Just Rambling

This is a photo of my very favorite Iris. I love the color purle and this deep purple with white flecks is so beautiful. I really like the white Iris too! I have some pink and yellow that haven't started to bloom yet but have lots of buds on them.

My sister and I have been talking about what we will do on Mothers Day.

Our mother died from leukemia when I was 16 and my sister was 11. Our mom was 37 years old. So we usually celebrate with our grandmother who will be 95 years old next week. I am planning on having them down to my house Sunday for spaghetti, salad, homemade rolls, and cherry cheesecake trifle. My Dad is out of town on Mothers Day but hopes to make it back in time to come for dinner.

Yesterday I went to see my adorable great neice, Mackenzie. She is two and when I told her I was coming to see her she said "Oh my doodness, I will bake a cake" I told her I loved cake and what kind was she going to make and she said "Pink of course". So yesterday I ate pretend pink cake and a plate of real cool whip to go with it. We had a very nice party.

Today marks the 27th year of me and my husbands wedded bliss! We were just babies when we got married 27 years ago, we were only 19 years old, but I knew that he was the one I wanted forever. If given the chance, I would do it all again. I would have liked to post a picture but I didn't have any that were not in a scrapbook. Our photographer was terrible. The photos are so dark you can't even tell who they are.

Have a great day everyone!

Roses!

My roses are finally blooming! I really like this coral colored one. I can't remember the name of this coral one. I also have one called hot chocolate which is cocoa colored, angel kisses, which is purple, an old fashioned burgundy colored one that I dug up in the woods around an old foundation just up the road from us. (with permission!), a Princess Diana that is pink, and a yellow one that is called Sunsprite.

I really love roses but mine get black spot so bad. I spray and remove diseased foliage but still have a problem with it. Does anyone have any suggestions that works for them to prevent and manage black spot? I will keep plodding along with my rose garden because the end result is so beautiful!

Hope everyone has a great afternoon.

Friday Show and Tell

It's Friday Show and Tell and I would like to show you one of my very favorite books. It is a very old book by Julia McNair Wright, called "The Complete Home".

I bought this book in a box with many cookbooks at an auction almost twenty years ago. It is falling apart and I usually keep a rubber back around it to keep it from losing it's pages.

The book was originally given to Miss Kate Cassell in 1896. There is no copyright date in the book. I have no idea if the persons in this book are fictional or real. It is narrated by "Aunt Sophronia" and the first page of the book says this:

"Aunt Sophronia lives in one of our inland towns. She is relative to many of the townspeople- The Oracle of all. Firmly intrenched in hr own opinions and more than self complacent, she is yet ready to give other people their due. Her ideas are broad and sound, and she is no doubt a great blessing to our community. An indefatigable diarist, she has for many years recorded the best of what he thinks and learns on her favorite subject - The Home- These journals being to voluminous and too full of private affairs to present to the public, she has at our earnest solicitation reproduced part of them topically and with a happy faculty in discussing her subject from the beginning."

I have read this book from cover to cover many times and love it more everytime I read it. It covers the subjects of Order in the Home, Economy in the home, Beauty of the Home, Hospitality, Methods of works, Attention to dress, Religion, Friendships, Mistress and Maid, and many more! In the back is a chapter of "Useful Information" like what to serve the sick, how to get rid of stains, etc.. I don't know if it has every been re-printed, if not it really should.

Thinking Summer today!

It's almost that time of year! The weather has been in the upper 80's for the last few days and I am thinking summer! Our family lives on Smith Mountain Lake. It is beautiful lake with 500 miles of shoreline and breathtaking view of surrounding mountains.

We love the water, especially "Yngwie" our DS who is 15. He absolutely loves to wakeboard. He learned two years ago and wants to go everyday when the weather gets warm. He has actually been begging us to take him now. Not happening as the water is far to cold.

At least 4 days per week, we will go out in the boat or jet ski's and enjoy the scenery or pull Yngwie and his friends on wakeboards, skiis, tubes, knee boards, etc.. I am thinking that I may learn to wakeboard this summer. I can water ski, but I'm not too sure my 46 year old bones will take to many falls on a wakeboard. We'll see.

