~*Ladybug Fun*~

Hello Dear Friends! We went to an estate auction (ALWAYS FUN!) last weekend. There really wasn't a lot there that I was interested in, but I did pick up this fun sprinkler. I've seen these in stores & always thought they were charming.... didn't want to spend the money on them though because they weren't really in the budget. I won the bid at the auction for much less than buying new.... great time to pick one up! This one makes me think of my Mom. My step-Dad has always called her June Bug ~ because her name is June, of course. Mom has never minded the nickname. However, I don't think she really likes june bugs. Mom has always had a crafty hand & on many of her completed works, has added a little, red Ladybug with black spots along with her signature or initials. Cute huh? (so is my Mom)

Here is the new sprinkler in action.... in the garden Mom designed for us in the front of our house.... it swirls & twirls!



Now, I'm thinking a chairpad or two..... or maybe a small round pinkeep set inside a vintage canning jar lid..... what are you thinking? :)




Have a day full of smiles!

:) Betty

~*Time to Share Some Fun*~

Hello Friends! I would like to share some of my exciting adventures from this past weekend with you!

My sister-in-law, Robin, invited me to go with her to visit Toad Hollow Daylily Farm this past Saturday morning. It is not far from where we both live & was a beautiful morning to attend. Not only was it the annual Daylily Tour... but the weather was nice. It had rained the night before & was still sprinkling some... making the temperature manageable & the sun so it wasn't beating down on us. The gardens are just jaw~dropping STUNNING. If you are ever in the area, you should stop by! If it is too far for you to travel to... stop by the website to visit the slide show. You will see what I mean about jaw~dropping!

Besides the beautiful gardens, we spotted many unique, handmade pots. We were given a brief explanation of how they were made & wanted to learn more about them. .....more on the pots to follow..... gotta tell you about the rest of the day first.

After the tour, we headed off to a local estate auction. There we met up with her boyfriend & examined all the treasures to be won. Oh..... I do just LOVE those estate auctions! I have been trying to budget myself lately and not spend too much extra money.... so I was tickled PINK to fill up my car for only $28 ~ granted that is full of 'treasures' not gasoline.... but I did get to spend the whole day entertained with family and fun! My winnings consisted of a 5x7 wool, area rug (it is free of stains & doesn't smell) that will find a home in my future studio; a vintage, wood bowl & a couple old pottery bowls; a vintage floor lamp (another treasure for my studio once the dear hubby rewires it for me); and my PRIZE of the day...... a wooden firkin! I have been wanting a firkin for some time now ~ not for any particular reason.... just wanted one. It is missing the lid, but that made no difference to me.......



The firkin is about 9 inches tall, plus the handle, and 10 inches wide at its base. I thought it would be a good spot for some rolled up wool or dried flowers..... when I find the time to do it.

After I got home for the day..... I began my research on those handmade pots. I discovered the name ~ Hypertufa. This apparently isn't a 'new' process. Hypertufa troughs have been made for a great many years.... originating in the Orient, but becoming very popular in the 1920's on English farms. During my research, I found many recipes. Sunday, Tony took me to the home store to get the items needed. (he is a sweetie!)

Sunday afternoon, Robin came over so we could make some mud pies.....




We discovered that this is a learning process..... and weren't 100% happy with our results, but it was fun & we do want to try it again. Here is what the pots looks like while drying.....



I don't have a picture yet of how they look now.... but will plant at least one up to show later.

Well, that about covers the weekend...... until next time.... many smiles to you,

Betty

~* The Apple Tree*~

The Apple Tree

Way up high in the apple tree,
Four little apples hung over me.
I shook the tree as hard as I could.
Down came the apples and mmmmm!
Were they good!

Way up high in the apple tree,
Three little apples hung over me.
I shook the tree as hard as I could.
Down came the apples and mmmmm!
Were they good!

Way up high in the apple tree,
Two little apples hung over me.
I shook the tree as hard as I could.
Down came the apples and mmmmm!
Were they good!

Way up high in the apple tree,
One little apple hung over me.
I shook the tree as hard as I could.
Down came the apple and mmmmm!
Was it good!



Trinity sang this song a few years ago during a preschool 'concert'. I always thought it was so cute! Maybe if we sing to our tree..... it will be saved. Some plants seem to like the special attention. A few weeks ago, a storm broke one of the two large branches on the tree. This sickly little tree is FULL of apples! Tony is trying to save the apples...... he is really wanting some pie. He propped up the broken limb with some other broken branches from the yard. He also noticed that the other big branch of the tree is starting to split. The tree was already on the not-so-good list last year...... the bird house has been tacked on to a limb that was cut years ago.

See all the apples!



Walking around the yard tonight, I spied some other delights!

Would anyone like to stop by to make some grape jelly? We will have PLENTY of grapes for that!!



This was a big surprise! I didn't see this tree last year.... or it didn't produce any fruit. After taking the photo.... I stained my fingers & had a tasty little treat!



