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3 12, 2018

My Texas Green Thumb

By |2018-11-30T07:58:32-06:00December 3rd, 2018|Writer's Life|1 Comment

Gardeners claim green thumbs if their plants do well.

When we lived in Colorado, if you didn’t have a green house, the growing season was only about two months long. Hardly long enough for anything to grow to maturity and bear blooms or fruit. A green thumb didn’t produce much to brag about.

I was so excited to return to Texas and reclaim my green thumb status. Except, I forgot two things:

  1. White tail Deer and other varmints
  2. Texas weather

While wildlife is lovely to watch, the varmints do munch on flowers, fruit trees, and vegetable gardens. Living in a certified Wildlife Habitat, it’s unfair to discourage the critters.

I’ve tried to grow my favorites. Rose bushes lasted hardly a week and that was with something called “Deer Away” sprinkled around. The geraniums and caladiums didn’t make it overnight.

Mostly I’ve been container gardening around the patio and porch. The four-legged creatures rarely venture into the backyard thanks to our Finnegan, see his head in the picture of the nubby spider plant. Deer don’t understand he’s more afraid of them than they are of him.

Who knew deer or squirrels like citronella and spider plants?

 

The bigger issue is Texas winter weather.

We’ve already had several hard freezes, which is very unusual for November in this part of the state. I draped twenty-odd sheets over azaleas, spider plants, hydrangeas, four o’clocks, and cannas. Left them covered for days. Not a problem to do with multiple nights of freezing temperatures or months of cold temperatures.

But these yo-yo temps make it hard. You no sooner pack the sheets away and there’s another freeze warning.

Some like my rosemary do fine covered. The Texas Star Hibiscus turned to sticks anyway. So did some of the canna leaves. Others like the zinnias totally died.

I’ve taken to opening the back door after an evening weather forecast for a frost or freeze and shouting to the plants: “It’s going to be very cold tonight. You’re on your own.”

Don’t think me cruel or uncaring, all the tender potted plants live in the garage from when temps start staying consistently cooler. FYI, that’s around forty degrees in these parts and usually means from December to January.

My poor green thumb is pale, my yard kinda bare now, but there are lots of animals, large and small, to watch.

26 11, 2018

Family Traditions around the Thanksgiving Table

By |2018-11-25T19:22:27-06:00November 26th, 2018|Holidays, Make Me Think Monday|1 Comment

Our children are married with families of their own and some of their children are married so our attendee number for holidays varies every year.

This Thanksgiving we were only missing the members living out-of-state. The rest of the clan – all seventeen of them – arrived with their traditional offerings to share.

Daughter #2 served as hostess and prepared a Pioneer Woman brine turkey that was moist and tasty and the dressing and homemade cranberry sauce. Her traditional chess pies were baked this year by her step-daughter. Tradition remained though the cook varied. As she said, “it’s good to pass the torch.”

Daughter #1 brought pecan-crusted sweet potatoes and a bag full of yummy baked goods like cranberry orange bread, enough for all to carry home. And, a can of jellied cranberry, a husband’s favorite.

One Aunt brought deviled eggs and brown-and-serve rolls, her annual contributions. She served the eggs on a special egg dish of another gone-to-glory aunt. We felt her presence, smiling down from heaven.

Another Aunt brought her special recipe cheese ball. This was the first Thanksgiving she and her husband weren’t together in their fifty years together. His Parkinson kept him at his Memory Care home. The beginning of new tradition, we’re hoping.

Granddaughter #1 brought her husband’s family tradition – a pound cake made by his grandmother’s recipe. A new tradition, we all agreed when she and hubby join our festivities. Newly married, they alternate holidays between their families. We had them this Thanksgiving.

Step-daughter’s mom joined in with homemade mash potatoes that were creamy and smooth. We’re counting on a repeat performance for next year’s Thanksgiving feast.

I contributed the scalloped corn and the classic green bean casserole and an orange pineapple jello salad no one has eaten since they were toddlers. I can’t seem to stop myself

A vintage 1950s fall tablecloth covered one of the tables. A remnant from family or a prize antique shop purchase, no one remembers. It’s just always been around along with the honeycomb tissue paper turkey in the center of the table.

Pepa carved the bird and grandchildren lined up for first tastes of slices from the carver himself. We all know nothing tastes better.

The football game played on the very large screen TV. Grandsons and Pepa cheered their team to victory.

The granddogs, banished to the bedroom, quietly wondered at all the commotion and Auntie’s dog, who came along, relished the pats and extra laps.

All in all a lovely day filled with traditions that remind me of Tevye’s words in the song from Fiddler on the Roof.

“Tradition. Without our traditions, our lives would be as shaky as… as a fiddler on the roof!”

But I was also reminded Thanksgiving traditions, while lovely and touching, aren’t based on the things on the table or around the table but in the love that surrounds us.

