We all long for it, but achieving it is not as “Simplistic” as it seems. Enjoy these “Simple” quotes and a few gentle reminders that Spring is on its way.
“Simplicity in character, in manners, in style; in all things the supreme excellence is simplicity.” ~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
“There is no greatness where there is no simplicity, goodness and truth.” ~ Leo Tolstoy
“Beware the barrenness of a busy life.” ~ Socrates
“Whatever science and philosophy may do for mankind, the world can never outgrow its need of the simplicity that is in Christ.” ~ Lucy Larcom
I’ve planted sweetpeas quite often over the years, but I have never been wildly successful. I manage to grow them, and love their sweet fragrance and pastel colors, but the vines have never been lush and produced as many blossoms as I have wished. Who knew I was supposed to be pinching the sprouts as they grew? How did I miss this tip? I certainly pinch out most seedlings to force branching; why didn’t I realize I should do the same with my vines?
I found a good explanation of why you should pinch sweetpeas quite by accident while browsing blogs and garden sites. Why Should I Pinch Sweet Peas?
“Pinch sweet peas for the first time when you set nursery plants out in spring. If you plant sweet pea seeds, make the first pinch when the seedlings are about 4 inches tall. Thereafter, pinch the vines throughout the season, whenever you think the plant will benefit from more bushiness or when the vines begin to look long and leggy or untidy.
The first pinching is most important, because early pinching directs the sweet pea’s energy to the development of strong roots, resulting in a healthy plant that is resistant to disease and pests. Pinching also forces the plant to branch out, creating a full, bushy, compact plant rather than a long, leggy plant. Each pinched vine displays new lateral growth.” ~ SFGATE
I usually soak my sweetpeas for twenty-four hours before I sow them. This year I am planning on using the winter-sowing technique for my sweetpeas. Updates will follow.
The prickly pear I sampled last week was a complete disappointment. I’m thankful I read Melanie Mendelson’s account of eating a prickly pear in her “Melanie Cooks” blog, How to eat a Prickly Pear, as her information was exactly what I experienced when I cut into my prickly pear.
The fruit was a gorgeous color and had a bit of a sweet scent. I also could see why Melanie said she wouldn’t buy another one; the fruit was FULL of seeds.
I scooped out a bit of flesh with the tip of the spoon. I found it uneatable. The half teaspoon measure of fruit was filled with six seeds, maybe more.
I won’t be buying this fruit again, but I will try growing a prickly pear plant from the seeds to have something to show for the $1.49 I paid for it. The recommended way to start these seeds is to soak in citrus juice first to break down the hard shell.
“If I had the gift of being able to speak in other languages without learning them and could speak in every language there is in all of heaven and earth, but didn’t love others, I would only be making noise. If I had the gift of prophecy and knew all about what is going to happen in the future, knew everything about everything, but didn’t love others, what good would it do? Even if I had the gift of faith so that I could speak to a mountain and make it move, I would still be worth nothing at all without love. If I gave everything I have to poor people, and if I were burned alive for preaching the Gospel but didn’t love others, it would be of no value whatever.
Love is very patient and kind, never jealous or envious, never boastful or proud, never haughty or selfish or rude. Love does not demand its own way. It is not irritable or touchy. It does not hold grudges and will hardly even notice when others do it wrong. It is never glad about injustice, but rejoices whenever truth wins out. If you love someone, you will be loyal to him no matter what the cost. You will always believe in him, always expect the best of him, and always stand your ground in defending him.
All the special gifts and powers from God will someday come to an end, but love goes on forever.”
SCALE
– “This week, share an image that highlights a size relationship — make us pause and take a second look to understand the scale of the elements in your photo.”
Gerbera Daisy with a visitor.
It’s February…dreary and cold in much of the world…we need a little giggle!
There are some blessed with more money than they know what to do with, others have just enough, and then there are the rest of us who make-do with what we have and keep appliances, furniture and clothing for as long as we possibly can.
