while the peaches preserve...

  "Come to the summer, to the summer we will come"

                                                                 ~John Clare

A storm is brewing, and I am here on a  semi-dark storm infused afternoon with one ear listening to the hot water bath canner, jars of peaches I am preserving for the pantry. Quarts...25 minutes.

It has begun raining hard now, the raindrops splattering my windows creating designs on the glass. I hear it falling despite the steady sound of the canner. A summer's day storm...it will pass as quickly as it has arrived.

My Potager:

The garlic harvest was successful this year. I love the names of the hard-necked garlic I grew as much anything...Majestic, Music, and Burgundy. 

Two years ago I visited a local lavender farm and brought home two white lavender plants known as "Edelweiss". This year they have become a beautiful addition to the back garden.

The English Lavender continues to thrive by the back steps and I always hesitate to cut the full blooming wands. The bees love it so and it is gorgeous and a joy to brush against,  but the pruning only gives more blooms and helps the plant to continue to put more energy into being a healthy plant.

There are huge magnolia trees on this property, and I mean huge! Some of the blooms are way up high in the air on those trees, but there are so many reachable blooms on many of the trees that are regularly cut and carefully placed into a vase of water where they will open and exude one of the sweetest smells of summer.

A  Sunflower Garden Disappointment

"Who knows what may lie around the next corner? There may be a window somewhere ahead. It may look out on a field of sunflowers.”
– Joe Hill

Or Not!

 Still remembering the morning in late April that I sowed the seeds dreaming big of a small field of sunflowers I hoped to enjoy this year, as I have in previous years. The first photo is the deer's first visit, the second their next visit and it has continued to nary a thriving sunflower left now. I was not to be daunted I replanted between the rows...we will see. Not hopeful at the moment. Yet, we do have some tall straight reaching to the sky sunflowers plants around the vegetable fence...

The peaches are out of the canner now. The storm stopped taking with it the humidity, the sun came out bright, now it is raining steadily. I am on the back porch watching the hummingbird...

I realize most of this post is about parts of my flower garden. I will report more on the vegetable garden another time. It is loving the recent rains! But we are now having to be vigilant about the Japanese beetles that my husband literally saw fly in this past Saturday.

I will briefly state I finished reading Christy, by Catherine Marshall. Back in my high school days I read this book and I remember it making an impact on my young life. It is still a very good read. Highly recommend. My husband enjoyed me telling him some of the happenings in this book.

Thank you all for reading and commenting when you are able!  Blessings!

a very special day...one year ago

Saturday, June 8, 2024                     59 degrees, sunny                                                                             

     The Day...it is beautiful. It is perfect... specially ordered.

Later...

    She got married and it was absolutely, wonderfully good.

Some photos of what we were doing last year on this very day.

the journal continues...

     On the front porch overlooking the ridge sipping my first cup of hot coffee. Words. At the present the words are scampering, not able to be spoken or even recorded here in this journal as I would prefer. They are just felt. Many things hidden in the heart, digging, delving deep, to settle a bit. Too much to take in all at one time. Much like a garden dream, the mature garden I hope to have one day, a touch of beautiful senses every single place you set your eyes...

I look up and I pray to my Lord, with tears. S0 very thankful. SO full of the riches of His marvelous grace, enduring mercy, and steadfast faithfulness.

It was under a tall, stately oak tree she married that June day of 2024, just liked she had planned. It was a worship service where hymns of praise were sung and prayers were lifted up before the giving of the vows.

And then we celebrated with a wedding feast... her style... with family, friends, food and dancing.

And all too soon, it was time for the new Mr. And Mrs... to leave together, wedded.

“You have been the last dream of my soul.”

 - Charles Dickens, A Tale of Two Cities

In my Journal...

I can not get one beautiful picture off my swirling mind- the beaming brightness of my daughter's face as she walked down the aisle with her father- flowers in her hair- and all.

fermentation and smartphones

In the small southern town not far from where I live, a new market has recently opened that sells mainly local whole foods such as vegetables, ferments, dairy, breads, meats, and such.

As some of you might remember I enjoy the art of food fermentation. I regularly ferment cabbage, but during the summer months I usually have several ferments going on at one time.

I am no expert by any means, but I am always up to learning new things in regards to fermenting foods.

This little local store carries products from K Culture Ferments. Since the store offers free tastings I was gladly  enticed to bring home a couple of their ferments recently. Wow are they delicious! Of course, I checked  the ingredients list and today I decided I would try my hand at making a ferment using cabbage, carrots and beets. I will never be able to create the exact same ferment, but at the least I can experiment and learn to make a good one. 

While I was happily fermenting in my kitchen, I listened to this very interesting conversation at Thinking in Public between Al Mohler and Clare Morell about her book, The Tech Exit:A Practical Guide for Freeing Kids and Teens from Smartphones.  

It is extremely interesting to listen to her research  that clearly shows how the use of smartphones affects the development of kids and teens, in all aspects. Most of us would agree that society as a whole has dramatically changed especially due to the progressively insidious use of smartphones. I am aware of how many parents today struggle with this, even as my own children share with me how hard it is to say no to my grandchildren with any such devices. They are the wise ones, and I do pray for them.  When my boys were growing up, there were no smartphones, they did not even have cell phones. But with my girls iPods, cell phones, and even smart phones were beginning to take off. At sixteen, when my girls began to drive they were allowed a cellphone, and eventually a smartphone edged in, but still I did not trust anything called a "smartphone". I do not now either.

a June bride

 There have been wonderful declarations, quotes, and comments about the month of June written by others . And I truly give my own hearty affirmation to the beautiful month of June as it is still my most favorite month of the year.

June bursts serenely forth, it sheds its array of glories, and declares special wonder without any hesitation whatsoever.

But despite all the other things that June represents, it continues to hold favor for me as the month of brides, weddings, and marriage. Being a June bride still holds merit to me because on this third day of June forty-seven years ago I was wed.

Wedding photographs of the late 70's would not even register on a scale with the photography used today for weddings. We chose the best photographer in town and I believe this photo was considered "special effect".

(though that white line is the plastic over the photo)

My husband asked me what I wanted to do for our anniversary. He was thinking about dinner in a restaurant. From where we live, we would have to drive anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour to dine at a good restaurant. As I was wanting lamb... we both love lamb... and not many restaurants serve a good lamb meal; I answered, "I'll cook." I am able to prepare a simple, but delicious lamb meal, and truthfully it has been a joy to give this day intentional focus on my blessed marriage as I go about preparing for our evening together. Therefore, we will pack a box of food, a small overnight bag and drive to the cottage where I will prepare a special anniversary meal and we will stay at the cottage for the night. A "Getaway"...across the street.

❤️