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Friday, June 26, 2015

Sorry, more about those long beans!

Thank you Connie, and thank you Shirley Cox...two new followers. You know, I don't think I mentioned or thanked some followers in the past and I feel just awful about that. Please know that I appreciate you all and your friendship so much.


I left some of the flower heads on the dill because they were so very pretty and also because the flowers were simply covered in insects. Maybe even beneficial insects! I do want the dill to keep growing so I'm cutting the flower heads off most the plants, like you suggested.

The yard long beans were delicious! Delicious! I had picked only four of the long beans, so I ran back to the teeny tiny garden and picked two more. Then cut the beans into smaller pieces and stir fried in olive oil and garlic. Poppy ate a piece or two. I asked, what do you think? "They're alright", he answered. That's about as close to a compliment as Poppy ever gets. Ever! About anything! 


I didn't take the laundry basket to the garden to pick beans in this morning but did carry my largest granite ware pan.


 How pretty to look inside the crookneck squash vine. Mama thought crookneck yellow squash were the best, but only if the squash were picked while small and tender. 


A few of the squash on the bottom here are too big. Yep, I missed going to the garden one day.


Big lovable Eli is so irresistible, it keeps me busy taking pictures...but look...


Weetie, the real guard dog at the garden this morning. Seriously, This little dog would probably give her life for me. She stands faithfully on this old bench while I am in the garden. She will not leave me. 

Poppy and I rescued Weetie a few years ago. A family moved away and left her alone in the country to fend for herself. She was hidden in the woods for several days, we could hear her whining. Then one day Poppy and I were working outside and spotted her. She was lonely and hungry but afraid to come to us. All it took was a few kind words and a hand held out. 

Weetie is now happy and healthy. She does have a serious heart murmur but she sees the vet often and is on a daily heart pill...and is a touch overweight. We sure love her. Did I tell you that she bit the Direct TV repairman? Well, she did. I think he may have reminded her of her former owner. 

Need to get busy. I may have to run from a storm later. Poppy works until 6:00 tonight. Seriously, I am trying hard to not be afraid of thunderstorms...something I inherited from my dear sweet Mother. The sound of thunder and my first thought is "RUN"! There is a cozy little thrift store in downtown. Now that's a handy little place to be during a storm. Lots to keep one's mind off lightening and thunder.

Hope to be back soon.

Love,
Henny 


40 comments:

  1. I'm afraid of storms too...the other night I just pulled the bedclothes over my head and tried to pretend the storm wasn't there.
    Jane x

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    1. I've done that too. So good to hear from you again Jane.

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  2. Hi Henny- You have a wonderful little garden already. Things really grow for you. I am just now seeing beans and tomatoes growing here. One out of 5 tomato plants have three tomatoes and my yellow beans are doing well. My herbs are coming along nicely. We have been so busy just cleaning up this property since building that we have not found time yet to put a decent veggie garden in. Things will be very different next year. How sweet that you rescued that little dog. How people can be so cruel is beyond me but I have seen the worst. I volunteered for an animal shelter for years and it really opened my eyes. :( We, who love animals, try our best to right the wrongs. It's very sad. But...he is a very happy, lucky dog. Bless his heart. I never get enough of Eli. Snap away. We are in for a big storm this Sunday. Lots of rain coming. I love your old granite bowl. Granite-ware always reminds me of my grandmother's summer kitchen many years ago. :) Deb

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    1. Thank you Deb. If you only knew how many poor plants I've killed over the years. Thankfully I've gotten a little better at gardening. :) I don't understand either how people can harm innocent animals. It is a constant worry for me. Glad we have people like you.

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  3. That photo taken through the middle of your squash plant is gorgeous. I love how the light shines through those hollow stems. I am a lover of dill, I think it is so pretty and I often add it to my bouquets in the summer. Thank you for the thank you . . . I am delighted that we found each others blogs:)

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    1. I guess that is the prettiest squash plant I've ever grown. Every day I go to the garden expecting to see squash bugs. Once they find the plant, it over! Dill would be pretty in a bouquet. Thank you!

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  4. Weetie sure was lucky to find such loving new people. I hope you did go to the thrift store to take your mind off that storm.

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    1. Thank you. We were lucky and never got a storm. Today, however, is supposed to be stormy with that front coming through. I'm planning to visit that thrift store! :)

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  5. I think it might be a 'girlie thing' being afraid of thunderstorms, especially since they tend to do some sort of damage along the way.
    My Oliver cat comes running at the first sound of thunder.
    Those beans sound delicious.....and the squash is beautiful. I sautéed squash and Vidalia sweet onions yesterday, I could have eaten then 'til they ran out of my ears :)
    Hope you have a cooler weekend, rain moving in here in Tennessee.
    Your pets are so lucky to have found such a caring home....
    Hugs,
    ~Jo

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    1. The squash and sweet onions sounds delicious. I need to try that. Usually I stew the squash with onion, seasoned with, what else, but fat back grease. If we can get through the storms today, tomorrow is supposed to be beautiful...low humidity! Thank you Jo.

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  6. Awww I love this post! I love the pictures of weetie!! He is such a cutie! I wish someone would leave a dog for me!!! I have little squash and cucumbers coming on. I can not wait to eat one. I just wish it would keep raining here it is so dry. The pastures are dry.

    Love you

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    1. I heard Seagrove mentioned on the news last night...the storm warnings. Hopefully you got some rain and too many bad storms. I'm enjoying a few squash and cucumbers too. Can't wait for the tomatoes! Love you Vicki!

