The Company Came

 Yesterday was busy with Joe's family here for a sort of reunion. We hadn't seen these folks for quite a while. I think the last time we were together was in 2007. I won't name everyone but will show some of the pictures that I took.The above is one of all of the kids. They were full of energy all during the visit. It was hard to get them to all sit still for this picture. All different personalities and interests. They are cousins who got along quite nicely.....all looking for something to do next.

 I call these kids the middles. I disturbed their conversations for this picture.

 The above is a picture of all the adults. The oldsters and the middles.Our sofa has been the spot for many pictures like this one. It's big enough for a big group like this.

 While the rest of the family were in deep discussion...The kids grandma and I took them outside for some games. A rough and tumble group. Still full of energy. They had been cooped up in the car and needed to get rid of some energy.

 A couple of games of I Spy With My Little Eye and then the favorite...Simon Says. These kids love to play outside. No hand held games for them. Whew....
The picture below is of Joe and I at the Grotto.

 I didn't get a picture of the food, but it went well. Fried chicken, potato salad, pasta salad, tomato salad, relishes.....and olives for these Italians. I had some vanilla cookies frosted for the 4th and with the leftover frosting...I made frosted graham crackers...a big hit. Then a whole watermelon....we have just a little left for today.
The last thing was a visit to the Grotto. They had never seen it and the kids loved searching for their Grandpa's name, and other family members on the pavers

 Stories were told about people who were named on the bricks. Joe gave them a bit of history on how it all came about. Tommy touching his Dad's name with his mom looking on..

 The Grotto looked beautiful with the flowers blooming.

 The day was winding down and it was time to leave, but first a picture of Carissa touching Jesus.

It was a nice get together. We were so tired when it was all over. I didn't watch any TV, but went to bed to just rest. The night was a busy one with our weather radio waking me with a tornado watch for Ogle county. I just shut my eyes and went back to sleep and didn't get up until 8:30am.
Balisha

Special Day part II

 A few more pictures from my day out yesterday. I took these pictures of the outside of the glass house. The bench above was situated among the flowers. Very little shade here...there is a walking/bike riding path just behind. The white pergola was beautiful, but by the time we reached it...there were no benches to sit on.They are scattered all around, but one here under the shade would have been nice.The bronze sculpture of a little girl reading a book with her doggie by her side was so cute. She wouldn't share her bench, however.

 The Eclipse Lagoon was so beautiful. A fountain in the middle and a swan and some ducks swimming....cooled us off. The pathways are made of flat flagstone. Very few railings outside.....so I had to watch my footing going up and down quite often. John can do two steps at a time....those days are gone forever for me.

 This is taken from inside looking out. The lagoon goes on forever. I forgot to say that they have a floating dock where you can come to the garden by boat. Rockford has some sightseeing boats in the Rock River....that would be a fun thing to do sometime.

You know, this morning I feel like I just got back from a vacation? So anxious to share the pictures and write it all down for my memories. It's amazing how many attractions we have right here in N. Illinois. Some say that our state is just average.....but I say we have beauty right here in our own backyard. As we drove through Rockford yesterday, we saw volunteers planting along the busy roads. Gardens were being planted in the heart of the old part of town. New businesses were popping up. Little boutiques and shops were everywhere. When we were deciding where to eat...I had a gift card from Red Lobster in my purse. John said, "Why don't we go to a smaller restaurant...and support the local community?" A good idea I thought. As I age, I sometimes forget the little business person. I was once a crafter who sold my things in little shops and at craft shows. I appreciated people who bought from people like me and didn't spend their money in big shops. It's something that I'll keep in mind as I shop now.
Balisha

A Special Day

 I had a lovely day with my son at the Nicholas Conservatory and Gardens. I had never been there before, but always wanted to see it. They opened a couple of years ago after redoing the whole garden area. The glass house is amazing. It was kind of a warm day, but we went early enough that it was warm... but not hot inside yet. 

