Thursday

Growing my own healthy Greens...

 

I love Greens.  You know the greens that are so good for you.  Kale, Collards, Mustard and all the others that people seem to snub their nose at.
My yard has awful soil and although I've changed it in spots, just for veggies, nothing grows without the critters digging them up or the soil killing them.  So I went to a garage sale this past week and there was this LARGE flower pot.  Maybe it will deter the critters from climbing in but it's perfect for my greens.
 




 Did I tell you I only paid $5.00 for this huge pot.
First I bought some good potting soil and amended it with several goodies.   Where to put it?  Well the best spot was in full sun and somewhere I could keep an eye on it.  Right out back in my flower garden.  As you can see there are no flowers this time of year.  I might be in Florida but the weather is so wrong right now.
First I layered the bottom of the pot with styrofoam I had saved then added some bricks left over from my front porch.  This gave it some weight.  Can't have the critters tipping it over.

 

 Added some wood chips then several bags of good organic soil.

 All together I planted  27 baby green plants and it still has room to spare.  Last night I poked in a few garlic bulbs that were sprouting on my kitchen window sill.  Garlic might chase the critters?


 Since the back yard is so dark in the night I added a solar light just for fun.. looks good from my upstairs balcony.
It's so nice to run outside and pinch a few green leaves to add to salads or soups and I make loads of both.  If the kale grows as hoped I can make chips for a snack.  
From everything I've been reading buying greens from other countries is getting to be not safe.  They have so many different fertilizers added and the chemicals are damaging our systems and buying local organic is not always easy.  Have you ever read the tag on veggies in the grocers?  Peru, Chili, and who knows where else so I have been growing my own this past few years.  Using this big pot saves me both space and getting angry with my critters.


 Our weather has been going up and down in temperature for the past few months and right now it's on the cool side, in the 40's last night, perfect for greens.  But here, tomorrow might go up to the 90's,  I never know?  I'll be sure to post a photo next month when the plants get a big spurt of growth.

I'm linking up to

(((hugs)))

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Wednesday

Love, Valentines Day and what it all means....

Love is an emotion of a strong  affection and personal attachment,  Love is also said to be a virtue representing all of human  kindness, compassion and affection —"the unselfish loyal and benevolent concern for the good of another". Love may describe compassionate and affectionate actions towards other humans, one's self or animals.
On February 14th we humans celebrate Love.




In English, love refers to a variety of different feelings, states, and attitudes, ranging from pleasure ("I loved that meal") to interpersonal attraction  ("I love my partner"). "Love" may refer specifically to the passionate desire and intimacy of  romantic love,  to the sexual love of eros, to the emotional closeness of familial love, to the  platonic love that defines friendship or to the profound oneness or devotion of religious love   or to a concept of love that encompasses all of those feelings. This diversity of uses and meanings, combined with the complexity of the feelings involved, makes love unusually difficult to consistently define, compared to other emotional states.

Love may be understood as part of the survival instinct, a function to keep human beings together against menaces and to facilitate the continuation of the species.



The Letter "L" is celebrated over at Jenny Matlocks this week and what better "L" than "Love"







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Sunday

A box full of beautiful Irish linen, but they have years of stains on them. I need Help!


 My sister and I did a few garage sales this past weekend and when I see what looks like scrap fabric in a box I usually dig through it... to my surprise I found dozens of beautiful hand worked linens.  These linens were vintage.  Someones Grandma spent many hours doing the work and I guess after she passed on they went on the auction block only to end up in this lady's garage sale.  She knew nothing about them?

I pulled out 4 very nice pieces and asked the price... "$4.00 for the box.  I just want to get rid of them", she said!  
Sold!

I didn't even look at most of the items in the box, I just took it home and was so surprised at what I found! I knew most were stained but was even more surprised at the hand work some woman put into these very beautiful pieces.  It looked very European as I don't know anyone who can do such intricate work.

Then I found the words on one piece, "Irish Manufacture"  I could see and feel how different the fabric was from American linen and it had a sheen to it.
 


 The needle work on these pieces were  such tiny crochet, hand embroidery and tatting and all together there are 24 different forms of table covers and tea towels. Two are long enough and narrow,  to have been used on a mantel.  That was back in the 1800's into the early 1900's when homes used such decorations.
Look at the work of this pink one, the stitches do not show on the reverse side.  "She" put the needle through each teeny thread, without showing on the back. "Who does that"?
 My mind go's back to when a women first came to America many years ago, with the skills to do such work as the Irish women did.  If it was so, it's very exciting to me!


I am now on a mission to clean these pieces.  I did put them into a water soak as soon as I got home and left them for the night.  Today I changed the water and added Oxy Clean and will go back for a look later.
Does anyone out there in "Blogland" know of a way to clean these beautiful pieces? 
What will I do with them?  Not sure but there are two that would look really nice on a few of my tables.
Please leave me a comment or an e'mail,  as I'm now desperate to rid them of the stains.  Thanks to all who can help!
Have a wonderful week!


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Saturday

No spending February challenge....


