Saturday Meanderings

As you are reading this, I am in Charleston, South Carolina. It’s been decades since I have been here and I would imagine that we are enjoying this historical town. Welcome to Saturday Meanderings, where we discuss all good things that happen this week. It’s been a bit of a whirlwind as I started this week in New Hampshire, mid-week in Phoenix, and now in South Carolina. Thanks for joining me and let’s get started!

Wedding Trip to Jackson, NH

So many weddings are being rescheduled due to the pandemic and my nephew’s was no different. We are so happy to be able to attend this one in beautiful Jackson, New Hampshire. I have never been there before and it is an extra treat to be there during the height of fall leaf peeping.

My sister and her husband held the wedding at their mountain home here. What a spectacular event! With a gorgeous view overlooking Mount Washington, the young couple exchanged vows in a late afternoon ceremony. The flowers are absolutely stunning as is the food, music and ambiance.

Getting together for a joyous occasion with family is well worth the rather difficult flight to get here. And to time it during the height of the fall foliage is magical. Jackson, New Hampshire has many lovely sites to see as well as fine restaurants and outdoor activities. Would definitely love to return.

Youth Quote

In cleaning out my late Aunt Gail’s home, I found many newspaper clippings, articles and quotes about life. Here is one to remind us all that age is just a number. Author unknown.

“Youth is not entirely a time of life. It is a state of mind. It is not wholly a matter of ripe cheeks, red lips, or suppleness. It is a temper of will, a quality of imagination, a vigor of emotion.

Nobody grows old by merely living a number of years. People grow old only by deserting their ideas. You are as young as your self-confidence, as old as your fears, as young as your hope, as old as your despair. In the control place of every beast, there is a recording chamber, so long as it receives messages of beauty, hope, cheer and courage, you are young. When the wires are all down and your heart is covered with snows of pessimism and cynicism then, and only then have you grown old.”

My aunt was nearly 101 years old when she died. She lived alone and independently without any help until the day she passed. The State of Connecticut even renewed her driver’s license. I believe this was her mantra for living a long, healthy and happy life. The goal of my blog is to send messages of beauty, hope, and kindness. If you have a friend or family member who is unhappy, cynical and “old”, please feel free to share this quote with them.

New Book

With lots of air travel hours I am churning through many books. Don’t you love a book that catches you by surprise and has you pondering it long after you turn the last page? Well, Rock, Paper, Scissors did exactly that. I can’t recall the last time and re-read several chapters because the plot twist caught me off guard. Written by Alice Feeney, I highly recommend it. You can find it on Amazon here.

Lemon Verbena

One of the very few plants that survive the hot Phoenix summers is the herb, Lemon Verbena. Even though I did plant it in my garden, I really didn’t know much about it.

What is lemon verbena used for?

Lemon verbena is used for digestive disorders including indigestion, gas, colic, diarrhea, and constipation. It is also used for agitation, joint pain, trouble sleeping (insomnia), asthma, colds, fever, hemorrhoids, varicose veins, skin conditions, and chills. Who knew?

According to WebMD, Lemon verbena contains chemicals that might kill mites and bacteria, as well as chemicals that may reduce swelling (inflammation) and cause sleepiness.

I grow it because I love how it smells. Recently harvesting a large bundle of it, I made some herbal tea (just poured hot water over the bruised leaves). And I am also attempting to make another household cleaner where I am soaking lemon verbena leaves in white vinegar for 4-5 weeks.

Also, I did make lemon verbena simple syrup. If you haven’t made simple syrup is it very S.I.M.P.L.E! Just two cups of sugar, one cup of water and then add whatever herb you like (lavender, basil, thyme, mint) and heat until the sugar dissolves and the herbs steep. This syrup is so tasty added to lemonade or cocktails. We actually added a spoonful of this to the cocktail below as it is a bit too tart for us.

Lemon Verbena Gin and Tonic

This refreshing and light cocktail is made by muddling the limes, lemon verbena and gin together to blend the flavors. Strain and pour in a glass. Fill with tonic. Garnish with lime and a sprig of lemon verbena. Done. You can add lemon verbena simple syrup for more flavor or not. See recipe here.

The rest of the fresh lemon verbena I am drying for future tea use. If it helps with some of the ailments listed above (like insomnia), I will let you know.

A New Garden Dilemma

If you have been following me, you know that recently I have been lovingly growing flowers from seeds in my kitchen. When we returned from New Hampshire, the seedlings are ready to plant in the garden. So I spent all of Tuesday morning this week planting them. Providing structures for the sweet pea seedlings and netting to keep away the birds, I am confident my garden will soon be lush with flowers.

The next day I go out to check on them and guess what? Every single one is chewed down and gone. Seriously?!? Apparently I didn’t secure the area enough and something is getting in and destroying all my good work. When we return I am on a mission to find out what critter(s) is eating his/her way through my garden.

In addition to my complete disappointment on the disappearing sweet pea seedlings, I find this! Back in 2016, my grapevines that create the arched entry into the garden, were infested with the Western Grape Skeletonizer which sounds like a ghoulish Halloween creature. Well, these black and yellow caterpillars are making an appearance again.

Here is what they do to the grape leaves:

As much as I don’t want these invaders, it is rather amazing that they can turn a leaf into lace. And I wonder why I haven’t had them since 2016 and they appear now in 2021….very interesting. Another gardening challenge to overcome.

To read more about these invasive creatures, see my original blog post here.

Fun Halloween Ideas and a Printable

Danielle at Finding Silver Pennies is a terrific artist and blogger. Her post this week is Wicked Good Halloween Ideas. From cookies to costumes ideas, there is also a free printable of her watercolor art, just in time for Halloween. I’ve never met her but I know if we lived next to each other we would become fast friends. See her blog post here.

A Peek into Charleston

We are here in Charleston for nearly 7 days and even though it’s been less than 24 hours, I am loving it! Our accommodations for the first few nights are at Hotel Bella Grace. Our room is stunning and it is in the heart of the historic district of this city. This boutique hotel, is owned by the Marriott corporation and the decor and details are stunning.

The architecture, history, graveyards, and churches are getting captured on my camera. Some of the burial grounds look like something you would see at the Haunted Mansion at Disney. And that moss hanging from the trees!

With 3 centuries of historic landmarks, Charleston is a timeless source of inspiration. If you follow my stories on Instagram @lifeatbellaterra.com, I hope to share more about this beautiful area while we are here.

Need to sign off as we are heading to a wedding! Have a beautiful weekend, my friends and remember, let’s be young together!!