Chirped by Tina and Cass
Unexpected Treasures
Sometimes Nature just plops a drop of sunshine in your path to brighten your day. I photographed a variety of perfect little mushrooms while hiking with my sister a couple of weeks ago. And I’ve never seen a feather like this – I’m guessing it’s from one of those purplish finches that love to nest behind our shutters. Since it was unaccompanied by ants, gore, or signs of struggle, I choose to think of it as a little present left on my doorstep. The cobweb was wafting in the breeze one dewy morning as my son left for his summer job. I like to take a moment (and a picture!) to appreciate these little gifts when they make a surprise appearance during the course of my day. (-:
Peaches Galore
The peach trees have really been popping this summer with lots of juicy fruit. Both our friends’ peach trees, one in Sedona and one in Perkasie, have had an overabundance of fruit that they have been sharing with neighbors and friends. Who can resist this yummy peach goodness of August?! Anyone have any great peach recipes to share?
Fly Catcher
Here’s a little life hack favorite for getting rid of those pesky fruit flies that just might be attracted to your peaches! My sister told me about this one years ago, but when I shared it with some guests this past weekend, they’d never heard of it, so I guess it’s still worth sharing. Take a small glass or cup and put a little cider vinegar in the bottom. Lay a piece of plastic wrap over the top and secure with a rubber band around the rim. With a pointy pencil, poke 4 or 5 holes in the wrap. Nestle the cup into your buggy fruit bowl overnight, and you’ll be amazed at how many fruit flies are lured in by the smell of the cider and are too dumb to find their way out. It’s an all natural bug catcher!
Favorite book of the month
Our favorite read from this month’s book club selections was The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, by Gabrielle Zevin. It’s a clever tale of a bookstore owner in a small island community who sees his life playing out like the chapters and literary devices of the many books he has read and shared over his lifetime. It’s also got lots of great references to other books you might want to consider reading, if you haven’t already!
Road Tripping
This summer was my first road trip adventure from Pennsylvania to Arizona, taking three days to drive a boy back to school. We saw some amazing sights (cows and skies), had a few twist and turns (passing a truck fire and experiencing a screw in one of our tires), and were reminded to have a little faith along the way. The journey was definitely calling to me to come through again – with more time and more stops.
Upcycling
I know I’ve said it before, but I just love it when I find a new use for something that would otherwise be discarded. The Yarn Bloom continues to keep on giving! After washing and drying all the flowers and crocheted creatures my sister made for the Bloom, we’re in the process of attaching them to burlap backers to create wall hangings: one a flowery collage and the other a frolicking bears scene for our cousin’s new baby girl’s room.
Recipe Trill
Banana Bread Goodness! This is my mom’s recipe. Not sure where it originally came from, but it’s delicious and a great use for those overripe bananas you were about to throw away! Another upcycling project! (-;
Mom’s Blender Banana Bread
Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Ingredients: 2 1/2 c. flour (sifted), 3 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt, 3/4 c. chopped walnuts (optional), 1 c. sugar, 1/3 c. softened butter (not melted), 1 egg, 3 small ripe bananas cut into chunks, 1/2 c. milk.
Mix the flour, baking powder, salt, and nuts together in a bowl. In a blender, add the sugar, butter, egg, bananas, and milk and blend for about 6-15 seconds. Pour this mixture into the dry mixture and stir together (not too much). Pour into a bread pan. Bake about 50 minutes and test the center with a toothpick to make sure it is cooked on the inside. If toothpick comes out gooey, add about 10 minutes. I have some mini loaf pans that only take about 35 to 40 minutes to bake if you divide the batter up between the four pans. They make great gifts!
Procrastinator’s Reward
I’ve been trying to follow my own advice (see “Five Little Pecks to Prod a Procrastinator”) and break up my gazillion to-do’s into manageable-sized lists. It is pretty satisfying to set fire to one when you’ve crossed everything off!
Dogs Days of Summer
This August has been brutally hot (when it wasn’t raining for days on end), and our pooches have been missing their longer walks and playing ball in the yard. We’re all looking forward to the cooler days of fall.
Leisure Time
Hot days make for lazy nights – a great time to pull up a chair, enjoy a beverage, and chat over a puzzle. While vacationing with family, the puzzle table was busy non-stop. This one that my sister found in a thrift store was of the Gold Church in Quito, Ecuador. Coincidentally, we had just visited this cathedral on our trip to the Galapagos in June.
That’s a wrap for August! Seriously, we’d love to hear about your favorite peach recipes in the comments… we’re drowning here! Links appreciated, too, Lol…
Bring the peaches to me!
I love what you did with the yarn stuff!
You can also use a jar and roll paper in a bottle so the fruit flies go for the vinegar and can’t get back out the paper that is rolled like a funnel.
Thanks, Alita! Having trouble picturing your funnel contraption, but the flies don’t find their way out of the holes in the plastic wrap, either. Way easier than slapping at them as they flit around my fruit bowl… (-;