Arbor Day

Happy Arbor Day! Today is the national observance, while Missouri actually celebrated it a few weeks ago on April 7. Each state declares its own date based on the optimal planting time for that region. This is the day set aside to encourage people to plant trees. Some conservation departments provide bareroot saplings for fourth graders. When I was that age, we all received sycamore trees. Mine was immediately planted in our yard and it began flourishing. As shown in the photo below, sycamores have a peeling bark which shows a lovely silvery-white color.

We photographed these trees when we visited Babler State Park.

The first Arbor Day was in the spring of 1872. Julius Sterling Morton was President Cleveland's Secretary of Agriculture and he felt his home-state of Nebraska would benefit, both economically and agriculturally, from an organized tree-planting effort. To promote his beliefs, he put in big orchards and large quantities of shade trees on his farm. His ideas and efforts ultimately grew into the first Arbor Day and it's estimated that a million trees were planted that year.  

These sycamores were also photographed at Babler.

If you're curious why I am sharing pictures of public sycamores rather than my own stately tree, it's because it no longer stands. After more than three decades of gracing our side yard, my parents were forced to have it cut down as it had grossly outgrown its spot. Too close to the house, its branches became a very real threat to the roof and corner of the house, so it had to come down. Due to its size and spread of limbs, it had to be professionally removed (and that cost a lot!!).  I loved that tree, but it lives on because my parents saved these branches when the tree service was finished and I use them, decoratively, in my solarium to this day.

Additionally, my dad made me this birdhouse from one my sycamore's branches. It hangs in the solarium in a grouping with other birdhouses.

My landscape architect husband informs me that sycamores are perfect for parks and golf courses since they are fast-growing beauties with high canopies. You know what? As it turns out, they are also perfect for fourth grade students. 🌳

Happy Arbor Day and enjoy your weekend!

An Early Lantern Switch

I don't usually put out patriotic decorations until early May, but I had a couple of minutes to play with my lantern. I took out the bunny and springtime flowers

to make way for red, white and blue. A scrap of patriotic fabric became the base and then I added an eagle statue we had. It's such an overcast day that it's tough to get enough light for the picture!

It's early for Memorial Day décor, but I was ready to work with the lantern. Who knows? I may tweak it a bit when I do the rest of the decorating! It's hard to believe that April is nearly over.

Have a good day!

Stroganoff

This is my mother's recipe and we've been preparing it for years. It goes together easily and tastes good!

Stroganoff

1 1/2 pound meatballs, cooked

1/2 pound noodles, cooked and drained

Sauce:

1 can cream of mushroom soup

3/4 cup milk

3 ounces cream cheese

2 T. catsup

1/4 tsp. thyme, crushed

1/8 tsp. garlic powder

1/2 cup sour cream

Combine all ingredients, except for the sour cream, and cook over low heat until blended. Add cooked meatballs and simmer 15-20 minutes. Stir hot sauce into sour cream and blend. Heat through, but do not allow it to boil. Serve over a bed of noodles.

We're having this for dinner tonight, along with a large green combination salad and hot rolls. Would you like to join us?! 😋

Tuesday's Tablescape

The lilacs are in full bloom and I couldn't resist snipping some for today's table.

As was the case with yesterday's bouquet, I wish you could sniff these in person! As you can imagine, the lilacs have filled the dining room with a wonderful aroma.

I acquired this china at a yard sale last autumn. The dainty little flowers and platinum band appealed to me because the pattern is simple and neutral.  As I considered purchasing them, I began chatting with the seller and learned the history of these dishes. You know how I love the story behind a treasure! This Noritake dishware had belonged to her grandmother who was a member of the Boston Pops and played with Arthur Fiedler. In addition to the 12 five-piece place settings, a complete hostess set was included (with each piece in pristine condition). She even included the two large plastic totes in which everything was stored! In case you're curious about the price, she charged $10.

What do you think of the lilacs and pretty china?

Enjoy your day!

Random Smiles

This is a rather disjointed post, but I have three things I want to share with you this morning.