Anyone else who can't wait?!

Weekend Fun!

This first pic is for Sharon. It's kind of dark, but I think you can see that it matches your vase. This teapot belonged to my great aunt Clara. It set on the shelf that separated the dining room from the hall. She gave it to me after I got married. Mine says McCoy on the bottom.

This weekend my DH, son and I put our cars into the car show for the Dogwood Festival. It was a beautiful day and there was a great turnout. They have a carnival, food vendors, craft shows, music, etc. followed by a parade. This festival dates back to the 1950's when the local high school sold dogwood trees to raise money from band uniforms. When the uniforms arrived they had a parade so everyone could see their new uniforms and they have held the parade ever since!

Yesterday I went out to the garden and much to my surprise my radishes were ready! These are french breakfast and cherry sparkler! I am really not all that fond of radishes but I love to see them grow! We give away alot of radishes!

Today during my lunch hour, I am going to the nursery and get my tomato and pepper plants. I love to garden.

I did not get any sewing done this week-end, but I did cut out a really cute rabbit that I hope to get finished this week.

Hope everyone has a great day!

Show and Tell Friday!

As I was typing my title, I was reminded that when I was little I used to have a "Show n Tell". You would put a film strip in the slot and put the record on and it would read a story and show picture on the screen. I loved that toy! I wonder what happened to it??? I found this pic on ebay.

Anyway, back to what I really brought for show and tell! I would like for you to meet three very good friends of mine. The first little lady in the pink victorian attire is "Phyllis Victoria". My darling husband bought her for me when we were first married. The lady we bought her from said maybe you can name her Phyllis, that was her name. I said of course, Phyllis was my mothers name too! She has been in our family for about 25 years now.

The second friend, in the red velvet, is very special to me. Her name is "Dorothy Stewart". Dorothy was given to my grandmother when she was in the second grade by her teacher whose name was Dorothy Stewart. Grandma kept her for decades and I never even knew she existed until my 16th Christmas and Dorothy Stewart was given to me for safe keeping.

The last little lady in cream, is "Alice Lee Shenk" I bought her at a auction sale about 20 years ago. At the same sale, I bought a silver calling card case and it had a card still in it that said "Miss Alice Lee Shenk". I also bought some silver sewing implements and the were engraved with ALS on them. So I thought it only fitting that she be name after her original owner.

Hope you enjoyed meeting my friends! I hope everyone has a joyful weekend!

Linda

Reflecting.

Are the irises blooming in your area? My mother in laws have bloomed but mine are still lurking. They are in the shade and are always a little after hers. This is a picture of last years. The iris is one of my favorite flowers. I love the size and shape of them, and they make a beautiful bouquet for the table. I love flowers and grow several different kinds. I inherited this love from my grandmother. I swear that lady could stick a toothpick in the ground and a redwood would grow! When she lived in the country, she had the most amazing flower gardens you have ever seen. Larkspur, cocks comb, dahlias, iris, chinese lanterns, and my favorite as a child, snapdragons. She would let me pull the blooms off some of the snapdragons and show me how to squeeze them so it would look like a dragon opening and closing it's mouth. This would fascinate me for hours, along with making hollyhock dolls, and necklaces of clover. She also showed my how to make what we called grass hopper catchers, made from non other than grasshopper weeds! Amazingly enough, these things along with making mud pies and cutting paper dolls from the Sears catalog would keep me entertained for weeks while I would visit her in the summer.

No TV, (she could only get one station and it was fuzzy) very little radio, (farm report), and no video games! I feel sorry for my son that he did not get to grow up with simple pleasures like that. He doesn't watch a great deal or tv or play video games all that often, but I wish he could have known what it was like to get up and go outside and play all day on hundreds of acres of land, and not worry that someone might abduct him at the bus stop, or offer him drugs, or any of the horrible things that people do to children now days. I know they happened then too, I guess we just didn't hear about it as much. But still, the biggest worry I had while at grandmas was, "I hope she doesn't have liver for supper"!

