relaxing saturday afternoon

A trip to Lavender Farms  in Glen Allen Va.  to purchase  a lavender plant that I do not have which is munstead Lavender.  I have other types and they all do very well coming from this farm.
Steve has to have lavender ice cream along with me having honey ice cream sitting near the creek  that runs through the property.

sitting near the waters edge makes it all the more pleasant and  feeling very relaxed watching the water trickle through the rocks.

I can never get my flowers to look this pretty.   The cocks comb is huge.

If one cannot get anything else to grow,  then grow zinnias.  They always come through for me having pretty summer flowers to cut and bring inside.

looks like some collards here in beds

Black pearl pepper

Nice old plough in a bed of flowers I noticed coming in and leaving the farm

here at home the moonflower is blooming for this evening

They seem even brighter when it's dark and the light from the lamp post is lit.

fresh ones

Purchased a bag of fresh okra locally - love the stuff pickled, so I did.

I grew some paste tomatoes,  not a lot, but what I had  was good for a few jars canned.

couple paste tomatoes and cucumber

A homemade dressing of vinegar, water, olive oil, sugar, garlic, celery seed, salt, pepper shaken vigoursly 

Poured over vegetables tossed with romaine lettuce

with a touch of parmesan 

actually, I like a LOT of parmesan

sharing with little things thursday

August evening

Can tell that fall is not far behind.  The way the shadows fall certain times of the day.  The season is changing.

mums planted from two seasons ago are blooming

this year was not as good as the last for growing zinnias .  This one is supposed to be a giant zinnia - no where near it.

Hibiscus doing well and its growing in a container with about 4 inches of soil.  

found one of two pretty flowers on the supposedly knockout rose, not such a knock out this year.

will bloom tonight

Saturday finds

Some neat finds while out in Ashland today. Several fun shops to browse in.

I know that I must be one of a very few these days that do not have pierced ears.  I never did want to wait for a punch to make a hole in my ear - ooohh - for me anyway.
I found some clip ons that are a fun wear.

These along with the fire king plate - made in the USA, part of the reason I purchased it.

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another fun find and I will wear as a necklace are "Frozen Charlotte " dolls.   I am told that these did come from Germany.   Found these at a fun artsy store  "re-funk- it in the town of Ashland Va.

My husband purchased these cute rabbits made from socks.  He said the grand girls would love them.

Sharing with Shabbilicicous Friday


From my porch to yours  treasure hunt thursday

Fried tomatoes

A few paste tomatoes shown here for canning I picked the past few days.  

Didn't get as many this year .

I had fried  tomatoes this morning for breakfast.   A "better boy" tomatoe as it's called.

I do not like the green ones,  only the   red ones, not to ripe though.   I don't think the green ones have much of a flavor.

dip them in a little milk

Mom mixed cornmeal sometimes in with her flour.  I do like it that way better than just plain flour.

salt and pepper in the mix .

sizzlin now

I drain on a coffee filter

A slice of extra sharp cheese for a couple. A sprinkle of parmesan cheese is also tasty.   Bacon pieces and toast with my homemade apple and cranberry butter.

I will miss summer tomatoes.  The taste of a fresh picked one - nothing better than that.

I am linking with lamberts lately "create it thursday"  and  The Charm of homes Home Sweet Home

By the light of the moon

Moon Flower

Bud earlier around 5 o'clock, not a great shot.

I am up way to late, took this picture around 1 a.m. this morning

The seeds to this plant are highly toxic.  Have to keep children away from them.
I planted several seeds this year and one plant is growing in my lilac bush.  The flowers at night show like the bush itself is blooming.

to the castle addy

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sharing with  wordless at  image - in - ing

Quiet sunday

Pretty blooms of a butternut squash plant.  I only planted two from seed just to see how they would do along my fence.   They are growing very well.   Next year I hope to have a more productive larger garden.

The vines are running up the fence and showing off some very nice blooms

Here is a butter nut squash propped up with a section of fence to keep it off of the ground.

Next to it is my tomato plant.

Paste tomatoes doing well here, even though they are so close together.

The hibiscus is  doing so well in the small swan planter.  It sort of has a  shape like a cross, I haven't trimmed it , it just grew this way.  three years just about , in the same planter.

   Better not push my luck , so I will  put it in the ground in the fall.

for dinner I made cabbage rolls.   diced tomatoes,  can of sauerkraut and two cans of tomato soup stirred together with a little more than a  cup of water ,  pepper , celery seed, garlic and onion powder and a smidgeon of brown sugar.
I saw on a cooking blog where kraut was used in the sauce and decided to try it,  will make it this way forever.   So very good