T Stands For Lemons

 

I had intended an entirely different post today.  However, I accidentally deleted the photos from my camera.  No way to get them back, no matter what I tried.  Here it is nearly T time, so I had to think of something different. 

When life gives you lemons,

 

grab this mug.

 

I've shown you mine, now it's your turn to share your T entry this week.  The rules are extremely simple.  Your drink related post may be anything from a photo of a glass, cup, or mug, to an actual drink.  You may choose to share a sketch or a digital, hybrid, or traditional page in your scrapbook, art journal, or altered book, as I have done.  Maybe you'd prefer to share a tag, or wow us with your photography.  You might choose a postcard or decorated card.  You might even draw an image on a used tea bag.  Or perhaps you prefer to review a place you visited, a movie, or book.  It makes no difference as long as it's drink related.  And don't forget that the more unique and outside the box it is, the better we like it.  Please tie it back here, and please link only to your T post, not your entire blog.  When you link, Bleubeard, the T gang, and I will be by to visit.   Bleubeard would also like to remind you that your photos may be taken any time.   

 

 

If it's Sunday, it's Rocking Horses.

 

It's time to share a few more rocking horses.  Today Bleubeard and I are also joining Nicole for Sunday in the Art Room or SITAR, and Gillena for Sunday Smiles.  Bleubeard and I are sharing these rocking horses out of necessity.  

Even though it is in the high 80s F (31ish C) today, it won't be long until it will be time to bring my herbs inside.

 

This is the location where many of the herbs will live through the winter, so the books and rocking horses must find another area in which to live until spring arrives next year.

 

There are three wooden rockers, each different, and a ceramic composite rocker.

 

It never ceases to amaze me that there are no two alike.  Some may be similar, but not exactly the same 

 

(with the exception of the six tiny horses on clothes pins)

 

  and the three tiny buttons. 

 

But I digress.  Please enjoy the photos I took of these before they go elsewhere for winter.

 

 

Thanks for visiting Bleubeard and me today.  Please also join us at 

 

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Haircut Day

 

Last week was haircut day.  Not for me, although I certainly need one, but for my herbs. 

Let's start on the far left and work our way from there.  I bought three lavender plants this year and have killed two of them already.  One is still surviving, but not thriving.

 

My very expensive lemon grass is wedged between two pots of oregano that I cut back. The lemon grass kept falling over due to our high winds, so I gave it a bit of help standing up.

 

The large beige pot holds thyme, which overwinters outside thanks to Erika's advice.  The dark brown pot to the right is lemon thyme.  Although it may not appear as such, it got a haircut, too.  The black pot in the center is thyme I purchased this year.

 

The two white pots on the right are rosemary.  The plant in the larger pot got the haircut.

 

The large white pot in back on the right is comfrey.

 

This is a better view of the comfrey.  The bee balm/bergamot that has overwintered two winters seems to have died.  I have no idea why.  It's sad.  In front are my chives before I used nearly half the bunch in a salad I made.  Another rosemary sits behind the chives.

 

As you can see, I cut a great deal of the sage.  All three pots (the two terracotta colors and the black) received drastic cuts, even though they don't look like I removed much.

 

The two white pots are milkweed which have never flowered.

 

I believe I will leave the rest for another day. Thanks for joining me in my herb garden.  I hope I didn't bore you.

And because I need a face, 

I give you the face of our blog, the charming and handsome Bleubeard hanging out with me in the basement studio.  Also, please join us at 

 

     these two art blogs.  

  

 

T Stands For Gift Basket I Won

 

Several people have asked me to show the contents of the gift basket I won from The Spice Merchant back in early March.

Let's head to the PBS lobby.

 

Walk with me to the alternate (side) entry.

 

 Once inside, I signed in, then waited while the receptionist found someone to bring me the gift basket.  While I waited,

 

I took advantage of watching the various shows and stations available.

 

On the top left is the main/PBS Kansas channel. The top right carries Explore.  The bottom left transmits Create.  The bottom right is the PBS Kid's Channel (which airs ages seven and under childrens shows 24/7).  

 

Yes, my PBS carries four separate channels.  That's why Federal defunding was so devastating here.  We are all viewer supported, unlike some states that give millions of dollars, or those that are connected to some major university.  My state (Kansas) gives my PBS station $50,000 (USD) a year.  You read right.  If we get enough new senators and congress people, maybe we can reverse that.

