just jody

one tin soldier......

2012-02-08T20:11:00.000-05:00

this song has been much on my mind today....
not for any particular reason.

it's from the movie "the legend of billy jack"

probably my all time favorite movie...

sometimes the injustices in this world

become so incredibly overwhelming....

so much hate....and jealousy.

kindness...and love

really are

all

that

matter...

perfection......

2012-02-05T07:03:00.000-05:00

"perfection is achieved...

not when there is nothing more to add...

but when there is nothing left

to take away."

~antoine de saint-exupery

wolf brother

2012-01-29T21:27:00.000-05:00

wolf brother.....

loyal guardian spirit

sage guidance

2012-01-27T14:39:00.000-05:00

i have much sage guidance in my life...

i am humbled...and honored..that they have chosen

to guide this seeker

on her journey...

mother owl

2012-01-25T20:07:00.000-05:00

"the owl is a symbol of the feminine...the moon...and the night. "

~ Animal Speak..Ted Andrews

letting go....

2012-01-24T21:02:00.000-05:00

"letting go of what is in our hands....

so we can reach for something greater."

~ ericatheartist

it's time...

plaster and wax.....

2012-01-19T21:48:00.000-05:00

playing with plaster and wax.....

the goal:

hopefully....

prayer flags

hmmm....

we'll see.....

zoom zoom.....

2012-01-18T21:17:00.000-05:00

"a careful driver is one who honks his horn

when he goes through a red light."

~henry morgan

earth mother

2012-01-15T21:27:00.000-05:00

earth my body...

water my blood...

fire my spirit...

wind my breath.

peace...........

2012-01-12T09:47:00.000-05:00

wishing you a peaceful day............

faith is knowing........

2012-01-11T20:45:00.000-05:00

"when you come to the edge of all the light you have known...

and are about to step out into darkness...

faith is knowing one of two things will happen:

there will be something to stand on...

or you will be taught to fly.

~Richard Bach

relatives...

2012-01-05T21:26:00.000-05:00

"with all things...and in all things

we are relatives..."

~sioux saying

i owe.....i owe....

2012-01-03T05:23:00.000-05:00

i owe.....i owe.....so its off to work i go.....being home for the last twelve days has been wonderful. i seem to have bonded again with my studio and have so many ideas that i'd love to be working on .....but.....i owe....i owe.....

i'm very thankful to have a job...

but.....

crap!

a little crow love......

2012-01-02T13:46:00.000-05:00

every since i downloaded the crow freebie from Land of Nod Studios my creative juices have been off the chart! i've always considered all birds to be my muse but most especially the crow.

Ted Andrews book Animal Speak tells us: "wherever crows are...there is magic. they are symbols of creation and spiritual strength. they remind us to look for opportunities to create and manifest the magic of life. they are messengers calling to us about the creation and magic that is alive within our world everyday and available to us."

magic.....there's that word again!

ediths house

2012-01-01T11:12:00.000-05:00

how did you celebrate the new year? i had a 'couple' of glasses of wine and worked in my studio until around 10:30 or so. there's an old beat up recliner that lives in that room...up against the window....beneath some oak leaf shaped tea lights. after i finished puttering around i turned out all the lights...laid back in that ol' chair and listened to the moonlight tap on my window. there was a bazillion stars out last night....and as i sat taking in all that beauty i hoped that i'd see a shooting star......at 11:25....yep.......A SHOOTING STAR! .....and i made a wish.....and welcomed the new year in from one of my favorite places. shortly after twelve i went outside and stood beside my studio window.....soaking up the moon glow and the stars glitter...and thanked the universe for another year..........

i started off this new year with paint on my hands.....spent the morning on this piece.....ediths house.

wishing you good madness.....

2011-12-31T14:31:00.000-05:00

"may your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. i hope you read some fine books and kiss someone who thinks you're wonderful....and don't forget to make some art...write or draw or build or sing or live as only you can. and i hope...somewhere in the next year...you surprise yourself."

