life in my empty nest

Friday, May 24, 2013

Gardening Begins

The next few days are the time of year I look forward to more than any other. There will be a lot of hard work involved, but I will be outside in the sunshine and I will be content planting in the dirt of my garden. If you are a gardener, you are happiest when you are planning your garden, buying the flowers and finally putting them in the ground and watching them grow. I don't get tired of the weeding, the dead heading or the watering. I enjoy the quiet and the serenity of a flower garden in the morning and the thrill of seeing new blooms.

A greenhouse like the one I frequent, is a wonderful place to me. Sometimes I buy something and sometimes I just wander through the rows of annuals and perennials. I visualize what I could add to my garden. I see a new flower or plant and study the name and learn if it needs sun or shade. I search for a special plant I have seen in a photo, but don't know the name. I soak in the color and the beauty.

This is a glimpse inside my car's trunk and the start of my gardening plans for the season. I am filling in my perennial garden with pink coneflowers, blue clematis and lavender pincushion flowers. Over the next few days I will make more trips to the greenhouse for geraniums, vinca, salvia and petunias. If anyone is looking for me, I will be in my garden - In the garden my soul is sunshine :-)

Have a wonderful Memorial Day Weekend!

Linking with Mockingbird Hill Cottage, Favorite Thing

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Thursday, May 23, 2013

Thoughts for Thursday...puppy, books, etc.

My sweet puppy got a haircut this week and the groomer always puts bows in her hair. She looks so cute, but they last about five minutes, before she finds a way to remove them. A shorter, summer haircut was really needed for the summer heat that has finally arrived. When I am outside, she loves it and will even sit in a chair for a few minutes until a squirrel or people walking on the path distract her and off she goes.

Megan sent me this wonderful photo last night after some storms rolled through our area. The light blue sky against the orange sunset is so lovely and peaceful. Heaven seems very close when you see something like this.
I just finished two books by the same author and I enjoyed them both. First, I read The Comfort of Lies by Randy Susan Meyers and because I liked it so much, I found her first book, The Murderer's Daughters. Both were very well written and told from the point of view of several characters. I enjoy this writing style, because you are given a more complex story and well rounded characters. Now, I am reading The Last Letter From Your Lover by JoJo Moyes, which has been recommended by several other bloggers. So far it has peaked my interest and seems to be building to an interesting mystery about the past of the main character, who has amnesia.
It is graduation season and even though I thought we would not be receiving too many grad party invitations, we have already received five. It is time to stock up on graduation cards and start writing those checks :-)

Happy Thursday!

Linking with Ramblings of a Suburban Mom, Thursday Thoughts

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Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Baked Brie with Pecans

For my Friday night Bunco group, the dish I decided to take was from a recipe I use often when I need a quick, yet delicious appetizer. I was given this recipe by my sister in law many years ago and it has become somewhat of a signature recipe for me. Most people really love it and by serving it with apple slices, there is even a healthy twist.

The pecan, Kahlua and brown sugar (I use Splenda brown sugar) mixture melts over the brie, as it bakes. The brie becomes slightly soft and creamy and the perfect consistency for dipping the apple slices. Another serving option, is to include pear slices with the apple. This makes a pretty presentation and really couldn't be easier. You can read more about my neighborhood Bunco group here and here.

Baked Brie with Pecans

1 brie cheese round (15 ounce)

1/2 cup chopped pecans

2 T Kahlua

2 T Brown Sugar (or Splenda brown sugar)

Remove rind from brie and place in small baking dish. Mix pecans, Kahlua and brown sugar. Spread on top of brie. Bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes. Serve with apple slices for dipping.

{Linking with these friends}

Gooseberry Patch

Sunny Simple Life (From The Farm)

Make Ahead Meals

Rattlebridge Farm

This Gal Cooks

Back For Seconds
Mom's Test Kitchen

Stonegable

Semi Homemade Mom

Barns and Noodles

Between Naps on the Porch

Savvy Southern Style

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Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Painting a Weathered Bench

It was a beautiful day on Saturday and perfect for one of the painting projects I needed to check off my list of outdoor clean up. It looks so inviting now - perfect for its shady spot in my yard.

Before painting, the wood on the bench was weathered, but still in excellent shape. I was not looking for perfect or glossy coverage, but an aged and somewhat weathered look. My technique to achieve this look was to use white exterior paint, thinned with water. I used a light touch and a pretty dry brush while painting the slats also. Full coverage is not the goal here.

As you can see the wood still can be seen in spots, but the whole bench is brighter and lighter and really stands out in my yard. By not going for perfect coverage, this technique is very forgiving and the whole painting job took me only fifteen minutes. That left me plenty of time to enjoy a glass of tea in this quiet spot.

My thoughts go out to Oklahoma today as they take stock and begin the recovery from the tornado. So many lives changed by the power of nature. And once again, the teachers show how they are unselfish heroes towards the children under their care.

{Linking with these friends}

Lil Luna

Our Fifth House

Thrifty Decor Chick

Your Home Based Mom

Six Sisters Stuff

Tutus and Tea Parties