*Stretch*yawn*

Lazy morning here, raindrops on rooftops and snickers for kitten — what a cute pic. You always make me smile.

Good morning all.

I’ve taken to making up good news the only thing is it doesn’t surprise when I tell it to myself.

Lazy morning here also Elliot.

Thanks for the shout out Christy. I thought it would be nice to share that info and in a PUAC it would get nice exposure.

Here’s an article about an endangered kind of apple that seems to be making a come back

Endangered apples: mourn or munch? The SlowFoods USA group on Facebook featured this. They share a lot of good info. One of the better users of FB groups in my opinion.

That comment just goes to show one should have coffee before typing.

That is happy news about the apples, seems to me that the movement for heirloom varieties is becoming firmly established.

Did anyone here about the tomato blight? I heard something about something like the potato blight in Ireland and it was supposed to ruin the entire local tomato production in the NE?

We usually see great big boxes of huge tomatoes for $5 on roadside stands in eastern LI. I am not seeing them.

Needless to say this is totally OT, but I got this email several days ago and I’m anxious to share it with washington DC area people:

Please Join

Congresswoman Donna F. Edwards

Representing Maryland’s 4th Congressional District

for her

Community Town Hall Meeting

on

Tuesday, August 25 2009

from

6:30pm – 8:00pm

at

Plum Gar Community Center

(Gymnasium)

19561 Scenery Drive

Germantown, MD 20874

For additional information, call 202-225-8699 or 301-516-7601

Rahsheim A. Wright

Community Outreach Representative

Office of Congresswoman Donna F. Edwards

rahsheim.wright@mail.house.gov

Prince George’s County Office

5001 Silver Hill Road/Suite 106/Suitland, MD 20746

Phone: 301-516-7601/Fax: 301-516-7608

Montgomery County Office

8730 Georgia Avenue/Suite 209/Silver Spring, MD 20910

Phone: 301-562-7960/ Fax: 301-562-7964

Capitol Hill Office

318 Cannon House Office Building

Washington D.C. 20515

Phone: 202-225-8699

Posted by Jon Rudd at 10:19 AM 0 comments Links to this post
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It’s a shame that the jello mold salad approach to food in this country took over for a long time. I’m glad to see the heirlooms coming back.

Well, let’s see…our annual community fine art fair is this weekend and the weather’s supposed to be superb all weekend.

Our museum volunteers have mounted a really cool vintage art and fashion exhibition to coincide; they’ve spent the last week hauling everything from dresses and suits from the 1880s to paintings and photography by local artists out of storage, dressing manequins, and making labels.

And tomorrow is our weekly farmers’ market at which I plan to buy more a) fresh shortbread cookies, b) another huge muskmelon (not wimpy cantaloupe, muskmelon, the eating of which has been great this summer!), and c) another bunch of fresh romaine lettuce which we will put on our BLTs with tomatoes fresh from our garden.

Locally, stimulus money has resurfaced some pretty rough roads, which is nice, and the local Caterpillar plant is recalling workers because orders are up. Also, it’s not raining today, my computers are all working, my twin grandchildren are healthy and extremely happy, and research on my updated book on stagecoach routes is going great. Life is good!

We’re doing fine here in NJ from what I can tell with tomatoes. They are abundant and the price hasn’t gone up. I know I’ve seen a couple comments thought in the threads about the blight in NY and MA I believe.

Whenever I need a shot of good news, I go over to the “Assignment: America” page on CBS News.

This week’s story was all about a guy who runs a “pay what you want” taxi service.

From the story

“It’s about trust. And I think a lot of businesses today forget about the trust in people,” said [Eric] Hagen.

When people tell Eric they can only pay so much, he believes them and welcomes them. “I just know somebody will make up for it. So basically it evens itself out.”

Yup. Our community-supported farm had to plough under part of its tomato crop a few weeks ago. I hear that the Italian paste tomatoes might be making it through OK, though. At our farm, these are big and wonderful. It’s been too wet, however, to tromp out of the barn and go check.

