Boxes Full of Color

We went on a trip today to Flatwoods, WV, to another Fiesta Tent Sale.
I came back with boxes full of color.

Here are some pieces I came back with.

I didn't need a lot. Well, really I didn't need anything. But I can't resist the huge discounts at the tent sales.

And they are so fun to go to. You always make friends in the checkout line. It is a very long line and you have a chance to talk to people and get to know them.

Everyone talks about how they use their Fiesta and what their favorite pieces and colors are.

I was still unable to get any spoon rests, but I did get a couple of jam jars, utility crocks and large prep bowls. I love my large marigold and turquoise bowls.  I like the red water pitcher, too. I think it will be very pretty at Christmas.

If you don't know much about fiestaware, you can go here to find out more.
I've also posted about it before. You can go here to see these posts.

I love the bright colors, they brighten my day!
If you get the chance, buy a piece or two and it will brighten your day, too.

Posted by Janet F. Smart on Writing in the Blackberry Patch.
©Janet F. Smart

Mushroom Yard Art

I've seen on the internet lately people making mushrooms out of cheap vases and crystal bowls.
Well, I got a few things at our local thrift store for a quarter each and made my own smaller versions.

I painted the tops white. I used a couple coats of acrylic paint, then spray painted on the top coat. Two of the 'tops' didn't have to be painted - the little enamelware cup and the glass custard bowl.

I glued them together. On line they say to use waterproof liquid silicone as a glue.

Here they are in my pitiful excuse of a flower garden in front of my porch. . .

and here are three more. . .

I know some of you may think  they are kind of silly. But I think they are cute!
My favorite is the larger one in the top picture with the top knot on it.

You can do whatever your mind can imagine. Check for items around your house or go to a yard sale or thrift store for items. Buy the clear crystal items or the white ones. You could even use colorful ones for a whimsical look! Go small or go large.

Now all I need are a few little blue Smurfs to stand along side them.

Posted by Janet F. Smart on Writing in the Blackberry Patch.
©Janet F. Smart

Beautiful Rose of Sharon

I am the rose of Sharon, and the lily of the valleys.

Song of Solomon 2:1

The Biblical reference almost certainly does not refer to what is commonly known today as a Rose of Sharon and what I have in my yard. . . but isn’t it a beautiful bush! When the blooms fall, it creates a halo of blossoms on the ground beneath.

 I walked outside this morning and counted. I have six bushes. They have purple and pink flowers. One of my bushes at the corner of my house is a combination of purple and white. Not on the same bush, but two bushes that grew side by side.

 
These plants are so easy to grow. I read somewhere where a person just stuck a branch into the dirt until it took root. The seed pods can be a blessing and a curse. If left to nature, these pods drop and reseed the bush. This is great if you are looking to plant new bushes and/or trees in different places.
But they can take over. The only place in my yard where they 'take over' is at the corner of my house where I have a large one. It is planted inside of  landscape timbers. Their seeds fall and grow. This does not happen to the ones out in my yard because the grass is always mowed around them.
You could take the pods off in early spring before they have a chance to drop and repopulate. But if you have a large plant, there will be many,  many seed pods to remove.


I walked in the back yard of my neighbors house yesterday, hunting down my walking partner. I found her at her flower garden. I didn't realize she had so many Rose of Sharon plants . . . all started by my over abundance of plants. One is a gorgeous white!

They are very easy to grow. They love the sun and a well drained soil. They are a late bloomer, so you can enjoy them when other plants and flowers have lost their early blooms.

The bees and butterflies love them! Who couldn't love them? They are so beautiful!

Do you have a Rose of Sharon plant? What colors? If you are ever by my way in the summer, I could give you a little sprout and you could watch it grow into a gorgeous plant.

Posted by Janet F. Smart at Writing in the Blackberry Patch.

©Janet F. Smart

 

Attack of the Killer Squash

It is that time of year again.

It is when your garden attacks you with many, many squash.

