Garden Signs

I spent the last week and a half painting these signs in the hopes of making some extra money at Kicks on 66.  I had so much fun painting them, and found out that I really did get my mom's creative gene.

My mom has a lot right off of the old Route 66, so I decided I could save money, and set up my "booth" on my mom's lot.  What the heck - it's down the street from where the paying booths were located.

Well, Uncle Todd's truck died, and he needed my vehicle to go to work.  So, I needed a ride (besides money to help pay for the truck).  After several phone calls, my sister came through.  (Oh, and I was just calling to tell you I found a ride, but thanks anyway.) 

So, I had the signs, the spot and the ride.  Now I needed the stakes.  I suggested using some of the cedar sticks in the yard that UT cut up to make logs for his bird houses.  UT didn't want me to use them for stakes, so he told me to search my mom's garage for stakes.  My sister and I climbed through the mess - that somehow accumulated in the garage that I've sorted and cleaned a hundred times before (yes - you could actually park 2 cars in it after I'm done, each of the hundred times) - in search of stakes.  I found some, full of nails, but useable.

I stick them in my car along with a table, bird feeders, and trellises that somehow got in her garage, and set out for home.  I got a hammer and started pulling out the nails.  BTW, if I die from tetanus, I scratched myself with one of the nails. After some procrastination and complaining, UT said we couldn't use the stakes I had got from my mom's house and went to the yard to get the cedar sticks.  I got UT to put the stakes on the signs, as I stood by putting the screws on the screw gun, because that is my job when UT does anything for me.

Okay, stakes taken care of.  I took pictures, posted them on Facebook, with all pertinent info, packed them up, got together all the stuff to paint more signs, printed a sign, and priced all the signs, not with stickers but with paper and tapes because UT doesn't want to have to take them off when we put them in our yard.  Then it was off to bed.

Waking early because Maggie made me get up, I didn't feel that good.  UT thought maybe it wasn't a good idea to go, but I assured him it would pass (after some medicine).  Knowing my sister is always on time, I gathered all my stuff on the lawn, ready to throw in her car.  Half an hour later sitting on the front stairs, I realized that my sister had learned something from her sisters - the art of being late.

She showed up and, of course, the things that had to go in first, were on the bottom of my neatly stacked pile.  After stuffing everything into her car (I lied - I told her it would just be a few things), we set off for the lot.  On the way, we stopped at the bank so I could get change.  With money in my pocket, I proceeded to open the wrong car door, which was luckily locked, but the guy in the next car was laughing at me hysterically.

We get to the block that my mom's lot is on, and half way down the block, I asked my sister to stop so I could put my signs up (over my mom's for sale sign) that was at the corner.  In the wind and fighting with the tape, I finally got the sign up, only to be greeted by the biggest puppy I've ever seen.  Cute dog.

Well, we got to the lot, and unpacked her full car, trying to figure out if anyone would see me.  The lot where the booths were set up were already bustling with people.   We decided that maybe I should move closer to the corner.  Wanting to stay on my mom's property, we then carried all the stuff about 30 feet closer to the old Route 66.  Thank God my sister was with me because it probably would have taken me an hour to move it by myself.

She wished me luck and was on her way, and I waited for all the people to come and buy my signs.  And I waited, and I painted, and I waited, and I played a game, and I waited.  A truck went by, hit a puddle, spraying mud all over me and my signs, and I waited.  A red SUV pulled up, and I thought "my first customer".  The door opened, and out came UT.  I gave a sad face, and he melted, packed me up, and took me to get my favorite barbeque pork sandwich.

What did I learn?  Sometimes you have to spend a little money to make money.  I should have just gotten a booth.  And, no matter how much work you put into something, it doesn't always turn out the way you want it.  You think I should have learned this lesson by now.  (For those that know me, they get it.)  But, aren't my signs cute?  Hand painted and price right!

Gardening

I've always had a kid or two in my garden - helping to plant and then harvesting the fresh veggies.  My nieces and nephews are grown, and the next generation is old enough to carry on the tradition.   My nieces already are passing on the fun they had in my garden.  So, who wants to help and when?  Ask your moms to let me know.

Easy Recipe

My sister recently asked for my cole slaw recipe, so here it is:

Creamy Cabbage Slaw
6 cups or 1 medium cabbage, shredded
¼ cup green onion, sliced
1 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. vinegar
2 tsp. celery seed
1 tsp. salt

Combine cabbage and onion.  Mix remaining ingredients together and stir into slaw.

Enjoy!
Aunt Janet

Refrigerator Dill Pickles - Revised Recipe

Recalling the pleasures of growing and gathering foods and preparing them with care, of relishing the changing seasons ... was her way of preserving an important part of American life and sharing its rewards with others.

Judith Jones

We have been searching for a good dill pickle for years. Finally, last year, I stumbled on one, but they were too salty. So, we tweaked the recipe to our liking, and now my mother, siblings, and nieces love them so much that they will actually steal a jar or two from my fridge when we're not looking. And they are so easy to make

First, you will need to find or purchase a gallon glass jar with a lid. You want the mouth large enough to get the pickles in and out without problems. You can purchase them from Amazon. They have plain jars with lids, Empty Glass Gallon Fermentation Jar with Lid 4 pk  for $22.95 or you can get a more decorative jar, Ball Creative container one gallon ideal jar for $12.99. We make our pickles in a gallon jar, and after they ferment in the fridge for a week or so, we transfer them to quart jars. Luckily, my parents had kept the old glass jars from our restaurant. Now, they are hard to find at restaurants - they changed them to plastic.

For this recipe, you will need:

3 lbs. pickles
5 large heads dill
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
16-20 garlic cloves, crushed
3 cups apple cider vinegar
9 cups water
1/2 cup regular salt (Recipe said 1 cup canning or kosher salt)*

Pick pickles that are not overripe or bruised. (Save the overripe pickles for relish.) Wash, and cut off the stem end. Depending on the size of the pickles, you can keep them whole, half, or quarter them.

Boil vinegar, water, and salt. Set to the side and cool to room temperature.



Layer 1/2 dill, pickles, onions, garlic, and rest of dill in gallon jar. Pour cooled brine (vinegar solution) into jar. Refrigerate for 24 hours, and enjoy!

We usually transfer the pickles and brine into quart jars, so my family doesn't steal my glass gallon jar. (They would!)

It's so easy, and they are sooo good that you won't want to stop eating them.

Enjoy,
Aunt Janet (and Uncle Todd)

* Not sure of amount of canning salt - Uncle Todd has been using regular salt.  He had to cut back on the amount of regular salt.

Dirty Hands and Pineapple Sorbet

Dirty hands, iced tea,

garden fragrances thick in the air

and a blanket of color before me,

who could ask for more?

