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28 February 2011

Veggies - end of February

The vegetable garden is getting its spring cleaning and the little plants from the shed are finding their new home out in the dirt. Austrian peas made it through the winter and now will be soil organism food.
Inside the shed, there are hundreds of plant babies waiting for the weather to warm a bit more.

And in the cold frame, the lettuce is thriving.

26 February 2011

The Complete Kitchen Garden by Ellen Ecker Ogden

Ellen Ogden, the co-founder of The Cook's Garden, sold her seed company to Burpee and moved on. Her most recent accomplishment is the publication of this new book for foodie gardeners like me.

I've made no secret of the fact that the reasons I became more interested in gardening include: Food safety scares and the fact that the move from CA to OK sharply cut into my ability to buy vegetables I would eat.

Our dozens of local farmers markets and growers do a great job of bridging the gap and yet, many of us want to grow a bit of our own.  Many of us are growing vegetables in order to have the most nutritious choices and the prettiest tables available, right at hand.

The Cook's Garden - Seeds and Plants for the Gourmet Gardener puts the focus on us foodie gardeners in its name. We want delicious food with its nutrients still present.

Ogden's book, The Complete Kitchen Garden is just right. She had a team of contributors put together an easy reference on garden styles plus 100 recipes for using the produce. Of course the references are all from the northeast U.S., Vermont, to be exact, so her advice is not 100% relevant for the rest of the country. The northeast has unique growing conditions that the rest of us cannot relate to.

The structure of the book: the first 35 pages include the usual introductory stories that are fun to read, then a brief history of gardens, a bit on how to site your first garden, build the soil, set up compost, select seeds, fertilize, maintain the space, create attractive boundaries, choose tools, and decide on a style.

Then, comes the meat of the book, from pages 35 to 235, Ogden and her friends describe 14 kitchen garden themes, how to lay them out and what to grow in them. Each garden theme has photos, illustrations and recipes for the produce grown in them.

The recipes are fantastic - Fresh fennel salsa over herb crusted haddock, Tricolor scalloped potatoes, Arugula pesto with herbed ricotta gnocci, Fall spinach with spicy Mediterranean vinaigrette - all inspiring the reader to grow new things and serve them in fresh ways.

The bed layout designs are east-coast centric but easily translated for other climates.

Credit goes to the photographers, designers and recipe chefs for creating a welcome addition to the culinary garden bookshelf.

I do have one complaint about the book. The photos and illustrations to not have captions to identify what we are enjoying visually. We are supposed to be able to refer to the plot design and infer, but captions would have been so nice.

This is a 250-page paperback, 7 by 9-inches. List price $24.95 Barnes and Noble online has this and Ogden's previous books. Help Barnes and Noble come out of bankruptcy!

24 February 2011

Fifty Plants that Changed the Course of History by Bill Laws

“Fifty Plants that Changed the Course of History” is historian Bill Laws’ new book that identifies fifty plants that influenced civilizations.

To illustrate the importance of these plants, Laws wrote, “If the world’s plants suddenly expired, we would have no tomorrow.”

The book is well researched and beautifully illustrated with photographs, art reproductions, and botanical illustrations. Each entry is described with its native range and function, as an edible, medicinal, commercial or practical plant.

The list includes plants you would expect to find such as coffee and wheat and others that come as a surprise such as ginger and pineapple.

Camellia sinensis, or tea, has grown wild for 5,000 years from India to China. To encourage fresh leaves, tea trees were harvested by hand pinching. The green leaves were withered, fermented, dried and graded. Expensive tea was bulked up with elderberry flowers, ash leaves boiled with sheep dung, clay or iron filings.

Monks living in Africa in the 1500s used the fruit of coffee plants to stay awake during prayers. Since then, coffee has made millions for manufacturers while keeping the producers poor. The movement to promote fair trade coffee is an effort to correct those injustices.

Fall-blooming Crocus and its saffron, have been used to dye clothing as well as rice. Saffron comes from the yellow-red stamens in the middle of the flower. It has been used medicinally to cure indigestion, lower blood pressure, and improve circulation.

Agave has been used to make sisal, poison arrows, bullets, tequila and surgical thread. The New Mexico Apaches were known as the Mescalero because they ate the mescal agave and used the leaves to make rope, sandals and baskets.

The Spanish brought pineapple to Europe from the Americas in the 1600s. Easily grown from the leaf tops, growing pineapple in cold climates became a competitive sport among the wealthy. As a result, it is credited with bringing greenhouses to hundreds of residences during the Victorian era.

Lavender, Lavendula spp, plants itself among the rocks and grows wild in the Mediterranean. It is called a fire plant because its stems are so high in volatile oils that it can spontaneously combust in the hot, dry, Italian summers.

Wheat is an example of a plant that feeds the world. Gaining wheat fields became a reason for invading other countries and growing wheat is a sign of world power – the power to feed animals and people.

White mulberry, Morus alba, is native to China and Japan where the wood is used to make cabinets and musical instruments. Its leaves are eaten by silkworms that spin the cocoons that make up the silk trade. A single silk blouse requires 8,800 pounds of white mulberry leaves.

Gardeners know about the ability of White willow water to stimulate root growth on plant cuttings. The active ingredient, salicin or sallcyllic acid, is extracted from the bark of White Willows or Salix alba. Many of us take it every day as our daily aspirin dose but Native Americans chewed the bark to relieve pain. Today, the wood is made into cricket bats and burned as a sustainable home heating fuel.

Animals, insects and humans depend on plants to sustain our lives. Learning more about them can make these everyday things come to life.

Bill Laws is an English writer and journalist. His previous books include: “Spade, Skirret and Parsnip: The Curious History of Vegetables”, “Byways, Boots and Blisters: A History of Walkers and Walking” and “The Field Guide to Fields”.

“Fifty Plants that Changed the Course of History” is a 224-page hardback, $30 from the publisher www.fireflybooks.com and $20 at online book sellers.

20 February 2011

Look what's coming up

There isn't much to say since each of these photos has the name of the plant on it. Today, a young neighbor girl looked at the seedlings and said that it amazed her that each one has a different shaped leaf.
I agree. These plants are a wonder. Every one is unique.

The wind was 35 miles an hour on a 73 degree, sunny day today. After a few hours of pulling leaves off of daffodils, pruning perennials, pulling down last fall's morning glory vines and generally being a joyful gardener, I was tired of the wind, physically tired and renewed with garden spirit!

17 February 2011

February garden to do

Some February garden task reminders from Tulsa Master Gardeners www.tulsamastergardeners.org

Spray fruit with dormant oil when the air is 40-F

Spray peaches and nectarines with lime-sulfur fungicide to control peach leaf curl. Lime-sulphur spray is not available in OK so use copper or other fungicide on a day that temperatures will not drop to freezing.

Fertilize house plants, trees, Crape Myrtle with high phosphorus fertilizer (middle number)

Prune fruit trees, grapes, shade trees, plus any ornamentals that do not bloom in the spring. Do not prune crape myrtles yet.

February is a good time to plant trees, bare root roses, berries, asparagus and cool season vegetables such as carrots, lettuce, cabbage, peas and potatoes.

Plant seeds of flowers that need a cold period, including: snapdragons, calendula, coreopsis, strawflowers, cornflowers, larkspur and California poppies.

Take cuttings of the tender plants you overwintered indoors and grow the cuttings into plants, placing them in moist, sterile medium such as peat moss, vermiculite, and/or perlite.

Wrap young tree trunks to prevent sun scald.

Bring branches of budding forsythia or Golden Bells, and ornamental flowering almond (Prunus glandulosa), inside to force blooming. Crush the bottom of the branch before putting in a vase of warm water and put in a sunny place.

If you mow, set the mower at 2.5 inches high.

Get out and enjoy this balmy weather. We know it is just a break before winter returns.

Skip West from Cohlmias speaking in Muskogee today

Skip West, the plant buyer for Cohlmias in Tulsa, just returned from a plant buying trip in Ft. Lauderdale and he is bringing several new selections to his talk today at Muskogee Garden Club.

When his talk was scheduled last year, the topic he chose was, “Preparing the Garden for Spring”. West said that while we are all eager to be out there, the recent weather will slow down some spring activities.

“I’m a Tulsa Master Gardener so I can answer any questions gardeners have,” West said. “What you can do now is turn under the green manure cover crops you grew and clean up the beds.”

When doing early spring cleaning, keep an eye out for desirable volunteer seedlings, perennial plant crowns and new growth.

