"Those who do not complain are never pitied" Mrs. Bennett (Pride and Predjudice)

 I read where the Princess Kate and Prince William were hosting a Garden Party today. They and other members of the English Royal Family host numerous Garden Parties, every Spring, Summer and Autumn.

We are getting ready to host a picnic. This will be our third large outdoor event of the the warm season, here in Kansas City. Earlier this summer, we hosted the Stilwell UM Church Choir and their families and then we had another party for the past and present members of the Kansas City Grotto Club (Cavers). Gardens in the UK are similar to our lawns, so we have a lot in common with the Royals, when we have a party in our yard. In fact, tomorrow will be a costume/garden party. If the guests choose they may come in casual attire or if they fancy a more formal event, they may come in Regency clothing. That would be high-waisted gowns with long skirts and bonnets, for the ladies, and cut-away coats and top-hats, for the men. Regency Attire is clothing from the very late 18th and early 19th centuries.

Tomorrow, is the annual Box Hill Picnic for the KC Area Chapter of the Jane Austen Society of North American. (JASNA for short.) We are hoping for lovely outdoorsy type of weather, but any activity occurring tomorrow, will be, no matter what the weather, very gentile! Our back lawn will feature Croquet. Food, an assortment of cold meats, salads and tea sandwiches, tea and lemonade will be served on our two back decks.There may be country dancing and a Janite Trivia contest. Guests may also wander the vast garden (think lawn) or perhaps partake in a leisurely boat ride, not on the Thames, but on our pond.

In Jane Austen's lifetime, picnics were quite common. Well, the common folk didn't have them, but the gentry and wealthy folks had them. The servants transported chairs and dining room tables out to the countryside and served the Lords and Ladies, just like they would have in their homes or manor houses. Bone China, silverware and cloth napkins were all toted outside. The term picnic comes from "pick a place" to have outdoor dining. In Austen's novel EMMA, Emma and her friends participate in the Box Hill Picnic. So, we are recreating that event, in a 21st Century suburban setting. We may have a few surprise guests attend the gathering. Perhaps, some characters from other Austen novels......Mr. Darcy maybe. 

Unfortunately, the forecast is calling for a shower or two, tomorrow afternoon. We'll picnic in the house, then. A splendid festive time will, no doubt, be had by all.

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 Dearest Lord. Pride and Prejudice are constant issues for all of us. Patience is difficult to practice. Sense and the ability to practice Sensibility we struggle with daily. We have so many blessings, though. Too many to complain about, too much. We are blessed.

 

 

 

"Mirror, Mirror on the Wall".....

I've commented for many years now, that mirrors must not be a big seller at Walmart. Otherwise, folks would not leave the house they way some of them do! Okay. Nasty, mean comment. I am aware of that. Not judging, but honestly, there are times when people walk right by me and I say to myself, I really did not want to see that! 

I may be old fashioned, but I care what I look like. Not so much for the opinions of others, but for my self- esteem. My personal habits include cleanliness, neatness, and checking my appearance, before I leave the house. No, on second thought, I do that, even if I'm not leaving the house. Self-worth and self-esteem are personal issues for me. They have been a problem for me, my entire life. 

Therefore, I asked (my birthday was last week) for something that I had been missing, in my new residence....a full length mirror. I was gifted with a very nice one, and it was purchased at Walmart. It now hangs on the inside of the bedroom closet door. It's a great addition to my happiness and well-being. 

So, bottom line is, I care. No, I won't be spending hours staring at my image. You won't find me asking the fairy tale Queen's question, to my new mirror. And, you won't find me traipsing around Walmart, in my pajamas and slippers!!

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 Dear Lord. We ask you to help us appreciate the many differences in your earthly children. Help us to refrain from being judgemental. Give us the grace to love one another.

"Yakety, Yak, Yakety Yak"

If someone would have told me, a couple of years ago, that I could forget about doing my most hated household chore, I wouldn't have believed them. But, I have done it. For the most part, Nancy had given up pushing and dragging around her vacuum cleaner. I'm done tripping over the cord. I'm finished with trying to neatly roll up the cord, and dragging it back to storage. It's hidden in a closet, somewhere, and I haven't seen it for months.  My new BFF is a Roomba. 

