Francesca Filanc

Author: Francesca Filanc

  • ART IN MADRID AND HOW THIS PAINTER FINDS INSPIRATION

    ART IN MADRID AND HOW THIS PAINTER FINDS INSPIRATION

    BIRTHRIGHT

    Painting as well as other disciplines needs enlightenment and inspiration for the artist to make the opportunity to paint an inspired piece of art. It is paramount for an artist to view paintings in museums. Many artists, some who paint abstract and some who are traditionalists inspire me which can be seen through my art.

    The last few days I was in Spain visiting my daughter and her family, we traveled from their home in the town of Izcue by bus to Pamplona and then by train to Madrid.

    We stayed in a hotel that I would highly recommend. The prices were good. It was clean and lovely located in a residential neighborhood on a tree-lined street. AC Hotel Carlton Madrid Paseo de las Delicas 26 28045 Madrid. The hotel is in walking distance to all the museums and just down the street from the train station. Which by the by has a restaurant and a beautiful garden. The hotel seems to cater to the businessperson as well as the vacationer. There is a sumptuous buffet breakfast with everything from smoked salmon to deserts. After stuffing ourselves on the delicious repast we were ready to walk it off with plenty of museum viewing!

     I was thrilled to learn that we were in time to see the Marc Chagall exhibit at the Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza. Chagall’s art is childlike yet sophisticated. He paints cows, roosters, goats and lovers in the sky. Chagall was a colorist and he painted his feelings.

     I relate to Chagall because I am also a colorist and I paint my feelings.

    We walked to three museums that day including the Prado. We looked at works by Diego Velazquez, larger than life paintings, some looking to be ten stories high. The majority of people were clustered around Las Meninas. Las Meninas is famous in part because Velazquez painted himself in the painting. One painting in particular that I was especially attracted to depicted a magnificent white horse with flowing mane, snorting the air, high-spirited with a regal-looking man on his back. There were many such paintings with a similar theme. Velazquez is a national treasure of Spain. When you go to the Prado you see a multitude of his works.

    My son-in-law Iban and I visited Guernica by Picasso, depicting the massacre in a small Basque town during the time of Franco. They are working on refurbishing the painting at the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía but it was still on display. It was created in response to the bombing of Guernica, Basque Country, by German and Italian warplanes at the behest of the Spanish Nationalist forces, on April 26th, 1937, during the Spanish Civil War.

     On my last night in Madrid we walked to dinner a few blocks away from our hotel. We sat on the street, drank good wine and had a culinary delight of several courses of tapas that my daughter took great delight in ordering for the table. We started with calamari and white asparagus, the dishes kept coming including lamb and ending with traditional deserts.

    Mikaela had fallen asleep in the stroller next to our table and Anushka stayed awake until we returned back to our lovely hotel. I asked for a cab to pick me up in the morning to take me to the airport. Yvette, Iban, Anushka and Mikaela enjoyed the day in Madrid and then walked to the train that took them back to Izcue, and yours truly traveled home to California. What a lovely memory of my last two days in Spain.

    Adios,

    Bye for now,

    Francesca

     

    PUCCI
  • BIRTHDAY LUNCH FOR A FRIEND

    BIRTHDAY LUNCH FOR A FRIEND

    Birthday girl with flowers and Vegetables

    May I take you out to lunch for your birthday?

    Fran, I’d rather just come over and have a good girl talk visit.

    We talk about deep things — things that matter to us, our children, grandchildren, gardening, and spiritual things, about where we have come from, the sad times and the happy ones. How as we get older, we are each more content in our own skin. That is a gift of growing older. Not worrying so much what others think, but appreciating our own gifts, accepting the struggles and being more present in the present moment. After all, it is all any of us have. There is that saying, The past is gone, the future is yet to be and where I am is in the present.

    Author arranging flowers

    A friend related to me the other day about the book The Artist’s Way. I read the book years ago. This friend reminded me about how an artist should take an outing once a week by herself – An Artist’s Date With Herself. Whatever it is that turns her on. Going to an outdoor market, going antiquing, going browsing down a tree-lined street in the city. In this way we open ourselves up to the beauty in life and how we fit ourselves into it. When we age gracefully in a spiritual sense we are coming more into our own of who we really are and what gifts we give and have given to the world. Some of us are just coming into our own as we mature in years.

