A Walk Down My Garden Path

Armadii Clematis…..sweet fragrance in late afternoon. Clematis getting ready to bloom Solomons SealRiver Fern Spearmint Carolina Jasmine Lenten Rose Thyme

Please be kind…..this is my first post using Windows Live Writer. I love it! Thanks, Rhoda (http://Southernhospitality.blogspot.com)

Keep Calm and Carry On - The History of a Poster

Keep Calm and Carry On.......this quote caught my eye first when I saw in hanging on a wall in some decorating magazine. I googled it and found an interesting tale:

"In the Spring of 1939, with war against Germany all but inevitable, the British Government's Ministry of Information commissioned a series of propaganda posters to be distributed throughout the country at the onset of hostilities. It was feared that in the early months of the war Britain would be subjected to gas attacks, heavy bombing raids and even invasion. The posters were intended to offer the public reassurance in the dark days which lay ahead.
The posters were required to be uniform in style and were to feature a 'special and handsome' typeface making them difficult for the enemy to counterfeit. The intent of the poster was to convey a message from the King to his people, to assure them that 'all necessary measures to defend the nation were being taken', and to stress an 'attitude of mind' rather than a specific aim. On the eve of a war which Britain was ill-equipped to fight, it was not possible to know what the nation's future aims and objectives would be.
At the end of August 1939 three designs went into production with an overall print budget of 20,600 pounds for five million posters. The first poster, of which over a million were printed, carried a slogan suggested by a civil servant named Waterfield. Using the crowns of George VI as the only graphic device, the stark red and white poster read 'Your Courage, Your Cheerfulness, Your Resolution will Bring Us Victory'. A similar poster, of which around 600,000 were issued, carried the slogan 'Freedom is in Peril'. But the third design, of which over 2.5 million posters were printed, simply read 'Keep Calm and Carry On'. The first two designs were distributed in September 1939 and immediately began to appear in shop windows, on railway platforms, and on advertising hoardings up and down the country. But the 'Keep Calm' posters were held in reserve, intended for use only in times of crisis or invasion. Although some may have found there way onto Government office walls, the poster was never officially issued and so remained virtually unseen by the public - unseen, that is, until a copy turned up more than fifty years later in a box of dusty old books bought in auction ..........."(Barter Books)

Isn't this the neatest story? This poster now has a special place on my mantel. .... attitude adjuster!

http://www.pressureless.etsy.com

Hal & Mary's garden (lovely next-door neighbors)

We Have To Teach Them......

The perfect place for children to learn good manners is at home. “Please” and “Thank you” are still the “magic” words, and we are doing our
children a favor if we insist they use them until they become a habit.

As a grandparent, I realize that we, too, play an important role in teaching our grandchildren good social graces. First they must hear us
using these words. Then we must reinforce what their parents are teaching
them by insisting on the same responses. It takes us all—parents, grandparents, day care workers, teachers—to teach a child.

I’m convinced one of the major problems with children today is a lack
of respect—for anything or anyone. We must teach them to respect authority
and to respect their elders. They must be taught that sometimes there will be
no explanation for why they must do as we say, other than because we are
older, wiser and care about them very much.

Mealtime should, above all, be a pleasant time. Children who see their
family enjoying food and each other will follow their example. This is also
the perfect time to practice good table manners. Our children were taught,
if they finished before everyone else, to ask, “May I be excused?” They also
thanked their mom(me) by saying, “I enjoyed my dinner, etc.” They were
not allowed to complain about the food.

Children do not automatically know the proper way to greet people.
We have to show them! Practice showing a three-year-old how to shake
hands. Teach them to smile and look the person they’re greeting in the eye.
Make a game of it.

Don’t sell these little people short. It is so important to never forget
that they are just that: little persons who must be taught—by all of us.

The perfect place for children to learn good manners is at home. “Please” and “Thank you” are still the “magic” words, and we are doing our
children a favor if we insist they use them until they become a habit. As a
grandparent, I realized recently that we, too, play an important role in teaching our grand children good social graces. First they must hear us
using these words. Then we must reinforce what their parents are teaching
them by insisting on the same responses. It takes us all—parents, grandparents, day care workers, teachers—to teach a child.
I’m convinced one of the major problems with children today is a lack
of respect—for anything or anyone. We must teach them to respect authority
and to respect their elders. They must be taught that sometimes there will be
no explanation for why they must do as we say, other than because we are
older, wiser and care about them very much.
Mealtime should, above all, be a pleasant time. Children who see their
family enjoying food and each other will follow their example. This is also
the perfect time to practice good table manners. Our children were taught,
if they finished before everyone else, to ask, “May I be excused?” They also
thanked their mom(me) by saying, “I enjoyed my dinner, etc.” They were
not allowed to complain about the food.
Children do not automatically know the proper way to greet people.
We have to show them! Practice showing a three-year-old how to shake
hands. Teach them to smile and look the person they’re greeting in the eye.
Make a game of it.
Don’t sell these little people short. It is so important to never forget
that they are just that: little persons who must be taught—by all of us.

