A moment of rest

In our busy lives, it's often hard for us to take a moment of rest. Between work schedules, school, housework, homework and a multitude of other things - life gets crazy!
I recently spotted this quote: "Life should be simple - not unchallenging, just not so complicated."
I couldn't have said it better myself. 

Recently, these "critters" were spotted at the house taking a breather:

The moth was stationary for almost a whole day. It was of substantial size compared to most moths. It sat in one spot while I took these pictures - only opening its wings slightly to show off the striped edges. It was gone by the next morning. (I hope it moved on to live a longer life and it didn't become bat food).

The praying mantis was perched on the edge of the porch - guarding the yard. A tiny overseer of the world around him. He was very alert and turned to look at me while I was taking his picture. He moved only slightly (to the opposite edge of the post). Scott was standing in the yard and asked for my camera. He captured the praying mantis staring at him intently - as if he was wondering what Scott was doing (or maybe he knew and was smiling for the camera).

These creatures seemed to be taking in life's little moments - never sure when it will be their last. Maybe we could all take a lesson from these guys.

Until next time - It doesn't matter where you choose to take your moment, in the sun or the shade, as long as you take it.

A perfect Saturday

Well, if you read my previous blog post, you know I had quite an adventure last Saturday...and it all started with the Farmer's Market and Indie Craft Parade.

The Greenville downtown area is the perfect place to park and walk from one end to the other. What a better place to have a Farmer's Market on a Saturday morning? The sun was shining and the temperatures have started to cool down. It's the perfect tease before Fall in the South.

The Farmer's Market has more than 50 vendors who line the streets every Saturday morning from May to October. It opens at 8 a.m., but don't worry...you can grab a coffee and breakfast while you are there.

Here's a quick look at the items along the way to Indie Craft Parade:

The beautiful display of peppers at the Lanhere Farm table (grown in Taylors).

Sunflowers for a sunny morning.

A variety of jarred goodies.

Honey for sale.

Colorful eggplants in a crate.

After enjoying the sites, sounds and tastes of the Farmer's Market, we made our way to Huguenot Mill for the Indie Craft Parade. It was a pleasure to see some old faces and to experience the new. Here's a look at the things we saw and some of my personal favorites:

Lily Pottery

Lazymuse

Maie Dae

Illyria Pottery

Booklaces from Illyria Pottery

Once Again Sam

Curiosities from Once Again Sam

Merciful Hearts Farm

Shed Labs

I also spent time talking to several other shops I would like to mention. My sweet ladies at Owlette Collective, Jason Waggoner at GREENville Books, yummy homemade marshmallows at Malo, Cindy Jantz from The Herb Garden, and last but certainly not least, Joseph Bradley from Joseph Bradley Studios.

We had a great time at the Farmer's Market and Indie Craft Parade this year. As always, we will be back next year to see what the crafters have in store for us. Please take the time to visit these shops and support the local community. There are many talented artisans who would appreciate your help.

Until next time - Happy Crafting or what ever it is you enjoy!

Shiny "old" toy

Well, I must say...this past weekend was quite an adventure!
I spent my Saturday morning in downtown Greenville at the Indie Craft Parade, followed by an afternoon of competitive college football (USC vs. Georgia - Congrats USC!) and then I was off to see Eye Empire play at the Handlebar.

On Sunday afternoon, I went to meet up with a girl from Garden Daisies, an Etsy shop, who was selling this gem. It's an Argus C3, a rangefinder camera produced from 1939 to 1966 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. All of the knobs and gadgets make this a very scientific-looking camera and a complete beauty to me! Since the camera was mass-produced and has been credited for making 35mm photography "popular", it's not a collector's item. I'm not concerned because I'm not looking to get rid of it anyway : )

I took the camera to a local photo shop yesterday and had them take a look at it. (I was having a hard time opening the back of the camera and didn't want to tear anything up). The seller had told me the camera had a roll of Kodachrome film inside!
If you are not familiar with the Kodachrome story - check out this link and view the slideshow (plus, it's a good read!). The Last Roll of Kodachrome
Sure enough - the Kodachrome roll was inside - although, the film was loose from the canister. Still a pretty cool thing to see. I can't wait to get this thing cleaned/oiled up and take a few shots.
I'll keep everyone posted on how it goes. Wish me luck!

