With the virus and rioting, it’s hard not to drown in despair for our country. Walking around the yard, seeing what is coming up and blooming its head off, helps me keep hope alive.
I hope these give YOU hope, too. Stay safe and strong.
Start of the Summer Garden
Yesterday I planted three yellow crookneck squash plants and 4 zucchini plants in the garden after weeding and prepping since I pulled the spinach and lettuce plants out. I gave the new plants LOTS of room because the vines of all of these spread out all over the planters. I want to give them all the room they need. I have developed a taste for both of these since I spiralize them to use in place of pasta and rice on my keto eating plan.
I can clean and use the spiralizer on them, put them in individual serving sandwich bags, and then put the bags into a gallon freezer bag. I can then pull out what I need and quickly microwave MY ‘pasta’ or ‘rice,’ and cook the regular stuff for my husband when I making spaghetti or one of my ‘sauce over pasta or rice dishes.
I listened to a video that taught me more about growing and storing onions. He said that the ones that grow tall and make a flower are not good for long-term (over the winter) storage. Those should be eaten whenever you’re ready, but should be eaten soon after pulling. The others are fine to try to dry for storage. (You can see my onions in this picture.)
Here you can see that some have a ‘bulb’ on top. These are the ones the man was talking about that should be pulled and eaten soon after harvesting, rather than trying to prep for storage.
With all the rain we’ve had, the tomatoes got really big and bushy quickly. They do have some bright yellow blossoms, and if you look carefully, you can see a tiny green tomato. At this point, I’m just going to prop them up the best way I can and hope for the best.
This is the ‘nook’ planter, where 4 plants have also exploded in growth. With three weeks or so of pretty steady, heavy rain, things got out of hand. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that we actually get tomatoes, rather than just a whole lot of greenery.
Plants!
Getty Images
Our tomato plants are looking good, with several bright yellow blossoms, but no green tomatoes yet.
Today while we were out, we went to the co-op to see if they had any good plants. I’m delighted that we found yellow crookneck squash and zucchini!
We have finished lunch and I just finished cleaning the aquarium, so I’m having a cup of coffee before going out to make the garden ready for summer plants and then planting our treasures. I’ll try to get pics before I come in. :0)
Filed under Square Foot Gardening - Raised Beds
Flatulent Fish?
These fish may LOOK innocent, but the two of them are having a contest to see which of them can mess up their water more. Their water looks pretty good until the week mark arrives and then they redouble their efforts, causing the water to go from merely murky to downright yellow-green overnight.
I have just finished emptying everything out, scrubbing everything, and putting things back together with different decorations.
Maybe they are trying to tell me they want their decorations changed?
If so, it would be MUCH nicer to blow bubbles at me in a pattern, or do body language, rather than making their wants known in such a blatant bid for attention.
Their water is now sparkling. The glass beads are squeaky clean and sparkling in the aquarium light. The filter is fresh and all is right with their world, although I DID ignore them just now as they collected in the corner, wriggled their little bodies and blew bubbles at me, clearly indicated they wanted to be fed THREE times today, rather than just morning and evening…
Filed under Family, Housekeeping - Maintenance
Akie Nakata Stone Painting
Akie Nakata via Joe-ks.com
Akie Nakata via Joe-ks.com
Akie Nakata via Joe-ks.com
Akie Nakata via Joe-ks.com
Akie Nakata via Joe-ks.com
Filed under Rock Art, Stone/Pebble Art
Happy June 2020
In the midst of all that is happening in our country and around the world, I grab onto things that lift my spirits – that give me hope for the future – even if they are only small things.
One very happy thing is the calendar I bought for 2020 put out by the firefighters in Australia. They came up with a wonderful fundraising idea – to take pics of firefighters with dogs. Of course the firefighters are GORGEOUS, and the dogs are really great, too. Out of the immense goodness of my heart, I bought a calendar. :0) Each month I am thankful. (I may be older than dirt, but I ain’t dead yet!)
Here we welcome JUNE 2020 –
Lincoln and Chippy – June 2020
Happy June!
Filed under Challenges, hope
Stone Art 2
Art with Pebbles and other Natural Materials – Eaton Interior Design Brighton East
Impressive Rock Ideas-Pinterest
roomaintenance.com
Flat Stone Pictures – Samsung Members Community
Yard Art – Wind and Weather
Filed under Rock Art, Stone/Pebble Art
Thoughts on a Sunday 5-31-2020
Penny Yaffe Krakow
We are having another gorgeous day with lots of sunshine and low humidity – a wonderful combination! Since we have gone from dark, gray, cold, rainy weather day after day to bright, sunshiny, soon-to-be-hot weather here, today will have two projects:
PROJECT ONE: Changing from winter closet to summer closet.
Depositphotos
My closet doesn’t look this bad, but it will take a lot of moving to get cold weather clothes out and hot weather clothes in. I will try, over the next few days, to try on each thing, making decisions about what to do with the things that don’t fit. Some of the things –
- I like, and MAY fit with more lardage loss (I will put these in with the cold weather clothes)
- will be folded up and included in the next donation to the Disabled Vets in Fort Smith Thrift Shop
- will be thrown away.
