Bok Choy, etc.

When I mentioned to friends that cook that I planted bok choy in my vegetable garden, the common answer to my question “can I toss this into a salad” was “steam it”, “cook it” or “what is bok choy”?

Tonight, I picked fresh bok choy, kale, red oakleaf lettuce and cauliflower from my garden, washed the leaves, spun them out in my salad spinner and served them with lemon flavored olive oil, cut-up chicken breast, sourdough bread and Edna Valley Vineyard® 2008  Chardonnay.

The first bite of the bok choy was robust and spicy, the second reasonably adjusted to my taste buds; fresh vegies are difficult to beat.

The photo tonight “is what it is”, Friday night at Dan’s.

Peace Be With You.          Daniel John Cooney

 

 

 

 

 

 

Discovery 2012

In 1999, I penned the Spiritual Portrait© entitled “discovery”:

textured lives challenged daily

stretching talents endlessly

new lands await us

discovery a lifelong occupation

 In 2012, I find “discovery” to be more relevant to me now than it was “in the old days”. The daily challenges of caregiving are in my recent past and I feel that I have completed the grieving cycle and am in my next phase of “discovery”.

 Gardening used to relax me, now it feeds me. I live on a much smaller budget these days, but overall I am doing fine. The Aging-In-Place concept that worked during my caregiving time with  my Mother, continues to work for me.

One of the gifts I received from my Dad was the desire to help others freely, in whatever way that I can.  I find that Grateful Discoveries® has allowed me to touch the hands and hearts  of friends and family and a new audience of readers.  My site comments are much more constructive now and the spam content is greatly reduced.

To kick start 2012, my vegie garden is producing well, heirloom lettuce thinned, carrot seeds just planted, bok choy and kale hearty and tasty, and sweet peas [flowers] staked to climb up the backyard wall.  I now eat four varieties of lettuce, though I enjoy the red oakleaf the best. Have also harvested broccoli and cauliflower which is great in salads.

My writing research  has reached a breather stage. Moved materials to breakfast room table so I have a choice of writing drafts or standing in the kitchen to eat.  When files sit on my home office desk, they tend to collect dust instead of ideas.

The Chia® Cat grew, now bald and ready to be re-gifted to my sister next Christmas.

Had a fasting blood draw at Noon today, a dozen vials worth.  It is always a good idea to have doctor ordered tests completed before  the date of your actual physical. Then you are able to obtain a copy of your complete chem panel when you meet with your doctor, rather than get a message on your cell or home phone of “OK” or “call our office immediately”.

Taking daily blood pressure readings on my CVS Pharmacy® monitor a month prior to my doctor’s appointment, then summarizing results on an Excel® spreadsheet including 30 day average. When my blood pressure reading in his “white coast syndrome” office is 150/75 and he is ready to prescribe the “little pink pills”, I am able to accurately show that my average BP is 130/70 and that I’m fine.

 Preparation beats procrastination when dealing with your health.

Today’s photos are of the sweet peas staked and edible bok choy and kale and of the words in process in my breakfast room.

Peace Be With You.      Daniel John Cooney

Seeds in Process

Our Christian life is a journey, with birth, baptism, joy, anger, despair, renewal and eventually the reality of death and the hope of everlasting life in heaven.

Likewise, my current gardening adventure begins with seeds and along the way to my salad bowl are sprouts, water, cultivation, growth, and harvest.

The “seeds in process” photos for today include romaine lettuce sprouts [two varieties]; looseleaf lettuce sprouts [four varieties]; swiss chard, bok choy and kale and sweet peas flowers ready for trellis support; the end of life for butterfly mums, soon to be harvested and replaced with Danvers and Dragon carrot seeds; and the first apple blossoms of this season.

Peace Be With You Always.       Daniel John Cooney

Farmer Dan’s Story Part II

I remember discussing with my sister if I should get a kitten to help deal with the loneliness felt while grieving. We never resolved the question but I was “happily” surprised at my Christmas gift from her – my very own Chia® Cat.  It sprouted grass or weeds, hard to tell, within 5 days. Kind of a water hound and constantly needing attention as to too much or too little sunlight. But it is the thought that counts!

The Heirloom Lettuce seeds have been planted in the cedar planters and the two dozen or so lettuce heads in my backyard produce garden continue to feed me.  Broccoli plants are opening so edible soon. St. Francis statue moved to backyard to draw birds to it rather than the produce.

After much research, I found the perfect boulder at H & H Nursery in Lakewood to complete my front yard “stonescaping”.  A 650# rock was delivered this morning  and I am smiling ear to ear now that this job is finished.

In the front side yard where the cedar planters rested between crops, I planted baby tears among a selection of lighter weight rocks which I had used to help select the colors for the final “stonescaping”.  The planting and propagation of baby tears is one memory of my parents gardening talents from my early years and as Farmer Dan, one I will continue to cultivate.

Today’s photos include the Chia® Cat, backyard produce,  the 650# boulder, side yard rocks with freshly planted baby tears and a young Farmer Dan.

Peace Be With You.          Daniel John Cooney

Heirloom Lettuce

All it takes to complete a New Years Resolution from 2011 is a Christmas gift of Heirloom Lettuce  seed packets from the Seed Savers Exchange® in Decorah, IA.