Bev Adams, Mountain Gardening

Not me.  I love getting dirt under my nails, sipping a tall cold glass of iced tea, walking past lemon balm, mint, or lavender and getting a whiff of their abundant fragrance.  I love summer!

I have never found a pair of gloves that work right in the garden.  I need to feel the soil between my fingers.  I can't seed, thin plants, or pick weeds with gloves - they just don't work. 

So, if you see me in the summer, please understand that my hands and nails always look dirty.  No matter how much soap I use or how much I scrub, I always have dirt under my nails and dirty rough patches on my hands.  As my niece tells everyone, my aunt's hobby is getting dirt under her nails.

Recipe

The Strawberry Ice was such a hit that, when I found myself with a couple of ripe pineapples, I found this cool and refreshing sorbet.

Pineapple Sorbet

1 small pineapple, peeled and cored
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
Fresh mint sprigs (optional)

Cut pineapple into 2-inch pieces. Place pineapple and lemon juice in a food processor; process until smooth. Add sugar; process 1 minute or until sugar dissolves.  Pour mixture into 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Freeze for about 25 minutes or until icy around edges. Using fork, pull icy portions into middle of pan. Repeat this step every 20 minutes until all the liquid is frozen into flaky, loose crystals. Cover and freeze. When ready to serve, use fork again to scrape crystals into bowls and garnish with fresh mint sprigs, if desired.  Serves about 9.

Gardening

I overwintered onions last year - leaving them in the ground over the long winter.  To my surprise, they grew larger than any onions I've grown before.  I decided to harvest them last week so I can plant a second crop.   My onions have always been small, and I used them as soon as I picked them.  I never had extra to store for later use.  So, I needed to read up on storing onions.

While researching storing onions, I learned an interesting fact.  I learned that it's abnormal for an onion to flower.  According to Aggie Horticulture at Texas AgriLife Extension Service:

If an onion plant is exposed to alternating cold and warm temperatures resulting in the onion plant going dormant, resuming growth, going dormant and then resuming growth again, the onion bulbs prematurely flower or bolt. The onion is deceived into believing it has completed two growth cycles or years of growth in its biennial life cycle so it finalizes the cycle by blooming. Flowering can be controlled by planting the right variety at the right time.

My onions always bloomed.  What to do?  I know that I buy onion plants that are normally grown in my area, and I do tend to plant them early.  Everyone recommends cuting off the flower or the onion size will be smaller.  So, instead of worrying about planting time and onion varieties, I'll just cut off the flowers.

To store onions, you need to cure them.  According to Ohio State University's Fact Sheet,

Harvest onions when the tops have fallen over and dried. On sunny, breezy days, onions may be pulled and left in the garden for a day or two to dry before they are taken to a curing area. Curing must take place for the onions to be stored for any length of time. Cure onions by placing them in a warm, well-ventilated area until the necks are thoroughly dry. With warm temperatures, good air circulation and low humidity, curing should be completed within two weeks after harvest. Onions are best stored in a cool moderately dry area in ventilated containers.

Aggie Horticulture makes a great suggestion on how to store the onions:

The key to preserving onions and to prevent bruising is to keep them cool, dry and separated. In the refrigerator, wrapped separately in foil, onions can be preserved for as long as a year. The best way to store onions is in a mesh bag or nylon stocking. Place an onion in the bag and tie a knot or put a plastic tie between the onions and continue until the stocking is full. Loop the stocking over a rafter or nail in a cool dry building and when an onion is desired, simply clip off the bottom onion with a pair of scissors or remove the plastic tie. Another suggestion is to spread the onions out on a screen which will allow adequate ventilation, but remember to keep them from touching each other. As a general rule, the sweeter the onion, the higher the water content, and therefore the less shelf life. A more pungent onion will store longer so eat the sweet varieties first and save the more pungent onions for storage.

I am going to try to spread the onions over a screen to dry, then storing them in a mesh bag.  I'll let you know if I have any problems with this method, but I do think that they will be gone before the end of summer.

I live in Planting Zone 4.  If anyone has any other ideas on storing onions, I would greatly appreciate them.

Thanks!
Aunt Janet

Lost in the Garden

Gardening is a kind of disease. It infects you, you cannot escape it. When you go visiting, your eyes rove about the garden; you interrupt the serious cocktail drinking because of an irresistible impulse to get up and pull a weed.

 ~Lewis Gannit

I have been lost in my garden - my favorite place to be. All the planning, digging, rearranging, planting, and cultivating have taken up most of my off time, and have been placed on my high priority list. See, I must garden to relax, I need to relax for my health, and my health is high on my list of priorities. I go out to the garden soon after I arrive home. I spend hours getting my hands dirty. Maggie usually joins me after her dinner. She likes to sneak up on me, so I scream. Then, she will lay in the grass, or strawberry patch, or grass covered walkways, until her dad comes out and beckons me inside to eat. An hour will pass, and I will unwillingly start towards the house, pulling weeds as I see them.

It's my little piece of heaven. I have harvested strawberries and onions. Maggie helps herself to a strawberry or two, until her dad or I tell her enough - save some for us.

The plants are being planted slowly. I am painstakingly pulling up a bed of mint that has grown to a third of my garden. Candy mint, peppermint, oregano, and lemon balm. Some are planted in pots to sell. Others are dried for teas and potpourris and seasonings.

Tomatoes, plum and round, peppers of various varieties, cucumbers, beans, zucchini, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, Brussels sprouts, herbs, and celery are planted. Onions, pickles, carrots, and whatever else catches my fancy are yet to be planted. And flowers to fill in the empty spaces between the perennials, and keep the color going throughout the year.

I love my little garden. It is my little piece of heaven.

Gardening

I've always kept a compost pile since the time I started gardening. In it, I put all my vegetables scrapes, grass clippings, weeds (that haven't gone to seeds), leaves, ... When I was in college, I wrote a paper on composting, and my professor said I should try to sell it. Idea - maybe I'll put it for sale on my blog??

The soil that it produces is great for your plants. When I transplant my plants, I try to mix some into the soil surrounding the plants to give the plant a healthy fresh start.

Start your own compost pile. It doesn't have to be anything fancy, and it doesn't take much work. Just stack up all the grass clippings, vegetable scrapes, leaves, etc. in a neat pile, and you have a compost pile. Or you can get fancier and buy compost bins such as the ones available at Gardens Alive!.

In the garden,
Aunt Janet

Time of Harvest

For man, autumn is a time of harvest, of gathering together.

For nature, it is a time of sowing, of scattering abroad.

Edwin Way Teale

I went into the garden today.  With the brisk wind at my face, and two sweatshirts keeping me warm, I gathered the end of the harvest.  The frost might come tonight.

