A Walk in His Gardens--Aimee's Place

I've been getting up early and this morning, before the heat of the day, I spent hours wandering through our gardens....

past fruits of the tree and those of the bush,

(oops! forgetting my tour guide/hostess manners here)

OK-the first photo is our new water lily.

It's a hardy one;

that's because we live in the NORTHwest and tropical doesn't work here:)

And the second photo is our Asian Pear. I can't bear to show you the many now lying on the ground. NOPE!

And because I am really into Scandinavian food,

and because lingonberries go great with so many of them,

we planted more this year (to replace the ones lost) and they already have ripe or near ripe berries with more to come.

This type is Balsgard.

(I am only saying that because I love writing Nordic names.

I think that besides being a lingonberry, Balsgard is the name of a place)

And then we will walk by some ornamental plants and trees,
like this beautiful Brunnera & honeysuckle vine.

I LOVE the honeysuckle flowers and sometimes in the evening when the breeze is blowing just right their beautiful fragrance can be smelled all the way up on the deck. Imagine that?

Nearby is our crabapple;

I think its fruit is quite pretty especially after a morning shower

(nope, not as in rain shower. Silly me! I used to think it rained all the time in the NW too)

And our dogwood which has apparently forgotten that dogwoods don't have colorful bracts at this time of the year.

You gotta love it though;

it is doing its part to 'Color My World'.
Ah, Chicago (as in music group not the city)!

Although it might be colorful too.

And here is a neighbor's hydrangea...

ours must be 'on strike' --

I think she is protesting the amount of light she doesn't get;

we'll try to meet her legitimate demands this autumn when things cool down..

And then, several times, past our miniature rose garden-in-progress.

Not exactly the correct name as it has been a miniature rose garden for a long, long time. But now we are adding other plants to the mix--so to speak. Last week we added 4 lavender plants and now we're thinking of adding some Lady's Mantle around the edges--I so want to cover up the wood supports! Got any ideas fellow Green Thumb People?

Then past my little (as in dwarf) sunflower.

I love sunflowers---they're one of my favorite parts of this season.
Another is sweet, white corn

and peaches! YUM!

Of course, I also had to make an official tour of our herbs--

because if you know Aimee, you know I love herbs.

Not only do they smell and taste good,

but their blossoms are so...

BEAUTIFUL!

And these mint blossoms (specifically spearmint blossoms) glowing in the early morning sunlight----SO amazing!

Makes me want to reach out and touch them:)

One doesn't easily tire of sights like these...

and believe me, we have a lot of them.

Now on to the our newbie this year..

the chervil--fringed with a reddish tint now on its edges. Maybe I will add some to tomorrow's omelet; I was too lazy to add it this morning after all that walking:) It is supposed to have a anise-type flavor if I remember correctly

and I also think that it is part of the Fines Herbes.

Oh boy, hope that is right.

After all my High School French teacher might accidently stumble on my blog one day.

NOPE probably not:)

And last but certainly not least,

I leave you with (and in) peace.

Blessings this Wednesday (nope, Thursday morning now)

Aimee

Photos: as listed above.

And now off to bed so I can get up early again

and exercise!

Thank you God!

“My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour. For He that is mighty hath done to me great things; and holy is His name…His mercy is on them that fear Him from generation to generation.” Luke 1:46b, 49-50 KJV


“O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good: because His mercy endureth for ever.” Psalms 118:1 KJV


The first few verses are from a section of Scripture known as the Magnificat, but it is also the song of my heart today!


Thank you God for answered prayers & Your peace that passeth all understanding! Thank you family AND friends for your prayers & kindnesses to me:)
Blessings,
Aimee

Photos:
Cosmos & crocosmia--the latter being one of my new favorite flowers!

Time for a Reevaluation

This weekend, I came to the realization that we're only about 20 weeks away from saying so long to the 'book' that is 2009. And I realized, after a Saturday of feasting on Scandinavian goodies, that my weight has crept up more then at ANYTIME in my life--except when I was pregnant. Horrors!