Frugality is a good habit to develop, and a good way to live, but all of us now and then need the boost of a small luxury. For me this usually means a houseplant, a new art supply or something for the garden.
African Violets can often be found for a dollar or two, but a year or so ago I spotted a sample of this beautiful violet at the Philadelphia Flower Show and just had to have it. I don’t know if it was the frilly edge of green circling each petal, or maybe the name “Mystic Mermaid,” but my heart pitter-pattered and I reached for my wallet at the African Violet plant stand. The violet I purchased was double, perhaps triple the price of a grocery store violet, and consisted of half a dozen leaves, but I took the speedline home with daydreams of the plant blooming in my home. It has taken quite awhile for my violet to fulfill my dreams, but it has been worth the wait.
We all need a few small luxuries in our lives. I still get excited about robin’s egg pieces I find when walking in the Spring. I carry them home in the cradle of my palm, but they are extremely fragile, and shatter in a few weeks. Love for the real thing makes me quite the pushover for ceramic, wood and papier-mache robin’s eggs that are often found in shops in the Springtime. These also make my heart go pitter pat. Another small luxury that adds a bit of joy to my life.
Did you happen to notice the backdrop to my photographs? A page from “Anne of Green Gables” seems so appropriate as a backdrop for my small luxuries. The character of Anne Shirley found joy in small things and was thrilled over the loveliness in the world around her. If you’ve never read this book, please do, it is a wonderful story for all ages. There is also an excellent mini-series available in most public libraries based on the Anne of Green Gables books.
And so…this brings me to the end of my post. It might seem a little trivial, but it is just a reminder to those of us in throes of Winter with its diminished sun and cold temperatures; be good to yourself and indulge in a small luxury this week. It will bring a little rush of Springtime to your heart. Blessings!
Winter rain brought me a blessing this week; I glanced out my window and was immediately entranced by the huge drops of water clinging to the bare branches of a nearby tree. Summer foiliage would have obscured this view. In the pared down beauty of the winter landscape I was able to glimpse hundreds of earthbound diamonds glimmering like stars in the rainy mist.
“May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.”
~ Old Irish Blessing
I love this song by the Dove Brothers, a classic Southern Gospel quartet. This tune and rhythm will make you want to jump up, sing and dance.
I am re-blogging this amazing recipe. Now is the time of the year we really need a hand cream with extra softening power.
As Sandra Lee says, “Semi-Homemade.”
1. Gather Supplies: Big Mixing Bowl, Mixer, 8 oz Baby Lotion, 4 oz Vitamin E Cream, 4 oz Vaseline. (As you can see if you check out the blog recipe at bottom of post, I halved the ingredients they suggested)
2. Scoop out Vitamin E Cream and Vaseline into mixing bowl. Measure out 8 oz of baby lotion.
3. Beat until the mixture resembles light whipped cream. (This step took less than a minute)
4. Scoop into jars.
5. Slather on dry heels and hands. Even my husband liked it. I love it! Next time I will make the full batch. The hardest part was gathering up the jars and getting the cream into the narrow mouths.
Here is the original blog recipe in case you want to check out this one too. Enjoy!
In the Springtime you can often find me, along with my grandsons, in the backyard, standing beside the Square Foot Garden, popping sweet peas in my mouth right out of the pod. I don’t know what it is about the taste that is addictive, but it seems to be genetic in our family.
You can imagine how elated I was this weekend to find a new snack, actual pea pods, seasoned, baked, and beautifully packaged. If you love peas right off the vine, try to find this delicious and nutritious snack. You won’t be disappointed.
Ask most people what comes to mind when they hear the word, “February,” and they will answer, “Valentine’s Day, Love and Flowers.” I’ve combined these three themes into one, and created a Valentine Tag Tree. This project was very economical. The only item I purchased was the pack of tags. I had pressed flowers on hand, and the twigs were free, gathered during a Winter walk.
