Litha

Just saying............

summer time

Why is it that I always feel like This.....

Untill I go to try on bathing suits, and then feel like this!!!!!

sigh, I hate summer!!!  LOL

Best Spell!!!!!!

The story of adjusting

When I first moved down the shore, I had a LOT of adjusting to do.  Every house I owned, before, had large expansive gardens and lawns.  I also had a hubby with 2 rotor tillers, and the strength to do the hard work.

Moving here, I was a widow, and to tell you the truth I welcomed only having a patio to work with.  The rest of the lot was buried under tons and tons of white rock!

I managed for like 6 months, and then I missed my gardens.  So the first thing I did was in front of the house.... moving tons and tons of gravel, I cleared a little patch in front for my trellis and some flowers... after that I was EXHAUSTED!



So, I decided to try Patio planting.  Planter Planting... something I had never done before... why should I with all that nice dark soil at my other house's. 

But even the soil here at the shore isn't right for most planting, it's all sand..... so off I went to try Container planting..... AND I SUCCEEDED!!!! But, don't ask me how since I just really winged it!



My Gogi berry bush is 3 years old.  From a tiny tiny snip, to a nice sized bush... no berry's yet, but I have hope for next year


I found that blueberry's LOVE containers!!!!  I started out with 2, and now I have 5 of them... this is the biggest and oldest one.  I pick blueberry's till I think I'm going to BURST!  And even have tons let for share with the local Mocking Bird, who loves them also!


I planted strawberry's in my cauldron, and dug out enough of the rocks to ring it with lavender!  Lavender LOVES sandy, sunny soil, and it grows and grows and grows.... and I don't have to do a darn thing to it... except harvesting the fragrant smelling herb. 

And the Strawberry's produce almost all summer. They love the cauldron!



This is a new one this year.  I got a big purple bucket at Big Lots, and planted Carrots!  As you can see they are going NUTS!  I keep pulling carrots out, and it seems more keep coming!

I guess container planting wasn't as hard as I thought I would be!

How to get rid of your extra summer squash

1) Carefully place a dozen or more zucchini in a large, sturdy black plastic trash bag, then add a couple layers of unwanted clothing. Drive to nearest Goodwill or Salvation Army, hand over bag to nearest volunteer. Politely refuse any offered receipt. Leave quickly.

2) Look for out of the way places which have signs posted, "Clean Fill Wanted."

3) Reserve 1/2 of the space in large, upright freezer, gather all available plastic containers & freezer bags. Drink a vat of your favorite caffinated beverage, in preparation for staying up round the clock to puree large quantities of zucchini. This can then be packaged neatly and artistically labeled: "For Zucchini Nut Bread Recipe." These packages can be freely given, along with copies of recipe, to anyone on your Christmas list. [Ed. note: I solemnly promise that I will eventually post this recipe.]

4) Under light of full moon, either stark naked or wearing full army camouflage, carrying a machete or any garden implement, run amuck in your zucchini patch, cutting and slashing. Be sure to thank mother nature for her bounty before and after this cathartic experience.

5) Buy a large roll of freezer paper--the kind that sub shops use to, you know, wrap up their subs & other sandwiches. Then proceed to wrap each zucchini which has managed to grow to a foot or more in length. Next time your child has a fundraiser, send him or her out supplied with these phoney subs. Tell child to drop them off with neighbors or relatives and leave quickly. It's advisable that a responsible adult hover nearby in a get-away car.


Zucchini Appetizer

4 eggs, slightly beaten

½ cup chopped onions

1 garlic clove, chopped fine

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

½ cup Romano cheese

1 T chopped parsley

1 T chopped basil

1 cup Bisquick

4 cups Zucchini (if large, older squash, peel most of shell; can be chopped or sliced)

½ cup oil

Mix or lightly stir together all ingredients. Bake @350 degrees for 30 minutes or until light brown on top. A large round pizza pan works well.



Rosemary Zucchini
Very nice over rice or pasta.

1 tomato, peeled & chopped

1 T finely chopped onion

2 tsp finely chopped rosemary

salt & pepper to taste

2 T vegetable oil

Thinly slice the zucchini & place in saucepan with all other ingredients. Cover & simmer gently until soft, stirring frequently at first to avoid sticking.

Serves 4. Approx. cooking time: 10 minutes.


Garden tips for growing & Harvesting Zucchini & other Summer Squash

From seed: we're zone 6 here in this part of Pennsylvania, so seeds for summer squash can be started indoors in late April, about 6 weeks before last frost. Try 2 seeds per pot, 1/2" deep; keep pots in a warm, sunny spot. After they sprout (about a week later), snip off the weaker of the 2 seedlings to ensure the healthier one will then develop fully.

