old willow farm

Ten Little Pumpkins

2011-09-25T01:49:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day of the pumpkin harvest

for 2011. I plucked and hauled home 10 little

engraved pumpkins.

As in past years, the gray/ green varieties are

the first to mature.

The engraved design- up close

Harvest Blessings Pumpkin

2011-09-16T20:55:00.000-07:00

I am really liking how this pumpkin is looking---Gophers Stay Away!!!

Farming- It's always Something......

2011-09-05T18:00:00.000-07:00

They say 'farming is not for wimps' and now I know why.

After many years of growing pumpkins I am starting

to sing that country song, It's Always Something.

This year was no exception. We started the

season with seed that was not viable. The worst

varieties had 0% germination. I ran around to all the

hardware stores grabbing what seed I could find and

replanted the worst areas. The germination problem

was followed by a massive invasion of beetles

(not the British kind) that loved dining on the

young sprouts. Some survived while others

were reduced to little green stumps. With

cooler than normal temps, the remaining plants

sputtered along trying to gain some momentum and

finally decided to try and bloom and set fruit even

though it didn't feel like summer. The end

result: way fewer large sized pumpkins. But

the happy ending to this sad little pumpkin tale is

the small pumpkins and squash seem to be doing

really well! God always provides exactly what

I need and I look forward to the Harvest in just

a few weeks.

I Am Blessed

2010-10-09T09:39:00.000-07:00

Last week was the fall Remnants of the Past antique
show and all I can say is
"Wow!" and "Thank You!". We had a booth
where we sold our engraved pumpkins and
we are overwhelmed by the number of
people who fell in love with our pumpkins
and took one or two home. We are grateful
for every one of you!

I am so grateful for my husband Craig who spent two
weeks schlepping pumpkins from the field to the house
and then from the house to the barn.

.

Thanks also to the sales team of Charlotte, Gray,
Emily and Craig who didn't turn and run
when they were flooded with customers
at 9 a.m. And to all the friends who
helped along the way: Jerry, Betsy and
Chris, Laurie, Judith Claire and Judy W.-
Thank You, Thank YOU , THANK YOU!

First Day of Harvest

2010-09-17T10:02:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was out in the pumpkin patch and noticed
some of the pumpkins were actually ready to harvest.
This is the fun part-seeing what happened after my
job is finished!

If you are not into chickens you will probably think this
odd ( if you are you'll totally get it), but I
think it is so cool that some of the green pumpkins
match the color of the eggs from my Americauna chickens.

Lovely in their greeniness!

It's Almost Pumpkin Season!

2010-09-13T08:59:00.000-07:00

I have been spending a lot of time down on my knees in

the pumpkin patch. It is probably not a coincidence that

it is the same position as praying.

It has been a very strange growing season this
summer. All the crops have been later than usual and
the pumpkins are later as well. We are hoping they will
be ready by the beginning of October.

I have been known to try etching anything growing at
the farm, and this year is no exception. I think the
experiment on this tear-drop shaped squash
is going to be a grand success.
It is scarring beautifully!

Almost Missing Spring's Beauty

2010-04-29T10:05:00.000-07:00

All the rainy weather combined with getting ready
for the Remnants of the Past Show put me into a
place where I almost missed the beauty of Spring
all around me. This week I have slowed down and
taken trips up the hill to check on the bluebird
box and down to the orchard to see what's
blooming. In my fuzzy blue robe of course.
The lupine that seeded itself by a scrawny
oak tree is so purpley pretty.

My snowball bush is finally starting to get
some size to it- love those bright green globes!

the ever-dependable climbing Iceberg

I think the author L.M. Montgomery (of Anne of
Green Gables fame) would call this cherry tree
"The Snow Queen"

The sprawling olallieberries already have green
fruit- maybe pies for Memorial Day?

The Golden Delicious apple is blooming down in
the orchard, lots of happy bees!

And in the corner, near the climbing Eden
rose, a wonderful surprise!

A nest full of sleepyheads...Shhh
i leave you with words of wisdom from
today's entry in 'Our Daily Bread'
"The many tasks we face each day
can burden and oppress,
But spending time with God each day
can bring relief from stress."
Sper

Eggheads

2010-03-27T09:54:00.000-07:00

I recently made these eggheads for a spring craft demo
and I thought I would share them here as well. They
are super easy to make. All you need to make them
are empty eggshells, a little potting soil, some
spring wheat seeds (health food stores have these),
and a sunny window sill. Rinse eggshells well in
warm, soapy water, let dry. Decorate as desired.
I used a fine point Sharpie marker. Then fill
eggshells almost to the top with potting soil.
Sprinkle generously with the wheat seed . Gently
water until moist. Put in sunny spot and keep moist.
Your eggs will have a head of hair in about
10-14 days.

If you wish you can make little egg carton stands
and use these as placecards for Easter brunch or???
This egghead has a ponytail but you can "style" it
however you wish, mohawk, buzz, etc..

"Borrowed" Wisteria

2010-03-21T09:24:00.000-07:00

How appropriate that the wisteria was in full bloom on
the first day of spring. Alas, I have no wisteria in my
own yard, so I have to drive around town and enjoy it's
blooms from afar. I have always been curious as to
to whether wisteria could be cut and used in
a floral arrangement. My gas station has a
beautiful ginormous wisteria growing up a tower
in the front of the station, but yesterday I spied
wisteria creeping along the ground by the back
entrance.Time to satisfy my curiosity! Clippers in
hand, I "borrowed" a few sprigs and put them in a
watering can to start my experiment. So far I have
noticed that they are very fragile, but seem to be
holding up well. They would be really sweet used for a
spring tea party, but right now they will be a little
spring by my front door.

Willow Sweet Pea Support

2010-02-21T16:09:00.000-08:00

You know those rustic woven willow obelisks that look
so cute with vines growing all over them? They look
pretty simple to make, right?
Yeah, that is what I thought too...

I have some little sweet peas that are going to need
something to climb on and since I am surrounded by
willow trees I felt it would be the perfect
solution to quickly throw together some willow
obelisks. Never mind the internet instructions
from BBC gardening that said to allow 2 hours per
obelisk; it couldn't take that long!

I cut a bunch of small supple willow branches down
by the creek and set up shop in my driveway. I
pushed the seven sturdiest into the soil around
the edge of a pot, gathered the tops together
and wrapped them with thin wire. Then,starting at
the very bottom, I started weaving the branches: over,
under,over, under...As it started getting a little
weird shaped, I realized.. this is not going to be
as easy as I thought....

Two hours later, I'm still not done but I am
getting there. Just a few more branches to
weave in. It may not be the poster child
for "pretty" but this baby has got 'rustic'
written all over it.