West said that if you brought perennials indoors in large pots, you can prune and water them now. If the plant’s pot is not full of roots, you can just re-use it without changing the soil. Annuals that you may have had around the sides of the pot will have to be replaced.

West and his wife, Melissa met at Cohlmias and have both worked there for over 25 years. Skip’s specialty is houseplants, tropical plants and plant-scaping.

“We do the plant-scaping for all the major hotels, hospitals and banks in Tulsa,” West said. “We also plant-scape events and weddings. Couples want mainly ferns and palms for their wedding whether it is indoors or outside.”

Attendees at the Garden Club meeting will have an opportunity to purchase some of West’s new finds. He said he is bringing new Hoyas such as Lipstick plants, new Dracaena varieties, Orchids, Philodendrons and Aglaonema or Chinese Evergreen. The 6-inch pots will sell for $10 to $20.

Care tips: Hoya needs bright indirect light and slightly dry soil. Dracaena needs bright light but not direct sun, and moist, not wet, soil. Philodendrons like medium light not direct sun and evenly moist soil. Aglaonemas prefer bright, indirect light and barely moist soil.

All of these and other tropical plants can be used outside in the summer in a shady part of the garden. They can be brought indoors for the winter or left outside to die. West said he plants tropicals in potting soil that contains moisture holding polymers plus fertilizer.

“When the public buys these houseplants and tropical plants, they have already been well fertilized and most of them need no more fertilizer for a couple of years,” said West.

Cohlmias is at 1502 S. Cincinnati Place in Tulsa, phone 918.582.5572

15 February 2011

OK Native Plant Society Indoor Outing rescheduled Feb 26 2011

The Indoor Outing that was scheduled for earlier this month has been rescheduled to Feb 26th.

Visit the ONPS site to get more details.

The basics
Sat Feb 26th in Stillwater

$3.00 plus $7 for lunch
8:30 a.m. registration/ 9:20 Welcome

See the online pdf for speaker information

Registration Form

Registration: $3 Lunch: $7 _____ Number of Persons

Vegetarian Requested ___ _____ Total Amount Enclosed

Reservation required by Feb 18 Make checks payable  to ONPS

Name(s): ________________________________________________________

Address: ________________________________________________________

Email address: _________________________

Home/Cell Phone: _________________________

Mail this form to: Elaine Lynch, 1502 E. Frontier Drive, Stillwater OK 74075-7306.

Questions: Contact Ron Tyrl (405-744-1559) or Elaine Lynch (405-624-1461)
Elaine Lynch mneslynch@yahoo.com
Ron Tyrl rj.tyrl@okstate.edu
Getting Here
The Oklahoma Botanical Garden & Arboretum is located on the west side of Stillwater and is easily accessed from OK Hwy 51 via Sangre Road. Visit the www.visitstillwater.org site and then “Maps & Transportation” and “General City Map” to gain an overview of the garden’s location relative to Stillwater and major highways.

14 February 2011

Even blizzards melt

Here's a property line marker at the bottom of a snow filled creek on
Old Taft RD in Taft OK.

This is the Arkansas River with chunks of ice floating on the surface.

A bird's nest left from last year. Do they return and reuse the same nests?

I'm not sure what this road is other than it being the road to the prison in Taft.
It was cleared, salted, sanded and kept that way throughout the snowfall.

Closer snaps of the icy waters around here -
and this is after a couple of sunny days.

Thankfully, we are getting warm weather. Dozens of flats of seedlings are spending the night outside tonight because ta da no freeze tonight!

Transplanted plants can endanger their new environment

Thoughtful gardeners have read about this problem and some have stopped bringing potential problems home from the store
from the LA Times
Rare plants are increasingly finding their way outside their normal habitats because of commercial sellers and citizen conservationists, two ecologists warn. Unless the movement of such plants is better regulated, it could spell trouble for endangered species as well as the environments to which they are moved.

The caution, written by Patrick Shirey and Gary Lamberti at the University of Notre Dame and published in the journal Nature, warned that rare plants grown outside their native territories can disrupt their new environment, hybridize with related plants and blur their genetic individuality, or carry pathogens them that devastate other plants. They called for more uniform and rigorous regulation of Internet trade in rare plants across the U.S.

The scientists noted that about 10% of the 753 plants federally listed as threatened or endangered are being advertised for sale online.

Though increasing the numbers of rare plants may on the face of it seem helpful, ecological disasters can occur, Shirey said. He cited the case of the Australian paperbark tree, whose coastal habitats are threatened. That same tree, imported into the U.S. in the early 1900s, is considered a noxious weed in the United States and has caused millions of dollars of damage in the Florida Everglades.

Shirey worries about Brighamia insignis, known commonly as alula, or cabbage on a stick. In its natural habitat in Hawaii, fewer than 10 individual plants remain because their natural pollinators appear to have gone extinct. The plants can be hand pollinated and cultivated and are available at online nursery websites for less than $30 a pop.

Shirey also pointed to the case of Tennessee coneflower, which is currently listed as an endangered species (although the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed it be delisted). The Tennessee coneflower hybridizes easily with other coneflower species, and in 2003 a commercial grower introduced a cross to the market. Having a hybrid available to purchase could reduce the threat of poaching. But, Shirey said, if these hybrids entered the native habitat they could compete for resources and hybridize in turn with the Tennessee coneflower.

Shirey noted that there is already a population of hybrid coneflowers growing near the home of the Tennessee coneflower.

Other groups are planting rare plants far from home with altruism in mind, not profit. Shirey cited as an example the Torreya Guardians, a loose-knit group of citizen and professional conservationists who are replanting the Florida torreya, a type of evergreen tree, on private land outside its current natural habitat. The conservationists justify this action by pointing out that the torreya used to thrive farther north in the last warm period between glacial freezes.

"It's not in its correct habitat right now. It should be in the Appalachians," said group cofounder Connie Barlow.

Citizen conservationists certainly have a part to play in saving rare plants, Shirey and Lamberti said. However, they added, a better approach would be to let federal officials take the lead and coordinate with citizen advocacy groups eager to help.

"Of all the possible impacts of exotic species on the native species and communities, I think the possibility of bringing in a pathogen or pest is probably the greatest," said biologist Dan Simberloff, cofounder of the Institute for Biological Invasions biologist at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, who was not involved in the study."

Each time I read one of the stories, I recommit to planting natives ... though I still flirt with tropicals.

12 February 2011

Feb 2011 Blizzard in NE OK

So, everyone has heard about the double blizzard in OK.
Photos from around the house and in town will help illustrate.
Icicles on the back of the house.

After the snow plow came through and left 3-inches of ice and packed snow behind.

I stood under the loblolly in the front yard and snapped this icy scene.

The Austrian peas frozen up to the top.

The local creek
Our house from the back of the 2.5 acre lot.

We drove around every day. This guy was out with his dogsled.

What to do with herbs? Learn at the Feb 19 Flower Garden and Nature Society Meeting in Springdale Arkansas - speaker Karyn Zaremba-Culver

Karyn Zaremba-Culver, owner of Bean Mountain Farms and Herbal Simplicity, will give a hands-on program entitled: "I've Grown These Beautiful Herbs, Now What Do I Do With Them?" on Saturday, February 19th.It will feature making herbal sugars, vinegars and oils and other herbal uses.

The program begins at 10:00 a.m. with social time at 9:30, in the Student Center of the Northwest Arkansas Technical Institute, 709 S. Old Missouri Rd, Springdale, AR. (redlight at Ford Av. and Hwy 265) The programs are free and open to the public. For more information, call 479-521-9090
Lynn Rogers, Program Chair
Flower, Garden and Nature Society of NWAR
President: Joyce Mendenhall

10 February 2011

March 2011 events for gardeners

There are many events for gardeners coming in March to help us think spring.

Burford Holly in the front yard

March 2 to 6 Wichita Garden Show http://www.wichitagardenshow.com/

March 4 Will Rogers Garden, Oklahoma City, Creating Colorful Containers, 9:30 to 12:30. Register by calling 405-943-0827.

March 4 to 6 Dallas Spring Home and Garden Show http://www.texashomeandgarden.com/

March 11 to 13, Tulsa Home and Garden Show at Expo Square, 918-663-1100

March 16, Sophia M. Sachs Butterfly House, St. Louis, Morpho Mania with 3,000 blue morpho butterflies. Reservations required 636-530-0076 ext 10

March 17, 6 p.m. Muskogee Garden Club meets at Blossom's Garden Center, 3012 E Hancock – “What's New for Spring" by Matthew Weatherbee. Information 683-0581.

