Pleasure – Tiny Tadpoles/Absolutely the Final Edition

On July 23, 2013July 23, 2013 By TimelessladyIn Pleasures1 Comment

Yesterday, while watering my herb garden, a flash of movement caught my eye. Oh my! An adorable tiny toad, no bigger than a dime, was jumping away from the splashing droplets of the hose. I knew it had to be one of the toads I had raised from a tadpole. I ran for the house and my camera, praying the toad wouldn’t jump out of sight. He didn’t. I was able to get a good photo of him. His camouflage is amazing. He blends in perfectly with the ground beneath him.

Can you see him?

Here’s the same photograph with the toad outlined.

Here’s a close-focus portrait of the tiny little toad.

It was a lot of work raising the toad. I hope a few of his brothers and sisters are somewhere hopping around the garden too.

If you’d like to read the whole story here are the links to each post:

Tiny Tadpoles Part I
Tiny Tadpoles Part II
Tiny Tadpoles The Final Edition

Planting – Front Garden Color Combo

On July 22, 2013July 21, 2013 By TimelessladyIn PlantingLeave a comment

I love this combination of wave petunias, angelonia, heliotrope, coleus and low-growing pink zinnias. I crowd my plants a bit in the front garden, but I am rarely disappointed by stunted plants, they all seem to thrive in their close quarters. Perhaps the tight lacing of foliage prevents quick dehydration of the ground below them.

Promise and Purpose – Walkabout

On July 21, 2013 By TimelessladyIn Promise, PurposeLeave a comment

When I need rest for my soul I often expend physical energy in walking. An unhurried stroll along a forest path, beside a bubbling stream, or on a sandy beach always gives me a mental boost. I look down at the treasures of nature at my feet, I look up at the beauty of the skies, I feel the breeze, wherever my senses alight there seems to be a sense of peace waiting for me. The Sabbath is a good day for a long, uplifting walk. Blessings to you on this day.

Place – Butterfly Room @ Academy of Natural Sciences Part I

On July 20, 2013 By TimelessladyIn Place1 Comment

The Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia is a nice outing for all ages. My favorite exhibit is the Butterfly Room. You can find more information here: Butterfly Room at Academy of Natural Sciences

I was fascinated by the cocoon hatching area.

The butterflies are attracted to the yellow walls of the room.

Maybe the butterfly in me is why I am attracted to yellow walls. SMILE!

Plant Tips – Vacationing on the Porch

On July 19, 2013 By TimelessladyIn QuirkinessLeave a comment

Alocasia x amazonica

I enjoy giving my houseplants a vacation outdoors on the back porch in the summertime. The reason is self-evident in the photograph above. Look at the size of that new leaf growing in the small pot. I think I need to repot today!

There are many varieties of Elephant Ears. The smaller types make good houseplants. Here is a bit of information: Growing Elephant Ears as Houseplants

Project – Beading a Blouse

On July 18, 2013 By TimelessladyIn Projects1 Comment

I recently beaded a blouse. Since I am only an occasional beader, there are a few tricks I use to make the project flow easier.

If you are creating a pattern, sort the beads into individual, shallow containers. Make sure the needle you are using is thin enough to go through each bead style. Since a touch of the thread could show at the ends of the beads make sure it matches the color of the fabric you are beading.

It’s easier to get a perfectly spaced bead if you have a pattern on the fabric to follow. On my blouse I was able to follow the holes in the eyelet and get a nicely spaced beading row. Working on cotton fabrics is easier than attempting to bead slippery polyesters. Silks also look great with beading, but will mar a bit easier if you must remove a bead.

Most important, start with a small project before you attempt something with hundreds of beads.

Phavorite – Coleus Plants in my Garden

On July 17, 2013July 17, 2013 By TimelessladyIn PhavoritesLeave a comment

Here are a few samples of my “phavorite” coleus leaves and plants this season.

