Summer Vegetables

♪ What the World Needs Now is Love ♪

Who can resist the wonderful vegetables available in our farmer's markets?  One of the sweetest treats is to walk through all the stalls and choose yummy fruits and veggies grown by our local farmers.  Our city has a whole block allocated to these wonderful farmers that work so hard.  It surrounds a city park. 

Families bring their children to play while they shop.  There is even a Kettle Korn stand to tempt you.  Bread, honey, soaps, flowers and other assorted venders are available as well.

The colors in the market are so vivid and promise great nutrition.

They say we eat with our eyes first.  I must say, this is a feast for all of my senses.  Does your area have a farmer's market that you enjoy visiting?

The new LOVE sign has just been installed in the park as part of the Virginia is for lovers theme. 

  "What The World Needs Now Is Love"

(originally by Jackie DeShannon)

What the world needs now is love sweet love,

It's the only thing that there's just too little of.

What the world needs now is love sweet love,

No not just for some but for everyone.

Lord we don't need another mountain, 

There are mountains and hillsides enough to climb,

There are oceans and rivers enough to cross

Enough to last until the end of time

What the world needs now is love sweet love,

It's the only thing that theres just too little of,

What the world needs now is love sweet love,

No not just for some but for everyone

Lord, we dont need another meadow,

There are corn fields and wheat fields enough to grow,

There are sunbeams and moonbeams enough to shine,

Oh listen Lord, if you want to know

What the world needs now is love sweet love,

It's the only thing that theres just too little of.

What the world needs now is love sweet love,

No not just for some, oh but just for every every everyone.

what the world (whoa whoa) needs now, 

Is love (is love) sweet love 

What the world ( oh oh) needs now 

Is love (is love) sweet love 

What the world (whoa whoa) needs now 

Is love (is love) sweet love

Dear Lord, Please let it begin with me. ♥

Almost Over August

Does time seem to be racing by for you?  August is coming to a close and September will be greeting us soon.  I've always heard the older we get the faster time passes.  It surely seems true to me.

We have been blessed with many family times this summer.  Our youngest grand has celebrated his 13th birthday.  It was fun to be with him and join in the excitement of becoming a teenangel.  My cousin just introduced me to that term and I do love it.  Maybe it's a little corny, but I like it.

The one and only gift Miles has wanted for a long time is a phone.  He says he's the only one of his friends that doesn't have one.  Have you ever heard that one?  His parents very wisely, I think, waited for his 13th birthday. 

Our summer has been a hot and humid one and I'll have to say I'll be glad when the days are a little bit cooler.  I am looking forward to my favorite season--glorious Autumn.  Cozy sweaters, candles, soups, pumpkins, afghans, hot chocolate, hot tea, easy days in the garden.  I can feel Autumn knocking at the door.  The evenings are much cooler, the occasional leaf falls to the ground, the days are growing shorter, the crickets are chirping.  Yes, Autumn is getting ready to visit us.


I've mentioned the decline of butterflies this year in my garden.  I'm happy to say we have had a few to come recently.

Eastern Tiger Swallowtail

White stripped longtail

Black form swallowtail

Fritillary

Skippers on the zinnias

Monarch

  Have you seen the signs that promote getting rid of mosquitoes in your yard?  It disturbs me as a gardener that we need to spray our yards with pesticides.  We have mosquitoes but try to keep their population down by emptying any standing water that we have around.  Every two days we empty the bird baths so mosquito larva doesn't form.  I worry when pesticides affect the balance of our beneficial insects and birds.  Realizing that West Nile and Zika fever can be an issue in some areas I understand, but to just spray our yards randomly seems foolish.  I remember growing up and seeing planes fog areas to kill the mosquitoes.  I wince when I think of this.  What in the world were we inhaling?

This sweet little garden in Colonial Williamsburg is maintained without the help of pesticides.  If they can do it so can we.

The goldfinch have returned to my garden and are enjoying the seed heads of the rudbeckia.  Can you see him?

Enjoy these last few days of summer, my friends. ♥

Beach Week 2017

The ocean is a lure like none other.  The waves are intoxicating and calming to my soul.  It would be a very strange year indeed without a visit to the ocean.  Our family gathers by the ocean every year.  It's a wonderful time to enjoy each other and be enveloped by the power and the glory of the ocean.

“You must not lose faith in humanity. Humanity is like an ocean; if a few drops of the ocean are dirty, the ocean does not become dirty.” 

― Mahatma Gandhi

The grand's excitement over the ocean reminds me of times with my own cousins when we all gathered at the ocean.

  My siblings and I and my parents all piled into our family's car packed to the gills with all that we needed for a fun week at the ocean.  It was the highlight of my summers growing up and has continued to be exciting to me.  Even though I no longer ride the waves in with my siblings and cousins, I think of those precious times spent long ago.

  One of my cousins that I rode many a wave into the shoreline is now in the end stages of MS.  He lives by the ocean and I visit with him when we take our annual trek.  

We experienced a couple rainy mornings followed by sunshine that allowed us to enjoy making a puzzle supplied by our daughter and son-in-law.

  We even sat under the umbrella in the pouring rain. It's not the first time we've done it and Lord willing it won't be the last.  We are serious beach lovers.  Bocce Ball occupied times in the sunshine and in the rain.

Fireworks over the ocean are especially beautiful in the evening.

The beautiful Green Corn moon lit up the sky as well.

As darkness fell it really took on the likeness of a Harvest Moon.

  Our family surely is blessed to spend time together by ocean.  Do you enjoy the ocean?