March 17, Norman Public Library, 9 to noon, Bug Fest with the Oklahoma State University Insect Adventure petting zoo. Worms, butterflies, termites and more.

March 19 at 6:30 p.m. at the Tulsa Garden Center, 2435 South Peoria, the Oklahoma Horticulture Society Winter Lecture Series will present Tony Avent, owner of Plant Delights Nursery. His talk will describe how plants move from discovery to market. Free. Information at www.okhort.org

March 19 at 9 a.m. C. Colston Burrell at the Flower, Garden and Nature Society of Northwest Arkansas in Springdale http://www.facebook.com/FGNSofNWA

March 31, Claremore Expo Center, Home and Garden Show, 918-341-1101

Frank A. Smith Rhododendron Garden
at the Atlanta History Center
 If you are ready for a break and can travel to Atlanta, consider attending the Proven

Winner’s annual Garden Extravaganza on Friday, March 4.

The speakers at the event include Rick Schoellhorn, Director of New Products, Rebecca Bull Reed, Associate Garden Editor for Southern Living magazine, Walter Reeves, southern gardening expert and Carmen Johnston, owner of Nectar and Company.

Schoellhorn is speaking about new Proven Winners plants for 2011, Reed will talk about edible gardens, and radio personality Walter Reeves will talk about how to diagnose and solve plant problems.

Johnston said in a telephone interview that the Extravaganza is like a spa day for people who love plants and gardens.

Her Macon, GA, Nectar and Company, is the home base for a floral design and event and floral business. Children’s garden parties are part of her business.

“The Extravaganza is a day filled with education and inspiration,” said Johnston. “Each presenter gives a 45-minute talk with lots of hands on ideas to take home. There are free things given away throughout the day, including a gift bag and a plant.”

Johnston said that the benefits family gardening include togetherness, planning, planting, weeding and watering as well as harvesting and enjoying the produce.

The garden parties she plans are for parents and children.

“I’m in my thirties and people of my generation want to be with their children in a garden but don’t know how,” Johnston said. “In school, home, and community gardens, we can help get children’s hands in the dirt. It doesn’t have to be intimidating.”

She said that engaging children includes potting plants, seed starting and playing games such as garden bingo. In one of her projects, her company put in a parking lot garden that was specifically designed for children and parents to enjoy.

A raised bed was built on top of the parking lot, with drip irrigation, a picket fence and pine bark mulch. Then, a 4-foot square garden was installed where families could participate together. Each 1-foot square was unique: one butterfly garden, one pizza garden, a popcorn bed and a scratch and sniff scented bed.

The Garden Extravaganza will be held at the Atlanta History Center. The $80 per person entry fee includes gardening goodies, plants, lunch and door prizes.

Other Garden Extravaganza locations and dates: March 18 in Seattle, April 8 in Milwaukee, and April 15 in Toronto.

For information and registration 877-865-5818 or www.provenwinners.com.

07 February 2011

Gardening for a Lifetime by Sydney Eddison

Let me begin by saying I read "Gardening for a Lifetime" by Sydney Eddison in 2 days. Yes, we are snowed in and there isn't much to do but read, work in the shed, go to the gym and clean out closets - but, still - it is a lovely read.

Eddison is an east coast gardener, at least 78 years old, and this, her 7th book is a summary of her garden helpers, her helpmate hubby, and her many garden transitions. They lived on the same property for 50 years, a property that fronted public lands, affording them considerable privacy.

The subtitle of the book is, "How to Garden Wiser as You Grow Older" and Eddison talks about reducing the number of perennials and replacing them with shrubs and small trees.

It is indeed a lovely read for those of us who can no longer put 16 hours a day into the garden. Our garden work days end long before that.

Here's what Timber Press has to say about the book -
"The garden has been an everyday part of Sydney Eddison's life for over forty years. It has witnessed the changing of seasons, her greatest joys, and her deepest sorrows. The garden and the gardener have aged and changed together. Gardening for a Lifetime is a touching memoir about having to scale back after widowhood and painful joints made it impossible to keep up with a large country garden.

Intermixing personal experience with practical gardening tips, Eddison has written an encouraging road map for accepting and embracing a new and simpler way of gardening. Elegant black and white illustrations evoke Eddison's everyday joy, sorrow, and contentment in the garden. Gentle, personable, and practical, Gardening for a Lifetime helps transform gardening from a list of daunting chores into the rewarding, joy-filled activity it was meant to be."

There is also an interview with Eddison here

May 21, 2010

"Everything in my landscape has changed all around me in 49 years," garden designer and writer Sydney Eddison said last week.

And that includes herself.

Speaking at a meeting of the Connecticut Horticultural Society, Eddison joked that she had a new "bionic hip," a new "bionic eye" and another bionic eye coming up.

"This is my first fling since I really started falling apart," she laughed.

Eddison's seventh book came out this month. Titled "Gardening for a Lifetime: How To Garden Wiser as You Grow Older" [Timber Press, 204 pages, $19.95], it chronicles how she has come to terms with the passage of time. As she grew older, she wasn't as able to do as much in her renowned garden in Newtown. She needed more help. She needed to simplify. She took out many perennials and replaced them with shrubs and grasses, which require less maintenance.

Her book is packed with insights — she calls them "gleanings" — that readers will find helpful, whether they're nearing a certain age or simply trying to plan their gardens well.

In her book, she also delves deeply into her personal sorrows, particularly the loss of her husband, Martin, and how the garden reflects that.

But her talk last week was downright merry.

She reminisced about what she and Martin found when they first moved to Newtown: High brush grew right up to the door.
"I had no idea I was making a garden, but I knew one thing, and it was that all that raggedy stuff had to go."

Though Martin was a non-gardener — he didn't like the labor, the climate, the bugs or the snakes (and there were a lot of them) — he climbed on their Gravely tractor and "bravely charged into the bush," helping her clear the land for what would become a breath-stopping showpiece.

"I simply loved digging," she said. "I like getting sweaty and dirty." And once the land was clear, she went "mad."

Showing slides that chronicled the progression of changes in the garden — from decade to decade, from year to year and from season to season — Eddison wove in numerous amusing anecdotes and asides.

In the garden's island bed, Eddison had planted a beautiful cherry tree — Prunus Hally Jolivette — in 1976, in memory of her mother. It was at the peak of bloom about 15 years later when "crusty" Harvard horticulturist Joseph Hudak came for a visit.

"Please let him say something really nice about the garden," Eddison recalled wishing.

Anyone know the significance of this clock - with two 12s and two 6s?

Groasis waterboxx - to help nourish the planet

Nourishing the Planet by Danielle Nierenberg had a fascinating article on Jan 27. Be sure to go to the waterboxx principles here and click Continue to see how this could work.

Groasis by AquaPro
Andrew Boys wrote
Nature is full of examples of efficient solutions, and an unlikely model for success in retaining this moisture has been found in bird feces. When a bird consumes a seed and excretes it onto the dry soil of a desert, its excrement serves as a retention system for moisture, allowing roots to grow. The nascent root systems immediately begins penetrating the soil and growing toward the water below.

The vital role that bird excrement plays in the germination of plant seeds is the central inspiration for the Groasis, a deceptively simple invention that promises to revolutionize aforestation efforts in arid climates.

The Groasis uses incubation to deliver water over a time-period in tune with a seedling’s demand for water. Any precipitation from rainfall or evening condensation is collected from the fan-shaped roof of the device and stored in evaporation-proof containers. A small wick delivers a steady flow of water to the plant, gradually creating a water column in the soil to support long-term growth. The water also regulates the plant’s temperature, cooling it in the day-time heat and insulating it at night. When the plant is around two feet tall, it has already established a robust root system and can survive un-aided in the harsh climate.

AquaPro, the company behind the Groasis, has developed mechanized equipment to implement this growing system for large-scale rehabilitation projects. In 2010 alone there were fifteen aforestation projects in Kenya, the United States, France and Spain that used the Groasis to help deal with strip-mining rehabilitation, desertification, and other problems.

06 February 2011

Year-Round Gardening by Delilah Smittle and Sheri Ann Richerson

I came to the party late on seeing "Year-Round Gardening" by Delilah Smittle and Sheri Ann Richerson - it was published and widely reviewed last year.

But, it is still worth talking about because it is terrific.

The authors have written an all-you-need-to-know paperback that will be appreciated by new gardeners of all ages.

Even if you do not have a need or desire to garden year-round, this is one of the best books I've seen on basic growing techniques.

It covers every one of the topics a new gardener needs to consider and it is clearly written without being dumbed down (despite the "Idiot" in the title). Each subject is covered in enough depth to get you through the first few years of gardening.

