Lantanas

Laura and I went to Alpena yesterday. She fixed a new bouquet for her Dad. My precious Sister Helen had put new flowers on several of my folks’ markers. Richard’s daughters always puts new flowers on Brother Clayton’s stone when the adorn their Richard’s. I am thankful for my family—flowers in my heart. 

The flowers Laura chose are Lantanas. It’s one of my favorite flowers. They are native to Australia and can stand the heat of summer. I hope your day is as bright as a Lantana 🌸🌼🌸

 

Wood Sorrel and a Star

Two new pixie flowers in the grass—Star of Bethlehem and Wood Sorrel. They are both so beautiful. 

Star of Bethlehem flowers is native to Northern Africa.  They are also grown in many parts of the United States. They didn’t appear here until the 1940’s. When you see the Star remember the Biblical history of the birth of Jesus Christ and the star in the east.  This plant is toxic to animals. 

Pink Wood Sorrel is full of ascorbic acid and is eaten as a vegetable in India.  It can be used as ground cover to stop the growth of weeds and alleviate the need for herbicide. This is due to the allelopathic leachates in the leaves and exudates from the roots.  Oxalate extracts from the leaves have been shown to exhibit anti-fungal properties. Wow, what a mighty little flower.

 

I’m Vetched

 After the good rains, I have Vetch all over my yard. I have not mowed but will in a few days. I thought the bees needed the little blooms so I have waited. In Arkansas Vetch grows from March to August along roadsides and in unplowed fields.  It’s a fast-growing, thick, knee-high vine covered with reddish-purple flowers. The flowers are worked readily by honeybees. Vetch honey is similar in color to clover honey, but it has a somewhat stronger flavor. 

Even though Vetch is true friend to the beekeeper, in the Arkansas it is often considered a weed to grain farmers and to those who tend to the highways. The seed of Vetch is a pea the same size as a grain of wheat. Vetch grows so rapidly and makes such a thick mass of vegetation that it is difficult to mow from highway shoulders. Since vetch is of the pea family, it returns nitrogen to the soil making it beneficial to pasture lands. All parts of Vetch is edible and was one of the first plants cultivated by humans.

Astrid is 25

Wishing Astrid happy birthday as she is 25 today. We celebrated her day with a surprise pizza party. Laura said we’ll just celebrate your birthday with Easter. I think she figured out her surprise before the event. Laura and Eric bought her two trees— a pink dog wood and a redbud. They’ll be pretty each year for her special day. My world is better because Astrid is in it.

 

Ada is 6!

Happy Birthday to Ada. I surprised her and attended church with her at Elmwood Baptist this morning.  We had a great party afterwards. Aunt Helen and Fleta sent gifts too. 💕💕💕

 

Navigating this World

I have learned this well in my almost 75 years.  Folks that rely on the tv for their knowledge can’t be reasoned with because most of the time their beliefs are tainted by source. Let them be. 

Fire ants are coming alive. I wondered do fire ants have a purpose? If I step on a hill they attack in unison.  I’m not a fan. Their hills are mountains.  What good do they do? My sisters don’t have them at Coin…yet!🐜🐜🐜 I have granules I sprinkle on the huge hills as I walk, but each year there are more. They a winning the battle not me.

 

Moving on

Ada is graduating from kindergarten. I wish I could be with her everyday. She’s center stage with me.    💙💛💙

I have started a new baby blanket. It’s called “The Meadow”. I have to change colors every two rows but I do think it’s pretty.  I may horde more yarn as it all comes from over seas. Prices will go way up. 

It’s rained and rained. It’s 6 A M here and it’s raining hard now.  So far we have had close to 3 inches. Today is the most they say and more tomorrow. Well, it’s not ice or snow.

 

Rain, Rain

We received over an inch and half of rain ☔️ yesterday and it’s raining off and on today. This will continue until Sunday. I’m not complaining as it could be snow or ice.

Laura’s white wisteria is full of blooms. It smells heavenly too. It’s a remembrance from her teacher friends for her father. It’s been 5 years and this year it certainly is a tribute.

 

Sweet Song

The Brown Thrush came yesterday searching for a bite under my feeders. He was looking for larva or a bug. He is beautiful and his song is sweeter than an opera. I was blessed by his performance!

“I admire the moderation of this master. There is nothing tumultuous in his song. He launches forth one strain with all his heart and life and soul; a pure and unmatchable melody and then he pauses and gives the hearer and himself time to digest this. And then another and another at suitable intervals.” (Henry David Thoreau)

Finished a baby blanket and hat today. This is really soft yarn!  💙Baby boy blue💙

 

Chicken Treat

Turning into my Sister Patsy. I can’t let my chickens out because the skies over the Meadow having flying hawks. Patsy used to pull grass for hers. Yesterday, I did the same. They loved it.

Thought this was a great April Fool trick.
 

Mowing Season

Well, soon I’ll be mowing. I got my push mower out once already and mowed a tall patch of grass south of the garage. I scooped up the grass for my chickens. It grew tall again and I pulled the mower out for a repeat. The pull start seemed to be stuck. I looked and the throttle cable was broke. I wouldn’t mind just getting a new mower but Logan told me most of the new we ones were electric battery. I amazed myself that I recalled what the part was called.

 What to do when you don’t have son? You have to call a mechanic. I call Lil’ Red who “can do” just about everything. She ordered a new cable from Amazon and today she installed it. Lawn mower started on first pull. I’m back in business💚 

 

20

Sigrid is 20 today. She’s a special lady. She has insight into people and things. Happy Birthday to Siggie! 

 

Winter Garden

Laura finished another book.  This one is called “Winter Garden”. Each month she reads a book and makes a quilt block to go with the book. She’s made 3! At the end of the year, she’ll have 12 blocks and will create a quilt with them to celebrate a year of reading. 

January

 February 

Country Life

The dogs love going for a swim in the pond.

Astrid likes old things that have a country look. She got this recently. It reminds me of my Momma.

Looks like her raised beds are full of something green.
 

Gump Bench

Kids got to sit on the Forest Gump bench. Larry loved this movie, but I always felt it didn’t portray handicapped people in a true light. I really never liked it. Corgis were glad for the owners to return. I walked them over and they met us half way across the field. Pretty and Peach barked the entire way. They were glad to be in their own house.

Erin’s bunch went over into Kansas to the Wilder homestead. Ada is by the well Pa dug by hand. The land they were on turned out to be in the Osage Nation and they moved to Plum Creek.  

 

Gators

 

Sigrid is a ham. Kids are on their way home. Corgis will be happy. 

Savannah

Eric, Laura and Sigrid are on a spring break trip to Savannah. They departed Sunday. It took about 12 hours to get there. They shared pictures yesterday. I can see many more blooms than we have here. Spanish moss hangs from the trees. They’ll  return midweek. Savannah is on the coast separated from South Carolina by the Savannah River. Yesterday they visited Saint John the Baptist Cathedral and Forsyth Park. I enjoyed seeing the adventures. I’m in charge of two Corgis til they return. Pretty Boy and Peach don’t really like being on their vacation to my house.

I think this is Forsyth Park.

 

They shared pictures of the Cathedral.