This chick is amazing. I ask her to "start" and she takes off. She does a great job of picking up all types of surface dirt and crumbs, from floor surfaces. (Unlike moi, who due to my dislike for the job, generally did a half-assed job.) Bless her little engine, she will work until her batteries run down and return herself to her re-charging station. No complaining or whining, ever.   

Occasionally, she will alert us that she is in peril....stuck at the top of the basement stairs or tangled in a throw rug. We have to rescue her and get her re-started. Then, she's off, again. She's a hard worker. 

It's possible that before too long, robots will be doing a lot of our chores. Actually, we have a self-driving car, in the garage. And, the guy down the street has a robot lawn mower. I've observed it doing a good job on the edges of his lawn. Unfortunately, I do not know the name of either the neighbor or his robot.

For what other jobs could we use robotic assistance? I'm thinking that I could use some type of Drone powered "duster". It would be useful for dusting the items that are out of my reach. 5 feet 2 inches, on my tippy toes, is about my limit. I could use it to clean top shelves and the top of the fridge. Someone, hurry and invent a Duster Drone. I'll be the first shortie, in line, to buy one.

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 Dear God. It's impossible to list all of Your Gifts and Blessings to us. As Your children, we are ever grateful. 

Round and Orange

 Well, what happened to Summer? It passed so quickly. Now, the grand kids are back in school. We are all talking about the Chiefs, again. And, of course, the handsome faces of Pat and Travis are everywhere.  Trees have lost their brilliant greens and have faded to shades of olive and avocado. On the back deck,  tomato plants and colorful Coleus are looking pretty leggy and sad. The temps aren't reaching triple digits, anymore. It's warm and humid, but it's not stifling. 

Autumn is in the air. Yesterday, I put away the summer seasonal door wreath, and hung up the Fall one. My collection of ceramic, cloth and crocheted pumpkins are out of their storage boxes and on the various living room and dining room tabletops. (I will later add Halloween and Thanksgiving accents, at the appropriate times.) My plan is not to change the basic theme, until December. Smart, huh?

Maybe it's just me, but I feel very reflective in the Autumn Season. Vegetables and grasses grow and bloom in the Spring and Summer. Those things go dormant or die, in the Fall. Dead leaves...raking them! Not a fan.

So, the underlying purpose of my Fall Decoration is to perk up my spirits. I love the colors of Autumn. Nothing like a bright orange Pumpkin, to make you smile and brighten your day.

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Dear Lord. Each of our earthly seasons is a blessing. We are here, taking this journey, to praise You and do Your will. Remind us to count our blessings and live our lives to the fullest.

 

 

And, They Lived Happily Ever After

Several friends of mine are habitual binge-ers. They binge watch popular TV Series, sometimes 3 episodes, in one evening. Apparently, it's their favorite form of entertainment. Now, this may be something that many people or couples do. Frankly, it's not for me. However, I have been known to hone in on one particular actor, and attempt to watch every movie he or she has ever made. Or filmmaker, every movie they have ever made, or author, every book they have ever written.

So, this week, I have been watching as many Jane Austen based movies or adaptation of her novels that are currently available on television. By far, the most frequently read and watched  Jane Austen novel, is Pride and Prejudice, first published in 1813. I would be hard pressed to choose between the 1996 version (Colin Firth as Darcy in "the wet shirt") or the 2005 version with Keira Knightly, as the lovely Elizabeth Bennett, as my favorite. I have not seen the movie "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies", but I just finished watching a Bollywood adaptation "Bride and Prejudice". Lots of jazzy Indian music with wild and festive dancing. Another take on the Austen story were the "Bridget Jones' Diary" movies. Oh, and there is yet another version of P and P  being filmed, this year. What can I tell you? The story is timeless!

Jane wrote just 6 novels. She was only 41, when she died. But, she remains a popular writer and her books translate well into films. "Clueless" is a California Valley Girl version of the Austen novel,  Emma. Like, it's cute, totally.

My personal favorite is her novel, Persuasion, and the movie adaptation from 1995. (I've always been a sucker for men in uniforms.) Unfortunately, there are some duds, on the list. Hallmark Movies has done several Austen rip-offs, for their Christmas Movies series. A waste of time...... unfortunately I have watched many of them, several times.

