Wordless Wednesday (Almost ;o)

Feelin' The Blues Today....

.............and the wind...and the rain....and just feelin' mighty low.
This is today in the backyard.....



This was yesterday........


I had high hopes for the weekend...I really thought that we would get the new trees in for Palm Sunday.


However, the best laid plans of mice and men......or cats and dogs in this case, since they are falling from the sky!There are two of them on the ground in the background......all black already from the mud ;o)

We can't be blue here though for long... with Blue Monday upon us...
we have a winner.....
Guess who it is...( gotta love the random generator...even with a mall group it sure does come in handy!)
SNAZZI JAZZI......come on down lady and claim your prize!
Email me your mailing addy ( the snail mail ) and before you know it, you will have a little Spring in your mailbox ( to go with the Spring in your step ;o)

It's Almost That Time Again

In your Easter bonnet, with all the frills upon it,
You'll be the grandest lady in the Easter parade.

Ill be all in clover and when they look you over,
Ill be the proudest fellow in the Easter parade.

On the avenue, fifth avenue, the photographers will snap us,
And you ll find that you re in the rotogravure.

Oh, I could write a sonnet about your Easter bonnet,
And of the girl I'm taking to the Easter parade.

"Ma, can I take these off now?"

Being Aware

Often times we tend overlook the simple pleasures in life...

....the natural beauty that is all around us....

........joy that is always close by...

......a visit from an acquaintance......

.........an opportunity to take in a moment of peace.....

....if we pay close attention.....

......we will see that God's love is all around us...

..sometimes we just have to look even closer.....

.....No matter what...His love is always present.......we just need to be quiet..and listen...

"Be still, and know that I am God" Psalm 46:10

Garlic...Can't Live With It..Can't Live Without It!

OK I love garlic..........always have and always will. I planted too much in the fall.... there will be enough garlic to last everyone in our town into 2012.

ALMOST OVERNIGHT IT DECIDED TO START GROWING LIKE A WEED....I kid you not...after all the whining I have been doing ( none of which you can all hear;o), it heard me... the red cabbage and the leaf lettuce, took a stretch too.
I have no clue how they were able to survive the winter.

Look at the color!

Now I found a great page today, that will really help me to decipher the garlic code:

TLC COOKING
Harvesting Garlic

It's time to harvest your garlic when the green tops dry out and turn yellow-brown. This is typically about three to four months into the growing season -- late summer or early fall. Some gardeners prefer to harvest their garlic on the longest day of the year -- the summer solstice in June.

Harvest too early, and you get small bulbs. Harvest too late, and the bulbs may split. This indicates that they have already started their next growing season and diminishes their culinary quality.

Before you harvest all your plants, carefully dig up one bulb and examine it. Check its size, and count the layers of papery skin. If the bulb seems well formed, the cloves are plump, and there are about three layers of papery covering, harvest your crop.

If there are four or more layers, let the plants grow a bit longer. When you're ready to harvest, use a small garden trowel to loosen the soil around each bulb. Then dig up the entire plant and shake off loose soil.

Some gardeners save part of their crop for planting again. Others believe that doing so heightens the risk of disease and results in smaller bulbs the next year. Because you can easily buy garlic to plant at a garden center, there may not be a need to save any cloves, unless you cultivate unusual varieties.

After the harvest, your garlic can last for months -- just don't pack it in plastic.
Here we have a little recipe for the garlic........mmmmm.........one of my favorites:

Angel Hair Pasta with Garlic Shrimp and Broccoli

........and I happen to have a wee bit of broccoli growing out there...yup left over from the Fall :o)...Who woulda thunk????

Don't forget to get the healthy macaroni.....

......and if you can find it, really frezh.........

Bon Apetit!

Happy Spring On Blue Monday!

Can you feel it in the air?

I thought that it would NEVER return!

How long have we been waiting for it?

Can you EVER remember waiting with SUCH anticipation?

Was it worth the wait?

It certainly was!

SPRING IS HERE AT LAST!!!

We all hope that you enjoyed the weekend and finally were able to dig in the dirt....
except for you G-Dog ;o)

****** AN ADDED NOTE****************

Carrie @ Cottage Cozy was kind enough to let Angus and I know about Blue Monday!
I wanted to share my little cup and saucer set with you all for my first Blue Monday contribution.

I found this at a really neat thrift shop...almost thirty years ago, when we were on Martha's Vineyard ( yep..you can find a thrift shop there ;o...and yes you CAN stay there on a budget ) I can remember where I found it and when I found it and how happy it made me feel! We had already purchased our first home and were naturally going with a nautical theme decor...PERFECT FIND!
Made in England, it was part of a collection of Port of Calls..best $2.00 that I have ever spent on a souvenir!


Our contribution will be a set of 4 blue themed flower note cards with envelopes.
They will feature the pretty myrtle blossom, in the final picture of today's post!
Working on Mr. Linky and the blue bugzzzzz buzzing on the pc ;o)
Giveaway ends midnight Sunday March 29th....Good Luck Everyone!!!!
Click on the BIRDIE TEXT for more Blue Monday info :o)