The remainder will be organized as well as possible, in the hope I can put my hands on things quickly and easily.
PROJECT TWO – cleaning out the garden.
The day is perfect for work outside. My lettuce and spinach are starting to bolt, so it’s time to harvest what I can and compost the rest. I can at least pull the plants, but it may take a day or two longer to put the garden to rights. I plan to check the co-op in town next week to see if they have anything I would like to plant.
I hope that you are enjoying a beautiful last day of May, too.
I Love Elephants!
University of Washington
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Elephants are so clever they can peel their own bananas, corn and lots of other food.
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An elephant can pick up a coin with his trunk – he can also pick up a tree trunk.
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The Asian elephant has one finger on the end of the trunk the African has two
Getty Images
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An elephant lives on average to the age of 70 – the same as humans
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Elephants are very emotional – they cry when they are upset and squeak and trumpet when they are happy
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Elephants are so clever they even play jokes on humans
Mother Nature Network
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In the wild, a mother elephant has help with the babies from other elephants – who are known as Aunties. A new mother will choose her aunties and together they will raise the baby.
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They love to swim, bathe and play in rivers
Mark Drury via John Steed-Save Elephants via Penny Yaffe Krakow
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A young male elephant stays with the herd until he is about 15 years old. He then leaves and lives alone like most bull elephants
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Elephants only eat plants, grass and fruit – they don’t eat meat.
Journal
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They love squirting themselves and people with water using their trunk like a shower
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Elephants are scared of dogs
Filed under Amazing Animals
Stone Art
It’s amazing all the different types of art people do with stones.
Stone Painting of animals – Akie-Nakata-via My Modern Met – Emma Taggert
Building wall designs with stones – Andreas-Kunert-Naomi-Zettl-Bored Panda
Stone Pictures – artmyideas
stone-3D Images-Magics of Creation-Dreaming Stone
The talent and creativity of people is mind-boggling. I just love finding wonderful examples to share with you!
Filed under Stone/Pebble Art
Thoughts on a Saturday 5-30-2020
“Zeus – Whose Eyes Contain Galaxies” – Micaela Rakos-Journalist via Penny Yaffe Krakow
I can’t say enough about this photo. I get lost in his eyes.
Mother Nature is smiling as us – giving us a perfect day today! The sun is shining and it is 72 degrees F. right now. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!
I will go out soon and see what’s what in my garden. My friends at Lunch Bunch, plus the 2 waitresses at The Pizza Barn, were pleased with the lettuce I gave them yesterday. We may already be at the end of the early spring garden, though. The lettuce and spinach are starting to bolt, signaling the end. (Lettuce and other greens are cool weather crops. When the warm temperatures come, lettuce moves from leaf production to flower and seed production. Very often the flavor of lettuce changes and it becomes bitter.) I’m going to salvage what I can and pull out the rest of the plants.
Bolting Lettuce – Gardening Know How
I’m still dancing around, 3 inches off the ground, because I sold a vase on my SassyGlassByLinda shop on Etsy. (I sold the daisies one in the middle.)
My customer should get her vase Monday. I’m enjoying nice mental pictures of her unwrapping it. It’s the highest compliment there is when someone likes what you do enough to want it for their own, or buy it to give it to someone who means a lot to them. :0)
It was GOOD to see our friends at Lunch Bunch yesterday. We have been having lunch every Friday for over 17 years now – only interrupted by the Pandemic. The Pizza Barn put out some picnic tables with benches and umbrellas in their parking lot so that they can offer not only carry-out, but also the ability for people to eat outside until the restrictions are fully lifted and we can eat inside again. It is priceless to be able to actually share a meal in person with people you care about, catch up on what has been happening, eat and laugh together once again. (Next time I’ll try to get pics so I can share them with you.)
I am hoping that the space launch will happen today. I have watched, glued to my seat, each time we attempt a launch. I still remember watching the grainy, incredible pictures of our astronauts actually walking around on the moon. (That happened in 1969 – the year my husband and I married.) I’m hoping the weather in Florida will be cooperative today, giving us the chance to send our astronauts to the space station ourselves, rather then having to rely on others.
I hope that you have a beautiful Saturday, too.
Filed under Thoughts on a ________
Incredible Clay Art by Jennifer McCurdy
Jennifer McCurdy-Gary Mirando Photography-Tes Teach
Tes Teach – Jennifer-McCurdy
Jennifer McCurdy
Jennifer McCurdy
Filed under Clay Art
Wordplay
JustCuteAnimals.com
I lived in a houseboat for a while, and started seeing the girl next door.
Eventually we drifted apart.
My boyfriend tried to make me have sex on the hood of his Honda Civic.
I refused. If I’m going to have sex, it is going to be on my own Accord.A man tried to sell me a coffin today.
I told him, that’s the last thing I need.The neighborhood barber just got arrested for selling drugs.
We had been his customers for 8 years. We had no idea he was a barber.100 years ago everyone had a horse and only the rich had cars.
Nowadays everyone has a car and only the rich have horses. Oh how the stables have turned.
