Amazing Things to Do Between Christmas and New Years Day

One of my Favorite times of year is Christmas, but once it's over you can feel let down.  So let's Review Ways to keep that after Christmas Depression at bay!

If your family is anything like mine, the days leading up to Christmas have been full of all kinds of trips, errands to run, parties to attend and a host of other fun and time consuming activities.  Depending on the ages of your children or grandchildren, there will also be more than one Christmas recital to attend as well.

This is not a complaint, but, it is a reality.  We get so wound up with places to go and people to see, that when it stops, we feel lost!  Some of us will only feel that way after the New Year because we are still in the middle of all the partying still.  Others, who do not go "all out" for New Years will feel that way sooner.

The bottom line is, it doesn't have to be this way at all!

Part of your planning for the holidays should include that time between the holidays, so that holiday let down is minimized or completely obliterated.  No one really wants to be depressed at the best time of the year. 

So let's make those plans now!  If the plan is in place,  you will actually follow through.  

So let's get down to some concrete ways to stave off any negative feelings.

First of all, if you have family visiting, make arrangements to go somewhere on an outing.

• visit the downtown area and look over the lights and Christmas Displays
• Go sledding or skating, if your body allows that kind of seasonal fun.
• Make Snow Angels (with the above caveat)
• Go to a park with a handful of bird seed, for those birds who don't have a feeder close by
• Pick up some small gift cards for a coffee shop and give them to "Street People" to enjoy
• Visit a local church and see their Nativity Displays
• take lots of pictures while out and about
• when you come home, make some Hot Chocolate and watch a favorite movie
• Be Thankful for the Blessing of Family and Friends.

Between Christmas and New Years is a great time to make some plans for the next year too!  Many a lively conversation could be had over those plans.  Will you make resolutions for 2018?  Will you decide to travel more or less?  How about making a resolution to get together with friends more often?  It is a great idea to look forward, but also take some time to look back and be thankful for all the good things that happened in the year just past.  

When the hustle and bustle has come to a standstill, it's no longer a dreaded fear, rather it's a time to take stock.  Look ahead at what might be coming your way, and look back to see where you have been.  If things weren't the greatest, find ways to make this year to come, better.  If the year past was wonderful all around then celebrate this wholeheartedly, and pray that the year to come will be as blessed as the one just past.  Gratitude for everything is a great way to live.  You don't become nearly as disappointed and you really don't let yourself become engrossed in the things you have no control over either.  

Start taking note of things you are thankful for and try to do something new in the coming year.

If you need help thinking of all the things to be grateful for, there are several different types of journals that can give you some coaching either in pictures or scriptures.  One of my favorites is the one:

If you don't have a gratitude journal, a blank book works well too. Sometimes though in our busy lives, we need a hint of encouragement and for that a true gratitude journal is a bonus. Each page will give you a little inspiration to get you started with the right attitude. If you are not a particularly spiritual person, there are journals that remind you of gratitude without scriptural readings. Whichever one is to your liking, will be a good choice and they are inexpensive.  Maybe Santa brought you one, but if not that's okay too.  You can always get your own when you feel the need for it.  It will be an investment in yourself, for your mental and physical and spiritual well being.

May I take this opportunity to wish you and all your family a most Beautiful, Blessed and Wonderful New Year!

pictures courtesy of Pixabay.com

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Amazing Hobby Kits That Will Encourage Dexterity and Fun! A Hobby Review

Kids love to use their hands! Let's Review how to help them make beautiful and fun things!

Christmas is just days away and everyone, kids and grown ups too, are looking forward to those fun family times that they can spend together.  Making great memories is all part of the fun at Christmas time.  Those memories are made up of the times we play together, learn together and just have some fun together. So let's get down to Reviewing some great ways to make memories and get those children using their creative juices in fun and crafty ways.

I can't think of a better way of making lasting memories than sharing what we love!  It's so easy to do, with a little foresight and planning your children and grandchildren will be so engaged in something new.

Crafts that keep their hands busy are especially wonderful.  They will learn new skills  and make something that they can share with their friends too.  These crafts like embroidery, can easily be taught to those children in the 7 to 9 year range or older.  They have enough dexterity in their fingers to handle the tiny details.  They can try to make something extra special with several different kits that you can put together yourself or there are kits available that have everything needed to complete a project from start to finish.

Whether it's knitting or sewing, origami (paper folding), or needlepoint, little hands love to try and we as parents and grandparents love to share!  Premade kits are available and generally they have a great range of ages that are capable of following the instructions!  You don't want to overwhelm them with something too difficult for their little hands to accomplish.

I personally love this kit from Amazon!  You see I was a dressmaker for many, many years and my love for sewing started out when I was 7 or 8.  I made pillows and little critters for everyone.  My mother whose 86 now, still has a pillow that I made for her!  So if sewing is one of your favorite pastimes, this kit would be a perfect way to share that love!

