The View on my Monday

TO DO TODAY:

 

 Separate cream from the milk

and make butter.

Teach school.

Wash the apple sauce and grape juice,...

label,...

carry to basement and arrange on wall.

Make an apple dessert 

for the Mary Kay party tomorrow.

 Use fresh herbs in the dip for the Mary Kay party tomorrow.

 Clean off the porch where I'm experimenting with home-made chalk paint

so we have somewhere to do the Mary Kay party tomorrow.

(Stay tuned: a giveaway is coming up

and something here is supposed to be involved).

 

 Pick a bouquet for the porch

for the Mary Kay party tomorrow.

 

 Laundry.

Laundry.

Laundry.

The sun is finally shining.

(note: home-made chalk paint does not come off nails.

I hope the Mary Kay lady doesn't look at my nails tomorrow.)

 Keep these two...

 

 from hurting each other.

Play "Find-the-missing-shoes"

while I attempt to clean the house...

although sometimes I wonder if Lillie is the only shoe thief around here.

What does the view on your Monday look like?

Linking up to:

White-Out for My Housework and Coffee Flavored Mulch

1. Sailing away.

 It has rained here a lot lately.

A LOT.

I am thankful for no tornadoes here.

I am sad for those who have lost so much in the recent storms.

We had some terrible skies and winds,

and rain,

but thankfully, 

that was all.

  No, I do not live in a castle.

No, this is not a moat;

yes, it is/was our driveway.

 The children's pool is about to become a sailing vessel.

 The rain falls,

and

the pile of mulch needs to be spread...

by Thursday.

No panicking.

I'm just getting ready to go sailing.

2. Blossoms = baby fruit.

My farmer thinned out the pine tree wind break

behind the apple trees.

They were getting shaded out.

Now there are lots of blossoms on the apple tree.

This tree gives the best fruit,

but hasn't for a few years.

 It is covered with blossoms this year.

I am so hopeful.

 The cherry tree is bedecked in springtime glory as well.

 I love flowers,

especially when they hold the potential for something edible.

3. Coffee to Gaze Upon.

Did you know there are hardy geraniums?

I didn't until a few years ago.

Now they are one of my favorite plants:

easy care,

bloom most of the summer,

nice mounding habit,

like sun or semi-shade.

 This one gets bright pink flowers.

It has a name,

but I forget what it is right now.

Is it New Hampshire?

Patricia?

Sorry, I can't remember it right now.

It will come back to me when I'm looking through my 5,000 plant tags.

I have wet mulch on the brain.

The one in the next picture is 'Espresso' Geranium:

coffee colored leaves all season long

with delicate light purple flowers.

It is perfection in a unique shade of colors.

I love it;

I love it's name.

 I need some of it's name.

4. Signs of things to come.

 Please excuse my lack of deep or useful posts this week.

I'm preparing for a plant sale.

And I'm afraid all my creative crafts and incredible recipes

are buried

under plant tags,

lists of things I can't forget,

somebody's sippy cup full of milk,

and

signs.

My plant sale is May 6 - 7,

not May 8.

That was last year.

But never fear...

 I learned helpful tips in college
in one of my "creating teaching displays classes."

(That is definitely NOT the name for the class

It was AVT or something = Audio/Video T......

Sorry, it's gone.

I need some ginseng or is it ginko;
something for my brain.

Does coffee have brain food in it?

There was mulch in the bottom of my coffee when I got to it.

I don't think mulch has brain enhancing qualities.
It surely didn't taste like it.)

Anyhow, I learned in my wonderful college class

that whenever we make anything,

we should do our best

and make it look as professional as possible.

I carry that with me only when it comes to artwork;

somehow, housework didn't seem to make it into that lesson.

Please, for future generations,

stick housework into that lesson,

you wise college teachers.

I also learned how to abundantly apply white-out in college.

Does anybody still use white-out?

