Tag: Fairy Garden

The K List

      First – my thoughts and prayers are with all those dealing with the flood devastation in Texas. In this day and age, with all the forecasting we’re able to do, how is it we still can’t evacuate people out of a very dangerous hurricane or tornado zone before it actually hits?   I’m seeing images of elderly folk trapped in three feet of water in nursing homes, families still trapped in their flooded houses, animals drowned, electrocuted or sitting on top of kennel houses in pounds…   How are we not able to secure the people and animals of an area before the disaster hits when we have the forewarning. 
    What we have here in New England right now is a down-right chilly end-of-August.   It was 58 degrees as I fed the horses this morning.  There were even a few fall leaves on the stone walls.  I love fall, but NOT YET!!….  
I actually made (Brenda’s) Taco Soup for dinner last night  and an old Banana Bread recipe this morning to help cut through the chill.  The BB recipe is as follows – real simple, never fails. Important not to over-bake it, as you want it really moist. 

4 very ripe bananas (that’s important) 
1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg
t tsp vanilla
1 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups flour
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease 1 loaf pan. Throw all ingredients in mixing bowl and mix well.  Poor into pan and bake for approx. 45 minutes to an hour, depending on oven.  I start checking after 40 minutes. When toothpick comes out clean, it’s done. 
Sharing some pictures I took in our late summer garden
yesterday as I clipped back what was growing a little too wild

I found this perfect little two inch mushroom ….
    and went back out there this morning 
because.. this... 
  

   Till soon, friends – 

Is it… could it be?….

Yesterday was so darn Spring-like, I took advantage of the semi-warm weather and went out to our little greenhouse to plant zinnia seeds.  Wonder of wonders, I was able to do it in a T-shirt without benefit of a jacket.   After this years winter, it’s as if we’re emerging slowly from an Alaskan wilderness dream slow to end, eyes blinking, face up to the sun,  not accustomed to the light and warmth. 

Amazing that these dried out, flat little seeds will produce beautiful
flowering plants in the months to come. 

 
Gardening, even on a very small scale, is so rewarding an experience.
If you haven’t ever given it a try, I recommend you do so in whatever manner
works for your lifestyle.  Even a city rooftop or a suburban deck can
be the host to a little container garden and the supplies don’t have to cost very much at all.  

 It felt so good poking around in the dirt I decided to start my little fairy garden beneath the big sugar maple tree  in the backyard.

  It’s too early to plant anything here just yet…

 Then I took Ben for a walk down the road, and oh did it feel good/bad/jeez.am.I.out.of.shape.  We’ll be doing a lot more of that.   Got a dog that pulls on you and makes walking an unpleasant experience?  Get yourself an Easywalk harness.  Totally humane, does the job.  At 190 lbs, even a mild tug from Ben is a BIG one. This harness has made our walking experience easy as a breeze and causes no pain to the dog.

I swear I heard a chorus sing when I looked down on my little “seaside real estate”
perennial garden and saw a crocus poking it’s head through the soil.
It’s a beautiful thing. 

So excited was I  by the prospect of warm weather, I tried on a bathing suit I bought on sale at Nautica for the coming summer.  Oh, it fit just fine.  But what I looked like in it was a whole ‘nother story.  No, you won’t get a picture of that.   You’re welcome.

So… More walking , a yoga kick start and some light weight training are in store. 

 A health tip I have been given before but didn’t heed until now… real simple.  Warm Lemon water every morning.   It benefits so many things, from digestion to inflammation and weight loss.   Excellent  not.too.long article  HERE  about that very thing.   Amazing, the benefits for your body of just that simple health regimen. 

It’s a new day, all –  Make it  a good one.