Wow the last day of August 2007

Major Birthday coming Sunday…

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Most things in place and in a holding pattern, and of course tantalizing hints all over the place…

~~~~~~~~~~~~ Goodness one would think I was ornery.

Sunlight

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The reflections from the pond bathed the lilac tree in resplendent waves of gold. The trunk shimmered in an elegant undulating gossamer gown. ~~~~ The grapes heaved a sigh to entice being picked and the Mayflies swam the breaststroke in the sky. ~~~~ The cooling fall air temperatures bring on thoughts of The Boundary Waters. More on my Sweeties yearly visit to the Boundary Waters later…

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"Fly fast, mate quickly, die young." If mayflies had a motto that would probably be it. That's because these elegant insects have among the shortest adult lives of any insect. Indeed, scientists have named this group of insects the Ephemeroptera, Latin for "short-lived flyer."

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Mayflies are insects which belong to the Order Ephemeroptera (from the Greek ephemeros = "short-lived", pteron = "wing", referring to the short life span of adults). They have been placed into an ancient group of insects termed the Paleoptera, which also contains the dragonflies and damselflies. They are aquatic insects whose immature stage (called naiad or, colloquially, nymph) usually lasts one year in fresh water.

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The California poet Darren "Gav" Bleuel, for instance, had this to say about the insects

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“The mayfly never sees the dawn

But once before his end.

To think he’s born

Upon the morn

Yet not see one again.”

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The leaves from the Wild Cherry tree drift lazily down as if they are butterflies in no hurry for their descent.

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The Koi are dining in splendor!

I shot the Moon

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Last night was just one of those nights when it mattered not that I was getting eaten alive by the mosquitoes. The moon was huge and lovely…these are a couple of shots as the moon began to rise from behind the trees.

********************** “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.”

Les Brown

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Illuminating

MOON ~~~~~~~~~~~ LUNAR ECLIPSE ~~ On Tuesday, Aug. 28th, the full Moon will slip into Earth's shadow for a two-hour total eclipse. People on the Pacific side of Earth including much of North America (map) will have the best view as the Moon turns a dreamy shade of sunset red. Graphic artist Larry Koehn created this animation of the event: The Moon That orbed' maiden With white fire laden Whom mortals call the Moon. - Shelley

~~~~~~~~~~~~ I see the moon, The moon sees me, God bless the moon, And God bless me. - Nursery Rhyme

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Live eclipse web casts: from Las Vegas, Nevada.

Droplets

A drop or droplet is a small volume of liquid, bounded completely or almost completely by free surfaces. ~~~~~~~~~~ Asparagus was first cultivated about 2500 years ago in Greece. The name is a Greek word, meaning stalk or shoot. The Greeks believed asparagus was a herbal medicine which, among other things, would cure toothaches and prevent bee stings. ~~~ Second century Physician, Galen, described asparagus as "cleansing and healing". Claims for medicinal benefits of asparagus persist to this day. The Romans became great lovers of asparagus, and grew it in high-walled courtyards. In their conquests, they spread it to the Gauls, Germans, and Britain’s and from there, the rest of the world. ~~~~~~~~~ Fern growth Do not cut it down until the fall when it has turned all brown. The fern is what feeds the crown nutrients so that it will produce spears again in the spring. ~~~ If the spear is not picked, it goes to seed and turns into a tall, graceful fern. ~~~~ Sautéed Asparagus with Mushrooms

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Yummmmmmmmmmmmmmm! ~~~~~~~~~~ Use your favorite fresh mushroom for this recipe. This dish is also excellent served chilled ~~~~~~~~~ 1-pound asparagus, trimmed 1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1/2-cup fresh mushrooms, sliced 1-teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped or 1/2 teaspoon dried Freshly ground black pepper to taste ~~ In a large skillet, bring 2 inches of water to a boil with a teaspoon salt. ~ Prepare a bowl of ice water and set aside. ~Add asparagus to the boiling water and cook 4 to 5 minutes or until barely tender but still firm. ~Using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove the spears to the ice water bath. ~Leave in ice water 5 minutes or until cool. ~Drain and set aside. ~Discard blanching water. ~~~ ~Using the same skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. ~Add mushrooms, asparagus, thyme and salt and pepper to taste. ~Sauté until mushrooms are wilted and the asparagus is just heated through, about 3 to 4 minutes. ~Serve warm or chilled. ~~~~~ Yields 4 servings. ~~~~~~~~Asparagus sandwich a favorite of mine!

