The show that never ends.....

Hard Rock Casino in Tampa, Florida......here we come! March 31, 2010 some of the residents of Savannah Court & Savannah Cove, a senior living community located just off of I-4 in Orange County on Maitland Boulevard in Maitland, Florida, were taken on a day trip to the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. As a volunteer, I attended as a chaperon.

The bus ready to load with happy and excited residents.

Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, we have arrived, are you ready for us?

Does Miss Y look ready to get at those slots?

On the bus anxiously waiting to hit the casino for a day of fun.

This was actually the 2nd trip to the casino so it was highly anticipated.

Cameras are not permitted in the "gambling areas".....oh well, my mistake!

Believe it or not we finished the day with a couple of winners. Mr. R at the slots with some of our ladies.

"Welcome Back My Friends To The Show That Never Ends"

- Emerson Lake & Palmer

The words on the sign as you arrive....and it truly is the show that never ends. Looking for a great place to observe people, this would be the place. Want to learn to play blackjack just for fun? A lady that I met while at the casino provided me the following free website on Blackjack strategy. http://www.hitorstand.net/

On a serious note, April 19-25 is National Volunteer Week, to celebrate ordinary people doing extraordinary things. Do you do any volunteering? What can you do to make a difference?

Make a difference by leaving things a little better then you found them. A kind word or gesture goes a long way and often costs only a few minutes of your time. Whenever it feels like you have nothing to offer, remember that even the smallest favor can affect someones life in ways you could never anticipate.

By doing a kind gesture or helping another person.....you actually help yourself!

The Big Brown Spot.....

Several weeks ago I received a letter in my mail from the property management company of my Homeowners Association asking me if I was aware of the "big Brown Spot" on my front lawn. Interesting question.....like I would miss this!!! After noticing several varieties of weeds, sedge and crabgrass with the possibility of Cinch bugs, I decided to spray the entire area to eliminate everything before my entire front yard was wiped out. It is just amazing how healthy, invasive and fast growing all the weeds become. Due to the uncommon cold winter, this big brown spot was left as is much longer then I would like it to.

I decided to not replace with St. Augustine or any other type grass which is a water guzzler and go with Florida Friendly plants that would easily adapt to the Central Florida climate.....extreme heat & humidity and that would survive sub-freezing temperature as we had this past winter.

Here you see a single row of Loropetalum in the rear. I usually start with small specimens as they are easier to plant and less expensive.

Despite the fact that it is written in the homeowners docs that sod must be replaced with sod, Florida Statute has changed due to the water shortage...... which is good news for homeowners.

State of Florida Statute makes it unlawful for any municipality to prohibit "property owners from implementing Xeriscape or Florida-friendly landscape, as defined in s. 373.185

(1) on his or her land

(2) "Xeriscape" or "Florida-friendly landscape" means quality landscapes that conserve water and protect the environment and are adaptable to local conditions and which are drought tolerant

(3) Local government ordinance may not prohibit any property owner from implementing Xeriscape or Florida-friendly landscape on his or her land." As I was working this area for planting, I dug up this "little guy" almost 2 inches tall. I suppose back about 10 years ago when my sod was installed some little child's treasure got buried and became unofficially my "Yard Man". So as I completed my planting I put him right back where he came from and he will remain my "Yard Man" till eternity.

A mature Loropetalum in my yard produces an abundance of vibrant pink fringy flowers in the Spring, sporadically during Summer and again in the fall. Some people shave them boxy like a hedge....I prefer to allow them to grow natural.

This shows a "pot bound plant". The roots of this plant need to be loosened and broken open before planting creating a happy environment for the new plant.

For contrast in height and look, I planted a row of "recycled" plants next from my own yard that had multiplied. I am currently at a loss as to the name of this plant, but they are hardy and produce a pretty blue ball shaped flower.

Drought & disease free as well as freeze tolerant Walters Viburnum, "world class", were placed next in a triangle arrangement.

Close up view of this showy, flowering native plant that will produce small clusters of flowers in winter and early spring.

Here I took a break and went to take a rest and cool off at the pool at my local YMCA, the J. Douglas Williams Family Center, in Longwood Florida.

I believe there may even be a lounge with my name on it......yes there it is, look closely.

Asiatic Jasmine plants in front. 54 little plants in total will creep together providing a dense green carpet of greenery and a great replacement for the space once occupied by a St. Augustine Lawn. Done finally, no more big brown spot.....It has been replaced with an easy maintenance Florida Friendly landscape.

Right Plant.......Right Place.......Get Planting!!

It's all about the kids....

