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Showing posts from 2014

Christmas Flowers - Norfolk Pine

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Every year I saw these pine trees in stores at Christmas decorated with red bows. I enjoyed their willowy branches and wished I had room for one. When I moved into a larger home, I decided I would buy one.   It was beautiful, exactly what I wanted, but in the end . . . my house was still not big enough. Within two years the tree was taller than me and I’m 6’ tall!   But if you still want to try one on your own, I’d say go for it.   Its soft foliage makes a pleasant addition to any room. Norfolk Pines are not grown on Norfolk Island off the east coast of the US, but grown on Norfolk Island in the South Pacific and reach almost eighty foot when grown in their natural habitat. They are best grown indoors where temperatures stay above 50 degrees. They need bright light, but never put them in the sun.   Drafts, extremes temperatures, and sudden temperature changes will affect the health of the tender pine. Some keys to keeping them healthy:                **Water about once a w

Christmas Gifts - A gift for Grandma

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Here is another idea I pulled from Pinterest that kids can help with. The same idea can be done on a t-shirt using fabric paints. Again, I take no credit for the design or the work.  I thought it would be a great idea to share.  You can check out the following link for more details: http://hubpages.com/hub/How-to-Make-Handprint-Art-on-Ceramics .    How to Paint Child's Handprints on Ceramics To get started making handprint art on a ceramic dish, you will first need to gather all the necessary supplies and decide what kind of dish you are going to paint. Be sure the dish has been thoroughly washed and dried. You also need to wipe it down with alcohol and a paper towel to remove any hidden residue. Before attempting to make the handprints, make sure to wash your child's hand. Dirt and oil from his or her hand could potentially affect the quality of the paint. Below are the supplies you will need and step-by-step directions for painting your ceramic platter. S

Christmas Flowers - Poinsettia

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For me, Christmas isn’t Christmas without a half-dozen or more Poinsettia plants decorating my home. I love their deep red flowers against the mass of dark green.   Although there are other colors such as white or pink, I still stay with the traditional variety.   But what stunned me most was when I went to Florida around Christmas to visit my parents and saw just how big they grew. Bushes up to thirteen foot in height loaded with red blooms were as prolific as Lilacs in Ohio.   So if you, like me, love to bring them home or enjoy passing them off as a gift, here are a few suggestions. **Poinsettias are a tropical plant that enjoys temperatures between 60 and 70 degrees F. **So if you need to carry them out into inclement weather, wrap them up, but make sure you unwrap them as soon as you are in to reduce the amount of damage to the leaves. **Poinsettias can last long into winter months if kept by a sunny window and away from drafts (hot or cold). And don’t let the leave

Christmas Gifts for Bird Lovers

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I am always on the lookout for inexpensive gifts to make around the holidays. This is easily made for the bird lovers on your Christmas List.   What makes it even better is you can get the kids to help you!   I take no credit for the idea and I recognize the efforts of the person who wrote the blog. I found this on Pinterest along with some other inexpensive gift items and thought you’d enjoy them. You can look it up at http://www.buzzfeed.com/alannaokun/creative-and-inexpensive-ways-to-keep-kids-busy#391v4c   Ingredients ·         2 packets Knox gelatin ·         2/3 cups water ·         2 cups birdseed   Other things you’ll need Cooking spray Cookie cutters Wax or parchment paper Straws ·         In a small saucepan, mix gelatin and water. Turn on a medium heat and stir until the gelatin simmers.   Add in the birdseed and mix thoroughly.   Pull pan from burner and let cool slightly. ·         While cooling line a

Christmas Flowers – Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera)

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As the Christmas season approaches we sometime purchase plants for neighbors, friends or ourselves to brighten up the holidays.   So, for the next few weeks, I thought I’d cover a few of the more common ones and a few things you should know before buying them. Christmas Cactus or Schlumbergera as it’s known by its scientific name grows in a jungle and prefers semi-shade. Unlike desert-dwelling cacti, it prefers a well-lit and humid atmosphere. You can increase the local humidity by placing the pot in a gravel-filled saucer. Christmas Cacti are easy to grow and non-toxic to dogs and cats. It comes in many colors—red, purple, pink, and white. And it is fairly easy to grow.   It requires little to no pruning, but removing a few of the oldest stems will increase the foliage.   Remove whole leaf segments and root them for additional plants. Problems associated with Christmas Cactus: ***Shriveling stems:   caused by the plant being in a too hot and sunny situation. However it

Happy Thanksgiving

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    May you and yours have a blessed Thanksgiving. And may it follow you through the rest of this year and into next.    

Giving Thanks

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As we enter into the Thanksgiving season, it is time to lift our heartfelt gratitude up to the God who has been by our side through the trials, the heartbreak, the tears, the laughter, and the joy.   My family has faced its share of trouble this year, but through it all God has been faithful. I thank Him, for His amazing grace and love that has carried us through the tough times. I am thankful for his provision, and most of all I am thankful for His son who loved me enough to die on the cross. As you travel to meet with friends and family this holiday season, I pray you count your blessings and walk away in awe of God’s love for you, peace for today, and a vision for tomorrow.