"Year-Round Gardening" is in the usual "Idiot" format: black and white on newsprint, with boxes of tips scattered on the pages.

Take a look at it next time you are in a bookstore. Used copies are only a penny on Amazon. Buy one for yourself or a young gardener in your life.

03 February 2011

The Canebrake Restaurant - food grown on site or within 50-miles - a delicious retreat

Whether you go to The Canebrake Restaurant/Resort near Wagoner for Saturday lunch, Sunday brunch or dinner any night, chances are that you will be served something either grown on the 400-acre property or from a grower within a 50-mile radius.

Owner and chef Sam Bracken said, “In the four years we have been here, there has been an amazing uptick in the local, seasonal and sustainable practices and food sources we have found to use. There are so many high quality ingredients available here.”

In the greenhouse - Sam Bracken, owner and chef, The Canebrake
The Brackens grow many of the fruits, vegetables and herbs used in the preparation of the food served in the restaurant and plan to do more. Right now, Kurt and Melba Bowman tend a fenced vegetable garden and greenhouse.

“We grow our own tomatoes, peppers, scallions, cucumbers, summer squash, wax beans and peas,” Bracken said. “We use the wild persimmons, pears and blackberries that grow naturally on the property.”

They grow the vegetables both from seed and from purchased seedlings and the kitchen staff does a lot of the harvesting.

This week, the greenhouse shelves are lined with seed-starting trays, and pots of herbs they are using in the bar and in the kitchen. Lining the other side of the greenhouse are the ferns and other large pots of plants that are being overwintered. Hanging pots hold wheat grass and other culinary plants.

A bundle of wheat grass garnishes a (delicious) cocktail.
Outside the kitchen door a recycled trough holds faded herb plants that will be replanted in the spring with seedlings. Bracken said that the kitchen staff harvests fresh herbs from the planter in the summer and from the greenhouse in the winter.

Inside the kitchen there were trays of dried herbs that were grown and preserved on-site last year. The herbs they grow on the property include garlic, chives, thyme, sage, basil, oregano, cilantro, and parsley.

Marketing director, Adam Miller said that one of the other new trends represented at the Canebrake is environmentally friendly foraging. (See http://foraging.com)

“This property has so many diverse plants growing on it that we can use,” Miller said. “Wild food we collect on the property to use includes native pecans, elderberries, morels, oyster mushrooms, and the flowers we use on the tables. And, we use the fallen hickory branches to smoke meat.”

Most of the products used in food and drink preparation are touched by local suppliers. The jam served at brunch is made on-site with Porter peaches, the sun dried tomato jam is made from their own tomatoes, the honey they use is from a farm in Bixby and they plan to put bee hives onto the property.
Trays of seeds are ready to produce this spring's fresh herbs for the kitchen and dining room.
Many of the items on the menu are not grown on their ranch but are grown locally. For example, Progressive Produce in Bixby supplies heirloom melons, squash and tomatoes as well as salad greens. Pork & Greens supplies the pork, Fioravanti Ranch raises the bison, Clear Creek Monastery makes the cheese and the beef is hormone free, sustainably raised from farms in OK, AR and MO.

“The catfish we serve is U.S. raised, the potatoes are from CO and the apples are from WA,” Bracken said.

The Canebrake composts their green waste and is interested in joining other restaurants that have set a goal of being trash free.

In recognition of the Brackens’ commitment to sustainable practices, the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Dept and the OK Dept of Environmental Quality awarded the Canebrake their gold certification as a sustainable tourism destination.

The summer seating patio is beautiful no matter what season you go.
Guests of the restaurant and lodge can roam the property via 4.5 miles of walking paths that wander through fields and woods.

If you plan to go, it is a good idea to make reservations: The Canebrake, 33241 E. 732nd Road

Wagoner, OK, www.thecanebrake.com, 918-485-1810.

02 February 2011

Gryphon Begonia

Darn! I thought my seed purchase process was complete and then I saw this on the Harris Seed site.
Since I've never seen it before, I'll pass along what Harris said about it and provide the link
 - just in case your shopping isn't quite over yet, either.

Harris Seed - 50 seeds $9.80
A Fantastic Foliage® selection. The superb foliage of this begonia combines majestic beauty with strength and durability to make an outstanding presentation in single or combination containers.
The multiseed pellets germinate easily and will produce plants that are more tolerant to stressful conditions than Rex begonias, and size up more quickly than vegetative foliage type begonias.
Easy-care Gryphon has low water needs and produces showy displays, making it a great item for both outdoor and indoor gardens.
Height: 14-16"; 16-18" spread.

It is named ‘Gryphon’ because according to the breeding company that produces it, "The Gryphon is a mythical creature with the head and wings of an eagle, and the body of a lion. This superb foliage begonia combines the same majestic beauty with strength and durability."
They take a bit of time to germinate (10-12 days) and note that a saturated media and high relative humidity is critical for seed to germinate successfully.
For home gardeners who want to grow their own from seed, figure 8-9 weeks from sow to transplant into a 4-5 inch pot.
Grow it on for another 5-6 weeks, and then you’ll want to move it into your large container. (We used whiskey barrels here at the company.)
Once the plants are established you’ll find that Gryphon’s water needs are not too demanding and you’ll still get a very vigorous and showy plant. The breeder claims the plants can also be brought indoors, so I’ve already brought my planter at home inside to see how it fares over the winter months.

Here's a YouTube video - you'll get a sense of the size to expect Gryphon to become - smallish in a pot at the beginning of the video, then a full size one at the end.
Has anyone grown this from seed or succeeded with plants?


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Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Valentine Pillows

I love decorating my house for the holidays, and I know it's not quite time for Valentine's Day, but I saw some painted pillows the other day, and I reaaalllly wanted to try making one. (I LOVE that I have a 'blog excuse' now to make crafts. :D haha)

Anyway, here is how they turned out:

Heart-Shaped Pillow
The first one was really simple - well except for the fact that I am horrible at sewing! (Don't look too close).
I got some beautiful red chenille on sale, and it was still $10 a yard, so I got 1/2 yard and was able to make 2 heart-shaped pillows.  Not bad I think. :)
 So, you turn your fabric right side in, and I needed a heart to trace, so I used this heart plate from the Target $1 bin.

I just traced around my heart shape, pinned it and sewed it up. And in my excitement - I forgot to leave a spot open to fill with stuffing, and had to unpick some stitches! hahaha (Don't be jealous of my amazing sewing skills).

Anyway, just trim the edges, turn right side out, stuff with batting and stitch up the opening!  Super easy!

Painted Pillow
This next one is my favorite - I think it turned out so pretty.  Everyone that sees it wonders if it's got vinyl on it, but it's paint.

Pillow case or white fabric
Americana Fabric Painting Medium
Americana Paint (I used Poodleskirt Pink and Napa Red)
wax paper (to protect back of fabric from paint)

I bought some white muslin that was really cheap, but I'm sure you could use a pillow cover from the dollar store or even just a plain pillowcase.

My pillow measures 18"x12", that's just the size I decided to make.

I used my Silhouette to cut out some contact paper that I used as a stencil.  If you don't have a Silhouette, you could print your lettering onto freezer paper and use that instead. (Basically, you just cut out your lettering with an X-ACTO knife, and iron it to your material shiny side down.)

The font I used is SNF Infinity Bold, and I just enlarged it so that all the words wouldn't fit on my pillow at once.  Does that make sense?  I wanted it to look like they were running off  the fabric.
 This stencil looks crooked, because I cut the words separately, but I used a yardstick to make sure they were all even. (pretty much). :D

NOTE: Make sure you put some wax paper or something in between your layers, because it will totally bleed through!
Follow the directions on your fabric paint.  I used Americana Fabric Painting Medium, and I love it because I can mix it with any of my other paint colors. Which is nice, because I have a bazillion of those little paint bottles.  I think you mix 2 parts paint to 1 part medium, and you only need a tiny bit.  (I think I used a 1/4 tsp to measure it out).

Make sure your edges are sealed down really well, so you don't bleed out of the lines.
Let it dry.  I'm impatient with drying time, but luckily it dried really fast! :)

I did one row at a time, so I could see where I wanted my words, and some might overlap.  I didn't really even measure the rows, I'm sure they're horribly spaced, but I wanted it to look kind of random and hand-drawn.  Uh-huh. yep. I wanted it that way! ;P

Well, there you go - hope you like them!  I have another pillow I'm working on that I will show you soon. :D

Thanks for stopping by!

