Our Flowers and Vegetable Garden…..

 

Welcome to “Our Little Red Saltbox”! I’m so glad you stopped by for a visit.

 

I was just taking a walk through our vegetable garden, apple orchard and flowers. Don’t you just love doing that? The birds are singing their morning tune, the wind is whispering welcome in your ear, while the sun warms you into a new day.

 

 

Our peas are looking pretty good. I need to run some strings for them to pull themselves up on. I love fresh peas straight from the garden!

 

 

I think we’re going to see some blossoms on our string beans soon!

 

 

This is probably my favorite bed. It’s where all the greens are planted. I can’t wait to make a big salad with them!

 

 

Mmmmm! Red potatoes! I have never really been a potato fan, except for sweet potatoes, but I do love brand new red potatoes fresh from the garden. Nothing like’em!

 

 

Chives! Another great addition to my big salad. I think I might make some garlic and chive mashed potatoes for dinner tonight.

 

 

 

Our lilacs are just starting to really pop. I love the smell of them! I think I may go out a pick a few to put inside today.

Don’t you love fresh flowers in your home? I even fill a tiny little bud base to put on my bathroom vanity.

 

 

 

I really need to weed, but probably not today. (giggle)

 

 

 

I did get this bed weeded, but I still need to add some mulch.

 

 

 

I’m not so sure it’ll be a very good year for our apples. We have a few dead trees. The deer like to come up and eat the bark, which kills the tree. I do love seeing the deer, but it also means a few less jars of applesauce.

 

This is a shade garden that I planted over 25 years ago. The fence has fallen and it has really gone wild, but I do love the look it has created for itself. There are a few daffodils, lilies, hostas and even something my mother in law called youth and old age.

 

 

This is our someday house lot. We hope to have our little red saltbox built on it soon!

Stay tuned....

Blessings,

 Julie

A Busy Weekend...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I hadn’t realized how long it had been in between posts. My how time does fly!

 

I made some homemade strawberry rhubarb jam this morning and thought I’d use some to make squares. They were DELICIOUS! My husband made some carrot cake with homemade cream cheese frosting. YUMMY!

 

On Saturday we got up early and made 3 loaves of homemade brown bread and 2 loaves of sundried tomato and basil bread with Kalamata olives. We sliced each loaf through the middle so it looked like a big hamburger bun. Then we brushed each cut side with olive oil and grilled them. We layered it with shredded mozzarella, smoked turkey, ham, onions, fresh spinach and sundried tomatoes, and then wrapped it in foil until the cheese melted nicely. AMAZING!

 

Some magazines my husband and I love to read, and a few pictures from the weekend.

 

The rain has been pretty steady here. The water is quite high. The fields had been very dry, but they’ve definitely had their fill now. I hope this doesn’t cause problems with the farmers crops. Fortunately for us, today was mostly sunny. You see Monday is laundry day here, and I like to hang my laundry out to dry. I was able to get all of it dried between the rain drops, so I am very thankful to Mother Nature for that.

 

Our garden is coming along nicely. We have it covered, as the weather is still a bit cool here. Our green beans and peas will be blossoming in another week. I can't believe how fast they are growing. The lettuce should be ready in a few days. I love fresh vegetables and cannot wait to harvest them.

 

Well, I am off to dreamland for tonight, as it has been a very full day here. I hope you have all had a wonderful holiday weekend. Please remember to pray for all of our soldiers. We are so thankful for all they do for us and so many others. Unfortunately our freedom is not free.

 

Blessings,

Julie

Our Little Gardener….

 

This is our granddaughter, Piper. She loves the outdoors!

 

 

Wrong tool, but her sweet little heart was in the right place. She said she was going to rake our lawn for us.

Oh, the energy!

 

 

She and her daddy are planting sunflowers in front of the barn.

 

 

 

She is coming over later today to spend some time with us. She asked us on the phone last night if her flowers are up yet. I think this will be a real lesson in patience.

