Married to an Older Man Now!

Posted on by Julia

July 11, 2025

On June 29 (Sunday), Bruce turned 61. I am now married to an older man until November!

We had a busy day on Bruce’s birthday. In the morning, I checked on the garden. I was pleased with how well the watermelons were growing.

Watermelons

As I looked at the zucchini plant, I noticed a spill of white insects on a leaf. The squash bugs found my zucchini plant! Squash Bug nymphs were running down the top of the leaf!

It was time to fight for my zucchini plant! I went to the house and grabbed my spray bottle of soapy water. I returned to the garden and lifted the zucchini leaves to check for squash bug nymphs. Ugh! There were so many squash bug nymphs! I sprayed them with the soapy water to kill them. I found eggs as well. I squished those.

Squash Bug Nymphs on One Leaf

I also checked the pumpkin leaves. I found some eggs on one leaf. The small pumpkins looked nice.

Pumpkin

I checked the beans for Japanese beetles. I loved seeing all the bumblebees on the bean blossoms.

Bee Bum

The okra bloomed.

Okra Blossom

Bruce cut branches and I hauled the cut branches from pine tree number two.

Pine Tree Number Two

We made it inside the house before the rain poured down.

I put three quarts of sweet Alabama peaches into the freezer.

I started some sandwich bread while the rain poured down.

Once the rain stopped, we walked into the back pasture to take a look at the fruit trees. Our neighbor’s cows were close to the fence. This was an opportunity for Nox to see the cows! Bruce picked Nox up so she could see the cows.

Once we went inside, I finished baking the bread.

Bread Cooling

I made Bruce a dinner of food he enjoys, but no cake since he tries to avoid cake. I’ll post the menu in another post.

After dinner, we sat on the front porch, enjoying the sunset and the fireflies. The moon was a thin crescent, visible after sunset.

26 thoughts on “Married to an Older Man Now!”

  1. The okra blossom is so pretty! Good luck fighting the bugs. Let us know who wins. Those peaches look delicious. It takes me a long time to peel and slice a peach. The bread looks good, too! Everything in the garden looks great! Happy Birthday to Bruce!

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    1. I put an X at the bottom of the peach, then dip the peach in boiling water for about 3 to 5 seconds. The peach skin will slip off then. I cut the peaches into slices using a paring knife. I go from the top to the bottom of the peach, turning the peach and slicing it. When I get back to the starting point, I separate the slices and let them fall into the bowl. It goes pretty fast.

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    1. I use liquid hand soap and water. Castile soap will also work. You need to avoid dish soap with harsh chemicals, detergent, bleach, and degreasers. Use 1 to 2 tablespoons of soap in a quart of water and mix or shake well. It must be sprayed in the early morning or late evening when temperatures are cooler to prevent leaf burn. To ensure your plant will be fine, spray a leaf or small section of the plant and check back in 24 hours. If it looks okay, you can safely use it on the plant.

      It is great at killing aphids and other soft-bodied insects, as the soap removes the waxy layer that keeps the insect from drying out. With that waxy layer removed, the insect dies very quickly. It doesn’t work on hard-bodied insects, like Japanese beetles. It doesn’t work on caterpillars either.

      It is very safe to use. If you want to read a very detailed article about using soap as an insecticide, here is a link: https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/plant-problems/pests/pesticides/homemade-soap-spray.htm

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    1. Okra is in the mallow family and related to hollyhocks. I’ve always thought okra had beautiful flowers. The spiny leaves, I could do without!

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Published by Julia

I am a retired software solutions architect. I have been married to my husband, Bruce, for over forty years. We have a 12-pound dog, Nox, who we love dearly. She has been with us since 2009. We went full-time RVing for 3.5 years and saw much of the United States. We bought a ranch house on a hill in the middle of five acres. We are working on creating our homestead. I love cooking and enjoy sharing recipes. I am also an artist and I’ll share my current projects. Reading is my favorite hobby.