I created the hearts out of maple keys. A few years ago I collected hundreds, small and large, in colors of green, beige, pink and red. I cut away the seed and pressed them within the pages of books. I love finding new ways to use the keys.
I chose Winsor & Newton’s Iridescent Medium to add a bit of sparkle to the keys.
The medium didn’t cover evenly, but I liked the rivulets and blots it created…they added more interest and sassiness.
The maple keys were easily trimmed into half a heart shape, and glued together, creating beautiful and unique Valentine hearts.
I glued on a few pressed flowers. Hydrangeas, while not as vivid as the day they were picked and pressed, still added a hint of blue or a green hue.
I used a fine-tipped permanent marker in brown and added words of love and a few swirls on each tag.
I enjoyed creating a Valentine Sampler with the finished tags. I was tempted to glue these down and frame them, but decided to stick with my original idea…a Valentine Tag Tree.
The base was easily constructed, a piece of floral foam, a bit of hot glue, and a ceramic urn. Spanish moss hid the mechanics of the container. A substitution for floral foam would be a grid of tape across the top of the container. Aluminum foil could also be used to wedge the twigs securely in place.
If you don’t have pressed flowers you can use bits and pieces of magazines, seashells, twigs, moss, heart shapes…there are so many choices for these tags. Most of all enjoy yourself.
After a N’or Easter blew by us, thankfully depositing minimal snowfall, we were left in a deep freeze. The moisture left behind grasped the ground and everything lying upon it in it’s icy fingers.
The many depths of this frozen art is fascinating. Some of the leaves seem to thrust themselves upward trying to escape the frozen surface.
Others float gracefully in the mid-levels, the sun illuminating their edges.
Others lie deep and silent, dark and already half-consumed by the appetite of a hungry earth.
In my continuing quest to try new produce, both vegetable and fruit, this week I chose the Carambola or Starfruit.
What I loved about star fruit: The fragrance was amazing. I had a hard time bringing myself to slice and eat the fruit; I didn’t want to give up smelling the soft, flowery scent. The preparation was minimal. I washed the outer skin, sliced and ate. They are unique in appearance when sliced and live up to their name. Oh my! The taste…so unique, very tropical…absolutely delicious. I have a very picky husband, and even he liked the starfruit. A bonus: The seeds can be planted and grown. Hooray!
What I disliked: NOTHING, absolutely nothing.
Will I buy one again? I can’t wait to go to the supermarket today and buy one…or maybe two!
I have probably eaten starfruit in restaurant fruit salads, and I have possibly bought one, way, way in the past…but it is new to me now. I’m thrilled with the taste and only wish I had made it a habit to eat starfruit decades ago.
“Carambola, also known as starfruit, is the fruit of Averrhoa carambola, a species of tree native to the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. The fruit is popular throughout Southeast Asia, the South Pacific and parts of East Asia. The tree is also cultivated throughout non-indigenous tropical areas, such as in Latin America, the Caribbean, and the southern United States.
The fruit has distinctive ridges running down its sides (usually five but can sometimes vary); in cross-section, it resembles a star, hence its name. The entire fruit is edible and is usually eaten out of hand. They may also be used in cooking and can be made into relishes, preserves, and juice drinks.
Carambola is rich in antioxidants, potassium, and vitamin C; and low in sugar, sodium, and acid. It is also a potent source of both primary and secondary polyphenolic antioxidants” ~ Wikipedia
Star fruit seeds soaking in lime juice.
I came upon a good tip to follow when planting seeds collected from fruits. Often, in nature, the fruit is eaten and the seeds pass through the system of the animal ingesting it. This helps remove the hard, outer coat of the seed. To duplicate this process soak the fruit seeds in the juice of a lemon or lime overnight. What a great idea!
