Five on Friday - Butterflies

Good morning! And welcome to this week's 'Five on Friday'! 

I don't have a lot of time this morning, so I'm going to scoot right on into this week's post. The topic I've selected is butterflies! 🦋 

1) Last summer this Gulf Fritillary Butterfly and a few of its friends visited our zinnias. John, nor I, either one had seen this kind of butterfly before, so watching them was a real treat for both of us!

Gulf Fritillary Butterfly on Zinnas

2) I don't know what kind of butterfly this is, but this was the very first photo that I took with the digital camera, so it would have been taken around mid-August of last year. The butterfly was sunning itself on the mint that had flowered in my herb-wheel. That's what the little purple flowers are that you can see fading into the background.

Unknown (To Me) Species on Mint

3) I spotted this Tiger Swallowtail flitting around, sipping nectar from the purple-headed coneflowers (a.k.a. echinacea) in our front yard last year. Pollinators of all kinds visit the coneflowers, as do the brightly-colored goldfinches. 

Tiger Swallowtail on Purple Coneflower

4) I took this photo of a Great Spangled Fritillary Butterfly when my youngest daughter and I were out and about on Wednesday. Great Spangled Fritillaries are large, beautiful butterflies and are native to the tallgrass prairies of southwest Missouri.

Great Spangled Fritillary Butterfly

5) I took this photo of a Monarch sipping nectar from butterfly milkweed a couple of years or so ago out at the state park where I work. This large, beautiful, orange and black butterfly is my favorite butterfly and my heart delights every time I see one. I've only seen two or three so far this year. 

Monarch Butterfly on Butterfly Milkweed

What about you? What kind of butterflies are found are your corner of the globe? And what is your favorite?

Until next time...

~Rebecca

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Home Management Monday - May 25, 2020 - Happy Memorial Day!

Good Morning, Dear Ones! 💗

I trust that your week was good, that you and yours are enjoying a lovely holiday weekend, and that your Monday is off to a great start! Happy Memorial Day! 💓☆💙

Memorial Day Tribute

As I was growing up Memorial Day was always a special day! When I was real little my mom and dad and I would load up early in the morning and make the round of cemeteries to decorate the graves of loved ones that had passed on before us. At that time there were only a few graves to 

decorate, so the rest of the day would be spent with family. 

Usually, we would gather together for a day of fun...a game 

of horseshoes, homemade ice cream, and fun with the 

cousins as we would roll giggling down the grassy bank at

Grandpa and Grandma's house in the country. At the time that bank seemed so huge, but, looking at it as an adult, it was hardly anything.

In later years we continued to do the cemetery rounds, but, due to reasons unknown to me...finances, perhaps, or, maybe, a shift in values...my parents stopped decorating the graves. Oftentimes, after a morning of visiting the cemeteries, we would end up at a place that was historically important, not only to those interested in local Civil War history, but, to us, personally, as a family...the Anderson House in Lexington, Missouri. We had family members that were caretakers there at one time and my grandmother had spent many delightful days there as a child. We would often end up there on family outings and she would share her memories, as well as the secrets of the old house, with me, as together, we would explore its every nook and cranny. You could do that back then, but not now.

The Anderson House
Photo Credit

As time went on and older generations passed away, our Memorial Day traditions changed and, for the most part, fell away. We stopped doing the cemetery rounds altogether and usually just settled for a cook-out at the folks house. When my mother passed away that pretty much stopped, too. 

Today, we usually get together with family at some point over

the weekend and Memorial Day itself becomes a day of much needed rest and relaxation. We spent yesterday at dd's and sil's enjoying a cookout and visiting with family and friends; today will be spent at home, cleaning house, and doing laundry...just like every other Monday.

In there, of course, we remember the many that have fought for (bled and died to give us) the freedoms that we have held so dear in this country and, unfortunately, are giving up and losing at an alarming rate. We pray for those that continue to serve our country today.

My Great-Uncle, Milton (Micky) Fox
World War II

How about you? How do you and yours celebrate Memorial Day? And what memories and symbolisms of it do you hold dear?

Let's get on into this week's post, shall we?

💓☆💙☆💓☆💙☆💓☆💙☆💓☆💙☆💓☆💙

I awoke to...

... an early alarm and thoughts of the day.

What I'm thinking...

... about the week ahead, my long 'to-do' list, and that, with the impending deluge, my husband probably isn't going to get to work in his garden this week. 😞

What I'm thankful for...