Promise to Protect by Patricia Bradley

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Promise to Protect is Patricia Bradley’s second novel in her Logan Point series. Much like her first novel, Shadows of the Past, Promise to Protect is a book that will keep you glued to the page through the whole book. The heroine, Leigh Somerall has had her life turned upside down when her brother is murdered and she suddenly finds her life and the life of her young son threatened. Because of the ongoing threat Leigh must depend on the one person she walked away from years before . . . Sheriff Ben Logan. Ben is dealing with his own share of problems including protecting the one woman that has stirred his blood and his memories for years. Patricia Bradley has woven a story of intrigue that leaves the reader suspect even the innocent characters in the book. If you’re looking for a well-written, exciting read, this is it. Promise to Protect is a first rate suspense novel and I look forward to the next book in her series.   Promise to Protect can be found on Amazon at

What did I learn from my 2014 Garden?

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As you have seen from my other posts, I take the time to keep a gardening journal. I even devoted my summer newsletter to the advantages of journaling and the many topics that a person can write about. You can find it at:   http://www.jennieatkins.com/current-newsletter/summer-2014-garden-journal/ So here are a few of my journal entries of the victories and challenges I faced this year: **Irrigation – The irrigation I installed this year proved to be well worth the money spent. I was able to reach all the plants, even the trees bordering my garden. I do need to bury some of the outer hoses before I use them again next year because the rodents chew holes in them. **Roses, Monarda, and Daylily – these plants do exceptionally well in this climate. Will need to divide the Monarda next year and move further back in my beds so it doesn’t block the view of the other plants.   Will need to fertilize the roses first thing in the spring and divide daylily’s. **Frost Danger – Fros

Just for fun - Misspelled Signs

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    Just for fun, I did a search on misspelled signs. They ranged from handmade to official road signs. They were on schools, businesses, and parking lots. So I typed a few in (making my spell checker go nuts), so you could read them. It’s no wonder we don’t have more accidents with these signs:   **   Sus Stop   **   No trough road   **   Go slow accident porn area   **   Violators will be towed and find $50   **   Slow Chidren   **   Private Customer Parking Only – All others will be toad   **   Motercycle Parking   **   Dont’t drink and drive   **   Vehical Parking   **   Stop for Pedestrains   **   No Unortherised Parking   **   Bmup   **   No parking in stripped areas   **   Yeild   **   Yosmite use Rte 120 east   **   Please slow Drively   **   Parrallel parking   **   Main Steet   **   Speed lump   **   Drive-thru Enterance And we wonder why our kids are having trouble in school?     **   Shcool Parking   **   English

Gourds

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When I was little, my mother had a painted gourd birdhouse one of her aunts made for her. I have no idea where it went, but I started doing some research on them, I was amazed at how widely they were used. Did you know there are bowls, dippers, drinking vessels, hats and musical instruments made from gourds? Hard-shelled gourds are members of the pumpkin and squash family and come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors. When they are dry, which takes about one to six months, they are as hard as wood. While growing they can be “trained” by bending them or placing them in a container.   When the gourd fills out the container, break the mold. After picking, the gourd must be cured and dried prior to painting or using. I’m always looking out for new things to make, so all I can say is . . . stay tuned and see what I can do next year.

Pumpkin Roll

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  This is always a hit at the holiday season. One year myself and another woman baked continuously for a week and made over $1000. by selling these popular rolls. Pumpkin Roll Roll: 3 eggs beaten 1 cup sugar 2/3 cup Pumpkin ¾ cup flour 1 tsp salt 1 tsp soda ½ tsp cinnamon   Mix together, line greased cookie sheet with waxed paper. Spread dough over waxed paper, sprinkle with chopped nuts.   Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.   Sprinkle a damp linen towel with powdered sugar. Turn the cake out onto the towel.   Carefully roll the towel up lengthwise jelly roll fashion and cool for about 20 minutes. Filling: 1 - 8 oz. Package Cream Cheese (softened) 1 tsp vanilla 2 tsp. butter 1 cup powdered sugar Mix together. Unroll dough and spread with filling mixture. Immediately roll cake up again. Wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate. This can be made about 2 weeks ahead and frozen.  