The Student Museum and Center for Social Studies

"Teaching the Future by Touching the Past"

301 W. 7th Street, Sanford, Florida 32771 This Student Museum is an excellent and rare example of Florida's turn-of-the century school architecture. In 1984 the building was placed in the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior in recognition of its history and architectural significance to the state of Florida and the nation. The 1902 Romanesque revival style brick building is dominated by a massive three story bell and features decorative corbelling and recessed Romanesque arched entryways.
The Student Museum offers Seminole County (Florida) students a unique learning opportunity in the oldest school in continuous use in Seminole County and the second oldest school in continuous use in the state of Florida.

The Student Museum is visited by approximately 6,500 elementary students per school year who are educated about Florida history in a hands on learning environment.
The museum features a classroom as it existed in 1902. A pioneer room with a 3/4 size log cabin, and offers teachers instructional liaison in planning activities to support their curriculum.. The potential impact of this facility is that each fourth grade student in the Seminole County, Florida, Public Schools, including special needs students as well as private and home school students can participate in this program.
Visitors will see and experience a Timicuan Village, a geography lab, artifacts and displays and photographs and learn history of the local surrounding neighborhoods.
The student Museum exists to conserve, preserve, study, interpret, assemble and exhibit materials of educational and cultural value for students.

Welcome to our garden - 10 years and growing

The first garden was established in 1998 by one Master Gardener wanting to demonstrate Pioneer Gardening to students visiting the Student Museum. Since then, many Seminole County Master Gardeners have joined the effort, creating unique gardens, each exhibiting the varieties of plants that grow successfully in Seminole County, Florida.

So, aha.....here lies my involvement in the wonderful project.....as a Seminole County Master Gardener. The different areas in the garden demonstrated include: shade, Rose, Herb, Succulent, Wild Flower, Sub-Tropical, Natives, Butterfly, Arbor, Asian and my area: the Pioneer Garden also referred to as the "Three Sisters Garden".

Celebrate the Three Sisters: Corn, Beans and Squash
by guest author Alice Formiga

According to Iroquois legend, corn, beans, and squash are three inseparable sisters who only grow and thrive together. This tradition of interplanting corn, beans and squash in the same mounds, widespread among Native American farming societies, is a sophisticated, sustainable system that provided long-term soil fertility and a healthy diet to generations. Growing a Three Sisters garden is a wonderful way to feel more connected to the history of this land, regardless of our ancestry.

Corn, beans and squash were among the first important crops domesticated by ancient Mesoamerican societies. Corn was the primary crop, providing more calories or energy per acre than any other. According to Three Sisters legends corn must grow in community with other crops rather than on its own - it needs the beneficial company and aide of its companions.

The Iroquois believe corn, beans and squash are precious gifts from the Great Spirit, each watched over by one of three sisters spirits, called the De-o-ha-ko, or Our Sustainers". The planting season is marked by ceremonies to honor them, and a festival commemorates the first harvest of green corn on the cob. By retelling the stories and performing annual rituals, Native Americans passed down the knowledge of growing, using and preserving the Three Sisters through generations.

The Iroquois believe corn, beans and squash are precious gifts from the Great Spirit, each watched over by one of three sisters spirits, called the De-o-ha-ko, or Our Sustainers". The planting season is marked by ceremonies to honor them, and a festival commemorates the first harvest of green corn on the cob. By retelling the stories and performing annual rituals, Native Americans passed down the knowledge of growing, using and preserving the Three Sisters through generations.

Corn provides a natural pole for bean vines to climb. Beans fix nitrogen on their roots, improving the overall fertility of the plot by providing nitrogen to the following years corn. Bean vines also help stabilize the corn plants, making them less vulnerable to blowing over in the wind. Shallow-rooted squash vines become a living mulch, shading emerging weeds and preventing soil moisture from evaporating, thereby improving the overall crops chances of survival in dry years. Spiny squash plants also help discourage predators from approaching the corn and beans. The large amount of crop residue from this planting combination can be incorporated back into the mound at the end of the season, to build up the organic matter in the soil and improve its structure.

Corn, beans and squash also complement each other nutritionally. Corn provides carbohydrates, the dried beans are rich in protein, balancing the lack of necessary amino acids found in corn. Finally, squash yields both vitamins from the fruit and healthful, delicious oil from the seeds.
Native Americans kept this system in practice for centuries without the modern conceptual vocabulary we use today, i.e. soil nitrogen, vitamins, etc. They often look for signs in their environment that indicate the right soil temperature and weather for planting corn, i.e. when the Canada geese return or the dogwood leaves reach the size of a squirrels ear. You may wish to record such signs as you observe in your garden and neighborhood so that, depending on how well you judged the timing, you can watch for them again next season!

