Thai Basil

Thai basil, a friend called a few weeks ago and said I have a tiny seedling would you like it, of course I said yes.  It truly was tiny, maybe only two leaves, but I think it has found a happy place here on our deck.  It has a unique smell and taste, different from most basils that I grow.  A bit more like licorice but I like it.  I am currently looking for recipes that need a bit. 
Today I realized that it is May 31.  This has been an unforgettable May. Be safe, be kind, be well.

My New Old Flag

Cleaning out the linen cupboard today I found a flag I had forgotten about.  Somehow it had fallen under the bottom drawer between the drawer and the floor.  I clean and refurbish linens pretty often but the the way the cupboard is built you can't see the floor underneath.  Cleaning mood that I was in, I removed all the drawers and there was my flag.  So here's my new old flag.

Tomorrow is Sunday.  I wish you all peace, may you be kind, be well.

Sweet Shrub

It was a just a tiny plant that was put in the ground a couple of months ago.  I never dreamed it would bloom this spring.  The smell is sweet, spicy and unforgettable.  Sweet Shrub.

Be safe, be well, be kind.

Lemon Tree

Last year we lost our crop of Meyer lemons, we almost lost our tree.  With much love and care she has blossomed this spring.  When she was blooming the whole house smelled divine.  Now she is loaded with small green lemons.  I can't wait to pick the first one that ripens.

Tomorrow is Friday, be kind, be safe.

Bees

I have fallen in love with a tee shirt company, Life is Good.  They are spreading optimism one tee shirt at a time.  Good quality tees for everyone in the family with unique art/messages.
I found the perfect tee for Rick.  It came in the mail yesterday so I had to take his picture today.
Don't you think it suits him?  All he is saying, Give Bees A Chance.

Tolerant Hook

My friend Karen wrote a gratitude journal on FB for 60 days.  At the end of her 60 days she asked her daughter and I to carry on for 60 more days. Karen is an incredible writer and I was honored that she asked me to pick up the torch.  I won't be posting all my days on here, but this one got a great deal of attention today so I am sharing it tonight.

Gratitude day 2, Dogs. We have had rescued throw away dogs our whole married life. Most have been mutts but some have had those snooty bloodlines that people pay big dollars for. Currently we have Taz the Yorkie who knows she is queen of the world and wonders daily how she ended up on a farm. I can tell you why she loves living here, my shoes.

Within her first week with us, she had found my shoe collection and chose only my finest leather boots to satisfy her urge to sniff and rest on. She positively purrs lying on those vintage leather Gucci’s.

Hook is a deaf Pitt bull mix. He is just a chunk of furry love. I think he knows we saved his life and his loyalty takes my breath away. Hook would take a bullet for me. This morning he rests at my feet while I drink coffee. He is ever watchful , making sure those nasty squirrels don’t attack his happy home.

And our newest rescue is Kodak , a lab mix with an adorable face and enough energy to send a rocket to Mars. The only time he is still is when he sleeps.

Hook tolerates him and Taz scorns him.

Through our 46 years of marriage all our throw always have given us love, companionship and many memories. Their personalities have been unique. I am so grateful for our rescues, and the incredible amount of joy they have brought into our lives

Mail

We live in the country.  Years ago my boss at that, time came to our house for dinner.  When she and her husband got out of their car, she asked if we took American currency.  Since we live in the country, we shop on line a great deal.  In the county where we live there is not one single book store.
Twelve miles to a bank and fast food place.  Am I painting a clear picture.

All that said, we rely on our mail service, we use our mail service, we love our local post office.
Samantha and her dad bought a new mail box a few days ago.  They asked if I would do a little decorative painting.  Here is the finished product.  We think our mail carrier will love it.  This week Rick and I are buying a new mail box, of course I will paint ours too.

Shade Garden

Another friend has Covid 19, our numbers keep climbing and people around us keep saying it is a hoax.  As I keep saying, when the numbers change to names, things change.  We wear masks, practice social distancing and only leave for supplies or work.  Usually I cook for family and friends on this weekend, but not this year.  Maybe for 4th of July.  I can't bear the thoughts of someone I love getting sick at my house. 

