Photo Journal: Flowering and Hopefully Fruiting!

Hi friends!  Just taking a wee break from our workshop at Cassia's Garden with a brief photo journal update.
Things are really taking off in my garden!

My little wire cage for the cucumbers and they appear strong and healthy.

 Uh, I don't know who is watching these strawberries more;

Me or The Birds!   

(After I shot this pic, later that day I found these partially eaten

and the stem munched off.   Who WAS the culprit?

 My Yellow Crookneck Squash is going Gang Busters and now flowering!

Did you know you can eat the blossoms?

Look at this DECADENT post from Emeril!

http://planetgreen.discovery.com/food-health/cheese-stuffed-squash-blossoms.html

The cucumber vines are literally covered with bright yellow blossoms!

Lincoln just isn't learning his lesson with these poor little pullets.

He has killed 3 of them now

6 chickens + (1) Lincoln = 3 poor chickens

I have beat his little hiney until I am sure he's blue but he keeps stalking them

Personally, I think he believes that he is doing his patriotic duty by killing them. 

I kept them in this puppy kennel at night and covered them with my

quilt to make them feel safe and secure.   Joe thinks I 'm a little crazy

because he doesn't believe that chickens have feelings.  I disagree wholeheartedly.

 Just a little more cedar pickets to finish off the insulated coop

and some kind of netting or top to keep them from flying away.

I was delighted to see my Emperor's Ginger

finally has come up!  Later it will produce a beautiful white flower or bract like in the link above.

Our little white Mini Schnauzer, "Annie" is pregnant again, although I tried to keep it

from happening (I really really tried, but once or twice she got out or Lincoln got out)

My my hormones are such powerful things!   Annie should have her puppies on or around May 28th.  

Her puppies always sell really well.  Hopefully this summer will be no exception.

 I was alarmed yesterday at the  multitudes of yellow blossoms all over every plant

but no fruiting yet.   Suddenly I realized the THE BEES are really nowhere to be found!

Did you ever see the Bee Movie where Jerry Seinfeld does the Bee's voice?  

Yep,  I've noticed alot of wasps but no bees.  Without them we will not see any pollination.

So I started really praying for bees yesterday, and then I decided to do a Google search to see

what kinds of plants and flowers I could import into my garden to attract the little

darlings.  Lo and behold!  

The Lavender flower really attracts honey bees, and I was lucky to have one little plant potted with lavender

on my patio and it is blooming.   So I moved it to my garden and will go to Lowe's

and buy several more of them to create an attractive border....

Have you ever marveled at Tendrils?

I mean, how do they know how to do that?

God is so awesome and so wise!  He created each

and every living thing so beautifully!  I am amazed at His wonderful creation!

Well that was a fun post!

Speaking of gardens, which I love, I made a new soap last week

and it smells so SO good!  Don't know why I never thought of this

aromatherapy combo before, but let me tell you this:  Rosemary and Lemon smells

absolutely DIVINE in this lovely combo!

Lemon & Rosemary Shea Butter Soap

It has pure lemon and rosemary essential oils in a creamy shea butter glycerin base, and I 

embedded real dried rosemary leaves to make it a lightly exfoliation scrub as well.

I love to just sniff it!

I also have a new scrub as well!   

Citrus is just a favorite of mine: always so uplifting and it makes me smile!

Bergamot-Lemongrass-Solid-Sugar-Scrub

or, if you like Patchouli and Orange, try this:

Patchouli-Orange-Solid-Sugar-Scrub-Vegan

Well, I have lots of other news.....but for now I have to Run!

The "girls" are out and running around and it's beginning to rain for the first time

in quite awhile and I have to go put the girls up!

Toodles for now!

I Never Say No....except to my puppies!

A good morning to all! After awaking very early this morning....at a time unknown, I snuck downstairs for coffee all by myself. This is a treat that only those of you who are daydreamers could ever fathom, except Miss Yablonski, of course, who is herself an authoress and an avid reader. Unfortunately, I have been physically unable to get up that early since the time change...when was that? About 6 weeks ago? That cataclysmic event put my earthly temple into a tailspin from which it is just now emerging; something akin to jet lag for thos of you who frequently traverse the hemispheres.