Early European settlers would certainly never have survived without the gift of the Three Sisters from the Native Americans, the story behind our Thanksgiving celebration. Celebrating the importance of these gifts, not only to the Pilgrims but also to civilizations around the globe that readily adopted these New World crops, adds meaning to modern garden practices
Success with a Three Sisters garden involves careful attention to timing, seed spacing, and varieties. In many areas, if you simply plant all three in the same hole at the same time, the result will be a snarl of vines in which the corn gets overwhelmed!
The philosophy of the Student Museum is captured in these words:

Tell me and I forget.

Show me and I remember.

Involve me and I understand.

Flour + Sugar + Eggs + Bananas + Chopped Walnuts = ?????

It is almost this easy........What do you get when you combine all these ingredients besides really good eating? I cannot take the credit for this recipe. It is from the Woman's Day Encyclopedia of Cookery,
Vol. 1, page 139. That's the page with all the "love" splotches on it, do you see them? I referred to them in my last post.

I suppose after I wrote about this banana bread, and then woke up to these three really fine speckled bananas, meaning they were too ripe for my liking to eat, sitting on my kitchen counter, I just knew what I had to do.....get out my old cook book and bake myself a treat.

Yes, it is as good as I remembered. I wish you could all just help yourself to a piece. If you are local, I would be happy to share some with you. I like it just as is with my cup of coffee or tea, however many others like to put cream cheese on it.


To make it possible for you to make your own, here is the recipe. Over the years I have shared it with many others, so I only have to cut and paste it here.

BANANA-NUT BREAD

(Woman’s Day Encyclopedia of Cookery)

½ CUP COOKING OIL
1 CUP SUGAR
2 EGGS BEATEN
4 RIPE MASHED BANANAS (or 3 large)
2 CUPS FLOUR
1 TSP. BAKING SODA
½ TSP. BAKING POWDER
½ TSP. SALT
3 TBLS. MILK
½ TSP. VANILLA EXTRACT
½ CUP CHOPPED WALNUTS

Beat oil and sugar together. Add eggs and banana pulp and beat well. Add sifted dry ingredients, milk and vanilla. Mix well and stir in nuts. Pour into greased and floured loaf pan

(9 x 5 x 3 inches) at 350 for about 1 hour. Cool well and store overnight before cutting**. Makes one loaf. Good with cream cheese.

**I think this is to drive the family crazy. Or Maybe it is just bad luck to cut it sooner!

The 24 hour delay before slicing is really in the recipe. My family always thought that I just

said it was necessary to wait to torment them. It most definitely is worth the wait.

Try it and let me know what you think.

When two passions collide.......

My journey through books has taken me to some incredible places.

For a long time now I have considered myself to be a Bookaholic! How do I describe what a Bookaholic is. Someone who has a strong passion for and desire to read all the time or someone who has a strange fetish for books. Or possibly someone who keeps buying books to add to a stack of unread books. I probably fall somewhere between the two. I love having books around me, visiting book stores and libraries. I love how books look, feel and even smell.

I have no more room for books on my shelves, but I keep buying new ones. I am a Bookaholic. But in my own defense, it's a fairly inexpensive, fairly harmless obsession.
My most recent book category obsession has been every gardening book I could get my hands on, especially since completeing the Master Gardener classes. I find myself to especially gravitate towards anything that has to do with Florida gardening as well as edible gardening.
Another "hot" book category on my list is the "new" cook books. Now I have shelves and shelves of cook books, going back several decades to the "Woman's Day Encyclopedia of Cookery". This 12 volume set was available in the grocery store one volume at a time as they were released, I think monthly. I still have several favorite recipes within those pages. I have made the Banana nut bread so often, that when you open to that page, it looks as if someone "sloppy" used it as a place mat to eat dinner on. It certainly has its splatters of food stains obviously indicating this to be a favorite recipe.

My latest collection of cook books are geared towards eating "whole" and healthy, completely eliminating all processed foods from the diet. You've heard the drill..... when in the grocery store, shop only around the perimeter, eat healthier and live to be 100 years old!

Finally, the inpiration for this post! As I was walking through Borders today just passing through, you know the drill, from the parking lot to the mall to return an item in one of the stores, I was just casually looking around the gardening section which this time of the year is now center aisle. I was just browsing as I often do, minding my own business, and I find this book. Could it be.....the actual collision of my two passions. This new book that takes you from the seed packets to the canning jars, was written by four women who have only ever met on Twitter. They pooled their knowledge of gardening and cooking and in 60 days pulled together this remarkably complete book - from pest control to preserving.