 They were having a show on recyclables....with art sculptures placed ever so often in amongst the plants. I'll show pictures of some of them at a later time. I think that Lorraine (Flower Lady) from Florida would have loved these sculptures.

 Here's John... stopping for a rest. He started out by saying that he has been keeping track of how many steps he takes in a day...and his goal is several thousand. I told him that his count would be way down today....I move at a snail's pace compared to him.

 The palms were so tall and beautiful. I remember when they were bringing in the palms from Florida...pictures in the newspaper didn't do them justice. They reach to the top of the glass house....and look so healthy and beautiful.

 Here I am...stopping by a stream with Koi swimming through. I have a picture of the Koi for another day. A sign says do not feed, but I think that people slip them a treat or two, for they followed us to the end of the water.

 I forget what this fruit is hanging from the tree. Isn't it huge? We saw papaya trees too...full of fruit. Everything was so lush and tropical looking. I felt like I was in the tropics...on a vacation. There were ferns, bromiliads, palms, crotons, and orchids galore....all planted with the hand of an artist.

Here is a picture of the glass house from out by the lagoon.  The outdoor gardens were breezier and we walked along the lagoon watching the ducks and swan swimming in the water. Flowers and plants were so well taken care of. No weeds... 

We left when I got tired, and drove downtown Rockford and did a little shopping in the old part of the town. Lots of activity going on...planting on the roadway, setting up for a fest this evening, little shops...we went in one with casual clothes, shoes, soaps, incense etc. John did the best thing that he could have....he didn't think about himself and showed his mom a wonderful day...ending with lunch at a restaurant called Octane. This upscale restaurant is in the heart of it all. New cuisine and a very busy lunch hour.He knows that this is the kind of place that I love to eat. I had a cup of soup and a low country salad....filled with baby greens, mandarin oranges, dried cranberries, slivered almonds, pieces of pear, with a tangy yet sweet salad dressing, a little loaf of warm French bread completed the plate. 

We came back to the house after that and said our good byes after he visited with Joe for a while. It was a very special day for me....Love you John 

Company's Coming

Company's Coming

I'm up this morning before the birds..

Company's coming.. used to love those words.

The swiffer and I have a date today..

No one had better get in my way.

I went outside and tidied the flowers..

In between some very light showers.

The bathrooms will sparkle....oh yes they will..

Some posies were gathered to sit on the sill.

The Roomba sits there...alone in the corner..

He reminds me now of Little Jack Horner.

He'll get a workout this morning at eight..

The rugs in the house will look just great.

The Pledge on the dust cloth will polish the table..

I'll get to it as soon as I'm able.

The food, I'll get ready as soon as I can..

I'm winding down...please get me a fan.

I'll just sit here a minute or two..

And catch my breath so I don't turn blue.

Oh, why do I always behave like this..

Our family won't mind if a few jobs I'll miss.

They come to see us, not our house it's true.

I'll rest in a minute...I've more housework to do.

When they get here at last and come in the door..

After all the hellos and greetings galore.

I'll smile to myself and say with a grin...

"Getting ready twas nothing...now do come in."

Let's face it...we all try to put our best foot forward when company is coming. Our company, Joe's relatives,  are visiting from a long distance and we don't see them very often. We have some coming from Florida and some from Wisconsin and some from right here in Illinois. I do want everything to look nice and also I would like to relax and enjoy these folks while they are here. In years past, I would be in a frenzy by now. Cleaning and cooking up a storm. Since I've aged and grown a little wizer....that has come to a stop. I now start a week before...tidying the kitchen. Making sure that everything is handy for getting the food around. Clear the counter tops as best I can, brushing the crumbs out of the silverware drawer, making sure that the fridge is ready for lots of food, .....you know the drill. Now, just a couple of days before, I vacuum the house using my Roomba and dust the furniture. The bathrooms are cleaned at the very last. In all the years of entertaining...I've learned one thing, as soon as people get here... it doesn't really matter if I've cleaned everything. They come in and make themselves comfortable and don't even look at the "cleaning" I did. My son called and asked if Friday would be a good day for me to go to the Nicholas Conservatory and out to lunch. I thought about it for just a minute. Normally, I would say, "Can we do it another day....I've got company coming." It only took a minute before I told him that I would love to go. The house is fine....just the way it is. After all....these people are coming to see us...not our house.