    As Leanne and I talked I prepared leek vegetable soup, green salad from my garden and locally caught sea bass from the Del Mar Farmer’s Market bathed in lemon juice and cooked in a skillet.

     

     

    Recipes

     Lemon Lime-water with Sprigs of Mint
    Fill two glasses with ice, add fresh slices of lime and lemon, squeeze juice of one slice of lemon and lime over the ice. Rim the glass with lemon and lime, add water. Garnish with sprigs of mint.

    Vegetable Leek Soup
    Slice four large fresh leeks into one-inch sections. Rinse several times in water to remove sand. Using your fingers peel back all layers of sliced leeks to remove any remaining sand. In a heavy cast-iron skillet saute four chopped cloves of garlic in 1 tablespoon Nutiva Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil. Add to this one large chopped onion and leeks. Cook until color is translucent. Transfer to a soup pot. Dissolve 3 tablespoons Rapunzel Vegetable Broth concentrate in hot water. Add about a quart of water or enough to cover vegetables that have just been sautéed along with the vegetable broth.  Dice one to two Roma tomatoes and add to soup. Add pepper and salt to taste along with Garam Masala seasoning, Turmeric, a dash of cinnamon and a dash of nutmeg. (I also added mint, ¼ cup cilantro, chives, oregano and basil fresh from my garden). Simmer for half an hour to forty-five minutes. Spoon into bowls and top with a little grated Parmesan cheese and toasted sunflower seeds.

     

    Salad

    Salad
    Fresh greens from the garden
    Chopped mint, cilantro and basil
    1-2 sliced Roma tomatoes

    Dressing
    in a jar add two whole cloves garlic,
    1/2 cup best organic olive oil,
    to that add 1/3 cup good quality fruit
    vinegar or vinegar with a little jam mixed in for flavor.
    (I used fig and currant vinegar.)
    Salt and Pepper to taste.
    For people not sensitive to garlic, chop up
    two cloves garlic and add to dressing. Shake well.

    Rim the salad bowl with garlic; pour about 1/4 to 2/3 cup salad dressing in bottom of bowl. To this add your greens, tomatoes, top with toasted sunflower seeds, and feta cheese. Toss just before serving.

    Sea Bass

    Sea Bass

    Sauté in coconut oil 1-2 cloves garlic, add to this the sea bass washed in the juice of two lemons. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté with chives from the garden, leeks, one sliced tomato, and lemons. I cooked the fish with some finely chopped lemon on top. Cooking times will vary depending on the thickness of the fish. Sauté one side and about half way through turn it over to finish cooking. Serve on plates with Gloria’s Pico de Gallo and tomatillo salsa artfully spooned over the top of the fish and then sprinkle with fresh cilantro and sunflower seeds. (See my March 8th 2012 blog for the recipes)

    We walked in the garden to collect the vegetables for the salad. We picked flowers for her birthday bouquet. It had rained yesterday morning so as we wandered through the garden and the air smelled fresh and the plants and flowers that we picked had little droplets of water caressing each leaf and petal.

    We sipped lemon lime-water with sprigs of mint and feasted at the beautiful table. The food was delicious.

    Here’s to having deep conversations speaking of the art of living a fulfilling life over delicious food in art filled environments.

     

    Bye for now

    Francesca

  • 75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE AND A COUSIN’S BIRTHDAY

    75TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE AND A COUSIN’S BIRTHDAY

    Golden Gate Bridge ~ 75th Year Anniversary

    This past weekend I was in the San Francisco Bay area. Sunday was the 75th birthday of the Golden Gate Bridge. Check out the picture on the right and this video of the fireworks taken this last Sunday May 29, 2012.

    Last week on PBS Evening News a reporter gave some history on the building of the bridge. There was controversy surrounding the idea of building the bridge. There was even controversy on who were the true engineering architects of the bridge! On Sunday May 29th this was all set straight — after 75 years!