Mail art joy and (almost) sorrow

I recently asked one of my new found friends in Canada if she would like to do a mail art swap with me. I have been enamored with Jeannine Saylor's blog Saylor Made for a while now. She has beautiful control over watercolor (which I have never quite mastered). I sent this lovely package to her and she featured it in her Mail Art Monday blog segment. I can't wait to see what Jeannine has in store for my return package. (I secretly hope there's a watercolor in there).

This past weekend, a long awaited package arrived from Jessica Gowling at Nature's My Friend. She sent this package to me around the same time I posted mine to Jeannine. We both had our doubts about whether it would show...but finally it did!
 
The package contained: a beautiful altered page (incredible!), a bear print (with a lovely handwritten message on back), two postcards (one a poster design and the other a clever photograph), two notes cards that read..."Let's talk about How Fabulous you think I am" and two cut-outs (one of an amazing owl and the other of the Easy Slider snow sled - "King of the Hill").

Jessica is a pro at putting these packages together. I hope my return package will be just as enjoyable to her. And next time...I'll give the post service a bit longer before I lose faith!

Nature's gifts

Echinacea bloom

Often times, our lives are filled with so many things and time passes by so fast, we miss the small things that are gifted to us. Yesterday, while on the porch, I noticed a tiny yellow flower sticking up out of my "Chocolate Chip" plant. When in bloom (during Spring), the flowers are a soft lavender color - not yellow. My immediate thought was to capture this image. The flower might not even be here tomorrow. I looked at it as Mother Nature's little gift to me.

While taking the picture, I noticed my enchinacea plant is starting to bloom again. The blooms are smaller - just children of the much bigger, original blooms - but just as important. It's the plant's way of giving its last efforts before it starts to die away for the Fall. Although, I love the cooler weather of the coming season - I will miss all the flowers of Spring. This is my opportunity to learn more about Fall plants and what can survive through the Winter months. Gardening is an educational process. Even when gardeners get to "Master" status - they all know Mother Nature has no master.

Last but not least is the Bhut Jolokia. I have been telling you of this adventure from the beginning. My second round of peppers are turning dark orange and will be taken off of the vine soon. From the taste test of the first round, it seems our climate does not allow for these peppers to get really hot (or we didn't get actual Bhut Jolokia peppers). As you can guess, this comes as a great disappointment to Scott. I can be satisfied in the fact I was able to grow them. It was a new experience for me. I've never grown peppers and feel more confident in my ability to do it again. Next year, I get another chance to grow one of the hottest peppers in the world. Hopefully with better results! Until next time - Happy Gardening and don't forget to take notice of the little things given to you by Mother Nature each day.

Mail art goodies

My first mail art package at home in Canada.

I wrote a blog some time back about my decision to get involved in a mail art swap with Jessica Gowling from Natures My Friend. She sent me my first "introductory" package (left) and got the ball rolling. After receiving my package, I set out to make an epic return package for Jessica. I wanted it to be reflective of me and interesting to her. Being new to the process, I found it hard to stop. After adding the last of many items, I traveled to the post office for stamps and delivery. Unfortunately, as always, my timing sucks. The Canadian postal service was in the middle of a strike and it had just made it to Jessica's area. 

We were both hoping the strike would pass and the package would make it to her before she left for vacation. Well, that didn't happen. Not only did Jess go on vacation, she left for around a month! She was doing a exhibition, a workshop and had a vendor opportunity. Not to mention time spent with other creatives relaxing and sharing in the love of art.  

Upon her return, not only was she bombarded by a stack of mail art packages, a giveaway on her blog, and trying to get readjusted to being home - but her man proposed!!! Although I eagerly waited to hear what she thought about my package - I couldn't help but smile at how she must be feeling. Love is a beautiful thing when your partner is so supportive of your craft. (He came back home from vacation after a week or so and Jess stayed to take care of business). 