Yes, we had computers when I was in college,

but the screens were all one color and everything was done in code,

"press F1 for something and F2 for something else."

I didn't get good grades in computer class.

But look at me now!

I can now click a mouse and get around on the screen!

I still don't know what F1 is for;
I think that it erases everything from your computer,
so don't press it.

(snicker)

I'm just kidding, Mom.

But don't press F4; that will blow your computer up.

It's obvious that
white out and computer have followed me into life.

5. Sigh.

Please send my kisses to the person who invented this thing.

 Is there a *kiss* symbol on computers?

If there is, this picture needs it for it's caption.

Oh,

I remember.

XOXOXOXOXO.

I guess some things never change.

(If you're losing your sanity,

below is a link

to the one I got

from Amazon; 

actually, I got two.

It was recommended

by very helpful reviewers, and I bit the bait.)

Linked up to:

http://Fish Tail Cottage: Cottage-flora-Thursdays

Miscellany Monday

1. Pulmonaria.

 This is Lungwort.

It is called this because it was used for medicinal purposes:

an herb for lung ailments

in days of yore.

I love this plant,

not for my lungs though.

My eyes love it.

It's a favorite of mine.

It loves shade or semi-shade.

 Look at the colors and variety on these

tiny 

sweet flowers.

 The leaves are lovely and vibrantly two-toned

all summer long. 

2. Wasp

(Yes, I am dumb enough to go back to the crime scene

and try to take a picture of my assailant.)

 While admiring said Lungwort,

I felt a pinch.

On the soft part under my arm,

(you know,

the part that's super tender,

and feels extra soft like great-granny skin

even when one is two years old).

Yes,

on this part of my arm,

there stood a wasp,

stinging me.

The admiration and love that had been mine

as I squatted gazing at lungwort

turned into

mad mother running and screaming

across the porch and into the kitchen.

Children,

in amazement,

curiosity,

followed,

asking,

"What?!

What?!"

"Ouch!!

Ouch!!

It hurts!!

Wasp sting!!"

I answered as I pulled the baking soda off the shelf,

slung some in a dish, 

added water, 

and slapped some on my now reddened under arm.

Children proceeded with laughter;

laughing,

at me in my pain.

Do I hear a violin playing for me

SOMEWHERE?

Please?

3. Papa Goose

 They have decided to nest here this year.

My Farmer saw the Mrs. sitting on her nest out in the pasture.

The Mr. has decided to hang out by our sandbox while waiting.

I hope he's not offeneded when I pick up some sand box sand this afternoon.

 "I'm just preparing you for a life with children,

Papa Goose."

4. Feminine Kiwi Possibility.

 I finally found a female kiwi plant at the nursery a couple weeks ago.

I just planted her today.

I have tried 3 times to get a female,

and they've all proven to be male.

This is an Anna Arctic Kiwi:

supposed to be female.

If she is not,

I hereby pledge I will give up my attempt at having kiwi berries.

It will take about 5 years for me to find out.

Yes, lovely waiting all that time to find out you've got yourself another male.

I've got problems with knowing when to call it quits.

 5. A Pretty Prison.

 This child has proven herself a handful this spring.

She won't stay in one place.

Levi would sit in a wagon all day long

and never moved a muscle.

Not so with this girl.

I have grown quite a few gray hairs keeping up with this one.

This has become her temporary holding area.

Temporary because I have decided to make a purchase.

I have decided to buy one of those

outside fenced play areas for her.

I am going to go buy it

today

so that I can keep an eye on her at all times.

Yes, I'm one of those moms.

It's called,

"Any expense to keep my sanity."

"Yes, child, I am talking about you."

 Her older sister has been so helpful as the pen guard.

She seems quite happy with these arrangements for now:

 she's singing to her doll in this picture.

It's unfortunate that one of the only tunes she know is

the theme to 

"Daniel Boone."

But who could frown upon a pen enclosed by flowers?

Which reminds me,

I better get back to work.