A To Zebra Celebrations said...

wow wow! you are so creative! beautiful :) come link to my blog- I have super fabulous followers :)

Partycraft Secrets said...

found you via AtoZ - very clever - congrats on new blog. Joined up & would love you to visit me too.

Jillian said...

sooo cute! I love them. You are too creative!

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Wednesday, February 12, 2014

The Rantings of a "Nut Case" Ex-Activist

I have thought about writing this post for a long time. Maybe I shouldn't write it tonight, but I have tried to give myself proper perspective before voicing this opinion.

I make no apologies for suffering with mental illness for over three decades now, so I freely admit I live my life fighting occasional bouts of deep depression and OCD. I take medication for my problems, and, I believe, the vast majority of the time, I am well. In revealing my disease, I know most readers understand I am guilty of repetition. I do so here again because it pertains to the subject of my blog today.

In addition to living with mental illness, I also understand I have displayed inappropriate behavior at some very inopportune times. I don't blame this on my disability -- I do rash things I shouldn't do at times that I later regret. Believe me, I wish I was so-called "normal" without the defects I possess. If I could, I would change; however, I, like Popeye, "am what I am." The blog today is about living with the stigma of never being able to be considered sane.

It has come to my attention that some close friends have told others in conversations and in group settings that I am a destructive "nut case." I confess to the honesty in that ad hominem attack, and I really don't mind what another individual may think of my total character. Some of the things I do disqualify me from ever winning "Mr. Congeniality," and I know I am brash and vocal to a fault. Many people who don't like me honestly consider me crazy, and I am not upset about their candid evaluation of my mental state.

I am very disturbed by those whom I have helped telling many others that I am a worthless "nut case." They have used me (with my consent) to further causes and to create awareness. I did these things because I wanted to do them, and I did these things because I believed I was right to stand up for certain causes. In fact, at times, I put myself in harm's way because few others were willing to press issues. As long as I was going "with the program," others befriended me and supported me.

Lately, I have disagreed with some pursuits that local leaders have followed. I don't want to mention the people or the actions, for this would only precipitate further problems. Let me just admit I pride myself on speaking my mind in open forums and having the freedom to dissent when necessary. I try not to infringe on the work that others do. Still, I feel merely expressing my views is not being disloyal to causes I support.

I have "dropped out" of groups that I no longer respect for my own good and for the good of others. Even after doing significant work for some and pledging my support, I feel if my association creates more harm than good, I must quit my allegiance and allow time to heal old wounds.

When people I have worked with and worked for stoop to defaming me, I get upset. When they demean me and try to influence others to dislike me or to ignore me, I get especially agitated. Being known as a "nut case" is stigmatization that is disconcerting; however, using me as a member of a group, then encouraging others to devalue my best efforts and my character really burns my ass.

I have learned that others want a willing subject for enterprises UNTIL that subject no longer follows blindly. I can assure you that everyone I have stood beside has made mistakes, has occasionally failed, and has certainly upon more than one occasion acted like a "nut case." I realize everyone has to pay for their own sins, so I am not on a mission to discredit any other individual. Still, I do find it truly amazing that some people now consider themselves better than me while judging my past behaviors as unworthy.

And, before you tell me about my own habit of complaining, I know... I do write this blog in editorial mode, and I am guilty of complaining about lots of things. Nevertheless, I feel I do refrain from mounting a campaign to belittle a human being because of their disability. I consider this vicious and unwarranted behavior. I cannot stop such future ventures from happening, and I don't plan to rebel against them with anything but my vague words today. Yet, I can express my displeasure in my own personal blog.

All I can say is that it really hurts me that others I once loved insist upon using open assemblies to paint me as a worthless, crazy person. I may be. And, that is a judgment I can live with. But, preaching the worthlessness of my being to the congregation is too much. I am shocked to hear that my efforts mean nothing to these hypocritical judges. Are kid gloves hiding some dirty hands?

Amid headlines, awards, recognition, and being granted the "halo effect," some folks consider too much of themselves. No so-called heroes can stand alone and expect to exalt themselves without giving credit to those who have helped their cause. Coming from the trenches, they should know better, but money, celebrity, and power can create cancers in the most unusual places. The truth of my statement sets me free. I am unencumbered by forces that demand I promote senseless, blind allegiance.

I believe good things are inherent "good things." Valiant efforts to promote good things in good ways still exist. What pisses me off is seeing others use "hatchet boys" and "loud voices" when they need them, then watching these leaders abuse those same folks when they act like themselves and protest an organization's half-baked ideas or disapprove of a concept.

When you serve your time on "point," you expect a few enemy bullets to whiz by your head, and you pray one does not have your name on it, but you never expect to be fragged from behind by your own command. Just call me a "nut case." I may be considered a dead man walking, but what the hell do I know, anyway?

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Sunday, March 2, 2008

I Don't Make This Stuff Up aka "Lazy Sundays"

From time to time I'm known to sit and surf the web endlessly for no reason and every now and then I come across some weird and nutty stuff on the info superhighway.. I figure since that pretty much describes a majority of my Sundays I'd dedicate said day to hit yall with some of those very pages. This first one tripped me out not only cuz of it's title but rather cuz of the fact a majority of the ish it says is dead on.. am I buggin??

Stuff White People Like

In the spirit of fairness and so I won't possibly offend the 3 white friends I have, I did try and but neither turned up any sites.. actually redirected me to but the page failed to open..thats enough www's for today..

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One area of your kitchen has a particularly hard job to handle every single day and that’s why it deserves special attention. Trash and cleaning agents are frequently stored under the sink. Everything must be perfectly organised here so that nothing touches or mixes. ALNO provides a helping hand. Beginning with the stainless steel enclosure in the sink floor cabinet and ending with practical and well-arranged waste separation systems in well-organized floor cabinets which handle waste separation perfectly.
Pull outs
It’s amazing how many different built-in kitchen devices have to be combined with each other during planning. Your appliances come from different, well known manufacturers and each has its own specifications and dimensions for floor cabinets. Built-in sinks, exhaust hoods and many other devices create even more variety. And now for the good news: ALNO always has the right cabinet! Whether you select new appliances or keep your old oven - ALNO has the solution. And if not, the solution is designed especially to your requirements. At a reasonable price.


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Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Just a little 411

How long have you been blogging? And what got you started on blogging? Has your blog changed?
I started blogging a year ago in April when my daughter was 4 months old. It's funny to look back to my first post and see how much things have changed.

Did you go to college? If so where, and what did you study?
I went to Bryan College for my first semester for college. It is a small private Christian college in Dayton, TN. I played soccer for the school and was going for a degree in Psychology. The last night of Christmas break I decided that I wasn't going to go back to school for the next semester. There were a lot of reasons that I made up in my head, but mostly it boiled down to fear. So the next morning Mike and I drove down and packed up all my stuff and moved me home. And I ended up getting my associates in Liberal Arts at the local Community College/

Where have you traveled?
I have been to Canada, Cozumel, Can Cun, and went on a Caribbean cruise.

If you won the lottery, what would be the first thing you would buy?
I would buy us a new house with a ton of land. And then a few four wheelers, dune buggies, etc for the sand dunes. And take a tropical vacation.

What are your 3 biggest pet peeves?
1. Putting dishes in the the sink instead of the dishwasher when it is practically empty.
2. Having the toilet paper face the wrong way on the roll.
3. When people are constantly late. always. For e.v.e.r.y.t.h.i.n.g!

What is your favorite movie?
I love the movie Country Strong. Tim McGraw and Garrett Hedlund. YUM!

What is your drink of choice; wine, beer, or liquor. Or Water, Soda, Tea?
I am a whiskey girl. Give me some crown and coke and I'm all set. I used to like beer because it was cheap, but I wasn't a fan of the bloat.

What is something you enjoy to do when you have me time?
Honestly-sit in my room by.my.self. And read a book or take a nap. Me time is so rare that when I have it I just want to be a.l.o.n.e.

If you could have a $10,000 shopping spree to one store, which store would it be?
Hmm..that's a hard one. My first instinct is to say Babies R Us, but I guess I would have to say Target. I could buy almost anything there. I would love to decorate our house and get a new wardrobe.

What day would you love to relive again?
I would love to re-live the birth of my daughter. Even thought it hurt like hell I would do it again in a heartbeat. It would be so amazing to be able to go back and re-live the moment when I first saw her, first nursed her, our first moments as a family. It was such a precious time to me.

