“In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: It Goes On.”
Robert Frost

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Rocky and Bullwinkle




Bullwinkle J. Moose and Rocket J. Squirrel


It's Throwback Thursday!
Let's go back in time in the WABAC machine and visit The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show.




Mr. Peabody and Sherman in front of the WABAC machine
 (pronounced Way Back for you youngsters out there).


The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show was produced from 1959-1961 and later went into syndication and appeared until 1973.  The series was the result of the collaboration of Jay Ward and Alex Anderson.  The show was for children, but had plenty of clever puns and topical references that also appealed to adults. There were lots of outrageous characters and goofy plots that kept everyone entertained. The name of Bullwinkle came from a car dealership in Berkeley, California that was called Bullwinkel Motors.





              Three versions of the Fractured Fairy Tales Intro Theme music.


The fictional town where Bullwinkle lived was called Frostbite Falls Minnesota. Much debate ensued over which real town this was based on. In Minnesota one candidate was the town of International Falls.  The Canadians were also included in the show, who could forget Dudley Do-right the love-struck Canadian Mountie! Other favorite skits within the show were Fractured Fairy Tales, Peabody's Improbable History, Mr. Know-It-All and Aesop and Son.





This zany show was created during the cold war and the satirical look at politics was evident in the characters of the no-good-nicks Boris and Natasha. Fortunately for Rocky and Bullwinkle, these spies were incompetent and ended up the victims of there own devilish ways.  I still find the show to be quite funny and now as an adult it has a whole new meaning. It was very cleverly written with lots of innuendos thrown in.



This is just a peek into the past, if you would like to know more about the show or just want to refresh your vintage memory, check out this link at FunTrivia.



Next to Rocky and Bullwinkle the Fractured Fairy Tales were my favorite feature.

The two most memorable lines from the show are....

 "And now, here's something we hope you'll really like!" -- Rocky.
 "Hey Rocky, watch, me pull a rabbit out of my hat." ---Bullwinkle

The joke with Bullwinkle was that he usually pulled a lion or Rocky out of the hat, but never a rabbit!


Here is a trivia question for you.  In the 'Dudley Do-Right' features, Dudley was always trying to gain the affections of the beautiful Nell. She was in love with another. Does anyone remember towards who were Nell's affections directed? 




Tuesday, May 28, 2013

You Are My Sunshine





Finally after days of gloomy weather and rain last week, we had sunshine, glorious bright, clear and wonderful sunshine. It was a perfect day, in the mid 60's and I took the opportunity to visit our Minnesota Landscape Arboretum. Because of our odd spring you see the crab apples, lilacs and tulips are all blooming together which is somewhat unusual.

I captured some sunshine brightened blooms and saved them for a rainy day, which lately seems like every day! Even after a gloomy, cold and rainy weekend we are having another gloomy rainy day! So even though last week I had work to be done with the upcoming weekend and house-guests, I took a break and I'm sure glad I did. Hope you enjoy these photos, feel free to pin them to your pinterest boards if you wish.




















































































































What kind of things could make you play hooky from your other obligations?

Saturday, May 25, 2013

The Memories Of the Heart













The heart hath its own memory like the mind,
And in it are enshrined the precious keepsakes....
                                     Longfellow




Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Hope

Hope is the Thing With Feathers

Hope is the thing with feathers
That perches in the soul,
And sings the tune without the words,
And never stops at all,

And sweetest in the gale is heard;
And sore must be the storm
That could abash the little bird
That kept so many warm.

I've heard it in the chillest land,
And on the strangest sea;
Yet, never, in extremity,
It asked a crumb of me.


by Emily Dickinson


As a gardener, I am full of hope. I plant the tiny plants and hope for good weather. I hope for sunshine and kind winds. I hope for them to be free of pests. I hope that we both survive long enough for me to see them grow and bloom to their full potential. Nothing is for certain or without risks in gardening or in life. Hoping, wishing, praying... I've done all of these things when wanting a good outcome. 