It's a time of harvesting the fruits of your labor, of preserving the fruits of your harvest, of readying oneself for the cold winter months.  In preparation, I have taken this week off - to harvest, preserve, slow down, and enjoy the bounty of His Goodness.

I picked every vegetable that would be harmed by the frost.  As the leaves fell around me, I remember.  Autumn brings a sense of warming to my spirit.  To me, it brings back memories of falling in love.

I found a quote by von fiona.  "The summer months are ideal for flirting, but the time for falling in love has only just begun."  It's a time for cuddling, keeping warm, holding hands while walking in the midst of the autumn color, or cocooning indoors talking and learning about each other.  The cooling temperature draws us closer together for warmth, not just of the body, but of the emotions. 

Summer flirts bring small jolts of happiness felt in the depths of your being.  Autumn loves bring long waves of warming of your heart.

I love autumn with all its majestic color.  It's a time for harvesting, preserving, enjoying the warmth of the home, and falling in love!

Gardening

Today, I picked the last of the harvest - a few cucumbers and peppers, all tomatoes, red and green, and the rest of the beans.  For drying, I cut down my herbs that were planted in the garden, and brought in the herb pots for winter flavoring.

I will wrap the green tomatoes in newspaper, put them in a paper bag, and place the bag in a cool place, where they can ripen slowly.

This week, I will pull up all the dead plants, either put them in the compost pile or burn them, and  rack up the ground.  I'll also check on my cold weather plants to see if they are ready for picking.  And I'll plant the mums I haven't gotten around to plant yet.

Money Making Tip

At the end of this week, two friends and I are having a "Celebrate Fall" sale at our township hall.  We will be selling our direct sales products to whoever would like to attend.  I feel that time as gone by too quickly, and I am behind in my preparations.  The hall is rented, some products have been ordered, the ad has been placed in the local papers, and the invitations are printed.  I need to pass out the invitations, send out emails, and go to local businesses to ask them if I can post a sign.  I'm also thinking about what I should do for outside signs, and where I should place them.  Even though I am starting this vacation week feeling overwhelmed, I know that everything will fall into place, and we will make contacts and sales. 

If you have a home business, think of getting together with a couple more direct sales friends and putting together a holiday sale.  This is a way to make extra money for the holidays, and hopefully expand your clientele.  If anything, you will have loads of fun with your friends.

By the way, if you live anywhere near Braidwood, Illinois, and you would like to hear more about this event, please email me at auntjanetjwlr@sbcglobal.net.  The companies that will be represented are:  Mary Kay (my party), and my 3 businesses (tasty foods, cool kitchen gadgets, and beautiful jewelry).  You know I'm not allowed to say it in my blog. 

Here is a site that talks about the beautiful jewelry - Click Here!  If you'd like to know about the tasty food, become my friend on Facebook - Click Here!  This company posts on my page all the time.  As for my kichen gadgets, you'll just have to think about that one.  If you would like a catalog, or to place an order, please email me at auntjanetjwlr@sbcglobal.net.

Free Stuff

Free Sample of Kelloggs(r) Special K cereal
Free sample of Honey Nut Cheerios(r)
Free Sample of Nestle Abuelita Granulado

Preserving the Harvest,
Aunt Janet

Preserving the Harvest

Putting food by is the antidote for running scared.

Janet Greene

It's canning day tomorrow!  Canning has become a past time in my household.  Each year, the vegetables are harvested, preserved, and enjoyed.  Salsa and tomatoes, sweet relish and pickles, green beans and tomato sauce, and something new, maybe ketchup or mint jelly.

Starting at a young age, my nieces gathered at my home, sometimes one, sometimes all, dicing and slicing, scalding and peeling, jarring and canning.  When making tomato sauce, they flocked to my house, fighting over who could crank the juicer next.  (No lie!) 

They have learned the pleasure of canning.  When you can, you gather to celebrate the harvest.  It is a time of reconnecting, working together, and enjoying this shared time.  When we are preserving the harvest, the kitchen is filled with chatting and laughing.

Putting food by or preserving food is the antidote for running scared.  Not only does it save money (so your cupboard isn't bear in winter), it brings family and friends together, to talk and help each other sort through the many complexities of life.  Your loved ones help ease the fear of everyday problems, so you won't be running scared.

Money Savings


Canning really does save money. According to Thomas Bewick, national program leader for horticulture of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service, for tomatoes, “If you harvest 30 pounds at $2 per pound, that plant is worth $60,” he says. “But it only cost $2.90 to buy the plant, a few cents for water and 15 cents for the fertilizer.”


The initial investment for jars and canning supplies may seem a little expensive, but they will last you for years.  You can find these canning items at your mom's basement collecting dust, a local hardware store, grocery store, garage sale, flea market, or department store, such as K-Mart.  I'll usually load up on lids at the end of the season when they go on sale.  Also, let others know that you are canning and looking for jars.  My family has contributed boxes and boxes (and more boxes) of jars.  For the preserved gifts that we give, I ask them to return the jars after they have enjoyed whatever is in the jar.

Here is our canning cabinet.  My husband's goal is to can 50 pints of green beans.  So far, he's up to 42 pints.  Doesn't it look pretty?  And it saved us $$.  He also have made relish, jam, and pickles.  I made the salsa.  (He's a self-employeed carpenter, so you can guess how busy he is right now.)  Tomorrow I'll be canning more salsa and tomatoes.  If someone stops by to help, I might even try making some zucchini pickles.  (Hey Jill - where's my zucchini bread you promised to make me from all the zucchini I gave you?)


Easy Recipe


This is a great recipe to make on canning day, when you are too busy to cook a meal, and your stove has canning pots boiling away. You just throw it in the crock pot, and let it cook all day long.


Slow Cooker Pulled Pork


1 (2 pound) pork tenderloin
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle root beer
1 (18 ounce) bottle your favorite barbecue sauce
8 hamburger buns


Place the pork tenderloin in a slow cooker; pour the root beer over the meat. Cover and cook on low until well cooked and the pork shreds easily, 6 to 7 hours. Note: the actual length of time may vary according to individual slow cooker. Drain well. Stir in barbecue sauce. Serve over hamburger buns.


Aunt Janet's Famous Quotes


This is a new one, never quoted before.  "I will share my salsa or pickles with whoever helps.  So, get your butt over here, and start chopping."  I enjoy your company, and desperately need your help! 


All are welcome to help,
Aunt Janet

Selah

In a circle
on a beautiful fall day
letting go
and helping the wonderful dog trying to sleep on the grass behind us
ease out of this world
filled with as much love and music
as we could give her.

