Halloween Comes to The Garden

I thought we'd walk around Musashi's Garden.

Halloween has arrived here, too!

Thank you to our hostesses:

Mary for Mosaic Monday

and 

The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday.

***

I cut my tomatoes back instead of pulling them up and

I was amazed when I found tomatoes starting again on the balcony garden.

I also have Mesclun and Spinach and hopefully, some sweet peas!

We'll see how friendly Mother Nature is after our horrible summer.

It is estimated that the tree loss will be in the millions.

It will take a generation to rebuild the canopy in Houston, if we are lucky.


Wishing YOU well and a JOY filled week.

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like

Halloween!

1. Pumpkins, 2. Pumpkin Man, 3. Welcome Halloween, 4. Pooh Pumpkin, 5. Little Bo Peep and Her Kitties, 6. Broom Straps Sign, 7. Four Pumpkins, 8. Black Pumpkin, 9. Ghosts

Thank you to our hostesses:

Mary for Mosaic Monday

and

The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday.

Wishing YOU well and a JOY filled weekend.

Looking Back: September

Amazing how quickly time passes.

It's time to take a look back at the month of September.

1. Paragon Tea Cup, 2. Christmas Afghan, 3. Wonderfall, 4. Blenheim Tea Cup, 5. Musashi's Garden, 6.Owl Halloween Postcard, 7. Monet's Gardens at Giverny, 8. Christmas Afghan, 9. Zentangle Heart

Thank you to our hostesses:

Mary for Mosaic Monday

and

The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday.

Wishing YOU well and a JOY filled weekend.

Elephant Bath

Earlier in the summer, before it got too hot for man or beast,

the Houston Zoo had a open house at the elephant barn.

Tess and her calf, Tupelo were the stars.

They love having their bath.

                                   

Little Tupelo was helping.

Tess was a very happy elephant!

Be sure to visit Camera Critters to see the other critters.

I'm also linking to and thanking 

The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday.

If you are on the east coast, please stay safe.

Wishing YOU well.

Monthly Look Back

It's almost the end of August,

and I haven't taken a look back at July yet!

So, here it is ... a short review of July.

1. Open sign, 2. Messages, 3. Hall Napa Valley, Napa County, 4. Crochet Owl, 5. Circle of Red Mosaic, 6. Cassie, 7. Yarn Fans, 8. Tea Cup, 9. Cow Parade Houston

I can't forget the red, white and blue of the 4th of July!

Thank you to our host:

The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday.

Wishing YOU well and a joy filled week!

Dry Creek

Dry Creek is part of the Creek Group in my fair city.

Located in The Heights (one of the funkier neighborhoods),

Dry Creek was originally a 1930's gas station.

Now it's a burger joint ... and a good one.

The Creek Group is a charming group of cafes dedicated

to the 'country folk' mentality.

Slow down and listen to some good ol' country and blues

and have a good time. 

It's like fishing without the pole.

THE KIDS are getting married later in the year.

Dry Creek was a good place to get the families together and for

his folks to meet the Auntie (the woman behind the camera)!

Funky Decor

His folks.

Can you tell we had a great time?

And, the food was good too!

I had the regular burger with a side of jalapeno and sweet potato fries.

Then there was a West Coast Burger -- turkey burger with avocado and sprouts.

THE KID tried the house specialty--

the Triple Bypass Burger -- cheese, bacon and fried egg.

He liked it .

Good Food.

Good Company.

Thank you to our hostesses:

Mary for Mosaic Monday

and 

The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday.

Wishing YOU well and a joy filled week!

Dim Sum

I had a wonderful lunch with friends.

We had been talking about having Dim Sum together for years.

Mr. Dragon, me and his colleagues, our friends. 

One thing or another kept us from dim sum, 

but finally success!

We ate.

Talked about old times.

Cried a little.

Toasted with tea, to Mr. Dragon.

Wishing he was still here with us.

I found out I like seaweed!

(Pictured on the far right.)

Thank you to our hostesses:

Mary for Mosaic Monday

and 

The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday.

Wishing YOU well and a joy filled week!

Knitting in The Loop

In an effort to feel cooler (!!!!!!),

my sista and I decided to visit Knitting In The Loop 

at their new location.

Lots of yarn to make something yummy for cool days 

(someday ... in December maybe????!!!!!).

Their new place is right next door to their old place,

but bigger and that means more yarn!

Lots of gorgeous yarn, places to sit, knit and chat.

I just had to include the photo of the knit tea cozy.

Thank you to our hostesses:

Mary for Mosaic Monday

and 

The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday.

Wishing YOU well and a joy filled week!

Circle of Red

The American Heart Association Circle of Red Art Hearts

arrived in Houston this summer 

and will be on exhibit in several different locations.

The hearts are a reminder that heart disease is the number one killer of women.

The Art Hearts, on display from May 15 to July 31,

were individually created by various local artists for 

members of the Circle of Red group,

a dynamic, committed, passionate group of women

who have made a personal commitment to help find a cure for heart disease.

