Herb and Veggie Garden. . . and so it begins

The more I research herbs and the health benefits, the more motivated I am to start a garden . . . again. Due to minor, but painful, physical limitations, I put off doing one until I saw the Backyard Botanical Garden at Sam's. After doing an Internet search, we bought one Saturday, March 28, our 29th wedding anniversary. :D It is not romantic; but, hey, we will be so much healthier after this thing gets going when I start using fresh herbs and veggie right off the plant.

Isn't it neat? It has 20" high, self-contained garden beds, made of cedar, has an automatic irrigation system, a trellis,and screens above the beds to keep out critters. However, we have deer which can jump over anything up to about 5 feet, and there is also Maggie, the adopted dog. Maggie jumps back and forth over the couch, so I'm not sure the plantings will be protected since she has determined all plants except for roses are intruders. We may have to get one of those 6 foot, chain-link fence dog runs from Tractor Supply to surround the garden. One step at a time, though.

Home, at last, and ready to unload the boxes.

Amazingly, the boxes were easy to unload even though each weighed 160 pounds. We maneuvered them off the truck and placed them next to where the garden is to be assembled. We hoped that we would not have to level the area; yet upon closer inspection, we decided to get some fill and level. Tuesday is D day to pick up the fill except for one small inconvenience .....a little red light appeared on the truck's dash telling us "check engine." :D The truck is with the mechanic. Hopefully, there is no major problem, and the truck will be back in working order to pick up the fill. If not, Thursday is the alternative D day.

Here is a link to the Backyard Botanical Blog which is most helpful. It has a shopping list as well as a planting guide. We are going to substitute the bagged garden soil listed with a garden soil from Geo Growers of Austin. They "make" dirt. :D I love to use organic products.

I'll keep you posted as we go along.

Until next time, God bless.

Pizza Tonight, Veggie that is

If you like veggie pizza, give this one a try because I get compliments all the time when I bring it to pot luck gatherings. Hubby loves it too.

1 pizza crust,thick or thin, your preference

Pizza sauce

Shredded cheese, combo cheddar and mozzarella

I use the following order when adding ingredients. I do not measure the toppings but spread it around until the crust can hold no more. The toppings will cook down some.

chopped red onion
chopped green pepper
sliced zucchini squash
broccoli floret pieces
artichokes

Spanish olives
ripe olives
sliced grape tomatoes
8 oz package of mushrooms, sliced
Top again with cheese

Just before adding the last cheese topping.

Place in the oven at 450 degrees for 8-10 minutes until cheese is melted; veggies stay a little crunchy. When the pizza comes out of the oven, run a pizza cutter over it.

Additional toppings:

red pepper flakes
grated Parmesan cheese
parsley sprigs- full of antioxidants and settles the stomach

Voila! Hot out of the oven, sliced and ready to eat! Enjoy.

Until next time, God bless.

Seven Somthings - Art Award

Daisy Soap Girl, http://daisysoapgirl.blogspot.com/, was kind enough to recommend me for this art award. It is my first award which makes it all the more exciting. I met Daisy online just a few weeks ago and find her to be delightful and a very talented soapmaker. I really enjoy reading her blog because she has an easy and inviting writing style. Although I haven't met her in person, I know that if we lived nearby, I'd love to meet her for lunch or over a coffee.

When you receive the award, you are to list seven things or people you are passionate about, give the award to seven bloggers you feel are worthy, list the person who gave you the award, and place the award logo on your blog.

I am passionate about:

1) Bible studies - I've searched for years to find Bible studies that I can really get excited about and finally it came together. The Bible studies I've attended the past two years have been wonderful.

2) My parents - My dad was my first hero. He passed away in 1995 and my mother passed away in 1997. However, both were wonderful, so giving, so understanding, and supportive. A day does not go by that I do not remember something they said or did or the funny things that happened.

3) My children - Both are grown men and are a delight to be around. They are smart and witty, and while I am not yet a grandmother, I still have hope.

4) Good movies - I love a good movie; one without foul language and a good heartwarming story or one with a good moral principal.

5) My dogs - I just love my dogs, although I am afraid I have a favorite, Luc, the Lab. He is smart, easy going except on certain occasions - like people coming to visit. He almost reads my mind. Maggie, the adopted, pound dog and Luc's lady friend, is sweet but a little needy. She is smart and has assigned herself sentry duties.

6) My hobbies - I fabricate jewelry from silver stock but currently doing some fused glass projects. Glass fusing is fun and interesting, and I want to take some in-depth classes in order to do more complex glass projects. I sew a little when I really want something for the house and cannot find what I want when shopping. And, I scrapbook when the mood strikes.

7) Blogging - This could be called a hobby; however, it is the newest passion. I find it challenging to write on a regular basis along with working with my camera. The camera stayed in the closet for at least two years until I started blogging. I carry the camera with me everywhere just in case I run across something interesting to photograph and then write about it for the blog.

