Awards...and more...

A thank you to my friend Kay over at: http://www.therusticcottage.blogspot.com/ for the BFF blogger award shown here:

The rules are:
1. Only five people allowed.
2. Four of them have to be dedicated followers of your blog and one has to be new and live in another part of the world.
3. You have to link back to who gave you the award.

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I choose the following gals:

Laura:2 Lmz farm :http://2lmzfarms.blogspot.com/

Aunt Jenny: http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/

Wanda: http://rosesinwinter.blogspot.com/

Deena: http://deenasstory.blogspot.com/

Marian at: http://princess-of-pink-creations.blogspot.com/

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Wanted to ask you all to remember Deena in your thoughts and prayers as she goes for an MRI tomorrow morning.

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We are seeing some chilly weather here in our area..temps dipping down to frost tonight...brrr.

Seems like the cold winds have blown in a little bit early this year for us here in North Florida.

(shiver, shiver)

Covered a few plants, but didn't have enough towels, blankets for everything...so I hope that some of those plants are hardy ones.

The jade plant and the jatropha plant got covered, and a few others..and then a few small plants were brought in by the back door.

Crossing my fingers that what isn't covered are the tougher plants that can bounce back.

(note to self..buy some old blankets/sheets at Goodwill for plants)

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Speaking of plants..let me tell you about this seed company I found out about..

D.Landreth Seed Company.

http://www.landrethseeds.com/

Do stop by the site and request a catalog..it is such a nice one...the catalog is like an art book nearly..lovely illustrations and nice history about the tulip and other plant bulbs.

They also are a great source for garlic seed bulbs.

Very nice heirloom varieties of flower bulbs and the garlic,seed potatoes, and more.

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I wanted to apologize to many of you for not having been by to visit...I will make a point to blog visit this week.

My sincere apologies. I have missed you all.

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If you are a visitor to my blog and would like your blog added to my blog links..simply let me know and I will add it. I have added a few more sites this week to the blog rolls, and trying to get that updated as well.

So..if you pop by for a visit and want to exchange links leave me a note and I'll certainly add you to my friends list. One can never have too many friends you know...smiles.

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Now that the weather has started getting colder I have got to get busy planning/thinking about Christmas..oi! it will be here before we know it!

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Do you have a handcrafted goods site? or an etsy shop? Send me the link ..... and I'll try to stop by to browse your shops and also to share the info with others here on the blog..and..if you'd like your shop/handcrafts to be featured in an issue of Small Town Living..let me know and I'll see what we can do.

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Ummm...as I hear the winds starting to blow some chilly air across the roof..I am comforted by a mug of warm Numi tea...a nice chai blend with hints of cinnamon..mmmm.yep..it's good tea.If you've never tried Numi tea before... check them out at http://www.numitea.com/

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Oh hey!..do you want to get a jump start on next year's garden?.... and to be able to do so with a few heirloom varieties of tomato seed? Stop by this site:

http://wintersown.org/wseo1/YourChoiceTomatoSASE.html

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I hope that you all have a very lovely day!

Thanks for stopping by!

~The Garden Goose~

Garden Seeds..and more...

Wanted to share with you all that live in the U.S. about a seed offer from a place called wintersown.org
http://wintersown.org/wseo1/YourChoiceTomatoSASE.html
There are quite a few varieties of heirloom tomatoes on their list, and you can receive 6 packets of seed by sending in a self addressed stamped envelope.
A good deal!
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I hope that you all are having some lovely Fall/early winter days.
The weather here has started heading towards some scrisper/chilly mornings and evenings..but absolutely gorgeous weather in the mid morning/afternoon hours.
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I haven't seen hide nor feather of the little hummingbirds that had visited..I wonder if they were a migratory species or if they've found a more abundant nectar source elsewhere..although we do have a hummingbird feeder hung on a branch outside the kitchen window..I have not seen any activity at it.

