I labored for three days over a post about last week’s shootings. Before, I could hit publish I then read about a shootout in a McDonalds restaurant. Living in today’s society is like traveling back in time to Dodge City on a Saturday night, but Matt Dillon is out-of-town.
Then, I read Another Slice’s post about last week’s events and decided that it was better than anything I could write on the subject. Take a look if you have a minute.
I’ve also been painting. We have a small four-season porch with brown resin wicker furniture. I’ve wanted to paint it white for several years but have resisted because of concerns about the paint chipping.
After a lot of googling, I chose Krylon Fusion
paint. Sixteen spray paint cans later, all five pieces are white, and I like the change.
Will the paint last? Good question because when I bumped them getting them back in the house, the paint chipped off. So, I touched it up, and we’ll see how it goes.
Last Thursday, I went to a Master Gardener meeting where a landscape architect gave a presentation about how she works up a plan, types of plants she uses, and the climate changes she learned about at a national convention the previous week.
Photo credit: PBS
She was around 50 +/-, and said that in her ‘lifetime’ New Hampshire would go from growing zone 5 to 7 or 8.
Think about that for just a minute.
If we go to a 7 or 8 growing zone, the ski industry will be a thing of the past, the sugar maples will die from heat and pollution, and the maple syrup industry will be over in this country. If New England increases two growing zones, what does that mean for Florida and all of its fruit growers, as well as the rest of the country? It really is mind-boggling.
To help me digest this growing zone issue, I enjoyed some pumpkin dip with fresh apples and ginger snaps. It was brought by a friend who tries to eat healthy so she took the original recipe and dropped the two cups of powdered sugar and added the maple syrup – it’s very good. Kind of ironic, that she added maple syrup after the previous conversation.
Pumpkin Dip:
- 15 oz pumpkin purée
- 8 oz whipped Philadelphia cream cheese
- 1 1/2 t pumpkin pie spices
- 1/4 c maple syrup
Mix all together. Add spices and maple syrup to taste.
So, as we move toward the first of November, take care of yourself, hug those you love, eat something delicious just because, and stay safe.
We are currently in Zone 8 (perfect for succulents!). I can’t imagine it becoming Zone 10 or 11. Pumpkin dip with fresh apples and ginger snaps sounds like the perfect anecdote to this scary and crazy world. Thanks for the link… I enjoyed the post.
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I just can’t imagine zone changes like that with regard to living let alone farming and industry. Glad you enjoyed the post link. 🙂
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Thank you so much for the mention! I am going to try that pumpkin dip. Hope you have a great week!
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You are welcome – it is a wonderfully written post. 🙂
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I looove the white, but I’d choose the brown. (I have a lot of light aqua blues and greens.) So much depends on the light and the mood. I had mostly brown living room furniture in my last Indiana home, had cream and paneled walls, honey wood floors, lots of shine — and the furniture looked swell! Took it to Georgia into my all white walled home with peachy tan floors and despised it a thousand times over. Couldn’t wait to lighten up, even used slipcovers for a while. SO, I can totally understand painting your wicker to go with the light and mood in the room, and it looks just great! 16 cans, eh? It took 8 to do Sassy’s bed frame and I almost died lol! I appreciate your dedication!
I’m bookmarking this for the pumpkin puree. I think three of us might love it!
I am too sad to comment on the other topics — Let’s sit in your sunroom and eat apples with pumpkin puree!
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Yes, we’ll put that pumpkin dip, ginger snaps, and apple slices between us and just talk kids, painting, photography, doors, basically anything but the scary stuff. 🙂
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Sounds lovely!
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I don’t want to see New England without a good winter freeze to control the insects. I’ll need anti-aircraft guns for the mosquitoes alone. Maybe if the white does chip a bit, it will give the chairs an antique look. When you consider the possible complications of climate change, it deserves way more attention than we’re giving it.
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I totally agree with you. I didn’t even mention how many more feet above sea level they are requiring new construction to be built. Some houses in some areas will require steps for a ranch. Climate change definitely needs more attention.
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The white furniture looks great, light and airy. Does it make the room ‘feel’ bigger?
It is troubling about climate change. Our policymakers are out of touch with the reality of our food supply, which is already showing signs of stress. Maybe we need to organize farmers to run a tractor parade down Penn. Ave. to wake them up!
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Yes, the room looks so much lighter I just keep smiling. 🙂 Tractors down Penn. Ave. sounds like a good idea to me.
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🙂
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Words do matter, and AnotherSlice did a beautiful job with her words. Thanks for sharing that.
Climate change is scary, and unlike some folks, I don’t think it’s a myth. I’m not a fan of winter, but if I wanted to live in Florida I would move there. I don’t want Florida moving here!!
Good choice painting the furniture white. It looks terrific. I wonder if you can spray a clear sealer over the paint to protect it from chipping.
Pumpkin dip sounds good.
