Reading this past month or two has been a mixed bag. Two books were meh, one not my cup of tea but others may enjoy it, and only one to recommend. Links are provided for some to Amazon so you can read the full synopsis. The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley - This book …
Category: Gardening
Sunday Chat – Gardening and Cooking
Today will be a quiet day, enjoying the cooler air and watching some of the local wildlife if they stop by again. This pretty doe and her fawn came by earlier in the week to munch on the plants and enjoy a late afternoon meal. They do like to eat a few of the hosta …
Sunday Chat – Garden and Trying a New Seasoning Blend
From time to time, Milk Street sends me products to test. This week I received a jar of Flavor Jolt. This is a blend of vegetables and seasonings to give dishes more 'umami' flavor. It has dehydrated tomato, carrot, shiitake mushroom, onion, garlic, corn and miso. Add some marvelous flavors in seasonings like turmeric, paprika, …
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Sunday Chat – Garden, Cooking, Sewing and a little Philosophy
Our little goldfinch flock continues to visit the smorgasbord, and a few cardinals are now stopping by regularly. I think I have a mated pair and two of their juveniles. This is a juvenile male, he looks a little moth-eaten, with his baby feathers molting and the new brighter red ones growing. I've seen another …
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Sunday Chat – Retreat, Garden, Stamping
Our guild recently held a retreat for 11 members at Febuary Hill in Jonesborough, Tennessee, run by the owner of Tennessee Quilts. We booked several days to sew, and chat, and eat, and shop. Some of us met for lunch before the retreat began, and we drove up at the same time. Arriving in the …
Sunday Chat
Our goldfinches have been here about twice a day lately for easy meals. The whole flock stops by at once and it is fun to watch them vie for position and argue with each other. Here, nine of them are on the feeder at once. Then, there were four more on the ground in this …
Sunday Chat – Garden and Sewing
It is hot and humid here now, not my favorite time of year. I really do hate the heat, especially when it climbs above 80 and the humidity is high. The good things about summer, though, are pretty birds, beautiful flowers and fresh produce. Our local flock of goldfinches are feasting daily at the feeder. …
Sunday Chat – Gladiolas, Wildlife, Cooking, and Quilting
Last week, I showed you some of my hostas, and mentioned that I needed to check on the gladiolas out back. Well, they are blooming their best. They have multiplied over the past couple of years, and now are a beautiful patch of apricot flowers, amongst the weeds and poison ivy on the mountainside behind …
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Sunday Chat – Garden and Books
A foggy morning last week gives the early hours an ethereal quality. I like the silence it brings as even the birds take a pause from their daybreak choral performance. The Japanese word shinrinyoku for 'taking a forest bath' again comes to mind. The filtered light has a soft quality. These turkeys came by on …
May Garden
Our local flower show continues to do its annual spring parade in the garden. The mountain laurel had its day, and now the dogwoods are blooming. This year they are a pristine white. For some reason, they sometimes have a green hue. On the veranda, my pots are looking fuller. I used to plant only …