Black Hearted Woman

The sand gnats are here... bummer. And got attacked by mosquitoes for the first time today @ dusk.

Oatland Island Nature Center

I've had countless recommendations to go over & check out Oatland Island - so, Monday I met a friend Rita & her children, Rachael & Ryan there - we made a full day of it. It's a bit of a drive - it's on the east side of Savannah, so about 25 miles from us. The kids enjoyed it - lots of native animal exhibits, a 'heritage homesite' with 1800's era cabins & out-buildings, and a farmyard with animals the kids could get their hands on. I liked that the exhibits were all worked into the existing wooded area = lots of shady walking trails.

baa-baa black sheep...

Levi loves owls = we had to go back to see the owls one last time before leaving.

checking out the pair of bison

9-banded armadillo

Just Waking Up

Friday is

all day in the sun
no naps, though a 3-year-old bedtime of 7:30
clothes drying in the sun, flapping in the breeze
planting a fig tree
building a new flower bed
reading my new Sun mag on the frontporch futon in the shade
hot in the middle of the day
sunhats
a trip to the park for a pick-up load of compost
homemade dandelion greens/mushroom calzones for supper
a morning turkey hunt
chatting with neighbors
grubs
fishing in the canal behind the house
vases of fresh cut azalea blooms
a flattering comment from a complete stranger
elephant ears weeded & mulched
a raked yard
orange juice/banana smoothies
quiet husband time sitting in a completely dark house
black/tan bottled beer
snoring dog
perfect sunset, listening to a new album
family, love, hope

Calls of the Wild

You know you're married to a biologist, when he comes bounding thru the door at day's end, giddy at his latest score: a borrowed copy of "Vocalizations of Georgia's Frogs" - just to brush up! :)

Weekend Project

We had a friend's daughter's 2-year-old birthday party today - I wanted to make something handmade & had this pattern tucked away in my memory = Oliver + S's free downloadable Popover Sundress pattern. It was my first Oliver + S pattern - I loved the way she designed all the seams to finish neatly with no raw edges on the finished dress (all enclosed or french seams). This was a quick sew - nice weekend project.

Vernal Equinox

I am alone with Levi for a few days. Watching the last bit of daylight dim away - a view of sunset from our dining room windows. It is 7:30pm and Levi is asleep in bed. Quite something considering the child has been awake as late as 10 or 11 some nights this past week. We enjoyed a very full day - the first day of spring - the equinox = the same amount of day/night.

The Bamboo Gardens had their Spring Festival today from 9-4; we were there for a large amount of that time. A perfect day for the event - 70's and blue skies - running into a dozen folks I knew & meeting up with a girlfriend and her child. Feeling part of the community at large.

Home for a napless afternoon basking in the sunshine. Snacking on homemade pita bread & hummus. A long wondering neighborhood walk finished the 3-year-old off. Home to his requested supper of 'hot oatmeal' (opposed to his choice snack of cold raw oatmeal), a hot shower, & now silence = bed.

Joe left Thursday & will return Monday. Turkey season is upon us. He killed a bird this afternoon at Reno = his beloved landscape, Papa's farm. Fried wild turkey breast on the menu for Tuesday night = a rare & wonderful treat.

Only the dimmest pink left in the sky. Salute! Spring!

Flower bulbs

Long ago before my natal family moved to Wildwood, a great aunt & uncle lived in the old homeplace = Aunt Ruth & Uncle Clyde. They were great lovers of flowers, and blooms continue to arise from bulbs they planted decades ago. I love bulbs and heirloom flowers myself - and I should, while it is on my mind, make contact with one of their children & probe deeper into the planting of these bulbs & their general history.

this is one of a dozen, or so, ancient yellow crocuses that Aunt Ruth planted near the house

a single clump of purple crocuses remain

cutting daffodils for the dinner table - into a favorite vase - did Aunt Ruth & Uncle Clyde plant the hundreds of these bulbs on the roadside bank together?

