It's the Little Things that Matter #9

Hello everyone,

Today is the last day of July.
Tomorrow we will start a brand new month.

I love getting up every morning and starting another day.

I haven't always been so positive about life, but

I am learning it is easier to live for the future 

than look back at the past. 

When I started this series about "It's the Little Things that Matter." 

I wanted to share with you little things to make you smile.

Or the little things that delight me every day.

 And little quotes and sayings to help me convey my message.

I have been working on these goals I mentioned in post#6.
One...I will try to nurture myself every day.
Two...Practice acceptance in my daily affairs.
Three...Live one day at a time.

I have been thinking about even more little things
to be thankful for...

Clothes that fit just right
Good food
A comfortable chair
and another thought is
Always help light the way for others.
Think of it not as your work
or even your purpose,
but as your destiny.
-Jane Almarie Lewis
  

Thank you for visiting
Joyously,
Betty
Linking to

Rustic and Refined for Dishing It and Dishing It

Lavender Cottage for Mosaic Monday

 The Dedicated House for Make it Pretty Monday 

Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings-The Heart of Your Home
Between Naps on the Porch for Met Monday
Tuesday Cuppa at Antiques and Tea Cups

Bernideen's BTTCG Blog Party

Friends Sharing Tea at Bernideen's Tea Time Blog 

No Place Like Home at Rose Chintz Cottage 

The Scoop at Cedar Hill Farmhouse 

Our Home Away from Home for Tuesdays at our Home

A Stroll Thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday 

The Dedicated House for Before and After Wednesday

Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesday 

Katherines Corner for Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop

Home and Garden Thursday at A Delightsome Life 

Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday
Thoughts of Home at Poofing the Pillows

The Essence of Home for  Show Your Style Thursday

French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday

Rattlebridge Farm for Foodie Friday and Everything Else 
 The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday

Ms. Toody Goo Shoes for Best of the Weekend

July Garden Journal

Hello everyone,

Today we are going to take a walk around my garden.

Every month I photograph my garden. You 

will see that Summer is slowing moving in the direction of Fall.

The temperature is hot and dry, but we didn't break the record for today.
But, I think 110 degrees is hot enough. 

Yesterday we saw the patio and today we are going to walk out the

back door and over to the pergola area. I hope when it cools down a bit I plan to have a Fall tea time tablescape.  You might see a pumpkin or two. 

Now we are standing on the patio looking East. The black-eyed Susans are blooming, and I have been picking grapes since last week.  The grapes are against the fence.

As you can see, I have some gardening to do. Deadheading the Canna Lilies and Roses is the first thing on my to-do list.  I will be ordering some shade plants and bulbs to plant this Fall and, I hope to move some plants around under the plum tree. Hopefully, I will have a beautiful Spring display in the shaded area next year.   

A closer look at the garden decor and my cat-nip.

We have almost an acre of land in the city. Over the years (48) we have 

developed a delightful and restful place to spend our remaining years.

I planted a pot of impatiens.  The mums in the pots will be blooming in a few weeks and when the mums bloom that is the first sign of Fall.

Thanks for visiting today.

Joyously,

Betty 

Linking to 

Rustic and Refined for Dishing It and Dishing It

Lavender Cottage for Mosaic Monday

 The Dedicated House for Make it Pretty Monday 

Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings-The Heart of Your Home
Between Naps on the Porch for Met Monday
Tuesday Cuppa at Antiques and Tea Cups

Bernideen's BTTCG Blog Party

Friends Sharing Tea at Bernideen's Tea Time Blog 

No Place Like Home at Rose Chintz Cottage 

The Scoop at Cedar Hill Farmhouse 

Our Home Away from Home for Tuesdays at our Home

A Stroll Thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday 

The Dedicated House for Before and After Wednesday

Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesday 

Katherines Corner for Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop

Home and Garden Thursday at A Delightsome Life 

Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday
Thoughts of Home at Poofing the Pillows

The Essence of Home for  Show Your Style Thursday

French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday

Rattlebridge Farm for Foodie Friday and Everything Else 
 The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday

Ms. Toody Goo Shoes for Best of the Weekend

Summer Patio Tour

Hello everyone, 

Well, it's a Hot Summer day to be outside. Our patio is

ready to entertain company, but everybody is in the house.