... all the freedoms that we have enjoyed as citizens of the United States of America over the past 244 years. Those freedoms didn't come easy and they're slipping away fast. I pray that people will wake up before it's too late, realize what is happening, and do what is necessary to regain what we've already lost.

On the breakfast plate...

... Triple Zero vanilla yogurt and a blueberry Nutrigrain bar with hot tea

The weather...

The View From My Office Window @ 6:30 This Morning

... at the moment the sun is shining, but there is a bank of dark clouds moving in from the south and west. Rain is coming and should be here within the hour. The week ahead looks, quite likely, to be warm and very wet! 😞💧☔

This week's menu plan...

Monday - Hot roast beef sandwiches, mashed potatoes and gravy, with peas and carrots

Tuesday - Oven-roasted chicken breasts, baked sweet potatoes, and green beans

Wednesday - Supper at dd's

Thursday - Turkey burgers, sweet potato fries, and cottage cheese
Friday - Homemade pizza

Saturday - Dh's night to cook

Sunday - Leftovers

Wildflowers on the Prairie
Spider Milkweed and Scurfy Pea

On my 'to do' list...

Monday - Complete this post, clean house, do laundry, wash bedding

Tuesday - Meet dil for breakfast, work in Van Gogh room (a.k.a. "my office") and get it ready for overnight company (make room for the roll-away bed)

Wednesday - Spend time with out-of-town company

Thursday - Catch up around the house

Friday - Work

Saturday - Work

Sunday - Church

Prairie Roses

On my reading pile...

Bible Prayer by Kenneth E. Hagin (Bible Study Course) and Discover Nature 'Close to Home' by Elizabeth P. Lawlor

Discover Nature Close To Home
by Elizabeth P. Lawlor

From the camera...

Some Kind of Vireo, I Think - Not Sure Yet

A Cute Picture of a Dickcissel That I Took This Week

Barn Swallow

Double-decker Dickcissels

Scripture verse...

Well, Friends, that's it for this week! I pray that each and every one of you have a great week ahead! Stay close to the Lord and stay in His Word!

Until next time...

~Rebecca

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Five on Friday - Woodland Wild Flowers

On Wednesday, John and I, along with daughter, Amber, and five of the grands, decided to get away for a day and get out into nature. 

Pomme de Terre Lake
Hickory County, Missouri

We ended up visiting Pomme de Terre Lake and State Park where we enjoyed a picnic lunch and hiked around a bit. 

Grandchildren Audrey, Silas, Isaiah, Esther, and Mercy
@ Pomme de Terre State Park

In case you're wondering, Pomme de Terre is French for "apple of the earth", which, in English translates to "potato." So, technically, I guess we visited Potato Lake and Potato State Park! 😆

(It's funny how different some things sound once they're translated into English...isn't it???) 

A Gray Squirrel

On our foray into the woods that surround Pomme de Terre Lake we discovered a whole host of woodland treasures, which included a lovely array of spring wildflowers, many of which, we had ever seen before. 

Here are a few of the ones that we, either, knew or have been able to identify...

1) BLUE FALSE INDIGO - This is a plant we had never seen before. Its flowers were absolutely stunning and incredibly blue! From what I've read, the foliage of this and similar species have been used as a poor substitute for indigo in dyeing. 

Blue False Indigo

2) We had never seen this variety of WILD BERGAMOT (a.k.a. HORSEMINT) before, either. It's a beautiful plant and the pale lavender flowers are lovely! (They remind me of fireworks!) 🎆

Wild Bergamot (a.k.a. Horsemint)

We have a similar species of WILD BERGAMOT that grows on the prairie called BEEBALM. The bees and butterflies just love it and it should be starting to bloom right now. I will find out on my way to work today! 🐝

Wild Bergamot  (a.k.a. Beebalm)

3) VIOLET WOOD SORREL - This delicate little plant is actually an herb. "Sorrel" is the German word for "sour" and it refers to the taste of the leaves. The leaves have been used throughout history as a preventative for scurvy due to their high content of Vitamin C.

Violet Wood Sorrel

4) VENUS' LOOKING GLASS - This is another plant that, as far as I know, we (or, at least, I) had never seen before. There are five species of this plant found state-wide, though, so I guess it's possible that I've seen it, but just didn't know what I was looking at. 

