Strawberries, Luscious Strawberries May 2000
It’s been a year since we last picked berries and just the thought of it gave me a burst of energy as I cleaned out the coneflower bed. What a mess can grow in a short time. I look forward to the time when these beauties will be in bloom alongside the road and I…
Read MoreKraut Making May 2000
“Making kraut it’s too early,” was the astonished response I received on telling a friend what I was doing. It does seem early; however, John put the cabbage plants out in February and they grew without problems. I don’t know anybody who makes kraut nowadays, so I had to put together what John and I…
Read MoreThe Rewards of Butterfly Gardening August 2005
Lepidoptera means scaled winged and describes the butterfly with its most obvious features – wings covered with flattened scales. Few people think of butterflies as pollinators, but just like bees butterflies pollinate plants too. One report states that the number of honey bees in the United States has decreased by 25% in the past decade…
Read MoreGardening Pros and Cons June 2009
Before John and I returned to the country to live, we had a clear understanding about a few things such as row crops and large gardens. And at this writing I’m reminded of that understanding. I recently received a litter from a quilting friend who has moved to the lovely north Georgia Mountains and among…
Read MoreSchool Days of Yore
Where did the summer go? Perhaps lots of parents are wondering the same thing with the beginning of school in mid August. In fact school started for our daughter in Newton County, Georgia in July. Her students came to school on July 28. I can’t believe this. Just imagine how much money it takes…
Read MoreAbout Winters Past
Icicles hanging from the tin roof on this house were a very common sight in the 1930’s and ‘40’s; and another winter sight I don’t see much anymore is where the ground is frozen and it’s “spewed” up. I use to marvel at how that frozen ground was frozen (“spewed up”) and made what looked…
Read MoreOld Tools and Old Terms February 2008
It’s interesting how the subject for this article came to mind. Last week we visited dear friends who live some distance from the Windy Knoll and the conversation of old tools came up. I knew immediately that would be my subject for this week. In the conversation John mentioned how he used to “frail” stove…
Read MoreReminiscing with a Friend March 2000
It was during a Sunday afternoon nap when, what John calls our “doorbell” started ringing – actually it’s the barking of the dogs – telling us that company had arrived. A longtime friend was out making pop calls on this beautiful March Sunday afternoon and stopped by the Windy Knoll. First our conversation covered the…
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