Oh. We’re in western Mass. Of course, you can all read minds!

(strrrrrrrrrrrrretch)
(look out window at cool, sunshiny day after days and days of rain)
(bring in paper, front page predictably adorned with photo of Brett Favre in Vikings purple)
(start coffee brewing)
(hit PUAC, as part of Saturday morning ritual)
Oh, you’re all here already. Howdy.
New fave apple is Pink Lady. Total yum-fest.

Lots of thunder here, I’d like some lighting to go with it.

Some day, I need to make a chart of where everyone lives. Where are you, MM?

In southern NJ about 18 miles south of Philly.

Must be Minnesota women check-in time, eh, Barbara?

Fog still blankets the lake. Walking the dogs was crispy despite the humidity this morning.

Wild raspberries polkadot the roadsides.

Tryin’ a cup o’Jenny & Co’s creme brulee flavor this ayem along with a little catch-up work.

I’ve donated a few hundred pound from my food bank garden myself.

http://www.facebook.com/home.p…..=671524934

I’m so whipped at the news I’ve shut up for the whole month. I have nothing but lances of acid, I figured if I couldn’t help I’d just stay quiet.

It’s been a horrible month. I’m hurt and ashamed as a liberal, I’m beyond tired of it. Oh well, you know?

Tis true. In my little community in central NY, nearly everyone lost their tomatoes.

GOODMORN
this is also VERY excellent news

http://www.google.com/hostedne…..QD99T11GO1

Central Massachusetts here !

Ot I read Joan Walsh in Salon this AM she said there was gonna be a march on Washington on Sept 13th. Does anyone have any info on this it was the first I had heard of it ?

Hadn’t heard but I’d love to see a march so big that it can’t be ignored.

I’ve seen a few comments but nothing more then that.

I’d love to be part of a march that can’t be ignored

Here you go

We will be marching on September 13th @ 12:00 PM in every city across the country for affordable healthcare. We demand a public option. Let the president and congress know that we will not accept a watered down bill. Click on events to see locations that are confirmed for the march. We will need help to organize all of these rallies. Please fill out your information in the contact us section if you can help.

As soon as I get more info I’ll pass it on . We need to get moving on this it’s only 3 weeks away .

If this can be well attended around the nation is would be much better than one big one on the Mall.

If this is going to happen get the world out!

Morning, Prairie.

Have gone from tornado weather in the Twin Cities a few days ago to Intimations of Autumn today.

My brother’s group home has a plot in a community garden and tends it randomly. Even so, lots of garden goodies (including lettuce). It’s a wonderful project for him/them. (Men who have mental retardation.)

My first summer without gardens. But there is a wild and crazy potted hibiscus on my patio that blooms in profusion, drops ‘em all, and blooms again. Probably having identity crisis because I’ve named her Petunia.

The About Us section on the site says

This website is not affiliated with any group. I am one guy who is sick of the health care system the way it is today and believes that we need to demand a public option. If you can help organize, help use this site to promote events for September 13th. Don’t let congress give in. Demand real healthcare reform now!

but the few cities that I clicked on takes you an OFA page to register.

Let us know what you find out.

Mornin’, pups -

Lovely story that about the USDA garden and its benefits. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if all the time the airheads on TV spend yukking it up amongst themselves (or taking tweets and other such nonsense from listeners) they instead devoted to stories such as the ones Christy notes?

Just caught the rerun of Stewart’s interview with betsy mccough (sic) and it was a thing of great laughter. Talk about a puffed up opinion of oneself……blerrrrrrgh! Heading to the local library today to see if they allow video viewing so I can watch the portion that didn’t air.
*Note: please DON’T post a linky b/c , with dial-up, that dog don’t hunt. :-(

Oh, let it be so!

GM, Christy and pups. If September 13 is the day, we need to have marches all across the country.

