This and That

These little flowers may be the only blooming thing left in my yard by morning since we're under a freeze warning ~ on April 14th!  Even I'm beginning to complain!  The lilacs are just ready to open their buds, so I'm considering cutting them and bringing them inside to enjoy for a while at least.

As of 1:18 p.m. today, I am officially crowned!!  On two teeth that is.  These are the first crowns I have ever had and although it all went well, I don't beg to have another one.  A lot has changed in the way crowns are made and put on teeth.  I didn't even have to have an impression made, you know, with that "container" full of stuff that's put in your mouth and hardens to the point you think all your teeth will be pulled out when it's removed.  I dreaded that part, but instead the dentist took pictures of the teeth that would get the crowns and these were put into a computer thingy.  I thought he was stapling something on the teeth because that's what it sounded like.  Then those images were put into a computer machine thing which sculpted the new crown.  Isn't that amazing?? After an hour of "baking" the crown was ready, with no returning in a few days to have it put on.  They feel so smooth.

I'm really bad to let things bother me and I worry about something for days before the time for those things to happen.  So that was the worse part of the crowning process.  After the numbing swabs were put into my mouth, before the shots, and the assistant had left the room, I began shaking real bad.  Even up into my chest and shoulders.  The thought crossed my mind, maybe I'm having an allergic reaction to the stuff.  But in reality I think this is the way a panic attack affects me because I've had this happen before when I'm under stress.  So I took a few long, cleansing breaths and thought myself through it with the help of God.  By the time the dentist came in I had calmed down.  Very aggravating!!

Do you remember the kitten I couldn't reach to take down from the top of the stock trailer?  I figured I'd never see her again, and then one day, there she was, an adolescent, with her mother.  I fed her, gradually was able to pet her while she ate, and soon was able to pick her up.  Now she absolutely loves me!  If it weren't for these dogs (grr-rr) I'd bring here home with me for an inside cat.  But since she would have to stay inside ALL the time I won't do it.  She has even tried to follow me home a time or two from the shed.  Food does wonders doesn't it?

Enough said for today I think.  The farmer is buying some thread for me this afternoon so I can work on the next hope chest item.  I may fall behind on this project when hay season starts.  Of course we've got to have some warmer weather so the grass will grow; we're still feeding hay!

Have a good evening,

Charlotte

Mystery Solved

Last summer I had rose moss plants in my mama's old cast iron wash pot.  They were way too thick and never bloomed much because of the heat.  When fall came, and the plants had died back, there was one little green plant on one side of the pot.  Its leaves were different, so I left it, out of curiosity, thinking it might have come from a stray seed and was probably only a weed.  It survived the cold, frigid days with no covering and very little water.

As temperatures began warming, the plant began growing, to a height of about twelve inches, and soon there were buds appearing; buds which reminded me of little red poppies I had in my flower beds years ago.  Could it be? 

This morning, one bud was standing up straight and I could see a tiny bit of red.  By 10:00 a.m. the bud had burst forth into bloom, and I was thrilled to see that it is a poppy!

 

When I grew these before, I purchased the seeds from a  company that sells wildflower seeds. and sometimes a free packet would come with a gardening publication advertisement.  I think these are sometimes planted along highways so you may have seen them.

 

So, the mystery is solved; now I'm hoping the other buds will open and I will be able to save some seeds to plant next year.  By the way, the chicken wire over the hens and chicks plants, in the first picture is to keep the DOGS from scratching them out.

 

Charlotte 

Signs of Spring

Two of the most definite signs of spring: maple seeds twirling about in the wind like little helicopters, and yellow pollen, filling every crack and crevice.

Charlotte

Standing the Test of Time

Forty four years ago we moved onto our own land, ten acres, with plans to build a new house. The Farmer was just finishing work on his doctorate at the university, and after feeling more or less as a stranger in the big city, I felt happy to be in the country again. We rented a trailer to live in while the house was being built, and had it put in the shade of this mulberry tree.

The month was May, and the berries were at their peak of ripeness, falling and covering the ground underneath. We set up a swing set for our three little girls who now could run and play without the confinement of a fenced back yard, and their beautiful childish voices echoed across the land as they sang "Jesus loves me, this I know; for the Bible tells me so." And every night their little feet and the seats of their panties were stained purple from the mulberries.

I have no way of knowing how long the tree had been here before we bought the land, but it's weathered many storms; perhaps the three trunks give support to one another. It is just outside the yard fence and the cattle take shade underneath its branches in the summer, wearing away the dirt from the roots on that side of the fence.

The dead limbs are signs that the old tree is under stress; most of the time, before I mow the yard, there are several sticks to pick up.

But the roots inside the fence must be providing moisture for the tree, because once again, the limbs are full of green berries, and when they get ripe there will be a mass feeding for the birds, raccoons and terrapins, not to mention the flies who come to drink in the intoxication of the souring berries.

I guess old-timers used the berries for making jelly, but I don't particularly like the taste of them.

I wonder how long a mulberry tree can stand the test of time. Do you like mulberries or do you have a tree on your property?

Charlotte

[This was originally posted in 2012; watch for an update tomorrow]