 

Do you garden with your children/grandchildren? What a wonderful way to teach them patience and responsibility, not to mention the priceless moments you'll get to spend together.

 

Piper also has some tulips that she wants to plant, so I guess I had better make room. I’m thinking of finding a nice spot in the yard where we can make a little fairy princess garden together. I think she’ll like that. I know I will. (giggle)

 

 

 

When you step amongst the blooms,
Beware, they're really fairy rooms
And 'tho they only reach your knees
To fairies buds are tall as trees.
 

Cleverly hidden near the ground
Tiny colonies can be found
Behold the pastel Four o'clocks
Shade resting fairies perched on rocks.   Queen Anne's Lace, shimmering white
Blossoms plucked in morning light
Make silver threaded wedding dresses
And veils to cover lovely tresses.   Fairy babies so sweet and small
Quite simply hard to see at all
Asleep on Bachelor Button beds
Babies Breath pillows at their heads.   I hope you hesitate to take
the finest daisies strong and straight
Alas, they're truly parasols
For days of sun or mild rainfall.   Shades of azure, everlasting
bushy, spreading, shadow casting,
Silent tents of Forget Me Not
Where fairy soldiers guard their flock.   Leaves are stripped and gently dried
to make canoes for midnight rides
Moonlight kisses transparent wings
And shines upon the crowns of kings.     Fairy dust has a tinkling sound
Try to catch it fluttering down
Before it quietly disappears
or blends with rainbow dew drop tears.   So in the flowers when you play
Remember what you've learned today
And if you hear a tiny sound
Quickly glance down to the ground.   You may just get a fleeting glimpse
of golden wings or faint footprints
For gardens whether large or small
Are not quite what they seem at all.   ~ Dianna Greenwood  

Blessings,

Julie

 



 

 

May Keepers Meeting….

 

 

What a great turnout!

 

 

Janice spoke on herbs, and great ways to use them. She made some homemade bruschetta using homemade rosemary bread lightly brushed with olive oil, and sprinkled with fresh basil, tomatoes and feta cheese. DELICIOUS!

 

 

A special little Mother’s Day gift….

Janice gave beautiful, aromatic rosemary plants to each of the women in attendance.

 

 

We also talked about how to start your own sprouts. Janice had some for everyone to sample. They taste like fresh, new green beans from the garden. YUM!

 

 

We all had such a lovely time.

 

 

Marianne brought some great old magazines on homesteading that date back to the 1940’s. She says she that she and her husband still follow a lot of the info that is in it. How does the old saying go? “The more things change, the more they stay the same.” Someone had it all figured out, and it still works!

 

 

 

 

 

I made some hose wreaths to giveaway to four lucky winners.

 

 

CONGRATULATIONS goes out to…..

Sheila, Madeline, Bev, and Marianne!

 

I always love getting together with all of our keepers. They have some really great information to share, and are always willing to try new things.

 

We have decided to skip over our June meeting because of busy summer schedules, but will still meet in July. Marianne is going to show us all how she makes clover honey. That is something I have never made and can’t wait to try!

 

Thank you for stopping by our little red saltbox! I do hope you enjoyed your visit and will come by again soon. I just love hearing from all of you!

 

Blessings,

Julie

A Mother's Love....

A Mother's Love

 

There are times when only a mother's love
Can understand our tears,
Can soothe our disappoints
And calm all of our fears.

There are times when only a mother's love
Can share the joy we feel
When something we've dreamed about
Quite suddenly is real.

 

There are times when only a mother's faith
Can help us on life's way
And inspire in us the confidence
We need from day to day.

 

For a mother's heart and a mother's faith
And a mother's steadfast love
Were fashioned by the angels
And sent from God above.

 

--Author Unknown

 

Much love and prayers for strength to all of you wonderful mother's out there!

 

Blessings,

Julie

Good Evening….

 

I love lilacs. This is one of our two trees. We also have a white lilac tree that belonged to my husband’s mother. I love that it still lives on and is doing so well. Many have taken from it, and still it provides more each year. Their smell says summer to me.

