Wednesday, May 27, 2015

a crazy few days!

it's been a little crazy around the Manor for the past several days! we've had low-pressure systems and high pressure-systems move in and out and that always sets off my migraines! here's some beautiful pics of a few days of high-pressure systems:




the clouds look like you can just reach out and touch them and the air is so clear! here's our hugelkulture bed with all 25 strawberry plants in them - woohoo!


i got them planted even tho i was dying with a migraine - but i had to get them in the ground and am so glad that i did!

my friends - THIS is a tea biscuit!


you may all be thinking - "hey kymber. that's a nice tea biscuit". but you would be wrong! that is the best tea biscuit in the world. that's a tea biscuit made by my friend L. we met L and her husband D last year - they found us through our blog, bought a home here in Framboise and then we met up last summer. we had a wonderful visit. she made tea biscuits for us when we met up and had a wonderful supper together. you can read more about us meeting up here - we had a wonderful time! she did not know at the time that i was a tea biscuit connaisseure nor that i was a tea biscuit snob - i can't help it people - i just am!

anyway L was down for a few days to get the house ready for when they come down with their family in august. she had no running water and the hot water tank had blown up over the winter. she and her Dad tried to fix it but then D called us on the phone to ask if jambaloney could go over and help. he went over this past saturday but because i had a migraine i couldn't go. that's how bad the migraine was, friends - i really wanted to go and see my friend but i just wasn't up to it. jambaloney got the water running and will fix the hot water heater before they return in august. i already have a pile of plans on surprises for my friend L but i can't go into detail because they read our blog. she will be mightily surprised tho!

back to the tea biscuit! i am dying with this migraine and jambaloney comes home with a bag full of tea biscuits mad by L!!! i haven't eaten in a day and a half - i can't eat when i have a migraine because i can't keep anything in my stomach. when jambaloney came in and said that L had made tea biscuits for me - i almost started crying! and i nibbled on that tea biscuit above and it was like the heavens opened up - finally i had some food that i could eat, it settled my belly, it was absolutely delicious and it felt like love in my stomach! that was such a sweet gesture when she was dealing with all kinds of problems! i ate another tea biscuit a couple of hours later and it was divine.

now when i say that i am a tea biscuit connaisseure - i mean it! most people slather their tea biscuits with butter, jam or honey - and you can hide a crappy tea biscuit by slathering it with the afore-mentioned 3 things. not me! i am a purist! i eat my tea biscuits plain...and you can't pass off a crappy tea biscuit on me - no way! and L makes THE BEST!!! i will try and get her recipe, kids, but i can't make any promises! she's a little sneaky, she is! bahahahahah!

allrighty - can you believe that we transplanted all of our over-wintered peppers? and found this tiny orange pepper who flowered over the winter, in the house, and became a pepper?


check out the high-pressure system being kicked out by the low-pressure system. it sure makes for amazing skies!


here are the overwintered peppers, transplanted and moved to the greenhouse:


these things are becoming bushes and trees!


more low-pressure system moving in:


it's amazing to look at the skies here - they are always so clear and beautiful!


you never know from one minute to the next what to expect!


such deliciousness!


here's a flutter of red and gold finches - they come several times a day to our apple trees and bird feeders!


here's a delicious salad made from our own greenhouse greens and that little orange pepper that grew over the winter:


here's a new product that i got from fermenttools.com. it seems like a fantastic product so far...i am testing it out and will give a proper review in a few days!


here's some blackened hot and sweet chicken drum sticks with vegetable kebabs, cucumber, pear and pomegranate salad, extra hot sauce for dipping and yummy yoghurt!


here's a carrot, raisin, mint and sorrel salad - deelish!



here's our little friend fat boy:


he comes here every year and guards that feeder like mad! we love him! this year we have been standing close to the window and talking to him and i swear - he recognizes us!

here's a beautiful sunset from the other night:


i love the skies here, they make me feel like a part of something way, way bigger than me!

and lastly, tonight's supper - shrimp pasanda, coconut rice, greens that we grew ourselves and corn, yellow pepper, cucumber and cauliflower salad - it was yummeh!


so even though i was down for a few days with a migraine and jam was at work - we still managed to get a lot done in the garden. today was cloudy and gray all morning and then the sun burst open and the sky was clear. we downed tools at about 1:30 and nekked suntanned for the afternoon. we're a tiny bit sun-kissed - jam is working on his contract and soon we'll head outside to watch the sunset. then some hottub dips and perhaps a movie on netflix. it's been a mish-mash the past few days but hey - all is good!