Last week I bought a pot of nine succulents and a coleus.

The tea cups hold the plump green leaf plants and the colorful coleus found a spot sitting next to the angels in the fern grotto. 

Last summer I found a twin quilted bedspread to cover my OLD swing.

I collect pillows and last year I found a picture with embroidered flowers in a vase, I brought it home and made a patio pillow. I have my favorite pillows on

my Pinterest board. 

We have a swamp cooler, BIG television, and comfy chairs to have afternoon tea.

The French doors go into the master bedroom. Sometimes in the Spring and Fall

I will come outside and lay on the lounge and enjoy a good book or a nap.

I put the tea cups in a galvanized tray I found at Wal-Mart. 

The plants only need watering about once a week. 

I think my choice for the table centerpiece is perfect.

Sometimes I find the neighbor's cat resting on my lounge.

He knows a good thing. I even have some catnip growing

in the garden, he can rub against as he is hunting.

I have a plan to put candles all over the patio and take photos at night.

We have small solar lights placed in plants around the patio and lights hanging from the front of the patio and across our kitchen. At night it looks like far off city lights shining at night. So beautiful to see.

I hope you enjoyed my patio tour.

I hope I have given you some inspiration 

for decorating your outdoor space.

Please pin this mosaic.

Joyously,

Betty 

Linking to

Rustic and Refined for Dishing It and Dishing It

Lavender Cottage for Mosaic Monday

 The Dedicated House for Make it Pretty Monday 

Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings-The Heart of Your Home
Between Naps on the Porch for Met Monday
Tuesday Cuppa at Antiques and Tea Cups

Bernideen's BTTCG Blog Party

Friends Sharing Tea at Bernideen's Tea Time Blog 

No Place Like Home at Rose Chintz Cottage 

The Scoop at Cedar Hill Farmhouse 

Our Home Away from Home for Tuesdays at our Home

A Stroll Thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday 

The Dedicated House for Before and After Wednesday

Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesday 

Katherines Corner for Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop

Home and Garden Thursday at A Delightsome Life 

Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday
Thoughts of Home at Poofing the Pillows

The Essence of Home for  Show Your Style Thursday

French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday

Rattlebridge Farm for Foodie Friday and Everything Else 
 The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday

Ms. Toody Goo Shoes for Best of the Weekend
How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday~Anything Goes

Wednesday is Puzzle Day #9

 Wednesday is Puzzle Day

Enjoy

Thank you for visiting

Joyously,

Betty 

It's the Little Things that Matter #8

Hello everyone,

I am so grateful today because I have a little potting shed to play in.
I hung a little clothesline across the potting shed to hang my garden gloves.
The other day I bought eight succulents to plant in tea cups.

I will share the patio table centerpiece soon.

I love coleus plants. And this little coleus will be planted
in a terra cotta pot and be right at home in the Fern Grotto.

Little watering cans to decorate the bench of my little potting shed.

He who plants a garden plants happiness.

CHINESE PROVERB

Thank you for visiting today.

Joyously,

Betty 

Rustic and Refined for Dishing It and Dishing It

Lavender Cottage for Mosaic Monday

 The Dedicated House for Make it Pretty Monday 

Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings-The Heart of Your Home
Between Naps on the Porch for Met Monday
Tuesday Cuppa at Antiques and Tea Cups

Bernideen's BTTCG Blog Party

Friends Sharing Tea at Bernideen's Tea Time Blog 

No Place Like Home at Rose Chintz Cottage 

The Scoop at Cedar Hill Farmhouse 

Our Home Away from Home for Tuesdays at our Home

A Stroll Thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday 

The Dedicated House for Before and After Wednesday

Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesday 

Katherines Corner for Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop

Home and Garden Thursday at A Delightsome Life 

Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday
Thoughts of Home at Poofing the Pillows

The Essence of Home for  Show Your Style Thursday

French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday

Rattlebridge Farm for Foodie Friday and Everything Else 
 The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday

Ms. Toody Goo Shoes for Best of the Weekend
How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday~Anything Goes

Tea for Me

Hello everyone,

I've been away this week on a little trip to 

South Lake Tahoe. It has been hot here at home so we decided 

to celebrate our 56th Wedding Anniversary early.

