Author: 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.

Goat Cheese, Zucchini, Cherry Tomatoes, and Basil Galette

This recipe is a modification of the Savory Zucchini Galette from King Arthur Baking site. I have lots of zucchini, cherry tomatoes, and basil from the garden. I wanted to find a recipe that would be delicious and make a great lunch with the lovely produce from the garden. Since Bruce has digestive issues with […]

Our Next Big Project, the Driveway

July 21, 2025 Tomorrow, we are having our driveway repaired. The big flood we had on March 15 of this year caused a lot of gravel to wash off the bottom of the driveway aka the section by the road. We also have gravel from the driveway at the top of the hill washing away […]

Chipper Up and Chipping Plus Some Wind Damage Later

July 20, 2025 Bruce got up this morning and decided to get the chipper running. He had to remove the belts driving the drum and let the engine run for a while. Once the engine was hot, Bruce turned off the engine and replaced the belts. He was able to start the chipper up and […]

Mostly Indoor Day

July 19, 2025 With it raining all morning, I didn’t go outside. I spent some time working on my picture of lion cubs. I work from top to bottom, left to right to avoid smudging the picture. After it stopped raining, we walked to the mailbox. I admired the crepe myrtle blooming. Here is a […]

Butterflies and Dragonflies in the Back Pasture

July 19, 2025 On Thursday (July 17), we had another spectacular sunset. I was intrigued by the dark shadow above the cloud edged with sunlight. On Friday (July 18), Bruce got up early and put on coveralls. He went out to cut up branches into logs with the chainsaw. He wanted shorter logs to fit […]

First Post-Op for Cataract Surgery

July 17, 2025 Yesterday (July 16), I had my first post-op doctor’s appointment for my cataract surgery. I’ve got a second appointment next week. Bruce drove me to my appointment in Florence, AL. The doctor’s office was full of patients. With a renowned eye surgeon here to clear the backlog of cataract surgeries, the doctors […]

“Autumn Wind” Is Back!

July 15, 2025 Today, after I woke up from my nap, I saw “AutumnWind” had been delivered back to us. I was so excited, I went to get the box. I started to pick it up, then reconsidered. I was unsure how heavy the box was and I am not supposed to lift more than […]

Cataract Surgery Completed, Home Now

July 15, 2025 Today (July 15), I had my cataract eye surgery in the morning. I spent most of my time waiting. My right eye had to dilate. The surgery was quick and I was aware, but not in any pain or distress. They said it went really well. I got this neat shield to […]

A Call to Let Me Know My Cataract Surgery Time

July 14, 2025 On July 13 (Sunday), I started drawing a picture of lion cubs to go beneath the picture of the lioness and cubs. After I had the outline of the cubs completed, I decided to give it up for the day. When it was time for supper, I had several summer squashes from […]

Cataract Surgery on Tuesday

July 13, 2025 I had a macular hole develop in my right eye about 15 to 20 years ago. The surgery to repair the hole requires the fluid to be drained from the eye. This can cause cataracts to develop faster than they normally would. My right eye has developed a cataract that now needs […]