Life in the Slow Lane

I know it is my imagination, but I feel fall in the air. I never was much of a summer person, and the older I get the more I complain about the heat. My front porch garden is nothing to write home about, but we have munched on a few cherry tomatoes and actually harvested about four eggplants that I worked through our spaghetti sauce.

As I sat down to add to this blog, I noticed the beautiful pink volunteer pink Vinca that took up lodging where the “never do well” geraniums struggled and died. In the photo, the lovely Vinca plant is on the left. We won’t discuss the Zonal Geranium on the right that was much too expensive and probably not ever being included in my plant purchases again. 

Still trying to conquer this iron deficiency anemia by sipping a hot cup of plain tap water instead of tea or coffee. Enjoying a breezy and partly cloudy Saturday morning on the front porch. Life in the slow lane😬

🥰Linda

Being Ready for Death

Sorry for such a morbid topic on this sunny August morning. But my husband and I thought that we were not ready for death of any kind last evening. And no one or no thing that we know died last night, but our faithful old dog Flip seemed like he was going down that path.

It all began around 4:00 pm when Flip became sick on the wooden floor of our living room. He sometimes drinks too much water and throws it right up, but this was different. We quickly rushed him outside in case there was more, and I cleaned up. He seemed to be better after a while, so he came inside while we ate our dinner. We usually feed Flip and Rocky while we eat, so my husband made their food ready. When he put Flip’s bowl down on the floor in its place, Flip hopped up and his left back hip gave away. He could not manage moving his two back legs. We immediately jumped up to see what was wrong, but he seemed to be as confused as we were. He began hyperventilating and licking his lips and profusely dripping moisture from his mouth. He was going through shock, and so were we.

Flip is not a young dog. In fact, he found us and our home in January 2011. We estimate that he was about a year old when he arrived on our front porch on an unusually cold January afternoon.  Because of his age, we keep him pretty much housebound and never let him roam. So we know about his diet and his activity. But something made him very, very sick last evening.

After his first “stroke” or whatever he experienced, we offered him water and even food. He declined both, so my husband carried Flip to his cot in the hallway and sat on a stool beside him for a couple of hours. In the meantime, Flip threw up a frothy clear liquid at least three more times and continued to hyperventilate and lick his lips. His tongue was purple and his eyes seemed to bulge out from the sockets. Not a pretty sight, but he was definitely not feeling well. 

We notified our son that we had a sick dog, and then my husband and I decided that we would not take our Flip to the emergency vet one hour’s drive away from where we live. And then we waited. We think that he even had a second “stroke/attack.” My husband and I swapped places sitting next to our sick doggy, and just about the time that I needed to step up and recharge my iPad’s battery,  I thought that Flip’s battery had also seen its last days. He lay super quiet and seemed to scarcely breathe.

When I stood up, so did Flip! He followed me to the kitchen and drank water. Then he wagged his tail and walked toward the back door meaning that he needed to go outside. My husband took him outside. Flip sniffed around and took care of some business and then came back inside looking for food. We made water available, but he got no food last night. 

Flip slept peacefully all night. This morning he came out of his kennel ready to walk and later eat. He is sleeping nicely on his cot in our hallway at the moment. He even had a little dream and barked in his sleep.

Guess he is not ready for death.

Whew! Neither were we!

😘Linda

Happy Birthday, Opa Assink

Both sides of my family are huge. My husband’s family is not so big. So when I tell you that many of the important dates (like birthdays and weddings) seem to fall on almost the same date for both his and mine, you will wonder like I do if our union was not pre-planned. Remember, I do not believe in coincidences.😬

Yesterday was my maternal grandmother’s birthdate. Today is my Dutch husband’s maternal grandfather’s birthdate, August 16, 1871. Grandfather Gerrit Jan Assink lived to be 73 years, which happens to be the exact age of my husband at the moment. But just as my husband, Opa Assink was in fine health. He passed away in October 1944 (almost exactly a year before my husband was born) in the Allied (Martin B-26 Marauder—USAAF) bombing of the train station of Hengelo, The Netherlands. 

