Photographs – Silent Saturday/Coming Attractions
Author: Timelesslady
Married with children and grandchildren. Reader, writer, painter - maybe a bit of an artist. Gardener... Led by the Spirit.
Plant Tips – Bountiful Herb Harvest
Autumn has arrived, winter approaches, I have been purchasing potted herbs to grow on my windowsill through the colder months. I will still take cuttings for rooting from my outdoor herbs, but they will not reach harvest size until Spring of 2015. In the meantime, when I need fresh herbs through the winter, I will “pinch” them from my lovely windowsill garden. Another plus in growing herbs indoors is the scent they “whisper” into the air when you run your hands over them…heavenly!
Photo collage courtesy of Picmonkey.com
Our area of the country experienced a very cool summer, but my herbs didn’t seem to mind and have thrived. I don’t want to waste the bounty of my gardens so over the next few days I will be harvesting everything I have room to store. I will hang aromatic herbs such as lavender, catnip, and a portion of my mints, in dark closets to dry. Those I use in cooking I will freeze in ice cube trays.
Step 1
Soak herbs in a bowl of water for a few minutes. Remove the herbs from the water, check for debris, refill and repeat process at least three times. There is no need for scrubbing or agitation, the water floats the dirt away leaving the essential oils intact. (Organic potted herbs grown inside do not need to be washed.)
Step 2
There is no need to dry sprigs when they are finished soaking. Break leaves away from the stem, place inside empty ice cube trays, add water and freeze.
Step 3
Remove frozen cubes from tray.
Step 4
Place inside a labeled zip-lock freezer bag and store in the freezer. Your “fresh” herbs are now available anytime you are ready to cook a good meal. The cubes are terrific for making soups and stocks. I also freeze onion, scallions, peppers and other produce for quick stocks.
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Painting & Phavorites – October Wet Canvas Plant Parade Challenge & Color Palette Generators
The Summer of 2014 was not very hot, but that fact was an advantage for my wildflower garden; the closely packed flowers thrived without the wilting heat. I spied a sweet bumblebee visiting a bachelor button and managed to snap a photograph at just the right moment. I have chosen this as my reference photo for this month’s WetCanvas Plant Parade Challenge.
WetCanvas is free for anyone to join – Welcome New Visitors Page
WetCanvas Create New Account Page
Joanne N is the host for the WetCanvas Plant Parade October.
The October 2014 Plant Parade
“Welcome to October!
Fall is just beginning in the Northern Hemisphere, while Spring has just arrived in the Southern Hemisphere.
But I’m not ready to let Summer or my garden go quite yet (even though we had a huge dump of snow in early September). So if you’ll bear with me, I’d like to share some photos from my garden with you to use as reference photos this month. Feel free to paint your own garden reference if you wish.
Use any media you like, we love them all! If you have time, do more than one!Keep the banter going, share your adventures and misadventures while you’re creating.
All we ask is that you do not post your work until October 25th!.”
Joanne N posted an amazing array of reference photographs to use. I’ve chosen three of my favorites for this post.
After I chose one of my own photographs as my reference for the October Plant Parade I broke down some of the colors in my Paint application.
When I create a color chart I have an easy time choosing watercolors to use.
I also enjoy using color lab palette generator sites for viewing the color charts they create. I’ve included three for you to take a look at:
Color Palette FX
Color Palette Generator
Big Huge Labs
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Prompt – To CREATE
Today’s Daily Prompt: Verbal Confirmation – To be, to have, to think, to move — which of these verbs is the one you feel most connected to? Or is there another verb that characterizes you better?
My choice is another verb: “To Create.”
I create a home.
I create gardens.
I create meals.
I create a haven for my family.
I create friendships.
I create projects and crafts.
I create Art.
I create blog posts.
I create…create…create…I love to create.
Most of all I worship my CREATOR, The Lord God, creator of the heavens and earth.
I love the Golda Meir quote I used to create a poster for this daily post.
“Trust yourself. Create the kind of self that you will be happy to live with all your life. Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement.” Golda Meir
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People – Old Photos
I love old photographs. My father is the sweet little boy on the left. He is pictured here with his two cousins. Happy Birthday Dad! I love you.
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Praise – The Heavens Declare/A Hallelujah Day
“The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handywork.” Psalm 19:1
Sunrise this morning…Hallelujah!
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Pleasures – Ocean City Boardwalk in Autumn
The beaches might be empty, but the Ocean City Boardwalk was bustling with people, surreys and bicyclists this weekend. I was one of those pedaling a bicycle. What a joyful Autumn day!
Summer never arrived this year, at least not in its usual “HOT” attire. Most people in this area were thrilled with the cooler temperatures. Those of us who love the swelter of beach heat considered the lack of it a letdown. The Autumn season in a beach town does have its pleasures though, and bicycling the boardwalk ranks high on the list.
“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens.” Ecclesiastes 3:1
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Purpose – The Flag
I love our flag. I love this country. I love the people of the USA. A terrific reminder of our heritage by one of my all-time favorites, Johnny Cash.
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Prompt – Pandemic
Daily Post – September 26, 2014 :
Make It Count
You’ve been given the opportunity to send one message to one person you wouldn’t normally have access to (for example: the President. Kim Kardashian. A coffee grower in Ethiopia). Who’s the person you choose, and what’s the message?
My message is to the unknown scientist/researcher who is feverishly searching for a cure for Ebola and other terrible pandemics waiting to happen. My message is one word, “Godspeed!”