Helianthus annuus & GloryConvolvulus

(Helios means sun in Greek and annus designates it as an annual). ~~~~~~~~~~~~ Heliotropism. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Vincent van Gogh

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The phenomenon that is heliotropism was first described by Leonardo da Vinci (along with geotropism) in his botanical studies. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sunflowers ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Trivia: Facts:

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Sunflower stems were used to fill lifejackets before the advent of modern materials. Low-pollen sunflowers have been developed in recent years which not only helps asthma sufferers, but extend the flower's lifeLanguage of Flowers: The dwarf sunflower means "adulation".Medicinal: The sunflower is grown for the seeds and oil it produces. Each mature flower yields 40% of its weight as oil.History: The flower was cultivated by North American Indians for many years as a food crop The nutritional value is still the main reason for growing it in many parts of the world. Only recently have we begun to grow sunflowers for decorative reasons.Zodiac: Sunflowers are bold and exuberant and one of the flower associated with the star sign Leo. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ah, sunflower! weary of time Who contest the steps of the sun Seeking after that sweet golden clime Where the traveler's journey is done.William Blake, Songs of Experience ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “Bring me then the plant that points to those bright Lucidites swirling up from earth, And life itself exhaled that central breath! Bring me the sunflower crazed with the love of light” Eugenio Montale Italian poet, prose writer, editor and translator 1896 - 1981 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In 1805, explorers Lewis and Clark noted an abundance of sunflowers growing wild. When the first party of Mormons traveled from Missouri, they scattered sunflower seeds across the plains to mark the route in sunflower trails for the next wave of settlers. Pioneers of the West used them for food and sunflower oil was used, then as now, in cooking. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Morning Glory- Dwarf Morning GloryConvolvulus ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Georgia O'keeffe ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

When our children were small we made a sunflower and morning glory gazebo. To this day the morning glories return. AH, What fun that was, and continued memories. Maybe I shall do that again next spring!

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Food for thought~ Morning Glory Muffins

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ An enchanted Playhouse.

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Flower Language Morning Glory – Affectation Sunflower - Loyalty; haughtiness; you are splendid

A Favorite picture

Midsummer Eve c. 1908 Edward Robert Hughes, R.W.S. ~~ A Book by Anna Maria Hall She wrote numerous stories for children, like Grandmamma's Pockets (1849) and Midsummer Eve: a fairy tale of love (1870), and from 1828 to 1837 she was editor of the Juvenile Forget Me Not, an annual published in London.

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Shrooms and thoughts of Faires. Impatiens capensis (jewelweed) The flower almost looks like a cap for an elf.

~~ The upper leaves are alternate, the lower ones opposite. They’re water-repellent, so they look like they’re covered with tiny jewels (raindrops) after it rains, accounting for the name jewelweed.

~~ If you submerge the leaves in water, their undersides will turn silvery, delighting children of all ages.

~~ The trumpet-shaped flowers, which bloom from early summer to fall, are under 1" long, with three petals, one which curls, to form a long slipper- or sack-shaped spur.

~~ If you break jewelweed's stem and repeatedly apply the juice to a fresh mosquito bite for 15-20 minutes, the itching stops and the bite doesn't swell.

~~ For older bites, it works only temporarily.

~~ Jewelweed's juice also relieves bee and wasp stings, although it doesn't always cure them completely.If you accidentally touch poison ivy and apply jewelweed juice to the affected area before the rash appears, you probably won't get the rash.

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Your fairy is called Oak Elffly

She is a cheerful sprite.

She lives in forests of oak and lime trees.

She is only seen at midday under a quiet, cloudless sky.

She decorates herself with leaves and berries. She has delicate green wings like a cicada.

Get your free fairy name here!

Rumbling, rattling, squeaking, clacking, bump and grind?

The dryer has a belly full I feel sure. ~~~ A worn or defective drum belt, idler pulley, support roller, or worn motor bearings—YIKES

~~~ Does this mean the dryer is on it last legs? Why after 15 years and four kids? How could this be? Standard life is 11 to 13 years… ~~~ Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!

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Some noises are caused by objects bouncing around inside the drum, or by loose, vibrating dryer parts! ~~~ Double Yikes is this where my Sweeties missing cell phone ended up?

