quote

"Now this sweet vision of my boyish hours
Free as spring clouds and wild as summer flowers
Is faded all - a hope that blossomed free
And hath been once no more shall ever be."
John Clare, from The Mores

quote for the first mild March day - a month late

"It is the first mild day of March:
Each minute sweeter than before,
The redbreast sings from the tall larch
That stands beside our door..."
- William Wordsworth

An Herbal Timeout and Happy Easter!

The Herbal Husband comes home soon and I'm going to take a little break from blogging!  Hope you all have a great Easter and I'll be back blogging soon.  Can't stay away too long!

quote

All Nature seems at work. Slugs have their lair -

The bees are stirring - birds are on the wing -

And Winter, slumbering in the open air,

Wears on his smiling face a dream of Spring!

- Samuel Taylor Coleridge

An Overnight Guest!

No, not inside, outside!  Haven't seen a deer in the way back for a while because of all of the snow.  Now the tender vegetation is coming up, they know exactly when to come and browse!  Hopefully, I will get some cleaning done inside now that it is raining out!  Got to run!  Talk to you later!

quote

"There is hope for herbalism and natural healing in the 20th century. Everywhere a revival of interest and a new spirit of inquiry are evident... The debt to plants as the original sources of valuable modern medicines is today more readily acknowledged... The current revival of interest in the values, properties, and uses of nature's products gives hope that thousands of years of accumulated knowledge will not be completely buried in the stampede so dubiously named progress."
- John Lust, The Herb Book

I Have Survived for the Most Part!

I'm in the home stretch of being with the birds and the plants by myself!  Here is my breakfast this morning!  A vegetable omelet with an egg and 2 egg whites (out of a carton) and 2 T. of skim milk (mixed in a bowl), spinach, mushrooms, a bit of onion (veggies cooked in the microwave for a minute).  Spray a cooking spray in a pan and heat on high.  Pour in egg mixture, let it set up, turn off heat and then add veggies and 3 T. of reduced fat mozzarella cheese in the middle, sprinkle with some herbs, fold the ends to the middle and serve.  I'm thinking of mixing the veggies and cheese together before putting it into the omelet.  I must tell you that it is very filling and delicious.  Hope you will try it.  I have just about lost about 20 pounds and not just because I have been cooking for myself.  I have done pretty well, but it does take A LOT of brain power to plan your meals.  I hope to do some more planning when The Herbal Husband returns later this week!  Hope you are enjoying your weekend wherever you may be.

quote

From an old copy of the Gilded Herb (a Canadian magazine):
"Spring is the season of hope and emerging new green life. Its promise has served to cheer many a winter-weary Canadian - even in centuries past. Here is a quote from Catherine Parr Traill, a pioneer of the 1800's. Emigrating from England, she found a hard life awaiting her in the forests here, but left us with a written legacy of her thoughts. In April, 1888, from Peterborough, Ontario, she wrote a letter to her daughter, Annie Atwood. In it she notes that "the cold winds still prevail" and that she "longs for sunny mild days". Then she says:
"I long for air and pottering about the garden and the sight of green things is life to me."

An Early Morning Awards Ceremony!

My best girlfriend and her daughter, Miss C and I went to Heinz Field today for the 71st Annual Pittsburgh Regional Science and Engineering Fair awards ceremony.  It was quite an impressive event.  Miss C had the highest score at her school so she along with 39 other participants from her school were competing for awards along with hundreds of other students from various parts of Pennsylvania, Maryland and West Virginia.  I think I heard her school's name several times.  Our girl did not win any awards this time, but wait until next year!  Congratulations Miss C!  You're number one in our eyes!  Heinz Field is an impressive place and has beautiful views of Pittsburgh!  Hope you had a great day wherever you may be!

quote

"If you've never started seeds, don't worry too much about it. Remember, nature has designed them to want to grow. You and the garden seeds have exactly the same goal ... what could be more reassuring?"
- Ruth Page in Over The Hedge

Spring Herbs - What Are We Doing Now?

