Category: Quirkiness

People & Prompt – The August Blues and Mary Engelbriet

On By TimelessladyIn People, Prompt/The Daily Prompt at Wordpress, Quirkiness2 Comments

The Daily Prompt for August 27th was this question:

“August Blues/As a kid, were you happy or anxious about going back to school? Now that you’re older, how has your attitude toward the end of the summer evolved?”

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I was usually very happy about going back to school. One of my favorite shopping experiences as a child was going to a store with my parents and picking out a new notebook, pencil bag, pens, crayons…all the wonderful supplies that had the potential to help make me a star student. Well, I don’t think I was ever the star pupil, in fact I know so, but I still had a good time imagining myself as such! 🙂 The school supplies were the perfect prop to propel me to what I hoped was great success.

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I still love collecting supplies and props that will help me succeed. One of my favorite “school” supplies are notebooks of all kinds. They are a tool to prevent me from forgetting an important date, and keep me on track with menus, entertaining, vacation plans, etc. I also include Bible verses and other inspiring thoughts within the pages of my notebooks.

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One of my favorite artist/illustrator/decorators is Mary Engelbreit. I have two of her books. loved her magazine, and still use old pages of her calendars to create the collages that decorate the covers of my “to-do” notebooks.

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I put anything and everything in these books of mine, but when their “season” is over, I am glad to replace them with new blank pages. They aren’t created as a keepsake, they are a tool to keep me moving onward and looking up.

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My notebook pages always have a section for jotting down new blogging ideas too! 🙂

You can read more about Mary Engelbreit here: Mary Engelbreit/About Me Page

Peculiarities & Pressed Flowers – Pressing the Odd Item

On By TimelessladyIn Quirkiness2 Comments

At this time of the year you can find many dried out and perfectly preserved butterflies and insects. The remains can be used in interesting and alternative artwork. A re-blog of a post from 2012.

This does not fit into the proper category of “pressed flowers,” but it is still an “odd” item that works well in pressed flower compositions. It is the wing of a Cicada. I found this wing last summer and saved it. I also find cicadas lying on sidewalks and beneath trees that have fallen victim to old age or to Cicada Killer Wasps. Usually the victim has been completely hollowed out by ants or other insects.

I’ve never been squeamish or “girly” where bugs are concerned. I saved the hollow cicada over the winter in a jar, stored in the freezer. Cicadas have always fascinated me. I find the wing in the photograph above incredibly beautiful. Another amazing example of God’s handiwork. I will find a way to use it in a pressed flower composition…perhaps as “Fairy Wings.”

A good source of dried insect wings is the back window of a car or the front grill. Often the wings are intact. Another source is behind curtains or the space between screens and windows. In the spring there are territorial bumblebee battles in our backyard, and the losers of this war can sometimes be found lying in the gardens…vanquished, with wings intact. I know it sounds a bit gruesome to pull the wings off of dead bugs to use in art, but I find them lovely and worth saving.

I enjoy the thrumming of the cicadas in the summer. I often mark the true start of summer by the sound of their song. When I was a child one of my favorite books was “Charlie Cockatoo Visits the Insect World.” It was written by an Australian by the name of Keith Moxon. The book is filled with astonishing information on each insect. Each of the short stories within the book describes how the aborigines used the insects for food and is followed by a devotional paragraph. I hope one day that my grandsons will enjoy reading the stories found in the pages.

People & Perspective – Steve Harvey

On By TimelessladyIn Quirkiness6 Comments


Steve Harvey

What is your testimony? As I watched this Youtube video I instantly was reminded of the multitudes that will be in heaven, cheering for the Lord Jesus Christ. I look forward with joy at being a part of that multitude one day. I don’t want anyone to miss being in that crowd! I also want to spread the Good News while I am here on earth. This video is a good example of using the gift God has bestowed on us to share the Good News. Steve Harvey’s gift is not my gift. I enjoy blogging and sharing my love for God through written words. I might not reach thousands of people in my lifetime, but even if I reach just one…it is important to that one. How can you spread the Good News? If a desire to do so is truly in our heart, God WILL show you the way! Blessings on your day.

