Fresh Greens and More

Sunnyfield Greenhouse and Nursery, Galva/Kewanee IL  309-852-4172: 

Custom decorating with live greens for Christmas - inside and out.  See their website or follow on facebook. 

Nature's Creations, Galva/Kewanee IL  309-852-3834:

Fresh green wreaths. Call to order custom wreaths or a supply is currently at The Filling Station Restaurant, Bishop Hill IL.

Feathered Nest at Windy Corner Farm, Bishop Hill IL  309-927-3080:

Everlasting wreaths, dried flowers, gifts.  See their website, blog or the products are on etsy.     

Dew Fresh Market, Kewanee IL, 309 852 5100:

Wreaths, trees and other holiday plants, including grave blankets. Seasonal.

Abilities Plus, Kewanee IL, 309-852-4626:

Evergreen wreaths.  Decorated by Abilities Plus clients.  Pick up ends Dec. 14. 
Greenview Nursery, Dunlap IL, 309.243.7761:

Fresh cut greens and trees, gift shop and decorating available.  See web site or follow on facebook.
Hoerr Nursery, Peoria IL, 309-692-4562: 

Tree delivery and set up in your home. Flocked and regular.  See their website and follow on facebook.  

Bishop Hill IL Colony Businesses:

Many have Christmas gift items.  See the web site of shops or visit through Christmas for shopping, eating and events. 

Get real!

Your county extension office has good advice for picking, cutting and caring for live Christmas trees.  The only tricks I'll share are:

• Cut the tree stump off even if it's only an inch to make sure it hasn't sealed.  The sap sometimes seals off the stump preventing water intake.  Immediately put in water.
• Wash the tree holder with bleach and rinse really well.  It will kill bacteria (which is fatal for water uptake).  Rinsing will keep little bleach spots off your carpet and floors.
• There are commercial preservatives to add to the tree's water or simply add a squirt of anti bacterial hand soap after you fill the container and gently swish.  Squirt and swish are technical tree terms.
• Never ever ever let the water get below the end of the tree stump.
• Direct sun and heat sources close to the tree will dry it out faster than you can fill the water bucket.
• If a family member has allergies to mold, check to make sure your tree doesn't have mold spores.  You can spray the tree with the hose to help wash off but if allergies are severe, I'd stick to artificial.
• Fact is if you put up a live tree a month before Christmas, it will be dry as a matchstick come Christmas day.  Have a fire extinguisher in the area, have a plan of emergency exit for the entire family and did I mention:  WATER.

1951 with my brother and I posing in our school
Christmas program costumes.  My mom was into
pin curls...


 

And now - drum roll - I'm going to post pictures of live trees through the years. 

Since there was small children involved in all of these Christmas scenes, the array of homemade ornaments are pretty obvious.  Seriously, what's a Christmas tree without at least one toilet paper cardboard ornament.  The trees may be less than glam but no child cares when the excitement of putting up the tree signals only a few days until Santa arrives.  As a kid our trees were up a week at the most. 









1952, apparently I was the only one happy this Christmas
 and it may have been because I got a beautiful doll. 
Mom's expression may have been the result of dad getting her a roaster??
 

  





1954, at my aunt Edna's home - A cousin photo -  I'm
 top right with the ever so coiffured hair. 
My mom was the pin curl bedazzler!
 





1960 - Mom and I admiring the tree with a white sheet and the manager scene under.
 I'd spend hours arranging the little figures and now my granddaughter is doing the same thing. 
I think my white bobby socks add to the Christmas theme.

1961 - This was at my Grandma and Grandpa Morris' home.  
I'm in one of my first "store bought" outfits. 
A peach pencil skirt with died to match angora sweater. 
Oh - sorry was this about trees...

1971 - my own home with my daughter Susan. 
I think the paper chains are still one of my favorites.

1982 and apparently I was into tinsel BIG time.

1995 - White sheet and manager under the tree.
 This girl didn't get far from her roots.

2010 - I've had artificial trees for the last many years.  They are sculpted and beautiful. 

 

This year we're getting a real tree for the bay window.  I'm ready to smell the smell, have the imperfect real tree look and sweep up needles for months.

 

I'm just sure there's a grandchild willing to make a toilet paper cardboard ornament to complete the look. 

 

Side note:  Not sure you know but click on a picture and it will take you to an enlarged version slide show.  Should you want to know how to make pin curls or another fashion statement, give me a call.  Happy tree hunting!



Raised From the Ashes Update

Photo from Bruno Torfs e-mail 2012

In my article "Raised From the Ashes"  #125 about Bruno Torfs Sculpture Gardens, I talked of the 2009 Australian brush fire that killed neighbors and distroyed his home and gallery. 

He, his family, friends and strangers have cleaned, landscaped, and rebuilt the beautiful rainforest exhibits.  The gallery is completed and the Torfs' home is in the process of completion.

If you would like to see the progress or if you've never seen his art, go to www.brunosart.com  His fired clay sculptures look as if they were carved from the forest or dropped there by some mystic force.  The rainforests of Austrialia were beautiful and will be again.  Bruno Torfs' sculptures will continue to merge with nature as long as he can imagine.

His story is one of imagination that must be used and the world is a better place because he chose art as his expression.       

Thankfulness

My family was from Switzerland, migrated to Pennsylvania, on to Ohio and then to Indiana (for the most part.)  This old postcard reminds me of Thanksgiving or more specific "thankfulness."