A Golden Opportunity

2010-02-04T16:22:00.000-08:00

I am so excited to share about my latest adventure:
hunting for wild mushrooms, specifically the golden
chanterelle. I have been wanting to go "shrooming"
with somebody for years and today I got to go!
Wild mushroom hunters are a little reluctant to
share their secret spots and I don't blame them.
Enter my friend Whitney who generously offered
to take me with her and show me the ropes.

The chanterelles don't exactly stand up and shout
"Hey YOU, over here!" So you have to look for them
in situations they like, under oak trees with a
thick carpet of dead leaves.

Then you train your eye to look for that golden color.
Usually it is just dead leaves, but sometimes it is
a chanterelle mushroom barely peeking through.

Working carefully, if you brush away the leaves
and dirt, you expose the whole cap of the
chanterelle and you can see how big your
find is.

We didn't use knives. Just carefully reached
under and detached the shroom. Here Whitney
is holding a freshly harvested chanterelle.

After several hours of hiking and hunting we
returned with our "pot of gold" , a few
pounds of the golden chanterelles, enough to
share with a few good friends.

A big 'THANK YOU!' to my M.M.(Mushroom Mentor) Whitney!

+++++BLATANT DISCLAIMER*****
There was no 'poaching' involved in the
harvesting of these shrooms. It was all
done on public access land (my lips are
sealed as to the locations). Also no
animals were harmed in this production
with the exception of myself ( I had to
take two Advil and a hot bath afterwards!!)

Bareroots Wait For Noone

2010-01-25T11:49:00.000-08:00

It's now or never (or next year)! That short window of
time for pruning all the roses and fruit trees and
hedges and for planting things that are only
available bareroot. So- that is where you will
find me ( in between the rain and hail storms)
I am currently digging three mud holes for
my precious espaliered apple trees......more later

How to Build a Snowman - Part 2

2009-12-23T20:27:00.000-08:00

Cut a corner off of ziploc bag and pipe some
frosting onto bottom of modified Hershey kiss.
Place kiss on snowman's head.

Pipe a line of frosting between neck and body for
the scarf . I used pink frosting for the girls and
green frosting for the boys.

I gave each family a group of snowmen and snowwomen
that represented their family and packaged them up
in brown paper liners and cello bags.

Snowman Cookie Recipe:
1 cup butter-softened
1-9 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
Cream butter and cream cheese until fluffy.
Gradually add sugar, beating well. Add egg,
and vanilla, beat until blended. Combine
flour and baking powder, add to butter mixture
mixing well. Cover and refrigerate several
hours or overnight.
Shape dough into 48( 1 inch) ball, 48 (3/4 inch)
balls and 48 (1/2 inch)balls. Place one ball of
each size in a row to resemble a snowman on an
ungreased baking sheet.press together gently.
Repeat with remaining balls.
Bake at 350 for 15-18 min. or until edges are
firm and bottom is golden.

Buttercream Frosting.
1 stick butter, softened
1 box powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
food coloring
Cream first three ingredients together.
Add a teaspoon or two of water if
needed. Tint with food coloring
to desired shade.

How to Build a Snowman (Cookie)

2009-12-23T15:52:00.000-08:00

These snowmen cookies are one of my favorite things
to bake for Christmas giving. They are so festive
dressed in their hats and scarves.

The cream cheese laced dough (recipe follows) is
rolled into graduated balls. Did I mention this
is a little time consuming? These cookies
take several hours to make and decorate, but
I think they are really fun to make.

Just like a real snowman, line the balls up
from largest to smallest.

Before they go in the oven they are given:
mini chocolate-chip eyes
mini M&M buttons
an orange sprinkle for a nose

When they come out of the oven, let them sit for
a few minutes, then transfer carefully to
cooling racks with a large spatula.

OOPS! Accidents happen, I had to eat this one...

While cookies cool, make up frosting in desired
colors (add cocoa powder for brown) and place
in individual Ziploc bags.

To make hats for snowmen, unwrap milk
chocolate Hershey kisses and cut off
about 1/3 of the base so they will
fit on the snowmen's heads.

Divide and Multiply

2009-12-19T12:34:00.000-08:00

I like to buy pots of bulbs at stores like Target and
Trader Joe's to decorate the house with but sometimes
I am not too wild about the containers they come in.
I bought some white tulips and Star of Bethlehem at
Trader Joe's last week. The Star of Bethlehem was
so named because the flowers are shaped like the
star that God placed in the night sky over Jesus
to proclaim His birth.

I wanted to get more bang for my buck and divide
some of the bulbs to put in several vessels instead
of just one. Working outside, because it can get
a little messy, I assembled some of my milk glass
and some moss to cover the potting soil with. It
does not matter if the containers have drainage
holes or not, as this is going to be a relatively
short life for them (1 to 2 weeks)

To remove the bulbs from the container, just lay
them carefully on their side and gently pull the
pot off.

I wanted to put them into some vintage milk glass vases
so I needed to break up the bunch into smaller clumps.
As carefully as you can pull the bulbs and roots apart
into the desired clump size. There will be some broken
roots, but don't worry, they will still be fine.

Put bulb clumps into a container that matches the size of
the roots. Make sure soil is moist(water lightly if
needed and then top with decorative moss if you like.
I placed my newly repotted flowers on the mantel
amongst the Christmas greenery.

Pretty In Pink

2009-12-08T16:42:00.000-08:00

I thought you might like to see how my friend Judi has
decorated her circa 1882 home this year. Judi is super
talented in the decorating department and has a
wonderful collection of ornaments and decorations.
This Christmas the great room is 'Pretty in Pink'.
The focal point is this white feather tree
adorned with pink and silver ornaments-some vintage,
some new. I love how she put pink tissue paper
inside the urn for a little more color.

A pink feather tree on a silver tray livens up
Judi's desk.

Her Santos is embellished with a luxurious pink bow.

The pink lustre-ware collection has been sprinkled with
sprigs of greenery and shiny pink ornaments.

A little Holiday magic!

Dean & Deluca- Favorite Things

2009-12-03T08:09:00.000-08:00

While visiting our kids in the Santa Rosa area for
Thanksgiving, Craig and I had a whole day for
for exploring. I had heard that there was a
Dean and Deluca somewhere in the area, and so
we set off to find it. My sleuthing led us
to Healdsburg, where we soon found out I was
totally wrong! A nice shopkeeper told us it
was actually located in Napa. Anyway, we had
a lovely, lovely drive through wine country
and finally found Dean and Deluca right on
the side of the highway, just north of Napa.
I walked in the door, and I was in Disneyland,
really fun stuff! The first thing I saw when
entering the store was this gorgeous pile of
persimmons in a great metal urn.

They had several types of imported, high fat content
butter. I bought a pound for Kelli to try in
her baking. I'm thinking shortbread...

I loved the bread wreaths all piled in a basket.

I wanted to buy this box of candy just for the cute
box, but I had no idea what was inside!

