Much Ado About Nothing

Mom took me and my two younger sisters to see the IRT perform 'Much Ado About Nothing'. Excellent show.

The set was minimal; gauzing curtains, a chapel door frame, 4 chandelabras, and 4 benches that were moved in and out for the different scenes. The scene changes were done with acting in the background - no lag time! That's a plus for the audience.

All the actors were very animated and vivacious. Everyone exerted such energy. It was needed because the performance was outdoors (no mics), and the evening was warm. The audience needed to be captivated. All the costumes were simple white gowns for the ladies and the men wore black suits with red scarves around their waists. The play was set in 1812 Mexico after the war for independance from Spain.

I took some pictures and I'll upload them latter. Perhaps Sunday evening...

Favorites quotes:

"I wonder you are still talking, Signor Benedict. No one marks you." ~ Beatrice

"May God condemn you to everlasting redemption." ~ Dogberry

Ladybird, Ladybird

I'm Home! Finally.

After working for a weekend in the kitchen to feed 29 students and a full week of intensive greek study, I was ready to be home. I missed my familiar surroundings.

Pictures will be here shortly - perhaps a couple of days, actually, but they'll get here.

Skink

In case anyone wants to know.....

Leeks
Europe's classic fall favorite is being enjoyed more and more in America. Remarkable earliness and length. Beautiful, full-sized leeks. In favorable soil and culture, the white stems are over a foot long to the 1st leaf. Not hardy for over-wintering, but hardy to 30 degrees F - 20 degrees F befor losing healthy appearance.

Shallots
Considering their elegant European lineage, shallots are remarkably easy to grow. Essential in French cooking, with a flavor described by some as in between onions and garlic. For soups, salad dressings, vegetable dishes, and casseroles. Bright copper skins with pale yellow interior. Suitable for very long storage, through Spring.

Table Ace Acorn
Cucurbita pepo
85 days
This winter squash is dark black-green colored. The taste is fairy good, nutty and moderately sweet if allowed to fully mature. The fruits are medium-small sized, 2 1/2 lbs; each plant will produce 5 - 7 fruits.

Delicata
Cucurbita pepo
100 days
Unique, cream colored winter squash with green longitudinal stripes. Small fruits, 7" - 9" long x 3 " wide, about 1 - 1 1/2 lbs. Taste is very sweet, excellent for stuffing and baking even right after harvest requires no curring. Yield 5 - 7 fruits per plant.

Rouge vif D'Etampes
Cucurbita maxima
115 days
The bright scarlet French pumpkin."Rouge vif" means "vivid red." This is an attractive French variety, actually a squash, for fall display. Shaped flat, looking like a red cheese wheel, the fruits average in the 10-15 lb. range. The moderately sweet, orange flesh is suited for pumpkin or squash pie. Also known as Cinderella. Avg. yield: 2 fruits/plant.

Don't rain on my parade

I mentioned in a previous post that the clown car and I would be in the summer parade. Sadness... I shall be gone that weekend.

But, there is always the Christmas Lighted parade!

"He's out of his gourd"

I've added some more strange veggies to my garden.

*Delicata Honeyboat winter squash
*Rouge Vif D'Etampes, aka Cinderella, pumpkin
*Table Ace Acorn squash

The delicata is a white oblong squash with green and yellow stripes. The Cinderella is a story-book shaped, bright orange pumpkin. The acorn is a dark green squash.

All are edible, but I'm growing them to be my decorations at the Harvest Ball.

~Stay tuned for info on the Harvest Ball.

Sunday

I took him to see where I work. We wandered slowly through the yard of trees and shrubs, and passed the tables of annual flowers and the perennial benches. I describe the difference between the working greenhouses, our saleshouse, and the cold frames. He told me a story of when he was little and he overheard his mother and aunt talking about a greenhouse. He said that he envisioned a house in the color green. He was interested in my work and asked questions about this or that plant that we passed. A plant with purple-blue flowers and yellow leaves caught his eye. I laughed inside myself because the plan was named "Sweet Kate". He said it was a lovely name for such a lovely plant.

Don't we like surprises?