The seven bloggers I think are worthy of this award are:

Astro Galaxy Travel, http://astrogalaxytravel.blogspot.com/
GAJLS Beads 'n Such, http://gajlsbeadsnsuch.blogspot.com/
Thoughts on Jane Austen and Other Cultural Icons, http://www.janeausten-forevermore.com
Healthy Harvest, http://friocanyonhealthyharvest.blogspot.com/
Tablescaping, http://tablescaping.blogspot.com/
The Tiny Homestead, http://tinyhomestead.blogspot.com/
Home Sweet Home Inspirations, http://homesweethomeinspiration.blogspot.com

plus one more...I maybe cheating but thoroughly enjoy Organized Chaos, http://maryaustincox.blogspot.com

I verified all the links. I hope you enjoy these delightful blogs.

Until next time, God bless.

Manic Monday #160

Ok, people, leave me some answers. Puleeeze.

Do you screen your phone calls?

Lynn: Rarely do I screen my phone calls. When we are in an election cycle, I many times allow the answering machine to pick up.

When was the last time you lost your temper?

Lynn: The last time hubby had the news blaring. :D Hmmm, yesterday?

When lost do you ask for directions?

Lynn: Yes, no sense in driving around for 30-45 minutes when a quick stop at a convenience store to ask a direction question takes about three minutes.

Until next time, God bless.

Scrap Glass. . . Throw Nothing Away

I wanted to do some small desk top trays, but with a 14 inch kiln I could not find a tray slump mold small enough to fit on 12 inch, round kiln shelf which is the largest shelf size that will fit in the kiln. I decided to make a slump mold to fit in the kiln. I used a 1/2 inch thick fiber board, cut a 12 inch x 6 inch piece, cut out the inside leaving 1 inch on each side, soaked it in liquid mold hardener, dried, then fired in the kiln to burn out the impurities.







I cut enough 1/4 inch glass strips for two layers, alternated colors to make a pattern, then fused. After the glass was fused, it went back into the klin to be slumped in the mold I made.

I had some scrap glass left and decided that since the above mold had performed so well, I would make two more molds, but this time I would do a bowl.

A saucer was used for the first circle. After the circle was drawn, I cut it out with a craft knife, soaked the form in mold hardener, dried, sanded the inside to smooth the sides, then popped into the kiln for burn out of impurities.

A top from a spaghetti sauce bottle was used for the second cut.

The scraps are layered with some medium size frit in the first circle

The glass is completely fused. The second circle is used to slump the glass into the shape desired.
This is the first bowl which sold at the Christmas fair. However, I liked it so well that I did three more at different heights.
These blend well with both trays and can be used as votives, a small flower vase, or a container for paper clips.

Until next time, God bless.

Manic Monday #159

Are you a saver or spender?

Lynn: I am a saver and more so in these trouble economic times. If I can do without, I do.

Do you prefer to walk around barefoot in your home? Socks? Shoes?

Lynn: I walk around barefoot in the summer and with socks when it is cold.

Do you talk to yourself?

Lynn: Yes, but I don't answer. lol

Pendant Project No. 2

Here is another project that I am working on for a friend. She liked the blue dichro pendant that is featured in the Plum Wild Glassworks+ slide show -- upper right corner of this blog. That pendant sold a couple of months ago. It is hard to duplicate a pendant made several months ago, but I happened to have another one that was made the same day. I did not like the look of the pendant after doing a wire bail. At last, there was a good reason to rework the entire pendant.



Since I drilled a hole in the glass, I had to come up with a new idea to use the same pendant for my friend while at the same time satisfying myself.



I decided to break it up. One problem, though, it was so thick that it was next to impossible to break along the score line. As you can see, out of desperation, I put the glass in a workshop vice, tightened until I thought the pliers would break, held my breath, kept tightening, and the glass finally broke as shown in the photo below.


My friend not only wanted a pendant but also wanted earrings, and if possible, a ring. I used the grinder to shape all the pieces; you'll notice the dull edges. One of the nice things about glass is you can do what is called a fire polish at a temperature lower than a full fuse and the grinding marks go away.
Viola! This is what you get after doing a fire polish. The sides are rounded, smooth and "glassy." :D Pay no attention to the dark spots in the pendant; it is just the way the light hits some of the dichro. I tried editing the dark spots, but it looked weird. The spots are not there when looking directly at the pendant. It is quite a challenge photographing pendants, and I haven't yet gotten it down nor have I become accomplished on my photo editing software.

The earrings are done with only the ring to be finished. I'll use the single piece of glass as a cabochon. I have the plan. It has been three or four years since I've done any silversmithing, so the ring is taking a little longer to finish. I just hope the plan works as I see it in my brain!

My friend is quite pleased with the pendant and earrings which is what matters. :D She is patiently waiting for the ring.

Until next time, God bless.