“Billionaires for Wealthcare” is another idea, there is a clip on you-tube.

Morning to All:

I dig the kitty. Just like mine before the morning repast has been served.

To say that I’m disenchanted with “Change we can believe in” would be to sugar-coat my sentiment. Actually, unless BO shows me something – and soon – I’m considering this presidency to be a write-off. Hence,

Hamsher in 2012

On the other hand, the habaneros are getting ripe, and they do bite back.

And if OFA is going to be involved, I hope they rally the vaunted 13 million e-mail addresses that they love to shout about.

And speaking of activism, where is Oprah (for example) now that the shit has hit the fan? Someone like her could move a whole mess-o-peeps, I’m guessing. So?

Yes rallies around the country I believe are much effective. Also you’re likley to get more people to participate since there isn’t as much travel and cost involved in getting to DC.

I found pretty much the same thing ,with a link to a FB page
Thanks for the info though ,I think I’ll be in Boston on the 13th !

Here was my good news item for the week: Betsy McCaughey being stupid enough to go on TDS. Loved it.

BTW, I’ve been w/o computer all week. I never missed it more than that night. Wanted to see all the snark.

I just hope we outnumber the tea-baggers birthers and gun toting right wing lunatic fringe

Morning, all. The good very local news is that my youngest actually requested blueberries for her cereal this week. Yay!

Had to get up earlier today, the tree guys came. I had a medium size pine from the ones lining the driveway get attacked by beetles. It’s a different species than the Southern Pine Beetles that have done so much damage here, but I wanted to get it out before they spread and take out much of our barrier plantings. Of course, once they were here we found lots more for them to do. A total of four trees to take out and some pruning on a huge live oak. Here in North Florida, you want to stay WAY ahead of things on trees or you suffer the consequences badly…

Getting to DC is a bit of a challenge for me but NYC is only 4hrs away. I could do that. I’d rather be part of a big rally than a few hundred in my area.

We should be able to, with such a large majority of people supporting a public option, the pool is much larger to draw people from.

I just googled ‘healthcare september 13′ and got quite a few sites to check out. Going now to read some.

Beantown is only 45 minutes away ,and I have a daughter who lives in Winthrop which is right outside the city.
Should be a piece of cake !!

As a former WVU student, I thank you for the update Christy. Good to hear some good news for a change.

I’m surprised to see Philly not on the list, but there is one in Wilmington DE so at least there is a local march.

A smile for all the pootie lovers at the Lake:

The Michigan Humane Society has a summer campaign for no-fee adoptions…….their poster advertises “Certified Pre-Owned Cats – $0 down, 0% financing, no payments!”

http://www.miamiherald.com/new…..=mirelated

And a smile on my face wrt home gardening: I’m having the next to last batch of *real* new potatoes (ie. fresh dug out of the fabric bags in which they were planted this year) for lunch. Yuuuuuuuummmmmmmm!

well i have delivered my good news im off to the fleamarket

Hi, Barbara and all, Maybe as christy says, it’s the news….just exhausted here. Ugh…but thanks for reminding us of your new Viking….I heard him yesterday on the radio…..how long will he hang around. What else is new with you…enjoying your home?

Mornin’, Christy, pups

Ran across this piece in NYT. Be sure to click on the “Alice’s Wonderland” link.

If it’s possible to look even more stupid that one actually is, she managed to! *GGG* The level of ego oozing out of that twit was off the scale.

Good news? Now that the house is level, we’ve started on some of the interior. My parlor is now completely closed in (as opposed to fallen plaster and exposed wooden lath. We’ve decided to use the paperless sheetrock that looks like regular plaster. After finally locating and fixing the small leak that was dampening the sanded floor against one wall of the upstairs back bedroom, we’re ready to finish sanding the floor and put the finish on. We have one wall to do there (just mudding around where we closed off the chimney and then painting), and we’re done with that one. More to come, of course. I’m hopeful we can get it back to this condition or better.