~neil gaiman

wishing you a year of

magic

dreams

and

good madness....

happy

new year!

the ancient law of life...

2011-12-29T14:02:00.000-05:00

"trees are sanctuaries. whoever knows how to speak to them...whoever knows how to listen to them...can learn the truth. they do not preach learning and precepts...they preach undeterred by particulars...the ancient law of life."

~ herman hesse

angels among us.....

2011-12-26T07:26:00.001-05:00

i just wanted to share a picture of the angel i made for my brother and his wife for Christmas. i'm always using found objects and pieces of nature in my art.... and after digging thru my stash i laid out these pieces and began assembling my angel. the rock i chose for the head was the last thing i added. as i was positioning it in different places to see where it best fit i flipped it over and noticed the 'face'......do you see the face in the rock? how cool is that?

Christmas 2011

2011-12-22T18:20:00.000-05:00

I hope everyone has a very

Merry Christmas!

another kindred soul

2011-12-18T08:12:00.002-05:00

i'm reading richard merymans book on andrew wyeth.

i've always loved wyeths work.

after reading this i'm seeing his paintings thru new eyes.

and recognizing another kindred soul.....

this is his painting called winter corn

an excerpt from this book reveals wyeths thoughts:

"i can think of nothing more exciting than just sitting in a

cornfield on a windy fall day and listening to the dry rustle.

when i walk through the rows of blowing corn, i am reminded

always of the way a king must have felt walking down a long

line of knights on horseback with banners blowing. i love to

study the many things that grow below the cornstalks, and bring

them back to the studio to study the color. if one could only catch

the true color of nature. the very thought drives me mad."

do you hear the rustling leaves?

i do....

ho ho ho......

2011-12-11T20:10:00.000-05:00

i spent my afternoon making gift tags for my 'gran chillrens' christmas presents

landon.....my little elf

hailey....well...'nuff said'!

cambria...one of my little artists

nicholas....plays a mean saxaphone

shelby.....my other artist

and another little elf.....preston

(i used kits from crowabout studiob-b and marta van eck designs)

voice without a sound....

2011-12-09T09:37:00.000-05:00

                                                   "voice without a sound"......
                                                  .....how i'm feeling lately

owls.........

2011-12-08T08:07:00.000-05:00

i've always had a special affinity for birds....

but owls.....

i want to live in their midst.......

dear universe.....

2011-11-28T19:32:00.000-05:00

dear universe...

please bring this film to a town near me........

vivian maier

2011-11-26T17:26:00.000-05:00

vivian maier.... street photographer
reclusive....eccentric

her work was shared with the world only after her death....

blessings.....

2011-11-24T06:00:00.001-05:00

simple country treasures are counted among my

many blessings......

happy thanksgiving

yes.....please!

2011-11-15T05:06:00.004-05:00

ready for a little visit to Rye?

yes....please!

wish big!

2011-11-11T06:57:00.002-05:00

i've got my cell phone alarm set so i don't miss this!

WISH BIG!!!

(image from pinterest)

playing.........

2011-11-08T14:24:00.003-05:00

i remember when my children were little and played

with colorforms. the digital kits available now are much

the same concept....how fun! i think most people use these

in scrapbooking. unfortunately most of the artist i purchase

my kits from don't allow you to use their kits on anything that

you will sell......sigh......they're sooooooooo cute!

(elements from crowabout studio, marta van eck, my own ephemera, texture by shadowhouse creations)

simply smitten.....

2011-11-05T14:11:00.004-04:00

a murmuration of starlings....

absolutely AMAZING!

nature smites me with her beauty......

8337

2011-11-04T14:28:00.003-04:00

"i shot the sheriff....but i swear it was in self defense...."

~bob marley

(graphics fairy, image courtesy of b. jackson, my own ephemera)

ahhhhhhhh.....my little chickadee!

2011-11-01T08:54:00.003-04:00

i LOVE these smoke detectors by louise van der veld......

want! want! want!

unexpected gifts.......

