I love eating turkey..  and all the fixin's. I will even bake one in the middle of summer.. to ward off withdrawals.

One of my first time senior invitees announced that " If I never see another Turkey, it would be too soon!".. and launched into the diatribe that had us all looking at each other.

I knew that she and the few relatives in the Islands were on the outs... My own adventures with her son and her have proved difficult.. . Not wanting anyone to be alone on a holiday.. I walked over and invited her.

So here was Madam Xxxx , in all her glory.. in full rant.
I agreed with how much work it could be.. but this was a group effort,  and it turns out that it is a wonderful Pot Luck. I proudly point to the ham in the oven... "and all that goes  with that."

" Well, I hope you fixed something else.. I hate ham! "

"What would you like?

"Salmon!"

"Okay", I said. " we can do that"
"
Just as I start to breathe again she says .. "I am a vegan...and I want that salmon fixed a certain way"

Okay! I say again.. thinking what have I let myself in for?

Then she lets me have it!  " I like fresh, nothing frozen! This IS a special day.."

Steve and one of our friends quickly slide out the door in search 'her holy grail.'

So, we are into hordeoures and the door bell rings.... and it is her son..and she requests that we wrap the salmon that she would have had, for her to take home.

I literally cracked up. Guests leapt to their feet and started cutting and packaging all manner of food for her to take home for her and her two guests.  
 
Long story short.. we'll have plenty laughs with this story for may years to come~

Another fine benefit to all this is BREAKFAST.. the day after Turkey Day.      
                               How good is this?!

Here we are again.. Lucky to have survived some of the worst. I hope we can all dwell on what was good that we could see in our own lives.
I get to say the grace over our meals and would like to share it with you..

 "Bless US, Oh Lord, and this food to our use and thus, to Thy service.
  Keep us ever mindful of the needs of others!"

It is short and action packed! It comes to my Family from friends that have been all around this world, worked in the White house... many a president has calling him by his first name.

He explained that it Is short, but if you talk to your God and keep a good relationship, you will not need a heavy list.. that you are communicating on a regular basis.
Like a Best Friend, if you ask, you should Thank!

Thank you, Bill! I send my Thanks, my thoughts and love!

We will have the usual 'new' guests to share this food bounty today...they are far away from their family.
It has been my tradition...I have no idea where or when I started this tradition, but we have shared our Thanksgiving with family and friends, 'new' and familiar.   

I wish you all peace~

       
I have been meaning to answer all the questions about growing and making coffee from your own bean.

In the prior blog, I  have mentioned that I have some coffee trees.

    
Most my trees are still in pots with only three in the ground. The ones in the ground are much more prolific, but, all trees grow beans year round.  I purchased them as seedlings at the nursery.. but once you have the raw bean, you could easily plant them.They do okay in pots.
   
Coffee has a wonderfully scented white flowers up the stem so you get double goodness.
 
I am far from a coffee farm. I live in a windy area, on the dry side, newer landscaping ( minimal shade) and NO idea what I am doing. All of what I do it trail and error and evolves each time I make a batch.

 From the lack of available  home use equipment, most of it is clug-y ( and expensive) There are not many personal coffee growers out there..so, we use what we have on hand .

Sometimes I do not have enough to make a full pot... so, I'll get the beans ready up to the roasting step and freeze them.  At first, I'd freeze the entire cherry. Now I have progressed to totally cleaning and then freeze.
Beans are picked when they are red.. called Cherry. Hopefully I can get to them before the local birds.
You can see why they are called Cherry...... 
   

Then the red jacket is pealed, revealing the beans. Beans are encased in a protective slime layer and then a stiff casing similar to a hard plastic.. for lack of a better term. They come  two beans per cherry, one bean per casing  and they are an ivory color .
    

