Working in the Flower Beds

I spent a large chunk of Saturday afternoon and this morning cleaning out and tidying up my flower beds. I also planted the flat of goodies that Terry sent me. Here's the list of gardening chores accomplished:

* pulled out a HUGE hosta as it was taking over and saved a few leaves to combine in an elegant arrangement with a peony (which are almost done blooming - the photo was taken earlier in the month)

* dug out all the iris rhizomes (horizontal stems that send out roots and shoots) and stored in a paper bag in the basement until I figure out where I want them

* divided a Lady's Mantle plant into two and transferred both to new places

* cut back my Autumn Joy Sedum as it's been getting too leggy and falling over in the autumn - can trim back up until July 4 in this part of the Northeast

* planted Foxglove, Red Bee Balm, Hollyhock, Valerian, White Yarrow, Oregano, Lamb's Ear (which I had to re-plant because one of the chickens decided to pull it out and gnaw on it!), Blue False Indigo, Bell Flower, Cranesbill or Wild Geranium, and Forget-Me-Nots.

A Gift of Plants

I picked up the plants that my friend Terry generously offered to share last week when she tidied her garden. The flatful looks lovely sitting on the porch, eagerly waiting to be planted. I'm eager as well to putter in my flower beds. Unfortunately by the time the soil dries out from all the rain, it starts raining again! Oh, well - at least I get to enjoy the still life on the porch longer. (Don't you love how she labeled the plants with the spoons?!)

A Day Trip

Yesterday Mom and I (plus E. who tagged along since his brothers were working) enjoyed a day trip - my gift to her for Mother's Day. On the way to our destination, we came across three huge yard sales side-by-side. Mom got a few things for her vintage shop, and I picked up a pile of beautiful Victorian stickers and postcards. We then enjoyed lunch at the Brickerville House Family Restaurant - a quaint place with decorative bookshelves, a large walk-in fireplace and delicious food (including the famous Brickerville French fries!). After eating we walked around the courtyard of shops behind the restaurant. We especially enjoyed the candy shop (which smelled SO good!) where I bought a chocolate-shaped cat for my grandmother. Each of us picked out a type of shortbread cookie that we wanted from large glass jars - E. and I had lemon shortbread while Mom went for the English Toffee Pecan. The perfect little nibble after our meal. We also enjoyed browsing through the artistic glass, jewelry, clothing and soap shops. We wandered through the antique co-op housed in a barn behind the courtyard and then headed home. Our last stop on the way was to a thrift shop in Lititz - I scored two lovely tops there that will go with two skirts I have.

Mom was quite tickled with her gift of a day.



(Last two photos by Eli)

Highlights From Our Mountain Trip

* listening to "The Hobbit" as we drove

* from the cabin window, seeing a Mama Bear and her four sweet babies cross the road

* finding a Woolrich denim jumper at Goodwill that's got the bib-type straps on the top

* listening to M. and the boys practice their hilarious turkey calling!

* driving through the mountains and looking for wildlife - we found a turtle, bald eagle, turkeys, deer and a total of 7 bear

* eating garlic knots at the pizza shop

* sitting on the porch reading for two hours straight one afternoon

* watching the old movie "Young Mr. Lincoln" one night

* taking a long walk on Tuesday morning - it was so incredibly beautiful that it almost took my breath away

* having a picnic at a park then playing tennis

* visiting an alpaca farm open house and laughing over the silly-looking animals after they're sheared (apparently an alpaca is mostly wool!)

* attending the 50th anniversary celebration of our little mountain church on Sunday and staying for the delicious potluck meal the ladies of the church put together

Tunch at Rose Cottage

No, it's not a misspelling. My friend Candy and I really did have "tunch" at our friend, Terry's, quaint home which she calls Rose Cottage. Tunch is a term she and her husband came up with for the meal they have in the afternoons - a combination tea/lunch. Her husband is British so teatime is an important part of their day.


The afternoon began as it always does - with a tour of the gardens. Terry is incredibly knowledgable about plants, and I always learn so much from her. She's getting ready to divide some plants and "houseclean" her garden - she offered to make a list of plants and herbs to save for us to transfer to our own gardens. (My list was rather embarrasingly long!)


