Where Our Hearts Find Peace

Today I taught my students a poetry form called Prepositional Poetry. It is an excellent format for modeling the purpose of prepositions in a more creative way, plus students use the simple words to create beautiful poems. A year ago I practiced one myself to give to JEJ as a gift. I used the prepositions to tour through the seasons in our gardens- a place we find peace.

Where Our Hearts Find Peace
To JEJ

Through the greenhouse
During early spring,
Near the vegetable garden
Toward hot, dry summer,
Inside the gazebo
Throughout the unfolding of fall,
Beside the driveway,
Within the cold, bleak winter.
Past the blooming America roses,
In front of the scarlet geraniums,
Between the blossoms in the cutting garden
Despite the dogs and cats. Among the budding of the Livin’ Easy,
Near the lavender and sedum,
Within the Lucy Garden
Except in the cold of winter.

In front of the climbing roses,
Between the vibrant colors from the hanging blossoms,
Along the path of fragrant alyssum,
Before the frost beckons fall.

Outside we built this quiet retreat
Near a place of natural beauty,
By glorious sunrise and fading sunset
Since our hearts have now found peace.

Three Passions: Gardening, Reading, Lilacs

This week-end we finally felt like it was safe to bring out garden decor, some plants, and watering cans. In the back of the greenhouse the statue of this little girl reading was hidden where she had been stored last fall. Uncovering her yesterday reminded me of the woman that gave me this girl. She worked for me at school as a paraeducator. She knew my passion for reading and shared that passion. I now have her daughter in my class and she also shares our passion for books. The mother and I were in a book group together and talked about books when we had a moment in our days.

Three of my favorite things in May are Teacher Appreciation Week, gardening, and lilacs. During Teacher Appreciation Week a few years ago this woman showed up at my gate one day while I was gardening with this statue. It was a gift so perfect for a gardening reader. This week again teachers are being honored during our special appreciation week. I had a co-worker deliver a bouquet of flowers for my desk this morning to start this special week. Thank you signs hung around the teacher lounge and doughnuts were waiting at break.

Arriving home today I placed Reading Girl in a prominent place in the garden. It was only fitting to place her in front of the lilacs. In May there is nothing more nostalgic than the sweet fragrance and beautiful color of lilacs. Lilacs are Grandma's house on Bridgeport Avenue, my childhood backyard, marching in the Torchlight Parade during the Lilac Festival in Spokane, and bringing starts from Mom's lilac bushes to start my own here. Three passions are represented in the picture above: gardening, reading, and lilacs. Today the lilacs were also open and ready to be brought inside in a vase. Happy Monday!

Sibling Assignment #19: Gardening Disasters

The sibling writing assignment this week is “A Gardening Disaster”. You will find my siblings’ assignments here now and here soon. Since the three of us have done our share of gardening and watched a brown yard turn into a gardening marvel at our childhood home, but along with plentiful harvests come disasters. I had to share more than one. As I began to embrace gardening seriously many organic tips were passed on to me. I also took on the role of “ the garden pruner” back then. Alas, disasters occurred.

