Author: Timelesslady

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

Preparation & Plants – Saving Heirloom Tomato Seeds.

On By TimelessladyIn Plants, Preparedness, Quirkiness7 Comments

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Every Spring/Summer the garden beds are full of the previous year’s fallen tomatoes. These forgotten tomatoes self-seed and send up new sprouts by the dozens. Why then are tomato seeds so notoriously hard to save?

Tomato seeds are surrounded by a gelatinous sac that allows them to adhere to the garden soil for sprouting. This same gelatin works against growing the same seeds in pots. The gelatinous moisture is a perfect environment for disease to thrive in.

This year I decided to mimic nature and save the seeds without spending time, or dealing with the mess of fermentation.

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The steps I followed are explained in this short video.

For more information on different ways to save tomato seeds visit this link:
Saving Tomato Seeds

Quick Tip – Preparing Roses for Winter

On By TimelessladyIn Quick TipLeave a comment

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If you are in the habit of cutting away your spent rose blooms, begin now to leave a few intact to stimulate the formation of rose hips. This signals the plant that winter is approaching.

Many more good tips on preparing rose bushes for winter can be found at Heirloom Roses.

Phun – Just For Laughs…

On By TimelessladyIn PhunLeave a comment

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Sometimes you have to do something just for fun. This nubbly tomato presented the perfect possiblity, and so…with a pair of googly eyes, and a felt heart for a mouth, we created a tomato lady with a lot of personality.

Photograph – Strength and Rugged Beauty

On By TimelessladyIn Photo Challenge at Wordpress, Photographs2 Comments

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Connected.”“This week, show us how two (or more) things — people, objects, places — come together.”

Fishermen in Fortescue, so connected to the bulkhead, they almost seem to be part of the seawall at first glance.

Fortescue Fisherman Two

Praise & People – Across the World in Song #1

On By TimelessladyIn People, PraiseLeave a comment

I am always inspired and uplifted by groups from all around the world who are dedicated to praising God in song. What terrific examples of people all across the world who are serving God. A good reminder that we are all brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus. Here are a few new songs I’ve recently come across.

You Are My Hiding Place – Golden Angels – South Korea

Wa Hamba Nathi (Siyabonga Jesu) – South Africa

How Great is Our God/Gadol Elohai – Israel/Joshua Aaron/Messianic Praise and Worship
Israeli musician Yaron Yerahmiel Cherniak on the Persian Tar.

United in Christ’s Love all around the world. Hallelujah! What a Savior.

Prompt – Coffee with a Friend

On By TimelessladyIn Prompt/The Daily Prompt at Wordpress2 Comments

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Forward Drive.” “What is the one thing that drives you to wake up in the morning and do whatever it is you do? Is it writing, family, friends, or something else entirely?”

I have coffee with my Beloved Friend and read The Book of all Books.

Forward Drive Mornings jpg

 

Praise – Glorious

On By TimelessladyIn Praise2 Comments

“Sing to the Lord, O Earth,
Declare each day that he is the one who saves!”

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“Show his GLORY to the nations!
Tell everyone about his miracles.”

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“For the Lord is great and should be highly praised;
He is to be held in awe above all gods.” I Chronicles 16:23-25

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Peculiarities – Throwback Thursday/Player Piano

On By TimelessladyIn Peculiarities2 Comments

“A player piano (also known as pianola) is a self-playing piano, containing a pneumatic or electro-mechanical mechanism that operates the piano action via pre-programmed music recorded on perforated paper, or in rare instances, metallic rolls, with more modern implementations using MIDI encoded music stored on floppy disks or CDs. The rise of the player piano grew with the rise of the mass-produced piano for the home in the late 19th and early 20th century.”

I recall seeing, and listening to, player pianos when I was a child. The sample video I’ve included in the post, shows how the piano was pumped with a person’s feet. What is that tune? “Let Me Call You Sweetheart,” was the favorite song of my dear grandparents. Enjoy!

Peculiarities – The Mantis Whisperer

On By TimelessladyIn PeculiaritiesLeave a comment

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I spotted him first atop the vitex tree.

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He let me get close…closer…closest…

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…and even seemed to strike a few interesting poses.

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When I offered him my thumb, he climbed aboard…

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…and seemed quite amused when I placed him on a bright zinnia as a backdrop for a photograph. Did I say I love praying mantis? I do. 😀

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Pleasure – Apples

On By TimelessladyIn Pleasures1 Comment

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September is here…school begins…the bliss of summer ends. Happily, Autumn has its own joys…and apples are tops on my list of seasonal favorites.

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I bought a small basket of Gala apples at the local farm market. Galas are one of my favorite apple varieties. I enjoy using them to make a delicious side dish of baked apples. (With whipped cream on top, baked apples can also be a delicious dessert.)

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Core and slice the apples thin. No special measurements, slice up as many as you think you will eat in one sitting, or cut a few extra for leftovers.