Alas--my current shape brings back memories...of a sweet, innocent, little girl in the Clinic I was working at then, thinking I was 'with child'. I wish it had been so, but alas, alas it was just being overweight. You know the saying 'out of the mouths of babes'...

Well to make a long story short--after changing jobs, I was able to lose down to my ideal weight and stayed that way for quite a long time till I visited a Norwegian B & B ( Nordic treats are my downfall; those and chocolate, sushi and root beer floats) Up a few pounds to a new plateau.

Now, if I had used more discipline and self-control, I could have lost those few pounds and would not be making this post here---but no - no; I gave in to the chocolates, cookies and million other treats they always seemed to have at work and by the time I left my weight had creeped up a few more pounds. I was definitely into denial about a few things.

The last 2 years, away from the stress and frequent goody temptations of my last job, didn't help either--I alternated between being disciplined and giving into an excessive amount of edible temptations with the end result you can see above (about 20 pounds over my ideal weight)

The sad thing is, I am NOT one bit happy about that fact! Oh and my back isn't either nor are my favorite jeans and nice work clothes which I can no longer wear unless I wish to---well it isn't a pretty picture. And come colder, wetter weather (does the PNW have that kind anymore?) my knees will start to ache. Oh, and the osteopinnea thing too.
AND

the whole resolution issue thing

I am just NOT willing to end this year in this condition--if I have the power to change it and I do; if I lose the weight by year's end, it means I have successfully kept the resolution--albeit for a far shorter time then I would have liked.

So here's my plan: Aimee's Personal 20 Weeks-To-Go Resolution & Plan for Aimee (yea I know--terrible grammar)

• Treadmill 40 minutes--minimum 4 days weekly
• Lift hand weights or equivalent work 3 days weekly
• 1200 calories daily (not a recommendation; just what I plan to do. Come to think of it none of this is a recommendation...)
• Eat frequent, smaller, lower calorie but well-balanced meals (a must because I get even more hypoglycemic when losing weight; I'm not diabetic but since childhood I've been this way.)

• Treat the weekdays more like workdays without becoming 'driven'. Being disciplined but not obsessively so; motivated by the tangible rewards of better health and more that come with weight loss.
• Plan grocery shopping around new plan taking into account that the Farmer Boy will not be joining me in this resolution. Sigh.
• Water, water, water--no more sports drinks...8 glasses daily minimum
• Start my days early; no TV--yes even politics--till Farmer Boy is home. And maybe no Internet either till then. Move, move, move will be my new motto.
• Posting updates; it will keep me accountable. And heaven knows I need accountability and discipline to be successful:) In this same vein--I am keeping a daily notebook for foods eaten, exersize and tasks done.

Note:
The above are my plans and IMO; they're not to be construed as medical advice (can you tell I am really into disclaimers?) Now I think this is where they say--please check with your Health Care Provider before engaging in a physical fitness and/or weight loss program. Sounds like a good idea!
Comments:
My ideal weight, to be really transparent here, is 135-138#. For my height and bone structure this works best for me. Lower and I look anorexic or so one of my all time fav nurses told me and she was one of the best nurses I've ever known!
Photos:
Current BAD news.
Finnish funnel cake with berries; this was the first time for this goodie. The next will have to wait until I am at my ideal weight and then only part of one. However, I can still partake of aebleskivers--a few--and a small lefse on occasion. And there's always nova lox:)
This morning's breakfast--dill & parmesan cheese omelet. Good!
Somewhat related posts:
http://aimeeonthemountainside.blogspot.com/2009/03/am-i-resolute-about-my-resolutions.html
http://aimeeonthemountainside.blogspot.com/search/label/New%20Year
http://aimeeonthemountainside.blogspot.com/2008/11/friday-means-fitness-day-yea-well-not_14.html

Baby Dear. Baby Granddaughter

When my oldest grandchildren were babies and toddlers, I was working pretty close to full-time in some very stressful work settings and was often too tired +/or stressed out to do a lot with them during any free time I had. This was much to their loss, and to my own, as I believe the relationship between grandchildren and grandparents to be quite important to all generations! In fact I believe that this was part of God’s design for families.
Now time has passed, circumstances have changed and I am relatively free to spend time with the youngest of my five grandchildren and I am loving it needless to say! It is fun to watch her as she explores her world and expresses her unique personality--