The Circle of Red Art Hearts

are a representation of the Circle of Red's dedication

to fight heart disease in women. 

These were photographed in *my* village. 

Thank you to our hostesses:

Mary for Mosaic Monday

and 

The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday.

Wishing YOU well and a joy filled week!

Cows On Parade!

Going through photos each week,

I never know what I will find.

Mr. Dragon had started putting photos in albums (the non sticky kind).

I'm trying to finish what he started.

This week I found photos we took of the Cows On Parade In Houston.

I just had to put the space shuttle cow in the middle to honor its final flight. 

The cows were painted by artists and sculptors and were on parade 

in the late summer and early fall of 2001.

We took photos of the cows we found in the museum area of Houston...

just a few of the 325!

They were auctioned off to benefit Texas Children's Hospital.

***

This is a Better Homes and Gardens Recipe that I just had to share.

Chocolate and strawberries ... a combination that is hard to beat!!

Better Homes and Gardens

CHOCOLATE STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKES

6 Servings

Ingredients:

4 cups sliced strawberries

1/4  cup sugar

1 2/3 cups all purpose flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1 beaten egg

2/3 cup milk

1 cup whipping cream

Chocolate ice cream topping (optional)

Whole strawberries (optional)

2 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

Lightly grease a baking sheet.  Combine sliced strawberries and the 1/4  cup sugar. Set aside.

For shortcakes, in a medium bowl combine flour, cocoa powder, the 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Cut in buter or margarine until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Combine egg and milk; add all at once to flour mixture and stir just until moistened. Drop dough into 6 portions on prepared baking sheet.

Bake in 450 degree F oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in centers comes out clean. Cool slightly on a wire rack.

To serve, split warm shortcakes in half crosswise. In a chilled small mixing bowl beat whipping cream, the 2 tablespoons sugar, and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. Spoon a little whipped cream on shortcake bottoms. Top with sliced strawberries. Add shortcake tops and top with remaining whipped cream. Drizzle with chocolate ice cream topping and garnish with whole strawberries, of desired. Makes 6 servings.

MAKE AHEAD TIP

Prepare and bake shortcakes; cool completely on wire rack. Place in freezer container or plastic freezer bag; seal, label, and freeze up to 2 weeks.  To serve; wrap frozen shortcakes in foil. Bake in 350 degree F oven for 10 minutes or until warm.

***

Thank you to our hostesses:

Mary for Mosaic Monday

and 

The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday.

Wishing YOU well and a wonderful, Joy filled week. 

Happy 4th of July!

Wishing our beautiful country a Happy Birthday!

From Better Homes and Gardens

I love baseball and thought this was the perfect centerpiece

for the holiday.

 

 

A little red, white and blue from my Flickr.

Have a wonderful, long weekend with family and friends.

Stay safe and cool!

Thank you to our hostesses:

Mary for Mosaic Monday

and 

The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday.

Memories

I've been busy scanning photos again.

I found one of those old, horrible, sticky paged photo albums.

What nasty things it does to the photos!

I thought I better get busy scanning.

When we lived in New Mexico,

we were part of a hot air balloon crew.

These photos are from my very first hot air balloon ride.

Beautiful Barnes balloon.

Piloted by a woman who I worked with.

30 years later, she is still a friend.

My first balloon ride was in beautiful Angel Fire, New Mexico, August 1981.

 A lifetime ago.

It was a small gathering of balloonists and their crews.

Silent running until the burner was turned on. 

Moved along by the wind.

Amazing! 

Mr. Dragon wanted to become a balloon pilot in his spare time (!!!!).

Before he started lessons, we moved to Texas. 

A beautiful place, a beautiful time, and beautiful memories. 

Thank you to our hostesses:

Mary for Mosaic Monday

and 

The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday.

Wishing YOU well and a joy filled week!

Summertime!

The first official day of summer is next Tuesday.

We've been setting record high temps in three digits since the

beginning of the month.

I'm tired of summer already!

But

I never tire of watermelon!

For me, watermelon and summer go together.

I searched on Flickr and found some wonderful watermelon images.

Here are just a few:

Flickr Images

1. watermelon, 2. Watermelon, 3. watermelon gazpacho prep, 

4. ~ Watermelon jelly ~, 5. Watermelon lemonade with a hint of raspberry for Munchn'Crunch, 

6. Watermelon Cupcake, 7. watermelon, 8. WATERMELON CAKE, 9. Watermelon Bowl

Happy Fathers Day.

Celebrate!

Wishing YOU well and a joy filled week! 

Thank you to our hostesses:

Mary for Mosaic Monday

and 

The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday.

***

Don't forget to check out my blogoversary give-a-way here.

Roses In Musashi's Garden

Every day I watch as the earth cracks.

We are in an extreme drought.

I am surrounded by huge oak trees and I don't think

even if my neighbors water,

they can water enough to keep them alive.