My friend Cory from Aquarian Bath suggested that it would be fun if people from all over would write about their current herbal activities. Other truly wonderful and inspiring posts are available here:
http://aquarianbath.blogspot.com/2010/04/spring-herbs-blog-party.html after the first of April, but I couldn't wait. The topic seemed pretty exciting to me. Let's face it - it has been a long winter, and neither bitter winds, nor sucking mud, nor chilling rains can stay me from the green stuff that is now carpeting the ground where only a few short weeks ago, snowdrifts lay.
At the moment, I am spending a little time now and then gathering teeny-tiny leaves that my sister and I will be using in a top-secret project. Ok... you dragged it out of me. We going to play with some resin.
Otherwise, the big fun right now is in finding what survived over the winter.
Some of the plants fight with surrounding plants for space each year. In fact we have a lot of that around here. I talk a lot about the mountain mint and the various other mints (that have been plowed - heh heh heh), but there are some other herbs that are sort of bullies. Chamomile is one that is really taking over, as well as the St. Johnswort. As you can see, the SJW is already greened up and starting to move 'em out!Both of those I have encouraged, so it will be my own fault when the day comes that they require "management". Thyme is another one, and that's sort of surprising. My luck with thyme up until now has been so-so, and right now it would seem that the thyme has taken several feet to itself. It's ok though... I like it.Some plants will produce for the first time this year, and I'm expecting the gooseberries and currants to be among them. Perhaps the figs will have time to ripen this year? Looking at the bayberries, it looks like they will also provide some wax this year.
Part of every day will find me outside, pulling away some fallen leaves from the autumn, digging out some overly enthusiastic mustard or cress, or even transplanting to a better place that I remember considering from last year.
Another task is cutting back the shrubs and bushes that are the foundation for the gardens.
This second year parsley is back, but it will bolt quickly. Some new plants will go in and be allowed to grow while we have this to use in the meantime. If they get out of hand, they will shade everything and my beloved weeds and herbs would just vanish. Beautiful little monarda leaves are just coming through the ground. This particular plant has bright candy pink flowers in summer. It is my favorite of the monardas, followed closely by the typical bright clear red variety.The cleavers is having no trouble holding its own on the side of the house. I've noticed quite a bit of cleavers out there this year. It looks very robust.There is one valerian that has volunteered underneath an evergreen bush of some sort, and *somebody* is going to have to move, there. This is the original plant...The chives have a few more weeks before they will bloom, but their succulent "leaves" wave bravely in the cool, windy weather. They are perfectly fine to eat now.I hesitate to mention this, but there is someone living under the front porch again. It is somebody small, and I think it is a chipmunk family, since they've been seen in the front garden. Oh please, if it has to be something living there, let it be a chipmunk rather than a groundhog or skunk - PLEASE!!!
Chickweed is incredibly lush at this time of year. It has been around pretty much all year (except July, August, and September), but this is when it is best.So that's what I'm doing with herbs right now. Daydreaming, rearranging, nudging, making room for, and a little petting and fawning. The anise hyssop is already fragrant and tasty, and the leaves are perfect for this time of year.... they somehow don't make you feel crazy if you pet them :-).

Guest Blogging for The Herb Companion Magazine!

It has been almost a year since I started guest blogging for The Herb Companion magazine and I have loved every minute of it!  It was such a nice weekend past that I had to spend some time in the herb garden starting the spring cleanup.  So here is my report on how the herbs fared during the February snows.  It is the link.  Hope you enjoy it!  If you have any questions about the spring cleanup in your herb garden, please let me know!  Chilly again this morning.  It's only March.  Can't wait for spring for real!  Hope you have a great weekend wherever you may be.

Cheep Rooms on Thursdays!

This is a pretty mundane birdhouse in our yard.  It is supposed to be a wren house, but everything but a wren has lived in it!  Last renters were yellowjackets!  It was a surprise when you were trying to work weeding or planting in that part of the yard!  Keep away from the front because they were very protective of their space!  Always an adventure!  Hope you will click the photo along the right side of this post to participate in this weekly event inspired by Tufa Girl and her blog, Texas Tufa.  Join in the fun!  Really late blogging today because I was at a Penn State IPM Seminar all day.  Loads of information and a great lunch  makes for a great day.  Talk to you later!

quote

"Flowers sweeten the air,
rejoice the eye,
link you with nature
and innocence
and are something to love.

If they cannot
love you in return,
they cannot
utter hateful words
even if neglected; for
though they are all beauty
they possess no vanity; and
living as they do
to do you good
and afford you pleasure
how can you neglect them!"
- Leigh Hunt

quote

"A man of knowledge like a rich soil feeds

if not a world of corn, a world of weeds."