    “One aspect of the 75th birthday celebration that wasn’t in the plans was the rekindling of an old controversy. Who should get the credit for building and designing this spectacular bridge? The first design, from 1922, showed a bulky unattractive bridge, part cantilever, part suspension. It was the work of Chicago bridge builder Joseph Strauss, who had decided his legacy would be a span to rival the Brooklyn and George Washington bridges in New York.

    But Strauss wasn’t a civil engineer. He was a builder of drawbridges, a promoter and organizer. And he organized a decades-long campaign to get the Golden Gate Bridge approved and built by him. Before construction began, Strauss’ clunky design was scrapped, though he remained as chief engineer. In its place was a sleeker structure made possible by University of Illinois engineer Charles Ellis and Leon Moisseiff, who had designed the Manhattan Bridge.” (PBS New Hour Interview)

    Also Ansel Adams had photographed the space where the bridge now stands and was against the building of the bridge. He finally came to peace with the bridge when he photographed it in 1953. Click here to see Ansel Adams’ Before and After photos of the Golden Gate Bridge.

    I will never forget the first time I was with my family driving over the Golden Gate Bridge as a little girl. Imagine a child’s dismay – the bridge was not gold, it was red! The fact that it was red instead of gold disturbed me for many years. Today I am just taken by its majestic beauty.

    Birthday Girl Lorraine and Sister Corrine
    Roses in Lorraine’s Garden

    My father used to rouse the family in a song of California Here I Come. During vacations with my husband, Pete, and our daughters years ago; I led the song, much to the horror of my children! To this day I roll down the windows and belt out the song as I drive over the bridge. I have the opportunity to see the Golden Gate Bridge often and to drive across. The experience always takes my breath away. If I am not driving, I am snapping pictures. Shrouded in clouds, in rain or on the occasional clear day the view is always magnificent!

    The Author, Cousin Jeremy and Lorraine

    This weekend I went to Point Reyes station and Inverness for my cousin’s birthday. Lorraine lives with her family on eight acres surrounded by verdant gardens and nature. Friends and family came with delicious food. A friend raised and roasted a pig for the event. Oysters were abundant, found locally, raw and cooked on the barbecue.

    Google weather fore-casted a cold rainy day but to the delight of the birthday girl and the rest of us there was sun to penetrate warmth on our backs and shoulders.

    Here’s to celebrating life with family and friends!

    Bye for now,

    Francesca

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  • MEMORIAL DAY IS ALMOST HERE. FESTIVALES ESPAÑA STYLE!

    MEMORIAL DAY IS ALMOST HERE. FESTIVALES ESPAÑA STYLE!

    Viva España! I just arrived home from Spain after visiting one of my daughters and her family. My son-in-law is Spanish Basque. They live in a delightful little country town about fifteen minutes outside of Pamplona in the Province of Navarre.

    I “Skype” from California to my family in Spain often, and I have seen the beauty of the countryside from Cyberspace, but being there!!!
    The landscape is Breathtaking!

    The town felt like something out of a fairytale. Izcue is situated on a hillside surrounded by fields of rapeseed, Images of Rapeseed Facts about rapeseedwheat and barley, sprinkled with vibrant red poppies. When the wind blows, in my daughter Yvette’s words

    the fields look like waves on the ocean.

    When I experienced the same sight it took my breath away! Different shades of green  and bright yellow folding over and over as the wind touched the fields highlighted with sunlight.

     

    Every town in Spain has festivales for the birthday of the town and Izcue is no exception. I happened to be there over the town’s birthday. May sixteenth the whole weekend had fun activities planned. Friday night was a potluck dinner at the clubhouse. Everyone brought their traditional dishes to share. Saturday was the big party that went all night long. Everyone was to dress like roaring twenties in the USA, authentic flapper and gangster costumes were abundant.

    On Saturday at 2:00 p.m. there was a catered lunch at the clubhouse. The meal started with bread and mixed drinks such as martini rojo, bread, white asparagus and pate followed by Ensalada Mixta (lettuce, tomatoes, olives, tuna fish, and red cooked peppers). While this salad can vary according to the region and maker, here’s a great example — Ensalada Mixta. Then the main entree was lamb, potatoes and vegetables, then a drink that is so amazing to cleanse the palette; lemon juice, vanilla ice cream or lemon sorbet and champagne. Recipe for Sparkling Wine Lemon Sorbet. Desert was fresh strawberries with bananas followed by the cafe con leche.