In Musashi's Garden, my postage stamp backyard,

I get a break from the drought.

I have small citrus trees and one Japanese Maple.

It's the roses that bring me great pleasure.

I have four new roses this year.

Enchanted Evening is a lavender floribunda rose.

It is a little darker purple at the center with a silvery reverse.

They have a citrus like scent.

Double delight is a hybrid tea that may be very familiar to you.

It has been a big favorite of rose lovers for quite awhile.

It received high honors in 1977 by AARS.

Creamy white flowers brushed with deep red and a wonderful spicy fragrance.

The Bill Warriner rose is a cluster floribunda filled with salmon colored flowers.

It is named in honor of Jackson and Perkins' chief hybridizer,

Bill Warriner.

The fourth new rose is Sun Flare.

Sun Flare is a rose hybridized by the legendary William Warriner.

Disease resistant, hardy floribunda with non-fading yellow blooms

and an unusual licorice fragrance.

All of these roses are compact enough to be in containers that I can move

around the garden to get the best location to make them happy!

Thank you to our hostesses:

Mary for Mosaic Monday

and 

The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday.

Wishing YOU WELL and a JOY filled week.

Red, White and Blue

I'm lazy this holiday weekend and went to Flickr

for a little Red, White and Blue help.

Images Courtesy of Flickr

1. Red, White, & Blue, 2. #185 - Red, White & Blue, 3. RED, WHITE, and BLUE!, 4. Red White and Blue, 5. red white and blue, 6. Red White & Blue, 7. Red, white and blue, 8. Crochet: Red White & Blue Pin Cushion, 9. Red White and Blue Stars and Stripes For You

Have a wonderful Memorial Day Holiday.

Thank you to our hostesses:

Mary for Mosaic Monday

and 

The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday.

Action in the Bath!

It's getting hot in Musashi's Garden and the birds are enjoying the bird baths.

Cleaning out the bath and fountain is one of my first chores of the day.

The kitties and I have seen cardinals, blue jays, doves, sparrows taking their turn.

There are two blue jays who visit the bath together.

Coming and going, usually before I can grab the camera.

He looks a little wet, doesn't he?!!! 

Wishing you WELL and a JOY filled week!

Thank you to our hostesses:

Mary for Mosaic Monday

and 

The Tablescaper for Seasonal Sunday.

This and That

This last week was full of fun and surprises.

First, my beautiful god-daughter (BGD) invited me to go and watch

while she tried on wedding gowns.

I can't show you BGD in her gown, 

but I can give you an idea what Mia Bridal Couture is like!

Rows and rows of beautiful dresses.

Oh, my!

Mia Bridal Couture

***

There's been lots of wonderful action in Musashi's Garden.

I planted four new roses this year and the first one to bloom
is the wonderful lavender floribunda called Enchanted Evening.
I am enchanted!

My one and only day lily started blooming this week.

The very handsome male common yellow-throated warbler dropped by

and I picked the first *mess* of green beans from the balcony garden.

***

Have you ever heard of Bed Head Pajamas?

I hadn't heard of them and I love the name.

***

Lastly, I want to give a shout out to my dear friend and her hubby:

Roo and Cowboy.

My heart aches for them.

Cowboy is fighting the same horrible cancer that took Mr. Dragon

from me less than three months ago. 

Please send them your love and support.

***

Thank you for hosting:

Seasonal Sunday at The Tablescaper

and

Mary at Mosaic Monday

***

Wishing you WELL!

Easter Brunch

I'm cheating today.

I didn't have anything ready for Seasonal Sunday .

Source

While I was recycling magazines and catalogs,

I came across the Pottery Barn catalog.

I'm sure I saved it because I loved the cover vignette

of the bunnies.

Source

Last night I even checked to see if anything from 

Pottery Barn's Easter Brunch

was on sale and still available online.

Source

The only thing I found 

was the little bunny place card holder.

Source

All is not lost.

Perhaps there is a visit to the Pottery Barn in town

in the near future!

If not, thank you to Pottery Barn

for the beautiful Easter Brunch ideas!

Thank you for hosting:

Seasonal Sunday at The Tablescaper

.

Wishing you WELL and a JOY filled Easter.

Springtime!

It's Springtime!

Today we started with a cool morning and will have a high near 90.

The humidity starts coming back late today.

I wanted to do some experimenting with some of the mosaics I have presented before

and add some shots to celebrate Springtime and Easter.

The Bluebonnets and Indian Paintbrush are in bloom on the Rice University campus.

It seems like Spring happens for the first time each year!

Do you remember the blooms being this lovely last year?

Or the sky as blue (on those days without humidity)?

Listen to the birds sing!

New life.

New beginnings.

Courage and strength.

I'd like to thank
Mary at Mosaic Monday
and

Seasonal Sunday at The Tablescaper

for being wonderful hosts.

Wishing you WELL and a JOY filled week!