Life at a "Swell's" pace

Hello.

Here are five things this week.

1. This Apple.

I learned this week that September 15 each year is International Dot Day. It started when Terry Shay introduced his Iowa classroom to Peter H. Reynolds’ book The Dot on September 15, 2009. He started Dot Day to celebrate everyone's creativity, individuality, and art. This apple is my contribution.

In memory of Terry Shay (August 6,1964 - September 28, 2023)

[edited to add Terry Shay's date of death]

2. These Gifts.

We celebrated Jeff's birthday this week on Saturday the sixteenth. He turned 51 and we surprised him with cupcakes, gifts and cards. He had a good day.

3. This Kitty.

Always watching...♥

4. This Window.

I love waking up and seeing the sun. Lately my mental health issues have caused my depression to peak, but having the sun out and going outside to sit in the sun, helps a lot. Just sitting and soaking in some sunshine keeps my depression and PTSD at bay just a little bit, so anytime the sun is out, I try to get at least 30 minutes to an hour of sunshine on my face and body.

5. This Doggie.

He hasn't been feeling his best, but we are giving him all the loves. He turns 15 this year, so we are hoping he gets to feeling better and back to his hyper self. Hardy is a great dog and although we hate that he was abused before us, we are giving him the best life he could have.♥

One last thing:

A quick map key to where foods come from. As you can see from the map, the United States depends a lot on other countries to provide us with the fruits and vegetables we eat daily. Something to think about next November when you cast your vote.

Positive affirmations this week:

The saying stands true, "If it's something that you can't control, don't let it consume you." Things you can't control would include, how other people act, what other people do with their time, how much people make, what people think about you, what others say, etc. If any of those examples bother you, reach out and speak to someone about it. Work on not letting what other people are doing, saying, or feeling affect your day to day life. And also, it is not your job, or your requirement to get people to love you. All your job is, is to put yourself into the world and those that are meant to be for you will find you, and they will absolutely love you for you. But don't forget, to love yourself first.

You can do this! 🌈

Have a nice weekend.

With the end of the summer season coming to a close, it's about the time of year where I figure out how to use the remaining tomatoes and cucumbers from the garden. One of the quick and easy recipes I've come up with the last two years is a tomato and cucumber salad. It's a delicious and healthy way to incorporate a few vegetables, especially if you're needing to use several at once that could possibly go bad before using them for individual dishes. The best part of having a garden in your own backyard is being able to walk outside and get whatever you need for a certain dish.

This year's garden we grew tomatoes (cherry, Roma, and beefsteak), cucumbers, nasturtium, pumpkins, zucchini, yellow squash, onion (red and yellow), watermelon, butter lettuce, cabbage, and peas. We had good results from a few crops, but others not-so-much. We have come to the conclusion that they aren't getting enough sun each summer. So, we are going to move some things around next growing season.

Our tomatoes and cucumbers did well and with that overabundance, I created this summery dish. Here's how it's made.

Four to five medium to large tomatoes (any kind), diced into bite-sized pieces
Four to five small to medium cucumbers, sliced and then cut in half
Black olives, whole, cut in half
Three to four pickles, diced small
Four to five tablespoons olive oil
Splash of vinegar, to taste
Two tablespoons Italian seasoning
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Add everything to a large dish and toss. Refrigerate for up to 30 minutes before serving. Eat right away, or store for up to three days in an air-tight container. It's delicious the following day, too!