Saturday Happenings

Saturday is here once again. It seems like the week has gone very quickly. I am spending my day today preparing for my brother and his family to come and stay at our home. I haven't seen him since Thanksgiving so I am looking forward to spending several days with him. I am not for sure all the things that we will be doing over the next several days, but I did hear my husband on the phone with my brother reminding him to bring golf clubs. While they are off doing that, I will sneak away to the garden and enjoy the beauty and quietness.

As you can see from the first picture that we are still collecting and using newspaper mulch for weed control. Our peppers got planted a bit later than I would have liked. They were very pretty plants, but they just weren't growing the way I expected them to. Michael and I pulled weeds last weekend, and covered them with every bit of newspaper we could get our hands on. He also added some phosphorus to them a few weeks ago. They are doing great. They have grown so much in just the last few days. (Could also have something to do with the rain that we have been getting)! While we were spreading the newspaper on the bed, I saw the most amazing thing. There was a picture in our local paper of a submarine with a Navy Seal Delivery "thing" attached. Michael was in the Navy for almost 12 years, and he served on a fast attack sub. He pointed the Seal Team Delivery portion out to me right there in the pepper bed. In times past, these types of pictures were considered classified so that is why I had never seen one. Now I never know just exactly what I will find in the garden!!!

I also included the 2 flower arrangements that I made earlier this week. The one on the kitchen table is just an old blue Ball canning jar that I had found in my grandmother's barn when I was a young child. I placed it in a wire egg basket with straw in the bottom. I put a bunch of zinnias in the jar, and the zinnias will last for about a week. The other arrangement was the gomphrena plants along with cosmos. I stayed with a soft pink and purple background, and then I added some bright yellow zinnias to make the arrangement pop. This arrangement was my favorite, but it isn't holding up as well as I thought it should have. The gomphrena flowers are still lovely, but their leaves have wilted quickly. I used the leaves as the foliage to build the arrangement around. I will have to experiment with this a bit more. I have never grown the gomphrena before, but I do think they are a darling flower.

I have so many things ahead of me today to get ready for my company. I must get off this computer and start checking that list off! We will be grilling for all of our supper meals so that makes dinner preparation and clean up much easier. I am going to make a few desserts today that can last throughout the visit. I will also be making some homemade banana ice-cream. That is my brother's favorite. It is also my favorite, but my husband and children don't really care for it. I will also be serving banana pudding and coconut pie more of my brother's favorites. All of these desserts were things that my grandmother and mother use to make often. My brother only gets them when he goes to visit my mom or me so I always try to spoil him whenever he comes our way. If time permits, I will also make a pot of homemade Tapioca. Every Sunday my grandmother had a huge pot of Tapioca on her stove as one of her desserts. It brings back wonderful memories.

grace and peace,

julie