ROBINS NESTING PLACE

Valentine Fun

2012-02-13T06:45:00.001-05:00

There isn't much going on these days that is blog worthy, so I thought I'd share some Valentine "art" just for fun.

I tried another attempt at subway art. I made this using different Picasa fonts.

I had this small vase stored away and when I unpacked it this week I noticed that the heart had turned a very lovely rusty patina. I played with the different effects in Picnik for this picture.

Saturday was cloudy but I took a few pictures of the lovely pink roses. I needed a few fillers but the only thing in the yard right now that would work was the variegated euonymus. It has a sweet pink blush this time of year, so it was perfect.

I hope that your nest is filled with love this week! I know, I know, way too cheesy! :-)

Thanks for stopping by!

No Picnik

2012-01-22T18:03:00.000-05:00

I was sad to read yesterday that Picnik was closing in April. Until they close they are offering their free Premium effects to everyone.

One of my goals for the year is to learn textures on Adobe Photoshop Elements. I played with a few of the textures offered on Picnik and I really like the way they look.

I took this picture of the chickadee on Friday and added texture and the frame on Picnik..

This winter I have been busy in the kitchen learning to make things that I would normally buy. Between the cost of gas and groceries, I am really having to pinch pennies these days. Even though I am southern and my grandmother and mother always cooked their biscuits from scratch, that gene kind of skipped me. I have always bought them frozen, (and even canned). I love to bake bread, so it really bothered me that I couldn't make decent biscuits. I think I handle the dough too much for them to be light and fluffy and rise like they should. Determined to make them, Saturday I tried two different recipes. One was acceptable but the second one was exceptional!The bad thing is that now I can't find the recipe online. I thought for sure I saved it to Pinterest. At least I have the ingredients penned on a piece of paper!

Speaking of pinching pennies, Jen, from Muddy Boot Dreams, is joining Brenda, from Cozy Little House, along with a few other ladies, for a series on Thrifty Living 2012. I am looking forward to reading their blog posts on living more frugally!
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Lunch- Homemade Hummus

2012-01-09T20:53:00.000-05:00

I started the new year off, like I usually do, trying to eat healthier and lose weight. With us having had eight months of unemployment in 2011 and the price of food, (Anybody else get nauseated buying groceries these days? Wow!), I need to find creative ways of keeping my grocery costs down.

I prefer snack type lunches and hummus is a favorite. Over the Christmas holiday I had the pleasure of eating authentic hummus made by someone originally from Syria. It was delicious and so much tastier than any store bought that I have tried! I knew I had to learn to make it and I knew it would be cheaper too! So, I used my new favorite internet source, Pinterest, to try and locate an authentic recipe, I was not disappointed. Desert Candy had a detailed blog post on hummus and an authentic recipe. The picture of the finished hummus, with the drizzle of olive oil and cumin, looked like the one I had previously eaten.

The recipe was not difficult at all, the only thing that was difficult, well not really difficult, just time consuming, was removing all of the skins from the chick peas. Most of them come off pretty easy after soaking overnight and the rest were picked off after the peas were cooked. From what I had read about making hummus, removing the skins is necessary for smooth hummus.

I didn't have tahini on hand, in fact, I have not made hummus before now due to the price of tahini. I was craving that hummus and I seriously thought about making a special trip to the store and getting tahini, but I am really trying to limit trips to the store and save money on groceries. I had a bag of sesame seeds in the freezer and decided that I would make the tahini myself. After the seeds were lightly toasted I made a paste using a coffee grinder, (only used to grind flax and sesame seeds for bread baking). I added a little drizzle of sesame seed oil and then just a little of the water the chickpeas were cooked in. Thankfully that worked and now I will save even more by making my own authentic hummus!

It is so good! If you like hummus you should try this recipe!

Birds

2012-01-03T07:00:00.006-05:00

We had a light snow today and the birds finally found my feeding station! I had not fed them much since spring and I wasn't sure if I would see very many of them this winter. Usually I have quite a few doves and dark eyed juncos but I have only seen one of each. I am sure they will find their way here when we get a heavier snow.

I hadn't seen many cardinals since last winter, but today I saw five females and two males, (at one time).

I'm so glad they came back! Not seeing cardinals during the winter would make me very sad indeed.

Once again this year I set up the swing frame as my feeding station. I wrapped it with fake greenery and also some branches from real Christmas trees.

It is next to the patio so the birds come right up to the house. From the warmth of my kitchen, I can stand at the sliding glass doors or sit at the table and take pictures and read. The pictures aren't as crisp since they are taken through the double pane glass door, but I'll take that trade off, especially on frigid days like today!

I only put a handful of peanuts out for the blue jays every day. I wait until they come to the house and start making a racket for their food, otherwise the sparrows eat them and I can't afford to feed peanuts to the house sparrows too.

It is pretty funny watching the blue jays when the peanuts are gone! They look so perplexed and they hang around all day hoping for more.

