May your days in 2005 be full of relaxation and serenity just like Zeus and Maggy are demonstrating in MM's mosaic studio.. 

Happy 2005

Christmas.

The fresh bread is in the oven and the cookie dough is ready in the refrigerator along with some awesome homemade split pea soup. That is what we do during a frigid 45 degree/rainy day in Florida.

Merry Christmas to all today.
May your day be filled with hope, contentment, calm and serenity.
Gee, these things are all free if you know where to shop.

I'm beet.

Yes, I love beets. Gotta love Mosaic Mom and the 50 lbs of 'love' she got for me. Who else could get that happy over a bag of beets? It must be one of those inside jokes. No one that I tell seems to get it. They just smile and say 'wow' or 'huh' or nothing at all, while really thinking 'you poor fool, I knew you were crazy but you wife too'.

Twenty five years ago I scored with 25 lbs of beets for $5. Still talk about it. I guess MM took it to heart. And now she has out done me. Three cheers for her.

At least there is no doubt what veggie I am having for dinner ---- or lunch or breakfast or snack. I don't dare ask what is there to eat.

Have you ever tried poached beets, beets and eggs, beet lasagne or my new favorite, beet sauce on ice cream? Did I ever mention that MM is very creative. I would go on here but I have to go now - i.e. really go now. If you know anything about the fiber content of beets you know of where I do speak. Bye. Thanks MM.

Ponkan Orange = Easy Peelers 

"Easy Peelers".

We have two trees of ‘Ponkan’ oranges. Must be famous since one of the roads I drive regularly is named Ponkan. This orange is a type of tangerine I guess. They really taste good when sweet and people at work enjoy them.

Ponkans are especially enjoyable because they are easy to peel – hence the nickname of “easy peelers”. The skin just falls off in huge sections exposing great tasting innards. Navels are great too but forget peeling one of those babies unless you have some fingernails that are no longer needed. Better to just cut into chunks and eat.

Easy peelers tend to produce fruit in alternate years (i.e.one year’s good harvest followed by a year of poor yield). Our trees have only missed a crop one year out of the last eight. I could expound on our vast arsenal of horticultural tricks here but will digress.

This year we have a good crop of easy peelers. Every year they fool me as it doesn't look like there will be much fruit but they seem to come out of nowhere. That is good since four bags are going to work today and the halls will echo with those famous words “the easy peelers are here – yum yum.”

Besides, I deserve it.

After a prolonged period of no fishing, the resulting despair often leads to the purchase of some new fishing device be it a pole, reel, line, hook or other “can’t miss” item to fill the void. There is the hunt for the item, feeling the merchandise, studying the price, checking for cheaper sources on Ebay, eventually the purchase, then the sneaking it home routine – that is all good stuff. Gets the adrenalin going just like hooking into a big one. Of course this all happens as the little voice says “‘It’s ok PD, you deserve it, afterall it is Xmas”. Or the classic “you better get it and use it now while you still can” --- I really use that one a lot.

The same senerio thing happens be it with car upgrades, tool additions, golf clubs or balls (in the old days) or billiard equipment. Oh my, what a list, and it never ends.

This year I have been good. Wonder why. For example, instead of getting a new plasma cutter I am getting the old one fixed for one quarter the cost. Wonder why. The one of a kind Japanese surf fishing reel on Ebay that I let someone else have – that was nice of me. Wonder why.

Maybe I have matured – no way…Maybe it is the fact that I have filled our dumpster (and I mean dumpster not garbage can) several weeks in a row with “stuff” from previous “you deserve it campaigns”. Getting warmer… It sure is nice to be in control and dispel those nasty urges. That is it. The joy received from defeating the purchasing virus. Yes, I am in control and that is good. Yea, right………..

Besides, the prices on Ebay drop after Xmas. Then I can start 2005 off in a good way. Afterall “I deserve it”.

Our Malvaviscus Xmas tree bush. 

Malvaviscus.

As stated before, I like Malvaviscus. The photo above is of a 2 year-old-specimen in our yard taken yesterday. Tomorrow it may be done for the year due to frost. At least its beauty has been preserved and shared. Besides, it will be bigger and better next year.

I hate cold weather, although it is nice for a change. At least here it won't linger for 6 months. Spring is just around the corner.

Mandevilla 'Best Red'. Nice color for December. 

Random Updates

Saturday 10:00PM....

Good grief. I got sidetracked into too many fun jobbies and forgot about blogging. So here is a summary of what is going on with PD.

The Z shop is getting cleaned and organized. Seven years of junk has to be sifted through. However much needed new floor space is starting to appear.

Nice fat mandevilla seed pods are appearing on several elite breeding lines.

Mosaic Mom's Christmas present is safely hidden. This one is a classic. It was purchased 3 weeks ahead of time (Dec 4) - a real first for me. MM is going to flip out(flipping out is a very good thing).

The malvaviscus are in full flower and just outstanding. Everthing I had dreamed about. I may have to photograph and post tomorrow.

The cucumbers are done but the tomatoes and peppers are still producing.

I bought some Zellwood corn Thursday that is so sweet it is to die for. Unbelievable.

Mosaic Mom baked a pompano tonight that was the best ever. It was at least a $100 extravaganza. I am ready to go dig more sand fleas.

By the way, all the pieces are in stock to build another sand flea rake. I think a 16-inch wide model will be just fine.

We have a poinsettia in a pot that Mosiac Mom made that will knock your socks off. I am just amazed how good that pot looks with that plant.

The new propagation chambers at work are working wonders. Plants are rooting as if it is summertime with no stress or leaf loss. Full speed ahead here.

The greenbean has been running flawlessly for 2 weeks now thanks to a new electronic ignition and a stronger fuel pump. It runs much smoother when first started. Love that zoom zoom ride to work.

Someone was supposed to come today and remove a couple of junked parts cars but they called and said they had truck problems. I sure hope this comes to pass one day.

The weather was almost brisk today for the first time since April. It was just beautiful to be out and about. Health is everything.

I think I am going to take what is left of my health to bed. That is if someone will help me up from this chair.