🔹 Ginger 🔹
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Glad you enjoyed the post, and I’m with you – the climate change is scary. I thought of the sealer and sprayed the tops and arms thinking those would be the most used. Of course, then the spots I chipped weren’t where I sprayed the sealer. 🙂
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Love the white! It’s so fresh looking and crisp against that lovely wall color that reminds me of the sea.
Shocking about the growing seasons moving upward. My initial reaction was, “Oh good! I can try things here in Michigan that I’d only envied southern people for in the past!” But, no. It’s scary – and what you outlined about the ski industry really brings it all home.
I have everything for the pumpkin dip. Apples, too! Am going to try it! Thank you!
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I just knew the white paint would pull it all together, and it certainly does. 🙂 Yes, it would be fun to be able to grow new types of plants, but the rest of what it brings is hard to wrap your mind around for sure. Hope you like the pumpkin dip. 🙂
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I find it hard to focus on anything for several days after hearing terrible news like we have been hearing. My heart breaks for the victims and their families.
I love the furniture, too. It looks great in the room!
I wondered what I was going to do with the rest of the pumpkin puree in my fridge. Thanks for the wonderful recipe! 🙂
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It is hard to concentrate when you know all the families and extended families are all suffering with a loss that they will never fully recover from. Tough times we are having right now.
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I keep trying to explain this to people and they think that “climate change” is something that happens all of a sudden, like in exactly 12 years, the world’s “life” switch turns off and that’s it. They don’t realize that is a slow process. Changes will happen incrementally at different rates in different places.
I think they don’t want to know, so they refuse to learn. It is terrifying and frustrating.
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I think it is going to gradually creep right up on us and leave our grandchildren in a very precarious world to live in. When you think about it and consider that the areas of the country responsible for growing crops will move north only to find out that our terrain isn’t conducive to wide open fields of farming. NH for instance is 80%+ treed forest. We really need some folks to start talking about this and planning for it.
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I just made this pumpkin dip with powdered sugar. I think I used a half a cup of conf sugar. I halved the recipe. Love that dip with Annie’s ginger cookies.
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That sounds like a good solution too. I’m thinking SC 4 p.m. coffee, pumpkin dip and ginger cookies sounds pretty good, Marilyn. 🙂
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I feel the climate changing here in the Pacific Northwest too. People think of a rainy Northwest, but we had hardly any rain from May through October. That is half the year! I shouldn’t have to be out watering my garden in October. I fear for the tall evergreens and drought. What would the PNW be without evergreens? Just like imagining New England without sugar maples. Too awful to imagine.
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It is terrible to imagine. I think we’re going to find that we should have actively addressed emissions a long time back. We’re hoping to visit family in your area next spring and are definitely looking forward to your beautiful landscape. 🙂
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I love New England. I’ve only been there twice for short visits but look forward to going again someday. I envy all the history and historical buildings there, but enjoy our milder winters here.
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I love the white furniture! And I applaud your response to the tragedy: DO something! It might not seem like much in the grand scheme of things, but I think it is. To do something constructive and beautiful in the face of this bloody chaos is to stand up to it. It’s a lovely tribute to those lives lost. Thanks for the link to “Another Slice” — she and her grandpa are so right!
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I enjoyed that post because it had such a wonderful family story attached to it. I was hoping others would too, and I’m especially glad you did. 🙂
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I LOVE the look of the white wicker. After seeing your results, I actually considered it for a few minutes until I realized the realities of white wicker outdoors. In my world, it would look like hell before the summer was over 😕
The changes in the climate are really troubling and if you are moving towards a zone 7-8, that means we are too. But I don’t want to give up my 4 very distinct seasons 😕 We are in for some very dire changes in the years ahead, especially since so little is being done to curb carbon emissions (says the woman who currently has her gas fireplace on to take the morning chill out of the air).
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Knowing what we currently do I think most of us if given a choice would choose a product with fewer emissions. We are currently looking at car trade options, and if one company had stats on reducing emissions, I’d certainly give them a much longer look.
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Not to mention all the plastic that comes in the door 😕
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I love white wicker chairs. I hope your paint job is long lasting. Your pumpkin dip sounds delicious but I’m not sure it falls into the healthy food category. 🙂 Who cares about that anyway??
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Healthier – maybe. 🙂
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I know a journalist from the UK and he can’t keep up with the knife killings and hand grenade explosions. This world has gone nuts – period!
Try to have a pleasant Halloween!!
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I heard a stat from a friend that we have surpassed the losses from our wars. I would like to find that online to get exact numbers, but even if we are close it is enough to make you want a beer to cry in. And, I know we aren’t the only country so I’m sorry to hear our friends across the pond are suffering as well.
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The chairs look great in white. Hope they don’t chip too much. The rest of your post captures the way so many of us feel. I will leave it at that even though I could say much, much more. That pumpkin dip sounds scrummy.
