05 June, 2008

New critters at our cottage

Found: One lop-eared bunny beside the road at the edge or our rural neighborhood. Isn't she cute?? I was on my way to pick up 13 yos from church, and I noticed the poor frightened thing beside the road. Of course I had to swing around, park, and save her.


Notice the cute markings. The bunny is very mild and sweet. If we don't notice any "lost bunny" signs, then I'll assume it was abandoned purposefully. Then we'll find a new home for it, since we have cats. I'd love to keep the bunny!



Now this critter is not a welcome site. We need to make sure he does not get into the attic and wreak havoc. I knew it was only a matter of time for one of these to show up, since we are serving up free food to the birds...Oi!

04 June, 2008

Spanish Magazine Special


I really like this magazine and love to keep them on hand for my kids and other students. These might work with younger, serious students but mainly I'd say about 12 or 13 and up. I will incorporate time for these in my classes this upcoming schoolyear as part of the "big four" important components of learning a foreign language. There is a glossary in the margins of vocab and phrases used in the context of the magazine articles.

Think Spanish magazine is usually $45.95 per year, but with this special is only $29.95

This brief offer is good through tomorrow night.

I've also been reading a thin version of Sports Illustrated in Spanish for my own reading. Not that I love sports all that much, but to give me broader vocabulary and usage, which is helpful for my kids or students who are into sports. The editions I've seen so far have all been very clean magazines!


Chao for now!

Señora Javamom

02 June, 2008

Today's Harvest ~ Simple Joys

Veggies picked this morning




Over the weekend, Sparsebeard drove a few stakes into the ground so that I could stake up our bushy grape and roma tomato plants. It makes them looks so lush and beautiful! I followed the "Canadian Weave" technique, I think ;-).

I still need to stake or string the melon plants, as they are running aground and attaching themselves to everything in their paths.



Crookneck squash - yum! The one I picked will be sauteed for dinner.




This basil will be mixed into a pesto very soon. These are indeed some satisfying and simple joys, and some excellent summer school subjects for our kids!!

Do you long for the tastes of early summer?


May you enjoy a fresh garden salad every day...


Javamom

29 May, 2008

Adorable Birds


I've been spotting our baby cardinal this week, but have not gotten a photo of him, until today. I decided to fill only the feeders at the deck so that I'd have a better chance of viewing more birds. It worked! Little guy was back today, and he seems to be getting redder now. He looks a little worn as he moults from his baby feathers. This photo is smaller resolution than my original.



Because of limiting the feeders, the birds are patiently waiting in line for each other. It looks like the last one is thinking, "Could you hurry up already?" Different birds would take turns like this all day long. It was really funny!



Then Mr. Woodpecker showed up for his turn at the bugs near one of the feeders.


Two more treats of the day:


I have about 35 shots of this mama feeding seeds to her not-so-small baby. In some of the shots, it is obvious that his tail is still very short. When he flies, his wings move rapidly as he flits about.




surprised by red finches



I'm becoming spoiled by these sites.

28 May, 2008

Garden Progress

These were taken about a week ago, maybe a little more, so you can imagine that the tomato and squash plants are even larger, now.





The veggies enjoyed our TX heat last week, and we've been able to have some lovely salads with our meals.


Our cute little strawberry plant is doing pretty well, too!

27 May, 2008

A fun blog meme

Tim's Mom has created a neat meme! I was tagged by my friend, Katie at CM, Children, and Lots of Grace.


If you came to our house--You would see:

Many interesting textures and multiple tableaux of things:

Curtains tied up to the curtain rod by raffia. My pottery and pitcher collection atop the TV armoire; A very old color TV; feathers in an old spool displayed like flowers in a vase; Old World framed map; map of the state birds of America; Cello, mandolin, guitar, banjo or other instruments standing about; percussion instruments on shelves; baskets on shelves of musical instruments, some from various parts of the country and world; small heirloom tea set from my grandmothers on a tall bookshelf; Harvard classics; Set of Waverly Novels; framed photos of people and places taken by family members, including a couple of large family portraits; stacks of books down on the floor and coffee table, as well as many bookshelves in nearly all the rooms of our cottage; miniature books; dried herbs hanging up-side-down, tied to a stick-bar hanging from a shelf; Americana; butter churn, large crocks, washboard; washtub bass - really! paintbrushes in a small pitcher for a table centerpiece; Local Handcrafted pottery; Ansel Adams Prints in the bathroom; many unfinished projects which one might not notice upon first glance! My collection of red-handled, old kitchen tools hanging all 'round the top of the wall near the ceiling for decoration; thrift store furniture that you'd not recognize as thrift store furniture; calendars, artifacts, books, and little trinkets from trips to various countries; sand and shells from various beaches, some foreign (Mediterranean, Adriatic, and Caribbean seas); Nature baskets with neat little finds displayed; an old bucket filled with bean bags and beanie babies for friends with small children who visit. They can do bean bag toss or just play with the beanies; a vase or two of wildflowers in season; old books everywhere; A white board in the family room for my Spanish classes; Our orange, fluffy kitties "Tigger" and our grey-striped "Mittens." A large, wooden sword made for a British Lit. class. It stands in a "sculpted" hand hanging on our wall; Art posters from Florence, Italy. Spanish Language Magazines on the coffee table, along with Smithsonian Magazines and a couple of poetry books, Texas Wildflower books.



