The Pink House of Claremore

As summer slowly drifts to fall, you may want to get out in the yard and garden and prepare for next spring. Here are some ideas for your fall gardening schedule that will help you plan for next year’s beauty.

• Begin to water trees and shrubs less to allow hardening off before winter and remove annuals that have seen their better day.
• Mums, pansies, and flowering Kale and cabbage are excellent decorative flowers to begin planting in late Sept/ Oct. for some cool season color when summer’s flowers are gone.
• Dig up and divide perennials that are overgrown and crowded or replace any perennials that didn’t quite make it after our brutal summer.
• Fall is also the perfect time to plant new trees and shrubs—giving them a better chance of getting developed and growing stronger roots.
• As fall arrives, use a good 3-1-2 slow release fertilizer on your lawn and seed or sod any bare spots your lawn has.

Remember also to weed and compost as often as possible and provide a little seed to the birds as they begin their winter migrations. Who knows…some may even stick around your area if they know they have a steady food source.

Just a few suggestions for your fall gardening. May God’s peace rest upon you as you enjoy this wonderful fall season.

Blessings,

Margo

A Poem for Fall…

I love fall poems. I especially like them when there’s a crispness in the air and I can settle in with a good cup of tea in the morning or evening. September’s cool, as we know, can be a hit or miss in Oklahoma, depending on the stubbornness of summer, but at least you know relief is coming soon. One of my favorite memories of our Oklahoma autumn is that of the Monarch butterflies.  Before my husband went to heaven we would often enjoy them as they migrated during this season. It was something that was very special to us and still is to me today. Another thing I love about this cooler weather is it seems it's the perfect time for reading poems with a cup of tea.

Here’s one I found called September. It’s by Helen Hunt Jackson. You may have heard of her. She was a great poet known for her rhythmical sonnets and powerful images. When you read it, think of the breathtaking sights and sounds of autumn and God’s wonderful miracle in us all—the gift of His life and hope.

I pray blessings on your life this wonderful time of year and hope you’ll remember to enjoy the colors this fall.

SEPTEMBER

The golden-rod is yellow;
  The corn is turning brown;
The trees in apple orchards
  With fruit are bending down.

The gentian's bluest fringes
  Are curling in the sun;
In dusty pods the milkweed
  Its hidden silk has spun.

The sedges flaunt their harvest,
  In every meadow nook;
And asters by the brook-side
  Make asters in the brook,

From dewy lanes at morning
  The grapes' sweet odors rise;
At noon the roads all flutter
  With yellow butterflies.

By all these lovely tokens
  September days are here,
With summer's best of weather,
  And autumn's best of cheer.

But none of all this beauty
 Which floods the earth and air
 Is unto me the secret
 Which makes September fair.

‘T is a thing which I remember;
  To name it thrills me yet:
 One day of one September
  I never can forget.

Margo

One sprig of fresh mint in your ice tea and you’ll be hooked for life. That’s how it started for me.  I soon found myself putting it in fruit salad, spring rolls and even luscious chocolate desserts. Mint is the perfect flavor for adding a little zing to everything you can think of.

It’s even been used for centuries for medicinal purposes and its wonderful aromatic qualities.  The more popular varieties today I’ve seen are spearmint, apple, and chocolate (yes, it does taste a little like chocolate mint). Mint is refreshing and most people absolutely love it.

If you’ve never grown mint before, here are some tips you may want to follow:

• Plant it in well drained, non-acidic soil, preferably in shade or in sun for some varieties.
• Keep in containers to keep its spread in check.  Also, separate varieties or they may lose individual flavors.
• Keep it moist. Mint is a thirsty herb, so be sure to keep it well watered.
• Propagate each spring by taking fresh cuttings from the base of the root and putting it in water. Plant in pots when the roots of the plant begin to grow.

Mint is a great herb to grow. It’s a cinch to take care of and a refreshing flavor.

Try it this summer…I’m know you’ll be hooked, too.

Margo

With the summer heat, you know the kiddos will be clamoring for some cool and refreshing summertime snacks. Try these ideas to give them something you know they’ll love.   

Ice Cold Drinks

Try lemonade with a cup of cranberry juice and some fresh fruit like cherries or lime. Orange smoothies are also good with orange juice concentrate, milk, water, sugar, and ice. Just blend and serve.

Cherry Fizzes are also a favorite. All you need is sweet cherry juice and ginger ale. Mix it in a pitcher and enjoy.

Simple Treats

Popsicles are the perfect treat idea for summer. Plus, they’re easy to make. Pour fruit juice in popcicle molds or ice trays. Prop sticks up with plastic wrap for ice trays. Let freeze and you’re done.

