We had our first taste of radishes from our garden this spring. They taste so much better now than when planted in hot weather. Rhubarb is taking over and my plans are to make rhubarb juice. I will put it in the jars and process it for later use. It is a very good drink in the hot summer months and also a good thirst quencher. Another job I hope to get accomplished this week is to make noodles with the surplus of eggs I have.

The garden is still wet from the recent rains. Once it dries off we want to plant onions, sweet corn, red beets and so forth. It looks like my green beans survived the cold snap we had last week. I think I will hold off until next week to put out my tomato and pepper plants. It was a little chilly in the morning for the wedding we attended last week but turned out to be a nice afternoon. We were served a delicious meal of mashed potatoes, gravy, dressing, corn, poor man’s steak, macaroni salad, homemade bread, butter, and jam. For dessert there was cherry, oatmeal, and peanut butter pies, cake and fresh mixed fruit. We received another wedding invitation to nephew Ben Coblentz’s wedding which will be held on Thursday, May 20. It was also May 20 ten years ago that my father, also named Ben Coblentz, passed away. Ten years have passed but we still miss him dearly. He was a loving father and a good example to all of us children. Our four youngest children were not born yet at the time of his death. Son Benjamin was only 10 months old so he doesn’t remember Grandpa Coblentz either. Our three oldest daughters remember him and still like to talk about their memories of him. Life goes on and so many changes since then.

A cat showed up at our house and had kittens but didn’t take care of them. The children moved the two little kittens that were still living onto our back porch. They fed them milk with a dropper . Yesterday one of them died. This morning there were some sad children to see the last one was dead. I told them at least they tried their best to save them.

Sunday started rainy. But the skies began to clear after lunch, so we took the opportunity to all walk to a nearby lake about a mile away. The children enjoyed taking their shoes off and walking into the water where they found shells and a tiny baby turtle. Then they all saw a snake, and that made them clear out of the water quickly. We then walked back home and had a nice supper outside. Joe grilled some meat, I made a casserole and brought out some ice cream for dessert. We all ate outside around the grill

Asparagus has been on the menu quite often. Our favorite way is to mix it with potatoes, bacon, cheese, and make a thickening with flour and milk. Since I have shared that recipe before I will share a new one.

Tomato Asparagus Salad

3 /4 pound fresh asparagus cut and trimmed into
1-1/2 inch pieces
3 plum sized tomatoes, halved and sliced
3/4 cup chopped red onions
1/2 cup balsamic vinegarette dressing

Place asparagus in a steamer basket. Place in a saucepan over one inch of water. Bring to a boil and then cover and steam for 5 to 7 minutes or until crisp tender. Drain and immediately place asparagus in ice water. Drain and pat dry. In a large bowl combine the asparagus, tomatoes, and onions. Drizzle with vinegette and gently toss to coat. Serve using a slotted spoon.

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