Author: Timelesslady
Married with children and grandchildren. Reader, writer, painter - maybe a bit of an artist. Gardener... Led by the Spirit.
Pleasures & Problem-Solving – Invasive Plants
I love my trumpet vine. Gorgeous golden blooms will adorn it soon, and the hummingbirds will visit once again to sip the nectar. Along with the joys of the trumpet vine come a few problems. When I purchased the vine I was forewarned about the runners it would send out. In order to thwart the reproductive determination of the vine, I planted it in the ground in a large plastic pot. This preventative measure worked for years, but the trumpet vine has never given up, and in the last few years it has won. There are dozens of runners coming up throughout my gardens and yard. Some are as far away as twenty feet from the mother plant. Hmmm, I am going to have to get out there and try to root them out. That’s not a job I’m hankering to do in the high heat we have been having this week. Pleasures and problems, why are they so often intertwined? Bah!
A few examples of the unruly sprouting runners.
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People – Good Neighbors
My neighbor gave me a big bag of green beans from his garden. The joy of receiving such a gift is only surpassed by the joy I feel when I can also share flowers or vegetables from my garden. I hope to refill the bag one day soon with some cucumbers or other vegetables from my Square Foot Garden and leave it on his front doorstep. Good neighbors are a blessing from God.
” No one should seek their own good, but the good of others.” 1 Corinthians 10:24
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Pleasure – Update/Praying Mantis
“Look Nanny!” My grandson said, “A praying mantis.” Sure enough on the peeling wrought iron of the porch railing strolled a lime green baby mantis. It has to be one of my babies hatched in the kitchen. I feel so uplifted. The ones I put on the weeping cypress by my front porch were the babies I had to gather off of the ceiling and the wall…agile escapees from their glass home. I was afraid as I picked each one up that my clumsy fingers were crushing the life out of them. It is so uplifting to see that at least one survived…and where there is one, there are bound to be more. The mantis has tripled, maybe quadrupled in size, and instead of being translucent is a brilliant green. I’ll post more photos as I run across them in the yard.
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Plants and Pleasures – Volunteers
Ground Moss
I am not a gardener who uses much mulch. In fact, this summer the only mulch I have is around the beds of my Square Foot Gardens to keep the weeds away. I like the way dark mulch sets off the colors of my flowers, but I love the way the absence of the mulch allows many “volunteers” to sprout in the hot month of June. I have ground moss, spilanthes (toothache plant), coleus, perennial blue lobelia and many other little sprouts showing amid the weeds that need to be pulled out. Before I put my gloves on and pull out the pesky weeds, I will first gently remove these small plantlets with my trowel and place them in bare spots in my garden beds. I love volunteers.
Coleus sprout in between sidewalk squares.
Another coleus hiding among the leaves.
Coral Nymph Salvia sprouting in a between porch steps and sidewalk.
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Paintings and Projects – Big Huge Labs Color Generator
This amazing photograph was taken by my nephew. What a great eye he has for color and composition. I hope to paint this one day. When I do I will use the newest tool I have found to come up with the proper colors to use in my artwork. Big Huge Labs Color Generator is a free site well worth joining. Creating a free account allows you to download photographs, push their easy to read “create” button, and immediately see a detailed color chart with html symbols included too. This is an invaluable tool for painters and crafters alike. Listed below are the names and html symbols for all the colors in the photograph above. What I couldn’t show is the color chart that was also included. Take a look. I’m sure you will enjoy experimenting with your own photographs.
These are the html colors Big Huge Labs gave me for the photograph above: #351b32 plum, #63825f axolotl, #8b8c9b amethyst smoke, #493145 loulou, #2c1229 blackcurrant, #3e6525 green house, #a0a8a8 hit grey, #91a595 pewter, #9dab9e robins egg blue, #506933 green leaf, #c8d2c5 sea mist, #627c58 axolotl, #625776 comet, #c2d0be paris white, #5e7c34 dingley
This is also a perfect site to use to compare the colors of an online purchase with what you already have in your house or closet.