I am a little late but I wanted to wish you all a very....

Merry Christmas

2011-12-25T11:32:00.000-05:00

A Christmas Miracle Part 3

2011-12-23T10:14:00.001-05:00

With these new leads and a possible location, Robin began scouring the internet for contact information. With each name found, she would go to Facebook and search. Many hours were spent trying to find some connection to them. Finally, on December 18, on a people search site, she found someone with another brother's name, N.M. The site listed several family member's names along with his. Thankfully, one of them had a Facebook account that was easily accessible. A quick scan through the "Friends" list revealed a K.M, the very same K.from the My Space pictures!

Robin sent the Facebook link to Diane. Overwhelmed with so many emotions, Diane sent a private message to K. After not getting a response and determined not to lose this opportunity, she took the risky chance of posting a few pictures on his wall.

One of those, was a picture of three little boys. The picture of him with his older brothers was familiar, and removed some of the doubt he had. He sent a response to Diane and they arranged a phone call. For the first time in her life, at 52 years of age, she spoke to her brother. As soon as that conversation ended there was a flurry of activity on Facebook with family connecting for the very first time.

Robin had to wait a couple of days to make her call because all she could do was cry every time she thought about talking to her brother. How wonderful it was for her to finally hear his voice and talk to him after all of these years. Emotions are still very raw and conversations with the other two brother's are waiting to be had, (they don't do Facebook). It will happen in time. There is so much for them to process.

This is where the story gets even more complicated because it is not mine to tell. So it must be told with great care out of respect for the brothers, their mother and the new relationships. (The fact that I am not a story teller or writer also complicates the matter greatly.)

K. was quite stunned to get this message from Diane and he was very confused! For you see, they had never known anything about their father or his whereabouts, the M. family or the name they carry, least of all, the fact that they had three older siblings. That thought had never crossed their minds. Their mother had refused to speak a word to them about it.

It has been shared that these boys grew up longing to know their father. They had a very difficult childhood and many are the emotional wounds they bear. It seems that they have gone to great lengths searching for their dad, and like the searches for them, they always came up empty handed. The impenetrable secrecy and unanswered questions have haunted them their entire lives.

From the responses read and heard, it is known that many prayers have been prayed over the years, both for them and by them, for answers to their many questions so that their hearts could be healed from the scars and wounds of childhood.

While the members of the M. family are thrilled that K, N, and A have finally been found, the real Christmas miracle is theirs. It is not by chance that these boys have never been forgotten or that family felt compelled to find them. No, they needed desperately to be found, and to be told that they had family all of these years that loved them and had searched for them! They needed to know that they were never forgotten.They needed to know about their dad and they needed closure and healing.

To be found was a "Christmas Miracle" indeed!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Thank you all for reading this and for your comments. It has been a very emotional few days. I wasn't sure how to write this story so that you could keep the people involved straight. I also needed to make it less personal as it was emotionally draining to do this.

We are so thankful for this opportunity to get to know our brothers and their families. Plans are already being made to see each other face to face. My brother Mike is very sick with his cancer and treatments and our three brothers are very anxious to meet him and offer him encouragement. If I can't make it down to Alabama when they go, they plan to come here to see me on their way back to New York. I look forward to seeing them face to face!.

While our parents, (whom we all love dearly), made some very bad choices that hurt us deeply as children and even as adults. We are moving forward and, with God's help, we will allow good to come from their mistakes.Uniting this family somehow rights at least part of the wrongs.

Thank you for reading our story!

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!

A Christmas Miracle Part 2

2011-12-22T07:00:00.072-05:00

Betty's children grew up, married and started having children of their own. Betty's daughter, Robin, kept the cherished picture of the three little boys and often thought of them, wondering where they were. While living in Memphis, Tennessee she once had a coworker whose desk was next to hers with the same first and last name, (K.M.), as one of her brothers. It wasn't him, she had to ask of course, but every day she had the reminder, the nagging reminder, of family lost.

At the M. family reunions the boys were mentioned and missed, especially by their grandparents. A mystery that hung like a dark cloud over otherwise joyous occasions.

The beloved grandparents eventually passed away, but the boys were still not forgotten. An aunt and cousin, along with their half-sisters continued to periodically search for them.

Years passed and the invention of social networking was a welcome blessing for the dispersed M. family. How wonderful to keep in touch and get daily glimpses into each others lives and to see pictures of children and grandchildren.

Periodically they would search the social networking sites trying to find the three brothers, but they always ended up empty handed. In 2009 there was even talk among the sisters and their cousin of hiring a private investigator to see if they could locate them.

December 13, 2011, the older sister, Diane, was once again searching the internet for her brothers and happened upon a people search site with a listing for a K.M. in New York, it also listed relatives that just happened to have the same names as the other two brothers. It also gave the name of a woman along with phone numbers. What were the odds that there could be three other M. men with the very same first names? Excited by this break, she did more searching and found a My Space page that she believed might belong to K.M.'s wife. It wasn't current but there were family pictures! Diane posted the My Space link on her Facebook. Robin went to the pictures and immediately knew that she was finally looking at the face of her long lost brother!

