Author: Timelesslady

Married with children and grandchildren. Reader, writer, painter - maybe a bit of an artist. Gardener... Led by the Spirit.

Phavorites & Place – Morguefile and Mars

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The planet Mars is close to earth in June of 2016. This week will provide you with a good opportunity for viewing the red planet. Nasa’s website provides good information on how to best view Mars. Nasa – Mars in Our Night Sky.

“In 2016, the planet Mars will appear brightest from May 18 to June 3.” ~ Nasa Website

Morguefile photograph courtesy of TomWildoner
Morguefile photograph courtesy of TomWildoner

Since I don’t have a photograph of Mars for this post, I searched one of my favorite royalty-free sites for a good example. I found this interesting atmospheric photograph, taken of Mars in 2014, on the Morguefile site courtesy of Tom Wildoner.

Phlowers – Ten on Tuesday/Pinks

On By TimelessladyIn Quirkiness10 Comments
Schizanthus, Catchfly, Verbena, Pod Pea Blossom, Shrub Rose, Zinnia, Rosebud, Lantana, Climbing Rose & Petunias
Schizanthus, Catchfly, Verbena, Edible Pod Pea Blossom, Shrub Rose, Zinnia, Rosebud, Lantana, Climbing Rose & Petunias

Pheathers – Jubilant

On By TimelessladyIn Pheathers9 Comments

JUBILANT

robin

JUBILANT – The emotion I felt upon finding a robin’s nest within my wisteria bush.

Birds visiting my yard and feeders is one of my chief joys, I was delighted to discover a beautiful robin’s nest this week. Now, I must tiptoe around it, and hope the mother does not abandon her roost when lawn mowers and other noisy machines create a racket.

Praise – Moving Forward

On By TimelessladyIn Praise2 Comments

Clematis Climber Framed

The weather in my area, in what should be glorious Springtime, has been grey, cold and dismal. The greyness is getting into people’s moods and outlook for the future. In the midst of another weekend of rain and gloom, I must look forward and seek out God’s Word to remind me that I need to keep on making small steps and not let myself become weary in spirit. The clematis vine is a good illustration of that point, at Winter’s end it is completely buried under the ground, but by small increments, and moving forward (and up) each day, it will soon cover its support with blossoms and leaves. I need to do the same in every aspect of my life. “FORWARD ALL!” Blessings on your day.

Pareidolia – Birds

On By TimelessladyIn pareidolia8 Comments

Pareidolia – “The word is derived from the Greek words para, meaning something faulty, wrong, instead of, and the noun eidōlon, meaning image, form or shape. Pareidolia is a type of apophenia, which is a more generalized term for seeing patterns in random data.” ~ Live Science – Pareidolia

 

pareidolia - birds

The Daily Post Photo Challenge for this week is Faces, a perfect match for the driftwood I found lying on the beach of the Delaware River in National Park, NJ this past weekend.

Do you see the faces of two birds? I do. I couldn’t leave these pieces of river-drift just lying on the beach to wash back out with the next tide. I don’t know exactly what I will do with them, but I’ve seen some stunning examples of driftwood painted for display. I am wondering if these birds need a bit of paint, or perhaps some feathers. Hmmm…what do you think? Paint, feathers or left au natural???

Problem-Solving – The Flip Side of Moths

On By TimelessladyIn Problem-Solving10 Comments

herbs

The flip side of moths is the damage many can cause if they get into your cupboards or drawers. I once found  a cherished wool sweater ruined by moths. A few years later my pantry became infested with moths, and I ended up throwing all dry goods and pasta away.

herbs 2

Three herbs I grow in my garden are good moth repellents. Bundled with a rubber band, rosemary, lavender and sage,  hung inside a cupboard or laid in a drawer, will work as a moth repellent.

Praise – The Moth

On By TimelessladyIn Praise15 Comments

For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him.
~ Colossians 1:16

Moth 1

Yesterday, after a Saturday outing, we opened our front door and almost stepped on a beautiful moth in the entryway of our home.

moth 2

I didn’t want to damage the delicate creature by picking it up with my hands, so I coaxed it onto a piece of paper. Before it flew away I couldn’t resist taking a few photographs with my camera. I’m so glad I did. My eyes, even with magnifying glasses, couldn’t make out the  wonderful detail of the moth’s features. Examples of God’s handiwork, such as this beautiful moth, with its ‘feathers,’ and sweet face, never fail to fill me with praise. Hallelujah!

moth 3 (2)

As I worked toward identifying the moth I came across the terrific site of Discover Life. By filling in a questionnaire on various characteristics of my moth, I was able to narrow the search down to two types of moths: Lomographa vestaliata and Spilosoma congrea. On further Google searches, I was able to rule out the Lomographa vestaliata, and say with surety my moth was a Spilosoma congrea, better known as an Agreeable Tiger Moth.

