Reading and Baking

Thank you for all the comments on my collage.  I was surprised that I managed to create it because I am just not technologically gifted :)   For those who wondered if those were all flowers from my garden, the answer is yes.  Now, in an effort to post something other than flowers I thought I'd mention what I've been reading. The first book, Appalachian Song , I found through Elizabethd's blog Small Moments.  I enjoyed this book and highly recommend it.

 Bertie Jenkins has spent forty years serving as a midwife for her community in the Great Smoky Mountains of East Tennessee. Out of all the mothers she’s tended, none affects her more than the young teenager who shows up on her doorstep, injured, afraid, and expecting, one warm June day in 1943. As Bertie and her four sisters tenderly nurture Songbird back to health, the bond between the childless midwife and the motherless teen grows strong. But soon Songbird is forced to make a heartbreaking decision that will tear this little family apart.

                                          *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *    *

Moonlight and Linoleum is a true story.  This is a heartbreaking memoir and I hope there's at least  some happiness in store  for the author.( I haven't finished reading it).

 

 The captivating memoir of a young girl forced by her mother’s instability to care for her siblings.

Besides reading I have done some baking. We've had some lovely cool days and I even cleaned my oven. A job I only do once a year and I try to clean it on a day when it's cool but not too cool since it's nice to be able to open doors and windows as the oven does its 4 hour clean.
 I baked 2 strawberry/rhubarb pies ( I'm glad I thought to bake them on a cookie sheet so they wouldn't dirty my newly cleaned oven when they bubbled over). I also made lemon scones for the freezer. Once the heat arrives I won't want to bake.

So that's what I've been keeping busy with.  Let me know in the comments what you've been doing.

 

 Thanks for visiting.

 

Wordless Wednesday

 

 Thanks for stopping by.

Monday Chit Chat

 

 16C and overcast.  A pleasant morning for walking with a lovely surprise. This mama Mallard must have hatched a second family because these little ones were very very new!

 A weed has appeared in our yard that I don't recall having in previous years.  Middle son used an App on his phone and identified it as Lapsana communis, an introduced species from Eurasia. It has the unusual common name of nipplewort. No doubt it was used at one time to heal cracked nipples.

 We had rain over the weekend resulting in the mophead Hydrangeas hanging their blooms down with the weight of the water :(
See the empty area in the middle of Endless Summer......

 ...and the blooms of Annabelle also hanging down. I'm going to go outside and try shaking some of the water off. Hopefully they can then lift themselves up again. That is where I'm off to now as my laundry dries. Happy Monday!

 Thanks for visiting.

 

 

An Unusual Tale

 Summer arrived here with cooler than normal temperatures. We've had some showers, hopefully enough so I needn't do any watering.  I found this interesting article and wanted to share it here.

 An unusual story from the internet.

 In a small pond in Madison, Wisconsin, a pair of sandhill cranes is raising a baby Canada goose as their own.   Exactly how the gosling ended up with the cranes remains in dispute. Some local photographers believe a Canada goose laid an egg in the cranes’ nest. Others think the cranes took over a goose nest—which already contained a goose egg—after spring floods washed out theirs. Whatever the origin, one thing is certain: When the gosling hatched, it imprinted on the cranes and now follows them as if it were one of their own.  Photographers have captured hours of video footage and thousands of images of the unusual family. Many have watched the cranes treat the gosling just like their own colt: feeding, sheltering and defending it.

 Isn't nature fascinating?  

 

Thanks for visiting💗

 

 

 

Summer Solstice

 

 Today I'm taking you on a walk around other people's gardens. Happy first day of Summer!

 

 

As you can see I don't have much to post about once again. It's a very chilly first day of summer here.
A little gardening will be done. A load of laundry will get done as well.  Eldest daughter is coming for a visit.  I have 2 books at the library to pick up, books I recently requested. All in all a quiet day.

Thanks for visiting today.    GM

 

Tuesday Trivia

 My Deutzia shrub is almost done blooming. Although you can't see it there's a nearby Honeysuckle that has grown right through and will be pulled out as soon as it finishes blooming. Right now a Hummingbird comes to it every day, preferring that to the Deutzia's blooms.

Mock Orange (philadelphus) is as lovely as it always is in June. Such a faithful shrub.
 

I

 

 In early Spring I accidentally broke off some new growth from a Clematis. I stuck it into the ground and have been watering it and seeing new growth but it seems I was fooled. What came up looks suspiciously like Deadly Night Shade!  Not sure how it happened though :(

 Yesterday while weeding in the front garden I was pulling out a tall weed which was firmly entrenched. I pulled  and suddenly the weed came out. I lost my balance and fell backward flailing my arms in an effort to regain my balance. Right behind me was this armillary which I managed to hit with my left arm. It gouged quite a hole and now I have a large bandaid plus a purple forearm. Thankfully it was my left arm not my right. One has to be thankful for small mercies :) 

Incidentally, this armillary is on the base of an old concrete birdbath. A very long bolt runs right through to the bottom. We've had thieves try to remove the top but soon realized it wasn't possible. 

That's it for today.  The sun is shining and I'm going out to look for more weeds and hopefully not injure myself {{smile}}. 

 

 pretty but NOT my picture.

 

 

 

 

Strawberries and Cake

 Strawberries are in season and we drove out to a nearby farm where in previous years we've picked our own. Now we're not so flexible any more so we let others pick them.  Raspberries are also ripening and DH said he may stop and pick some on his way home from Gleaners since picking raspberries can be done standing :)  

 

 I baked a plain baked a plain cake and  we enjoyed some of the berries along with Cool Whip.

Fathers Day and the weather was perfect for an outside gathering. At some point in the afternoon our 5 grown children dropped by and also 3 of our grands. Youngest son brought a delicious cake.
 

 On a trip to the thrift store last week ( to drop off some boxes) I took a look at the jackets because I'd been looking for a lightweight one. This brand name black & white one cost me all of $3.  Can't go wrong at that price.

 I wanted to thank everyone that commented on the Hoosier cabinet post. I was surprised at the interest shown.  I try to visit the blogs of anyone who posts a comment but there are those who don't have blogs.  I especially want to thank Diane in northern Wis. who comments so faithfully. Also a new name popped up.. Virginia. I'm so glad you dropped by and left such sweet words.  I'm still getting some anonymous comments that I appreciate but wish to have at the very least an initial to identify them.

I wish you all a great week!!!