He looked so much like their dad, Jimmy and brother, Mike! Believing it was their K. Diane tried the phone numbers that were listed but none of them were current. Another frustrating dead end...

To be continued...

A Christmas Miracle

2011-12-21T07:00:00.005-05:00

Many years ago, a young fifteen year old girl, named Betty, married her sweetheart, Jimmy. It has been told that he had moved from Louisiana to California and her mother was afraid that she might run off and elope with him. She asked Betty if she loved Jimmy and wanted to marry him. She said yes and it was quickly arranged.

Because they were so young and he had a penchant for alcohol, (and women), their relationship was rather tumultuous.

Much to the heartbreak of the doting grandparents and family, the marriage ended after five years.

With three young children Betty left Jimmy and went to live with her parents in Alabama.

Shortly thereafter, Betty met and married James. She despised Jimmy and never wanted him to see his children again. She talked James into adopting her three children so they would have his name instead. It has been told that Jimmy loved his children and didn't want them to be adopted but because he was a poor man, he had no means to hire a lawyer and fight it. So it was that the M. children took on the G. name.

Those three children never got to see their dad again. Oh, not that he didn't try! Desperate to see them on at least two different occasions he showed up when he knew the children were in town, (once at his own sister's home), only to have them whisked away by their mom as if he were a monster about to devour them! The children were smart enough to know that wasn't the case, even at such a young age, they could see the love and pain in his eyes. They knew he loved them.

Eventually, Jimmy met Annette and started a new life. They had three boys together.

At some point, shortly after this picture of the boys was taken, a very unusual thing happened, the picture was sent to Betty's home by Grandma M. It was quickly discarded into a box of pictures, only to be retrieved by a half-sister who felt a curious bond with the little boys of her father and his new wife.

Still having a problem with alcohol, Jimmy and Annette also had a tumultuous marriage. One day, Annette vanished with their three boys, never to be seen or heard from again by anyone in the M. family.

While Jimmy had a problem with alcohol, the rest of the M. family were a loving and devout Christian family. They dearly loved all of Jimmy's children and even though they only saw Betty's children once every few years, those children knew they were cherished and adored. They could feel it to the depths of their soul, because it was the only time they ever felt that type of love. Sitting on that grandmother's lap, head to her chest, and hearing her muffled voice through ears covered in a tight embrace is a cherished memory imprinted on the heart forever.

The children grew older and one day they got a call that their dad, Jimmy, had died from smoke inhalation in a house fire. Arrangements were made and the children were allowed to go to their dad's funeral. The M. family had tried so hard to locate Annette to let her children know about their father, but they still could not find them. Jimmy was laid to rest with pictures of his six children that he never had the opportunity to know.

To be continued...

Corner Mantle Decorations

2011-12-14T07:00:00.001-05:00

I have a corner fireplace that is deep and awkward and very difficult to decorate. I have scoured the internet for mantle inspiration and there is plenty for normal mantles, but I've never seen anything for corner mantles.

This is my 50th Christmas and I have never, in my entire life, had a real tree. I don't have one this year either, but I do have limbs and trunks of real trees. Yes, I guess that I am a bit of a scavenger. I couldn't even pass up the portions of the tree trunks in the free bin at Home Depot.

This year I wanted simple, natural and rustic decorations for the mantle. The only thing I purchased this year was the red scarf that I found at Goodwill for .99¢. Oh, I take that back, several weeks ago I bought the old window at the same warehouse where I got a van load of free wood scraps. I've wanted an old window for a long time and have many ideas for this one.

My family thinks this is rather silly looking, perhaps you do to, but I like it! It makes this nature lover very happy to see the chunky remnants of the trees with their sticky sap dripping and giving the house that wonderful aroma that just smells like Christmas.

I love this wonderful rusty outdoor lantern that I found at a garage sale last summer at a local women's shelter. I paid $2.00 for it. It still had the electrical wiring and light bulbs in it but I ripped it all out to use indoors.

This lantern is usually outside on the front porch. It too is rusty in places. The lanterns have battery operated candles but the green candles are real. There really isn't much difference in the glow.

I have a wonderful collection of turquoise Ball jars. Some were passed down to me from my mother-in-law and her mother, others were garage sale finds or a gift from a sweet friend. I love them and I'm so glad to see them become so popular in recent years.

I have pine tree branches scattered throughout the house, both inside and out.

May your days during this wonderful season be merry and bright and filled with the things you love!

Pillow Talk

2011-12-10T15:58:00.000-05:00

I have been seeing sweater pillows on different blogs and in catalogs and wanted to make one to cozy things up a bit this winter.