So..I think I'll have to take that feeder down and hang up the regular bird feeder.
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I did see a female cardinal this morning though, and the other day I had a trio of mourning doves sitting on the courtyard fence.
So..time to start giving them a little extra treat now that the temperatures are starting to go lower.
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Went to Books A Milion the other day and found a nice book all about Organic Gardening..."The Rodale's Illustrated Encyclopedia of Organic Gardening" can't wait to curl up and start reading it.
Also got my Seed Savers Exchange seed catalog in and one from D. Landreth Seed Company..if you have never seen a D. Landreth Seed Company catalog..do order yourself one! it is quite a treat. It has lovely illustration/almost like an art book..very nice.
Then I received a copy of "Organic Gardening" in the mail(I had sent in labels from Stonyfield Farms yogurt for a free subscription..glad I did wonderful resource!)
anyhow the latest issue of "Organic Gardening" has instructions for building a 3 section compost bin..very nice! Will definitely need one of those when we get moved..built near the back of the property..a compost bin is very beneficial to have.
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Have been packaging up a few more non essentials(define that as my collections/knick knacks..ha) into storage bin containers(those stackable/ slide under the bed plastic bins with lids) been wrapping breakables into newspaper and filling the bins.
Why is it that it seems the more one tries to clean up and clear out the more messier things can sometimes look while all that is going on?..ha
Ahh well....it will all get straightened out.
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In all my cleaning and sorting I actually sat here one day and cleared out a heap of things off of my computer..you know how you favorite a website then forget about it a few days later? yeah..well..I had a slew of websites favorited and went and cleared all of that off. Made things much more manageable on this computer..still have more to delete, but trying to simplify things even in this area.
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On another note..I've been trying to get back to my photography posting over at a U.K. based website I have been a member of: ephotozine.com
It is a great website for receiving critique and advice. Anyhow..I've been getting back to posting some of my photos over there for some critique.
Really have to get back into the swing of things as I really want very much to have an outdoor photography business when I get moved to our new home/area.Can't afford to let myself get "rusty" in that area.
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Well..thanks for stopping by and for reading my 'ramblings"
Hope you all have a most beautiful week!

~The Garden Goose~

Days just Zip on by..and..Proud of my gal!

Well my goodness..it seems like I just posted on here not too long ago..but wow..I look again and I'm like "gee whiz..here it is almost Friday again!" Yep..the days sometimes just zip right on by.

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I wanted to brag on my daughter a little if I may...aren't moms allowed to do that every now and again?

Well..here's my chance to.

A couple of years ago my husband and I encouraged our daughter to begin a home based business...

Her interest was in sewing...so when a fellow co worker of my husband's heard that our daughter was interested in learning how to sew...she offered to be our daughters sewing mentor for free! Now..this woman is very talented in sewing and in fact was using the opportunity to teach our daughter as a way for her to be able to also work on writing a book about sewing(to test the areas of the book she was writing). So..she'd stop by every other Tuesday for lessons on everything from notions, to thread, to types of fabrics, to different seams and more.

This went on for oh goodness about 6 months or so.

And now....we have a daughter who in her own right is now an accomplished seamstress..she absolutely LOVES to sew!

She has her own online shop at:

http://www.shesewsbytheseashore.etsy.com/

....and she was recently commissioned by this website

http://shop.napafarmhouse1885.com/main.sc

to develop an exclusive line of aprons for them!

Check out her aprons on this page:

http://shop.napafarmhouse1885.com/category.sc?categoryId=6

(I can't wait to see where the road will take her now!..yes..I'm one proud mama..wouldn't you be??)

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Thanks for stopping by!

Have a lovely Day!

~The Garden Goose~

A Busy Weekend..and a Nice Monday...

Well..I started to head outside on Saturday to get busy with trimming up the jasmine vines on the arbor that stood in the middle of our courtyard area..an area that we had created 8 yrs ago as an outdoor eating area.

Well..when I got outside hubby was already out there puttering about and trimming a few things..and he said .."so..what do you think about us just taking the whole thing out? jasmine vines and the whole arbor as it would probably open up this whole area and all?" I said "sure..why not?"

So..that's what we did..with a crow bar and some good ole' umph..hubby started tearing it all down.

Then I dug out the jasmine vines.(I won't have them at a new home as they are a bit on the invasive side)

And then once we got the vines and old arbor all removed. I swept off the brick pavers we had up under the arbor.

We moved the fire pit and several lawn chairs around the area and..we grilled hotdogs and sausages and marshmallows over the fire pit Saturday night.

I must say that having the arbor removed makes the back yard actually look much roomier..and we still have the outdoor courtyard eating area..and it looks nice.

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Sunday was our relaxing day..I did manage to get a storage bin packed full of my tea cup collection.

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Today I have been packing another storage bin full of things from my kitchen area and from out of the dining room buffet.

And trying to get my house cleaned up some too.

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I actually am making some progress. Little by little.

My daughter joked that I'd have everything done by next month... ha...I wish! But I'm taking it slow and steady and plugging along on getting things tackled as I can.