We will be married 56 years on July 17, 2016.

The weather at 6000 feet was 84 degrees compared to
our 106 degrees here at home.

I came home and unpacked and was ready for a cup

of tea. Just for me.

My hydrangeas are fading, but still, doing well under

the umbrella. 

The tea cups and saucers are Delft

Spode dinner plate, unmarked dessert plate, and two delft tea cups and saucers.

My great-grandmother's sterling silverware. 

Fortebraccio Blue and White pottery vase with faded pink hydrangea

blooms. 

I hope you enjoyed my tea for me today.

I hope you all have a wonderful week.

Joyously,

Betty 

Linking to:

Rustic and Refined for Dishing It and Dishing It

Lavender Cottage for Mosaic Monday

 The Dedicated House for Make it Pretty Monday 

Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings-The Heart of Your Home
Between Naps on the Porch for Met Monday
Tuesday Cuppa at Antiques and Tea Cups

Bernideen's BTTCG Blog Party

Friends Sharing Tea at Bernideen's Tea Time Blog 

No Place Like Home at Rose Chintz Cottage 

The Scoop at Cedar Hill Farmhouse 

Our Home Away from Home for Tuesdays at our Home

A Stroll Thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday 

The Dedicated House for Before and After Wednesday

Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesday 

Katherines Corner for Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop

Home and Garden Thursday at A Delightsome Life 

Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday
Thoughts of Home at Poofing the Pillows

The Essence of Home for  Show Your Style Thursday

French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday

Rattlebridge Farm for Foodie Friday and Everything Else 
 The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday

Ms. Toody Goo Shoes for Best of the Weekend
How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday~Anything Goes

Banana Bread and Tea

Hello everyone,

Hope you had an enjoyable weekend. I had a delightful one.
I'm going to take a friend some banana bread, but before
I give it away I wanted to taste it. I made three
small loafs of banana bread. I eat one, took a
photograph of one and wrapped one for delivery.
Awile back  at the thrift store I found a
cookbook by GladysTaber.  Called the Stillmeadow Cook Book.
Susan Branch is a fan of Gladys Taber and I can
understand why. Reading the recipes turns back the
clock to my early days of cooking as a young bride
and new mother. The cookbook was first published
in 1965. I was married on July 17, 1960, at the age
of 19. Raising three children in the 60s cooking
was a real job. Without fast food restaurants
 to catch a quick meal and a break from cooking that
I would have enjoyed. Cooking was a chore. Three meals a day,
packing school lunches and sweetheart's lunch for work
I put some long hours in the kitchen every day.
So here is a nice and simple delicious Banana Bread recipe.
 I hope you enjoy.
*************************************************************

print recipe

Old Hundred Banana Bread

by Gladys Taber's Stillmeadow Cook Book 

Ingredients

• 3 bananas
• 1/4 cup shortening
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 3/4 flour
• 1 tsp soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 3 eggs

Instructions

Blend mashed bananas, sugar and eggs, and shortening. Add nuts. Sift dry ingredients and add to dry ingredients and add to mixture. Mix swiftly,  pour in pan. Bake 30 mins in slow oven (350°). 

The bananas should not be green, just yellow, flecked with brown at the tip.

I couldn't help stopping for afternoon tea to taste the Banana Bread with 
a little bit of cream cheese slathered on a slice of bread. 