    After lunch music could be heard wafting in from outside. We all arose, led by the band, we paraded singing and dancing to the far end of the town. Making our way back, stopping at centuries-old homes we were served refreshments and pastries either in a lovely garden or in the grand home itself. After about four hours this activity was finished and everyone proceeded into a town hall where there was rock and roll music, dancing ‘till dawn.

    For the older generation and myself, we went happily, if not a little tipsily to bed.

    Ah, what a memory! Have a great holiday weekend however you celebrate yours!

     We remember those who have lost their lives to protect our own!

     

     

    Agur* for now,

    Francesca

    *Goodbye in Basque, pronounced a-oor!

  • PROTECTING OUR FEATHERED FRIENDS IN THE GARDEN

    PROTECTING OUR FEATHERED FRIENDS IN THE GARDEN

    Cassin's KingbirdThe other morning while having tea with a friend I heard a thud thud thud.

    Oh no I protested! This friend is somewhat of a birder. Would you be so kind as to look with me and tell me if you are familiar with this adorable sort of bird?

    “Oh that is a Cassin’s Kingbird.”

    I then related to the friend what has been happening. Although no need — she could very well see for herself! These birds start at 5:00 a.m. banging into my bedroom and living room windows. My dogs used to go nuts and wake me up. Now, I imagine Byron and Amie are so accustomed to the noise that they ignore the sound. I can actually hear them right now as I write. When I hear them, I run to open windows and have a chat with the birds:

    Please don’t bang into the windows sweet birds, your house is that way! And I point out the correct direction.

    Interestingly enough they are not afraid of me. But what happens when I am not there to redirect them?

    Luckily, no birds have met their demise yet. Today I am going to go to the local bird store in my town to buy decals for the windows. I hope the decals will help!

    Another interesting fact is that Carrot-wood trees’  berries are delectable to many varieties of birds. The unfortunate news is that the trees are right outside my house and the birds get disoriented and fly into the windows thinking my house is the tree. Carrot-wood trees were thought to be great trees for next to a swimming pool years ago. Wrong! We now know that they drip when they become mature trees, so they are not a good choice to place near swimming pools. When this started happening I thought it was the young birds learning to fly and taking a wrong direction right into my house.

    Any suggestions of what you all have done to protect birds from flying into the windows would be appreciated.

    On a lighter note I have Western Bluebirds in my garden that come to nest every year. The Bluebirds like to nest facing north. There are special blue bird boxes one can buy or make to encourage them to nest. Unfortunately their predators are abundant. I have been very sad many years when the babies were eaten by scrub jays and crows.

    To see more Western Bluebirds, please visit Patrick Clark’s website for beautiful photographs of this lovely creature.

    But somehow, some Bluebirds survive and they come back in subsequent springs to our gardens and fields to nest and feed.

    The Blue Bird of Happiness aptly named, often brings smiles and squeals of delight to onlookers.

    As I finish writing this blog on a beautiful May day, the Cassin’s Kingbird has stopped banging himself against the windows. The Western Bluebirds are hunting for earth worms and seed in the field and I hear the many varieties of songbirds in the garden singing their delightful songs spreading music through the air. The Dalai Lama had good things to say about nature. Check out my blog post May 2, 2012 to see the transcript of his speech.

    I often think how lucky we are to live in a world where birds sing.

     

    Bye for now,

    Rippin’ Lips

    Francesca

  • A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE

    A WALK DOWN MEMORY LANE

    Last weekend I was invited to a friend’s 65th wedding anniversary party. It was also the friend’s 90th birthday. This particular friend looks 20 years younger and acts it also! I overheard her say the other day to her 27-year-old granddaughter, I love your tattoos. They are so beautiful. If I were a young woman today I would have many of my own! My grandmother Frances used to say, “Age is a condition, youth is a state of mind.” Frances was also of the young club! All my friends loved being in my grandmother Mimi’s presence.

     

    Honey, there’s nothing new under the sun. Your generation does not shock me. We were doing all these things back in the roaring 20’s.