Did you hear about McDonald’s trying to get into the high end steakhouse market?
It was a Big McSteak.And this story takes more than 2 lines:
My boyfriend was dying. I was by his bedside when he said something
with a weak voice, “There’s something I must confess.”
“Shhh” I said “There’s nothing to confess. Everything is alright.”
“No, I must die in peace” he said, “I had sex with your sister, your best friend and your co-worker.”
“I know” I whispered, “That’s why I poisoned you… Now close your eyes.”
* thanks to the forward from my friend, Marsha Koenig
Filed under Funny Signs - Humor
Incredible Clay Art
clay-toadstool-sculptures-Angela Schwer-FreeYork
Charles Woods-Coroflot.com
Dumbledore Bust-Alfred Paredes-deviantART
Fity Club-Lion_Sculpture
Filed under Clay Art
Round Yellow Thing
123RF.com
I almost didn’t recognize it when I walked Molly first thing this morning. It was roundish, yellowish, and shiny, lighting up the whole sky! I didn’t need my umbrella for the first time in what seems like forever, and didn’t sink into the grass as we walked around the yard. I’m more than delighted that it looks like we’ll have a gorgeous day today.
As part of our celebration, we’ll meet our friends for Lunch Bunch! We are now eating at a picnic table in the parking lot of The Pizza Barn. They are offering curbside service and outside eating until the restrictions on restaurants are totally lifted here in Arkansas. (It’s a small place and not designed for social distancing.) I am planning to take lettuce from our garden to our friends, plus our two wonderful waitresses.
I’ll be glad to take the lettuce because it looks like my early spring garden is ending. My lettuce and spinach are starting to bolt. :0( I’ll probably harvest the rest of what there is left this week, with the exception of the sweet red onions. I’ll look locally to see if anyone has veggie plants.
I can’t tell you how much it lifts my spirits to see the sun shining!!!!!
Filed under Mother Nature
More Quilling – Paper Art – I Love
Happy Shabby
Mainly-Quilling-Stacy Bettancourt
Meloney-Celliers-“whimsical-quilled-illustrations-whale”-strictly paper
Papertalk-Nguyen-The Great Wave of Kanagawa-Strictly paper
Puns for Educated Minds 4
unknown
23. Two Eskimos sitting in a kayak were chilly, so they lit a fire in the craft. Unsurprisingly it sank, proving once again that you can’t have your kayak and heat it too.
24. Two hydrogen atoms meet. One says, ‘I’ve lost my electron.’ The other says , ‘Are you sure?’ The first replies, ‘Yes, I’m positive.’
25. Did you hear about the Buddhist who refused Novocain during a root – canal?
His goal: transcend dental medication.
26. There was the person who sent ten puns to friends, with the hope that at least one of the puns would make them laugh.
No pun in ten did.
Filed under Funny Signs - Humor, punny
More Rain!
Tammy Ames via PictureQuotes.com
It looks like we have today and tomorrow with lots of rain, and then it settles down for a bit!
I have built a whole routine out of taking our dog, Molly out, first thing in the morning and last thing at night before bed (other times during the day she goes out to play, sniff, and do dogly things on her own without supervision or time limits) – with the rain that has been with us for weeks now. My umbrella hangs on one hook with her leash. My jacket hangs on another hook. We have the routine down pat.
Now that we do, the weather will probably tip over into summer and the rains will be few and far between.
It amazes me that it can be sunny and warm enough we talk about turning on the air conditioner, and then a bit later raining like it has saved it up for MONTHS, pouring down with hail, lightning, gusty winds, and flying hairballs.
I’m sad that the weather forced the scrubbing of the space launch today, but we’ll be at the TV on Saturday at 3:22, fingers crossed.
Stay dry.
Filed under Mother Nature
Privilege of Animals in Your Family
via Jennifer Ann Mitchell Carroll
We have the privilege of having 2 dogs, 2 cats, and 2 gold fish in our family.
Smoke
Abby
Molly
Amber
We are, of course, hoping all of our animal friends will last forever.
Molly is 15, though, and is almost totally deaf, has cataracts, and mysterious wart-like things and cysts here and there. She has many days where she totally enjoys life, however.
An example – today I let her out of the front door. I followed her because I wanted to water the elephant ear plants on the front porch, plus cut off one leaf that needed to be removed. As I walked with the cut leaf across the yard, Molly jumped and danced, wanting to play. What a joy it was to see her bright eyes, laughing face, and sweet little body leaping back and forth and barking at me, thinking the cut-off-leaf was a toy!
We are rich in animals. I can’t imagine my life without at least ONE.
I’ll probably end up being an old lady whose house is FULL to OVERFLOWING with adopted pets…
Filed under Amazing Animals, Family, quality of life
Clay Art
Art_Center_Anat_Shiftan_The_Garden_Exhibit-standardceramic.com
Jennifer-McCurdy-Butterfly Tsunami Vessel-Photo-by-Gary-Mirando
Artist Unknown – Pinterest
Artist Unknown – Pinterest
Filed under Clay Art
creativeartworksblog 