YUM!

I invented something! At least I think I did. I never heard of anyone else doing this.

I had a roll of that refrigerated biscuit dough in the fridge that needed to be baked because the date was up. I never cared for them myself but thought I could make them for company. Anyhow they sat there until this morning.

I had this idea that I could melt some butter and dip them in that then roll them in sugar and cinnamon before baking. Can you tell my sweet tooth was nagging at me? After they were ready for the cookie sheet I decided to cut them in half because the biscuits were large. It only took about 10 minutes to bake.

These are very simple to do and I gotta tell you they are yummy good!

They are shaped like half moons so I think I'll call them Cinnamoon's. A better name than Moonies I think.

LOL

Raspberries and strawberries are ripening as fast as I can process them. I made three batches of Strawberry freezer jam last week and today I did one batch of Raspberry freezer jam. It's so simple to make and takes very little time.

And then of course there are those nice rewards. I can enjoy some now and on the cold winter days when the north wind is making herself known by howling around the side of my house and dropping the temp to about 20 degrees, I can cozy up with my puppies in a fuzzy blanket and we can enjoy the summers blessings together.

May our precious Lord bless each of you and fill you with the joy that only He can give.
I want to wish you a safe and happy Independence Day.
God bless our Troops and God Bless America!

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ROSES & BROWNIE HOUSES

I know I have posted pictures of this rose before but I just have to bless you with a few more this season. It is truly an amazing plant. It isn't bothered with aphids, slugs, rabbits, black spot, rust, fungus and even the deer don't bother it. I wonder if the Lord has sent Sentry's to guard it~~~
Many hundreds of blossoms so fragrant that when it is in full bloom I can smell the them from my back deck.

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OK~ NOW FOR THE BROWNIE HOUSES

My second daughter Kathy Sue, gave me some of the cutest little elf figurines to add to a small area I had previously made into what I called Brownie Houses. Most of the old figurines had disintegrated and it needed redone, so this is what it looks like right now, and I am still adding things like plants, old mossy stumps, etc.

When I was a little girl, my cousin Carol and I played together all the time. We were neighbors and our grandma lived in a little house between us. Grandma was Irish and Scottish with a wild imagination and an incredible sense of humor. She told us stories, oh boy did she ever! Even ghost stories on cold stormy nights by the firelight that came from her wood cook stove. Mercy! Did we ever love that!!!

When we were being naughty, she would stare up at the corner of the room where ceiling and wall meet, and in a low voice growl, "Brownies in the corner.." We never saw anything but were convinced that grandma did, and would straighten up immediately. We didn't know what those brownies might do and didn't want to find out.

One day she gave us some little figurines to play with. I remember a man and woman dressed in Victorian clothes, and a few little animals. Well, I guess Grandmas imagination must have spilled over on us because we took the figurines outside and found a place under the Lilacs and snowberry bushes where the moss was thick, and placed the figurines around an used a piece of broken mirror for a pond. We left them over night and the next morning we found a few twigs had been added and some leaves. We were sure that brownies had come and were using our play area to make new homes.

Over the next several months Carol and I had a wonderful time adding to our Brownie Houses. I think we knew it was pretend but Grandma played along and even found little things for us to add. It was fun and is still a very precious memory.

I made one several years ago for my grand kids, and here I am making another one for my great grand kids to enjoy.

Thank you my sweet Kathy for inspiring me.

I think the little Brownies are so cute. I'm thinking about giving them names. Maybe Irish names.....

If you click the photo to enlarge you can see more detail.

This photo isn't very good. There is another brownie behind sleeping but it sort of messes up the front one. I need to find a better place for it.

This little guy is hanging over a slab of Petrified wood, offering a bouquet. His back side is just as cute as the front! My Ex-husband and I used to be 'Rock hounds' and collected a variety of pretty stones. To the left of the photo is a palm fossil.

Doesn't he look comfy? I'm glad the snail is not real. I love the pretty petunias and lobelia I have planted out there. I didn't plant all those little weedy things you see in the pictures, but they actually add to the scene! I am hoping to get Irish moss and a few other types started out there.

Well now you know what we do when we reach our second childhood!

Sorry I am not able to do much blogging lately . There is a load of work to do outside. I'm still working on making the new lawn besides making strawberry jam, chasing pups, etc, I am very busy.

God bless all.

Love and hugs!

