This and That

I found this wintery tray at the thrift store and thought I'd put different paper on the bottom and use it to take my tea and a snack out on the porch swing.

Also at the ts I found this tea cozy. Now my old one goes into the give-away box. It's nice to change things a wee bit, don't you think?

DH went out and brought in enough rhubarb from our little plant so I could make a rhubarb coffee cake. I didn't actually have a recipe so I used one for a peach CC. It turned out fine.

And since I don't like to use the oven for just one thing I also mixed up a batch of scones to put in the freezer for tea breaks this coming week.

It's a chilly showery day and just right for curling up with tea and my library book.

Thanks for visiting,


Granny Marigold

My Morning Walk

Another day of glorious sunshine. I walked before it got too warm and in any case I prefer walking  after breakfast but before I start the main chores I intend to do that day. The first 2 pics I took in the front yard as I was leaving.

       My Cowslips came through the winter and some of the other Primroses as well.

                             This tree is in a front yard I walk past.

These Tulips are right at the gate to the park itself with what I think is Candytuft planted in front.

And here's my destination. There was a canoe on the water but too far away to show up. I'm sure it must have been peaceful out on the lake.

          Thanks for visiting today. I hope your day is as peaceful and relaxing as possible.


                                      Granny Marigold

Earth Day

It's earth day and I thought I'd post an appropriate poem, one I very much like. It's by Helena Coleman, a Canadian poet born I believe in 1860 or thereabouts.
Coleman has written another poem along the same lines if you're interested in looking it up it's called Earth Moved in Space.

More Lovely Grows The Earth

More lovely grows the earth as we grow old,
More tenderness is in the dawning spring,
More bronze upon the blackbird's burnished wing;
And richer is the autumn cloth-of-gold;
A deeper meaning, too, the years unfold,
Until to waiting hearts each living thing
For very love its bounty seems to bring,
Intreating us with beauty to behold.

Or is it that with years we grow more wise
And reverent to the mystery profound–
Withheld from careless or indifferent eyes–
That broods in simple things the world around,
More conscious of the Love that glorifies
The common ways and makes them holy ground?




We had a lovely day, sunny and warm. We went for a long walk then I spent some time just sitting on my enclosed porch. The grands came up to keep me company and took turns taking pictures of me.
Here's me with my mug of tea.

I hope you had a lovely day too.

Thanks for coming by,

Granny Marigold

Spring Flowers

At last we seem to be having nicer weather and the flowers that have been waiting for the sunshine now are blooming happily!  I enjoy going out each day to see how they're doing.

The wild or fringed bleeding heart is spreading at an alarming rate and I am forced to resort to strong herbicide to control it.  Here, under a Rosebush it looks quite lovely but it also spreads  through any perennials in its way. To think I don't even know how it came to my yard. Probably a bird was responsible.  According to the internet  Dicentra formosa is hardy and tenacious. Yes, it definitely is that.

               My Leopard's Bane is in full bloom with a Bergenia almost engulfed.

I think this is Rock Cress. It blooms faithfully every year and asked for nothing. If only more perennials were that agreeable.

I've been enjoying the nicer weather, I hope wherever you are that you are also having milder days.
What's blooming in your yard?  Do you have any invasive plants, and if so how do you cope with them?  I'd like to hear about it.

Have a great weekend,



Granny Marigold

Pretty Pictures

While browsing Pinterest I kept seeing cute pictures so I went to find out a little about the artist. Gaelle Boissonard was born in 1969 in France where she still lives and works.
Her work is described as simple and whimsical. Do you like it? You can find out more about her and see more enchanting pics if you go to her website gaelleboisonnard.com.

                                         ( I think this first one is my favourite)

Thanks for coming by today,

                  Granny Marigold  

What I did today

What I didn't do today was go for my walk. The rain is just coming down so hard I can't make myself go out there.

We did do the grocery shopping though and bought lots of veggies for the week.   For the first time in my life I bought Lemon grass hoping to make my own tea mixtures ( like MK does).  I have a large urn of different kinds of Thyme that winters through nicely and also some Mint. I'll keep you posted on how I fare!

I have this Basil plant growing in the sunroom within my reach as we have our meals there. I bought the plant then put it in a bigger pot when I got home and sowed some Basil seeds around the edges. Can you see them?  I love tomatoes and Basil. Add some Feta cheese and I don't even want any dressing on my salad. 

Something else I did this morning is to go to the library to pick up the DVD I requested . It's season one of the mystery Grantchester which MK enjoyed and mentioned on her blog.

Of course I had to look around at the books. These are just 3 of the ones I chose. I haven't read any of these authors before but have high hopes for good reading.