I'm thankful for my ancesters' journey and my family today.  I'm thankful for friends and my readers.  May your Thanksgiving be peaceful and may you seek the blessings that only a relationship with Christ can provide. 

 

Thanksgiving

For each new morning with its light,
For rest and shelter of the night,
For health and food,
For love and friends,
For everything Thy goodness sends.

- Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882)  

Too Old to Rock & Roll?

Jethro Tull - Too Old to Rock 'n' Roll Too Young to Die

www.youtube.com

Ian Anderson

 

 

 

 

With the exception of a few stout souls, we seem to be the first generation to push living beyond our prime - thanks to medical and health improvements.

 

Our parents' generation and those before, worked hard and then died prior to becoming very old.  They didn't have the opportunity to become "retired" nor the leisure to pick up hobbies.

 

I'm not sure we've made the best use of this huge blessing; this ability and opportunity to pursue our interests beyond our middle age.  But, we've certainly kept our sense of humor about the whole situation and this old Jethro Tull number tongue in cheeks it quite well.

 

I come from a long line of hardy farm people who lived well into their late 90s in spite of the average life expectancy in the 40s.  Most never "retired" because they were too interested in life to quit doing what they loved:  working.  Most didn't work at their farm or farm wife tasks into late age, but, all took their talents and worked at giving to or teaching others.  Not a one "wanted" to sit and do nothing. 

 

It's an example our generation (and those to come) need to realize:  retirement isn't about giving up work or your passion; its about pursuing those passions in a different way.

 

I'm always glad when I see a "person of age" gardening.  WHEN did I become a person of age - certainly not in my mind. 

 

Gardening may require I scoot instead of bend ~ take breaks instead of full bore all day ~ wear New Balance instead of flip flops ~ slather on sunscreen in hopes of preventing more sun spots ~ stretch before, after and during gardening not in hopes of preventing injury but in hopes of getting the joints moving again ~ wearing the sunglasses that have the bifocals ~ and actually having the time to show our grandchildren how to tend a garden.

 

Am I too old to rock and roll, too old to wear tight pants, too old be useful or too old to garden?  Not this year babe - not this year!

 

Ian Anderson in the 1970s and 2000s.

Diane in the 1970s and 2000s.

 

Now where's my tight pants?  Oh, yeah - they're all tight now days! 

 

 

   

Is it Wrong to be Right?

What's wrong with this picture taken about 1:00 pm today?

 



  

Not very often have I had the doors open and enjoyed putting final Christmas decorating touches on the outside of the house while wearing flip flops.  Positively no excuse for not getting everything winterized, put away and decorated.

Filled my bird feeders and immediately had a flock of gold finches busy filling their little tummies.  Had a White-breasted Nuthatch in the batch.  Hadn't seen one in several years so was quite fun.  He flies in and lands on the roof of the feeder.  Walks to the edge and hangs upside down while scoping out the food and possible predators.

Managed to do a little raking where leaves had piled up and would become a hazard when the weather got bad.  Trying to do other chores but keep staring outside.  Maybe I'll go play with the dog and pretend it's for his sake.  Is there such as thing a "fall fever?" 

Scoop on Soup

Typically I plant cabbage in my garden.  It doesn't take much room, it's pretty easy with no major pests or diseases and I like it...  I tend to make the world's worst slaw so pretty much try to figure out ways to use it in cooking.

This year I planted a green and a red head type cabbage.  I also planted a Chinese leaf cabbage. 

Because of the mid-summer drought conditions, the cabbage heads sort of just sat there and didn't become huge.  In addition to that weather related issue, it produced lots and LOTS of little side heads.  These are great when you cut off the large head, the secondary heads take over.  This year since the main head didn't get large, I didn't cut until about a week ago.  I left a few little heads to see if they would continue growing with cold weather and cut the rest to throw in soup.  Have you heard enough about the trials of my heads of cabbage?

I made a simple cabbage/potato soup this week.  I used both green and red cabbage.  Here's the simple version for crock pot cooking:

Spray the crock pot with Pam or grease. Turn on high for 6 hours.

Add:

48 ounces low fat chicken broth  (use veg. broth if you're doing meat free)
6 large red potatoes - cut in small bite sized cubes
1 small sized green head cabbage - slice into bite sized pieces  (do not grate)
1 small sized red head cabbage - slice into bit sized pieces *
1 T Mrs. Dash garlic herb seasoning
1 T fresh rosemary

At the end of 5 hours, add:

8 oz. package low fat cream cheese

Stir occasionally to combine melted cheese.

Adjust seasoning as needed.  This doesn't usually need much salt.

* The more red cabbage you use, the pinker the broth.

This soup is fresh, mild and flavorful.  A little low fat sour cream looks pretty and a sprinkling of bacon pieces adds more flavor but certainly not necessary.

At the end of 6 hours, the potatoes should be soft but still hold their shape, the cabbage cooked through but not mushy, and the cream cheese totally melted.  Plate up with a substantial chewy piece of bread or crackers.

Next year consider planting a few cabbages around your garden or flower beds.

Sorry for the rather sloppy photo of soup.  Or, sloppy soup photo.  I was already into a few mouthfuls before I realized I didn't have the memory chip in my camera when I took the really pretty pictures.  Hate it when that happens.