Collecting Herbs

When I was mowing our walking path yesterday I noticed that our strip of red clover hay was brimming with beautiful lavendar/pink red clover blossoms. Since this is my summer for experimenting with the art of herbal tea making this bounty was too good to pass up. This morning with the help of my trusty canine companions I waded into the field and collected a colander full to dry.

They are such cute fluffy things. Can't wait to get them dried and try some tea.

Clover has been used medicinally for centuries and is full of estrogenic substances. My herbal encyclopedia recommends that it be taken for skin complaints and as a cancer preventative. How can I go wrong?

It's Haymaking on the Casey Farm

It's been a grass growing spring. Gosh just look at it!





So... it hay cutting time.

It's raining and I am blogging

There's the bathroom to clean
and of course dishes to do.
But I am blogging today.
Of course that's because it is raining today.

June Project

I have a collection of old magazines and found this delightful crochet project in one of them this morning. June is almost here and these strawberries would be fun to make. I especially love the little box. Instructions are included in the article for each article pictured, but I really just like the strawberries.
The materials needed are crochet cotton in Forest Green and Red plus a No. 8 crochet hook and small white beads.

Also in the same magazine was a great little poem written by "Anonymous" and submitted by a long ago reader.

A LIVING FAITH

I've dreamed many dreams that never came true,
I've seem them vanish at dawn,
But I have realized enough of my dreams, thank God
To make me want to dream on.

I have prayed many prayers when no answer came
Though I waited patient and long,
But answers have come to enough of my prayers,
To make me keep praying on.

I've trusted many a friend that failed
And left me to weep alone;
But I've found enough of my friends true- blue
To keep me trusting on.

I've sown many a seed that fell by the way,
For birds to feed upon
But I've held enough golden sheaves in my hands
To make me keep sowing on.

I've drained the cup of disappointment and pain
And gone many days without song,
But I've sipped enough nectar from the roses of life
To make me want to live on.

This is for all the gardeners out there who still save and sow seeds.

Hopefully I will have enough time to try the strawberries and patience to share the pattern in another post.

I was just weeding in the strawberry patch yesterday--and yes there are lots of green strawberries and sunny days coming to make them ripen.

Allium and Rew Twig Dogwood Deja Vu

I loved taking pictures of this garden last spring. This morning when I saw the purple allium swaying in the breeze with the beautiful variegated leaves of the red-twigged dogwood along with the blue green of the Hostas...I had to think "job well done." They provided motivation to get the cell phone out and take a picture and make a post despite the fact I've been wishing for a camera and a new computer for more than a year. It is what it is and these are too beautiful not to share.