~~~ Did you know? The very first dryer was invented in the early 1800’s.

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Clothes dryers were first invented in England and France in the early 1800s, no one inventor can be traced. One kind of early clothes dryer was the ventilator. The ventilator was a barrel-shaped metal drum with holes in it. It was turned by hand over a fire. ~~~ The earliest washing machine was the scrub board. Ancient peoples cleaned their clothes by pounding them on rocks or rubbing them with abrasive sands; and washing the dirt away in local streams. Evidence of ancient washing soap was found at Sapo Hill in Rome, where the ashes containing the fat of sacrificial animals was used as a soap.

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The newer models NOW come with drum lights, making it easy to spot those inevitable stray socks hiding in the back of the drum. Whooo Hoo there is a concept. The case of missing socks CAN be solved! ~~~ Diagnosis is in:

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The blower wheel is a drum fan fastened onto the axle protruding from one side of the motor. The motor also has an axle on the other side with the belt pulley attached. The blower wheel turns when the motor turns and creates a strong air current. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ WHEWwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

Strictest speaking

The enclosed quote I thought was so perfect so I am sharing it with you all plus the site. Very creative…

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Grass Miscanthus Strictus

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“If Pygmalion were a gardener, Miscanthus would come to life as fountains, some of them spouting tall and upright to 10 ft. Graceful and robust, they’re favored for their lush foliage and silky terminal panicles. Striking as a single specimen, Miscanthus is also excellent when massed in the perennial bed or a mixed border. Attractive year-round, with fall colors of yellow, purple, scarlet and burgundy; they fade to a lovely warm ivory in winter.” ````````````````````````` Pygmalion is a Greek name. Pygmalion—or Pygmaion according to Hesychios of Alexandra—is probably a Cypriot form of Adonis, a Levantine vegetation-god.

Already had my fill of GREENS

The formula for shear stress in a beam is: See viscosity ;

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As soon as my Sweetie left I got one more hour of weed eating in before the heat would be too intense. While the chore is far from complete, I call it an on going work in progress; I have used all the gas in the designated can. Therefore that means I am finished? Well it’s a thought ;)

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Now on to less green activities as today the new mattress arrives. I so hope that we picked well. I figure it’s a 50-50 guesstimate. Soon enough we will have the verdict. I figure twenty years on the life of a mattress is ling enough. Add four children bouncing all over it for sure counts. Of course children jumping is a major NO NO as far as mattress manufactures say.

~~~~~~~~ The average mattress lasts about 10 years. By adding ¼ plywood between the box springs we added 10 more years.

~~~~~~~ Several weeks ago I went to all available stores in search of the Perfect Mattress. I always wore comfortable clothing, sandals, and was prepared to spend at least 15 minutes per mattress. After doing the preliminary research my Sweetie also tested the beds and offered his opinions.

~~~~~~~~~ According to the research I had these products to consider. I read much on mattresses. This I thought was fascinating: During the Neolithic period: The mattress and bed are invented. Beds are raised off the ground to avoid drafts, dirt, and pests. The first mattress probably consists of a pile of leaves, grass, or possibly straw, with animal skins over it.

~~~~ Hello lets go camping and forget the tent the pots and pans and do a Euell Gibbons. Stalking the Wild Asparagus (1962) and Stalking the Blue-Eyed Scallop (1964) ~~ To name a couple of his books.

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The word ”mattress”is derived from Arabic words meaning, "to throw" and "place where something is thrown" or "mat, cushion." During the Crusades, Europeans adopted the Arabic method of sleeping on cushions thrown on the floor, and the word materas eventually descended into Middle English through the Romance languages.[1]

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~~~~Crusades ey? In 1970s: NASA invents material that later becomes known as memory foam[2]. This has to do with viscosity. YIKES Physics and MATH?