I was pleased to see a blog post from Jess yesterday with a Mail Art Mania - Part 1 title. She's having to split up the blog posts in order to get caught up. I know even though she is overwhelmed, she is very grateful to have such awesome mail art buddies. I know I will always be grateful to her for introducing me to it. Now, I have two other friends to send packages to. I hope I can bring a ray of sunshine to their life - just like Jessica did to mine. 

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As a side note, last weekend at Michael's, I found an armful of great items to use in my mail art packages AND a super thick, CD-sized blank journal with my initial on it. I got all this stuff for under $9.50 WITHOUT a coupon! And I almost always use a coupon. There's no need to pay full price for anything - and most of this stuff was 40% off already.

Until next time - Happy Mailing and don't underestimate the power of a handwritten letter.

A nemesis in the garden

Does anyone see a problem with this picture? Well, I do...it's a grasshopper!! I know what you must be thinking...what's the problem? First off, they scare me to death (I'll explain in a minute). Second, this guy and at least one friend have decided to "live" in a couple of my plants. Everyone knows how much I love my plants. I love going out in the morning sun and giving them a sprinkle. It's what I would consider "me" time. A few minutes each day I hold sacred.

About 2 weeks ago, while enjoying some "me" time, I made it to the corner of the porch to water the last of the plants. As I started watering the sedum (above), a grasshopper came popping out and landed on another plant. I almost dropped the watering can. I regained my composure, finished watering (very careful not to disturb the grasshopper) and came back inside. I thought that was the end of it. I told myself, "He'll be gone tomorrow." Well, I was wrong. Every day for the past two weeks has been an adventure. At first it seemed as if I was watering the grasshopper and making him bigger. But I soon noticed a slightly smaller one was "hanging out with" the big guy. I can never predict which plant they will be in (they "live" part-time in 3 different ones).

Everyone in the house thinks I'm crazy to be scared of such small insects. But, as I'm about to share with you - some things in childhood are not so easily forgotten.

One afternoon, we (me, my mom and my sisters) walked up to my aunt's house. At the time, we all lived on about 6+ acres of land. So, all we had to do was walk up a hill for a visit. We stayed for a while and when we were ready to leave we walked outside. My family are known talkers - so as my mom and aunt continued their conversation out on the lawn - the kids played close by. We were all small children. I was around 5 at the time and my sisters are 2 and 3 years younger than me.
I was standing there, when all of a sudden I could feel something in my pant's leg. I started to do a shimmy and then a hop. My mom and aunt looked at me (thinking I was just being funny) and started to laugh. I hopped some more and really started to freak out. I was shaking the leg of my pants - still hopping - and started to cry. They were still laughing until they realized I was really freaking out and came running over to find out what the problem was. They came over - shook me (and my pants) and out came a grasshopper (locust size).

To this day (32 years later), I don't trust grasshoppers. Over the years, I have learned to tolerate (and not freak out over) tiny ones. I have managed to even deal with the ones who are about an inch long. Much longer than that...and I can't take it! I have no idea how long my nemesis and his buddy will be here. They are definitely unwanted "porch guests", but what can I do? This is an fine example of learning to take the good with the bad. Will this STOP me from watering my plants or trying to enjoy some "me" time? Never! But, it WILL have me watching for the unexpected jumper headed my way.

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A young grasshopper exoskeleton

As a side note...during this experience I was able to see an unexpected thing. I noticed this exoskeleton hanging on the side of a plant one day. I didn't know they shed their outer layers. This is what I was able to find out...

Young grasshoppers
When they hatch, young grasshoppers look like adults but they don't have wings. After about 40 to 60 days a young grasshopper is an adult. As they grow, the grasshoppers shed their exoskeleton. This shedding is called moulting. Each time they moult, there is a new, bigger exoskeleton underneath. This is because insects don't have skin that stretches as they grow. The young grasshoppers moult up to six times. After the last moult, they have wings.

Until next time - Happy Gardening and here's to giving your heart a daily workout! (I know mine's getting one!)

Apple pie, anyone?