You fill your refrigerator (and extra refrigerator) with them, you give them away (or try to give them away) and you see how soon your family gets sick of eating them.

I have made at one time or another squash cakes, squash muffins, fried squash rings, sliced squash on the George Forman Grill, mix diced squash with your fried potatoes, dice, mix with flour or corn meal and fry them, squash bread, squash croquets, squash cubes/tomato and onions and last but not least the squash casserole!

The only thing about a lot of these recipes is that you make a low fat, good for you squash into a fattening, but delicious dish. The Forman Grill recipe is the easiest and least calorie one of the above. And, I love it fixed this way. I peel them and slice the squash longways into 6 pieces or so (depending on the thickness of your squash). I spray butter on them and sprinkle corn meal and seasoned salt on each one. I then cook at 350 degrees for five minutes on each side. Very good.

Here is my favorite casserole recipe:

DOWN HOME SQUASH CASSEROLE

2-4 yellow squash
1/2 onion, diced
can of cream of chicken soup
3/4 cup sour cream
salt and pepper to taste

Peel and cube squash. Cook squash and onion till tender. Drain water. Put squash and onion in casserole dish and add cream of chicken soup and sour cream and stir together.

Mix together:
1/2 cup self rising flour
1/2 cup corn meal mix
1 egg
2T melted butter
milk and water
 (in other words make a small batch of cornbread)

Mix together the cornbread ingredients and pour on top of squash mixture. Cook uncovered in 350 degree oven about 30-35 minutes. Put on broil and brown cornbread on top if you wish.

Now you have your vegetable and your bread for supper.

Go here for my squash cakes and squash/tomato/onion recipes.
Go here for my squash bread recipe.

 Have I left any squash idea out? Tell us your favorite squash recipe --- please!

Posted by Janet F. Smart on Writing in the Blackberry Patch
©Janet F. Smart

Getting Things Done

I haven't been posting much this summer. But, I have been busy.

We had a yard sale and I got rid of lots of stuff. The stuff that I didn't sell my sister filled up the back of their pickup truck with and took to their church for their yard sale. The truck bed, behind the front seat and the front seat was full.

Can you believe all the stuff we have that we don't need. I hate clutter, yet my house is filled with it.
I was very happy the first years of our marriage and we didn't have much at all. Compared to now, you might say back then we had an empty house. But we were perfectly content.

The garage is now empty enough that I can go in and straighten it out, get rid of more stuff and organize what is left. Who knows, maybe this winter we will be able to fit one car into our two car garage.

We took our swing off our front porch last year when we had new siding put on our house. I put it in the garage and hadn't put it back up. We have a glider on the porch, two vintage yellow metal chairs and an iron  piece of furniture. There was no room for the swing. I decided to take the iron bench off the porch and put it in front of the sliding glass doors where our drive way is. Now we have room to get the swing out of the garage and back on the porch. I am painting it today a barn red, it will  match the bricks on the front of our house. I found the almost full can of paint when I was cleaning out the garage.

It is amazing the things you find that you forgot you had, when you de-clutter!

Little by little we are getting things done.
Our garden is coming in good, the deer have enjoyed snacking on our green beans.
My berries are getting ripe. They have had a rough time of it this year. The storm that went through a few weeks ago damaged some of them and then the very high temps and drought are taking a toll on them.

I must admit the source of a lot of my clutter is yard sales. I still go to them, but not as much. I've also become more selective about the things I buy.  I have gotten very good things at yard sales before. The above swing was bought at a yard sale, a refrigerator (which is handier than an extra thumb), Fenton at a very small price and clothing.

I had a relapse a few weeks ago, though. I bought this antique milk can. Our next door neighbor had it in her yard sale. I didn't need it, but I wanted it. It is a little rusty on the outside, but the inside is very nice and clean. It was only $5.

Can any of you nice people out there give me ideas as to what to do with this milk can? I look forward to your creative ideas and suggestions.

posted by Janet F. Smart at Writing in  the Blackberry Patch.
©Janet F. Smart

Summer is a time for. . .

