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Tuesday, April 23, 2019

I have the power.

Sunday sunrise - it lied.
I have the power to make it rain.  Or not.  Please feel free to bow to my greatness.  Want rain?  Let me plan a day of errands for you on a day when it is "not" supposed to rain - these errands must be carried out at a distance from your homestead and in places of no cover and crowded parking lots.  Tired of rain?  I will happily come and bring my lemon tree to put on your deck.  It's guaranteed to make the sky as dry as toast.  No payment necessary.  I will just bask in the glow of your adoration.


Pfft.


I had a coconut cream pie to bake on Saturday for the upcoming Easter dinner on Sunday.  I almost had everything I needed.  Figuring I would make a dash north early in the morning to do a ninja shopping (dash in/dash out) because any rain that was forecast was for late afternoon, I raced around, did chores, made a list and off I went.  About halfway to Bennington, the skies opened and stayed that way until I pulled into my driveway.  Then it stopped.  It was magic.  Black magic.  While I was on my way home, I got a text from my sister that both she and Mom were battling colds and could we postpone Easter (or, more precisely, our celebration of same - there are limits to my powers...) until the next Sunday.  Hmm.  Would I mind not spending six hours making a coconut cream pie?  Not in the least!  I put everything away and realized I had grabbed a carton of non-fat half and half.  Sigh.  Really, though.  Why is there such a thing?  I called the store and they said to just bring it back and exchange it.  Heavier sigh.  It's a half-hour drive.  Instead, I donned garden gloves, grabbed a bucket and attacked the garden.  Three hours later, I had weeded out two raised beds, weeded my line of garden tires, clipped all the dead stuff, raked, shuffled the residue out to the woods (trying to levitate through Tickville) and then dragged myself in and made a quart jar of nettle tea.  Yes, I am still on the virtuous road.  Plus, my fresh nettles are popping up all over!  I have to say that I love nettle tea.  I know that drinking spinach-flavored water is not for everyone, but it's the bee's knees for me.  I worked on transplanting the rest of my pepper starts and started some zucchini and more kale (can you ever have too much kale?  I say, no.)


Since Sunday was supposed to be a mostly rainy day, I once again got in my car at the crack of dawn, drove north with my ersatz carton of cream, drove home, pulled up my BGPs and tackled moving my lovely lemon tree outside.  By applying physics and a lot of bad language, I did manage to wrestle it out of the sliding glass door and onto the back deck.  I placed it where it would get the most rain and sun, then cleaned the quail condo before the downpour.  Which never happened.  The skies cleared, sun came out and it hasn't rained since.  See?  Mystical powers!  My neighbor came over and we managed to get two of the willow hybrids pruned - not an easy job and he's finally letting me help (at 84, he has twice the energy that I have, but, still).  I selected a few more willow stems and stuck them in water to root - I have found homes for all the others.  I put up my bluebird house (although I think my timing is slightly off - but I'm hoping they will notice it and make a note for next year).  After ticking a few more things off the list, I went inside to see if there was something I could bake (purely out of self-defense).  Going through my fridge freezer, I came across a gallon bag, crammed full of frozen bananas.  Luckily, I have a great recipe for GF one-bowl banana bread.  Done! 


I tried a new-to-me recipe for dinner, Sweet and Sour Lentils, from one of the volumes in my vast Moosewood collection.  It turned out great - great enough that I am still enjoying it three meals later.


Of course, there is still a list a mile long of spring to-dos.  And there is every chance that I will run out of spring before I run out of things to do before it ends.  And so it goes.  Next weekend is stacking up to be a hair-raiser:  Friday night is a family birthday dinner for my youngest sis, followed by dinner at my place on Saturday with my friend, Cynthia, then Sunday is the new Easter.  I have broken down my pie-making steps to spread them over all three days - both to make sure it's finished and to save my sanity.  Blind bake pie shell Friday.  Custard Saturday.  Whipped cream topping Sunday. Then I am taking a baking hiatus.  Don't tell the barn crew.
The Spring Line-Up


  







25 comments:

Ed said...