- Benjamin Franklin

too much new

It has been an interesting week. I was not aware of how deeply ingrained some of my work habits are until late last week I noticed the old desktop laboring away over the simplest file save. Opening an email was a Herculean effort too. So before shutting down for the night, the backup was checked, and a few critical data files emailed to myself... and sure enough the next morning the computer was dead. Died peacefully while I slept. Sniff...
Back in November, my brother gifted me with a laptop. It has been a nice toy. Now it is pressed into service and I am quickly learning Win 7, which is only vaguely different. At the same time, I decided to cut the decade-plus addiction to AOL. As one of the remaining 2 0r 3 hundred remaining paid users, it was time for us to break up. I admit to feeling a little queasy about all of this.Oh - and I have a new camera too. The old one still works in case I can't stand anymore change, but learning is good. Just not so much at once and not so...under the gun! Fortunately the magazine was completed the day before the crash :-)
Heh - Blogger just posted this before I was finished.... life on the edge is tough.
This morning I walked in the woods. Let's see if some of the pictures can be posted here...
Walking down to the woods, there were daffodils blooming next to the pond. The deep blue sky and the reflection on the pond was perfect. Nearby a woodpecker was giving a tree what-for.
Looking up towards the sky, the trees are all bursting out with buds of various sizes, shapes, and colors - some flowers and some just leaves. Occasionally someone (ok - the sycamores) still has a few of last autumn's decor.
The star magnolias beside the pond are ready to go crazy.Along the creek a box turtle met a sad fate. It is rare to see them here at all, and even rarer to see the whole, undamaged shell. When we lived in VA, the dog loved turtle meat more than just about anything, and since they were so plentiful. she ate well. Here they are much less common.
It seems like gradually things will start to make sense to me. Resisting change is probably normal for most - and apparently I am part of "the most".
Oh well.

I Can't Believe This is Still Around!

The black squirrel is still around the garden.  It doesn't usually hang around this long.  Maybe it knows The Herbal Husband is not around and I'm a softy!  It is raw, cold and drizzling.  Nice to get some things done inside.  Might go get a cup of tea!  Hope you are having a great day.  Talk to you later.

BTW, I'm still waiting to hear from Rhonda Dobson!  Please Rhonda e-mail me your mailing address and I will send you your prize.  You actually won! 

quote

"But pleasure are like poppies spread,

You seize the flow'r, its bloom is shed;

Or like the snow falls in the river,

A moment white - then melts forever"

- Robert Burns, from Tam O'Shanter

quote

"The wisest, happiest, of our kind are they

That ever walk content with Nature's way,

God's goodness - measuring bounty as it may"

- William Wordsworth

Sure Sign of Spring! (UPDATED)

First daffodils!  Whoo! Hoo!  Finally, out from under all of that snow.  We had a warm weekend and rain this morning!  Bingo, daffodils!  Lots more to come, but I need to get ready for my talk this evening to the Moms of Multiples!  My hats off to them!  I took the easy way out!  No kids and no pets!  Just wanted to say had fun with the Moms tonight!   I think they enjoyed it!  Oh, too many exclamation points AGAIN!  So here is another shot of spring.  The tete a tete daffodils have started to bloom as well.

I am still waiting to hear from Rhonda Dobson!  Please Rhonda e-mail me your mailing address and I will send you your prize.  You actually won!  

quote

"This is what you should do: love the earth and sun and the animals, despise riches, give alms to everyone that asks, stand up for the stupid and crazy, devote your income and labor to others, hate tyrants, argue not concerning God, have patience and indulgence towad the people, take off your hat to nothing known or unknown or to any man or number of men ... re-examine all you have been told at school or church or in any book, dismiss what insults your own soul, and your vey flesh shall be a great poem."

- Walt Whitman

quote

"I bequeath myself to the dirt to grow from the grass I love.

If you want me again, look for me under your bootsoles.

You will hardly know who I am or what I mean.

But I shall be good health to you nevertheless."

- Walt Whitman

Even Kitty Was Enjoying The Day and Happy Spring!

The cat was on the walk the other day just snoozing away!  Then it was up prowling through the sticks to find dinner. We had two loose dogs roaming the neighborhood yesterday!  We are out of control!  Hope The Herbal Husband gets back soon!  Oh, maybe not, he usually stirs things up!  Always an adventure!

