Green Thumb Sunday

I posted this plant a couple weeks ago showing colorful foliage. I was asked what it was and I haven't a clue!
I bought it years ago and thought I lost it. Then ever year when I weeded I'd find a little piece.
This year I moved it not expecting much and it grew like crazy! I like the leaves and the blooms. Does anyone know what it is? I can't find it in any of my books.
This is an insect that we saw at Allegheny. I thought it was a dragon fly when it was flying but once it landed I didn't think so.
Any ideas what it might be?
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Scroll down to see more Allegheny State Park pictures. Thanks for stopping by and have a great day!

Serene.

Banana boats!

You just can't go camping without having banana boats! They are every ones favorite.

Never had one? I'll tell you what to do.Peal a piece of the skin back and scoop out some of the banana.
Fill the banana up with semisweet chocolate chips and miniature marshmallows. Put the skin back in place and wrap well in heavy foil.

Put on a bed of coals for 5 to 10 minutes.

Unwrap and remove skin flap.
ENJOY!

There is nothing like it! They can also be made on top of the grill but you'll need to cook them a little longer. My sister-in-law loved them so much she made them in the oven.

Have you ever had a banana boat? I'll bet you'll give it a try, won't you?

Sorry about the glare on the pictures but it was dark out and I was making them by lantern light.

Our little walk

Jerzie and I went for a little walk and ended up at the creek so we just had to take our shoes off and check it out!She loved throwing rocks in the water...

and finding small stones and dirt...
and splashing...
and grabbing things under water...and just relaxing and enjoying the day!!
We both got back to camp a little wet but that's what happens when you go camping!

Family weekend

I had to work for a little while in the morning but I got to Allegheny State Park before noon on Saturday. There were some pretty trees but the colors were not at their peak. We need some cooler weather, which we are getting now. It was a beautiful sunny day and the temp was in the 80's.
We had a cabin that was pretty much by itself which was nice. We were surrounded by woods.
My job was dinner that night. As soon as we talked about camping the kids said we had to have homemade soup on the campfire. We used to have "soup day" when they were kids and it was one of their favorite days of the year!
I made the chicken and beef broth at home and froze it so it wouldn't spill on the trip. Chris had started the camp fire early so the coals would be hot when I got there. The pots were on the fire all afternoon and I added the fresh vegetables during the afternoon.

Chicken noodle Vegetable beef with barley.
Daddy found a great chair for Jerzie. It came apart and repositioned but we used it mostly for a high chair.
If you'd like to see more about out little trip go visit Chris and Laurie.

Columbus Day!

I'm taking a short blogging break. It's Columbus Day weekend so we have our annual family picnic at Allegheny State Park. This year we decided to do something we've talked about for years and never done. We've rented a cabin for the weekend. My daughter and her husband, my son and his wife and, of course, Jerzie will be camping in a rustic cabin with no electricity until Monday. (That's why Jerzie needed hiking boots!) I'm excited about getting away and plan on telling everyone I don't want to hear any cell phones ringing!
The weather is supposed to be warm and sunny and hopefully the leaves will be at their color peak. I'm planning on taking lots of pictures!
Have a great weekend!

Makeover

I painted these 2 pieces several years ago and I decided I was tired of them. The great thing about paint is that it's easy to get rid of. I just got out my sander and in a few minutes I had a clean slate to work with. After painting them ivory, I sanded them again, especially on the edges. I had a picture I liked so I just free handed the vines on with a couple colors of brown.
A few burgundy berries with some shading and highlights and the design was done. I sanded lightly to weather the painting and then antiqued with walnut stain.
Done! I like them better now.
How about you, which design do you like better?

The "Old Girl"

Today is my Grandmothers birthday. She was born in 1900 and passed away in 1994. She lived alone in senior housing until a few weeks before she died. She broke a hip for the second time and was too tired to fight it. This picture is Gram with her mother, Jessie (back left) and her 3 sisters, Florence Ester(1895), Cecelia Mae (1898), Irene Elizabeth (1899) and my grandma, Hazel Henrietta (1900). Don't you just love these old names?
I love both these pictures. They were older in this one and Grandma is on the right. Grandma's father left them when she was young. Her mother opened a store in her home to support her girls.
She later remarried and they had a son. Grandma always considered them fortunate to have a step father who treated them as his own. Here are 4 generations with my brother.
The male 4 generations.
My Mom and her brothers always called my Grandma and Grandpa the "Old Girl" and the "Old Gent". One of her sisters felt they were being disrespectful but that didn't stop them. To them it was a loving term, just like any nickname.
The thing I remember the most about my Grandma was her love of cards. When I was young I remember her canasta club and the card shuffling machine. As a teen I remember her playing tap rummy at the Legion for nickles. We played "spite and malice" (Skipbo) with Grandma up until she went in the hospital and she was still a terrible looser!
Because of my family situations, I spent a lot of time with my Grandparents. I was fortunate to have them for a large share of my life.

Saling!

My neighbor and I went to a couple household sales today. The first house was absolutely full of stuff and people. I have no idea how anyone lived in that tiny house with all their stuff. It's probably a good thing there were so many people. I'm sure I would have found more stuff to buy if it wasn't so crowded.Here are a few of the things I got. The blue thing on the box is a flashbulb. Laurie asked me to pick up old photography stuff whenever I found any. I love the little choir boy candles and the tree ornament.
I got Jerzie the little book on the left last week and she liked it because it is so small. I found her another one today. I paid a quarter for each one.
I'm not sure why I picked up the sachet ball except that it was only a quarter. I already had 2 so now I guess I have a collection!
I usually like the garage and basement best at these sales and these didn't disappoint. I got 4 bundles of green fence that will hopefully keep the critters away from my plants next spring. My favorite for the day is the watering can. I really like everything about it. There is a green patina around the spout that is great. A steal for 8 bucks!

October 1st!

October 1st already! Hard to believe, isn't it?
Jerzie says "HAPPY ANNIVERSARY MOMMY and DADDY!"
Gramma and I went shopping today and she bought me this outfit. I love the colored hearts on my jeans and the cool belt.
Does my but look fat in these?
Do you like what my shirt says?

I also got these new hiking boots. They're okay but I still like my other ones better. I'm going to need these next weekend. Can you guess why?