When a hope is fulfilled, it might be the greatest gift of all.









The sticks were to keep the critters (including Guy Noir) from jumping up and digging in the plants.  They were removed after a couple of days and Guy was a very good boy, only sniffed at the plants and moved on. Maybe he's not a fan of rosemary!


Old copper teakettle with corsican mint inside.

Here's to never giving up hope. 


Saturday, May 18, 2013

Because It's Cute!

Sharing some cute things with you today...





Illustration by Fini from "First Nursery Songs", 1945.





Source: toysandfinethings.co.uk   artist: Jessie Wilcox Smith
























Source: instructables.com 

Make your very own grumpy cat! Who wouldn't love that face?

Have a great weekend!

~~Diane~~





Monday, May 13, 2013

Miracles of Ordinary Life . . .







"I have never asked that nature
open any doors to reveal the truth of spirit or mystery;
I aspire to no shaman's path;
I expect no vision, no miracles except the ones
that fill every instant of ordinary life."

~~ Richard K. Nelson
                              American anthropologist











Thursday, May 9, 2013

A True Pioneer Woman


My Grandmother astride a horse circa. 1920's.


My Grandmother was a true pioneer woman.  She was born in 1900 to a blacksmith and his wife on the great plains of the Midwest.  She graduated High School but had higher aspirations and went on to College.  She became a school teacher and taught for six years before marrying her true love and becoming a farm wife.  They were together for over 50 years until parted by the death of my Grandfather.  She died at age 90 and without a doubt, rejoined the love of her life.

She was a spirited woman who was a devout Christian and enjoyed a good political debate.  She loved gardening and animals.  Her garden was an oasis in the almost treeless, rolling hills of the plains.  The two story house was surrounded by a fenced yard encircled with trees and all sorts of growing things. She grew roses, trumpet vine, herbs and hundreds of other lovely plants and flowers.  It has been so long ago, over thirty years since I was at her home on the farm.... I scarcely remember all of the plants she had there.  Outside the formal yard near the stream was a huge garden, where sweet corn and beans, peas and berries grew in abundance.

She had beautiful cats which she loved and I remember a couple of times over the years after begging my Mom (also a cat lover), we brought one home with us.  Apparently my love of cats (and animals in general) is a genetic thing!

One of the most precious gifts my grandmother ever gave me was something she made with her own hands.  It is a teddy bear.  I'm not sure if he was from a kit or if she made up the pattern for him herself.



He is a little moth eaten but still in remarkable shape for being at least fifty years old. He still sits with me today in my office, a reminder of years gone by. I always loved him and his velvet ears, paws and nose. I never gave him another name other than "Teddy", not very original, but I couldn't have loved him any more. My grandmother made quilts and crocheted throws and assorted clothing for me and the other grand-kids, but they never held up in comparison to this bear. He was one of a kind and she never made one for any of her other grandchildren. I wish I could ask her why.


My grandmother was an extraordinarily good cook and baker.  For years, she cooked on a wood cook stove in the kitchen which remained long after the electric range was installed.  She always loved to cook for us and we had wonderful family meals at the holidays or pretty much any time we visited.  Her famous dessert for Christmas was a Lane cake, which has many layers and a custard filling with raisins and cherries.  Her chocolate meringue topped pie was incredible and her fried chicken delectable. 

The food was wonderful because most of it was grown right there on the farm. The milk, butter, eggs, chickens the vegetables and fruits were all produced right there.  The relatives and neighbors all shared and exchanged their produce and other farm products.  She was not a fragile creature, she was a stout farm woman and loved to cook and eat.  Butter was a favorite of hers and she never went in for that new fangled margarine when it came on the market. Did I mention she lived to be 90!

No one ever left her table or house hungry. When I was a teenager,  I remember her saying to me, "You're too thin, you need to eat!" She was a kind hearted soul and believed in helping others. During the depression in the 30's, drifters (hobos) would come by looking for work and a meal and she always gave them something to eat. Usually there was work to do around the farm and my Grandfather would help them find work on his farm or on one of his many brothers farms.