We'd probably feed you:
New Mexico roasted Green Chile, Greek Food or Veggie stir-fry, then finish the meal off with Brownies.

And offer you this to drink:
Filtered water, or Freshly brewed coffee, espresso, or tea.

We'd undoubtedly ask if you'd read:
Billy Collins' poetry, William Faulkner, Mark Twain, Jane Austen, C.S. Lewis, Francis Schaeffer, Emerson, Thoreau, or Louisa May Alcott.

We'd want to play this music for you:
Original guitar or mandolin music, played on one of the mandolins that hubby made from scratch. Classical music station or Celtic music, depending on the mood. If you came early while I was still tidying up for your visit, you would catch me cleaning to Paul Simon's live album in Central Park, which is a wonderful compilation of many of his best songs, some set to African Drumming.



We'd want to tell you the latest about:
Our experiences with blackberry picking and preserving this year. Our plans for the upcoming homeschool year and what you may be planning, as well. We could discuss politics a little bit and talk about how we plan to save gas by making fewer trips into town and downgrading to a smaller, more economical car or even a scooter. Just don't go into town! I strongly disagree with my president. Don't shop more than absolutely *necessary!* JUST say NO to daily driving!! hahaha. Most of America just cannot do that.

We'd probably suggest a game of:
Nerts or Mexican Train (dominoes) although we really don't play many games, but are game if others are!

We might show off:
Our cool espresso maker from Italy, restored vintage books, homemade instruments, home made tools, other projects like blackberry jam or pear butter, LOL.


We might get on the computer and show you:
We would not get on the computer while you are here, not unless we were so curious about something that we just had to "Google" it right away; you know - for song lyrics or a recipe or something of immediate import.

If it was a long enough visit, we might watch:
each other play and sing music together, hymns and gospel music, old songs, whatever! We would not bust out a movie until your second or other subsequent visit.

UPDATE: p.s. In the kids' rooms:

Boys: football pictures, hammocks, legos, airsoft guns, desks and old laptops.

DD: hand-painted projects by her friends and herself. Dried flowers. Italian "PACE" rainbow flag. bulletin board of favorite cards and notes from friends. a few band posters or pictures. Stacks of books everywhere, everywhere.

What would a visit to your house be like?

I tag Donna Jean, if she's not too busy, TeacherBrit, or Señora Smith! You're it!


26 May, 2008

Preparing blackberries for various uses

The joy of eating fresh blackberries, alone or with granola, is one of which we cannot get enough! However, we cannot eat the fresh ones completely before they spoil, so gallons have been flash frozen for later usage with whole-grain pancakes, muffins, fruit desserts, etc. I've also begun making jam. I hope to finish that up today. In the first photo, I am drying the berries before lightly mashing them to cook into jam.


I have set larger ones aside (in the small plastic container) to go with the homemade cake for individual cups of blackberry trifle that we will have with our Memorial Day meal today.



Pound cake made by The Hubster! We were both in the mood to cook something up.


I decided to throw a few frozen berries into a sparkling berry drink, to see how it worked and tasted. It looks pretty festive, and it was very tasty! I ended up adding more than this, and a few of them were quite tart.



Here, I am scooping the hot jam into jars for canning. I have a couple of more containers full to cook up, so will be busy again today. It's such a "good" busy though, and I find that I am sleeping better after all this harvesting and prepping! It is all very satisfying, and a sure sign that summer is officially upon us!

How has your summer begun?


Javamom







25 May, 2008

Favorite wildflowers


Spiderwort - one of my top five favorite wildflowers





(Lemon) Horsemint is the name of the layered purple flower in the back. There are meadows of these located in the park where we picked so many wild blackberries.




You can see the random critters that we often bring in with our flowers. The spider on the Indian Blanket above is raring up in defensive mode to warn me that he is not happy with my messing with his happy home in the flowers. If you look closely, you can spot the inchworm in the middle photo.


24 May, 2008

The compulsion of Blackberries



“Give you a reason on compulsion! If reasons were as plentiful as blackberries, I would give no man a reason upon compulsion, I.”

~ William Shakespeare


Wouldn't you want to keep picking them, too? Look how large the largest ones are! They are organic...and basically free. How many have been harvested, you may ask? At least twelve gallons worth, amongst ourselves and our friends who've joined us multiple days this whole week...

Let the jam and pie making begin!

Javamom

22 May, 2008

Blackberry Quote

"The running blackberry would adorn the parlors of heaven,"

~ Walt Whitman in Song of Myself