Informal Garden

Potted upper deck flowers~ Flowers for the patio table~
Love to grow strawberries...just pretty plants as the squirrels get the berries before they are ripe.
Veggie garden in a sunny flower bed yields lots of fresh vegetables for summertime.

Two fish ponds in one corner of the back yard with 3 birdfeeders near by...as well as 3 birdhouses.

Time to plan for Spring. Sorry no photos of the 'moon garden' which will be the focus of my spring planting. The area is named as in the shape of a half moon. Could be called a 'bay window', but moon garden sounds better.

Found the following plans which really appeal to me. I especially like the idea of sowing poppy seeds to come up at random to tie all together.



Possible plans to follow:

Use of hazel archways, obelisks, wigwam strategically places will give height. Golden hops will scramble all over them and entwine prettily with the brightly colored nasturtiums.

To compliment ~ grow taller angelica and Lovelace with soft feathery fennels rising majestically among the shabby sage, rosemary, Santolina and curry plants.

Move down through to bergamia, sweet cicely and lemon balm to the marjoram, bright purple clumps of chives and garlic chives.

The bed edges will work will with love growing thymes and patches of alpine strawberries tripping over the edges.

California poppies (Eschscholtzia) and calendula strewn over the entire bed and left to it's own devices, will always bring pleasant surprises and amazingly ‘tie' the bed together well.

The Pearl Ring

The following is a TRUE STORY~
The ring was missing. My beloved pearl ring wasn't where I had carefully placed it,... place it to sit for more than a week. I couldn't remember going back for it.... did I pick it up without thought and misplace it? Not likely, as would have put it back on my finger. I wouldn't walk around with a ring in my hand. But...I had to consider all possibilities since it wasn't where it had been placed.

A sickening feeling came over me. The big search began. A entire morning of searching and after that continued, time permitting, for a few days. After all possibilities were exhausted, it expanded to the most unlikely places. Finally I had to accept the fact that through my recklessness, it was gone forever. Sitting down in total despair, I pondered and I grieved. My pearl ring was gone. This sadness went on for days, and I couldn't talk about it, so then it became my secret loss.

The pretty pearl ring is older then my children and a most favorite and cherished gift my husband had brought from Japan. How would I tell him? How could I tell the daughter who has asked for it to be hers one day?

How did this happen?
Was on my gardening day. When slipping on garden gloves, oops, my pearl ring. Not wanting to go back into the main house, easily it was off and placed in a 'safe place.' I selected the perfect 'safe place'...right in the middle of the game table. It would be in full sight...I couldn't walk by without seeing it there. To me, I had I placed it in safe keeping, but little did I realize, it was left open and vulnerable.

Finally, I decided to tell my husband who came up with a possible answer. We had a service call for the air-conditioner and the service man was alone downstairs. I then had a anaser. The ring had been taken.

I remembered seeing the man, an older guy who didn't say much and didn't stay long. Anger whelmed up to think we had been robbed. Should I to call the company he worked for and make a complaint? I thought about him. He was old... beyond the years of most guys working in this capacity. Conclusion was that he would be fired and I chances were good, the ring wouldn't be returned, even if in fact he took it.

Weeks went by and I still grieved over my loss. The pearl ring had been a part of my life for so long. Self flagellation was on going, just couldn't forgive myself. I wanted to find the man and ask him for my ring. I called pawn shops. Back to making a complaint, but ...I felt the older man needed his job perhaps worse than I needed the pearl ring.

FINALLY one night, I realized I had to let this go. I thought of that man again. I visualized that he needed a gift for his wife. In my minds eye, she was elderly and poor. I visualized he gave her the ring. I thought her to be so, so happy and admiring her treasure. I thought then of all that I have...and suddenly there was a sense of peace.
I closed my eyes that night and prayed that she would wear it in happiness as I had and suddenly there came to me a happiness .... a happiness felt deep inside. It was as if the ring was a gift to her and from that viewpoint I could be ok with this. This made me feel glad. I closed my eyes and went to sleep.