Phavorites and Products – Good Buys at the Dollar Store

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PicMonkey Collage Dollar Store save

Photo Collage Created with: Pic Monkey Photo Editor

Over the last few days I had a good time scouring my house for all the products I use from the local dollar store. How did we ever live without these fabulous centers of bargains galore? Oh sure, I know it is easy to go in for one thing and come out twenty dollars poorer, but there are also terrific buys and deals if you are careful to visit at least once a week and keep your eye open for name brand overstocks.

Here is my list of favorites, although I am sure I have forgotten to include a few.

1. Dental Pic Brushes – Small portable packs of ten. They have a nice case you can keep for other things.
2. Gift bags – Almost half price compared to other stores.
3. Stickers – Great assortments
4. Notebooks – Great varieties and half the price.
5. Hydrogen Peroxide – Super-sized bottle
6. Eyeglasses – Best deal in the stores
7. Scrubbing Buffs – They last forever
8. Digital Timer – My latest “amazing” find/works great/perfect to remind me the dryer is about to stop.
9. Microfiber cleaning cloths – Really pick up the dust. Pretty colors!
10. Toys, Toys, Toys – They aren’t well-made, but they are PERFECT for the back yard.
11. Coffee Filters
12. Foot Sponge – Another of my new favorites. A rough and tough HARD gritty sponge. I’ve never found anything that removes dirt and dead skin as well off of the back and bottom of my heels.
13. Toothbrushes
14. Notecards – Beautiful overstocks of gift shops
15. Boxed Matches – I like to keep a lot of these on hand.
16. Hand soap – Another item I like to keep stocked up.
17. Pens – Years ago I merchandised school supplies so I can recognize the better grade pens that are sent to dollar stores because of back-to-school specials and other sales. Take a close look…don’t get packs of ten, purchase the packs with one or two pens. These are great deals because they are smooth writers and will last fairly long.
18. Diaper bags – Another new find. 75 plastic bags, scented nicely ( I usually detest the smell of scented plastic, but this is rather nice) They are PERFECT to dispose diapers and other “untouchables.”
19. Laundry bags – Three in a package…Love, Love, Love these. They last a long time and really do protect delicate garments in the wash.
20. Game books – You can save two to three dollars each by buying these in the dollar store.
21. Foil sheets – Oh my! Can’t do without these. Love them.
22. Holiday baking – decorative containers and wrappings.
23. Gift wrapping accessories.

This list doesn’t even begin to touch all the seasonal buys you can find, the candy bargains, the storage containers, the kitchen gadgets, the terrific scissors I’ve found that actually cut fabric. I couldn’t believe it. I remember the day a pair of scissors that cut fabric were very expensive. If you are having a party you can stock up on party decorations and balloons.

A few things I avoid.
Bath items – Bad fragrances most of the time.
Paper plates & Napkins – Too flimsy and the smell of the dye can be overpowering, even headache producing.
Children’s dyed craft supplies such as foam sheets. The smell is oftentimes HORRIBLE and actually can smell poisonous. I’m careful about what I buy for children. Also dollar store Play-doh clay knock-offs are horrible, as are the paint sets and paints. Cheap crayons just plain don’t work as well.
Disposable Razors – OUCH Need I say more
Makeup, unless it is an overstock of a good name brand
I buy nothing for a baby or infant
Larger tapes such as strapping, duct, masking. It’s terrible quality and hard to get off the roll. Scotch tape is fine.

The photo collage picture at the top of this post was so much fun to create. I have just run across the site of “PicMonkey” and like a few of the other photo editing sites it has a lot of offer. The collage application is the best I’ve ever used. Super-easy to learn and use. I can’t wait to try it again. Thanks so much for stopping by…feel free to list a few of your favorite dollar store or discount store bargains.

