Friday's Quote

If I had my life to live over, I would start barefoot earlier in the spring and stay that way later in the fall. ~Nadine Stair

My mondegreen

Last night I had the radio on while I was sweeping the porch, and the song "I'd Really Like to See You Tonight" by England Dan & John Ford Coley came on. I've always liked this song, with my main reason being the beautiful line "there's a warm wind blowing the stars around." As I was singing along, I heard my husband chuckle. "It's not blowing the stars around," he laughed, it's the stars are out - how could stars blow around?" So I dropped my broom, went on a lyrics website and sure enough he was right. Much to my dismay, that warm wind was not swirling the stars above me. The stars were simply "out". The website went on to explain that this was a commonly misheard lyric, also known as a mondegreen. So now I don't feel quite so embarassed to have gotten it wrong, but I must say I like my version better and will continue to sing it that way!

A Sad Goodbye to Men in Trees

Tonight one of the final episodes of Men in Trees will be aired on ABC. I don't watch a whole lot of television and very seldom watch any program religiously, but MIT was one of my favorites. It was often lovingly compared to Northern Exposure, and I enjoyed all the characters, the music, and the beautiful scenery (it was filmed in Vancouver). I am so sorry to see it go. :(

Memorial Day Flag Etiquette

My husband is very knowledgeable about flag etiquette, and last night he was explaining the proper procedures of Memorial Day flag flying to our son. The flag is to be flown half-staff until noon and at full-staff from noon to sunset. If the flag is being flown particularly for Memorial Day (as opposed to a flag that is up all the time), it should first be hoisted to the peak for an instant and then lowered to the half-staff position.
We have purchased a new flag to fly on Monday, and over the weekend we will deposit our worn flag in the old white "mail box" located outside the Legion Hall. The wonderful Legion members will then burn the collected flags in a beautiful ceremony on our lakefront, and we are thankful.

Friday's Quote

"It is a great art to saunter."

- Henry David Thoreau

My Bittersweet Relationship - Any Advice?

For the past two years I have tried, unsuccessfully, to get Bittersweet vines growing on a section of fence in my yard. I planted both a male and a female, and still haven't had any luck. Maybe I need to try lighting some candles and playing my Romance in Venice cd! I just don't understand why it grows rampantly in the wild along old fences and stiles along the train tracks and not in my yard where it is cared for so tenderly. If anyone has any advice, I'd be so thankful.

Favorite Dinner Music #1- Romance in Venice

One of my favorite things to do is serve a meal to my family or friends with the most appropriate music for accompaniment. Although this can illicit a playful eye-roll by my husband when he enters the kitchen, I know it is appreciated and really can add to the dining experience. There's a French cafe not too far from here, and the food is not the greatest, but we go anyway because the music makes us feel like we're on vacation. Anyway, tonight I'm serving a simple Spinach Lasagne, garlic bread, and wine (grape juice for the kiddos) and I'll be playing my favorite Italian instrumental cd - Romance in Venice. I'm not Italian and have never been to Italy but I sure do love this collections of songs. On Amazon. com, the cd is described: Imagine you are gliding through the moonlight canals of Venice as your gondolier serenades you with an Italian romantic classic such as "Santa Lucia" or "O Sole Mio". That's where this instrumental collection of favorite Italian love songs will take you through strings of the mandolin, chords of the accordion, and sweeping notes of the violin. Romance yourself around the world with this elegant Italian musical tapestry. And so I'm off to Italy tonight, that is until the meal is over and I'm scrubbing the lasagne pan!

Victoria Day & a Flower Moon

According to my Susan Branch calendar, today is known as Victoria Day to our Canadian neighbors. It is the day they celebrate Queen Victoria's birthday, and it sounds like they partake in quite a bit of merrymaking with parades, fireworks, drinking, etc. It is also considered the unofficial start of the Canadian summer season because the threat of frost is over (although we had a frost warning here last night - luckily Lake Michigan acted like a great insulator and kept us above freezing). Sounds like a fun time to be visiting Quebec or Montreal.

The Canadians will get to dance tonight by the light of the full Flower Moon, which acccording to the Farmer's Almanac is the moon of health, romance, love, and wisdom. Here's hoping for a clear night for moongazing.

Salad Bread

Yesterday afternoon we stopped by our neighbors' house to return their log spliter. While my husband hauled it back into the shed and started yapping with the man of the house, I stepped in the kitchen to see what my good friend Jenny was up to. She was making something she called Salad Bread, and I don't think I've ever smelled something so good. We weren't able to stay long enough to sample it, but she emailed me the recipe and I can't wait to make it myself, especially with my own produce this summer. She said she found the recipe in Midwest Living Magazine, and that it could be served as a hors d'oeuvre or side to a meal. I think it could BE the meal!

Salad Bread

1/4 c. butter or margarine, softened
1 8-ounce loaf baguette-style French bread, split in half lengthwise
1 tsp. garlic salt
1 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese (4 oz.)
2 tomatoes, seeded & chopped
1/2 c. chopped green sweet pepper
1/4 c. thinly sliced green onion tops

1. Spread butter evenly over cut sides of bread. Sprinkle with garlic salt. Top with shredded cheese, tomatoes, sweet peppers and onion tops. Wrap each half loosely in foil. Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes, or until heated through.
2. To serve, cut crosswise into 1 1/2 inch thick slices. Makes 24 slices.