Lomonosov Blue and White Cobalt tea set

I am a little late for the fourth of July with my red, white and blue,
but my roses are blooming again and 'Ingrid Bergman' was begging to
be picked. She is a beautiful and fragrant rose. I wrapped the
bread in a box set I found at Wal-Mart in the baking section. I have
two boxes left. The twine is from Wal-Mart too.

Thank you for visiting.
Joyously,
Betty 
Linking to:

Rustic and Refined for Dishing It and Dishing It

Lavender Cottage for Mosaic Monday

 The Dedicated House for Make it Pretty Monday 

Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings-The Heart of Your Home
Between Naps on the Porch for Met Monday
Tuesday Cuppa at Antiques and Tea Cups

Bernideen's BTTCG Blog Party

Friends Sharing Tea at Bernideen's Tea Time Blog 

No Place Like Home at Rose Chintz Cottage 

The Scoop at Cedar Hill Farmhouse 

Our Home Away from Home for Tuesdays at our Home

A Stroll Thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday 

The Dedicated House for Before and After Wednesday

Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesday 

Katherines Corner for Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop

Home and Garden Thursday at A Delightsome Life 

Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday
Thoughts of Home at Poofing the Pillows

The Essence of Home for  Show Your Style Thursday

French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday

Rattlebridge Farm for Foodie Friday and Everything Else 
 The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday

Ms. Toody Goo Shoes for Best of the Weekend

How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday~Anything Goes

It's the Little Things that Matter #7

 

Hello everyone,

I hope you had a wonderful 4th of July weekend holiday. 

We celebrated the 4th on the Bluffs at a friend's home overlooking 

the Sundial Bridge. The fireworks were beautiful and 

the weather was perfect for this time of the year.

I have a couple of posts in progress  I
will post them in  a few days.

Today I'm so grateful for the Little Things.

I love grapes. My dad grew grapes and every summer

I would sit around watching television eating the sweet

and delicious grapes.  

I was reading that several grape phytonutrients are now 

believed to play a role in longevity. Since my last birthday

I'm all over longevity. LOL. 

The pomegranate tree has a good crop of fruit this year.

I squeeze the pomegranates and have juice all year long.

Pomegranates juice pack a mighty punch in safeguarding 

our health. Pomegranates contain a unique and powerful

antioxidant called punicalagin. Research has shown the most

 abundant antioxidant provides protection against 

heart disease, cancer, and cognitive impairment.

Heart disease runs in my family and sometimes 

I think I have some cognitive impairment. LOL..
The juice also makes the most beautiful ruby red jelly.

"Of all human activities, apart from the procreation of
children, gardening is the most optimistic and hopeful.
The gardener is by definition one who plans for
and believes and trusts in a future, whether in the
short or the longer term."
SUSAN HILL
from Through the Garden Gate
Joyously,
Betty
Linking to

Rustic and Refined for Dishing It and Dishing It

Lavender Cottage for Mosaic Monday

 The Dedicated House for Make it Pretty Monday 

Amaze Me Monday at Dwellings-The Heart of Your Home
Between Naps on the Porch for Met Monday
Tuesday Cuppa at Antiques and Tea Cups

Bernideen's BTTCG Blog Party

Friends Sharing Tea at Bernideen's Tea Time Blog 

No Place Like Home at Rose Chintz Cottage 

The Scoop at Cedar Hill Farmhouse 

Our Home Away from Home for Tuesdays at our Home

A Stroll Thru Life for Inspire Me Tuesday 

The Dedicated House for Before and After Wednesday

Savvy Southern Style for Wow Us Wednesday 

Katherines Corner for Thursday Favorite Things Blog Hop

Home and Garden Thursday at A Delightsome Life 

Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday
Thoughts of Home at Poofing the Pillows

The Essence of Home for  Show Your Style Thursday

French Country Cottage for Feathered Nest Friday

Rattlebridge Farm for Foodie Friday and Everything Else 
 The Charm of Home for Home Sweet Home Friday

How Sweet the Sound for Pink Saturday~Anything Goes