A Late Blooming Christmas Cactus

Schlumbergera is a small genus of cacti with six species found in the coastal mountains of south-eastern Brazil. Plants grow on trees or rocks in habitats which are generally shady with high humidity and can be quite different in appearance from their desert-dwelling cousins. Most species of Schlumbergera have stems which resemble leaf-like pads joined one to the other and flowers which appear from areoles at the joints and tips of the stems. Two species have cylindrical stems more similar to other cacti. In Brazil, the genus is referred to as Flor de Maio (May flower), reflecting the period in which they flower in the Southern Hemisphere.

This genus contains the popular house plants known by a variety of names including Christmas Cactus, Thanksgiving Cactus, Crab Cactus and Holiday Cactus, which are Schlumbergera cultivars, and flower in white, pink, yellow, orange, red or purple.

Here is my three-year-old Christmas Cactus, with beautiful pink and white flowers.

Polly's First Visit to see Dr. B

We had a free certificate for a complete checkup for Polly from PAWS, so we made an appointment yesterday to take her to see our country vet, Dr. Larry Bliven  (Dr. "B" to us!).  She had to sniff out the Snohomish neighborhood before going into the clinic and jumping on the scale to get her weight (you can tell she has done this before!).

For an 8-year-old girl, Polly did great on her checkup.  That was good news for all of us. She enjoyed the ride in the car, and we now have more info on feeding her and taking care of our new girl.

Time To Order Garden Seeds!

So many seeds, so little time!  How can I possibly have the time and money to buy and plant all of the garden seeds I want?  That's always the question.

I have three great catalogs brimming with choices for vegetables and flowers.  It's a great project for the winter months, and these catalogs are where the dreams begin.

I'll choose heirloom vegetables and dahlias and wildflower mixes, and perhaps some black tomatoes which are currently the rage.  How about some pumpkins or ornamental gourds for the Fall?

Stay tuned for my final choices, my planting scheme, and updates to this blog when I plant, compost, water and nurture these flowers and food for the Slow Life here in Maltby.

Glorious Pie

What can brighten up a bleak mid-winter day like a fresh apple pie? While we are finally out of our own Liberty apples, we did have a bowl of organic apples from our local produce delivery service.  The apple peeler and apple corer came out of their boxes, crust was made, and seven cups of sweet apples were mixed into the pie ingredients.

The last 15 minutes of baking the pie fills the house with a sweet-cinnamon aroma, and prepares us for warm pie straight from the oven, served on lovely French dessert dishes from my mother-in-law Grace.

A New Puppy to Love

We visited PAWS in Lynnwood last week to take a look at dogs who needed a 'forever' home.  It's so hard to move on after losing Nala, but we love older dogs and have a wonderful, loving home for them, so we started on our journey for our new dog.

After many online reviews, phone calls, and visits, we ended up Saturday spending time with Polly, an 8-year-old black Labrador Retriever.  She was very cute, and liked to wag her tail, play ball, and run around.  After filling out the adoption paperwork, they said we could take her home the next day, Sunday.

We were so excited on Sunday morning as we got ready to drive back to PAWS and pick her up.  Overnight, they gave her a haircut, a bath, and made her look very pretty.  Don picked her up a UW purple and gold collar, so we have another 'dawg' in the family!

She enjoyed the ride home, and we had fun playing with her in the afternoon.  She slept through the night, and two days later, she is doing great, had a good checkup with Dr. B, our veterinarian in Snohomish, and she has settled in nicely.  So have we!  Here she is.

Mom's 85th Birthday

On February 2, Mom turns 85!  Since we are going to be out of town that weekend, we celebrated last weekend.  Dinner was at Duke's on Green Lake, and all of us showed up for a great dinner, cake and gifts! 

No one does salmon like Duke's, and my salmon was smothered with fresh pesto, with red potatoes and marinated summer squash.  Everyone else had fish and chips and chowder, some great red wine, and appetizers.

Have a great year, Mom!

 

 

 

 

The History of Yellowware

From the 1830s until the 1940s, when Pyrex and plastics took over, Yellowware was ubiquitous in American kitchens. Yellowware is a ceramic fired from the fine yellow clay that lines riverbanks from New York to Ohio. Its color ranges from butter yellow to deep mustard, and it was popular due to its low cost and durability --  it could even withstand the heat of a woodstove.