My grandmother asked me once to write down the things that I wanted her to leave me in her will. I wrote down her rock collection. Just rocks she picked up on the farm that looked like a bird, or bug or whatever and she kept them. When she asked me why just that I told her she had already given me the greatest gift of all. Time.

Hope everyone has a great day!

Linda

Another Dog and Purse

Back in January, I made my sister a stuffed dog and purse for her birthday. My niece (my sister's daughter) had a fit and wanted the exact same thing for her birthday. So this week-end I got both of them finished. I really love the black with hot pink polka dots! The dog is really not hard at all to make and I love watching him come together. My twin nephews say they want dogs for their birthday in August too. They want them made out of camo fabric. They will be so much fun to make!

When I was cleaning in the attic a couple of weeks ago (uhhh), I found a cross stitch that my sister had made back in 1986. Why I have it in my attic, I have no idea. Anyway, I showed it to her and she didn't want it so I made it into this small pillow for my niece. The picture didn't come out very well. The picture is either a beaver or a woodchuck, I can't really tell, but I used some Mary Engelbreit ( love her stuff) fabric to make the pillow.

Hope everyone has a wonderful day!

Feeling like Summer

This weekend was absolutely gorgeous! Beautiful sunny and warm weather and cloudless skys. I spent most of my time outside, sweeping the porch and patios, buying hanging baskets for the front porch, working in the garden, pruning bushes, etc. Anything to not have to go inside. I took the picture of the butterfly yesterday. He looks like he posed for me! My radishes, lettuce, turnips and spinach are looking good so far. Only 2 out of 4 broccoli made it. I think some critters took care of the other two before I could get my fence "electified" again. The electric fence is the only way I am able to have a garden. The deer population in our area is huge!

Our cat "Midnight" and Chocolate Lab "Tori" were enjoying the warm weather too!

DH spend yesterday spiffing up my 1967 Camaro for a car show next weekend. DH bought this for me for Christmas several years ago. It is my dream car! DH has a 1966 Corvette that will get it's spit shine sometime this week.

The Dogwood Festival is being held in a neighboring town this weekend and we always take our cars for show. The festival is alot of fun. There is a carnival for the kids, every kind of music anyone would want to listen to, yummy food, craft shows, ending with a parade and the crowning of the Dogwood Queen.

I did get some sewing done, but didn't get any pictures yet, I will try and get them on this week because the dog I made my niece is soooooo cute.

Hope everyone has a great day.

VA Tech Day of Mourning

Today the nation has been asked to wear the colors of Virginia Tech in honor of the students and teachers who were killed by a deranged student. Everywhere I went during lunch today, 90% of everyone had on either orange and maroon or their VA Tech logo tee-shirts. It was wonderful to see the community pull together and gather strength from one another.

One of the students that was killed was from our area. His name was Henh Ly. He was a 20 year old student majoring in computer engineering. He was an exceptional student, having enough advanced placement credits from high school to begin VA Tech as a sophmore. A young man remembered by friends as always joking around, and loved by neighbors and classmates alike.

I know we are never supposed to question God when bad things happen to good people, but I think it is human nature to do so. WHY?????

At this point I am just relying on my faith and trying to keep in mind that those who were killed and had faith and had asked God into their hearts are now living with our Saviour.

I can not imagine losing my child, for any reason, but to lose a child from a senseless, random, violent act is something I can not fathom. My prayers are with the families of those who were killed.

Just Spring Ramblings

So much has happened since Easter Sunday, it is wearing me down. With the illnesses in our family and the tragedy at Virginia Tech, I find I am becoming obsessed with the news, searching for a reason someone would gun down innocent children. I have decided to step away from the news today and try to find some normalcy in the day.

This is a picture I took of our table Easter Sunday. The banner in the background was a free download from Allsorts blog.

I made the chocolate Corvette for my husband for Easter. He loves Corvettes! And for my son a chocolate guitar! They were surprisingly easy to do. I had only made very small chocolates in molds before and was somewhat intimidated with the larger molds, but I think they turned out pretty good.