As you can see, the cats have to be right in the middle of my projects, literally! This sweater was purchased at Goodwill for .99¢. It wasn't exactly what I wanted, but for that price, I was happy.

The first order of business was to cut off part of the sleeves. I saw a darling pair of skates on Carolyn's blog, Aiken House and Gardens, that gave me the idea to cozy up my $3.00 garage sale skates. (If you've never been to Carolyn's blog you should go and visit!)

I turned the sleeves inside out, stuffed them into the skates and rolled them over. It definitely dressed them up!

I have plans for the other skate, that I'll hopefully share later!

The sweater was pretty stretchy but I had a pillow the right size that was pretty worn out. I just cut the fabric and removed the stuffing and filled this one with the same amount.

I made flowers from different parts of the sweater, so not much of it went to waste. I even made the cats a toy mouse and filled it with stuffing and cat nip.

Not bad for a .99¢ Goodwill sweater! Sure beats the $39.00 Pottery Barn pillow!

Here is another pillow project. This was a square placemat that I saw at Kohl's

I used my seam ripper and opened up a section on the bottom. I used fiberfill that I got at a garage sale for .50¢ to stuff it.

After I made the pillow I was at Kohl's with my son while he shopped and saw that they already had pillows made from this fabric. Look at the price difference!

Here is the tag on the placemat.

Both the placemats and the pillows were 50% off. I also had a 30% off coupon and actually got it free since my son had given me his $10.00 Kohl's cash. He has a very generous heart, that sweet boy of mine!

We can't have pillow talk without a picture of a sleeping kitty!

The birds are already making use of the pretty winter feeding station. That is always a sweet treat!

Just for fun, here is a shot I took while I was at the outdoor mall with my daughter.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend!

Winter Bird Feeding

2011-12-08T10:08:00.001-05:00

The weather is getting colder and Christmas is approaching but my thoughts these past few days have been on the birds.

I haven't fed the birds very much since April. I have done without many things during this recent season of unemployment and now getting back on our feet, but the thought of not feeding my feathered friends over the winter made me very sad. I am from the south and I really, really dislike Indiana winters. Feeding, watching and photographing the birds is something that gives me pleasure during the long winter. I actually look forward to the snow just because it brings the birds to the feeders. It not only entertains me but the cats and dog love watching the birds too. My nineteen year old son offered to buy me sunflower seeds for Christmas. How thoughtful is that?

My bird food wreaths last year were such a huge success that I wanted to make several more this winter. They provide me with something bright and colorful to look at during the many dreary gray days of winter and they also provide pretty props for bird photography.

I stopped by Home Depot Tuesday and picked up some free Christmas tree branches. I attached them to my swing frame along with the artificial greenery that was used last year.

As soon as I put a few peanuts in the small basket a chickadee landed on it.

Later, right before it snows, I'll add a few pine cones dipped in lard, peanut butter and bird seed to the wreaths.

The apple is cored and filled with homemade suet. It makes it a little harder for the house sparrows to gobble it up.

The cats certainly make wreath making a more interesting task. Both of our cats have always loved napping in the wreaths.

I put some of the free greenery on the sled and attached one of the ice skates that I purchased at a garage sale a few years ago.

After being out in the cold, a cup of hot chocolate is a delightful treat!

I'm practicing food photography these days and it isn't as easy as looks!

This was the moon yesterday. It was shining brightly at 4:00 PM right along with the sun. Even though it was cold the sunshine felt wonderful after all of the rain we've had.

Now that my wreaths are finished, I am actually hoping that we get a little of that snow that is in forecast tomorrow!

So, are you planning to decorate for the birds this year? If so, I'd love to see what you make!

Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-24T16:54:00.000-05:00

Thank you all for your encouragement from my post yesterday. We have so much to be thankful for this Thanksgiving!

To my American friends, I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving!

Much to be Thankful For

2011-11-23T07:00:00.002-05:00

There is so much that I would like to say during this Thanksgiving season, but finding words to express it is quite difficult. I know I will fall far short of expressing what I am feeling. Sadly, I've never been much of a writer, but even less so now. It is a tremendous effort to focus and organize my thoughts these days.Thinking of what to say, how to say it and how to word it in a grammatically correct way becomes a contemptuous chore. Which has been part of the reason for my infrequent posts; it has been easiest to say nothing at all.

For the last eight months my husband has been unemployed. The first time he was laid off, (after fifteen years with a wonderful company and a job he loved), was devastating, but to face the trauma of multiple company layoffs over the last six years has been a nightmare that is incomprehensible to us. After this latest layoff we feared that the career he had worked so hard to establish was completely ruined because his work history looked so unstable. Most companies, if they are even hiring, would just pitch a resume like that.While it took eight very long months and many resumes sent, a new job was started on Monday last week. For this new opportunity we are so very thankful.