Frozen fruits also make great treats. Wash some grapes and pull them off the stem, put in baggy and put in freezer till frozen. Kids love them—plus, they’re healthy.

And, what’s better than watermelon? Use some cookie cutters to make cool looking shapes and watch your kids enjoy. 

Snacks Even Kids Can Make

Make your own trail mix. Mix together cereal like Cheerios or Rice Krispies with gold fish, crackers, raisins or pretzel sticks. Then put in baggies for the kids to take on the go.

Another idea—Smores. Put some graham crackers on tin foil and put chocolate chips and marshmallows on them. Wrap them up and put in warm toaster oven for a few minutes or just out in the sun. The’re done when toppings are melted.  Pretty yummy.

Just a few snack ideas your kids will love. Try them this summer and enjoy.

Margo

It’s funny how certain tastes will bring back memories from the past or certain seasons of our lives. I call these memory foods because they stir up so much of the emotions that we associate with them and lead us back in our minds to a different time and place.

Take the taste of watermelon, for instance.  For most of us, it’s synonymous with summertime fun and the carefree days of childhood. There’s no other food I can think of, that so captures the heart of summer and its refreshing and relaxing vibe.

I can remember as a kid having to go outside to eat it because it was so messy to consume. You probably do too. Remember mom booting you out to the backyard? She had a good sense about the physics involved and the probability of the sticky juice getting everywhere.   

But, that’s the great part about eating watermelon. You don’t hold back. There’s no etiquette. No rules to follow. No care for appearance. No criticisms, except from mom. Nothing...just pleasure. 

You just devour it with gusto and enjoyment, and try not to hit anyone spitting out the seeds.

Icy cold…sweet…refreshing…carefree.

So often, I think our approach to life should be the same way. No holding back. We should just live life with gusto and enjoy the simple pleasures God has given us.

I think we forget how short life really is and that tomorrow quickly comes and goes. There’s no better time than now to enjoy the moment with the people we love and care for.

Remember, life is a gift from God to cherish and enjoy, but it doesn’t last forever.  

Savor the here and now like a sweet, refreshing fruit you remember from childhood.

Enjoy it with gusto…and always remember to spit out the seeds. 

Blessings,

Margo

It’s funny how so many us are stuck in the same daily, boring routine. We eat the same food, do the same activities…and rarely do we ever experiment with something new. No wonder so many of us get so restless and tired of our daily life.

We’re afraid to do anything different because that means we must venture into the unknown. Know anyone like that?

I believe it’s important we get out and try new things…for the sake of change if nothing else. At the worst you can say you don’t like it, but at least you tried it, and then you can move on to something new.

To tell you the truth, that’s one of the reasons I bought the Pink House restaurant and feel so passionate about our purpose. It’s so unique and different…I think it matches my spirit of adventure and trying new things. It’s also a way I can bring the spice of life to others and help them enjoy some of its simple pleasures.

As I live my life, I pray that I don’t get so bogged down in a daily routine that I just trudge through…going through the motions. I want to enjoy the good things God has given me and be able to share them with others. I want to try new food. Go to new places.

I want to keep a certain sense of adventure in my life.

I hope you will also…and remember to stay forever young in your attitude and heart.

Blessings,

Margo

Here they all come…those delightful sights and sounds of spring. If you’re like me, you can’t help but absolutely love this time of year.

Everything’s in bloom, and the incredible fragrance of flowers wafting through the air is heavenly. To me, spring is more than just a season after winter and an opening act for summer. It’s an important symbol of God’s renewing hope and grace for us all.

Believe me, if you’ve ever felt dead and lifeless, especially during the lost days of winter, now’s the time to start enjoying the renewing spirit of the season.

Here are a few of my tips for making the most of this time of year:

• Get out of the house. You’ve got to get out of your air conditioning and go smell some sweet air outside. Believe me, you don’t won’t to become a couch potato who only watches Oprah all day.
• Now, that you’re outside, go for a walk around the neighborhood. Run through your neighbor’s sprinklers. Say hello to a couple of squirrels, I don’t care. This is spring…you’re allowed to act a little crazy.
• Work in your garden. Helping things grow and look beautiful can do great things for your overall mindset. You’ll also avoid being called lazy by your neighbors.
• Do a little spring cleaning. They say it really helps us to relax to avoid the stress that comes with clutter.
• Sit on your patio, drink some ice herbal tea and take in God’s marvelous and wonderful  creation. You’ll be amazed how just resting and taking in nature will rejuvenate your mind and body.

I can’t tell you how these things have helped me. But, above all, take some time and thank God for those in your life that make it worth living. They are the true source of what brings us joy each day of our lives.

Blessings,

Margo