Remember the peepers in my pond? Well look what I found this weekend! Gazillions of tadpoles are now happily swimming around! In a few more weeks we'll have tons on frogs jumping around.

Such a sad day.

I sit here in disbelief listening to the news about the shootings at Virginia Tech. I cannot even imagine the anguish that the parents of the students who were killed or injured are going through.

I can't fathom what goes through the mind of a gunman who opens fire on innocent people who just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. From what we hear from the news, this was a case of his girlfriend being unfaithful. Now over 30 people are dead. I am really having a hard time with this. VA Tech is about a 30 minute drive from where I live. My son and I were up there last week during Easter break just looking around the town. I would never have imagined that one week later such a tragedy would strike.

This comes on the heels of other difficult news this past week. On Easter day, my stepmother had two strokes. She was taken to the hospital and they ran dozens of tests and determined she needed to exercise and eat better. She is recupperating nicely at home now, but it still worries me that another stroke could happen at any time.

My DH's best friend drove himself to the hospital last Thursday after feeling pains in his chest. He first went to his family Dr. who told him probably nothing to worry about. fortunately he didn't agree and went to the emergency room. He was admitted immediately. Testing found one of his coratic arteries 50% blocked and the other 99% blocked. He was just a few hours away from a heart attack. He had open heart surgery today and Dr.s say it went well and he should be 100% in a few months. Did I mention that he is only 44 and in very good shape?

On a happier note, I was visiting a friend Saturday and she was showing me the dress her daughter was wearing to Prom. The dress was originally made for my friend to wear to her Prom in 1981 by her mother. Her daughter decided that she wanted to wear the same dress. Of course, they made some alterations to bring it up to date. But, I think it is the most wonderful thing in the world for her daughter to want to wear it and it is absolutely gorgeous. Lavendar silk with a lavendar floral chiffon overlay.

Easter's Almost Here!

Just a few more days and Peter Cottontail will be hopping down the bunny trail! I love Easter! Last night I made easter eggs following the instructions athttp://marthastewartliving.com for the silk tie dyed eggs. This was so easy and they turned out great! Make sure you use silk ties, not polyester. I had one poly tie and the color did not transfer. Do you see the dice and playing cards on one of the eggs? Thats my favorite.

I also made some beet pickled eggs. This is a family tradition that has passed down at least 4 generations that I know of. Really easy just boil your eggs, pour off the juice in a quart of pickled beets, and heat to almost boiling. I add a little more vinegar and sugar. Pour the whole thing over the eggs in a jar. Wait at least 3-4 days before you eat these. I keep mine refrigerated, my dad doesn't, so whatever works for you.

I also make some Paska. This is Ukranian Easter Bread. I got this recipe from a wonderful blog called louvella at home. She has some beautiful pictures of hers. I did not ice mine, but they look better if they are. I got rave reviews from my family and co workers for this. It takes a little time, but almost everything is mixed in a blender!

I also made my nephews and Dad some decorated jars of candy. Starburst for the nephews and Sugar free candy for my diabetic Dad. I am all done except for the cooking of the meal on Easter Sunday. We are having Spiral sliced glazed ham, potato salad, baked beans, deviled eggs, broccoli casserole, macaroni and cheese, pickled beets, orange jello salad, strawberry shortcake and lemon pie! YUM!!!!

Gremlins!

My mother in law gave me this craft magazine along with many others when I first got married in 1980. At the time I wasn't very interested in the crafts in it so I put it away. Now 27 years later, I found them in the attic and LOVE some of the crafts in them.

Some of the fashions are hilarious! But I just loved some of the ads for crafts that you could send off for. I wish I could come across the patterns for them.

I decided to make what they called elves. I think they look more like gremlins. Now in 1967 they did not put full size patterns in the book. You were to take graph paper with 1 block equaling 1" and draw the pattern. Sorry! I am not that artistic. Thanks to modern technology I just stuck it on the copier and enlarged the pattern to the size I wanted. Not everything in the good old days was good!

Mine turned out a little different than the picture in the magazine. "Yngwie" has named them. The green one is "Les" and the purple one is "Paul" I like the green one best, he likes the purple one. Either way I think They turned out really cute.

