Now that the hummingbirds have left to go south, my impatiens are looking beautiful. For some reason, the little hummers like to pull the leaves off my flowers. Mike made this log planter for me years ago. It's definitely my favorite planter.

Last week I bought this greenhouse at the thrift shop for $3. Ruthie immediately filled up some trays and planted lots of lettuce and watercress.

Everything is doing well. If the nighttime temps fall below 50, I will probably bring it in at night. Hopefully we still have a few weeks yet.

Every day Ruthie sprays the plants with water. It's one of the few things she can do with her arm in a sling.

Poor Ranger has grown up quickly. She's outgrown the brown rock dish on my porch table.

And my planter that she used to enjoy sleeping in?

Well, Sarah gave me a beautiful pot of Chrysanthemums that fit perfectly in that planter. We got a good laugh watching Ranger trying to scoot in next to the flowers.

This is a better view of the planter.
A few weeks ago I bought a large container of this beef base from BJs. I was curious as to how it would taste. The website for the manufacturer says this about it:

"Seasoned paste concentrates, free of artificial colors, flavors and preservatives. Made from freshly roasted lean primal cuts of USDA inspected beef."

So how does it taste? Very good! Doesn't have the fake taste of your typical bouillion. This past Sunday I tried it in our roast beef gravy...yummy! Then later on I diced the leftover roast beef and made a large pot of soup, using 2 tablespoons of the base. Another yummy! My family definitely noticed the difference and agreed it was a good difference. So give it a try.

But before you think this is some kind of health food, let me assure you, this is another food to use in moderation. This base contains partially hydrogenated cottonseed and soybean oil, sugar, and caramel color. The beef base is dairyfree, but the chicken base has dairy. Minor also makes an All Natural Beef Base...but BJs doesn't sell it.

One last note about this beef base: The website states that this product contains MSG; however, there is no MSG listed in the ingredients' list.

For those of you who live locally, the Trinity Parish Thrift Shop on Route 231 in Hughesville has jeans for $1/pair. That's a great deal for around here. Click on the name for directions. The hours are Wed, Fri, and Sat, 9-1 pm.

Tomorrow is our last day of babysitting. This week has given me lots of opportunities to teach my youngest children about mothering little ones...things like why we don't use disposable diapers, why we snuggle babies instead of leaving them in carseats, etc. Ruthie said she can't wait to have lots of babies. Hurray!

Tonight we are eating like kings thanks to Grandaddy! He brought over two large pots of soup...one is Veggie Steak, the other is Chicken Veggie. Delicious! The bread has just come out of the oven and smells heavenly. Time to eat!

The weather is crisp today. The goats love the dried leaves. Sure makes for easy feeding!

Many blessings ~ Kathie