It was a very warm 90 degrees today.  The garden is loving this weather.  I think the harvest will be a good one this year.

Be kind, stay well.

Happy Lily

A very laid back day.  Taz got a bath, I picked more blueberries,  weeded the garden and drew up a design to paint on my brother's  new mail box. 

More thunder storms tonight, but nothing like last night.  Last night there was hail, wind, torrential rain and the sky turned green.  Taz got freaked by the thunder, and Kodak got freaked by the hail hitting the tin roof last night.  Tonight's storm was a piece of cake.

Have a peaceful Sunday.  Be safe, be well, be kind.

More Art

Our nephew gave Rick the bee sign he's been wanting.  More wall art, the deck is looking real nice.

The heat and humidity is building, summer is knocking on our door and she demands to come on in.

It's a holiday weekend, be safe, be well, be kind.

Butterfly Haven

We have two of these butterfly bushes in the back yard in the heirloom garden.  These have burst into bloom the past few days and the humming birds, bees and butterflies are loving them.  It is a great deal of work to dead head these bushes but by doing so, they bloom all summer long.

Rain moving in tonight and tomorrow.
That's ok, I dug the weeds out of the garden today.

Be kind tomorrow, stay well, and be grateful.

More Deck Art

The deck art continues.  Rick and Jordan love making wreaths out of all the vines we gather in the woods.  I added the twine wrap and the brass bells.  More deck art! 

Happy

Day lilies and oak leaf hydrangeas are one of my favorite spring bouquets.  Don't they just make you smile?  There's not much fragrance to them, but their colors and textures make up for that.  It's just a happy bouquet.

Today was house chores and garden work.  Laundry and dust bunnies never take the day off, do they?
And then there are those pesky weeds in the garden that grow up over night.

Hump day tomorrow.  Be grateful, be kind, be well.

Worth It

We picked more blueberries today and they were so luscious I knew I had to do something special to celebrate their goodness.  I baked a pound cake.  I used my mom's recipe.  I always laugh when I make it, because it is a lengthy process...my mom always said only bake a pound cake for those you love, make sure the ones who eat it deserve all the effort it took to make.
Fresh blueberries, pound cake and vanilla ice cream...Rick and I were worth it.

Deck Art

The back deck is looking lush and happy with all the plants and wind chimes.  I had these pieces that I had used on the screen porch and around but yesterday I had an aha moment.  With Rick and his trusty drill we created a visual  on the wall, suddenly the deck had more personality.   Reuse and repurpose and there you have deck art.

Suspended

Another day of outdoor work, planting, grilling, picking blueberries and picking up supplies.
Though our state is one of those that has opened, we are still practicing social distance, wearing masks,  going into stores as little as possible and staying away from groups of people, and washing our hands constantly.  The number of those in our state testing positive is going up daily and deaths are rising.  Life has become very strange.  Who knows a year from now, what sort of transformation we will be a part of .

I am grateful for our link with nature.  So thankful to be here on the farm, and truly feeling the connection of all living things.  The work of tending to the chickens, taking care of the bees and growing food keeps us focused on the positive.  I so miss our gatherings, our music gigs, teaching classes.   Time seems to have been suspended yet moving in bizarre directions.

Tomorrow is Sunday, wishing you peace, kindness and good health.

Giddy

I planted rows of limoncello sunflower seeds today.  My sister Nell had given me a tiny packet of them for my birthday last year and I had saved seeds but I wanted more.  Recently Rick did an interview for the paper with a professional gardener and  he gave us the name of a seed supplier that he used.  Bingo!  They had seeds that I had searched for months to find.  My order came yesterday and I was just giddy opening the package.

Tomorrow I will plant seeds for several vegetables that I  could not find as well as an assortment of French Marigold seeds.  I feel like Merlin or some ancient alchemist, but instead of turning lead to gold....seeds into food and beautiful flowers.   The photo is of last year's limoncellos.  I hope to see an abundance of those yellow beauties this summer.

Garden Excitement

Our temps hit the mid-80's today, will be 90 by Sunday, then a cool front and rain.  Trying to keep up with our weather here is like being on a merry-go-round.

