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Disclaimer~In no way is this meant to exclude anyone, just my personal tribute to my son.

As I traveled to and from my grandson’s Pinning Ceremony recently (RN-Nursing-program/Bevill State Community College) my mind kept returning to another little red-haired boy and his zeal for life. Like father like son.

Watching my son’s face yesterday, watching his son celebrate a big hurdle, was a moment I’ll hold in my heart forever.
Knowing my son’s hurdles, the mountains he has climbed, and the valleys he has walked, the outstanding accomplishments he has made in the journey of being a man and a Dad.
No words can paint the picture.

The bond I saw in that swift moment will remain forever, this I know.

Just as the bond with his dad has done.

My love and respect will also remain forever.

Thank you Randy Wayne England

The most beautiful baby boy ever!
A kick the flood lights out “drummer!!
Retired USN Honorable Servant to his country!
A Dad to his sons that outshines it all.

son

 

Another hard rain with a semi-nasty- little- storm this Saturday afternoon!
Bringing the temps down again…Coffee on the porch was comfortable and good!

me

Why not, bake a cake? So I did!

Happy birthday to Jack and Randy. (May and July) Love you beyond words!

August kicks off a month of celebrations in my family.

Birthdays—- lights up the month of August—Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversary!

Sage Hill Farms’ ground-breaking was in August of 2003. Happy birthday Sage Hill—what a journey!

Lizzy, Tommy, (deceased) Bea, Ginger, Janet & Johnny, Cody, George,(deceased) Michelle.

This cake is known as our ‘Family Cake’ I’ve been making it since my sons were 2 and 4.
The batter is Apricot/Lemon—the glaze is usually lemon but has been known to be chocolate from time to time.
Either way, it’s better than good! ( Ingredients have been manipulated to a healthier version than the original.)

Did I miss anyone?
~
cake

Woo-Hoo it’s Friday night!

If you think I’m out kicking up my heels and having fun…you’d be wrong!

I was in the kitchen until 9 PM processing apples!

Unusual for me and not a pending habit I assure you!

I think all the garden tenants got together and collaborated to finalize at the same time….just to watch me hustle!!

I took two days off this week,  so…when you play you get behind! This too shall pass! (it was worth it!!)
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Yesterday and today brought a good, refreshing rain…thank you, Jesus!

Gardens are a flutter with beautiful Swallowtails.

I’m a wee bit tired, but the stash of winter food is safely in place/we will be dining well!

Parts of the week in pictures.

Summer dining gets 5 stars for “Eating In Season.”
Summer
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Roasted Anaheim peppers.
peppers    peppers

Watermelon from my little patch!

When I take a day off? Sometimes I go to the Farmers Market! Haha

melon market
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New color.  butterfly
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apples apples Apples
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rest

The price we pay for healthy food. (Sage Hill food is grown without any pesticide/herbicide/and with non-GMO seed (heirlooms)

apples

Versus Organic from the grocery shelves….yes, most have some pesticide, herbicide, and fertilization…albeit it approved for organic growers…it is what it is, better than traditionally grown if those things are important to one, but not as clean, safe, or healthy as homegrown done chemical free.

Keep in mind also, that there are variables in all aspects of food, how and where it is grown, how it’s harvested, how it’s processed, and how it’s prepared.
When we consume it, how much, and how often.

Be aware, that education on all levels, of what is needed to be healthy and strong, is imperative to success.

If you take prescription or OTC drugs, know what they do to your system, especially the gut/digestive process, and take steps to offset that negative.

Regardless of where our political allegiance is grounded, if we know anything, we know our world, our life force…our food across the board has been hijacked.

If you don’t know where that statement comes from, or who has used it through the decades…research it.

**Genetic Modification in the food realm changes the DNA of plant and animal…if we are what we eat and absorb? Think about that!

GMOs (animal to plant) are different from cross/breeding (animal to animal…plant to plant.)
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The genetic engineering of plants and animals is looming as one of the greatest and most intractable environmental challenges of the 21st Century. Currently, up to 92% of U.S. corn is genetically engineered (GE), as are 94% of soybeans and 94% of cotton [1] (cottonseed oil is often used in food products). It has been estimated that upwards of 75% of processed foods on supermarket shelves – from soda to soup, crackers to condiments – contain genetically engineered ingredients.

ttps://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/studies-show-gmos-in-majority-of-us-processed-foods-58-percent-of-americans-unaware-of-issue-104510549.html
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Now, for a lighter, brighter, healthier moment…

Pasta dish…

Rice pasta/gluten free
Raw Sheep cheese in Almond milk, some of my family who is skeptical of the flavors…Never know if I don’t tell!

gardener    process

process  kitchen

serve

 

Monday was an early start, a long busy day.
The grounds tour and work to be finished!
work

Do you find faces in the most unlikely places?😎
face

Judy Pink, the Ivy lives on!

Round and round it goes, from the kitchen to gardens to the kitchen and back again and again!

The few months of summer that bless us with gardens filled with over-flowing fresh, clean, and yummy foods…..keeps the body in shape as a side bonus!