This afternoon went by quickly. I had something to look forward to in the evening and though the day was somewhat slow, I was content to wait.
In the last hour of the day I was sent to water one of the greenhouses. We have three greenhouse on the property - only one is "open" to the customers. The other two are "working" greenhouses. I headed up to the farthest one and set to work screwing on the water wand and untangling the hoses. Once I was set up, I went on autopilot; watering doesn't take much thought.
I finished watering the outside tables and got started on the inside of the greenhouse. I was still on autopilot. More often than not, I sing to myself or even talk to myself (how embaressing). It's generally safe; customers don't come up there and I can usually hear people walking up to the door. Today, however, I never heard him coming.
Suddenly a voice came up from behind me, "Is this where the leeks and shallots are?"
I was shocked at the sound of a man's voice, and nearly scared out of my wits, but I turned around thinking I was some what composed. But when I saw who it was I'm sure I came unglued!
A friend had stopped by to see me at work. I kept saying, "What are you doing here?" (How rude of me.) We chatted for a minute, just long enough for me to regain my balance, then he left and I finished watering. He waited for me to finish working and then he drove me to town.
We met up with the fam for dinner and watched Ocean's 13. It was a fun evening.
And I like suprises. :-)

Tumble Weed

In the Spring, when the dandylions were blooming so profusely, my boss pointed to a mess of yellow fluffy heads growing in her bed of Asters and Lamb's Ears.

"Can you hop in there and pull them out?"

Of course, I said. But like so many things, it was easier said than done. I squeezed passed four Japanese maples and slid by one prickly spruce - ouch - in order to reach the bed. My boss raises most of her flower beds with boulders, brick, or railroad ties. This one was a boulder bed; it also happened to be situated on a slope. I clambered over the boulders and stood surveying the enemy.

Dandylions must have been created with a hint of cleverness in them. They have a knack for finding small cracks between walls or they grow right up against a tree or other shrub. These were smack against the asters. So the trick is to pull the dandylions, roots and all, without pulling the asters.

Hmmm...

I knelt and pulled. Nothing. I stood up, bent over and pulled. Nothing. I squatted down next to the dandylions and pulled with all my weight using the down-hill pull of gravity. The dandylions realized their own defeat and gave up the ghost.

The roots popped out of the soil, and I rolled downhill into the Lamb's Ears! I was quite a sight, laying on the sloped hill, my feet in the air and my head against a boulder with the blood rushing to it.

Listing this under "I feel out of a tree today while pruning", I decided that my occupation can be hazardous to my health.

G.H.

Tonight at dinner, George thought I was calling him names.

me: "Good stuff - milk."
george: "Did you just call me 'Milk'?"

Later: while dipping our chocolate chip cookies in the said milk,

me: "Pretty good stuff, huh?"
george: "First I was 'Milk'. Now I'm 'Huh'."

...

Just now:George comes to the bottom of the stairs: "Hey, Emily!"

Lol!

Life

Life is a blast.

*(think firehose!)

Sometimes things hit you just right and you're caught off guard. Othertimes you've had more sleep you can catch those around you whom life has caught off guard. In either case, maintaining balance is good. :-)

Balance your life with books. Reading is instrumental in a life less petty.
Balance your life with sleep. Sleep is necessary in a life less boring.
Balance your life with family. Family is necessary in a life lived worthily.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Yesterday a customer's car didn't start. She was loaded down with soil and plants, and the stearing wheel was stuck and the car wouldn't start. Kindly gentlemen each took a turn pulling on the stearing wheel and trying the key, but to no avail. She finally called her husband, but even after detailed instructions she was still stranded. So I took her home (about two minutes away) and brought her husband back. He started the car and drove away.
How do they do that? Guys seem to know everything about cars; how to work them, drive them, fix them, even down to what part of the engine is making that sound. I have no idea what they are talking about sometimes! But I'm so thankful for the men who fix my car. We take all our family cars to a local automachanic/pastor. He is so generous with his time and with our money. We like giving him our money when our car breaks down

Whee!

The clown car and me get to be in the Potlatch Days Parade!! We'll be washed clean and the car will be painted, and I'll be spruced up good.
Come and see us!

Trying some new things

This year I bought shallots and leeks. Mom tried a recipe this Spring with them in a stew and they were tasty.
Also, I'm growing an artichoke. Unfortunately I don't know anything about artichokes so I'll be doing some research this summer.

I think I haven't posted in ages! (mostly because I couldn't remember my password.)

Well, I'm back.

Messiah

After singing Messiah twice today I have strains of music running through my head.

