New Potting Bench, Fried Okra Recipe

I've long wanted a potting bench with a nice deep sink for scrubbing and soaking pots and vegetables, so when I found this sink at a local Habitat store for just $10, I snatched it up. Bob was so inspired that he built this potting bench around my sink the very next day, just in time for washing all the okra I harvested from our garden. He installed a faucet as well as an extension of the garden hose for a sprayer. Right now I catch the water coming out of the drain in a 5 gallon bucket, and use that water to give my flowers a drink. I think he's brilliant and so very thoughtful!

Here's a recipe for fried okra, right below this photo of my wonderful new potting bench. You can see Bob and his "helpers" in the first picture.

Aunt Julia's Yellow Squash Casserole Recipe, Bob & Debbie 1980

I lived my whole life in Pennsylvania until Bob & I were married. He took me to Atlanta to meet the whole clan, and I remember feeling that I'd never experienced anyplace more hot and humid than Georgia in July. It was 106 degrees the day we took all Bob's little cousins to Six Flags over Georgia. Uncle Buster's teeth almost flew out of his mouth on the roller coaster! Here's a photo of us way back when we were first starting out together. Oh, the memories!!!

Bob & Debbie in 1980

Atlanta Bob's late Great Aunt Julia gave his mother this recipe and she passed it along to me. Happiness is family recipes passed down through the generations! 

Westminster Chimes & Aunt Vida's Whole Fried Potatoes

What are the sounds and aromas that conjure up happy memories for you? Just let me roast a chicken, fry potatoes, and hear Westminster chimes from our mantel clock and I'm transported back to the Victorian house where my Great Aunt Vida & Great Uncle Jimmy lived. Sadly, Uncle Jimmy's been gone for a long time. Aunt Vida turned 104 years old this year. She taught 3rd grade Sunday school for 70 years and worked alongside her husband in their photography studio. She never had children but she had lots of toys and games for me to play with when I visited. She was a great cook, too. See her recipe for Whole Fried Potatoes below.

This isn't her clock but it has the same chime, and that's what counts. Every time it rings, I get all warm and fuzzy....and happy...inside. :-) 

Why Gallimaufry?

Brody Boy & my garden wagon

Working in the garden is a great time for thinking.