Pheathers – Catbird Antics

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I’m partial to catbirds and mockingbirds. I love the way they can sing the song of many other birds. Mockingbirds tend to sit on the highest of trees in my neighborhood. From the top of their world they serenade me with amazing tunes. The catbird has quite a melodic voice too, but what I love best about a certain catbird who visits my yard is his/her ingenuity.

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My catbird has discovered the suet cage I have hanging on a shepherd’s hook in my herb garden. The suet feeder is made for smaller birds, or woodpecker/flicker types that can cling to the bottom and peck out suet from that vantage point. The cage will not allow larger birds or squirrels to get to the treat. The catbird is able to glean a few nibbles from what falls to the ground, but it does not satisfy him, instead it incites him to want, “more, More, MORE!”

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“What’s a catbird to do?” Why learn to hover like a hummingbird of course. This past week I stood at my back window and watched in amazement as this brilliant birdie beat his wings so fast he managed to hover beneath the feeder long enough to grab snippets of suet.

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I had to laugh when he peeked around the side and glared at me as if to say, “Humph, I guess I showed you.” I love my catbirds!

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The Catbird’s Song

Public Video Courtesy of: YouTube – Donna L. Watkins

Phlowers – Garden Lilies

On By TimelessladyIn Phlowers, Quirkiness4 Comments

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Lilies are blooming in the garden this week. I’m pleased with several of the new varieties I planted this year. I had quite a laugh over the lily in the photograph above. This flower grows near one of my bird baths. Within the petals I spotted a mulberry, left there by a resourceful bird as he bathed. I guess he was also a bit forgetful and flew away after his bath without the prize.

Here are a few of the garden lilies in bloom.

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Quirkiness – The Great Tomato Saga Part II – The Junque Trellis

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I was inspired by the video I posted yesterday on suckering and stringing tomatoes. Over the weekend I decided I MUST try stringing, suckering and fertilizing my tomatoes more diligently this year. The fertilizing was easy. I already had an organic tomato and vegetable fertilizer from Whitney Farms on hand. I side-dressed the tomatoes with the fertilizer, tilled the soil a little, and the first part of my goal was complete.

Suckering turned out to be pretty easy too. After watching the video I easily suckered every plant in only a matter of minutes. Figuring out how to string them for growing…hmmm…not so easy.

I didn’t want to spend a lot of money on creating/building a permanent trellis. I gave the problem some thought and remembered the mop handles I had saved from another project for garden stakes. Would these work? No, when driven into the ground they would be too short. What if I attached two together? I’d have plenty of height if this solution worked. How to attach them together though? Aha…DUCT TAPE!

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I went to the dollar store in search of more mop handles. I couldn’t find them, but I did find brooms that would unscrew easily leaving a handle for me to use. I also purchased some plastic spoons and two packets of thin little screwdrivers. This all cost me less than $20.00. The duct tape I had on hand.

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I constructed the trellis piece by piece from the ground up. I had no plan to follow, the process was a little bit like putting together Tinker Toys. (Oh my, I’m giving away my age) To strengthen the structure I added some old curtain rods taped on at the diagonal. My son, who is a builder, told me I needed to do this to keep the base steady. I also used curtain rods across the tops of the handles. Duct-taped again! An old sectional window frame was taped on top of the structure for stringing the tomatoes.

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My junque trellis is not pretty, but oh my, it is interesting! Best of all, the basic concept works perfectly. We have already had heavy rains and not a curtain rod or handle has budged a millimeter. I LOVE DUCT TAPE!

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How to anchor the sisal string beside each tomato plant was my next problem. I used spoons for the soil. I looped string onto the window frame first with a type of slip-knot then let the free ends dangle down and tied them to a spoon. I pushed the spoon into the soil beside the tomato and the string was anchored. I used small screwdrivers driven into the wooden slats for the tomatoes near the border of the garden.

