Indoor Garden: Growing Celery

celery growing in small jar of water

My relationship with celery varies over time. When I’m going through a soup making phase, I tend to buy more. Then I usually never make enough soup and some (or most!) of it goes to waste.

After that, I stop buying celery. Then a year later, I read a random article about the million health benefits of celery and wonder why I never have it in the house. So I buy some, cut up some sticks and remember how I hate that it’s so stringy. I plan to use it in some tuna or something and two months later I have to throw it all away, because it’s gone bad. This is the celery story of my life.

In other words, I need to keep just a small amount of celery at home and not much more. Over the past few months, during quarantine, I’ve been eating more celery — chopping it up and putting it into green salads. It’s so strange how when I eat it plain or even with something on it, it tastes bland and the stringy nature of it annoys me. But eating it as part of a salad adds a lot of flavor and a wonderful crunch. I love it!

During this time, I saw a blog post on making kitchen scrap gardens and how easily I could grow celery indoors in a small jar. So about five days ago, I cut the stalks off and put the root in some water. Look at all the growth in the picture above! In two weeks or so, I will probably have a small harvest. Yay!

Most likely the harvest update won’t be on this blog. So follow me on Instagram, where I document my plant parent adventures, and see how my garden continues to grow.

*Updated 8/13/2020* I harvested and it was delicious!

Make Your Own Reed Diffuser

reed diffuser

Being someone who appreciates food and an abundance of flavors, it’s no surprise that I have a strong sense of smell. I enjoy scented soaps, lotions, perfumes and often burn incense and scented candles.

A few months ago, I remember seeing some very pretty reed diffusers at a small pop-up shop. They were somewhat pricey and I wondered how well they actually worked. Would the scent really permeate my whole apartment like a candle or incense?

Then a few days ago, I saw an Instagram post with some simple instructions on how to make my own reed diffuser. I realized that I already had all the items necessary to make one. So why not give it a go?

About an hour ago, I made my own. It took about 15 minutes, which includes the time it took to empty a spice bottle and remove the label.

I probably used a little more than the recommended 25 drops of essential oil. Don’t! I shouldn’t have. I had removed the stopper from one of the bottles, so it spilled out. The smell is actually a bit too strong now.

Next time I’ll be more careful with measuring and will play around with the different scents. It does smell good though and will fade over time. Plus, I like the look of it.

This cost me nothing to make, because I already had everything at home, so I’m glad that I didn’t spend money buying one. The markup is incredible.

So if you like making things and already have most of the ingredients at home, do it yourself and save the $25 or more for something else. Below is what I used, based on the post from Wandering Wild Home.

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DIY Reed Diffuser

Small glass bottle with a smaller opening at the top – spice bottles work perfectly.
7  bamboo skewers
1/4 cup grape seed oil
2 T vodka – I only had vanilla vodka, but it worked fine.
25 drops of essential oil – I used 5 drops eucalyptus, 10 drops orange, about 12 drops vanilla.

Mix the oil and vodka in a tiny bowl. Then mix in the essential oils. Use a funnel to pour the mixture into the bottle. Put the skewers in and you’re done! Flip the reeds when you want a stronger smell.

Day 90 ~ #The100DayProject

#the100dayproject

Three months! 90 days! The time has flown by!

When I first learned about #The100DayProject, April was just beginning. It was still cold and raw.

Now it’s July. This week is supposed to be humid and well over 90 degrees each day.

I had a few intentions going into the #100DayProject. To take a big leap and try something different. To heal from my father’s death in March. To pay tribute to him and follow in his footsteps. Toward the end of his life, he did some beautiful paintings and his creativity bloomed. To start the process of bringing more art into my life.

This online project has been wonderful and connected me to some local creative people that I’m looking forward to meeting in person. I’m so glad that I joined in!

Today’s watercolor illustration is a wedding cake inspired by a photo of a pressed flower cake by Lori Stern. It may be the most beautiful cake I have ever seen!

