Prose & Phavorite – Chickens in the Road

On September 2, 2014September 2, 2014 By TimelessladyIn Phavorites, Prose11 Comments

I am in the process of reading Suzanne McMinn’s outstanding book, “Chickens in the Road.” I am in a happy “rut” of searching out and devouring books that tell the story of leaving a familiar routine for a new life of homesteading. After finishing Kristin Kimball’s, “The Dirty Life” and reading her blog, I have been on a quest to read as many back to basics and farming books as possible. Perhaps I am living vicariously through these ladies. All I know is that I enjoy the interesting, fun and sometimes amazing stories they have lived.

I found several terrific links to more of Suzanne’s ideas and stories:

Chickens in the Road, Facebook Page

Chickens in the Road Blog

Here’s a Youtube video narrated by Suzanne. Enjoy!

People – Labor Day

On September 1, 2014August 31, 2014 By TimelessladyIn PeopleLeave a comment

Poster created with LunaPic

Psalms – Skipper Butterfly & Psalm

On August 31, 2014August 28, 2014 By TimelessladyIn Psalms and ProverbsLeave a comment

We live within the shadow of the Almighty, sheltered by the God who is above all gods.” Psalms 91:1

Plant – Spilanthes

On August 30, 2014August 28, 2014 By TimelessladyIn PlantsLeave a comment

This is an odd and little known herb called Spilanthes, or as it is also known “The Toothache Plant.” If you chew on the buds of spilanthes you will experience an increase in saliva. The chewing will also release substances in the bud that will numb your mouth, hence the nickname of toothache plant.

I have never tried spilanthes as a remedy. I grow it more as an oddity and ornamental in my garden. I planted it once several years ago, and it has reseeded reliably for me every year since. I gave the plant a nickname of my own, “The eyeball plant.” It always seems to look back at me from the lower regions of the garden.

My spilanthes never grow very tall. They do spread a bit, but are never unruly and out of bounds. This is a fun plant to grow in your garden, and if you are experiencing toothache pain, might be the relief you need until you can get to a dentist.

More information about Spilanthes can be found here: Spilanthes – Acmella oleracea

People & Prompt – The August Blues and Mary Engelbriet

On August 28, 2014August 28, 2014 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?”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 August 27, 2014August 26, 2014 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.

Prompt – Why, Thank you!

On August 26, 2014August 26, 2014 By TimelessladyIn Prompt/The Daily Prompt at WordpressLeave a comment

Why, Thank You!

“Faithful are the wounds of a friend, But deceitful are the kisses of an enemy.” ~ Proverbs 27:6

Sometimes a compliment is the best gift you can receive. At times, when it is intended as a back-handed criticism, a compliment can feel like a slap in the face.

“What’s the best (or rather, worst) backhanded compliment you’ve ever received? If you can’t think of any — when’s the last time someone paid you a compliment you didn’t actually deserve?” WordPress Daily Prompt on August 26th

Fortunately, when I read the blurb connected to today’s WordPress Daily Prompt, only a few of those dreaded back-handed compliments came to mind.

A compliment meant as a sneaky insult is the killer of friendships. When a family member is guilty of this veiled behavior, it is a black mark upon the relationship.

Best reaction: Forgiveness, Forgetfulness, but also a degree of Watchfulness. The old cliche is a true nugget of wisdom in this case:

Once burned shame on you twice burned shame on me!

A true, heartfelt compliment is like a bouquet of flowers for the spirit.

The above photograph is a rendition of the first photograph in the post, rendered into a flower by the kaleidoscope effect found on the free site Lunapic. Check out Lunapic here:
Lunapic Free Photo Editor

Planting – Bolted Lettuce Harvest

On August 25, 2014August 24, 2014 By TimelessladyIn Planting2 Comments

I might have mentioned in an earlier post this summer that my spring-seeded lettuce plants had all bolted to seed. The usual method of dealing with this is to pull the remaining plants and reseed the area with a summer vegetable. This year I decided on a different course; I let a few of my Black-seeded Simpson lettuce plants go to seed.

I’ve been quite surprised by how long it has taken the plant to set seed. After the initial seed stalk came up, rendering the sweet lettuce leaves bitter, it grew at a very slow rate. Finally, I noticed some little buds adorn the stem. They never opened into much of a flower, a little tassel of yellow fluff was all the bloom I noticed. These stringy flowers must have had some desirable pollen though…for suddenly the pod beneath swelled with seeds.

Knowing exactly when to harvest plants I’ve allowed to go to seed has always bamboozled me a bit. I’ll think the seeds are ready and pick the pod, only to find they are still green and useless. This time the plant itself told me when to harvest the seeds by the yellow tassels turning into white fluff.