Balisha

Women Friends

We were gathered at a couple's party.... celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary on Sunday, when one of the gals at our table mentioned that the next day was going to be her birthday. We are all friends...the four of us. When one has a birthday...sometimes we get together and celebrate. Nothing elaborate...just a get together to celebrate the day. She loves Chinese food, so we met at noon, at our local Chinese restaurant. We are all about the same age....the youngest 72 and the oldest 78. We four have had our share of life's problems...deaths of spouses, illness, and now our aches and pains.Our conversation touches on taking care of our friends who are ailing. People we are praying for.....but that isn't the gist of our conversation. The gist of the conversation is happiness. We are buzzing with excitement...although we had just seen each other the day before. We might talk about clothes, exercise, books, movies, and especially food. We exchange recipes....good books to read.....good movies to watch and so many other fun topics. We ate our lunch and gave our friend little simple gifts and cards. Then we were invited to the anniversary gal's house, to have some cheesecake. She and her husband had hosted, along with their children, a big party with many guests on Sunday. So big that they had to have a tent in the yard. I was surprised that she came... let alone inviting us back to her house for dessert. It was delicious cheesecake....white chocolate with raspberry...or lemon. I picked the raspberry :) We sat in her comfortable sun room...admiring her plants... which were blooming profusely...she says she doesn't have a green thumb ??? More talk....I swear we could talk all day. It was time to leave and we said our goodbyes.On the way out, plans were being talked about for our next get together. Hugs for special friends.

I don't know what it is about women and their friends. It is such a treat to get together with friends...old ones and new. When you find new friends in your 70's, you realize how very special that is. Gone are the days of cherishing material possessions...we know what is important. Older people are more situated in their lives..we move around less frequently. We value our connections to people not things. After an afternoon like this...we might say, "It was really nice being together like this,"  and mean it. We realize that time is more precious to us, because we know that the end of the road is near. We keep an eye on each other and know when one of us needs help. I'm so glad that I have friends like these. We are social creatures and there is a need to relate to people. I think that it might even help us be more healthy. ( Speaking of more healthy...I was going to cancel out, because arthritis was bad during the night and I didn't get a good night's sleep. I pushed myself to go and got to feeling better as soon as I met them. I'm so glad that I went.) As we were walking to the car, one of the gals said, "Don't you love to go home after an afternoon like this?" Getting away for a couple of hours makes us appreciate our lives at home more.I'm married to Joe, and he and I spend a lot of hours together. I too love to come home after an outing with friends. He and I share my day...just like we do when he goes with his friends.  Someone to talk to and laugh with is worth everything to me.
Balisha

First Day of Summer Stroll ... 2014

As we step out the front door....Martha is there to greet us. She's a bit bedraggled because of the heavy rains. I've brought in a few of her blooms to put on my little shelf above the sink.

 As we take a step off the porch and go to the right...color knocks our eyes out. The color combination bothers me each year. I love the pinks and purples of spring, but these lilies were here before I came....so here they will stay. They bloom for such a short time and always bring comments from people walking by. What a striking color!

 The little memory garden for Tim is taking shape slowly but surely. The bird bath is surrounded by lilies. Some short ones on the left, Callas in front, poppies to the right and the lilies of orange in the background. There are daffodils in spring, where the lilies are blooming. Some other day lilies that don't show up in this picture. The bird feeder is there and the window on the left is right where I sit on the computer.

