Dandelions

   I love seeing the dandelions in the spring-bright yellows popping up in the grass.

This year I have more than last year, thinking it is because I have been picking them and making a healing oil with them the last few years.'

I dried one batch already and just picked another small batch. I am not picking all of them, just those in groups and  just picking a few and move on. I saw a very large bumble bee in one group.

There is a photo of the oil I made last year here in that post.

My go to site for making things with herbs etc is Jan the Nerdy Farm Wife  Here is her post with several recipes to make with dandelions-most very simple. She includes a salve, oil, lotion, soap bars, and more. Here is a link to lots of ideas on Pinterest using dandelions

   In the past - like 30 years ago or more Larry and I went through a phase of making our own wines. The dandelion wine was always good.

I found a poem by Walt Whitman    

The First Dandelion

Simple and fresh and fair from winter's close emerging,
As if no artifice of fashion, business, politics, had ever been,
Forth from its sunny nook of shelter'd grass—innocent, golden, calm
as the dawn,
The spring's first dandelion shows its trustful face.

Dandelion Infused OIl & Rubber Stamps & Strawberries

   Hi everyone, it has been a month or so that my dried dandelion flowers were soaking in a light olive oil, so I strained it out this morning.

    The color is so lovely. I will use this for my dry skin, and I may also add some to a batch of my melt and pour soap. Haven't made soaps in awhile and I still have soap base left.

    I could also use some of this dandelion oil to make a soothing salve-I have ingredients for that too. (my craft room is full of all things creative-smiles)

   I had bought a case of these little jars and lids for my homemade inks-I need to check on those and see how they are doing-and these jars are the perfect size for my dandelion oil too.

  I did get out early this morning and cut grass with the weed eater for almost 3 hours. Still a lot of tall grass to get cut down but I got the worst of it. That job got to my back this time, so I won't go back out early evening like I thought I would. If we don't get the rain tonight, I will tackle some more early morning.

 I did get more ornamental grass seeds planted in the "greenhouse bottles" yesterday. Need to save up more of the bottles to finish planting. 

  I ordered some new rubber stamps from a seller I have bought from before on Etsy. I have a few of her Little Lady series and wanted a few more for my letters and the envelopes to the seniors for Letters Against Isolation. This month I chose a facility to write to in Hawaii.

  I always look up the facility before I choose to send letters there. This one was special. The history was that a lady purchased several acres on top of a mountain and built her home. Her immediate family could live there after her death but then it was donated to become a nursing and rehab. facility. They have added on over the years but the original home is still part of the facility.

 and another one-this series makes me smile here is the shop I buy from

  I did clean the strawberries and sliced them up with a little sugar so they could make some juice. In the freezer I found a dozen gluten free yellow cup cakes that I had made-so those are perfect with the strawberries and some vanilla ice cream for our treat tonight-yum

   I am off to watch the KC Royals baseball game tonight-they are playing much better than last year. Oh and I have a few hummingbirds at my feeder-finally.. Not too many here at the lake but we always enjoy seeing them. We also had a couple orchard orioles pass through as well.

  Wow May 1st is tomorrow-April went by too fast for me this year..  

   Happy May Day! 

      I remember as a child my sister and I with Mom made paper baskets to hold fresh flowers (from Mom's garden) that we hung on our neighbors front door. Does anyone do this anymore??