After the hard casing, they are washed and removed the next layer of the silver skin has to go. I think the commercial 'Roasters' do these steps in what is called a pulping machine.
Here are the steps...
dish #1 Cherry
dish #2 unpeeled
dish# 3 cleaned ( pulped) and ready to roast  At this stage, they look like bits of dry gray crayon..
dish #4 Roasted (dark) beans
dish #5 ground and ready to be brewed

After hand pulping, I let them dry... completely.
Oops!  Just last week, I heard I am supposed to let them dry as cherry~ and that there is a percentage of moisture content that should be maintained. ( another piece of equipment) ...

So there ya go.. started to turn dark ..
   
I have baked it in the oven... in the toaster oven..., then 'roasted' it in a cast iron skillet over lowish 350 F electric burner. Keeping the beans moving is key!

This particular batch was from totally dried and frozen beans...
  
I 'roasted' it a bit longer and darker.. about 15 minutes total.. it really goes quickly.

I just did a few because I was uncertain of the results of the new 'roaster' and I needed a picture for my Show and Tell.

Freezing these beans could be the reason the beans were not as shiny as the other batches..I am only guessing~ 
   

THIS is my new 'roaster'
   
I got it from Debi last Christmas..it's a popcorn popper!  It has a unit that would keep the popcorn kernels moving without burning.
Perfect! .....It makes the best darn roasted coffee and popcorn.

Piqued asked if it smelled like coffee when it is roasting.. No~ darn!  But it does have a nice toasted oat fragrance. Only at the end, when the beans are dark and the roasting is ready to be stopped did it have a bit of coffee fragrance.
Batches can go from a perfect full flavored dark roast to burn in a second... watch it carefully! 
In the grinding process, it has the very coffee perfume, but it is when that really hot water hits the grind that starts you grabbing your cup . I wanna tell you.. home grown and home roasted is the greatest coffee I've ever tasted.
I drink my own blend ( of what ever I have)  pure and clean.. no fixings. 

It's one of those times " Your tummy wants to tell your mouth Thank You!"

Kona, Hawaii grows some of the very best coffee beans.. like Columbian, it all has something to do with the temperate climate, overcast cloud shade at the heat of the day or under tall Mac nut trees... the frequent rain and the quick draining volcanic ground. I am certain there is more to it than just that.

Sooner or later everyone who lives here will stick a plant in the ground.  I myself had two in the ground, as of today three, another one went in. I have full sun and high whipping winds.. not good for a real cash crop!

I have another 4 plants in pots.. as with everything else, they do not seem to do as well in pots..

The two that have been in the ground for a year, are producing some nice 'Cherry".. coffee beans that have turned red and are ready for picking.. ( and the darn birds have also found them, too.)

My first batch of trying to make brew from my crop was a disaster... I had neglected to remove the inside husk.. and it was bitter and YUK.
From 'cherry', the outer red husk has to be removed.. and then it is slimy and all that has to come off.. like washing a snail but a lot less icky... just slimy.

Cherries have two beans that form a little oblong circle.. (twofers).
  
Then that husk I did not know about.. almost translucent and hard as you can see on the paper towel... and low and behold, this time I spotted another thin coating and am removing it, too. 

It is not easy holding that slippery small bean in one hand and trying to get all that off... AND the stuff that is in the center crack of the bean.
It will literally take me hours to clean enough for a 6 cup pot...then wash as wipe dry again, let stand (ferment) a day .. then roast.
I use a heavy cast iron skillet, in a 350 degree oven until dark and shiny... it is actually just minutes and it has to be constantly stirred and moved and turned  ( or only some will be good, some will be burnt and some is not roasted...) That is the trick.

The picture literally shows all the steps.. If the Coffee Roasters did not have the machinery, I can tell you that it would be in the really big bucks for a cup of coffee... ( not going to say anything about 'You know Who's' pricing for a cup... )
This last dish on the right is the ground stuff, ready to make a batch tomorrow morning.

  I'll tell ya... Kona coffee is cheap compared w hat I'd have to charge... and I am still not sure I got the process down...   I sure don't want to be doing all this every time I want a cuppa Joe... even if mine tastes good~

Everybody is looking for $$$$ again.  

That would include my hospital... ( staff was severely reduced)
They were billing me for something my Insurance Companies both primary
and secondary say I have no more responsibility to this claim # .