Summer is a time for yard sales, sizzling heat, storms and blackberries.

I just don't like to experience them all on the same day.

My neighbor and I picked the hottest day of the year to have a yard sale.

With temperatures soaring over 100 degrees, thank goodness for me and my yard sale visitors, I chose to put my stuff under the shade of our apple trees. I am glad to say I got rid of a few big items, such as our troy-bilt tiller, our son's truck tool box and my manual treadmill.

The evening after the yard sale we were visited by the worst storm of the year. Well, let's just say the worst wind storm we have had since building here in 1980.

We were lucky, we were left with electricity and our trees still in the ground, though missing a lot of limbs. Our yard and subdivision were littered with pieces of siding, uprooted trees, tree limbs, blown away bird houses and feeders and lots of stuff from who knows where.

My blackberry vines were damaged, but thank goodness, not destroyed.

 

  

I don't know about you, but I hope the rest of the summer is a little less uneventful!

Posted by Janet F. Smart on Writing in the Blackberry Patch.

Yard Sale Finds

It's been a while since I visited here with you.

I've been to a writer's conference, I've been writing and rewriting, I've been busy in our garden and I've been to a few yard sales.

I don't get as much as I used to, but sometimes I just can't resist picking up a few things.

Here are three items I've found lately:

This beautiful vintage ceramic cake/pie server. 

I almost missed this laying on the table, I was on my way to pay for a book I found.

It was only 50 cents! I love it. 

 I picked up three of these cloth calendars. Aren't they adorable with the little girls making a wish.

Remember the aprons I made with these calendars earlier this year. I thought these would be

real pretty for little girl aprons.

This vintage rooster cookie jar! 

I love cookie jars and I didn't have a rooster one. 

Looking at her from this direction, you would never know that the lid has been broken

and  glued back together and that a piece of his comb is missing. But then, I only paid

25 cents for it. So who cares that he is not perfect.

It's like people. It's whats on the inside that counts.

If you want to hear about the writing conference I attended last weekend, go over to my writing blog and read about it.

Posted by Janet Smart in Writing in the Blackberry Patch
©Janet Smart

National Doughnut Day

Wow, I hear it is National Doughnut Day!
I love doughnuts, though I haven't had any for a while. I think I gain a few pounds just looking at one.

National Doughnut Day was started by the Salvation Army in 1938 to commemorate the volunteers who passed out doughnuts to soldiers during World War I.

What's my favorite?

Krispy Kreme! I love Krispy Kreme doughnuts!
Glazed ones, the ones with chocolate spread on top, the lemon filled ones (I love these), the ones with the pudding squirted inside of them.
Yummy, yummy, yummy!

I hear that Krispy Kreme is giving a free doughnut to anyone that comes into their stores today. I wish there was one in our area.

I posted last year how to make 'whop doughnuts.'
Do you know what they are?
If not, I will refresh your memory.
You make them with Pillsbury refrigerated biscuits, that you 'whop' on the side of the counter to open.
That's why I call them 'whop doughnuts.'

Mom made these when we were kids.

You can top them with a cinnamon sugar mixture,  confectioners sugar or a glaze.

Mix one cup of confectioners sugar, 1 tsp vanilla and 3 T of milk to make the glaze.

Next, put oil in the skillet. You can use a small skillet, that way you don't have to use so much oil. The oil only needs to be an inch or less deep in the skillet.

Whop your can of biscuits to open it up and put them down on a flat surface. I flattened mine out a little with a rolling pin. Take the middle out of your biscuit cutter and punch out a hole in the middle of the biscuit. If you don't have one of these, you can use a bottle cap or anything else you have that is the size of a donut hole.

Put them in the hot oil. Be careful and be quick! They only take what seems like a few seconds to turn golden brown underneath. Quickly flip them over with a fork or tongs and let them turn golden brown on the other side. Take them out of the skillet.

