Ohhh the wind

 Hi Everyone!

It started yesterday. 40mph winds for then next 2 weeks. I hate this time of year. It also seems to get worse every year. It's said the more trees that are cut down world wide there is more wind. Last night the wind split some of the poly I have on my garden right down a seam. Uhhhgggg.

We had our Salem trip today and we are both whipped. However, I wanted to share with you my broccoli. This is the first year that it has really grown well. It's because it's been so cold here this year. 

The other day I went out and cut off just a few small pieces for my chicken dinner. Oh and a few peas from the garden too.

 

Then this AM, before we left, I got this. 

 

 

Nice and big. 

  I am so happy with the broccoli!

 

If you grow a garden and have to deal with heavy winds, what do you do to protect your plants?

Have a nice evening

Nicole 

 

Sunday garden and canning

 Hi Everyone!

 

It's Sunday and I am taking the day off. Mr. M. and I have a big doctor week. Lot's of traveling, of course. I noticed today gas is $3.90 a gallon. Nothing I can do about that, as long as TACO in in office. LOL

I had to start taking some prednisone, and it always gives me extra energy. I love that. I had to put MR. Scully in the living room while I cleaned my art room. He fits perfectly in my chair. 

Day before yesterday I harvested all of my beets. I got them all cut and washed then let them sit out over night.

The next morning I simmered them so the skins would come off easily. Remember when getting beets ready, leave an inch or so at both ends of roots and leaves. This helps them from bleeding  more than they already do. These are ready to peal.

 Pealing is easy if you have simmered them long enough. However, it is a messy job

I couldn't get any more photos, I didn't want  my camera covered in beet juice. The next steps are to cut the beets. My brine is on the burner, and my jars are ready to go. 

I water bathed these, so everything needs to be hot. I got the bottom round of jars in and started the top round when one of the jars fell over. Normally that is not a big deal. I'm trying to get it in place when I realize the entire bottom broke out. This is what happens when your jars cool down. Oh and the mess. I couldn't get the beets and onions out of the caner.

 

The bottom of the jar is broken perfectly.

Beet juice was everywhere. LOL

I did get them all canned though.

I used 1/2 pints for this. 

 

Then I refurbished the soil where the beets grew and started a second growing. These are Ruby Reds. I have never grown these before. I'm confident they will do fine.

I am obsessed wit my garden, as you  well know. I check it several times a day and keep the plants protected from the Pacific Northwest weather. Yesterday morning everything looked great. In the afternoon I noticed one of my zucchini had the first start of powerdy  mildew. Because it is so wet here this happen.

These ar not my photos but it starts out a bit like this. White spots. 

 

My go to remedy for Powdwey Mildew is 1 part milk to 9 parts distilled or purified water. It goes into a spray bottle and then in the evening spray all the leaves. Make sure you do front and back. This AM it was all gone. These are my photo and my squash leaves.

Mr. M's Pork n Beans plant is blooming. We have had this plant for 10 years. 

We are having strong winds for the next 5 days so the garden is all covered. Up to 40mph. 

Have a fine day today.

 

Nicole 

Lupus sad day.

 Hi Everyone!

 

One word of bad language at the end of this post.

 

A beautiful young woman from one of my lupus FB groups, passed away from complications of lupus. Of the people I know with lupus, she is the 4 this year.

This disease IS serious. 

The reality is, on average, 10 to 15%  

of people with lupus die each year according to the CDC. Like so many other autoimmune diseases, you don't die from the disease itself. You die from complications caused by the disease.

Lupus attacks every part of a body, inside and out.  

 Cardiovascular disease is the most common cause of death in people with lupus. 

 kidney failure is second and infection is third highest. 

Other complications that

 lupus can affect, possibly, leading to death are neurological problems, blood disorders, and cancer. 

I have said this before, I have had family members and so called friends tell me that I must not have a bad case of lupus. Or that I don't have it at all because I don't look sick. You don't have to look sick to have a disease eating your insides to death. 

Or tell me how to raise my energy level with B12 and herbal tea, or tell me, If I would just change my life style and eat the Mediterranean diet, I will be cured. I used to be nice about it and try to explain it. 

(a waste of my time)

 For the last 10 years, I tell these same people to just go fuck yourself.

In 2014 the life span for about 80% of people with lupus was 5 to 10 years. Today with treatments and new medications 85to 90% of people with lupus will live a normal life span. It might no be the best life but it's life.

Today I woke up to this. Meaning, I am in the beginning of a flare. I have a medication of cream for my face and I will start some prednisone.

These little blisters hurt and will get bigger if I don't take care of them. 

   

  I hope that from all of the information I have posted this month that you have learned about lupus. That if you have any symptoms you will talk to your doctor and insist on blood work and a UA. If you know someone with lupus you now have a better understanding and can have a conversation with that person. 

There were a few more things I wanted to share with you and maybe I will later. 

  

Wishing all of you good health. 

Nicole