Perspective – Here’s to Percolation

On By TimelessladyIn Perspective6 Comments

Percolation (from Latin percōlāre, “to filter” or “trickle through”)

img_4019-2

When we camp in a campground without electric hook-ups, we often use a percolator for making coffee. According to Wikipedia, coffee percolators went out of fashion in the 1970’s in favor of automatic drip coffee makers. Percolated coffee is often strong, and drinking a few mouthfuls might put ‘hair on your chest.’

I use the process of percolation in my creative thinking and projects. Often I’ll have a vague idea, nothing concrete will come of it, but it percolates away in my subconscious, gaining strength for the right moment to emerge as a fully formed idea or insight.

I also use percolation in my Bible reading and devotions. There are times I don’t immediately understand how a verse or chapter applies to my life. I am confident though, that as I read, the truth of God’s Word will take root within me.  There have been countless times in my life that the Holy Spirit has brought to the forefront of my thoughts a verse or chapter I have read in the past that will perfectly illuminate a current situation or problem. When you percolate the goodness of God’s Word through your heart, mind  and spirit, you will find many instances when his Good News will bless your life with exactly the guidance, promise and love you need to better live for Him.

Phavorites – Throwback Thursday/Aspenglow by John Denver

On By TimelessladyIn Phavorites15 Comments

“Aspenglow was written about Aspen, which is a resort town in Colorado. They have a celebration every year called Winterskol where many skiers come down the mountain holding torches, thus the Aspen glow.” ~ Songfacts.com

I bought this first as a vinyl album, oh let’s see, probably many decades ago. Smile! I recently saw it in CD form in a Christmas Music Display. I’ve played it several times since then. A gorgeous song filled with beautiful words and sound effects.

Photograph – Ailanthus Webworm Moth

On By TimelessladyIn Photo Challenge at Wordpress8 Comments

img_4010

I spotted an Ailanthus Webworm today when I looked out my window at the morning sky. I love finding examples, such as this moth’s beautiful coloring, of God’s artistry in the world around me. The moth is out of his element, since he is a tropical moth. How has he survived the frosty temperatures? Perhaps the cold was my ally in getting a good photograph of him. I gently raised the screen with the moth still on it, hung my hand and camera out the second story window, and snapped a photo.

The tiny ailanthus webworm is thought to be native to South Florida and the American tropics (south to Costa Rica),which were the habitat of its original larval host plants: the paradise tree (Simarouba glauca) and Simarouba amara.

img_4012

This moth gets its name from the Ailanthus tree.

img_4013

Perspective – Cast Your Bread

On By TimelessladyIn Perspective9 Comments

img_3462-3

“One of the very wise sayings in the Book of Ecclesiastes is:

“Cast thy bread upon the waters, for you shall find it after many days…”

Which means: Always be ready to do a good turn even if you don’t expect a reward for it. For, some day, you will surely find your reward waiting for you. ~ Chabad.org

The photograph of the feasting fish was taken in Jamaica. The ocean was so clear you could see sand and rocks on the  bottom through several feet of water. I was prepared with a bit of bread from lunch and cast it out upon the water. My reward was an amazing view of an array of tropical fish feeding off of the bread.

“Yeshua(Jesus) said to them, “Come after me, and I will make you fishers for men!” ~ Matthew 4:19

I hope I am ready and willing to cast the “Bread of Life” upon the waters every day in any way I can. Let it be so Lord!

img_3448-2

Tiny minnows found the bread first.

Phascination & Peculiarities – Supermoon

On By TimelessladyIn Peculiarities, Phascination8 Comments

 

img_3982Over the past few days, I’ve been watching the moon’s position in the sky through late daylight and early evening hours. I’ve enjoyed the nightly broadening of the moon’s surface into a brilliant Supermoon. The trees in my backyard often obscure my early evening view of the moon, so I begin scanning the sky as soon as the sun begins to wane. The photo of the moon was taken Sunday evening, November 13th, near 7:00 Eastern Standard Time.

This is the closest Full Moon since 1948. There won’t be another one this close, or closer, until 2034.