They used their own social networks - blogs, tweets and Face book pages - to gather the best information from others and now, presumably, they will be able to sell the book to their combined 50,000 tweets, followers and friends!

As I peeked through the pages, I knew I had to add this wonderful book to my stacks......I mean book collection. When I got home I went online and ordered it on amazon. Now I wait for it's arrival. So while I wait, I think and write about my wonderful journey with my books.

I proudly call myself a Bookaholic.

So many books, so little time.......

From the Garden...

And into the pot......

What a reward to reap the benefits from your garden. You know just how really fresh your produce is, no chemicals, no preservatives, you don't have to make a trip to the store, no long lines to wait on and the price it right! After the freeze we experienced in Central Florida several weeks ago, several of my vegtable plants were lost to the cold nights. However the cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower and collards as well as several of the herbs are cold weather plants and survived like troopers. Maybe............ I wonder if "George", my Gargoyle garden guard had anything to do with it?
My first cabbage picked. I meant to weigh it but got excited and cooked it without thinking first. When steaming briefly, it turned a really vibrant color of green resembling the green that comes in a box of Crayola Crayons, remember that color? When we purchase veggies like cabbage, there is no way to really know just how long it has been since it was picked!


I know, before you say, cabbage....... ugh and stinky often, let me share with you what I prepared with it. I made my recipe of Stuffed Cabbage, in a tomato based sweet & sour gravy. I made it with a ground beef and rice stuffing, however the ground beef can be substituted by ground Turkey or Chicken or even a "meat substitute crumbles" for those choosing to not eat meat at all, or just attempting to cut back.

I recently became familiar with Bulgur which is a whole grain that can be found in specialty stores selling bulk foods. I believe this would be another good substitute for the meat also. If you are not familiar with Bulgar you are in for a treat if you try it. Bulgur is kernels of steamed, dried and crushed wheat, has a nutty taste and chewy texture. You don't really have to "cook" the grain, just let it soak in boiling water so it softens and expands. It is indeed healthy and hearty in addition to tasty. Stuffed Cabbage with Sweet and Sour gravy.....February 7, 2010.

(Interested in the recipe, just ask.)

An Incredible Journey....

Giant kalanchoe Gastoris Bonnieri, or Donkey Ears....... When I first found this plant in Mount Dora, it was love at first sight. It was the perfect new member for my space in my yard that I refer to as my "funny farm". This plant certainly is unique looking as it was, but I had no idea of what to expect from it until I had the opportunity to research it. I quickly discovered that folks who appreciate succulent plants drool over owning a Donkey Ears of their own, the original Kalanchoe Gastonis bonnieri is said to originate from Madagascar.This succulent seems to be every one's favorite for its unique leaves, the way new baby plants form, for the big and bold flower stems, for the blooms, and for the hummingbirds which love the flowers.

This plant quickly became one of my favorites as it seemed to change almost on a daily basis.

First, lets look at the leaves. They're light green / gray-white when young/new. As Donkey Ears grow, the leaves become more prominent and bold in size. The "ears" can become 12+ inches long and a deeper green with more prominent "mule" spots...thus the common name....Donkey Ears.
Baby plants begin to form at the leaf tips which you can root automatically and make new separate plants, which I have done. Sometimes the baby plants just fall off and you can re-plant elsewhere or into pots. Otherwise, you can remove baby plants at some reasonable size and re-pot or plant.

At about a year old , the mother plant Donkey Ears suddenly sends up a shoot that can easily grow to 2-feet tall. At the tip of the shoot, flower buds begin to form. From the time that I realized that this new growth was not additional leaves it took about three months for the bloom to fully develope and open.

This plant seemed to grow taller and taller each day. I needed to stand on a chair to continue taking photos of it.

In flower, I see this plant as a Major show off plant. The flower opened about 4 weeks before we experienced the "Florida Freeze". I moved my prize under cover on my patio next to the house and also covered it for additional protection. But alas, it is not frost tolerant and it did get too cold on those bitter last few evenings. I did get a chance to start several babies that have been sent off to their new homes to start all over. They do not look their best but I am sure they will recover.

Below is a photo of my Donkey Ears this morning, February 7, 2010. Traces of the bloom are still there. The huge majestic leaves are shriveled and brown and ready to fall off. I am not quickening this process as I can now see new leaves breaking out off the stalk kind of where the old leaves are attached. I will wait to see what happens naturally. Every day is a new surprise!

Poor little thing....this has been a total metamorphosis of this plant. Kind of like raising kids........

It has gone through the good, the bad and the ugly! With more to come.

What is more incredible then the gifts that nature shares with us each day?