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Friday, March 30, 2018

March Moves On

It's finally Spring in Middle Tennessee.  The trillium are one of the first wildflowers here.


However, March came in more like a snow leopard than a lion!  This snowy photo was take on the first day of Spring!  We had two other snow days before this.


But mostly it was wet.  Not as bad as February but we did get over 5.5" of rain for the month.

So March was a fairly quiet month.  We did have our company for a week and that was a lot of fun.  Otherwise, we just went into hyyge mood... get cozy!


Things like needle felting...


... and eating of comfort food (this is some lamb pelmeni I picked up in an Eastern European grocery store).

However March is the start of the most busy time of the year for bonsai.


It's time to repot the deciduous trees and the club had a great demonstration class for this project.


And it is right in the middle of the time to collect scrubby little trees (yamadori) from the wild and the yard.  This little guy is already on his way to being a bonsai thanks to a few years of mower pruning!

(Hmmmm... we both forgot that poison ivy plant might go dormant but the roots never do.  We are both covered up with rash right now.)



Today is Good Friday.  Today is also Passover (at sunset).

It's been a good month.



Monday, March 26, 2018

London Fog


Have you ever had a "London Fog"?

I just recently heard about them and decided it was worth trying.  Not sure if it should be called a flavored steamer or a latte tea...

Here's how you make one:

Heat a cup of milk.  I did mine on the stove so the flavors would have time to blend.  In that cup of milk have an Earl Grey or Lady Grey (has lavender) tea bag or use loose tea as I did (you'll have to strain it when you are finished) and a portion of a vanilla bean or some vanilla extract (my choice).

Heat to your favorite temperature.

Pour/strain into your favorite mug/cup.

Add your favorite sweetener.

Curl up in your favorite chair wrapped in your favorite quilt/afghan.

Enjoy.




Saturday, March 24, 2018

Spring?

This was how our first day of Spring looked...






Wednesday, March 21, 2018

Visitors from North Dakota

Earlier this month we had friends from North Dakota come down for a visit.  C has come several times before but this year her hubby W was able to come too.  When they left their home it was 8*F and had a blizzard a couple days before.  

Our temps were in the lower 60s...


... until they brought the cold with them!  This is what we woke up to the morning after they arrived.  Temperatures dipped down to the 40s and low 50s.


I'd had a couple things on my schedule during the time of their visit... first was to help take in entries for the area wide Extension Homemakers cultural arts contest.  I had volunteered Himself to help but C stepped in to take his place.


While we were logging in quilts and pillows the guys headed a few miles over to Fairview, KY.  The Amish auction was having a special sale of farm equipment... from horse drawn to tractor pulled.  They loved it!


Next afternoon we headed up to Clarksville to visit its Civil War site Ft. Defiance.  We had a treat of an impromptu group of Civil War reenactors.



The guys climbed around the trails while C and I visited on a bench in the sunshine.


On the way home I thought we were going to have a bit of excitement.  The river is high and the swing bridge had been opened to let this tug and barges through.

However, the captain for some reason didn't go through the open part... he headed under the main span.  The bridge operator seemed very concerned as it watched (and got on the phone to someone).

We pulled over to watch the show.  I started snapping photos in case something happened... maybe I could get them published in the paper!


He made it under... just barely!  I'm sure he was reported to the tug company for ignoring the bridge master.


OK, one snow was funny... two in a week is not!  Yep, we had a second snowfall 3 days later.  Of course with the temperatures it was melted by mid morning... but still...


On another day the guys went back to Ft Defiance to hit the museum and we ladies went to a local flea market type place.  I had to laugh at this note on a hat for sale there.


Their last day here we made a run to Nashville to have supper at a 'regional' restaurant; the famous Loveless Cafe.


Then we buzzed over to our bonsai club meeting where we had a guest demonstrator showing how to repot a tree.

It was a fun visit in all.  Looking forward to next year!

OH - the day they left it was 42*F.  Next day was 72*F!  LOL

Saturday, March 17, 2018

Loaded Baked Potato Meals (Recipes)

I recently attended an Extension Homemaker class where we learned how to make a meal with a baked potato as the base.


They were really good, so I'd like to share them with you.


Chicken Pot Potatoes
(My favorite)




Hearty Stuffed Potatoes 
(I would call them Greek Potatoes.  These were Himself's favorite.)




Shepherd Pie Potatoes





Thursday, March 15, 2018

Bonsai Display at the Lawn and Garden Show


Himself and I worked the display table for the Nashville Bonsai Society after we were finished looking at all the other exhibits at the show.  It was a really pretty display that showed off some great trees.  There was a lot of interest.  I think the club will get some new members from this.  (The club's display in 2009 was how I got into bonsai.)


This is a collected Rocky Mountain Juniper.  By ring counting it is estimated to be about 500 years old.


A collected Ponderosa Pine who is about 250 years old.



A 45 year old Itoigawa juniper.


A 45 year old Scott Pine.


Chinese Elm


A 5 year old Cottoneaster


Korean Hornbeam forest planting that is about 25 years old.


Unknown


Weigela


Korean Hornbeam


A Cork Bark Elm that is 10 years old.






Monday, March 12, 2018

Elegant or Funky; The Choice is Yours

Another favorite stop at the Lawn & Garden Show is the floral arrangements room.  As the years have progressed, the arrangements have gone from table/buffet size to huge... think window display.  Like the other displays this year the designers were either elegant or funky.

 Sorry for the quality of the photos.  The facility has changed the light bulbs from 'daylight' flood to a harsh intense spotlight.  Does not do the flowers justice at all.

Here are the table top size arrangements. 












Then there was the window display size.  This grouping really got into the funky junk mood.