Phavorite – Coleus/Raspberry Swizzle

On July 16, 2013July 17, 2013 By TimelessladyIn Phavorites1 Comment

I am a believer in pinching the tips of my coleus to facilitate a bushier plant. Yet, about mid-August I stop my constant nipping of the leaves. Why, you may ask. The reason is at this point I let my plants begin to bloom. Although coleus blooms are not very attractive, I covet the new crop of seeds they will leave behind. I’ve named the coleus above Raspberry Swizzle. I’ve grown it for years, first from a seed collected from my plants, and afterwards from cuttings I take every winter from the plants I’ve saved. Allowing my coleus cross-pollinate for years has resulted in some interesting plants. Tomorrow I’ll post a selection of my favorites of this year.

Pleasures – Etsy Treasury/Stone In Love

On July 15, 2013July 12, 2013 By TimelessladyIn PleasuresLeave a comment

I enjoy browsing Etsy when I have a few moment to spare. Creating a treasury of favorite items is an enjoyable pastime. I admire the Etsy artisans who have crafted these handmade works of art out of stones. Click on the individual boxes for more information.

‘Stone In Love’ by AntiquedFaerie

Love these beachy keen rocks and stones.

11 Piece Stone Cairn – Natur… DreamWeaverGar… $20	STONE HEARTS…7 natural und… madeforfun $21	Drilled Beach Stone Pair – f… StoneMe $4.95
Lampwork Beads of Passion Gl… BeadsofPassion $26	Lake Champlain Beach Stone C… LakeIslandGirl $24	SALE Slag Glass Jewelry Pend… Allybeans $12.75
Sea glass jewelry, Personali… FatCatsOnTheBe… $35	Michigan Drilled Beach Stone… upnorthstones $14	Beach Stone Key Ring with Un… StoneandPaperl… $22
BEACH Stone Stick CHARMS Bea… lakehousebeach… $8	Stacked Stone Pendant TarmaDesigns $29.98	Newborn – Infant and Parents… PebbleCreation… $52
Lighthouse by the sea – Mart… castastone $24.99	Center Drilled Natural Stone… StoneAlone $14.5	10 Engraved Stones “Vis… SandStudios $100
Stack of Stones – Yard Art, … TeresasCeramic… $12

Sponsored by send bulk email from excel.

You can visit the Etsy site by clicking here!

Purpose and Praise – Landfill Harmonic and 1 Corinthians 10:31

On July 14, 2013July 12, 2013 By TimelessladyIn Praise, PurposeLeave a comment

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31

This amazing video trailer inspired me, gave me chills, and also brought a few tears to my eyes. I hope to be able to see the full-length feature when it is released.

“Landfill Harmonic is an upcoming feature-length documentary about a remarkable musical orchestra in Paraguay, where young musicians play instruments made from trash.”

Project – Mop Painting/Summer Fun

On July 13, 2013July 12, 2013 By TimelessladyIn ProjectsLeave a comment

A good outdoor activity for children is mop painting. Start out by purchasing inexpensive mops at the dollar store. Next you will need to round up some food coloring or other paints. Acrylics will work for older children, but due to the EXTREME messiness of the painting, a water soluble paint is a better choice for younger kids, opt for watercolors or washable tempera.

Three colors are plenty, choose primary red, blue and yellow. These colors will blend and create the secondary colors.

Gather three deep containers. Add water and large dollops of paint or food coloring. Combine the water and paint with the mops.

Freezer paper is the perfect canvas. A large clipboard is a good choice for stabilizing the paper. If you don’t have a clipboard any hard, flat surface will do. Lean your board and paper against a pole or chair. Remember, this is a messy project, stay away from anything you don’t want to be splattered.

Now for the fun part, dunk the mops, drain excess water back into the container, and throw that paintbrush mop like a spear at the paper. Oh my, what fun we had creating these works of art.

Dribbling is also a great way to add paint. We found that the secret to beautiful paintings was to leave about a quarter of the paper white. Too much paint and all the pretty marbling and blending colors combine into an unattractive tan or brown.

Beautiful! What a great effect. We decided our finished paintings would make terrific wrapping paper. I will iron it when it is dried out completely and roll it onto the cardboard tubes.

Can you tell we had a good time?

A final word of advice: have a place for washing off prepared before you start. A wading pool filled with bubble bath worked great for us.

