Showing posts with label pulmonaria. Show all posts
Showing posts with label pulmonaria. Show all posts

Monday, March 30, 2015

Blooms, Bones and Frugal Accomplishments

pear blossoms
The blossoms of spring have begun.  I'm joining in with Brandy's Frugal Accomplishments today.  At the discount grocery store, I found .50 cans of organic diced tomatoes, sunflower seeds for the birds - $6 for around 20 lbs.  A few days earlier, I had picked up a 6 lb bag for $7 at Big Lots because I was out, so was very happy to find this.   My favorite buy was rice.  They had a buy one, get 1 free sale.  Most of it was white rice, with a few small bags of brown rice, but I found 5# of basmati rice, & 5# of jasmine rice.  Both were $4, making it .40/lb.  Both had sell by dates in 2016, and no bugs :o). I dry canned the rice.

hyacinth and daffodils
I made hummingbird food, yogurt and kefir.  I must have been mistaken about hearing hummingbirds, as I've not yet seen any.  Perhaps they were wasps buzzing by my head?   I did laundry using homemade soap, and hung it on the line.  I made breadcrumbs from bread heels and crushed eggshells to put in the garden or compost.  Started a batch of cleaning vinegar with mandarin peels.  Made a winter salad using our greens and garlic to bring to a dinner we were invited to.

pushkinnia
I cut the eyes from store bought potatoes I was cooking, to grow.  When J was growing up, they grew their potatoes this way.  I cut just a little potato flesh with the eye, & dry the pieces a bit before planting.  J also did this with the organic seed potatoes, and I'll be cooking those today.  I have read that they use antisprouting chemicals on non-organic potatoes, so this only works if you're using organic or homegrown potatoes.  The commercial ones won't sprout eyes.  I looked for and used an Essential Depot coupon code (10%), to buy the lye I use in my soaps.

I trimmed both pups nails.  Guinness is always cooperative, and let me trim all of his, with treats given after each foot.  McNibs has always been a challenge.  I asked them to trim his nails when he was sedated for his happy tail bandaging.  He's let me trim 2 nails once since then, and this time, he let me trim his two front feet.  Not perfect, but progress, and frugal.

pulmonaria
I started more wintersown seeds outdoors- marigolds, zinnias, columbine and tithonia.  I also found a packet of sweet peas.  I recently read they are only good for a year, and these were older than that, but I went ahead and planted them by a couple of trellises.  My tithonia and scented night stock are coming up!  I made suet for the birds.

We ate green beans and applesauce I had canned.  I used our garlic and thyme in the green bean dish.  Still trying to eat from the freezer-  cooked 2 bags of our okra, and made Fig Sherry bread from our figs.  Made crescent rolls using ww flour I ground for part of the flour.  I made tomato rice loaf with our tomatoes, garlic, breadcrumbs and celery.


Here's McNibs stopping by to say hello.  The bone is made by West Paw Design, and is the longest lasting bone he's chewed on to date.  This is their Hurley bone.  I had bought him their Bumi Tug toy for Christmas, also for tough chewers, but it didn't last 48 hours.  Their policy is to replace any toy one time, so I tried the Hurley at their suggestion.  He's had this one for weeks.  One end does have a little damage, but it's still intact, which is impressive.  Most of the toys I've bought him, for "tough chewers", don't last a day.  I would recommend these dog toys.  They're BPA and phthalate-free too.

Monday, March 22, 2010

Old and New


J & I had lots of fun at the wedding Saturday. Not only did we do the tarantella, but followed that up with playing kazoos to "When the Saints Go Marching In". Well... now you may have a good idea where I get some of my silliness from. J agreed it was unlike any other wedding he'd been to. It was an absolutely gorgeous day; a picture perfect first day of spring.


Soon after snapping those first photos of the chicks, I reacquainted myself with chick care by reading the awesome Carla Emory's Encyclopedia of Country Living. I replaced the straw with burlap, which helps to prevent spraddle legs. And gathered my oats, wheat berries & corn to grind. I've started incorporating the grains, along with finely chopped chickweed and plantain into their starter feed. The storebought feed is laced with antibiotics, and I like to transition them to a more natural diet as soon as possible.

The daffodils are from an old homestead that borders my land. There's not much left of the homestead, other than what appears to be parts of some animal housing, and a swath of these daffodils. After getting permission, I dug up a few to relocate here. I believe you would call these doubles, with all the extra petals. Correct me if I'm mistaken on that. I've been watching, and over the past few days, my pulmonaria has come up, and even has what looks like little flower buds forming! I celebrated by feeding it with a good dollop of compost yesterday. It's pretty tiny, but I'm hoping I can encourage it into a beautiful plant. Wishing you happy plant surprises this Monday morning!