Okra, Beans, Tomatoes, and Aunt Berlie

Finally got around to cutting the okra and picking the beans! 

Not the prettiest beans I've ever seen, but snapped and cooked, really good!  Poppy loves fried okra, so do I, but...the fat!!!  So, I fried a frying pan full for Poppy and oven roasted several small pods for me!!!  With a little thought, extra effort (and one more dirty pan to wash) those of us wanting to lose a pound or two don't have to do without.  The roasted okra was really tasty...I need to throw several vegetables onto the roasting pan...Tossing vegetables in a bowl with just one tablespoon of olive oil, salt, and pepper is sufficient for roasting.

The tomatoes are plentiful and good this summer.  What a treat to have home grown tomatoes!!!  Those little hard, pale, tomatoes we buy all winter in the grocery stores, can't even compare!!!  Mowing up around the garden fence yesterday, I could not resist picking a red tomato and eating it on the spot.  Ah, that reminds me...cousins of mine used to love, as they called it, "mater biscuits"!!!  A cold left-over from breakfast biscuit, split in half, spread with mayonnaise, topped with a slice of red juicy tomato right out of the garden.  If the garden is a "right good walk" from the house, it's wise to carry a cold biscuit with you!!!  Never know what you might find to put in that biscuit!!!

Is this picture a touch blurry or is my eyes?? :) Summer is passing quickly...we need to enjoy these vegetables while we have them.  

As long as we have lived here in the country I've wanted a fig tree.  One had just started to grow when a Vole ate off the roots.  The fig tree just fell over when I touched it.  I was able to root one limb from that fig and plant it in a different spot.  Since cutting some of the trees in the yard, to let in more sun, this fig has started growing and even has a few small figs.  The beauty berry bush growing in front of the fig...volunteered and came up.  It needs to be moved this fall...

Back in the 1950's (50's again!!)  Aunt Berlie had an enormous fig tree in her yard...between two old outbuildings.  It would be covered in big sweet figs.  Had to be careful walking around barefoot under that fig tree.  Some of the big fat ripe figs would fall to the ground and Yellow Jackets loved the sweetness too...their sting hurts terribly bad, and keeps on hurting.  Oh, I could write a book about Aunt Berlie but I don't have time!  Aunt Berlie lived alone in a big old house and I loved spending time with her.  Aunt Berlie loved having me with her too.  Her only child, a daughter, was away at college.  Aunt Berlie had a small fenced-in garden with a little gate...that's why I now love a little fenced-in garden with a gate.  Aunt Berlie would say to me, "come on, lets go cut us a little toothbrush".  She knew what kind of tree to cut the twig from...a small straight twig, the end frayed by chewing it, I suppose.  It was used to swish around in your mouth.  Aunt Berlie secretly enjoyed a tiny bit of snuff.  That's what the toothbrush was for.  Occasionally, I would have a little cocoa and sugar mixed and in my very own little snuff can too.  

There was an attic in Aunt Berlie's house.  Occasionally, we would go up in the attic.  There were lots of old Sears Roebuck catalogs stored there and I could pick out one.  We called it "cutting out of the catalog"!! :)  Paper dolls, clothes, furniture, dishes, anything and everything needed to set up a paper doll house.  There was also a child's white rocking chair and a very large beautiful rag doll that belonged to Virginia, Aunt Berlie's daughter.  I loved to sit in that chair and hold the doll.  Aunt Berlie and I would sit up late, some nights til almost 11:00 putting together a puzzle.  Getting to bed late, I would crawl to the far side of the big iron bed and then Aunt Berlie would get in beside me.  She then reached for the string that was tied to the small chain hanging from the light bulb high over head...that long string was then tied to the bed post.  "good night"!!!

I've got to get busy...watch Poppy walk in and here I sit...

Love,
Henny Penny