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Viscosity is a measure of the resistance of a fluid to deform under shear stress. Memory foam was originally developed by NASA to ease the pressure of extreme G-force during space shuttle take off. It was never used in the space program, but was subsequently used in medical applications, for example with patients suffering from pressure sores or bed-bound for a long period.

~~~ This of course brought to mind the story by Hans Christian Anderson. The Princess and the Pea.

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So hold the calls I will be seeing if I can locate any peas!

Tee hee Once Upon a Mattress

Socks?

Sweatshirt? ~~~~~~~~ Ye Gads this am [6] it was 46 degrees…my tootsies are brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr EEEE. Just where are those socks anyway? ~~~~~~~~~~ Signs of fall seem a bit more apparent. A faint crispness in the air as the twin doe range the creek bank for their morning foray. The geese come out of the creek after their morning dip and the Great Blue Heron situates itself in a proper stance to dine. The King Fishers perch and begin their selection as well. ~~~~~~~~~ Thoughts of getting the portable fireplace out for the first time since last fall swims through the cobwebs of my mind. Memories of sitting outside with my sweetie in the cool of the evening as we gazed into the firelight wrap me in yummy thoughts. ~~~~~~~~~~~ Soon it will be Labor Day, but more importantly my Sweeties Birthday. I have always mused about that, Labor Day and a BIRTH day? Tee hee! ~~~~~~~~~~ Labor Day in these parts is a big event; aside from the normal Labor Day events we have two rather larger Festivals. The Italian Heritage Festival and the Jackson’s Mill Jubilee. ~~~~~~~~~ Since 1979 Clarksburg has hosted the annual West Virginia Italian Heritage Festival during Labor Day weekend. Each September since 1991 the city has been the site of the West Virginia Black Heritage Festival. The city is known as the "jewel of the hills." ~~~~~~~~~ The Stonewall Jackson Heritage Arts and Crafts Jubilee's first year was 1974 for the 4-day event over Labor Day weekend at Jackson's Mill State 4-H Camp, near Weston, WV. What began as a small get together of musicians and crafters has turned into one of the nicest heritage festivals in the state! I will be working two of the four-day event. OF COURSE Not Sweeties BIRTHDAY! ~~~~~ Soon the School Busses will be weekly rolling down the highways. And ~~~~~~~~~~ College Football begins ~~~~~~~~~~~ Whooooooooo Hoooooooo! Lets Go Mountaineers! First Game is September 1st WVU Vs Western Michigan, home game at 3:30pm. I will have my radio at the Mill! Need a new pedicure and change the polish to my traditional BLUE AND GOLD!

Disco anyone?

Dark and Stormy night or a Blast from the Past?

~~~~~~~~ The temperatures went up again yesterday, as did the humidity. Later in the late evening hours we got this amazing storm. Since we are now reinstated in our bedroom we are getting used to the skylight above. Wow it was a super light show reminiscent of the 60’s HA HA!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A veritable Strobe light with hiccups!

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The origin of strobe lighting dates to 1931, when Harold Eugene "Doc" Edgerton employed a flashing lamp to make an improved stroboscope for the study of moving objects, eventually resulting in dramatic photographs of objects such as bullets in flight. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sir Isaac Newton's (1642-1727), work on gravity was a key step to the development of ... using a strobe light (and allowed the time of the strobe light to vary…

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His second discovery was about light and the properties of light. He spent months in a darkened room doing experiments. He passed a beam of sunlight through a prism and discovered that the beam of light was broken down into different colors. His conclusion: something that appears green, such as grass, looks green because it reflects the green light in the sun and absorbs most of the other colors. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Law of Motion and “The Loco-Motion” Grand Funk! Happy Friday!