Friday's Quote

"My garden will never make me famous,
I'm a horticultural ignoramus,
I can't tell a stringbean from a soybean,
Or even a girl bean from a boy bean."


-Ogden Nash

Repurposing in the Garden

This year I decided I would try to soften the big walls of our barn with some trellises of climbing vines. After a trip to the hardware store, I discovered this project would cost way more than I wanted to spend - I'd need several trellises, and they were $20 and up. Then I got the bright idea to try to make them out of branches and wire, which was fun but only produced one arch (not to mention a big welt on my cheek!) after several hours of effort. What else could I use? How I wished I had a collection of antique ladders or something.

I had gone in the basement to see what I could find when my eyes landed on my children's crib - broken and dusty but impossible to part with. A-hah! Perfect! I took it apart and instantly had 4 lovely trellises, not to mention some new, valuable storage space. Now I can watch the morning glories and clematis climb those spindles that once surrounded my chubby little dreamers.

Today I'm going to call my older sisters and let them know about this idea. They both have cribs in their basements that are still in fine shape but not up to the safety standards of today to be used for the grandchildren. Now they can happily get them out of the house without any sadness and cultivate joyful memories in their gardens.

Tuesday Tea

It was an early springtime affair,
two old friends and the rain were there.

Flickering candles. A pot of hot tea.
Pear blossoms falling from high in the tree.

An impromptu event, to which none could compare.
Any only two friends and the rain were there.

-Author Unknown


I was looking forward to doing some gardening today, but I woke up to a windy morning with enough of a nip in the air to ruin my plans. I don't mind if it's a little bit cold (this is Wisconsin, after all) but I'd like to do my planting without a bulky jacket and having to hold onto my hat. Then I heard it's going to rain this afternoon, and that was the final straw - I decided to call my 93 year-old Grandma and have her over for tea. The day will certainly be salvaged! She's coming over at the proper time of 4:00 (she still drives, and lives across the farm from me), and I have this scone recipe from Susan Branch in the oven right now:

Cream Scones
2 C. flour
1/3 C. sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 c. currents (opt.) (I leave them out and serve raspberry jam instead)
1 C. heavy cream

Preheat oven to 425. Stir together first 5 ingredients. Gradually stir in cream. Gather dough together and knead lightly on a floured board; this will start off seeming impossible, but don't give up. Pat out to 1/2" thick. Cut with a 2" cookie cutter dipped in flour (I use a crescent moon). Arrange on ungreased baking sheet. Bake 10-12 mintues until golden. You can glaze them with a creamy mixture of 1/2 c. powdered sugar, 1 tsp. orange zest & about 1 Tbsp. of orange juice if you like. Serve hot. Makes 10.

I'll just zap them in the microwave right before she arrives. I just might eat 3 or more and call this my supper!

Happy Mother's Day

Quote on the cover of my mother's day card from my husband:

As the flowers have the sunshine,
children have their mothers.

And Happy Mother's Day to my beautiful mom - I love you!

Everything I am, or hope to become, I owe to my angel mother.
Abraham Lincoln

Garage Sale Fever

Today I paid a visit to the huge, annual rummage sale in the next town up from mine. EVERYONE in the town participates, and there are always many treasures to be found. If you are looking for toys and kid clothing, you need to look on the edge of town, which has all the newer homes with young families. But if you want to find a real treasure - something you didn't know you couldn't live without - you need to look down Main Street, where the old brick homes with the crooked stoops and huge lilacs are. I managed to hit both areas, and came home with a couple of things for the kiddos, a big straw hat to be used in Fall for my scarecrow, a copy of James Harriot's All Creatures Great and Small, a CD of harp music, and an old coffee percolator. I probably could have done without the percolator, but it reminded me of doings in my childhood church gathering room (ie Breakfast with Baby Jesus) and I figured I could use it dispensing apple cider or Winter wassail. All in all, it was successful trip!

Friday's Quote

"One can get just as much exultation in losing oneself in a little thing as in a big thing. It is nice to think how one can be recklessly lost in a daisy!"

Anne Morrow Lindbergh

Lime Libations

Last evening, when I was walking the 1/4 mile to my mailbox, the heavy winds we had experienced all day suddenly softened, just like that, in an instant. In came the lightest, warmest air I've felt since our Indian Summer. I've always been one to rush the seasons a bit, so once I got back to the house with my new LL Bean catalog and what I believe is our 3rd June wedding invitation, I pulled the old blender out of the pantry. In went the deliciously dangerous ingredients to concoct one of my favorite summertime drinks:
1 small can of frozen Limeade concentrate
1 cup white rum (I use Bacardi)
3 cups or more of ice (depending on desired potency)
Blend all together until slushy.

Dangerous, I say, because if you are drinking this outside and in good company, and you bring the whole frosty pitcher to the patio table with your favorite floral plastic tumblers, and there's one of those whispering breezes - there's a good chance you will not notice the amount you're consuming. Not that I'd be one to know.....