Plant – Moonflower Vine

On July 12, 2013July 12, 2013 By TimelessladyIn PlantsLeave a comment

I have mixed feelings about Moonflowers. They are devilishly hard to grow…at least this is true in my case. Every year I am lured by the packages of seeds with the big white bloom on the front. I am also tantalized by the thought of inhaling their fragrance once again. Last year, the one Moonflower vine I grew under lights was killed by an unseasonable frost. This year, I started my seeds even earlier and had three out of a dozen or so seeds sprout and grow. Two of the vines were piddling, but one was a winner. This vine grew and twined itself around all the other small sprouts on my grow table. I was entranced, then disaster struck, the dreaded spider mite. I would not give up on the plant and discard it as I knew I should. Instead I diligently sprayed the plant with a mister several times a day. In fact, I sprayed all my sprouts as a precaution in combating the spider mites. Mites hate moisture, the best way to kill them is to drown them.

Long story a bit shorter…here’s a photograph of my best Moonflower vine ever. The early start, the constant misting, produced a plant that is already blooming for me. It’s been blooming for about two weeks here in Southern New Jersey. This afternoon I spotted a beautiful bud and thought the flower was ready to unfurl it’s petals. Tonight I checked the plant, and yes, a gorgeous bloom had opened and was filling the air with its lovely, ethereal fragrance. How could anyone not love a Moonflower?

My best advice for growing Moonflowers…start much earlier than the package of seeds recommends. When the seeds first appear in nurseries buy a packet and plant them that same week. I soak the seeds for about 24 hours, I sometimes nick the outer shell, but this year did not take the time to do this. Plant the seeds about half an inch down in seed starter. I cover the pot with plastic wrap and place the container near a heat vent. Check for sprouting every day. If the seeds do not emerge within four weeks throw them out and try again. Many times the seeds I plant rot in the soil. I don’t know why, but they do…persevere and plant again.

Peculiarities & Phascination – The Intruder

On July 11, 2013 By TimelessladyIn Peculiarities, PhascinationLeave a comment

This week I was surprised by an uninvited guest in my home. A brilliant green praying mantis, measuring about an inch and a quarter, somehow found its way into the house. Even though this amazing bug has outstanding predator qualities, and I am sometimes bothered indoors by the occasional mosquito, spider or stink bug, I knew he belonged outside.

A good way to remove beneficial bugs from your home without harming them is to use a glass and a sturdy piece of paper. Place the glass over the insect and slide the paper between the bug and the wall. Voila…Captured! I try to release any bug that is an asset to a garden or to man into the garden.

The mantis exploring his new home on an Echinacea flower.

Peculiarities – Tiny Tadpoles/The Final Edition

On July 10, 2013July 7, 2013 By TimelessladyIn Peculiarities3 Comments

My tiny tadpoles are both a success and a sob story.

Success – The tadpoles have flourished in a small container being fed boiled romaine lettuce. They are quickly metamorphosizing into frogs or toads. I still have not figured out which species they will ultimately become.

Sob story – After a July 4th weekend camping trip, we arrived home to a small toad clinging onto the side of the rock. I was captivated by the small scrap of life. He had only a stump of tail left, and I knew he would soon have the ability to begin jumping. I resolved to place the container into the garden in a shaded place the next day. The next day arrived only to begin with the discovery of the body of the first toad to morph. I realized that on the screen porch he had begun to need insects to eat and there were few or none. I immediately placed the container outdoors in a sheltered spot and added more water, rocks and a piece of wood that reached the top of the container.

Success – The rest of the tadpoles/frogs seem to be doing fine. I boiled up some more romaine for those who are still in the in between stage of development and checked on the ones who are near total metamorphosis. Every tadpole seems to be doing well right now. Hopefully, in a few days I will have an empty container and be happy in the knowledge that the small toads/frogs are alive somewhere in my yard.

Can you see the almost developed frog/toad on the end of the wood, and the still developing tadpole on the rock?

Here’s a close-up of the frog/toad. My final thoughts on the adventure. I’m very glad I saved the tadpoles. When I first observed them in the puddles I also saw red-winged blackbirds plucking them out of the water as an easy meal. I knew that in their quickly evaporating puddle not many would survive. I’m glad I saved a few. I feel bad about the one that didn’t make it, but have high hopes for all the others. Would I do it again? Oh yes!

