My mid-morning snack. Thank you, Lord. Let me count my blessings.

--> Blessing No. 1 - After spending about 40 minutes outside in my folding aluminum lawn chair when the temp was 70 and the breeze comforting, I came inside for a pit stop and went right back outside for another 50 minutes. That time I had to move my chair so that my legs were in the sunshine because it was actually chilly out there in the low humidity breeze. Later on today when it gets to 97 I predict that I will be in my studio apartment, comfortable even with five one-week-old-one-inch-long slices in my abdomen--praise the Lord that they are healing nicely.



Blessing No. 2 - The electricity to run my frig and my window unit and my TV and my computer--you get the picture. It's 82 now, and I'm comfortable.



Blessing No. 3 - These strawberries, blueberries, and cherries that one of my sons picked up for me earlier on at Freddie's.

Blessing No. 4 - Those two loving, helpful sons of mine, Lamont and Leland!

Blessing No. 5 - My job and the wonderful folks with whom I work and the Family Medical Leave Act which protects my job for me.

Blessing No. 6 - My little Mama's old blue plush recliner where I'm headed in a little while. I woke up at 1 a.m. and stayed awake for at least three hours before falling a sleep for may two, so I will listen to my body and take a nap soon.

Blessing No. 7 - The massive number of folks praying for me as I experience these changes in my life. I thank the Good Lord for each of you, and I can feel the power of your prayers and love.



All that's left after I've enjoyed my blessings, y'all.

Locally grown fruit and produce purchased earlier today at the Hollywood Farmers Market

Hood and Albion strawberries. Washed, drained, in the frig now. I ate some of the Hoods already--the young lady I bought them from said she believed them to be the sweeter of the two, that the Albions would keep a bit longer, a factor that I took into consideration as I enjoyed those juicy bits of red. I bought two pints of Albions, one pint of Hood.

I took these photos in the kitchen with a mixture of fluorescent and incandescent bulbs. Not the best quality, but I had no where to go to get better light.



Yellow zucchini. Green zucchini. I love squash. These are stacked on the revolving shelf that slides out of a piece of office furniture that I bought years ago at a thrift store over on SE Hawthorne Blvd. I believe it started out as a storage cabinet/work surface piece in either a doctor's or a dentist's office. It's metal, on casters, has one drawer and a door that opens to reveal a storage space split into two areas by a horizontal shelf. The brown lamintate-covered revolving shelf may be raised up and locked in place at the same height as the top of the cabinet, not that I do that because I like it just the way it is. I use this daily and repetively. When Mama died and my brother came up from Jackson, Mississippi, to help move me, he wondered why I even had it, much less why I wanted to move it--it's pretty heavy. I knew how important it would be in my new kitchen which included absolutely no counter space and not one drawer. My good sense prevailed.





The new potatoes. I cannot wait to eat some of these beauties because I know just how they're going to taste, smooth and buttery. I've decided to cook some of them with some of the zucchini, along with a bit of onion that I already have, saute the onion first, then saute the potatoes for a while, followed by the zucchini, all in the same skillet.



Turnips, chard, lettuce. I believe I'll add some turnip to my saute skillet. You can see the green front of the cabinet drawer, my smaller skillets hanging over my electric stove, and the right edge of my frig. The tray holding the three pints of strawberries sits on the top of the cabinet which is covered with the same brown laminate as the revolving shelf.



I ate some of that lettuce at lunch, washed and shook and rolled up in my fingers, straight to my mouth. So fresh, so good. Thanks to all of the farmers who work so hard!



Carrots, kale, spinach, asparagus. I believe some of this will end up in the saute skillet, too. Notice the small metal rod towards the right of the photo, beside the towel hanging on the cabinet's towel bar? That's what you turn to loosen the shelf where it's attached to the rod so that you are able to raise it up to even with the top of the cabinet. Once it's loose, you push on that thumb-shaped lever at the top of the rod and pull upward on the shelf for all you're worth. I suppose if I were to decide to move it up often that I would spay WD40 on the rod so that it would slide easily. I really don't like the smell of WD40.