Lovely Little Garden Book

In the mail today I received a delightful little gardener's idea book compliments of Proven Winners, the plant company that supplies Home Depot and other such stores. While I try to buy the majority of my plants from the friendly local nursery, occasionally I do buy some at Home Depot if they have something not available over at old Gene's place. In the past I've had good luck with Proven Winners, and the fact that they are backed by P. Allen Smith, gardener extroidonaire, makes them trustworthy in my book. Back to the point of my little booklet, which I'm really enjoying because it has many very easy ideas for containers that I'd like to try to reproduce. I like their idea of using just one type of plant in a container to create greater impact instead of always a variety. If you'd like, you can order your own free copy at www.provenwinners.com.

Aldo Leopold Bench

Today's plan includes a trip to the local lumber yard for some Douglas Fir and carriage bolts to attempt to make an Aldo Leopold bench. I first learned about these cute benches a few years ago when a local Boy Scout pack was making and selling them. Mr. Leopold was one of the first true wildlife conservationists and a wonderful author. He designed this simple bench (although I'll probably have some trouble making it :) for people to use in their gardens, under a tree, or as a rest spot along woodland paths. My directions sheet, which I found easily found online, says:

"To spy a Leopold bench in someone's yard is to know something about the family who there resides. Even if you haven't read Leopold's opening lines, 'There are some who can live without wild things, and some who cannot. These essays are the delights and dilemmas of one who cannot," from A Sand County Almanac, you will appreciate this easy-to-build bench."

I'll try making one, and if it goes well, I'd like to make a few for 'round the bonfire pit.

Carly Simon

I just heard that Carly Simon has a new cd out, and I'm very anxious to give it a listen. There's just something about her voice that makes me get in a summertime mood - maybe it's partially because I picture her singing on Martha's Vineyard (where she has a home) under the stars with a soft breeze blowing off the coast. Her last cd, Into White, has one of my favorite songs - Quiet Evening - some of the lyrics:

Quiet evening,
you've been longing for.
Quiet evening,
you've been longing,
take this night
for the sake of your soul.

This song makes me want to put my dear children to bed 20 minutes early, pour myself a cocktail, take it out on my glider swing on the deck and watch the sky in silence, ALONE, for the sake of my soul!
Another cd of Carly's I love is Moonlight Serenade, on which she covers dreamy songs like Moonglow, The More I See You, and Alone Together. This cd is equally great for dining alfresco or lounging in the tub. :)

Amish Cream Pie

Today I made what will probably be my final Amish Cream Pie of the season. Because I associate it's flavor with coziness and the cold weather months, I'm hoping my cravings for it will soon stop and turn to key lime! But today it's dreary outside, and a thick fog rolled in off the lake and surrounded the farm, so this pie is cooling on the counter. The notes with the recipe call it "comfort in a crust", and it is, indeed!

Amish Cream Pie

3/4 c. granulated sugar
1/4 c. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. salt
2 1/2 c. half&half or light cream
1/2 c. butter
1/4 c. packed brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 baked 9-inch pie shell
ground cinnamon for dusting

1. In a medium saucepan, stir together the granulated sugar, cornstarch, & salt. Whisk in the half&half or light cream and cook and stir over medium heat till the mixture is thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat. Stir in butter, brown sugar & vanilla till butter melts. Pour into baked pie shell and sprinkle lightly with cinnamon.
2. Bake the pie in a 325 degree oven for 30 minutes (the center of the pie won't be set). Cool the pie on a wire rack for about 1 hour. Chill for 3-6 hours before serving (pie will set up upon chilling); cover and store in the refrigerator. Serves 8. Yum.

Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots

Last night, in hopes of finding some garden inspiration despite the cold weather we've been having, I got out one of my favorite gardening books - Roots, Shoots, Buckets & Boots by Sharon Lovejoy. Originally I purchase it as a guide to help me get my children into gardening, but I have found it to contain more of my favorite outdoor ideas than in any of the many "grown-up" gardening books I've read. Some of the ideas I plan to not just read about this year, but actually do, are planting an enchanting moon garden, planning a seed saving party, and, if time allows, creating what Ms. Lovejoy calls a "snacking and sipping garden" full of veggies, fruits, herbs, & edible flowers. If you enjoy the work of Susan Branch like I do, I think you'll enjoy this book's information intermingled with tips & quotes, not to mention the whimsical artwork.

Jumping Right In

Finally! I've gotten around to creating a blog of my very own! Besides using this as an idea journal for myself, I hope to share some of these ideas with those of you with similar interests.

While trying to think of the perfect name for my blog, I came across the poem Crystal Cabinet by William Blake. While not exactly one of my favorite poems, it contains the phrase " a lovely, little moony night" which to me conjures up both an image and a feeling that I absolutely love.

I hope you will find my blog of interest, and will truly appreciate any comments you may have.

I still have to figure out how to post photos with my prehistoric camera, but I'm sure that I'll get around to that soon. I just didn't want another day to go by without getting this going!