My favorite thing- tiramisu in a chocolate teacup.

Giving Thanks

2009-11-24T10:04:00.000-08:00

Glittered Acorns in a Nest

2009-11-19T09:18:00.000-08:00

My friend Merle made the cutest fall display-glittered
acorns in a nest (she has it under a cloche-very sweet)
I decided to borrow her idea to make some gifts for
friends. Merle recommended the Martha Stewart glitter-
so off I went to Michaels with my coupon and bought
some brown and green glitter.

Before starting the glitterfest, I covered the table in
paper (this turned out to be a really good idea!)
I took my acorns apart and used a paintbrush to apply
the glue(I used clear acid-free craft glue because
I had it). Then I sprinkled and rolled the acorns
in the glitter, trying different combinations.

After they dried, I glued the caps back on the
acorn and that was it. I had some pressed oak
leaves, so I glittered some of those too. At
that point I pretty much wanted to start glittering
everything so I had to restrain myself.(who knew
glitter could be addictive?)

I had some blackbird nests left over from my booth
at the antique show, so I tried to carefully
arrange some of the glittered leaves and acorns
in the nest. As a final touch I cut out the
word "Thanksgiving" from a tattered old
dictionary and put it in the nest. Thanks
for sharing your idea Merle!

A Big Day for Arugula

2009-11-17T20:25:00.000-08:00

Today was a historic day here at Old
Willow Farm. After months of waiting
we got our first egg! And it was a
beautiful blue one laid by one of our
Americauna chickens named Arugula.
(that's her baby photo above)
Theoretically, we should have had eggs
by the end of September, but apparently
our girls didn't get that memo. Anyway,
I think I made it happen. You know how
it always rains right after you get your
car washed? Well--yesterday I bought
a dozen eggs!

Acorn Gathering

2009-11-13T19:18:00.000-08:00

Today was a perfect day for gathering acorns. The
morning was nice and cool and fallish, so I headed out
with my faithful companion Rascal. Down our hill and
up the next we came upon the area where I had seen
the ground littered with acorns just a few days before.
Well--most of them were gone. We really had to search
(O.K., I did most of the searching-Rascal had a nap
under the trees) to find even a handful of possible
keepers, I guess the deer and other critters had beaten
us there. But that was okay, I knew another spot!

I drove to the next spot a couple of miles away and
this time brought something to collect them in.
I was remembering a special area that had cute
ruffly-cap acorns, and I was hoping they were still
there.

At first , I was bummed because I didn't see any acorns
at all, but then I spied a few on one tree and then
on the next tree- I hit the mother lode and filled
my little Ziploc to the top. The funny thing about
the oaks with the cute acorns is they are the
ugliest little things you have ever seen. They
don't look like an oak tree at all- but they sure
have cute acorns!

So what am I going to do with all these little
treasures? Well, my daughter had this idea
for using them as little gift tags and tying
them with baker's twine. I made one for a
friend and thought it looked really cute,
so I think I'll just use that bag of
acorns for my gift tags this Christmas.

Inspired Blogging

2009-11-11T07:44:00.000-08:00

I would like to give a shout out to a few bloggers that are over the top inspiring and helpful. First of all, a thank you to Clover Lane for her tutorials on creating blog headers and other blog self-help instructions. Frankly, much of it is over my head so I really appreciate a simple step-by step lesson. I followed her instructions on headers yesterday and although I need practice, I am on my way to making my blog a nicer place to visit.

Just this week I stumbled on a beautiful garden blog filled with lucious photos and dreamy gardens. The site is Styling Gardens by Coty Farquhar.i am sure many of you are already familiar with her beautiful blog, but in case I am not the last one to the party I just had to
mention it. Coty lives in Australia so she is currently posting on spring-it makes
me yearn for a tea party under a bower of roses.
She has some fantastic blogs to visit listed on her sidebar, one of them being Heather Bullard. Heather is a fantastic photographer and stylist as well and after visiting her site I am always inspired to feather my nest a little.
Fellow bloggers I salute you!

Pecan Pumpkin Butter- A Failed Experiment

2009-11-07T13:52:00.000-08:00

Pecan pumpkin butter sounds like it would be delicious right?
My taste buds anticipated something like a cross between
pumpkin pie and pecan pie-take away the crust.
What I got was a very tangy, spicy, mildly pumpkin
flavored goo which was not what I had expected. And
the color? Not a good one ( I spared you the photo).
Add to that the fact that much information on the
web says you should not can pumpkin butter
anyway (only refrigerate or freeze) and I guess you
could call it a failed experiment. So- onward and
upward, I only have about 220 more recipes in my
"to try " stack. I am thinking chocolate...

One of the remaining redbud leaves on the tree down in the
orchard-we do have seasons in California!

The Last Roses

2009-10-22T19:52:00.000-07:00

I just received a very special birthday present from my
dear friend Jana. A rose decorated ironstone dish
that she knew I would adore (and she was right!).

Inspired by a loose bouquet of garden roses at Jana's
mom's art studio, I went out into my garden early the
next morning, hoping for a few blooms to bring into the
house There is something very special about the first
and last roses of the season, don't you think?

I love the combination of roses and ironstone- they were
just made to go together and I also love the fact that I
am reminded of Jana and her sweet friendship
every time I pass by.

Sweet Pea Goes Wine Tasting

2009-10-20T09:25:00.000-07:00

For Sweet Pea's 21st birthday we hired a limo and went
wine tasting. This was a great idea! The limo showed up,
we loaded our gifts and our picnic (two picnic
baskets plus two ice chests ) and we were
off. First stop was Ford Coppola where we had
the tasting room to ourselves. Really
nice people and Kelli really enjoyed
their Sofia pink champagne.

Next stop-Ferrari Carrano Winery. Beautiful gardens and
fantastic views.

We had our picnic at Dry Creek, a sweet little winery with
more nice people. The princess got to open her gifts
including this skeleton key bottle opener.
Then we had funfetti birthday cake that Natasha
had made-delicious!

Sweet Pea and I in the gardens. The tiara made it
through the whole day!

Blessed at Remnants

2009-10-15T09:18:00.000-07:00

Whew! I am finally feeling like myself after last weeks
Remnants of the past show. What a fantastic day!
The hosts! The vendors! The customers! To everyone who was so
warm, gracious, and encouraging: Thank You so Much!

A special thanks to Charlotte,
Polly and my hubby Craig who worked their buns off and
kept me on course. A big thank you as well to everyone
who came by the booth. Your encouraging comments
mean so much to me.

My hope is that these little messenger pumpkins are a
blessing and encouragement to others.

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good !

Happy Birthday Sweet Pea!

2009-10-14T08:15:00.000-07:00

BIRTHDAYS COME JUST ONCE A YEAR

WHEN THEY DO THEY BRING GOOD CHEER

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KELLI DEAR......

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TIL NEXT YEAR!

