Grow Large Beefsteak Tomatoes

I love homegrown tomatoes.  Having a brown thumb, I could never grow tomatoes, so I use to steal them from the late John Harrison.  Some  of you may have read about my tomato stealing exploit.

This Spring I received a plant catalog- full of flowers, trees, fruit and vegetable plants and seeds.

After all these years I thought I would try again.  I ordered a few plants, some planting soil and planters and decided to become Mr. Tomato Farmer.

The plants took root, and grew quite rapidly.  I was rather proud of myself.
On June 29th, El Derecho swept through the area- you remember the big storm, Finnmark was without power for a few days.

My plants were blown over and I thought ruined, but I restaked them and they grew to more than six feet tall.  Wow- maybe I have grown a green thumb.  Well maybe not.

Today Sunday October 21, 2012, I picked my tomatoes-- all two of them- one green , one red- the size of golf balls.  The red one tasted good- the green- perhaps I can fry it or make a relish-Boy I wish John Harrison was around.

Haunting melody

It is 8:40 Am, and I am sitting in front of my computer and watching Fox News.
I turn down the volume of the T.V.- am I hearing things. I hear the faint sounds of a flute or a pan flute- I can't make out the tune.  I try to  listen more intently- it is a mysterious tune- and it is  nice.

I do not know who is playing this instrument- I do not know if it is a record or an actual person performing, but I find it soothing and strange.  It is comforting and as I listen it becomes an escape from the news - I try to make out the tune- but I can't make it out.

As I listen to it , it reminds me of the movie "Waking Ned Divine" if you haven't seen it rent it- it is a funny, warm comedy with a beautiful soundtrack.

I do not know who is playing this music  in Americana Finnmark, but I want to thank them for some beautiful music.  Keep it up- for soon  winter will be here, and the windows will be shut and I may not be able to hear the music- but while the warm weather is still with us I will enjoy your concerts.
Thank you- whoever you are.

Campari,Bitter Lemon, & Torremolinos

I am sitting on the balcony, sipping a Campari and bitter lemon. In front of me is a small bowl of green olives, a plate consisting of some crostinis and manchego cheese.  It is hot, but the sight of the Mediterranean  Sea promisesan offer of a cool breeze.
I am in Torremolinos, Spain.

Torremolinos is a busy resort town on the coast of Spain.  The streets are full of tourists and locals.

The locals are headed to work, the tourists to the beach, for some sunning and tanning.
I am looking forward to a walk along the beach later-maybe grabbing a cup of blood orange granita, maybe a plate of ensalada russo and a hard roll.

I will enjoy the sun, I might even take a dip in the sea, before heading back to the hotel.

I have another Campari and bitter lemon,  take a shower and a nap.
 Tonight- I will look for a restaurant that serves a good paella-perhaps a Valencia paella- with plenty of seafood..

The town gets busy in the evening-and very loud.
There is live gypsy flamenco music, the smell of grilled meats fill the air, and of course there is the shouting of street vendors selling their wares.

I pour myself another Campari and bitter lemon.So good on a hot Spanish night.
Someone shouts my name-I open my eyes bewildered- no one knows me here.  I hear my name again.
It is my neighbor.
"Are you alright"

I holler back- "Yeah I'm ok.  Thanks for asking"
My neigbor heads toward his building.
I look around-  the music is gone,the crowd noise is gone, and the smell of grilled meats, gone,. What happend?

I look around, I am still at Americana Finnmark.
Did two Campari and bitter lemons do this to me?
But wait- is that music I hear.

I pour myself another Campari and bitter lemon.

BOD Elections

Once again, as usual, there were not enough votes for a quorum, so no BOD  meeting was held-
This means that at the next meeting we could have new BOD members who may be seated with only two or three votes(it happend once - a member was elected with only three votes)
This also means that new ballots may have to be mailed  to the residents(again) which comes out of your condo fees- (you see where your money goes- ).
If the residents of this community were less apathetic, things that have been put off(like the changing of the by-laws) and the election of a new BOD could be accomplished with less expense.

It seems that the only time the community gets up in arms- is when the BOD proposes a major condo fee increase, - see how many people show up at the meeting when this happens.

