Wildflowers #2

This is part 2 of wildflower photos from my hubby and I's recent trip to the Hill Country of Texas. Texas wildflower's are much more than our beloved blue bonnets. There is the beautiful poppy, paintbrush, black-eyed Susan, Indian blanket, and so many more - the names of which fill many a book.  I know, because I have a couple!  Enjoy the photos, but please remember that they are for your personal enjoyment and not to be copied or shared without my permission as the photographer.

It is a bit unusual to find a field of widely mixed wildflowers, but I was fortunate to find a few!

Wildflowers #1

On our early April retreat to the Texas Hill Country, I took LOTS of photos of God's beautiful gift to this great state.  So as not to overwhelm our computers, I will break the sharing of some of my favs into a few different blogs.  These are all bluebonnets - closeup, further away, covering entire fields, hugging a tree, rock or fence.  No matter where they are found, these wildflowers are glorious! Please remember that these are for your enjoyment and are not to be shared without my permission as the photographer.

A New Appointment

I am married to a Methodist minister. This means that he serves communities and churches in locations where we are appointed by the Bishop and Cabinet. Like many clergy families at this time of year, we find ourselves with mixed feelings as we pack up our parsonage (home provided by the churches served) and make plans to depart our current church families.  We have been blessed to serve 2 wonderful churches in Northeast Texas, about an hour outside of Dallas, for the past 5 years.  Around Easter, we learned that Kelly has been appointed to serve 2 churches much closer to Houston. We are excited to share that beginning in July, Kelly has been appointed to Anahuac United Methodist Church and Wallisville's Middleton Memorial UMC.

Anahuac, as the sign notes, is the Alligator capital of Texas.  We have learned that alligators outnumber people 3-to-1!

 

The church in Wallisville has a long history as a memorial to members of the Middleton family.

 

After we move, we will be less than an hour's drive from the coast at Galveston! We have also learned that we are only minutes from the unofficial oyster capital of Texas. Now, I'm not a fan of any seafood, but my daughter always wants raw oysters for special occasion celebrations.

 This will be our new home come July, the Anahuac parsonage.

Took a Little Drive

 My husband and I enjoyed an afternoon drive recently.  We wanted to see what wildflowers might be blooming in our part of Texas. There aren't alot, but still, were some interesting things to photograph.  A couple old barns which have seen better days for use but still are interesting.  Sitting there in all their glory, they make you wish you could go inside to explore.

 This little paintbrush is making great effort to be the first to shine this season.

We live in Rains County, which is the Eagle Capital of Texas.  Sadly, I have yet to see one of these elusive majestics.  That is until our drive.  This is an eagle, not our national bald eagle, but a Mexican Eagle. 

We are looking forward to being in the heart of Texas Wildflowers after Easter! It seems like our timing might be perfect for me to capture some great shots - so keep your eyes here for a new batch of photos.

Irish Soda Bread

I really enjoyed baking this bread.  It is easy, quick and tasty.  The downside is that it has to be eaten the same day it is baked - or it gets "hard as the Blarney Stone," according to my Julia Child's Baking book.  Basically, this is a giant buttermilk biscuit.  If you decide to make this as a bread to have with tea or at breakfast, consider adding dried fruits and nuts (currents are traditional, but raisins work too).

What you need:
2 Cups Buttermilk
4 Cups Flour
1 1/2 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Baking Soda


Mix and kneed by hand on lightly floured surface. Place dough in a pie plate. Cut an 'x' on top of loaf.  I mist the dough with water and sprinkle a bit of Kosher salt on top, but this is optional.  Bake your bread in a preheated 375° oven on the center rack for approximately 50 minutes.

Shattered Sun

Recently I finished a shawl from a pattern which is so beautiful that I put it on my to-knit list as soon as I saw it.  Additionally, I purchased the recommended yarn, something I don't always do.  The yarn is so awesome - a luxury by anyone's standards.  It's blend of 45% cashmere and 55% silk is so amazingly soft that I may be permanently spoiled for any other fiber. 

The colorway is called Lemon Curd - and is as yummy as the name sounds.  I did add a few more rows to
the bottom section to add to the original size, as suggested by the designer of this Shattered Sun Shawl, Felicia Lo.  The yarn is by her company, Sweet Georgia Yarns.  The finished, post-blocked size of the shawl is 64" x 27" to the ruffle.  I love the wonderfully femine touch it adds!