Picking and a Grinning

I picked the first of our green beans this evening! There were just a few early ones and I'm sure they will taste yummy with our supper tomorrow night!   Another week or two and it will be canning time.  That is, if I can keep the deer out of them.  I've never had a problem with deer in my garden before this year.  We've always had them around, but they never bothered my garden.  This year they are eating the tops of my corn and the tops of my green beans.  I've tried several scare tactics and I'm hoping my poor man's scarecrow (that's what Bethany called it ha!) that I put out this evening works.  If not I'll have to find a new method.   I am hoping to beat my 39 quarts from last year.  So stay away deer and Lord, a little rain would be helpful too! :):):)

Just a Swinging

There is something about a tree swing that captures my heart and brings back a flood of childhood memories.

When you sit on a swing your cares just slip away, caught up in the breeze that is blowing by.  

When my children were little I would hold them on my lap while swinging and sing our own made up swing-time song... "Swingin, swingin, ♫♪♫ up to the sky and back again, swingin, swingin, ♫♪♫ I can almost touch the sky."  Their giggles of glee where pure joy to my ears. 

 Here are a few pictures of some awesome tree swings that make my heart smile.  <3 :)   

In Door Out Door

Check out this awesome outdoor cozy corner made of old doors!  I love it.  I'm envisioning myself sitting there in that blue chair with an ice cold glass of tea!

The Swing

How do you like to go up in a swing? 

Up in the air so blue?

Oh, I do think it the pleasantest thing 

Ever a child can do!

Up in the air and over the wall,

Till I can see so wide, 

Rivers and trees and cattle and all 

Over the countryside--

Till I look down on the garden green, 

Down on the roof so brown - 

Up in the air I go flying again, 

Up in the air and down!

~Robert Louis Stevenson

Monday Morning To Do List

1.  Put OFF anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language, do not lie to one another.

2.  Put ON tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, long suffering, bearing with one another, forgiving one another.

3.  Above all these things PUT ON LOVE!!!

~Colossians

Jack and Lucy

Meet Bethany's new bunnies!!!

This is Lucy!  She's a Lionhead.

 This is Jack!  He's a Lion Lop.

They just love, love, love fresh lettuce from the garden!

Harvesting Chamomile

I absolutely love to harvest my own herbs.  My Chamomile is blooming so nicely right now so I decided it was time to start harvesting.  I thought I would share a few tips on how to successfully harvest chamomile for the best results.

Tip #1 - It's best to harvest your chamomile in the morning sun after the dew is dried and gone.  The flower is the part of the plant that you will be harvesting and it should be fully open in the morning.

Tip #2 - Gently shake the entire plant to remove any dust/debris/bugs.

Tip #3 -  Pinch the flowers off the stem.  You just want the flower head not the stem.  This method will allow your chamomile plant to continue to produce.

Tip #4 - A drying screen (an old window screen is perfect) works great for drying the flowers.  Spread them out over the screen and place in a dark, hot, dry place.  This is important because you don't want them to mold.

Tip #5 - Store your dried chamomile in an air tight glass jar.  I love to use a mason jar for this!  Store away from direct sunlight.  Try to keep your flowers from being broke or crushed until you are ready to use them.

It's that simple!

Grapesicles!

Looking for a healthy summer treat that is sure to cool you off on a hot summer day and tantalize your taste buds at the same time.  If so I have a grape  great idea for you!  Grapes on a skewer!  Pop them in the freezer and you have a delicious healthy alternative to popsicles that the kids are sure to love!  Mom will love them too because they are quick, easy and healthy!!

Beloved Enemy - A Book Review

Beloved Enemy is an historical fiction romance book set in the Civil War era.  Jenny is a beautiful young lady who turns the heads of everyone she meets.  She is faithful both to her family and to the land of her birth, but everything is put to the test when she falls in love with the handsome Union soldier Buck Brownell.

Jenny's father is a spy for the south and needs his daughter's help to carry messages into dangerous places.  He also discourages Jenny from seeing Buck.  When she gets caught her punishment is the firing squad.  Will Buck's love save her now?

Okay, this book was not what I though it would be.  I really enjoy reading books from this time period but this book did not impress me.  So many things seemed off.  The talk, the customs...everything.  It seemed to me that the author did not do his homework on this time period.  It was also way too much fighting for my taste.  I was looking for a sweet romance of a southern bell who falls for a union soldier, but instead I found more war details, fighting and pointless ramblings than I care to even describe.  It really was a disappointment.  The best thing about the book was the end, so I didn't have to muddle through it anymore.

***This book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Chamomile

My chamomile is doing great this year!  I just harvested some of the flowers to dry for future use.  Don't they look so pretty in this canning jar?!  :):)