I also made a skirt out of the same fabric that the green gremlin is make from and two more "wee bunnies". I decided that my neice and mother in law needed one too!

Speaking of my neice, she is coming down week after next so I can teach her to sew! She is 16 and want to learn to sew some purses and totes that she can sell to make money to help pay her car insurance and gas.

I hope everyone had a great week-end!

Bunnies and more Bunnies

Good Morning Everyone!

Thanks for your kind comments! It is so exciting to see that someone actually read your blog.

As promised here are my pictures of my "Wee Bunnies" The yellow one has wonky ears and I was getting ready to rip them out and redo when "Yngwie" (DS age 15) came by and said "Hey I like the yellow one best, he has cool ears" I told him I was going to redo the ears and he says" Don't! everybunny isn't perfect" and then went giggling away pleased with his joke. So I left them.


They are sitting in blue and white china bowls I got at the Rescue Mission thrift shop. The post cards are adorable. I got those at a local antique store. They are from 1915 and 1917. I love the writing on the back. Instead of a city, she just wrote "local" how cool is that.


These bunnies are going to live with my Grandmother and Sister, They are all packaged up and ready for Easter.

The next photo is for Bitter Betty who asked me to post a photo of a blouse I made from a vintage pattern. I forgot to check the pattern number before I started my blog so I will have to get back to you on that!


The fabric was thrifted from the Rescue Mission as well. 2 1/2 yards for $1.00. It is a very thin cotton with green and orange follage and little orange deer. I thought it was so cute! I still have to hem the sleeves and bottom.

Hope everyone has a wonderful day!

Oh and Lindat, I got the cake stand at TJ Max for a whopping $9.99 they had two different sizes, one a little bigger than this, I think I may go back and get it.

And Rebecca, yes! The frogs are peepers! I get so excited when they return each year. The windows are flung open so I can hear them. Such a welcome sound of springs arrival.

Great Week-end!

What a beautiful week-end this was! The weather could not have been better. Just a taste of May in March. I made some cupcakes this weekend for my son and his friends. They were so good and pretty I almost didn't want to eat them!

I worked out in my yard some Saturday and planted some pansies. They are one of my most favorite flowers because they have such beautiful colors. I love the purple the most. (Even though it looks kind of blue in this pic).

I also spread some new mulch around my pond. The spring residents of the pond have moved in and are making quite a noise with their annual mating calls. I counted 15 frogs in my small pond Saturday night. I sat out on my porch for a good hours sipping my coffee and listening to the sounds of the frogs. I am always so thrilled to hear them in the spring, it can lull me to sleep in a minute.

I also made a couple of "Wee Bunnies" from the pattern at the "Wee Wonderfuls" website. I am putting them in my grandmothers and sister's Easter Baskets. I made each of them a necklace with some broken beads that my grandmother gave me. I hope to get a picture of them tonight and I will post them tomorrow.

I made this purse this week. All in all it turned out pretty good. I will get a picture of mine ASAP. The only trouble I have with it was that it was so hard to turn. I use a pretty stiff interfacing so I know it will be somewhat hard, but I guess I didn't leave a large enough hole. I really like the hat, but haven't made it yet. I still have to make my neice a purse and dog like I made my sister, for her birthday and my twin nephews have requested the same dog made out of camoflage.

I had planned to make some shorts this week-end but I was at a thrift store today and they had their shorts on sale for $1.00! I bought 5 pair, two of them were Lands End, two were Levi's and one Jones of NY. Looked like they had never been worn. I love a great deal!

This week-end I plan to attend a workshop on open hearth cookery. It is part of a "Could You have survived" series at a historical park in our area. I am really looking forward to that!

Ready for the weekend!

This has been such a busy week. DH finally finished the stain glass door on our cabinets and it has been installed and looks great.

I am hosting our book blub meeting tonight! Our book for discussion is "The Tipping Point" It is a non-fiction book about what makes a product or fad "tip" for example, what made Sesame Street a great and lasting TV show as opposed to other childrens shows that didn't make it. It was very interesting but redundant. Our next book is "Fair and Tender Ladies" by Lee Smith. I have already read this book and it is fantastic! I highly reccomend this book.