The blueberries are ripening more each day.  Rick helped me pick this afternoon.  I picked fresh basil last night to use in our pasta for dinner.  There are tiny peppers on the pepper plants and the tomato plants are blooming.  This is when gardening gets exciting.

I moved our Meyer lemon tree outside today.  It is loaded with small lemons.  She is so temperamental, I hold my breath each spring when I move her outside.  Last year she was full of lemons and once I moved her to the deck, all the lemons dropped off her branches.  Fingers are crossed that we have a crop this year.

Enjoy your Friday.  Wear your masks, stay well, be kind.

Early Bounty

Once again we picked blueberries today and Jordan ate half of them.  He is coming over tomorrow to help me paint porch furniture.  I am sure there will be some blueberries picked at some point.
They really are delicious.

Our weather is getting warmer, will be almost 80 degrees tomorrow.  The 80's I can handle, but boy I dread those 90's when they come around.

I think tomorrow I will bake a lemon pound cake, it works well with blueberries and cream.
Be kind.  Be well.

Tuesday Thoughts

Jordan and I picked our first basket of blueberries today...well it would have been a full basket, but he put every third berry in his mouth.  He loves blueberries.  At the beginning of spring, he told me not to pay him for any extra work, just let him eat all the blueberries he could .   That was not a good deal.

The strawberries are starting to ripen as well.  Every morning when we walk the dogs, Jordan grabs a berry or two for "energy".

I am watching a wonderful painting DVD.    I want to make sure those nice brushes and paints Rick bought me are not wasted.  This is actually a college class and it's fascinating to watch and learn.
I came to the conclusion years ago, I could be a professional student.

I hope Wednesday brings you joy, gratitude and kindness.

It Is Monday

It seems to have been one of those days when everything we did, needed to be done over.
Some days are like that.  The best you can do is take a deep breath and just keep going until you get it done.

Yesterday was cold, today was a bit more spring like and it seems by tomorrow we jump from spring to summer.  I knew those upper 80's and low 90's were lingering somewhere just waiting to pounce.

My oldest sister Nell and my niece Samantha are both getting into hydroponic gardening.  They have both been so enthusiastic that I jumped on board this weekend and ordered a small system myself.  It should be here in a few days.  A new adventure for sure. 

For my anniversary gift, Rick bought me new paint brushes ( really nice ones) and some new paints I had been wanting to try.  They arrived over the weekend.  I cannot wait to try them.

I hope your Monday was a bit smoother than ours.  Tomorrow, be kind, be well.

Happy Mother's Day

Momma and me at the beach, 1994.
Just a couple of years after daddy died, it was a bittersweet trip.  So many memories for her of the two of them at the beach, starting with the first year of their marriage during the war.

I miss her, I miss my dad.

Hello

The interesting thing about lilies, their hardiness.  These just popped up under some trees near our compost area.
I had planted some from my mom's garden several years ago, didn't realize that they would spread.  I love the richness of their color. My mom's name was Ruby, their color there in the grass was like a hello from her this Mother's Day weekend.  None of the others are blooming.

It's been a beautiful day, but really cold for May.  Frost warnings tonight.
Fingers crossed that crops stay healthy.

May your Sunday be one of peace.
Be kind.  Be well.

Mamie's Heirlooms

 

Heirlooms from my grandmother Mamie's garden.  The peony smells like heaven.  The raindrops dusted the leaves and petals like tiny diamonds.  I don't know what the the tiny flowers are called but I love them too.  The bush they grow on has variegated leaves, pale yellow to deep green.

Be kind, be well.

Freshly Dug

It's amazing what a couple of pounds of potato scraps/peels will produce.  We planted these in a couple of half barrels, still one more to go.  That's a nice harvest of potatoes.  Tomorrow night I will steam a few with string beans, roast some asparagus and grill a salmon filet...best meal on the planet.

Rain moving in tomorrow, so it will be a much needed rest day.
Sweet dreams

Spring Update

The privets are in full bloom here.  I know that many love them, love their fragrance and their white blossoms.  For me, they are misery every spring.  The smell of them makes me nauseous, they trigger migraines and clog my sinuses and make my meniere's flare.  They have been in bloom now for about two weeks, maybe one more week to go and things will calm down.