Plant of the Month - Pumpkins

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Although the time for growing pumpkins is long past, in November our thoughts drift toward Baked Pumpkin seeds, Pumpkin Pie and Pumpkin roll.   Yum.   So I thought it would talk a little about growing a large pumpkin.   First here are some of the basics:       Light:   Sun Type:   Vegetable Height:   1 to 3 feet Width:   10-20 feet wide (yes…they need LOTS of space) Growing them L-A-R-G-E   **   First of all get the right seeds, not all pumpkins are grown for their size.   **   Plant them in the sun, but avoid windy areas.   **   Pumpkins need a lot of water in a well-drained area.     **   Prepare the soil early by adding rotting cow manure.   **   You may have to start them indoors if your area gets frost in late April or early May.   **   Watch for the female flowers – you can tell which ones they are by the small ball at the base of each flower.     **   Make sure it is on a strong vine, otherwise pluck it from the branch.   **  

Nevada Turns 150 Years Old

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Nevada became the 36 th state on October 31, 1864 and this year is celebrates its Sesquicentennial so I thought I’d share a few facts about the Silver state.   ·         Although it is called the Silver state, it is also known as the Sagebrush state and the Battle Born state. ·         The name Nevada came from the Spanish word nieve meaning "snow-capped”.   ·         It is the seventh largest state in the union and the most mountainous.   ·         Over 90% of Nevada is owned by BLM (the Bureau of Land Management).   ·         In 1999 Nevada had 205,726 slot machines, one for every 10 residents. ·         Nevadans usually pronounce the second syllable of their state name using the /æ/ vowel of "bad". Many from outside the Western United States pronounce it with the /ɑː/ vowel of "father" /nəˈvɑːdə/. ·         Samuel Clemens moved to Virginia City and took the penname "Mark Twain" as a reporter working for the "Territ

Fall Cleanup: Do you agree or disagree?

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I read an article several weeks ago (sorry I can’t remember from what website, or I’d mention it here), but it isn’t the first time I’ve read this. In the article I looked at, the writer talked about clearing out their gardening beds in the fall, to remove the dying plants and adding them to a compost bin. By doing so removed the threat of diseases from spreading. They also suggested rototilling it then laying down a layer mulch or a cover crop.   For perennial beds, they suggested cleaning it out and applying mulch. I guess I’d say I have to disagree, I generally don’t clear out my vegetable beds or my perennial gardens until spring. Perhaps it is a matter of preference or I never encountered the problems they did. I understand that by depositing dying plants into a compost bin, the gardener is creating additional fuel for his compost for the following year.   But I’m wondering if they haven’t created just more work for themselves by clearing out the beds in the fall then aga

GPS - how would we get along without it?

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There are very few of us who are unfamiliar with satellite-based navigation system called GPS (Global Positioning Systems). We have them on our phones, in our cars, and our Garmins. Hikers, hunters, snowmobile enthusiasts, mountain bikers, and cross-country skiers enjoy the ability to track their progress or their position when they’re out having fun. A year ago I purchased a GPS tracker for my husband who does a lot of riding in the “wilderness” of Nevada.  Every ten minutes or so it sends back a signal where I can track his progress. There are several buttons in case of emergency along with customizable ones that inform me of his progress.  It provides a level of comfort that I can always track where he is at as he treks through the mountains behind our home. Last month, after staying in Alaska to take care of my son who’d been in a serious accident, my hubby drove home.  He turned on his tracker and I was able to follow him all the way to our back door.  You can see the

Fall Weed Cleanup

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I’ve covered weeds in a couple of blog posts earlier this year, so I thought I’d follow up with a couple of winter weed tips. If you’ve kept up with your weeding through the year, this may not be an issue, but weeds do not stop growing—even in winter.   Okay, they probably do, but why give them months of uninterrupted time to get a head start on you? Even though I’ve stated in the past that I only weed once a year, I do give my garden a once over in the fall trying to catch those sneaky ones that have escaped my notice. Remove the invasive weeds and unwanted plants.   But be careful.   Fall is when weeds go to seed. If you disturb the soil too much, what seeds have fallen on the ground have the opportunity to germinate. Also, make sure you don’t put weeds or invasive plants, especially the seed heads, in your compost pile as they will populate your garden next year.   Then mulch—it’s still the best weed preventer there is. If you have a bed that has generally “gone to the w

Regret Nothing

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I must admit that from time to time I have considered getting a tattoo—albeit a very small one—like a rose the size of a dime on my shoulder.   But the thought of the permanent ink going awry has stopped me in my tracks every time.   While looking up a word on Dictionary.com I ran across a list of misspelled tattoos. Unlike Melanie Griffith’s band aid cover up of her relationship with Antonio Banderas, some of the mistakes are too big for band aids and now the words are permanently etched into their skin. So I’m taking a poll. What would you do if you got a tattoo only to realize it was misspelled?

What to do with Potted Chrysanthemums

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  One of the things I look forward to in fall is the blooming of Chrysanthemums. I covered them in my Plant of the Month post last Monday. They are abundant in size, shape, and color and bloom well into fall giving your dying garden a splash of color.   They come in two basic varieties:   Florist Mums and Hardy Mums. Florist Mums, grown in zone 7 or higher, are generally the ones you find in the stores in the spring, whereas Hardy Mums can grow in zones 4 through 9.   Chrysanthemums are easy to grow, but should be planted in the early spring after all danger of frost is gone. The roots need at least six weeks without extreme heat or cold before they become established perennials. So what do you do with the plants you get in the fall to decorate your home, decks, and patios?   Potted mums aren’t necessarily grown to be perennials, but then again, I have stuck them in the ground only to have them come up again in the spring.   And sometimes, they didn’t. After they’ve outliv