Then inside for the afternoon meal which is always a delight to the eyes and tastebuds with Terry's cooking. The menu:

* Cold Lemonade & Iced Water with Lemon
* Cherry Scones with Lemon Curd & Butter
* Chocolate-Covered Strawberries
* Tomato, Basil & Mozzarella Salad with Balsamic Vinegar
* Tomato Bisque with French Bread
* Strawberry Shortcake with Freshly Whipped Cream
* Hot Black Tea


Not only was the meal itself delicious but the conversation was wonderful as well. Terry's husband joined us -it's always a treat to hear his perspectives on things. We discussed everything from practical applications for geometry, how Congress and the House function, what foods are acidic and which are alkaline, the difficulties in growing fruit trees, and various aspects of healthy living!

Yet another sweet memory to pull out from time to time and savor.

A Hostess Gift

I am invited to a friend's home to have lunch in her garden this week. Knowing how much Terry enjoys writing letters and sending cards to others, I pulled out my stationery basket and chose some of the pretty stationery and vintage notecards I've collected over the years. (Thrift shops and yard sales are good places to find old stationery and notecards for great prices.) Gathering the pile together and tying it with a gorgeous trim found at a lace shop, it now sits on my desk all ready to be delivered.

A Baby Shower

My aunt did a beautiful job yesterday with the baby shower she put together for my cousin's wife. The food, decorations and favors were just lovely. The menu included:

* Homemade Ham & Turkey Wraps with a Cream Cheese Spread
* Chicken Salad with Grape Halves, Apple Chunks, Pineapple Tidbits & Sliced Almonds on Mini Croissants or Raisin Bread
* Pasta Salad with Tri-Colored Pasta, Zesty Italian Dressing, Grape Tomato Halves & Cheddar Cheese
* Fresh Fruit and Veggies
* Potato Chips and Pretzel Rods
* Cheese Balls with Assorted Crackers
* Mini Cream Cheese Brownie Cups
* Chocolate-Covered Raisin & Peanut Clusters
* Vanilla & Chocolate Sheet Cake

The tables were decorated with balloons in the center and blue-wrapped mints scattered about. The silverware was wrapped in a pretty pastel napkin tied with a blue ribbon and a silver charm that said, "It's A Boy!" Also at each place was a cellophane bag which contained a duck-shaped sugar cookie decorated with meringue frosting. Attached was a little thank you note for attending the shower.


At the entrance to the community room was a small station where everyone was to fill out an envelope with their address as a help to the new mom when she wrote thank-you notes. Towards the end of the shower, my aunt pulled two envelopes from the basket to each receive a beautiful bag containing a gift. She also had us play a game called, "How Big Is Her Belly?" We passed around a skein of yarn and scissors and cut off a length that we thought corresponded with the size of my cousin's belly. My aunt then measured her with a string and compared it to all the other lengths to find a winner. Aunt Nancy also prepared a pile of small bags of goodies for the half-dozen or so young girls that attended the shower.


This jar contained dozens of tiny pacifers that were created with Lifesavers and Sugar Babies. "Glue" two Lifesavers together (one flat and one vertically on top of the flat one) with a Royal Icing (the type of icing used for gingerbread houses). Then glue a Sugar Baby (which is a miniature Milk Dud) on the bottom of the flat Lifesaver to look like a bottle nipple. Thread a ribbon through the top Lifesaver. Clever!

A "New" Gift Box

Tomorrow afternoon is a baby shower for my cousin's wife - I bought her a gift card and wanted to wrap it in a special way. After searching through the attic, I decided to use a small gift box that was decorated for Christmas. To make it over, I covered the bottom of the box and the lid of the box individually with several layers of white tissue paper so that you couldn't see through it to the Christmas decoration. Then I simply glued on some wonderful old ribbon that I found at an auction in a box full of lace, fabric and other sewing notions. I love the blue elephants and figured they were perfect to add to a gift for a new baby boy.

Simple Pleasures . . .

* walking down the road yesterday afternoon to the neighbors to deliver their eggs and staying to visit a bit

* being inspired by "Aunt Bee" to make a two-layer cake for supper last night - yellow with vanilla frosting

* the fun of going through catalogs and books to choose what the boys will study next year

* finding out this morning that Mama & Papa Goose have three goslings down by the pond

* taking the boys bowling this morning during Senior Citizen League Time

* watching the older boys and two of their cousins working on a homemade cotton gin every afternoon

* anticipating making a pretty gift box for my cousin's baby shower this weekend

* having a nephew for a taco supper last evening

* read-aloud time every weekday morning with the boys since they were just little things - how many sweet memories I have of this time with boys and books

* having a son receive correction with humility

* surveying the gardens this afternoon to find the onions, potatoes and carrots doing well

* looking forward to homemade jam from the thousands of little strawberries hanging on the plants

