Friday chit chat . . . or quite a lot about nothing!

Rainbows seen through Summer showers,
Velvet faces of the flowers.
Frost crystals reflecting light
Snowflakes on a Winter's night.
Symmetry of honeycomb
Sunshine sparkling on seafoam.
Gossamer of silken threads
Form cartwheels of the spider webs.
Animals of every size
Insects, birds and butterflies.
This tapestry of art and skill
Is wrought by the Designer's will.
~Kathleen Gillum

How very much Todd and I are enjoying our garden this summer. I am already making plans for next year in my mind. I need to get them down onto paper and soon. We want to get a few more fruit trees, possibly apricot and a bramley apple, and then some raspberry and blackberry canes and more strawberries and some new rhubarb. We had the missionaries come over one day a little while back, and they helped Todd to dig the garden out a bit longer so that we have more space for a few different things, and Todd is going to move the rhubarb completely away from the vegetable garden, in hopes that it will do better next year. He's been working on a compost pile that he says he is going to stick it in. We can but try . . .

Not sure if any of our plans will work out, or even come to fruition, but then again . . . there's a lot of fun and promise in the planning, so even if it never comes to pass, we have enjoyed it nevertheless. It's like the buying of a lottery ticket isn't it? Even if you never win, you do enjoy dreaming about what you would do with it if you did.



We spend quite a lot of time sitting by the pond (when it isn't raining of course) and watching the fish and frogs. They are so fascinating to us and we are really enjoying them. The frogs feel like our babies as we have watched them grow from frog spawn to tadpoles to now frogs. They get a bit larger each week. It is so fun to see them sitting on the lily pads! I always thought that Todd's idea of putting in a pond was a bit daft, but I am enjoying it as much as he is. Who knew!!

I had a funny dream last night. I dreamt I had a pet owl. It was not large owl, only a small one and I was feeding it bits of raw hamburger. Dreams are funny things are they not? I don't know why I would dream about having an owl for a pet. I have never wanted an owl for a pet, although when I was a girl I did used to want a Parrot . . . and a monkey! They seemed to be a lot more interesting than a cat or a dog. An old Aunt of ours had a Parrot, and he could be quite vicious. I probably would have been afraid of it had we a parrot, but that didn't stop me from wanting one.



There was a lad in our town, when I was a girl, who had tamed two crows. My mother used to feed them, and they visited her regularly. I hated them. They used to chase me on my bicycle . . . swooping down on me just like something out of that film, "The Birds." I am sure they knew exactly what they were doing. I was terrified of them, and they knew it.

I find that as the years go by, I am remembering a lot more things about my childhood. I need to write them down. That's a part of the reason I want to start an Art Journal of my life so that I can stick these little memories into it while I still have a brain. I am getting very forgetful of other things, but these old memories are as clear as a bell! I don't know whether to be afraid of that or not! I often go to say something to Todd and I get out the halves of three sentences, but not the end of any of them. He stands there looking at me like I am a dolt and wondering what the heck it is I just said! It made perfect sense in my mind. Now all he has to do is to learn the art of reading my mind! Then he'll be ok . . . hmm . . . but would I like that very much???? A husband being able to read my mind . . . I think not! Some things I just prefer to keep to myself!



We've been watching our DVD's of Downton Abby, getting it all refreshed in our minds for when it starts up again in the autumn. We just loved that series and are really enjoying seeing it again. It's funny how much you miss when you watch something the first time around. It takes a second viewing to really make it stick. We also have all of the Harry Potter movies on DVD now. I have only ever seen the first one. I'm quite looking forward to seeing the other six and then the last one when it comes out on DVD. We hardly ever go out to the movies any more. We prefer to watch them at home. It is much cheaper these days to buy a DVD than it is for the both of us to go out for a film, and we can stop it when we want to go to the loo too, without missing anything!

I'm off this morning to get my hair trimmed and then I may stop in and visit one of my sisters that I visit teach for a few minutes, to just see how she is. I heard yesterday that she was feeling a tad low. I've had such a busy week this week. I know that I have been very bad at visiting everyone's pages, but I've just not had a lot of computer time. I promise to do better next week. I won't have any time tomorrow either as we are having our extra meeting for Relief Society and I have to be at the church bright and early to set up for it, then there is a Baptism and I am giving a talk at that. Today I have to bake some cakes for tomorrow's activity and make a big bowl of coleslaw for it as well. They do say there is no rest for the wicked don't they? I must be really bad! In any case I will be back and reading on Monday and playing catch up with all I have missed this week, I promise! I am missing each of you!

Here's a tasty way of using up some of the glut of courgettes that is beginning to take over the garden. I love courgettes. They are delicious raw in salads and with dip and they are delicious cooked. They are one of those vegetables really that adapt well to most flavours!!





*Stuffed Courgette Boats*
Makes 4 servings
Printable Recipe

This is a tasty way to use up some of that glut that is now beginning in the garden!

2 large courgettes (each weighing about 8 ounces)
3/4 cup shredded Mozzarella Cheese, divided
1 small tomato, finely chopped
10 round buttery rackers, finely crushed
1 tsp. dried basil leaves (I like Bart)
fine seasalt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Bring litre of unsalted water to the boil in large saucepan. Add the courgettes and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, or until fork-tender. Drain well.

Preheat the oven to 190*C/375*F/ gas mark 5.

Cut the courgettes in half lengthwise. Scoop out centers onto a cutting board, leaving 1/4-inch-thick shells. Place the shells in 9-inch buttered square baking dish and set aside.

Chop up the courgette pulp and place it in a bowl. Add 1/2 cup of the cheese, the tomatoes, cracker crumbs and the basil. Season with a bit of salt and pepper to taste and mix lightly. Spoon this mixture evenly into the courgette shells. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup cheese.

Bake for 15 minutes, or until heated through, and the cheese has melted.



In The English Kitchen today, a delicious Carrot Salad.