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Monday, June 20, 2016

THINGS ARE GROWING!

Hello dear friends!   Busy, busy week here, as the weather warms we are spending more and more time outside.  There's so much to do during the few short summer months.  This week Ran and Jamie built this little picket fence to separate the front garden from the back:
Isn't it cute?  Very Beatrix Potter-y, don't you think?  A few years ago I was looking for real wood pickets and couldn't find them anywhere.  Then, as things usually happen,  I found enough for the front yard fence plus extras all for $30 at a garage sale.  The wonderful hinges were  a freebie when a company sent us the wrong ones and told us to keep these because they were so heavy the postage was too much bother to send them back.  Even the copper post caps came from a garage sale at $1 a piece.  We were wondering what color to paint the fence, when we came across a mistint at the local hardware store.  And the lumber was more of the Christmas Day bounty.  All in all, it costs about $50 for the posts and the gate latch to build.  I think we got our $50's worth, don't you?

This weekend we traveled downstate for our granddaughter Violet's first birthday. 
As you can see, she was very excited about cake.  Takes after her grandma! Ha!  But she's such a sweetie, she was happy to share it with her daddy.
After that she crashed with her uncle Scott.



Our garden is also growing!  The vegetables are starting to ripen and we picked lettuce, cauliflower, broccoli, arugula, kale and herbs this week.




We had a Farmer MacGregor moment yesterday when Ran spotted a rabbit inside the garden gate and chased it around and around the garden as he couldn't find the hole in the fence where he entered.  I know I should have been angry at the poor animal, but I couldn't help feeling sorry for him, after all, if I were a rabbit, our garden would be where I would want to hang out.

The flower garden is flourishing also.  Roses are beginning to bloom.
Alchemist by the side door.
Zepharine Dhurine , the only rose that I know that grows well in the shade.
An unknown red rose that I bought last year and the end-of-the-season sale.
But my favorite flowers of the moment are the foxgloves and columbine that I started from seed.
Foxgloves don't do well around here, guess the winters are too harsh.  The only ones that grow here are the perennial  types that don't have the height or the color or the wow factor of the biennials.  But they have a quiet beauty.  Here's the columbine:
Don't they remind you of fairy wings?


DID you know that tonight is the summer solstice?  The longest day of the year, then we will make the long turn back to winter.  It also the first full moon of June, called the Strawberry Moon.  Rarely does the Strawberry Moon and the summer solstice occur at the same time.  The last time was 1948.  So if you have a chance the evening, look up! You'll see something rare.  Isn't life wonderful that way? Rich or poor, we all can enjoy the same moon and stars.  The government hasn't figured out a way to tax us on that at least!  Although, I wouldn't doubt if they were trying!

Well, not a terribly informative post, I'm sorry, but here's the thrifty things we did this week:

Built a picket fence from found wood and garage sale goodies.

Harvested cauliflower, lettuce, broccoli, kale, arugula, and herbs fro the garden.

Made lemon balm wine from our lemon balm.

Painted more furniture from the many cans of paint we are trying to use up.

Ate the entire week off of one quart bag of frozen cooked chicken from the freezer.  We had balsamic strawberry pizza, chicken salad sandwiches,  chicken pot pie and a improvised chicken casserole.

I worked on a crewel embroidery pillow kit that I purchased at a garage sale.

So that's it for this week!  I  wish you all a wonderful first day of summer!

Hugs
Jane


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20 comments:

  1. I thought I better hop over here and that maybe you had a new post even though my blogger list was not showing it yet...and sure enough you do! And your garden is beautiful!! I love the gated fence entrance. It surely does look like mr. macGregor's garden! And I like to think my guardian angel is helping me when I am looking for something and would find such a bargain as your fence and gate!

    Your granddaughter is so cute...so nice to see young parents. Such a pretty name too.

    All your flowers look so nice. Happy Summer! Andrea

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    1. Thanks Andrea! It's so much fun developing our garden into something we could only imagine. When we bought this place it was just a vacant lot.

      Hope you are having nice weather. It's hot here!

      Hugs
      Jane

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    2. After a cooler week, we have 90 degrees for two days. Hugs back, Andrea

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    3. I guess that's what I get for wishing for warmer weather!

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  2. Fence, family and flowers are all so wonderful. Love the way those bargain items became such a cute addition to your garden space. And yes, your granddaughter is such a cutie. Who doesn't get excited about cake :) We were away for the weekend at my family reunion. We have it each year on the Father's day weekend. With our parents both gone now we siblings decided we needed to be deliberate about getting together each summer. I have 5 siblings and we gather in the area of my oldest sister's house as she lives by a lake. She has room for only one family so my sister from Arkansas stays with here as the rest of us are all in the area. Some of us rent cabins at the lake or get a motel room near by but we have our large potluck meals at the cabins. It is so fun, visiting, playing some yard games and eating. I tried out a new gluten free cake recipe this year and it was a hit. My 14 year old niece told me it was the best cake she ever had. I am keeping that recipe! The weather was hot, hot ,hot but that was OK. Ours pores are well cleared out now. Got back last night and we had a wind storm while we were gone. I've spent time picking up sticks for the burn pile and also watering the garden with the windmill and picking peas this morning. Enough from me. So good to see into your week on Mondays. I so look forward to it. Nannie

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  3. That sounds like fun, Nannie. We have the entire family coming for the 4th. Should be fun trying to shoehorn them all into our tiny little place!

