Midsummer Views

It's the middle of July and usually we are experiences hot, dry weather.  This year has been a bit different.  We have had a ton of rain (I think maybe 15 inches?!?!?)  It's so much, I've lost track.  The crops are not doing very well in our area as the ground is just so saturated!  The flowers are loving it, though.  Here are some pictures from the bed in front of the house.  

Russian Sage and Limelight Hydrangeas

Oakleaf Hydrangea and Coneflowers

Limelights and Rudbeckia

More Coneflowers

Oakleaf Hydrangeas

and a late blooming clematis!

Our DAR chapter entered a float in the local youth fair and we won!  The prize money will help pay for a memorial to Revolutionary Soldiers who lived in our county.  We had a lot of fun putting the float together and then riding in the parade.  As a bonus, it didn't rain until AFTER the parade was over!

One of our members created these scrolls with all of our chapter patriots' names!  Doesn't she have lovely handwriting?

I got to take Jack to one of his swimming lessons this week.  He practiced floating on his back, kicking and putting his head under the water.  

His favorite thing was jumping in, though!

Of course, he had a little help!  

I hope you've had a great week!  Let me know what you've been up to.

Zenda

Red White and Blue Quilt

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Hello and Happy Independence Day!  Here in the USA we celebrate our the 4th of July with parades, fireworks, barbecues and flag-flying!  If you remember, one of my pandemic projects was to make a red, white and blue quilt for the foot of our bed.  I hoped to have it finished in time for summer and by golly, I made that goal! 

I had to have it machine quilted as my fingers do not allow me to do that much hand work anymore.  I thought about doing the machine quilting myself but decided to ask a lady who finishes our DAR group's Quilts of Valor. She graciously does them for free so I wanted to give her a little business.  She does nice work but doesn't use pantographs!  (I learned those are a quick and easy tool to make create different quilting designs.)  She just makes up her own designs as she moves the quilting arm.

Since there was so much white on the front, I chose a medium blue for the backing.  I made the binding out of a diagonal stripe and am pleased with the result!  

This quilt is about as large a twin size and works well at the bottom of our summer bedspread.

Adding a blue lumbar pillow finishes the bed.  Simple with a pop of color!

This morning, we went with Jack and his parents to the National Museum of Transportation in St. Louis.  What a fun way to spend the day!  There are cars, planes, boats and TRAINS!  Mr. Jack is all about trains these days and this place has quite a collection.  In fact that's all we visited today, he's not quite 3 yet so we just stayed for the morning. Big Boy was one of his favorites.  It's huge and one that kids can climb aboard and try out!

We are enjoying much nicer weather this weekend so that made our visit even nicer!  Earlier this week, we had a lot of storms and rain.  Our July 4th holidays are usually hot and humid so we felt very blessed to enjoy a mild, rain-free day to visit the museum.  

Whatever your plans are, I hope you have a beautiful and safe weekend!  Thanks for stopping by!

                                                                 Zenda

I'm taking a walk around the gardens this evening.  Won't you join me?

The lettuces have been so delicious!  The leaf lettuce is about done but the bib and romaine are still doing fine.  

The lilies are starting to bloom now!

This balloon flower has started to bloom, too!

Some of the clematis are still sharing their happy faces.

The oak leaf hydrangea and the coneflowers complement each other nicely.

Even the cattails at the pond are pretty this time of year.

The full moon is rising over the raised beds.  

Thank you for joining me on our stroll this evening!                            

Wishing you a lovely evening,

                                                    

                                                Zenda

    

A Bit of Summertime and Some Sad News

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To My Email Subscribers:  Beginning July 1, 2021 the Blogger subscription service will be turned off.  Therefore, you will no longer receive emails when a new post is published Here at "She's Lady of the Manor."  I am suggesting an alternative - Bloglovin'.  If you subscribe to She's Lady of the Manor there, you will receive emails when a new post is published.  You can sign up by clicking on the word Bloglovin' in blue above then click 'Find Blogs' and type "She's Lady of the Manor" in the search bar.  Click on my blog and then click "Follow."  It's that simple!  I hope you will use this alternative and continue to visit me! 

This has been a busy month.  I've spent quite a bit of time in the gardens.  Some of the veggies have started coming in.  The lettuces have been lovely and we've enjoyed some beets.  The peas are finished for the season but I'll be planting some for fall later in the summer.  Our green beans have just started to bear and Little Jack got to eat our first yellow cherry tomato!  J is grilling (pork steaks below) on the back porch!  Oh, summer is in full swing!

Jack and I visited my aunt recently.  She knew he loves tractors and other 'equipment' and bought him a little green tractor.  He was so enthralled with it that he held it all the way home along with his excavator!  Boys and their toys!

Earlier this month, I gave a presentation on some of my family history as part of the local historical society's Cemetery Tour.  They hold this every year or two to raise money and share some of our local history with the public.  There were six different stations with different stories at each gravesite.  This is the second time I've been asked to share.  Apparently, I made the local newspaper this time.

My great grandmother (pictured with her husband in the oval photo) lost her husband and two sons who worked the family farm within 5 years just as the depression hit (1932).  She was a savy business woman and was able to help her 2 daughters-in-law and 7 grandchildren through these trying years.  I'm fortunate to have the family photos and stories my dad (one of the grandchildren) told us.  It was interesting doing the research to verify all of his stories!  I has able to find death certificates, old plat maps and census records.  Writing one's genealogy in a narrative form helps bring ancestors to life.  You can better understand their tragedies and their triumphs.

Our DAR chapter enjoyed a Tea in one of our lovely historic gardens.  What a wonderful way to welcome summer and start meeting together again!  One of our ladies is quite the baker and shared her talents providing lots of delicious snacks!

I end on a sad note.  Our Sallie had an accident this past weekend and we had to have her put down.  Our hearts are very sad as she blessed us with her sweet self for 13 years.  Pepper is lost without her big sister.

This is how I'll remember her with her sweet smile and always being with J.  She loved being in the farm equipment!

Thanks for stopping by and sharing a bit of our world.  I'm wishing each of you a blessed week!  Stay safe and healthy!

Zenda

The Beginning of Summer

This year is so different that last year!  We are starting to emerge from our little 'bubbles' and see and visit with friends and neighbors.  We can see each others' smiles and give a few hugs.  We are even starting to feel more comfortable attending events again!  

Of course, there is always gardening to keep me busy at home, so let's start there.

This basket of calibrachoa (million bells) sits on my rain barrel.

Heuchera, or as my mom called them, corral bells

I have several varieties of clematis blooming now.

The hydrangea in the front is full of bloom.  

I have several of this deep purple salvia in the front berm.  They have really grown in the three years I've had them.  They come back every year.

The wild white yarrow has spread from last year.  I'm thinking of moving some it to create a new bed.  Hope it does as well there!  

I'm experimenting with a new color of yarrow.  I found this pink variety at the garden center.  It should look nice with all of the pinks, purples and white in this bed.

Here are a few photos of my raised beds.  The lettuce , cabbage (dusted with seven dust), and the peas are all doing quite well!  We are enjoying lots of salads and looking forward to cabbage/slaw and fresh peas!

(Please disregard the grass.  LOL!  The cabbages are in my asparagus bed.  The asparagus is new so I don't want to disturb them too much.)

Several members of our DAR chapter attended a Memorial Day service at an old cemetery in St. Louis County, Cold Water Cemetery.  It's surprising there is a wooded and rustic spot in the middle of a metropolitan area.  

This was originally a family cemetery that now serves as the resting place of 29 veterans of nine wars.  Several DAR members are also buried there.

It was a lovely service with a colorful color guard and bagpiper.  The guest speaker shared poignant thoughts about things our veterans and their families deal with as they serve our country.

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Wishing you all a blessed week and a very happy beginning of summer!

Happy Memorial Day!

Zenda