weekend shots

What a lovely weekend.  Thursday evening I started this beautiful bread that ended up fantastic and accompanying this corn chowder recipe and inspired the inviting of my sister and her husband to come over and enjoy the comfort food.

I asked my sister Mary Evelyn to join me in my weekly running around with some added hot spots this week.  We dropped by the library, a couple of thrift stores, High Garden Tea, the Turnip Truck and ate a lovely lunch at The Pharmacy in East Nashville.  My doctor has changed my diet considerably and I feel good that I know where to find items that can be a little different and hard to find in White House.  Plus I totally enjoy the challenge.

Sunday I baked a birthday cake for my sister, we loaded the hogs because it is time for them to feed us, and we enjoyed ourselves at my parent's home for Demo's lunch, cake eating, family heritage studying and topped it all off with a loving guitar solo concert by my Dad where he shared nine songs he has written.  One of them specifically about my and our walks in the woods.  So cool.  Thanks Dad.  I did learn that one set of my family heritage began in Wales, another in England and another in Scotland.  One family tree went back twelve generations and began in 1628 in England.  Wow.  I didn't know Mom had that one.


This was the easiest bread and turned out great.

She used to just lay down in the seat.  I love that she wants to know where we are going now.

I love that profile.

The dried herbs at High Garden were fantastic, readily available, and cheaper than I thought they would be.  They have a fantastic assortment.

I borrowed a coffee grinder from my Mom to grind up the flax seed I got at the turnip truck.  worked perfectly.  I am supposed to add a teaspoon to my diet each day.

a little echinacea tea.

a new pot for this little baby tears plant.

homemade granola for the week.

literally on the library hold shelf

1)  Kate Greenaway, Book of Games.  This is an oldie and I can't wait to bring it to the day care.  Goodness knows with all the rain and cold weather the winter has provided, we need new games to play inside.

2)  The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches, By Alan Bradley.  This is the latest in a series that I happened upon when needing a new read.  It began with Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie.  A good little mystery series.  I have been waiting on the release of this title for almost a year.  Ugh the torcher.

3)  Doc Martin DVD, Series 2.  I am so hooked.  And I am 6 of 6 holds on 3 copies for this one!  ARGH  I will hopefully get it in another week since the rental time is one week.  I think I have Shaun hooked too.

4)  Saving the Season, By Kevin West.  A book of preserving.  I am always looking for new recipes and new ways to preserve tastes of the seasons and Spring is coming!

Herbal Itch

It is not even two weeks in to the new year and I am already craving the 2014 growing season.  I have been on Burpee.com for days now picking out new seeds for herbs, flowers and some vegetables.  Some places around here won't have seeds for another month or two.  Walmart already has some.  I know because I bought two packs.  My garden plans are a little different this year.  I will start with this post about the new herbs I will be growing (new to me).  Then I will stretch it out a bit in the next couple of weeks.  I won't start sowing seeds indoors for at least another month... if I can wait that long.  The problem with starting them early is leggy plants for me.  Especially since I don't have a greenhouse where they can live full time until planting time.  So I really have to be careful not to get out of hand.  I feel it will be safe to begin some of my herbs and flowers that will live in pots.  That way I can bring them under the porch eave or inside if the weather gets too chilly this spring or lasts too long.  I really love having something to nurture.

So here are the herbs that I will be trying to grow this year.

Stevia is a natural sweetener and I am very excited about this one.

Chamomile I would like to find a spot in one of the fields for.  The seed packet only has 1500 seeds.  I want this one for teas mainly but who knows what else I will come up with.

Lavender... oh lavender.  I have tried three times now to grow lavender from seed and I am not about to give up.  I can envision it on the outside of the iron gate around my secret garden.  Good luck to me.

Rosemary I always buy but who's to say I can't grow it from seed?  I'm going to give it a shot anyway.  I love the smell of rosemary and like to use it when cooking and on buttered rolls.. yum!


By the way... is anyone interested in a seed exchange?  I will be inventorying my seed shelf really soon and I know I have lots to share.  I will be sure and post what I have plenty of and if you are interested maybe we can swap seeds with something you have saved from previous years.  How fun is that!?!? Stay tuned!  

Also, I am thinking of making Thursdays my garden post days.  Because....... I can!  So if you are mainly interested in gardening inspiration Thursdays will be your day on Peppysis!  Love ya mean it!

weekend shots

Our flannel sheet were so much softer to sleep on after drying on the line as opposed to the dryer.

Pure heaven.

This ice looked like taffy to me.

It's nice to have a human friend to walk with in the woods.  He waits so patiently while I take pictures.

This friend however, enjoys splashing around while she waits.

I thought the remains of this flower were so pretty.

My favorite picture of the day.

Foofee enjoys the warmth of the fire so.  He often sprawls out in front of it, belly up.

My commute to work.