What are the jobs you had in high school/college/the early years?
I feel like I have worked everywhere. I've worked at 2 pizza places, Franks Nursery, Wendys, I did maintenance for our township Parks and Rec department, waitress at Logan's, waitress and bartender at Stir Crazy, and a teller at a credit union.

Show us a picture from high school or college.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, all expenses paid, where would you go?

I would love to take a Medeterranian Cruise.
Show us the most current picture of you or you, or your family, or anything of meaning to you.

Where do you see your life 5 years from now?
I hope we will be living in our dream home with plenty of acreage and that we have added another child to our family.

Tami said...

You still look exactly the same as you did in high school! I also chose Target- you can't go wrong because they have everything!!!

the workaholic momma said...

I LOVE the family pics!!! And I am totally with you on the $10,000 to Target!!


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Thursday, October 30, 2008

Happy Devil's Night

This is my favorite movie of all time. I can't count how many times I have watched it. Too bad Brandon Lee died making it. Even though the movie is action packed with alot of killing and vengence, it is a love story. Eric Draven and his fiance Shelly Webster are murdered on the night before their wedding day, October 31st. A year later Eric returns, because the crow brings him back to make the wrong things right, to advenge their murders.

Many times others have tried to make another Crow movie. The only one that I can truly say that can even hold a candle to the original Crow would be Salvation. The reason that I say this, is because the writers of this version made it stand on its own instead of trying to have the actor be like Brandon. Wicked Prayer, eh it was ok, more action than substance. City of Angels SUCKED. They tried to hard to have the success that the first Crow had. That happens to most sequals.

Here is a link to the original. Sorry if you get an Adult Friend Finder pop-up. That is Megavideo's fault.

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October 17, 2008

Beauty secret: nightingale droppings.

The Telegraph reports:
Shizuka cleaned my face with two cleansers - one clay and the other containing green tea, ground pearls, sake and Mount Fuji water, bottled at the source.

Following that, she mixed the nightingale droppings - which are powdered and sterilised using UV light - with rice bran and water to make a paste.

The concoction smelt pungent, but medicinal rather than unpleasant. She applied the droppings, and then massaged them into my face for five minutes.
Why nightingales, exactly? Why not any old bird's shit?

Freeman Hunt said...

Ha. That is so gross. I like going to a spa on occasion, but if I showed up and they told me, "Okay, we're going to put poop on your face..." Well, I don't even know what I would say to that; I just know that I wouldn't let them.

Windbag said...

The treatment costs almost $200. I'll spread bird crap on any takers for $50, and that's a bargain.

Revenant said...

The moral of this story is that there is that there is a certain subset of Westerners who will do practically anything if you spin it as some sort of secret remedy from the Far East.

The really silly bit isn't even the nightingale droppings -- it is the crushed pearls. That's just calcium carbonate, and there are a hell of a lot cheaper ways to get it than crushing a pearl.

Ron said...

Either the bird droppings will make you sing like a nightingale, or sing like shit! Either way, you're a twit!

Chip Ahoy said...

Ha ha ha ha ha.

You crack me up.

jdeeripper said...

Vitali Klitschko used his son's wet diapers to keep his fists from swelling up after winning his WBC heavyweight title bout against Nigeria's Samuel Peter, the Ukrainian told a German newspaper on Tuesday.

Klitschko said he wrapped them around his hands and it helped him recover.

"Baby wee is good because it's pure, doesn't contain toxins and doesn't smell," the 37-year old boxer told Bild after he won back the WBC title on Saturday.

"I wrap nappies filled with my three-year-old son Max's wee around my fists," he said, adding he got the idea from his grandmother. "The nappies hold the liquid and the swelling stays down."

I don't know why a three year old is still wearing diapers.

Original George said...

Just how much abuse will you be able to take?

You could be known as the most beautiful woman
Who ever crawled across cut glass to make a deal.

There's only one step down from here, baby,
It's called the land of permanent bliss.

What's a sweetheart like you doin'
In a dumpy blog this?

You gots ta check out that tell-tale shee-it.

Eva said...

They've been doing these at Ten Thousand Waves in Santa Fe for a couple of years. I booked my husband for one last Christmas. But I usually just get a Master's Massage. Make of that what you will.

rhhardin said...

Doberman hair scattered on clothes brings good luck.

madawaskan said...

Maybe it's something special that nightingales eat.

Roman said...

How long does it take to train a Nightengale to crap into those little bottles? No wonder it costs so much. This must be God's way of telling you that you have too much money!

Methadras said...

Ugh!!! The things women and now some men will do for beauty and vanity. Idiocy.

madawaskan said...

it was thanks to the droppings, which contain an enzyme called guanine that leaves the skin clean, smooth and supple.

Trooper York said...

When we were last in Hawaii the wife scheduled us for a "milk bath." The spa had both a man and a woman’s side but you went to a private room for the couple’s treatment. So I was waiting around for my wife to finish her manicure I went to the little ABC shop across the road. When they come out they started laughing their ass off.

I had bought six bags of cookies.

What the hell do I know about a freakin Milk Bath?

Pundit Joe said...

I discovered, in my freelance web dev days, that I would get more clients by charging higher rates.

The basic idea is that some folks with think anything, even poop, has value if the price tag is high enough. Hmmm, I think I just compared myself to bird poop.

Revenant said...

the droppings, which contain an enzyme called guanine

Is "guanine" a typo? Practically everything that is or was once part of a living creature contains guanine. It is one of the five molecules that make up DNA.

The blurb almost might as well say "the droppings contain a chemical called dihydrogen monoxide".

rhhardin said...

Other sources of exotic skin lotions.

Trooper York said...

RH you freak me out man.

Pastafarian said...

Who knew that getting shit-faced can be so therapeutic?

This reminds me of a joke I heard as a child: Three explorers are leading a safari into the African bush, and they hear a strange call -- "Foo, foo, foo", and one is shat upon by a great bird. He starts to wipe it off, but a guide tells him "No, don't wipe it off! This is the Foo Bird, and you mustn't clean off the poop!"

He disregards the warning, wipes it off, and immediately falls into seizures and dies horribly.

The party continues into the jungle until "foo, foo, foo", and another explorer is covered in crap. This time, the explorer doesn't immediately clean it off; but after a while, he can't take the smell anymore, so he cleans it off, and dies.

At this point, the guides are terrified and run off, leaving the last explorer. Sure enough, he hears "foo, foo, foo", and he's shit upon. He left the shit on, and he still wanders the bush to this day, wreaking of shit, but very much alive.

And the moral of the story:

If the Foo shits, wear it.

It was very funny when I was in the fifth grade.

EDH said...

It's cheaper to go to the corner bar and get shit faced.

Jennifer said...

Bird shit is the secret to great Japanese skin? Whatever. I think we can thank genetics for that. I remember all the way back to middle school when I noticed that Japanese people on the whole had nicer looking skin than "haoles". I chastised my mom for marrying a white guy and tossing half my good skin genes. And, I'm pretty sure my fellow 12 year olds weren't smearing bird shit on their faces.

Meade said...

"Why nightingales, exactly? Why not any old bird's shit?"

Guy outside Kroger selling toothbrushes.
Me: No thanks, I'll just buy one inside.
Guy: Okay. Care for a cookie?
Me: Sure, thanks. PWYECH! This cookie tastes like BIRD SHIT!
Guy: It IS bird shit. Wanna buy a toothbrush?

KLDAVIS said...

Can you combine this with the fish food pedicure? So fish on feet, bird on face...maybe have a Kobe beeve nibble your hair? They'll call it natural styling.

hdhouse said...

highly organic

Freeman Hunt said...

As Rev pointed out, many (heck, all) of these special, natural spa treatments are really a ripoff. Want young-looking skin? Use alpha-hydroxy acid gel everyday (or night) before applying an antioxidant rich moisturizer. And it doesn't have be some special alpha-hydroxy acid either. Just plain old cheap alpha-hydroxy acid gel. Like having a teensy chemical peel everyday.

Good nutrition helps too.

nicoleh said...

I wouldn't pay 200 bucks for a spa treatment but I was definitely willing to pay 17 plus shipping for my nightingale pooh. It doesn't diminish wrinkles, but it absolutely makes my skin more even in tone, lighter and fresher in appearance. I'm very satisfied and will definitely continue to use it. Oprah was right!


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Mar 01 2017

Dog Breed of the Month: Dachshund

Dachshunds are scent hound dog breeds who were bred to hunt badgers and other tunneling animals, rabbits, and foxes. Packs of Dachshunds were even used to trail wild boar. Today their versatility makes them excellent family companions, show dogs, and small-game hunters.

