I Found Time To Blog!

Well, had to have some dental surgery done and to look on the bright side...I'm lying on the sofa up to my eyeballs in gauze and vicodin and thought I'd see if I could pull together a quick post! 

My teeth have been causing me problems my entire life.  Braces at 10 that stayed on until I was 14 and then when they were finally removed I had the enamel so softened my dentist likened it to chalk. Fifteen years ago I had dental veneers put on and was okay with them up until last year...then they started to "fail".  As my new dentist says: "Nothing lasts forever".  So one of the perks of the new job is dental insurance (one of 3 reasons why I went back to work).  Yesterday I started my journey into the world of dental implants...no my insurance doesn't cover implants, BUT wiggling the rules a bit I can have all the work done up to the titanium rods implanted (I pay for that out of pocket) and then the dental plate will be modified to fit the rods.  Yesterday I had a molar removed and two bony obstructions called tori removed...ouch!  Because my front and side bottom teeth are perfect (miracle)...only my molars were bad, I will not have bottom implants, but a bridge...my top teeth will be implants.  I'll have the implant surgery done over my Christmas vacation...in fact December 27th.  Yeah!  And no, my new dentist son-in-law is not my dentist...he's such a great guy I didn't want to traumatize him!  I think he's very grateful I didn't ask him to do the work!  I took Friday off for the surgery and will be back to work on Monday....

Work has been crazy.  We are implementing the new USDA National School Lunch Program Guidelines.  This includes salad bars.  Our workload has been doubled.  We did get the okay to hire a new cook and I'll be interviewing week after next...good news...sorta'.  I've already trained two new cooks since I was made Head Cook...and now another...lots of work and more patience than I have.  The actual food prep and cooking are not the problem...it's all of the paperwork! Tons and tons of record keeping...between ordering, inventory, USDA record keeping and personnel record keeping I never get it all done...sometimes I just walk away from it all and go into the kitchen and cook my heart out...it feels good to get away from all of that paper. USDA changes the rules daily...it is so frustrating to try and keep up...ah: government!

Jalapeno, Poblano, Big Jim's (Southwestern), Fresno and Pasilla

5 Pepper Varieties Getting Processed

5 Pepper Jelly

The Last Of The Bells

Ready For The Freezer Then The Food Saver and
Back To The Freezer

Now that almost all of the Summer garden has been pulled out, I'm looking forward to enjoying my Winter garden.  I planted all of my Winter favorites: broccoli, kale, cabbage, cauliflower, chard, carrots, beets, radishes, lettuces, Brussels sprouts, lots of herbs and flowers.  I had to plant the cole crops a couple of times: cabbage worms and wayward chickens. I keep thinking it's going to cool off...not yet...90 degrees today and yesterday...100 next week.




The Last of Corn...We Were Lucky...Plenty of Water
And Great Weather

Our ranch harvests are going very well.  We have harvested half of the corn acreage, a third of the  rice and the almonds just have the late varieties left.  The butternut squash and watermelon are still in the field...soon they will be over-ripe enough for the seed harvesters.  My son Sam had an early crop of processing tomatoes and I missed that harvest...he's harvesting black eyed beans (we don't call them peas in California) today and later next month the late crop of tomatoes (I'll grab some of those).  His wife has 400 pomegranate trees that should be just about ready, I'll get a couple 5 gallon buckets of those to juice for jelly.  Then I'll be done canning and freezing for a bit.  I usually do most of my dehydrating in the Winter...I pull out the veggies I put in the freezer during the summer.

As you can see, I don't allow my self much time for blogging...and I really miss it.  I do read your blogs...sometimes I comment...and then sometimes I'm so tired I'm afraid my comments won't make much sense! 

My Little Super Hero: Isla

All Is Well!

I want to thank all of my fellow bloggers for checking up on me!  Yes, all is well...new changes in the job, a bit more weekend traveling and absolutely no time to blog!  I have several posts ready to go, but needed to add photos that have somehow become "lost" in cyber-space!  Now that the Winter garden has been planted, the New Salad Bars and new staff at school are up and running...the Farmers Market has closed for the season I should have the time to respond to other's blogs and start posting again.  Thanks again to all that have sent private emails...I'm sorry I had you worried.  Lynda

Paula and Her Plums

My First Bucket Of Plums

I talk of the wonders of my friend Paula far too much...but I can't help myself...she's an amazing 55-plus woman.  Paula holds a very demanding job with Chico State University...she's worked for them for at least 36 years!  Paula has her entire family (children, grandchildren, brothers and their children, her mom and husband's family) over for dinner at least once a week. Paula sews, knits and crochets items for at least 2 juried Arts and Crafts shows in California.  Paula is a wonderful cook and canner. Paula's home is the "go to" place.  She has a large backyard garden at her suburban home in Chico...and another garden and fruit orchard at her mom and dad's place along the Sacramento River about 30 miles from her home.  She keeps her bees at the ranch.  Paula goes to the ranch every Friday.  This Friday I met up with her to harvest some nice juicy plums. 