The next morning, I walked into the bathroom and there, right in the middle of the dressing table, in full view, was my RING.

Did someone come in during the night and place it without us knowing? No way~ They couldn't get passed the dog. We couldn't believe our eyes. It had been missing for 3 WEEKS.

Today the Oprah Show had guest talking about how to bring positive good into your life and the book "The Secret" and she went to say through the power of positive thinking and forgiveness, miracles happen. I'M A BELIEVER.
iJune

Poem by iJune

I DREAM

by June Daab

When I take time for sights and sounds of beauty

When I become aware of the elusive moments of splendor

When today's trite involvements slip from mind

I dream.

When the distant star lights the diamond coal night

Until the sun of the new day is born

Spilling gold onto the rooftops and silver onto the lakes

I dream.

When the wind speaks softly through the trees

Or when rain pellets my window pane

I fall back unto my pillow and dream.

Today, I dreamt .... of you!

Bobby Neil ~ One Truly Good Friend

Some people stay in your life forever ~ they are a permanent fixture in our life. We call them a very special friend. Bobby is one of my very special friends. Why?

There is just no one else like him.

I cannot tell you how many hours of fun we shared growing up, although we never considered time together as dating. And I don't know why. Any girl would want Bobby as a boyfriend. And for me and the Golden Girls, he was just always there.

Photo is the two of us as teenagers, washing his car.

Notice his crewcut and my rolled up jeans.

Bobby has the greatest sense of humor and can put a twist on the obvious with is his particular style ... or maybe it is the tone of his voice that is so delightful to hear. One distinct idiosyncrasy that we enjoy even today, is when he agrees with someone about anything, the tone of his voice is one that sounds unsure....it is a "kind 'a" ~"sort 'a "~ a little bit like,~"maybe." You get the idea he's just going along.

Then he laughs and that seals the fact that he thinks it's a stupid idea.
When trying to nail him down .... if he agrees or if he didn't agree...he always said he is dead serious about agreeing...but again, always with that tone that sounds "kinda"~ "sorta," ~a little bit like...etc.

He is my friend. He is our friend.

When in college, I introduced him to one of the "cutest" girls in our freshman class. Her personality was bright and no doubt they were well suited. They soon became engaged. When we heard they had split up, I was sad for them. Bobby later told me he didn't know what happened. She just gave his ring back and said goodbye, she wanted to move back to her hometown.

She was one of the girls that I wanted to see after all these years and over lunch 40 years after the fact, she volunteered what happened to her romance with Bobby.

She said she realized she needed someone who would open doors for her and Bobby didn't. She went on with an example that had me in stitches.

She said they were going out to dinner one night and she had decided she would give him one last chance to remember the car door for her. She didn't talk with him about her expectation, as she thought a gentleman of that day and time would KNOW.

When they parked the car, he got out and walked on. She stayed in the car... just sat there. Apparently he didn't realize she wasn't following and went on into the resturant. She said after a few minutes, he came back to see if she had a problem.

Her problem was large enough to end the engagement. Both of them later found the right person and have enjoyed a very happy life.

Are you still reading?

I have so many fun stories about Bobby Neil.

Stories to come.

iJune

Savory Cheesecake

The tables were filled with delights carefully selected to go with the

February Port Tasting event.

This Chapter of The American Wine Society meets monthly to sample and learn about wines.

This night, we were to learn about Ports.

Rich ports go well with chocolates and cigars; they are expensive

and have no shelf life is all I knew.

Last night we got a rare sampling of Vintage Ports.

To enrich our experience visually and please our palates,

on each table was a large tray of homemade chocolate candy and fabulous little cakes.

We had berries, plums, apples, cherries and big apples to cut and share. Also was the large baskets of assorted breads...even a chocolate bread.

Among those carefully selected cheeses was a homemade delight called

"Cheesecake" however wasn't sweet. Think of a cheesecake without sugar...so, so good on either a cracker or thinly sliced baguette bread.
A wonderful evening to say the least.
iJune

To share the recipe..