2011-10-27T10:34:00.004-04:00

unexpected gifts.....

i got this one while walking thru the parking lot to my car.

i never could figure out what was causing this reflection....

just the universe showing some love!

215

2011-10-24T15:08:00.003-04:00

this is another piece in my "inmate series"

i decided to title each piece with an inmate number.

i think these images are fabulous and can't thank

mr. jackson enough for allowing me to have creative

license with them.

(textures by shadowhouse creations, brushes by inobscuro, image courtesy of b. jackson, my ephemera)

unsaid.....

2011-10-23T10:12:00.005-04:00

"there's a difference between unspoken and unsaid...."

WOW.....

i picked this book up from the library last thursday...

without reading the summary....just looked like something i'd like...

and read it yesterday. it's about the power of human

and animal relationships. as is frequently the case with

me....it appears i was guided in this choice.

i lost my animal companion of fifteen years this past friday....

to paraphrase a line in the book...

you gave more than you got in return

i miss you little buddy.....

11785

2011-10-21T08:50:00.003-04:00

i've been working with old photos of inmates from

arkansas state prison lately. this piece is titled "11785"...

is it just me....or does this fellow resemble

don "barney fife" knotts?

(textures by jinterwas, brushes by chain, inmate photo courtesy of b. jackson, my own ephemera)

Even Eagles Need a Push Movie

2011-10-20T14:51:00.000-04:00

Even Eagles Need a Push Movie: We've all seen it, or felt it, at some point in our life; how just one moment of encouragement can change a life forever. It can be the greatest gift you'll ever give...or receive.

ready for halloween?

2011-10-19T19:42:00.002-04:00

getting ready for halloween?......i am.....

i'll share my eyes with you......

2011-10-17T19:11:00.004-04:00

this is catman.

he is 15 years old and has been with me since he was a kitten....

and he's been an outside cat all these years.

i've noticed in the last month that his vision seemed to be failing.

last week i came to realize he is completely blind...

although he managed to get around very well...

except for some missed steps and a few head bumps.

i can't bring him inside after living outside for his entire life.

i frequently let him on the screened porch with me so he is

familiar with the floor plan.....so....for now....

it's his new home.

he was always content to sit at the glass door

and watch me inside the house from the porch.

now i look out and more often than not

he's facing the corner wall instead of the door

listening for me i assume......

i can't tell you how much it breaks my heart

to see him like that....

oh.....and the litter box.....

a new experience for him...

he always gets in the box.....

but usually backs up too far...

and poops over the side onto the porch...

he does the best he can.

so i'll do the best i can...

to care for him.

catman.....

i'll share my eyes with you.......

beet cake

2011-10-11T09:14:00.004-04:00

i can't wait to try this cake by tiger in a jar.....

i wish all my recipes were captured this way....

in need of wings.......

2011-10-05T14:11:00.002-04:00

feeling the need for change.......

and wings.......

angel flight.............

2011-10-04T09:14:00.002-04:00

this is how i imagine angels see the world.........

national coffee day

2011-09-29T06:57:00.002-04:00

it's national coffee day.....

like i need an excuse to drink more coffee.......

hook me up....i'll take mine intravenously.......

(image from pinterest)

sunray kelley

2011-09-26T14:44:00.002-04:00

Want! Want! Want! one of these houses by Sunray Kelley..............

simple pleasures

2011-09-23T14:55:00.003-04:00

"i lived in the wood until i was slain by the relentless axe. in life

i was silent....but in death my melody is exquisite."

~motto carved on a violin by luthier gasper duiffoprugcar

i watched a group of talented artisans make these at an 'old time' fiddlers convention

...held in a cow pasture by a creek... up in the north carolina mountains.

there was music...toe tapping...food...and fellowship aplenty.

simple pleasures....

my way..........

2011-09-20T08:02:00.001-04:00

yep.......that's me!

found on pinterest

starlight freckles......