Our hearts are overflowing with gratitude and thanksgiving for God's provision for us during this time of extended unemployment. Our two adult children, who both still live at home, have full-time jobs and graciously contributed. Our nineteen year old son delayed college and donated practically his entire paycheck, with no complaints. With their help, my odd jobs and unemployment benefits we have been able to stay caught up on our bills. There was no money for extras and there have been many struggles along the way, but, by God's grace, we have survived the storm...again.Were it not for our precious children things would be very different for us right now. We are very blessed.

It is also with heartfelt gratitude that I thank each of you for your patience with me during this time of sporadic blogging. Losing my mom, dealing with multiple job loss and all the emotions and struggles that encompasses, and my mother-in-law's end stage Alzheimer's...well sometimes just coping with life is all you can manage.

I hope things will settle down now and this extended season of trials will end for our family and hopefully after a time of stability and emotional healing my mental fog will lift and my creativity will flourish.

Speaking of creativity, during the past few months, I have given much thought to this blog and the direction I want to take it. After all that I have been through, with the multiple job loss and this extended season of difficult trials, I sometimes think about posting on topics regarding that, but my blog has been mostly nature and gardening related and it felt weird to do so. There are more home projects that I have done that I would like to share, but again, I feel funny posting them here.

After one such post, someone suggested to me that I might want to start another blog for things not related to my normal topics so that my readers wouldn't be surprised to see something out of character for Robin's Nesting Place. That was a great idea and I attempted to start another blog but I can barely manage one much less two or three.

I think I've come to the conclusion, that for right now, during this season of my life, I will just post whatever it is that I want to blog about, right here, at Robin's Nesting Place. My desire is to keep the blog as a hobby blog but that definitely encompasses many topics, including photography; crafts; home projects; gardening; cooking: bird watching; thrifting and things related to living on a tight budget and anything else related to home and garden. It really isn't that much different from what I've been doing, just more broad which should lead to more frequent posts that will hopefully still appeal to my readers and maybe even grow my blog a bit more. Guilt/pressure/stress free blogging is all I can creatively manage right now.

I hope that is okay and those of you who have become my blogging friends these last four years will continue to read and follow. I appreciate you all!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Delicious and Festive White Chocolate and Cranberry Cookies

2011-11-21T22:50:00.000-05:00

White Chocolate and Cranberry Cookies

1 cup butter, softened                                 3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup packed brown sugar                         1 rounded teaspoon baking soda
½ cup white sugar                                      1 ½-2 cups white chocolate chips
2 eggs                                                        1 ½ cup dried cranberries
2 teaspoons vanilla flavoring                       1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375°.

In a large bowl, cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar until smooth. Beat in the egg and vanilla.

Combine the flour and baking soda, stir to incorporate baking soda into flour. Spoon small amounts at a time into butter and sugar mixture while mixing. Add white chocolate and cranberries to mixture.

Spoon out dough and roll about a golf ball or walnut sized amount, depending on the size cookie you want, (dough is easy to handle and not sticky). You can spoon the dough right onto the cookie sheet, but shaping it into a ball makes a very pretty, evenly shaped cookie.

Bake for 8-10 minutes in preheated oven. For best results, take them out when they are browning but still slightly doughy. Allow cookies to cool for a minute before transferring to wire racks to cool.

Pantry Recessed Shelving

2011-11-20T22:47:00.001-05:00

I frequently scour the free Craigslist adds just to see what kinds of things people are getting rid of. In the past I've been blessed to find a few things that were local and actually in great condition. A few weeks ago I saw an add from a local business that was downsizing their space and they wanted to give away wood that was in their warehouse. It had been used to make displays and show props. My husband and I went just to see what they had left. I had wanted a few pieces of wood to make some photography backdrops and I thought I might be able to get it there. It was a huge warehouse and we filled our van full of wood and beadboard scraps. Some of the beadbord was in long thin strips that I thought would be useless to me, but they really wanted to get rid of it all and kept pulling out small scrap pieces. I was so grateful for the good pieces that I took it all just to help them, thinking that and I would just throw it away.

As I was organizing the wood in the garage I tried to figure out a way to use some of the long strips of beadboard. I have always wanted to try my hand at making recessed shelves and I had a perfect space in my pantry behind the door to do it.

Here is how I made the recessed shelves:

I took the stud finder and marked my studs. Then I made a hole in the drywall just to make sure there were no wires in the way, ( I didn't think there would be since no outlet is on either wall). I removed the pantry door. Cutting drywall can be incredibly messy so I hung a plastic drop cloth from ceiling to floor to keep the dust off the food in the pantry. Using the hole as my starting point, I cut the drywall with a jigsaw. I left about two-three inches of drywall at the ceiling and floor. I cut the long strips of beadborad to fit in the space and attached them with Liquid Nails and small nails, (being careful not to go through the drywall on the other side).

This is not the ideal way to make recessed shelves, but since finances are tight, I was determined to make this a use what I have project.