My first attempt at Apple Pie

Recently, I bought a 5 pound bag of apples. The favorite around this household is the Granny Smith variety. The apples weren't being eaten fast enough and I hate to see good food go bad. So, after watching too many Food Network shows, I decided to make my first attempt at baking an apple pie.
I am no chef, but I do make some great cookies and treats. I had a Pillsbury pre made pie crust in the fridge and all of the other ingredients in the cabinet. One major problem - no pie pan! So, I made a trip by my mom's house and she loaded me up with every size and shape of pie pan she owned. (I was nervous enough already - and the variety of pans was almost too much!)

I had already sliced my apples the day before and added a few teaspoons of lime juice to prevent browning. I picked a pie pan (from the many) and laid down the bottom crust. I had no idea how to make a pie crust fold or how to shape the edges. (This is when I love the internet!) I quickly found this helpful tutorial online - with multiple options and designs. I did a nice job on the fold and was pleased with my work (until I hit a snag...more to come on that!)

I filled the crust with apples and worked on my syrup mixture. I used this recipe from Allrecipes.com and made a few changes after reading the reviews. I added 1 teaspoon of cinnamon, a dash of nutmeg, 1 tablespoon of vanilla and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to the syrup mixture. Then, I poured the mixture over the apples (leaving a tiny bit to brush on top). This is when I realized I still had to put on a top crust and the nice folds I made earlier would be covered up. Sigh.

I came back to the online tutorial - just to find out that I should have waited to do the folds. The idea with a TWO crust pie is to trim both crusts together, tuck under the edges and THEN do the folds! Oh well, guess I'll try that on the next one. : ) The only thing I could do was trim the top crust, tuck it under the best I could and try to follow the folds that lay underneath.

Above is the final product - the "fruits" of my labor. I still haven't tried a piece yet, so I don't know how it turned out. (I know what you're thinking...the pie is still sitting there?). I'm going to try and have a piece today. I'll let you know what I think after the taste test.

Until next time - Happy Cooking and enjoy the unexpected things that happen along the way.

Here goes Round 2

The second batch of peppers are growing fast.

The first four peppers turned a dark orange color but never reached red.

It's been a while since I gave a bhut jolokia pepper update, so here goes...

The first 4 peppers are off of the vine and sitting on the window seal. Scott will probably have a bite of one and the others are headed for the food dehydrator. I'm currently watching the second batch of peppers (from the same plant) flourish in the heat of summer. 

My other plant bloomed a TON of flowers - but NONE of them stayed attached to the plant (so it didn't produce a single pepper). I am absolutely disappointed about that - but extremely happy I did manage to produce some peppers. The whole experience has been very exciting for me and I guess I didn't do too bad for my first attempt. The true test will be the flavor. How hot did they get? I'll let you know after the first taste test. :o

Until next time - Happy Gardening and don't be afraid to tackle something new!

Newcastle Werewolf!

As most of you know, we enjoy import beers at our house. We like trying new ones as they become available and we add the caps to the growing collection on my refrigerator.
Scott found a new version of Newcastle at the store called Werewolf. From what I was able to find online, this is part of a limited edition series of beers available at select times of the year.

Spring - Founder's Ale
Summer - Summer Ale
Fall - Werewolf
Winter - Winter IPA

I found a few beer blogs and websites you might find interesting while I was searching for information. 

Brewbound

All About Beer Magazine

New Belgium Brewing publishes Tour de Fat book

Fear No Beer

This last one may appeal to my brother-in-law in WA state. This guy lives in Olympia, WA and tells about things like Portland Beer Day (which was this past Thursday, July 28).

Well, now that I have your taste buds awake, it's time for a cold one! Hope you have one in the fridge - cause today is Sunday (I know...that was cruel, right?) 

Until next time - Happy Beer Hunting and have a great week!

Good eats after fixing my "beats"

Hot 'n' Cheesy Chicken Casserole

It's been quite a while since I had a subscription to Better Homes and Gardens. I usually find myself sitting in the doctor's/dentist's office enthralled in the (close to) newest edition, hoping they don't call my name until I'm finished with a certain article. (Is it just me? Please tell me I'm not the only one!)