I am still waiting to hear from Rhonda Dobson!  Please Rhonda e-mail me your mailing address and I will send you your prize.  You actually won!  Off to take a walk and then work in the herb garden!  Happy Spring!  It can't come soon enough for me and maybe you as well!  Talk to you later!

quote

"To laugh often and much,

To win the respect of intelligent people

And the affection of children,

To earn the appreciation of honest critics

And endure the betrayal of false friends,

To appreciate beauty, to find the best in others,

To leave the world a bit better,

Whether by a healthy child,

A garden patch, or a redeemed social condition,

To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.

This is to have succeeded."

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

This Cheered Me Up Today!

I had the garage door open today and guess who flew in?  A ladybug.  Looks like a multi-Asian.  It is taking walk around our lavender in the container.  I think this is the sweet lavender.  There are a couple more lavenders upstairs in the living room.  Hope you had a great day.  We are going to have a beautiful Saturday and hopefully, I can work out in the garden.

early crocuses

"We must learn to look on plants not as mere points of color, but as old friends on whose coming we can rely; and who, returning with the recurring seasons, bring back with them pleasant memories of past years."

Henry Bright

The Tommies are blooming.

More Signs of Spring:
Tim, across the street, starting his riding mower.  Ahem, every time I go out the door.

Meijers parking lot - the appearance of huge mounds of plastic bound mulch and bales of soil.

All the cr@p people have thrown from their cars (who raised them?) over the past 4 or 5 months is not yet hidden by new weed growth.

I stepped on my first slug of the year this morning.

And, the Tommies are blooming!

an hour in the garden

At this time of the year it is fairly pointless to do too much in the garden. Right now with the windows open, it is a warm, sunny 76 degrees inside the house. Outside the sun is warm and there is a nice breeze. So how could I NOT poke around out there?
So now I have my first dirt of the year under my fingernails.
The thyme is ecstatic, throwing out new growth, and the (blasted) mountain mint is seeking to take over the path. That I can do something about right now. Chamomile has also attempted a hostile takeover in the area where the chives generally have control. The gooseberries have the tiniest of leaves popping out between the thorns, and the blueberries... well, since they were surrounded by several feet of snow, as that snow melted the bunnies munched them down. They'll bush out soon.
I plopped down in the middle of the one pathway, and set about some minor, pointless weeding. Eventually, it will get serious, but right now the weeds haven't gotten big enough to crowd each other or to be big enough to get a grip on. As I cleared a nice patch several feet around, I started to notice something that had me giggling as I sat watching - it was the first time witnessing this event...
The worms! They started coming out of the ground by the score, and appeared to be playing like dolphins! As little bits of weeds were pulled, instead of heading in the opposite direction they seemed to be drawn to the action! I think we might have been playing together.
There will probably be lots of frigid days ahead before we can finally get down to gardening, but for today... it felt great.

Cheep Rooms on Thursdays!

You will need your binoculars again for this one.  It is a teapot birdhouse along with other yard art in my neighbor's down the street.  Didn't see any activity around this house.  Have a little tea with your lodging?  Hope you are enjoying your day wherever you may be!

I Do Remember Planting These!

These crocuses I remember planting and they are always a bright spot in the early spring for me.  They look like little irises.  The Herbal Husband may be back from this snow escape next week!  I have nothing done!  Gotta keep this short.  Mailing my winners' their prizes today.  Have not heard from Rhonda Dobson.  Please Rhonda send me an e-mail with your mailing information and I can send out your prize!  Have some things to do this morning.  Will be back this afternoon with my Cheep Room on Thursday!

"My house is the one with the cloud over it"

I ran across that line when I was Googling "skunk spray vinyl siding cleaning"...

Yes, a few days ago MY backyard was blessed by the presence of a dying skunk.
When I woke up Monday, there was the faint scent of skunk migration in the air, a familiar Sign of Spring.
But when I came home from my walk, and walked up the driveway, I sensed something was awry.
The "Cloud".

I went through the house to the patio, and stood there, wondering why the acrid smell wasn't dissipating; it was seeming to get worse every minute...
Because there, next to the south facing, sun-warmed house wall, was a dying skunk. Poor animal.

We often get groggy wild animals coming up to the protected, gravel lined southern el of the house in the early spring - opossums, skunks, feral cats. Our adopted feral cat PeeWee used to nurse her baby, Little Cat, there on a clump of Opuntia pads. But this skunk came to die in a warm untroubled spot. Poor animal.