 Then keeping on is the Mary's Garden. I have so many pretty pictures of this spot....one of my favorite in the yard. Right now it's all about color....orange and yellow. This spot changes with the summer and fall.

 Now going down the west side of the house is my herb garden. I have some lettuces growing there as well. Lettuce, parsley, oregano, sage, thyme, basil, cilantro, Russian sage, columbine, and my favorite flower of all....Japanese anemone.  

 This trellis, made by Joe, is just before the lettuce. I love the color of this clematis. It's almost covering this basket of succulents. A little bird kept flitting in and out, early this morning. A wren...wonder if she's nesting there?

 Along the back we come to a more civilized planting. No cottagey look here. The lilies of the valley are within their boundary, and these hostas behave themselves. The geese are well behaved too. The only bad behavior is something that the raccoon does. He or she is using this mulch for a litter pan. Naughty raccoon. I pick it up almost daily.

 As we round the corner by the deck...this huge hosta takes our attention. Big, bold, bright green plant. The puckered leaves fill up with water when it rains.

 Still in the back is a little garden by the deck stairs. It's back to cottage gardening. Perennial geraniums, knockout rose, Star 

Gazer lilies, hostas, Lady's Mantle, and many others. The daisies have just finished blooming and have been cut down. They were in big clumps that get bigger each year.

 Here's the little nook that I have created just for me. A little corner in the shade to just watch the birds, woods, and the plants growing. I have tomatoes in the two big containers, and going up the trellis, Purple Hyacinth Beans. The trellis was a gift from my daughter. it seems like I always show things that LuAnn has given me....my son, John and grandkids give me garden things too. John gave me two bleeding heart plants, he and the kids gave me my Lucky Bamboo, and my fern, roses and so many other nice garden things. They all know that gardening is my passion...so I'm easy to buy for :)

 Just behind the two containers of tomatoes...is this huge hosta. We are in a more behaved part of the yard once more. I didn't take pictures going up the east side of the house. No, I'm not hiding anything like weeds....I just was getting tired and wanted to come in and eat breakfast. This side of the house will be shown later. Its just more lilies and bird nest spruce shrubs.

 The front driveway garden is always changing. I love the casual feel of it. Things just flow into each other's space and the best  plant wins. 

 On the corner of the front porch is a trellis made by moi. I planted two clematis here. A Princess Diana, and a Pagoda. Smaller blooms that are bell shaped. Love this for little bouquets for the house.

 Another picture of flowers mingling...or misbehaving.

 Now, we are at the front door again. Here is the hanging basket from my daughter. It looks so pretty right now.

There are so many other things that I could have put here, but this is just a sample of our yard. Next time, we'll take an up close picture of a few things blooming....and hopefully some tomato pictures, if the raccoons are nice.
Balisha

Mini Gardens

Tiny gardens are all the rage right now. Some call them Fairy Gardens. Any container can hold a mini garden. I have this shell like garden made from a big leaf and some concrete. My neighbor, Betty made it. I have it sitting on my purple chair in the front of the house. I put some soil in it and popped in a few succulents. This was the beginning of, what I call, my dish garden.I had a little turtle and another brass one. You can hardly see the brass one here. I didn't mean for it to be a tiny garden, but it turned out that way. I can't take a picture of it because of all the rain, but it's looking much more filled out today. I'll take a picture later on and show you how it looks right now. 

I have another in a terra cotta container, that has hens and chicks. A tiny birdbath is in it...one that fills up when it rains or is hit by my hose. These little gardens are visited by tiny insects, and even a bird will occasionally land on them to pick up an insect or just check it out. I found a little poem this morning by Robt. Louis Stevenson...about gardens and fairies.

Hope you have a magical day...Balisha

(Do you see the hen in the center of all those chicks. Well, she was about to die when this was taken. When I went out to take a picture....she was gone...just a stub of a plant was left and all the chicks were scattered around her remains with roots unattached. I quickly popped them into the soil and took a picture. I'll show it tomorrow..)

