Queen Anne's Lace

I adore Queen Anne's Lace.

While growing up, my grandmother used to have a bouquet of wild flowers awaiting our arrival when we visited her at the lake house. Queen Anne's Lace always dotted the collection. I used to love picking it when I was little and I still do. In fact, last evening I harvested some. It grows along a nearby quiet country road, so I asked Randy if he would help in this endeavor by driving the "getaway car"! Not a huge fan of what he calls the "invasive weed", he good-naturedly agreed to the task. We quickly found a huge stand of it and he pulled over so that I could forge into the grass to collect my beautiful white flowers. I really want to grow some in our yard, but the idea isn't well-received by my resident landscape architect. Last year I talked him into transplanting a small slip of it, but it mysteriously disappeared overnight. A rabbit was accused, but I am not pointing any fingers!

Really a member of the wild carrot family, Queen Anne's Lace has an edible tap root. However,  it is too easily confused with poison hemlock which is deadly. Some subtle differences exist between the two plants, but it is very difficult to differentiate so it's best not to attempt to eat any. Just enjoy the flowers!

I hope you enjoy your day!

Joplin, MO

While on our trip we stopped in Joplin, MO to see a memorial garden. It pays tribute to those who lost their lives when an EF5 tornado (with 200 m.p.h. winds) destroyed much of their town on May 22, 2011. As the manager of their local Walmart became aware of the approaching catastrophic storm, he herded his employees and shoppers into the back of the building where it was superstructured. A few people decided to dash out to their cars in an effort to flee and, sadly, three of those individuals lost their lives. More than 150 residents perished  that fateful day. Schools, stores, businesses, homes and even their local hospital were destroyed. Determined to rebuild, the people united and began putting back together their lives and town. Surrounding communities joined them to help. During the process, Walmart donated about an acre and half of land and a quarter of a million dollars for an intended memorial garden.

Where rubble once lay is now a lovely park. Native, drought-resistant plants sit next to winding foot paths and stately pole lamps cast soft light at nighttime.

Crushed brick from the ruined middle school make the paths. Repurposed limestone from the leveled city hall create low sitting walls. A set of limestone steps from the downed high school are also used in the park. Regrettably, I neglected to take a picture of those stairs and I also missed photographing the flower beds. I was too busy taking in the environment!

The memorial is so pretty, but the symbolism is even more beautiful.

Like these roses (which were planted in memory of someone), Joplin is thriving and blooming once more!

I was particularly interested in making this stop because I just happen to be married to the landscape architect responsible for this memorial. He was approached and hired and went to work creating this meaningful spot.  When he submitted the  completed architectural drawings to Walmart, he stated that there would be no invoice because he was honored to do the design work. He could not consider financially benefiting from this tragedy. So, if you're ever near Joplin (in southwestern MO) on your travels, maybe you can stop and take a look. Remember those who suffered and lost their lives and also recognize how Joplin banded together in strength greater than the winds which befell their city.

Tuesday's Tablescape

Can you believe it's almost Independence Day? I decided a blend of coastal plates and patriotic colors would be a good tablescape to honor this holiday.

I still enjoy my lobster and crab luncheon plates that I got a few years ago.

Fresh garden flowers and American flags work for the centerpiece.

What are your July 4th  plans?

I'm Back!

It's been more than a week since I  last posted as we've been out-of-town. We took a vacation to Texas and while it was nothing as planned, we made the best of it. I am completely sincere when I tell you that you would never believe all of the details because it parallels a made-for-TV movie. From day one, obstacle after obstacle presented itself. Solutions were not often easy, but we (eventually) made it to our ultimate destination of San Antonio and we enjoyed it even if we were only able to spend a fraction of the intended time there. We loved viewing the TX landscape, interacting with the warm-hearted people and even sampling their BBQ, juicy steaks and local gulf shrimp. Our motorhome enjoyed the state so well that it remains there. Its complicated electrical problems are still being diagnosed at the dealership, so we journeyed home in a rental car. We spent one night in our hotel-on-wheels before we lost the house air conditioning and generator power, but let's focus on the fun!