So many projects and they are all very interesting and creative too! You don't have to invest a lot of money into a craft, just find out if that particular craft resonates with your young ones. If not, then they will still have learned a lesson in creativity!

Maybe your little one's hands aren't ready for those really small motor skills or they are much more interested in putting their visions and ideas onto paper!  One of my granddaughters is a master at drawing and loves to do that more than anything.

Her poor dad is always running out of computer paper because my little Miss Addie, has drawn on each and every page available to her.  We needed to find something for her so that her Dad could keep his paper where he needed it and she could draw to her hearts content.  We found a great compromise and she is over the moon about it too!

Have you heard of Boogie Boards?  They are similar to the "Etch-a-Sketch" that we had in our day, but easier to use.  Kids can draw on the pad with a stylus and then erase it at will.  It's great for long road trips when you know the children will get restless, and a great way for kids to use their hands creatively.

Now if you have a budding scientist in your midst, then I would suggest one of the many kits that are available for them too. They can Tumble rocks or grow their own crystals, or even make their own soaps and beauty products. There are kits for knitting and crochet, macrame and T-shirt printing. Anything that is hobby related has a book or several books to give children ideas and projects that will keep their hands busy.

Grammie Olivia's Hobby Central
This is one of my favorite pages on Amazon. All of my grandchildren will be getting something special from these pages, because there is just so much to choose from.  Please let me know if you find that special something for your children or grandchildren!  Have fun making memories and great crafts too!

My friend Bev, just did a great review on a Science Lab that would be perfect for little girls too, you can check out her Review right here!


pictures are courtesy of Pixabay.com

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3 Outstanding Picture Book Stories to Win Little Hearts

Three Outstanding Picture Books to Win Little Hearts (A Review)

Today we will look at three books written by Pat Furstenberg

Everyone knows that children love Pictures and Picture books with lots of interesting words and sounds.  Part of every childs' development comes from those times when they are snuggled up with mom or dad, Grammie or Grandpa listening to the words and looking at the pictures.  It's also a wonderful time to bond with our children and grandchildren in a way that will bring fond memories back to them one day.

From my own experience, there is nothing quite like the quiet time spent with my little ones telling a story, listening to them describe how they see the pictures and teaching them some great life lessons all at the same time.  Books and the words they contain are stepping stones that children love to learn and hear.  So when you come across some books that you know children will love, it's only fair to share what you have found.

Rhyming and word-play are an important part of every child's verbal development.  There are word rhymes that are still taught to children today that go back at least 60 to 70 years and we are still teaching these same rhymes with their sing song rythms.  The kids just love them all.

These three books by Pat Furstenberg are all written in this way.  The pictures are delightful and the stories themselves are ones that will resonate with big and  little hearts.  Children will enjoy the stories of unlikely friends, while parents and grandparents can tell little side stories too. 

The Cheetah and the Dog are an unlikely pair, yet they become and remain good friends even though no on thought this was possible.  Too many differences don't matter when your hearts are in the same place.  How many times does that happen in real life?  Do you have a friendship that is still as strong as the Cheetah's and the Dog's? 

The Elephant and the Sheep is an endearing story too!  How often we make friends but don't think beyond what we see right in front of us.  Each of our lives are different, but, the one thing we all need is a friend.  A friend that can see beyond our hardships and differences. Only when we try really hard do we sometimes find out the truth.  Little sheep learns a valuable lesson about friendship,  love, and family.  Elephant learns something too,  family can be much more than living with other elephants.  Family can be living with those who love us!

The Lion and the Dog is another story about our differences and how they really don't matter.  What matters is how we care and treat each other.  Lion is so sad, yet the little dog Milo doesn't give up on Leo, even when he is less than friendly.  Milo knows what every good dog knows,  everyone needs a friend!  

If you have children, reading them stories about friendship and caring for others is a great way to encourage empathy at a young age.  The world needs more of that!  Word play and stories with great illustrations makes it easy for parents and grandparents to instill little life lessons in a very heart-warming way.  

If you are a member of Amazon Prime, you can get these books and so many more by Patricia and other authors as well, delivered right to your Kindle device and some are free with Prime Membership.

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Have You Ever Wondered About "The Young Messiah" : A Review

The Young Messiah : A Movie Review

Many Christians know their Bible and the stories that are told!   From Old Testament stories of Adam and Eve in the Garden to Moses and the Red Sea, Christians everywhere will have no trouble recounting the stories. 

Songs  and movies have been written about these stories so that we can teach our children through visual means.  Heroes of the Bible is made for parents to share with their children.  It is a wonderful way to connect with the Christian heritage we wish to impart to our children and a great way to spend a Sunday evening too!

There is a movie out in 2016 that just might make a great fodder for some debates!  The Young Messiah screenplay is adapted from the original novel titled: Christ the Lord:  Out of Egypt, by Anne Rice.  