Selah, Bana, Selah.
Posted by: jlseagull - http://slowmover.wordpress.com

I sat on the grass with Puppy laying by me. She loves the outdoors, and we could tell she was happy being outside, next to me, laying in the grass, listening to the sounds around her. Her ears would perk up, and she would look in the direction of whatever was catching her attention at that moment. She was serene.

Puppy is dying. I know the time is coming. But not today. She's not ready to go. My husband and I talked it through as we watched her enjoy the cool breeze and sunshine. We debated - is today the day?

My family trickled in, one by one. Puppy wagged her tail with greetings of love, and soaked in all the pets, hugs, and kisses that were bestowed on her. She made them laugh. Is today the day?

After taking into thought her pain level and mobility, she will spend a little more time with us.

I found this song, and the post fit today so perfectly - A song for a Dying Dog on a Beautiful Fall Day. Read it, and you will understand. It ends with Selah, Bana, Selah. Bana is his friend's dying dog's name.

Found repeatedly in the Psalms, although the exact meaning of the Hebrew word "Selah" is lost, it is believed to mean "we should 'measure' or value carefully what has just been said". So, to me, this song is saying to value the life of this dog, and to look at the happiness and love that she has given unselfishly. http://www.mountainretreatorg.net/faq/selah.html

So, for today, Puppy is content. The medicine is keeping the pain to a minimum. We will need to help her get around, but she is not suffering greatly. We can wait a little longer before letting go, using this time to reflect upon the love that this precious dog has given to us, and is still giving to us, and trust that she will tell us when it is time to say goodbye.

Selah, Puppy, Selah.

Gardening

I have not posted a lot lately because most of my time has been spent working, taking care of the apartments, taking care of Puppy, and gardening. One new discovery I made - a natural way to ward off those June Bugs that love my green bean plants and raspberries.

Fill up a bucket about 1/4 of the way with soapy water (dish soap). Hand catch as many of the June Bugs as you can, and put them into the bucket of water. They will drown. Keep the bucket next to the plants. The other June Bugs pick up on the odor of the dead ones, and will wander elsewhere. You can keep hand picking the bugs and putting them in the bucket if you would like.

As for my bean plants, the June Bugs are down to a minimum, so this hint I found really seems to be working. Now, I have to deal with the spider mites on the plants. This I know how to take care of, and will share it with you at a later time.

Does anyone know how to keep the varmints from knocking down and eating all my corn?? I'll share, but I want to at least enjoy a little of it!

Aunt Janet's Famous Sayings

Well, as many of you can guess, I don't tolerate belittling people. Along with "There's a nice way to say everything, and a way to say everything nice", I'm also known to say "Don't say that! If you say it again, I'll smack you in the head." And all the younger ones know that if they dare say it again, they will get a quick smack on the head. Name calling hurts, and there is no need for it. And, for those I defend, you are very welcome.

I love you all, and you will get a smack if you do this! So, you are intelligent. Find a nice way to say it! (Oh - Puppy just told the cats this. She defends everyone in the family, and will not tolerate fighting of any kind.)

Selah, my friend, Selah,
Aunt Janet

Weeds in the Garden

The philosopher who said that work well done never needs doing over
never weeded a garden.

Ray D. Everson

My dad used to say "Measure twice, cut once." As you probably guessed, he was a carpenter. In some aspects of life, this is true. You need to be accurate, you need to do it right the first time. Carpenters would waste a lot of wood if they weren't precise on their measurements.

More true than not, although you can strive for perfection, you are not perfect. Usually practice makes perfect. You may not accomplish something on the first try, but you need to keep trying until you succeed. The more times you do something, the better you get at it, and the better the outcome.

Recipe

The zucchini is coming! If anyone has grown zucchini, you know what I mean. You will have an over-abundance soon! Here is one recipe that my nieces love (minus an ingredient or two).

Italian Zucchini Casserole

1 large zucchini (2-3 lb), seeded and sliced thinly
1 green pepper, seeded and sliced thinly
1 large onion, sliced thinly
2 ripe tomatoes, or 1 - 16 oz. can of diced tomatoes
Garlic Garlic, or garlic powder
Italian Seasoning
1 - 8 oz. tomato sauce
1 - 8 to 16 oz. pkg mozzarella shredded cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

You make this like lasagna. Layer 1/3 of the zucchini and 1/2 of the rest of the vegetables in order listed above. Sprinkle garlic and Italian seasoning, to taste, on each layer. Top first layer with cheese. Again layer 1/3 of the zucchini and 1/2 of the rest of the vegetables, sprinkle with garlic and Italian seasoning. Top with remaining zucchini, and tomato sauce. Cover with foil, tented, and bake for 1 hour. Remove foil, top with mozzarella cheese and bake until melted. The vegetables will produce liquid, so serve it with a slotted spoon or spatula. It is so good!

Aunt Janet's Sayings

This is one thing I always say when I'm saying goodbye, and now I hear my nieces and nephews saying it to me first. "I love you. Talk to you later. Bye." The words "I love you" are so powerful!

Pulling weeds,
Aunt Janet

Bees & Mosquitoes

It's not so much how busy you are, but why you are busy.

The bee is praised. The mosquito is swatted.

Mary O'Connor

I just came in from outside, and the mosquitoes had a feast on my arms and legs. I have welts everywhere. Not knowing I was going to be helping pull weeds, I did not put on any repellent, and I am now suffering from about 100 bites, no kidding. There has to be a reason that God created mosquitoes, but I can't think of one beneficial thing mosquitoes offer. Can you? Okay, maybe exercise - we move our arms around spastically as we swat these nasty insects.

I did see bees in the garden tonight. I watched as they flew from blossom to blossom, collecting the pollen quickly and carefully from each flower. I left them to their task, trying not to get in their way.

Now, if one would have come after me, I would have stood very still, or ran in the opposite direction, not intending to hurt the bee, but just get the heck out of his way.

Their sting hurts, whereas the mosquitoes bite itches like crazy. I respect the bee and what the bee does. I dislike the mosquito and what he does. So, if I see one land on my arm, be assured that I will swat at it and hopefully smack it. But the bee will live on, buzzing from one flower to another, as I watch in awe.

Are you busy for a reason, like the honey bee collecting pollen to make honey, or is your busy without meaning, like the mosquito buzzing around biting (in my opinion)?

Gardening

Bees are one of the most beneficial insects in the garden, because they pollinate some vegetable blossoms. Pollination is needed to produce vegetable that produce fruit or seed, such as squash or cucumbers(fruit), and tomatoes or corn(seed). In those that produce seed, each blossom contains male and female parts. The wind helps pollinate the blossom, by moving one part to the other, thus self-pollinating the plant. In those that produce fruit, pollen must be moved from the male blossom to the female blossom. This is usually done by bees.