So, my week has been filled with mini-escapes to Regency England. Everyone needs a little bit of fantasy and a guaranteed happy ending.

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 Dear Lord, just a little bit of living teaches us that life is not a "rose garden". We all have failures and successes. Good days and horrific days. Wins and losses. But, we have one constant, You. You are always with us. "We need Thee, every hour." 

 

 

"Life is a Highway"

 Two adults living in a house. Both of them are planning motor trips....separately.  These are their plans.

Tripper uno:  

• Take car to the repair shop, for a check-up.
• Pack 1 bag, a tote, and a good book.
• Pack a bag of snacks and a small cooler, with drinks and water.
• Get in car and leave. 

 Tripper dos:

• Make sure truck is fueled up and the lights are in working order. Personally repair whatever it needs.

• Pack two-level tent, shower tent (with solar bags for hot water), and shade structure. Poles, stakes and tools for construction.
• Load up the electric tricycle (camp transportation) and solar panels, to generate the electricity for the trike's motor and the electric refrigerator.
• Pack the camp stove and extra fuel to keep it running.
• Pots and pans, including coffee pot and coffee. 
• Plates, silverware and cups. Dish pan and dish soap. Trash bags.
• Food and drink  Lots of energy bars and no-need-to-cook, or easy-to-cook food. 
• Sleeping bag, pillow.
• Clothes for extreme heat (days) and extreme cold (nights). Includes sun hat, gloves and semi-heavy jacket. Underwear and extra shoes. 
• Gifts for new friends.
• Something called a jackery, for powering stuff, which converts the solar power.
• Lawn Chairs. 
• Flashlight and caver headlamp. Sunscreen and Band-aids. 
• Attach trailer to truck with trailer hitch.
• Pack toilet paper, paper towels, kleenex, bath towels, bath soap, wash cloths. 
• Sunscreen and Band-aids. 
• Leave.   

Different strokes..............Both travelers will have a wonderful time.

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Dear Lord, bless all of us travelers, on this path of life. Make our adventures, memorable. Help us to remember that you are always with us...where ever we go.  May we all have safe travels.

Yes, We Have No Tomatoes

My days as a deck gardener are just about to expire. This year, in early May, at the beginning of our Midwest growing season, I planted, in my sweet little deck-garden, seven tomato plants. I was ambitious and thought I would try some cherry/pear shaped minis and a couple of yielders of standard sized tomatoes. 

I was so excited when the plants started to take off and grow. In a few weeks, we installed some lofty cages to keep the towering plants from falling over.  Then, one morning, to my dismay, all of the leaves disappeared from the beautiful green tomato vines. I discovered big, fat, gross tomato worms chomping away on my gorgeous plants! This is a three story high, deck-garden, folks. Where did they come from? Luckily, the plants recovered a bit and by mid July, we were seeing teeny weeny cherry/pear tomatoes, quickly growing into healthy, but small fruit. 

Unfortunately, the regular sized tomato plants haven't yielded anything. We've had plenty of rain and lots of sunshine. I've fertilized and weeded. It's now August, and no fruit, yet. My thumbs are not green.

Then, along with the tomatoes, I planted 2 zucchini plants. I know what you are thinking, already. But, what did I know? They were just cute tiny little plants. WELL, they have remained bug free, of course. They are now huge, trailing out of the garden box and onto the deck. We have a plethora of zucchini. (Have you heard the joke...Don't leave your cars unlocked in Kansas, in August, 'cause your neighbors will gift you with a car full of their extra zucs."????) Two zucchini plants are two, too many!

 Those zucchini have been air-fried, breaded and deep fried, cut up in a salad and dipped raw into queso......etc. They don't taste like much of anything. Frankly, I'm not a fan. It could be worse. At least it isn't okra!!!!! Seriously, if you have a good recipe, send it my way. I'm willing to try to cook a few more.

We all have our own Gifts and Graces, and apparently vegetable gardening is just not one of mine.  Next year, I will only be planting flowers and we'll be buying our vegetables at Costco!

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 Gracious and Bountiful Lord. We thank you for our many blessings. We enjoy your world.