If you are wanting to read the book just use the link in blue above, I have not read the book yet, but I am really interested in making the comparisons.

The Young Messiah is a work of fiction, but it does make a Christian think about the ramifications of the whole Nativity Story and the unknown life of the young child named "Jesus".   I'm sure many of you have asked yourself these questions about Jesus:
1.  What happened during Jesus's young life?  Why do we know nothing until his Baptism in the Jordan?
2.  How did his earthly parents explain Jesus or their understanding of the Messiah, to their young son?
3.  When did Jesus become aware of who He was?
4.  How do Mary and Joseph protect the child, that should have been killed in Bethlehem?
5.  How many atrocities has the young Jesus seen and been subject to during their time in exile and their return to their homeland?
6.  What happened during those years that we know nothing about?7.  Is there anywhere to find out about those years between his birth and His public life? And is it important for us to know?

There are a few things that we know from History and that is that Jerusalem and the Surrounding areas of Nazareth, Bethlehem and Galilee, at the time of Jesus' birth were all under the rule of Herod the Great.  When they returned from Egypt, Herod Antipas (the Great Herod's son) was the ruler in Galilee.  He was as vile and dangerous as his father before him.  So Israel, the promised land was not a safe nor an easy place to live.  Romans still held power to do as they pleased.  It was a brutal time in history especially for the Jewish people.

Let me be clear, in this adaptation of the Early Life of Jesus, there are many parts that are imagination and drama.  There are no written words that give us the truth of His early life.  In this adaptation, the screenplay uses the devil Satan to tempt others into playing a part in the attempts to kill Jesus.  Herod's son is aware that Jesus lives, but has no idea who this Jesus is.  They always seem to get close to getting their hands on the child, but something always thwarts their efforts.  Mary and Joseph as his earthly parents show their undivided love and loyalty to the promises made to both of them in the Old Testament.  Mary his mother and Joseph his step-father, are keenly aware that Jesus is different from the other children.  That he is "special" and neither of them knows just how to explain or accept that their lives are even more difficult because of Jesus and His relationship with God.  Yet they also know and accept with totality that God will in every case look after His Son.  But what happens when the Boy Jesus starts to ask questions that every child asks?

This is a great movie to start some dialogue with your family or your faith group.  It leaves you asking a lot of questions and faith grows with asking those questions and seeking the answers too!

I hope this season leading up to Thanksgiving and Christmas, you will find time to watch this movie or read the book, either way I'm sure that you will be asking lots of questions when you are finished.  The last line in the movie says it all....Father I am Your Child.  And we can say the same thing too! If you believe.

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Have you heard of the Newest Fitness Craze for all Ages?

By Stephen James Hall (Own work) [CC0], via Wikimedia Commons

It is Fall and many people are wondering what they are going to do to keep fit during those months that are not conducive to Jogging or other outdoor sports. Today I will review a new craze that is sweeping the nation from one coast to the other. It's a relatively new game that combines tennis, badminton and table tennis all into one game and it's lots of fun for all ages.

Have I got your curiosity yet?

What if I told you that you can play this game indoors or out and that there are clubs all over just waiting for you to join them?

So now do you want to know more?

Okay, the game was started in 1965, by a family and friends who were bored at the cottage. They were given some table tennis paddles and a whiffle ball.  The instructions to the kids were, "get out of our hair and have some fun.  That was the beginning of Pickleball!  Everything after that was tweeking the game.   In 1972 it became a recognized sport, with rules and regulations.  Today this sport has over 2 million players world-wide and is one of the fastest growing sports of all time!

  Well it's called PICKLEBALL!


 I first heard about this on my latest trip to Myrtle Beach,  South Carolina.  We happened to be staying at a resort where there was all kinds of people, young, old and in between.  They were all interacting with each other and having a great time!  We found out that this was one of the places where the East Coast Pickleball Tournament had just been held.  The winner was a young lad of 17 and the runner up was and older gent ( I think he was in his 70's).   So when I say it can be played by anyone, I really mean anyone. Where a tennis racquet and balls can already set you back quite a few dollars, Pickleball is inexpensive and until you really become hooked, you can play with a minimal investment.

But just a word of caution as always, if you have been sedentary for a long time, have a check up just to make sure you are alright to play this game.


What I really like about this game is that it combines several games that I no longer can play.  I'm just not as fast as I once was.  It is a combination of tennis, badminton and table tennis too!  Because of the type of ball that is used, the speed part of the game has become much less of an issue.  Pickleballs are similar to whiffle balls and because of the holes in the balls, they don't move as fast as a tennis ball.  That for me is a great bonus. But the game still gives you a great workout, without tiring you in 5 minutes.

There are Pickleball Associations and Clubs all over the world.  So I'm sure you can find one in your area too.  But, if there are no clubs near you, start your own.  The game is easy to play without a myriad of rules and regulations (until you become a pro). Even then the rules are easy to follow.  I bet once you start to play, you won't be able to stop!