I met Paula when I was thirteen...at 4-H camp.  She was the smart girl with the thick glasses and sun-burned bottom lip...me?...well I was the ADHD Life's A Party Girl...too much singing, dancing and laughing...she and I hit it off right off...ying and yang.  The day I came home from camp my parents announced we were moving and I'd be going to a new school: BIG SHOCK...Paula's school!  AND to top it off my best friend Nancy (she already knew Paula...their grandparents were next door neighbors) was moving, too...same town, same school!  Paula's best friend was Janie and the two of them hung around with Paula's cousin Dee Dee and another girl, Debbie.  When I got to the school I noticed there was a gal in our class that several of the boys picked on (Charlene with the beautiful voice) and I added her to our "new" circle.  Our Sophomore year we added another new girl: Barbara...her mom and Nancy's were friends.  So...that's our group...we lost Janie in the 90's..too sad to even think about...such a fun, loving sweet girl. 

Geez...back to Paula and the plums, fruit orchard and her lovely bees!

I took lots of photos and I'm going to share:

A Very Small Corner of The Garden

Paula's Other BFF

She Has A Number of Pear Trees: Yummy!

Many Apples

Nice Crisp Asian Pears

Juicy Peaches

Persimmons

Eureka Lemons

And The Best Darn Plums In The State!  She Even Helps
Pick Them For Me!

Paula On Her Mo-Mo Dressed In Her Bee Suit

I'm Following Paula in the Car and We're Heading Out
To The Fruit Orchard, Garden, Apiary...The Walnuts
Belong to Her Mom and Dad (Her Dad Passed Earlier
This Year...Wonderful Guy...Really Missed)

Paula Playing Around With Her Smoker!

Paula Pulled 4 Frames to Harvest Some Honey.  I Sat
On A Lawn Chair Watching And Talking...It Was Nice
Taking It All In From The Sidelines...We Both Have
Different Styles and I Learned A Couple Things From
Her On This Visit 

Just a side note: The pictures are out of order...Blogger decided to do it's own thing...sorry!  We did the bees first!

THE VACATION...part two

Hank Spent Most of His Time On The Boat

The North Carolina Littles Are Happy To Be The
New California Littles...They Wanted To Move To
The Campground!

Early Morning

Little Claira and Mommy

Little Halle and Mommy

Lots of Fun Activities For The Kids...This is Bubble
Art

Plenty To Eat

Little Lynda Had The Best Time!

Isla's Face Was Dirty From Sun Up to
Sun Down...Poor Mommy!

Halle Along For The Ride!

Claira Had A Ball!

Leah Running Away From Camp...

Most of The Gang Playing Board Games

Mega Monopoly...Little Lynda Wiped
Uncle Sam Out!

Vincent Kept Us in Fresh Fish: Trout and
KoKanee Salmon...Yummy!

Cleaning Up The Camp and Leaving It Better Than
We Found It...Trailers and Tents Packed Up.  Little
Lynda Putting Out the Campfire...Can't Wait To Come
Back...Everything Was Perfect!

THE VACATION...part one

Our family vacation was a BIG hit!  We are already planning our Winter vacation in Tahoe...we will be renting a house and NOT hauling travel trailers and setting up tents!  All the kids were able to make it except for our oldest daughter...she's in Mississippi...BUT promises to join us next year.

Packing the New Travel Trailer
This Trailer is Awesome...It's a hybrid...the front
and The back have beds that come out like a tent trailer!

See The Bed On the End?  The Girl's Are Setting
Up The Outdoor Kitchen...The Guys are "Advising"

Tent Set-Up One...Youngest Daughter...OCD and into
Pottery Barn...Hates Dirt...and Camping (Note Solar
Paper Lanterns in the trees)

Youngest Son's Big Trailer...30 Feet...Too Big and
Fancy For Me!  My Oldest Son and His Wife are
Taking Their Turning Fixing Dinner.

Daughter Number Two's Awesome 2 Room Tent

By Mid-Afternoon We Moved The Whole Camp...A Nice
Big Group Camp Right Next To The Lake Opened Up.
We Did Not Take Anything Apart...Just Picked Up and
Moved Down To The Lake...A Dozen Folks Took Pictures
I Bet We're On YouTube!

Tent Number Three...Oldest Son's And His Family

The Lake

Nerds On The Boat

Lots Of Fishing...But We Need A Bigger Boat...We
Had To Take Turns!

Boat Over-Load! We Need A Bigger Boat!

Every One Caught A Fish!

Hank Loves The Boat