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Hope you all have had a great weekend..and are having a good Monday!

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I'm off now to go make something with Buffalo beef I had thawed out..I'm gonna make a pasta dish with it..use some alfredo type sauce and some pasta.

Sort of like a stroganoff.

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Have a lovely evening!

Thanks for stopping by!

~The Garden Goose~

Home Schooling Helps- Learning Sign Language

Time for some Home School related things again!
...boy!.. it has been a little while since I posted..the week whipped on by...and a while since I have posted any home school related info..so here goes...
This time I am sharing with you all some links to online "Sign Language " resources.
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A printable American Sign Language Chart(alphabet):
http://www.printablechecklists.com/checklist5.shtml

The Braille Language and Louse Braille:
http://www.afb.org/braillebug/Braille.asp

A Basic Dictionary of American Sign Language Terms:
http://www.masterstech-home.com/ASLDict.html

American Sign Language Browser:
http://commtechlab.msu.edu/sites/aslweb/browser.htm

American Sign Language Finger spelling:http://www.utdallas.edu/~kmf024000/ASL%20Fingerspelling.htm

ASL Pro (has video clips to help you)
http://www.aslpro.com/

Handspeak:
http://www.handspeak.com/

Learning American Sign Language and Signed English:
http://www.lessontutor.com/ASLgenhome.html

Signing Online:
http://www.signingonline.com/
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Have Fun learning how to do Sign Language!
~The Garden Goose~

Family Yard Work Day

Our whole crew spent time today in our front yard...trimming, raking, and sweeping off walks. Whew!

Loads of work..and loads of the wheel barrel later..things are looking pretty good.

Hubby and I went to Lowe's yesterday to pick up a few things ..found some nice solar lights and hubby took out the old solar lights that were looking all dingy and worn..and replaced them with some nicer copper ones.

I worked today on sweeping the walkway, trimming a lot of the hedge along the walkway,and the trees in the front flower bed(pittosporum, and a wax myrtle, and a gardenia)..hubby mowed,oldest daughter helped rake,and son helped pick up pinecones.

Our joint effort has paid off as things look a lot better.

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Next up will be tackling the back yard...ha.(the backyard is quite a good bit larger than the front)

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Took a trip over to Joann's fabrics on Friday..picked up some fabric to make some curtains for the master bathroom, and some for the kitchen.

Things will look nice and spiffy soon in those rooms.

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I had a mystery plant in my yard that had been mistagged by the store that I had bought it from..I finally found out the name of it this evening, after about an hour or so of looking through photos online. It is called a Jatropha and is native to Cuba.

I love this little plant as the hummingbirds are drawn to it.

Anyhow..it's finally nice to know the proper name for it.

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Hoping that you all have had a lovely weekend.

~The Garden Goose~

Cool Find from a while back...

I found this wonderful old scrapbook at an Estate sale about a year ago..I was amazed that no one in the family from the estate wanted to hold onto this little book..it is from the early 1930's because the newspaper clippings are all dated 1932 and 1933...up to 1935.

And..I went ahead and paid all of $5 for this find.

I must admit the picture on the front is what first caught my attention.

In the pages of this little scrapbook are images of President Roosevelt and his wife, as well as many poetry clippings by poet Edgar Guest.

One of the poems by Edgar Guest:

"Homemakers"

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A shelter for the children and a

place for them to play,

A red geranium or two to keep

the corners gay: A little patch of grass to trim,a

pair of maple trees,

A path that leads up to the door,and home is made of these.

Some windows for the sun to find,and curtains white and neat,

Good neighbors to the right and left and just across the street:

A kettle singing on the stove,a couch that's built for ease,

A dog that wags his tail at you and home is made of these.

The smell of cookies baking or of onions in the stew,

The youngsters racing in and out,asa children have to do:

Their footprints on the carpet left where every caller sees,

The simple prayers they say at night,

and home is made of these.

High dreams of future greatness when the little ones are grown,

More thought about their welfare than is given to your own.

Long nights of anxious battling 'gainst the course of some disease,

Then times of song and laughter-

every home is made of these.

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Hope you enjoyed the poem...

Thanks for stopping by!

~The Garden Goose~

BlueBerry Pound Cake Recipe

Thought I'd share this delicious recipe with you.

Enjoy! It is very yummy.

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1 butter flavor cake mix

8 oz. soft cream cheese

1/2 cup oil

3 eggs

Beat all together til smooth.