First of all, I have a Dollar Tree find that makes me happy. You know that I have become slightly addicted to this store. 😉 Excipial hand cream is excellent. It absorbs well, leaves no residue and really works! I kid you not when I say that the identical product is available at our local pharmacy for $15. You may want to try it. Remember that good merchandise goes quickly at dollar stores...so it is better for you to go sooner than later!

Next, is a follow-up to the post about the bird nest problem which I shared earlier this month. In an effort to encourage our feathered friends to nest in trees rather than on our porch, I tried shredded metallic strips (click here to read the story). It's been three weeks and the results thrill me! The birds who had been highly interested in building on the porch have, instead, taken up residency in a nearby tree. Perfect! I am able to enjoy them, but don't have to worry about nestlings falling on the hard concrete or have to deal with unsanitary droppings by our door.

Finally, I have a bouquet which delights me! Each spring when the black locust trees bloom, I go crazy over them. I wish I had a "scratch and sniff" button on this post so that you could take a whiff. If you're unfamiliar with the distinct aroma, I have to describe it as being very similar to an orange tree blossom. I first fell in love with this scent over thirty years ago when I discovered the trio of black locust trees across the street from the school where I taught. Each spring when the delicate, droopy white flowers opened, their unique smell would cascade across the campus and tickle the noses of staff and students. We could smell them from the bus parking lot as we loaded the children to go home.  Friends and I made it our habit to walk across the road to get as close as possible to the branches. After decades of trimmings, the limbs are so high that we could never begin to come close to snagging a few of the flowers. We would always say that we wished we could bottle the scent because it would be the best perfume!  Unfortunately, the black locust saplings I  have tried planting in our yard have never survived so I don't own this spectacular tree. I have, however, found them growing wild along country roads and so last evening as my mother and I returned home from visiting my dad (who is recuperating in the hospital), I took a moment to help myself to a few clippings. Hazzards flashing,  shears in hand, I carefully stepped through calf-high, potentially chigger-laden grasses to a baby black locust with branches within my reach and I am glad I did because it brings me happy memories.

You know, maybe this post is not as random as I had originally thought because there is a common thread. All of these things make me smile!

May you find something random in your day to make you smile! 😊

Clean Air

I am trying to get to some spring cleaning and by that, I mean deep cleaning. That will include the insides and outsides of the windows, but we usually hold off on that particular task until after the spring pollen has settled. We're currently at the stage where everything outdoors is covered in a thick coat of yellow pollen fuzz. Ugh! Believe me, though, when I tell you that I have plenty of other jobs inside the house to occupy my time. When you do your housework, do you clean your air? I do! Have you heard of Lampe Berger? 

Lampe Berger is a vessel filled with specially-designed liquid which kills odors and air bacteria as it burns. Designed by a French pharmacist in the late 1800s, the system uses a catalytic burner which reaches a temperature of 140 degrees Fahrenheit. When you light the lamp, the fuel is heated and it releases molecules that purify the air. In Victorian times, this nifty little invention was used in hospitals. Today, many people use them in their homes.  I received mine for Christmas years ago and I have used it ever since.

I will say that there are copycat products, but all the research I have done indicates that they don't measure-up to Lampe Berger. I also know that you can buy generic brands of fuel, but those can actually harm your Lampe Berger. For that reason, I would recommend strictly following the guidelines established by this company. Vessel styles and colors are endless and range in price. The elaborate ones cost a pretty penny!  The fuels are available in many different scents making a light aroma a bonus to the clean air!

Happy Friday...and happy cleaning! 😊

DIY Artwork

Last night when I had a couple of minutes, I pulled the Easter-specific décor. I'm leaving the rabbits, birds and general springtime items for a couple more weeks before replacing everything with the patriotic collection. Putting away an Easter print left me with an empty space in need of something seasonal, so I decided to make my own artwork! Using a recent close-up picture of our dogwood tree and an app, I made the framed print shown on the shelf below.

I snapped this photo

and it turned into this print.