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Psalms & Phlowers – Sing to the Lord
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Painting – Faux Botanical/Zinnia
I love botanical watercolors, but I don’t have enough minutes in the day to attempt painting one. If truth be told, even if I had the time, I’m not sure I would have the inclination; botanical watercolors are painstaking and precise. I like having a bit more freedom and fun when I paint. Instead of following the traditional route I paint “faux” botanicals, or maybe a better term would be a floral portrait. At first glance my watercolors appear to be botanicals, but on closer inspection a professional would see there are many flower details left out.
Step by Step Slideshow
Watercolor Tip – To remove a finished painting from a watercolor block, use a piece of an old credit card and slide between sheets. Gently work the card around until the paper completely lifts away from the block.
Thanks for looking! 😀
Of course, I had to include the inchworm.
I’m pleased with the new addition to my “faux” botanicals in the hallway.
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Preparedness & Proverbs – Wisdom on Wednesday
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Paranoia – YIKES!
My son and I were cleaning up the yard after a birthday party for my husband when we noticed this strange object on the ground beside the oak tree.
Have you ever seen or come upon one of these? YIKES! You are correct if you guessed the object is a snakeskin. I don’t know if you can ascertain the length or not, but I know the size after stretching it out alongside of myself, almost five feet long, just about four inches shorter than I stand.
We stared at the skin in fascination and noticed it was very fresh, it hadn’t even collapsed upon itself yet. Uh-Oh! We looked around and sure enough, just a few feet away we saw this guy or gal in the grass. Double YIKES!
A black racer…he didn’t like us anymore than we liked him. Racers can be mean. They have been known to charge those who get too close, hissing and trying to bite. The bite might hurt, could become infected, but racers are not poisonous.
I said to my son, “Don’t let it get away until I get a photo,” and ran into the house to grab my camera.
When I came back my son had a strange look on his face and asked, “What did you expect me to do if it started to get away?”
We both laughed, the strange, strangled laugh that quells up inside when you find yourself in a situation you don’t want to be in. I took a couple of quick photos, but the racer took offense at my proximity and slithered away into the ivy.
I had recently noticed the chipmunk problem in my yard had diminished. Now the mystery of their disappearance is solved. Snakes might be scary, but the harmless kind are beneficial in keeping the rodent population under control. Even though I don’t want to find this guy under my feet, he is welcome in my garden.
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Prompt – The Daily Post/Flashtalk
Today’s WordPress Daily Prompt: Flash Talk – You’re about to enter a room full of strangers, where you will have exactly four minutes to tell a story that would convey who you really are. What’s your story?
If I had only four minutes to explain myself I would use these pictures of my roses. In yesterday’s blog post I posted a photograph of utter simplicity, vased roses on a tabletop.
Today’s Photograph of Roses in Morning Light
Today
Today, the morning sun slanted through my window and threw stunning light upon the arrangement. “Voila!'” As if by magic the illumination exposed shadows and brightness. The different nuances and aspects of the roses are so indicative of the different depths within me. Not so simple at all, for hidden within the grand design of the petals and stem is strength and fragility, softness and prickliness.
My sister once said I am like “Velvet Steel.” Wow! That wouldn’t even take four minutes to say…and it is exactly what I am.
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Photograph – Silent Sunday/Simplicity
Image application courtesy of Photocat.
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Praise – Days of Elijah – “Oohrah!”
Watch this one all the way through…you will be uplifted all day! Oohrah!
The Story Behind “The Days of Elijah.”
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Philm – The Roosevelts
I enjoyed the recent airing of “The Roosevelts.” I found the series to be interesting and felt it was truthful concerning their lives and their presidencies. If you missed it, try to find it online. The presentation was well worth the time I spent watching it.
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Perspective – The NFL & The Unborn Child
This is a photo of the confusion of magnets, artwork and bits of paper on the side of my refrigerator. The shining star of the assemblage is the ultrasound photograph of my new grand-daughter, due in a few months; I already pray and think of her daily.
There are other precious babies, as yet unborn, who are in jeopardy of ever having a chance to walk this earth. Wouldn’t it be great if the mainstream media, newspapers, social media sites, and radio hosts would give as much time to saving them as they have to condemning the alleged abuses of a handful of men in the NFL ? I am not in any way condoning or diminishing the abusive behavior exhibited in the incidents, I’m just wishing as much verbal and written bravado was shown toward saving the unborn. It also would be encouraging to have several politicians actually fighting to diminish the ease with which the unborn are terminated rather than just giving “lip-service” to the pro-life movement.
Hmmmm…I just caught myself in my own net of condemnation, because isn’t that exactly what I am doing here…only stating the obvious? Speaking out against abortion is at least a toeing-up to the starting line. What are you saying or doing about the horror of abortion…anything at all?
And a thank you to my cousin Lisa, for opening up my eyes to the fact that I need to do more to uphold the right-to-life of the unborn.
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Project – Tutorial Trio/Snowflakes & Floral Bows
It’s the time of year to begin gathering ideas for the upcoming Autumn and Winter seasons. I’ve posted all three of these tutorials in the past, but decided to resurrect them for the coming holiday seasons. I will be starting to cut snowflakes for December decorating any day now. I like to have eight in each window. When you add it up, that’s a lot of snowflakes to cut. If I cut one or two per day I have more than I need by December 1st.
The first video in my trio explains how to create paper snowflakes.
The second snowflake video shows you how to coat the paper with wax so that moisture from the winter windows does not ruin all your work.
The third video demonstrates how to make a large-sized oblong bow for wreaths or packages.
It’s a good idea to get a jumpstart on plans and crafts for the upcoming holiday seasons of the Autumn and Winter. A little bit done each week equals less stress as the holidays draw near.
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Phun – Swings
I will never be too old to swing.
