Chattanooga

Angelus and I recently took a trip down to Chattanooga Tennessee to visit Ed, who has been working there since February. It was a really nice visit, but incredibly difficult too. This work situation has taken a tremendous toll on me and our family. We miss Ed very much and he is working harder than he ever has before, 12 hour days, 7 days a week on a miserably hot construction site. Please keep us and him in your thoughts and prayers. He is a wonderful provider and has made a great sacrifice in order to take care of his family, but our life is just not complete without him.

Now on to the highlights, Chattanooga is full of historic and natural beauty! Sitting near the south end of the Appalachian Mountains, the views and rock formations make this place a wonder to behold. To the left is the Incline Railway that takes you from Chattanooga to Lookout Mountain.

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Here we are now at Point Park, a former Civil War battleground. Angelus fell in love with canons and all things "civil war" related. He is now the proud owner of a civil war reenactment play set. I admire his love of historical toys, first Wilbur and Orville Wright's airplane, now the civil war.

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Rock City is more of a "created" tourist trap than natural occurring beauty, but really neat none-the-less. An amazing walk through of rocks, cliffs, water falls, and such.

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A carriage ride through downtown Chattanooga.

"Dalmatian's most important task has been his role as a coach or carriage dog, so called because they were formerly used to run in attendance of a coach. To this day, Dalmatians retain a strong affinity for horses, often naturally falling in behind a horse and cart in perfect position. Particularly in the United States, the use of Dalmatians as carriage dogs was transferred to horse-drawn fire engines. Today the Dalmatian serves as a firehouse mascot but, back in the days of horse-drawn fire carts, they provided a valuable service. Dalmatians and horses are very compatible, so the dogs were easily trained to run in front of the carriages to help clear a path and quickly guide the horses and firefighters to the fires. Dalmatians are often considered to make good watchdogs and it is believed that Dalmatians may have been useful to fire brigades as guard dogs to protect a firehouse and its equipment (including the horses)." ~ Wiki

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Ruby Falls is beautiful waterfall deep inside a cave, other than being herded like cattle through the caverns and tunnels, I enjoyed myself. It would have been nice to just be "set loose" down there to find the falls ourselves, but I understand the liability issues that would cause.

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Here I am feeding shrimp to a stingray at the Tennessee Aquarium!! ahhh!

Kitchen Garden

My plan for the Kitchen Garden this year was keep it simple stupid (we all remember cluster fuck, right?), so I stuck with my favorites. Tomatoes, onions and peppers for my salsa, cucumbers for snacks and broccoli for breakfast omelets. Lastly, I lined the back of the kitchen garden with dill, just for the hell smell of it. Love, love, love, the smell of dill, It's wildly fragrant and unique. I like to harvest the Kitchen Garden in the evening when the scent of the dill permeates the air strongest.







There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven;
a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,
a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.
~ Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

The Sunflower House

Humble beginnings. (This sunflower house is inspired by gardening author Sharon Lovejoy.)

Growing straight and true.

With stalks nice and tall now, Angelus slips in the doorway.

Welcome to my Sunflower House!






In one clean swoop, mother nature laughed last and blew our Sunflower House down with her tornado. I tried to fix it, but so many of the stalks are broke in half; it belongs to the insects, animals and birds now. It was nice while it lasted.

Tornado!

Watching the Thunderstorm....

Humm... this is getting pretty wild, time to get you outta of the window!

I knew this wasn't just a regular thunderstorm when the branches on my weeping cherry stood straight up and stayed suspended in mid-air for a few seconds; everything stood still for a moment then raged on. Unlike many houses on my block that currently have trees laying on their roofs, our home is intact and everyone is safe! Now if only we could get the power back on...day three with no air conditioning. But I will admit, I rather like walking around the house basked in candlelight at night.

