Garden Glimpse

It's early in the season.

Lots of unpredictable weather.  LOTS of rain.  And the bugs that come with that.  Oh, and there was that 38 degree night right before the tomatoes went in.....

In short, gardening this year has been pretty much of a gamble.

 But then there are those, rare, low humidity, sparkly days.  A gentle breeze cools you off as you weed and plant, that just makes it worth it.

 I like to sneak up on my garden from different angles to get a strangers point of view.  (I do this in my house with a mirror or hanging upside down.  I know.)  It's amazing how perspective aids you in the flowery decisions that need to be made in a garden.

 I like to have lots of little things to look at in my garden for my little visitors.  I have collected little jars and bottles for the future horticulturists to make Fairy Bouquets.  They get to pick out the flowers and I get to share the names of the blooms with the awe struck little friends.

 I'll hide little critters around for the unsuspecting visitors to smile at while concentrating on a bud....

 This year, veggies have moved in amongst the blossoms.  Rotating my 'crops' to urge better production should give me more tomatoes.  And peppers.  And herbs.

 Garden Gail provided these lovely Cherry Bells Campanula last year.  Beautiful. And prolific.  Good.

 The entrance to the Secret Garden and all the toil and joy that the growing season brings...


I love spring.

Breakfast of Champions

Let us assume that all the Christmas Cookies are gone.
Let us assume that there is still some Valentine Candy left.
Let us pretend that we have been eating our cholesterol grabbing oatmeal all winter.
And let us rejoice that there is Spring in the air.
So what does this all add up to?

Weight Loss Time, Sistahs!! (and brudders...:D)
Oh yeah.
Judging by the crazy amount of people out tonight on my evening Doggie Walk, I'd say that Cabin Fever has driven the population to break down their previously frozen doors to breathe in the fresher, brighter, lighter air that comes with the southerly winds of Springtime.
And with increased activity, comes the lovely benefit of Weight Loss.
So what better time to stick to your springy guns and start a new breakfast plan?

I am eager to share my simple recipe because it has astounded me by it's simplicity and healthy goodness.  When I can eat something for breakfast and not even think about being hungry to well past lunch time, well, I am sold.  With previous breakfasts, I would get about three hour satisfaction before I was starving and tempted to munch on something till lunch time came.  So dangerous!  But with my new breakfast plan, those empty feelings are gone and a true hunger doesn't break a sweat till an acceptable luncheon time.

The secret of this concoction is: Fiber.
Fiber is filling and helpful to all things digestive.  You know what that means, right?  Sugary things stick and linger and park themselves and all their empty calories.  Mr. Fiber will not tolerate lallygagging around.  If it doesn't stick around it....departs.  Less things hanging around, less weight.  Simple, huh?

Try it!  Breakfast can be boringly predictable, so give this very healthy mixture a chance.....



Deb's Breakfast of Champions:

•  One box of generic raisin bran (most raisin bran has 4-5 grams of fiber - that's what you're looking for) Cheap is fine and encouraged.
• Raisins or blueberries, strawberries, bananas, dried cranberries...Some kind of fruit...Use something different every week for a real boredom crusher!  During the summer, you can reach Cereal Nirvana with all the fresh choices!
• Chopped nuts of any kind, just make sure they're natural and not salted or roasted.  I add pecans, almonds, walnuts...Add this to a Tupperware kind of cereal keeper to the raisin bran.  It's no more costly to have the nuts in pieces or slivered, so go for it! Nuts are high in calories, but good ones.  Vitamin E, omegas and our friend fiber, are worth the extra calories.
• For each bowl, add 1 tsp flax seed and one tablespoon wheat germ.
• Use skim, almond or soy milk.  Your preference.  Or try a different one next week!  (See how varied this can get?)

See ya on the outside!!

And Now a Word From Our Creator....

Look what I found lurking amidst dead leaves and wild vinca vines!
A teeny little snowdrop that almost forgot to appear!
I love it when you find these things in the midst of the winter's vestige.
Hope reigns.

The warm day and the little snowdrop interlude made me ready for more...
And what did I find?
Buds on my beloved hydrangea bush!!
Just the thought of the gorgeous multi colored globes got my little gardening heart a racin'...

Mosied on out to Hubby's Crab apple Tree (purchased one Father's Day when he was a bit crabby from overwork!)
After last year's lack of blooms, I fretted that perhaps it was on his last legs..
Alas and Alack!
BUDS!
The blooms on this little tree are wonderful...
Dare I hope for some this year?

And of course, last but certainly not least, my happy little jonquils, heralds of spring, Easter, Hope, Passover, Resurrection..
I love this variety because they look they are riding the wind, with their little yellow tresses, blowing backwards....If you look carefully, you'll see the little grape hyacinths shyly hiding in the background...Just 5 hours later and much sun, these little guys were standing much higher...The encouragement of the Sun/Son, right?

Ah, spring; my favorite....

How Exciting!

Look! Look!
Aha!!
After last weeks inundation with snow, did I really think that, even though the calendar says that in Southern Indiana, little greeny things should be ready to pop up out of their winter's slumber?
Being a pessimist by birth but an optimist by second birth, I would have to honestly say that I didn't have a clue!
But there it was on Sunny Saturday!! Just waitin for me to scream in admiration as Hubby pointed out his green find, 'Yayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy' Lookie there!! It's coming!!! Despite the black snow, mud and slush, the beauty of a sprouting spring is a comin'!!

The reason Hubby and I were outside peeking around was the fact that this was the weekend for The Big Window Installation!
New Unique Dining Room Windows to replace the baggy saggy sad ole windows from the 60's remodel.
And how do I know that it was the 60's? ( early winter 1963 to be exact!) Well, it was from another archeological dig around This Old House.
Pictured here is a scrap of newspaper found in some holes in the insulation. I can see it now. Anxious to get the freekin paneling up before the holidays, you notice that the old school insulation that was available at that time, was lacking in completeness, you grab the Wednesday ads on the counter nearby, rip off a hunk, and cram it rather undelicately, into the gaping holes. Never mind that mice look for this kind of oversight all the time, or that, in time, the paper would get crumbly and lack the superior insulating quality it's known for, Thanksgiving was approaching and short cuts were in order.

So here is the ad I found in the bundled crumbling ball that was stuffed in a raging hole in the insulation. Chatty Cathy Dolls for 8.99!! As a ten year old in 1963, I remember ogling these dolls in stores and in the TV commercials. However, I was more a baby doll kinda girl and having the same comments made over and over really didn't interest me. I loved playing with them at my friends house, but I enjoyed my own commentary with my little dollies especially when my Next to the Oldest Sister would play the straight man for the comical conversation that my dolls were wont to have.
But I digress.

So here is the Wreck of the Single Pane Windows that happened in our dining room this weekend.
These windows worked okay for the 50 years that they served. You could see out of them but as soon as I moved in and allowed them to be opened most of summer, the rain's moisture had it's way with them. Warping and scaling were their undoing.

And here is our Best Window Installer and Interesting Person in General, Dustin of Indianapolis.
He never once critized my awful housekeeping habits as he unearthed forgotten corners of my dining room. Embarrasing, really. We did share recipes and he found out that I hang my homemade noodles from the ceiling.
A good weekend....
Quick! Go out and look in your yard for the promise of Spring and tell me about it!!! Hoooray!!!!