• How she does not like the feeling of grass or my big white dog but still reaches for them anyway.
• Her many smiles, her pensive looks and even her crying ...
• Her cute little baby talk!
• How she curls up in her grandpa's lap and how he interacts with her--bringing her a flower to smell, giving her a drink of water, getting down on the floor to play with her and more!
• How she reacts with one of my other blessings--her older sibling (and how her older sibling is SO kind and thoughtful of her!)
• How she likes veggies even more than fruit! Shocking!!

Yep, just everything she is and all that she does captivates us--her blessed grandpatents. So here in her AOTM blog debut is my baby granddaughter (we'll call her Baby G--for Baby Granddaughter!)

May you always see life as a blessing little one for you are one of the greatest blessings in ours!

Love always,
Aimee

Farewell Old Friend (On Felling a Tree)

“The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him, and delivereth them.” Psalms 34:7 KJV

-

Yesterday this is the verse which came to my mind as I was praying for the safety of our property and most importantly -- our family -- as we fell a 35 ft pine tree.

Even though we have felled several trees since moving here, this would be the largest one yet, and the fall path would have to be precise in order to not endanger life, buildings or our gardens. Needless to say, I called my parents and best friend to keep us in prayer during this time.

A little after noon, the pine tree, precisely cut and perhaps guided by an angel’s hands too, came to rest exactly in the only area where no harm would be done from its trunk or large branches!

My exclamation as I saw the tree land SO perfectly and safely ..."Yes, Lord, thank you!”

Blessings,

Aimee

-
Disclaimer & Important Warning: Felling trees is a dangerous task; we never take this kind of thing lightly and wouldn’t suggest it to anyone who doesn’t have a LOT of experience and knowledge on how to do cut a tree safely. So many things can go wrong and, in our case, as I have said, any other fall pattern would have meant damage to property. Although 35 feet is small compared to a lot of our PNW giants, it is still no easy feat to bring a tree this size down. Even with the experience and knowledge my Farmer Boy has, I would have hired a professional should he had felt that was best.

-
Note: And now, should you be wondering, why did we fell the tree in the first place? The answer is simple--for the last two years or so the tree’s needles had been browning and dying. With the latest high temperatures, we were extremely worried about the fire hazard posed by her being in such a condition so close to a building too. Having said this and knowing it was necessary, I deeply feel the loss of this tree whom for so many years had served our family and the birds of our area with beauty and quiet majesty. I am not ashamed to say I shed a few tears about this and that our yard, despite its extensive landscaping, looks naked without her.

Photos:

White cosmos against pine tree & sky (yes this was her)

After she came to rest safely and before her tree top was cut off.

The reason for the felling -- brown & very DRY dead needles

Another view after the tree top was cut off; she fell in a perfect line alnng a path by one of our buildings! Given her branch size and her length it could not have been better:)

Harvest Time--Figs

Our Desert King fig tree. Great shade, huge tropical looking leaves.

Silly me-when will I learn to look up? SO often I miss blossoms, bird nests and fruit because I just insist, for some reason unbeknowest to me, to look upwards or I look up but not all the way UP!

Example at hand: I knew we had ripe figs; a handful of them at the most--maybe 1/2 dozen? All within fairly easy reach.

Enter my best friend---you know the one who has learned to look up in the garden (she also sees the slithery ones which I miss). All of a sudden, because she looked UP, what was a manageable harvest has turned a little less manageable and my time table has changed too. You see instead of 1/2 dozen figs, now I will have 5 or 6 LARGE bowls of ripe figs. Ripe enough for our birds to be feasting on them right now. Ripe enough that if I don't do something within the next 2 days we will have a sticky, sweet, gooey mess on our hands---and the bees are out too.

So what is this girl to do? Well the good news is that I have a freezer (although there is not much room left in it), a supply of freezer bags and ... directions for freezing figs. Thank goodness for the Internet.