My Dad

~~~ Memories of the Best Dad in the world~~~

My Daddy used to say, "it was not the heat it was the stupidity". Indeed he was, at it always seemed correct. Today is my Father’s Birthday. While he is no longer on this earth I just wanted to say Happy Birthday Dad!

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The humidity has returned today, but much has been accomplished. I have regained control of the Guest bed and bathroom. I how ever managed to break two teeny drill bits, so the shades will wait until tomorrow. My first CLUE should have been the sweat dripping into my eyes. Like Scarlett, I’ll Think About That Tomorrow~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I get Misty

Took a short break to snap this picture. This flower has chosen to adopt us in one of my gardens. The Flower of the DAY ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Eupatorium coelestinum DESCRIPTION The Mist flower is an attractive late season perennial about 3 feet tall with blue flowers. The Mist Flower is also known as Blue Bonnet or Wild Ageratum. It is in the Eupatorium group along with Boneset and Joe Pye Weed, but it is the only one with blue flowers. The plant prefers full sun but is also found in some of our mountain woods. It is a popular plant for home gardens but can become invasive. The flowers first bloom in August and persist for several weeks. The leaves are opposite and paired and are triangular shaped. Still Painting ;) ALSO ~ "Misty" is a jazz standard written in 1954 by the pianist Erroll Garner. Originally composed as an instrumental following the traditional 32 bar format, the tune later had lyrics . and became the signature song of Sarah Vaughan. It has been covered numerous times, perhaps most notably by Ella Fitzgerald, Johnny Mathis (1959), and also by Ray Stevens (1975) as a country song. It was also used as a theme song for NBC's Today Show for most of the 1960s. Misty was the first song played on the air by disk jockey Domenic A. Conti on his debut into radio in 1958. The kicker is Old Blue Eyes singing it as well! [tee hee] “Look at me I'm an helpless as a kitten up a tree and I feel like I'm clinging to a cloud I can't understand I get misty just holding your hand Walk my way and a thousand violins begin to play on it might be the sound of your hello that music I hear I get misty the moment you're near You can say that you're leading me on But it's just what I want you to do don't you notice how hopelessly I'm lost that's why I'm following you On my own would I wonder through this wonderland alone never knowing my right foot from my left my hat from my glove I'm too misty and too much in love You can say... On my own...”

Perusing the news and Slanguage!

OR do not sweat the small stuff! HA! A ‘cool’ saying back in my junior high days! Sweatology, a recent article from the New York Times caught my eye! Quite possibly because we have just come out of a three week intense high humidity weather system! This morning, I was up and running around at 5 am [who know why] to 50 degrees and total calm. What a relief this is! http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/14/health/14swea.html?8dpc=&_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1187101031-LLPgoK08hNxZDlP03vwwpg The tomatoes are coming on like Gang Busters; [Gangbusters has been used as an adverb since the 1970s, usually in the phrase go gangbusters 'to be extremely successful or vigorous’] they so love the high humidity. Hummmmmmmm perchance the saying now there is one Hot Tomato is really about Gardening? Ha can ya DIG it? Heck back in the day I sported a hair cut called a Duck Tail. A way of combing your hair in the back. Instead of combing your hair straight down in the back, you would comb both sides in towards the middle and then, with the end of the comb, part it down the middle. http://cougartown.com/slang.html Great site for some humor as in this one: Back then ~~~ Thongs In the 60's, thongs were something you wore on your feet. Thought of that Quacked me up! Ok enuff silliness back to Painting! Linda and I have made a template for the entire woodwork casing of the windows, doors and fireplace…now it begins!

Things just seem to fall into place

Be like the flower; turn your face to the sun. -- Kahlil Gibran Needless to say it has been hectic around here since mid May. A lot has been accomplished and while there is more to do [when does it ever end?] progress is showing its self off! I was in so hoping that the bedroom, the new mattress, the recovered bench and chair would be in place on the 10th. Alas and alack it did not QUITE make it. Instead, we used Tatami mats, ours not quite with Japanese tradition. I actually slept on those when I was in Japan several years ago, not too bad to sleep on actually. We also had camp pads for use under sleeping bags to soften the floor. The skylight was awesome as we gazed into the evening sky. Tatami (畳 tatami?) (originally meaning "folded and piled") mats are a traditional Japanese flooring. Made of woven straw, and traditionally packed with straw (though nowadays sometimes with styrofoam), tatami are made in individual mats of uniform size and shape, bordered by brocade or plain green cloth. Tatami were originally a luxury item for the wealthy at a time when lower classes had mat-covered dirt floors.