Normally I have two allergy seasons, spring and fall.  We got our bees last spring, but no honey from them until the summer.  I ate our honey every day until it was gone, mid-December.  I had no fall allergies.  I think if we had had enough of our honey for this spring I would have not had the allergy symptoms I have had.  I sure hope our bees have a productive summer and we get lots of honey.

The weather guys say a cold front is coming in this weekend.  Fingers are crossed that all our beautiful crops weather this cold spell. The blueberries are luscious, sweet as candy and the bushes are full.  The peach and apricot trees are hanging full of green fruit.  I suppose blackberry winter just wanted to visit one more time.

Enjoy your Thursday.  I hope you laugh out loud and that you experience great kindness. 

Sisters

My seven sisters roses have never been this pretty or prolific.  The bush is still loaded even after cutting this bouquet.   Rick didn't have to buy me roses for our anniversary today, I grew them.
46 years seems like a moment.

Treasures

One of the things I have cherished most about our songwriting ( besides the songs we write and our performances) are the friends that music has brought us.  Tonight we spoke with one of those friends and it truly was a gift to hear her voice.  What a rush of memories just the sound of her voice triggered.   We met at an ASCAP workshop in Nashville and our friendship just blossomed.
She would drive down to Alabama and visit, we would visit her in Nashville. 

As life does, through the years our paths crossed less and less, those bumps and curves that come with age widened the distance.  Where did the time go?   But a few years back, our friendship renewed.  I think age has reminded us of those who remained important in our lives.

Tonight, she had a bee emergency, she might have a swarm.  When I got her text I told Rick we have to call her, she needs some advice.  Rick spoke with her first and then I got the phone.  We giggled and laughed and maybe came close to tears a few times, but what a gift a simple phone call was tonight.  One valuable lesson Covid 19 has taught me, those friends I treasure....I just want to see them again, to hug them...that is what I want tonight.

Sunday

Another beautiful day.  Our  weather has been amazing these past few weeks.  We have had an honest to goodness spring, cool nights, pleasant days.

I ate fresh blueberries today.  The taste as they burst open in my mouth was delectable.  Our strawberries will be ripe soon.  Today I just stood by a blueberry bush and ate, how lucky can I get?

This first week of May is so different from last year.  May 5th is our anniversary, last year for our 45th one, we spent time in Savannah.   The lighthouse on Tybee Island was so quaint.  This year we will celebrate on the farm.  Maybe next year there will be a trip out west.  Be kind this week.  Take care of yourselves.

Today

Through the years,  I have taken many online courses.  Some have been for work, some for my personal pleasure, sometimes a mix.  I am currently taking an online teacher training for yoga.
It's been interesting, I like the instructor and it is always good to freshen your perspective. I spent the afternoon viewing this class.

Sam and Jordan came over this evening and we sat in the backyard while Jordan chased fireflies.
It was a bit warm for a fire in the pit so I made smores on the stove.  We were watching for the string of satellites that everyone has been watching.  We think we saw one.  It was a little disappointing, I think we were expecting much more.

I  hope your Sunday brings peace, and much kindness.

Friday Update

The  meniere's flared a couple of time this week, last night was one of them.  Nothing really bad, just enough to keep me on the couch with its usual symptoms.  The last  major flare I had was April of 2019, thankful for that.

I finally have the deck back in warm weather shape.  The plants weathered the winter well on the side porch and the warm days and plentiful rain have made them flourish.  We have repotted several and I am anxious to see how much they grow by summer's end.

Jordan wants to make some extra money so he is going to help me paint the three tables and eight chairs that are on the deck.  Taking care of the chickens and helping in the garden are regular chores, no pay for those.

We planted a raspberry bush today.  I have wanted one for years, they will be so tasty with the blueberries and blackberries. 

Fatigue has hit early tonight, a residue from last night's flare.  Hot tea and a cozy bed are calling to me.
Tomorrow is Saturday, be kind, be grateful, be well.