So, What Did You Do Today???

The January 6 hearings, covid variants, Supreme Court decisions, the horrors in Ukraine, a train derailment, a divided country . . .  As old timers used to say, the world is going to hell in a handcart. I’m popping in today to tell you about something purely happy and positive that I did this afternoon.

I attended a birthday party luncheon for my friend Kathy’s mom who will soon be turning 100!!! Yes, this is what one hundred looks like. . .  absolutely beautiful. For my part, I took photos at the party. All of her many card playing friends were there; she goes to the council on aging for weekly card games. Her many long time bowling buddies were there; she gave up actually bowling a few years ago, but she still goes to keep the scores. She is amazing!

Kathy had prepared a brochure about her mom’s life. It included a list of interesting items from the year 1922:

     - Warren G. Harding was President.

     - The Lincoln Memorial was dedicated.

     -  A movie ticket cost 25 cents, a loaf of bread cost 10 cents, and a gallon of gas cost 25 cents!

     

There was a lovely write up about her life including the celebration in 2020 to mark seventy-five years of marriage. Kathy’s dad has since that time gone home to God.

     

It was a positively wonderful time. :-)

Now, I haven’t received as yet any help identifying the purple plant shown in my last post, but perhaps you might be able to help identify this rather large, blue crested waterfowl that has recently appeared in my neighborhood. 

He or she is not menacing but rather appears quite content, cheerful, and is obviously an admirer of my gardens. She, I think it is female, floats around all day in my neighbor’s pool. My only hope is that he or she stays on that side of the fence as I have seen Emma’s reaction to squirrels, chipmunks, and bunnies and I fear an encounter with this giant bird would not go well. 

Keep smiling and have a wonderful week.

Monday Morning Musings

 

On Saturday and Sunday, the temperature hit 90, so I didn’t post a “what’s blooming in my garden this week.” It was hot, but we cannot complain as the western part of our country has had a period of record high temperatures. Here are a few spots of color. 

The large white pot of petunias came from the clearance section of Lowes and was half price. I’ve said it before and it bears repeating. Go on a Tuesday, pass by the plants up front, and head straight to the clearance racks down back. The other day I purchased two large pots of petunias and a hibiscus plant. It is hit or miss. The petunias were leggy, but I broke them back, added fertilizer,  and look at them know. Also, even if a perennial has gone by, pick it up and plant it now; it will reward you next spring.

Does anyone know what this purple plant is? I’m not sure where I got this plant last year, but it is doing very well along the side of my garage. 

Now, less you think this thrifty gardener only shops the clearance rack at Lowe’s, rest assured that I also shop at regular garden centers, too. BUT, I am officially finished buying plants for this season; seriously, I am. :-)

When I take Emma to be groomed, I usually have about ninety minutes to fill: time to do quick errands in that area and usually to pop in to the thrift shop at St. Colettas to look for vintage wooden frames for my cross stitch pieces. There weren’t any frames this time, but I did pick up this small, silver plated bowl ($3) to display small cross stitch pillows. 

In the front is my latest finish . . . Uncle Sam with a Sunflower. It’s a pattern from Brenda Gervais’ Red, White, and Bloom booklet. My plan is to concentrate on patriotic pieces throughout July. 

Speaking of patriotic, isn’t this guy adorable! I love seeing how he is decorated each time I get a haircut.

Finally, a wildlife update: the critters under my enclosed deck are gone, but Emma is still on a leash in the backyard as there are many baby bunnies hiding under bushes and in my gardens. Tess, Tom, and their toddlers have not been in my yard lately. The baby turkeys can no longer fit through my chain link fence. They are, however, frequent visitors to my neighbor’s all-day buffet eating all the seeds which have spilled from his bird feeder. 

As always, the double lines indicate that I am going to present something which you may or may not wish to read. If not, do have a wonderful week.

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On Friday June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court overturned the 1973 landmark Roe vs Wade decision that guaranteed the constitutional right of women in this country to have a legal abortion. On Saturday, I read a powerful opinion piece on this subject on a blog which I follow. Wherever you stand on the issue, I would encourage you to read this articulate discourse on the subject; click on The Way I See It. . . .

The Mavericks and a Patriotic Cross Stitch FFO

I, who have been super extra careful all through the ongoing pandemic, attended a concert on Friday night. It was probably a crazy thing to do, but boy was it fun! Last week when walking with Emma, we stopped to visit with friends sitting out in their yard. They mentioned that they were going to see The Mavericks in Plymouth. I remarked that I had always wanted to see them in concert. They suggested that I might still be able to get a ticket and then go with them which I did. It was an amazing concert. My seat was in the mezzanine section for which I was grateful as people on the main floor were standing jam-packed together in front of the stage.