Setting Up at Remnants of the Past

2009-10-08T21:44:00.000-07:00

Today was my set up day for my pumpkin booth at the Remnants
of the Past antique show. Thanks to my little elf helper
Charlotte, I have a good part of the set-up done. Of
course I will still be schlepping pumpkins tomorrow!

Gray Hartley is letting me sell his fantastic lazy susans made
from old wine barrels.

Judi Watkins was setting up her booth today also- lots of cool
stuff there-like this basket of silver and....

beautiful bunches of bittersweet she had shipped from
up north. Fantastic for fall decorating!

Getting Ready for Remnants of the Past

2009-10-02T11:25:00.000-07:00

My house (and shed, garage and car and Judi's shed) is currently
filled to the gills with pumpkins and squash that I am
getting ready to take to the Remnants of the Past antique
show on Oct. 10. That means Iv'e got a week to
finish tagging and pricing the little beauties. Alas, this
is not my forte. So, I am remembering how fun it was to play
'store' as a kid and how I need to use that same concept
with my pumpkins. In other words, don't stress, just
take joy in the process and remember whatever
we do, even in business, is all for God's glory anyway.

How to Build a Scarecrow- Part 2

2009-09-27T11:01:00.000-07:00

Step 5: INSTALL HEAD
O.K., Now you have to figure out what you are going
to use for the head. There are lots of options;
pillowcases, pumpkins, paper mache, etc...
I had an old gourd kicking around from my
gourd crafting days so I decided to use that.
I cut a whole in the tip and slipped it over
the end of the board-easy. Then I gave her
some long curly locks- amaranth from the garden
glued on with hot glue.

Step 6: DECORATE
This is the really fun part. You get to totally
customize your scarecrow- the sky's the limit!
My girl got a thrift store hat, some eucalyptus pod
eyes and buttons and a basket over her arm
for carrying all her wonderful flowers and produce!

We engraved a pumpkin to include in her display with
her motto: "Eat Your Veggies".

Here she is installed as part of our Harvest Festival display
at Rutiz Family Farms in Arroyo Grande. We have
two names for her , "Vegerella" and "Autumn", she
answers to both.

How to Build a Scarecrow-Part 1

2009-09-27T09:13:00.000-07:00

Step 1: BUILD FRAME
I have made several scarecrows over the
past few years and the most frustrating
part of the whole thing was trying to
get the stake firmly enough into the
ground so that the whole thing didn't list to
one side or fall over completely. What
a headache! This year I asked the hubster
to build a free standing and sturdy frame.
It took him about 10 minutes and made all
the difference in the world. Materials used:
2 wooden grape stakes, four triangular
pieces of plywood and a few screws.

Step 2: MAKE ARMATURE
Now you have to decide what shape and
position your scarecrow will take and build up
the frame with other materials to get the
shape you are looking for. In this case, I
was building a girl scarecrow wearing a skirt,
and I knew I wanted her skirt to flare out
so I had to build something that would
hold the fabric up. My solution: chicken
wire and zip ties! Zip ties are one of my
new favorite things. They really made
attaching the chicken wire so much easier.
I could have used chicken wire for the
arms too but elected not too. Really you
can sculpt the chicken wire to get any
shape you want. Just be careful- the little
cut edges can scratch you up good.

Step 3: DRESS SCARECROW
Here is the fun part!
Start dressing up your scarecrow. I used
all burlap sacks for mine, after all she
is a farm girl! Once again I used zip
ties to attach the clothes to the frame and
the chicken wire underneath.

Step 4: STUFF
Once you get the scarecrow's attire
figured out, you can stuff it. I used straw but you
could use plastic bags, old clothes or whatever.

We Be Jammin!

2009-09-17T15:01:00.000-07:00

It is getting to the end of raspberry season and my pantry is
not close to being full of raspberry jam so...today
we made jam. The morning was lovely out at the
farm in the berry patch and the best part was I
had it all to myself!

Love the color!

The princess wanted her picture taken too! I tried a
few different low sugar recipes today and found
enough 'goldies' out in the field to make a
small batch of golden raspberry jam. we shall see
if their unique flavor comes through
in the jam.
Here is the jam recipe I like most so far:

LOWER SUGAR RASPBERRY JAM

6 cups crushed fresh raspberries
1 box Ball no sugar pectin(1.75 oz.)
3 T. fresh lemon juice
3 cups granulated sugar
Stir berries, lemon juice and pectin together in
large pot. Heat over med-high heat until
it reaches a rolling boil. Add sugar.
Bring back to rolling boil and boil for
three minutes. Ladle into sterilized jars
wipe lip clean, and seal with lid and ring.
Process in a canner filled with boiling
water for five minutes (for 1/2 pint jars).
Remove from canner
and let cool completely before moving.

Salute to Flatbread

2009-09-10T14:35:00.000-07:00

Flatbread restaurant in Los Alamos is my favorite restaurant.
The food is from local farmers and producers and
the menu is seasonally inspired.

To honor their efforts we made some pumpkins for
them in the Rutiz Farms pumpkin patch.

Flatbread is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings but
my favorite night is Sunday because there are more seasonal
specials. If it is nice, I recommend the patio and
order and try lots of different dishes. And by all
means, save room for dessert!

Homemade Vanilla

2009-09-06T17:16:00.000-07:00

Making homemade vanilla sounds very 'gourmet' but it
is super easy. Yesterday, my friend Laurie and I got together
and made a couple of gallons worth.
To avoid spending a fortune making the
divine amber nectar, buy your beans in bulk. I bought
150 high quality vanilla beans on Ebay for about
50 bucks. The little vacumn packed bundles
arrived in the mail in about a week.

The next step is rounding up some tall glass containers
(large canning jars with lids work just fine) and some
vodka (cheap is fine). For a quart jar we put in about 10-12
split vanilla beans. We filled the jar with vodka and then put the
lid or stopper on. By Christmas, we will have plenty of
great vanilla to give away as gifts and to use in our
holiday baking. I wonder if we made enough?

Golden Razzies

2009-08-25T10:58:00.000-07:00

The golden raspberries are finally in season
at Rutiz Farms. The variety
is called "Anne" and they have a wonderful
honey-like flavor. They are one of my favorite end -of
the-summer things. I recommend you try some if
you can find them. Of course they are best popped
into your mouth right out in the field, but they are good
in tarts and desserts as well. I had a wonderful peach and
golden raspberry crisp at Big Sky Cafe last week and
it was to die for!

The regular razzies and the goldens look beautiful together.