I thought perhaps you were playing a late April Fools joke with the non-fat half and half but a google search says you weren't. What will they think of next, full fat celery?

Debra She Who Seeks said...

It's an awesome responsibility to control the weather as you do.

Michelle said...

Yay for an unexpected window of time to get SO MUCH DONE! Oh, Moosewood; how do I love thee? And believe it or not, fat-free half-n-half is all I buy because of the resident cardiac patient. It's full of ingredients I'd rather not ingest, but it works just fine as a substitute when needed and said patient doesn't feel so deprived.

Mama Pea said...

I know, the list of "springtime" chores can never be completed in spring. Ours would be going easier if we weren't still so darn wet out there. Can't even push a wheelbarrow (without flotation devices) from wood pile to wood shed.

I haven't had a coconut creme pie in ever-so-long. Thanks for the suggestion . . . and for not helping in my efforts to lose some of my winter hibernation blubber.

Question, what are those white things on the floor in your "spring line-up" shed?

Susan said...

Really, what is the point of it? I love that - full fat celery! LOL!

Susan said...

Yes. Yes, it is.

Susan said...

I will admit to not having tried it, but it is like having to be GF. GF 'bread' is not bread. But I don't feel quite as deprived.

Susan said...

You're welcome - blubber loves company. Just ask me. Those are flatish stones that I have been gleaning to eventually (as in 20 years) floor my carport. I refuse to pay for gravel when I am living on top of it.

ellen abbott said...

non-fat half and half? wtf is that? how can it be half cream if it's no fat. isn't cream, the stuff you make butter from...fat? sounds like nasty chemical stuff to me. coconut cream pie sounds good. I've done about 90% of my outdoor spring chores. have had time to get it all done except after weeks of outdoor work my steam is seriously depleted. today is a rest day though, overcast and wet, drippy. don't know that I'd actually call it rain cause you could probably walk in between the raindrops and not get wet.

Pioneer Woman at Heart said...

I just did more spring outdoor chores today and sipped nettle tea too. I made a quart jar as well, ha ha! I need to go check on my nettle. Oops. I need to start writing things down, sigh...

Susan said...

I think it is just as Michelle said - when you can't have something because of health reasons, sometimes you just need to THINK you have it. It is like most things gluten free - I can't eat bread products, which I dearly love, but I try to console myself with gluten free bread which is...well, not bread. That must be a Texan phenomenon - rain so sporadic you can walk between raindrops. I could have used that on Saturday.

Susan said...

I'm in good company! The inside of my house is peppered with Post-It notes. I have them on the front door, back door and liberally applied throughout the kitchen.

jaz@octoberfarm said...

i think it's sort of nice to have easter after everyone else's is over! drag the holiday out! i could use some rain if you can do that for me. it keeps missing us and we are dry as can be.

Lynne said...

You seem to have accomplished a lot of chores this week-end, which I think is a good thing. Too bad there is many more to do! ugh! That pie sounds so good. What a nice neighbor to help you like that. It makes you realize there is still niceness in the world. Happy Easter! Take care! xo

Susan said...

You sure are powerful. Is it something to do with the nettle tea?

ErinFromIowa said...

Broken down over three days. I did the same! #babysteps

Retired Knitter said...

Coconut Cream Pie!! It is tied in first place as a favorite with Blue Berry Pie. Gosh I haven't made pies in a long time.

Joanne Noragon said...

That schedule is too complicated for me.

Susan said...

I’ll do what I can....I’ll huff and I’ll puff....

Susan said...

Popeyes has his spinach, I work for nettles.

Susan said...

I know! We can’t wait until spring, then we are exhausted just thinking about what we have to do! xo

Susan said...

Great minds!

Susan said...

Same here - my two favorites:)

Susan said...

Me, too, Joanne. Me, too.

coffeeontheporchwithme said...

Can you also make lightning bolts by flicking your hand in a general direction? That would be so cool! -Jenn