WORDS

my weekly posting of a quote for the summer months

"There is always a certain risk to being alive 

and if you are more alive there is more risk"

~ Ibsen

GARDEN BLOGGERS' BLOOM DAY - August 2010

It's Garden Bloggers' Bloom Day. 

Come take a look around the garden.

Yellow seems to be the main color in my August garden. There are not many new plants in the garden this year as time got ahead of me when I sprained my ankle. But there is still plenty to enJOY and there's always next year, or even this fall to plant more.

The zinnias are still going strong . . . 

as are the lilies . . . 

the Cone flowers . . . 

    the Beebalm . . . 

  the Hollyhocks . . . 

the Hibiscus

and the Butterfly Bush in various shades of purple, hosting glorious visitors from dawn to dusk.

The Russian Sage is fuller.

There are still a few blooms on the Lambs Ear.

Numerous Hosta are in bloom.

Joe-Pye weed is filling out, in the garden and by the pond.

The Hydrangeas have begun to fade but will look pretty in dried arrangements.

 Autumn Joy Sedum is just beginning to show a hint of color.

The tomatoes are bursting forth in a myriad of color, shape, and taste.

Grown cover has taken over some of the garden paths

and some weeds are left for those who enjoy them the most

OR just because they are pretty to look at.

My plans for my garden this year seemed to have fallen a bit short. I didn't do all that I had planned to do, or wanted to do. But I need not get discouraged. It's better to see what I have done than to dwell on what I haven't. That is true in all of life.

Gardening, like life, IS a journey. It is up to each one of us to fill it with JOY.

In my garden there is a large place for sentiment.  My garden of flowers is also my garden of thoughts and dreams.  The thoughts grow as freely as the flowers, and the dreams are as beautiful.  ~Abram L. Urban

happy day!

{this moment}

Following  inspiration from SouleMama:

"A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember."

IN A BOWL

I still haven't adjusted to having two kittens in the house..NOT YET... and they have been here since the beginning of June. They continue to surprise me day in and day out with what they get into. Today was no exception. 

She is looking at me, right in the eye, and she knows she shouldn't be there. but yet doesn't move a muscle. I think she's deciding if she should stay or get ready to flee.


We usually have a spray bottle within arm's reach for whenever either of them jump onto the island or table. So where was that spray bottle today when I needed it???
Lucky for us, they have kept off the counters and sink area , so far that is.


In no time she answered her own question, as she stretched. . . 

and yawned. . . 

and nestled right in. . . 

for a bit of mid-morning slumber.

Have you ever worked at your island while a kitten slept in a bowl nearby? 
It was a first for me.


And truth be told, a perfect animal owner wouldn't have allowed it and would have been consistent and found the spray bottle and sprayed the kitten with water and the kitten would have sprang from the island in leaps and bounds, never to do that again. . . until tomorrow :)




     happy day!

WILD ABOUT

I have been blessed with another award, this time from Martianne, who said,

"And one blog I am Wild About: Besides a Montessori school or a Reggio school, if there were one pre-school I would send my kids to for a few days a week (if I had money), it would be a Nest in Nature, a local place that offers gentle learning, lots of creativity and a ton of outdoor time!  Marcia, who runs it and who I have yet to meet in person, has a delightful blog full of inspiring photos, reflections and ideas about nature, art, green living and embracing the beauty of the child within each of us.  I think others will love visiting Child in Harmony! "

Thank you so much Martianne. I really appreciate your kind words. It's great to be loved . . . and to love what I do :)


I have NEW plans for My A Nest in Nature preschool. It will take a new direction this fall and will evolve into a gathering for parents and children....more like a playgroup and inspired by Waldorf, Reggio and natural learning. 


I am very excited for this new venture. It will be a time for parents to gather with their children (birth to five) to explore and discover nature, interact with animals, make art, and craft with and for their children. There will be time for children to play with natural and interesting materials and parents to converse with other like-minded persons. 


It is my vision to connect like-minded individuals together, who want a slower and gentler pace for their children and themselves, and to inspire and support a *richness* of life through natural learning and a deep connection to our natural world. 


  happy day!

ONE WORD WEDNESDAY

 

                           

                         ~ riding ~

(Please feel free to join in One Word Wednesday,just leave your link in the comments). 

   

happy day!

SNACK OR MEAL

We love to make Quesadillas. They can be a snack or a meal depending what we add to it.

The kids just like cheese. I like to add veggies as well.. Sometimes I just add what we have in the house. It always tastes good no matter what I use.

It's so easy, and even a young child would enjoy making them, with close supervision using the heat, of course.


~Add a tad of olive oil to the pan on medium heat until oil is hot. 
~Lay down the first tortilla. We like to use whole wheat tortillas with oat bran and flax seed or other healthy kinds.

~Add the cheese, either shredded or sliced thin. Vary the cheeses for a different taste.
~Add chopped, sliced or shredded raw veggies. In this case, it was cheese, carrots and onions. 

~Lay the other tortilla on top

~Cook on one side a few minutes until lightly browned . 
~Turn over to the other side, flipping very gently.


~ Slide onto plate, let cool a second, cut up and enJOY!

Quesadillas are a great food for children to make,with an adult by their side.  They can chop the different veggies, shred or slice the cheese, flip the tortilla and cut it up and serve.  
And how very proud they would be :)