If your fruit vegetables (squash, cucumbers, pumpkins, zucchinis, melons) aren't producing fruit, you can help them along by taking a small brush or Q-tip, brushing it inside the male flower, and then brushing the pollen inside the female flower. The female flower is the one that has a tiny vegetable at the base. The male flower will have pollen-laden stamens.

In your seed vegetables, you just need to brush inside the blossom and make sure that the pollen gets into the middle part of the flower.

If the plant doesn't start bearing fruit in a couple of days, there may be another problem - not enough water, lack of sun, or lack of nutrients in the soil.

Recipe for Honey

While researching for this blog, I found a very interesting article on how honey is made. It came from Michigan State University's website:

How do Bees Make Honey?
(Lansing State Journal, July 30, 1997)

Honeybees use nectar to make honey. Nectar is almost 80% water with some complex sugars. In fact, if you have ever pulled a honeysuckle blossom out of its stem, nectar is the clear liquid that drops from the end of the blossom. In North America, bees get nectar from flowers like clovers, dandelions, berry bushes and fruit tree blossoms. They use their long, tubelike tongues like straws to suck the nectar out of the flowers and they store it in their "honey stomachs". Bees actually have two stomachs, their honey stomach which they use like a nectar backpack and their regular stomach. The honey stomach holds almost 70 mg of nectar and when full, it weighs almost as much as the bee does. Honeybees must visit between 100 and 1500 flowers in order to fill their honeystomachs.

The honeybees return to the hive and pass the nectar onto other worker bees. These bees suck the nectar from the honeybee's stomach through their mouths. These "house bees" "chew" the nectar for about half an hour. During this time, enzymes are breaking the complex sugars in the nectar into simple sugars so that it is both more
digestible for the bees and less likely to be attacked by bacteria while it is stored within the hive. The bees then spread the nectar throughout the honeycombs where water evaporates from it, making it a thicker syrup. The bees make the nectar dry even faster by fanning it with their wings. Once the honey is gooey enough, the bees seal off the cell of the honeycomb with a plug of wax. The honey is stored until it is eaten. In one year, a colony of bees eats between 120 and 200 pounds of honey.

They are really busy bees!

Easy Recipe

Honey Butter

1/2 cup butter, softened
1/4 cup honey

Mix the butter and honey with blender or hand mixer. Store in refrigerator.
Variation: Add 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon and 1/2 tsp vanilla.

Free Stuff

Free Sample of Viva Paper Towels
White Castle Free Slider

The Path

The difficulties you meet will resolve themselves as you advance. Proceed, and light will dawn, and shine with increasing clearness on your path.

Jim Rohn

The path into my garden is becoming overgrown with horseradish, oregano, and mint. As I trudged through the plants, I was attacked by those pesky blood sucking mosquitoes. In my mind, I began to think of how to preserve the horseradish, oregano, and mint. What could I do with it? Dry the oregano for cooking, make mint jelly, grate the horseradish for corned beef sandwiches. I will research the possibilities, and come up with a plan of action.

When reaching for a dream, difficulties come, then they are resolved, and we go on. If we persist, we will see the light, we will get through the tough times, and our dream will be fulfilled. Push on!

Gardening


First Harvest of Radishes

Last Harvest of Strawberries

Who likes to weed? I think I'm one of the few, but it's because weeds are kept at the minimum because we put grass clippings in between the rows. When plants get bigger, we will put the clippings around the plants as well.

I've researched whether it is a good thing to use of grass clippings as mulch, and some people agree with me, others don't. The reasons some disagree are:
From High Country Gardens,

1. Green grass clippings can compress into a slimy layer and create a water and air impermeable mat over the top of the soil. This can smother the soil and result in a lack of oxygen and water for the roots below.
2. Grass clippings are very “hot” and require a lot of heat and nitrogen to break them down. This is not a process you want happening around your growing plants.
3. And lastly, If you use herbicides (including “weed and feed” fertilizers) and fungicides on your lawn I feel there is a danger involved when recycling these clippings. These clippings may have residual chemicals and it’s not a good idea to put this back around your garden plants. This would be especially ill-advised when used to mulch your herb or vegetable plants!

The Seasoned Gardener also adds that the odor is not pleasant, and that the appearance might be displeasing.

As for me, I find it very beneficial. First, before I go into the hows and whys, one very important thing - never, ever, use clippings after you have fertilized the lawn with weed and feed products, herbicides, or fungicides, or as long as the chemical ingredients remain active. Some can remain active for as long as a year after usage.

Why do I use it?

• It helps keep the weeds at bay. Some weeds will sneak through, but they are easier to manage.
• I think it makes the garden look pretty, and organized. See my picture below, and see if you agree.
• It's free!
• It's ready and available (unless we are having a super dry summer).
• It's environmental friendly, and it's not filling up the land fills.
• It adds nutrients back to the garden.
• It helps keeps the moisture in the soil.

How?

• My husband collects the grass clippings with a bag attached to the lawnmower.
• He spreads the clippings in a thick layer in the paths in the garden, about 2 inches thick.
• He will do this until all the paths have grass paths. In the picture, you will notice that some paths do not have grass yet.
• Since the grass will decompose, during the remainder of the summer, he will continue to add grass where needed. When we have a pretty good mulching, he takes the bag off, and leaves the grass mulching on the lawn to help the lawn.
• He does it because I would sneeze if I did. I'm really allergic to freshly cut grass.

So, it's up to you. There are other types of mulching, but they cost money. Do your research and decide for yourself.

Recipe

This jelly is so good when served with lamb. I usually give it as gifts.

Mint Jelly

4 cups Apple Juice
1 cup Mint Leaves
1 pkg. (2 oz.) powdered Fruit Pectin
3-1/2 Tbs. bottled Lemon Juice
3-1/2 cups Sugar
3 or 4 drops Green Food Coloring, if desired

Bring apple juice to boil. Chop int leaves finely, and add to apple juice. Boil for one minute. Remove saucepan from heat and let stand covered for 15 to 20 minutes. Return to heat and bring to a boil again. Boil 30 seconds more. Pour apple juice and mint into a jelly bag and strain the juice. Do not squeeze the jelly bag. Return the apple juice to the pan and stir in the lemon juice and pectin. Bring to a boil again, stirring constantly. Add sugar all at once, stirring until well dissolved. Bring back to a rolling boil and boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add food coloring. Skim off any foam and ladle into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch head-space. Clean rims, seal, and process in hot water bath for 10 minutes. Makes 5 half pint jars.

If you don't know how to can, go to the Ball Jars website to learn.

Continuing on my path,
Aunt Janet

Why Me?

Sometimes I lie awake at night and ask why me? Then a voice answers nothing personal, your name just happened to come up.