My friend Pat over at Corn In My Coffee Pot has inspired me to have a 
"No spending February"
Yes, 28 days of spending no money!
What did I do yesterday?  Went to Michaels and bought sock yarn.  This is the year to learn to turn heels.  I have great knitting skills but those darn heels have always been my downfall and I need someone to sit with me, give me a visual of how it's done, to figure it out!  It's like I have a mental block! 
That and driving a stick shift are my only two vices!
 
This challenge of no spending February sounds easy but then think of all the dollars spent each day on things I really do not need.  
It's only 28 days right!
I realized today was a luncheon date with a few friends.. can I just have soup? That can't be much money?

My sister and I talked of going to "Epcot's Spring Garden Show" and this is only an hours drive
from me but the cost of the tickets is out of this world.  With tax it's $97.00 per person. Thankfully it starts on March 6th.  I totally recommend it to anyone who loves gardening.  They say HGTV will be there this year with some of their stars. Wonder if I can bring a little plastic bag for cuttings?  No, I promise I'll be good!

Let the challenge begin.
"Happy February Everyone"



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Wednesday

It's Strawberry season in Florida and I made some really good Jam...


Driving home from my weekend in Jupiter, Fl my sister and I were on RT 60 going west.  We came upon mile after mile of strawberry fields being picked and of course we had to stop at one of the numerous stands on the side of the road and buy some.

A half flat was more than enough for making jam (6 pints) and getting them just hours from being picked was the best part.  Also the 1/2 flat was all of $5.99.... great price!





I used a simple recipe and the best part of making your own jam is,, no additives!  I only used strawberries, sugar, a bit of vanilla and fresh lemon juice.  Through out the year I like to make different jams and marmalade's  then store them in the fridge. You can see my last batch Here

Look at my strawberries in all their bubbly goodness.


Clean the jars and fill with the thick gooey jam while hot.  Lid them and wait for the popping sound.  Done!  Took me all of an hour to complete.
This batch filled a dozen jars with some juice left over to use in baking or put on ice cream..  I've all ready given a few jars out to some friends.
"Yumm"


 We have been having some high winds today. They say it's from the heavy storms that swept through Oklahoma all the way east into Georgia.  
To all of you in the path of those tornado's 
"Stay safe" 

I'm sharing this post with
Wow Us Wednesday 
Share Your Cup Thursday 
Under $100. Link Party 
Thrifty Things Friday 
Be Inspired 



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Monday

A beautiful sunny day in Jupiter, Florida


 While the northern states were suffering cold and snow I was enjoying a beautiful sunny day in Jupiter, Florida.    My sister and I took a long weekend to daughter #1's  home in this beautiful beach community and I'll tell you, 
"I'd move here in a heart beat"
 Just around the corner to this beautiful public beach was the Coast Guard Station and the Jupiter light house. 

 We did get out of the car to take the walk up the hill to get close but the whole area was closed this day.  
We were able to get a few photos.
 Then we drove to a residential area called "Jupiter Island" and of course it was gated and they would not let us in no matter how hard we begged.  People like "Tiger and Celine" live here and the homes were huge.  We did manage to get a shot of this fisherman reeling in his catch across the bay.  Look at this house.  Wonder how many rooms were in there?
 Then we took a nature walk around such a serine and calm path. 
 Cypress trees grew out of the water.   
This was a great day and we took full advantage of the weather.


One more thing.  Although I was visiting my daughter that did not mean I didn't  look along the curbs for some good junk!  Look what I found just teetering on a trash pile.

This little step stool of sorts has an elaborate decorative paint job and on the underside is  an original tag saying, "Hand crafted in India".....  It's nice and all but I see it as a laptop or tea table in white, for my bed... once I'm finished with it I'll post a photo.
Ok, my teeny vaca is over so now back to real life!
Tomorrow is garden time for me.  The weeds have taken over!
Until next time ((hugs)) 

I'm linking up to
Tuesdays To Do List 

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Friday

While putting the box together for the baby shower I had no idea how many things I made....

Today my sister and I took a 4 hr ride to the other side of the state, from Clearwater to Jupiter, Fl and the fog was amazing on the Turnpike.  We arrived safe and sound for our weekend visit with my daughter.  I just went through my photos to put up this post and surprised myself with how many items I have made for my new grandbaby to be.  
I knit two layette sets. One white and one yellow.

 Then I made a quilt that can be used for a tummy time floor mat or in the stroller.


Then there are the Onesies that tell the story of the babies Daddy and Bothers.

And the 'oh so soft' and beautiful chunky knit crib blanket and pillow.

There are also a few needed items that I know my girl needs since all her saved baby goods were lost on the trip back to the states from Guam.
 As I said in previous posts we still do not know the gender of the new baby so I have to wait,, do I make little dresses or little blue sweaters for the cold of Oklahoma City?
We will know in about 8 weeks.


"This post is a good "Letter K" for Jennys 
"Alphabet Thursday" I think I'm done knitting for the season!

The box will be mailed in a few weeks, just in time for the baby shower for my youngest daughter.  
In the mean time I'll enjoy my visit in Jupiter and spend some quality time with my older daughter and sister.  This is a beautiful beach town right on the Atlantic in South Florida. 

 I hope to get some photos and will post them later next week.
"Have a great weekend everyone"

I'm linking up to
Alphabet Thursday 
Overflowing with Creativity 
We Did It Wednesday
Wow us Wednesday 
Show off your Stuff 



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