Because I'm desperate....

....I'm glomming onto Char's 7-link challenge. Of course, she borrowed it from Susannah, who borrowed it from Darren at problogger, so maybe I'm not such a thieving wretch after all. And here we go.....

Your first post...Here I Am...where I introduce myself as a chicken farmer, Grammy and potential writer.

A post you enjoyed writing the most...was actually a series I call "Mystery Ladies" and it begins with Bon Voyage, Ladies. The subject is a photo album which I found at an antique store of three women who embark on a Trans-Atlantic journey. There are seven posts and they are photo heavy. There's a ringer in the middle called 'Let's Play Tag'. You can just move on past that one, if you decide to check them out.

A post which had a great discussion...my post about birth order called Youngest, Oldest, Middle, Only. I loved the give and take on this one.

A post on someone else's blog you wish you had written...well, that would have to be my pal Ruth at synch-ro-ni-zing. While it was difficult to pinpoint one out of the hundreds of eloquent, deep, thought-provoking, and gorgeous posts that she writes, her recent offering of "Wheat" put her in the realm of short-story writer extraordinaire. If you look at just one of the links I've cited here, you should look at this one. Of course, most of my friend followers are already hooked on Ruthie.

A small disclaimer has to be added here that all of my blog friends are wonderfully talented women who write and photograph with great skill and creativity.


Your most helpful post...I guess that would have to be Susan's Helpful Hints and Susan's HH II...kinda obvious, huh?

A post with the title you are most proud of...was the post about our camping vacation in the '80s with our kids called "Are you crazy? Three weeks in a pop-up camper and...". That was a fun post. First runner-up:  He floored me. Second runner-up:  1-800-JENNY-20. You knew I could never pick JUST one!

A post you wish more people had read...one that tells a little about my growing-up years called Random thoughts from my childhood. My writing and photography skills have made progress since then, but this one is dear to my heart.

I would love to see your own answers to this challenge. Want to join the party?

And, just because the post feels naked without a picture...

A stroll through my gardens

I'm planning to add annuals inside the pots this weekend.

And now the veggies....

An Un-Mother's Day

For once, Mother decided to take the day off and just be Susan. We spent time with our kids and grandkids on Saturday (Aimee had to work on Sunday), because we had an ulterior motive......time alone...outdoors...on a beautiful day!

David, after many years of thinking and planning and thinking some more, has decided to pursue his dream hobby....fly-fishing. He has been studying the local streams known to have abundant trout populations. How nice that one of them is in our most favorite area in Ohio--the Hocking Hills region.

We started early and packed a picnic lunch, including treats for Lucy. Then we filled the SUV with fishing equipment, a folding chair and a book for me, sunglasses and hats, and the dog, and headed for the hills. I'll let the pictures tell the rest of the story.

After David fished again in the afternoon, we were both tired and hungry and it was time to head home to our own little patch of woods. It was a good day.

I'll have some peas, please!

With all the sunshine and warm weather we've been having lately and the help of the two hundred feet of garden hose, our garden is really taking off. I picked the first batch of peas yesterday, and while there were enough to serve for dinner, I decided to save them along with others I will pick in the next couple of days for the whole family to enjoy on Saturday. There is nothing like fresh peas from the garden. They are so tender and flavorful. When I was a kid, my mom always made them with a cream sauce and they are very tasty. But for myself, I enjoy them the most just lightly steamed with a pat of butter and a sprinkling of salt. The simpler, the better.

 

The zucchini, green beans and cucumbers are starting to bloom. I also have teeny little green peppers, Early Girl and Celebrity tomatoes the size of golf balls, and even the heirloom tomatoes have tiny little fruits set on. My eggplant isn't doing as well. One of the blooms has fallen off, but it has another one coming on. The lettuce has been pulled up as it was turning bitter from the heat of the sun, and in its place, David sowed beets and carrots.

 

 

 

I'm making some pesto this weekend, too. That's flat-leaf parsley in the background and petunias on the right.

 

As a relief from all the green, how about a little color?

A delicate evening primrose.

 

Yarrow

 

A perfect day lily

 

This is penstemon which the hummers and the bees love. If you look closely, about two-thirds of the way down the stem, there's a bumblebee sticking his head inside.