[1] Tatami were gradually popularized and finally reached the homes of commoners towards the end of the 17th century.[ My Sweetie and I worked most of the day re hanging artwork in the bed and bathroom. Replacing tie racks, making a shelf unit that will house the towels and generally cleaning the room. We have reclaimed our room. All that remains is cutting in the accent colors on the window trim, the doors and the mantel. That is something that, while it takes time, it is a pleasurable chore. The re painting of bedside tables is ½ complete, and since it is enamel, that takes time and at least 4 coats also factor in the humidity. Weather wise we have had a reprieve from the humidity and that is always a good thing. Guess one could say we are on the last leg of THIS Marathon. ;) “Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under the trees on a summer's day, listening to the murmur of water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time” John Lubbock quotes (English Biologist and Politician, 1834-1913) Now off to PAINT!

Perseus on the Rise!

Spectacular weekend ;) The skylight is ready for the Show! METEOR NIGHT: The Perseid meteor shower peaks tonight. No matter where you live, the show begins on Sunday, Aug. 12th, around 10 pm local time when the constellation Perseus rises in the northeast. Expect to see a meteor every five minutes. The rate will surge as the night unfolds, increasing to one or two meteors per minute before dawn on Monday, Aug. 13th. http://spaceweather.com:80/http://spaceweather.com:80/

See ya in a few days

LIFE IS GREAT!

The day before we wed…

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Not only did my parents not allow me, to attend the PARTY/BASH before the wedding~~~ they said, “It would not be PROPER”! BUT~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1974: Nixon leaves office & Ford sworn in Having announced his resignation the day before, Richard M. Nixon steps down from the presidency of the United States and is succeeded by Vice President Gerald R. Ford. Nixon had resigned rather than face almost certain impeachment because of the Watergate scandal, in which he was charged with misuse of presidential powers to violate the constitutional rights of U.S. citizens, obstruction of justice, and failure to respond to House Judiciary Committee subpoenas. The departure of Nixon would prove to be a fatal blow to the South Vietnamese, who always believed that the American president would be there to make good his promises to support them in their continuing post-ceasefire war against the North Vietnamese. In accordance with his statement of resignation the previous evening, Richard M. Nixon officially ends his term as the 37th president of the United States at noon. Before departing with his family in a helicopter from the White House lawn, he smiled farewell and enigmatically raised his arms in a victory or peace salute. The helicopter door was then closed, and the Nixon family began their journey home to San Clemente, California. Richard Nixon was the first U.S. president to resign from office. Minutes later, Vice President Gerald R. Ford was sworn in as the 38th president of the United States in the East Room of the White House. After taking the oath of office, President Ford spoke to the nation in a television address, declaring, "My fellow Americans, our long national nightmare is over." Ford, the first president who came to the office through appointment rather than election, had replaced Spiro Agnew as vice president only eight months before. In a political scandal independent of the Nixon administration's wrongdoings in the Watergate affair, Agnew had been forced to resign in disgrace after he was charged with income tax evasion and political corruption. In September 1974, Ford pardoned Nixon for any crimes he may have committed while in office, explaining that he wanted to end the national divisions created by the Watergate scandal.

It is so ~~~~

But then Shrooms are FUN Guys RIGHT? ~~~~~~~~~~~Humid Here I perspire moss

Oh things are getting closer!

MAYBE today the insider painter of our bed and bathroom will be able to begin painting the floor. OH JOY! In our home circa late 1800’s the floors upstairs were painted. In order to maintain some credence to the age and appropriateness, we have chosen to maintain that look and or appeal as it were. By the early 1800's more parquet patterns were in use, but only in the richest of homes and rooms. Wooden plank flooring remained the norm and were usually painted, and in the better homes laid in a tongue and grove configuration. More modest houses would have random width boards simply face nailed to the joists. With the advent of tongue and groove milling, the floors could be laid in a more level fashion before they were painted. This still required a lot of labor to install as well as to maintain. Of course if you had these types of floors you probably had some servants that did the work! NOW there is a concept! Servants? HA! http://university.floormall.com/hardwood-flooring-101.php At any hoot, we are doing the floors of these two rooms. We had years ago painted one of the rooms down stairs and have since replaced the wood with newer oak flooring as the joists were