What did I learn this week

This year I have been making an effort to learn something new every week and try to stay out that rut that we all seem to slip into every now and again. Well maybe not you, but, there are times when I find myself doing pretty much the same thing on a most regular basis.

So, as I  sat on my front porch watching the world go by ,I picked up my favorite magazine

 MARY JANE FARMS  knowing that I would be sure to find a piece of knowledge that would be most useful to me.Nothing complicated,just some useful bit of information.

Of course there was much to learn but, here is what made me stop in my tracks. Just a small article that asked the question "HOW OLD IS THAT APPLE?" I was introduced to Kristen Michaelis of

FOOD RENAGADE she helps guide people  back to real food by educating them on the handling and processing that our market foods my have endured. When we started eating we had one new food introduced at a time...........I think it's best to re educate ourselves the same way. She has brought it to my attention that most apples at the market are at least 1 year old.They are picked before fully ripe ....sprayed with a chemical preservative, waxed , boxed, and refrigerated till they are called upon to make their appearance at the local grocers.Needless to say the much sought after antioxidants that we are hoping to ingest are long gone by the time we purchase the lovely fruit. What to do? Find a local farm that will let you pick your own. Enjoy the fruit while in season. Make a few quarts of applesauce to tide you over till the next fresh fruit is available. Not sure you have a farm? Check with THIS website They can get  started on your quest for real food. Or , call your local 4H club. They will be so happy to hear from you.

Well, the simple apple has taken me down a road that should make my great grandparents give me an approving nod. That would be them, so proud of their new home when they left Michigan and came to New Hampshire. The smiling daughter on the left is my grandmother..........year is possibly 1900/1904 Note the gun in his hand. I'm guessing no one would sell him a bad apple...........said the hobbit

It's BITTYFUL FRIDAY

THE GIRLS AND I WERE UP ALL NIGHT,DOING A LITTLE CATTY TALK......I'M SO POOPED I CAN HARDLY KEEP MY EYES OPEN........WHAT A NIGHT.

YES, I can,can.And YOU?

HAVE YOU EVER PRESERVED PINEAPPLES?  I know, it's not local to New England, but, when I saw the overflow of pineapples in my market this spring I couldn't resist.

It's Bittyful Friday

NO.............THAT'S NOT ME. SEE THOSE LITTLE WHITE PAWS? THAT WOULD BE HOBBS. SHE GAVE HOBBIT HER CUTEST LOOK AND SAID "PICK ME".. I'M IN THE DOORWAY SAYING "REALLY?"  LUCKY FOR HER SHE'S SUCH AN O--L--D KITTY.GOTTA BE RESPECTFUL........YA KNOW.

The rest of the story

Coming out of the conservatory as they refer to it.Seems pretty stuffy,doesn't it? I spotted this rose.

The flowers are about the size of my palm and just perfect. The sun was very bright and I was unable to capture the different shades in this bloom. The outer petals were a delicate blue and changed to a soft lavender shade.

It was marked as the Blueberry Hill. In springtime they have a plant sale. I wonder if this will be one of the species available. If it is I hope to get one.

Leaving another rose area we are confronted by the tempting pool. We behaved.....honest.We then walked under an archway of what I thought were dead trees.

I'm not sure what they are but, they have no leaves or bark,and were surrounded by lush green bushes that blocked most rays from the sun. We thought we might have taken a wrong turn but,soon came upon a lovely pool...............

filled with goldfish that had to be 24 inches long.
As I watched them swim in and out of rocks and scurry under wooden footbridges I again thought of being in the cool refreshing water.

Out of the dark and into a carpet of tickseed. This would be great for my yard also.

A final goodbye from the band and we were almost done.

But , not until our eyes were drawn to the opposite side of the path and saw the most beautiful view of the Atlantic Ocean.How can you not love it.All this ,no more then 35 minutes from my door. As we left and shared parting words with the keeper, we were surprised to hear that the Fullers rarely went into the garden.Can you imagine having such beauty on the other side of your driveway and you only walked it 5 or 6 times in 30 years............. it amazes me..............said the hobbit.