If you have a flat area 20 feet by 44 feet long, you can map out your own Pickleball court.  Get a set of paddles, balls and a net and you are ready to join the 2 million others who are enjoying this game.  I just saw a great info graphic on the number of people and the demographics of age who are currently playing Pickleball.  The largest number of people playing Pickleball are 60+ at a whopping 70%.  Participants 40-59 make up 24% and 6% of players are under 39.  How's that for a wrap up?  70% of the players are over 60!  There is hope for us who are older and still want to play.

As the saying goes, "You don't grow up until you stop playing!"

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Halloween Garden Cleanup and Planting Time Too! Let's Review How to Get This Done

Summer's Heat has given way to Autumn cooler temperatures, let's review ways to get your garden ready for the oncoming cold that is sure to happen.

Autumn is that wonderful time of year when the weather gets a little cooler and the days start to have a little bite in them.  Leaves are turning those beautiful shades of yellow, gold, orange, and red. Everywhere the eye goes, it's a myriad of beautiful colors to keep us all in Awe!  What a wonderful mystical, beautiful time of year.  The Maker's  paintbrush is never still and our picture changes daily.

Everyday,  I look out over my balcony and the trees are changing colors from one day to the next.  Yesterday the leaves were all green and today it seems that they are turning shades of gold, red, browns and oranges.  One day makes such a difference.

It's also time to get cracking on the Autumn garden chores! 

If you are not sure what to do with all those leaves,  give that link(Autumn garden chores) a quick review, your garden will love you for it.  It doesn't hurt to organize our chores for the best outcomes in our gardens. 

Cooler Days and changing colors are a shock to the system after all of summer's warm days.  Time moves on and these changes are a gardener's Alarm Clock, because the next thing is garden cleanup before the winds of winter come.

Don't fret!  Garden cleanup is easier than you think.  You just need the right tools and the right attitude and your job will be done lickety split!


Because Autumn is also the time for Halloween, we can do two things at once!  By using our leaves in funky Halloween decorator bags, we now have our glorious pumpkin display all done.  Or if you prefer you can also make crazy spiders and pumpkins to give all the kids a good chuckle.   Packing those bags will be child's play after raking them all together and then using our monster hands to stuff the bags. Now after all the festivities are over, don't throw all those beautiful leaves away. Use a chipper/grinder to make the world's easiest and best mulch for your garden beds. The extras can go into the composter along with the worms and everyone will be happy! You won't believe the work that those worms will do in the composter.  Even in the winter months, those worms are working away.  The beauty of a compost heap is that it will remain warm all winter long.  The worms will be happy and so will you when you see what they accomplish while you are inside staying toasty warm.

Autumn is also a great time to buy yourself a new pair of gloves, because I'm sure the ones you started out with in the spring have seen better days, and they just might be on sale at this time of year. You know you will always use them.

Once the gardens are all cleaned-up, it will be easy to see where to plant all the tulips and daffodils, crocus and snowbells, grape hyacinths and some irises too!  The time to do that is now!   Fall Bulbs are available in just about every garden store around.  If you want that gorgeous Spring Garden you do have to plant those bulbs in the fall.  Spring will be just bursting forth sooner than you think and those bulbs will be so happy to grow in your well mulched beds. It's a little bit of heaven in just a few short months and something to pin your hopes on while the cold winds blow. The Leaves you have mulched added under the bulbs will give those bulbs an extra boost of good compost right under their roots, so they will grow big and strong! You won't be disappointed. Good gardeners and great gardens all give so much credit to the mulch that is brought right down into the soil. Best of all, it's free fertilizer and no chemicals! All natural, Mother Nature will thank you and so will all your family when they are enjoying the fruits of your labor. Such a pretty sight, a well tended garden can bring a smile to you and everyone else too!

I hope you take the time to enjoy the changing of the seasons and preparing your gardens for the Spring of 2018!  In planting for the spring, you give everyone a reason to hope for the future and the brightness of your fabulous garden to come.

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All pictures are courtesy of Pixabay.  

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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5 Important Tips to Keep Orchids Happy All Year-A Review

Orchids have become one of the most popular gifts for many occasions!  Let's Review how to keep  these orchids happy and growing.

 

Introduction

Orchids at one time were very expensive plants to buy.  Mainly it was because they did not multiply easily.  Science has made great inroads into cloning plants especially the Phalaenopsis Orchids or Butterfly Orchids.

These once elusive plants are now available to the everyday gardener and home garden.  Orchids that used to carry price tags of thousands of dollars are now within everyone's reach.

As you can see from these examples of Phalaenopsis orchids, they vary in color and some have stripes or dots of colors.  Some are plain solid colors while others are variegated.  There are endless varieties of this type of orchid available and at reasonable prices too.  Orchids are no longer a plant for only the rich, they are the plant for everyone!