beyond repair. The old floors were too dry and did not withstand being even the best sanding equipment. Now the upside to the old uneven floors was that one could play marbles and NEVER win! ???? My hope and wish that these two rooms would be ready for occupancy by this weekend is CLOSE to happening. But as they say Close only counts in Horseshoes and hand grenades. [It's a baseball saying that first started around 1935. The full quote is: “Close doesn't count in baseball. Close only counts in horse shoes and hand grenades.” http://www.mindlesscrap.com/stumpme/03-02.htm A HUGE THANK YOU for my Sweetie and both of our sons as they got all the trim ready for these two rooms so the Painting goes on. Boring as it was, it is FINI. Well that part is! Also JUST for my Sweetie…a GUSHY MOMENT…tee hee, bet he thought I forgot! ;) “Life has taught us that love does not consist in gazing at each other but in looking outward together in the same direction.” Antoine De Saint-Exupery

Queen DOT

I was driving through the countryside Friday and saw many flowers that have, for whatever reason, remind be of the coming of fall. It appears from some of the flowers and trees we might have an early autumn. At any hoot, here is a flower I have always enjoyed. Did you know? Queen Anne's Lace is a member of the Parsley family~~~ There are several anecdotes as to why the Carrot Flower is named the Queen Anne’s Lace. http://lace.lacefairy.com/Fun/QueenAnnsLace.html The central flower of the carrot's umbel is reddish-purple. A fascinating site with loads of information and this recipe. http://www.carrotmuseum.co.uk/queen.html Queen Anne's Lace Jelly 18 large Queen Anne's lace heads 4 Cups water 1/4 Cup lemon juice (fresh or bottled) 1 Package powdered pectin 3 1/2 Cups + 2 Tbsp. sugar Bring water to boil. Remove from heat. Add flower heads (push them down into the water). Cover and steep 30 mins. Strain. Measure 3 Cups liquid into 4-6 quart pan. Add lemon juice and pectin. Bring to a rolling boil stirring constantly. Add sugar and stir constantly. Cook and stir until mixture comes to a rolling boil. Boil one minute longer, then remove from heat. Add color (pink) if desired. Skim. Pour into jars leaving 1/4" head space. Process in hot water bath for 5 mins. Makes about 6 jars.

The words are SULTRY and HHH

And that is not for Hubert Horatio Humphrey Hazy Hot and Humid

Dog days of summer for sure, those days that merely walking outside will bring the sweat rolling off your head. Gooey, icky, salty…

But where does the term come from? Why do we call the hot, sultry days of summer “dog days?”

In ancient times, when the night sky was un obscured by artificial lights and smog, different groups of peoples in different parts of the world drew images in the sky by “connecting the dots” of stars. The images drawn were dependent upon the culture: The Chinese saw different images than the Native Americans, who saw different pictures than the Europeans. These star pictures are now called constellations, and the constellations that are now mapped out in the sky come from our European ancestors.

During late July Sirius is in conjunction with the sun, and the ancients believed that its heat added to the heat of the sun, creating a stretch of hot and sultry weather. They named this period of time, from 20 days before the conjunction to 20 days after, “dog days” after the dog star. 95.0 °F this Friday at 3 pm and it appears this trend will continue through at least next Thursday. This morning it is already 70.5 °F / 21.4 °C and Hazy and it is only 8 am with 42% humidity! Aarrgghhhhhhhhh! Looks like in the 80’s by Friday the 10th! Bearing all of this in mind I fixed a new recipe that Tene shared with me. It is really good so I am sharing it. I fixed it yesterday and we shall have it tonight with a “Mess” of green beans from the garden and maybe some more of our Corn.

* CHICKEN SALAD WITH ROSEMARY, ALMONDS, AND GREEN ONIONS

6 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary or 1 1/2 teaspoons dried,

crumbled 4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves

3/4 cup sliced almonds (about 3 ounces), toasted

1/2 cup thinly sliced celery

3 large green onions, thinly sliced

Whisk oil, vinegar, and rosemary in small bowl to blend;

season dressing with salt and pepper.

Place chicken in shallow dish.

Add 1/4 cup dressing; turn chicken to coat.

Let stand 15 minutes.

Heat large skillet over medium-high heat.

Add chicken, still coated with dressing, to skillet.

Sauté until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.

Transfer to work surface.

Cool chicken 5 minutes;

cut into 1/2-inch pieces.

Combine chicken, almonds, celery, and green onions in large bowl.

Add remaining dressing and toss to blend. Season salad with salt and pepper.

Makes 4 servings

Bon Appetit October 2001

I think ...

Hydrangea, Pee Gee Hydrangea paniculata 'Grandiflora'

I think a man and a woman should choose each other for life, for the simple

reason that a long life with all its accidents is barely enough time for

a man and a woman to understand each other and. . . to understand - is to love.

William Butler Yeats

One week from today!

What do we live for,

it is not to make life less difficult for each other?

George Eliot

English novelist (1819 - 1880)