 

I apologize for not posting for a while. We have been busy getting all of our paper work for the house finished, so the bank can do their part. I actually thought I had everything in to them, but they needed more. I feel like they want everything, but our first born son. They don’t lend money like they used to anymore, but 

I know that all of the time we are spending on getting everything ready for the bank now, will pay off later when we are enjoying our new home. That thought is what keeps me sane throughout this whole process.

 

My husband and I have also been spending our time getting our garden planted. I love working in the garden. It’s such a peaceful place. God and I spend a lot of time there together. Our grandchildren love fresh peas from the garden, so this year we made sure we planted a few extra rows. We also doubled up on all the greens, because those are what my husband and I enjoy so much.

 

Summer for us means more grilling time, so we have been doing a lot of that now that the snow is finally gone. Tonight we enjoyed grilled pork chops from the pig we raised last year. She certainly was named appropiately....Shirley B. Goodeatin! (giggle)

 

Today, our oldest son and I cleaned out all the boxes and bottles from the garage that have sat there all winter. You know, all the boxes from Christmas that pile up and never get taken to the recycling center because the weather is so cold. Well, they are all gone now, and the garage is clean!

 

So many summer projects. I love it! You won’t hear me complain about them either, because I don’t like winter.  I am going to love whatever summer sends my way. The good, the bad, the endless work.

 

I hope you are enjoying whatever summer is bringing your way.

 

Stop by to visit again soon…..

Blessings,

Julie

Baby Shower Fun…

                                                     

Last Saturday I hosted a baby shower for Danielle. As you can see, she is very pregnant. With a due date of June 1st, we don’t have long to wait for this beautiful little girl to arrive. We are so excited! This will be our 3rd grandchild, and our middle son’s first child. They are going to be wonderful parents.

 

For the shower we had a “Sugar & Spice” theme. It was so much fun to put together.

 

 

 

For the table centerpiece I used framed pictures of Thomas and Danielle when they were little.

Everyone really enjoyed looking at all the pictures and wondering who the baby will look like.

 

 

My good friend Marsha from Texas was such a HUGE help to me. She designed the invitations and the fun.

 

We did a “Guess How Many” game with a baby bottle full of M&M’s, and everyone gave the mom to be a “Little Bit of Advice” for baby. I wish I could remember all the advice that was given, but a couple that I do remember are…

 

Get used to cold food and no sleep.

and

Read…read, read, read!

 

 

 

This was probably my favorite part. It’s a box that holds “Wishes for Baby”. Each guest filled out a card by filling in the blanks to things such as…

Dear Rylee~

 

I hope you learn……

I hope you aren’t afraid…

I hope you love….

I hope you grow….

I hope you ignore….

I hope you never forget….

 

There were many more, but you get the idea. Once these were filled out and signed, they were placed in a sweet little box that baby Rylee will someday get to open. I just love things like this. Thank you so much Marsha for such a great idea!

 

 

This is a picture of the cradle that we used for Thomas after he was born. I have saved it all these years with the hopes that he would someday have a sweet little baby that he could rock in it, and then pass it down to the next generation with the story that he himself was once rocked to sleep by his mommy in this same cradle.

 

 

In keeping with the theme, we did a table that was all “Sugar & Spice”….cinnamon spice drops, ginger candy, clove candy, hot tamales, teddy bear gummies, little lamb lollipops, and so much more.

 

 

 

Thank you to my niece Betsy, and my sister in law Susan, for making such beautiful and tasty cupcakes. They were a real hit!

 

 

 

The little girls were all blinged up for the shower and really enjoyed the “sugar”.

 

Our granddaugher told us a couple days before the shower that she couldn't wait to go to the baby washer. From the mouths of babes, as they say!

 

 

 

A beautiful quilt for the baby was made by the ladies in the church.
 

As you can see, it was a nice time. Now we are looking forward to the birth of baby Rylee.

 

Enjoy your week, and thanks for stopping by. I do enjoy your visits.

 

Blessings,

Julie