Recently, they sent me an offer I couldn't refuse. A full year for under 7 bucks!! I quickly made my purchase online and then waited impatiently for the first copy to arrive. I was starting to get pretty antsy about it and then guess what happened today? Scott goes out to check the mail (using the front door - which we normally hardly open) and my copy of BHG is sitting on the porch. My neighbor two doors down wrote a note on my "invoice" envelop explaining it was in her mailbox. (I guess that explains the time lag).

While I would have LOVED to open it immediately and fall into the pages, I was "fixing" my iTunes library. It took a bit of time, but now I finally have all my songs on the appropriate albums. If you use iTunes and haven't had this problem...count yourself lucky. I finally got tired of having to track down songs and went searching for a solution! Turns out I found a great answer in Yahoo! Answers (UK & Ireland...go figure). Here's a link with the answer to the burning question - Why won't iTunes put all songs from an album together? Don't get me wrong. I'm not tech-challenged, but iTunes can get pretty picky about how it wants things "labeled" in its library. I hope this answer helps someone other than me : P

I finally got around to opening the plastic on my magazine (which also came with an All-Time Favorites 2011 Cookbook). The supplemental cookbook reminds me I have no idea what I'm making for dinner - except it will have something to do with chicken. So, I flip through the cookbook, find something tasty (the Hot 'n' Cheesy Chicken Casserole), finish my grocery list and take off to the store. I returned from the store and started making dinner. I was worried my daughter might not like it (she's not a picky eater - just weird about food at times). To my surprise, she was asking if I would make it again after only a few bites. SCORE!!

One of the cool homepage pics on the DIG Gardens website.

When I did get a chance to look through the actual magazine, I wasn't disappointed. So many ideas for home decor, cooking, gardening and art! The most exciting thing I found in this edition is "living art". The combination of 2 of my favorite things. Cara and Will Meyers are owners of the trendy DIG Gardens in California. Go visit their beautiful website and drool over all the succulents in the shop. You can purchase a succulent orb form made from sphagnum moss - ready for you to add clippings and hang by the metal hook attached. People had questions about this orb and they've included more information in their blog.

While I love the orb idea, I absolutely adore these vintage frames with "living art" in them. Fortunately for me, BHG.com posted a How-To tutorial for making this project. I will be trying this very soon! I hope the rest of you will join me.
I guess you could say my $7 subscription to BHG has already paid off for me today. Not only did I find a good recipe for dinner - I found a new project to do. And let's not forget all the other fabulous recipes I didn't even begin to mention. You might be hearing about a few of them in the near future.

Until next time - Happy Gardening, Cooking or whatever it is that gives you joy and never underestimate the power of a magazine (or the written word).

Photos courtesy of Better Homes and Gardens/DIG Gardens

I'm seeing orange!

My Bhut Jolokia are starting to "blush"

It's been a while since I posted about my pepper plants and I'm happy to report things are going well. On Friday, we had a heat index of 106 degrees. The rest of the weekend has been pretty hot as well. As you've seen in earlier posts...a sudden (or expected) heat wave is always appreciated by these peppers. In fact, it seems like that's when I have the most "action" to report.

The progress of color after one day!

I noticed yesterday afternoon the peppers were starting to turn orange (above). Then, I went to check on them this morning and they are even darker (left). At this rate, I may have red peppers by this time next weekend. Although, I must admit, I'm not sure I want it to stay this hot.
I spent a lovely afternoon with my best friend at her brother-in-law's house yesterday. We were under an umbrella by the pool - and I even periodically put my feet in the water - and it was unbearable. Next time, no matter what...I'm getting in the pool!

New peppers on same plant.

The heat also caused some of the flowers to die away and push out a couple of new peppers. I have tons of flowers on the other plant, but no peppers are showing yet. I guess I should be more patient - considering it didn't even have a flower on it until recently. The experts say the peppers only get as hot as the climate they are produced in. If this summer is any indication of what we can expect...then Scott will be a very happy man!
 

A beautiful mosaic of color in this bed of sedum.

I want to share another quick item before I go. I noticed a nice feature on the HGTV.com site talking about container gardens. I thought some of you may find inspiration in the combination of plants used. There are some beautiful photos available and you can follow the link here. I love the colorful bed of sedum. The blues, greens and chartreuses are a great combo together. Take a moment to watch a few "how to" videos if you need to and then go get your hands dirty!



