Enchantment to the View

'Tis distance lends enchantment to the view, and robes the mountain in it's azure hue."


Thomas Campbell


Photo: a small town library nearby.

Roses Red

The spring has been cool and damp, creating perfect conditions to make roses blossom and thrive! May was a great month for rose blossoms and it looks like June will be running a close second.  I enjoy them in my garden! So much, that I have a difficult time cutting them to bring inside for floral arrangements. They look so beautiful on the rose bush, growing in whatever arrangement God decided upon for each specific rose bush and bloom. But, I am trying to remember to cut some so that I can enjoy them indoors as well.

These red roses come from a large, abundantly blooming bush that's right off the back porch. The bush is nearly as tall as I am, and is prolific this year! Simple and sweet, this arrangement consists of four blossoms and a bud. Three Japanese iris in purple add accent in color and spike!

Simply beauty. God's creation. I'm trying to remember to "take time and smell the roses" and I hope you are too!

Lavender Lemonade

The chilly, rainy week continues. Moments of sunshine as it peeks through the clouds cheer up the day. Today's the day that Venus will be passing between Earth and the Sun. The clouds are too thick in the sky for a peek at the sun. On the up-side of things, the lavender has started to bloom and it is so beautiful and fragrant! All we need is some sunny weather so it can be laid out to dry! In the meantime, how about a recipe for some delicious "lavender lemonade"?

Sparkling Lavender Lemonade

Cut fresh lavender and remove most of stem. Place about 1/2 cup of lavender flowers in a glass container and pour 2 cups of boiling water over top. Allow to steep for 10 minutes. Strain using a mesh strainer or coffee filters. Combine this lavender infusion with 2 quarts of fresh lemonade. Sweeten with the sweet herb, stevia, for added flavor. Chill and serve over ice. Add a long stem of fresh lavender to the glass (like a straw) for a pretty effect. For sparkling lavender lemonade, add a splash of lemon or lime carbonated beverage or plain soda water.

For times when fresh lavender isn't available, cut some fresh lavender flowers and place in an ice cube tray. Cover with fresh water and freeze until ready to use.

The Traveling Teapot

I've been participating in a project with friends on a blog called The Traveling Teapot. A little plum teapot is spending 18 months where it travels from participant to participant of the traveling teapot project.


Our traveling teapot and those who host it are ambassadors of friendship and good-will. Traveling so many places in such a short amount of time, the traveling teapot has the ability to see parts of the world that some can only dream about. 

Today the traveling teapot surprised me with a special message that arrived in my mail box. Can you read it? It's a post card and it says:  I am having wondrous adventures with Mary Jane as she travels in Canada! Thank you for sending me off on this amazing journey... Love from - The Traveling Teapot!


It warmed my heart!  Thank you, Traveling Teapot, for the lovely post card! And thank you, Mary Jane, for helping the teapot with the penmanship! Safe travels as your journey continues!

Diamond Jubilee

I would be remiss if I did not pay tribute to Elizabeth II this week as the British Empire commemorates 60 years with  Queen Elizabeth as the reigning monarch. She is the longest-lived and second-longest-reigning monarch of the United Kingdom. Festivities are ongoing and included a flotilla of 1,000 boats on the Thames on June 2 with concerts, teas, and other events to follow as the week progresses. I've been enjoying televised segments of some of the festivities on BBC America, as well as timely updates from friends in the UK as they report on celebrations both on a grand scale nationally and communally.They are sharing about community lunches, colorful buntings, flags decorating the streets, and tipping teacups in tribute. It is a festive time that seems to be capturing 100% of their attention! 


In my corner of the world, I look around my own home to see what can tokens and memorabilia can remind me of Queen Elizabeth and her reign. My mother was a young Canadian girl during World War II and she looked up to the Princess Elizabeth who was a teen at the time. When Elizabeth II became Queen of England, she also became Queen of Canada, a position that my mother held near and dear to her heart. I compare it to the fondness that many of us in future generations felt for Diana, Princess of Wales. Mother's fondness and respect were rooted in loyalty and favor, both attributes that Mother passed on her her own daughters. Thus, gathering small tokens of the Queen over the years has been a natural process for me. Here are some of the mementos that I have to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II. The first (above) is a plate commemorating her coronation on June 2, 1953. I received it as a birthday present from my dad about 25 years ago. He found it in an antique store on a trip across Canada that he took with his sisters. They were visiting their childhood home in Manitoba, so for me this plate commemorates that family excursion as well. Although I was not on the journey, my aunties and father have given a full report over the years.

Three coronation teacups honoring E II R can be found in my china closet. Each was designed to celebrate her 1953 coronation and each varies in style and intensity. From the ornate to simply elegant, each implicitly expresses the joy of a nation at the crowning of their young queen.

Added to the celebratory scene are tea candles that Karleen brought home and gave to me last summer after she visited Buckingham Palace. She also brought me tea in the same beautiful packaging. I am savoring it during special times.

Congratulations to the UK as they celebrate in a style only known to royalty! It's a Diamond Jubilee!

Mountain Wildflowers

May is a magnificent month for flowers, both cultivated at home --- and wild at our mountain cabin. Sometimes the mountain wildflowers need to be sought out, as they can have tiny blooms and hide well in forest undergrowth. I've observed that the purple and white flowers bloom earliest, then the yellows, and lastly the reds. It's a beautiful cacophony of color when they are finally all in bloom! Learning their names can be somewhat of a puzzle for me, but I am working at naming and remembering them the best I can. The flowers below were all in bloom at our cabin on Memorial Day week-end. Aren't they pretty?

And now it's time to start on the June list...

 Indian Paintbrush

 Shooting Stars

 Ballhead Waterleaf

 Wild Onion

 Chickweed

 Balsam Root

 Queen's Cup

 Woodland Star

 Wild Strawberry

 Calypso Lady Slipper Orchid

 Yellow Violets

 Painted Milkvetch

 Lupine

 Dandelion

 Cat's Ears

Camas Root

Mock Orange