I had a broken shutter and I cut the outer pieces into four inch strips. Not wanting to measure any more than I absolutely had too, I placed the cans and cartons in the position I wanted them, I placed the wood strip on the container, marked it and nailed it in place. I placed the shelf on them and used the level to make sure they weren't crooked and it worked like a charm! No measuring!

I then filled all of the many gaps with caulking. Once the caulking was dry I painted it with Sherwin Williams paint that I had picked up free at our local recycling center. I trimmed it out with more beadboard strips and the corner squares that I've had for several years that I had picked up somewhere on clearance. Once painted and caulked, the mismatched beadboard and wood doesn't really matter at all. Besides, once the door is back up it will be totally hidden from view.

This gives me so much more space in my pantry and I had great satisfaction and fun doing it with what I had on hand.

I'm linking up with:

http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/2011/11/kitchen-tweak-welcome-to-148th.html

2011-10-16T20:57:00.000-04:00

A few days ago I spent a little time at a local park to get some fall pictures.

The little ground squirrels were so cute playing around the roots of the huge tree.

The black walnuts are prolific this year and walking under the trees was quite dangerous. Every time the wind would blow they would come crashing to the ground.

The squirrels were quite busy gathering walnuts and acorns. They were so busy that they didn't pay much attention to me and I was able to get pretty close to them, even with the bulky tripod..

This one was pretty funny all spread out eating his walnut.

We have had a warm and lovely autumn so far. It has been absolutely delightful!

I have a thing for old barns. When I see one I have an intense desire to stop the car and photograph it. I gave in to that desire a few days ago while I was on my autumn photography adventure!

This one is huge! Sadly it is dilapidated and the roof is collapsing. I don't know what the story is and why it is in such disrepair, but I assume since it is right off of a busy street in an area that has some new construction close by, it probably will be torn down soon.

This one was right down the street. I'd love to go back again when the photography conditions are better. These were taken about 3:00 in the afternoon with bright sunshine. Sunrise or sunset would be much better!

Not much is in bloom here. Just a few roses, cosmos and verbena.

I loved this dark cosmos against the fence. The wind was blowing so hard that it was difficult to get pictures!

The maple trees are gorgeous right now! I saw these two leaves near the bottom of the trunk.

This is what drew me outside today with my camera, even though the wind was blowing so hard. I couldn't believe my eyes! A monarch butterfly! I hardly saw a butterfly all summer and to see this one so late in the season was a sweet surprise! I'm so glad that the verbena was still in bloom!

I sure hope it ventures south soon!

Hummingbirds Up Close and Personal!

2011-09-29T18:50:00.004-04:00

The hummingbirds are still here! On Tuesday, for some reason, they were standing guard at the feeders again. I stayed outside for hours and took about eight hundred, (yes, I said 800), pictures of the hummingbirds!

I was able to get so close that I could have reached out and touched the one that was in the backyard!

These are some of my favorite shots!

This one makes my heart sing! It looks like a painting to me!

Standing guard and preparing to chase away the approaching hummingbird!

Doesn't he look menacing?

I stayed on the patio for probably four hours taking pictures and enjoyed being so close to them!

What a thrill to stand so close and watch their antics! They have so much personality!

This one was so calm and laid back that I thought I would take the opportunity to try some backdrops just for fun!

I had an easel that I covered with cloth and placed behind my container of sticks that I had near the hummingbird feeder.

It was starting to get dark by the time I thought of the backdrops. I've tried a few more times since Tuesday to get more backdrop pictures but the hummingbirds have not been cooperative. I guess Tuesday was just a sweet blessing and I shouldn't expect the hummers to always be such cooperative models!

Hummingbirds

2011-09-25T20:37:00.002-04:00

Today was a great day for hummingbird photography! They are preparing to fly south for the winter and are very possessive of their feeders! I saw three hummingbirds today, but two of them had staked a claim. One in the front and one in the back.

I walked out on the patio today when I let the dog out and noticed that this hummingbird didn't budge from the branch. Of course I immediately went inside to get the camera! I wanted to see how close I could get before it flew away. I got probably within three feet! It was drizzling rain, but I didn't care!I stood in the rain taking pictures!

This juvenile male staked claim to the feeder by the front porch. Since it was raining I sat on the front porch in my rocker to photograph this one. He had much prettier coloring anyway and the Japanese maple made a beautiful backdrop. Notice his beak?

It's twisted! It doesn't seem to hinder his eating. Once today while he was eating, another hummingbird flew right into him and knocked him to the ground! That was a sight to witness from just a few feet away! I never tire of watching these guys. It makes me sad to think that my time with them is almost over for the year. Each morning I watch for them wondering if the day before was the last. I count it a little blessing when I have just one more day to enjoy their antics.