Gardening Disaster #1: Deer Deterrent.
When we saw the remains of some chrysanthemums one fall day we knew the deer had enjoyed a midnight snack. We decided to fight back. Wisely I didn’t use the raw egg/ pepper mixture because I read it may attract skunks. Another seasoned gardener said Irish Spring soap was the answer. We hung bars of the strong smelling soap on bushes, trees, and the fence close to the gate the deer jumped over. After a few days we figured out it wasn’t going to work. Every time we turned around one of our dogs was spitting and foaming at the mouth as a bar of Irish Spring came flying out it bits and pieces.
“No Emily… it is not a loaf of bread.”
“ No Lucy, it will not help with the odor of the dead animal you rolled in.”
“ It is okay Bluey… you didn’t need to wash your mouth out with soap.”
While picking up pieces of soap we knew there were deer in the bushes grinning. The rest of the mum blossoms were gone the next day and I got a bit tired of the dogs carrying in that “fresh, clean feeling of an Irish countryside” on their breath.
Gardening Disaster #2: Soil Amendments and Dogs
As you have often read on this blog I had to do serious soil amending when I began gardening. Did Mr. Organic Gardener Rodale not have dogs? Lessons were learned the hard way as we tried enriching our soil. Bone meal is an excellent amendment to add to the soil when planting bulbs. It is also suggested to add it again after the bulbs bloom in the spring. With three dogs that thought this amendment was a bone they buried the fall before, we kissed our tulips good-bye. Our dogs had bulbs up out of the soil, moved to new locations, and missing in one day. Yes, I know some bulbs are poisonous. Our dogs seemed to fare well. It was not surprising when tulips popped up the following spring behind the wood shed. As least they didn’t smell like Irish Spring! Gardening Disaster #3: Inland Empire Girl, Pruning Shears, and dear Virginia
To add color to our gardens early on JEJ wanted to plant vines. As vines grew up posts, trees, and rails they added color and variety to the space. He loved Virginia Creepers, but this vine had a hard time getting started up the trees. One spring day I was deadheading flowers and pruning dead branches when I snipped the Virginia Creeper. He had been training that creeper for weeks to grow up the pine tree. All that was left was a little sprout and a couple of leaves. Yikes! I had to think fast. My mind raced as I asked, “ Do I get duct tape, fix it and hope he doesn’t notice? Can I try grafting it together in some way? Would a big pot in front of it cover the damage?”
I kept up with my garden chores that afternoon watching the snipped part go limp. JEJ walked up to his dear vine and gasped. “What happened to my Virginia Creeper?” I looked at him sheepishly.
“I was deadheading the Dame’s Rockets and accidentally beheaded Virginia. The pruning shears just slipped!” Believe it or not that vine has crept all the way up that pine tree now. “You just can’t keep a good creeper down", quoted my husband. Whew!

The Virginia Creeper on the tree in our yard today!

Quick and Easy Rhubarb Cake: From the Recipe Box

Rhubarb is one of those plants I think everyone has grown up with. It is actually a vegetable. I have heard stories of friends going out in the garden and just pulling the stalks and eating them raw. I always waited until somebody like Mom or Grandma put it in a dessert or sauce of some kind. Today I harvested my first crop of rhubarb of the season.Now that I raise rhubarb I have collected quite a few recipes. I always make strawberry rhubarb jam later when the strawberries are ripe. I also like rhubarb better baked in a recipe with another companion fruit. Peaches, mandarin oranges, and again strawberries come to mind. The recipe below lists strawberry jello, but another recipe had raspberry. You can experiment. This cake is quick, easy, and delicious. I will post other rhubarb recipes as spring turns to summer. Enjoy!

Quick and Easy Rhubarb Cake

Ingredients:
1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
4 cups rhubarb, chopped
1 (3 ounce) package strawberry flavored gelatin mix
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 cup water
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
Line the bottom of one ungreased 9x13 inch baking pan with the diced rhubarb. Sprinkle the white sugar over the top. Then sprinkle the gelatin over the top of the sugar. Next sprinkle the cake mix over the top of the gelatin.
Melt the butter or margarine and pour it over the top of the cake mix. Pour the water over the top of the cake.
Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes.
If you are using frozen rhubarb reduce the amount of water used to 1/2 cup. It can be served warm with frozen yogurt, ice cream, or whipped cream.

Spring Bouquet #5: Shades of PInk and Purple

" Simplicity is the essence of happiness." Cedric Bledsoe

Another Lake Roosevelt Gem: St. Paul's Mission

As you leave Ferry county where I live and cross the bride over Lake Roosevelt into Stevens County, you find St. Paul's Mission. It is on a road behind a historical museum close to the lake. St. Paul's was a Jesuit mission church established near the Hudson's Bay Company's Fort Colville, on the bluff overlooking the Columbia River. When you stand on the bluff behind the mission you can see where the Native Americans fished before Grand Coulee Dam was built and the Columbia River became Lake Roosevelt. Here is a stanza of a poem by Ronald Webster that captures this place :

" founded by Jesuit blackrobes

in 1845

in a silent landmark of search

rising up as if Saint Ignatius

and Saint Paul were the only two

visitors in sight; I'm alone,

alone with these two visitors

unseen; Saint Paul's mission

church stands twenty yards

away, inside this aloneness.

An empty church.

An empty church whose stillness

is aloneness spreading out into

pine trees toward the river."

This is a peaceful place to visit. I have brought students here for field trips and a few weeks ago we took the drive behind the museum to take in the natural setting of the mission. It is worth the trip to northeastern Washington to visit this historical site.