My thoughtful niece, Amy and her husband, Brian plant a few acres of lettuce and other vegies at their home produce garden in Franksville, WI and wanted my little Lakewood, CA backyard garden to increase its variety of greens by providing me with Amish Deer Tongue, Bronze Arrowhead, Crisp Mint, Red Velvet, Forellenschluss and Susan’s Red Bibb Heirloom Lettuce seeds [photo].

As I had just completed planting kale, bok choy and swiss chard, my garden plot is full.  So back to my 2011 Resolution – resupporting the waist high cedar planter boxes to better hold dirt and planter mix.  With a winter heat wave of high 70 degree weather for the balance of the week, I am now repairing them.   When the cooler weather returns in a few days, I’ll plant the Heirloom seeds in the backyard planter boxes.

The second photo and gift from Amy and Brian is an OXO Good Grips® Salad Spinner which quickly dries freshly picked and rinsed lettuce leaves.  Paper towels just weren’t good enough for this task!

Peace Be With You All and Have a Blessed and Productive  2012!

Daniel John “Dan” Cooney

And With Your Spirit

For decades, the response to a priest as he recited the prayers during Mass, was always “and also with you”.  Effective November 27, 2011, with the 1st Sunday of Advent, the new response is “and with your spirit”.

The Church Fathers decided to go with a more literal Latin translation for many of the prayers  we recite during Mass.

To assist my transition and memory, I purchased the Saint Joseph Sunday Missal Prayerbook and Hymnal for 2012 which includes all the new Mass revisions.  The ISBN is 978-0-89942-147-6 just to be sure you purchase the most current edition. I purchased mine at Cotter’s Church Supplies in Long Beach, CA.

Whether watching the mass online at CatholicTV.com in Boston or at St. Pancratius Roman Catholic Church in Lakewood, the prayerbook is a helpful aid in remembering the responses and following along with the lectors on the readings of the day.

Have a very blessed Christmas!

Peace Be With You, And With Your Spirit.

Daniel John “Dan” Cooney

Jigsaw Puzzle as Centerpiece

Besides framing and hanging completed jigsaw puzzles as wall art, they also make inexpensive centerpieces.

In today’s photo of an 18 x 24″ cat with butterfly puzzle, place an equivalent size sheet of glass or plastic on top of it and your task is completed.

The precut sheets are available without a frame attached at Michaels® or your neighborhood art supply store.

Santa and Mrs. Claus appear to enjoy the cardboard tree and  the new cat and butterfly centerpiece.

Peace Be With You.     Daniel John Cooney

Sorry About Your Lawn….

I slept in this morning and had a bit of a surprise when I went outside to claim my morning newspapers from the front sidewalk and found a red Toyota SUV with AWD resting on my front lawn.

The occupant was standing nearby with cell phone in her hand and before long the Lakewood Sheriff and Auto Club arrived to do a report and tow the vehicle off my lawn.  No injuries, no problem.  Time for breakfast.

The corner of Hardwick and Obispo in Lakewood has a four way stop sign.  Many people do a “California Stop” which means slow down and proceed, not slow down and stop, then proceed.

After the more serious auto/house collision of 10/8/10, I had originally planned to install boulders or concrete filled posts to ward off vehicles from crashing into my house again.  The city planning requirements, estimated construction costs and potential homeowner liability if someone was injured while attempting to drive through my proposed bollard path  kept me from proceeding with the proposed improvement. The Cooney family has owned this home since 1967, so what were the odds of another incident happening again so soon.

I just cleaned up the divot where the SUV’s front wheel impacted the curb along Obispo before proceeding along my lawn and am thankful that the driver remembered to apply her brakes rather than the accelerator. Must be time for boulder shopping.

First photo is of view through screen door; second one of view from front porch.

Peace Be With You.     Daniel John Cooney

Winter Garden

Lemon Thyme, Winter Savory, Nevada, Red Oakleaf and Bibb lettuces, Butterfly Argyanthemum  and Royal Family pink, white, violet and red Sweet Pea flowers [photo] were planted today to complete my first year of backyard produce gardening.

I have found that I enjoy fresh, tasty lettuce  best and it is  likely the healthiest food I consume each day.  The peppers and zucchini, though plentiful, were not my favorite meal. The cauliflower and broccoli are growing and will be ready for harvesting by February 2012. One needs to plant many varieties to know what not to plant the next time digging in the yard.

Peace Be With You.      Daniel John Cooney

Christmas Tree in a Box

Attempting to “get into the spirit” of Christmas, I completed my shopping early and decided to re-create the family Christmases of old by purchasing a new “never wear out” tree, ornaments and Nativity set.

The 7′ artificial trees I found that included pre-hung lights, were a bit expensive for my budget so I opted for one at Walmart® for $39.00.  After I unboxed  and assembled its three sections, I found  the middle tier of lights  didn’t work.  Undaunted, I went to OSH® and purchased a string of matching lights for the middle tier for $19.00 and placed on the tree and everything now works.

At Cost Plus® World Market, I found ornaments that reminded me of childhood Christmases in South Gate, CA for a reasonable cost of $25.00.

Michaels® had a ceramic Nativity set on sale for $23.00 and when set up on the floor in front of the tree, I only had to apply Elmers® Glue to the upraised hand of the baby Jesus which had been broken off when unwrapping figures in the box.

My $106.00 investment was worthwhile.  The family room  ceiling sporting new crown moulding, Christmas tree with ornaments, childhood family photos and a glimpse into the breakfast room for Ma and Pa Claus, is the first photo.  Followed by a closeup of the Nativity scene.

Peace Be With You All This Christmas Season.     Daniel John Cooney