New Mexico Thistle

Cirsium neomexicanum

  

Handpainted Desk Organizer

I saw this plain vintage desk organizer at a thrift store...it is plastic.

I am thinking maybe from the 1970's

So I thought.........might be pretty with some color.

Finished the colors I wanted but wanted to give it an older look....

So, I dry brushed some white over and rubbed with a cloth.

Anasazi/Mogollon Cibola Corrugated Pitcher Restoration

Stage 1 filling the areas that are missing with a plaster type substance.

Well, SHOOT! found a weak spot while doing the initial carving and sanding, 

will have to patch this and let it dry........

Drying - getting ready to paint!

Finished for the most part........might go back and "dirty it up" a little more.

Can you seen them? The potter's fingerprints pressed into the clay? 

Classic Banana Bread

1/2 C. Soft butter or margarine
1/2 C. honey
2 eggs
1 1/3 C. mashed ripe bananas (3-4 medium)
1 tsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 C. of unsifted all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 C. chopped nuts (optional)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs. Mix mashed bananas, milk & vanilla. Mix flour, salt, and baking soda. Blend in alternating flour and banana mixture. Stir in nuts. Turn into greased 9" by 5" by 3" loaf pan. Bake for 1 hour or until knife inserted into center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes before turning out of pan.

​Yield: 1 loaf

A Mother's Day Poem from 1925

Mothers

by Mary Carolyn Davies

Mothers!

The gray-haired mother, whose successful sons and

happy daughters bring flowers and love -

The young girl-wife, with her first baby in her arms -

The mother of seven, struggling against poverty,

and fear and want, but keeping the six patched and

mended and in school, and the baby clean - 

The mother in the shack on the prairie, in the 

homestead on the range, in the mountains far from

church or neighbors, who becomes church and

neighbors and civilization to her children -

The average mother of the average family, with the 

average amount of bills and worries over Johnny's

measles and Mary's beaus - 

Mothers!

May Providence strengthen them to go on with

high hearts for another year -- when we will again bear

loving gifts of white carnations or, if far from them,

send our grateful telegram.

Mothers! God bless them.

printed in The Delineator, 1925

Wild Texas Cherry Tomatoes

Testing an heirloom variety in the garden that I got from Desert Survivors in Tucson.

Wild Texas Cherry Tomato

Firecracker Penstemon

Blooms from February thru June

Mother's Day

A History of Mother's Day

The Romans celebrated a spring festival dedicated to the mother goddess, Cybele. The festival, called Hilaria, was three days long and started on the ides of March.

Early Christendom celebrated Mothering Sunday on the fourth Sunday in Lent to worship Mary, the Mother of Christ. This holiday became important to children of domestic service, living in the master's household, it was an opportunity to return to their families to see their mothers. It was usually customary to bring gifts. The simnel cake was especially popular as a gift for mom. 

In the United States we owe the honoring of moms Miss Anna M. Jarvis whom arranged to have her church in Grafton, West Virginia, dedicate a Mother's Day service to her mother's memory. Miss Jarvis had lost her mom three years prior, in May of 1905. Her mother loved and grew carnation flowers, everyone in attendance at that Sunday service was given one of these flowers. 

Miss Jarvis waged a campaign to have a day set aside to honor mothers. She wrote letters and talked with influential people. More and more States eventually proclaimed a "Mother's Day", usually the second Sunday in May. At the same time the Carnation became associated with the day, red blooms worn to honor mothers that are still living, white for those that have passed.

On May 9, 1914, President Woodrow Wilson issue the first Mother's Day proclamation. He designated the second Sunday in May as a day set aside to express "our love and reverence for the mothers of our country." Despite the success of Miss Jarvis's efforts, she became disillusioned with the commercialism that started to surround the day and she died bitter and disappointed.

A Mother's Day celebration today gives mom special attention. She will, most likely, receive cards and gifts and perhaps the traditional corsage of carnations. If children do not live at home, they will call or visit. The family may make a special effort to relieve her of her household duties and breakfast may be served to her, perhaps even in bed. The family may treat mom to a  dinner to her favorite restaurant. Many churches hold services honoring motherhood, preserving the spirit of the day as envisioned by Anna Jarvis.