I picked every pod that was fluffy, rolled the pod between my fingers, and voila, lettuce seeds. Hooray! Even better, the lettuce plants are very prolific…dozens of pods per plant stem. The pods mature at varying rates, making it easy to pick and clean a few each day. Each pod seems to hold between eight to twelve seeds, sometimes less, but often more.

I am planning on growing lettuce indoors this winter as a microgreen. I also will save some for my Spring gardens. Black-seeded Simpson is one of my favorite varieties of lettuce.

One problem I encountered with the lettuce plants was an attack of black aphids on the stems. They don’t seem to do much damage, but hey, who wants to see all those little sap-suckers attacking a plant. A good dousing with the hose knocks most off the plant. Because of the aphid infestation I will store the lettuce seeds in the fridge to keep all bugs or eggs dormant.

Photograph – The Bee

On August 24, 2014 By TimelessladyIn Photographs2 Comments

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters . . . .
~ Colossians 3:23 NIV”

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Prompt – Daily Post/You Robot

On August 24, 2014August 24, 2014 By TimelessladyIn Prompt/The Daily Prompt at Wordpress17 Comments

You, Robot – Congrats — you’ve been handed a robot whose sole job is to relieve you of one chore, job, or responsibility you particularly hate. What is it?

A robot would do this dreaded job for me: Cleaning Soap Scum or Mildew off of the Bathroom Shower Walls

I do dislike this job, but have found some shortcuts around it. Number one on the shortcut list is Blue Dawn and Vinegar for soap scum. It works. IMPORTANT TIP: The solution does not work if you don’t heat the vinegar. Use equal parts Dawn and HEATED vinegar. A link with a good explanation can be found here: Blue Dawn and Vinegar

To remove mildew I use pure bleach in a squeeze bottle with a tip. I squeeze it onto the mildew spots. I always seem to feel choked if I use spray mildew removers. It stays with me for over 24 hours. When I use the bleach in a squeeze bottle none gets in my lungs. Please remember to use rubber gloves when using bleach out of the bottle.

To read the Daily Prompt follow this link: The Daily Prompt/You Robot

Prompt – The Daily Prompt at WordPress/Opening Lines

On August 23, 2014August 23, 2014 By TimelessladyIn Prompt/The Daily Prompt at WordpressLeave a comment

I’ve decided it might be fun to take part in the WordPress.com Daily Prompts from time to time. The editors provide one line or word and invite WordPress bloggers to take part in the challenge. Today I accepted and below is my response to the invitation.

Jamaican Bird alongside the beautiful sea.

Today’s Daily Prompt – Opening Lines is this:

“Opening Lines – What’s the first line of the last song you listened to (on the radio, on your music player, or anywhere else)? Use it as the first sentence of your post.”

“Ole Pirates they did rob I…”

This is the opening line of Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song.” Redemption Song is one of Bob’s last songs, and is quite a departure from the normal reggae melodies that created his most known works of music.

“Redemption Song has become one of my favorites. Perhaps it is the purity of Bob’s voice along with the acoustic guitar accompaniment. Most likely it is the timeless character of the words, many of them still so applicable to this day and time with all its horror and strife around the world.

I think my favorite line, and the favorite of so many is this one:

“Emancipate yourself from mental slavery none but ourselves can free our MINDS…”

Here is a version of the song from a concert in Dortmund Germany. There are a few instruments added in, but they don’t take away from the song.

If you would like to take part in the daily challenges at WordPress visit this link:

Daily Prompt – Opening Lines

You can find more information on Redemption Song here:
The History of Bob Marley’s Redemption Song

Phlowers – The Joy of the Morning

On August 22, 2014 By TimelessladyIn Phlowers2 Comments

Our summer has been so cool in the Northeast all the bloom times of my flowers have been very late. Today, I finally had several morning glory flowers open at the same time. Good Morning Everyone!

Quote – Dietrich Bonhoeffer

On August 21, 2014 By TimelessladyIn Quotes3 Comments

Photograph – Wordless Wednesday/Beach Flowers

On August 20, 2014August 23, 2014 By TimelessladyIn Photographs4 Comments

Place – Jamaica/Treasure Beach

On August 19, 2014August 18, 2014 By TimelessladyIn Place2 Comments

The South Coast of Jamaica is much dryer than the north. Treasure Beach is a beautiful destination, but you must drive close to two and a half hours from the Montego Airport. There are two ways to go, over the mountains, or along the coast. After experiencing both ways I would definitely recommend the coastal trip. I felt like I was on a runaway rollercoaster pretty much the whole trip over the mountains.

The waves are very large and rough in Treasure Beach. This is not a place for inexperienced swimmers. You can count four rip tides in the picture above. The water is beautiful though, and incredibly warm. If you love to collect seashells and other beach drift, you will be thrilled. I can’t tell you how many sea urchins we found, most we left on the beach…we also found a few sand dollars.