Chasing The Moon

A Year of Full Moons
From the Girl Who Chased the Moon (novel) by Sarah Addison Allen

January: The Full Wolf Moon
According to lore, under this moon, wolves would howl in hunger outside Native American villages. People tend to eat too much, drink too much and play too much when the moon is full in January, trying to fill a winter emptiness.

February: The Full Snow Moon
February is traditionally when the heaviest snow falls. People often dream of places they’d rather be when they sleep under a full Snow Moon.

March: The Full Worm Moon
In the spring, the ground softens and earthworms reappear...as do the robins who eat them. The lure of possibly getting caught while doing something daring or scandalous is hard to resist during the first full moon in March.

April: The Full Pink Moon
This full Moon marks the appearance of pink ground phlox, an early spring flower. The amount of hope in the air during a Full Pink moon makes it the best time to ask someone to marry you.

May: The Full Milk Moon
The abundance of greenery to eat at this time of year gives cows and goats the potential to produce rich, fortified milk. People often think they are the most attractive under a full Milk Moon.

June: The Full Strawberry Moon
May is typically when strawberries ripen and are gathered. The best time to seek forgiveness is under the Strawberry Moon. Sweetness seems to linger during this time.

July: The Full Buck Moon
Bucks begin to grow new antlers at this time. Young men will butt heads and generally show themselves under this full July moon.

August: The Full Sturgeon Moon
Native American lore says that the sturgeon of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain were most easily caught during the full moon in August. This full moon tends to make people feel restless and overwhelmed.

September: The Harvest Moon
This is the full moon nearest the autumnal equinox, bright enough to allow farmers to work late into the night, bringing in the last of their harvest. A time of introspection. People are often moody during this moon.

October: The Full Hunters’ Moon
Historically, after the harvest, with leaves falling and fields bare, it was easier to see to hunt under this full moon. If you stare at a Hunters’ Moon with a question, it will become clear what has to be done.

November: The Full Beaver Moon
Beaver traps were set during this time, before the waters froze, so furs would be in abundance for the cold months ahead. For some people, the Full Beaver Moon is the last chance to do something they’ve wanted to do but put off, before the heaviness of winter settles over them.

December: The Full Cold Moon
The full moon heralding long, dark, cold nights ahead. Unquestionably, the best sleeping moon of the year.

Domestic Mysticism

"'The home is a sacred place where you can communicate with the four elements of the universe: earth, water, air and fire,' says writer and kitchen mystic Laura Esquivel, author of the luminous novel Like Water for Chocolate. 'You mix it with your love and emotions to create magic. Through cooking, you raise your spiritual level and balance yourself in a world that is materialistic.' In a world that is frequently out of kilter, the kitchen is as mystical as a monastery." ~ Simple Abundance, a Day Book of Comfort and Joy by Sarah Ban Breathnach





Being a devout lover of reality, you're not likely to find me standing naked in a ritual circle calling upon watchtowers or asking the fae to give me back my lost keys; those types of practices usually make me giggle or feel awkward.

Being Domestic in nature, I find Spirit in the elements that created the fragrant white lily that perfumes my bathroom, thanks is given when breaking freshly baked Hungarian sweet bread from the farmers market, clarity is found while meditating with a scouring pad over my stove, harmony is heard around the kitchen table, and my wooden cooking spoon in the only wand I'll ever need. (Moro's Salad Recipe)




How do you experience Domestic Mysticism? If faeries help you find your keys in the morning, I won't laugh. Promise. :)

Summer Breeze

Sweet days of summer, the jasmine's in bloom,
July is dressed up and playing her tune.

5 ways to enjoy July

• Use your garden harvest to make fresh salsa.

• Give your linens a wash and breath of fresh air by hang drying them outside.

• Whip up a batch of Summer Pasta Salad.

• Create your own Summer soundtrack.

• Make Sun Tea while reading a good book on the patio.

4th of July

Happy Independence Day!

And finally, the winner of the Picard Creative Giveaway is Zombie Queen! E-mail Paula with your address at picardcreativeATyahooDOTcom and let me know when you've received your giveaway prize!