In the greenhouse

Ok Here I am back to tell you more of my trip to a local rose garden.In case you forgot I was visiting FULLER GARDENS , A Victorian garden created by Mr Fuller for his wife at their summer home.After walking through a gorgeous rose garden the path led me to a tropical conservatory filled with succulents.

I have to tell you ........If I was to make a list of my favorite plants,these would be a little low on the list. They often look like they came from another planet............don't you think? 

This particular plant was the Aconium Arborium

Their tentacle like stems reached about 4 to 5 feet into the air.Although they had flowers crowning them ,it was so high up that I could not see them to appreciate their glory.

I know , this garden  was constructed  for everyone not just me and  I needed to explore  every nook and cranny.It was rather humid in the greenhouse and I walk  briskly, so sure I wouldn't see anything that would stop me in my tracks.

Then I saw this little jewel.......never say never. It looked like delicate little aqua bubble bursting from  tiny corn like pebbles.Although everything to this point had be labeled, I was unable to find any information on this plant.

Leaving the conservatory I spotted this one flower heading toward the door.

It probably wanted to jump into this fountain which faced the exit. Temperature were 90+ that day so I think all living things were looking for a little relief.

Walking a few more feet was this tempting water pool. Why is it that people can't see standing water without throwing in their pocket change? Am I missing something here? No one was around and my husband and I seriously thought about dipping our toes in this refreshing oasis.But , so much more to see......we decided to move on. I hope to get back and tell you the rest of the story.......soon, really,...........said the hobbit.

It's Bittyful Friday

I'VE BEEN WANTING TO COME OUT AND PLAY..........BUT, HOBBIT RUNS THE COMPUTER
                                                   WHAT CAN SAY? GLAD TO BE BACK.

What's in my area?

This year hubby and I thought it would be a good idea to visit a few places close to home. We always hop in the car ,ride for about 2 hours, struggle to find a wonderful place that we have read about , and sometimes get there a little too late to enjoy it. Ask my children............sometimes Hubby would say "Who wants to go for a ride?" And they would run for the hills. Children have left the nest now,but, hubby still likes to get in that car and ride.......First on our places to visit wasFuller Gardens This is a turn of the century garden created by  a loving husband for his dear wife Olivia.

 It's a little more formal then I would have in my backyard but, still so much that we ooh'd and aah'd about. Hubby feel in love with this tree. He could see himself sitting in an Adirondack chair and taking a little siesta

Turns our it was a magnolia tree.Now he's on the lookout at our local nurseries in hopes of finding the perfect one.

 Every bush was a different rose. I had never seen so many in one place.

 Some had already passed there bloom but, many were picture perfect.

All were marked with their names.Something I should do in my garden. Seems I can't remember from year to year what I planted.Have more to show you. ...........maybe tomorrow............said the hobbit

Getting back in the saddle.

Ok ..........I know I've been MIA and I hope to get back to normal. I have no serious excuse for my behavior. It just seems that I've been too busy to get back in the groove of blogging . First my computer was misbehaving, then it was time to garden and just as I got started we had a few nights of freezing temp. unlike the 90+ that we are experiencing now..My Google Reader is no more so I have switched toa new reader Unfortunately I keep calling it freely because it has no fee and it takes me about 30 minutes to find the blogs that I am currrently following.It's not them it's my extreme dislike of change.

Well things seem to be sailing a bit more smoothly now so hopefully the new schedule that I have made for myself will feel a bit more natural.Still adjusting to having three cats,a part time tenant and a great grand baby coming soon. OK now that I have used every excuse in the book I promise to make an effort to get back in the groove and stop my daydreamimg. Keep your fingers crossed for me. 

Bad habits are hard to break..........said the hobbit