    Our peas are just beginning to flowers on them. So much for the traditional peas and salmon for the 4th of July!

    Don't you just love it when the youngsters appreciate your baking? It's good to know that old-fashioned things such as home-baked cakes are still appreciated.

    Hotter than blue blazes here. In the 90s which is unusual for the area. As you well know, watering takes up most of our time.

    Hope you get some cooler weather soon!

    Hugs
    Jane

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  4. Love your picket fence, and your little Violet is a sweetiepie.

    Your garden really looks great and your roses oh so lovely.

    Have a great week ~ FlowerLady

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    1. Rainey, I wish you could come for a visit and see my roses. They are just starting to bloom and are so prolific this year. Just came around the corner and got a pleasant surprise, my Paul's Himalayan Musk is starting to bloom. Such sweet little flowers! Hope you are doing better!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  5. What a cool fence, and oh yes, it's very Beatrix Potter-y. The hardware makes really special. And, of course, Peter Rabbit would have to visit after you got the fence and gate installed. LOL

    Love, love that baby girl! What a doll, and it's so cute that she had her foot on the tray while she enjoyed the birthday cake. She must have Southern roots somewhere in the family line, lol.

    Your flowers are gorgeous!
    Have a great week!
    Toni

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    1. Hi Toni! I think we are the only people that build something like a fence because we didn't want to waste free hinges. We built the enclosed porch because we found some beveled glass windows. In other words, we are nuts. Ha!

      Little Violet does have southern roots, my husband is proud to be half-Texan. His family has been there since the days of the Alamo. But I think Violet just likes to use her feet. Boy! To be that flexible again!

      Hope you have a great start to the official beginning of summer!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  6. aww love the pictures of your grand daughter! She is precious! With all the bad things in this world, it is good to see the joy of little ones. Love your garden gate and fence, and your roses and flowers are beautiful. I think you have a little bit of heaven in your garden.

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    1. She really is, Kathy! She's the best natured baby I have ever seen. And yes, I think I'm blessed to own a bit of Heaven here on Earth. Takes a lot of work, though! Waiting for my garden on the other side, where weeds don't exist. :) Too bad Eve ate that apple! Waiting for it to get dark to go outside and look at that strawberry moon. Hope you are having a lovely week!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  7. what a sweet little granddaughter! Spent today with ours so know how enjoyable that is! Wow your garden is amazing. Ours is much smaller....we only have beans and tomatoes but we live in the city so dont have the space you do. I do grow alot of flowers though. I've planted columbine seeds several times and have no luck with them but yours sure are pretty. They are such delicate and graceful flowers. The fence is great....we also got a whole free fence from a beach house and put it to good use! Sure do love that thing and it's OLD but it speaks to me. Of so many past summer winds, salty air, hurricanes, and hot sunny days. I like history.

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    1. Beans and tomatoes are good! I could live off of tomatoes in the summer (and do)! I understand completely about old things speaking to you, am the same way. Bet it's a beautiful old fence, what a fortunate find.

      Those white columbines are finicky. They may or may not return. We have a lot of wild columbine that's dark purple, though. Not as evocative of fairy wings, but still pretty. Have to be thankful for what we can get, I guess.

      Hope you are have a wonderful start of summer!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  8. Hello from hot Oklahoma Jane. Doesn't seem you way up north should be as hot as us. I'm trying to do outdoor stuff and errands either early or late when it is not quite as hot.
    Your picket fence and your garden are both beautiful, and look straight out of a pretty magazine to me. You all have done a great job. I'm glad your shared your photos.
    Our garden lettuce is done but we are getting tomatoes, yellow squash, cucumber, bell and jalapeño peppers now. There are cantaloupe, watermelon, green beans and peas all growing too

    Violet is a doll. I like her old fashioned name ❤️

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    1. Thanks Rhonda! Well it cooled off considerably the last few days, I don't think it reached 70 today.

      It will be a while before we get tomatoes and such. The tomatoes just started producing blossoms. Sounds like you are having a good garden year. That's good for the budget!

      It's such a joy to spend time with the grandbabies, as you well know! Wish I could have them as often as you do!

      Stay cool!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  9. First, I want to tell you how glad I am that you have returned to blogging. I really enjoy your blog and, while my life is different from yours (I'm a little older, one person household, have never canned, do not have a garden), I still learn from things you share.

    Your fence is just wonderful and such a beautiful addition to your land. Your garden and flowers are picture perfect. Those garden photos are enough to encourage everyone to garden.

    Your granddaughter is just a beautiful little girl.

    Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Thanks Shirley! The gardens are finally starting to come into their own, I love to share them here and in person for anyone who cares to see them.

      Violet is a dear little girl. Couldn't ask for a better little granddaughter, as is her older cousin, Tatianna.

      Hope you are enjoying the summer sun!

      Hugs
      Jane

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  10. Hi Jane,

    Your roses are doing so well! I hope your temperatures have been cooler than here; in the 90s for a couple of weeks, and no rain! Your fence is so perfect for you, and what a neat find, too. What a sweet little granddaughter you have, too. Nice to see family photos!

    Love,

    Marqueta

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    1. I couldn't resist showing off Violet, Marqueta, she's the apple of her Papa's eye. Hope you get some cooler weather soon, here it can't make up it's mind; one day cold and one day hot. I never know how to dress! Have a wonderful weekend!

      Hugs
      Jane

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