Vital Stats:
Dog Breed Group:Hound Dogs
Height:8 inches to 9 inches tall at the shoulder
Weight:16 to 32 pounds
Life Span:12 to 15 years
• Don’t let the Dachshund fool you. He might be, as legendary literary critic and humorous journalist H. L. Mencken said, “Half a dog high and a dog and a half long,” but this small, drop-eared dog is tough enough to take on a badger. In fact, that’s what he was bred to do and how he got his name (Dachs meaning badger; hund meaning dog).

Dachshunds (pronounced DAKS hund — never dash-hound) come in three varieties: smooth (shorthaired), wirehaired and longhaired. In the United States, Dachshunds are either miniature (11 pounds and under as an adult) or standard (usually between 16 and 32 pounds as an adult). If your Dachshund weighs between 11 and 16 pounds, he’s called a tweenie..

No matter what their size, Dachshunds are a delightful addition to any family, which is why they have ranked near the top of most popular dogs lists since the 1950s. Their cute appearance and lively disposition have inspired many affectionate nicknames for the breed, including wiener dog, hot dog, sausage dog, you can’t help but smile when you look at a confident Dachshund, proudly carrying his long, muscular body on short legs, his elongated head held high with a bold, intelligent look in his eyes. At home, the Dachshund’s playful nature comes out. He loves to be close to you and “help” you do things like tie your shoes. Because of his intelligence, he often has his own ideas about what the rules are when it comes to playtime-and those rules may not be the same as yours or even other breeds of dogs. Dachshunds are known for being lively and enjoy chasing other small animals, birds, and toys. The breed standard — a written description of how the Dachshund should look and act — probably describes their personality best, saying “the Dachshund is clever, lively, and courageous to the point of rashness, persevering in above and below ground work, with all the senses well-developed. Any display of shyness is a serious fault.”

Dachshunds have soulful eyes and complex facial expressions. Their lungs are large for a dog this size and they have a barrel-like chest. Because of these things, Dachshunds have a loud, deep bark that sounds as though it comes from a much larger dog. And they do like to bark, which is something you might consider if you have neighbors who could be annoyed rather than amused by the antics of your brave little Dachshund.

Dachshunds often bond closely with a single person. They may even become jealous of their owner’s attention and can, if not properly trained and socialized, become snappy.

Smooth Dachshunds are the most popular variety in the United States. Their coats are short and shiny and need little grooming. They do, however, need a sweater in the winter if you live in an area with cold weather. Common colors are red, cream, black and tan, black and cream, chocolate and tan, blue and tan, and Isabella (fawn) and tan. Dachshunds also can have patterns in their coats, such as dapple (a mottled coat pattern), brindle, sable, and piebald.

Longhaired Dachshunds have sleek, slightly wavy hair and can be the same colors as the Smooth Dachshund. They should be brushed every day to prevent mats from forming, especially around their elbows and ears. Many believe that the Longhaired Dachshund has a more docile temperament than the Smooth or Wirehair.

Wirehaired Dachshunds have wiry, short, thick, rough coats with bushy eyebrows and a beard. Like Smooth Dachshunds, they often are mischievous. They won’t need a sweater in the winter, but they do need to be brushed regularly to prevent mats from forming. Their coat colors can be the same as the Smooth Dachshund, but the most popular colors in the United States are wild boar (a mixture of black, brown, and gray), black and tan, and various shades of red.

Because of their long backs, they are susceptible to slipped or ruptured (herniated) disks in their backs, which can result in partial or full paralysis.

Although they originally were bred to hunt ferocious badgers and other animals, today’s Dachshunds are ideal family companions. The Dachshund is a versatile companion.

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_-_ Wendy Mcmurdo _-_

Wendy McMurdo was born in Edinburgh in 1962. She studied fine art painting at Edinburgh College of Art. In the mid 1980's she studied at the Pratt Institute in New York and completed her M.A at Goldsmiths College in London in 1993, when she was awarded a Henry Moore Foundation Research Fellowship. From 1998-2000 she was appointed Leverhulme Special Research Fellow at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art in Dundee. Recent commissions include the Science Museum in London and The Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh in association with the Roslin Institute, Edinburgh.
In 2001 the Centre for Photography in Salamanca, Spain published a monograph 'Wendy McMurdo' with essays by Francis McKee and Gilda Williams. Her work, and writings on her work, are included both in Phaidon's recent 'Art and Photography' and Thames and Hudson's 'Photography and Art' from the World of Art series. Her practice has been the subject of documentaries for BBC 2 and Channel 4 and is included in The British Library Sound Archive's Oral history of British Photography.
Wendy McMurdo currently lives and works in Edinburgh and is represented by the Andrew Mummery Gallery, London. Her work has been included in group exhibitions and public collections throughout the UK and overseas.

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Israeli military fire misses target in Gaza, kills 3 Palestinian children

 The following was also sent to me by General (Ret) James David who is mentioned on the cover of the third edition of former Republican Congressman Paul Findley’s ‘They Dare to Speak Out’ book about the power/influence of the pro-Israel (AIPAC and similar) on the US political system and media:

From: General (Ret) James David

Sent: 3/23/2011 2:41:03 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time
Subj: Israeli military fire misses target in Gaza, kills 3 Palestinian children

In the event you did not see this article because of the news today in Jerusalem, this is what happened last night when Israel attacked Gaza and killed 3 Palestinian children, including their uncle.  I’m sure the news in today’s Jerusalem bombing that killed one Israeli and wounded 25 will take the main stage in the media’s coverage.  Both attacks should be condemned but I see where most of the world leaders, including Obama, only condemned the Jerusalem bombing and not the Israeli attack on Gaza.  I find this unfortunate since the Jerusalem bomb explosion was supposedly done by a Palestinian terrorist and the Gaza attack was committed by the Israeli government.  They should both be condemned and they should both be labeled terrorist attacks.

Israeli military fire misses target in Gaza, kills 3 Palestinian children and their uncle

By Associated Press, Tuesday, March 22, 3:49 PM

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Israeli military shelling aimed at Palestinian militants missed its target Tuesday, killing three children and their uncle and wounding 13 other family members as they played soccer in their backyard in the Gaza Strip, Palestinian officials said.

The attack, which Israel said was a mortar strike, was launched in response to repeated rocket fire toward Israel. It dramatically escalated a recent round of simmering violence with Palestinian militants and threatened to set off the first heavy fighting in more than two years. Israel and Gaza’s ruling Hamas militant group have largely observed a cease-fire since an Israeli military offensive ended early 2009.

The Israeli military acknowledged civilians were killed but said it was aiming at Palestinian militants who had launched seven mortar shells against Israel earlier Tuesday. They exploded in open areas causing no injuries. “Regrettably noncombatants were hurt, this is because the Hamas attacks from civilian areas,” it said.

Lt. Col. Avital Leibovich, an Israeli military spokeswoman, said the army did not know that civilians were in the area at the time of the strike and stressed that Israel had no desire to raise tensions and hoped that Hamas also didn’t have that intention. “We never operate when civilians are identified,” she said.

On Tuesday evening, an Israeli airstrike also targeted a group of militants about to launch mortar shells. Islamic Jihad said three of its militants were killed and another was injured.

Gaza Health Ministry spokesman Adham Abu Salmia said three of the dead from the earlier attack and most of the wounded were under the age of 16. He said the fourth family member killed was 50 years old.

TV footage showed flesh on the walls of the house and body parts and shrapnel scattered about. Hamas said Israeli tank fire had hit the house. It was the deadliest Israeli attack against Gaza in months.

The 2009 offensive inflicted heavy damage on Hamas — an Iranian-backed militant group that rejects peace with the Jewish state.

But Israeli military officials say Hamas has recovered, both restocking its arsenal with powerful rockets and receiving military training from foreign experts. Last week, Israel intercepted a cargo ship that it said was loaded with weapons, including sophisticated anti-ship missiles, sent by Iran for Gaza militants.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issue a statement expressing regret that civilians were hurt and condemning Hamas for using civilian areas to launch mortar shells at Israel.

Hamas threatened to retaliate for the deaths of the four Gazans.

“The brutal crime of today will not pass without a response by the resistance,” Hamas spokesman Ismail Radwan told The Associated Press. “Israel is escalating against our people and the whole world should show their responsibility to stop this escalation.”

While smaller militant groups have tested the cease-fire, only recently has Hamas started to carry out attacks against Israel. The Israelis have responded with airstrikes and other reprisals.

Earlier Tuesday, Israel hit a series of Palestinian militant targets in Gaza, damaging smuggling tunnels and suspected weapons sites. Palestinian officials said 19 people were wounded in those attacks.