22 11, 2018

Thanksgiving Blessing

By |2018-11-22T06:51:07-06:00November 22nd, 2018|Holidays|2 Comments

Today is Thanksgiving Day in the United States. The day to think about all the things we are thankful for. You, our readers, are top of the thankful list for Chicken Wrangler Sara and me. We offer this Irish blessing for you and yours.

Happy Thanksgiving!

19 11, 2018

Let the Holiday Shopping Begin

By |2018-11-13T16:58:29-06:00November 19th, 2018|A Writer's Life, Book Release Announcement|2 Comments

Good news for those of you who have started your shopping already. I have a new release to offer.

Book Blurb

When David Sands lost his wife, he promised he’d sell their condo contents and donate proceeds to their non-profit that supports families of MIA and POW soldiers. He’s been procrastinating for three years.

Debra Hughes, antiques business partner and best friend to David’s late wife, promised to look after David, to help him through his grief. Debra kept her promise to her friend, but the strong feelings she developed for David rocked her calm world.

Now the estate executor requires David to fulfill his promise and hires Debra to oversee the antiques sale. Will David and Debra be able to work in close proximity without avowing their love and declaring new promises -- this time to one another?

It’s taken awhile to get this one written. Lots of life erupting, but at long last Book 4 of the  PROMISES series is here.

There are now four published novels telling a continuous story of two men and one woman who met at Eighth Army Headquarters, Yongsan, South Korea in the sixties.

The idea for these stories came from my days as a Department of Army Civilian at Headquarters, Eighth Army. Though the books are completely fictional, you’ll find much from my days in South Korea sprinkled throughout.

Each sequel is a standalone novel that chronicles the stories of Lily Johnson, Alex Cabot, David Sands, and Shirley Carlson from the turbulent Vietnam War years through the decades that follow. To paraphrase a reviewer of the series, if you were around in the sixties, you will be immersed with memories. If you weren’t around then, you’ll understand better what it was like.

Buy links are in the column on the right. Simply click on the book cover. Or click here for my Amazon author page.

16 11, 2018

Candy Corn Fan Club

By |2018-11-11T16:51:43-06:00November 16th, 2018|Miller Farm Friday|0 Comments

A blog by Chicken Wrangler Sara

I’ve discovered there are two kinds of people in the world – those who love candy corn and those who don’t.  Guess which group includes me. <grin>

I wrote a Candy Corn Song (to the tune of “Oh Christmas Tree”)

Oh candy corn, Oh candy corn

You are my favorite candy.

Oh candy corn, oh candy corn

I think you’re fine and dandy.

You are the one I like to eat

Because you are so very sweet.

Oh candy corn, oh candy corn

You are my favorite candy.

I make candy corn cookies:I even dress the part: My mom supports my habit.  She bought me these place mats:One year she sent me a candy corn shirt which I proudly wear every October.  This year I discovered a fellow candy corn fan at my new school.  She just may be my favorite student!

12 11, 2018

Why Red and Blue for Political Parties?

By |2018-11-11T17:01:25-06:00November 12th, 2018|Make Me Think Monday|0 Comments

Mid-term Election 2018 campaigning is over. No more political robocalls. No more political ads. Are you as relieved as I am?

There’s a no politics policy here on the blog so we’re not discussing election results.

Instead, we’re going to look at how color designations for the two political affiliations came into being.

So why use red and blue colors to identify political affiliations? The simple answer is those colors project more clearly on screens, but there is more to the story.

Most of us are so accustomed to watching the United States map turn red or blue on our television screens as election returns are tallied we forget for many decades television broadcasts were black-and-white and color didn’t matter. A check mark beside the totaled vote indicated the winner.

Also remember for the first 40-plus presidential races newspapers were the only means of relaying results. There was no television!

SOURCE: Here

But, as you can see on this chart from Philip Bump’s article in The Fix, prior to 1988, networks chose whatever color they wanted to designate state wins by political party. Red designated Democratic wins and blue or yellow Republican wins.

By 1992, networks switched the color designations, settling on red-for-Republican, blue-for-Democrat. That assignment solidified with the historic election of 2000 and all the missing chads.

For those too young to remember that election, Al Gore won Florida and then he didn’t; George Bush won Florida and then he didn’t.

For weeks, the public had no idea who the next president would be.

The media spent hours upon hours discussing maps of the states and speculating how Bush or Gore might win. Commentator discussions centered on election night maps. States that voted Republican were colored red and states voting Democratic noted in blue.

The shorthand usage of the specific color simplified reporting. Red states meant Republican electoral votes and blue states meant Democratic electoral votes. The party color association became firmly established.

Nothing prevents the colors from changing, but it’s become so familiar there’s no reason to think it will. Not when election night audiences understand the code.

Want to read more history: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2016/11/08/red-vs-blue-a-brief-history-of-how-we-use-political-colors

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