The Flowers by Robert Louis Stevenson

All the names I know from nurse:
Gardener's garters, Shepherd's purse,
Bachelor's buttons, Lady's smock,
And the Lady Hollyhock.

Fairy places, fairy things,
Fairy woods where the wild bee wings,
Tiny trees for tiny dames--
These must all be fairy names!

Tiny woods below whose boughs
Shady fairies weave a house;
Tiny tree-tops, rose or thyme,
Where the braver fairies climb!

Fair are grown-up people's trees,
But the fairest woods are these;
Where, if I were not so tall,
I should live for good and all.

I Covet Garden Things

I covet garden things. There I made this simple confession. I can think of nothing else that I covet. I'm not an envious person. I love to see friends and family get the things that they desire. I'm never envious of some one's new home, car, clothing etc. but..........once in a while I see something in some one's garden that takes my eye and I would do anything to get it. Well, almost anything. My sin rose it's ugly head just a couple of days ago, when an old blogging friend Lynne Usary posted a picture of a plant in her yard. There it was...not a flamboyant flower, but a soft pink, hop like flower trailing down a terra cotta pot with soft light green leaves. She had told me about this earlier this year, but I hadn't seen it for my own eyes. 

 I saw it on her page early in the day. I came back numerous times to see it again. I researched it and checked out some places where I could order it. I went back and took another look. I found someone who had them and wanted to order...bringing it right to my door. I placed the order and then a short while later....regretted doing this. The cost of shipping was almost more than the plants. I went back to FB and looked again. I decided that I had to have it and went to bed. I thought about it during the night and said to myself...that I would cancel the order in the morning. Morning came and I sent the email cancelling these plants that I wanted more than anything. 

Joe had a couple of errands to run in Rockford, so I had some time to kill. I called a nursery a little bit of a drive from me and asked about it. The clerk said she'd have to check and would call me back. A short time later, she called...they had it. Hooray! I was in the car as fast as a Jack rabbit. After a drive...I was inside the nursery. Now, it was close to 90 yesterday and a greenhouse is the last place you want to be on that kind of a day. They had fans on the flowers for heaven's sake. I felt like I was going to melt as I pushed the heavy cart through miles (it seemed) of greenhouse. Only one other soul was there shopping. She had a cart full of drooping perennials. She looked as pitiful as me. After following directions....down that row, two rows over, turn left, five tables down....I found them. There they were, Kent's Beauty Ornamental Oregano... all perky in the heat and just waiting to come home with me. 

Here I am today with two plants. I put one in the big container next to the drive and the other is just waiting for me. I want to try to keep one in the house. No one says that it can be a houseplant, but I just want to try it. So, this morning I will find a suitable pot and plant this thing that I coveted. Now that I have it....I don't know what it is about it that made me go through all of this trouble. The leaves are ordinary, the flowers are nothing spectacular...just interesting. I hope I didn't want it because Lynn had it. I guess that I'll never know, but now that I have it...I will enjoy it. Now you know a little more about me. I do covet things. As I look at your posts with beautiful plants...I may see one that takes my eye....and will start the hunt all over again :)

Balisha

This post is done with a  little tongue in cheek...

Just an Ordinary Day

It was time for bed and we expected a stormy night. Joe had his new weather radio all set. I was hoping for a quiet night..and a good night's sleep. I knew that I would have to be Joe's ears....carefully listening for our county. It only went off 2 times. Once as we were just in bed and another time around 4. Joe has become my eyes...I can't read the clock across the room anymore. We are quite a pair here. I told him that I married him to open jars and read small print for me. I think he married me to be able to use my very sensitive ears. (I can hear a pin drop.) We came through the night safely and are still under a storm watch until 9am.The weather radio worked well.

