No...Haven't Been On Vacation....But

Hi there everyone. As my title says....No, Haven't been on vacation....But.........

I sure wish I could take off to someplace nice and sunny, with lots of water around me.....these two pictures look mighty fine to me.

So what have I been doing since my last post on June 11th???

Visiting my neighbors garden to see  how her garden is growing....these are some of her lovely Clementius

Making cards at Betty's. Plus making cards in my basement.....keeping very busy there.

Cooking.....ah yes......cooking with Blue Apron and whatever I may come up with on the days without Blue Apron.

Celebrating Father's Day with this cute and yummy little Chocolate cake from Festival Foods.....when in doubt....buy a cake!!!

Going through storms that eventually pass. This limb came crashing down on my pond garden and hit the cloths line....no damage though.

This past weekend I went on a Garden Walk, put on by the Master Gardeners. This garden was in Neenah....every plant is grown in water and some never touch soil till it is planted outside. Those blue tanks hold Tipila fish....their waste is converted to fertilizer for plants and the plants filter water that returns to the fish....Now that is what I call the circle of life!!!

I bought some Heirloom tomatoes from them and were they ever delicious. I have plans of going back there a couple more times this summer, as they have duck and chicken eggs for sale. JP has been wanting duck eggs. When we had our 20 acres, I raised chickens and ducks and we got quite a few eggs. Two chicken eggs = 1 duck egg and JP always got a duck egg and bacon for breakfast. He misses those eggs. So now we found them in Neenah and he is a happy man!!!

This was a cute little wheel barrel on a walk.....the gardener is just now working up this section of his yard and for added eye appeal, he added this wheel barrel. I have an old wheel barrel in my yard too....it's growing cucumbers and a drawer of radishes, onions and swiss chard. I shall have to take a picture soon. I have been re purposing my drawers, repainting, putting knobs on, filling with dirt and planting stuff. (pictures to follow)

This same man's garden, square foot and rotating garden. I really like this concept as there is no deep bending and everything is up off the ground. I will show you more pictures at a later date. I took over 30 pictures on the 4 places I walked through and then I missed 2 of the places.

At this garden the lady had over 1000+ hostas' in her back yard....it's her hobby for sure.....it sure was a lovely garden though and each hostas was marked as to what it's name was. This is her wheel barrel.

Another view of her yard. More pictures to follow in future posts.

This stepping stone was in her garden.....I just had to take a picture. One of my plans this summer is to make my own stepping stones.....I have the cement, forms and some broken pottery and cracked marbles and such. So I am ready for the great experiment. If I make an abundance of stepping stones, I might try selling them.....who knows?

A few signs in the gardens....."Happiness is a butterfly in my garden"

"There is no set Path....follow your heart.

I have a few other things up my sleeve that I want to make....but that may be down the road a bit. I think by the time I do everything I want.....Fall will be here and I still have not gotten all my ceramic figures out yet.....yikes, times a wasting!!!!

I am so glad I am feeling better this summer and not sick, like I was last summer with my hernia problems....2015 was a tuff year for me with dental, eye surgery and the hernia surgery plus being sick and throwing up so much. Yeah, this is definitely a better year.

Well, time to close here before I bore you to death. Have a great day and keep looking up.....better days are coming.
Cheers ~ Louise

Thanksgiving and Black Friday

Happy Thanksgiving to you all that might be reading my blog today. Our thanksgiving was small (JP and I) and quiet, but a very good day. A new vegetable was added to the turkey menu, and that was swiss chard. I hadn't used swiss chard since the 80's when I planted it in my garden. Saw a recent cooking show with Curtis Stone using swiss chard and thought, now that looks fun, even down to the cutting of the chard, quick and easy and healthy no doubt!!!

We had turkey, with the potatoes and carrots thrown in with the turkey the last hour of cooking, dressing, pumpkin souffle', swiss chard, gravy, real cranberry sauce, relish dish, and pumpkin pie! All for just two people...........did not know anyone that needed a meal, guess we are out of the loop of important people to invite or something. That's okay though, we enjoy each other's company......good thing after 39 years. I have already turned some of the left overs into turkey soup, so meals today will be easy and then tonight....turkey dinner again.

Today being Black Friday, I shall be one of those that "stays home". Never was interested in venturing out and fighting the crowds of people........no, don't think so, not today. Plus a big factor would be "no money"!!! My next investment for December will be a "Dutch Oven" which I have been wanting since I first saw the movie "Julia and Julie". A bigger pot has been on my mind for making soup for quite a long time and a "Dutch Oven would fit the bill. Of course I am saving for one.....so it will be awhile before I get the one I want, which sits at Walmart, a red one for $70. That will be my Christmas present.

Well, time to close this blog for the day..........and get something done around this house, have a good day and Happy Thanksgiving to one and all.
~Louise~