moth 4

Photo Challenge – Earth

On By TimelessladyIn Photo Challenge at Wordpress7 Comments

Earth is the subject of this week’s Word Press Photo Challenge. I’ve chosen two photographs that also illustrate endurance: a patch of Irish moss thriving in a small bit of earth between two bricks in my front garden, and an ant hill built deep within the earth.

endurance irish moss

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” ~ Galatians 6:9

endurance

Place – Buying Local/Farm Stands and Markets

On By TimelessladyIn Place4 Comments

roadside plant stand

The Brown Farm is located in Heislerville, on the way to the Delaware Bay. The owner sells the ‘odd’ plants I enjoy finding. I was excited to find penstemon, a tall perennial that attracts hummingbirds, and a new variety of purple bee balm. I also bought some butter lettuce, the rosettes so perfect, my husband thought they might be flowers themselves.

roadside plant stand 4

I try to buy from small businesses as often as possible. Plants  and farm roadside stands always draw me in. I am a true believer in the Health Benefits of Eating Local.

roadside plant stand 3

Searching out new places to stop and chat with the owners is one of the joys of our weekends.

roadside plant stand 2

Place & Phun- Weekend/Creamy Acres Part II

On By TimelessladyIn Phun, PlaceLeave a comment

Creamy Acres 1

Have a little fun and visit a petting zoo this weekend.

Creamy Acres 2

This beautiful pair of chickens lives at the Creamy Acres Farm.

Creamy Acres 3

Prompt & Place – Hope/Creamy Acres Part I

On By TimelessladyIn Place, Prompt/The Daily Prompt at Wordpress9 Comments

I love birds. The songs they sing as the sun rises fill my heart with joy. Watching them fly from feeder to feeder in my yard is one of my greatest pleasures. Birds often give my spirit an instant uplift of hope.

hope perches

Recently, while visiting Creamy Acres, a farm and garden center located near my home, I expected to see the normal barnyard animals. While we walked among the goats, rabbits, chickens and calves, a piercing cry suddenly alerted us to the presence of the exotic. When we located  the source of the sound coming from the top of the farmhouse porch roof, we were astonished to see the magnificent plumage of a peacock. Sometimes small surprises and pleasures can fill a whole day, and even beyond, with joy. In my own life, unexpected  blessings, like the sighting of a peacock on a porch roof, bring a sense of hope, even if many of my circumstances at the moment are dark.

“‘Hope’ is the thing with feathers—
That perches in the soul—
And sings the tune without the words—
And never stops—at all—”
~ Emily Dickinson

The first stanza of this poem by Emily Dickinson is a favorite of mine. The rooftop peacock (the ‘thing with feathers’) is still perched in my soul, the remembrance giving me a bit of wind beneath the wings of my spirit.

I also cherish the multitude of  hope-filled verses within the pages of the Bible, and  use as an example this verse in Isaiah that compares hope with the image of an eagle. God bless your day with hope.

“But those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” ~ Isaiah 40:31

Plants – Iris

On By TimelessladyIn Plants4 Comments

iris 2

My favorite iris plants are blooming. Because my area of the country is swamped in daily rain showers at this time, I decided to bring these beauties inside to enjoy in a vase. The colors, frills and fragrance of iris plants make them a good choice for indoor bouquets. Be prepared for complete enchantment when their fragrance fills the air. I can’t remember the name of this variety, but the scent is a mixture of grape-notes and soft florals.

iris 3

A vase with weight on the bottom is the best choice for displaying iris.

Planting – Sprinkle and Step Wildflower Garden

On By TimelessladyIn Planting4 Comments

IMG_0936 (2)

In the Spring of 2015 I sowed several packets of wildflowers in my garden beds. They performed well, and I enjoyed the surprise of seeing well-known and less common varieties of flowers grow and blossom. The biggest surprise are the biennials and perennials that returned this year. Oh the joy of seeing an unknown plant grow, bud and blossom into this lovely cantaloupe-hued flower. Even better, the scent of these Wallflowers (Erysimum cheiri) is sublime.

Wildflower packets run the gamut of price points, from 25 cents in dollar stores, to near $10.00 for a large box with shreds of colorful mulch included for easy and even sowing. I’m enchanted by my wildflower garden and bought a few more packets to add to it this year.

My method of sowing wildflowers starts with roughing up the garden soil with a trowel. If needed, I work in a bit of fresh soil, then I SPRINKLE the seed and STEP gently over the entire area. A light spray of water helps the seed stay in place. In a few weeks new wildflower plants will be my reward.