“We search the world for truth;
We cull the good, the pure, the beautiful,
From all old flower fields of the soul;
And, weary seekers of the best,
We come back laden from our quest,
To find that all the sages said
Is in the Book our mothers read.”
~ John Greenleaf Whittier
In response to The Daily Post’s weekly photo challenge: “Forces of Nature.” – This week, share a force of nature from your corner of the world.
It’s time for a trip “Down the Shore” here in Southern New Jersey. We always find a new “beachscape” on arrival in Strathmere, New Jersey, our favorite beach town. The waves, a true “Force of Nature” have danced to the rhythm of a couple “Nor’easters” and altered the contours of last summer’s beach.
In the distance, men have built huge resorts hugging the water’s edge, but given enough time, the force of nature, in this instance the ocean, will reclaim it all.
“Mightier than the thunder of the great waters, mightier than the breakers of the sea– the LORD on high is mighty.” ~ Psalm 93:4
I love dandelions and enjoy behaving like a child again when I blow the fuzzy seeds into the wind while “wishing.” Dandelions can also amuse and entertain children by magically morphing into curlicues. Strip the top off of a dandelion stem, split the stem into several pieces, drop into a basin of shallow water, and you will witness an odd occurrence; the dandelions will twist and curl into the most interesting shapes.
Try this with a child, or shhhhhh….I won’t tell if you try it on your own when no one is looking. 😀
My husband and I spent the good part of an hour this past winter in search of a praying mantis pod. Praying Mantis are a terrific predatory bug for keeping garden pests in check. Unfortunately, they cannot discriminate between a bad bug/good bug, and will eat caterpillars, butterflies and ladybugs too. There have even been instances, captured on video, of praying mantis devouring toads, frogs, small snakes, juvenile rodents and other small creatures.
We never found a pod this year, and I thought…’Well, maybe it is meant to be…the butterflies will be safer this year.’ Imagine my surprise to find a pod, as in the past, quite close, hidden in my holly bush.
I have mixed feelings about the praying mantis. I want a mantis in my vegetable garden to keep cabbage moths and other destructive bugs at bay, but I don’t want to lose any beneficial or beautiful creatures to their powerful forelegs and mandibles. Praying mantis in the garden are definitely a mixed blessing.
This month’s Floral Plant Parade Challenge at WetCanvas is a combination work of art with the subject matter of any flower with a butterfly included. Plant Parade Challenge – May 2015
Welcome to the Plant Parade for May, 2015, or a ‘Symphony of Colors’!!
With Spring showing off the different flowers, a remarkable sight begins grabbing our attention!! We notice that the flowers are not the only attraction, but small insects that have brilliant and colorful wings start ‘strutting’ their stuff!! They put on a grand show of flitting and swirling around the flowers and amaze us with their beauty!! How can there be so many unique shapes of the Butterflies? But, watch, when they land on a flower, we have stereo colors. . .both are competing for our attention! But, wait, competing or becoming one? A flower alone is sometimes breathtaking, but with a Butterfly so brilliant with its own remarkable markings, wow, what a kaleidoscope of colors!!
This month we are going to paint brilliant flowers with equally brilliant Butterflies attached to them. We will call it a “Symphony of Colors”!!
Floral Plant Parade reference photograph courtesy of WetCanvas Library and DominicM
I am in the process of moving my houseplants outdoors to yard, patio and screened-in porch for the summertime. One of my favorite “vacation” locations for a plant is within the crabapple where the tree trunk branches off into three separate limbs. The split forms a delightful little nook and cranny, a perfect spot to set a potted plant.
To help the plant stand level I placed a rock from my flower bed border within the tree limbs. Voila`… A perfect shelf.
The message of a good gospel hymn is timeless. Technology is a great thing, but along with all the gadgets that accompany us everywhere, we need to remember to keep the ‘Name of Jesus’ with us at all times. This hymn by Lydia O. Baxter was written in 1874. I’ve included a video of the hymn sung by one of my favorite groups…The Chuck Wagon Gang.
“Take the Name of Jesus with you,
Child of sorrow and of woe,
It will joy and comfort give you;
Take it then, where’er you go.Chorus:
Precious Name, O how sweet!
Hope of earth and joy of heav’n.
Precious Name, O how sweet!
Hope of earth and joy of heav’n.Take the Name of Jesus ever,
As a shield from every snare;
If temptations round you gather,
Breathe that holy Name in prayer.O the precious Name of Jesus!
How it thrills our souls with joy,
When His loving arms receive us,
And His songs our tongues employ!At the Name of Jesus bowing,
Falling prostrate at His feet,
King of kings in heaven we’ll crown Him,
When our journey is complete.”
~ Lydia O. Baxter
“Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.” ~ James 5:13
I struggle so often to find a daily post. My mind and spirit become bound by current events and the horrors people all around the globe are facing each day. As I go about my daily life, living out the things I post about, at the back of my mind is a constant thought, like the proverbial hamster on the wheel, “What is going on in our world? How can the evil be stopped?”