 

Note the new rules.  The Discovery Center is no longer FREE because of defunding.

 

 

  I'm sure some of you remember when I took you to The Discovery Center and Victor 

Hogstrom, President and CEO of PBS Kansas, came in to greet me.  This guy is so thoughtful, and goes out of his way to meet with major donors like myself.

  

But I digress.  You can tell this photo was taken back in early March because of the decorations.  

 

 

 Here is part of the Wall of Giving that I was on for several years.

   

Back in the car, I took a photo of the basket that was valued at $120.00 (USD).  To be honest, I wasn't that impressed with it.  I ended up giving over half of the contents to Sally, who was more enthusiastic than I.  There was lots of shredding that filled the bottom of the basket.  What you saw was everything.  No hidden pieces below.

 

I gave Sally the plastic coffee scoop and 1/2 pound of Colombian ground coffee. She wasn't interested in the Breakfast Blend.  You  might be able to see the biscotti in the bag.  I gave her half.  You have seen the mug "Scatter seeds of kindness," because I've used it several times.

 

There was 1 ounce of lavender flowers.  Behind it was a rubber like round, flat object that keeps a bowl from sliding on the kitchen counter.  I had no idea what it was, but Sally did and because it was pink, wouldn't go in my kitchen.  She got that, too.

 

 You can just barely see the cookies.  Below them is the pink and blue tea towel I also gave to Sally. 

 

  I'm sure you remember the cookies where the chocolate chips were so hard and tiny they would never melt.

The bow was cheesy, but you get a better view of the tea towel because it also has green in it.  It's just to the left of the letter "S." Directly above the lavender and to the right of the letter "r," is a rubber jar opener.  I apparently gave it to Sally, too because I couldn't find it the other day when I was trying to open a jar.

 

What I kept was the mug, the lavender, the horrible cookies, and half the biscotti.  Sally made out better than I, but only because I insisted she take all that stuff.  I gave the basket to my next door neighbor and put the shredding in the compost pile.  I don't believe there was any tea in the basket, which surprises me because of all the loose leaf blends they carry.

 

I've shown you mine, now it's your turn to share your T entry this week.  The rules are extremely simple.  Your drink related post may be anything from a photo of a glass, cup, or mug, to an actual drink.  You may choose to share a sketch or a digital, hybrid, or traditional page in your scrapbook, art journal, or altered book, as I have done.  Maybe you'd prefer to share a tag, or wow us with your photography.  You might choose a postcard or decorated card.  You might even draw an image on a used tea bag.  Or perhaps you prefer to review a place you visited, a movie, or book.  It makes no difference as long as it's drink related.  And don't forget that the more unique and outside the box it is, the better we like it.  Please tie it back here, and please link only to your T post, not your entire blog.  When you link, Bleubeard, the T gang, and I will be by to visit.   Bleubeard would also like to remind you that your photos may be taken any time.    

 

 

 

 

 

If it's Sunday, it's Rocking Horses

 

It's time to share a very unusual and beloved rocking horse.  Today Bleubeard and I are also joining Nicole for Sunday in the Art Room or SITAR, and Gillena for Sunday Smiles.   

Today I only have one rocking horse, but it is both beautiful and functional.  

 

It holds one of my rings I can't wear due to my lupus which makes my body break out around any ring, watch, or anything metal.  Before you ladies ask, I can't wear bras with metal fasteners.

 

It's even more functional than being a ring holder.

 

Do you see what the rocker is hiding?

 

Even PhotoShop couldn't lighten this enough for you to see it clearly.

 

 

Finally.  After over 30 photos, I got one that actually shows the functional part that's normally hidden.  Yes, it's a pencil sharpener.  It was a gift one year for Christmas.

 

A lousy close up of the face.  The background was in focus, the foreground wasn't.

 

I had a bit better luck with the tail.

 

I tried to show the copper patina, which doesn't show in the other photos.  Too bad even PhotoShop was unable to color correct with much luck.  At least, I hope you had a smile or two when you saw this one-of-a-kind rocking horse.

 

Thanks for visiting Bleubeard and me today.  Please join us at 

 

 and