Sunday, May 24
We enjoyed toasted waffles for breakfast. They are still very good! Before breakfast, I worked the bread dough and left it to rise. Bill agreed to help me in the garden this morning. His job was to spread hay around the tomatoes. I planted the last of my bedding plants - cucumber, zucchini, green pepper, orange pepper and tabasco pepper. I need to get seeds and replant okra and purple hull peas that didn't germinate.
After the garden work, I was ready for a quiet afternoon. Of course there were several steps to complete the bread. Late afternoon, Kathy called and brought over some bourbon. We enjoyed mint juleps on the deck. Another Sunday afternoon party!
Unfortunately, the bread rose horizontally, not vertically and was not acceptable. I had used the new technique and recipe for "Extra-Tangy Sourdough Bread" from King Arthur. It was extra tangy, just not light enough. I think the soft dough needs some kind of container for the final rise and bake.
President Trump has declared that churches should be open today. He would like to be able to order it but he doesn't have that authority. Of course, he spent the morning on the golf course (video evidence) as usual and not in church as usual. Methodist churches will not open yet.
Monday, May 25 - Memorial Day
When we are home most of the time and not getting together with Matzeks or Brocks very much, it is hard to properly celebrate a holiday. I got into the garden a little earlier, but not early! I weeded and mulched the bean fence and weeded the bush bean row. Early sugar snap peas are forming. Soon they will be on the menu.
Laura, Claire and Amanda came over for a visit. I was in the midst of making a batch of crackers from my starter discard and getting starter ready for bread tomorrow.
This being Memorial Day, the traditional start of summer, I took out the rack of ribs that has been in the freezer for months (well sealed). Thaw, rub with my special mix, wrap in aluminum foil, slow cook in the over for several hours. Brush with Sweet Baby Ray sauce and finish on the grill. Dill potato salad made with olive oil instead of mayo. Perfect holiday meal!
Best Rib Rub:
1/2 cup kosher or sea salt
1/4 cup granulated garlic
1/4 cup paprika, half sweet, half smoked
1 Tbs chili powder
1 Tbs ground red pepper (adjust to taste)
1 Tbs ground cumin
1 Tbs onion powder
2 tsp dry mustard
2 tsp black pepper (adjust to taste)
1 tsp cinnamon
Combine and store in airtight container.
Tuesday, May 26
I threw out Sunday's bread and started a new loaf. Bill and I went to Ace Hardware and Home Depot for supplies. Later I worked on masks. Today's bread at least turned out to be edible, but not as good as the first two loafs. I think maybe the oven temperature may be a culprit. It seems to be running about 25o hot according to the grill thermometer. I have ordered a new oven thermometer and a few small kitchen gadgets. Also this was a very humid day, which is not good for baking.
Fried rice for supper with leftover shrimp and chicken.
Numbers:
NYTimes, 2 pm
US: 1,679,945 cases; 98,600 deaths
TN: 20,776 cases; 334 deaths
LoCo: 136 cases
Johns Hopkins: US: 1,683,381 cases; 99,332 deaths
TN Dept of Health: 20,965 cases
LoCo: 136 cases, 64 recovered
Discrepancies are due to the method of collecting data and time of reporting. CDC numbers lag other stats, but TN Dept of Health seems ahead of NYTimes.
Wednesday, May 27
Cindy requested that we record her piano pieces early, so we met this morning at 10 and got that done. I made a trip to Walgreens on the way and went straight home after.
I put together a picnic and Bill and I headed out to Frozen Head SP for a picnic and short hike. Despite the drizzly rain when we started, we did not get wet. Being out in the woods, hiking along a mountain stream was delightful. The trail followed Emory Gap Branch for about 1/2 miles to Debord Falls. The trail was muddy because of recent rains, but not difficult. This was the last hike we made before my surgery last summer, so fitting that it was the first one of this year. It seemed much easier this time.
We got home in time to watch the historic SpaceX launch sending 2 American astronauts to the space station from Cape Canaveral - the first manned launch from there since the last space shuttle launch in July 2011. Unfortunately, the launch had to be scrubbed because of weather. The next attempt will be Saturday afternoon and we hope to be watching. We finished the ribs and potato salad for supper.
By Wednesday evening, Johns Hopkins reported 100,411 deaths, but cautioned that the tally might not be complete because so many deaths occurred without testing. 100,000 represents a significant physical and emotional toll. People are tired of quarantine and things are opening even when illness and deaths has not decreased.
Thursday, May 28
The momentous even of the day was getting a haircut! R&Co and Vicki my stylist followed proper protocols. Scheduled appointments only. No entry without a mask. All employees wearing masks. A signed health self-assessment and temperature check required to get past the front desk. Vicki did a great job. I observed another stylist sanitizing her chair after her client left and the cashier sanitized the pen before offering it to me to sign the receipt. The protocols made me feel safe and I expressed my appreciation.
I worked on more masks in the afternoon so I could take them on Friday to share. Fixed chicken with a side of left-over fried rice and eggrolls. I used the air fryer to cook the chick and egg rolls. Both came out good.
This week we have been watching the 3-part miniseries about Ulysses S. Grant. He was portrayed an as ordinary man who rose to greatness on his merit, as an exceptionally gifted military tactician and not as given to alcoholism nor as corrupt as he often been portrayed. In the public schools of Mississippi in the 1950s and 60s I was taught that he was a cruel butcher. His campaigns - from Corinth to the burning of Jackson to the siege of Vicksburg - devastated not only the army of the Confederacy, but destroyed much of the countryside and killed civilians, too. It was difficult but fascinating to learn of his exploits from a different perspective and to appreciate his many accomplishments.
Friday, May 29
The video recording today was just the spoken words - Pastor Kristie and Joel reading scripture. Today's recording is for Pentecost Sunday. The church alter looked beautiful with the "flaming tongues" (mother-in-law or snake plant spray-painted red.) Pastor Kristie's sermon was very inspiring. I am still enjoying the connections each Friday.
After lunch I spent a quiet afternoon catching up on my Q-log. As I get busier, the discipline of daily writing gets harder.
Then afternoon fades
to early evening which
fades into bedtime.
Numbers:
NYTIMES 4:15 am
US: 1.730,200 cases; 101,635 deaths
TN 21,763 cases; 351 deaths
LoCo: 137 cases. We have held steady since early this week.
NYTimes 3:17 pm
US: 1,743,700 cases; 102,365 deaths
TN: 21,909 cases; 353 deaths
LoCo: 137 cases
TN Dept of Health, after 4 pm
22,085 cases; 360 deaths
LoCo 142 cases; 98 recovered
Loudon County added 5 cases today and 10 for the week (since last Friday)
Saturday, May 30
After breakfast of pancakes and sausage, I determined to work in the garden. Of course, it was 10 am before I got started but I got in a solid 2 hours of work. Replanted the okra and purple hull peas, weeded and mulched the asparagus and laid the soaker hose on the bean fence row. I picked sugar snap peas and the remains of the lettuce. Tomatoes are blooming and pole beans are running. It looks like agarden! A little blue-gray gnatcatcher paid a visit. He/she looks like a miniature mockingbird.
 |
| Tarragon is somewhere in the dill forest. |
I prepared my started for making pizza dough. The pizza turned out ok but I'm still not satisfied with the crust. I think I can do better.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with manned Crew Dragon successfully launched from Kennedy Space Center, Cape Canaveral, Florida at about 3:20 pm, becoming the first manned space flight from the US since 2011, bound for the International Space Station.
No comments:
Post a Comment