Flowers, food, gymnastics and Maggie Rudy

 One more flower has come in the house. 

The season's waning, though it's still in the 80s f, so not many more flowers. Some great fungi appearing overnight

Such intricate structures, natural art forms appearing daily.

Back to wearing skirts, but soon I change the front door curtain for the red felt one, and the sofa cover to the warm kitty-themed throw. Not in a big hurry on these though. 

And what to cook when you're short of ideas, not interested right now in tomato based standbys, here goes with onions, leeks, yellow potatoes, heavily spiced with long pepper, my new go-to, za'atar, kosher salt, tossed in olive oil and left a couple of hours, before 30 minutes at 400°f. Served over jasmine rice, I remembered to cook rice.

there's enough for a second dinner today. I also need to bake something, because Handsome Son is visiting. It might be warm enough to sit outside, if the biting bugs aren't too active.

Yesterday the US women's gymnastic team won a record seventh World gold, with Simone Biles' amazing floor routine blowing away the competition. 

Go see it on YouTube and marvel at her landings. She also got a vault named for her, another move with her name on it. We're fortunate to see this greatest of all gymnasts still on form even when older for a gymnast.

Those of us who can barely do a somersault and have never managed to get over a vaulting horse, usually getting stuck on top, can only wonder and admire this power and beauty in action.

Back home, a bubble bath might be a good idea, after watching all that exertion

And some more stitching. 

The added rows of stitching are lending body to the piece as I go. A lot more stitching yet to do, such meditative pleasure. I'm glad I started this piece and that you're coming along with me as it happens.

Happy day, everyone. In the midst of political and climate chaos, art is there for us. Making something, if you're a maker, cooking something if you're a cook, tending  your plants and animals, all these are actions supporting calm and order, and they're acts of resistance to chaos and enmity.

Down from the heights of Evee Erb

Chop wood, carry water, roast vegetables, admire diamonds, neighborhood exchange program.

Early this morning, the diamonds were on show. I think these may be the things Shammickite was describing the other day, not spiderwebs. Still pretty though.

Then roasting vegetables for lunch, well, three lunches. Broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potatoes, yellow potatoes, thyme, Thai basil, olive oil, Old Bay, baharat, seasalt. 45 minutes at 400°f. 

Good, too. I might add a few capers on the second day.

Mail arrived with my tea supplies, yay.

Also with official notice that my supplementary medicare policy has gone up. I have great coverage, and pay quite a bit. Medicare monthly payment, gap policy, the one that's gone up, rx coverage. They all go up every year. Oh well.  I've got the insurance.

Then neighbor shows up with a large bag of laundry. His dryer broke down, they have the part, waiting for the official service people, gas dryer, utility company has to do it.

So he loaded the laundry into my dryer here, and I took it downstairs for pickup once dry. And asked his advice about the downstairs toilet with the dodgy mechanism, that wasn't flushing right. Then it wouldn't stop running. He said on no account get a plumber, I'll do this.

Here he is removing the works to take to the store and replace. The bathroom is now full of wrenches and pliers. He'll shop, he loves shopping of this kind, then fix it. 

My neighborhood at work. 

Locavoriana, hot meal in midsummer

About this time of year I get so tired of cool food, and summer dishes and all that magaziney deal, and I long for a hot dinner. So today, since the temps are moderate and the humidity likewise, I did a lovely veggie and sausage bake, celebrating the farmshare and the local farmers' market.

Chicken sausage flavored with tarragon and other spices, from the Griggstown Farm people at the local farm market, expensive and totally worth it.  You can really skin these sausage, made by them, and make them into meatballs or patties or whatever you like.  Or, as here, into little chunks put into the baking dish with your veggies to flavor everything.

Zucchini from the farm, mad hot onion tops from the farm,cilantro bought locally, mushrooms remaining from Kennet Square splurge at the farmers' market, and frozen for such a use as today.  Big sprigs of sage from my patio laid on top to be removed at the end.  Hot red peppers from local store, not sure where they grew, but not far, I think.

And when I served this seriously hot and spicy dish, some mashed potatoes were the calming principle of the plate.  

Three dinners from this one cooking.

For my Bite Club, I tried a few dishes from Deborah Madison, the cookbook current pick, including a fig and ginger jam and they'll be lucky if there's any left to share by then.  And salted boiled potatoes: redskins boiled with a TON of salt, then drained, and they are wonderful with no further ado.  Also yellow squash sauteed with a handful of herbs, not a recipe, really, more of a procedure.  None of these is very picturesque, hence no pix.