Congratulations to My Little Chickadee

We have a winner!  Congratulations to Ellie Jacobson of My Little Chickadee.  Ellie has won the Vinyl Banner Giveaway that I hosted this month from Large Format Posters.  Hope you love your new banner and lots of luck at your upcoming craft shows.

Librivox Free Audio Book Selections

One if the things I miss with having a new baby is having time to read. Especially while I was pregnant and resting post partum I read a lot of good books.  My new solution to getting my literature fix is Librivox.  All the books are read by volunteers and are in the public domain. I'm currently in chapter 31 of Jane Eyre. I like having it on in the background when I'm nursing or doing housework or working online. You can check it out Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë here:

Here are some others good choices from the books that I read while I was pregnant or recovering.  Some of these I will be "reading" again on Librivox. Three of a kind Anna Karenina, Madame Bovary, and The Awakening are all related to each other in following the life of married woman and their extra marital romances, and well I won't spoil the endings for you. ;).

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy 1877


Madame Bovary by Gustave Flaubert 1857
 

The Awakening by Kate Chopin 1899


First Love by Ivan Turgeniv 1860


Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte 1847


I couldn't find The Songs of Distant Earth 1986 by Arthur C. Clark which I also read and enjoyed after Tessa was born, but I did find Childhood's End, which I think I will check out next on Librivox:


Let me know if you find something good in the Librivox audio archive that you think I should 'read' next.

Arts on Stage at the Peabody Auditorium in Daytona Beach

Look for me next month at the Peabody Auditorium in Daytona Beach during the Arts on Stage event. I will be there with my bath and body products and jewelry as well. Hope to see you there.

Free Seeds With Purchase: New Section in my Etsy Shop

Be sure to check out the new section in my Etsy shop for free seeds with purchase.  Right now I have Seminole pumpkin, Arugala, and Luffa seeds listed.  There will be more to come as I take pictures of plants and gather more seeds.  Hope you find something you like.

 Update as of July 28th: Now also Amaranth and Black eyed peas

Holy Basil Collection

I've been growing Vana Tulsi, also known as Holy Basil, for a number of years now here in Daytona Beach.  It self-sows in the garden and it very well adapted.  I thought I had lost it this year after the hard freezes, but even after the first new basils came up and froze to death, there were more to follow later on that survived.  The new leaves are very tender and have an anise like flavor.  I love to pick them an eat them fresh.  When I have excess I make Holy Basil honey or Tincture with it.  Vana Tulsi is also known as wild Holy Basil, or the species Ocimum gratissimum.

I'm really excited to have the other varies of Holy Basil growing, above is Ocimum sanctum also known as Rama Tulsi.  And below is the purple variety of Ocimum sactum known as Krishna Tulsi.  I haven't really even tasted these new babies yet.  I just want to collect the seed from them so that I will have better adapted plants for the next generation.  These two sets of mother plants do no grow as vigorously as my Vana Tulsi, which is probably around 4th generation at this point if not older. 

Are you growing Holy Basil? What type? Do you have a favorite? I would love to know. Please leave your comments.