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Here’s to New England staying as is, but I think we’re going to have to make major changes to bring it about.
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Sadly, I think you are right. A few years back, I went to a lecture about birds, and the woman who was giving the talk noted that in not too many years, Maine’s climate will be like Maryland’s. After last summer, I can well believe it.
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Pingback: AS THE WORLD TURNS, SO THE CLIMATE CHANGES – Marilyn Armstrong – Serendipity – Seeking Intelligent Life on Earth
Hi, Judy. As you might recall, we moved from upstate NY to central Oregon. What a change in terms of gardening – couldn’t be more different. We’re taking a permaculture class and learning as fast as we can. Kind of a simulated, sped up climate change exercise, ha ha. Re: climate change, I’d heard that upstate NY would become like Virginia. I don’t even know what to say anymore when I write about this on my blog and elsewhere. Let’s hope people begin to take more action, or at least talk about it – oddly, most people don’t talk about this. Maybe a form of collective denial?
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Yes, I remember, and I hope you are loving Oregon. I can imagine a permaculture class will be very informative. I’m taking a short one in December. 🙂 We tend to talk about a lot of interesting things when we gather together, but the changing weather is not normally a topic. Maybe you are right – we deny it as long as we can. I’m thinking we may be getting close to the end of the road and will need to face up pretty soon. No farmers, no food. No food, no people.
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Thanks for writing about this, Judy. I look forward to reading more of your adventures – and I love the white wicker by the way!
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I think the chair looks great, so I hope the paint job lasts. The pumpkin dip sounds much better as you shared it that with all that sugar. I work in a patisserie, but I don’t really like sweets that much. Much more tempted by savory.
As for the shootings (or knifings/terrorism/whatever other means of killing), I don’t understand them at all. Who thinks it’s OK to just kill someone because you have a difference with them or, worse yet, just randomly? Obviously many too many people. Restraints in behavior seem to be disappearing more and more each day and the I-should-be-able-to-do-whatever-I-want attitude so prevalent, doesn’t help.
janet
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It would be interesting to listen to a panel of experts who might be able to shed some light on this type of thinking because I just don’t get it.
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I’ve never tried painting wicker furniture so I consider you a brave woman. Our wicker is a medium warm gray now so it goes with just about anything. But if I tire of it, I’ll know who to talk with about painting it. I’m shocked by how much your gardening zone has changed in 50 years. Scary stuff, that.
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I’ve painted ‘regular’ wicker furniture before, and paint holds pretty well. It’s the resin/plastic that I painted this time that I’m not sure will hold it. At least it is indoors, so I don’t have the weather issue to contend with. 🙂
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I enjoyed Another Slice’s post – thank you for sharing. Also like the white furniture and hope the paint remains intact.
The pumpkin dip sounds very interesting.
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You are very welcome, and I’m glad you like the new furniture color. 🙂
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I love white furniture & your chair looks great… Now that Spring has come I might follow your lead. I enjoyed the Another Slice post … I’ve always believed in the power of words.. But it’s a tough call today when no one know what is true or false.
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Good point about true or false. Good, but sad.
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AnotherSlice’s post was great–thanks for passing it along. As I wrote to her, I went to grad school in the field of Rhetoric and Public Address and I remember hearing one phrase many times–“A choice of words is a choice of worlds.” I always understood it to be true but it has never been more evident *how* true until the past year or so.
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That phrase has never been more appropriate than today. Now, if we could only spread the word. 🙂
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A sad thought, Judy, knowing that as a result of our dependency on fossil fuels ( while having other options) will change the climate in such drastic ways. I wonder if many really understand what the result of the consequences will be and how it will impact diversity and sustainability and our very existence. Quite sad. Quite sad times we are experiencing in so many ways. And yet, we have to push on with some glimmer of hope, belief in the goodness of many, and also hope that somehow our capacity for ‘doing the right thing’ and for ‘making a difference’ rises to the top. Thank you always for your thoughtful posts…for your courage to have a voice in the things that matter and for sharing them. Today is Halloween and I will indulge in a candy bar…or two!
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Yes, chocolate always helps. 🙂
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Every time someone puts climate change into perspective like that, it becomes more and more real. It WILL affect us all. We will feel it. We’ll notice the things we can not grow, anymore. We’ll also (continue to) notice an increase in garden pests and diseases that are able to thrive in areas previously too cold for them.
You’re right, this sort of news deserves some good snacking. Life can’t be all serious!
Good luck with the paint. I hope it holds. The white looks nice and fresh.
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NH is covered with trees and granite ledge. I’m really not sure how we could contribute to the food market. It’s pretty scary when you stop and think about it.
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Climate Change is happening and it needs major attention. Our Hot Air politicians need to address it with much more effort!
That pumpkin dip is going to be made as soon as I get home! We have been traveling… it’s why I have missed some of your wonderful posts.
Happy November!
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Travel safely. 🙂
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