That claim was because of a visit July 7th... months ago... and  gawd knows I have had other little
all too expensive cancer related surgeries the following week. Since then I have had to sort through all those bills several times and
it is all but impossible to understand those forms..
Anyhow, the hospital has been claiming another $86.00 and bugging me about it...

Last week I spent an hour searching through stacks of paper to find
something pertinent.. then yesterday I got down to the bill again in the burgeoning stack of ??? on my desk. ...
and again today to finish it off.
I telephoned the hospital.. gave them all the dates, and the
duplication notices (2 duplicates each) I had from the Insurance
Companies, faxed them to her.
She, in turn, she went to the 'hospital representative'.. (like she was
not one)  and they decided that it was some smaller items the 'fell'
into the account after it was billed... but because I had been so
patient and worked with them, they would make an adjustment to Zero for
the balance of that account.

I smiled 'knowingly 'to myself.. right! ~ am blinking my eyes here, but
they were reasonable with me, so it was not necessary to go to 'Bitch
Status'. .....just work they should have done.
I asked her to send me a notice to that Zero balance .. 'for  my files, of course'. too.

Nothing is simple~

I expect a lot of people are being badgered today in these tough times.... businesses looking for $$$$

That early July thing cost my Insurance Companies over $1948.00 and
$1862.00 and $2223.00. for that date, no surgery until the following
week.
What do people do without Insurance???.. I know that answer, they have to DIE! 
Mercy! 

Big day..
Today the Chandelier as a light fixture went up and it is finished and I like it! YEA!!!!!

When my bathroom overhead light went out.. I didn't think that it would wind up being a project.. but....

We went into town and got new circle florescent, then, they did not fit. The replacements were normal but they were about and inch larger than what we had in there when we built.

Steve rebuilt the fixture to accept the new circle and it still does not function... he checks and it is the ballast that is dead... no replacement ballast to be found locally.
Everything was proprietary to those fixtures!

They were not cheap and I have two more that I have up. I am eyeing them rather suspiciously, not knowing what to replace them with~
Thankfully, that overhead was not my only light source, but dangling there just bugged me .

But.. for my bathroom, I decided to glitz it up a bit with a chandelier. Not a large one, but a smaller version.
Well that was easier said than done on this Island .... it seems to limit me at every turn.. But! there is my friend, the Internet! Yes! I found one I just loved at Target~ and ordered it.

When the Sunday ads came, it had something of interest... and 'on sale'....$10.00 off and they had the nerve to call it a Sale, but... we'll let that fly for now~
They only had two and both boxes were mangled.  I held my breath and talked it over with Steve and we decided that I might be able to use this until the other gets here.. (sometimes things take up to two months).
               

         
 
I love it.. shabby chic sorta thing.
I got rid of the colored stuff hanging on it.. and replaced them with crystal/glass drops and goodies from my own stash.. Steve drilled some holes for some more 'dangles' and I managed to find some smaller scale silk flowers for embellishment and even a medallion.
Debi and I discussed my making one because I 'needed' the smaller size. Lucky I am, there was one at Lowe's.
I did have to paint the ceiling where the old fixture had been.

I asked Steve to put 'break away' fittings in the wiring.. so when the gold 4 light Target one gets here, we can easily swap it out. Now, like some grand old Dame, I have one for winter and one for summer. Woo Hoo!

Those quick releases will be soon working for me because I forgot, I wanted to put a silk sleeve on this one..

I
still have to clean some of the mess I created 'dressing' it up.. like
all the boxes and florals in the garage and storage ...There is always something calls my name    ! LOL

More yard work....even as the high (Trade) winds blew.

Yesterday afternoon we had to make another green waste run...
I started doing some 'judicious' pruning on the Citrus trees and Steve came out with a ladder and loppers in hand. We filled that truck on no time.

While down in Kailua-Kona, I made my slick move and asked to be taken to Home Depot and a half dozen other places.. looking for a nice compact bathroom size chandelier... something not "old lady" looking.