In this photo you see the metal support for the revolving shelf and the lever you push which releases the grip on the shelf so that you are able to raise it up; you can also see the vacant space where the revolving shelf disappears when not pulled out for use. That pink, white and black bag on the floor is what I brought most of the bounty home in--the top zips shut. That white cabinet is an Ikea one that I had at the other apartment, our first Ikea piece. The photograph in the brown frame is a favorite of mine. I sat at the bar at 3 Doors Down Cafe on a visit to Portland prior to our move. At the time, both Lamont and Leland cooked at what I consider to be the best neighborhood restaurant in the city. The plate was set in front of me with a steak knife. "What's this?" I asked, surprised to learn that it was a scallop, something I'd never even thought about trying. Atop brandade potatoes, sauteed to a satisfying sweetness, meaty enough to require that steak knife, my first ever scallop, a memorable delicacy that I thoroughly enjoyed. I framed this photo and kept it on my desk while working as librarian at an alternative middle school in Jackson. I titled the photo "The Zen Scallop" because all I had to do was look at it and a calmness came over me at the memory of each perfect bite. There's a Cafe du Monde coffee can on top of the Ikea cabinet--my dearly departed husband LeRoy loved that coffee. I don't drink coffee.



My strawberries wait to be washed, sitting beside the best-ever-Goodwill-find for a fan like me. I adore my Portland Trail Blazers and, most mornings, I enjoy this mug filled with hot Twinings English Breakfast Tea. I sweeten it with sugar cubes which are in that blue and tan box in the background. My kitchen's just the right size for me, comfortable and efficient, when I'm not lazy.

Lunch, Saturday, August 3, 2013

Strawberries, sheep cheese, Traditional Chex Mix and sweet iced tea. Arranged on a colorful tray I lucked into at Joanne's last Saturday when I had the Zipcar for hours and hours of errands. A 70% off sale on outdoor dining items. Besides the tray, I got the cup, too. So, they're meant for children, but I don't care. It's a way to exercise portion control, don't you know?



Artsy HDR-effect close-up.



As far as I'm concerned, the best sheep cheese, ever. With Sole di Sardegna in my life, I don't miss cheddar cheese. This stuff is so fine, eaten at room temperature as it was at lunch yesterday, with various complimentary foods. Shredded for tacos or burritos or chili or spaghetti and meatballs. Or melted as the insides of divine grilled cheese sandwiches.

Some of you probably guessed the Farmers Market. This one's on Wednesdays!

You're right. It's the one at Shemanski Park in the South Park Blocks, downtown Portland. I rode the bus over the Hawthorne Bridge, got off at SW 6th and Main and walked the two blocks up the slight hill to shop. I love this chance to get fresh vegetables and fruit, plus other handmade goodies in the middle of the week. The market is just the right size for someone with only an hour for lunch and two bus rides to get there and back to work!

The vendors to the west of the park.


The vendors to the east of the park.

The structure which looks like sculpture, with the red tile sort of roof on it, is actually the Shemanski Fountain.

I ate lunch before I went to the market because all I wanted to do was look for food to cook and maybe some strawberries and some sort of cherry concoction. I bought asparagus, arugula, chard, green onions, carrots, red potatoes, a jar of Sweet Tart Cherry Jelly from Cherry County, plus a pint of strawberries. When I got home that night, I washed all of it then cut the carrots and potatoes into pieces and put them in the oven, drizzled with olive/canola oil and sprinkled with sea salt. I washed the arugula, chard and onions, cut the onions into discs and rough chopped the arugula and chard, then sauteed all of it in a big skillet with olive/canola oil and some sea salt. I washed the asparagus and cut off some of the stem ends, then put it into a great big pot to steam. I also had some broccoli that I had bought at Freddie's last Friday--I steamed it at the same time. The only thing that didn't get done in time for me to eat any of it last night were the potatoes and carrots. I had left over pot roast with potatoes and carrots, though, so that was OK. I spooned some of everything else on the plate and ate like a queen. Lucky, lucky, blessed me!


By the way, here's a photo looking south from Main so that you get an idea of the expanse known as the South Park Blocks.


And here are a couple of the prepared food vendors. I think the folks in my Thursday photo probably bought lunch at one of these and were sitting in the sun enjoying their lunch. The vendors are set up on SW Main which is closed during the market. I love how Portland does that and Portlanders seem to readily accept that there's a legitimate reason for the street to be close for a period of time. Love it!