Hey, Barbara — never got around to putting my hibiscus outside this season, so no blooming here either. But boo-yah for group gardens. In Fargo, community gardens have been long available, but there are more locations this season, and recent immigrants are an active part of the group gardeners.

And Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, rain or shine, the farmers’ marketers are deluged with customers. Locavores we are, for the summer.

Good for you..sounds like the “little engine that could.” I know you have really been at it. Cheers.

Yea… we need big rallies in all the major cities. Oprah, MoveOn, SEIU and all unions should be getting the word out to people.

Spread the celebs and headliners around and get the good critters to speak at these events.

Take it to the limit, one more time.

I’m with you ,we need to attract a lot of attention

Morning all — it was my day to sleep in this morning. And I woke up to hot coffee. And a house that was cool instead of humid and sweltering. Boo yah!

oooooh…NJ beefsteak tomatoes. I love those. I worked at an Irish Pub in Philly in grad school, and one of our cooks used to bring back a bushel from the shore every other weekend for the restaurant. They were amazing with mozzarella and a little fresh basil and a drizzle of balsamic and good olive oil over the top. Just a small grind of sea salt and…perfection.

Man, that was a fantastic place to work in the summers. *g*

Morning Christy ,thanks for the post.

Gotta go get some chow ,your post has made me quite hungry. LOL

Oh, I LOVE that. Am going to pass that along to someone who works on our local Humane Society board. That’s priceless!

Yes the beefstakes are the best. Some of them are so big that a slice from the center is all you need. The farmer’s market I go to has these Oxhearts and for a brief period these Julliets, which are mini plums, which are very good. The Juliets make the best sauce, the meatiness of plum with the concentrate sugar of a grape tomato. The beefstakes rule however.

Good morning Doggies! You are so right about the news wearing one out Christy, I feel the same way. So it’s the little things…

Our office did a food drive and collected food and school supplies for 40 families, which were delivered last week. I cooked 15 lbs of pulled pork last week on the smoker that was heavenly. Working on a table to hold my smoker and BBQ stuff. My wife started her job so we (finally) have a second income. And, it’s only 2 weeks until college football season. Go Blue!

Thanks for sharing that. Way cool!

Fantastic news! It’s such a gorgeous house, and I’m so happy that you all are making really good progress because I know how much both of you love living there. One of these days we’ll make it back down to the Big easy — perhaps with The Peanut in tow — and you can show off all the beautiful hand-done woodwork.

Lindy’s husband is an exceptional carpenter, gang. His handiwork was amazing to see.

I haven’t seen SD this morning….and he would love the picture….I need to get going…really. But…have a great day.

My mom was a public school teacher for over 30 years at the elementary school level. I can recall going with her to shop many times for extras to send home with kids whose families didn’t have the money — one kid started school with shoes so pitiful one year that we went out the evening of the first day of school and bought a brand new pair of sneakers to send home with them.

We would save up change in a jar through the year and take it to the bank to get cashed out, and use that as our “slush fund” to start with, and then my parents would kick in more as the year went on where it was needed. My mom grew up very poor, so she knew exactly what those kids felt like and wanted them to have something of their own. Those are lessons that stick with you as a kid — we try to teach the same lessons to our girlie, too.

btw, we have been thinking about doing some volunteer work at our local homeless shelter/soup kitchen this year — not just sending over supplies and/or donations for them, but actually going over to serve and work regularly. The Peanut is 6 — anyone do that sort of volunteer work with their kids? We’re trying to figure out if that’s too young or a good age? If folks have done that with their kids, I’d love your thoughts…

Back. Favre is probably a one-season wonder, I’m guessing. Assuming he can stay healthy. But he sure has brought a boatload of excitement to otherwise Scandinavian stoic MN. I’m thinking his greatest value will be to teach the kids how to play ball. They eked out a win last night. (Or, in this case, eeked out a win.)