I felt bad for him, in my better self I'd try to honor his slow death ... but the smell was infiltrating the house. I had to do something. I needed a Death Panel. So I called a local humane trapper - $85 to set the trap (which the skunk would have to rise from his deathbed to enter) and $50 to haul away. Remember I told you my budget is squeaking?

I called County Animal Control. No dice - they pick up pets only. But the nice public servant advised, after I mentioned the R word (Rabies, not Retard!), that in some communities the P.D. will send out a cop to shoot nuisance wild animals.
Great idea!

Grand Blanc Township Police sent out a policewoman within 10 minutes or so. Pretty impressive response time for a non-crime call. (Kudos to the GBPD!) In dismaying contrast, when my 2 year old granddaughter's bedroom door was being kicked in by a robber, it took Flint Police 3 hours to respond to the 911 call.

Of course, when all was said and done, the death panel decided we should wait until second shift before proceeding. The coppette told me the skunk probably didn't have rabies because it wasn't foaming and making the right noises. But to keep the cats indoors. And the angle of the coup de grace shot by her service revolver was too close to the house - siding, footing, perhaps the sewer pipe? could be compromised.
How did the situation resolve?
Herb came home. He took care of it.
A Day in The Life.

quote

"Nobody sees a flower, really - it is so small - we haven't time, and to see takes time, like to have a friend takes time."

- Georgia O'Keefe

Photo Tag Fun!-UPDATED

OK, as you remember from yesterday, I was tagged by Julie of MoonCat Farms Meanderings to participate in Photo Tag Fun!  Well, here goes.  This is the tenth photo from my first photo file.  I think if you don't have a tenth photo in your first photo file.  You go to the next file and the next until you have a tenth photo!  OK, here is my photo.  It is from our 25th (Oops, I meant to say 20th.) anniversary trip to France in October 2007. We are well on our way to 25, but haven't gotten there yet!  I must say that October in France is a pretty fabulous time to be there.  This is from a garden show called Festival International Des Jardins De Chaumont-sur-Loire.  This festival celebrated mobiles.  Unfortunately, this photo does not show the hundreds of mobiles throughout the show.  The show for this year starts April 3 and runs through October.  This photo looks like it has some lavender hanging out in the foreground.  The memory is a little foggy!  The trip to Paris and surrounding countryside was amazing!

So here are the rules of Photo Tag Fun:

Open your first photo file.

Scroll to the 10th photo.

Post the photo and tell the story behind it.

Tag five more people!

Here are my tagees:

Flower Lady's Musing for her cozy cottage, tranquil music and beautiful flowers even in the heat and humidity of Florida.

Olde Common Scents from, Alyssa for primitive living style (I almost said primitive style!) and for inspiring her son, Will to get those little growing hands dirty in the garden.

A Southern Garden by Becca for her southern accent even in her writing and for her courage and strength.

Bernideen's Teatime Blog for her elegance and style and love of history.

and finally, because there can only be five, Peggy R of My Affairs with Art (not her husband) and Daily Life.  She will definitely inspiring your crafty side.  You have to check out her bunny baskets for Easter.  Very cute.

Happy St. Patrick's Day to you all!  Hope you are enjoying the day wherever you may be.  Talk to you later.  Got to go tag some ladies!

And The Winners Are!

Thank you to everyone who entered my 500th post contest!  You are why I am still writing all of my adventures!  I have a mailing address for Tufa Girl.  I have an e-mail address for Kay'sflowers and I will be writing you shortly, Kay.  Seanymph, S. and Rhonda Dobson , please e-mail me your address information, I will get these notepads in the mail to you all.  I'm still working on yesterday's tag.  The birds are chirping at me to feed them.  This Daylight Saving Time business has me all messed up!  More later today.

Lots Going on Today!

I was online earlier today and found that my dear friend, Julie of MoonCat Farms Meanderings has tagged me.  So sorry, Julie, I had my day planned already.  So I'm going to take an extra day to announce my tagees!

I didn't even have time to take new photos, but there are new flowers blooming!  Whoo! Hoo!  Don't forget you have until 10 PM this evening Eastern Daylight Saving Light to place a comment to win during my 500th Post Contest!  Just place a comment on this post to enter.