One of the things that I’ve learned from this project is that you never know when inspiration will strike or where it will come from. Many days I thought I would create one thing and it ended up completely different.

Starting the process and being open to an unexpected end result is a common theme with artists. Recently, one of my cousins had his first art exhibit at West Medford Open Studios. I walked around and spoke to a few of the other artists that were there as well. Two of them both mentioned how they really don’t know how a piece will end up. It’s usually a surprise to them. Some things are out of their control and as artists they have learned to accept it. A life lesson to be sure.

In my 20s, I would often read the end of the book first, because I always wanted to know how things ended up, so I would be prepared. Oh, dear Lisa — my younger self. So much of the time there is no preparing for the future, even if we know the end.

I found that when I did that, I was often still shocked by how the story unfolded and got to that end that I already knew. There are no shortcuts. Life is the unfolding. The journey. I will be 54 on my next birthday. I’ve learned a few things in those intervening 30 years. If I’m lucky enough to get 30 more, I cannot even imagine where the journey will take me.

#The100DayProject

#The100DayProject

Like most people, when I was a kid, I loved to draw and paint. For years after, I used to doodle as well. Then I stopped. I’m not sure why or when. But that creative part of myself ended.

Sure, I had many other creative outlets — writing, photography, baking and cooking. Then blogging.

Over the past few months, my father had been talking about how much he was enjoying painting. He really loved it! Talked about his color palette and the textures. He often remarked that he was quite good.

When he passed away last month, I was able to get his paintings. They are beautiful! My mom has two. My brother and I each have one. I hung up mine a few days ago.

Over the last several years, I’ve found myself very drawn to illustrations with ink and watercolors. I started thinking that I might try it someday. Then I didn’t.

Then last Monday, I learned about #The100DayProject. It’s a free global art project that anyone can participate in. Last Tuesday, April 3rd, was the first day of the project that will last for 100 days. The end date is July 11th. All you do is pick an art project and post everyday on Instagram with the hashtag #The100DayProject.

Creative Mornings of Boston is joining in and has their own hashtag #100DaysofCMBOS, so I’m joining in with them too. I set up my own hashtag (#lisajillustrations) as well, so I can see all my art and my progress in one place. Hope you’ll take a look!

If you’re interested in the project, you can join in anytime. People are quite encouraging and I’ve learned a lot already. And it’s only the 6th day! The picture of the tree above is my painting for today.

Part of the reason that I’m doing this project is because my father was enjoying painting so much during what turned out to be some of the last days of his life. Maybe painting will help me heal.

Last April 29th, my blog anniversary, I chose MEND as my word for the year. I had no idea how that word would play out in such a huge way.

It will be 12 years that I’ve been blogging in a few weeks. I haven’t chosen my new word for the upcoming year yet, but maybe this art project will help show me the way.

Self-care With Virtual Therapy Dogs On Instagram

Self-care with virtual therapy dogs on Instagram.

How are you doing? I mean really.

I’ve been feeling stressed. Yoga and meditation help, but sometimes they’re not enough.

Between the humanitarian crisis unfolding before our eyes in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, the wildfires in California, Trump’s constant online and offline bullying, ignorance and cruelty, and the recent news of Harvey Weinstein’s decades long brutality towards women, it gets to be too much.

There have been several posts that I planned to do over the past few weeks, but didn’t have the time and emotional energy to do them. But I do have a tried and true method of self-care.

In health care, self-care is any necessary human regulatory function which is under individual control, deliberate and self-initiated.

I don’t have a pet, but find myself drawn towards cute little dogs.

Emotional support animals are used by people who have a diagnosed medical disability. Therapy dogs aren’t usually service animals, but are often brought to people in stressful situations for comfort.

There are three dogs on Instagram that I go to for comfort when I find myself feeling overwrought. If you follow me on twitter, you can probably guess the timing!

Just looking at these cute little dogs calms me down. Anyway, my personal virtual therapy dogs are: Norbert, Bibi Shasha and Popeye the Foodie. You’re welcome!

What are you doing for self-care?

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Image: Collage made from Instagram pictures.