If you do not vote- you really should not complain.
If you do not read the rules and regulations of Americana Finnmark- and you are caught violating the rules- do not complain when you are notified-
If you do not like the rules and regulations and want them changed- participate--

Remember the old quotation from the 1960's- if you are not part of the solution- you are part of the problem.

If  you do not vote- do not complain.

Living on the 2nd floor is so much better.

I live on the 2nd floor in the garden units. When I first moved here I had a choice of 1st. floor or 2nd. floor.  I didn't think the 1st floor was safe-I worked nights- and was worried about someone breaking in- so I opted for the 2nd floor.

With my current health problems the 2nd floor is rough but  I can handle it.

  Today I discovered another reason why I like the 2nd floor.

I was sitting on my balcony and I was watching a resident walking their dog near the rear of the midrise.

Now this dog had already peed on a few bushes(I thought we had a doggy walk and a doggy run), but what makes me greatful for 2nd floor living is this-

I  would hate to walk out on my 1st floor patio, sit down and smell dog pee-- this knucklehead walking the dog had no sense of respect or consideration for the residents who live on the 1st floor of the midrise.
Thank goodness the dog did not poop.
The patio that was peed on is used quite often by the residens who live there, and is close to the pool.  I am inclined to think that those who are at the pool sitting next to the fence my also be struck by the odor of dog pee(Did I mention the dog walk and the doggy run).

Listen up people- dog pee and poop(and I do not care if you pick the poop up with you little baggy) kills grass and plants.
If you walk your dog stay away from peoples patios, benches and the pool fence .
Have some consideration for your neighbors.
Obey the rules.
And if your dog is over 25 pounds- watch out- read the rules- the dog is too big.

Memorial Day Weekend and Grilling

Memorial Day weekend is almost upon us, and most people at Finnmark will be down at the pool and probably grilling.

One of my favorite things about Spring and Summer is cooking on the grill.  I am no expert- no Bobby Flay here, and I do not grill anything fancy- burgers, hotdogs, ribs, corn and chicken and that is about it.

  Now I have had my share of restaurant hamburgers and none of them are ever as good as my own.
Ribs- I have had some decent ones,, chicken I prefer my own.

However, hot dogs are a different story.  I can not make my own- and most of the prepackaged ones are just tasteless and lack any substance.
I do  have a certain fondness for hotdogs at a baseball stadium- the cold hotdog at most stadiums go well with the warm beer- but that is a topic for another blog.

The best hotdog I ever had- was a Sabretts- it has a casing that not only offer a nice crunch when bitten into but sometimes it will burst open and then it offers more surface area to slather on mustard, sourkraut and sometimes, chopped tomatoes and liquid cheese- you know what I mean- the stuff in a spray can or even Cheeze Whiz.

Other hotdogs that rate high on my list are Nathans(not the pre-packaged ones you find in the store) or Hebrew National(again not the prepackaged ones- but the ones that Giant use to sell behind the deli counter.
 Sabretts are available through njporkroll.com-be sure to get the ones with the casing.

If you want a decent hotdog and do not want the prepackaged ones- try the Coney Island Hotdogs at Sniders Market- they're on sale the week for $4.99 per pound.
These hotdogs are big, have substance- and are damned good  on the grill or even fried in butter on your stove.

If you are not familiar with Sniders  Market you are missing something very nice-they have a very good deli- check out their whitefish salad and roastbeef- the best.  The produce  has decent prices, and good selection of good beer(including my favorite- Spaten Munich) and wines-Berger Cookies- and if you are not familiar with Berger Cookies- you are in for a treat-and other assorted grocery items not found in your usual Giant or Safeway.

So buy some Coney Islands- fire up the grill and enjoy- and those of you who will be at the pool- enjoy the day- it is suppose to be nice.

John Harrsons Tomatoes

The late John Harrison had a condo on the 2nd floor across from my building The late Ron La Count lived on the first floor of Johns building.

Ron and I had brown thumbs- we could not grow a thing.
Once- my friend Grace- knowing of my brown thumb bought be a cactus-there was no way I could kill it.

I put it out on the balcony in the sun- two days later it collapsed on itself and died- .

John  Harrison, was a miracle grower- surely he had two green thumbs.
Every summer John would plant tomatoes- and they were some mighty fine tomatoes-

I complimented John how good his tomatoes looked , hoping he would  offer me a couple- but he did not fall for my plan- there must be another way.