Transplanting: whether these are your own seedlings or those from a nursery, be sure ground has warmed and all danger of frost is past. Late May or early June will be soon enough to give plenty of growing time. Don't forget that squash plants need a fair amount of space to spread. Most seed packets suggest creating a hill, but I just provide a small, raised mound, approximately 6" higher than the surrounding area, allowing for good drainage and for vines to trail downwards a bit. You can usually place 2 healthy plants together. Be sure the soil is well prepared; try working in a shovel or two of compost. You might want to provide some additional sweetness by adding enough lime to maintain a 6.5 to 7.0 pH; ideally, a 5-10-5 fertilizer mix should be worked into soil also.

Be sure to water thoroughly when you transplant! To avoid infestation of pests such as the striped cucumber beetle or the spotted cucumber beetle, not to mention the obnoxious squash borer, here are a couple of tips:

Companion Planting: Calendula (pot marigold), Marigold, Tansy

Choose disease resistant seeds and plants!

Floating row covers: frankly, much as this is good advice to protect your young plants from cucumber beetles, I must admit I have yet to try it! Maybe this year . . .? Do take note that if you do use floating row covers for protection, you must be sure to remove them once flowers appear in order to allow for pollination.

Harvesting: connoisseurs know that the French call diminutive squash courgettes, and the Italians call them zuchette. Whatever you prefer to call them, be assured that if you harvest early, you will be able to harvest often, and will surely appreciate the delicate flavor of baby squash. Herein lies the advantage of growing your own, because they are so fragile at this small size, they are not likely to be found in grocery stores. Of course, I find that the more hefty size are in some ways more suitable for recipes such as Zucchini Appetizer.

When harvesting, it's best to use a thin, sharp knife; don't try to yank them off with your hands or you will probably damage the whole plant! You should be able to begin your harvesting of summer squash in early July and continue through September. An ideal size is 6" and they are so flavorful at this stage you might be tempted to snack on them before you even leave the garden. Easy Zucchini Dip: add a bit of freshly snipped dill to some plain yogurt.

PROTECTION SPELL

"By the dragons light, on this (month) night,

I call to thee to give me your might,

by the power of three, I conjure thee,

to protect all that, surrounds me, so mote it be!



MAGIC PROTECTION CHANT

Here is a protection chant to protect you from evil, you should do this before and after doing spells.

Visualize your self sitting in the middle of the pentagram facing upwards with 3 circles of purple light

around you and say:

Protect me with all your might

Goddess gracious day and night

Say it three times and end with, So Mote It Be!



MAGIC PROTECTION CHANT

Trice around the circle's bound

Sink all evil into the ground

Say it three times and end with, So Mote It Be!



MAGIC BATH FOR PROTECTION AND PURIFICATION

Steep a teaspoon of basil in a cup of boiling water, and strain out the herb.

Add it to you bath water for a protective and cleansing influence.

It is particularly useful to clean off the feelings left by contact with those who are negative or controlling.

When I was cleaning out my Mother's house a few years ago.... I found this adorable little salt and pepper shaker.  There was only one.... but I couldn't resist taking her home with me!

She's been sitting in my china cabinet till yesterday.   I decided to clean out the cabinet and came across her.... again so freaking adorable, so I brought her into my room.



Once on my desk, I tried to think of something to do with her...... then I turned her around to look at her cute little tail..... and .......There you go!!!!  The perfect place to hold my glass's when I'm on the computer!!!

Extraordinary Uses for Baking Soda
by Marvin






Baking soda is a chemical compound that appears as a fine powder. It releases bubbles of carbon dioxide when it interacts with an acid and a liquid. It’s most commonly used in baking, where it acts as a leavening agent. The following are 75 other uses for baking soda aside from making muffins soft and fluffy.