I was not able to find something I felt I'd like to live with, ( probably another 20 years). That's how I am.. I hate to part with my treasures and will paint and change it around, but is is mine.
I already had a nice ceiling light.. and not a cheapy either. Everything about it was proprietary so that nothing could be replaced.. including the ballast and the smaller than normal circular tube, the ballast died.
I'm staying away from that brand.    I have another in the guest bathroom, so I am keeping a wary eye on that one and already looking for a replacement.
The search is on...

While I was in town, I did manage to fill the truck with yet more yard supplies.
Regarding the supposed super soil.. heck, there's no real soil in those plastic bags. If anybody knows a good /real soil brand, PLEASE let me know and I'll ask my garden centers if they can import it. Perhaps there is the problem.. not importing real soil laws?

I have to add my own kitchen compost, some nutrients and crushed small cinders and sand. Then, add some pebbles to keep it all from blowing off. My big secret is that I always toss in some real soil that has living microbes in it.. sort of like keeping sourdough yeast starter going. 
My own compost is great, but, just cannot make enough to keep my yard happy.

In some future time, I will send you the real pix of my yard.. IT ROCKS! It is rocks... the wind blows off and surface dust/dirt and then all that's left is rocks.. but not the kind of rocks. I want to live with. 
The only people that have real soil here is over Hilo side and you gotta be related or filthy rich.
They usually get the rain, everything grows, dies in turn, and then turns to soil.
I live on the dry side.. Both sides have been having drought conditions for a couple years.
 
I have set down pavers so I can get around better in the rocks.. but they get wobbly and as I run across them they seem to aim /launch my moving body off the path and into dangerous territory... plants and planter beds, trash cans and tools.

I have ended up too many times where I had no intention of landing. There is nothing graceful about the off balance twisted body tippy toe dancing, trying to stay upright and still moving. My minds eye want to sees this as somewhat graceful, but, in reality, more a comedy! Before I wind up getting seriously hurt, I set in a better base under them.
  
I live on this rock pile ( life clinging to the slopes of this volcanic Island ) and finding ways to make a paradise in this temperate climate.

We brought home another 10 bags of cinder, 5 more bags of pebbles and the 10 Cu soil starter just got sucked into my space and disappeared.  (I need at least another 10 bags of the pebbles... next run.) 
I think I am okay on the cinders and the soil starter for now...  until I can get people to bring me rock and crushed cinders by the super truck loads.
I am personally so ready for that and now the yard is almost ready for all that.... so close~

I still have some Procumbins Nana (evergreen) to move somewhere...

After that, The plan is to float in some crushed rock under these trees and use the blower to clean it up. Voila!
Just days ago, I had these weeds, evergreens and flowers under each tree.. they only captured the debris and always looked messy and I was always spending good painting time cleaning it up. Full time job.

In the back of my mind, I need to find a place to set in these and some other evergreen shrubs. for my planned  'judicious pruning for use as Christmas decorations.

Check this out..

A million slugs have all but devastated my Amaryllis. I had dug them up and shared with my guy pals, Kevin and Matt. They have enjoyed the red blooms all along and this is my first. YEP! I have to brag... lol.

I have not been able to put any bug or slug bait out there, for fear birds will get into it.. The vermin that seems to be the heavy eaters are the slugs resembling an overturned bathtub... and those little pill bugs. There is a thick carpet of those. 
I have been out countless times with a flashlight in the middle of the night to see what is eating the plants I want to keep... and so far, it is these usual suspects but, in huge numbers.  I have flooded out some small black beetles, I suspect them, but I never see them on my plants.

I always feel a bit awkward going out there after dark... I always wondered what my neighbors would think if they found me out there in my PJs, armed with my flashlight, my chop sticks and my baggie or bottle.
You never want to touch those slugs .. so that is why the chopsticks, the containers... so I can just toss the whole bunch into the trash and be done. I can make my rounds in about 10 minutes.

One barking dog that lives behind me is going to get a pink slipper banged on his head.. That dog has barked continuously since he got here.. When the heck does he sleep? I have yet to hear the owners tell him to shut up!