The good thing about the weather was the nice rain that soaked my gardens. I gave some things a drink yesterday, but there's nothing like a drink from Mother Nature. The lilies are opening...big, bright, orange ones. These are planted in several places around the yard. Not my favorite color, but they don't last long and look so pretty while they are blooming. Roses are blooming as well. The knockouts, that I thought we'd lost, are revived in my garden next to the drive. Martha (the geranium) is starting to bloom her head off. The Clematis...beautiful this year.My Stack n Grow is lushly overflowing with petunias.

I was looking around the garden at the things I will want to bring in this fall...to spend the winter indoors. I think that there are 7 plants that I will be taking care of in the winter. Does every gardener do this....think about the next season before the present one is over? I have to remind myself to enjoy each day as it comes....and not be looking ahead so much :)

I called yesterday, neighborday. We had several neighbors stop by for a visit. My friend Betty, who lives up the road, is struggling with something that many of us have gone through. An aging mother who needs help right now. We shared a conversation and I told her about my past experiences with Mom and Dad. It seemed to help, in a way, knowing that we all go through this. At a point in our lives we become the parent. So hard to deal with at the time. I told her to do her best...that when her mom is gone, she will not have any guilt feelings.She will know that she did her best and gave her mom love and comfort.

The next visitor was a fellow a couple of doors away. He had come to talk to Joe, but talked a bit about our raccoon problem. He's the one who traps and releases them. Now, he says that he has seen a coyote or large gray fox in his yard. We also have a black bear in our area....people are taking pictures as this bear travels through neighborhoods. Oh my....what have we done? Destroying the green space and putting these poor animals out of their homes....But that's a subject for another day.

Today promises to be pretty warm, but cloudy. I have a hair appt. and we will eat a light meal today. Probably BLT's.  Not much planned for today....nice to have a day like that once in a while.I actually got my knitting out yesterday and sat in the front yard while the sprinkler gave the hostas a drink. I have a little funny

story to share. A while back a neighbor from down the road... was here to ask us to vote for someone she was backing. We didn't really know each other and in talking she mentioned seeing an old lady sitting in our yard in a green chair...just watching the sprinkler. I burst out laughing....I said, "I'm that old lady." I think she was embarrassed, but I thought it was funny.I still think about it when I sit out there.

Balisha

A Visit from Drake on Father's Day

I hope they don't mind that I stole this from FB. It was such a cute picture...I couldn't help myself :)

I think that Joe had a good father's day...his sons and families were here. We had a nice dinner and a sort of lazy day. If there are little kids in your family...then you know how they become the center of attention at family events. Little Drake filled the bill. All conversation stopped when he came in the front door. He's such a well behaved little man...his mom and dad are doing a great job teaching him manners. We hadn't seen him in a while and were so surprised at his vocabulary. I had some little mini cookies in a pkg. and asked if he had eaten dinner. He said that he had and that he would like some cookies.  He was walking around with his little cup of cookies when I asked if anyone wanted cake. "Cake?" he said. His face brightened and he quickly set down the cookies. He had been asking if there would be cake at his grandma and grandpa's earlier in the day. Kids all  know if there's a party...there has to be cake or cupcakes. They didn't have any dessert, however. When I said cake....his party was complete. We set him up on the little footstool in front of the coffee table with cake and a cup of milk with a straw. He was the neatest little guy that ever ate cake. He had given me the biggest smile, as I brought him his cake. We went on to play with dominos and making a train out of them...connecting the numbers and then crashing them. Just the fun of talking to him and listening to his answers was fun for me.