New next door neighbor died last week. Funeral yesterday. Mom of seven, grandmom of 18, great-grandmom of 18 more. Absolutely amazing to watch that family rally round her during her final weeks/days. She died at home, surrounded by love. We should all be so fortunate!

New home is quite wonderful. Y’all coming for an open house one of these days? *g* Have had nearly six inches of rain in August, so the shrinking pond behind my place is recovering nicely. And the ducklings are all flying now.

Wo0t! Younger daughter and her sleepover friend are out in the barn picking the stalls. This one can come back any time. They made cookies last night, too…

Haven’t been to Fargo for several many years. My grandparents lived there. In a lovely apartment building above what was then the Ivers Funeral Home. A block off — oh rats! Either Broadway or Front Street. Broadway, I think. Fargo Theater was easy walking distance. Visited the apartment building with a cousin, oh, maybe 10 years ago. It has not aged well. But then, neither have I. *g*

Maybe you could ask a brownie troop leader about that.

In MN (and perhaps elsewhere), there’s a program called “Feed My Starving Children.” Most popular volunteer site for kids/families ever. Assemble dry food mix packets, package them for shipment to some developing nations beset by extreme poverty. They show a really neat video and at the end, reconstitute some of the food for volunteers to taste.

Not a hands-on, face-to-face volunteer op, but a nice interim step leading to that, IMO.

That’s a really good idea. At her school, they do regular food drives for the soup kitchen, so she’s familiar with taking stuff in to help people out who need a hand. We were thinking it was time to take it to the next level and give her a real world context.

School starts on Monday for her — momma is mourning the First grade status, while looking forward to a quiet house for a change *g*. I’ll ask some of the other moms with older kids in the bunch.

Wow first grade, where did the time go? When you see things up close it’s less abstract, and you see the humanity in the process.

What a cool idea. That’s something that kids could easily do and see tangible results with the stacked up packets.

On the one hand, I’m really proud of her becoming such a sweet, independent and inquisitive little lady. OTOH, it’s really difficult to see her grow up this fast after everything we went through to have a baby — I want her to stay my tiny girlie forever. SIGH

Life moves forward, whether we are ready for it to do so or not.

A couple of years ago, we helped hand out food with an amazing advocate for the poor in Indianapolis during Lent. My daughter was only 7 when we went down there, and it was a great experience for both my kids.

Lord’s Pantry

I was not in it at the planning stage, but our community had it first garden this year. It was not without it’s troubles, late blight on tomatoes and potatoes, but it was exciting to see first time gardeners in action.
Master Gardener’s provided some support, one evening a week and Sat. mornings.

I hope it continues next year and grows.
We need more people that value and appreciate our land and climate

And I, too am disheartened about what is taking place in our society.
All I can think of, when I see these people screaming and spreading lies about our President, health insurance issues and climate.
What examples are they setting for our children?
Yelling, screaming, lying are adult values and this is how you get your own way? Guns are the answer, win by intimidation?
I don’t mind peaceful protesting and civil discourse.
But the fact that lies are commonplace and are never corrected and used to control groups?
I want my America back!!!!

I slept in also and I have a wee bit of personal good news. The book store job that has been not so much fun because the manager is such a [not very nice person] might be replaced by a job a the gym I’ve been going to. The boss from hell has been slowly wigging out. Last Monday, she went completely berserkowitz on me. On the floor and in front of the other employees. They’d been making “a list” over her idiocy for a while. The next day, the gal who runs the gym asked me if I was interested in working there. Now, the manager at the bookstore has been put on “administrative leave of absence” And the gym called me to set up an interview this coming Monday. Ha! The gym is 2 miles from my house and is a really upbeat place to be. Funny how things work out.

Popped back in. Glad I did. Wow, girl. That thing about doors opening must be true! Sure hope this works out for you. Yes, indeedy!

Heading out shortly to see “Julie and Julia” for second time with daughter and grand. Second viewing for me. But I will pretend I haven’t seen it. A small but harmless deception, I think.