Problem-Solving – Update/Sunflower Towers

On July 9, 2013July 12, 2013 By TimelessladyIn Problem-SolvingLeave a comment

I don’t always have success with my critter-war weapons, but I did this year with my sunflower towers. Well, strike that, I had success with half of my sunflower towers. They worked perfectly for keeping the critters away from the sprouts and seeds. What I hadn’t counted on was our wet and cold spring…a few of the plants succumbed to soggy feet. I thought about cutting the chicken wire away from the sunflowers, but I decided against it since they are Mammoth sunflower seeds and will only have one bloom. I have grown Mammoth sunflower in years past and the buds have been nipped off pre-bloom by hungry squirrels. I think I will leave the towers in place for a little bit longer. You can read the initial post on my sunflower towers here: Sunflower Tower/The Beginning

Plant Tips – Growing Squash Upright

On July 8, 2013July 8, 2013 By TimelessladyIn Plant Tips2 Comments

I find squash and zucchini blossoms beautiful. Even better is the fact that a delicious vegetable will grow after the blossom falls away from the plant. Squash plants take up a large amount of room in the garden. Since I grow my vegetables in the Square Foot Gardening method I don’t want to give up many squares to one plant. I was happy this year to find some good information on Pinterest that led me to good articles on how to grow squash upright. Here are a few of my finds:

Growing Winter Squash and Pumpkins

Growing Squash

Square Foot Gardening Squash Tips

Happy Gardening!

Phavorites – A Place and a Praise

On July 7, 2013 By TimelessladyIn Phavorites1 Comment

“Then Jesus spoke to them again: “I am the light of the world. Anyone who follows Me will never walk in the darkness but will have the light of life.” John 8:12

Plants – Red, White and Blue in the Garden

On July 6, 2013July 4, 2013 By TimelessladyIn PlantsLeave a comment

Let’s keep our patriotism going all year long! 🙂

I am thrilled with the red mandevilla plants I planted this year. I am growing them in hanging baskets near my porch. They are beginning to send out climbing tendrils. So far, they haven’t succumbed to the very wet weather we have had in the Mid-Atlantic states this summer.

I love the tall, beautiful shasta daisies that grow in my gardens. They are a very reliable perennial. Every year they come back a little taller and a little broader. Who could ask for anything more?

Blue Salvia is a favorite of mine and also a favorite of the hummingbirds. I purchased this beauty shown above, but I was also able to grow quite a few blue salvia plants from seed by winter-sowing.

Pots and Pans – Norma’s Muffins in Red, White and Blue

On July 5, 2013July 4, 2013 By TimelessladyIn Pots and PansLeave a comment

Let’s keep our patriotic spirit going all weekend-long! 🙂

Years ago, many, many years ago, when I was a new bride, my cousin Norma hand-copied dozens of her favorite recipes and put them in a binder as a wedding gift. I have cooked up many of these recipes, but my all-time favorite remains her muffin recipe. It is a very basic recipe that makes about 18 muffins. I have added all kinds of fruits and without fail the muffins turn out. Once in a while, when I am feeling in the need of cooking even healthier, I will use half wheat flour in place of the white. These muffins are good for using the harder strawberries the supermarkets often sell at a great price. The berries soften and the flavor is intensified when they bake. I’ve included Norma’s recipe at the bottom of the post. Happy Baking!

Tempting Tip: Always slice a muffin vertically rather than horizontally. That way you get a bit of the muffin top in every bite. Delish! These muffins taste even better when lightly toasted and buttered.

Norma’s Muffins (I think I have shared these in a previous post but the recipe is worth repeating)

3 Cups flour ( you can substitute half wheat flour, makes a heartier tasting muffin)

1 Cup sugar

4 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 beaten eggs

1 Cup milk ( can be 2%)

1/2 Cup salad oil

Mix all ingredients together. Do not over-mix. (causes toughness) The batter will be a bit lumpy. Bake at 400 degrees for twenty minutes. Makes about 18 muffins. The recipe can also easily be halved or doubled.