Happy Sunday

Starting with my garden, it's not producing as it should.  Don't know what the problem is but very disappointing.   Last year it was so good and this year horrible.  I think I will need to get me a green house, nothing really big but something that I can grow tomatoes in and cukes.  I think they will do better.  The leaves on cucumbers turned yellow and a few cukes are stunted.

The few tomatoes I have gotten are plum and forgot the name of the other.

                                    I may purchase tomatoes from the local market to can a few.  

Some fresh Okra I purchased from local farm stand. 

I dipped in flour and cornstarch mix with salt and pepper and then fried in my grapeseed oil.  Which is the only seed oil I use now and then when I want a fast high heat frying.

I hear that seed oils are not the healthiest, but I do use this type for high heat frying because it doesn't burn like others. 

I sauteed some onion slices and layered on top slice fresh tomatoes and steamed in pan.

I like to put this on top of my okra and enjoy.  Mom always made hers like this and I do to. 

My dinner

I purchase cheese slices from food lion for snacking on crackers and noticed packaging has changed from 30 slices to 24.

Price stayed the same.  Happening to quite a few items I buy lately. Less product but same or higher price.

On to outside to see what is growing well at the moment. 

Japanese beetles are out and chewing on some things.  I try to pick them off as much as possible. 

My front side yard rose of Sharon. Looks almost like a giant rose in bloom.  Probably will be chopped down after this season.  I am not liking having to constantly pull up the sprouted seeds it drops. If planted in the yard it would be no problem because of mowing and that would take care of that but it's in mulch and close to other shrubbery so I will have to see how it goes this year after putting down inhibitor to stop germination of the seeds. 

The hydrangea next to it has taken off and had a few blooms, hopefully next year there will be more.

Zinnias are one of a few flowers that takes this hot summer.

I especially like the peppermint stripe

The mum I planted near lamp post looks like a small shrub.  I trimmed it back early as soon as the green leaves came on and I think it liked the pruning. 

Black eyed Susan always looking good in the hot heat of summer. 

Lavender bunches are dry so I think I will take off the dried buds and make into sachets.  

I like to also sprinkle them on carpets and vacuum leaving behind a wonderful scent. 

I grew strawberry mint this year.  I could make some lavender mint jelly.  That just came to me. 

Happy Sunday everyone

Independence day and a few decorations

July already.  Summer will be over before we know it.  

A few decorations for Independence Day.  I didn't put a lot of decoration inside.  Some flags on my mantle in den.   Our flag is out and that is the Main decoration.

Very hot and humid today, can't stay out long. Calling for thunderstorms, I hope we get them.

Out of doors a few windmills in pots and door decoration. 

I placed a morning glory in each pot and have some in other pots.  They bloom and I trim them, so they won't wander out into the yard. 

my shovel at the patio.  If I see a snake, I am ready.  I don't mind black snakes as much, but I do mind the copperheads.  Either one, stay off my area where I with family congregate. 

We took a short drive to Louisa County just to get out for a bit. The town decorated patriotically honoring their hometown heroes.  I love small towns along with their shops and hospitality like this one. 

While out in the yard, I picked gladiolus.  I love them.  I just pull the spent blooms off as they die up the stalk and then make the stalk shorter.   

Den flags

This is it for now.

Good evening, all