From My House To Yours

Waiting

Not as bad as it was the other day -

still not the kind of weather I want to be out in.

Ash is falling from the sky.

Not good to be out breathing that all inside especially with covid19 hovering about.

Sunflower Autumn Beauty (Helianthus Annuus)

This Sunflower Autumn Beauty mix produces blooms ranging in colors: gold, yellow, rusty red, burgundy, and bi-colors. The blooms range in size from 5 - 10 inches in diameter.

The blooms range in size from 5 - 10 inches in diameter. Once established, Sunflower plants are somewhat drought and heat tolerant. They will flower mid-summer through fall. Birds are attracted to the seeds.

The rest of my sunflowers are spent - I just need to get out there and harvest the seed heads.

A smokey Saturday

I wanted to share this the other day - on my Red Barns post, but couldn't find my photo.

This barn is around the corner from where I live. Having always lived in a city/metro/urban area, seeing a barn so close to me, is a thrill. I would cry if for any reason the barn had to be torn down.

A droopy sunflower - kinda represents how I feel these days - BLAH!

This is that other variety of sunflowers - should be blooming soon and it won't be the classic yellow.

golds, browns, and oranges.

Stunted sunflower - 6 ft tall with a little flower.

Yes, I know...we need to scrape and paint our trim. It won't be happening this year.

Marigolds seem to love the heat - So pretty.

Enchiladas

My mom's Ground Beef Enchiladas

If I can't do major projects -

I can at least cook. Made these last night for dinner. Simple and easy.

My favorite enchilada is shredded beef.

Every family has its own unique recipe for simple enchiladas. As a child, I lived in San Francisco and our neighborhood was mostly Hispanic. Our next-door neighbor used to make homemade corn or flor tortillas and hand them out as a snack to the neighborhood kids. Sometimes warm with butter! I haven't had one since, that was as tasty.

I just use a standard enchilada sauce from a can. Hey, I never said I was a gourmet. I can't get the sauce right when I have attempted to do it from scratch so I gave up. I switch back and forth - last night I used La Victoria.

Something I learned after much trial and error is to not over sauce your tortilla - it will fall apart. The sauce it has on it after frying the tortilla is sauce enough - I put some sauce in the meat mixture and the bottom of the pan. I heat it up in the oven and then place the heated sauce on top, just before serving. It's just for my husband and me - it's not like I am feeding a restaurant.

I also use stone-ground yellow corn tortillas - they hold up better when fried and sauced. I used

Mi Rancho. They were local when I lived in Redwood City.

I use pepper jack cheese - NEVER cheddar! I add fresh onions and some sliced black olives.

Backlogged

I can post pretty photos of my garden but the TRUTH is -

inside, my house is a mess. At least it is to me.

With a temporarily disabled husband - out with a broken toe, things are piling up. He keeps a clutter of things piled next to him and that drives me nuts. The backyard is incomplete - weeds are growing on the hill that is too big for me to pull out and between the heat or unhealthy air due to the smoke, I need some help here - Hopefully, he will be cleared by Sept 17.

I hate to spend money on a gardener or a housecleaner. I can do it - I'm just backlogged. and running out of time. It may be in the 100's now but when Fall comes, it usually brings a bit of winter with it. I just paid for a teenager to mow the backyard for $20. He did an okay job. It already needs to be mowed again...

I lean toward being a minimalist inside my house. If I could get by with it, I'd go extreme -

In my old age, I want clean, no clutter, and hardly anything to dust.

When I was a young mommy, I was into all the country decorating stuff and my house was clean but cluttered with knick-knacks. I loved it back then - now, not so much. I like it a little, I just don't know if it is for me anymore. I've thrown out most of that old stuff a couple of years ago. Dust bothers me and too much clutter only breeds more dust. Plus my house has to be the dustiest house ever! Next year I want my ducts cleaned out.

I miss when we were actively cleaning up and painting and doing work on our home.

Painting the interior of the house, 5 or more years ago.

Installing wood flooring in the hallway.

I love doing home projects and I fear he is getting sick of it. The man needs a break. Me? I'm a workaholic when it comes to fixing up my house. I think it's my favorite hobby!