Until next time - Happy Gardening and if you are in the South...take care of yourself, your pets and the elderly in this heat.

Getting older...

Recently on Facebook, there's been a lot of talk of my 20th high school reunion. I've been added to the "group" by my best friend Loretta. Not a day goes by without me looking at a face I haven't seen in 20 years. It might take a moment to recognize some people, but we all resemble our former selves...only 20 years older. Living our separate lives, raising kids and "running the rat race".

As cool as it is to reminisce about old times and hijinks from high school - I really didn't have the best high school experience. I wasn't a "popular kid" or a "nerd" - I guess I fit somewhere nicely in the middle. I didn't go to the prom. I wasn't in math club or on the basketball team. Hell, I didn't even graduate with everyone else. (I had to go to summer school for English - ironically).

I'm really starting to wonder what kind of conversation I'm suppose to have with these people. I know there will be the stories about "Remember Mr/Mrs. Such and Such?" and that will be a good laugh. But, I know most of us will be right back where we started...in a clique with our normal crowd. Hanging with the people we feel most comfortable with. Sadly, it will be JUST like being back in high school.

Some people will always have the best of things, "born with silver spoons" as they say. I would like to think the rest of us have worked hard and made the best life we could. I know even though things aren't exactly the way I would like for them to be...I am pretty happy and content where I am in my life. Could I have done things better? Of course. Could I have went to college sooner? Of course. But sometimes things work out the way they should and we end up right where we are suppose to be.

So, I guess next year, I will be there beside my best friend of 20+ years, smiling and saying..."Can you believe we are this old?" And "some people never change". But I'm hoping someone surprises me and makes the effort to venture into a different "crowd" of people and says "Hello! Can you believe it's been 20 years?" Maybe that person should be me! I guess we'll see what happens. Let's hope for the best! : )

Until next time - Happy Reminiscing! Remember the good times, learn from the past and dream for the future!

It's a beautiful thing!

First buds on my second Bhut Jolokia pepper plant.

Detail of first buds.

And I don't mean the heat! Although, the heat is exactly what has caused my great news. The second bhut jolokia plant has started to bud (and I might even have a flower "pop" before day's end).
Yesterday was extremely humid and today is almost the same. The temps are high, but the humidity is making things unbearable. I went outside to water the plants earlier today. Don't ask me why - but I decided a plant needed to be re-potted while I was out there. (I know - the heat went to my head). I came back into the house and had to shower again.
As I stated in a previous blog, the pepper plants love the hot and humid weather. I really didn't think I was going to have any peppers on the second plant. Now, I have buds on it and the first plant has more buds too! These buds are very fragile however. I am trying to contain my excitement and hope for tamer weather. High winds and heavy rains took their toll on the first plant (leaving me with 4 peppers)!

Peppers in foreground and branches with new buds in background.

Detail of buds from the plant above.

The peppers are doing well and starting to get the "menacing look". I told Scott earlier, they are getting wrinkly - like a Shar Pei dog. 
With any luck, I should yield more than 4 peppers this year! Then, after summer ends its research time. I need to know how to grow these plants from seed. From all the research and forums I've read, I can "officially" consider myself obsessed (just like all the other pepper growers). Whether it's a pepper plant, a flowering plant or a houseplant - I'm ready to learn and become a better gardener. 
  

The Sheffield in bloom.

A much happier Sheffield daisy.

The plant I decided to re-pot is called a Sheffield Daisy. It will bloom in summer and last through the fall. When I first purchased it, it was small and I placed it into a cute little pot. While it was doing well and continuing to grow, it wasn't flourishing like some of the other plants. So, this is what lead me to pick it up and re-pot it in 90+ degree heat! (Warning! Obsession can lead to stupidity). The plant was severely root bound and it took me about 10 minutes to remove it from the pot. But, now it is in an extremely bigger pot with plenty of room to branch out and start to flower. (Note: The white pot to the left - that's the previous pot). I plan to clip some from the top to keep it from getting too tall (and to make it thicker). I will make sure to snap a few photos when this beauty starts to bloom.

Until next time - Happy Gardening and watch out for the heat and humidity.