The fencers will be here any week now and we're sternly instructed to remove any tree, bush or shrub. I always hear dear Lady Bird Johnson saying that when she launched her beautification program. When you see a verge or a roadside with wildflowers, chances are we should thank her.
Anyway any big stuff within two feet of the fence. My Japanese maple is safe then.
Not so much my cherry bushes and spice bush. So I started cutting them back hoping that would suffice. High time I did, fence or no fence.
Friend next door summed up the situation, came with sawzall and has taken over. Getting me up to date on his own news while cutting.
I cut back the sage while I was at it, large branch now in different neighbor's freezer, another one in mine.
Three bean salad today, weather still hot enough for it. Last time Handsome Son shopped for beans he noticed Roman beans. He said I'd never heard of them, thought you'd like to try them. A true son of his mom.
So, Roman, cannellini, kidney, handful of fresh chives, dandelions and Thai basil, onion, we're good. Romans look like white kidney beans to me.
Still reading outside when guys with sawzalls aren't at work, and here's a recent read.
It was supposed to be like beach reading, light, Royal gossip mainly about the hats. And I found that this well connected lady, so well connected she carried the queen's train at the coronation, this is apparently a huge honor where she comes from, and was a companion to Princess Margaret, about whom she's way too discreet
Anyway this lady who appeared to have a fairytale life actually was in hell. Locked in a decades long marriage to a mentally ill man, rages constant, one son died of AIDS, one permanently disabled by accident, husband ended up leaving his massive wealth to a man he'd known a few months.
It was so sad, and she so accepting and resigned, that I couldn't read on. No hats at all, either, if you don't count coronets.
I don't recommend this for light reading. Better go for Lucia or the Provincial Lady, where you do get hats and no heartbreak.
Happy New Fence!
ReplyDeleteI'll check to see if local stores have Roman beans. I use black beans now instead of kidney beans due to an allergy issue. All have the allergen, but some more than others. Zero problems with black beans.
Thank you. Sounds like a book I'd like to read right about now.
Might be worth a try. I've never seen them on the shelf before.
DeleteI've never heard of Roman Beans before, and I'm rather disappointed to not see all the pretty markings like are on the ones pictured on the label. Thank you for the book review. Sounds like something I might like to read someday. Just reading your review is a sober reminder that all is not always what it seems on the surface. And how complicated are many people's lives. sigh
ReplyDeleteI was a bit disappointed that they weren't speckled, too. But they taste okay.
DeleteBe sure you're feeling resilient before you read the book.
Here in the south, our three bean salad is traditionally kidney beans, green beans and yellow wax beans with onion and green pepper. Also, a ton of oil, sugar, and some vinegar. It IS delicious but not very healthy and I've never understood the appeal of a wax bean. Yours looks much better.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the heads-up on that book. No. I don't think I need to visit all that woe.
My computer drives me to distraction. Not sure what happened to my comment. I was in the process of telling you how glad I was you looked up Bellman. And that you enjoyed my history posts. The last one will be about the opera that was inspired by this tragedy.
ReplyDeleteAnd I also wrote that the salad looks great and I think I will now do something with all these black beans I have accumulated in my pantry.
ReplyDeleteI need to do some trimming of my plants soon. You’ve inspired me.
ReplyDeleteYour salad looks delicious
I should have done this ages ago, just did minor trimming, when it really needed hatdx pruning like here. It's a bit early, but the fence is soon. I'd rather do it after first frost, so it won't start with tender growth right before a killing frost. But oh well.
DeleteHard pruning, not that weird word.
Deletetoo bad you had to cut your cherry and spice bushed down to the ground. hopefully they are hardy and will come back. salad looks good and I don't even like 3 bean salad.
ReplyDeleteRoman beans - here they seem to be called Romano beans. We have some in the pantry at all times, along with kidney beans, chick peas and black beans.
ReplyDelete