26 comments:

  1. So sorry you suffer from Migraines. My Dad's wife does as well & she can be down for days. Beautiful sky pics but so telling in the pressure systems they bring with them. I can't wait to see the strawberries producing in the hugelkulture bed. I am fascinated by them (both the beds & strawberries).

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    1. DFW - it sounds like your Dad's wife gets the doozy migraines - nothing helps them and you just have to get through it! tell her that i feel for her. i wouldn't wish these kinds of migraines on my worst enemy!

      my Uncle Gerald (from The Last Robin blog) taught me about hugelkultures and last year we put zucchini in it - the zucchini loved it. but this year we decided on a permanent strawberry bed. so far all of the strawberries seem to be thriving. i'll keep you updated. sending much love your way! xoxox

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  2. Is a tea biscuit tea flavored or just a biscuit you eat with tea? If it is the latter, than I am a biscuit snob just like you. I love a good biscuit and can't stand anyone else's biscuit except the ones I make. I do like mine with a little butter when they are warm out of the oven but when they have cooled down to room temperature, I have been known to eat them without accompaniment.

    I am fascinated to see how your peppers do this year. If they produce lots of peppers, keep us informed because I would like to try and do something like that!

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    1. Ed - it's a biscuit that you have with tea. and oh my goodness - you're a biscuit snob, too??? i MUST have some of your biscuits!!!

      as for the peppers, our 4 biggest ones have been overwintered for 2 years now. last year they produced like mad - here's hoping for the same this year. the other 12 plants were grown from seed last year and overwintered this year. most of the plants have already flowered and are growing little peppers - it's quite amazing actually! i will be sure to keep you updated! sending much love to you and yours! xox

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  3. I see the Fat Boy Hummer Drone made it back up there and is uploading pictures again. I would watch out how you are (Not) dressed when he is around.

    Didn't they make a movie called Teabiscuit or something like that?

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    1. you nutter! he's not a drone he's just a big-boned hummingbird! we love him - he's a nutter like you! and the movie was Seabiscuit - about a race horse. sending you love even tho you are like having a sucky younger brother - bahahahah! xoxo

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  4. G'day Kymber,

    Looks like a scone to me!, one of my favourite foods with strawberry jam and cream, althogh being non traditional instead of having it with tea I have an Italian coffee instead.

    Good to see that you actually do get some weather up there without snow! We are heading into winter now, don't laugh, it was actually down to 6 deg C last night!

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    1. hey Sgt - nice to see you here! i think you Australians and Brits call a tea biscuit a scone but here scones are something completely different than a tea biscuit - scones here are bigger and they are usually sweet. anyway - yes we are glad to finally have some spring and looking very much forward to summer and swimming in the river and the ocean! enjoy your upcoming winter - i can't believe you don't even get any snow!!! lucky devil!!! sending much love your way! xox

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  5. Just a few words...beautiful....delicious...yummy...awesome...and most importantly, FEEL BETTER SOON!

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    1. thank you sweetie - feeling much better now! and hoping that you guys are doing ok with all of that rain! be safe! and much love to both of you and 2nd Family! xoxo

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  6. k,
    for migraine magnesium
    find the most easily dissolved one. they are awful but i sometimes crunch them in my mouth if i don't have the easily dissolvable ones.

    magnesium-- good for leg cramps. i keep it by the bed with salt and h2o for nighttime leg cramps.

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    1. deb- thanks for that! i am going to look into it right now. and i also get nighttime leg cramps. again thank you so much!

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  7. Aw, sorry to hear about the migraine. Hope it's on the mend.

    Tea biscuits - you and RMan. He's also a biscuit fiend.