Charles M. Schulz

Sometimes life just doesn't go your way. You can sit in a corner and cry, or you can use humor to get through it.

If I let all my life's problems get to me, my eyes would be constantly swollen and bloodshot. Instead, I try to laugh about the things that are going wrong in my life, and then go on. I cannot change circumstances that happen to me, but I can change how I react to them. At times, I cry to relieve pressure. Other times, I laugh and make a joke of it.

My financial situation will continue - my buildings are not selling. I am in shock tonight, I'll cry tomorrow, and then I will laugh, and find a way to work through the problems caused by the lack of no money. And I will laugh again!

My Animals

Puppy is still with us today. Her pain medication was not working, so the vet put her back on the original mediation. Considering that I was preparing myself to say goodbye this weekend, I am so grateful for more time with her. She was very amusing today, talking, barking and wanting attention. Thanks for your prayers!

Gardening

My garden is loaded with volunteer tomato plants. I never have to plant cherry tomatoes, because every year they come back by themselves. I just need to weed out 98 of the 100 plants. Or, figure out a way to sell them. Has anyone ever sold tomatoes to restaurants? I would love to know how to go about doing this.

Please pray for me to laugh,
Aunt Janet

Walking...

If you are seeking creative ideas, go out walking.

Angels whisper to a man when he goes for a walk.

Raymond Inmon

I went for a walk today. I took in the beauty of the woods, and introduced myself to some new farm animals. I felt refreshed, rejuvenated.

I started walking several years ago to help relieve stress and lower my cholesterol. Don't laugh - that's what the doctor prescribed. Whenever I'm feeling anxious, I go for a walk. Something always catches my eye, and makes me reflect on how blessed I really am. God will send cardinals, or a ripple in the lake, or even two small fawns to show me that He really does care. He gave us all this beauty!

So, if you are feeling down, tired, or just plain blah, go for a walk. God will send you a surprise, whether it be an idea, or something tangible like a fawn, and you will know that you are loved.

Gardening

Strawberries are here! Since the harvest is huge this year, we are sharing our strawberries with the birds and bunnies. Usually, I cover the strawberries right before they start ripening to prevent the little critters from stealing my harvest. I use netting that is big enough to let in the light, but small enough to keep out the animals. If you can't find this netting at your local hardware or garden store, you can find this netting at Gardens Alive! or Gurney's Seed and Nursery.

Easy Recipe

Springtime Salad

Spinach or Romaine Lettuce
Strawberries, sliced
Toasted, Sliced Almonds
Green Onions, Sliced
Vinaigrette or Poppy seed Dressing

The one thing about this recipe is that you can make as much as you want. Use your own taste buds and add as many of the strawberries, almonds, green onions, and salad dressing as you like.

Past Post

Per my husband's instructions, be sure to check out my previous post, Looking for Mom. My husband didn't want me to do another posting because he thought the slide show was so cute!

Take a walk and enjoy,
Aunt Janet

Where are you, mom?

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Sorry, gang! I got lost in the garden. Thanks Maggie for finding me!

Aunt Janet

Do not go where the path may lead;

go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

My Godchild graduated today, and I am extremely proud of her. She achieved so many rewards and scholarships that my sister just beams (and, of course, brags)! She is a beautiful young woman with a life time ahead. If I could give one piece of advice, it would be the quote above.

So many times, we take the safe path - the one laid out for us, when, in reality, God nudges our heart to take a different one that is not clearly marked. Lean on Him, and He will make His plans for you visible, and achievable.

Venture into the unknown, make a trail, and seek the joys in life that only come from saying "I did it!"

Aunt Janet's Sayings

I've looked my nieces and nephews in the eye, and have said:

You can do anything that you put your heart into. No goal is unachievable,

if you work hard at it. Sometimes we need help, you just have to ask.
Always remember, you can do anything!

Gardening

My garden is 95% planted. The tomatoes, peppers, zucchini, and cucumbers plants are in. I've planted carrots, onions, beets, lettuce, spinach, and radishes.
This year, before the insects attack, I am looking for ways to prevent the infestation before it happens. With the zucchinis, I always get vine borers. With the cucumbers, squash bugs, beans, June bugs, cabbage family plants, cabbage worms. So begins my research, my pouring through organic gardening books, and searching online. I would welcome any organic preventative measures that you use.

I am going to try a couple that I just read about, and will let you know if they work. For the zucchinis, their stems are getting covered with tin foil to prevent the borers from entry. For the cabbage worms, I'm going to see if I can find netting, so that the moths cannot lay eggs which turn into these destructive worms.

Recipe

This is my mother-in-law's recipe, that soon became one of my family's favorite. I've had this at many summer parties.

Broccoli Slaw

1 pkg. broccoli slaw
2-3 green onions, sliced
2 pkgs. beef Ramen Noodles
1 c. sunflower seeds
1 c. sliced almonds, if desired
1/2 c. white vinegar
1/3 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. sugar

In a large bowl, combine broccoli slaw, sunflower seeds, and green onions. Make dressing from the Ramen noodles seasoning packets in a separate bowl. Crumble the Ramen noodles and mix into slaw mix. Then, pour dressing over slaw. Enjoy!

Aunt Janet

Planting Seeds

Think twice before you speak, because your words and influence will plant the seed of either success or failure in the mind of another.

Napoleon Hill

I once read somewhere that it takes twenty positive affirmations to negate one negative comment. When you are angry and don't think before you speak, you tend to say very negative things to another. Instead, count to 100, take a deep breath, or simply walk away until you calm down. Then approach the subject without attacking, accusing, or belittling. For you are planting seeds in the minds of others, and you want them to be encouraged, uplifted, and on the road to succeed.

Gardening
Yesterday, I planted cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, and celery. It's a little late for planting veggies from the cabbage family for they tend to go to flower quicker in warmer weather. I planted them in a location where it's shaded half of the day to try to delay the flowering.

If you have never planted celery, I highly recommend trying it. It can be crowded, and you can harvest a stalk or two at a time.

Now, on to an organic way to fight cabbage worms. Any ideas?

To the garden,
Aunt Janet

Wind Beneath My Wings

I could fly higher than an eagle,
'cause you are the wind beneath my wings.

Bette Midler

I have a very special friend whose faith flows from her very being. It is awesome to listen to her, because, through all her challenges in life, she truly lives her faith, without wavering or doubting.

She deserves a round of applause because, even though the last 2 years have been the most challenging, today she received her master's degree. I am so proud, and awed, by her. Why? Her faith, and her ability to fly.