I am re-blogging a few of my “Winter-Sowing” posts. If you live in an area where winters are cold, winter sowing is for you. If you plant viable seeds and follow the directions, you will find success!
Winter Sowing is an easy way to start your own transplants.
Winter Sowing is the process of planting hardy and half-hardy seeds in clear or translucent containers (milk cartons or kitty litter jugs) The containers are sealed with duct tape and placed outdoors in the winter weather. This method of sowing seeds has been attributed to Trudi Davidoff.
Over the next week or two I hope to Winter Sow more of my perennial seeds, and later in the season some of my vegetables, annuals and herbs. A good source of information and discussion about Winter Sowing can be found on the Gardenweb Winter Sowing Forum.
STEPS FOR WINTER SOWING (My own technique, might differ slightly from how others winter sow.)
1. Poke holes in the bottom of your container with a sharp tool or a hot screw driver. A soldering iron works too, but most folks don’t have one.
2. Cut the container in half, leaving a small tab to keep the two halves connected.
3. Add an inch of potting soil, add about two inches of seed starting mixture to top of soil. Moisten all, let water run out the bottom. Plant seeds. Label the outside of the container with permanent marker. You might need to go back over the labeling before planting time. Even a permanent marker fades in the sunshine.
4. Tape two halves together with duct tape.
5. Place outdoors in a sunny spot. DO NOT KEEP CAP ON TOP. The top needs to be left open for moisture.
6. Check periodically for sufficient moisture.
7. When temperatures warm up, open container in the daytime. Be very careful to check daily that the soil is moist after opening. Soil and seedlings dry out quickly.
PART II
I’ve added to my cache of winter sown containers. The warm springlike weather of the past weeks helped many seeds sprout. As they are HHA (Half Hardy Annuals) and cold tolerant vegetables, I’m not worried about the possible onset of colder temperatures through the next weeks. The plastic containers work as mini-greenhouses and protect the seedlings from frost. The cold will strengthen them and keep them from becoming leggy and outgrowing their containers. I’ve had a lot of fun with this project. I also set aside a portion of each type of seed so that in the event that some of the containers fail I will have a back-up.
A view of some of the sprouts inside their containers. The above photos show my recycled orange juice bottles. These mini-greenhouses are light in weight. To windproof them I wedge them in amongst the heavier milk jugs. (I don’t use small containers anymore, they dry out too quickly. I try to use gallon-sized or larger containers.)
A bird’s-eye-view through the top of a milk jug. The seedlings inside are asters.
Two of my mini-greenhouses had indications of the dirt drying out. I placed these inside a plastic shoebox filled with water, a perfect fit, and let them soak up a little moisture through the drainage holes in the bottom. This worked and within a half hour they were watered.
PART III
Poppies! I LOVE poppies, but I have some problems with poppies too. Number one on my list of loves is the way poppies develop big, luscious looking pods. When the pods begin to widen and split to reveal the color of the flower inside, honestly, I must admit I run out into the yard several times a day to see if the silken petals have opened. There is something magical in the wispy crown in the center of each flower too. Often there will be a splotch or two of contrasting color at the base of each petal. The foliage of many poppy plants glows in beautiful bluish green tones. Yes…I LOVE poppies.
One of the major drawbacks of poppies, at least in my opinion, is how hard it is to grow them from seed. For years I followed the advice on the back of the packets and on the pages of reliable gardening books and sowed them directly in the ground. This NEVER worked for me. Heavy spring rains ALWAYS washed my poppy seeds away before they could sprout. If they did grow, the delicate small seedlings would be beat into the ground by that same rain. The “experts” say poppies don’t transplant well. I agree if they are grown in the house, but I have found a way to get a head start on poppies and that method is winter sowing.
I am also including a post that shows the results of my winter sown poppies: Poppies
If you want to grow poppies this year, and have a milk carton or two on hand, give winter-sowing a try. It only takes a few minutes to create a miniature greenhouse to place outside in the sunshine. Happy Gardening!