More Job Inspiration- Pallet to Palate

2009-08-19T08:35:00.000-07:00

Monday evening in Shell Beach was beautiful and yummy. The third annual Pallet to Palate chef/farmer food event took
place at The Cliffs in a tent right by the ocean. Local farmers paired up with local chefs and wineries and prepared wonderful food for
us to taste. Jerry and Mauureen were kind enought to take all the Rutiz Farm stand workers to the tasting as a little perk. Mauren even made personalized wine glases for each of us. We (rutiz farms) were paired with Flatbread, one of my favorite restaurants. Clark brought the portable oven and they made fresh flatbread pizzas right on the spot. Two types: oyster pizza (they were also paired up with the oyster farm in MB) and veggie with fresh corn, cherry tomatoes, basil and peppers. I tried both and have to admit the oyster one was O.k. but the veggie was delish. They also served a wonderful ice cream sandwich that Brian Collins concocted: gingersnap cookies on the outside, blackberry ice cream on the inside-very good. They were gone in a flash. My other favorite things from the evening: a lamb dish by Maegan Loring, a pork loin slice topped with a fresh peach compote and a panzanella salad served in a cone. All in all a very fun and filling evening!

A Job that Inspires-Sunday

2009-08-03T10:02:00.000-07:00

Sunday's wedding was so delightful! The bride was
super creative and everything was so unique
and fresh. The theme for this wedding was
'Two lovebirds, wed on a summer's day'

See how fun my job is-beats a desk job every time!!!

A Job that Inspires-Saturday

2009-08-03T09:37:00.000-07:00

Most of you know that one of my part-time jobs is working
at the beautiful Dana Powers House in the garden and at the events.
This weekend there were two lovely weddings at the barn.
In between pouring glasses of champagne, I had time to
snap a few pictures. Saturday's wedding was very elegant.
Black and white with candles and twinkle lights making the
barn glow. A very cool giant monogrammed mirror was
hung on top of a sheer illuminated curtain behind the head
table for a nice focal point.

The barn aglow in candlelight and twinklelights.

The black and white candy station

This beautiful damask fabric was used as a runner on each table and
also on the beverage station and candy bar. It really tied the
whole look together.

Introducing Sucree

2009-08-02T12:12:00.000-07:00

The latest addition to our menagerie is little Sucre (suki for short). After losing our 17 year
kitty Jasmine about a month ago , we were ready to adopt a kitten. Kelli and I
looked at kittens for several days before finding 'just the right match". We were
on the hunt for a gray female and Craig spotted her: in front of PetCo with the feline Network.
She was born under a trailer in a trailer park so we call her a "Trailer Princess".
She was very timid and hissed at us and hid behind the toilet in 'her room' for
a couple of days, but after being held and petted almost constantly she
decided we were O.K. and follows us around demanding attention-I
told you she was a princess!-but an adorably sweet one!

sunflower House- A Bloomin' Room

2009-07-07T08:12:00.000-07:00

The sunflower house is now over 10 feet tall and this past
week the sunflowers themselves opened up. A family
of quail(2 adults and 7 babies) like to hang out
inside the house ,but of course they did not
want their picture taken!

The view from inside looking up- that wonderful
combination of sunflowers and blue sky!

Unnecessary Objects

2009-07-02T13:54:00.000-07:00

I think buying these vintage dresses today definately
falls into the "what was I thinking?" category.
I just fell in love with the ultimate girliness of it all.

The details are so sweet- the little scallopped waist, the gathers
and all the lace and embroidery.

So for now these little pretties will hang in the Inspiration Room
-aka Kelli's bedroom and when I need my next
girlie fix, I won't have to go far!

Joey and Aly Get Hitched Part 5

2009-06-30T08:51:00.000-07:00

The darling wedding cake was made by friend Becky
Geracci , and was displayed on a silver tray. The table
runner was designed by the bride and made of
burlap embellished with grosgrain ribbon.

Well, only one thing is missing from all these pics and that
is a picture of the bride and groom which I never managed. There
was nothing lovelier than Aly and Joey themselves. Two
charming and beautiful people. I was blessed and
honored to be part of their special day.

A scripture read during the ceremony:
HOW BLESSED IS EVERYONE
WHO FEARS THE LORD,
WHO WALKS IN HIS WAYS,
WHEN YOU SHALL EAT OF THE
FRUIT OF YOUR HANDS,
YOU WILL BE HAPPY AND IT
WILL BE WELL WITH YOU.
Psalm 128:1-2

Joey and Aly Get Hitched Part 4

2009-06-30T08:25:00.000-07:00

Although the afternoon was quite toasty, the evening was
lovely and guests enjoyed dining under festive lights.

The barn was beautiful lit up at night.

Laurie looked absolutely gorgeous- she is visiting with Rob and Abby
Myers (Abby is hiding behind the flowers)

joey and Aly Get Hitched- Part 3

2009-06-30T08:12:00.000-07:00

The bride had a vision
of an eclectic blend of
centerpiece styles in
the black, white and
greens. Lots of moss,
apples, milk glass and
chalkboards.

Joey and Aly Get Hitched Part 2

2009-06-29T14:51:00.000-07:00

After the ceremony, guests enjoyed cocktails and appetizers on the back patio followed by a dinner on the front lawn. As both Aly and Joey are teachers, the theme was apples and chalkboards. The bridesmaids wore darling apple green dresses and carried the most gorgeous bouquets made by Laurie's good friend, Bobbie. Bobbie and I had our own little flower shop in Laurie's garage for about three days. It was a bit messy but smelled divine!
Green apples were hollowed out to hold votive candles and Grandma Connie baked and decorated 200 apple shaped sugar cookies that were given out as favors.

Joey and Aly Get Hitched

2009-06-29T12:45:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was the long anticipated wedding of Aly Baker and Joey Williams. The bride is the daughter of my friend Laurie and I was excited to be part of a team of her friends and family that worked on flowers and decor for the ceremony and reception. The venue was Spanish Hills Ranch in Santa Margarita. Oak covered hills made for a beautiful outdoor ceremony and reception. My husband built a 7 foot cross that Laurie (MOB) covered with moss. Craig installed this under the oak trees as a focal point for the ceremony A rustic 'Gettin' Hitched' sign pointed the way to the ceremony site.(and of course Hitching Post wine was served later at the reception). Serving Christ is important to both Aly and Joey and they wanted their wedding to reflect that. They took their first communion as husband and wife at the cross as part of the wedding ceremony. Pastor Darin McWatters performed a fresh, inspiring wedding ceremony sprinkled with humor.

Mossy Monograms

2009-06-08T21:16:00.000-07:00

One of my next projects is helping my good friend Laurie with decorations
for her daufhter's wedding at the end of June. One of the decorations will be the bride and
groom's initials hanging from two huge doors. Since they are covered in
dry sheet moss, they can be made ahead of time (Yeah!!) Step one involved enlarging
the initials(the copiers at Office Max could only take me so far) These puppies
are 18 inches high, which seems gigantic right now.

Next, I cut the letters out of green 1/2 inch thick styrofoam. Then,
I plugged in the old glue gun and started gluing moss to the styrofoam.
I started with the backside first and then moved to the front and sides.
Twelve glue sticks later I was done!

