Harvest Monday: April 28

Join us over at Daphne's Dandelions Harvest Monday...and here's my Harvest:

Carrots, The First Artichokes and the Last of the Lemons

Harvest Monday...Yes!

I'm continuing to harvest some very nice lettuces...a couple leeks...and a very small handful of strawberries.  Plant and harvest, plant and harvest...something out and something in.  The soil has warmed up enough to plant more green beans and peppers.  I've planted a few more Russet potatoes for Fall storage.   Joining up with Daphne's Dandelions Harvest Monday.

Harvest Monday...Late

Almost forgot to post!   Joining up with Harvest Monday at Daphne's Dandelions.

4 Types of Lettuce...Lots and Lots in the Garden

Just in time for Easter...they ladies are laying like crazy...this is one days "gift"

Only got a few of these beauties...just haven't done well for me the last couple of years...I'll just keep trying!

What I Wear

When I was selling real estate I was a major clothes horse...I could spend a ton on all kinds of outfits and shoes.  First thing I did after closing my real estate office was to donate all of the clothes and shoes to a local program outfitting homeless women for job interviews...I was glad to get rid of the closets full of clothes and happy to help women in my community.  During my 4 year retirement my daily Spring and Summer "uniform" became a tank top with knit shorts/or denim capris.  In the Winter I wore leggings, sweatshirt type tunics and Uggs.  If I needed to muck out a chicken coop or mow a lawn I had a couple pair of Big Mac overhauls and rubber boots. I had saved back 4 "dress-up" outfits for weddings and funerals.  Now I'm back at work...but when you're the Lunch Lady you don't have to have an appropriate "Uniform".  I started out as a sub and followed my work mates' lead: worn jeans, ugly tee shirts (most with stupid logos) and sneaks...you wear an apron, so who really cares...I DID.  I always felt grubby and kinda' dumb...and I'm not dumb.  When I was made Head Cook and supervised my own kitchen and staff I dressed in nice slacks, white oxford shirt with a dark cardigan...that was too business-like and I was "out-dressing" my boss (she wears nice sports wear...tee shirts and denim capris).  I ordered 5 pair of Chef's baggy pants in different patterns (food and garden patterns) and matching solid colored knit tops.  Bingo!  The perfect outfit for the School Lunch Lady...no hair net... no yucky tee shirts, or whiskers on my chin. On their own, my staff started wearing hospital scrubs and boy do they look spiffy.  My original chef's pants are just starting to wear out, so I'm making new ones...the kids are going to love these, they're a cross between scrubs and Chef's wear!

An my Granddaughter has taken up sewing, so we now sew together...this table has four sewing machines set up on it!  She's making an apron for her mom...actually she's taking out a seam on her apron and will re-sew it...we both are sticklers for perfection!  Everything is more fun when you have a partner!

My Secret Stash

I make my own laundry soap...have for years.  My husband is a Tide Man...his Mom was a Tide Mom.  So, to keep the peace I make laundry soap and pour it in a big almost empty bottle of Tide...the bottle contains about an 1/8th of the liquid Tide.  My husband is none the wiser...I just keep the 5 gallons of "homemade" stuff in the storage space under the staircase.  I have a front loader washer and the homemade stuff works just fine.  Twice a year I do a special "bleach and blue" on all of the "whites"...they can get dingy...but I noticed they got dingy with the full strength Tide, too.  Today after making my semi-annual laundry soap I gathered up all of the whites and did some bleaching and bluing...mmmmmm...very nice!  Now out on the line for a bit of California sunshine! It's 80 degrees with a slight breeze...perfect weather for doing the laundry!

Promises

Artichokes

Strawberries

The garden is teasing me with the first of her many promises:

Tomato

Onion

Figs

Today

I'm harvesting some fantastic lettuce from the garden daily.  I have a tray of transplants ready and waiting...as a lettuce is harvested a lettuce transplant replaces it...along with a small scoop of my awesome new compost.  If all goes well, I'll have daily lettuce until the middle of June and then I'll replant in August for lettuce daily from Fall to Early Summer.  There's just such a short period of time it's too hot for lettuce.  I then turn to roasted corn and black bean salads; tomato, onion and cucumber salads; tomato, basil and mozzarella salads, chilled 3 bean salad, but I do miss a nice crisp leafy salad during that period of time.