Gladys picking out some fine tomatoes at Fussel's near Chipley.

Mama Gladys cutting up okra.

I ate enough of this fried okra to harm a normal person. Mom used Aunt Lola's recipe where she dips it in buttermilk and dredges in flour. Yummm!

Green beans, fried okra, french bread, chicken and yella rice with sweet ice tea to wash it all down!

Dad, Mom, Cousin Joan and I all had a nice lunch together. Joan is having water because she is working on an alternative eating plan.

I didn't have my camera later in the day when we made homemade ice cream and ate blueberry cobbler (graciously provided by cousin Susan). Some of us then went for a moonlight swim and played with the lighted floating flowers. Fun time had by all!

Please keep Matty B and all the Wyoming folks in your prayers.

Peace!

tampabaycna.com

I'd officially like to recommend http://www.tampabaycna.com/. It's the one day boot camp I took at the end of May. Rev. Ariana Christiano takes you through a one day boot camp and sends you on your merry way with a bag full of cna goodies, everything you need to pass the exam the first time. She really stressed the importance of the little things (not cross contaminating, checking in with the patient throughout procedures, safety, etc). I took my test last Tuesday and passed. Yahoo a job with benefits is FINALLY in my near future! Thank God!

I kidnapped cousin Joan after the 4th of July celebration and turned my room into a makeshift hospital room. Gut busting laughter ensued and learning of procedures also. The other gal in the photos is Gertrude Saucy, the blowup doll, brought in for special procedures (read catheter care, etc).

Now we know why people don't sleep on the porch!

Cousin Joan and I started out sleeping on the porch the night of the 4th.

Our giant family gets together at Seagrove Beach, FL and makes a day of it. We all crowd in at my Aunt Lola's beach cabin, enjoy each other's company, watch the parade, swim, watch fireworks...

The house was so full, we decided to sleep on chaise lounges on the porch, until a giant palmetto bug snuggled up my leg and onto my shoulder! We found lodging indoors after all (see pic). I think there were 7 of us in that room that night. :P

Nasty Giant Tomato Hornworm Caterpillar!

So, what do y'all think? Is AK gov Sarah Palin being thoughtful regarding her great state or political? Or maybe a bit of both? At any rate, it is unusual for her to just step down so quickly...

I went out to fertilize and check on my little pretties (container garden) today and saw there was this giant worm, 4-5 inches long, green, fat, horned - exactly the color of my tomato plant. I've included a video of my li'l garden. About a week ago I started noticing my cherry tomatoes were looking a bit shabby and some of the stems eaten off. Then I saw a bird (didn't ID it) atop my tomato plants. I thought the birds were the problem. After googling "giant green worm tomatoes", the answer became plain. This is a Tomato Hornworm Caterpillar that turns into a giant moth eventually. There is a great Yahoo answers thread on the subject, FYI. You can leave it be and let the birds take care of it, pick it off (blick!), or use pesticides, natural BT or natural lime to dust, among a few other things. I think I'll leave it be. I enjoy seeing the birds up close and personal, doing their thing, more than I like cherry tomatoes. :)

Oh, it also said you can plant sweet basil IN with your tomatoes, which I will try next year. I forgot to grow marigolds this year to take care of the aphids....

Adorable Video!

Well, I've either been studying for my CNA test or putting off studying for my CNA test.

I really want to live "off grid", as I stated previously. The purchasing of chickens and goats hopefully will occur in my five year plan. I must have something to fuel my methane digester, doncha know? Honestly, living "off grid" is more of a function of not being so great at making a buck than living green, but both are important. I've always been sort of a simple living kind of gal and agree that the love of money is the root of all sorts of evil, as the good book says (I Timothy 6:10).

Anyhoo, I came across this video from a sweet feller in Vietnam that I just had to share.

P.S.  Rest in Peace, MJ!

Oh, P.S.S  The Sun Shower is working great.  I've only taken one conventional shower since my last post.  My favorite part is pouring the remaining water from the bag over my head at shower's end.   I also use water from our underground sprinkler well, to have free water.  I want to see if I can live on way low conventional energy.

(Ok, I guess I have more to add - so much for the P. S. biz)

Continue prayers for Sid, MattyB, Joy, Mike and fam PLEASE!

Li'l Natalie girl is flying out first thing (5 am - yikes) in the A.M. for Tampa for 2 weeks to be with her beau and fam.  I'll try and post another pic of them soon.  Godspeed Nat!  I'll miss my cleaning buddy.  She's been joining me at the BBCJ (Backbreaking cleaning job) and we make quite the team!

Havin' a heatwave...a tropical heatwave...

It's dang hot here in the Florida panhandle. I think we got to 101 degrees today. As the ever positive cousin Joan says, "It hugs you." We did get some thunderstorms thoughwhich is always mahvelous.

I have been studying up on ways to live "off the grid". Really I just LOVE to camp and we are working toward making one of our family lots at Lake Eufaula a primo camping spot. I actually got to go camping some last summer and am gearing up to camp a lot this Fall (that is if I can land myself one of them there jobs).

Often I also dream of living a completely sustainable lifestyle. So, to feel like I'm doing SOMETHING to conserve, I purchased a sunshower from Walmart for $5.88. It holds 5 gallons. At least I can use the sun for heating my shower water. I'll let you know how it turns out. Pic is from photobucket and is similar to the model I bought:

Still having really hard times re. family in Wyoming. Please keep us in your prayers!