2011-09-14T14:58:00.001-04:00

starlight freckles in a moonlit mountain sky.......

always someones puppet.....

2011-09-13T22:01:00.003-04:00

"i've been a puppet...a pauper...a pirate...

a poet...a pawn and a 'queen'...

i've been up and down

and over and out....

and i know one thing...

each time i find myself flat on my face...

i pick myself up...

and get back in the race."

....do you ever feel like you're always someones puppet?

(graphics: the body farm, puppets, abandoned and rusty at deviantscrap)

what big eyes you have.....

2011-09-07T13:27:00.003-04:00

Daniel Egneus has illustrated a retelling of Grimm's Red

Riding Hood. His art is magical.....

"her mind lives in a quiet room...

a narrow room...and tall...

with pretty lamps to quench the gloom

and mottoes on the wall.

there all the things are waxen neat

and set in decorous lines...

and there are posies...round and sweet...

and little straightened vines.

her mind lives tidily...apart

from cold and noise and pain...

and bolts the door against her heart...

out wailing in the rain."

~a retelling of Grimm's Red Riding Hood

these words speak of my world.....

thanks to schools.......

2011-09-06T22:23:00.005-04:00

"if there were no schools to take children

away from home part of the time...

the insane asylums

would be filled with mothers."

~edgar w. howe

(graphics from finecraftedDesign)

Tim Walker Photography

2011-09-02T09:08:00.001-04:00

Tim Walker Photography........WOW!

September 11

2011-08-31T10:08:00.006-04:00

My sister in laws birthday is September 11.....yep....THAT day.

I took this picture of her house for her birthday card.

Her last name is Little.....

She has a boss who is rather hard to deal with at times so

I made her a "dammit doll" with her boss's face on it.

The instructions with the doll read:

When you want to kick the desk

or throw the phone and shout.

Here's a little dammit doll

you cannot do without.

Just grasp it firmly by the legs

and find a place to slam it.

And as you whack its stuffing out

yell....

dammit! dammit! dammit!

I know her boss...

I don't really expect it to last too long.......

I See the Moon

2011-08-24T19:26:00.004-04:00

I took this week off for a little down time....

studio time.....

trip to Asheville....

but as we all know the best laid plans will crumble...

my brother had a mishap and landed in the hospital...

the check engine light in my NEW car came on....

and have I been in the studio..not 'til today.

but I sure have enjoyed being home

especially having my morning coffee on the porch

with these 60 degree mornings...

throwing rocks at the moon......

2011-08-18T05:00:00.000-04:00

sometimes....

after a long day at work

all i want to do is sit on the roof

and throw rocks at the moon.....

what a grand old girl

2011-08-17T08:21:00.003-04:00

we have so many wonderful old homes around our town.
i've always wanted to see inside this one but i don't know
who owns it. maybe one day it will be on our annual
tour of homes.......

waiting for love.......

2011-08-15T15:07:00.002-04:00

I finally broke down and got a Mac computer.

I've been wanting one FOREVER but have always used PCs and was

more than a little leery of the learning curve.

To make matters worse I upgraded from Photoshop Elements 9 to CS5.

I spent my weekend stumbling around in a new operating system AND program....

NOT recommended!

but......I really love them both!

Now I can do all the cool manipulations I've been drooling over....

This is my first attempt in CS5.....my friends derelict home...

he actually lives here in the summer...broken windows....leaks...and all.

I've talked to him about getting a grant to fix this ole girl up but

he can't get enough without some matching funds....

such a shame.....

in the meantime....

she's waiting for love.....

Fly Away Home

2011-08-12T15:01:00.002-04:00

This piece was created for Digitalmania's Suzanne Sbarge challenge.

(Credits: the graphics fairy, deviantscrap, lastdoordownthehall, joesistah, flickr stock)

hmmmmmmmmmm......

2011-08-10T16:07:00.002-04:00

damned if they don't!

(found on pinterest)

double trouble.........