My husband walked by the sliding glass doors Friday and said, "There is a big bug out there that you might want to see." He knows me well, doesn't he? I immediately walked over and saw this dragonfly lying on its back. I wasn't sure if it was dead or alive, but I assumed it must have hit the glass doors. I slid the door open and stepped back to take the picture. About the time I got the first shot my daughter's, indoor only, cat spotted the bug and the open door and started to bolt. Startled, I screamed! Between my screaming and the cat lunging, we scared the dragonfly. Thankfully it was able to right itself and zip away and thankfully I caught the cat before she escaped!

Last Days of Summer

2011-09-17T23:31:00.000-04:00

The nip of autumn is in the air and a visit to a local apple orchard has already been made.

The flowers are few and far between with the limited amounts of summer rain.

I'm still seeing a few bees...

and damsel flies...

and everyday I watch for the hummingbirds at the feeders knowing any day now could be their last visit for the year.

The butterflies have been scarce this summer. Only recently have I spotted a few. Usually I see black swallowtail caterpillars on the parsley and fennel but not this year. I guess there can be no caterpillars if there aren't any butterflies. I think this is the first year that I haven't had them.

I was thrilled to see the Buckeye butterfly a few days ago and chased it around the yard with my camera for quite some time.

I am enjoying the cooler last few days of summer and looking forward to the lovely autumn season...

even if it means that I won't be seeing these little guys for a long time.

I hope you are enjoying the last few days of summer too!

Hummingbird Preening

2011-09-01T15:47:00.000-04:00

As I was reading outside on my patio swing I just happened to catch this hummingbird preening. As much as I've watched them over the years, I don't think I have even seen one fan its tail feathers quite like this.

I apologize again for my absence. It has been a busy and sad spring/summer. We have just kind of been in survival mode for the last few months. I haven't wanted to blog about such personal things, maybe one of these days I will, but not until I can make sense of it and we are on the other side of it.

In the meantime, thank you for your patience with my very sporadic posts.

Mid-July at Robin's Nesting Place

2011-07-14T11:46:00.000-04:00

I was so thankful yesterday for a break in the heat and humidity and I spent some time in the garden doing some much needed weeding. I also spent some time just sitting in the swing, relaxing and enjoying the breeze. Of course I also had my camera handy and took a few pictures while I was outside.

I have quite a bit of Queen Anne's Lace this year since I haven't been mulching. I'm not particularly fond of it since it tends to spread everywhere, yet I am hesitant to remove anything that attracts the pollinators to the garden. I have one with a little pink rosette right in the center of it. I think I'll use them for cut flowers and try to prevent them from going to seed this year.

The bee balm is doing its job of attracting all kinds of pollinators.

I was thrilled to see another hummingbird moth this year. I spent more time than I should have following it around the yard trying to get pictures of it.

They are so fast and so small that it is nearly impossible for me to get really good pictures of them. I had my little Sony DSC-H50 outside with me. It is a great point and shoot camera and I thought it did a pretty good job, considering the subject.

Its favorite flowers were the liatris and the bee balm. Usually they like lantana too but I didn't plant any this year.

The hibiscus is in bloom. I love the pink blush on this enormous white flower.

The chickadee waiting its turn for the bird feeder.

The goldfinch in no hurry at all. Both very brave to venture so close to the patio while I'm sitting on the swing.

This little piggy has been entertaining the cats for days now, driving them crazy as he runs back and forth across the patio to get to the sunflower seeds.

He stuffs his little cheeks so full of seeds until they are literally sticking out of his mouth. I've enjoyed watching him, but I sure hope he doesn't decide to start a family here.

When I saw this partially opened sunflower I couldn't help but think about this verse, "Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth; keep watch over the door of my lips.
Psalm 141:2-4" and the "Speak no evil" phrase.

As you enjoy your summer, please be kind to your skin and yourself. My brother just got word that his melanoma cancer is back and it is now in his lymph nodes. Both he and my mother have had melanoma. Please pray for him as he fights this third cancer diagnosis in a year.

Horton's French Flea Market

2011-07-08T20:52:00.001-04:00

This weekend is the third annual French Flea Market at Horton's in Tipton, Indiana. I missed it the two previous years and made it a point not to miss it again this year.

Horton's is a unique place for a French Flea Market because as they state on their blog,"Like something out of the past, our store is a regular emporium of delights! We have hardware, a paint dept., and a garden center which includes flowers and veggies in season."

"Our ever changing merchandise is also spattered with lots of flea-market finds and one-of-a-kind treasures you can't find anywhere else."

The French Flea Market is obviously doing well because my friend and I got there around 2:00 and we heard from several vendors that they had sold a lot of their things already and were going to have a busy night trying to get their spaces filled back up and ready for the big day tomorrow.

As a nature and garden lover, I am enjoying the home decorating styles right now, especially the interest in botanical and bird prints.

I also like that old things are being recycled and used rather than being discarded in landfills. I'm not sure why, but there is something very comforting to me about being surrounded by old things from the past. I am even liking the chippy paint on old doors, windows and ladders!