The Mavericks played for a rockin’ two hours with only a five minute break. Don’t even think twice about attending one of their concerts; if they are touring near you, go see them. 

I also liked sitting in the mezzanine because I could watch the other show . . . all of the people dancing in the aisles. :-() A good time was had by all!!!

I finally finished stitching a piece for the barn display; it’s a section from Priscilla Blain’s Stitching with the Housewives piece “Long May She Wave.” The pattern is larger with a big American flag, more flowers, and vine borders, but I wanted to keep it to scale for the barn. My thought was to stitch a truck for each season, but this truck took a l-o-n-g time to stitch. Maybe in the fall, I’ll just stitch a scarecrow and some pumpkins. I glued a magnet to the barn and the stitched pieces will each have a washer, so they may be easily switched out. The barn display board was from 141 Designs on Etsy.

So, how are the wildlife problems going? Don’t ask. I’m regrettably not spending time in my large garden for fear of encountering bunnies, chipmunks, turkeys, and who knows what. I cannot even let Emma off leash for fear she will get one of the baby bunnies which seem to be hiding everywhere. Saturday night took the cake. It was 7:15pm when I decided to take Emma for a short walk. I live on a long, busy street. We were about half way down the street when what to my wondering eyes should appear but a deer! It was like a scene from a movie as the deer was walking straight down the yellow line in the road. Fortunately,  I spotted it before Emma did and made a quick turn around avoiding any potential chaos that might ensue. A car then came along and the deer ran into someone’s backyard. 

Have a safe, happy week and I hope all who are dealing with extreme heat in other parts of the country get some relief soon.

I’m off now to purchase a dryer. You may recall that last month I needed a new washing machine. They were both vintage machines. My theory is that the dryer saw the washer being hauled away and decided that it, too, had worked long enough. ;-) 

Book Talk and No Peace in the Kingdom

Book Talk

At the last meeting of the Crosstown Quilters Guild, Jeanne Y. approached me to recommend a novel that she thought I would enjoy, and now I am in turn recommending it to you as well. It’s The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni. The protagonist Sam had been born with an unusual physical feature, red eyes due to ocular albinism. His devoted mother a woman of great faith and determination believes and tells Sam that he will lead an extraordinary life. His equally loving, supportive father tries to prepare his son for the harsh realities and challenges he will face. I have never read anything prior to this by this author who has written many books in the suspense/ mystery genre; this is a different type of book from him. I will tell you that I could hardly put it down and that it is indeed well worth your time.

Before starting The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell, I had read The Long Flight by A. L. Hlad. The novel tells of a young crop duster, Ollie from Maine, who after his parents’ sudden deaths and the loss of the family farm makes his way to England in hopes of joining Britain’s air force. (This is prior to the entry of the US into the war.) Ollie meets a young woman and her grandfather who are raising homing pigeons for the war effort.) I had only been vaguely aware that homing pigeons had been used during the war. This is a good piece of historical fiction. As Queen Elizabeth’s seventieth year on the throne is being celebrated, it is interesting to read in this novel about the Blitz. I couldn’t help thinking of the people of the Ukraine who are today facing the same challenges of bombing raids, devastation, and sheltering in underground stations while trying to keep their homeland free from invaders.

 No Peace in the Kingdom

Well, the turkey situation has improved. Tess and Tom have eight babies!!! The other day Tess was in my neighbor’s yard with one poult while the other seven tiny balls of fluff and feathers were in my yard. Six were scurrying in a single line back and forth along my fence while Tess called to them. Another baby was ignoring his or her mother’s call and was all over my yard exploring; he/she will definitely be Tess and Tom’s problem child. ;-) Eventually, they all made their way back into the woods. 

So, now before opening the sunporch door for Emma, I have to scan the yard for: squirrels, turkeys, bunnies, chipmunks, etc. 

So, are things back to normal? Not by a long shot. . . Wednesday I was once again heading out to do some gardening. I keep my bucket of gardening tools, a hoe, and other things in the enclosed area under my sunporch. I opened the door and froze; there was dirt covering a good length of my long handled hoe and a large mound of dirt in the corner so I closed that door as quick as I could.  There is a small hole outside the door, so it cannot be a large critter. Someone is coming to take a look on Tuesday morning, and trust me, in the meantime, I’m not going anywhere near that area.  

We usually have a hawk or two in the woods who keep down the number of unwanted critters. This year no hawks, only crows which are no help at all.   :-(

Let’s leave this on a happier note. Here’s a look at some color in my garden. This year I chose different plants for each pair of hanging pots: petunias, fuchsias, mandevillas, and impatiens.