My Friendship Garden

I came across this post from my life several years ago. We lived in a hundred year old home in the historic district of our town. Reading this brought back memories that I thought you might enjoy. I know I have pictures (somewhere) and I will share them (sometime). Enjoy!


My yard is a collection of memories. It reminds me of my childhood,
family, and dear friends. As Spring presents itself again, I remember…
The wisteria we dug from the riverbank creates an umbrella of fragrant
blossoms each Mother’s Day. The stone bench that sits underneath used to be a fireplace mantel in a field hand’s old house on the farm where my
husband grew up. Buttercups from my mother’s yard—so old she doesn't
remember who shared them with her.
Snowball bushes brought from the yard where I grew up are a pleasant
reminder of that time. The little dogwood seedling given to us by some
dear friends, was brought from the woods on their farm. Its branches
now cast shadows over the goldfish pond. The old rocks that Mr. Turner
(the caretaker of the Wheeler plantation) let us have to frame our pond,
remind my husband of the years his family lived on the Plantation as
sharecroppers. The English boxwoods are another treasure from that
historical place.
The fragrant Carolina jasmine growing on our fence is a treasured gift
from Mrs. Anne B. Wyatt, a former neighbor and dear lady. How I
wish she could walk in my backyard with me again. The smell of
sweet-shrub in the late afternoon as I brush its branches remind me
of Bill(my husband’s brother who died this past winter). He was always
sharing his plants with us.
The bird bath is an old piece of statuary we purchased at Mrs. Case’s
estate auction. This is a pleasant reminder of a sweet lady. Irises
were shared by many including my Aunt Annie and Aunt Madge.
I always forget how beautiful they are until they bloom again.
The Seven Sisters running rose bush is one we brought from Ma Ida’s.
The gardenia by the back steps with its heavy, sweet-smelling blooms
was given to us by the White’s next door—such good neighbors!
The Lady Banks rose, hydrangea and ferns came from our son’s
back yard. Oak leaf hydrangeas were brought from our daughter’s
hedge. (She hates them!)
The sun dial has a special place in my flower garden. It’s another
reminder of treasured friends. My sister gave me the purple columbine.
It comes back every year as a reminder that she will always be there
for me.
I’m waiting for the ginger lilies to poke through the earth again. Their
blooms are as fragrant as gardenias and as delicate as orchids. The
thrill of their flowers in late summer and early Autumn remind me of
a good friend, Frances, who shared the tubers with me.

As I sit here in the warm sunshine of early springtime, I wonder about
the quince and the mock orange. How old are they? Did someone
share those? I look at the Jackson vine and wonder if someone
besides me(in another time) enjoyed the shade it gives the front porch.

My mother recently told me as she walked in my back yard, “You
have three shrubs there and you hardly have room for one!" Well,
I like it that way. I have lots of friends!

Foodie Friday Fresh Tomato Tart

This sooooo simple and good!

One sheet of refrigerated pie crust
8 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
4 to 5 ripe tomatoes, sliced into 1/2 inch slices
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

Line a tart pan with the pie crust. Spread with cheese.
Sprinkle with basil. Arrange tomato slices evenly over cheese.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil.
That's it!
Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly and heated through.
Slice into wedges and serve hot. Garnish with additional basil
Serves 6 to 8

Happy Sunday! Happy Spring!

Katie's birthday week-end

Our oldest granddaughter has just celebrated her eighteenth birthday. This past week-end marked the seventh year she has brought a group of her friends to our house. We love it! Sometimes they stay one night and sometimes two. This year we had six high school seniors! Some things we have learned from this experience:

1. It is all about food. They might not touch a thing that they ate last year. Our Katie is a vegetarian so we are very in tune with that. Their granddaddy's main focus is to have every snack they have ever loved (mostly sweets). On our bar before they arrived was a cake stand with iced brownies, another cake stand of rice crispy treats, and another with banana nut muffins! I commented that our luck would be that they had all given up sweets for Lent! That was not the case but Katie did inform me she was on the "Daniel Fast". Even after a detailed explanation, I still don't understand. They all like Paninis but you better ask what they want on them because they will know if you put swiss instead of provolene cheese.