The first bowl. They are soft and some seemed very soft. I washed them, sliced them in half--well most of the time--and then scooped out the insides and put them plus sugar and ascorbic acid in a bowl and then after mixing this mixture, into a freezer bag leaving some headspace. My advice to you who might want to freeze figs is heed the advice of the 'fig experts' on the link that follows.

And now--time for a quick snack and then to the first bowl of figs.

Some of our figs. Being the complete fig novice that I am, I was a little shocked to learn that figs aren't brown--you know like the interior of those little cookies. I also--shockingly--was not in a hurry to taste these; maybe tomorrow though. I am getting braver-I actually took three photos of a slithery one today.

(I know you are very impressed by that news!)

-

Did I say that in another month we will have even more ripe figs? A LOT of them. Family and friends...I know a source where you can get absolutely 100% totally FREE, spray-free, ripe, sweet figs! (They are right across the yard from the absolutely 100% totally FREE, spray-fee, ripe, sweet plums).

Harvest Blessings,
Aimee

Links:
Michigan Extension: http://web1.msue.msu.edu/imp/mod01/01600465.html
Figs & health: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_fig#Figs_and_health

-
Note: For those with lactose intolerance, like me, you might be interested that figs are a good source of calcium. I just learned that from a free magazine I picked up when grocery shopping this week. The link above tells a little about the benefits of figs, With our more then bountiful crop, I am going to try to incorporate them into some baked goods.

Comments/FYI: Well the first bowl of figs have been processed and are currently laying in the frozen environment of my freezer. Learned several things from this--my first adventure attempting to preserve figs.

First and most important, having a Farmer Boy for a DH is an invaluable resource -- really he is better then an encylopedia or gardening book.

Second, if the stem is exuding a milky white liquid, the fig is not ripe. Unfortunately, that info came too late--there was one in the batch and since I didn't know better, it was processed with the others. I am SO hoping the sugar/honey I used will help all be OK.

Third, the skin of the figs was very fragile and in places no longer intact. The figs are really soft too. I did not like the slight odor from the figs but - and this is kind of wierd my skin seemed to like it. Hum, interesting.

Last, as usual, I changed the directions given and just used a spoon to scoop out the reddish pulp/seed interior and then mixed this with the sugar as called for in the link above. I also used some ascorbic acid as per directions on the bottle but remember I am NOT an expert and only time (and a little defrosting and then baking) will tell whether this first fig experiment was a success.

Anyone have a good recipe for a fig cookie, cake or quick bread?

Note to Visitors

Welcome to my cyber home--a little bit of my beliefs, life experiences, hobbies & interests and more. If that sounds like something you would enjoy, please feel free to browse around for awhile. My main interests are: faith & serenity, home & gardening, family & genealogy, photography and travel. About the latter two--I am currently in the process of re-labeling all the travel posts to be more specific in location (mostly these are under the label 'Walks in His Gardens') and consolidating others to make the site more user friendly and easier for me to manage.

-
Regarding comments--I accept those from fellow bloggers and also from visitors who wish to remain anonymous. Please keep in mind though, that since this is a family oriented site with a focus on peace, I will not post any comment that I feel isn’t suitable for young viewers or would create an uncomfortable place for my visitors. I may, too, in rare instances choose to not post a comment for other reasons--I apologise if that offends anyone but since this place is a reflection of me I have to be comfortable with what is on it. I may--if I do that though-choose to respond to my deletion of a comment by a response in the comment area. -

Regarding followers: I appreciate your interest in this blog very much, but after much thought on the subject feel at this time that I will not include this feature because I want to keep things simple. You’re always welcome to visit though and I hope this site will be of blessing to you.

-
Since the purpose of this blog is not to bring me money or fame but to, in a small way, allow me to share in other’s lives and they too--should they choose to--share in mine this blog will reflect this in all its areas. Know that, because of the atmosphere of peace and serenity I want for my visitors and myself here, I have chosen to avoid 'hot' topics here; there are other blogs where I do discuss my feeling about things like politics and such -- but here it would detract from this site's purposes.