One of my favorite aspects of Treasure Beach were the neighborhood dogs. Jamaican dogs have a unique look, as do the cats. Their fur is very short, and their ears very large. I loved one little fellow I named Bob; he was so friendly and sweet. I wanted to bring him home with me, but even if I could, how could you take a creature out of paradise? I loved watching Bob enjoy his surroundings.

Place – Jamaica/Montego Bay and the Glass Bottom Boat

On August 18, 2014August 18, 2014 By TimelessladyIn PlaceLeave a comment

A glass-bottom boat ride on the Caribbean sea is a terrific experience. Captain Poly and Paula, of Montego Bay, Jamaica, took us out on the Miss Poly. Captain Poly pointed out different fish, sea urchins and types of coral to us. A few of the “brain” coral are so large they probably have been growing for hundreds of years. We also enjoyed seeing the shoreline of Montego Bay from a new perspective. This was our fourth trip to Jamaica. It is a beautiful place. This visit we were fortunate to stay on both the South Coast and North Coast. I’ll post a few pictures of the South Coast tomorrow.

Captain Poly

The view from the glass bottom.

Captain Poly took a few moments to clean the glass off for us.

Snorkeling is terrific in Montego Bay.

On our way back to the dock.

Photograph – Faith

On August 17, 2014August 23, 2014 By TimelessladyIn PhotographsLeave a comment

“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”
~ Hebrews 11:1 (KJV)

“Daily living by faith on Christ is what makes the difference between the sickly and the healthy Christian, between the defeated and the victorious saint.”
~ A.W. Pink

Quote – Sing

On August 17, 2014August 23, 2014 By TimelessladyIn QuotesLeave a comment

“Above all sing spiritually. Have an eye to God in every word you sing. Aim at pleasing him more than yourself, or any other creature. In order to do this attend strictly to the sense of what you sing, and see that your heart is not carried away with the sound, but offered to God continually; so shall your singing be such as the Lord will approve here, and reward you when he cometh in the clouds of heaven.” John Wesley

Projects & Phlowers – Pounding Phlowers (Flowers)

On August 16, 2014August 12, 2014 By TimelessladyIn Phlowers, Projects2 Comments

What am I planning to do with this beautiful pile of flowers and foliage…why pound them of course!

I don’t know when or where or how I first heard about the technique, I only know I first pounded flowers with my sons when they were both children. Since they are both in their thirties now, that must be near twenty years ago. Yikes!

I love to bring things full circle…this week I pounded flowers with my grandsons.

Start with a pile of beautiful flowers. Choose bright colors and those that are full of moisture. Dried out flowers will not work as well. You will need foliage also…all the different greens you can find. CAUTION: Do not use flowers or foliage that is poisonous. Pounding will release oils and the essence of the flower into the air and possibly onto your skin. Be smart…research any flower you are not sure of as to the degree of toxicity it might contain. Don’t pound any flowers or leaves you are not certain are safe to use.

After I checked what I had in the pile, I removed the trumpet vine foliage and flowers. They can cause contact dermatitis. I also removed my morning glory flower. A good way to choose which flowers and foliage to use is to check out this list of edible flowers:
Edible Flowers

First step – Tape heavy paper to some kind of stabilizing surface. We used old watercolor boards I had on hand.

Then move on to the fun part – place the flowers in a design, cover with paper, pound with a rubber mallet or an actual hammer. (Strike gently with this one.)

When you remove the cover sheet of paper you will notice some of the petals will stick to the paper. In hindsight I wish we had left all of the petals alone until the flowers were a bit dryer. When we tried to brush them away they smeared color across the paper. Another way to remove the flowers would be to coax a paintbrush under the pounded petals and gently tease away from the paper.

The flower pounding was much more successful than the foliage pounding. We found that fleshy, juicy flowers worked best. The prettiest color and most consistent performer was the magenta New Guinea Impatien.

Marigold petals also left beautiful color on the paper.

We set the pounded flower paper aside when we were finished. After it dries we will come up with a project to use it in. In the meantime the flowers will fade, and eventually turn a duller shade. This sounds disappointing, but combined with the perfect materials, could mean an outstanding and crafty creation. Happy Pounding! 🙂

Plants – Coleus Sampler 2014

On August 15, 2014August 23, 2014 By TimelessladyIn PlantsLeave a comment

Here’s a sampling of my coleus this summer of 2014. The weather in my area has been unseasonably cool, and the coleus have never reached their full potential. They are half the height and breadth of past coleus grown in Southern New Jersey. Not to worry though…they are beginning to put out flower spikes and next year’s coleus seeds will soon be developing.