I had lunch with my master gardening friend, Lyn.  We always have a lively discussion.  She loaned me a book, Lives of the Trees by Diana Wells.  I'm surrounded by books, but she convinced me that I would enjoy it!  I'll let you know.

Then the retail experiences came.  Bought new glasses after 12 years!  Sticker shock!  The salesman was amazed that my old glasses had made it 12 years!

Ended the day with a wonderful hour's walk.  Getting addicted to this exercise.  It's a great thing!  Hope you had a wonderful day wherever you may be.  Talk to you tomorrow with the names of winners!  Hope you are one of them!

quote

"The flowers of late winter and early spring occupy places in our hearts well out of proportion to their size."
- Gertrude S. Wister

quote

At this time of year I begin to think Winter will never end. My need to dig and plant is almost an overwhelming anxiety... but rest assured, it won't be long before the joyful color of early spring flowers, the living scent of the earth after a gentle rain, the peace of an evening walk in the herb garden will become reality!
There is something about memory of springs past that tugs at the heart, and sprouts anticipation for the magic of another season! The yearly renewed celebration of life.

Rose Hip - Ginger Cordial

This ought to be a fun, tasty and efficacious herbal cordial.

In response to an opening question by Linda Conroy on "how do people use rose hips", the following recipe was posted on Facebook by Heather Nic An Fhleisdeir, who makes a low alcohol tincture of rosehips and fresh gingerroot. She wrote this on Feb. 26:
 "(Fill) a jar one third the way full of dried deseeded rosehips, pouring just enough hot water over them to reconstitute and let cool. Fill with 40% alcohol (I like scotch whisky) and let steep three weeks. It has a nice body to it and since it is low in alcohol it extracts a nice amount of the nutrients. I like to mix it with my fresh ginger tincture, mmm"

Linda Conroy had posted: "Rose hips, fresh harvested from the wild contain between 1500-2500 grams of Vitamin C per 100 grams of weight. This is 47 times more than an orange. which contains around 53 mgs of Vitamin C per 100 grams of weight."
Of course it is easier to eat an orange... but rose hips are local, free, wildcrafted or cultivated food (uncontaminated with pesticides), and when you pick and process your own roses' hips, you become a personal part of the process of nourishing life.

I wrote: (I make) "Rose hip jam, but I always wonder if I'm destroying the Vit C by cooking? It does taste good, though."
Linda responded: "I do believe that some of the vitmain C is lost in each step of processing. The ultimate way to prepare roseship for optimal vitamin C is to prepare them fresh and not heating or drying them. This is why I like to steep them in honey or vinegar when they are fresh. But there are other nutrients that roseships offer when cooked, such as carotenes. (And since carotenes are fat soluable, roseship pie or cheese cake as mentioned above is ideal!)

Next year - rose hip honey, for sure!

Well, with all of that fresh knowledge, I decided to tincture some of my dried rose hips and in three week I'll add them to some ginger root honey I made.
Here is my method:

My Version Rose hip and Ginger root Cordial

March 11, 2010

1/2 cup dehydrated rose hips
1/2 cup hot, not boiling water
Cover rose hips with water, allow to cool. Then add:
1/2 cup Jack Daniels (43 percent Alc. by vol.= 86 proof)
Cover and allow to tincture for 3 weeks in a cupboard, shaking the bottle every day.
At the end of 3 weeks,stir in ginger honey, made by infusing 1/2 cup honey and peeled sliced gingerroot.

I'm not sure if I'll bother straining out the healthful solids to get a clear cordial - I'll try to keep this updated. However, rest assured, the rose hips and ginger won't go to waste.

An Alien in the Garden!

Oh, no, it's just Kitty with those alien eyes!  I wasn't quick enough.  Kitty brought a friend, brother, sister, cousin, some other relative!  Just looked like Kitty.  I thought I was seeing double!  They are multiplying around us!  If only they could do gardening work!  They take care of the rodents and also some birds!  Don't like that aspect, killing the birdies!  Oh well, just wanted to let you know that gardening work starts soon.  Hopefully if you are in the Northeast, you have your power back and we have turned the corner towards Spring!  Talk to you later.

Herb Women Take a Day Off (well, sort of :-)

Thinking of a title for this entry, it occurs to me that since nature is everywhere and what we do is so nature-related, thankfully (!!!) there is never truly a day "off". Even past trips to NYC have involved checking out roof gardens, the flowers offered at the Bodegas, great restaurant offerings, and trade shows revolving around business.