* anticipating an evening of supper and games with friends - there's a Chocolate Picnic Cake in the oven right now

God the Father

"It is astounding that God would have us call him Father. The implications are staggering. The fact that he is Father indicates that he is a living, personal being and not an impersonal force. It means that we can get to know him. It means that we can talk to him and interact with him. It means that we can relate to him on a personal and even an intimate basis. I might not know how to relate to an Almighty One, a Most High, or the Great I AM because I have not met anybody like that. I have no earthly frame of reference to do so. But relating to a Father? That's different. Father does not denote an abstract force, a metaphysical power, or a cosmic aura. It speaks of a person with a distinct personality and characteristics. God would have us call him Father because it is a personal term that refers to a personal being with whom we can personally relate."

-- Mary A. Kassian, In My Father's House - Finding Your Heart's True Home

A Day at the Zoo

(Photos by Eli)

A Spring Peeper

(Photo by Eli)

"All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made." John 1:3

No-Bake Cookies

I've been hungry for these cookies, so I whipped a batch up this morning. I couldn't find the recipe I've used in the past, so I printed this one off the internet. There was even more sugar in the original recipe which I cut to 1 1/2 cups. Next time I'll try cutting it to 1 cup.

No-Bake Cookies

1 C. semisweet chocolate chips
4 tabl. peanut butter
3 C. quick or old-fashioned oats
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 C. butter or margarine
1/2 C. milk
1 1/2 C. sugar

Place chocolate chips, peanut butter, oats and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and stir. Combine the butter, milk, and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a rolling boil. Boil for 1 minute. Pour the hot mixture over the oat mixture; stir well. Drop by spoonfuls onto waxed paper and allow to cool and harden. Made 24+ 1 1/2" cookies.

Caleb

(Photo by Eli)

The Simple Woman's Daybook

Outside my window . . . the huge pine trees beside the house look so pretty with their lime-tipped branches of new growth.

I am thinking . . . that it is good to sit down. Supper is over and the dishes are done, all the laundry is finished and put away, M.'s lunch and tomorrow night's supper are planned. Today we helped my mom at her vintage clothing and jewelry stand and went bowling. Now to post, jot down some ideas for future games and holiday ideas, and then watch an old Perry Mason episode before bed.

I am remembering . . . the fun evening we had Friday night with M.'s sister and her family. Ang made us a lasagna supper and then she and I took a walk around town - looking at the beautiful homes and churches and popping into a gift shop. Back for Chocolate Picnic Cake and a cup of tea and then we took turns guessing the silly clues from the game "Mad Gab."

I am praying . . . about a situation in which I don't know what or how to pray. I don't know what God is doing or what He has in mind with this. I've got a knot in my stomach and when I try to pray, I don't know what to say. Times like this makes me glad that the Spirit is interceding for me.

I am hearing . . . Caleb behind me working on a project for his grandmother - making jewelry stands for her shop.

I am thankful . . . for air conditioners, ears that can hear the birds singing and a body that gets me where I need to go.

I have been studying . . . Psalm 34, the book of I Peter, and Deuteronomy 22:5.

From the kitchen . . . Baked Haddock, Green Beans and Triple Chunk Brownies.

This week . . . a doctor appointment for E., Caleb's standardized test, and the homeschool curriculum fair.

A few of my favorite things . . . fresh-baked cookies, sitting at the patio table eating breakfast, and blackberry-apple jam (a gift from my sister for keeping her babies overnight).

To visit other's Daybook entries, visit The Simple Woman's Daybook.

Book Sale Finds

I LOVE book sale season. I visited a sale today at a local library and found the following:

* "Foxe's Christian Martyrs of the World" is an old book about various martyrs throughout history. This copy is a retelling in modern English. I plan to read a bit each day as part of my devotions and might read it aloud to the boys at some point.

* "End of the Spear" by Steve Saint - This is a book I recently read aloud to the boys. It's the story of the life of Steve Saint - the son of Nate Saint who was one of the 5 missionaries killed by Auca (Waodani) warriors in the '50s. It is an excellent book on many levels and provided a lot of great discussion about various topics between the boys and me. This copy is for a friend.

* "Thoughts for Buffets" is a delicious old cookbook from 1958 with lots of menus, recipes and ideas for various types of buffets. There is the Football Buffet Supper, the Hawaiian Barbecue Dinner, and the Far East Buffet, to name a few. I picked it up as it has some great old recipes that I want to use on future You, Me 'N Tea days.