I met Nicki, from The Vintage Farmhouse. I discovered her blog several days ago from Horton's blog post regarding the French Flea Market vendors. I was looking forward to meeting her. Thank you, Nicki, for not crossing your eyes and sticking your tongue out at me when I took your picture! ;-)

After seeing these lovely bouquets, the 'Limelight' hydrangea is definitely going on my wishlist. What a magnificent flower to add to bouquets! I love that color of green!

It was interesting seeing the creative uses for vintage doors at the French Flea Market! Horton's and these vendors have that mastered!

There was so much to see that it was overwhelming trying to take it all in.I can't imagine what it was like this morning before so much of it was sold. It would definitely have been sensory overload for me!

This particular booth was my favorite! It was decorated so cute with a paint theme. I really wish I could have seen it before most of their things were gone. She also has a blog that I just discovered called D. Reyne's Everyday Elegance. She is incredibly creative and her "Tinker House" is adorable! I can't wait to have some time to see more of it!

If you live nearby you should definitely make the trip to Horton's of Tipton for the French Flea Market!

I hope you all have a lovely weekend!

In the Garden at Sunset.

2011-06-30T06:53:00.001-04:00

Bee Balm

I've enjoyed the mild summer weather these last few days. I slipped outside after supper this evening to walk around the yard and take a few pictures.

Milkweed

After the drought conditions we had last year, I am thankful for the hardy plants that returned.

Shasta Daisy
Because I haven't mulched in about three years, the seeds have been able to freely germinate. The garden has become crowded with daisies, echinacea, anise hyssop, verbena bonariensis, black-eyed Susans and weeds! I'll be busy this fall transplanting many of those new plants in other parts of the garden.

I'll also be transplanting some of them in the rain garden that I have been working on in our neighborhood common area. We haven't accomplished much because we, (my son, husband and me), are digging it out ourselves and every time it rains it fills with water and takes days to dry out. Hopefully we can get it finished by next weekend, at least that is my goal.

As I was walking around the garden this evening I noticed the damselfly on the fennel, (which has also freely propagated everywhere).

I didn't have the zoom lens on my camera but he/she patiently posed for me allowing me to get surprisingly close with the camera.

They are amazing creatures!

I have been so excited about the wonderful response to my potting table. I can't believe the traffic it generated to my blog, literally well over a thousand specific visits! Thank you for the sweet comments that were left on my blog from those who visited to see it. I was very excited to have it featured again on Sunday by another of my favorite blogs:

Thank you, Rhoda, from Southern Hospitality for featuring my potting table!

One Year Ago Today

2011-06-24T15:05:00.000-04:00

One year ago today life, as I knew it, changed forever. My precious mother died a horrible death at the hands of the surgeon who botched her surgery and the nurses who overdosed her on morphine, not once, but twice. She eventually died from the pneumonia that was caused when they realized their mistake and flushed her so rapidly that her lungs were filled with fluid. It still stings to know that she should not have died from a case of diverticulitis.

My mother was the glue that held our diverse, dispersed and somewhat dysfunctional family together. After her death a lot of things changed. People changed, relationships changed...things happened that I never thought I would see in my own family. Family hurting family... it just should not be that way.

Something happens deep inside when the people you love the most cause so much pain and heartache, especially when you are already dealing with great loss and horrible tragedy. Basic trust in mankind is greatly damaged and you have to work really hard to trust people again, to heal emotionally and not become bitter.

It has been a difficult year of hard work trying to heal those deep wounds. I have read a lot, prayed often, and listened to probably a hundred sermons on trials and forgiveness. I've made a lot of progress, but I'm not completely there yet. It is a continual work.

Progress has also been made in some of the damaged relationships but things will never be the same. Some relationships will probably never be restored, I have grieved those losses and have come to terms with that. Some things are simply out of my hands.

I struggle at times with being transparent and real, especially about things of such a sensitive nature. The last thing I want is to stir things up and create more trouble, but this has been the reality of my life this past year. God has been so faithful to me during this very dark year of pain and heartache. I have been amazed at the times that God has allowed me to stumble upon the very thing I needed to hear. He has been a healing balm for my soul. I can't imagine going through the pain of this life without my faith in God and hope of eternal life in heaven.Of seeing my mom again and having real restoration and healing once and for all. Oh, glorious day!

Show the Motion

2011-06-24T10:32:00.003-04:00

This month the Picture This Photo Contest at Gardening Gone Wild is Show the Motion. The idea is to capture the movement or action as blur instead of freezing it.

Here are a few of my favorite action shots. In most of these shots the movement is frozen. I'm not sure that any of them really show the full effect of slow shutter speed blur. I think probably the closest is the first picture of the blue jay. I think that is the one that I'll submit to the contest.

From Jun 24, 2011

Edited: I tried three times to submit my picture to the contest and I tried twice to just leave a commit on the GGW site. Nothing showed up. Oh, well....not sure what is happening with their site. They are obviously having issues.