But anyhow - yesterday was a day that was mostly computer-free.

We started out early, especially since Daylight Savings Time started the day before, on the 2 hour drive to Hagerstown for a Flower & Garden Show. We were going with our friend Sharon, who lives near there. Along the way, we were treated to the sight of a bald eagle watching the rain-swollen Susquehanna River just beside the turnpike.

Me (sure, everyone else looks normal), Sharon, Maryanne...

Arriving at Sharon's, we were treated to a breakfast smorgasbord of 3 different kinds of scones, cream, breakfast roll-ups, fruit, tea - and more. It was delicious. Eventually we wandered over to the show. Once there, we had a great time talking to Barb Steele of Alloway Creek Gardens who had a lovely booth filled with herb plants and perennials. There were some other interesting things there, but the most interesting thing of all was the HUGE number of vendors that had nothing to do with flowers or gardens, and the complete dearth of display gardens and FLOWERS! It was my first and last time visiting that show. More and more, I see organizers shooting themselves in the foot by bringing in multi-level marketers, unrelated vendors, and ignoring what people came to see. If they are having trouble bringing in appropriate vendors, perhaps finding a more reasonable ($$$) venue or scaling back would make sense? Don't drag me across state lines with promises of flowers, only to show me tractors, purses, and jewelry (MLM jewelry, to boot!).

But it was still a great time since the company was so enjoyable.

We headed back to Sharon's for a late lunch. I don't know how that woman does it! The table was once again laid with a vast array of delectable treats, and we stuffed ourselves.

Next out to the garden, where she has created beautiful nooks and spacious areas filled with imagination and a lot of hard work. The gardens are well marked, so we took a good amount of time to see what has started to come up, what survived... and wonder about some weeds.

Then, we went into her sales room. She is dismantling the in-house shop this week, so I got to be her last customer! I've been wanting one of her larger plates for a long time, so there was no better time to pick it out.

We drove home later in the light rain, and talked a bit (as we had throughout the day) about shows in general. Everything changes over time, and certainly the internet is part of it. I just hope that smart organizers see the trend and act instead of laying down and becoming less than mediocre.

quote

"the highest reward for a man's toil is not what he gets for it, but what he becomes by it."

- John Howard

New post at GCHS blog

http://geneseecountyherbsociety.blogspot.com/2010/03/march-meeting_14.html

March sunshine

Not The Sun per se, but look down,
the Winter Aconite are blooming today.

A Little Wishful Thinking!

Thought I would cheer everyone up with a bouquet of daffodils from last year!  We aren't quite there yet, but they are up a little higher since the snow is gone!  Spring is just around the corner and the forecasters are talking about snow again!  They had better be wrong!  I'm off to exercise!  Hope you are enjoying your Sunday wherever you may be!  Talk to you later!

quote

"... and no man but feels more of a man in the world if he can have a bit of ground that he can call his own. However small it is on the surface, it is four thousand miles deep, and that is a very handsome property. There is great pleasure in working the soil apart of ownership of it. The man who has planted a garden feels that he has done something for the good of the world. He belongs to the producers."

- Charles Dudley Warner

It's so good to love what you do!

Over the course of the past week or so, I have reveled in the newly exposed dirt/grass/leaf litter. Not once, but twice I managed an impromptu slip 'n slide down the side yard on the way to investigate the garden, both times covering myself with mud, and laughing the whole time. Other days included things like writing articles, typing in back issues from the very early days for the next book, packing and shipping orders, and making soap. I even made it into the woods, and wandered around the yard for hours, peeking under leaves, clearing dried debris, replacing protective collars around precious medicinal shrubs, and just generally letting Mother Nature know how glad I was to smell spring's advance.
We make tons of soap here - usually at least a couple of days a week are spent on that. Maryanne's Lancaster County Soap (see link in sidebar) is a wholesale business that can really keep us hopping when we aren't working on the magazine or other projects. We make a terrific product, and it's what we always use. None of that store-bought stuff around here! At the same time, it is fun to try the hand-crafted soap of other artisans. Typically I participate in a swap or two each year that satisfies my urge, but for some reason the other day I found myself at the site of Sylett Soap and decided to try a few bars. They arrived the other day, and it is some gorgeous stuff! Creamy feeling, slick bubbles, smells great, hefty bars - really nice soap!
One bar of the lemon-y Saving Face is on my bathroom sink, while a second bar has been tucked away for my lemon-loving man. The kid claimed the Juniper Sage and the Crowded Shower immediately to take back to college, and the Spearmint Patchouli will soon take the place of a wickedly rich shampoo bar that I've been using as a body bar in my shower. There were a few samples included, one being a Dead Sea Mud bar. It wasn't on her site, but I do love mud bars! I will enjoy the sample.
It's funny. People think that soap is soap. In a way, that is true. However, each time I try someone else's soap I am reminded of how we each work so hard to put our individuality into our products and how they really are unique to the soapmaker. Maybe I notice it more because it is something I do, but that fact alone makes me proud of this art/craft/product that we soapmakers produce.