Venus' Looking Glass

5) And, last, but certainly not least...OX-EYED DAISIES are among my favorite of all wildflowers. As a girl, I used to delight in running through meadows full of them in northern Minnesota while there on summer vacation. Yesterday, I'm sure that I saw more daisies along roadsides and in Pomme de Terre State Park than I have seen in all the days combined from the time I was a girl until now. It was wonderful!!! 🌼

Ox-eyed Daisies

Well, ladies, that's it for this week! Have a great weekend and I'll see you next time!

Until then...

~Rebecca

P.S. - If you enjoyed reading this post, please, leave a comment so I know you were here! Thank you! 💓

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Home Management Monday - May 18, 2020

Good morning, Dear Ladies! 💗 Happy Monday! 💗

How was your week and weekend? Ours was quiet. I accomplished a few things, but not much. I worked Friday and Saturday, church was great Sunday morning, and Sunday evening was spent visiting with family...so, all in all, it was a good week.

I'll admit that I've been a little down though. This is the week that I should be at Missouri State Park's annual Spring Interpretive Training, along with other friends (and a daughter) that works for Missouri State Parks and Historical Sites, but, due to the coronavirus, it isn't happening. I'm not alone in my sadness though. There's plenty of boo-hooing going on from one end of the state to the other, I'm sure. The worst part for me is not getting to see and spend time with my youngest daughter in this special setting. This would have been my 5th year. 😭 

Me and My Youngest Daughter, Amanda,
@ Spring Interpretive Training in 2016

Other than that, I've spent every spare moment this past week playing with my digital camera trying to get things figured out. At this point, I still haven't progressed past the AUTO mode and don't know that I ever will. I will share a few of this week's pics throughout this post. 

Let's get started, shall we?

I awoke to...

... thoughts of the day and thinking about what I'd be doing if I were at camp right now. 

Camp Sherwood @ Cuivre River State Park - 2016 (My First Year)
My Cabin Was The First One on the Left

What I'm thinking...

... Oh, goodness! (deep sigh) I don't know...just a hodge-podge of random thoughts flashing through my mind right now. What I'm doing (getting mentally prepared to get to work on this house as soon as I'm finished with this post...which, by the way, is something that I very much enjoy doing), what I wish I was doing (enjoying my first full day at Spring Interpretive Training 2020), what I need to be doing (cleaning house and doing laundry), and what I need to do to prepare for the week ahead (look over my calendar, do a food inventory, make a shopping list, and look over my 'to do' list).

What I'm thankful for...

... God's beautiful creation, all the interesting plants and animals that are in it, and the freedom that we have to get out and enjoy them.

Spiderwort

On the breakfast plate...

... eggs, toast, and hot tea

The weather...

... at the moment it is cool, cloudy, and 55 degrees, but at least it's dry. It looks like it's going to stay that way for a few days. 🌞

This week's menu plan...

Monday - Potato soup with crackers

Tuesday - Turkey burgers, sweet potato fries, and cottage cheese

Wednesday - Turkey Italian sausage with oven-roasted carrots and frozen peas (or out maybe)

Thursday - Oven-roasted chicken breasts, baked sweet potatoes, and green beans
Friday - Homemade pizza

Saturday - Dh's night to cook

Sunday - Leftovers

A Dew-Dampened Bee Drying Itself on My Petunia

On my 'to do' list...

Monday - Complete this post, clean house, do laundry, bake bread

Tuesday - Run errands

Wednesday - Escape to a far country (much needed)

Thursday - Work around the house

Friday - Work

Saturday - Work

Sunday - Church

A GARTER SNAKE in the back yard.

On my reading pile...

Bible Prayer by Kenneth E. Hagin (Bible Study Course) and Discover Nature 'Close to Home' by Elizabeth P. Lawlor

Discover Nature Close To Home
by Elizabeth P. Lawlor

From the camera...

I just happened to take a picture of this bird on my way to work Saturday morning.
From a distance I thought it was a blackbird. What a surprise it was when I opened
the photos on my computer that evening and discovered this...a bird that I didn't
even know existed before...the BLUE GROSBEAK!

DAME'S ROCKET

A TURKEY VULTURE on top of an electric pole
drying his dew-dampened wings in the morning sun.

WISTERIA

A PRAIRIE CRAYFISH that I discovered scuttling
around in the ditch at the edge of our property.

Scripture verse...

Well, Friends, that's it for this week! I pray that each and every one of you have a great week ahead! Stay close the Lord and stay in His Word!

Until next time...

~Rebecca

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Five on Friday - Trade Beads

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Five on Friday - Trade Beads

Good Morning, Dear Friends!