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  7. I'm not afraid of thunderstorms, but I don't want them too close either. How sad to abandon your pet, looks like she's got a good home now.

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    1. It's awful to be so afraid of storms! Yes, I can't imagine being able to move away and leave a pet behind.

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  8. Sweetie was lucky to find a home with you. It was interesting to hear his story and I had to laugh that such a little thing took on the tv repair man and bit him! I can never see too many pictures of Eli and his gorgeous tail. I think I want to grow those beans next year! They sound wonderful.

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    1. Hey Cynthia. Oh I was horrified when she bit him on the leg. It scared the man but the bite didn't really hurt him. Thankfully, he was nice about it. Hope you will try these long beans. They are fun to grow and delicious!

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  9. There's no better food than that which comes directly out of the garden.

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    1. Red, that is so true. No comparison to what we buy at the grocery store.

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  10. that sweet little dog deserves a good home after such gruel previous owners. So glad you found each other. Do your dogs get scared in thunderstorms? My little dog is gone over 24 years and I still think of her hiding when a thunderstorm hits.

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    1. No, none of our animals now are afraid of storms. We had a Lab several years ago who was just as afraid as I am. She would take off running. Poppy and I both worked full time then. One evening a man who lives about five miles from here called to say he found "Susie" hiding in his barn. She showed up there during a storm. Susie was a good dog. She lived to be about fifteen years old.

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  11. Well, I hope the thunderstorm missed you or, if not, that you made it to the thrift store in time to hide out. It's funny how being afraid during storms seems to run in families. I guess it's learned behavior. I remember Mama saying how surprised she was after she married Daddy that all the Stafford's would run and get under the bed when it came up a storm. Weird. I don't think any of them had ever been in a serious storm so it wasn't a result of a traumatic experience which may very well account for that being a worrisome situation to deal with for some people.

    Weetie looks to be a wonderful watchdog even though she is so small. It's interesting how animals seem to really realize that someone has rescued them and return that with true and steadfast devotion.

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    1. That being afraid does run in families. Mama used to talk about how afraid her Mother was of storms. I don't think any of them were ever hurt or went through a terrible storm, as far as I know. That getting under the bed is funny. Weetie is good little watch dog. She thinks that she is as bit as Eli.

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  12. Your garden crops look wonderful.
    I thinks it;s great that Weetie is so protective. .

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    1. Thank you Linda. Hope you all are enjoying being home from your trip!

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  13. The bounty of your garden looks fantastic and your two dogs look adorable. Dogs are such faithful companions, aren't they?

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    1. Thank you! Dogs are faithful companions! I can't imaging not having a dog.

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  14. Your produce looks great! I have never tried the yard long beans maybe next year./

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    1. Thank you so much! Do try those beans. I hope to grow them again next year.

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  15. Hi Henny Penny, Found you on dear Connie's site. I grew yard long beans once and want to do it again next year. Will have to remember to buy some seeds! Your Eli is just beautiful and Weetie looks so sweet. I do have a blog http://cozythymecottage.blogspot.com/ but you have such a gift for writing. Nancy

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    1. Oh my goodness Nancy! Thank you for such a nice compliment. I'm so glad you stopped by which led me to your blog. I have really enjoyed these long green beans and now don't remember where I found the pack of seeds...it was just luck, but I do want to grow them again next year.

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  16. Your dogs are as cute as can be. I once got caught out by a storm in Perth WA and took shelter in a large store. On wandering around I discovered that they had a quilting section, when the rain finally stopped I had bought so much fabric that I had to do some fancy dumping and shuffling to get through the baggage weigh in on the journey home. I ended up wearing 3 layers of clothes and filling my pockets with things. I still have a few little remnants floating about.

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    1. Pam, that is so funny! I dashed into a Goodwill store last summer during a storm. Waiting out a storm gives you plenty of time to look at everything! And, buy a lot!

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  17. I really do't like people who dump animals. Weetie is a lucky little dog.
    I especially love your beans. They look great! Olive oil and garlic. I need to remember that. Sounds delicious. :-)
    Have a wonderful Sunday. ♥

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    1. I don't like them either. We live on a long dirt path which is the perfect place to dump unwanted animals. It is so pitiful. Do try the yard long beans. The are so easy to grow and grow fast! Best of all they taste so good. It's rare for me to grow something that turns out like it is supposed to. :)

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  18. Weetie was certainly blessed finding you to love and cherish him and Eli never ceases to please me, he is such a gentle giant. The beans sound delicious the way you cooked them.

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    1. We were pretty blessed to find her too. She is actually the best guard we have ever had. Thank you.

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  19. Eli needs his own couch! I like that Weetie will protect you, I had a dog like that once he would sit on my foot and show his teeth to people he didn't know. I miss that dog. :)

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    1. The couch is supposed to be my spot. The big chair is his. :) I bet that dog that sat on your foot and showed his teeth would have torn somebody apart if they touched you. We needed a dog like Weetie.

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  20. What a sweet story about your little Weetie! She's adorable. And Eli, I look at the pictures of him and imangine what it would be like to hug him and hold him! He's so fluffy and huggable looking! Beautiful too! How do you keep him so white and clean? As always I love your post about every day life at your sweet home. I am going through a really difficult family crisis right now and your site brings me joy and helps make my day happier! Thanks so much!
    Darlene from Caif.

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    1. Darlene, thank you. Your comments are always so sweet and encouraging. I'm sorry to hear that you are going through a hard time right now. I sure hope everything turns out okay. You seem like such a nice person. I'm thinking about you. Hennny

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