-
Lastly, if anyone of you are undergoing great pain or stress right now, for whatever reason, know that you are not alone. I too have had major stresses in my life and the reason this blog came about was, in part, because of two ones I am dealing with now. Faith and making some changes in my life have helped me a lot but since I am imperfect (shock!) know that I still have times when I feel fear, anxiety and other negative emotions.

In Peace,

Aimee

-

Photo: bonsai bowl, sans the bonsai plant, in my Japanese-style garden.

Walks in His Gardens--the Columbia River Gorge (part of)

The PNW has so many beautiful areas and though I've lived here for almost all of my life, I still haven't seen them all. But--of the places I have visited, one that consistently draws me back, at least twice a year, is the Columbia River Gorge--a gorgeous place with a truly dramatic landscape (no wonder that it is a National Scenic Area)!

It is more then that though--for that same landscape which makes it so scenic also makes it THE place to windsurf and a fertile place of countless fruit orchards and other agriculture (more about that in another post). It is also one of the gateways to Mt Hood, easily visible from many of the areas along the Gorge, where one can ski -- even in the summer!

Windsurfer--west of Hood River.

The day we went through here the winds were high enough that some people decided not to chance it.

To give you a little perspective of the area-the gorge is a river canyon of some 80 miles in length and it forms part of the border between Washington, to the north, and Oregon, to the south. The most westerly part is lush, with many waterfalls, and as you move eastward it becomes drier but still amazing! On this trip we traveled only a little further then Hood River. (BTW-please note that these photos are not in any order and some of them were taken from a moving vehicle so the quality may not be the best)

Multnomah Falls - from the freeway.

The last 2 photos were taken by R. Blessings on the bluffs above the river and are used by permission.

Besides its obvious beauty, this area also holds great historical and familial meaning for me because in the mid 1850's, two of my ancestral lines passed through here--the last portion of the Oregon Trail--to new lives they would make in the not yet states of the PNW (they used the river route as opposed to the Barlow Trail that is in the Mt Hood area). Then, the Gorge was vastly different then today, and sometimes I find myself thinking about what it would have looked like then, before dams tamed its wildness and changed both it and the lives of many Native Americans forever. It is something we will never experience, for now both the Cascade rapids and Celilio Falls lie buried under the dammed up waters of the Columbia River.

Today, some 150+ years later the area is easily traveled. There is now a modern highway that runs along the river and up some on the bluffs above it. Additionally one can drive part of the Old Columbia River Highway, that runs higher up on the canyon walls and affords one many amazing views of the terrain below. I have done this--years ago and it was truly spectacular; now I stick -- contentedly -- to the new highway. (You can also walk part of the Old Columbia River Highway in places)

Part of the Old Columbia River Highway. One part of the old road leads you up to the Vista House--HIGH above the river where you can see spectacular views! Been there and done that; not this time though!

Hope you enjoyed a quick trip in the Gorge! More to come:)

Blessings, Aimee

-

Links of interest & more photos:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbia_River_Gorge

http://www.fs.fed.us/r6/columbia/

http://www.oregonstateparks.org/park_150.php

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crown_Point_(Oregon) (Vista House info, photos)

-

This post only - photos © 2009 R Blessings (as noted above) and A. Blessings (all other photos)

Walks in His Gardens--Washington State

I am still up --itch, itch -- and waiting for the medicine I put on the bites to stop the itch; normally it does that fairly quickly. Since I am up with little to do---here are some photos from around the Pacific NW. The first ones are from Washington state. These are mostly scanned images of photo prints I took years ago.

Ferry--on this ride there were some musicians that were playing for the passengers. One of them reminded me of a High School friend. The Puget Sound is a beautiful waterway...

Seattle--I LOVE this place:) When I lived there I liked the U of W area (go Huskies!), Space Needle, Golden Gardens, Alki Beach and Woodland Zoo -- besides other areas. Now, of course, the traffic is worse and getting around is a bit difficult at times. Still it never fails to thrill me to go there...