2011-08-07T20:32:00.004-04:00

"we came into the world like brother and brother...

and now let's go hand in hand...

not one before the other."

~william shakespeare

(kirsten frank texture, the graphics fairy, redheadstock and inobscuro brushes)

yes, yes, and yes.........

2011-08-04T06:37:00.000-04:00

Absolutely!

a matter of perspective....

2011-08-02T16:38:00.003-04:00

i guess it's all a matter of perspective........

(seen on Pinterest)

the gift that keeps on giving.....

2011-07-29T15:03:00.001-04:00

I see there are others that feel the same as I do about glitter.........

found this on pinterest.....

Booze Cakes

2011-07-27T05:00:00.000-04:00

Booze Cakes

be still my heart......

thoughts of her....

2011-07-26T11:00:00.003-04:00

here's a piece i made with the newest freebie from LandofNod.
he seemed lost in thought to me...
hmmmm....
wonder what he's thinking of....

(thanks to LandofNod, Kim Klassen, Le Rain, Digea, and Inobscuro for the graphics and brushes)

what a way to start the day......

2011-07-24T08:06:00.004-04:00

happy sunday morning....

have an EGGcellent day!

say cheese.......

2011-07-22T13:53:00.003-04:00

"i always thought good photos were like good jokes...

if you have to explain it....it just isn't that good."

~anonymous

crossroad.....

2011-07-21T14:30:00.005-04:00

ever get the feeling that you're at some important crossroad?

which way.......

(thanks to graphics fairy, joessistah, and thelastdoordownthehall for the freebies!)

BODIE and FOU Wallpaper

2011-07-19T21:09:00.004-04:00

Want! Want! Want!

Look at this fabulous wall paper from BODIE and FOU

via Holly Becker on her wonderful blog..decor8!
Yummy!

Maggie Taylor Challenge

2011-07-15T05:00:00.000-04:00

my entry: the Maggie Taylor challenge for the

Digitalmania Group on Flickr......

who knew?

2011-07-14T14:57:00.004-04:00

I planted artichokes for the first time this year....not to eat...but to dry for decoration. With the heat wave that we've had here (around 106 with the heat index) I've neglected the garden spot where they were planted...it's mostly rosemary and 'Nearly Wild' roses....so I was surprised to see this flash of purple in that bed. I guess most things do flower if you let them go to seed...but I've never seen a picture of a flowering artichoke......who knew?

i'd rather be poor.....

2011-07-13T22:29:00.003-04:00

"i would rather be a poor man

in a garret with plenty of books

than a king who did not love reading...."

~thomas b. macaulay

something in a sunday.....

2011-07-10T08:36:00.004-04:00

"footfalls echo in the memory

down the passage which we did not take

toward the door we never opened"

~t.s. eliot

"on the sunday morning sidewalk

wishing Lord that i was stoned

'cos there's something in a sunday

makes a body feel alone...."

~kris kristofferson

remembering......

Anna and Kristina's Grocery Bag

2011-06-29T07:46:00.003-04:00

i have a confession to make.....i LOVE cookbooks! not the ones from the local church ladies...although i do have some of those. no....i HAVE to buy the ones authored by chefs from famous restaurants or something quirky i've seen on a food blog.

i've got so many....The Pleasures of Cooking For One by Judith Jones...Cooking With Shelburne Farms by Melissa Pasanen...Eggs by Michael Roux...Jamie Olivers...Jacque Pepins....Marthas... well....you get the picture.

i'm a weekend cook...not so much thru the week. cooking makes me happy....i "sing" while i cook (i use that term very loosely!) but...another big secret....i have more failures than successes with my cooking attempts. so when i happened upon a show on the OWN channel about two "wanna be" chefs who try out recipes from some of the top cookbooks and then serve their meal to a real chef i felt right at home. their attempts mirror a lot of mine and i laugh my way thru the shows.

Anna and Kristina....i think we may have all fallen off the same turnip truck......

to ride upon the wind...

