Tuesday, June 17, 2014

Summer doings and good links...


The much anticipated heat & humidity have arrived.  I've had to water the garden early to make certain the moisture loving plants are happy... and I must remember some of them need the heat to grow.

What a surprise to find basil sprouting up where I had planted it long ago in the corner of the "tomato raised bed".  I thought they had not "taken" this year, especially since they were planted about the same time as the original bush bean planting that didn't "take". 

Being a heat loving herb, they are loving this weather so maybe they will grow nice and bushy in time for plenty of tomatoes and basil. 

When looking through the deep freeze yesterday, what a surprise it was to come across some of the frozen organic strawberries from last year!  I thought there were only packages of frozen blueberries in that large blue Ziploc bag.  Eureka!

I'm thinking of using them later this week to make Christmas Jam.  There should be enough of them and I have bags of cranberries I froze during the Holidays.  It was an award winning recipe long ago in Country Woman magazine and one of the reasons I froze some cranberries!

But this afternoon I'm tweaking my Study.  I've been doing it a little at a time this week.  This "decorating by tweaking" was inspired by a couple of things.  One was a blog post that gave me inspiration (I will add it below). 

The other is... Mr. & Mrs. Christopher are buying a house and taking the BIG bookcase with all of his books.  I told them that was part of the bargain.  They get the nice bookcase from his former room but they also take the books.  ;)

Want some good reading?  Below are some great links I wanted to share.

Roots and Wings:  The Story of Indelible Grace... here.  This is the same hour long video available for purchase on DVD but you can watch it free!  Indelible Grace is probably my very favorite Christian music group at this time.

This DVD gives the story of how they came together ten years ago (probably more now) and the way they take the old Puritan hymns and put them to modern arrangements.  Lovely concert footage, too.

Beauty that Moves: A Room of My Own... here.  This is the blog post that inspired the tweaking of my own Study.  ;)

Susan Branch: Light the Candles and Set the Table... here.  This is Susan's blog post which includes her visit to Gladys Taber's Stillmeadow Farm.  This entire post made me happy.

7 Skills Your Grandparents Had that You Don't... here.  I know even some of the young readers have many of these skills just because I know the kind of people who read Coffee Tea Books and Me.  ;)

However, it is still fascinating to see how many skills were essential in a recent generation and most people have no clue how to do today.  Which reminds me, I need to write more letters... the kind that need a stamp.

11 comments:

lynneinMN said...

your posts just make me happy! Thank you for the smile today...
in His Peace, Lynne

Bookie said...

Thank you so much for leading me to the article on Gladys Taber home. I read and re-read her. I so enjoyed seeing her home!!!

Anonymous said...

Thank you for the link to the pictures of Gladys Tabers house. I've always wanted to see it after reading her books.Looks like Anne and her husband are taking good care of it.

Vee said...

Oh yes, Susan B's post on Gladys Taber was delicious. Rather like many of yours, actually. Love that the granddaughter and her husband are caring fir the home now. (And I cheered that some of the forest will be trimmed back. Our raised bed has sun for only two hours a day the trees have grown up so again. )

There are many things both grandmothers knew how to do that I don't. My little Nan even liked to hunt and fish. She loathed ironing, though, and had a giant appliance that she used for ironing sheets and pillowcases and tabkecloths. It was fascinating to watch.

Thickethouse.wordpress said...

I do love Susan Branch's blog....And this post was truly exceptional. And I'm checking out the other links you provided, Brenda. And enjoyed the unusual photograph of your world today....Ha! Vee just mentioned what I think must be the mangle. My mother had one when I was quite little and it was fascinating to watch. I just try not to buy much that needs to be ironed!

Take it easy in the heat and humidity!

Instagram.com/melissasnotes said...

Exciting for Mr. & Mrs. Christopher isn't it? A new home to decorate!
That's nice that you get to see into your family room while you spend time in the kitchen.

Deanna Rabe - Creekside Cottage Blog said...

Thanks for the links. I have seen Susan's post, and I loved it.

I may get a chance to check out some of these other links too, but we are visiting family this week and I am not sure if I will get to it until I return home.

Stay cool!

Deanna

Anonymous said...

What a joy it must be to work in your kitchen and have such a cozy, pretty family room in view! Glad you are feeling like "tweaking" some. Enjoy each day.
Blessings, Sharon D.

Cozy Seaside Homemaker said...

Brenda I'm so happy you mentioned Susan. Branch's blog post. I was at the event and at stillmeadow. I went there for the first time in1998 both times with my mom who is a member of FOGT. It was a special day!

suzanne said...

Brenda, this post was so full of fun and information, I have returned to it several times, just so I haven't missed anything! Loved the tour of Gladys Tabers home. Loved the photo of YOUR home, a new "point of view", so to speak. Enjoyed the link to the post on things our grandmothers knew how to do, but we may not know. Thank you for it all!

terricheney said...

You're surprised by basil and I am surprised by a lantana that I was sure had died. Love it because of the butterflies but was ready to see it gone because it had gotten so huge. I think I have a better spot for it...And I can't say I'm sorry to see it back. It is an old lantana not the new sort and so it's particularly colorful and pretty in pink/yellow/orange.