San Antonio is an intereting stop and we adored the River Walk! With the feeling of a little Venice, the winding paths follow the water and are lined with brightly colored umbrellas on outdoor tables. Shops, restaurants and attractions line the path and boats are constantly coasting downstream. A full story beneath the streets of downtown San Antonio, River Walk is like stumbling into another world of color, peacefulness and festivities.

A statue of San Antonio stands along the path.

As outstanding as it is by day, we found River Walk to be simply beautiful at nighttime. There were twinkling lights reflecting off the water, people enjoying dinner at the patio tables and families strolling the paths.

It was very interesting touring the Alamo and surrounding grounds.

As the saying goes, we'll always remember the Alamo and we, personally, will always remember our Texas trip!

Summer Pillows

Do you know that Walmart has adorable summer pillows for $5? They are outdoor grade, too, which adds to their appeal. This is not a discounted price and they have been on display since spring, so you've likely seen them. I've had my eye on them for weeks...

I splurged a few weeks ago and picked up this butterfly print. It will be perfect after the patriotic decorations are taken down because I am going to have butterfly touches throughout the house for the remainder of the summer.

The inventory is dwindling, though, so I thought I would mention these little bargains in case you are interested. Already, the butterflies have flown the coop at our local store. I think the anchor is pretty and the dragonfly is darling! If you need a pillow for your patio or home, maybe you can check out this supply.

I hope this finds you having a great day!

Tuesday's Tablescape

Happy Flag Day! Although not a Federal holiday, it's observed each year on June 14th. It was first established on this date in 1916 by Woodrow Wilson and since it's intended to honor the American flag and its traditions, that's the focus of today's table.

Betsy is our centerpiece. Even though we realize that Betsy Ross may not have truly been the creator of the first flag, we're still using her!

Red, white and blue...our flag waves for you!

(Another) Summer Salad

Do you like adding fresh fruit to your salads? I often sprinkle in blueberries and strawberries, when they are in season, and even canned mandarin oranges are a good option. Before my friend served the following salad to a large group of us two summers ago, though, I had never considered adding watermelon. This is always a refreshing salad when it's hot, so it was prefect for yesterday's 98 degree weather. We love the combination of the watermelon's subtle sweetness and the salty flavor of the feta.

Watermelon Salad

torn greens

watermelon balls

thinly-sliced cucumbers

crumbled feta cheese

oil and vinaigrette dressing of your choice (raspberry is tasty on it, but I used Italian last night)

Combine all ingredients and toss with the dressing.
Serve right away.

Stay cool and maybe try this salad!

A Friday Garden Stroll

Color is exploding as annuals and perennials are in full bloom! Here are a few things in the yard.

The petunias are going crazy in their planter! By the way, the hot pink plants are volunteers from last season.

Scaevola (white) and geraniums are comingled in a patio pot.

These Asiatic lilies are not only beautiful, but special since they were an end-of-year gift last year from a sweet family. I was so pleased that they came back this year.

Making an effort to attract butterflies, we always include native plants and shrubs which are popular with winged beauties. We added this butterfly milkweed last year and it's filling-in well.

These raspberry plants were given to us last year. Look at the fruit that's forming! I can't wait until they ripen (and I only hope I can outwit the rabbits!).

Bee balm is always popular with the hummingbirds!

The roses, spirea, yarrow and trumpet vine are happily blooming, too! The latter is from a cutting that my grandparents gave us years ago. Grandpa always had enormous trumpet vines in their yard!

This particular variety of daylily is an appropriate conclusion... have a good weekend and many HAPPY RETURNS!

A Picnic Basket

A-tisket, a-tasket,

A family picnic basket...

This picnic basket belonged to my great grandmother. See where she carved her initials on the lid?

