Spice Jars Organized!

This is such a good solution, I'm surprised that I haven't seen it before!  I have tons of spices.  My son loves to experiment with flavors and seasonings, and I'm a sucker for recipes.  Spices need to be cool and dark- which is hard in the kitchen.  This is just a regular photo box- I bought it at Michael's for $2. It holds 24 regular size bottles of spices.  I have it on a folded wire shelf- just high enough so spills on the counter won't get it wet (I worry about stuff like that).  I guess if the box gets a little messy- I can look for another one on sale some other day (I have two filled with spices- one for jars, one for T-Z and the spices and herbs in bags- and a third just in case). It is also really easy to clean around- just lift one box and 24 spices go wherever you want.

This has been working really well for about a week- which is a pretty good record for me!

A Billion Positive Moments

One of the secrets of a life well-lived is this simple fact: Life is made up of millions of moments- every positive moment contributes to a life lived well. Just strive to make the moment you are living now, a positive moment- and forget about the rest.

I added it up:  If I live to be 100 years old and every moment that I lived was positive, I would have 3 billion, one hundred and fifty-five million, seven hundred and sixty thousand well-lived seconds.

Of course, not every second that I've lived so far has been well-lived, but if I try to make every second from now on well-lived and I lived another 32 years, then I would have lived well for at least another one billion seconds.  This is a goal we can all attempt to reach.

Maybe that's why things like 12 steps and even my own Addition Principle seem to work so well.  These approaches all focus on making this moment count.  We can blame ourselves for the past and we can wonder what the future holds- but all we can do is the best we can do with the moment that we are living right now.  So lets go out and experience some seconds well-lived today!

Love always,
Mary Rose

P.S. As soon as I had this revelation, I went to the flowers that I needed to arrange, set up the tableau, and then took this picture for you!  Hope it brightens your day!

First fruits!

Here are the first tomatoes from my patio garden this winter!  It's kind of cheating because these were on the plants already when I got it from Cheyenne's in December. The little one on the left is a tiny Roma.  They smell so good!  Think we're going to use them on tacos for lunch today.

This is how my tabletop garden looks today.  I really am enjoying the begonias- need to start some cuttings.

Under the table I am storing my poinsettas.  An article from the Temple Terrace Garden club says that they need to stay fairly dry until the end of March when they should be but back about 50%.  Then when the temperature gets and stays about 70 degrees day and night they should be put into the ground pots and all.  In the fall, they need to come out and go somewhere where they won't get any extra light at night- then they should be in full glory by Christmas.  We'll see!  I haven't been able to get the poinsettas through the summer yet- but maybe if I find some ground  or huge pot somewhere, that will keep them cool enough not to dry out and die.

These are my tomato plants and a side view of my table top.  In the tomato and the right, I have a pepper plant.  Rob harvested the first pepper from that plant last week also.

These are my three sisters.  They were not happy with the frost we had a few weeks back-knew that going into starting the seeds.

Took an old iron table bottom that I am not using and arranged all the window boxes into two tiers.  They all seem to be happy like this.

This is my romaine lettuce- looks delicious.  Doesn't seem to be forming a head- but maybe I'll steal a few outer leaves for my tacos.

These are my newest plants: From left to right- a plant that is supposed to attact butteflies, Thai basil, ornamental pepper, and sage.

I was afraid that the two frosty nights last week were going to wreak havoc but the weather is 54 degrees right now with a high around 84 today- just perfect!  That's all for today! 

Love, Mary Rose

Christmas Wreath

This Christmas, I used a lot of natural materials in my Christmas decorations.  We had a six foot Frasier Fir, a 20 foot garland, two wreaths, and five poinsetta plants.  This morning, I woke up and planned the natural material for next year's holidays.  Here a bunch of links if you want dream a little yourself.

Wahmhoff Farms Nursery in Michigan  They have beautiful trees and the price is not too bad.  They also drill a hole up the middle of your trunk so you can use a special easy-to-use Christmas tree stand.  Generally all your have to do is line up the hole in the trunk with the nail in the middle of the stand- and viola!  Christmas tree is up.  They don't have delivery information.