Care of your Orchids

There are 5 really important tips to keep your orchids happy and growing.  They are not rocket science, rather, they are the conditions that will make them prosper and thrive.

1.  Indirect Bright Light
This is possibly the most important aspect of caring for orchids.  They don't want to be in direct sun.  They don't grow that way in their native settings and they don't like it when you bring them to your home.  If you have a nice sunny south facing window, your orchids will love it there, but only if there is a light curtain or shade between them and the window.

2. Watering
Most people love to go around watering their plants and maybe even letting them sit in a small saucer of water.  For orchids this is a death sentence.  Orchids are symbiotic in nature, they cling to areas in other trees where branches "v" out.  Their roots hang down from the branches and are watered during the rains.  When the rains stop, the roots are no longer wet, but dry out rather quickly.  At home they are looking for the same treatment.  Water them only when they are dried out.  Every 7 to 10 days and then do not let them sit in a pool of water.  If water seeps out after they have been watered, remove all the water in the saucer.

3. Fertilizing Orchids
Use only fertilizers made for orchids.  There is a saying in the orchid community, when you feed your orchids, feed them weekly, weakly.  Orchids also do well with a marked change in temperatures during their growing season.  If you have nice hot summers, you can find a nice shady spot for your orchid and then leave it outdoors until the temperatures start to drop.  10 to 15 degrees in temperature drops helps orchids to push their new stems and blooms.

4.  Repotting
Most home gardeners don't like the look of the arial roots on orchids.  They just seem to want to stay out of the pot instead of in it.  Most of the time orchids look like they are trying to crawl out of their pots.  But and this is a big but, you should not repot them until you see a marked decline in the orchid bark and in between the plant flowering.  Never ever repot during a blooming period!

5.  Check your Orchids often
As part of growing orchids at home, you should check your orchids often.  They do happen to come down with some bugs that will impair their looks and could end up killing them.  The worst of these pests is scale.  Again it is easy to take care of if you are aware there is a problem.  A "Q-tip" dipped in rubbing alcohol will dislodge and kill scale insects.  You can watch this You Tube video to see how to do this!

If there was just one more tip that I could add in here, it would be to make sure your orchid is in a pot that has drainage.  There are specialty orchid pots available.  Some of these pots are very beautiful and have designs that make them a really nice focal point.  How the pot looks though, is not as important as the fact that it drains water away.

So there you have it!  5 Very Important Tips to keep your orchids happy and blooming for many years to come.

If you have never grown an orchid before, now is a great time to try it. The flowers are incredible and last for months. There is no other houseplant that will do that for you! Drop me a line if you'd like to know more.

*orchid pictures courtesy of Pixabay.com

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Look up, Look way Up Suddenly, Migratory Birds are Moving!

The Seasons are Changing and so is everything around us.  Leaves are starting to turn their blazing colors or orange and red, gold and crimson,  The air is thick with movement.  Birds are chattering away and filling themselves up with seeds, butterflies are filling up on nectar and inevitably we know that they will become visions of the past.  Let's Review what kind of Migratory Birds we will be seeing in the skies over the next few weeks, or at least until the snow starts to fly. While we are at it, we will also look at some Fall Fun that we can have with our families.

What are Migratory Birds?

In the northern hemisphere, we have changing seasons and with those changing seasons we are also treated to changing wildlife around us.  Birds that spend their winter months  in Mexico and Central America and further south are moving north in the spring.  Likewise when it starts to get cooler here, those same birds are now making plans to head back to their southern feeding grounds.  Now not all birds migrate, but many do! In the fall we are treated to some of the nicest color changes that our landscape can offer.  Trees are turning colors and seed production is at an all time high.  Sunflowers are a favorite feeding stop for many migratory birds. They feed on the oily seeds to give them the strength they will need to make the long trip south.  

Oily Sunflower Seeds are a great food source for birds.

What kinds of Birds will you see Migrating?

The list of migratory birds for us is rather long, but you might not see all of these in your area.  Some of the most startling ones are the geese, which fly in their never changing "V" pattern.  If you listen you will hear them before you see them.  All the honking they do to let their own flock know where they are going. Hummingbirds will be visiting all the feeders and emptying them out, they have a long trek in their near future. It's a great time to make sure there is nectar in those feeders.  There are hundreds of different birds that will be migrating and depending on where you live you may or may not see them all.  If you are into Birdwatching, your chances at recognizing which birds are in the air will be a lot better!  A good pair of binoculars and a really good Bird Book will help you become more familiar with the movement in the air.  

If you are interested in a list of all the Migratory Birds of North America, click on that link and Wikipedia will list all the birds that are making their moves in the fall.  Check on both the Eastern and Western areas as some of them will not be seen on one side or the other.  

