Things To Be Grateful For ...

I'm slipping off to New England to see my brother for a few days. Things are looking up. His breathing tube has been removed, his lungs are clear and the incisions are healing well. The biopsy news is good and hopefully the cancer will not return. He passed a "swallow" test today with flying colors indicating that there is no leakage from the esophagus when liquids are taken. So he'll soon be on a liquid and soft foods diet. Hopefully he'll be out of the ICU tomorrow. The problem with his heart remains and to my understanding there is no plan as yet to deal with it ... but I'm sure something will be recommended in the coming days.

I am so glad that the primary season is over and at last we have a presumptive candidate. And I'm grateful it's Obama. My husband predicts that now the real down and dirty stuff will begin. I'm going to try to keep myself away from the television as much as I can. I find these battles to be very disturbing and hopefully Obama will continue to be able to wage his campaign in the dignified, presidential way that he has so far. I do not want to wish time away, but it certainly will feel good in November when we know we will have him in the White House come January.

I'm also grateful for the rain in the last two days ... not a lot, but things are wet and still growing. I have tiny tomatoes on the vine and wee green peppers beginning to appear. I've come up with a new location for these goodies this year and so far ... knock on wood ... the deer and rabbits haven't found a way to get to them.

More and more wonderfully delicious produce is beginning to appear at the farmer's market. Last week I found tiny baby beets, sugary carrots, spring onions, broccoli and the first of the local strawberries ... small red jewels. These fabulous vegetables and fruit grown in good old Virginia soil are so much better than the very best grocery store produce shipped in from California or further. More and more people in the area are beginning to grow there own and to buy what they can't grow, within the region. Sweet summer is here and for me it's a festival of favorite foods!!

See you next week!