This past weekend my two older grandsons had two nights of sleepover at our house. What fun we had watching movies, blowing up the air mattress, painting amazing artwork and shopping for snacks. It was fun to be a part of their hours here, but these two moments were heart-touchingly sweet, and worth sharing.
The boys love the bin of craft supplies in the basement. The bin is nothing more than a big container filled with recyclables I think hold creative promise. The younger grandson, in kindergarten, learning how to “create” and understand what a treasure is, put together a desk caddy for me from items in the bin. He presented his creation to me as I sat at my desk, his eyes shining with pride, and said, “Nanny, I know you will keep this forever.” Of course I will! Created out of an old coffee can and a CD holder, with loads of tape and an old brass number, it is a perfect receptacle for my pens and scissors.
Later, nearing the time for the boys to go back home, my older grandson disappeared. He came back bearing his gift to me, the thank you card in the photo above. I am blessed!
My grandmother, pictured here with my mother, uncle and grandfather, has been away in heaven for ten years this January. I will never stop missing her until I join her again one day. My mother recently remarked on this anniversary in an email to me. The email I sent her back is “Scene One” in my weekend of “Precious Moments.”
“Hi Mom, I miss Granny. I can’t believe it has been ten years. I miss all the grandparents all the time.
I was filling her shoes today with my older grandsons. They are precious. We had a conversation about God. They are both very spirit-filled. It astounds me. We talked about how God can forgive anything anyone does…past, present and future. **** said when he sees light he feels like it pulls him to it, I told him God is like light and pulls you to him. He liked that! We talked about Jesus being in your heart always and that he will NEVER leave you. They believe so strongly. ***** cried, he said he was so happy he cried. That is the Holy Spirit!”
My friends, that same precious Spirit our sweet boys experienced and cried with joy over is beckoning to you too. Christ Jesus stands before you, arms open wide, to invite you to dwell with Him for all eternity. If you aren’t His already, say yes to Him today. You will never regret it. Blessings on your day!
“So keep these commandments carefully in mind. Tie them to your hand to remind you to obey them, and tie them to your forehead between your eyes! Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are sitting at home, when you are out walking, at bedtime, and before breakfast!” Deuteronomy 11:18-19
One of the benefits of my “Song of the Day” on the blog sidebar has been finding new and exciting music to listen to each day. Recently, I’ve found several groups of sisters who excel at singing. They also have websites to explore. Take a listen and a look at the sites of these three terrific sister groups.
This post is definitely a bit later than most. I have a good excuse. I live in New Jersey and already the snowflakes are falling, only the beginning of what they are saying could be a record-breaking snowfall. Hopefully, we will get only about a foot of the white stuff. Are you gasping in disbelief? Only a foot! Am I crazy? No, I’m just glad I don’t live further north where they are forecasting near thirty inches will fall before the blizzard is over. When you compare twelve inches to thirty, twelve certainly seems better!
I was one of those crazy people who drove to the Supermarket at 8:00 this morning. I have a gallon of milk, I have bread in the freezer, but wouldn’t you know it, I needed cat food and the orange juice bottle was empty. I ventured out. In the rush of the crowds, comparable to the eve of a major holiday, wouldn’t you know it, I forgot eggs. Grrrrr….
Anyway, it’s a good day for a quick update on my recent plantings. All are doing exceptionally well. The Heavenly Blue Morning Glories sprouted in less than a week. Hooray! If you look closely at the picture you can see I have a “sport.” One sprout a little different than the others. I will definitely keep this one growing. Who knows? It might turn out to the best morning glory ever grown. I can hope!
Some of the coleus seeds have sprouted too. They grow slowly. It will be weeks before there is a hint of color in the leaves.
The Meyer Lemon Sprouts are still erupting from the soil. As of now, I have eleven sprouts, but there are a least two more seeds ready to burst into leaf. O Happy Day!