Savory Cheesecake
1 cup finely crushed thin wheat crackers
3 T. butter, melted
12 oz. cream cheese (can use reduced fat)
16 oz. yogurt* (can use reduced fat)
1 egg
1 egg yolk
¼ t. dried basil
1/8 t. dried rosemary, crushed
8 oz (about 2 cups) shredded swiss cheese*
*I used Comte; the deeper and nuttier the cheese variety, the more flavorful the baked cheesecake will be. I also used sour cream instead of the yogurt that the recipe called for.
1. Combine crushed crackers and butter; press onto bottom of 9" springform.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add next 5 ingred.; beat on low speed until blended. (If using reduced fat ingredients, be careful to beat only until blended, or it will thin out the mixture.)
3. Stir in shredded cheese.
4. Pour into prepared crust and place pan on baking sheet.
5. Bake at 350 for 40 – 50 minutes or until center is almost set. ( I found that it took longer; I baked it until the top was puffed; makes it a little more dense after it cools.)
6. Cool on rack for 10 min; run knife around edge of pan to loosen sides.
7. Cool, then refrigerate overnight.
8. Remove sides of pan and serve.

One Story of ~ The Golden Girls in Their Youth

Ghosts have always fascinated me and have always wanted to do is to see one. Why? To prove to myself they actually exist. I wanted to know if they live only in stories~ made up to tell around the campfire or on when candles flicker away shadows when the power is out. Ghost stories are kinda fun and bring a wide-eyed sense of awe and conjure up a little fright, don't you agree? I like that feeling BUT only if they are only stories. Or friendly ghosts would be ok too.

The gang of girls I grew up with all loved a good ghost story. One night we happened upon a perfect opportunity to encounter a ghost.

Being too young to date, we frequently had slumber parties during the summer months. Needless to say, being high-spirited, these evening always lead to mischief. We felt we invented slipping out of a bedroom window to go for walks. There were six of us not 2 years difference in age. We lived in the suburbs of a city gave us a populated area to walk and feel safe.

Before one long summer was over, we had become quite adventuresome. We discovered the perfect destination, the drive-in movie about two miles from our community. We were thrilled to discover we could walk right in as the back wall of the drive-in wasn't fenced. We would go directly to the snack shop for pizza and cokes and head for a grassy knoll with an available speaker to sit and watch the movie. We got around to buying cigarettes too. That made us feel quite grownup.

One night, in an attempt to find a shortcut to the drive-in, we cut though a cornfield. Trekking though this field, to our surprise, we came upon a big old house just sitting there admist all the corn. The abandoned and dilapidated house was dark and forbidding. As we approached, we could see the windows and doors were boarded up and "No Trespassing" signs here and there.

It probably was an old antebellum house. Two stories and lots of tattered gingerbread. Of course, there was a third floor with one window without boards...an attic window...ohhhh...perfect for a ghost. We just knew this house was haunted for sure. All of us agreed this was more exciting than any movie.

Surrounded by thick cornstalks and guided only by moonlight and high anticipation, we approached. The steps to the porch had fallen and the boarded windows too high from the ground....walking around the spooky old house...ahhhhh ...there was an open basement window and goody, the pane had been broken totally out. We had found our entrance.

We approaced with only a little caution, as our sense of adventure was our usher. There was no turning back. There was nothing to do but to enter and explore. If a ghost lived there, we would know for sure, and we wanted a ghost story to tell.

To squeeze through that window wasn't easy and only two of us dared the undertaking. We found total darkness and loosened boards underneath us. Holding hands there in the dark, we realized as good as this setting was...we would have to end this adventure without encountering a ghost.

Looking back I wonder a few things. Why did the think we could see in the dark? Why didn't we think of snakes? Why didn't we realize it would be harder to crawl up and out then crawl down to enter? Why do the young think they are invincible? Youth amazes me.

This group stayed togther at tight friends through grammar school and high school and many, many adventures. Shortly after high school, we went in different directions.

Little did we know, 40 years would pass before we would once again come together and become known as "The Golden Girls." Our friendships had span Fifty Years!!!

iJune