2. Relax.....even when they drive themselves up from Birmingham....even when you have beds for all of them and they choose to all sleep in the same room. Did I say, sleep?
They went to sleep at 5:30 a.m. (they said) I went to bed at my usual 9:00 p.m. When they told me they watched the movie, Nemo, that warmed my heart.

3. Never doubt that you are making memories. They talk every year about everything they have done other years. We have tie-died tees, gotten facials, pedicures/manicures, gone to movies/plays, always eat out at least one meal, and do a lot of "just hanging out".

This year we went to a play at the Von Braun Center in Huntsville. The play was "Spelling Bee". I had Katie look at the reviews to make sure she thought it would pass. She thought it looked "hilarious". So off we go. I could not understand anything they said. I did not understand their jokes. I laughed when the girls laughed! They loved it! (and that's all that mattered).

It's been a great ride.....and next year she'll be at college. Life goes on.

A Prayer to begin this day

During this Lenten season, my wish is that this lovely prayer will speak to you as it did me.

Lord, as I begin this day, open not only my eyes but my mind and my heart as well. Help me find joy in every experience, every conversation, every mundane task, every chance encounter. Help me see the rich pattern that forms from the ordinary events of my life. Save me from so hastening through life that I am blind to its beauty, so focused on myself that I miss its priceless joy, its endless wonder.
Lord give me grace to see your goodness active in simple things–a quiet cup of coffee shared with a friend, a meal enjoyed with colleagues, full of laughter and optimism, the healing touch of beautiful music, the bliss of becoming lost in a good book, the smile on the face of a child, the grateful eyes of one I’ve been praying for.
Father save me from lost opportunities and wasted time. Remind me that my days are rich in pleasing moments, that the large problems which disturb my sleep mostly turn out to be little ones after all, and that for all its turmoil and sorrow, it is still a world of beauty, and that I am of all people most richly blessed. For your Son Jesus’ sake. Amen (Steve DeGweck, St. Luke's Episcopal Church)

A Simple (and oh, so good) Italian Dinner

Pork Tenderloin

Fresh Asparagus

A Gratin of Onions

A good hearty Bread

Preheat oven to 475 degrees, Using your hands, rub tenderloins(I usually cook two, they come packaged that way) with olive oil. Next, coat generously with fresh, cracked pepper and Paula Deen's seasoning mix, or you can use just salt. Place in oven on cookie sheet covered with foil(easy clean-up). Bake until meat thermometer registers 155 degrees. Remove from oven and wrap in foil.

Prepare fresh Asparagus by breaking tough ends off and washing. Cook gently in saute pan with 2T. of butter. Salt lightly.

Take six to eight sweet onions, Vidalia or Texas sweet (or both). Slice thinly into rounds. Place them in mixing bowl.

In small mixing bowl, mix: 1 cup mascarpone (try it! s0 creamy), dash of nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon just cracked pepper, 3/4 t. fine sea salt, 1/4cup vodka(optional), 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese, 1t. unsalted butter. Mix everything except the Parmesan cheese and butter. Add this mixture to the onions and mix until onions are coated well. Butter an oval baking dish and spoon onion mixture into bowl. Spread evenly and scatter Parmesan cheese over all. Bake @400 degrees approx. 25min. or until golden crust forms. Serve this into warm dinner plates with tenderloin on top so that meat juices seep into onions. So good!

Serve with a good Italian bread (Publix has great breads).

Some good red wine will complete this simple meal. Enjoy!

The times of our lives.....

Oh, my goodness....What an emotional ride!
I'm trying to determine where to start writing. We have had fun times, sad times, and all in between, within the last two weeks. It all started with the unexpected death of Stan's sister, Katherine. She was such a dear sister-in-law and we will miss her.

Next, we travelled to Birmingham to spend a few days with our three granddaughters. That was so much fun! A word for grandparents who are dealing with the constantness of young children, they get easier! Our girls are 13, 16, almost 18. They really are so trust-worthy and just about take care of themselves. We played the game, "catch phrase" which I would highly recommend for families.
This visit was cut short when we received a call that our daughter-in-law's mother had died. We knew she was very sick but were caught off-guard by it happening as soon as it did. She lived with our son and his family. We left Birmingham (in a blizzard) headed to Louisana, inappropriate clothes and all. We needed to be there. A painful time for our family, especially our two grandsons(eight and eleven), was made bearable by concerned family and friends.

One funny story, our eleven year old, Josh, went with us to pick up some groceries. We had asked the lady in the bakery to suggest a dessert. She did and we bought it. As we were in line to check out, I told Josh if the dessert wasn't "great" we were coming back to the grocery store and tell the bakery lady. With a mortified look on his face, he said "no, MiMi! This is Louisana! We don't complain, we just eat and be happy". I love that!