Buying sheet moss in the packages at the craft store is
really expensive. The better way to go is to buy a
whole box from a wholesale floral supply place. (My
thanks to Bobbi for getting this for me) Lots of moss left,
and many more mossy projects to go!

Blessings: Daughters That Bake

2009-05-28T08:58:00.000-07:00

I am so glad that both of my daughters (Kelli and new daughter-in-law Tasha)
have a love for baking, it is a passion we all share. To see them in the kitchen
coated liberally with flour and with a smile on their face, gives me great joy!

This past Friday, Kelli set up her bakery stand at Rutiz Farms. After arriving
home late Wednesday night, she was up early Thursday doing prep work in the kitchen.
By Friday afternoon there were chocolate biscotti emerging from the oven and
ready for sampling (I'm in charge of quality control) yummmm. Friday morning all kinds
of wonderful baked goods were produced and packaged including: biscotti, strawberry shortcakes,
lemon poppyseed scones, orange rosemary madeleines, blueberry muffins, lemon bites and
strawberries and cream cookies (made with strawberries from the farm). Then it was
off to Rutiz Farms to set up the booth and display. People were very supportive and Kelli
had a very successful outing!

Over the weekend we coaxed Tasha into baking us a pie (she is the Pie Queen
of the family). She obliged us by creating a delicious blackberry pie with some
of the first blackberries of the season. Her crust was buttery and crisp, one of the
best I've ever had. (must of been the pie bird!) Needless to say we devoured the
whole pie in short order!

Tasha had a chance to use the new pie bird Aunt Susie gave her.
Isn't he cute?

Where's the cuteness?

2009-05-16T08:41:00.000-07:00

The cute little balls of fluff have gone and left in their place.....pretty ordinary looking chickens.
Although Butter here would disagree. She thinks she is amazing with her blue feet and cream plumage.
About four more months and we'll have fresh eggs again, can't wait!

Sunflower House- The Good Guys Have Arrived!

2009-05-09T07:48:00.000-07:00

I was happy to see some of the 'good guys' arrive at the
sunflower house. Ladybugs are a blessing in the garden-they
love to munch on aphids for lunch.

This funky growth is the sunflower's effort to regroup after having
its head bitten off by a deer!

The sunflower house this morning. The plants are a couple of feet high.
It isn't quite a house-but it is a room! I am tempted to get a cup of coffee
and sit inside and quail watch.

Candied Rose Petals

2009-05-06T17:25:00.000-07:00

Candied Rose Petals: It seemed like a pretty basic project
I looked up some instructions on the web and it
seemed very simple.....

1.) Find some luscious roses and gently wash
(I used Eden and Othello roses)
2.) brush with egg white mixed with a little water
3.) sprinkle with sugar
4.) Let dry
5.) Enjoy a little piece of preserved Springtime

Well this turned out to be a lesson in patience and perserverance.
Using a small paint brush I applied the eggwhite all over each petal and then sprinkled with
superfine granulated sugar. As I did my first tray full I was disheartedned to see most of them turning into a pulpy mess.
I was ready to throw in the towel but I still had a counter full of rose petals.
Plan B : Brush each petal with egg white only- no water added. Use a very gentle touch. Gently
dredge in a pile of superfine sugar- coating entire petal. Plaace on parchment paper and dry in
upper rack of dehydrator with dehydrator on for just a couple of minutes. Turn off dehydrator and let stay in there for an hour or so.
By then they were nice and crispy dry.
I

The end result of several hours work- a cute little jar
of candied rose petals. By the way -they really are delicious!

April in Paris

2009-05-04T08:27:00.000-07:00

After months of watching the sweet peas grow, they are finally in bloom.
This one is 'April in Paris' planted by Kelli a couple of years ago under the dining room windows.
It was nice enough to reseed itself the past two years . This variety also has a nice strong 'sweet pea' scent.

Shared Snowballs

2009-04-30T08:39:00.000-07:00

I love, love , love snowballs! When they are blooming I want to fill my house with them. Sadly, my snowball bushes just are not thriving. I think I have five little snowballs on them, pathetic! But....my friend Charlotte has a very healthy tall bush filled with blooms . Now a good friend would have cut a bouquet and given it to me and I would have loved it. But Charlotte is more than a good friend, she said "Come and cut as much as you want". So I did. I clipped to my heart's content and it was wonderful!

I think flowers look great in canning jars - the old blue ones are especially nice!

Remnants of the Past Antique Show

2009-04-26T09:03:00.000-07:00

The Remnants of the Past Antique Show in Nipomo was this past Saturday and it was such a nice show. Really fun treasures and nice dealers that did a fantastic job of displaying their wares. This show is put on by Judy Watkins and her creativity shows throughout! I was privileged to be part of the decorating team for the show along with Judi Powers, Charlotte Hartley and of course Judy herself. We really wanted it to feel festive and to make everyone feel like they were a very important guest at the show so we gussied up the barn in spring colors and flowers. I forgot my camera on the actual show day (what a dork!) and so I only have a few pics of preparations in process on Thursday but hopefully you get a glimpse of the overall ambiance of the show.( For some delightful pictures of the show itself look at www.french-kissed.com) P.S. Also see Judi's photos at www.danapowershouse.blogspot.com)

Judy W. was inspired by a maypole to create this fabric festooned entrance to the barn.

The antique cart in the process of being filled with white roses and snowball viburnum.

Judy Watkins in the process of setting up her darling booth. What an eye this girl has!

sunflower House-one month old

2009-04-20T08:21:00.000-07:00

After two plantings of seed, we finally have 4 walls

Tallest plants are about 9 inches high

Easter Potato Casserole Recipe

2009-04-16T07:45:00.000-07:00

This dish is a tradition at the Dana Powers House and is absolutely delicious!

Easter at the Dana Powers House

2009-04-13T09:12:00.000-07:00

This year we were delighted to spend Easter with our friends Judi and Ed at their annual Easter feast and egg hunt. Friends and family gather from all around and everyone brings a dish to share. Judi always has a theme and goes all out on decor.

A large nest in a basket for the buffet centerpiece.

Charlotte Hartley and Mona Hart-enjoying a little champagne.

Easter

2009-04-13T08:55:00.000-07:00

Appetizers and beverages were served on the patio

Judi and guests enjoing the glorious day

Easter

2009-04-13T08:48:00.000-07:00

The dessert table included Judi's darling lamb cake

Eddie, our host, worked his magic in the kitchen. The buffet groaned with all the food: salads of all types, corn pie, fat on yur butt potato casserole, rolls, ham and turkey.