In the past 15 years, Yellowware has caught on with collectors, and values have soared. To identify a piece as authentic Yellowware, make sure the glaze is clear -- only the clay should be yellow. It is difficult to date Yellowware, or determine its point of origin, because only about 5 percent of this pottery was marked. If you do find a piece with the original potter's marking, expect to pay prices at least 30 percent higher than for a comparable unmarked vessel. There is an easy way to determine whether a piece of Yellowware is English or American. Tap it solidly with your fingertip. If it rings clearly, it's probably English; if you hear a thud, it was most likely made in the United States.

Here is my collection of bowls.  I also have two pie plates.

 

 

Italian Country Linens

When we were in LaConner several weekends ago, there was a new Italian Country shop featuring pottery, table linens, and kitchen supplies.  I had been looking for a table runner for our new country pine table and chairs, and I found exactly what I was looking for in that shop.

The colors of this hand-woven runner tie in the hues of the living and dining rooms. 

The Cabbage Patch Restaurant in Snohomish

Last Summer, I won first prize in the Snohomish Garden Club's raffle, which was two lunches for two people at the Cabbage Patch Restaurant. I decided that this was a good day for a lunch out, as it was beautiful and sunny, and the restaurant is one of our favorite family gathering places for Thanksgiving and Easter dinners.

We hadn't been there in over a year, and the menu had a lot of great things to choose from.  Note:  this restaurant is housed in an old home, and its two floors are filled with antiques and lovely stained glass windows. 

We had fresh scones and raspberry jam first, then chicken pot pies and omelettes, and sat in the Garden Room, which has windows on all sides and a great view of the little town.  It was an enjoyable meal, and we will be back to claim our second free lunch soon. 

Here is our food, and the stained glass window below is in the bar.

 

 

 

 

 

A Visit to LaConner and Skagit County

We headed up to LaConner, a quaint little town 50 miles north of Maltby, where our story began over 20 years ago.  There are wonderful restaurants, Bed and Breakfasts, and great little shops built along the Swinomish Channel. We walked the town in the brisk winter air, visited with shop owners, and searched for a place to have lunch. 

We discovered Nell's, up on the hill above the town.  We sat in a cozy booth in the bar, and perused the very interesting menu.  We settled on a French omelette and a prawn salad with beets and cucumbers.  The crusty Italian bread had vinaigrette and olive oil for dipping. Dessert was a brownie drowned with crème fraiche and vanilla ice cream drizzled with caramel sauce.

It helped to get out of town for a day and try to deal with our grief over the loss of our beloved dog Nala.

 

 

 

 

 

Farewell to Nala

Last week, Nala stopped eating, and I took her to the emergency vet in Kirkland. She had minor ear infections, but also had a very high temperature.  I took her home for a couple of days, but she got more lethargic as the week progressed, so we took her in on Thursday night back to the animal emergency hospital.  They discovered an inoperable tumor and internal bleeding.

Dr. Kissinger made her as comfortable as possible, and Nala made a valiant effort to survive.  We visited her several times a day Friday and Saturday, and she was alert and was able to walk slowly.

Friday night and Saturday morning, we met Dave and Kaila at the hospital to say our goodbyes.  We brought in her favorite blanket and biscuits, and spent several hours reliving her life and playing with her and holding her.  She reached out with her paw and put it on my hand like she often did to let me know she loved me.

Saturday afternoon, we made arrangements to let her go.  We held her while Dr. McGough put her to sleep.  It was very peaceful, and we will miss her terribly.

A Drive to Duvall on a Winter Day

To celebrate the new year, we packed up the dog and headed to Duvall on a cold and sunny wintry day.  Once we got started walking on the trail along the Snoqualmie River, we warmed up considerably.  Nala loved the ride and the walk, and was busy (as usual!) sniffing every smell around her with her 240 million olfactories!

We drove all the way to Carnation, stopping at Remlinger Farms to see where the locals go to get their strawberries and raspberries.  It was a great day, and it felt good to be outside for a change.