2011-06-27T21:18:00.003-04:00

"faeries...come take me out of this dull world

for i would ride with you upon the wind...

run on the top of the disheveled tide...

and dance upon the mountains like a flame..."

~william butler yeats

Stop.....

2011-06-23T13:19:00.001-04:00

oh my........

2011-06-22T13:36:00.001-04:00

oh my......

june 19...

2011-06-19T07:16:00.001-04:00

happy fathers day

a mystic circle

2011-06-15T10:19:00.003-04:00

“there is a magic in that little world…
home…
it is a mystic circle
that surrounds comforts and virtues
never known beyond
its hallowed limits…”

~robert southey

speaking of magic....i can make things disappear...

especially if it's got a lot of butter and sugar in it...

waiting for signs.......

2011-06-09T20:14:00.004-04:00

"i used to wait for a sign...she said

before i did anything.

then one night i had a dream

and an angel in striped tights

came to me and said

you can start any time now...

then i asked 'is this a sign'...

the angel started laughing

and i woke up.

now i think the whole world

is filled with signs...

but if there's no laughter...

i know they're not

for me...."

~story of the day

by story people

psssst.....

i'm lauGhing that i left out the G......

a thief named senescence.....

2011-06-05T14:29:00.004-04:00

who are you...

always trying to glimpse into

my world

from your throne

in the mirror

you watch me

with my own eyes....

voyeur

what have you done

with

where am

do i live beneath the sagging skin

the grey hair

i must be in there

somewhere

or have you

stolen

eyes

who

are

you

fairy fireworks

2011-06-04T16:55:00.005-04:00

don't you think dill looks like fairy fireworks.....
you can almost hear a minuscule... soaring... whistle...

a soft pop.....

as a shower of buttery sparks

rains down on the wee folk...

the tinkle of a tiny...collective... cheer

floating softly through this

sultry

summer

evening....

head bowed in honor......

2011-05-30T07:30:00.004-04:00

Thank You....

your "silence sings

our national anthem".....

rising........

2011-05-29T13:24:00.002-04:00

Rising....by Lhasa de Sela

this video decribes my life lately....

but like my feathered muse....

i'm beginning to rise....

there is a dream in my heart....

2011-05-20T22:46:00.005-04:00

home

have you ever hoarded your dreams...

fearful that if you shared them

someone might steal them...

even worse..we sometimes fear

we're not worthy of our own dreams.

so we quitclaim them to others...saying...

here...take my magic...

i won't be needing it...

and i'll even throw in the wand.

we fill our days writing to do lists...

and thinking up goals.

but dreams don't like to be analyzed...

they're not comfortable on the couch.

they prefer to take up residence in the heart...

where they can use ancient keys...

to unlock doors...

spilling liquid light of recognition...

into our sighs of relief...

when we realize...

we're home.

~marilyn maciel

i'm working on it.........

before i die......

2011-05-18T12:26:00.001-04:00

i LOVE this...........

our lost sentinels.....

2011-05-12T10:34:00.000-04:00

mother nature has had a serious attitude lately...

the storm night before last was the worst this area has seen

since hurricane hugo made his march across our little hamlet!

as far as i know...there were no personal injuries

but....oh....so many...beautiful...old... trees...

lost.....

trying to navigate around our county has been

like finding your way thru a maze...

road after road is completely blocked...

power lines down...

i've always heard when life deals you a lemon

squeeze it and make lemonade....

maybe we need to use these wisened...old...sentinels

to make furniture.....

like kaspar hamachers chairs....

the crook that got away.......

2011-05-09T13:39:00.003-04:00

need your funny bone tickled today?

someone called in a while ago to report that there was a burglar
alarm sounding in their neighborhood. i heard the
deputy take the call and start cruising the streets in
that neighborhood. “nothing on this street…i’ll try
the next….” this went on for about ten minutes before
she figured out where the “alarm” was coming from.
you guessed it……..no alarm….cicadas!
i don’t care who you are…..THAT’S FUNNY!

mothers......