Although we never met Opa Assink, we do have a few lovely photos of him and lots of stories of how he grew up from being an orphan with his sister and then later on owning a fruit and vegetable shop with a hard-working wife. If you read Dutch or know how to use Google Translate, you might enjoy reading cousin Gerrit Jan’s http://www.assinks. 

Opa Assink is the stately gentleman at the foot of the stairs (center) at my in-laws’ wedding in 1942. 

😉Linda

Happy Birthday, Mammaw Em

My own mother was born before her mom turned 30. That is no great news, except my mom was child number five. And my mammaw gave birth to four more children after my mom was born in 1925. That same grandmother died at the ripe old age of 98 some 26 years ago. 

What do I remember about the grandmother who complained that my parents never let us stay over unless they stayed, too? 

Or who lived in a house without an indoor toilet until probably the late 1960’s? 

Or one who made a mean pot of chicken and dumplings but who seemed to dirty up all of the pots and pans when preparing it? 

Or traveled an eight hour Continental Trailways bus ride to visit us and looked like she had just stepped out of the beauty shop when she stepped out of the bus? 

Or the same old lady at 71 (my age now😬) that I had to sleep with in the same double bed when she came for a visit? 

Or the grandmother who always wore a dress and usually an apron? 

Or the poor farmer’s wife who made her own furniture out of bits and pieces of old and broken furniture? 

Or the seamstress who not only made clothes for herself and her brood, but stitched up quilts that my own mother later remade? 

Or the mother who lived for years with an unmarried daughter and then outlived that child and one other one?

Happy Birthday, Mammaw Emily Francis New Ridge born on August 15, 1895.

❤️Linda

My Comment to Dutch Journalist’s Article about Walmart

Sometimes my old high school debate experiences from 50 years ago just “rear their angry head.” Today I read an opinion of Walmart written by a famous Dutch journalist who happens to live in the US. I did not like what she wrote, and here is my comment to her: 

August 14, 2019
Dear Ms. DeJong, 
Although my Dutch husband and I live in the US, he reads the NRC every single day. Today he ran across your abominable article about your impression of Walmart. As an American who lived (and sometimes still do live) in The Netherlands for almost 30 years, I also am able to read your opinion of one of the most important stores that I visit at least every other week. Thousands and thousands of Americans are happy to shop at Walmart.

To begin, where we live I have never seen a Walmart in a mall. There is always plenty of parking, and they even have begun an order and pick-up service for the convenience of customers who just do not have time for walking through the store. As for the exchange with the greeter, that is just what they are. Greeters! If you needed assistance finding what you needed (a simple sink stopper), you should have asked your question at the Service desk. Most folks I know just look for the general department and then ask an employee for help if they can not find what they want. Most Walmarts are huge and chock full of all sorts of items in all sorts of prices. I never thought of Walmart as being a “cheap” store. Actually The Netherlands does a far better job of “cheap” stores than where I live in the US.

Just as the unfortunate shoppers in El Paso, Texas, I do not feel afraid when shopping at my local Walmart. Or at any grocery store in the US as far as that goes. Instead of demeaning a grocery chain that is doing its best to provide necessities and more for all communities in the US, perhaps you should have written about the gun laws in the US that need to be changed to protect all people—including those with low hanging pants and bathrobes and slippers.

Linda 

Kokedama String Fern

A few years ago I took a Master Gardeners course and became a Master Gardener with all that entails. Recently my hubby and I spent a couple of days demolishing five raised veggie beds that had filled with weeds and the walls had rotted. So except for a few tomato plants on the front porch and whatever plants have survived the Louisiana heat, that is about as much master gardening as I do these days.

I try to attend the monthly Master Gardeners meetings when we are here, but I discontinued keeping track of my gardening hours after my mom died in October 2015. I am just waiting for our LSU sponsor to reprimand me for that delinquency. Considering my health hasn’t been that great for volunteering gardening help or advice to anyone in a while, maybe I have an excuse. Taking care of my own weeds and struggling plants is work enough in this heat.