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GARDEN BLESSING'S

This little rose is growing from rootstock that had a graft that didn't survive one cold winter. I think it's pretty and it smells good too so I let it grow. Besides Mr. & Mrs Sparrow like posies beside their cottage.
My garden looks sort of odd with the newspaper and grass clippings around everything but the plants are thriving with the mulch. I actually took this picture of the Elephant Garlic growing to the left of the garden. I am five foot six and a half and the garlic is taller than I am.

I did more tilling and just have a small area left but need to finish transplanting the flowers that are growing there before I till. I have two very large perennial Candy Tuft and some Sweet Willie's that I want to save. After I till this area, I will till over he entire garden one more time then rake it smooth. I 'm using my riding mower to pack it down and it works great. It's much easier than a roller and I can do wheelies too!

My Raspberries are loaded this year. Last year I put some 'black gold' compost on them and this year a half a bag of steer manure. I'd say they like it.
I have been eating Strawberries from my garden for the past few weeks. YUM!

The Martha Rose is lovely as it always is. This one I started from a twig I got from a dear old German Lady. She didn't know what it was called so I named it after her.
It's impossible to walk by this lovely blossom without taking time to bow my head and breath in it's incredible fragrance and praise God for it!
I wish you could smell it.


I have two Beauty Bushes. Both were also started from twigs. They are blooming like crazy this year. They aren't fragrant but they are so gorgeous I don't notice.

I know all these flowers have botanical names but I sure don't know them all.

This peony was here when I moved in in 1983. It looks good enough to eat! And that's about all I can say about it.

Blue Nigella is actually one of the few blue flowers I have. As you can see they turn more purple as they age, but just see what an intricate flower this is. Not just the blossom but the leaves are beautiful too.

Another Rose I don't have a name for. It was growing at the house my family moved to in 1949, which is just across the street from where I live now so I call it "Mom's Rose." I was told it is an heirloom English rose and it smells like one. It is a rambler and I have to fight the deer to keep it going. Whatever it is I love it. I do wish I knew it's name.

Last year, some Leaf beetles totally defoliated my Laburnum. "oops! I goofed. This was a Snowball Tree not a Laburnum which is a golden chain tree" I could have used a poison to treat the soil and try to be rid of the pests but because I have dogs and am not comfortable using pesticides where they play I decided to cut down the dear Snowball tree. I left the stumps and recently my kids moved one of my bird baths onto it. I see there is one I need to cut out but I think it makes a nice place for the birds to bathe. I need to get this garden weeded out but have to finish the tilling and lawn first. Besides, I think snakes are living in this weed patch!

We moved this bird bath to the place the other used to be. I like the blue Nigella beside it and Mom's pretty pink rose behind. The large clumps of greenery on either side are Phlox. One is salmon pink and the other is lavender. This is another plant the deer like to feast on so I have to keep blood meal on them in order to see any blossoms.

My pond Lily's are blooming right now. Five blossoms so far!!

Aren't they pretty? The neighborhood dogs think my pond is their swimming hole and jump in to cool off on hot days. It tears up the lily pads though so I try to keep them out.

Here's the mystery rose. It is reddish right now but changes to pink and even an orange color.

The little yellow blossom beside it is beautifully created. Many little yellow petals that become a fluffy orb of parachuted seeds for my little great grandchildren to blow wishes into.

~~~

I give thanks to my Heavenly Father for his delightful creations and for the senses he gave me to appreciate them, and for the common sense to know He alone created them.

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WORKIN & DREAMIN

This is what I have been up to lately. Turning flower gardens into lawn because I just can't keep up with all the weeds! The above shot shows the area I have already rototilled and raked. It still needs a few adjustments before grass seed. You can see the trunk of the old Gravenstein tree in this shot.
This is the area above the Gravenstein tree that I have gotten partly done but took the picture before then. Just one more day of tilling I think, then several days of raking, smoothing and seeding. WHEW!
I am taking today off just as I did over the week end. I am going to the beach with my sisters and this evening I am going to a concert where my Great Granddaughter Julia is playing her violin.
The following pictures are for dreaming.


My daughter Cyndi took this picture a few weeks ago at Hobuck Beach, in Washington State. Thanks Cyndi!

My Niece Anne took this one at Oroville, Washington where she goes to dredge for gold. Thanks Anne!

I took this one several years ago. My mom is standing in the sunset at Boulevard Park in Bellingham, Washington.

Here's another by Cyndi. A clump of flowers in the California Desert. It's hard for me to imagine anything so colorful growing in the sand. Thanks again Cyndi!

When my girls lived in San Diego I was able to visit them several times and we always took a day for visiting the beach. One of my favorite places!

California sunsets are a sight to behold. I was told the reason they are so colorful is because of the pollution, but I'd rather think the Lord painted a colorful picture.

This is Torrey Pines Beach. The evening this picture was taken was my last night in California. My daughter and I were enjoying time together and I was taking pictures.

There is a very interesting story about that evening on the beach that I will post next time.

My youngest sister and I used to go camping in Eastern Washington . One day we took a drive to a place called Lion Rock where the view was spectacular. I only had a 35 mil. camera then but sure wish I had had my Digital! We could actually see three snow topped mountains from there but only one shows in this shot.

Bellingham Bay.

I'm blessed that it's only about five minutes away from my house. I grew up playing on the beach there and now here I am a great grandma and I'm still playing there, only now with a camera in my hand.

The last photo in this post is another sunset on Bellingham Bay.

I hope you have enjoyed a little dreaming time.