I Don't Remember Planting These!

Funny how you forget where you planted bulbs.  I just don't remember planting these crocuses in this particular spot.  It is in the front garden and there are a couple more places where they are coming up!  Senior Bulb Moment!  Hope you are dry and safe wherever you may be.  Off to exercise!  Talk to you later.

Ommmm

"If it is the greatest and highest that you seek, the plant can direct you. Strive to become through your will what, without will, it is."
- Goethe

The Lure of the Herb Garden!

I couldn't stand it any longer!  My herb garden is out from all of the snow and I had to pull the first grass clumps, look for the first green (salad burnet), unflatten the plants and trim a few things (garlic chives) back before the rain starts later today.  Just as I thought in some cases, the snow kept the plants in suspended animation.  The lavenders were flattened, but the 'Nazareth' sages were pretty intact!  Hopefully everything will withstand the rain coming!  Not as much as Ivan but some creeks and streams are already flooding!  Spring is almost here!

Reporting on Mom Nature

March came in like a lamb this year. Every day since March 1 has been lovely.
It especially seems like Spring is awakening because of the "simultaneous contrast" of the extreme winter of February!
(I just had to use that expression I picked up on Wednesday at the Flint Institute of Arts "movies at noon". This week talked about the later Impressionists and their struggle to eliminate line, and an exploration of color mapping, but that's another blog.)

Finally, saw a robin on Thursday. I've been outdoors every day since March 1st looking, waiting. Ever since that sighting, which is not really rare seeing as how there are "rogue robins" now who overwinter in Michigan, but for me it was my first robin of the spring - ever since that sighting, the bird chorus is singing whenever I open the door.

In the backyard Snowdrops are blooming. The honey bees are interested - amazing that there is enough to life in the world to bring the bees out, before the crocuses have even broken the surface of the soil. The pussy willows have broken bud - but barely, there is no pollen going on yet.

Yesterday I found honey bees entering a hole at the bottom of my compost bucket.

There was an (unusual for us) east wind blowing yesterday - and was it warm! Besides the honey bees, it brought life to the streets: teenagers- walking, hangin' out, skateboarding, pumping the bass and driving with the windows down - signs of spring.

alternative view

"If you cannot work with love, but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy."
- Kahlil Gibran

I always wonder what this photo would have looked like with a good camera?

Cheep Rooms on Thursday and Other Stories!

My Friend, Tufa Girl, encouraged me to get out and about and find a Cheep Room in the neighborhood.  Well, this first one is in the yard of a neighbor who was inspired to garden because of our garden!  When she told me that, it gave me goosebumps!  Of course, as I was doing my exercise, at various times, there were sparrows perched on the roof looking like they were using the Cheep Room!  Hope you will be inspired to join us in the search for Cheep Rooms.  Just go to Tufa Girl's subblog, Cheep Rooms and check it out.

OK, I'm getting old quickly.  The title of this post is Cheep Rooms AND OTHER STORIES!  So here are the other stories.  I had lunch today with my dear friend, Carol.  I worked with her at the law firm for almost 17 years and I have known her for 35 years!  Today is her dear dog's birthday.  So Happy Birthday, Bud!  He knows who is the boss in the family!  Here is a photo of Bud from my last visit.



My latest blog post is at The Herb Companion Magazine.  I have been struggling to cook for myself since The Herbal Husband escaped the snow.  I do have some help from historic sources and I have been experimenting with recipes.  Sooo,  please let me know what your favorite comfort food you cook, bake or make when you are by yourself!