Today's "Stew" - Good-Bye Cakes

I read the Stew last night, and by the time I was done, my eyes were tearing I was laughing so hard. Jeff Houck did a great piece on memorable Good-Bye cakes - memorable for all the wrong reasons. If you need a laugh, head over there now. OMG.

Eat Your Borscht!

New tees, totes and gifts available with my brand new design - dedicated to borscht fans, of course! ;) Warn others that they'd better eat their borscht, or you'll be forced to step in!



Ukrainian humor and borscht fans alike will love this design! Check it out!

Orange: the color of summer

Tiger lilies really say "summer's here" to me. The neighbours had a gorgeous display of them when I was growing up, and we have a lot growing on the property here now, so these flowers have been around me virtually my entire life.

The colors of these flowers are perfect for the mid-summer's heat too - various bright shades of orange, each one more vibrant than the last. Just beautiful!

New Tees for Ukrainian Food Lovers!

Having trouble getting as much borscht as you want? Think something "official" would help? Well, now you've got it! Get your Official Borscht Taste Tester tee today, and get to the front of the line for seconds and thirds of your favorite Ukrainian dish!

And oh yes, we haven't forgotten all the other great Ukrainian foods you love - we've got tees and totes for Holubtsi Taste Testers, Kielbasa Taste Testers, and Perogy Taste Testers!

Get yours today!

What Dave's Mom Saw This Morning

I'll be keeping my camera at the ready, for when they come around again.

Six, count 'em, SIX baby pheasants!!! She saw them, their mom, and two males walking together, taking a circuitous route around the neighbourhood. Last year we waited, but it didn't seem as if they had managed to have any babies (even though there were several females in the group), so to see that this year they had six is just wonderful! So heartwarming! I can't wait to see them myself, it's really great news.

I'll post pics when I get 'em!

BeanDreams: Summer Sage

The sage that I planted a few years ago has set flowers:


Lovely, aren't they? I understand that sage plants get a little hard and woody after a couple of years, so it's advisable to tear up your old plants and start some fresh. The leaves on these plants still seem to be of good quality, though, so I'll keep mine going for a while. And now I'll have some seeds to replant if I need to!

Caught this busy guy on our princess bush out front - as I've mentioned before, there haven't been as many bees around these parts as is usual, so every bee is extra special.

Urban Farming

The BBC has a really interesting article on an urban farming project in Detroit.

A wonderful program, and something that is sorely needed in today's world. Not only does this provide fresh vegetables for poor inner-city folks who can't afford them otherwise (contributing greatly to their overall health and well-being), but it's great for cities to become more self-sufficient. Growing food to feed their people, instead of having it shipped to them over great distances from far-off places (which often means less-than-fresh produce, and a lot of gas used in its transportation) is really the way to go.

They have a website promoting the program at www.urbanfarming.org. Check it out!

New Farmer's Market at Musquodoboit Harbour!

They've opened up a Farmer's Market in Musquodoboit Harbour, at the Railway Museum (which, as I mentioned before, had one of my ancestors as a Station Master there, back when the trains were still running). Here's a shot of the Museum as we were driving back from Martinique last summer.

The market runs every Sunday, starting July 13th, and running through until October - 8:00 am to 2:00 pm. There'll be food, flowers, produce, crafts and preserves! Sounds like something for everyone!

Contact Dee at 220-9114 or email mhfarmersmarket@gmail.com for more information.

BeanDreams: Warm Weather Helps!

The catnip and the oregano, thanks to the arrival of warm weather and sunshine, have been growing gangbusters!


Okay, well, maybe the catnip is growing a little too much like gangbusters. I had to uproot some of them to give the oregano some room to breathe and grow. :) Fortunately, I won't need too many catnip plants, they really grow quite large.



I took what I uprooted inside for drying, and I've given some to Baby Boy and Molly, who respond the most to the catnip. It's made for a fun morning - they totally freaked out, rolling around, clawing at the couch. Now, they're exhausted and have passed out. :)

The parsley looked like it was going to really explode with the warm weather - but after their initial burst of growth, they've slowed down again.


And the kohlrabi and bachelor's buttons need SERIOUS thinning out. This is getting crazy! :) I've been peeking down in the pot, but I haven't seen any signs of a "bulb" growing yet. I understand you can eat the leaves, so I think I will! :)

Backyard Strawberries

Mmmmm...sweet backyard strawberries. They grow wild all over the place, and if you're not too set on having a grass-only lawn, these teeny tiny wild strawberries are a great plant to share the lawn with! So tasty! They'd make a lovely decoration on the top of a cake, or cupcakes, too.

Hmmm...may have to make some cupcakes later... :)

Check out our great new Homesteading Tees!

Just released a brand new "Ruralish" design, celebrating homesteading with pride! Features a collection of country-grown vegetables with the words "Proud to be a Homesteader".

Homesteading, for those who don't frequent this blog, is a movement really gaining popularity, but based on an old idea. You grow and preserve your own food, make your own cleaning products, and so on - basically it's a simple life movement, getting back to basics, and living in cooperation with the land (living Green). There's even a subset of the movement called Urban Homesteading, in which people in urban settings, while not blessed with the amount of land available in the country, still aim to live their lives with homesteading principals - buying local, preserving their food, not using harsh chemicals, etc. It's a fast-growing movement! So, if you'd like to spread the word about your choice of homesteading lifestyle, this t-shirt design is perfect for you!

Check out my other designs featuring aspects of Ruralish life - simple living, buying local, living green, and more!