Family Fun During the Fall

I love watching the birds in the changing seasons.  There is a great opportunity to share with our children and grandchildren, the changes that nature goes through when one season moves into the next.  There is always something to learn.  Family camping trips always highlighted birdwatching and just learning about nature around us. Trees and flowers change too and many children are busy collecting leaves for school projects.  There are some wonderful ideas for Fall learning and things for children to do.  It's not just the birds that they can learn about, it's the changes in nature from the ground right up to the sky.

Now don't forget, when you see the leaves falling down, it's time to Look up, Look way up, you will probably be treated to some migratory birds in your area.  Have you ever seen something so beautiful?

All pictures are from Pixabay.com

If you would like to know more about bird watching you can click on these links and learn more about the wonderful world of Birds and Bird Watching.

• Review of Guide for Bird Watchers
• Review of Tips on Photographing Backyard Birds
• Getting Ready for a Wonderful Winter with the Birds!

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Skeletons in the Closet, Life is Unfair

My Secret Sister: Jenny Lucas and Helen Edwards' Family Story
It seems to me that many people use the quote "Life is Unfair" in a very flippant way! Usually when they don't get their own way about things. In the True Life story titled My Secret Sister, this quote really means what it says. I'd like to share this book with you and some thoughts of mine along the way, come along on my Review of My Secret Sister.

Jenny and Helen

Let's be clear, this is an autobiography of two women, who only recently became aware of each other. Their stories are on the opposite ends of the spectrum. Jenny Lee Smith and Helen Edwards only found out about each other recently. Through lots of lies, half-truths, and wanton disregard for their feelings, these two sisters are finally putting all of the questions about themselves and each other to rest. They are busy making up for 44 years of searching that finally brought them together.

Background

Jenny:

Jenny Lucas had a charmed life. Oh she wasn't born with a silver spoon in her mouth, but her parents doted on her and she was the center of their universe.  The only child in a family where mom and dad were on the "older" side, she was the apple of their eye.  When her father took up golfing, he brought his daughter along and taught her how to golf too.  He even made her the very first golf clubs she used because she was only a little more than a toddler. Golf became her driving ambition. She was such a natural with the clubs and it gave her precious time with her father, whom she adored. When her father died, she really felt lost.  Cleaning up after his death, Jenny comes across a birth certificate.  It's the first inkling that she has about the possibility that she is not who she thought she was.  Not wanting to hurt her mother, she files this information away.  

Helen: 
Helen on the other hand was abused physically, mentally and emotionally most of her life. Her mother and father were either hateful, selfish and self centered at any given time. If any of those two characteristics came together at once, Helen paid the ultimate price for their mental state. Always told she was at fault for any and every turn of bad luck, she quickly learned to steer clear of her parents or do their bidding, whatever that may have entailed. Beatings at the hand of her father were not uncommon and her mother would just watch in a state of indifference, lest she also become a target of his rage.  Helen has an older half-brother who doesn't live at home anymore, but comes around trying his best to save Helen from his step father's wrath.  He is her "knight in shining armor." 

For years these two girls each wanted a sister, a confidant, to share their stories, troubles and tribulations with. Each in their own way was longing for some sense of belonging that wasn't being fulfilled in their own lives.  It would be years though before they would find each other.
I don't want to give away too much of the story, but want to encourage you to read it. 

There is nothing like having a sister in your life.

Insights from my perspective:

If you know of anyone who is adopted, or if you are part of a circle of "Family Secrets", I want you to understand that those secrets can be very destructive and divisive.  They hurt people who are looking for answers.  If someone in your family comes to you with questions and they are old enough to know the answers, I would encourage you to talk to the parents, but if they are no longer alive, then tell them the truth.  Don't sugar coat the truth, don't make excuses, don't embellish the story, just tell them what you know to be truth.  

I am so grateful for the opening up of adoption records, so that children who want to know about their birth parents have that opportunity.   It doesn't mean that everything will be rosy and perfect, there is no such state in life, but it gives the person seeking answers, a hope that could fill in a lot of blanks.

From my own experience, I have an adopted grandson and I'm so thrilled that he is in our lives. He came to us at 2 days old.  He knows he's adopted and he also knows that we love him dearly. When and if he wants to know more he will be told the truth by his parents (my daughter and son-in-law).

 I also have a niece that was given up for adoption 40 plus years ago.  We (our whole extended family) became reunited 3 years ago.  It was a most joyous celebration of lost family, found. She was able to express to her birth mother that she was happy, and the birth mother had a hole in her heart filled. We have her in our lives again and it's wonderful. 

Unwanted pregnancies are as old as time itself.  It is high time that we take the stigma off of being born "out of wedlock" or "not wanted" and realize that when children are given up for adoption, the mother and/or father are trying to make the best decisions for their child.  They should be applauded for understanding that they may not be equipped to be the best parents, but they should also be ready to possibly meet that child again when they are all grown up.