Our weather has turned cold and rainy so I probably will stay indoors most of the week-end. Maybe I will get some sewing done.

Good Morning!! I have been a little under the weather, but feel much better today. I am so ready for the weekend. "Yngwie" our Dear Son who is 15 years old (Yngwie is our nickname for him because he loves Yngwie Malmsteens music), has an Odyssey of the Mind competition tomorrow, we both will be glad when this is over.

I thought I would give you a glimpse of a corner of my home. My husband made the bookcase several years ago. The top shelf holds some of my green depression glass and some jadeite that belonged to my great aunt. The next shelf down is my great grandmother water pitcher, some more Jadite, and an authentic 1889 White House Cookbook. The third shelf is more jadetite, a set of Ken-L-Ration dog & cat salt and pepper shakers, and the plate is the one my great grandmoter always ate from and I love Mr. Peanut collectibles. Bottom shelf is some Longaberger baskets with some recipe booklets from the early 1920's and a home-ec book from the 1940's.

Weather is supposed to be good through Saturday so I am getting some more onions in the ground and some pansies planted tomorrow. Hope you all have a great week-end.

Bunnies and Cookies

Good Morning!

This week end was pretty busy, but I was able to get some crafting done. I made the above "Bunny Garland" using a free pattern I picked up at Hancock's. I used blue and white toile so they would match my kitchen. It was a fun and quick project!

I Love Easter! I love that it comes in spring, I love the pretty pastel colors of Easter candy, I love lillies, the Easter Bunny, the words "new Easter dress", just everything about it in general! I guess that is what prompted me to make the Easter M & M cookies in the top picture. These are so good!

And one of the most exciting parts of this weekend was that my DH tilled the garden for me! This is a huge deal because he hates to garden! But he did it and now it's all ready for planting.

Thinking about "trash"

On my way to work this morning, I started noticing what people had sitting by the curb for the trash collectors to pick up. Let me state that I drive through one of the most impoverished parts of town. There were piles of clothing, broken furniture, toys, shoes, etc... and it made me start thinking.

My great uncle who was born in 1911, was the youngest of 14 children. His father died when he was 5. To say they were poor would be an understatement. They took turns going to school in the winter because they would share shoes, there were only 3 pair. He remembers many mornings waking up and shaking the snow off his covers. He only went to school until he was in the third grade when he took a job at a saw mill. Clothes were taken up, let out, done over until they were just rags. They ate whatever they grew or killed, and then they ate in shifts because there was not enough plates or utensils to go around.

I said all of that to say this, if his family were to find all the stuff that people throw out now they would have thought they had become millionaires. We have become such a throw away society. No one fixes anything anymore. No one does over clothing so that it is wearable again. I really don't know where I am going with this post. I am as guilty as anyone for not making do with what I have and throwing away items that can be fixed. I guess I was just thinking about what a difference the word "poor" has become over the last few decades.

Just a random thought for a Friday!

Spring Fever

I am so glad that February is over. I shouldn't be wishing my life away, but I really do not like winter.

Day before yesterday I noticed a sign at the seed store that said they had onions and peas. I was elated! Yay! That means planting season! So yesterday I stopped in and got some red onions. I wanted Georgia Sweet too, but they won't be in until next week. I went home after work and pulled out my old faithful Honda mini tiller, put in some gas and oil and fired her up! She is so reliable, always starts for me, but my husband has a hard time getting her started. LOL I tilled just enough room to plant about 30 red onions. It felt so good to get my hands dirty again. The smell of freshly turned earth is on my top ten list of favorite smells.

The top picture is the purse and stuffed dog that I made for my sister for her birthday. I felt a little silly about giving her the dog, she was 41 years old after all, but she says it was her favorite gift and it rides around with her in her car. Now my niece wants the exact same thing for her birthday and I am glad because both were fun to make!

Thanks for the nice comments on my blog! I am just a beginner, so bear with me while I figure blogland out!