Health Uses

1. Use it as an antacid.

2. Use it as underarm deodorant by applying it with a powder puff.

3. Mix half a teaspoon with peroxide paste and use it as toothpaste.

4. Use it as a face and body scrub.

5. Add a cup to bathwater to soften your skin.

6. Relieve skin itch from insect bites and pain from sunburn.

7. Remove strong odors from your hands by rubbing them with baking soda and water.

8. Put two tablespoons in your baby’s bathwater to help relieve diaper rash.

9. Apply it on rashes, insect bites, and poison ivy irritations.

10. Take a baking soda bath to relieve skin irritations.

11. Heartburn? Take a teaspoon of baking soda mixed with one-half glass of water.

12. Freshen your mouth by gargling half a teaspoon of baking soda mixed water.

13. Relieve canker sore pain by using it as mouthwash.

14. Use it to relieve bee stings.

15. Use it to relieve windburns.

16. Apply it on jellyfish sting to draw out the venom.

17. Unblock stuffy nose by adding a teaspoon of baking soda to your vaporizer.

18. Keep cut flowers fresh longer by adding a teaspoon to the water in the vase.

19. Put out small fires on rugs, upholstery, clothing, and wood.

20. Put an open container of baking soda in the fridge to absorb the odors.

21. Sprinkle it on your ashtrays to reduce bad odor and prevent smoldering.

22. Sprinkle it on your slippers, boots, shoes, and socks to eliminate foul odor.

23. Turn baking soda into modeling clay by combining it with one and 1/4 cups of water and one cup of cornstarch.

24. After feeding your baby, wipe his shirt with a moist cloth sprinkled with baking soda to remove the odor.

25. Wipe your windshield with it to repel rain.

26. Improve the smell of dishrags by soaking them in baking soda and water.

27. Suck it in with your vacuum cleaner to remove the odor.

28. Freshen the air by mixing baking soda with your favorite perfumed bath salts. Put the mixture in small sachet bags.

29. Restore stiff brushes by boiling them in a solution of 1/2 gallon of water, 1/4 cup of vinegar, and a cup of baking soda.

30. Put it under sinks and along basement windows to repel cockroaches and ants.

31. Scatter baking soda around flowerbeds to prevent rabbits from eating your veggies.

32. Sweeten your tomatoes by sprinkling baking soda on the soil around your tomato plants.

33. Sprinkle it onto your cat’s litter box to absorb the bad odor.

34. Sprinkle it on your pet’s comb or brush to deodorize their fur and skin.

In Cooking

35. Use it as a substitute for baking powder by mixing with it with cream of tartar or vinegar.

36. Wash fruits and vegetables with it.

37. When boiling a chicken, add a teaspoon of baking soda to the water. Feathers will come off easier, and the flesh will be clean and white.

38. Soak dried beans to a baking soda solution to make them more digestible.

39. Remove the distinctive taste of wild game by soaking it in a baking soda solution.

40. Make a sports drink by mixing it with boiled water, salt, and Kool-Aid.

41. Remove the fishy smell from your fillets by soaking the raw fish in a baking soda solution for an hour inside the fridge.

42. Make fluffier omelets by adding half a teaspoon of baking soda for every three eggs used.

43. Reduce the acid content of your tomato-based recipes by sprinkling them with a pinch of baking soda.

Cleaning Purposes

44. Add a cup to the toilet, leave it for an hour, and then flush. It will clean the toilet and absorb the odor.

45. Use it to scrub sinks, showers, plastic and porcelain tubs

46. Spray it on walls, mirrors, and countertops.

47. Add a spoonful to your dishwasher to make scrubbing dishes easier.

48. Remove grease from pots and pans.

49. Dry clean carpets and upholstered furniture by sprinkling baking soda over the fabric and gently brushing it. Leave it for an hour or overnight, then vacuum.

50. Boost your laundry detergent’s cleaning power by sprinkling a handful on dirty clothes.

51. Combine it with water to make a paste for polishing stainless steel and chrome.

52. Remove scratches and crayon marks from vinyl floors and walls.

53. Clean your shoes with it.

54. Clean garbage cans with it.

55. Use it to wash diapers.

56. Clean the fridge with it.

57. Soak brushes and combs in a baking soda solution.

58. Mix it with water to wash food and drink containers.

59. Put three tablespoons of baking soda to a quart of warm water, then use the mixture to wash marble-topped furniture.

60. Absorb it with a damp sponge, then clean Formica countertops with the sponge.

61. Use it to get rid of stale odors from cooling containers and thermos bottles.

62. Run your coffee maker with a baking soda solution, then rinse.

63. Combine with hot water to clean baby bottles.

64. Sprinkle it on barbecue grills, then rinse it off.

65. Scatter it on your greasy garage floor, scrub the floor, and rinse.

66. Remove burned-on food from a pan by soaking it in a baking soda solution for 10 minutes before washing.

67. Clean your ashtrays with a baking soda solution.

68. Keep your drains clean by putting four tablespoons of baking soda in them each week. Flush it down with hot water.

69. Clean your shower curtains by soaking them in baking soda and water.

70. Put it on a small brush to rub canvas handbags clean.

71. Use it to remove melted plastic bread wrapper from a toaster. Sprinkle baking soda on a damp rug, then use the rug to clean the toaster.

72. Use it to clean your retainers and dentures.

73. Make a thick paste of baking soda and water, and used it to scrub enameled cast iron and stainless steel.

74. Mix four tablespoons of baking soda with a quart of warm water, and use it to clean the inside part of an oven.

75. Use it to unclog gas stoves.

The most amazing thing about baking soda is that it’s very cheap. You can do all these things for a very small cost. Baking soda is truly a miracle product, whether it’s used for baking or not.

And the winner is...................

I used a random generator from on line, and it picked the winner.

And the winner is....Michael, from http://wiccan-wonderland.blogspot.com/?spref=fb

Congrats! And I'll contact you with your prize info!