My Secret Sister was not an easy book to read, maybe because of our family dynamic.  In the end, there is still longing and heartbreak, but there is also hope and joy.  It was a very interesting and enlightening book!

Picture from Pixabay.com

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Let's Review The Best Proven Seed Saving Practices

Summer is coming to an end and already we (gardeners) are looking forward to next year's gardens. Let's Review what happened in the garden this year and the best way to keep seeds for next years masterpiece.   Looking at what we have  growing now , gives us the opportunity to analyse what worked in the garden and what didn't.

Every gardener I know has some complaints about the plants or vegetables that have made their garden home for the last few months.  We are never completely satisfied with our results!  I think the gardener's motto must be something like:  Next Year The Garden will be Perfect!

Alas, that year has never happened for me and if I know most (humble) gardeners would say the same thing. Even the most perfect garden seems to fall short, somewhere.  Let's not dwell on that, let's look for ways that we can improve what we have.

Garden Journal

Hopefully you have been keeping a "Garden Journal".   What's a Gardening Journal?   Simply put, this is a book of your choice, where you note how your plants are growing, flowering, and going to seed.  You can also add information like what kind of pest problems they have encountered or how much watering they require.  Where they were planted, ie:  Full Sun, Partial Sun, Afternoon sun etc.  If you want to be really technical, you can also take note of other garden issues.  What plants go well together and which combinations were not as effective as you would have liked.  How well they flowered and so on.  The details of each plant and how it fared in your garden, are completely up to you. The garden journal I have shown you in the Amazon listing is great for filling in all kinds of details.  But, you can also do this with a simple plain lined notebook.

Finding the Seeds

If you go out in your garden you have to find the seeds.  If you are saving flower seeds, you will have to look where the flowers are and look at the base.  It helps if you have a little knowledge of plant biology.  You don't have to be a scientist, but it will make finding the seeds easier if you know where to look.

A Beginner's Guide to Flower Structure  

Every flower has the same "basic" structure in that there is the flower, inside is the pistil and stamens (these are the important parts when it comes to seed production) and underneath there is the sepals/calyx to hold the flower all together.  Let's see if a picture can make it easier to understand. The first picture is a jasmine blossom.  The petals of the flower are white.  Internally you can see the stamens and pistil.  If you look at the flower facing away from the camera, you will see the sepals/calyx.  Bees or other insects come and rub against the stamens to collect the pollen that they produce.  When the insect is leaving the flower, it may rub against the pistil and that will trigger seed production.  This is the basic way seeds are produced and if you'd like a little more in depth breakdown of the Parts of a Flower you can watch this short but precise You Tube Video: Parts of a Flower

Jasmine Flowers showing Basic Flower Parts

Poppy Flower Pods Center one is ripe and the two on either side are not quite ready yet.

In this picture you see the seed pods of a poppy flower.  The tallest one is ripe, you can see that there are little holes under the "cap". Tilting this stem will make the poppy seeds pour out.  The other two pods in this picture still need to mature a little longer.  Once they show signs of the little holes, they too will pour out their seeds easily. Poppy seeds are small round and black or dark brown.  Each seed pod has thousands of poppy seeds within.  It is one of the most prolific seed producers.

Storing the Seeds

So now that you know where to look for your seeds, we need to store them until spring.  This is an important part of the whole exercise.  If you don't store the seeds properly, they may turn moldy and rot.  Then when spring comes you will be left with buying seeds again.  So let's not do that.  Let's store our seeds so that when spring arrives, we will have plenty of seeds for our wonderful garden of 2018.

Seeds can be stored in a variety of ways.  I personally like envelopes that are opaque.  They let you see the seeds within the packets so that you know right away that they are not rotting.  If you place your seeds in plastic bags, any moisture will remain contained and could adversely affect the seeds within.  Some of my gardening friends keep their seeds in old pill bottles.  That works too, so long as the seeds are really dry when they are placed inside.  Always use clean containers that will be labelled with the name of the plant on the outside.  Again I like to use envelopes because I place them into my Garden Journal along with the notes about that particular plant. Make sure you label your envelopes with the flower's name, color, and any other information you might want to keep.

If you are using a different method of storage, whether old pill containers or small jars, again, make sure you label them.  Keep all your seed filled containers in a nice box for easy storage.   You think you will remember what seeds  you put into each jar or pill bottle, trust me, you will not remember. It's much easier to do it NOW! 

Cool and Dark and Dry

Now that you have all your seeds nicely categorized and labelled clear out a nice dark and cool space to keep your journal or container of seeds.  Make sure it's a nice dry spot too.  We don't want to disturb our seeds during the months that they will be sleeping.  We just want to ensure that when the right time comes (spring of 2018) they will be more than ready to do their magic.  