A few years back I painted all the kitchen cabinets.

I added beadboard paintable wallpaper on the cabinet doors.

It turned out nice and I must get a recent photo - with all the changes.

Last year, we changed out the disgusting white Formica for wood countertops.

Yeah, I miss having a project to do.

However, we need to get the place uncluttered after 6 mos of quarantine -

if we do want to pursue our next project.

I feel my age and it's frustrating not being able to do all that I want to do.

Red Barns

This barn was in Wisconsin - taken back in Oct 2010.

I want to paint our shed a barn red. I love red barns.

Not Fisher-Price RED but a nice, weathered barn red.

Here is another barn in Wisconsin, back when we visited my husband's dad.

(before he relocated back to California)

I wish I could imitate those silos - but that would be a bit of a stretch.

The last day of August

I forget what these pretty vining flowers are called -

They are about 3 years old and this spring, I transplanted them to a part of my front yard that has morning sun and afternoon shade and they are thriving.

The taller sunflowers are starting to bloom but their flower head is smaller than usual.

The raised bed has some sunflowers I planted - not the Russian Mammoth but these are a mixture - and not the yellow - they should be orange and browns.

I've never planted this type before and I am looking forward to it.

And hopefully, by the end of Sept, the patio will finally be completed. The husband goes back to the foot doctor on Sept 17. Maybe a week of work...

This time last year I was busy crafting away - I had turned a room in my home, for crafts and sewing. Then my adult kids were flooded out of their apartment and lived with us for 1 month. So I packed it all up. When they left, it was close to Christmas - and then one thing led to another and I never got around to it. Then the pandemic and depression and just more excuses.

I hope things will change for me soon.

Sunflower Jelly by the Nerdy Farm Wife

I found this post from another blog and since it was about Sunflowers I wanted to share it.

I want to do this next year. I thought it was lovely.

Sunflower Jelly

She also has 2 recipes for a Sunflower Soap.

My pond

A lily or a rose never pretends, and its beauty is that it is what it is.

Jiddu Krishnamurti

‘ Like The Water Hyacinth ‘

The water hyacinth

floats with flotsam

and refuse goes along so smooth

Surfs, ducks, bobs, to tide

sunk nearly drowned but not drowned

spin, rise, resolute

Down under with roots

marine mammals, fishes kiss

Their best sanctuary

With the symbiosis

I envy water hyacinth

Just the way they are

It just goes along

With the nature of water

Why not for friendship

Water lily

beautiful it is

but unaware

even when fought over

August 24

“If the 24th of August be fair and clear, Then hope for a prosperous autumn that year.”

Gardening - wood ash can be good

Due to fires that consume my state, ash and smoke fill the air, making it unsafe to go outside.

The sun is blotted out with only an orange glow that can be seen through the haze.

But did you know that wood ash from forest fires can actually be good?

I was thinking, this ash falling from the sky couldn't be good for the trees and plants but I was wrong. It's not like a dump truck full of wood ash is smothering the plants and trees.

The ashes fall and gently distributes the only good we can get out of a wildfire. HOPE!

Our plants, trees, scrubs, and the soil, benefit - by the added nutrients as the falling ash repairs the soil, adding potassium, and a liming effect - that reduces soil acidity.

Not to mention a natural pest repellent.

Forest and wildfires are devastating. I'm just trying to find some positivity by having to stay indoors.

The end of a bad season

I wish I could say this little harvest of red grapes were from this year. This was last year.

We were really hoping this year would be bigger and better.

The husband trellised them and we trained them at first...all was looking well.

We had the baby grapes - and then the HOT weather came, which in itself isn't abnormal,

we just obviously didn't protect the babes.

Then they were invaded by little white bugs - when the water would hit them, they would be hundreds of these itty bitty buys that would fly out from among the vines and swarm me. It was disgusting.

When the temperature finally went down into 98 yesterday, we finally whacked the vines down.

That is it. It is done.

They are to the side of our house - FULL sun till around 6pm or so.

No homemade grapevine wreaths this year.