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People – Father’s Day
Happy Father’s Day…to my wonderful Dad and my wonderful husband.
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Play – Shake, Rattle and Roll, or, The Pleasure of a Big Box
Joe brought a big, empty box home from work. Our grandsons were spending the afternoon and quickly took charge of the box.
Papa closed “the doors” and shook the box all around the yard. The grandsons spilled out laughing, and shouting, “Do it again, Papa!” Papa complied and spun the box again, and again, and again.
Our oldest grandson’s pronouncement on the fun, “It’s better than a carnival ride.” What a FUN afternoon!
Papa, happy too, but all tuckered out.
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Perspective – Decimated Dill
My Dill plant has been doing incredibly well…until…yesterday. The plant is being decimated, and instead of me doing my usual stomping about and muttering about insect and animal pests I am doing a happy dance. Why you may ask?
Because under the umbrella of blossoms I spotted a Black Swallowtail Caterpillar. Oh Happy Day! On closer inspection I found five more, and I am sure there were many more in the surrounding garden that I did not see.
The caterpillars are small, only about an inch long at most, but they are voracious, fast growing, and I am sure in a few weeks I will be seeing many Black Swallowtail Butterflies flitting around my yard. I must have my camera ready at all times. I can’t wait.
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People – Ronald Reagan
Please take a moment to watch this amazing video of Ronald Reagan. You will be uplifted, and perhaps as I did you will wonder how we can find a man of the same kind of values to fill the office and to follow in his footsteps.
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Plants – Wordless Wednesday/Bread Seed Poppy
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Plants – Lily
The first of my lily plants are beginning to bloom. The Stargazers will be along later in the season, but this beautiful pink variety is one of my all-time best performers.
I love the anticipation of bloom when the buds begin to show color through the green.
The white lily I bought at the end of last year’s Easter Season has done well. It is blooming long after Easter, but I don’t mind, the purity of its petals reminds me again of the glory of the resurrection.
Last, but certainly not least, are my orange lilies. They are amazing, bright and vibrant, they capture the heat of the sun and reflect it back for a few short weeks.
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Pots and Pans – Blueberry Tea Cake
This is one of my oldest recipes. I have made it many times and never tire of it. This is the best time of year to make my blueberry tea cake. Although I do use frozen blueberries when fresh are not available, the tea cake tastes better made with room temperature berries.
Blueberry Tea Cake
2 C sifted flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 C butter (softened)
3/4 C sugar
1 egg
1/2 C milk
2 c blueberries, fresh or frozen
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. Cream together butter and sugar. Add egg and milk to butter mixture, beat until smooth. Add dry ingredients, fold in blueberries. Spread in a greased and floured (or use non-stick spray) 8 or 9 inch pan. (I use a 9 inch glass pie plate with high sides) Mix the ingredients below for the crumb topping and spread on top of the tea cake. Bake in a 375 preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes.
Crumb Topping
1/2 C sugar
1/4 C flour
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 C butter (cold)
To make crumb topping cut butter into dry ingredients until coarse crumbs are formed. Use pastry blender or two knives.
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Pleasure and Perspective – War Horse
Finally, almost six months after the release date, I saw the movie “War Horse.”
I wish I had not waited so long. The story was heart-touching, a movie I will never forget. I know I will sit down and watch it again one day.
What I liked most, beyond the amazing storyline, was the way both sides of the conflict in World War I were shown. So often the portrayal of Germany, its soldiers and people, is stereotyped and cliché. In this film the goodness and heart of many of the ordinary German soldiers was shown. I appreciated that. If you haven’t seen it, make sure and rent the DVD. A great film. Hats off to Steven Spielberg for another wonderful story.
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Projects – Clothespin Bag
Yes, it is not very pretty, and yes, it will never win a “best crafter” award, but it works, it was free, and it will save me from stooping and bending to pick my clothespins out of a basket on the ground. It was very easy to construct, a few stitches whipped the top of the towel over the edge of the plastic coated hanger, a few more whip stitches up the sides and “Voila,” a clothes pin bag that works.
