Sunny Sunday it was

 Outside all day because we are supposed to get thunderstorms tonight and rain most of the week.  Not too happy about that as we are having a couple dogwoods taken out and box clipped.  I haven't been keeping up with all the trimmings this year or last for that matter.  So the tree man will take care of the ones in front of house.  Will have to look bad for a while but that is the way that goes. 

Will have to take a before and after picture before he comes on Thursday.

I cut lavender from an old shaggy lavender plant that I do not have the heart to cut down.  It's ugly but the blooms are still coming, and I picked quite a few for sachets, although I am going to try my hand at making a few wands.

This when purchased was called Richmond Va. lavender because it grows so well here. It's actually Provence I believe.  Very strong scent.  

Hard to tell but the stalk it is growing from is to the right.  Very strong and old. 

Picked collards to have for Monday dinner.

I have two pots of these growing.  I pick the leaves and before too long there are more growing.  Keeps replenishing itself. 

Strawberry in pots and in ground are ready for another round.   

I had to do this with my plantings in beds this year.  Put them in anything a mole or vole cannot get to.  So frustrating.  This is the worst year ever for them. 

Found this very pretty and bright coleus this year.  Wizard sun golden.   I have rooted several in pots with other flowers.  Roots fast.  

Here is one taken root among my other plantings.

Early morning before going outside and armed with two over ripe bananas I made banana bread.  The mix I have on hand is from this recipe and I like it a lot.  I used Crisco shortening, butter flavor.  

Took about 1 cup and a half for my bread to fit the container I wanted to bake it in.  Mashed bananas, not much sugar as we want just a hint of sweet, not a lot.  Maybe little over a quarter cup.  Vanilla. Two eggs and little more than a half a cup of sour cream.  It was not a thin dough but a little thick.  I make this so much that I just eyeball it now.  Didn't have cinnamon so I used nutmeg.  Stirred in slivered almonds, poured into loaf pan. added more almonds on top with a sprinkle of golden sugar.  Took about 50 minutes to bake on convection bake. My oven needs to be calibrated for temp. I had to use 365 to bake, otherwise I would use 350.  There are recipes for banana bread out there.  I never have used one.

I over bought fresh berries from the grocer, so I mixed up this cake with Greek yogurt to make this berry breakfast bake. 

I put walnuts, almonds and honey on top and baked.  Husband ate just about all of it.  

I like coconut but he doesn't like it so I didn't add that.   Like I said I used up what I had and now to replenish.

On a day trip to Colonial beach one day last week.  We stopped at Hornes Diner.  This place has had a little redecorating since being taken over by new owners.  Food is very good and hot when served. 

Founded in 1960 by Bob Horne.  Was a single-family owned restaurant expanded into an empire.  60 years later it's the only original restaurant still thriving.  Port Royal Va.

I had the Tommy's salad; it was so much to eat and delicious.  Sun dried tomatoes are a must on my salads now. Pomegranate dressing was so good. 

Steve had the burger which was good but very skimpy on the onion rings this time.

Sunset a few days ago.  It's been smokey in the past I remember when there have been fires and this didn't last that long.  One day it was a stronger smell of smoke but that was it.  Breezy today and wonderful out. 

this was taken this past Thursday.  Much brighter now. 

Like Mom always says, "This too shall pass".  I don't know where that quote came from originally but it's true. 

💖 Betsy

Seed starting.

I am a little later starting seed this year.  Last year I started some in February and they were just so leggy and overgrown by the time it came for planting outside. So now a little later, except for Ranunculus flower that I started in late February 

I have not grown these before.  I do love eating these by themselves.

Ranunculus bulbs I soaked overnight in water a few weeks ago, maybe three weeks and they are really growing well.  

March 2nd about when I took this picture

I purchased from Amazon a few grow lights and they seem to help.  I ordered a shelving unit also that I put together with rollers.

Not bad at all to assemble.   I have this in downstairs spare room for right now.  I will put these out in my tiny greenhouse that is just a metal frame with plastic cover.  Works o.k. on my patio to hold the seedlings and it stays pretty warm at night after a warm day with a bag or two of sand I sometimes put at the bottom to hold it in case of high winds or gusts.  

An assortment of herbs.  Not all will do well.  I usually plant three in a pot together and keep on the patio to be cut for dishes I am making. Good to have fresh herbs.  I do dry some for the winter to have on hand.  I do see I am missing some dill and thyme not in the cells here. 

I got some of the tulip bulbs I ordered in the pots late and some daffodils.  Will see what happens with them.  I have already planted a few at the lamp post in front yard. 

This poinsettia I purchased in late November from Home Depot is still looking so good.  I can't get over how long this plant has flowered and still no sign of dropping petals yet. 

This orchid I got from the Children on Valentine's Day has been repotted.  It is still in flower, but I noticed that the roots on top or tendrils, I do not know what they are called, looked shriveled, I soaked a few minutes in water and let them drain really well and now it all looks good. 

There is a smaller one on the table behind it that I repotted also.  It had some pretty lighter flowers, but I broke them when I took the little stake out.  

An azalea that sprouted off from another in the yard I pulled up and potted a few days ago.  They always do well until I find another place for them. 

I have this dogwood the third season in this teensy pot that I really didn't think would live but it has, and it has little buds where the leaves will be.  I am going to put it in a larger pot for right now.  

“It was one of those March days when the sun shines hot and the wind blows cold: when it is summer in the light, and winter in the shade.” ― Charles Dickens