Seasonal Pleasures & Frugal Accomplishments

Hello, friends.  The unusual seed pods in the arrangement gifted to me last month opened to reveal fluff similar to milkweeds.  This helped me identify it as gomphocarpus physocarpa.  I saved the seed, and will try growing it.  I believe the monarchs can use all the help we can give them.  There were also zinnias in the bouquet, & what I believe are dahlias, which I've not grown before.  I saved the seeds of those too.  I didn't know until this blogger posted about it a few years ago that you could save seed from zinnia flowers in bouquets.  Until then, I'd only saved seed from flowers that had dried on the plant.  How wonderful to get a local bouquet with lots of seed to save too.  A gift that keeps on giving :o).

Last week, I started two amaryllis bulbs, which should bring cheer during the short, dark days of winter.  I gathered cedar and pine greenery, winterberry and pinecones for seasonal decorating.  If I search a bit more, I should be able to find some holly with berries that the birds haven't eaten yet.  The door wreath is transitioning from an autumn to a winter one.  I've tucked in a few pine cones and cedar greenery, & will add other treasures as I see them.  J & I watched our first free Amazon Prime movie, The Christmas Candle.  We enjoyed a salad with our lettuce and a boiled egg along with soup one night.  Another night, I served a tomato rice loaf, which used our tomatoes, garlic & homemade bread crumbs, & made our swiss chard and okra to go with it.  I worked a day at one of my occasional jobs, which will be the last until some days right around Christmas.  My check from another occasional job was ready, which I picked up this week.  I'm joining in with Frugal Accomplishments.

Bryant House

The Handmade Holiday show happened yesterday, and was a most enjoyable day.  Many friendly faces came by, lots of soap and a few more creations found new homes.  I was gifted a pottery mug & dried lemongrass, and purchased several beautiful, handmade presents for those on my list.  Today J & I visited a couple of historic houses dressed up for the holidays with friends, then returned here for a simple meal.  Our friends brought homemade soup and bread, and our lettuce went into a salad, and eggs into apple squares.  It's been a lovely weekend all around.  We're getting a lovely rain, which will help to refill our rainwater stores.  I look forward to a slower paced week ahead, writing holiday cards, and maybe doing a bit of wrapping.  Wishing you a week of seasonal pleasures!