Today at our regular MG meeting we had a demonstration for preparing Japanese Kokedama plants. I was really planning on just watching the other members do their thing, since I had not signed up to participate. Then I realized that several members who signed up did not show up for the demonstration, so I dived right in.

Here is my result. A fern plant with its root ball wrapped in wet moss and packed in with clear fishing line. The plant can be displayed in a dish like I did or hanging from a string or macrame hanging. Think I will try an orchid next. Now who will water this when I am traveling?😳

🌿🌺Linda

Potluck Supper Roast

One of my nieces is not a fan of pot roast or roast beef. I think that she calls it “roast beast.” It doesn’t take much cooking skill to prepare a pot roast dinner. It just takes time. Time to prepare the vegetables and also time to cook the meat until it practically falls apart. I think that my mom used this recipe from her mother-in-law Floy Thomas Davidson Chapman, but indeed sometimes Mom’s roast beef was “roast beast.”

 First, Mammaw Chapman’s recipe, and then I will show you mine.

Potluck Supper
(Floy Thomas Davidson Chapman)

1 (7 or 8 pounds) rump or chuck roast
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1 tablespoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons salad/olive oil
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 cup wine or cider vinegar
1 large onion, sliced
4 large cans tomatoes
8 large onions, quartered
12 large potatoes, halved
12 carrots, quartered
1/2 cup water

Flour roast and sprinkle with salt and pepper. (May cut two or three small holes in roast and push in pieces of garlic.) Brown meat in oil in heavy pan over medium heat for 15 minutes, turning frequently. Add oregano, vinegar, onion slices, and tomatoes. Cover and simmer 4 hours, turning roast occasionally. (That 4 hours makes the difference, Em😋)

Add onions, potatoes, carrots, and water. Cover and simmer 1 additional hour or until the vegetables are tender. Add more water, if needed.

Yield:  12 to 16 servings

Linda’s Favorite Roast Beef Dinner

Pot Roast
Prep: 20 Minutes Level: Easy
Cook: 4 Hours Serves: 10
Description
Pot roast, when made according to a few fundamental rules, can be a totally delicious addition to your repertoire. The meat you use is important. My favorite roast is the chuck roast; it has wonderful marbling throughout the meat, and when given an ample amount of time to cook, chuck roast winds up being tender and melt-in-your-mouth delicious.
Ingredients
• 1 whole (4 To 5 Pounds) Chuck Roast
• 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
• 2 whole Onions
• 6 whole Carrots (Up To 8 Carrots)
• Salt To Taste
• Pepper To Taste
• 1 cup Red Wine (optional, You Can Use Beef Broth Instead)
• 2 cups To 3 Cups Beef Stock
• 3 sprigs Fresh Thyme, or more to taste
• 3 sprigs Fresh Rosemary, or more to taste
Preparation
First and foremost, choose a nicely marbled piece of meat. This will enhance the flavor of your pot roast like nothing else. Generously salt and pepper your chuck roast.

Heat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Then add 2 to 3 tablespoons of olive oil (or you can do a butter/olive oil split).

Cut two onions in half and cut 6 to 8 carrots into 2-inch slices (you can peel them, but you don’t have to). When the oil in the pot is very hot (but not smoking), add in the halved onions, browning them on one side and then the other. Remove the onions to a plate.

Throw the carrots into the same very hot pan and toss them around a bit until slightly browned, about a minute or so.

If needed, add a bit more olive oil to the very hot pan. Place the meat in the pan and sear it for about a minute on all sides until it is nice and brown all over. Remove the roast to a plate.

With the burner still on high, use either red wine or beef broth (about 1 cup) to deglaze the pan, scraping the bottom with a whisk to get all of that wonderful flavor up.

When the bottom of the pan is sufficiently deglazed, place the roast back into the pan and add enough beef stock to cover the meat halfway (about 2 to 3 cups). Add in the onion and the carrots, as well as 3 or 4 sprigs of fresh rosemary and about 3 sprigs of fresh thyme.

Put the lid on, then roast in a 275F oven for 3 hours (for a 3-pound roast). For a 4 to 5-pound roast, plan on 4 hours.

Ree Drummond’s recipe