Flora and Fauna This Week

 

It's been a busy week here in our suburban yard.

We were out surveying the woods next door, as we will be having a big tree removed next week. It's leaning precariously over our roof, and looks as though there's a fair amount of rot that could lead to splitting. It has to go.

And as we were looking up into the trees, we saw these baby raccoons, chittering away.

After a while, they just fell asleep in the crook of the tree. So cute.

But you know what's not cute? Critters that destroy my pillows to steal the stuffing for their nests.

I'm fairly certain that's the handiwork of our many squirrels.

And then there's the deer who have eaten one half of my Annabelle hydrangea bush by the front garden.

It's hard to get too mad when they look this precious.

At least the turkeys just mind their own business.

Now that the heat wave has gone, I think I'll give all the flowers a good boost of fertilizer to give them a fighting chance.

Nature! It's always entertaining.

An Easy Summer Dessert for Summer Holidays

 

Happy Fourth, friends!

I made this easy dessert for our weekend cookout dinners, and thought I'd share it with you.

I'm calling these cheesecake parfaits. And here are the two secret ingredients that make it super quick.

I put about 20 Nilla wafers in a Ziploc bag and crushed them with the back of a measuring cup. Then, I mixed them in a bowl with about two tablespoons of melted butter. I pressed this mixture into the bottom of these little parfait glasses.

Next, I scooped in this Cheesecake No Bake filling.

I crushed some raspberries and put that on top of the cheesecake filling. Finally, I sprinkled some more of the Nilla wafer crumbles on top and chilled the whole thing for a few hours.

Put a little USA flag on top, and you are all set for celebrating.

And speaking of USA...

...hope your 4th is stress-free and full of smiles!

Patriotic Stitching

 

I've been doing some patriotic stitching this month.

I was inspired by a recent trip to Always in Stitches in Noblesville, Indiana. I happened to pop into the shop last month when their local stitching group was meeting. Oh my word! They were so talented! And it seemed like every lady there was working on a patriotic stitching project. They gave me some helpful tips regarding aging eyes and tiny linen counts, too.

This one, however, is not on a tiny linen count. I did this one on 14 count Aida cloth, making it easy to stitch in the evening when I've propped my feet up and turned on BritBox.

We've been fitting in some festive things in celebration of the 250th this week. Last night, we went to our small downtown for some food and live music. And this weekend, Sam is in town for some cookouts and meet ups with his college friends.

Me? Well, I'll probably spend my 4th in the usual way...with a dog who's been tranquilized and is hiding in the closet, away from fireworks. Sigh. It's our yearly tradition!

Happy Friday, friends!

Frog Garden

 

I turned the shade garden into the frog garden this year. 

This spot is not only shady, but also has lots of roots thanks to the maple tree. I have to rely on potted plants rather than planted perennials.

I also have to use flowers and plants that the deer won't decimate. I used lots of coleus, impatiens and ferns. I repeated a lot of bright reds and chartreuse greens.

Jemma likes it!

What's Bloomin'?

 

There's always something new blooming in the garden. Here's what's happening this week.

These tuberous begonias are gorgeous! I have to remember to use more of them in the future.

And here's one of my proudest gardening moments this year. I GREW GRASS!

I've had such a hard time growing grass in the shady areas of our yard. But conditions must have been ideal this year because I finally succeeded. Yay! I usually sow a Scott's Sun and Shade blend in the spring and again in the fall. 

Things are looking lush this year! I will need to keep everything well watered during the heat wave this week.

Easy Summer Appetizer Skewers

 

Summertime is the time for cookouts and gatherings, potlucks and picnics.

I needed an easy appetizer for an outdoor gathering. Skewers seemed like a good option.

These Caprese salad skewers are made with Italian salamis, marinated mozzarella balls, and cherry tomatoes, along with some fresh basil from the garden.

And thanks to these delicious mozzarella balls marinated in olive oil, this was a cinch to put together.

Here's another offering that blends the flavors of summer.

Watermelon skewers! Simply cube the watermelon, skewer, and add crumbled feta, chopped fresh basil, and a drizzle of balsamic glaze from Aldi.

Easy summer living. Blessings on your Sunday, cafe friends!

Summer Book Haul

 

My favorite warehouse book sale at the county fairgrounds was this week. The family that runs this sale offers this to the community about three or four times a year. I think the next sale will be in October.

Great deals! I go with a list of authors and titles in hand. And I always take photos of  my bookshelves at home so that I can access them to make sure I'm not getting any duplicates.

This week, I found a couple of Dorothy Gilman mystery titles to add to my collection.

I also found a stack of Laurie Colwin books. A great deal at $2 a piece.

I found a few assorted titles on my wish list, including a book of Robert Frost's  poetry for my son, Sam. Sam and friends started a poetry club in his high school that is still going strong today! And the cool thing about this Robert Frost collection is that it includes a few poems he wrote while living in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Sam will love that!

I found a stack of Mary Stewart books. I love old books with cool dust jackets.

I found this book and it spoke to me. I loved Pippi Longstocking as a girl, and this edition is illustrated by an artist I quickly recognized from a kid's show called Charlie and Lola. A fun, whimsical style. This book was in perfect condition, too.

Here's another special book: a copy of Persuasion by Jane Austen that includes a curated collection of unique maps and letters and ephemera related to the story.

Interactive! How fun! 

And it was in perfect, pristine condition, too.

I also bought a few books to give as gifts.

My bookshelves are getting pretty full! I may need to get another bookshelf soon!

By the way, I tell everyone I know about this sale. And this week, I ran into my brother and sister-in-law there, as well as a friend from church. I'm spreading the word and sharing the bounty!

Looks like my summer is booked!