Happy Thanksgiving

 

 

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

 

 

Giving Thanks

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

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

http://www.amazon.com/Promise-Protect-Logan-Point-Book-ebook/dp/B00KDN889Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413147749&sr=8-1&keywords=promise+to+protect

 

 

What did I learn from my 2014 Garden?

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 – Frost came early this year and took out what was left of the annuals that survived the hail storm in August. Starting them in the house prior to planting outside was a big boon to their success.  Will need to try more and different plants next year.  Especially ones that can’t be planted until all danger of frost has passed—which is hardly ever here in this desert climate.

**Tomatoes – although I had no problem growing tomatoes in Ohio, they have been a challenge in Nevada because of the cool nights.  Will need to do more research on them during the winter months.

**Rodents - Will need to improve fencing along the deck to prevent some of the smaller animals from coming in.

**Next year – Start peas earlier next year and build a higher fence for them to grow up. Will need to move Monarda and separate Iris due to good growth this year.

So there you have it, just a few entries from 2014.

Your turn:  What is an entry you put in your gardening journal?

Just for fun - Misspelled Signs

 

 

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 is our language – No excetions, learn it

  **  Speeling Bee 9:00 a.m.

  **  Congradulations Spelling Bee winners

  **  Leteracy Night Dec 8

  **  Welcome back – Hope you hade a good brake

  **  Our teachers make a differance

  **  Our school seconnd to non

And, a few more…just for fun:

  **  All Busniesses open as usual

  **  Opening Febuary 2010

  **  Homade Chili

  **  Bonerless Top Sirloin Steaks

  **  Moveing Sale

Gourds

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

 


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

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.

  **  If you are not interested in letting nature take its course, you can pick a fresh male bloom and rub the stamen in the center of the female.

  **  When two or three healthy looking pumpkins start to form, remove all new female flowers and any other pumpkins that start growing.  Keep the vine pruned, pinching tips and side shoots off the vine that will take away the energy the plant needs to grow that one special pumpkin.

  **  Large pumpkins are thirsty and hungry, especially toward the end of summer. Some will expand as much as two inches every night.  So give each plant about twenty gallons of water a week, watering at the base of the plant. 

Now, sit back at watch your prize pumpkin grow!