Mardi Gras and Camellias

This weekend was spent at Krewe Den working with the Costume Committee.  I love working on costumes and the do-dads associated with costumes.  The float is looking great.  It's all coming together.  I'm having more fun this year during the Mardi Gras season than I've had for several years.  I think it's because all of the krewe is getting together at Krewe Den to work on the float and costumes and we are even having dance practice at Krewe Den.  We all have such a good time together.  It is a special time.

Our young krewe member, Monette, turned 40 last week.  We gave her a surprise party yesterday.  Several of the girls went in together and bought her a krewe jacket.  She loved it.  The cake was beautifully decorated with mermaids and under the sea motif.  Best of all, she really was surprised.

Our Queen Doris XX also got her krewe jacket this past week.  It's hard to believe this krewe has been together for 20 years.  I've been with them for about 7 years now.  It's a great krewe and a great season.

Of course, with the beautiful weather we have been having, both George and I have a serious case of spring fever.  We have been working in the yard and in our gardens everyday.  The cabbage is growing.  The onions are growing.  We are having more broccoli for dinner tonight.  The oregano is up.  The radishes and lettuce are growing but not ready to harvest.  The garlic is looking beautiful.  The chard is beautiful.  On top of that we have planted our seeds for the spring garden.  The camellias are blooming and are beautiful, both the pink and the red.  In fact, George is out in the yard now planting more seeds.  Sure hope they grow.

I need to get back to embroidery.  Have a good day:>)

Communing with Nature

It's Wednesday and I should be discussing embroidery but it is so beautiful outside that all I want to do is commune with nature.  A friend of mine told me to pick the green cherry tomatoes from my plants and make a salsa with them.  Sure enough, I looked it up and there are several things, other than fried green tomatoes, that you can do with green tomatoes.  Well, I've harvested and plan on making the salsa. 

We are still getting a bumper crop of bell pepper and hot peppers.  You have to understand that when I say "bumper crop" this is not like a farmer using that term.  We just have a small garden outside our kitchen.  But those plants have produced and produced all season.  I think I may harvest all of the peppers and freeze for later during the colder months.

The lettuce and radishes are coming into season and I've notice the onions, garlic, carrots, cabbage and brocolli all look healthy but not ready yet.

My hands smell very sweet because I've been cleaning out the stevia area and harvesting some stevia.  My dog loves to eat the leaves.  Dogs definitely have a sweet tooth and so, of course, they will like the stevia.  It's good for them and the stuff grows like weeds in my plantar. 

If I have time, I'm thinking about harvesting and drying the basil, as well.

A friend of mine came over the other day and brought a bottle of mixed seasoning with dried herbs that she garnered from my garden and other friend's gardens.  Oh those herbs smell delicious.

I've never tried to dry the lemon balm but it's supposed to be terrific for you.  Maybe I'll try that, along with other herbs in the garden.

One of our ginger plants has seeds in the pods.  We never noticed it before this year.  George is harvesting those seeds.  We have several different types of ginger in the yard.  Beautiful plants.  But I don't know which ones you can eat and which you cannot. 

It's been such a delightful morning in the garden.  I need to get back to the embroidery machine.  This Sunday will be the first Cajun Stitchery party at my friend's home.  I'm bringing everything from the Etsy shop, the left overs from the arts and craft festival, some new stuff, and samples of shirts, jackets, etc., that we can order for embroidery.  I hope this party is successful.  Even so, it will be a lot of fun visiting with old friends and meeting new friends.


Our sofa is being cleaned today because I won a sofa cleaning at a raffle last week.  The owner of the cleaning company is a friend of mine from the WBL group.  I warned her that we have all of these animals and that sofa has never been cleaned more than running a vacuum over it.  Yuk!

 Back to work.  C'est tout, mes amis.