Do this with the holes and the donuts.

Now comes the fun  part. Use your imagination and top them with whatever you have a taste for. You can dip them in the glaze or sprinkle both sides with a cinnamon/sugar mixture or confectioners sugar.

I must admit, I like the cinnamon/sugar and confectioners sugar topping the best.

What is your favorite doughnut?

Posted by Janet F.  Smart at Writing in the Blackberry Patch
©Janet F. Smart

Scenes From a Country Cemetery

There is a small country cemetery

close to my heart.

It holds the remains of my ancestors.

 A grave stone is out of place,  

shoved between the outstretched arms of an old tree 

and guarded by poison ivy.

The cemetery is hidden up on the hillside among the trees.

Many times, as a child, my feet climbed up the 

crooked and steep pathway that led to the grave sites.

A few days later, I would be  reminded of my

trip to the top of the hill 

when the red shiny bumps of poison ivy appeared

on my legs.

 I wonder who lies here beneath this small unmarked grave stone up against a large tree?

Could it have been Gr-grandma Emily's son, Alexander, who died before the census of 1900.

The census stated that Emily had 4 children, but only 3 were living.

Grandma used to cut flowers from her yard and 

bunch them together in bouquets.

She placed them on Grandpa's grave

and the graves of two of her children.

As the years passed by, Grandma was no longer

able to climb up on the hill. I continued to go with

Mom and Dad.

I now put flowers on Grandma's grave.

I visit and remember. 

I remember my great grandparents, grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins

who rest there in the serenity of the shaded hillside.

I remember a time gone by.

Posted by Janet F. Smart at Writing in the Blackberry Patch.
©Janet F. Smart

Can She Make a Cherry Pie?

Remember the old folk song Billy Boy?

1st verse-----
Oh, where have you been, Billy Boy, Billy Boy,  Oh, where have you been charming Billy?
I have been to seek a wife, She's the joy of my life, Shes' a young thing and cannot leave her mother.

4th verse-----
Can she make a cherry pie, Billy Boy, Billy Boy, Can she make a cherry pie, charming Billy?
She can make a cherry pie, Quick's a cat can wink her eye,  She's a young thing and cannot leave her mother.

Well, I'd flunk out on that 4th verse. Billy wouldn't want me. I have the hardest time making cherry pies.
I've only tried a few times, because I'm not very good at them. Mine seem to be on the runny side.

I love eating them right off the tree and can make scrumptious cherry cobblers and cheery cherry jam, but my cherry pies are a flop.

We picked a beautiful bowl of cherries as dark was coming upon us.
My son says he wants a cherry pie. Any suggestions on how to make a delicious, no fail cherry pie?
Or, how do you like to eat your cherries?


Posted by Janet F.  Smart on Writing in the Blackberry Patch
©Janet F. Smart

My Mother's Day Present To Me

I went to a few yard sales today. I could have came home after the first one and been very, very happy.

I told my husband that these were my Mother's Day presents to me.

A hand-quilted Dutch Boy quilt. (I think that is what the pattern is called) I just love, love, love it.
It is full size and cost me $5

A Fenton Spanish Lace with silver crest footed cake plate. I've always wanted one of these. They say they were one of the most popular pieces that Fenton made. $1
I'm making a strawberry pie for tomorrow, I think I will display my pie on the cake plate.

A Fenton Birthday Bear and Fenton handpainted cat. $2 each

I am not a very high maintenance girl. Just take me to a yard sale and I am happy.

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers out there!

Posted by Janet F. Smart on Writing in the Blackberry Patch.
© Janet F. Smart

Eating Healthier

I've been trying to eat healthier this year.

Of course, I haven't ate a Big Mac or sausage biscuit from Burger King or Tudors in years, though I used to love those Big Macs. We now buy turkey sausage and make sausage gravy and biscuits at home on Saturdays to satisfy my husband's craving for sausage.