2011-05-08T06:57:00.005-04:00

being a mom was....and is...the most challenging job i've ever had.

there's never cut and dried choices when it comes to raising children.

i fall somewhere between the two nursery rhymes below....

and my children have grown to become loving mothers

of their own wee ones....

Happy Mother's Day all......

"there was an old woman who lived in a shoe...

she had so many children she didn't know what to do...

she gave them some broth without any bread...

then whipped them all soundly...

and put them to bed."
~mother goose nursery rhyme

"there was an old woman who lived in a shoe...

she was a kindhearted mom who knew exactly what to do.

she raised all her children with patience and love...

never once did she give them a spank..shake..or shove.

her children all learned to be gentle towards others...

and good parents too...when they became fathers and mothers.

from their days in the shoe they learned this about living:

kindness..not force..is the gift that keeps giving.

~jordan riak

....i live without envy

2011-05-07T05:00:00.000-04:00

"with a few flowers in my garden...

half a dozen pictures...

and some books...

i live without

envy..."

~lope de vega

the pull of another world...

2011-05-06T05:00:00.001-04:00

"if i find in myself desires

which nothing in this world can satisfy...

the only logical explanation is

that i was made

for another world...."

~c.s. lewis

feeling the pull of another world

pulsing through

my gypsy

soul....

a gladdening of the eye...

2011-05-05T08:08:00.004-04:00

weed...

any undesired...

uncultivated plant...

undesired by whom?

the birds love them....

my goats would eat any that dared

grace their pasture...

I'll admit...

I don't want them in my yard...

but they gladden my eyes...

painting the ditches...

as I traverse the rural backroads

of this sleepy...

southern...

county...

on moths and summer nights

2011-05-03T05:49:00.003-04:00

oh my..........

look at this moth...

made by MisterFinch...

from a vintage tablecloth....

close your eyes...

can you hear it's soft thumping...

against the porch light...

on a hot....sultry...

summer night.....there are so many wonderful

artist on etsy!

more ideas than money.....sigh.....

2011-05-01T16:44:00.004-04:00

My veggie "chillrens" are looking pretty good.

The bush beans are coming along...

The broccolli looks wonderful!

Those are carrots coming up down both sides.....

Nothing like a fresh salad....wish the tomatoes were ready!

I've never grown artichokes before...or eaten them

for that matter...I really planted these to decorate with....

Guess I'll be picking cherries before next weekend....they're always

ready around Mother's Day.....

It's time to start some flowers in my potager and "pretty

it up" some...I have soooo many ideas and sooooooo

little money......

mysterious world

2011-04-22T13:20:00.003-04:00

"the moment one gives close attention to anything...

even a blade of grass...

it becomes a mysterious...

awesome...

indescribably magnificent...

world...

itself...."

~henry miller

a hand greater than mine....

2011-04-18T19:01:00.003-04:00

a hand greater than mine churned this field of butter....... i stopped on the side of the road and drank in this wonderful sight..... who knew weeds could be so pretty.......

quiche and wine jelly.......

2011-04-17T15:33:00.003-04:00

i am still enjoying fresh asparagus from my garden...i must say it's been worth the wait these last couple of years to harvest! today i had a bacon...leek...and asparagus quiche with grapes in wine jelly for dessert. i don't know what i enjoyed more....the quiche or the dessert..... here's the recipe i used for the quiche:

1 pie shell

a bundle of asparagus

2 leeks (washed and trimmed)

3 strips bacon (cooked and crumbled)

3 eggs

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup grated gruyere

salt & pepper

Place pie crust in greased tart pan..cover edges with foil..lay parchment in bottom with dried beans to weight and cook for 12 minutes at 375F. Remove foil...beans...and parchment and set aside.

Cut tips off asparagus and set aside to add to top of quiche. Cut remainder of asparagus into one inch pieces and steam for three minutes (be sure to discard any woody parts) Place asparagus and leeks in skillet with olive oil and saute on medium heat for about five minutes. Spoon softened vegetables into pie shell.