As you can see from the picture, there is going to have a baby at his house soon. We know that the baby will be a little girl and Drake is so excited about all this. He even knows her name...it will be Annah Jade. She will make her appearance in Sept. We are all so excited about this. She will be the first girl in the Cerasa family in years. Joe's father's day was complete...a little boy's visit and a little girl about to make her debut.
Balisha

The Best Dad

Happy Father's Day 2014

Every kid in my day... made gifts for their Dad in art class in school. We often were given a ball of clay and told to create something for his special day. I always made an ashtray. I would carefully shape the clay and then have to wait, it seemed forever, for it to dry. Once it was dry, it could be painted and sometimes the teacher would put a shiny shellac on it. I carefully took the gift home and hid it.....usually under my bed. I made my own cards in those days too. Construction paper, crayons, and some scissors were all I needed. I would sit at the kitchen table and usually had my tongue out between my teeth....concentrating so on my project. There wouldn't be an envelope unless Mom had one to fit the card. Father's Day came and I was so excited to give him my gift. He acted so happy to get .....just what he wanted.....from me. There were a few more ashtrays, flash lights, his favorite felt slippers from the dime store, and several attempts at writing him a poem. These were such happy years for us. I've never forgotten his face when he opened something from me. He was the best Dad.
Balisha

An Anniversary

Today is our 11th anniversary. You might have seen this picture before, but I though I'd put it here again. We met each other after our spouses of 46 yrs passed away and decided to do it again. I'm so glad that we took the chance.

Marriage is like a garden. It needs to be watched and maintained as a prized possession if it is to be prosperous and fruitful. (Read Proverbs 24:30-34.)

It hasn't been all roses and daffodils. There have been some weeds along the way. Occasionally we step on each other's roots, but with loving care...we bounce back like a flower after the rain.We've worked things out and have tended our garden carefully. We water our garden with praise.We have done the best that we could.....trying to get our off shoots to be content with our situation. As we go into our 12th year...we hope that things go smoothly and that this next year we can just travel the garden's path to good health and happiness.
Balisha


Later in the day....there were roses:

 There was a cake:

 There was a favorite beverage:

 and there were cards.

After Mass tonight...dinner out at our favorite restaurant. A very nice day for us...
Balisha

Strawberry Moon and Pie

Celebrating Friday the 13th today.  It's an unusual Friday the 13th because of the full moon tonight.Full moon's don't usually occur on Friday the 13th. It will be 35 more years before we have another one.

I love the name for the moon....Strawberry Moon. It comes from the Algonquin Indians who called it that because of it being strawberry season.

This occurrence leads into my post for today. Strawberries.....ripe, juicy, fruits so delicious at this time of year. It reminds me of a pie that was famous when I was younger. The Blue Ox in Elgin, Il. had the most delicious strawberry pie on their menu. We seldom went out to eat, but in June we had to go to this restaurant for a piece of pie. I later learned how to make it and one day I went out and bought a lot of strawberries and made several pies to take to friends and neighbors. I try to buy them when they are in season. We use them for toppers for cereals, smoothies, in salads, or just pop them in our mouths as a snack. Doesn't a bowl of plain old cornflakes topped with fresh strawberries just tickle your fancy? Or better yet....a fresh baking powder biscuit..still warm from the oven...split and topped with fresh butter. Then topped with juicy strawberries and whipped cream. I've had this for breakfast many times in my life. So good!

Here's the recipe for two pies   one for you and one to give away :) Speaking of giving away...when we moved into our house years ago....our new neighbors came to the door with a huge bowl of already prepared strawberries and fresh biscuits. It's something that I'll never forget...what a treat for tired people.
Now the recipe...

You can use  pastry shells from the freezer section at your store. Bake and cool.

2 1/2 qt strawberries
1 c sugar
2 tbs cornstarch
1 c boiling water
1 3oz pkg of strawberry jello

Mix the sugar and cornstarch in a saucepan. Add boiling water and cook over med heat until mixture thickens. Remove from heat. Add jello and stir till smooth.Let it sit until it is cool.Place strawberries in pie shells positioning them with points up. Pour cooled jello mix over strawberries. Refrigerate until set and top with whipped cream.
This pie is so delicious. Make one soon before the strawberries are finished.
Wouldn't a piece of this taste great while watching the Friday the 13th Strawberry Moon tonight?

Balisha