Imagine how many picnic dinners it has carried over the years. I'll bet is has held more fried chicken and freshly-baked pies than you can count! I have been the proud keeper of this basket for a few decades now and it's not only functional, but also decorative. Last night it contained fried chicken, sweet potato chips, combination salad and lemon pie for us!

We love meeting friends for picnic dinners at MO Botanical Gardens and do so each year as often as possible. Throughout the summer, the grounds are open until late on Wednesday nights for the seasonal concert series so we went last night. We don't really mind who is playing or what type of music it is and, in fact, I couldn't even tell you what we heard last night because we only go for the picnic with friends! People, old and young, come with their dinners and quilts and sprawl out on the meticulously-manicured lawns of Shaw's Garden for the evening. Nibbling and visiting make for an enjoyable time! This week's "recipe" is actually just an idea that you may want to try this summer.

Salad in a Jar

Gather the produce you like for a salad with enough options to create six layers. Select a canning jar with a wide mouth. I picked two smaller jars so that we'd have individual servings for our picnic.

*Create the first layer by pouring in the dressing of your choice in the bottom.

*The next layer should be something that will resist sogginess when making contact with the dressing. I chose chopped tomatoes.

*Make several more layers of your choice. I picked cucumbers, carrots, cheese, crumbled bacon and torn greens. My salads usually contain more vegetables, but the jars were small!

You can either dump the contents into a bowl at serving time or consume from the jar after gently mixing it with your fork. (My jars were from salsa, which explains the "mild" stamped on the lid!)

Here is a quick picture we snapped on our way out of the parking lot last evening. Aren't the hydrangeas lovely?

Have a happy day and plan a picnic!

A "Green" Bouquet

When I was enjoying our "green" bouquet the other day,  it dawned on me that I have never shared this cute idea. You've seen these monetary displays before over the years and we love ours! For our 30th anniversary last month, my parents presented us with this symbolic, unique remembrance that my mother made. Isn't it darling?

Each "blossom" represents a year of marriage and is made of a dollar bill, fan-folded and cinched in the center with a metallic green pipe cleaner. My mother then added a faux jewel to each stem.

Notice the gold pearl and diamond embellishment on the neck of the vase. The traditional symbol for a 30th anniversary is a pearl; the modern is a diamond.

As we enter the season of weddings and bridal showers,  I thought I would show you this clever idea in case you want to replicate it in some way.

We'll eventually "pick"  the flowers and use the harvested funds, but right now we're still enjoying our bouquet!

I hope your day is great!

Tuesday's Tablescape

As lighthouse enthusiasts, we enjoy visiting beautiful beacons on our travels and have been to more than 100 over the years. Several years ago we journeyed to North Carolina to see Cape Hatteras, which is the lighthouse of all lighthouses. We were quite excited and it was a wonderful trip, even though we had nothing but rain! We never saw the sun from the time we pulled out of our driveway until the time we returned home---literally! We laughingly remember trudging up to the lighthouse path in a driving rain and the umbrella practically turning inside out! Still, it was a thrilling visit. A bonus was when, after touring the museum, tower and grounds,  we discovered replica Lighthouse Service dinnerware in the gift shop. As an anniversary gift, we purchased four place settings and have enjoyed it all these years! Today's table showcases these special pieces.

These look like the dishes the lighthouse keeper families were issued while residing at their spot. There were three patterns, over the years, and this was the last one used.  In addition to the lighthouse icon, I love the blue and white combination.

I like their look on the woven placemats with the shell "trim". The shell napkin rings were a gift from my sister-in-law and brother-in-law and happen to be a perfect match to the placemats!

Notice that "lighthouse" did not appear as a compound word then? Interesting! I've never read the reason.

The stained glass lighthouse was a gift from a friend and serves as the centerpiece coupled with backyard bouquets.

 All this talk about Cape Hatteras makes me want to go on another lighthouse trip! Of course, now is not the time to go to that region of N.C. with the tropical storm. Until then, we'll continue to enjoy the dinnerware and I hope you continue to enjoy your day!