It's Friday and here I am again...posting my third 'Five on Friday' in a row! Wow! 😄

My topic this week is trade beads (also known as African trade beads and/or Native American trade beads).

Some Reproductions From My Own Collection

It's a little convoluted, I suppose, but the reason I chose trade beads this week is, because, by all rights, this is the week that I (and more than a hundred other people), should be preparing to go to Spring Interpretive Training through work, but, because of the COVID-19 thing, it isn't happening.

Spring Interpretive Training is a much-anticipated, wonderfully-fun time of sharing and learning for our jobs with Missouri State Parks...and, oddly enough, when I think of Spring Interpretive Training, I think of trade beads. 😏

Let me explain...

1) My Introduction To Trade Beads

I was first introduced to trade beads by this fellow right here...

Interpreter Tim Bischoff

His name is Tim Bischoff and, at Spring Training, he does a fantastic first person interpretive presentation as Jean Batptiste LaMontagne, a friend and relative of French-Canadian fur trader, George Drouillard. 

Part of Tim Bischoff's Period Outfit,
Which Includes Authentic Trade Beads

As part of the presentation, Tim dresses the part in period clothing. This includes carrying and wearing trade beads, which he explains and talks about as part of his first-person program. Trade beads were a big part of life in the world that Jean Batptiste LaMontagne and George Drouillard lived in. 

2) My Own Collection of Trade Beads

After seeing Tim's presentation at Spring Training for the first time in 2016, I was hooked! As soon as I got home I started researching trade beads for myself and building my own collection. Most of my beads are reproductions (as in the top photo above...those were ordered from Crazy Crow Trading Post...which is a great resource for stuff like this!), but, thanks to Tim, I have a few beads that are of the real-deal, authentic kind. 

The Most Treasured Beads in My Collection
Authentic Trade Beads

A couple of years ago Tim put me touch with a good deal on E-bay and, then, last year, at Spring Training, he blessed me with a variety of authentic beads from his own collection. Those, of course, have become the most treasured beads in my collection.

3) Discovering Trade Beads @ Work

Our family has been visiting Prairie State Park now for over a quarter-of-a-century, and I have worked as a naturalist and interpreter there for six. It wasn't until after my second year of Spring Training, when walking through the exhibits one day, I noticed this...

Trade Beads On Display At Prairie State Park

...a strand of Native American trade beads in one of the display cases on the wall! They had been there all along and I had probably seen them dozens of times. I just hadn't made the connection yet. Now I knew what I was looking at! 😲 

4) Sharing My Love of Trade Beads With Others

After building my own collection of trade beads (authentic and reproductions), and after studying and learning a bit more about them, I put together a program on them to be presented to children.

Some Of My Beads and Table Set-up

The children not only learned about trade beads, but they were encouraged to make a few beads of their own out of paper. 

Some Of My Beads and Table Set-up

Combining the beads that they made with a variety of pony beads, the children strung their creations making beautiful necklaces. Each child was allowed to select and add a few reproductions from my own collection, as well.

One Of The Children Modeling Their Beautiful Necklace

Hopefully, a seed was planted and some of those children will discover a love of trade beads for themselves.

5) Paper Trade Beads

In the course of learning about trade beads, I discovered that you can buy books that feature pretty strips of paper that can be cut and rolled into paper trade beads. I've got the book, but have yet to cut and roll the beads.

A Book of Paper Beads

On the other hand, I have cut up tons of old magazines, and with the help of others, have rolled thousands of paper beads like these...

Paper Beads Made From Old Magazine Pages

The paper beads that we made, along with a variety of pony beads, and twine, were turned into 'trade bead' kits that were given away to children at our 2018 Prairie Jubilee at Prairie State Park.

'Trade Bead' Kits

The children were invited to select the beads that they wanted and, either take the supplies with them to make a necklace at home...

Trying To Decide Which Colors To Choose

...or, if they preferred, they were welcome to put their necklace together on-site.

Making Her Own Strand of Trade Beads To Enjoy

The activity was received well and appeared to have been a huge success. If things open up and we get to have Jubilee 2020 as planned, our goal is to do it again...so...all you bead-makers out there that helped last time...be on standby because I'm liable to be calling on you! 😆

Well, now you probably know way more about my love of trade bead than you ever even wanted to, but...oh, well! What can I say? 😏

Does anyone else here enjoy trade beads...even a little bit? 

Until next time...

~Rebecca

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