Plant – Displaying a Staghorn Fern

On By TimelessladyIn Plants22 Comments

img_3755

I always admire the staghorn ferns in the fern passage at Longwood Gardens. I’ve grown one of these beautiful plants for about six months in an ordinary garden pot. After a recent visit to the gardens, I was inspired to mount and display it properly.

img_3757

Staghorn ferns do not need a lot of compost. I used soil amended with vermiculite and perlite to lighten the weight.

img_3937-2

I planned on displaying my fern on my living room wall, but didn’t want to use a natural basket or piece of wood due to possible water stains. I found a good alternative in a wire basket that I had on hand. My first step was to line the bottom with coffee filters to keep the soil in bounds.

img_3939

The root system is not large in comparison to the rest of the plant. It fit perfectly in the small narrow basket.

img_3944

I planted the fern at an angle, allowing the fronds to cascade over the sides.

img_3945

Chair leg pads were a good choice to keep the basket off of the wall. These are self-stick and only took a moment to apply.

img_3949

I was pleased with the display after it was hung on the wall. I will update the progress as the fern grows.

Phascination – Ladybugs

On By TimelessladyIn Phascination27 Comments

Never hurt a ladybug
We need them in the garden
Ladybugs help flowers grow
So we must give them pardon!
~Author Unknown

ladybug-collage

I love ladybugs. I’ve loved bugs, and been fascinated by them, since I was a baby—this is according to my mother. How could anyone not love a tiny ladybug? On top of being one of the most attractive and whimsical beetles in all the insect world, they are amazing garden predators. I photographed the ladybugs in the collage during a very warm, Autumn afternoon.

The spotted red ‘ladybug’ we all know so well (more correctly called the ‘lady beetle’ or ‘ladybird beetle’, as these insects are true beetles and not bugs) does dine on the occasional aphid and other soft-bodied pest, but like many insects, it doesn’t really eat all that much in its adult form. It’s the ladybug’s larvae that are voracious predators of soft-bodied problem insects, especially aphids. Gardeners plagued by those sap-sucking perfidious pests (i.e. rose growers) should become acquainted with the appearance of this beneficial ladybug baby; otherwise, they might try to kill the spiny, scary-looking, alligator/dragon-like things!

img_3793

I came upon a bit of garden chaos last week; swarms of ladybugs flying around one corner of my house. Aha! A wintry mystery solved. Every year we have a few ladybugs take up residence inside our house. These rooms get the most afternoon sunshine and the outer walls of the house become toasty. I realize now the ladybugs I find inside are only a few stragglers from the multitude using our outer siding for their winter hibernation. The downspout is their road to a refuge from the cold.

Will I plug up the crack/hole in the siding where they enter? Not right now. I like to think of a swarm of ladybugs re-emerging in the Spring ready to lay the eggs of their voracious larva.

I’ve already found a couple of stragglers in the house.

img_3914-2

Does this upset me?

img_3915-2

No indeed! I am happy to see them. I give them a ride on the edge of a piece of paper and place them on a hospitable houseplant.

img_3916-2

Take a look at this great article about indoor ladybugs: Ladybuglady.com

People – Operation Christmas Child

On By TimelessladyIn People4 Comments

samaritan-purse-2

Operation Christmas Child, a ministry of Samaritan’s Purse, is a wonderful program providing Christmas Shoeboxes to children in need all around the world.

“From children to seniors, people pack shoebox gifts each year to bless children in need around the world. Parents often use the project to teach their kids about giving. Year-round volunteers support these efforts across the country.”

It’s easy to fill a shoebox with gifts and necessities for a child. The hard part is getting all you want to send into the box! When I imagine the box being opened up, and the toys, school supplies, and toiletries discovered, I feel real joy. There is still time to take part in this wonderful endeavor. Visit Operation Christmas Child for more information.

Place – Longwood Chrysanthemum Festival

On By TimelessladyIn Place19 Comments

img_3699-2

Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, is having its yearly Chrysanthemum Festival. As always, the conservatory is filled with beautiful flowers and amazing feats of training the chrysanthemums to grow into unique shapes.

Here’s a close-up of one of the techniques they use.

img_3701-2

There are shapes of all kinds to marvel over and enjoy. Most of these are created with only one chrysanthemum plant. Amazing!

img_3714-2

img_3723-3

img_3725-2

img_3726-3

Whatever the season, Longwood Gardens has something outstanding to enjoy.

Perspective – Look Up – Revelation Song

On By TimelessladyIn Perspective1 Comment

“Thus says the LORD, your Redeemer, and the one who formed you from the womb, “I, the LORD, am the maker of all things, Stretching out the heavens by Myself And spreading out the earth all alone.”
~ Isaiah 44:24

It’s not so much about what divides us, the important thing is what UNIFIES us. Look up!