You can do the same thing! Waterlogue is a wonderful software which allows you to transform one of your photos into a work of art. It's easy peasy and affordable! For $3 (one-time fee), you can download Waterlogue to your phone or PC and begin your creativity with a simple click of a button. You may recall when I first shared this app in July of '15 (click here). The possibilities are endless! For larger sizes or higher quality prints, you could rely upon the services of a print shop. I simply printed my 8 by 10 at home on our printer, though. It's the perfect touch I needed for the shelf and relates well to the dogwood on the mantel and to the dogwood tree outside the nearby window.

You don't have to spend a lot of time or effort for your décor. You may want to check-out Waterlogue. I believe if you go to their website, you can take advantage of a free trial. If you try it, let me know what you think!

Tuesday's Tablescape

Today is National Animal Cracker Day! Remember the sweet little treats we all enjoyed during our childhoods?

Of course, I had to pull out my carousel glasses since they seemed in keeping with animal crackers! You may recall seeing these in previous tablescapes. Each glass shows a different animal. The set had belonged to my grandparents and although one of the glasses had been broken over the years, I stumbled upon the replacement at a yard sale (click on an exciting find to read about it).

This cookie-filled carousel tin was a gift from a student years ago.

Animal crackers can be traced back to the late 1800s. Later, in 1902, they became known as "Barnum's Animals" (since they resembled circus creatures) and were packaged in the iconic little containers. Remember the animal cracker boxes with the string handles? They're still sold today, but did you know that the box was originally intended to be hung from the branches of your Christmas tree? We all ate the plain treats growing up, but today chocolate and frosted animal cookies are  also available.

I'll leave you with a song I learned while teaching at a preschool during my college years...and I have been singing it with children ever since!

Today I ate a tiger...and then a tall giraffe

And when I ate an elephant,

It really made me laugh!

Now if you think it's funny that I ate such a meal...

They were animal crackers and none of them were real!

Green Beans (and a gift)

Do you enjoy eating at Cracker Barrel? I know that when we travel, we gravitate toward these restaurants since we can eat a tasty, balanced meal selected from their varied menu. I think most people love Cracker Barrel's green beans and if you're one of those people, you're in luck! This is their official published recipe. My mother served these beans yesterday with our Easter dinner and they tasted delicious!

Cracker Barrel Green Beans

1/4 pound bacon, cut into small pieces

3 cans cut green beans, with the liquid

1/4 yellow onion, chopped

1 T sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

 In a 2 quart medium pan, over medium heat, cook bacon until lightly browned (but not crisp). When browned, add green beans (and their liquid), salt, pepper and sugar and mix well. Place chopped onion on top of beans; do not stir in. Cover sauce pan and bring to a light boil. Turn down heat and simmer for at least 45 minutes until the liquid is minimal. (Note that she simmered hers over an hour.)

A perk, of course, to eating at Cracker Barrel is strolling through their country store since I find their merchandise so attractive and unique. In fact, this attractive and unique print came home with us the last time we went. We both loved the three foot by two foot wall hanging so much that we purchased it for an early joint anniversary gift and we can't wait until May when we'll be using it for seasonal patriotic decoration above the fireplace.

Happy Monday!

Spring Flowers

I love gathering fresh flowers from the yard for bouquets. From spring through fall, we almost always have one in the kitchen. Here are a few of the "pickings" in bloom this morning.

BLEEDING HEART

LILY-OF-THE-VALLEY

LILAC

COLUMBINE

PINKS (dianthus)

HORSE CHESTNUT

DOGWOOD

TULIPS

LENTEN ROSE

Before closing, I'm including one more picture. It's a display at our church and I think it's so attractive that I thought you might enjoy seeing it, too.

Easter blessings to you!

Did Some'bunny'...

Did some-bunny

say it's almost Easter?

Have a hoppy day!

Tuesday's Tablescape

I felt an Easter table was in order since it's Holy Week. I pulled out my original china and incorporated a few seasonal keepsakes (AKA antiques!) from my childhood.

I tucked the napkins into my two pair of childhood dress gloves.

 I used my antique  childhood keepsake candles in the centerpiece. 😊

I snipped some dogwood blossoms.

The linen placemats and napkins are from my parents who received them as a wedding gift.

Are you getting ready for Easter?

Have a blessed day!