2009-04-09T16:40:00.000-07:00

These edible nests are super easy to make and really fun to give away for Easter. Everyone gets a kick out of them.
How to make edible nests:
In a large glass bowl place 1 package (12 oz.) semi-sweet chocolate chips and 1 package (12 oz.) butterscotch chips. Microwave on high until the chips are half melted ( 2 minutes in my little microwave). The residual heat will continue to melt the chips. Stir until smooth. Stir in about 8 oz. of pretzel sticks that have been broken up a bit . Make sure all the pretzel pieces are coated with the chocolate mixture. Using two spoons shape into nests on waxed paper lined cookie sheets. While wet place mini-chocote eggs in nest( these are Brach's chocolate eggs). Let harden in cool place (the counter on a cool day, the frig on a warm one)...chow mein noodles can be used in place of pretzels.

First Rose

2009-04-06T08:33:00.000-07:00

The first rose of Spring has arrived, I love those lucious pink colors!

Sunflower House Beginnings

2009-04-05T10:07:00.000-07:00

This spring Kelli asked that I plant her a sunflower house, and so back in Mid-March I planted a 'garden room' surrounded by sunflowers and climbing morning glories. The hungry birds appreciated my efforts and decimated the sunflowers as they sprouted. Round 2. I replanted the sunflowers and covered with strips of chicken wire and so far, so good. The second planting is looking good. Now I just have to watch out for the more tenacious pests of the underground variety- the gophers!

What's a zotz?

2009-04-02T17:36:00.000-07:00

On our way to see 'Wicked' in San Francisco, Kelli, Chad, Tasha and I stopped at the Miette candy store to check out their cute displays and yummy candies and baked goods. They had Zotz, a candy I hadn't seen since childhood. Of course I had to have my kids experience this strange candy with a hard outside and a fizzy pixie-stix type lava that oozes out in your mouth. It sounds gross but it's good! They agreed that it is a worthy candy. We left on a sugar high to go see the play- witch was amazing!!!

New Arrivals

2009-03-27T09:45:00.000-07:00

These eight baby chicks greeted me when I came home yesterday. Craig saw them at Farm Supply and could not resist their cuteness. We were down to zero hens due to coyotes and dogs. We think we have four Aracaunas and four Rhode Island Reds and hopefully all girls, but you never know. Now for naming them (yes they need names). One will be called Arugula and the others....

Fritatta

2009-03-18T08:31:00.000-07:00

Spring Fritatta

2009-03-17T09:23:00.000-07:00

One bunch asparagus, woody ends removed,cut into 1/2 inch pieces on the diagonal
12 eggs
1 shallot-finely diced
1 slice ham, 1/2 inch thick, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
5 oz. or so of Gruyere cheese, cut into 1/4 inch cubes
3 Tablespoons half and half
1 tsp. salt plus about 15 grinds of fresh ground pepper
Preheat broiler. In a large bowl whisk together the eggs , half and half and salt and pepper. Set aside.
In a large oven-proof saute pan, heat 2 tsps. vegetable oil over medium heat. Add asparagus pieces. cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 3 minutes, add shallot and ham pieces, cook for another 2 minutes. Add egg mixture and let sit for about 15 seconds. Then start pushing eggs with a spatula from the outside to the center, moving around the pan. Like you are making scrambled eggs, keeping pan over heat. Do this for 2 minutes. After two minutes , cook 30 seconds without stirring to allow bottom to come together. Place in oven 5 inches under broiler for 3-4 minutes, checking every minute and turning if necessary to get even browning. Top will be nicely browned when done. Remove from oven and let sit 5 minutes before serving. This allows any uncooked eggs in the middle to finish cooking. Slide from pan onto cutting board, cut into wedges and serve. Recipe from America's Test Kitchen Tip: Don't be tempted to grate the cheese instead of cubing, it really is tastier with little pockets of melted cheese.

Spring is here

2009-03-16T20:09:00.000-07:00

I think these apricot throated daffodills are so charming. Kelli planted these a few years ago below the dining room window and they are happy there. There are volunteer sweet peas coming up around them too, an added bonus!

Taking Time for Tea

2009-02-24T08:20:00.000-08:00

During winter break Princess Kelli invited me to a sunset tea party. Of course there was some hiking up in the hills required to get a good view of the melting sun, but it sure was worth it. Glorious! And the Earl Gray was tasty too!

Faulty Cottages

2008-12-13T09:29:00.000-08:00

Almost every year we build gingerbread houses and usually we use graham crackers and homemade royal icing for our construction materials. This year, because of time and space constraints we opted for using kits-big mistake! Kelli and I worked as a team and of course Chad and Tasha were a team. We opened our kit to find amost every piece broken or cracked! This inspired me to whisper to Kelli- "We'll just build a cracked house." Well---Kelli thought I said "Crackhouse" and so that was her inspiration for the broken glass laying all around(which she made from scratch) and the bars on the side of the house, not to mention the general trashy appearance of the whole house. The neat and tidy 'Martha Stewart' side of the house is just a fake-out to keep people from getting suspicious!

Newlywed's Cottage

2008-12-13T09:07:00.000-08:00

Team Newlywed had some structural issues as well. No matter how much frosting they used, the roof would not stay on! So they made a nice little living room scene with a gingerbread man dressed as Santa . I think the X in the front yard is an alien landing strip.

Cones for Christmas

2008-12-02T10:44:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago I saw these fantastic moss cone planters at Home Depot of all places. I knew I could do something fun with them but wasn't sure what. I bought two and then headed to my favorite nursery for inspiration. They just happened to have some wonderful cyclamen on sale so I chose this one , pink with white edges, lovely! Then I filled around the cyclamen with white dianthus and Santa Barbara daisy. I had considered planting a poinsettia in the cone, but thought I could get a longer lasting display by opting for the cyclamen. The cone hangs outside my breakfast nook windows where I can get a lot of enjoyment from it. As for the other cone, it still sits empty on the potting bench, waiting for me to have another bolt of inspiration, maybe filled with Christmas greenery and berries?

Happy Thanksgiving!

2008-11-25T08:54:00.000-08:00

A very happy Thanksgiving to one and all!

Oriole Nest

2008-11-12T07:17:00.000-08:00

All summer long I have been searching for bird's nests on my almost daily walk to no avail. But recently I stumbled upon this amazing oriole nest that was just a few feet from my path and right at eyeball level! I had been looking way up in the treetops. The construction is quite amazing- a hanging sack made of spider webs, lichen , grasses and who knows what else. Very delicate in appearance, but strong enough to raise a family in!

How I Spent Election Day

2008-11-05T14:51:00.000-08:00

This week I got to go down to Orange to spend some time with my mom and dad. My dad had a project in mind, revamping and replanting the fish pond. S0, we headed to Upland, to Van Ness Water Gardens ,the largest and best water garden nusery in the area.

2008-11-05T14:45:00.000-08:00

Here is my dad, Les getting lots of helpful info from one of the owners at Van Ness.