Hurricane Ridge -- this is part of the Olympic Mts and you can access it by a fairly short drive up (and I do mean UP) from Port Angeles. It is worth your time if you love mountains and amazing views!! And as long as you are in this area, you might as well drive to Crescent Lake when you are done up here. I LOVE the Olympic Peninsula!

This is my son, years ago, in the Hurricane Ridge area. See--all of us LOVE animals!

And here is the famous, totally awesome National Park lodge at Longmire in the Mt Rainier National Park. If you go here, you have to walk the Trail of the Shadows (and tell me what you think of it) and then visit Narada Falls, Paradise Valley & Paradise. Actually everything is worth seeing in the park so have fun and spend some time there! For a photo of Paradise, in late spring, see the post here. Still need to find my other photos from Mt Rainier--the Paradise Valley was amazing in the snow!

OK--itching subsiding and I am really, really tired so night all!

Blessings, Aimee

In the Garden--again

Have hopefully learned my lesson about being out too late in the garden. Some apparently ravenous mosquitoes found me there--yesterday-- as we were working on tying the climbing rose to a new trellis. Let's just say they have left their somewhat memorable, but thankfully temporary 'mark' on me (itch, itch)..

Climbing rose bouquet.

Either New Dawn or White Dawn.

Another hot day here but the NW is gradually cooling down. The ground is quite parched and desperately needs a heavenly watering as does our NW forests; some fruit is also showing the effects of the days of intemperate weather here, and in some areas NW natives are talking in almost reverential tones about the possibility of showers and more normal temperatures.

---

And now--

a few more garden photos before I head off to 'sleepland'...

Chervil.

Tolerated the high temperatures better then I thought it would but produced flowers in the last day or so.

Nosegay of herb blossoms: chervil, orange mint, lemon balm and two types of english lavender.

Visitors on the lavender.

---

Blessings,

Aimee--AKA Mosquito Bait

Of Plums & Figs

Right on the heels of the 'Great Apricot Freeze' & eating frenzy, it looks like I will be undertaking the 'Great Plum & Fig Preservation' campaign. YIKES!

The Shiro plums are ripe and ready to go...

Since my freezer is really getting full, I am thinking of making some jam out of the plums but not quite sure yet. I found a recipe for a Golden Spice Plum jam that sounds good, but
am not sure how much time I will have so may end up freezing these for a later processing too. OH--and I can't seem to find a current canning book in the stores....argh!

Some of the Desert King figs are ready to go and there are countless other figs growing their way into maturity. Double YIKES!

I don't even want to think about the Satsuma Blood plums that are close to being ripe nor the Asian pears, pears, apples and other fruit ripening in the next month or two. And I am back to longing for apricots again....
-
SO..
if you are friend or family
AND
you are hungry for some nice, no-spray, FREE plums
and maybe a few figs too;
just let DH, AKA 'Farmer Boy'
or
his wife
know
that you want some of these
SOON!
-
Did I say please?
-
Blessings all!
Aimee
--
Photos:
Shiro plums
Desert King figs
Satsuma Blood plums
(both the Shiro & Satsuma are Japanese plums)

Walks in His Gardens--For My Little Friend!

Hey there! I am SO sorry this is later then I promised....hope you still like it though!

It was fun having you along! Please tell your mom & dad thanks for letting you come with your grandma & I:)
-
Hope you enjoy the photos Little Friend (and your grandma too)!

"I'm watching you!"-- per Little Friend's request

(Did I get the caption right?)

You know maybe this looks more like a dinosaur then a bird like I first thought.

What do you think? It's pretty eerie in all the wonderful, cool, autumn-like fog we had at the beach.

TY Little Friend and...

I love you too!

The photos of the eagle weren't good enough to post, but it was exciting to see it and hear its call. Here is the photo I took when we parked along the bay in order to watch the eagle.

And down the road aways--kind of blurry because we were driving but the flower colors are nice:)

And one more--just because I never get tired of this area.

--

Well I hope you liked the photos--

Have a good night!

Blessings, Aimee

-

For those who may want to see more views of coastal regions in the NW just click here...