I fancy that I might bide me time... 'till the owner is home and up so he can see me hose that Bugger down. ... and that bird, too." Cooper! Cooper!" all day long...I swear, I'm going to teach that bird to holler ( ***** ).
Well, you get to guess what that word might be!  or better yet..... "Ouie!.. Mama's gettin nekked.".  LMAO!!!!

I have a few other lines, but ... but I have to wonder what choice lines you might share with me... I need a laugh!  

I love the people, but they let their high decibel noise flow throughout the neighborhood... like they are blessing us with something valuable. ... and they are the noisiest since the previous owners of that same house moved and left for Texas. Maybe it's the house that turns these fine folks into self absorbed trash!
 
As I read this I might suppose this is not me in my best mood... nope! ... just the facts.
I'm feeling  fine and telling it like it is!
I'm not one to be championing politically correct.... that is just bald face lying... and I am on overload with them and that is the truth! 
 Ya'll have a nice a day. 

Debi, yes we will have water system all over. Almost everything is in except where the grass will be.
For that, I want those Doshibori  (hurricane force, lots of water) sprinkler heads. They were the ones I had put in  the pasture on Arabian Trail. Those units put out a lot of water under heavy pressure. I want it watered and done with! That is My Plan anyhow..
This morning I woke to the news that we had a water break.."IN THE AREA YOU WERE WORKING IN".

I went out, sure enough!

You can see where I ran out of pebble rock.

Please note that this crimp is 'somebody's' idea of a "not a crimp'. It did not help the cause when
'somebody' tossed a 30 pound bag of rock on it~ (not ME!!!!) 

These water stingy drip systems have never worked for me. The drip holes are always
either in the wrong place or the lines are crimped at installation. Crimps are not manufacture's fault
That is why even though I have a 'System' I am still out there watering at least twice a week,
more often when the winds conditions are high and dry them out, or we get VOG and
I wash off the leaves.  

When a plant goes into the ground and I leave it to the 'System'  to water, it is more like handing it
a  death sentence for them unless I personally go out there and install small variable flow head units.
Sigh! '
Right now, I am taking care of the periphials....removing/moving rocks that will be replaced later
with concrete forms for a more permanent cleaner look.

Oh yes, I have planned for water..MY PLAN!

I think that is my new name.. 'Back yard work'. Back yard is the project we have agreed to focus on. .. and there is so much of it needs working on before it is over.. I know it will never be completed but...

Tired as I am right now, I am wondering if I should just load up the sprayer with green paint... 

We have done some temporary plantings to get some things started and now we are changing direction on some of those projects.. they are too work intensive, dirty, in the wrong area for the plants or just don't work out.

I know that the red flower bed will need to go across the yard.. but, the red Amaryllis and Azalea will need shade. That means I'll have to get a tree in there and soon. It will still be months before I can get the red bed moved, so, some things I'll just have to live with...for a while.

Other things, like the hand fern did not like where they were.. even though there are plantings 10 and 20 feet away and they love it. Check out the other hand ferns, Laeae,  in the background behind the chairs. Go Figure? !
   
This morning, we tore the fern out of the Pygmy Palm rock island (section) and replaced them with Indian Hawthorne.
   

Having lived with them at almost every other house, they are like old friends and easy maintenance. Both, score high in my book!
( don't be looking at those weeds.. I've been ignoring them.)  

I have spread out 10 bags of black cinders for ground cover and I need another 10. These are too tiny and need to be deep in order to cover the soil, and they will also be easier for the winds to carry off.
I get that size rock on my hair and clothing on the days the trades really blow, so I know~ That means I'll have to look for larger chunks,

I got more pebbles for the fox tail fern...I have already been through two other plants in that area, including Calla Lillys, next is evergreen shrubs.  While they are another of my faves, we are trying to live Hawaiian /Tropical.
I don't mind the work getting these plants in, but is disappointing to have them not survive.

We have no winter climate, so weeds grow 24/7 and the bugs have no winter to keep them in control.
   