a find here at our 1940's-built home in Richmond Hill - more long ago planted bulbs - ones I did not recognize, something different - after a little research, they are: GRAVETYE GIANT SNOWFLAKES

Old House Gardens (www.oldhousegardens.com ), a favorite bulb source of mine, describes these as:
Animal-proof! Above daffodil-like foliage, dainty white, green-tipped bells dangle gracefully. 18-24 inches tall, ‘Gravetye ’ is the hardiest, most floriferous snowflake, other forms of which have been grown in gardens since 1596. It was introduced in 1924 from Gravetye Manor (say GRAVE-tie), home of William Robinson, “father of the English perennial border.”

Where we're at

Back from a 3-day weekend in Wildwood. Sleepy & need to go to bed soon. Trying to catch up on some blog reading & finish my grocery list for the morning shopping.

Thinking ahead to Wednesday - St. Patty's here in Savannah - the biggest celebration/festival this city has. I'm taking Levi downtown to the daytime parade (before the night-time nakedness & drunks out peeing in the streets). Also - have got corned beef, cabbage, & potatoes on the menu for Wednesday, and of course a good stout...

Lovely in Wildwood. 13 to 20 people gathering for most meals. Grandaddy made biscuits 3 mornings in a row! Savoring the thought of my last buttered & homemade blackberry jam biscuit this morn. Family makes me so happy.

Thank you Mom for my birthday dinner/celebration. Thank you Grandma for a wonderful lunch today & a great visit. Carrie, Greg, & Sam home too! Sarah rode up with us - it's her spring break this next week. Hi Aunt Marjorie & Uncle Frank - so lovely to see you! Uncle Dale there & got to visit at his home today too. Daffodils up & blooming. 7 of us out for a ladies tea (plus Sam) on Saturday - Aunt Rie, Carolyn, & Tivoli joining the Neely women. A good visit with Susie in Rising Fawn. And Joe & I got a night out & met Nicole & Sam (also visiting in Chattanooga) for some brews downtown. A whirlwind 72 hours! Love you all!

Happy 29th again, Mo!!

Happy Birthday, sweetie. Levi and I love you and can't wait for steaks on the grill and an old movie tonight! Have fun and a great day!!

!

Sprouts

We've been making some changes to our overall diet - trying to stick to whole foods with minimal preparation - cutting out fat, adding even more veggies, & for me, switching to unsweetened soy milk. A book that we've had for years that I find myself going back to, especially now, is Healing Foods: Nutrition for the Mind, Body, & Spirit. I reread the section on legumes a few nights ago & a discussion on homegrown bean sprouts caught my attention - so, we're giving it a try this week.

*Sprout only organic beans. Aduki, mung and soybeans, alfalfa, sesame, and fenugreek seeds, barley and wheat grains, and garbanzo beans are all easy to sprout.

*Sort the seeds, removing any obviously damaged ones. Soak them in ample tepid water for 12 hours, then drain. Put them in the jam jar and cover with cheesecloth kept in place with an elastic band. Put your jar in a warm, dark place. Rinse the seeds with fresh water at least a couple of times a day, and make sure you dry them well. You will be ready to harvest this powerhouse of nutrition in 2 to 6 days.

*Bean sprouts are an ideal food for cancer patients and are used extensively at many clinics practising the natural approach to cancer by those anxious to boost their immune defenses, and for all conditions needing first-class nutrition.

after the 12 hour soak - rinsed & ready to cover - from left to right: wheat grains, aduki beans, mung beans

aduki & mung

covered & ready for a warm spot

My Favorite Chocolate Bar

Mmmm.... and on sale today at Brighter Day, the health food store in downtown Savannah - I couldn't resist....

Do we really want to see that...

Or that this information is only for a THIRD of the said bar - like you could just eat a 1/3 & put it down - they should just tell you you're basically eating your entire recommended saturated fat in one sitting - whatever, this thing is awesome!