However, lately I have been trying not to eat at night and I have cut back on my sweets. I have lost six pounds just by doing this. I hate counting calories!

Junk food for me is sweets. I don't particularly care for potato chips and crunchy snacks, although that is the weakness of my husband. He has low sodium, though, and he gets cravings for salty items. Not me, just give me something with Hershey in its name, and I am happy.

Anyways I have cut back a lot on my sweets and I've started snacking on fresh broccoli and cauliflower when I'm starving in-between meals. Cookies never worked at filling a hungry stomach for me any way. I'd still be hungry after eating a piece of candy or cookie. Not so with the veggies.

There is a great dip at WalMart in the fresh vegetable section. It is made by Marketside and it is a low fat buttermilk ranch dip in a clear plastic container. It is delicious and great to dip the vegetables in.

I also make salmon cakes once a week for supper. Surprisingly, my kids like to eat them too. I just open up a can, take out the soft bones, add egg, finely diced onions, and a slice of our double fiber bread that has been chopped up fine in my Black and Decker mini chopper. I make cakes and fry them in olive oil.

Below are three things I've added to my diet.

a handful of almonds each day, steel cut oats and fresh garlic

I had never ate steel cut oats before, but had heard Dr. Oz and Oprah speak of them. While at a health food store in Flatwoods a few weeks back, I found them in bulk. I bought a big bag at only 79 cents a pound. This makes them cheaper than the regular oats. There were no instructions on the bag. I've been experimenting with the ratio of water to oats. I've found that two cups of water to 3/4 cup of oats makes two large size servings. I cook them for 15 minutes. Be sure the last few minutes of cooking time that you watch the pot, because it starts getting dry and I usually have to add a little water. I love the texture of them - a little crunchy and nutty. For those of you who don't like soft mushy oatmeal, I bet you would like this type. They also keep well. If you make too much, put the leftovers in the fridge and add a little milk and warm up in the microwave the next morning.

I've eaten almonds for quite some time now.

I recently read where garlic was good for your blood pressure, so I started cutting off slivers, putting it in empty capsules you can buy at the health food store, and taking it at breakfast and supper.  BUT, I STOPPED doing that because my blood pressure was getting a little too low. It worked that good! My pressure was getting so it was in the 90s on top and high 50s on the bottom. Even though my doctor said he never heard of anyone dying of low blood pressure, I don't like it that low. It makes me feel funny. I believe how it works is that it thins your blood.

I had been hearing on the news lately that they now think sugar contributes to high cholesterol. That may explain why my husband's cholesterol was always better than mine, he doesn't eat sweets like I do.

The last blood test I had about a month ago, my cholesterol had come down and my blood pressure wasn't high in the office. (I'm one of those that has blue coat syndrome and my pressure is always high in the doctor's office, even though I do take blood pressure medicine).

Have you been doing anything to eat healthier?

Posted by Janet F. Smart at Writing in the Blackberry Patch.
©Janet F. Smart

 

Irises, Snowballs and Poppies - oh my!

The weather has turned warm again. Please stay this way,  I do not want  the cold to return.

My flowers are blooming earlier than usual,  because of the extra warm spring we had. I am thankful most have survived the cold we've had lately.

 I love snowball bushes. They bring back  fond memories of Grandma. She had a bush in her yard and every June we'd all gather in front of it and take pictures. Wish I had all my cousins out here, we could strike a pose and make more memories.

The only thing I do not like about snowball bushes is that the big white flowers don't stay with us long enough. I wish I could  enjoy them all summer.

Okay, this last find is not blooming. But it made me smile when I found it a few days ago. I will add this tiny arrowhead to my collection. You can't tell  in the picture,but the color of it has the prettiest kiss of pink on the surface of it.

You can go here and look at my other posts about Indian artifacts I've found.

 

 What's blooming in your yard?

Posted by Janet F. Smart at Writing in the Blackberry Patch.
©Janet F. Smart