"Blessing and honor and glory and power be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne"
"Since by man came death, by man came also the resurection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even in Christ shall be made alive."
"Worthy is the Lamb that was slain. Amen"

That Amen chorus is so beautiful. I sang most of it in Mexico, but in the end we didn't perform it.

"Agnus Dei, qui tolis pecata mundi"
"Behod the Lamb of God, that takth away the sin of the world."

St. Augustine

How wonderful is it, to be taught by a dearly loved Saint? One who although is dead speaks through time and both worlds, in truths that are both hard to grasp in the finitude of our mind, and simple surprising astonishments, in order to instruct us in our learning of the city of God. This He Himself even foreknew that His servant Augustin would be speaking directly to us during a week of reading, laughing, prayer, intense thought, and submission to God. What am I speaking of, you wonder. Picture this: Schola. Nine alumni have traveled to our home. They will be staying for two wonderful weeks. We will read (already have been reading) out loud for seven hours a day. Two extra hours are our traipest hours. We eat three meals a day. We have been refered to as monks and nuns. We meditate and taste the words in our mouths. We ponder. We tire. In short, Lectio Divina, or the Rule of Faith.

More to come.

I got my first Tag thanks to Irish_Dancer!!

You know your are crazy about Gardens when:

1. you create blogs with names like An Avid Gardener and missgardener.

2. you stay awake at night researching plants pics like rudbeckia(see pic above), and daylilies.

3. driving around town, you recognize flowers, shrubs, and trees by name. "Hello, friends!"

4. you spend free time (what's that?) landscaping your South lawn.

5. you work for Fiddler's Ridge Farm.

Honoring the Men

Wives are called to honor and respect their husbands. As young girls, we may begin this to obey this by respecting our Dad andIhis judgment and honor him as his daughter. I have the most wonderful father in the world. He is kind to his children and loves his wife so much. I have never seen him angry nor upset with Mom. He talks to us and listens to us when we have troubles. He works so very hard to provide for our family. His work keeps him busy teaching 9 months long, then in the Summer he travels. He speaks at conferences, conventions, starts schools, develop curriculum, and teaches intensive Latin courses (which isn't only intensive for the students). He does all this and still has time to spend with his family. He sits long at the dinner table listening to us talk or laugh or tell stories or quote movies. He reads to us. He leads us in prayer and listening to God's word. He instructs us as we live each day. He watches movies with us. He takes our family camping. He taught me how to swim and shows us how to start a fire with gasoline without getting your eyebrows burnt. :-) With all of the work that he does, he definitely knows how to relax. He mows the lawn with Robert, plays catch with the boys, reads each night as he puts the boys to bed. He tells us stories, and recites poems (he would recite poetry to my sisters and me when we were little. We all liked Requiem by R. L. Stevenson, but loved Homer. Dad would recite line after line while we waited to hear our favorite, the syncopated line). He helped us memorize books of the Bible. He dances with us at Balls. He taught us all to shoot. And aim. :-)

To Dad, my father. Thank you for your love. May these next two weeks be refreshing to you and an enjoyment.

I just finished The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom. The book is a wonderfully written story of Haarlem and the hiding of jews during the second world war. If you haven't read it, read it. Much better than the Diary of Anne Frank. Corrie ten Boom survived consentration camps only by miracles which she recounts in her book. She went on to travel world wide, preaching the gospel and telling the story of her imprisonment. She died in 1983. Jim Wilson was a friend of hers.
Well, we're off to go camping. For three days. So I'm taking another book. Zane Grey. See ya.

The Hobbit
I just finished reading the Hobbit to myself for the first time. I had never read it. The last time I heard it was when Dad read it out loud to our family. Sometimes it seemed wierd to be reading at my own pace, or sometimes I would hear Dad's voice for such and such a character. But nevertheless, without Dad reading it to me, I managed to finish it. In 3 days. Woot, as the cuz would say. It was so amazingly good! Tolkien is one of the best story writers that I've ever read. He creates a whole world filled with unadventurous hobbits who won't leave their holes unless Gandalf marks up their doors or sends them off without even one handkerchief. One of my favorite parts is when Gandalf takes the dwarves and Bilbo to meet Beorn. The well woven story entices Beorn to accept the 15 strangers into his home. Also, the encounter with Gollum is not over-rated; Tolkien is a master riddler.