It may not seems so, but the veggies are slowing down. Yeah, break time? I fear not….the fruit season is right on target and will soon be soaking up my time.

The blueberry crop was good and is now over.

Figs, apples, and peaches are promising. Some from our own trees and some from an Alabama farm that grows awesome stuff!

Isoms, do you know them?
Athens, Al. 24012 US-72
~
The walking trail , clean and pretty.
trail     walking trail trail
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Monday’s stash…seed cucumbers for next year.
Alo-vera for the skin, always before and after and outside day.
monday
~~

Peachs, pears, Heirloom Cooking apple, Cortland/eating apple.

peach        apple     apple apple

Tuesday…7/19/22
Waiting for the rain!?
rain

The weekend is coming to a close, mine was family-oriented, the best kind!

Good chat with my son, visit with sister #3, she just sold her big house and settled into a lovely condo, which started my wheels turning!??

I made blueberry syrup, goodness gracious it is so good, and so pretty!

Highlights of the grounds tour this AM.

Everything is greener, more alive, and standing tall since the two recent rains, it was much needed and made a difference.
Expecting more tomorrow.

The gardens have a lot of bumblebees and butterflies…honeybees have moved on, they go where they are needed most.

Monday’s coming…sleep is required…sweet dreams.

Okra summer squash

cukes cayenne

pepper pepper

pepper pepper

basil seed

dill sunflower

When one is a Road Blogger and travel gets hijacked, one goes in search of local gems we so often take for granted.

This weekend is Blackberry Festival time in a quaint little town about 40 minutes from Sage Hill.

Lynnville, Tn., is a very small community/town with a lot to blog about.

The Blackberry Festival is filled with street vendors, farmers’ markets, live music, food trucks, and blackberries everywhere in everything!
Oh…and my favorite…Porsche Car Club from Alabama!

Soda Pop Junction is another favorite, best food in all the land! (except in the Sage Hill Kitchen of course!)
~
Some of the photo credits go to the Lynnville Blackberry Festival committee.

Some are my own.

Clydesdales to Traci Gawlik.

Nursing Students from UT were on hand!
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UT    BB Fest

Quaint love

Lynnville Soda pop

Meanwhile, I was busy back at Sage Hill with my own berry project…Blueberry Syrup!
Oh yeah, baby!!
berry blueberry

syrup

Some things reach out and touch our innermost core…that’s real Bliss!

New colors, new varieties, new butterflies, all this bliss I found in the Zinnia bed today.

The butterfly…A Zebra Swallowtail, measures about 2-3/8—-3-1/2
The Zebra’s host plant is the old PawPaw shrub, not many of those left could explain why I never see more than one or two.
According to the National Audubon Society Field Guide to Butterflies, they are prolific along the banks of the Potomac near Washington, D.C., and small rivers in Virginia.
~
butterfly
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While the Zinnia seed packs were not true to the labeling…9 packs of Giants were 9 packs of regular and dwarf sizes, they are however very interesting…a few varieties
I have not seen, and one I grew in the past and lost touch with, it’s nice to be revisited!

zinnia zinnia

zinnia

1.  Purple Prince
2 and 3. Cactus Zinnia

New Sunflowers almost daily…

sunflower
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My favorite spot after a long day in the gardens and kitchen. (peaceful bliss!)
porch

What’s your Bliss?

Sage Hill’s facelift has been interesting, challenging, and worth it all.
(the last phase is coming, it started in September and will finalize in September)

There has been a lot that wasn’t pretty or interesting…breaking up concrete is nasty and something I just as soon forget!
I’ll just say it was a worthy decision and life is better on all levels!

Phase three (3) included the kitchen; new countertops, redoing solid oak cabinets to white-painted (inside and out), and installing soft close and easy racking inside. (all completed)backsplash
In the meantime….the staircase is next up.
Removing the carpet (the final bit of carpet will be history!
Rebuilding and either painted with a runner or bare wood? ( a decision does need to be made pronto!)

I’m loving the new look, it is finally coming together in a way that shows the bigger picture.

Throughout this entire process, I’ve tried to keep most elements in the style of Cape Cod. (a challenge for sure.)

Enjoy~your thoughts are welcome.

Pardon the cluttered counter, I was making Red sauce for the freezer.)

glass    full view

glass    end

end

I know that once the flow is interrupted, things never quite find that same balance as before.

We’re all adjusting to adjusting I think.

Many things are different for my family this year.

I’m living in gratitude for what is.

A few highlights from our Independence Day weekend. Different, but awesome!
~
We all communicated over the weekend even though many from afar!

(a new project building in my mind…a family compound!)

A few highlights.

I noticed little things more and more.
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4th  4th

family  4th

Fireworks  4t
(the flag) From my Beach Bum niece/living the life in her sunny happy place!
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Now, the activity of the moment is over, all is quiet…. except the beautiful fireworks playing out all around Sage Hill…haha…define quiet!

Just me, fresh coffee and fresh-made blueberry bread…tomorrow awaits!

God Bless America, Land That I love~

4th