Christmas Farms in Michigan.  They also drill the tree up the middle to use with the new stand.  They are the highest price of these links, but they deliver free and have a real variety of fresh greens.  It would not be too difficult to spend $500 here- but it would be a one of a kind Christmas.

Christmas Tree Farm in Minnesota.  They have a variety of trees and wreaths and have a delivery fee calculator.  They also have north woodsy stuff like birch decorations, maple syrup, and wild rice.

Then I decided to see what was available down south.  Found Green Valley Christmas Trees- the Frasier Firs here are grown in North Carolina.

Then found out that you can get herbal wreaths at Williams Sonoma.  Then watched the video about Creekside Farms and all I saw was FUN RETIREMENT!  Can you imagine the joy of growing pretty fragrant things and then bunching them all up into a wreath that would last forever!

Next followed lots of links on how to make herb wreaths, the realization that I had tons of old grapevine wreaths for all occasions and herbs that needed to be cut and voila- Mary Rose's Garden Angel Wreath!  Hope that this ages gracefully!  More to come...

Peanut butter vegetable soup

One of my new favorite web sites is Thy Hand Hath Provided.  I love web sites about things that people are trying- especially people that are committed to living off the bounty of the earth in their back yards!  On their menu plan for today they had a recipe for peanut butter vegetable soup.  It matched a lot of the things that I had in the refrigerator that needed to be used up before my next trip to Cheyenne's tomorrow.  I added a lot more to this recipe and also used fresh herbs from my garden.  This is a great thing to do with all your extra bounty from the earth.

This is my adapted version:

6 medium carrots, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. butter
4 cups beef broth
2 medium sweet potatoes, cubed
1 large egg plant
ground white  pepper
1 large canned  diced tomatoes

1 bag baby spinach

Handful of fresh basil

Handful of fresh parsley

Handful of fresh thyme
3/4 cup peanut butter, creamy or chunky

In a large saucepan or dutch oven, cook carrots, onions, egg plant and garlic in melted butter until onions are tender. Stir in broth, sweet potatoes, and pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until sweet potatoes and carrots are tender. Stir in undrained tomatoes, spinach, herbs and peanut butter. Stir gently until peanut butter has completely dissolved, spinach is wilted and tomatoes are heated through. Makes about 8 servings.

Carrots, egg plant and onions were diced into 1/2 inch cubes.

Sorry I can't supply pictures, lost my camera power adapter again!   I'm eating it right now and it has a wonderful creamy, rich flavor.  I'm thoroughly enjoying it!

Singing With The Angels

Technically, everyone in every church choir is singing with the angels.  After all the liturgy tells us that when we sing Holy Holy, that we are joining with the never-ending choir of angels and saints eternally praising God- that in fact the whole community is joining in the song.  But when you sing with a group of people who deeply believe every word that they are singing, who try with all their might to create a choral sound, who have a church that supports the choral ministry, and an amazing director who knows how to get the most out of ordinary voices and who keeps us on our toes- it really feels like singing with angels- and in the midst of them- it sounds like we're singing with the angels.

The Festival of Lessons and Carols is a wonderful tradition where the meaning of Christmas is explored through a series of nine Bible readings beginning from the fall of Adam and Eve through the birth of Christ.  Among the readings are dispersed Christmas carols and songs- sort of like a musical Jesse Tree.  Christmas is a great time to review how mankind got to the birth of Jesus. 

It's free- so if you can make it to St. Paul's in Tampa- and if you would enjoy this kind of event- it will well be worth your time.

Here's to a wonderful holiday season for you and yours!

Thanksgiving Weekend

Did not take many pictures this weekend.  Here are the 6 best:

Our mini-Thanksgiving dinner for just Rob and I.

Macy's parade (from the TV set)

Setting up the Advent wreath

Three sisters just keeps on growing!  The beans look like the healthiest.

Tomatoes and cabbages

My tropical garden this morning.