~~~

May our Lord keep you always in His loving care and may he take you on a guided tour of his awesome creations.

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THE LORD'S COLORFUL BLESSINGS

My backyard has been invaded by buttercups. A tapestry of yellow and green. Just look at the delicate, satin petals. Oh but He must have had a wonderful time creating!
Here is my lovely mystery rose. It is about seven ft. tall and that wide. The blossoms are small, about 3 inches across and very fragrant. As you can see there are hundreds of flowers. Does anyone know what this beauty is called?

Here's another lovely yellow blossom. I love Day lilies and hope to get some more of different colors soon.

Another plant that has become very prolific here is Columbine. I have them growing all over the place. I started with one purple plant, then got seeds for a pink one from a seed exchange friend. Those two have cross pollinated and nine years later I have just about every color. I love them and am tempted to call my place, Columbine Cottage.

Here's the beautiful Petunia basket my girls gave me for May Day. Just look at all the blossoms!! It has grown so much it covers the entire Bistro table!

I was to taken with the moss rose I had a few years ago that I had to get more this year. This is the first to bloom. Isn't it sweet? That's Million Bells behind it.

This Peony was growing here when I moved in and it's still going strong. The blossoms are so huge and heavy the stems can't hold them up so I put tomato cages over them early spring and they hold the branches up really nice. My longtime friend Bonnie R told me about this neat trick. Thanks Bonnie!

Here's an interesting color Columbine. It has more red in it than any of the others I have seen. And yes, it is descended from the original purple and pink plants. I guess it must have had a red ancestor.

This delicate pink Columbine looks so sweet with the light from the sky as a background. I love to enlarge these shots and look at all the detail in the petals.

Here's what I mean about Columbine being so prolific. Oh yes, you can see the buttercups too. I do like the yellow but sure wish they weren't so invasive! If you have never had to deal with pulling up Buttercups, you are blessed. The root system is not fun to deal with!

I read a book about a lady named Ruth Stout, who had her own way of gardening and decided to try it this year. She used newspaper between the veggie rows then topped them with grass clippings. This keep the weeds down, work as a mulch to keep moisture in and when they decompose they enrich the soil. This is recycling at it's best and a win win situation! I had shredded several bags of paper so put that around the plants then dumped grass clippings over top. I have to say my Sweet Meat Squash plants look happy as heck about it.

The Heirloom Grape Kool*Aid Iris is happy looking. It was separated and moved in March. And the double white lilac did it's self proud this year too. I hope someday you can enjoy the fragrance of these two old favorites.

See the moss covered branch of the old Gravenstein Apple Tree at the right? I think it's

pretty. This tree is doing wonderful since it's pruning and even has tiny green apples.

This Iris grows by the fish pond and is one of my favorites. The combination of white and lavender and the way the petals furl is so graceful. The lily pads on the pond promise me another year of pretty pink water lily's to come. The fish hide under them too.

Another lovely Iris. I guess I like them all, but isn't this a delightful color? I have to use a lot of slug bait around here as they will eat most anything.

This Anemone sure steps out and says howdy! I planted a package of rhizomes a few years ago and am really happy with the display I get from them. I still can't believe that a little brown dried up thing like that looks like a turd can produce such a gorgeous blossom.

I imagine it's sort of like we humans being just a lump of dirt before salvation, and after accepting the Lord, blooming into the beautiful spirit filled being we were created to be.

GOD IS SO NICE!

May He bless each of you and help you to bloom real pretty!

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