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I’m hoping for hundreds of tomatoes. I want to give them away to everyone I know. If this one-season fix works for me then I will consider spending a larger amount of money for a more aesthetically appealing structure. Something portable, but also permanent in durability. I know that what I’ve built for this season will not last forever. Happy Gardening!

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Gardening Tip: Dollar stores are terrific places to find unusual items to use in gardening. Take a look around your home too…you’ll be surprised at some of the “stuff” you have stashed away that will work as trellises, etc., in the garden.

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Praise – Sacred Heart Singing

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“Sacred Harp singing (also “Shape-note singing” or, of the repertory, “Shape-note hymnody”) is a tradition of sacred choral music that flourished in the American South of the United States. The name is derived from The Sacred Harp, a ubiquitous and historically important book of Sacred Harp music.” Wikipedia

I love the sound of this type of singing. Some of my ancestors came from the south, I am sure many of them participated in this type of praise. This Sacred Harp video also includes beautiful and moving portraits of Native Americans. Enjoy!

Path – The Way of Sorrow

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“For I have stayed on God’s paths; I have followed his ways and not turned aside.” Job 23:11

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Photograph of Dad and Mom on the July 4th float, Pitman, NJ. They were charter members of St. James Lutheran Church. The float was in honor of the church’s 50th anniversary.

Our family has been visited by sorrow; we lost my husband’s father during the first week of May. He lived a long and joy-filled life, he always found things to do, he bowled with other seniors three times a week at 89 years old and swing-danced weekly until just a short time ago. He started a successful business and left a legacy of a life well-lived behind him. He was married to our mother for over 65 years. He served our country in World War II. He touched others with his good spirit and generosity. I think what I admired most was his commitment to his family. When his time to go came, he quietly left the world to be with his God. Dad’s path and the life he lived led him home to heaven. A good man. I will miss him.

Pleasure – Happy May Day

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Jamaica

I’ve just returned from a wonderful trip to Jamaica. We had a bit of a bumpy ride back as we flew through the storms on the East Coast, but would I go again, bumpy ride or not? YEAH MON!!!

I’ll look through my photographs and share a few in the next few days.

Thank you to everyone who commented on the blog posts while I was away. I’ll be responding as soon as I catch up with the houseplant watering, unpacking and the LAUNDRY!

Photograph – Mourning Dove

On By TimelessladyIn Quirkiness4 Comments

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Today was gorgeous here in New Jersey. I took a long walk around the park at Alcyon Lake. As I strolled, a shiny gleam caught my attention. A beautiful dove was intently watching me. She was still…not moving at all, blending into the drab foliage and bark around her. Only her beautiful eyes gave her away. I was thrilled to see her, but also sad, she has built her nest too close to the walking path. Many people pass by every day, many of them with their dogs on a leash. When her babies hatch and begin to peep, she won’t find it easy to blend in and keep her nest a secret. Below is the same birdie with the zoom lens in place.

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Stay safe Mama Bird.

Posies – Tulips Part 2/Arrangement

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Beautiful bunches of tulips are available at this season of the year. It is a perfect time to make a stunning arrangement with these seasonal flowers. Start with a tall vase, a bunch of tulips and some river rocks to add height to the stems.

You want your tulips to stand at least as many inches above the vase as the vase is tall. If the stems are shorter than this measurement, add a couple of inches of river rocks to the bottom of the vase.

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Cut your stems at an angle. If left flat the stem tends to lay flush against the vase or rocks making it harder for water to rise up to the flower. I also remove the lowest large leaves. These are often damaged by cutting and packaging and will sit below the water line, eventually decaying and spoiling the water.

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Add your first flower, the tulip will have a curve, you want the stem to curve outward, but also to look as if the tulip is seeking the sun, not pointing at the ground.