I don’t have the answer; I don’t have the solution…but God does. And so, I will wait upon him…praying…singing…and praising his Holy Name.
“God wants to avert judgment, and He’s simply looking for one person who will pay the price in prayer and in faith and in commitment, whatever it takes, to get a hold of God and not let loose.” ~ Del Fehsenfeld Jr.
In response to The Daily Post’s weekly photo challenge: “Intricate.”
Intricate: what does it mean to you? Show us your interpretation”
Abstract paintings often appear simple, but in reality can be very intricate in their planning and placement of shapes. The beautiful abstract above, however, is not a painting, but a close-up view of the inner shell of a humble oyster. I find oysters beautiful. Here’s another look at the intricacy of the design uncropped.
Next time you’re on a sandy beach, take a moment to admire an ordinary oyster shell. My husband and I often find instances of pareidolia in the designs of the oyster shells.
“Pareidolia (/pærɨˈdoʊliə/ parr-i-DOH-lee-ə) is a psychological phenomenon involving a vague or random stimulus (often an image or sound) which is perceived as significant.
Common examples of this are seeing images of animals or faces in clouds, the man in the moon, the moon rabbit, and hearing hidden messages on phonograph records when they are played in reverse.
Pareidolia is the visual form of apophenia, which is the perception of patterns within random data.” ~ Wikipedia
And then, of course, there are those amazing pearls…
APRIL SHOWERS HAVE BROUGHT MAY FLOWERS…
MAY FLOWERS ALWAYS LINE YOUR PATH AND SUNSHINE LIGHT YOUR DAY.
MAY SONGBIRDS SERENADE YOUR EVERY STEP ALONG THE WAY.
MAY A RAINBOW RUN BESIDE YOU IN A SKY THAT’S ALWAYS BLUE.
AND MAY HAPPINESS FILL YOUR HEART EACH DAY YOUR WHOLE LIFE THROUGH.”
~ IRISH BLESSING
I love going to yard sales in search of bargains and one-of-a-kind items. Last year, I bought a wiry bird feeder for a dollar. I had every intention of using it for the birds when I spotted it, but on arriving home, found a piece was missing. What to do? Toss it and declare the purchase a loss, or shelve it, and let ideas percolate. Well, near a year later, I put a plastic pot inside the wire, planted a few spider plantlets I rooted over the winter, and “Wow!” I love my new planter hanging in the pine.
Another example is this decorative bird house I found a few years ago for just a quarter. It sat on my front steps for two years, but during the winter lost most of its roof. Ragged, but still sturdy, I decided to update the bird house with some Johnny-Jump-Ups. I LOVE IT! It sits in a bed of ivy under the pine tree. Better yet, I can snip off a flower now and then for pressing. Think “makeover” before you toss out the accumulating junk we all seem to collect. Look around your garage, basement and attic for “trashy” items you can update for the garden. Fun!
I’m re-blogging what I’ve found to be the best way to process most of the plant material I use for pressed flower artwork. My favorite way to use pressed flowers is in the creation of greeting cards. If you’ve attempted to buy a finely crafted greeting card lately, I’m sure you’ve walked away from the rack in a state of shock…most of these cards are outrageously overpriced. Dollar store greeting cards fill in the void nicely, but there are special events when an inexpensive greeting card isn’t a good choice. A handmade pressed flower card is often the perfect alternative. Throughout the next month or two, I’ll be posting a few of my favorite pressed flower greeting card tips.
It’s time to begin restocking my pressed flower supply. I love using wildflowers, they are often small and airy, perfect for pressed flower compositions. One caution though when using wildflowers, be sure that you are not using a plant that is protected as threatened and endangered in your state. To see a listing of your State’s Protected Wildflowers check out this site: US Government list of Threatened and Endangered Plants.
I have found that the best way to retain the colors of most flowers and foliage is to flash press them in a microwave. I don’t use the expensive microwave presses; I have found the best way is to use an old book. The book must have very porous paper, it must not have gold or silver leafing on the spine or page edges, and a smaller book works best. Most of the books I use are from the 1930’s and 1940’s. You can find books of this age at yard sales and thrift stores. They are usually very inexpensive.
1. Separate your flowers into thinner petaled flowers and foliage, and thicker varieties.
3. Lay the blossoms and foliage on the page. These vincas have a thick stem that will not press well behind the open faced blooms. After I lay them out on the page I cut off that stem. For the side pressed blossoms, I leave the stem intact. I also include several buds of the flower.
4. Shut the book and rubber band the edges. For thin varieties of flowers and foliage I microwave between 15 and 30 seconds. This provides the heat that speeds up the drying process. The book should not be hot, only gently warm to the touch. For thicker varieties of flowers and foliage I heat for 30 – 60 seconds. As with anything microwave temperatures vary, you will have to experiment to see what works best for you. After pressing, clean out any residue left behind in your microwave by heating a cup of water with lemon or citrus peel, and then wiping away the moisture from the sides.
