Tuesday, May 4, 2021
Monday, May 3, 2021
Illegal Erections
Sunday, May 2, 2021
A Great Day
Thursday, April 29, 2021
Celebrate Trees, It’s Arbor Day
It's always romantic to walk through a park with your honey. Maybe even steal a kiss on bench. Perhaps the canopy of trees and wildlife enhance the romance.
Here in Michigan, we celebrate trees. Arbor Day, celebrated by Michigan the last Friday
in April, is a holiday to recognize and appreciate trees and all the wonderful things they do.
Arbor Day, first held in 1872, was envisioned as a way to spread
awareness about the importance of trees and to encourage tree planting.
In 1885, the Michigan Legislature resolved "that the
Governor is hereby requested to call the attention of the people of the state
to the importance of planting trees for ornament and by naming a day upon which
the work shall be given special attention, to be known as Arbor Day."
Did you know? Until 1965, the
Upper and Lower peninsulas had separate Arbor Days in the spring because of the
difference in weather conditions for tree planting. Today's Arbor Day
celebrations usually take place during the whole last week of April.
Get into the spirit of Arbor Day by planting a tree. Some of the trees in my small town were planted years ago by scouting groups with seedlings. If you live in Michigan, visit the Arbor
Day website for information on 6-12” seedlings to plant. https://www.arborday.org/celebrate/tree-seedlings.cfm
Here are a few other ideas to celebrate trees in fun and
creative ways:
- Take
your family on a tree-ID walk.
- Visit
the DNR's Nature at Home webpage to help kids
discover the wonders of the natural world.
- Give
a tree as a gift. Unlike cut flowers, trees can be enjoyed year after
year.
- Create
and share tree-themed art. Use tree
coloring pages to get started or make nature crafts from
pine cones, leaves and twigs.
- Learn
about the importance of trees and
sustainable forest management.
- Have a picnic near or under some trees.
- Enjoy a hike around your local park to spot wildlife living in the woodland and forests.
Not feeling, celebratory? Grab a cup of Joe and relax on your porch or deck. Take in a deep cleansing breath and look around. Leaves are sprouting so fast; one could almost hear them. Can you?
What are you going to do to
Celebrate Trees?
Sunday, April 25, 2021
Wine Anyone?
Friday, April 23, 2021
Ahhhh...the First REAL Coffee of the Year
Thursday, April 22, 2021
Happy Earth Day!
In 1970, an idea was born when thousands of people came together in the United States to speak up and demand cleaner air and water. It was decided to set aside one day a year to celebrate our planet. In 1990, Earth Day became global when 200 million people in 141 countries spoke up together about global environmental issues.
Wednesday, April 21, 2021
Magic Mint
Grandma used herbs in many of her remedies. Her recipes for teas, rubs and oils were passed down from her grandmother who moved to Michigan after the Civil Gram grew a variety of mint in her gardens; Spearmint, Peppermint, Lemonmint, and a few others. Mint grew along the banks of Coldwater Lake. When my cousins and I spent summers with her at the cottage, she often would have us "harvest" the mint. She used it fresh in salads and her yummy panfish dish. Her Mint Tea would solve tummy troubles. Her mint salve calmed us and soothed our skin. However, she would keep some fresh sprigs in water on the widow sill for her mint juleps.
Mint is much like a groundcover so it is suggested to plant it in a pot or within a border. Gram gave mint its own garden with a border. I planted mine in a ditch so it may crawl wherever it wants. I often harvest tender leaves for salads, teas and dishes.
Spearmint is traditionally used to help relieve
symptoms of indigestion, nausea, vomiting and gas.
It is high in antioxidants.
Used to balance sex hormones -great for ovarian support
Reduce facial hair in women.
Improve memory
Lower blood sugar
Fight germs
Lower Stress
Awaken the senses
Fight pain and stiffness in joints
Lower blood pressure
I use mint essential oil for salves and in my diffuser to give a room a fresh, clean scent.
I love visiting Those Nature People in Frankenmuth or the SVRC Marketplace in Saginaw. They have a nice display of essential oils you can give a sniff to test.
Monday, April 19, 2021
Howard Jones - Simple Man (Official Video)
Former KILLSWITCH ENGAGE and current LIGHT THE TORCH singer Howard Jones performed a cover version of LYNYRD SKYNYRD's "Simple Man" for a recent episode of "The Oyster" podcast.
That is the song my son and I picked out for our dance at his wedding reception. I love Howard Jones strong operatic voice and I never heard this rendition before. Definitely, enjoyed it!