Whisk eggs with cream...add grated cheese..cooked & crumbled bacon...salt & pepper. Pour custard over asparagus & leeks. Place asparagus tips on top...set on baking sheet and bake for 30 minutes or until starting to brown and puff up at 375F.

For the grapes in wine jelly:

seedless grapes (nice with green & red mixed)

1 tablespoon gelatin 1 cup sugar

2 cups white wine

Dissolve one tablespoon of gelatin in two tablespoons of water and set aside. Place wine in sauce pan with sugar and heat just enough to dissolve sugar. Stir in gelatin and stir to make sure everything is well dissolved. Set aside to cool.

Place grapes in medium size ramekins and pour wine mixture to cover grapes. Place ramekins in a pan and set in refrigerator for several hours to set. After set run a knife around the edge of the ramekin...place saucer on top and flip jellied grapes onto saucer to serve.....enjoy!

a shrieking in the night...

2011-04-09T18:22:00.005-04:00

"everything is blooming most recklessly...

if it were voices instead of colors...

there would be an unbelievable shrieking

into the heart of the night."

~rainer maria rilke

this clematis was supposed to be 'betty corning'....but i think she's played a trick on me...but a beautiful one.

today i planted basil..fern leaf dill..german thyme..flat leaf parsley..brocolli..red and green peppers..and the small striped fairy eggplants. tomorrow i hope to plant my artichokes and tomatoes. the tomatoes are mostly heirloom..brandywine..cherokee purple..red and yellow striped germans..some romas..a betterboy..and as always.. the sweet 100s. i'll have to wait until next weekend to put in the pole beans...and the 17th to plant my carrots..leeks and potatoes...according to the almanac. i've missed getting my root crops in early this year since i spent so much time setting up the potager...but it will be worth the wait!

pears and peaches and cherries....oh my

2011-04-08T12:46:00.003-04:00

my fruit trees are looking wonderful this spring.....

i planted this pear tree last spring and it produced pears

right away....i picked them all off so the roots would get a

good start...so this year i hope to enjoy pears!

this peach tree is very close to 100 years old....so says

my neighbor who has since passed away. he said it was

planted when he was a small boy.... it loses a few more

limbs each season...i really need to try grafting a piece

before i lose the whole tree....it's those peaches that are

blood red in the center.......yum!

the cherry tree is full of cherries this year....and really most

years. they're always ready around mother's day....

i hope to try making conserves this year with all the

fruit i've got ....there's also apples and plums....

my lady banks rose is happy again this year.

she's completely covered the section of metal fencing

that was supposed to be a back drop....and my bottle trees!

so soft and buttery looking.....

reminds me of charleston, sc......

Are you pretty?

2011-04-07T13:52:00.002-04:00

Language alert........

reaping my rewards........

2011-04-03T12:33:00.004-04:00

fresh asparagus from my garden..........doesn't get much better than that.....asparagus soup with a nice 'glug' of olive oil infused with basil and sundried tomato....a cotswold onion/chive cheese....multigrain bread....and orange fig spread.....my reward for a hard days work in the garden yesterday helping my "outdoor chillrens" wake up.

this is a simple soup to make.....not heavy like some of the cream based soups....quick and easy. give it a try.... you'll need a 'bunch' of asparagus...1 large leek cut in half and cleaned (you can substitute onion)....two medium potatoes chopped....four cups chicken stock...and a teaspoon of sea salt.

cut the woody ends off the asparagus....chop into pieces....place in chicken stock with leek...potatoes...and salt. bring stock to a boil....cover....and cook on medium heat for 15 minutes. if desired remove some of the veggies and set aside..... then puree the remaining mixture with a hand blender or food processor... add the reserved veggies back to the soup and garnish with olive oil....a dab of creme fraiche....scallions....whatever!

i use this same recipe to make brocolli soup...throwing in a clove of garlic instead of leek....

this soup freezes well....i put it up in single servings.

enjoy!