School's Out for Summer

What a full week we had - I was on call for jury duty and had to phone in each evening to see if I should report the following day to court. I wasn't needed. I started walking again after taking a long hiatus due to hurting my sciatic nerve. I enjoy walking, and it is exercise I can stick with. 

 

 The university College Girl attends held a community event which included live music, food and activities.They had fresh flowers and tiny bottles of soda scented bubbles on tables for guests to enjoy.

 

College Girl was studying and wrapping up final projects, and took her last exam of the semester today. The anticipation of long, relaxed summer days has been building all week!  

I expect we will all be having a bit of a 'lie in' these first days of school break - ah, summer!

  

Her Little Hands

Making the decision to have a child – it’s momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body.  Elizabeth Stone

 

Her little hands stole my heart,

Her little feet ran away with it.

photo source wenderly dot com

This afternoon College Girl and I decided to relax and do 'nothing' (the 'lull before the storm' because finals are next week!) - so we enjoyed a televised baseball game, got out our 64 count Crayons to color in our Marvel Avengers and Disney Alice In Wonderland coloring books and baked Oat Scones for tea time. I just love coloring! It's so relaxing and it takes me back to the times I used to lie on my stomach on the floor as a child filling coloring pages with carnation pink, indigo, or yellow green.


Oat Current Scones

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup uncooked rolled oats
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled
• 1/3 cup whipping cream
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 1 and 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 cup currants & chopped nuts

preheat oven to 425 degrees. In large bowl, stir together dry ingredients. Distribute butter in pieces over flour mixture, then cut in until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In small bowl combine wet ingredients, then add to flour mixture. Stir in currants and nuts. With floured hands, pat dough into 8 inch diameter circle on ungreased baking sheet. With serrated knive, cut into 8 wedges. Bake 15 minuted until top is light brown and toothpick comes out clean. Cool on a rack, store in airtight container. 

 

 

Recipe from SIMPLY SCONES by Leslie Weiner and Barbara Albright 

   

 Our 'tea' of choice today is a lovely blended tisane by Harney & Sons called  Mother's Bouquet.  

 

 At the Harney website the tisane is described as "a blend created in honor of all Mothers. A great gift for Mom, or the perfect choice if you are hosting a Mother’s Day Tea. This is a beautiful, refreshing caffeine-free cup; chamomile flowers blended with rosebuds, cornflowers, and orange peel, infused with citrus flavor."

tisane - infusion of  dried or fresh flowers or leaves, a tea-like drink made with herbs

 Her hands and feet are not tiny any more, but she still has possession of my heart and always will.

Lifting a cuppa and wishing each of you  a lovely weekend. Chamomile bouquets and Devonshire Cream Hugs!

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Oh, Poppy!

JOHN McCRAE and ERNEST CLEGG

The Remembrance Poppy has been used since 1920 to commemorate soldiers who have died in war. Inspired by the poem "In Flanders Fields", they were first used by the American Legion to commemorate American soldiers who died in war (1914–1918). They were then adopted by military veterans' groups in the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

RED POPPIES by Claude Monet

In the United States, the American Legion distributes crepe-paper poppies in exchange for contributions. "Poppy Day" is usually the same as or near Memorial Day in May. Red poppies are used for fallen soldiers, white poppies symbolize peace and purple poppies are to recognize animals who died in the war effort.

Here in California the Golden Poppy is our state flower and it can be seen covering hillsides.  

Also known as the flame flower and copa de oro (cup of gold), the poppy grows wild throughout California. California Indians valued the poppy as a food source and for the oil extracted from the plant.

 May 13^th - 18^th is Poppy Week

 

 

 College Girl gave me a packet of California Poppy seeds last May and they are blooming again now!

We often see roses on teacups, but I think it might be nice to find a cup with a poppy on it, especially since I am one of four generations of our family born in California. A quick online search led me to a poppy themed china set made by Herend USA, a company originally founded in Hungary in 1826. This elegant pattern features gold trim and a blue butterfly inside the cup.  

 

HEREND POPPY SAUCER

 

HEREND POPPY DINNER PLATE

Here is my pot full of poppies. They close up each evening when the sun goes down and open again in the morning.
 

  
Anyone who has seen the Wizard of Oz most likely remembers the scene where Dorothy and her companions reach the poppy field and can see the Emerald City in the distance!

 

 

 "Poppies, poppies!"

If you take a driving tour of California you are sure to be welcomed by fields of golden poppies.  
 

California, Here I Come
Right back where I started from
where bowers of flowers
bloom in the spring
each morning at dawning
birdies sing and everything,
a sunkissed miss said, "Don't be late!"
that's why I can hardly wait,
open up that golden gate
California, Here I Come!

 

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Moss and Mushrooms

Happy May Day! I'm so excited to share what I've been working on with you. I created two fairy gardens for the back yard. I even took my camera outdoors so I could take a few 'as I worked' photos to show you how they came together. For the first garden, it all started with a terra cotta bowl and some potting soil.

Next, I added a birdhouse (50% off at JoAnn Fabrics) and a small 'tree'.

I love the 'hilly' look of Irish Moss, and I added some flowers and a white trellis.

Now I was ready to add some details like a fairy or two, a pebble path and a bench.

This little fellow, the Elm Tree fairy, has bent arms - perfect for holding a tiny watering can!

He needed help with the gardening so I added a friend, the Fumaria fairy. Oh, look - a pretty blue mushroom appeared after they used the watering can!

 

See the sweet fairy in the green dress under the tree? She is cooling off in the shade. 

The second Fairy Garden wasn't planned - it just sort of happened! I had leftover Irish Moss and an old non-working fountain. Handyman drilled drainage holes in the upper and lower bowls of the fountain so I could plant flowers in them. This is the before photo. The fountain has begun to rust and the pump doesn't work.

I filled the bowls with potting soil and started adding flowers and moss.

 

 I planted Japanese Grass in the top tier, which had been in last summer's Fairy Garden and taken over the pot. I hope it doesn't mind being transplanted. I like it's wild look!

Let's play 'I Spy'. Can you spot a

• bird house
• bird bath
• bee skep
• teapot

The Columbine Fairy is twirling and dancing among the Irish Moss. 
 

All our fairies come from the Cicely Mary Barker collection.

 Cicely Mary Barker (1895-1973) was an English illustrator best known for a series of fantasy illustrations depicting fairies and flowers.

Every time I look at the patio I am charmed by our new fairy gardens! I can't help smiling when I see them. Click here to  go to the Flower Fairies interactive website where you can see all the different fairies and print out activity sheets and other fun things.

The world is very old;

but every spring

it groweth young again,

and fairies sing. 

Flower Fairies of Spring,1923

Make your own Fairy Garden and join the fun at The Magic Onions- they are having a fairy garden contest this summer.

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