Butterflies and Barley Cake

I saw the most beautiful butterfly and it stayed around awhile and allowed me to take its picture.  There is something special about butterflys. I have always felt they were a sign of good things.  Maybe even better things to come in the near future.  Hey.... I'm just sayin.....

We had a nice weekend here.  It was Mushroom's birthday on Sunday and also their 49th wedding anniversary.  Two of her daughters and her grandkid's came down to visit them.  We had a wonderful dinner along with yummy cake and ice cream.  The cake was a chocolate barley cake.  I had never had a cake made with no flour before and I have to say it was delicious!  We chopped up a boatload of veggies for a vegetable tray the other day and I learned how to make radish roses!  I need more practice to be sure!  Mine kind of turned out like .....well... lets just say they didn't really resemble roses.  But it was fun! 

Mars has been working in the yard around here cutting out those dastardly tree suckers that always seem to spring up where they are not wanted.  In the process he accidentally cut down some elderberry bushes.  Let's just say that now he knows what they look like!

I talked with my dad today which was nice.  I wasn't able to get in touch with him on Father's Day due to circumstances beyond both of our control.  He lives on the Gulf coast just this side of Galveston.  Try as I might I cannot convince him of exactly how bad the oil spill is and what consequences it might hold in the future of the region.  Oh well, its not for lack of trying.  He said his garden has done really well this year and still has tomato's coming on like gang busters.  As a matter of fact he said he had some in the dehydrator as we spoke.  Like father like daughter I suppose! 

Most of my day today seems to have been spent on the phone trying to get things "rearranged" yet again due to the unexpected move and trying to catch up on two weeks worth of laundry.  Exciting stuff! LOL

I have  been on the phone with Social Security as well today.  I would think it is fair to say that since contacting my congressman my case worker has not been the most friendly person.  Some of you had asked me to put a donation button on the blog.  I did add it with some reluctance on my part.  It sort of made me feel....well I don't know.  I won't go into all that but... its there now! 

I've been trying to soak up as much wisdom from my friend Mushroom as I can while we are staying here.  The woman is a goldmine of information and has been prepping for most of her life.  There is lots to learn and I am willing myself to be a "sponge".  I hope to share some of that information here as it comes along.  I'm also trying to learn to knit while I have a willing teacher!  I'm working on a wash cloth as my first project.  Right now it doesn't look like much of anything but I guess we will see how it comes out soon!