Then fold in 2 cups blueberries

Spoon into greased/floured 10 inch tube pan.

bake for 1 hour t 325 degrees.

(**if you decide to use a bundt pan..adjust baking time by about an additional 30 minutes or until pick inserted in cake comes out clean)

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~The Garden Goose~

(photo courtesy of flickr creative commons/commercial use photos)

Hi there..craft ideas..and more...

A lovely day here today in Sunny Florida. Weather was absolutely perfect. Sat outside this afternon with the family..watched the birds, bees ,and butterflies all flitting about, and the 2 youngest children running around laughing and playing and racing each other around the yard.

Very nice Sunday afternoon indeed.
Hope that your Sunday afternoon was a good one as well.
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Well.....it is that time of year now where we all start thinking about what we may begin making for Christmas gifts for loved one..will we do a handcrafted Christmas..or will we just opt to go shopping?
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I came across a nice Victorian craft site to share with you all.

http://www.victorianaquiltdesigns.net/VictorianSewingAccessories.htm

This website has lots of patterns for such things as pincushions and ornaments,potholders and much more.
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Ahhhh...but what if someone on your list just
absolutely adores chocolate malt balls?
Check out this website:
http://www.nutsonline.com/chocolatessweets/malted-milk-balls/ultimate.html?sid=eckcJ0wc2gC8gesl
Oooh yummy! (photo courtesy of website featured above)
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How about stuffing a bear, penguin, or doll then crafting doll clothes to personalize the item for a special child?
Here is a website that offers "you stuff it" bears, dolls and more:
http://adollysworld.com/teddy_bears_and_plush.html
(photo courtesy of website featured above)
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Know someone on your Christmas list that loves to garden and wants to help to preserve heirloom seed varieties?
Or someone that wants to start a vegetable garden for the first time?
Introduce them to Victory Gardening!
http://www.heirloomseeds.com/victory.html
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Now..see you didn't know you'd get some great Christmas ideas when you stopped by here this evening did you?...but there you have it..a few neat ideas for you.:0) Have fun! I'll try to share a few more ideas here and there before Christmas is upon us.
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Well..I've been working lately on getting some things packed into lidded storage bins..they take up less space actually than multiple cardboard boxes do..and so far I have been storing the vintage items that I have collected over the years..trying to make sense of it and get it all contained and ready for moving instead of it being in multiple boxes scattered here and there through the house in various areas tucked away. Actually trying to get a bit organized in the process.Oh boy!
I do have some nice things to decorate with though... and decorate with them I shall. It has been fun actually collecting things along the way..and I'm really looking forward to the chance to take these treasures all out again soon and really decorate a new home the way I'd really like to.
And then also to plot out and plant a new garden area..to paint and decorate and make another house a home.
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I have plans to plant lots of heirloom type vegetables and flowers at a new home and hubby has mentioned that he'd like to have a koi pond..so that will be in the plans as well.
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I've been really enjoying this Fall weather we have been having lately..and hope that you have too.
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May you all have an absolutely lovely week.
Thanks for stopping by!
~The Garden Goose~

Oct./Nov. 2008 Issue of Small Town Living

Just a little note to let you all know that the new Oct./Nov. 2008 issue of "Small Town Living" is now available online!

This issue marks our 2nd Anniversary!
76 pages for your reading pleasure!

Check it out at: http://www.stliving.net/
Highlights:
33 Tips for Stretching and Saving Dollars
Homemade Cheese
The Art of Rescuing Vintage Textiles
A Life on the Peconic River
Fall Festivals Guide
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Please share with your family and friends!
Enjoy!
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Thank you!
~Paul and Tina

More Hummingbirds...

Found out this afternoon that the hummingbirds that had been visiting the bottle brush tree were actually parents to about 3 more hummingbirds!

We had juvenile hummingbirds flitting all around the tree this afternoon with the parents chirping at them.

The little ones flitted about almost as fast as the parents, but they needed more rest time.

They would stop and sit on the branches more often than the parents..and they had a noticeable difference..their little eyes sort of "bugged out" a bit more.

Anyhow..here are a few more pictures to share with you all from today's hummingbird watching session.

(note: if you look closely at one of the images of the hummer sitting on a branch you can actually see it sticking out it's tongue)

Enjoy!

~The Garden Goose~

P.S. IF YOU HAPPEN TO KNOW WHAT TYPE OF HUMMINGBIRD THIS IS I'D LIKE TO KNOW.