Lunch has been eaten and dishes cleared away. I have 4 hours before I start supper. My books are waiting beside me and I'm a happy woman.

Thanks for coming by and leaving a comment if you feel like it. Always nice to know who comes by.


Granny Marigold

Gladys Taber April 12, 1899- March 1980

Every year I post about dear Gladys Taber on her birthday. I know many of you know her books and have enjoyed reading about her beloved Stillmeadow.  Her books are so hard to find now. I am fortunate enough to own a few and find they are so comforting to read and reread in a world that can seem senseless at times.

The following quotation from one of her books is one of my favourites.

There is, I have found, at least one good or lovely thing in each day.
 Everyone has sorrow, endures difficult times, but loveliness abides if we look for it. 

  Life is not, for most of us, a pageant of splendor but is made up of many small things,  rather like an old-fashioned piecework quilt.

Do you have a favourite author whose books you reread from time to time?  I think Rosamunde Pilcher's books are also treasures. Do you know she's going to be 94 this year?

Thanks for visiting again,

      Granny Marigold

( not my basket of Pansies, this pic from the internet)

...books and my food and summer rain...

Well, it's more like spring rain but nevertheless it's sure coming down again today!

I've been trying to make raisin/fruit bread using my breadmaker. I always seemed to be adding the fruit too soon and the paddle would  cut it into small pieces. This time I waited 10 minutes before I added the raisins and fruit but still it was too soon. Finally I just waited to find out just how long the initial mixing and kneading takes. 20 minutes!!  So now I know not to add anything until about 17 or 18 minutes into the dough cycle. 
As you can see I got a small, a medium and a bigger loaf!

You can see how few actual pieces are left in the bread. It still tastes very good but I'll do better next time.

         While the oven was on I quickly made a batch of peanut butter cookies!

When I go to the thrift store I look for any books marked 75% off and I found this old book. Bought it for the excellent pen sketches in it ( there are some on nearly every page!!) but turns out the story the author tells of his little farm is quite interesting.

I had heard of the next book and wanted to read it so when I saw it marked half price ( at the TS of course) I bought it. Finished reading it too.  It definitely was worth the dollar I paid for it but it's not a "keeper" like the first book.

I hope you are all having a good Tuesday. Thanks for taking time to come by.


     Granny Marigold   




                                

The Celestial Surgeon

Robert Louis Stevenson, 1850 - 1894

If I have faltered more or less
In my great task of happiness;
If I have moved among my race
And shown no glorious morning face;
If beams from happy human eyes
Have moved me not; if morning skies,
Books, and my food, and summer rain
Knocked on my sullen heart in vain:-
Lord, thy most pointed pleasure take
And stab my spirit broad awake;

A Short tale of a Cat and a Bird

I just had to share these pictures I took earlier this evening. We were sitting on the porch when we noticed a neighbour's cat on top of our bird's cage in the back yard.  I took the pics through the window and they're not perfectly clear but I was quite sure if I went outside to snap the pics the cat would take off. Which is what it did when M ran out hoping to pat it.
The bird's cage still has winter plastic partly wrapped around it. Doesn't look great but keeps the cold wind off her. I've posted before how this pigeon was found stunned probably after crashing into a window. She is very tame and is forever wanting to sit on DH's shoulder. ( She is let out to fly free when we're outside. Either DH or M can easily pick her up and put her back when we go indoors.)

Thanks for visiting.  It's always nice to read your comments.


Granny Marigold

The little house that grew

40 years ago when my DH built our house it was the smallest house on the block. A 2 bedroom with 2 more bedrooms in the basement for our family of 7.  Over the years the house has grown as DH added more rooms and this last construction was to close in the back porch with two big windows.
I'm not the best photographer by far but you get the general idea of how the house has grown. The part on the right is not the neighbour's house in case you wondered. ( Sorry about the step ladder but it was too heavy for me to move).

I have a very short 'clothesline' to hang my gardening gloves on to dry.  Not pretty but so useful, as is the towel bar next to it where a towel hangs in summer so we can rinse dirty hands before coming in.
Those 2 bluegreen metal trellises will hopefully be covered with Clematis in Summer if the guys didn't stomp on the emerging plants when they were working.

This is how the inside of the "porch" looks now. I need to buy blinds ( the windows face South), and fill any empty pots with flowering plants.

This picture turned out very dark but this table and chairs are at the other end of the porch, near to the glass door from the sun room.

We've had one warm and sunny day recently and are sure hoping for more in the near future. Winter seems to be reluctant to leave all over the country. Soon we'll actually be able to sit out here and have our meals. I'm looking forward to NO BUGS this year!!

Thanks for visiting,

Please leave a word or two so I know you came by.


       Granny Marigold