Elaine's Blog

High Five for Hydrangeas!  If you were to come and visit me, you would notice several colors of Hydrangeas in my yard.  For some reason I am in love with this plant! The word origin of hydrangea comes from the Greek words for water, hydros and jar, angos because some species are quite water thirs...

Working in the Coal Mines:  Going Down, Down! Before it was a federal holiday, Labor Day was recognized by labor activists and individual states. After municipal ordinances were passed in 1885 and 1886, a movement developed to secure state legislation. New York was the first state to introduce a ...

Color Me Blue on BlueThe color blue is associated with two of Earth’s greatest natural features: the sky and the ocean. But that wasn’t always the case. Some scientists believe that the earliest humans were actually colorblind and could only recognize black, white, red, and only later yellow and ...

Yes, Virginia, We Even Have Fairies in the Great State of Virginia! Greetings Folks, I have been to Fairy Stone State Park a few times over the years, and always wanted to find these fabulous little magical Fairy Stone crosses. Here is my success story in finding these treasures.What are fairy st...

Part 2: On Increasing the Value of Your Home to Sell!Planning to sell your home soon? Not so fast, friend. Set yourself up for financial success by making a few strategic updates before putting up that “for sale” sign. Keyword: strategic. Not all updates lead to a return on your investment (ROI) ...

Part 1…..Increase the Value of your Home to Sell! Home improvement statisticsHomeowners spent an average of $10,341 on home improvements in 2021, a 25 percent increase from 2020, according to a recent report by Angi.Homeowners who completed work did an average of 3.7 projects, with an average cos...

A Quilt By Any Other Name:  Patchwork Quilts A trip to Grandmothers house when I was young I knew what to except in winter.  Grandmother had a coal heater so a night it would be cold.  No fear they would put 4 to 5 quilts on top of you and you could not move all night.  Quilts that my grandmother...

These Boots are Made for Walking:  Mother Goose If you’ve ever visited the Old Granary Burying Ground in Boston, Massachusetts, you may have stumbled upon the tombstone of Mary Goose, a woman believed by some to be the infamous author of countless cherished nursery rhymes: Mother Goose. Visitors ...

Let’s Walk on the Wild Side: Your Escort is Mother Goose!  Yes, let’s walk on the dark or maybe some gray side of literature.  So may I introduce to you the one and only MOTHER GOOSE! You heard me the woman of the hour herself who was brought to you when you were a child! In the tradition of grea...

Summertime and the Living is Easy: Summer Food in the South, is Unique!  I guess as you have guessed it by now I am from Virginia.  I have family all over the state of North Carolina.  So I was raised on Southern and county food.  I would like to share with you a few STRANGE ALL TIME FAVORITES OF...