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I like to cook baked apples in glass bakeware. Place apples in baking dish, dot freely with butter, sprinkle top with brown sugar, and add a sprinkling of cinnamon. I sometimes also add a pinch of salt. Bake at 350, covered with foil or a lid for about forty-five minutes. Enjoy!

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Photograph – Gazebo, Gazebo and Gazebo

On By TimelessladyIn Photo Challenge at Wordpress, photograph8 Comments

In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “From Every Angle.” “This week, photograph a stationary subject from three different angles.”

The Gazebo overlooking Glen Lake, Pitman, New Jersey.

Gazebo Collage
Gazebo Collage
Gazebo overlooking Glen Lake
Gazebo overlooking Glen Lake
Gazebo looking up
Gazebo looking up
Gazebo - View across the lake.
Gazebo – View across the lake.

Praise – The Moon and Moonflowers

On By TimelessladyIn QuirkinessLeave a comment

“When I consider your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you have set in place,
what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
human beings that you care for them?”
~ Psalm 8:3-4

the shadowed moon

The Moon was beautiful last night. “The full moon of August 29, 2015 is the first of this year’s three full Supermoons. It’s a full moon near perigee, or near its closest point to Earth for the month.” ~Earth Sky.Org

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My Moonflower Vine, earthbound, unfurled one of it’s large buds and mirrored the beauty of the moon under the nighttime sky.

Pareidolia – What do you see?

On By TimelessladyIn pareidoliaLeave a comment

While walking the beach at Fortescue, New Jersey, on the Delaware Bay, I spotted this shell. It looked just like a fish to me. I saved it and hope to create a pendant with it one day.

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Phlashback Phriday – Patsy Cline & Willie Nelson

On By TimelessladyIn QuirkinessLeave a comment

I love the way technology can bring us old songs in a new way. This duet by the classic Patsy Cline, a favorite of mine, and the timeless Willie Nelson is a perfect example.

Plants – Final Update/Straw Bale Gardens

On By TimelessladyIn Plants4 Comments

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I have enjoyed reaping the benefits of my experiment in Straw Bale Gardening this year. Even though I made a mistake and placed the bales on pallets, the tomato plants adapted. As the hay decomposed and fell between the spaces, the tomato plant roots followed the trail of soil. In the photograph, you can see the plants grew to a terrific size. Their growth rate was so fast, I had to change my mind about letting them grow on the straw as vines, and used standard wire tomato cages instead. The fruit the plants produced was large and flavorful. They are beginning to decline now, but so are the tomatoes in the gardens of friends and family. If you have the space, consider giving this unique way of growing vegetables a try next year.

Pots and Pans – Cream Cheese Ranch Dip

On By TimelessladyIn QuirkinessLeave a comment

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Summer vegetables are plentiful at this time. Instead of ordinary tossed salads, try a veggie plate instead for your next dinner or gathering. At our last family get-together I served vegetables with a delicious dip I concocted with ingredients I had on hand in my fridge and pantry. Everyone loved it, and even though it was savory, it worked with the cantaloupe too.

CREAM CHEESE RANCH DIP

4 oz Cream Cheese (softened)
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/8 tsp salt (I used sea salt)
1/8 tsp sugar

I added a few sprigs of fresh dill and thyme. You can use a few pinches of any herb you prefer.

Put everything in a food processor and blend. Chill and serve.

I refrigerated the leftovers overnight and they did not separate at all.

I am going to try and change it up to a sweet dip for fruits by omitting the herbs, adding honey or brown sugar instead, and perhaps some cinnamon. Experiment, and see what deliciousness you can think up.

Photograph – All Creatures Great and Small

On By TimelessladyIn photograph2 Comments

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“All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.

Each little flower that opens,
Each little bird that sings,
He made their glowing colours,
He made their tiny wings.”
~ Cecil Frances Alexander

Praise – Gloria Patri

On By TimelessladyIn PraiseLeave a comment

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son:
and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be:
world without end. Amen.
~ Gloria Patri

Project – Charcoal Sticks

On By TimelessladyIn Painting, Past, Paths, Phairy Lore, Phamily, Pharewell, Pheathers, Projects13 Comments

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When straight wind storms blew through this year, they brought down hundreds of small sticks from the trees surrounding our yard. We collected these and used them in a campfire. Forgotten, the remains lay in the fire pit and weathered for a few weeks. Oh my! Imagine my surprise when perfect sticks of charcoal for artwork caught my eye.

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A quick autograph of my initials on the surrounding fire pit bricks assured me they were art-worthy.

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I collected a good amount and brought them into the house.

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Although I haven’t created art with charcoal in years, I’m eager to give the homemade sticks a try. There might be a bit of frustration involved since the thinner sticks break easily, but hey, it’s an endeavor that won’t cost me more than a sheet of paper.

A good example of charcoal art can be viewed in the following video: