Happy Birthday to Me!

I hope that everyone has been checking my Twitter posts to see how I have been doing! Today is day 8. The surgery was a rousing success! The recovery is very painful, but I am moving along faster than most per the doctor. Hubby has proven, time and time again, to be a champion helpmate. I am celebrating each small step of progress as a major victory. My trait of headstrong determination is being put to good use as I mend, LOL!

I appreciate your kind thoughts and prayers SO MUCH! I didn’t set up the last post to accept comments because I knew that I wouldn’t be able to moderate and approved them for publishing for quite a while. I hope that you all understand and the funny cartoon made up for it!

I can’t sit for long periods here at the kitchen’s laptop docking station. Also, my office computer is not going to be used for quite a while because it is not suitable for a handicap situation. So please continue to look on Twitter for little posts about my progress and life here around Grey Havens cottage. (You may either ignore or enjoy my mild political rants. It’s your pick. I am in great need to vent off some steam, LOL.) I will try a blog post now and then. I have not been able to visit anybody’s blog lately, and I hope that all of my blogging buddies are doing great.

Thanks to the support of my loved ones and some medicine to help ease the pain, this birthday will be filled with a lot of joy!

Surgery Day

Today’s the day for my knee replacement surgery! This is an artist’s sketch of one of the steps in the procedure, where they test the new knee out!

I greatly appreciate the best wishes and prayers from all of my friends. I will be a bit scarce here on the blog for several months, since I will be preoccupied with recovery and rehabilitation. Sitting at a desk will be out of the question for quite a while. But I think I can manage to use the laptop now and then to Twitter about my progress. So please look over at my Twitter link to see how I’m doing and what is going on in my life.

For now, toodle-oo!

Happy Father's Day!

Photo Challenge: Get Up Close Using Macro

Time for a new Brenda Photo Challenge! The theme is Get Up Close Using Macro. Our current challenge hostess, Janice of Butterfly Gardener, picked the theme. Thank you, Janice! Since the gardens are in their full glory, I found my subject material right outside my door.

As the season progresses, the oak leaf hydrangea blooms start to take on pink spots, adding to their character. The photo was taken at ISO 400, 1/1600 second, and f/8.

Dozens of bumble bees are gathering nectar on the lavender blooms, and they even keep clinging to their treasures as I cut the stalks for drying! The camera settings were ISO 400, 1/200 second, f/13.

We found some of the prettiest geraniums this year for our flower pots, including this variegated pink variety. The photo was taken at ISO 400, 1/800 second, and f/5.6.

I am participating in another photo challenge today, so please check that post out too (see below)!

Photo Challenge: Black & White

I overextended myself and signed up for two photo challenges today! This one is sponsored by Lynn of Musings from the Texas Hill Country, and the theme is Black & White. Thank you, Lynn, for proposing this challenge!

Remember the cowboy westerns of yesteryear, shown on your black and white TV, and how dramatic the landscape looked? Well, I’m going to bring some of those memories back to you today! I took these photographs on a western trip last September, all using a polarizing filter. The place? Arches National Park! I used the “scenic landscape” black and white conversion in Photoshop Elements 7, with a few minor tweaks to the settings. The color images are also provided for comparison.

This arch is called North Window. I loved how I caught the cloud floating by, framed by the “window”. The camera settings were ISO 200, 1/640 second, f/6.3.

Delicate Arch, seen from a distant vista, is one of the most famous in the park. The photo was taken at ISO 200, 1/800 second, and f/7.1.

Close to the entrance of the park, this grand display of rock outcroppings sets the stage for your visit. The camera settings were ISO 200, 1/320 second, and f/9.

Lavender Giveaway Winner & Thank You

Marty got really sophisticated this morning with the drawing for the lavender sachets, and he used a random number generator. There has been a lot of little baby bunnies running around our cottage gardens lately. So I think he has been preoccupied and neglecting of his blog duties a bit. (If you know what I mean - wink, wink.) Thank you, everyone, for entering!

So, without further ado, the winner is…

Sarah of The years teach much which the days never knew

Congratulations, Sarah! I peeked at your blog this morning and see the lovely results of your bedroom makeover project! Now you’ll have some sweet smelling sachets to tuck into your dresser drawers!

Also, I recently won a prize in the Wing Ding Chicken Fling on The Humble Arts. My gratitude goes out to Joyce of everydaysies for an adorable primitive stitched chicken hang-tag. Thank you, Joyce! If you want to see and purchase her creations, please visit her online booth at The Humble Arts and etsy shop!

Photoshop Elements 7 Information

Thank you for all of your sweet comments about my altered flag picture shown in the June 14th post! With my surgery looming in the very near future and a long recovery period ahead, I will not be preparing a tutorial for this photo editing technique. But I will tell you where there is an Elements tutorial for it already on the internet.

A couple of months ago, I upgraded to Photoshop Elements 7. I learned that Adobe has a free online service that integrates with this version of the software, and I signed up. Instructions on how to sign up and access the web site can be found HERE. Many free tutorials are available through this service, including the one that I used to create the altered flag photo. I have just started to scratch the surface of the tutorial resources here, but I am impressed so far.

Lavender Harvest & A Surprise

The 2009 lavender harvest has begun! I have made a few lavender wands already and plan to do some more. These are great to tuck into clothing drawers or simply to leave out to help freshen a room. I learned how to make these several years ago by studying instructions on the internet. Of course, one of the best sources to check out is Tipnut.

Yesterday, I cut and bundled up fresh lavender for hanging on my wooden drying rack. I am about halfway done with the harvest and plan to finish up this week.

One of the best things to do with lavender is to create fragrant sachets. Again, Tipnut is a great resource if you need ideas and instructions. The picture above shows you some of the sachets that I have been making. Remember the colorful fabric yo-yos I showcased in my May 9th post? Now you know where those yo-yos are being put to work!

Ready for the surprise part? I am having a quick giveaway for these three lavender sachets! To enter, please leave a comment on this post by Wednesday, June 17. (Entries outside the U.S. will be accepted. However, only entries from bloggers with active web sites will be eligible.) Marty, my rabbit side-kick and blog greeter, will be selecting the lucky winner on Thursday morning. Good luck!

Happy Flag Day!

It’s a special day to celebrate the American flag! I hope you enjoy this altered photo that I created. I used Photoshop Elements to superimpose a graphic image of the American flag onto a photograph of textured stones. By distorting the flag layer, it makes it appear that the image is painted onto the stones. Cool, huh?!

The stone blocks are from a photo I took of a covered bridge in Parke County, Indiana. Parke County is considered the Covered Bridge Capital of the World. If you are ever in that area, you’ll need to stop to enjoy the scenic back roads, country charm, and beautiful covered bridges. It is a true slice of Americana!

Photoshop Elements Books

It’s like Christmas in June! Look what the postman brought today in the mail from Amazon:

• “Adobe Photoshop Elements 7 – A Visual Introduction to Digital Photography”, by Philip Andrews
• “The Photoshop Elements 7 Book for Digital Photographers”, by Scott Kelby and Matt Kloskowski

Both books are chock-full of photo examples and step-by-step instructions on photo editing techniques. I decided that it is time to unlock some of the true potential of the Photoshop Elements software that I use. If you are interested, I can give book reviews later!

Lavender, Oh My!

Our lavender bed is gorgeous this year, and it is all a-buzz with bumble bees. You can actually hear the drone from 10 feet away! I am itching to start working on some fresh lavender wands, and I hope to get a few done this weekend if the weather behaves. It has been storming most of this week, including a doozy of a thunderstorm last night.

We are getting the cottage tidy for another house showing this afternoon. A little while ago, we set out our collection of little American flags in the flowerbeds near the road. Did you know that Sunday, June 14th, is Flag Day? Sure is! I have prepared a special altered photo to feature on my blog that day. So be sure to come back and visit again!

Early June Flowers

I have been taking pictures the past couple of days for the next photo challenge (see link on sidebar). The theme is for macro photography, so flowers here at the cottage have been naturally getting my attention. While I was out taking close-ups, I also took a few photos of some daylilies which are now blooming.

Unfortunately, we can’t find the tag for the lovely salmon-rose colored variety shown above, and our wee noggins can’t remember the name. It has lovely formed blooms on tall stalks. There are a dozen or so plants of this cultivar in our front flower bed next to the main walkway.

This daylily type is called Black-Eyed Stella. It is a prolific bloomer and related to the Stella d'Oro (Star of Gold) cultivar that is so common these days in landscaping. We have several plants of this variety in the flowerbed nearest the kitchen side of the house.

Photo Challenge: Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder

Time for a new Brenda Photo Challenge! The theme is Beauty is in the Eye of the Beholder. Our current challenge hostess, Karen of Loved and Engraved, picked the theme. Thank you, Karen! I decided to approach this challenge with some humor and quirkiness. I hope that you enjoy these selections!

Being inventive is a beautiful thing. Without hands or tissues, a cow has to improvise! The camera settings were f/6.3, and 1/160 second.

Only another elephant would think this body is attractive. Pass the lotion, please! The photo was taken at f/5.6, and 1/400 second.

Guinea fowl have beautiful plumage. But these birds must have been at the back of the line when they handed out attractive faces! The camera settings were f/5.6 and 1/80 second.

Remember the picture of the oak leaf hydrangea that I posted on May 31? In the middle of that image is a tiny speck on a bloom. With an extreme magnification of the image, you can see that speck is a flying critter. The photo was taken at f/13 and 1/60 second.

More Hummingbirds Arriving

We have more hummingbirds finally arriving. I took a couple of quick pictures while we enjoyed our customary afternoon respite on the front porch.

Homemade Vanilla Extract - Part 2

It seems that I flung a craving on several folks to make some homemade vanilla extract in late April. If you missed that post, you’ll want to go back and learn how easy it is! We ordered 30 Mexican vanilla beans from Boston Vanilla Bean Company and started some new batches last month. Have you remembered to shake your bottles regularly? Yes, we’ve been shaking ours, and it is almost fully steeped! Yum!

I did some calculations, based on the number of beans that we bought and the vodka we purchased. Making two batches and using the same beans for a second batch, I estimate that our homemade vanilla extract costs about 56 cents per ounce. At the grocery store, I noticed that commercial extracts are selling between $4 and $3.50 per ounce. So a homemade version will provide you considerable cost savings!

While you patiently wait for your vanilla to be ready, I thought I would give you some ideas on how to use vanilla beyond its traditional addition in your baked goods.

• Aromatherapy – Instead of grabbing the can of air freshener, get out your vanilla bottle. Add a couple of drops on top of a cold light bulb, then turn on the light. The warm bulb will soon release the scent throughout the room. Medical facilities such as Sloan-Kettering use vanilla aroma to calm patients undergoing MRI and CAT scans.
  
• Freshen Up the Microwave – Do you have a lingering odor in your microwave from the last time that you cooked something really smelly? Pour a little vanilla in a bowl and microwave it on high for one minute. The offending odor will be gone.
  
• Freshen Up the Refrigerator – The next time you clean the fridge, wipe it down with some vanilla. If you want a lingering vanilla scent, soak a cotton ball with vanilla and leave it in the fridge.
  
• Calm the Stomach – To settle a nervous stomach, add vanilla to mineral water or apple juice. To soothe cranky, teething, or sick children, add a few drops of vanilla to their milk or juice.
  
• Cool the Burn – If you burn your tongue on pizza or other hot food, put a few drops of vanilla on your tongue to ease the pain and soothe the burn. If you get a minor skin burn in the kitchen, dab some vanilla on the burn to immediately cool it.
  
• Take the Stink Out of Paint – If you hate the smell of paint, you can neutralize the smell by adding 1 teaspoon of vanilla to a gallon of paint.
  
• Perfume in a Jiffy – Are you out of your favorite perfume? Put a dab of vanilla on each wrist. The scent is relaxing and you’ll smell delicious! To create a body mist, combine 6 tablespoons of extract, 2 cups of distilled water, and 1-1/3 tablespoons of isopropyl rubbing alcohol. Place mixture in a spray bottle. This spray can also be used as an air freshener and makes a great homemade gift.
  
• Shoo the Bugs – How about a natural alternative to the application of oily pesticides on your skin? Dilute 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract with 1 cup of water, and wipe the mixture on your exposed skin. This will discourage mosquitoes, blackflies, and ticks.
  
• Additional Kitchen Duty – Add a few drops to pineapple, fruit salads, or sauces containing citrus to soften the sharpness and give it some extra sweetening. A dash of vanilla in tomato sauces and chilies also neutralizes the acidity.

June - A Look Ahead

The spring season in Tennessee has passed and summer is in full swing during June. The vegetable gardens are planted and we are waiting for sunshine and rain to do their magic. We finished trimming up the trees and bushes for the season, except for the holly bushes in the back yard. The flower beds are in good shape and will be a rainbow of colors with daylily blooms. I will be cutting lavender soon for the first harvest of the year. The mad dash of spring yard work is over. Now we change gears for a maintenance mode.

We had a boatload of house showings in May, and we thought that there were some great prospective buyers among the lot. For now, Grey Havens cottage remains on the market and we are settled in for the summer.

I did not get far on my goal last month to learn more about my new camera. Despite this laziness, I have been delighted with the quality of the pictures I have taken with it and the new zoom lens so far. The main thing is that I am having fun with photography! Purchasing some books and reading my manual remain on my “to do” list. And yes, I still intend to put together a photo show for Colonial Williamsburg. My oh my, I am such a delinquent!

I had my preoperational testing done last week at the hospital and donated my first pint of blood for the surgery. I will be donating another pint at the end of next week. My total knee replacement operation is scheduled for late June. I am not looking forward to it - just being real here. But I have run out of options and the constant knee pain and leg aching are wearing me down. Prayers are much appreciated. I hope to get some mobility back in my life. I would like to be of more use around the cottage, and we want to venture out on more traveling adventures!

Hubby will be in full charge of the household and head nurse. I expect to be absent here on my blog during most of the recovery period. Physical therapy will dominate my personal schedule for about three months. Sitting at my computer desk for long stretches will also be out of the question. I might be able to use our laptop comfortably while I rest in the recliner. So I may be able do a few short blog posts while I convalesce. My Twitter link (on the sidebar) will be the best place to find out how I am doing. I hope that I’ll make sense in my blog posts and tweets, LOL, because I will be on drugs! Fair warning, hahaha!

So stay tuned for a wild and wooly month of June!