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Work your way around the vase in a series of four. Second stem, opposite the first, third in between the first and second, fourth opposite the third. Begin the second four stems the same way, but this time place stem five between stem one and two. You will have nicely spaced tulips when you have completed inserting these eight stems. Your vase will also have aesthetic appeal as the stems nicely criss-cross in a pattern instead of looking shoved in willy-nilly.

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Eight stems in the vase…

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Criss-Cross pattern

At this point you have created a “grid” of stems inside the vase. You can gently place the final two tulip stems directly in the center of this grid and the stems will stand tall and upright in the middle of your arrangement.

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Happy Arranging!

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Quick tip: Don’t be tempted to add daffodils to a spring arrangement. Daffodil stems infuse a toxin in the water that will kill all the other flowers. Daffodils must be arranged alone.

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Plant – Sea Grapes

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Jamaica Mon 227

Jamaica is one of my favorite destinations. I am in love with the tropical foliage and trees that grow in the warm climate. My favorite plant is the gorgeous sea grape bush. When we visit we stay in a resort with beautiful gardens. The walkways are lined with Sea Grape bushes. The brilliant lime green leaves are large and leather-like, bisected by a brilliant magenta vein. I wanted to take one home with me, or some seeds, but it is illegal to do so.

I thought I had found a solution and purchased some seeds from Florida, where sea grapes also grow. To buy a plant is rather pricey.

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I wish I had not bothered. In this informative article, Sea Grapes, I read that the seeds of sea grapes cannot withstand storage. I will plant them anyway, but I feel a bit disheartened before I even try. I think I am going to have to go the more expensive route and buy a sea grape plant if I want to grow this beautiful shrub as a houseplant.

Here’s a little more information on Sea Grapes: Sea Grapes

Phavorites – Deep in the Green by Anne Raver & Links I love

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If you are a dabbler in dirt, and a reader, as I am, you might have a surplus of garden books stacked around the walls of your home. I am lucky enough to have an extra room where I keep odds and ends of furniture and stack upon stack of books. My grandmother’s china cabinet resides in the room, filled with, you guessed it, books. She would not be unhappy about this use of her cabinet. When I walk through her home in my memory I see rooms filled with books in every possible space. I am so glad I take after her in this aspect of my life, books have always been one of my chief pleasures.

I am enjoying the timeless garden essays of Anne Raver, NY Times Gardening Columnist, in a book titled, “Deep in the Green.”  Each short essay touches the gardener’s heart within me. This is a perfect book to read to escape the final doldrums of a long winter. Even before I begin to read the chapters I am smiling, how can I not with titles like: “The Poop on Crickets,” “If Geese Could Drive,” and “My Invisible Garden.” The book is available on Amazon, hardcover or Kindle edition.

A sampling of Anne Raver’s NY Times Gardening Column can be found here:

Anne Raver/Gardening Topics/NY Times

Painting, Phlowers & People – Botanical Painting

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If you take a close look at the photograph above you will see a pot of tulips bookended by apple juice and a carton of buttermilk. The tulips were purchased last week. I intend to sketch them and paint a botanical portrait. Years ago I painted several botanicals and they are still on display in a row in my downstairs hallway. They have aged a bit. The watercolor paper has pulled in the humid air of our summers and there are slight ripples in the smoothness. I think it is time to try my hand at botanicals again.

I was also inspired to try botanical painting once more by an artist featured in an old Victoria magazine. In the March/April 2009 edition the paintings of Catherine Watters, a botanical artist, are showcased.  I searched for her work on Google and was happy to find her personal website. You can take a look at her work here: Catherine Watters

While browsing through Ms. Watter’s beautiful site, I came upon a word I never heard before: Florilegium. When I checked the Word Hippo website I found Florilegium is pronounced pretty much as it is written. Wikipedia defines Florilegium as a collection of botanically accurate paintings of plants, done by botanical illustrators from life.

Hopefully my pot of tulips will not languish in the fridge for much longer. I’ll update my progress…hopefully I will get to it before they live out their life and expire in their cold confinement.