Vegetables

Okra plants

My okra plants are producing now! Grown from seed started indoors in April.

It was first cultivated in Ethiopia. Records of its cultivation in ancient Egypt date to over 3000 years ago!  In the following centuries was spread throughout Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. Okra was first brought to the Caribbean and Southern United States by the slave trade sometime in the 1600s.

It’s a member of the mallow family, related to plans like hibiscus, cotton, and hollyhock. Though it does well in hot climates and will tolerate drought, okra performs best in rich, moist soil.

There are many okra recipes including many kinds of gumbo. I slice the pods and fry them along with summer squash.

Rural life

Phone Scams

Here’s how it works: Scammers are using auto-dialers to call cell phone numbers across the country. Scammers let the phone ring once — just enough for a missed call message to pop up.

The scammers hope you’ll call back, either because you believe a legitimate call was cut off, or you will be curious about who called. If you do, chances are you’ll hear something like, “Hello. You’ve reached the operator, please hold.” All the while, you’re getting slammed with some hefty charges — a per-minute charge on top of an international rate. The calls are from phone numbers with three-digit area codes that look like they’re from inside the U.S., but actually are associated with international phone numbers — often in the Caribbean. The area codes include: 268, 284, 473, 664, 649, 767, 809, 829, 849 and 876.

Home Improvement

Table Lamps get Fancy

Table lamps have changed over the past few years. Perfect for drawing the eye to the finer details, a unique table lamp provides a welcome finishing touch in any interior setting. Whether ideal for reading in the living room or relaxing in the bedroom.

They range from the classic to the whimsical creating patterns on the wall and ceiling, from industrial to minimalist and from those meant for the study to those for the nightstand.