So what have you been reading that you would might like to share? I know that for some reason Blogger makes it difficult, if not impossible, to leave comments, so feel free to email titles to  jesmith28 “at” comcast.net

If I receive any suggestions, I will be sure to list them in a future post.

Have an awesome week and stay safe.

Turkey Troubles and Two Finishes

Let’s start with the finishes. This is “Strawberry Farm” from Priscilla Blain of the Real Housewives of Cross Stitch on Etsy. I have it mounted on a strawberry board purchased from Scarlet Sky Designs also on Etsy. As with the barn from 141 Designs shown in a previous post, the separate plywood pieces must be painted and then glued together using wood glue. 

A week or two ago I finished this patchwork and wool applique piece from Buttermilk Basin.

Now for a turkey update . . . Last night standing on my porch, I looked Tess Turkey in the eye and attempted to telepathically convey terms of our agreement. She would be able to remain in my big garden with her babies. Emma would only be allowed out on a leash in the backyard, and we would stay away from that garden. I would promise not to mulch, fertilize, plant, weed, or otherwise disturb the peace in said garden. In exchange, I would be allowed to work in my small garden and to water the hanging baskets. At no point would Tess be permitted to again fly toward me in a menacing manner when I merely walked down the porch steps into my yard. Tom Turkey would also have to agree to abide by this rule. Failure to comply with this simple request would render our agreement immediately null and void.

Though I am sure that you would agree that this arrangement on my part was extremely generous, it would appear that Tess Turkey did not concur. When I cautiously ventured out this morning, Tess and her little ones were gone. Phew! Perhaps she decided the woods would indeed be a better location with fewer restrictions. I’ll keep you posted. 

Did you watch the festivities and ceremonies marking Queen Elizabeth’s 70th year on the throne? No one does pomp and pageantry quite as well as the British do. Long live the Queen!!! (Mind you, I wouldn’t won’t a monarchy in this country, but I sure do enjoy watching theirs. 

Stay safe and have a berry good week. :-()

Trouble in My Garden This Week

 The knockout roses are blooming, and I have spread mulch in my small garden.

In my last post, I mentioned the stand of blue irises; here it is. It is sad that irises don’t bloom for an extended period.

I also talked about some of the vintage plants in my gardens. Here is one more. My dad’s eldest sister my Aunt Mildred taught fifth grade in the Boston Public Schools. When she retired, she was given this tiny rose bush from a friend. Since my aunt was born in 1903, I’m figuring she must have retired in the late 1960s or early 1970s making this rose at least fifty years old. This mighty, teenie tiny rose still blooms each spring. It was one of the plants I brought home when I sold their house. I’ve moved it twice, and a few times I was sure that it was dead, but it always comes back. :-)

So, my plan this morning was to come home after church, change into my gardening togs, and get busy on my big garden. Yes, indeed, that was the plan when I stepped out all ready to work until I spotted this.

“Hey!” I politely requested, “Get out of my garden; I have work to do.” She didn’t move. While I didn’t mind her admiring my garden, I didn’t want her staying there. I clapped my hands and waved my arms to no avail. Okay, I thought, I’ll get the hose. That didn’t work either. The last thing I wanted was for her to make a nest in my garden especially since the woods are lush and green just beyond my property. It was time to get Emma. I took Emma out on a leash to see if a barking schnauzer would encourage her to vacate the premises. There was a lot of screeching and flapping of wings and barking and Tess Turkey temporarily flew up into a tree. Temporarily, because it was then that I noticed a poult scurrying under a plant. That explained what was going on. How many poults there are I don’t know. They were not there yesterday as I was weeding in that same garden. My neighbor said she saw Tom and Tess Turkey with their babies in my front yard earlier this morning. Lucky Me. 

If they don’t move the little ones, we will have to establish some ground rules. They can stay in my big garden for awhile, but Tess (Isn’t that a cute name for a turkey?) didn’t want me anywhere near MY gardens. She charged when I was about fifteen feet from MY garden beds. I couldn’t even water my hanging plants. (I had planned to buy more mulch tomorrow, but I guess that will have to wait.) It will also mean that Emma will have to be on a leash in HER backyard. I looked it up and found out that baby turkeys are not able to fly for four weeks!!! Cross your fingers that Tom and Tess move the little ones. If they could stroll in my front yard, they could definitely stroll right down into the woods. Good grief!!! Heavens to Betsy!!! The Scottish poet Bobby Burns wrote, “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” I wonder if he was referring to turkeys and gardeners, too? :-)

Stay safe and keep smiling.