The picture below was taken after her graduation from college.  I think it is such a contrast to how I remember her in a plain house dress and apron working in her kitchen. She told my Mother and I one day towards the end of her life, that when she was younger she was engaged to a preacher, but she just didn't love him enough. She broke off the engagement and soon met my Grandfather a simple farmer. She told us she never regretted her decision and was quite happy with the way her life turned out.








Here are a few things I learned from her. 
She taught me about kindness towards humans and animals. She taught me about nature and being gentle to the earth and how its abundance will bring joy to your life through food or flowers. She taught me to love cats and how to make a rhubarb pie.

But the most important thing I learned from her, is to be true to yourself 
and only do what feels right in your heart.



Thank you for indulging me in this memory of my Grandmother as we approach Mother's Day.
I hope all of you enjoy a special day of your own.  ~~ Diane

Monday, May 6, 2013

Fluttering and Dancing in the Breeze








I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud

I wandered lonely as a cloud
That floats on high o'er vales and hills,
When all at once I saw a crowd,
A host, of golden daffodils;
Beside the lake, beneath the trees,
Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine
And twinkle on the milky way,
They stretched in never-ending line
Along the margin of a bay:
Ten thousand saw I at a glance,
Tossing their heads in sprightly dance.

The waves beside them danced; but they
Out-did the sparkling waves in glee:
A poet could not but be gay,
In such a jocund company:
I gazed---and gazed---but little thought
What wealth the show to me had brought:

For oft, when on my couch I lie
In vacant or in pensive mood,
They flash upon that inward eye
Which is the bliss of solitude;
And then my heart with pleasure fills,
And dances with the daffodils.



William Wordsworth (1770-1850)



Dear Friends,
It is finally feeling and looking like spring! The hardy geraniums are popping their leaves from beneath the mulch and the blue scilla are blooming like crazy.  A few daffodils and tulips are just starting to form their flowers, so sadly the photo above is not of my garden. The grass is green and growing and the leaves on the shrubs and trees are just now starting to unfurl!  It's supposed to be a glorious week so I may not be around in blog land much, I will instead by outside in my yard and garden until the rains come in a few days.  I hope you are all able to enjoy some of this glorious spring weather where you are.  See you soon..... Diane

Friday, May 3, 2013

Getting a Jump on Spring Planting

As you know if you have been reading my blog lately, the winter here in Minnesota this year has been long, very, very long.  Just a week ago we had about 10 inches of snow and then after that melted we had another four inches of snow.  Just a few days ago we had snow showers that looked like a winter blizzard. Thank goodness it didn't stick this last time. Anyway, one of my good bloggy Etsy friends felt my pain and sent me a painting to cheer me up.  I was so thrilled to have it arrive in the mail on one of our dreariest of days. Thank you so much Stacy!


Spring Baby Crow from Stacy - Magic Love Crow






Not to be outdone by all of this 'spring is in the air' mood that was going on, Guy decided he was not going to wait for me to start on those gardening projects. He jumped in feet first, literally! 
Or should I say head first!



These photos were taken on April 23rd, so thankfully 
now our snow is all gone and our grass is green!


Dot wanted nothing to do with this activity and headed down the sidewalk to the back door. 
Guy got back to work and believe me the dirt was flying!



Guy digging deep and clearing out those old dead annuals from this container.









He was really into his gardening and worked at this for almost ten minutes. 
I guess when a cat wants his cat grass, there's no stopping him!




What? Lets plant that cat grass!


Guy looking at me for approval and encouragement! Of course I told him his was 
doing a great job, just don't try this on my plants inside the house!





One last note about the April giveaways.
The winner of the Pim book is Kylie from Lucy Violet Vintage. Congratulations Kylie, I look forward to seeing what you do with the Pim illustrations! Thank you to everyone that entered the giveaways. I will be doing more down the road.

Now I must start writing up my gardening list of things I need to pick up at the garden center.

First on the list:   Cat Grass Seed