One day. I was sitting on Ron patio and we got to talking about how good homegrown tomatoes were.
There is nothing as good as a homegrown tomato sandwich on white bread with mayo, a dash of salt and a smidgen of black pepper.

  Pretty soon all this talk got us hungry-. I suggested that we ask John for a tomato or two- Ron said that John was visiting his son.

Hmmmm- I thought to myself- I have an idea.

Pretty soon Ron had a towel and I had a broom.
Looking around very carefully-I stood below Johns balcony and poked a tomato- it fell off and landed in Rons towel-By the time we were done-we had about 5 tomatos.- Dinner was going to be good tonight.

And it was>

Later on that evening, I went out for a walk and saw John sitting on his balcony listening to the blues- I gave him a wave- he nodded- stood up and said to be-"Those damn squirrels are eating my tomatoes-if I get my hand on them, I am going to make some squirrel and tomato stew."
 I laughed and hollered back at him-" You make the stew, I'll bring the wine".

Board of Directors Election

Americana Finnmark is once again having its annual election for Board members.
There are a lot of issues facing this community including some lingering projects (changes in the by-laws, issues with the replacement reserves, issues with the size of the Board are just  some of them)
Perhaps the biggest problem with the election is the total lack of interest that is demonstrated by the community.  There is seldom a quorum for the first round-  the result- the election results are postponed and no business can be done at that meeting.

The following month a quorum is not needed and a resident can be elected to the Board with just one or two votes.

So if you do not vote- do not complain when the Board does something you may not agree with.

The position of director takes up little of ones time-it is not a difficult job, and it offers one an inside view of the going on in the community.
On a personal note- I served on the Board for over ten years- I was, Director, Treasurer, Vice President and President-I had some good times and some strange times- but I did enjoy the time served.

So mail in your ballots and get involved.

Life is Worth Living

I am terminally ill with a lung disorder.  I am on oxygen 24 hours a day. Due to doctors orders I am not allowed to drive.  I need to use a wheel chair to get from my condo to the parking lot when I get picked up by my sister or brother to go to the doctors. I have been in and out of hospitals at least ten times in the past years.
Sometimes I wonder why God keeps me alive.

And then Spring arrives.
The trees bloom, the bushes flower, birds return and the beauty that is Americana Finnmark shines through.
I stand on my balcony and  look over the vast lush greenery that is Finnmark. I feel like a wealthy landowner standing on his plantation balcony- the air smells sweet, the cool breeze makes my breathing less labored- it is indeed a beautiful sight.

But there is one more magical  thing- baseball- I am a Baltimore Oriole and New York Yankee fan- I have many fond memories of Memorial Stadium-I have never  been to a Yankee game- but there is something about them I love- but nothing compares to the magic that is Orioles Magic.

They may have one of the worst records in baseball, but when they play there is magic- and it give me one more reason to be grateful that I am still alive.

The Blue Door

The other day there  was a package at my door.
No return address-I opened it and found a very beautiful calendar of  doors and stairs. It was from Lorenzo Wilkins, a resident of Americana Finnmark and an excellent photographer.

As I flipped through the months, the photo from September entitled "The Blue Door",caught my eye.

I do not know why it caught my eye , but as I stared at it, I could hear music coming from behind the door.
It was a woman's voice- I could have sworn it was Sara Gonzalez, and the band could have been Irakere, the solo trumpet was Arturo Sandoval.

I walked up to the door and the smell of  cooking hit me- was it ropa vieja maybe a boliche- whatever it was it smelled good and it was making me hungry.

I knocked and the door was slowly opened by an elderly woman.
She looked at me , then she glanced  up and down the street and invited me in.

On the stage was Sara Gonzalez, Arturo Sandoval on trumpet, backed by Irakere.
The room was smoky, there were a few tables occupied by some older Cubans, standing around were younger Cubans- the all had drinks, some were smoking cigars.
As I looked around, I noticed a table laden with a variety of Cuban food-ropa vieja, boliche, pescado,croquetas, fried plantains, flan and assorted fruits.

I was offered a chair, and a drink- it was like another world- people were dancing, singing and laughing- have a good time.
After the third drink I was getting dizzy- and needed to lie down- I stood up and everything stopped.
I looked around and found myself in my condo- in Silver Spring-
It was three hours later from the time I started  looking at the calendar= where did the time go?