2008-11-05T14:42:00.000-08:00

For those of you new to the world of water plants, you might be surprised at how pricey the little buggers are! Named varieties started at $38 at this nursery. Non-named varieties (basically a grab-bag approach with no gaurantee of color) were only $14.99. We elected to get one named variety(for my mom who really loves the blue ones), and 4 no-namers.

2008-11-05T14:35:00.000-08:00

We hope we get one of these in our grab bag!

2008-11-05T14:29:00.000-08:00

After arriving back home, we potted up each lily in its own pot (with good old -fashioned dirt mixed with a little water plant fertilizer topped off with a layer of small stones, as per instructions)

2008-11-05T14:23:00.000-08:00

The water lillies are placed in the pond and the hose was turned on to fill it. Hopefully we will have lots of new leaves and maybe some blooms really soon!

2008-11-05T14:16:00.000-08:00

After a hard day's work, we were blessed with a beautiful southern California sunset. It's not every day you can see the Channel Islands but that evening they were clear as a bell.

Stacked Pumpkins

2008-10-31T08:26:00.000-07:00

One of the great things about the french pumpkins is that their flat shape allows you to stack other pumpkins on top. Much more fun to decorate with!

Chad and Meena

2008-10-24T08:41:00.000-07:00

I love this shot of my son Chad and his good friend Meena taken at Chad and Natasha's wedding a couple of weeks ago. Meena is just too cute in her pink dress !

a truckful of pumpkins

2008-10-21T08:19:00.000-07:00

This pick-up full of pumpkins was hauled down to the Remnants of the Past antique show in Nipomo last weekend. My dear husband made several trips, packing each pumpkin carefully in the straw so as not to damage the writing. The weather was perfect and it was a great show! Lots of great vendors. Everyone I talked with was having a great time and most came home with at least one treasure.

A Glorious Day!

2008-10-07T15:32:00.000-07:00

My son, Chad and his stunning bride Natasha were married this past Saturday in Sebastopol, Ca.
Although it rained Friday night, Saturday was gorgeous. A beautiful, personal ceremony was performed by friend and pastor Paul Ortlinghaus. God was definitely glorified by the joining together of this couple. Celebrating the union of a Dodgers fan and a Giants/A's fan, the new Mr. and Mrs. Smithback exited the church to "Take Me Out To the Ballgame".

2008-10-07T15:12:00.000-07:00

Chad's beautiful sister (and bridesmaid) Kelli enjoying the reception

2008-10-07T15:06:00.000-07:00

Tania, the bride's lovely sister and maid-of honor signs the wedding license .

2008-10-07T15:01:00.000-07:00

Chad and Dad enjoying a moment at the reception

2008-10-07T14:55:00.000-07:00

Liam (Chad's cousin's son) was enthralled by the Prince and the Princess!

2008-10-07T14:51:00.000-07:00

Sweet Pea Sr. and Sweet Pea Jr. at Chad and Natasha's wedding reception this past weekend

Sweet Pea's Pumpkin

2008-09-28T17:22:00.000-07:00

I have been without a camera for about a year but thanks to the generosity of my Dad I am now back in business, and just in time for pumpkin season! This one, made for my daughter Kelli, is one of this years nicest pumpkins and of course it is a Cinderella pumpkin

Critter Profile:Nyrobi

2007-07-24T11:36:00.000-07:00

Nickname: Robes

Origin: Woods Humane Society

Age: 3 1/2

Frightened of: Everything

Favorite Food: crunchies, straight up

Favorite Beverage: warm bath water

Fashion Sense: If he was human he would have a mullet and wear a Members Only jacket

Purpose In Life: Strictly ornamental

Dahlias Get No Respect

2007-07-18T08:13:00.000-07:00

My dahlia definately agrees with Rodney Dangerfield, "I don't get no respect". I have to admit it is not my favorite flower, doesn't evn make my top 5. But when I look around in my garden in summer after the first big bloom of roses and clematis, what's blooming? Not much. But over in the corner the dahlia is blooming it's heart out. Nice big blooms too, nothing wimpy about it. So here's to the dahlia, a welcome sight in the middle of summer!

A Bloom in Every Room!

2007-07-06T09:28:00.000-07:00

Someone once said "a chicken in every pot" but my philosophy is "a bloom in every room". It doesn't have to be a grand bouquet-just a little snippet of something here and there. Even one frond of fern in a little bottle by the sink is nice. A little of God's creation brought into the house brings life to my home and a smile to my face as I go about doing my chores. If you have a wealth of blooms, consider sharing - your thoughtfulness might make someone's day!

Love-in a mist

2007-06-28T08:24:00.000-07:00

The love-in-a-mist went from a nice little patch of blue in the garden to seed pods in about a week in the hot weather we had. Fortunately the pods are fun too. They look great in flower arrangements and make a great head for a flower doll.

Fruit Harvest Continues

2007-06-23T13:44:00.000-07:00

The cherry tree really outdid itself! We were able to give away cherries to neighbors and friends and even sell some at the produce stand where I work. I let my husband do the picking at the top of the tree ( I held the ladder) . I had never seen a cherry tree loaded with fruit before. Truly a thing of beauty!

Dodger Fan Triumphs Over Wild Blackberries!

2007-06-21T10:54:00.000-07:00

Crackpots in the Garden

2007-06-09T16:15:00.000-07:00

I love terra cotta pots but they do have a tendency to get cracked or broken. A good use for those pieces is to make garden markers out of them. Using a paint pen write a plant name, garden quote or ? and place in your garden. A fun way to put those crackpots to use!

More than 5!

2007-06-06T07:14:00.000-07:00

This year our cherry tree has more than 5 cherries on it! It may have over 100. This is a first! I think the tree enjoyed the nice cold winter we had. We may have to invest in some bird netting to keep the birds from stealing the harvest.

A Nice Surprise

2007-06-03T11:16:00.000-07:00

This past week when I was deadheading roses (and deadheading and deadheading...) I had a nice surprise. As I clipped away at the Climbing Iceberg, I suddenly glimpsed this white clematis in all its brilliant white glory. One more snip and it might have been a goner. I hadn't forgotten planting the clematis several years ago, but I didn't realize it was still alive! I had to dig a little in my garden notes to recall the name of this beauty which is "Marie Boisselot". It is also noteworthy that the flower isn't riddled with snail holes. Maybe the chickens are earning their keep after all!

Our Favorite Sweetpea

2007-06-01T11:14:00.000-07:00

Everyone at our house agrees-this is the best sweetpea! It is
called 'April in Paris' and is one of the Renee's Garden Seed
varieties. The colors are gorgeous; cream and lilac. We
never got around to planting our sweetpea seeds this year
but fortunately we had a few volunteers. We only have a
couple of plants, just enough for a couple of tiny bouquets
per week. By the way, 'April in Paris' does have a divine scent!