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Plants – Hydrangeas
Ah, the simplicity and beauty of blue hydrangea blooms in a white vase. Lovely.
Blue Hydrangeas are at their peak in my New Jersey garden. I look forward to the bloom of these flowering shrubs every year. Best of all, they are long-lasting, and sometimes I manage to pick them at exactly the right moment to dry and enjoy all year.
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Pots and Pans – Sweet Baby Ray’s Crock pot Chicken
All I can say is, “Yum.” This is an amazing crock pot recipe. So often when I use sauce with chicken the meat turns out surprisingly dry. Perhaps it is the brown sugar that keeps this chicken a bit moister and succulent. I love it. I don’t remember where I found the recipe, somewhere on the Internet, so I don’t know who I should credit.
Sweet Baby Ray’s Chicken
(I always pull off the skin to reduce the fat content and to enable the sauce to sink into the meat. I also soak the chicken in a big bowl of cold salted water for about an hour to pull excess blood out of the bones)
4-6 pieces of chicken (I only use thighs, the meat stays moist)
1 bottle Sweet Baby Ray’s Barbecue Sauce
1/4 Cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1 tsp Red Pepper Flakes
1/2 – 1 tsp Garlic Powder
Mix five sauce ingredients together. Put a thin layer of sauce on bottom of crock pot. Add a layer of chicken, pour on sauce, add final layer of chicken, cover with remainder of sauce. Cook on low for 6-7 hours.
I change-up the recipe a bit so that I can use the big family pack of thighs that are so often on sale. When I do this, I fill the empty bottle up with about 1/3 of a cup of water, shake, and pour into sauce mixture. I bump up the amount of vinegar and brown sugar to 1/3 a cup. Enjoy!
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Place – Jamaica/A Few Pictures From Paradise
A few final pictures from Jamaica.
I hope to return to Jamaica one day.
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Place and Plants – Jamaican Foliage and Flowers
Jamaica has a gorgeous array of plant life. Here is a beautiful example of a bromeliad.
Bougainvillea
Hibiscus
Not sure of variety, perhaps a type of canna.
Croton
Loved, loved, loved this terrific foliage plant. I am trying to identify it, and hopefully find a tropical plant nursery here in the states and buy one for home. These grow large in the tropics and this one was actually part of a hedge. (I have since found out the name of this lovely bush/shrub/tree…it is called a Sea Grape, I am going to be able to order some seeds and try to grow my own. Oh Happy Day!)
Palms
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Place & People – Jamaica/The People
Jamaica is amazingly beautiful, but I think her best resource is her people. Noel, our favorite taxicab driver was a real blessing to us during our stay. He drove us to local beaches and neighborhoods and showed us the real Jamaica. He played beautiful gospel music in the cab as he drove.
Talia and Tanish, creative entrepreneurs, we bought some custom t-shirts, bags, hats and jewelry from their shop. Sweet ladies.
Lorna, hair-braider and shop owner extraordinaire, smiling her gorgeous smile.
Roy, another shop owner, “Yea Mon!”
Another of my very favorite local people, Bruce, talented seashell and starfish hunter. His finds are gorgeous and to me priceless. Joe and I loved spending time talking to Bruce and listening to his stories of how he spends his days.
Marcy, a local lady, who set up shop right on the beach. She found for me the perfect island dress in her big bags of product. She had an amazing smile and was so gracious to us as we searched for the perfect garment.
The resort is all-inclusive. The bartenders are always on call whether you want to indulge in island rum and pineapple, Joe’s favorite treat, or a Paw-Paw Daiquiri, non-alcoholic and very frosty, a bit like a snowcone in a glass, my favorite drink.
We went to almost every show they put on in the evening. The activities crew at the Royal Decameron is top notch. Thank you Jamaica for your hospitality and the perfect week of vacation.