Israel said the airstrikes were a response to dozens of mortars fired Saturday in the largest barrage in years. The mortar shells fired Saturday were the same type as those intercepted last week on the cargo ship, it said.

Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Dozens of disappointing Pew polls later, with the United States government having earmarked vast sums of money for public diplomacy, you have to wonder whether Washington hasn’t run up a blind alley in its desire to be popular among Arabs. An obscure Israeli-American real estate developer in California uploads a video condemning the Prophet Mohammad, and mobs storm the American consulate in Benghazi, killing an ambassador. In Cairo, demonstrators attack the fortified American Embassy building. Utterly irrelevant, evidently, is the fact that Egypt has benefited from billions of dollars in American aid for over three decades, or that the U.S. helped militarily overthrow Moammar Gadhafi last year.

However, the issue here is not the ungratefulness of the Arabs. There were doubtless quite a few Egyptians and Libyans unhappy with what took place this week. There were probably many more with no opinion whatsoever, who are neither fond of America nor the contrary, largely because America is absent from their daily life.

That doesn’t change the fact that anti-Americanism is more the norm than the exception in the Arab world, even if a vast majority of people never expresses that sentiment in violent ways.

Whether it is Obama or Bush, the American sirens calling for more love are apparently not having their effect. The Americans are to blame in many ways, just as many in the Arab world are at fault, not least for their hypocrisy when it comes to America. However, the disconnect between America and the Arabs goes beyond perceptions of mutual behavior to include more systemic problems.

Perhaps we must seriously consider that the Arab world has so internalized its disapproval of the United States over time....that anti-Americanism has become a constant of Arab political discourse.

The reality is that when no clear, overriding strategy exists for America’s approach to the Middle East, administrations function more on the basis of domestic politics, calculations and rivalries, and these tend to be alien to the concerns of the Arab countries they influence.

The White House and the State Department would do best to save their public diplomacy funds and focus more on a redefining a lasting, bipartisan strategy toward the Middle East that can span administrations. This has not been done in a serious way since 9/11, and it needs to be at this essential moment when Arab countries are facing momentous change. In politics, love is overrated.

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Saturday, September 8, 2012

What was America like 100 years ago? The answers will perhaps be a big surprise, especially among the younger generation...

While my grandfather Angus McSwain lived to be 92, the average life expectancy 100 years ago was 47 years. Some reasons for early death were illness and disease. Doctors in those days delivered 95 percent of the babies at home, and surprise-of-surprises, 90 percent of the doctors had no college education. Most had attended so-called medical schools, many of which were condemned by the press and government as being "substandard."

The leading causes of death were pneumonia and influenza, tuberculosis (then called consumption), diarrhea, heart disease and stroke.

Home life must have been difficult: Only 14 percent of the homes in America had indoor plumbing, such as a bathtub and toilet. Only 8 percent of the homes had a telephone, even fewer had electric lights, and only 8,000 cars were on the road. The country had only 144 miles of paved roads, and the maximum speed limit was 10 mph — it was that slow to keep from scaring the horses and mules used to pull wagons and buggies.

If you had a handful of pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters in your pocket, you could buy a sandwich and drink, ride a trolley home and still have some change left. The average wage 100 years ago was 22 cents per hour, and the average worker made between $200 and $400 per year. Those making the most money were mechanical engineers at $5,000 per year, with dentists, medical doctors and veterinarians drawing between $1,500 and $4,000 per year.

It took a lot of pennies to buy some grocery items. Sugar cost 4 cents a pound, eggs were 14 cents a dozen, and coffee sold for 15 cents a pound.

A daily newspaper purchased on a street corner cost 2 cents a copy. Beauty aids and personal products were limited in supply and were expensive.

Most women washed their hair only once a month and probably used Borax or egg yolks for shampoo. Wintertime bathing was infrequent since water had to be heated on the stove. Children were bathed first, followed by the mother and father — all in the same bathwater, which was later poured on the garden.

A few other observations from 100 years ago: The American flag had 45 stars, the population of Las Vegas, Nev., was 30 hearty souls, mostly prospectors; the tallest structure in the world was the Eiffel Tower, and few people knew of its whereabouts; there were about 230 murders reported in the entire country; and items such as marijuana, heroin and morphine were available over the counter at the local drugstore.

Perhaps the most shocking of all — two out of every 10 adults could not read or write, and only 6 percent of all Americans had graduated from high school.

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The Union go defensive with second round picks

Posted on 12 January 2012 by Breton Bonnette

Greg Jordan (at left, taken at #32), a 6’2″ defensive midfielder out of Creighton, and Raymon Gaddis (at right, taken at #35), a right back from West Virginia, joined the Union as the 2012 MLS SuperDraft came to a relatively underwhelming close. There were no big trades aside from the Kenny Cooper dealing announced thirty minutes before the drafting began.

Regardless, Jordan – a 2nd team All-American this year – offers some size in the middle and could potentially be shifted to the back line if Nowak and Hackworth both see that fit. Raymond Gaddis, a Reading United AC player in 2010, will most likely serve as Sheanon Williams’ back-up and could potentially see some quality time if Williams makes the Olympic squad (which we fully expect). According to Joe Mauceri, noted college soccer guru, you can equate Gaddis to a “thinner Marvell Wynne”. Speedy, attack minded, but “erratic on the ball”. As for Jordan, Mauceri says he possesses impressive vision and superb tackling abilities but it’s still tough to see him fitting into an already crowded midfield with Okugo, Carroll, and the newly signed Gomez. Okugo should be making the Olympic team as well though so it may not be as crazy as we initially thought.

The two will join the #13 draft pick, UCLA forward Chandler Hoffman as preseason training opens up in a little over two weeks.

You can follow Jordan and Gaddis on Twitter at @gnike11 and @raygaddis.

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Lakeshore Residence

“We used American Stone during the construction of our 18,000 square foot lakefront home. For most, building a home can be quite problematic; however our home building process was extremely pleasant thanks to the superb craftsman, workmanship, and exceptional product quality of American Stone. From picking out the stone to installation and finishing American Stone was right there to answer all of our questions and do their absolute best to construct our dream home to our utmost satisfaction. American Stone’s level of commitment to customer service far exceeds that of others we have worked with in the past. Without reservation we highly recommend American Stone to everyone we know." - Homeowner

Lakeshore Residence

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The Lakeshore residence blends subtle Indian influences with modern sensibility. The clients, originally from Gujarat India, wanted a modern house with elements of the rich traditions of their homeland integrated. The architect, Juan Miro, of Miro Rivera Architects incorporated an abstracted version of the stone dome into the entry, and the “paja” (prayer room) which is the tallest element in the home, according to Indian tradition.

The owners requested an extensive use of white stone and glass at which the architects responded accordingly.

Project Scope

Dome, mosaic floor, walls, floors and horizontal surfaces.

White Thassos, Caliza Capri, Azul Macubas, Brown Antique and Honey Onyx

Project Size

18,000 +/- square feet


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Monday, May 2, 2016

Asli's NYC Adventure

On April 9th, Asli boarded her first plane at SeaTac Airport bound for the other coast. She was on her way to a big adventure and show in New York City!

So let's share some of moments across the city starting here, on the top of the Empire State Building!
New friends in Times Square

Fun in the hotel!
Soccer in Central Park
And of course there was a lot of time spent preparing for the National Poetry Slam!

A nice shot of Alsi's celebratory henna during rehearsal

Then, it was show time!!

And at the reception all the Poet-Athletes were treated like superstars, taking photos, giving autographs and enjoying the celebration of SCORES and each of them!

After such a fun (and exhausting weekend) Asli was ready to return home, but not before she took one more trip to see something she was most excited about:

We caught up with Asli at soccer practice last week! We'll be sharing her interview soon!
Now you can watch the entire 10th Annual National Poetry Slam: here!

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Monday, December 31, 2012

Explosive Grind Award

Shot out to Elegant Hoodness who has nominated your boy for an award.  Please make sure you take time to vote for me for "Explosive Grind of the Year" by clicking here or visiting directly.

Thank you in advance for your support!

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Sunday, February 20, 2011

Day 02-

Day 02 - A picture of you and the person you have been closest with the longest

my granny, she died when I was only 7 years old but she has made a massive impact on me and who I am today, even though she is gone I feel like she is watching over me and helping me when i need it!
I love you and miss you Granny!

1 comment:

  1. aww i love this! i def would love to do this as well :) your blog is so cute! going to be a new follower xoxo

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