    After the party I drove my car to the end of the road and lo and behold it was where we all used to go to watch the fire works when we were in high school. A flood of memories rushed into my head. Young love, giddy flirting, bodies close together, dances, trips to the mountains with my friends. Fun memories. I took another road and there I was at Feather Acres Farm and Nursery. My mother use to buy plants from the man and woman who owned it when I was a little girl.

    The lady who has owned it for many years teaches riding and gives pony rides to youngsters on the weekends. What a beautiful piece of land overlooking the Del Mar Racetrack and the ocean beyond — a little piece of heaven, I thought.  I will bring my grand-kids for pony rides and riding lessons.

    I walked into the tidy greenhouse and bought a hydrangea and some lovely cut flowers. I also bought a couple of new ornamental bunnies for the garden.

    It’s been a great day down memory lane. :)

     

    Bye for now,

    Rippin’ Lips

    Francesca

  • THE DALAI LAMA VISITS SAN DIEGO

    THE DALAI LAMA VISITS SAN DIEGO

    I happened to be one of the fortunate people who heard the Dalai Lama speak in San Diego a couple of weeks ago. He spoke at UCSD, USD and SDSU.

    My brother-in-law, sister and mother and I went to see him at SDSU Dalai Lama Transcript of Speech. It was amazing to watch the throngs of people quietly moving along in an endless line outside the amphitheater. I felt like I was at a rock concert or sporting event except that there were people of all ages — mothers clutching newborn babies along with the elderly. Perhaps we all felt that to be in the same space as the living Avatar of our time, might give us blessings, hope or peace. Or maybe it was just curiosity and openness to see what might occur out of the experience.

    Peter Rowe, journalist for the San Diego Union, wrote a great article. A shout out to Pete, a childhood friend of mine. Seeking Traces of the Dalai Lama.

    We were first entertained by Viejas Casino Native American dancers in all their regalia. There were even little children dancing. The Native American dancing was spectacular and put one in the mood for what was to come.

    When the Dalai Lama emerged I was moved to tears and I venture to say that others might have been also. You could have heard a pin drop.

    Despite the fact that I felt like a little ant at the top of the amphitheater 12,000 people that day! It was amazing and such a spiritual experience to be in his presence.

    The Dalai Lama spoke for an hour and a half. His advice was simple. In a nut shell the Dalai Lama spoke of the importance of raising children with affection and love. That in turn gives one inner strength and confidence to carry on into adulthood with productive happy lives. People who have been raised with affection and love have open hearts and sound intelligent minds. If a person was raised with abuse or in a loveless environment, a person still has the ability to open his heart to let love in and have a sound, intelligent mind.

    Everyone has a special gift, one special gift to share with the world. The Dalai Lama pointed out that he is a Buddhist but that it is also important to be tolerant and accepting of other cultures and ways that people worship God. He also spoke that it is not even necessary to believe in God or a higher being as long as one is living a life of honesty, confidence from the heart, love and intelligent mind to help further the human race. The Dalai Lama loves scientists and talked about the gifts they give our world.

    Two questions and his holiness’ answers from students posed at the conclusion of his talk were as follows:

     As a culture with all the wars and horrors of our world are we improving as a human race?

    Yes we are improving as a human race and the scientists are doing their part.

    And then he referred back to the importance of human beings having open hearts filled with love to give and receive and sound intelligent minds.

     What do you believe to be most important to achieve in life?

    Happiness is most important — having a peaceful mind and heart leads to happiness.

    In conclusion the Dalai Lama spoke of the importance to live life honestly.

     Determination is important. Honesty is a social step. We should live our daily lives with no cheating and live honest truthful lives. To live in a more compassionate world, through knowledge comes advancement.

     You have the opportunity to make a new world. May you have a happy life, happy families, better world and make a contribution.

     

    Bye for now,

    Rippin’ Lips

    Francesca

  • BREAKFAST AT 7…4…7

    BREAKFAST AT 7…4…7

    Last weekend I had an impromptu party for some cousins who were visiting from England.

    Easy steps to entertain a crowd for breakfast.

    Please check out blog post March 21st, 2012. Being that I keep a clean table cloth with centerpiece ready for any occasion I just popped the pretty Trader Joes plants that I have had since St Paddy’s day in my kitchen window where they get plenty of light, back on the dining table. :)

    I invited everyone a couple of days before the event.