See, my friend's son, her only child, was taken from her over a year ago by a young troubled man who shot him point blank. He didn't even see it coming. As I stood in the hospital with her, I saw her take care of not only her son, but her family. She even showed compassion for the troubled young man, wondering what could have happened to him that he would even consider taking another's life, another young man so blessed with the gift of music. I watched her lean on her faith, knowing that God is in control. God did give her time with her son, time to say good-bye. When he passed on, she stood tall, knowing that her son was in God's audience, and in a much better place than we can imagine. And she went on.

She continued going to her classes while she grieved, even though at times it was hard, but knowing that this is what God wanted her to do. Now, more than a year later, she receives her master's degree, an accomplishment most of us never achieve. I applaud her.

And I am inspired by her. I see the faith she has, and, even at her darkest hour, she leans on it, believes in it, and soars like an eagle, knowing that He is wind beneath her wings.

My faith tends to waver at times, but, by her example, I am learning that He is always there, and to be grateful for each and every day. We grow through the hard times, and, by putting our trust in Him, we draw closer to our God. It is a blessing!

Congratulations, Felinda! You go girl! I am so proud of you!

Easy Recipe

You have to check out this blog! She has so many yummy recipes, and the pictures will make your mouth water! It's The Candy Bar blog.

This is such a popular appetizer with my friends and co-workers that I usually make two. Can you guess one of the businesses that I am a consultant?

Cool Veggie Pizza

1 pkg. (8 oz.) refrigerated crescent roll dough
1 package (8 oz.) cream cheese, softened
1-1/2 teaspoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dill Mix or dill weed
salt and pepper to taste
2 cups of a variety of fresh vegetables: zucchini, mushrooms, carrots, green or red peppers, green onions, seeded tomatoes, seeded cucumbers, etc.
1 oz. (1/4 cup) shredded cheddar cheese, if desired

Preheat oven to 350° F. Spread crescent roll dough onto 13-inch baking stone and pinch seams together (you can probably use a cookie sheet as well). Bake 10-12 minutes until lightly browned. Remove from oven and let cool completely.

Blend cream cheese, mayonnaise, dill weed, salt and pepper. Spread the cream cheese mixture on top of cooled crust. Coarsely chop or crinkle cut chosen vegetables. Sprinkle layer of each vegetable over pizza. Top with grated cheese, if desired. Refrigerate before serving. Yield: 8-10 appetizer servings.

Gardening

I am getting antsy. It's either raining, or the ground has been too wet to plant. Tomorrow, I am determined to plant, even if I get wet and muddy!

I tend to have dirty black nails all spring and summer. I just don't like gloves. A tip that a friend shared with me is to put soap under your finger nails before you dig into the dirt. It works, as long as the ground isn't too muddy!

Another tip - share your plants! If yours die off, you can always ask for plants in return. I share my herbs, hostas, perennials, and berry plants. I am looking for a free hand-out of different variety of hostas. Do you need to break yours up? Can I have a plant or two? Please...

Aunt Janet's Famous Sayings

I'm suffering from empty nest syndrome for aunts. Here's a new one - "If you really care for someone, you will find time to call." Don't put it off, just call!

You know I love you,
Aunt Janet

Do What You Love

There can be no other occupation like gardening in which, if you were to creep up behind someone at their work, you would find them smiling.

~Mirabel Osler

I love the beginning of Spring when it's warm enough to get my fingers in the soil, to cut away the old, and plant the new. I am a gardener. I lose myself in the work, in the planning, preparing, planting, and harvesting of my little plot of ground. My husband says "If there's a empty piece of earth, Janet will find a way to plant something." It is my passion.

Too many of us neglect our passions. We spend too much time trying to please others, to do as they say, as they desire for our lives.

Most of us are not encouraged to seek our passion. We are taught to go the safe route, to blend in with the norm, and to forget ourselves.

My life was like that. I choose a major in school to please others. I got a job, found a niche, and have worked in my present occupation for the last twenty years. But it's not my passion.

My advice to the young - Do what you love. Only you can determine which path to follow. Do you follow the one others have set for you, or do you follow your passion? They say: Do something you love, and the money will come. Or do what you love, and you will never work a day in your life.

My advice to the elder - You can always change your occupation, and do what you love. Go part time to school or start your business small, working part time at it until it can support you financially at a level in which you are accustomed. But never, ever, think you are too old to grab a hold of that dream and fly!

Someday, hopefully soon, my dream to have a working garden will happen and I will be smiling. I just wish I figured this out sooner, but, for now, I pour through gardening books, work with the soil, and learn as much as I can about my love.

Gardening

Perennials multiply. Some quicker than others. As I clear my flower beds, and vegetable garden, I see what needs to be thinned and transplanted. I need to break up my irises, hostas, and day lilies. I need to pull up the candy mint that took over the strawberry patch. The strawberries have grown beyond their imaginary boundaries. I need to dig up horseradish before it takes over, or my husband hits it with the rototiller (if we get ours fixed).

Spring is a time for sharing, for giving of one's garden to another. By doing this, if my plants die, I will always find these plants in someone else's garden, ready to be given back to me. So, I will ask "Who wants strawberries, horseradish, candy mint, or any of my other perennials that have taken over?"

Money Making Tip

Another way to share is to sell your plants at a garage sale, or, if you have an overabundance of many plants, advertise in the classifieds or have a plant sale.

Recipe

Aunt Janet's Stew

1 lb. stew meat, cut in bite size pieces
5 potatoes, cubed
3 celery stalks, sliced
4 carrots, sliced
1 large onion, chopped coarsely
1 garlic clove, minced
16 oz. can of tomatoes, undrained and chopped
3 beef bouillon cubes
1 Tbs. of Italian Seasoning, or 1-1/2 tsp. basil and 1-1/2 tsp. oregano
1/8 tsp. pepper

Put all the above in crock pot, and cook on low for 8-10 hours, or high for 5-6 hours.

Dancing in the Rain

Anyone who says sunshine brings happiness has never danced in the rain.

Author Unknown

Happiness is a choice. You can choose to be happy or you can choose to be sad. You can choose to let everything bother you, or you can choose to let it all go upwards. If someone is arguing with you, you can choose to argue back, or choose to walk away. It is all your choice.

So many people expect things to fit into a mold, to go the way they want them to go, and, to even expect others to act the way they want them to act. They curse at the next driver, or snap at a store clerk. Why? What's the purpose? Are you going to change anything by acting negatively?

Life, and people, will not be what you want them to be. God made each of us unique, with are own values, talents, and beliefs. That's what makes life interesting. You have no control over what goes on around you - you can only control what goes on inside yourself.

When I'm upset, I am a master distractor (sp?). I read, write, take down wallpaper, tear down walls (I have done this), make something, go for a walk - anything to take my mind off the problem. Sometimes this is good, but sometimes you do have to face your problems, and work through them, understanding that you alone can make a change. Again, you cannot control anyone or anything else, only yourself.

