Christmas Tree

                                                                                     
                                                                                 
                       OK, tree up and its beautiful. This is the first thing that goes up
                        around here and it always makes me happy! Actually, Ron
                        has the outside done and I've finished as well. We are
                        definitely in the spirit of the season! Merry, merry!                                      
                                                                                     

Two New Recipes

Hello friends, had a wonderful Thanksgiving.
Just wanted to share with you 2 recipes
that I have used recently. They both are
delicious. An appetizer and a dessert.
See EARTHLY DELIGHTS.


Christmas is around the corner!!
Lots coming, merry, merry!

Gathering Thyme

There's a comfort in holiday rituals.
As we gather around the table, doesn't
matter if there are two people or twenty.
We recognize our blessings. We feel inside
our family's time spent together. Memories
are happening. I watched my husband
show our son how to slice the turkey
and I understood being grateful...
I am so blessed....

Sharing, Remembering

That's me top right sitting next to my Grandpa...1959
Mom taking the picture, my brother Jim, my sister
Kathy, Dad and Grandma

                                                                                                         Mom, Dad

Thanksgiving Decorating

What an ideal time to gather nature's bounty and bring into our home. Mother Nature provides
us with a wonderful selection of earthly delights, rich with color and texture. From pumpkins, squashes, gourds and Indian corn, to the branches of gorgeous leaf colors and bittersweet vines,
to seeds and pods of acorns, black walnuts, and pinecones, to the fruits of cranberries, oranges,
apples and figs; we can easily transform our homes into a cozy warmth in which to celebrate
this time of Thanksgiving. We combine these treasures of nature with colorful candles, baskets
or wooden bowls, clear vases of different sizes, our favorite tablecloths and napkins, and we
make it our own. Then by adding and here's the best part, the scents of the season: the aromas
of cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, sage, citrus..........well,that simply brings it all together.
We personalize, we say come inside, you are welcome into my home!!

Thanksgiving Fun

Remember all those fun Thanksgiving crafts and projects kids do in
schools? I loved that stuff, my children's school holiday concerts,
they were so special. I wanted to share the one where you come up
with a word for each letter of Thanksgiving.

Turkey, with all the trimmings
Home and family
Autumn thyme, bounty and harvest
Nutmeg, cinnamon, all the spicy smells
Kitchen, where we all hang out
Stuffing, cornbread, sage, oyster
Gobble gobble
Indians and pilgrims
Very tasty treats
Invite one and all
November thyme, holidays begin
God' s great blessings

That was fun..now to that menu and shopping list!

Talking Turkey

Aren't these great looking turkeys! Went to a turkey farm and bought an 8.6 lb
turkey breast. Decided this year not to cook the whole bird. Plus we will all
want leftover white meat for sandwiches. Our menu is basic, includes every-
ones favorite dishes..... Creamy mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet potatoes
with marshmallows, green beans with ham and onions, Ben's favorite broccoli
carrots with cheese sauce and yeast rolls, salad for Shakira always, cornbread
stuffing, corn casserole  for Mark, and well Ron...he loves it all! I might just
make the all time favorite jello pretzel salad. That's kinda my favorite. For
dessert this year making pumpkin cheesecake bars. I will be certain to add
a receipe to Earthly Delights, so look for that soon. We usually eat around  2.
It's so nice to have family around plus there will be Sam the Pug to join us.
We'll take a walk, football will be on TV, and most importantly we will give
thanks for what we have..our Lord has given us much to be thankful for!!
So friends...enjoy your day, smile, it's the season of gratitude...most of all,
Gobble Till You Wobble!!!

November

 We are deep into fall, and the leaves continue to drop.
  It has been  a great weekend for me. Sat. such wind
  but outside we went to start with our Xmas decorating.
  I worked on the porch and Ron finished up his lights.
  On Sun. out we went into a beautiful sunny afternoon.
  We mowed and raked out back, and I worked in
   my herb garden and cleaned it up. Put mulched
   leaves around the hydranges, cut the chives back,
   and trimmed up the lavender. We will enjoy
   this weather while we can. I heard snow showers
   tomorrow!

Veterans Day

         Today is November 11th. VETERANS DAY. We honor those that have
          served, and those that are now serving our country. For your remarkable
          sacrifices, we thank you!!

Tomato Tip

  Wanted to share a little experiment with you. Had some
   left over green tomatoes and wanted to ripen them. So read
   up on the ways to do this and there are many. All has to do
   with ethylene gas and the hardness and how green the tomato
   is. So use a mature tomato that has a tinge of color (see box)
   and feels softer. I took a small box, lined it with newspaper
   put the tomatoes in (they can't be touching) then covered
   the tomatoes with some crumbled up newspaper. Put them
   in the garage and checked on them daily, rotating them as
   I saw a change. It worked, took about 8 days. Tried one,
   it was very tasty...not like fresh from the vine, but not
   a store bought taste either. Ate the rest over a few days.
                                             See the results in the second photo. Sooo exciting!!

  
  
  
  

Thymely Tips

Autumn leaves are falling, the sun is shinning and there is still time
to prepare the garden and yard before winter. What you do now will
help make your spring a whole lot easier and better. I hope these
tips will help just a little in your transition to our next season.
** Plant bulbs
      In the ground before freezing please. Tulips, hyacinths, daffodils
       are a few good suggestions. See your garden center for the right
       information on how to plant etc.
** Store tender bulbs
      Also before ground freezing, dig up and store your non-hardy
       bulbs like gladiolus, cannas, and dahlias.
** Pot maintenance
       Empty terra cotta and other ceramic pots, wipe out, and store in
       the shed or other covered area to avoid moisture and prevent
        cracking.
** Rake, rake, and did I say rake!
       Keep those leaves raked up from your garden and lawn. Composting
        is a great way to get rid of the leaves. Mulching with the mower
        helps with just small amounts of leaves but avoid thatching. And,
        raking is Healthy!
** Tool care
       Give your garden tools a good cleaning and store them in the shed
        or garage for the winter. Removing any dirt and chemicals will
        help prevent rust and corrosion .
** Give your trees and shrubs a drink
       Once the ground freezes solid, your trees and shrubs won't be able to
        get any extra water till thaw. So if your area has been light on the
        rainfall, give them a big drink now. Mulching after a freeze will help
        keep the soil moist.
** Think spring green            

         If your yard has bare spots, this is the time to overseed. Make sure the seed

         is at soil level for proper germination. Also do a final fall fertilization before
        ground freeze and when grass stops growing. No more mowing. Use a
        slow release nitrogen. fertilizer.
** Plant
       Fall is a great time to plant trees and shrubs. The soil is warmer now than in
        spring, and there's still time for roots to get established before the hard freeze.
Hope my tips help you in winding up your fall garden chores.....so harvest that bounty,
boost  that lawn, winter is on the way!  Oh and you can fuel up at the Thanksgiving
table!!

Garden Thyme Update

Hello garden friends..wanted to share with you
an addition to my blog. Tilling the Blog. This is
my search engine for the blog. If you want to read
about anything in particular, type it in and the
post or receipe will show up.