Thanks Barb. Imagine getting paid for helping people be heathier and feel better about themselves. And, Close by! I’ll save about $25 a week on gas. Not to mention lowering my carbon footprint. Big grin.

Hoo, I’ve been playin’ cat daddy. I did a quickie at 51. Cool silent film hit. That cute little fuzz ball reminds me of Peekaboo in Rose is Rose.

Been sitting, cogitating. Violence is up in and around Baghdad. Put my chain of thought into the United States as empire mode and how it is destroying so much. How we’ll now hear what a bad idea pulling troops out of the cities was, ignoring the fact that a violent power struggle is going to occur no matter what. I am somewhat surprised that it has started so soon after the troop redeployment, but I understand the need of the opposition to show Maliki as weak as soon as possible. That personnel from the Iraki security forces have apparently been involved in some of the suicide bombings doesn’t help.

Also, listening to the Women’s Show on WMNF this morning a discussion of the health care bills, which contain numerous restrictions on abortion. NOW has more info.

Good for you. If the gym job works out, and being asked to interview is a pretty good indicator, that would be what we call fallin’ into a pile of shit and comin’ out smellin’ like a rose. *g*

I have done a lot of that change thing for my grandson….when he was very small, I heard a savings clue about just collecting your change…I have been amazed at what gets collected. Your use for it is great as well.

I have been getting lots of cat stories…did I tell you how Angela can open the kitchen drawer so she sleeps on my cuptowels? Couldn’t find her at first….She also likes for me to wake up when she is ready….I have some new pock marks on my arm….we need alittle obedience training but you know how effective that is. I saw her former owner today who was amused, and not at all surprised, at the stories. Angela could not get away with so much if she were not so winsomely beautiful…dontcha know? But we are going to have to fix her nails.

Heh. My Dan’l has decided in hte last couple of weeks that he just loves to sleep in my laundry basket.

And I feel that the bites and scratches and nips on my arms are part of the cat contract which pretty much says he can anything he wants to me (within reason – I don’t let him climb my legs)

Christy, my children grew up going to make food deliveries, working in the food pantries and soup kitchens, doing meals-on-wheels during holidays. They have good attitudes when it comes to helping out when it’s needed. We took them with us from the time they could ride in backpacks.

Of course. And we have two spare bedrooms. You are welcome to use our house as a base for your forays into New Orleans…*grin* when we’re done.

Christy,

Thanks for the uplifting and good fun it has been to read these posts. Its afternoon here in Kansas. Crops look good, around the area, my garden, with only cucumbers and tomatoes are doing well; too much rain–the potatoes rotted. Went to the parent meeting for high school football. My oldest is a junior, was a starter last year, did well, and is four inches taller and 35 pounds heavier. My youngest is 11, the middle one, my daughter, is 13. So, I have a grade schooler, a middle schooler, and a high schooler. (I am 58.) We are a small town community, and it was gratifying to see how many parents turned out, and the sense of community that has developed as we have all watched our kids grow. My wife was killed five years ago this September, and the mother and youngest sister of one of my oldest son’s classmates were killed in a horrible car-train accident last year. The support we all have received from the community and school has been most gratifying, even if I am (seemingly) the only far left of center liberal in the county.

I am so sorry for the losses…how hard to lose a wife and mom. It sounds like your kids are doing great…what a joy and a comfort. I am sorry there is not another lib, but sounds like everyone came through. My best. Nice to have you here.

Circling back through here for one last pass at Pull Up a Chair. My favorite place to be in all of FDL. So I just found your comment at 90. I am so very sorry for the losses you, your kids, your community friends have endured. You sound very, very proud of your kids, and what a credit to your wife and to you they are. Your small community sounds like a wonderfully nurturing place (even in the absence of Dems! *g*). How fortunate. No, no, no. Someone here has been trying to teach me to give up “fortunate” and “lucky,” and take a run at blessed. Well, there you have it, then. Blessed. Glad you’re here.