So, when life gets you down, do something positive - anything. Plant a garden, visit a friend, go to a movie, just something. Because life will not always happen like you planned it, and, from time to time, it will pour, leaving many puddles and muddy patches along the way. You can dance and get muddy like a child, and make the most out of what was handed to you! Have you ever danced in the rain?

Gardening

Even though it is only the end of March, and, more than likely, there will be another frost, I bought onion sets the other day. Onions are hardy. If the frost kills the green tops, the bulb is still okay. In fact, every year, I find onions that I forgot to pull last year, with their green tips sticking out of the earth, ready to snip off for cottage and green onions.

One other bulb that comes back year after year is garlic. It multiplies! Each clove becomes a new plant. I only planted garlic once. I am able to give it away, and use it all through the growing season, and still have a healthy garlic patch. It even grows if it's been rototilled and the little clove has been moved, involuntarily, from its bed. My husband always hits part of the garlic patch every year with the rototiller.

I plan to spend this weekend separating my garlic cloves, so each will produce new bulbs, and planting my onions sets. Within a couple of weeks, I should have green onions, and my first harvest from my little garden. Yummm!!!

Easy Recipe

When we make the Chicken Crescent recipe that I posted just recently, I always make this recipe. My husband and I decided that they just go together, along with some kind of saucy noodles. And it's so easy to prepare.

Cottage Cheese and Green Onions

16 oz cottage cheese, your choice what kind, low-fat, no fat, or with all the fat
2-3 green onions

Cut green onions tips into ringlets (I don't know how else to say this). Chop bulb into small pieces. Mix with cottage cheese and serve.

Free Stuff

Get a free sample of Tide TotalCare.

Family

My family is celebrating two birthdays today, March 19th - my sister-in-law Linda's birthday and my nephew Eric's birthday. Happy Birthday to you, and I won't sing because you know how I sound. (Everyone makes fun of my singing, and I can't figure out why. It sounds great to me.)

Aunt Janet

Eye on the Sparrow

His eye is on the sparrow, so I know He watches me.

Civilla Durfee Martin

Sometimes life gets overwhelming. We wonder "Where is God?" We look for answers, searching for the why, reaching out to others and up to Him, and our prayers go unanswered.

There is a Bible verse where Jesus tells us "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." (Matthew 10:29-31)

We have heard the song, reflected on the words. I found out a little about this beautiful hymn. Civilla Durfree Martin wrote the song was "His Eye Is On The Sparrow" in 1904. She had said, "I wrote the song 'His Eye Is on the Sparrow' in the company of a bedridden saint in the city of Elmira, New York. I was reading and singing to her and during our conversation, I chanced to ask her if she did not sometimes get discouraged. This is when she responded about God's care for the sparrow. Her answer prompted me to find paper and pencil, and in a very short time I had completed the poem."

If God cares enough for a sparrow, why should I even think He doesn't care for me? If He knows when one sparrow falls, why shouldn't He know when I fall - when life's problems are too great?

The verse goes on to tell us not to be afraid. He knows how many hairs we have on our head. He cares. He will take care of us.

What can we do while we are waiting, when our life's problems surround us? My first thought is "Be still and know that I am God." Someone once told me that we are to be still because satan cannot read our minds. He can only see our actions, hear our words, know our heartbeat. So, if we are still, he has no idea what is going on in our head - our worry and hopelessness. She said that the only way to do this was to pray, to hand over all our worries to God. Our actions won't reflect our anxiety. Our words and actions will not convey our hopelessness. Think - when you pray, doesn't it feel good to get it off your chest, to ask for help, to say "I cannot do this"? You let go, and let God. Who is more able to take care of our problems then God?

I think that one reason I write these blogs is, not only to share what I believe, but, maybe more importantly, so that I reflect, so I can remember, and so I can get through my hectic life, and then strive for that simple life.

Aunt Janet's Famous Sayings

When I worry about a family member, I have been know to ask: "What do you want? A balloon, flying carpet, basket, or airplane? And what color?" I take whatever they say, have them hold it, put them on it, or in it, and let go. In my mind, I visualize them going up to God. Who else is better able to take care of them? If I step in the picture - give my opinion, try to help, or offer advice - and I am worrying too much about them, I just may get in God's way, and I don't want to do that. I mean He's the big guy, the top dog. God is far more capable to take care of them then I am.

So, what do you want? To fly to heaven on a balloon, flying carpet, basket, or airplane? And you know if I'm asking you, don't you? Purple with pink polk-a-dots flying carpet girl, or is it the basket lady?

The Garden

I thought I'd add a new section to my blog - The Garden. If you've read my previous blogs, you may have found out that I am an avid gardener. I also don't have a lot of time to spend in the garden, but it's the place I find peace.

In early spring, I try to go out to the garden to cut back all the dead debris from the last year. The earlier I do it, the more I am able to do. See, perennials and herbs tend to start peaking through the ground early, and if you wait to cut them back, you may not be able to cut them back without injuring the new growth.

Also, I do this in the beginning of spring instead of the end of fall because the leaves and other dead material will cover the plant in winter. A harsh winter may kill even a hardy perennial. You have heard of cones that you put over your rose bushes. Well, the dead stuff covers the plants like the cones - to help them survive another winter. (Side note - There are some perennials that are not winter hardy, and should be dug up and put in a sheltered area. One that comes to mind is calla lily. So, it's best to read about your plants to know for sure.)


Okay, I feel better again. Thanks for reading my blog! Please do pray for me and my frazzled life (and click away on this blog), and I will pray for you.

Aunt Janet

Flowers and Hope

Where flowers bloom so does hope.

Lady Bird Johnson

Chapel Bridge in Lucerne, Switzerland Artist: Becky Haldorson
The robins are singing, the plants are peaking through, and the crocuses have bloomed. Behold, spring is in the air.

I always feel uplifted when I go to the garden. To me, removing the dead remininces of the last year is saying goodbye to what was yesterday. Today is coming alive, and tomorrow there will be flowers. It gives me hope and promise that beauty is yet to come.

I cleansed myself yesterday. Today I played in my garden with hope. My problems may be overwhelming at times, but the beauty that God has bestowed on us is wonderous. He is there. Like a flower that starts as a small plant, growing until it bursts with its beauty, I am growing through my experiences and know that someday His plan for my life will bloom, with all of the beauty He intends for me.

Money Making Tips

My talented friend displays her pictures on the Artist Rising website. The above picture is an example of her artistry. She makes a commission on each photograph they sell. To view her other photographs, please go to this Artist Rising link.

If you would like to find out more about displaying and selling your photographs on line, go to Artist Rising