I've stashed my tomato pits in the edges of the pineapple bed. My Pygmy Palm is the centerpiece is doing nicely, but the real show is the white pineapple growing so tall.
I was going to try to purchase more while pineapple plants but.. toooo pricey! I'll keep hunting for white pineapples themselves at the farmers markets and plant the tops and have the pleasure of eating the rest, still, hard to find!

Grass! We have no grass out back and it has been irritating to say the least... Returning from the mainland this past visit, I made a promise to myself, that I would focus on getting the back yard completed and knock down the dust.
It is not that I have to have grass, but it seems like the least maintenance work over all.  And we have our own septic system and leach field.. that pretty much determines nothing with long root system so there goes the park theme plan . 
Totally today, I went through 10 bags of black cinders, 5 bags of pebbles and two bags of super soil. I need that same amount again, just to finish just these projects that I have started.  That is on the list for the next Kona run.
I'm pooped~
I have many many more yard projects...Tomorrow is rock moving day. that is , if I decide to even dare get out of bed.   

And what is this little creature.. He is a beautiful copper bronze color.
  
I've never seen one of these before.. I'm not too sure I want to be his friend either.
.. whippy tail!

I think that is my new name.. 'Back yard work'. Back yard is the project we have agreed to focus on. .. and there is so much of it needs working on before it is over.. I know it will never be completed but...

Tired as I am right now, I am wondering if I should just load up the sprayer with green paint... 

We have done some temporary plantings to get some things started and now we are changing direction on some of those projects.. they are too work intensive, dirty, in the wrong area for the plants or just don't work out.

I know that the red flower bed will need to go across the yard.. but, the red Amaryllis and Azalea will need shade. That means I'll have to get a tree in there and soon. It will still be months before I can get the red bed moved, so, some things I'll just have to lives with...

Other things, like the hand fern did not like where they were.. even though there are plantings 10 and 20 feet away and they love it. Check out the other hand ferns, Laeae,  in the background behind the chairs. Go Figure? !
   
This morning, we tore the fern out of the Pygmy Palm rock island (section) and replaced them with Indian Hawthorne.
   

Having lived with them at almost every other house, they are like old friends and easy maintenance. Both, score high in my book!
( don't be looking at those weeds.. I've been ignoring them.)  

I have spread out 10 bags of black cinders for ground cover and I need another 10. These are too tiny and need to be deep in order to cover the soil, and they will also be easier for the winds to carry off.
I get that size rock on my hair and clothing on the days the trades really blow, so I know~ That means I'll have to look for larger chunks,

I got more pebbles for the fox tail fern...I have already been through two other plants in that area, including Calla Lillys, next is evergreen shrubs.  While they are another of my faves, we are trying to live Hawaiian /Tropical.
I don't mind the work getting these plants in, but is disappointing to have them not survive.

We have no winter climate, so weeds grow 24/7 and the bugs have no winter to keep them in control.
   
I've stashed my tomato pits in the edges of the pineapple bed. My Pygmy Palm is the centerpiece is doing nicely, but the real show is the white pineapple growing so tall.
I was going to try to purchase more while pineapple plants but.. toooo pricey! I'll keep hunting for white pineapples themselves at the farmers markets and plant the tops and have the pleasure of eating the rest, still, hard to find!

Grass! We have no grass out back and it has been irritating to say the least... Returning from the mainland this past visit, I made a promise to myself, that I would focus on getting the back yard completed and knock down the dust.
It is not that I have to have grass, but it seems like the least maintenance work over all.  And we have our own septic system and leach field.. that pretty much determines nothing with long root system so there goes the park theme plan . 
Totally today, I went through 10 bags of black cinders, 5 bags of pebbles and two bags of super soil. I need that same amount again, just to finish just these projects that I have started.  That is on the list for the next Kona run.
I'm pooped~
I have many many more yard projects...Tomorrow is rock moving day. that is , if I decide to even dare get out of bed.   

And what is t his little creature.. He is a brautiful copper bronze color.
  
I've never seen one of these before.. I'm not too sure I want to be his friend either.