So then, after a reasonable facsimile of a quiet time on the front porch that was accompanied by quiet kitties and puppies....Hallelujah!......I have emerged a radiant person. Wow...it had been awhile. Only after which, I had turned on the computer and downloaded email. A friend of mine, Sam had written to me.....I miss you writing on your blog!

OK, so since I never say no, except to my puppies who constantly relieve themselves on the interior horizontal surfaces of my 2256 sf home and where nothing is sacred, here I am, writing.

Like I said in the last post; I HAVE to be inspired! What was that...whether by expediency, or urgency, or things that trouble or inspire me.....

So none of that has occurred recently....but, it is good to keep a journal of one's journeyings in the wilderness wherever they find themselves chronicling.

My husband last night had a "heart to heart" with me. He had commented on my inability to focus on even a simple conversation. To which I admitted that yes, I am having difficulty in fact concentrating on anything at all, let alone on anything worthwhile. To which he noted, something must be deleted from my schedule, which, he also noted, would be a painful event for me, since I am passionately pursuing those things which I feel passionately about. To which, he noted, I am doing nothing excellently; to which he also noted that I have such ability to do so. To which, further volunteered, me, all the while, mouth gaping open in a combination of awe and disbelief, that he would finally allow me to delegate household tasks to him. To which, he also noted, would involve an adjustment period for himself and our only sibling, 11 1/2 years old who is able bodied and able minded but feeble in intention....in order to comply with the requests bestowed upon him by His Domicile Queen....and that would be me.

To which I am in awe at this point to which, heretofore, I thought, we would NEVER arrive.

That being all said, on the homestead, is what transpired last night.

Now, on the business side, I prayed for something good to happen today. Something that would confirm that all this craziness that I have been pre occupied with would happen today, to bear out that I am on track for the beginnings of a prosperous endeavor in my community and cyberspace and beyond.

Just little steps....nothing sexy....nothing exotic....just dogged determination and the pursuit everday of those things necessary to build; and keep building, and keep building.

My latest "creations". I was inspired to do these and so I did them. Then I used them myself and felt very refreshed, revived, and rejuventated! My skin felt clean and soft and oh so fresh!

My friend, whoever you are....be true to the passions that God has given uniquely to only you! STay the course, and everyday do the things that will bring life to you and beauty to those you encounter! May the grace of God keep you and watch over you today!

countdown........

Marnin;, all! Well it is not snowing here, but encroaching front might bring sleet tomorrow!

Yeah! Kitten to stack new firewood on front porch.

Saturday was a small turnout, but "despise not the day of small beginnings, saith the Lord!" Actually I gave away the same amount I sold but when we "cast our bread upon the waters, Scripture says it will come back many times over. I brought orders to church yesterday, and just before worship started, my wonderful Black Amber and Lavender was wafting amongs the congregation as two ladies just behind me could not contain themselves and started applying it right then and there! Delighted, I watched several other ladies ooohing and awwwing over the luxurious fragrance........

Anyhow, I would like to show all my new bath and body collection. I just finished a custom order for Sam, in Japanse Cherry Blossom! It smells so good and will surely delight her and any of you who would like me to get some for you!

Here pictured is my new box of bathing goodies. The presentation will "pass"; meanwhile I will look for just the right wrapping to showcase these, Pictured from left to right: 2 4 oz. cupcake bath bombs with moisturizing, skin softening nonfat milk powder, shea and cocoa butter, and sweet almond oil. Will fizz and delicately scent and soften your skin, all the while providing suds and gentle pink color. 8 oz. shimmering aloe hair and body wash, 6 oz. shimmering Vitamen A,D,E thick body cream, all natural except some necessary preservatives to extend shelf life; 4 oz. shimmering body mist, aloe based. Another cupcake bath bomb. In center, from left to right: 4 oz. shimmering soy travel candle, and finally pink sugar scrub, 4 0z. All fragranced here in Cherry Blossom! But, you can pick you poison in any of my 75+ skin safe fragrances!

Price of box here: $30.00. If sold separately, it would be more, but don't ask me to stop and count just yet. Just ask me for a brochure and see for yourself!

I have to make two orders today. I have enticed the Clarks for Mexican Food, but I don't even begin to know when to schedule that in. Meanwhile, have not done any Christmas shopping.

Do you think my family will want candles? I think not. However, I think I can get by with giving my little kitten a bath set and she will be delighted!

More later!