This year i have used Bonide all in one fruit tree spray, immunox several times, a sulfur spray, copper in the winter and before bloom. I tried blanching the fruit last night (momentary dip in boiling water) and the fruit turned brown on the surface and looks un appetizing. Will see if it rots this evening. I have found many times picking the peaches a few days before fully tree ripe and letting the peaches sit inside they begin to "prune" which is the water evaporating and therefore remaining sugars and flavors intensified where a fully tree ripe peach will spoil the next day on the counter top. I also found the peaches at the ends of the branches exposed to sunlight and on the side of the tree that gets the most sunlight grow the largest and taste the best. I use this strategy when planning my thinning. Living in the city makes critter control difficult with all the restraints. But, i enjoy the challenge of getting that perfect piece of fruit , as you won't find anything as good in any store or restaurant!

Per OSU-recommended planting dates for the spring/summer garden, you still can plant cucumbers, okra, peppers, pumpkins, winter squash, southern peas (pink eye purple hull, blackeye, crowder, lady, zipper or crowder type peas), summer squash and sweet potatoes. The recommended planting dates for crops for the fall garden are sneaking up on us already too. I'll link the OSU Fall Garden fact sheet because it has recommended planting dates for both warm season and cool season crops. Or, if you have all the veggies growing that you think you possibly could want or need, you could sow herb or flower seeds. Here is a link that might be useful: Fall Gardening

Ha, Rockybird, that is a tale of adventure! Brave lady. Robo, I think I missed out on reading What Color is Your Parachute when I should have read it in my 20's. Or maybe I lacked the self-awareness to understand what I really value and enjoy in my work. One thing you mentioned is coworkers, and my job is performed in near total isolation from colleagues, which is one of the factors motivating me to want to change. Honestly, I think if I could find a position in my field or any other where I could relegate work to the role of "just work" in my life that would be half the battle. It's the kind of job that weighs heavily on my mind even when I'm not there. But I also think that even if some evil twist of fate meant I had to stay in the same job until retirement, there are lots of other ways to significantly change one's life for the better. New hobbies, new social connections--or letting go of those that weigh you down more than sustain you--learning new skills that may not be for a job but that are fulfilling.

I felt "almost" normal today. I started with Trader Joe's version of Cheerios with almond milk, after taking a Pepcid Complete. For lunch, I went to my neighborhood Thai restaurant, where I'm a regular. They made a vegetarian coconut soup with ginger for me. It really soothed my stomach. They also made a white meat chicken with veggies for me--only stomach-friendly veggies and a light sauce, no spice, low sodium -- with white rice. It felt great to eat a real meal! It sat well with me, but I didn't overeat. I was careful. I didn't snack all afternoon because I was able to eat lunch. I had some cranberry juice mid-afternoon and that's supposed to be good for gastritis. For dinner, I went back to the protein bar and shake to keep it nutritional, but light. I drank mostly water today and ginger tea. Only one small Gatorade after breakfast. Water is usually difficult for me early in the morning. Thanks for all the tips.