     

    Menu
    Ramos fizz
    Black beans with Quinoa scramble eggs with Gloria’s Pico de Gallo and Tomatillo Salsa
    (See blog post March 8, 2012)
    Bacon & locally made Irish pork sausage
    (I bought sausage from my local farmer’s market in Del Mar California
    open Sat. 1:30-4:00 pm)
    Bought: cinnamon coffee cake
    Toast made from English muffins and whole grain bread.

    Locally smoked salmon from a local market.

    Strong organic coffee from Jimbos

    I heard from a local cousin that our mutual English cousins were visiting on their way to Costa Rica for a big jungle adventure. I asked my cousin if they would all like to come for an early breakfast. Early breakfast was a necessity because I had plans later in the day.
    It worked great for them because they were going to our world famous San Diego Zoo after coming to my house.

    I made out my menu the day before the event, and went to the market for the few items I needed to buy. As you know from some of my previous blogs I make black beans with quinoa, salsa and Pico de Gallo recipes every week. Easy delectable meal for company was prepared. It’s what I eat for breakfast every day.

    I cooked the bacon crisp the night before and just popped it in the oven in the morning to rewarm from the refrig. I also prepared coffee in coffee maker ready to turn on first thing when I woke up the next morning. I set the table the day before the event. The sausages were already cooked. All one had to do is fry them in the pan, add a little coconut oil if need be and turn them until brown. I served the slab of locally smoked salmon cold. I cut the store bought cinnamon coffee cake and put it on a decorative plate.

    As soon as I knew the party was going to happen a fun idea popped into my head. I got excited about the idea of serving the first alcoholic beverage I ever had in a restaurant. I was 19 years old and we were out to brunch in La Jolla, California and my father ordered me one. Lucky for me, I was not carded. I felt so grown up drinking the Ramos Fizz!

    I made the drink on Friday night to test it out. I felt that it was not as delicious as I remembered it. Perhaps the thrill of the memory was more delicious than the actual drink? This is the recipe a la Francie. My concoction is less work for a crowd and you have lime aid on hand for the non-drinkers. For the traditional recipe, see Ramos Fizz History.

     

    Recipe for Ramos Fizz a la Francie
    Combine water with frozen lime aid in blender with ice
    Blend until slushy
    to this add 2 ounces dry gin (or more!)
    Add 1-ounce half and half
    Blend well in blender before serving

    Henry C. Ramos created the Ramos Fizz in 1888, in his bar in New Orleans; it was originally called a “New Orleans Fizz.” Back before prohibition this drink was very popular, and because labor rates were so cheap, the Ramos brothers would hire a couple dozen “shaker boys” to whip up these drinks during fair time. The drink was so popular that it was still difficult for them to keep up with the orders. Over time a fast drink replaced the idea of a quality drink and the Ramos Gin Fizz slowly faded away.

    The breakfast was so delicious and fun! It was a cold rainy night and early morning. I had a fire in the fireplace going when people arrived. After breakfast the rain stopped and we went out to see the children’s garden and vegetable garden. The weather that day frankly reminded me of Ireland or England more than Southern California.

    If you try this some weekend you might find that you enjoy entertaining in the daytime as the Europeans do. There is more time to visit and really enjoy one another or play a game in the garden.

    Have fun Entertaining ;)

    Cheers and tally Ho

    Bye for Now

    Francesca

  • RACCOONS? WHAT WILD ANIMAL IS UNSCREWING THE DOG FOOD CONTAINER?

    RACCOONS? WHAT WILD ANIMAL IS UNSCREWING THE DOG FOOD CONTAINER?

    Ok, I have just spent forty minutes on Google trying to figure out what animal is unscrewing a large container of dog food in the middle of the night, pushing it over and eating the very expensive dog food that I buy from my vet.

    My initial thought has been raccoons. They have hands and feet like humans.

    But I did not find any answers on unscrewing a container.

    What are your thoughts? I do have a story to share.