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains—where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth.”
~ Psalm 121:1

Take a moment to witness some unity in a shattered world. ‘Revelation Song’ by Jennie Lee Riddle, sung in languages from all over the world.

This song tells the story of one who will stay with you through all your time on this earth, and throughout eternity in the next.

Posies – Easy Bouquet & Quick Tip

On By TimelessladyIn Posies, Quick Tip6 Comments

img_3780

White miniature Roses, Baby’s Breath, light green Mini-Carnations and Hypericum Berries are usually available in the floral department of many grocers.

img_3772-2

This combination, in the neutral colors I’ve chosen, or in any pretty color combination, make a fast and easy bouquet.

img_3784

Quick Tip: The outer petals of roses are often browned or damaged. You will do no harm to the rose if you gently peel these petals away. Cut all flower stems on an angle to keep the bottoms from resting flush against the vase, this allows more water to flow through the stem.

img_3786

A tall narrow vase works best for this arrangement. Cut the mini-carnations a few inches taller than the vase. Insert them into the water like the spokes on wheel.

img_3782

Add the rose stems next, cut most of these double the height of the vase, with one or two an inch or two taller. The bottom stems of the carnation, will help hold the roses in place.

img_3783

Fill in with some Hypercium Berries and Baby’s Breath. There you have it, the transformation of a few bunches of flowers into a bouquet that can rival anything you purchase in a floral shop.

Quick Tip – Pinpoint Repairs

On By TimelessladyIn Quick Tip2 Comments

img_3854

A good glue can certainly make life easier. We all need to make repairs at some time; having the right glue on hand can eliminate frustrations large and small.

img_3857

I found Beadalon G-S Hypo Cement in the jewelry section of the craft store. It was pricey for such a small tube, but I had a 40% off coupon. The glue comes out after a slight squeeze and is easy to apply. The needle-like tip places a small amount of glue in the exact location needed without any difficulty.

img_3863-1

I placed the post of my stud earring in a bristle brush while it was drying.

img_3864-1

The hardest aspect of using this glue was getting the cap wire back into the applicator tip. This glue is toxic if swallowed or inhaled. Keep off of skin.

I will keep a supply of Beadalon Hypo Cement on hand to repair jewelry and for other projects that need small amounts of adhesive.

Plant – Black Pearl Pepper

On By TimelessladyIn PlantsLeave a comment

On Halloween weekend, I found this slightly spooky variety of ornamental pepper. What a perfect name it’s been given: Black Pearl. The leaves of this plant are dark-purple in appearance. As the fruit matures it will change from black to red. The plant prefers full sun and well-drained soil. The peppers are not for comsumption, unless you want to instantly turn into a fire-breathing dragon.

img_3819-2

“This pepper boasts the most dramatically deep purple-black leaves and fruit imaginable. The vigorous, bushy plants grow to 18 inches tall and almost as wide. Flowers are lilac, and dark black peppers emerge in fall.” ~ Fine Gardening“

Photo Challenge – Transmorgify – Magical Carvings – Happy Halloween!

On By TimelessladyIn Photo Challenge at Wordpress7 Comments

I know I must be one of many who decided that carving a pumpkin was a perfect definition for this week’s WordPress Photo Challenge:

Transmorgify –
“To change in appearance or form, especially strangely or grotesquely; transform.”

img_3839-2

I’m so entranced by this word I know I will be on the lookout all week for more instances of “transmorgification.”

Plant – Gryphon Begonia

On By TimelessladyIn Plants8 Comments

Gryphon Begonias are an outstanding plant to grow indoors and out. A year or two ago I purchased this unique begonia and have never been sorry. By the way, I love the name—Gryphon—a gryphon is a mythical creäture with the body of a lion and the wings and head of an eagle.

img_3580-3

I have found the Gryphon begonia an easy plant to grow with one hitch. After spending summers outdoors on the screened-in porch, mine eventually loses all its foliage in the winter, leaving spiky stems standing alone in the pot. These stems are interesting by themselves. The first time this occurred, I took heart when I spied small leaflets at the base of the plant. By Spring, the small leaves were growing large, and new stalks were emerging. I have read that other gryphon owners have experienced a period of dormancy with their plants too. Give Gryphon-growing a try—you won’t be disappointed.

* Gryphons, as with all begonias, do not like to be overwatered. Let surface of potting soil feel dry to the touch before watering.