Seed Collecting is Fun

Seed collection is fun, but it is also a great way to educate your children and grandchildren.  With all the talk about Genetically modified seeds and plants, you know that you can have your own supply of seed that is not modified and will grow.  Heirloom seeds are making the news all the time.  You can start your own heirloom seeds if you follow the instructions you find here.  This Review is about flower seeds mostly, but the same principles can apply to vegetables too.  That is why I included some books for your reading pleasure. Vegetable seeds need a little more attention when it comes to collecting, preparing and storing them.  Please do yourself a favor and do some reading, I don't want you to be disappointed with your results.  

Beginners will want to start with seeds that are easy to find.  Here's a whole bunch that will start you off on the right foot!

• poppies
• Four O'Clocks
• snapdragons
• moss roses or portulaca
• marigolds
• cosmos
• morning glories
• bleeding hearts

Please let me know in your comments if you are planning to do some seed collecting and what types of seeds you will be adding to your "stash".  I'm always interested in knowing more about other people's gardens.  

**all pictures are from Pixabay.com 

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Book Lovers Day, Let's Review Coffee Table Books for Everyone

In honor of Book Lovers Day, I'm looking at my collection of books and marveling at the variety of subjects that grace my coffee table!

Let's Review what makes a great Coffee Table Book Collection and see where it takes us.

The beauty about Coffee Table books is that they are really truly works of art in themselves.  The topics can range from Architecture right through to Zebras in the Serengeti!   There are subjects that are as individual as we all are.  What appeals to one person may not appeal to another and yet when I look at Coffee Table Books (the big ones with beautiful pictures of people and places), I am always in awe at the myriad of choices.  The one common part of every Coffee Table Book is a great review of the topic and pictures that you and I will never be able to replicate.  

Travel Books

Travel books make a great collection that will be enjoyed by your many friends and family.  Especially if they are places that you have visited.  Most of the time these Travel Books have the highest quality pictures and always done under the most perfect conditions.  Now let's be clear, I am not talking about "Travel Guides" for different destinations, but rather those beautiful large hard covered books that show places in their best and most photographic light.  I have a beautiful book on the Sistine Chapel.  It is one of my favorite Coffee Table Books, because while I have seen the Sistine Chapel with my own eyes, trying to get a great picture of it when there are hundreds of people milling about, is almost impossible.  

Special Interest Books

Everyone has their own special interests and that is what makes coffee table books so interesting to me.  You may like History, while someone else is into the History of Comics.  Both of these subjects are well covered in Coffee Table Books.  There is everything in between too!  Fashion, Wars, Machinery, Animals and a host of other topics are all bound up in beautiful books that just wait for your eyes to enjoy them.  The turning of the pages will show you picture after picture of marvels that man has either made, built, destroyed and more.  There are books to inspire and even Old First Edition books that are proudly displayed on the coffee table or a bookshelf close by.  One of my favorite topics is Architecture, so needless to say this book featuring works of Gaudi, happens to be a "go to"  book when I need to relax and just enjoy some amazing buildings that are famous in their own rite.

Humor and Levity don't stray too far from our Coffee Table either!

My husband can be found on a Sunday evening enjoying the antics of "Calvin and Hobbs!"  He had started to collect the comics out of the paper especially when he found one that related so well to our children.  He would keep these in a file folder at his desk.  One time when one of  our boys came home, they found his "clippings file!"  That Christmas they got together and purchased the Complete Collection of Calvin and Hobbs for their dad.  Today, 10 years later, it is not uncommon to see him enjoying this gift and laughing with delight.  Friends have come for a visit and found themselves drawn to our eclectic collection of coffee table books.  Needless to say we enjoy sharing these books with our friends.  Is there a rhyme or reason for any of these books to be there?  No, other than they are all topics that we enjoy.  We can pull out a book and lose ourselves in the Space Race, the Sistine Chapel, Gaudi's amazing architecture or just laugh with Calvin or Elizabeth in my "For Better or Worse Collection."  Of course these days there is also a whole section in our bookcase beside the coffee table for the Complete Works of  Dr. Seuss!  When the grandchildren come to visit, they have their own "little library" and sit quite contently on the floor, flipping through their books strewn all over the coffee table.

Topics for Everyone!

Coffee Table Books come in any genre imaginable.  There are lovely books on Dogs, Cats, Birds, Mountains, Fish in the Oceans, and the list is endless.  I would suggest that if you have a friend or two with a special interest in a certain topic, you will find a Coffee Table book that they would enjoy for many years to come.  They do make a great gift for that person that has just about everything under the sun and I know that they will get enjoyment out of your thoughtfulness.  A beautiful quote that suits your friend and the topic of the book is all that needs to be added.  What a wonderful gift indeed!

Just In Case:

There is the chance that you don't really like these lovely picture books, so for those who would rather have a pile of paperbacks or latest Best Sellers on their coffee table, then check out all the great Book Reviews you'll find right here: Review This Book Reviews

All pictures are courtesy of Pixabay.com

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN) and/or Esty (Awin) Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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