    Looks like we may have a low pressure system headed our way next week - hopefully bringing some much needed rain. Pray for us, kymber...

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    1. thanks Dani! me and RMan would get along famously! i am praying for you Dani and i will do a raindance for you! sending much love to you and yours...and raindancing! xoxoxxo

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  8. look at those amazing clouds!

    I also get migraines from the changes in weather pressure and I get really sick. Then bang it changes again and it is gone. weird. Human barometers.

    that prawn passanda looks divine.

    I think what you call a tea biscuit is what we call a scone over here.

    we are gross and eat them like this! Such gluttony

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cream_tea

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    1. Sol - the clouds are pretty amazing! i am sorry that you suffer from migraines, too, they are just awful and completely debilitating! over my years of researching them - there are so many people who are affected by the pressure changes - we ARE human barometers!!!!

      as i said to Sgt above - scones and tea biscuits are different here - scones here are usually bigger and sweeter.

      thanks for letting me know about the new pics - teehee - your new place is pretty god-awful - bahahahah! but it will get better and you will love it...just not anytime soon - teeheeheee! sending much love! xoxox

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  9. Sweet Kymber,

    You poor thing, having a debilitating migraine is no fun........trust me, I've been there myself. And you know Bulldog Man gets them often. Speaking of migraine, have you had your eye's check thoroughly and a dilation test? We recently learned Bulldog Man had cataracts on both eyes. We also learned they can cause terrible migraines and put pressure and pain on and behind the eye causing migraines. In the last 2 weeks Bulldog Man has had 2 surgeries, one on each eye.............since the surgery he hasn't had a migraine.

    I love all the pictures of your clouds up there. It's still raining like cats and dogs here. There are days with severe storms, this morning there was a tornado down south of us. Time to build that ARK!!!

    What a nice size hummingbird! I've placed feeders outside, still no signs of HB's.

    All your food pictures has made me hungry this morning, time to get some coffee and a biscuit!!! I have a big lip poking out because my biscuit isn't a wonderful tea biscuit.

    Sending hugs and love to you both,
    Sandy

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    1. hey Sweet Sandy - i wish that you didn't get horrible migraines and i am very happy that BDMan has had his surgeries to correct his cataracts and i really hope that he doesn't get any more migraines! i can't believe how much rain and storms and such that you guys have been getting - Where's Noah when you need him! our little fat boy is really tiny but he puffs himself up to look big - we love watching him and all of the other hummingbirds - their crazy antics keep us giggling all day long!

      i am so sorry that you couldn't have had one of L's tea biscuits - you would have wolfed it down and screamed for another - bahahahahah!

      always sending love your way...and big hugs! xoxoxo oh and love and hugs from jam too!

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  10. ive put some more pictures up for you to look at. your going to be jealous! lol 'NOT!'

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    1. been there! NOT jealous at all - bahahahahahah! xox

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  11. The whole biscuit thing confuses me. When James and I went on our honeymoon to the deep south restaurants kept serving biscuits and gravy. What we got were scones and a weird white sauce, amazing how different words can have completely different meanings worldwide. Either way your biscuit looks delish!

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    1. Kirsty - i hear you! the first time i went to the states and was in a restaurant and ordered "biscuits and gravy" - i was horrified with what what came out! just like you say it was a scone and some weird white sauce - not at all what i was expecting. and you're right - it's funny how different words can have different meanings in different places. and yes - the tea biscuits from L were divine!!! xoxo

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  12. Do feel better...I used to get dreadful migraines but since I moved here it has become a rare event and i seem to be able to forestall them if i sense one coming. Hang in there and I am glad the Biscuit cure worked. My prayers and do get well!

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    1. thank you Fiona! i am so glad that your migraines have become rare - good for you! and yes - the biscuits really worked. thank you for your prayers and kudos to you and your man for all of the great work that you are doing! sending much love! xoxoxo

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  13. What about growing feverfew to take as a preventative against the migraines. It's supposed to help although ita not meant to taste very nice.

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    1. Kev - i've tried feverfew and grow it every year to keep trying to make it work. it just doesn't. thanks for trying to help though. i really appreciate it! xoxo

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