Summer Bouquet

The summer sun is blistering hot, but I enjoy taking a few minutes to run outside and clip some summer flowers for the table. 

Let's see today I gathered: Shasta Daisy, Purple Coneflower, Dwarf Zinnias, Catmint, and Honeysuckle.

While I was out there I noticed the sunflowers and weeds are completely out of control in the backyard.  Somehow weeding is not as much fun.

Summer Garage Sale Projects

My kids are getting stir crazy and starting to drive me crazy so it was time to dig in a craft bucket and find some projects we've been waiting to do.  Odds and ends we have picked up at garage sales.  They each found something to do with very little coaching by mom.  Yahoo!

One chose an MC Escher inspired fish puzzle (I'll teach him about Escher later)... 

a parrot by the boy always looking for "birdies"...and a rainbow suncatcher by my rainbow boy.  Remember those suncatchers from when you were a kid and you melt the little crystals together?  

My project: reading as many novels as I possibly can for one summer week.  One Julie Garwood and two Lori Copeland.

Family Reunion

On the 100th anniversary of my mom's farm, we celebrated in the afternoon with clay pigeon shooting, archery, and a nice family visit. Followed in the evening with a campfire, and an obscene amount of fireworks. Sparklers and family photos rounded things off around midnight. Luckily, we were on our way home when the torrents of rain started which is a very good thing because the picture above would just not have been the same in the pouring rain.

St Francis Gets a Facelift

Cement statues can look a bit boring and grey so for a long time I've thought my St. Francis statue needed some enhancement. Then I saw a show on PBS's "For Your Home" and knew exactly what I wanted to do! A guest on the show demonstrated how to age your statue and harmonize it with your garden. I went right to work...

I started with a very light brush of white acrylic paint on the highlights. Then comes the part I would never think of: dirt. You add dirt to the creases and crevices with a touch of the white paint, which is no longer white when you poke the dirt into the recess of the statue.

At first my kids were content to watch me, but before I knew it they had taken over the dirt part. Gotta love a project that involves art, gardening, and kids!

Has anyone tried brushing on buttermilk to encourage moss? I wasn't sure about that one.

Echinacea Flower Essence

Today I tried making my own flower essence! It was easy and fun. My purple coneflower has just come into bloom so it would make a good flower essence - at least according to "The New Encyclopedia of Flower Remedies". I've used Bach Flower Remedies for many years since a co-worker introduced me to the gentle power of Bach, but this was the first time I made my own.

It was the right time of day so I grabbed a glass bowl, filled it with filtered water and cut the blooms to rest in the sun bathed water for 3-4 hours. I even set my timer so I wouldn't forget about it. Inside I strained it and put the infused water in a glass container with a lid, filled it with equal parts apple cider vinegar since I have it on hand. Next time I may go get the traditional brandy, but I don't know the last time I had alcohol in my house.

Now I'm going to try using it in my morning juice to help rebalance my body.

Gargoyle in the Storm Drain

As you stroll along the river walk in Wichita, Kansas if you happen to look down as you walk over a huge storm grate you may have a surprise in store. My sister-in-law showed us a gargoyle down in the drain while we were visiting, but she said it scared her to death the first time she saw it. I can't imagine why.

Reportedly, there are 5 or 6 of the gargoyles in various storm drains around the city - putting statues in your storm grates is clever and different, IMO. Now if only they had put angels down there instead...

39 Forever

Mom says I get to be this age for the rest of my life, and everyone knows the mother is always right. Don't you think?