Life in Dixie

I understand why not many people do this blogging thing. After the first few postings, one begins to think "Who is interested in these mundane, boring posts? There is nothing to write about unless you are a fervent political junkie or have some other overwhelming passion". Well folks, that, for me, just leaves my wife and I know no one wants to read about my passion for her!

So this comes down to something like a vague, sporadic diary that will win no Pulitzer Prizes. So be it....

Anne and I like to cook with red bell peppers. They are so much sweeter than the green. So we like to find a good buy at a produce stand periodically and cut or dice them and freeze for use in soups or stir fry or what have you. They won't be crisp but that is not a problem. When they are usually priced between two and three dollars each, we just don't buy them. One day last week, we went for a drive to a place called Flat Top Mountain -- about 20 minutes from home. It would appear that half the produce in this country comes from there! We found our way to Wooden's Apple House where they were selling boxes of 40 huge red bell peppers for 20 cents a piece! Now we have enough red peppers to last for 2 or 3 years!

If you are a country music fan, you probably know the history of the Loveless Cafe in Nashville. We haven't been there but I found one of their cookbooks and made a peach cobbler last week with absolutely the best fresh peaches I have ever eaten! The cobbler was great. Like everyone else we are reveling in nature's bounty this summer - fresh vegetables, strawberries, peaches, watermelon, squash, and corn. We are waiting to get back home next month to make and freeze some applesauce. In the past , we have tried to use a combination of Granny Smith, Jonagold, or Mutsu apples. I think we thought that it would be a little more interesting to use two different kinds, but now we wonder about just using Granny Smith. Anyone have a comment?

Andria and granddaughter Katy were here last month. They are having a lot of remodeling done and both needed to escape the chaos and come visit Grandma! We had a great time and you can see pictures on Andria's Picasa site (follow the link at the end of this blog). Grandpa taught Katy how to "cluck" and by all accounts, she is still clucking away! Katy is now 10 months old. We will visit them the end of this month and maybe take an extended trip through Upstate New York and Toronto.

I have abandoned all interest in the current political circus. I know for whom I will vote and the constant hysteria and rhetoric is embarrassing for our country. Unfortunately we never really "know" a candidate -- we vote as if in a beauty pageant and stridently expound upon the virtues of one because we choose to believe that person will be the one we want. Most often we are wrong or greatly disappointed. We have biases that one party's platform represents small government, or enhanced social reforms, or has a history that we think is good. Those opinions as to the differences in the parties have been eroded over the years to where there really isn't too much difference between the two. It's all in the eye of the beholder. We see what we want to.

Our prayer list seems to constantly grow longer. We hold our friends and family close to our hearts and send our love to all. I miss those younger days when we were all healthy and happy and always anxious to visit with one another.