5. Don’t open the book, leave the rubber bands in place and put your book under a heavy weight.
6. Your flowers should be dried and ready to use within 3 – 7 days. To remove them from the pages of the book, gently slide a soft paint brush beneath the edges.
I use large books to store my pressed flowers. I place them on acid free paper and label the sides, leaving the edges hanging over the book pages about 1/2 inch. This helps me find exactly the type of flower I want when I am composing a picture.
The flowers and foliage are ready to use. In coming days and weeks I’ll give more tips on how I compose, glue and use my pressed flower projects.
“For the beauty of the earth,
for the glory of the skies,
for the love which from our birth
over and around us lies;
Lord of all, to thee we raise
this our hymn of grateful praise.”
~Folliot S. Pierpoint
In response to The Daily Post’s writing prompt: “Motion.”
“This week, share your photographs that have captured motion, and tell us the stories behind the images” ~ WordPress Photo Challenge
I’ve blogged a few times about my family’s encounter with a very tame Blue Jay Here’s a captured image of the Blue Jay, “in motion,” pecking my camera.
The Dandelions are back…
…I’ve missed their sunshine faces.
I love this beautiful Samoan hymn. Take a moment and listen to the timeless words and melody. This song is a wonderful reminder that the world is filled with those who love the Lord. They are all our brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus.
I try to take a moment or two daily to write down what I call a “Hallelujah” prayer to the Lord. I don’t think the Lord would mind me sharing here what spilled out of me yesterday in the face of the escalating evil against Christians and others who don’t follow the plans of radical ideologies and governments.
“The times we are living in are deteriorating into a horror show…and no one seems to know how to turn away from the spectacle of what is unfolding and do something about it. But what is to be done?”
We all need to pray DAILY for what is happening to our brothers and sisters in Christ. I keep asking my husband, ‘Why aren’t those in leadership calling on all of us for prayer every day?’ If, like me, you feel a sense of futility in regards to the current condition of our world, reach out to the Lord Jesus in your need. Your need is a bridge that will bring you to Him. People everywhere, we all must PRAY about what is happening to these innocents.
You have searched me, Lord,
and you know me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;
you perceive my thoughts from afar.
You discern my going out and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.
~ Psalm 139:1-3
I have eaten beets throughout my life, but in my time as a cook, I don’t recall using beets fresh from the farm market. If I have attempted at some point in my life to prepare them for a meal, they must’ve been such a disaster, I blocked it from my memory. 🙂
•Beets are high in many vitamins and minerals. Potassium, magnesium, fiber, phosphorus, iron; vitamins A, B & C; beta-carotene, beta-cyanine; folic acid. …
•Beets cleanse the body. …
•Beets help your mental health. …
•Beets are used as a stomach acid tester. …
•Beets are a high source of energy.
~ Fullcircle.com
This week, when I saw a bundled bunch of beets in the farm market for a good price, I thought, ‘Why not?’ Beets are full of vitamins and minerals, and are something different to serve with meals…at least in our house. I often make RED BEET EGGS as a side dish, but use canned beets for that recipe.
Because I am sensitive to red food coloring, I wanted to try a red velvet cake recipe of some kind using the beets as the coloring agent. I found a link for a good Red Velvet Beet Cupcake. Yummy, Healthy Easy’s Blog – Red Velvet Beet Cupcakes. This recipe turns out well and has great directions for roasting the beets in the oven.
I roasted an extra beet and devoured it when it was cool. Delicious! I will be roasting beets for our dinners in the near future.
Roasted beets processed according to the cupcake recipe directions. What a yummy pink the beets created.
I modified the recipe a bit to suit what I had on hand, substituting cake flour, apple cider vinegar for white vinegar, sugar in place of stevia, and dark chocolate cocoa powder in place of regular. The use of the dark chocolate is probably why there is no trace of the red beet color in my cupcakes. I also did not use food coloring as this was the point in me using the red beets.
Simple Cream Cheese/Sour Cream Frosting
Blend together with beaters until smooth. I like to refrigerate these cupcakes to keep the frosting fresh.
Delicious…give this recipe a try, easy and healthier than boxed cake mix.
NOVEL INTERIORS: LIVING IN ENCHANTED ROOMS INSPIRED BY LITERATURE ~Lisa Borgnes Giramonti
“For those who have ever lost themselves in the stylish worlds of novels like Sense and Sensibility, The Age of Innocence, Wuthering Heights, The Picture of Dorian Gray and countless others, this design book embraces the fantasy of time and place, showing you how to bring some of those elements into your own home.” ~GoodReads
By the time I read twelve pages of this beautiful book I had one project idea to file away and try at a later date…
…A wall poster created and tacked to my Art Room wall, and two ideas for blog posts. As I read further I found even more inspiration. Since I have always loved to read fiction, I am familiar with many of the authors and novels represented in this terrific read. If you have a chance take a look at the wonderful prose and amazing photographs. I found the copy I am reading now at the public library.