     Years ago, on a hot summer night a friend of mine was awakened by the sounds of her neighbors frolicking in the pool. At the time when she looked out her bedroom window she could see into their pool area. Not wanting to be a peeping Tomasita or nosy parker and disturb her friends and neighbors in their private time she just lay there trying to go back to sleep. But it was very noisy indeed so she ended up awake for the longest time hearing them in the pool then getting out and jumping or diving back into the pool! They were being very active! After an exceedingly long time of this activity and not being able to sleep a wink she decided to take a quick peek.

     Lo and behold it was not her neighbors at all but a family of large raccoons!

     Six of them were frolicking in the pool then climbing out and walking down the diving board and jumping back into the pool with tremendous glee and delight!

    My friend could not stop laughing! I don’t know if it went on all night or not but she had quite a story to tell her neighbors who were, as it turned out, out of town.

    Maybe they are so intelligent that they watched the people swimming and decided one night to frolic in the pool themselves?

     

    “Rocky Raccoon” by The Beatles:

    Although raccoons may look cute, harmless and like innocent little “Bandits”, they can be dangerous and vicious. I met a man one time in another state that thought it “cute” to feed raccoons. I remember seeing a dozen or more raccoons eating dog food outside of his house at night. They were hissing and climbing on each other’s backs to get to the dog food. The people had a special light to watch the raccoons from the safety of their living room. Check out this health care article from the Washington University to learn more about how raccoons are dangerous animals.

    So what do you all think? Are raccoons getting into the dog food?

    Bye for Now

    Rippin’ Lips

    Francesca

  • CREATE YOUR OWN WALL SUCCULENT HANGING PLANTER

    CREATE YOUR OWN WALL SUCCULENT HANGING PLANTER

    Hanging Planter
    My Wall Succulent Hanging Planter

    Here’s a project that is lots of fun. Making your own wall succulent planters will also save you money :)

    A friend’s husband made the boxes for our garden club, but directions for making a simple frame are available here:  Sunset Magazine Article.

    How to make your own succulent frame:

    1. For a 1-foot-square frame, cut four 12-inch lengths of 2×2 lumber. Nail the corners together for a frame 2 inches deep.

    2. Staple or nail a 1-foot square of plywood onto the open back of the frame. Exterior plywood or 1×12-inch redwood works well. You can also channel out a section of the back in order to hang on a wall three months later.

    3. Screw ½-inch hardware wire mesh to one side of the open frame. If desired, add trim on top of the mesh to hide it. (If you’re a skilled woodworker, you can also cut a channel into the wood and slide the mesh into the channel, hiding the mesh’s cut edges.)

    A friend and I were formatting this project for a group of 30 garden club women.

    Soak sphagnum moss overnight in a bucket. Wring out well and generously line the bottom and sides of your frame. Now fill the planter with a 50/50 mix of potting soil and cactus mix.  Make a sphagnum moss sandwich by covering the top with another generous layer of the moss.  Screw the wire mesh down on remaining two sides.

    Co-Garden Club program chair and I had previously bought succulents for all to use. We also suggested people bring succulents from their own gardens to share.

    The best succulents to use for this project are slow growing ones. Visit your local nursery for plant material if you don’t already have succulents from your own garden from which to take cuttings. Here are a few suggestions: Aeoniums, Echeverias, Crassula perforate, Senicio rowleyanus, Sedum spathulifolum. Use your imagination!

    Check out Debra Lee Baldwin, best selling author, Designing with Succulents and Succulent Container Gardens.

    The day of the event was so much fun and everyone’s box turned out differently. Since the beginning of human time women have loved working and creating together. It takes us back to our roots.

    If you intend to hang your succulent planter on a garden wall, wait three months for
    succulents to root.

    In my case, I have enjoyed my succulent boxes as center pieces on outdoor tables that are mainly in shade. I have one that I made a year and a half ago that is a little leggy but still beautiful. With a little housekeeping or should I say gardenkeeping, cutting succulents back, letting them harden off for a week and then replanting; Voila my year and a half leggy planter will look fresh and new.  :)

    Try to use slow growing succulents or ones that do not get too large. I put in what I felt was beautiful. Succulents are so forgiving that it is easy to change things around. Filling boxes tightly with succulents will give you an immediate show stopper look.  :)

    Have fun!

    Bye for now

    Rippin’ Lips

    Francesca