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Crafting update...... I've been working FUN (not hard... because it is too much fun!) on some needle punches. One is listed now on Ebay.... another should be listed tomorrow evening.... but mostly, The Primitive Gathering and Lemon Poppy Seeds will be updating on the 1st ~ I plan to have many new works to offer! There MIGHT even be a new needle punch pattern offering. ;)

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Thank you for your continued prayers for my Dad. His biopsy results came back. It is not looking good.... but the doctors are doing whatever they can to make him well and ease his pain. He will be having surgery in the next week or so (the date has not been set). My Dad is so very brave & strong willed. It goes without saying.... I love him dearly. I know though.... it is very important to share the words with those that mean the most to us.

My warm smiles to each of you..... Betty

~*Sunny Father's Day Sunday!*~

Hello Friends & Folks! I do hope you are all enjoying Father's Day in the sun with your beloved families. My Dad didn't have surgery last week as planned. The hospital had to reschedule for more life~threatening patients. Dad is feeling better but getting short of breath very quickly. Thank you for all your thoughts & prayers on his behalf. It is very much appreciated.

For Tony.... 'cause he is such a GREAT Dad.... I made him some chocolate chip cookies & have a chicken bake in the oven now. He would much rather have a home-baked meal than eat out.

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I thought I would show some recent garden photos. Lately I have been so very busy that the crabgrass has been sneaking in everywhere.... so please ignore that if you see it ;) ....

The previous owner made two planters in the backyard from old feed bins..... it was easier to keep them planted than remove them.



They really are easy to plant up. Not much bending & kneeling involved.



Trinity is excited about the growing lily pads.... and says he can't wait to see a frog hop across the pond.



Tony has the porch almost finished on the lil' house. He built me a small bed in the front of it. There is a climbing rose bush, with yellow blooms, on each side. I can't wait to see them grow up the posts! Between the roses are my herbs and the pepper plants my Dad gave us last weekend. I'll post more photos as they continue to grow.... hopefully grow anyway.



Every 'olde tyme' garden MUST have a flowerBED! I started the Morning Glories by seed. They should be blooming soon.



The landscaping in the front of the house is doing very well. I'm HAPPY to have almost all the crabgrass weeded out of this garden.... and that nothing has died.



The daisies are lookin' really great!



I started hooking a rug today too. It feels GREAT to be doing something creative. I'll keep ya posted on it.

Many smiles,

Betty

~*A Very Happy Mother's Day to All of You!*~

Hello my friends! I do hope you have all enjoyed a beautiful day full of family & friends... and that all my 'Mom' friends were SPOILED! Today felt extra-special for me. We got together with Tony's side of the family for a delicious lunch at a local lake where my in-laws have been camping all week. So my Mother-in-law could enjoy the day ~ we all did the cooking. One sister-in-law made pork loins, another made baked beans, and yet another made pasta salad. I made my usual chopped salad (An easy salad compliments of my Aunt's instruction.... just chop up a bag of salad along with a few other veggies ~ cucumber, tomatoes, broccoli, etc. ~ very fine. Because it is all minced so small, the salad takes on a new flavor. This is a favorite of my Father-in-law.) I also made FROM SCRATCH, a Texas Sheet Cake. Now, remember, I'm not much of a cook..... but this did taste pretty yummy. We all ate & chatted & enjoyed this beautiful Spring afternoon.

When we arrived home, it was time for mowing. In fact, as I type this post it is 9pm & my hubby is back on the mower trying to get a little bit more done before it is too dark. He took a break tonight to fix supper and clean the kitchen! He also gave me a beautiful card & a solar lantern for my flower garden (or gardens... maybe I will move it around from bed to bed). See, I was spoiled! (Oh, he knew I would post about this on my blog. He thought I would use this pic to bribe him. He also told me to say that I am too controlling in my kitchen. I was having a tough time letting him do the dishes.... because it all had to be done my way. LOL)



Trinity helped spoil Mom today too. He drew me a fine piece of artwork. It showed him playing soccer with Chuck E. Cheese. He also helped me mow.... walking along helping push the mower.

While supper was being made, I snapped a few other pics from our yard. Here is a photo of our fish pond.... still in progress. Trinity has been good about feeding his fish on a daily basis. My sweet sister-in-law, Robin, gifted me the water plants. There are iris and lily pads. The lilies are still trying to work themselves to the top of the water. I'm hoping to do a little more work on this garden tomorrow.



We have wild poppies all over the yard. I haven't let Tony mow any of them down & am being rewarded now for my persistence with that. They are blooming beautifully!



Happy Mother's Day... with lots of warm smiles,
Betty

~*Another Year Older*~

Yes, it is true. Sunday was my birthday and I am now another year older.... or as a dear friend said to me ~ another year wiser, happier, and just getting better all the time! We had the big birthday bash here on Sunday with much of our wonderful family. We ate & played all day! I was given many generous gifts.... but the biggest was just having them all here to share time with. The weather was tremendous & made the day even better! Tony and I had spent Saturday dressing up the yard & cleaning house.... even though we were beat by the end of the night, it was all so worth while.

Sunday events ~ We started the day off by gardening. My parents, sister, and cute-as-a-button niece showed up with a truck load of plants. We filled up that vacant spot in the front of our home! Yippee!!! It is looking fabulous now! We even have a Yoshino Flowering Cherry Tree! My Mom works wondering in the garden. She gave us many plants & put them all in the right spot. (My job yesterday was to put down mulch.... I quickly discovered I didn't buy enough. Off to market to get more.) Gardening left us pretty dirty for the rest of the day ~ nothing like having dirt under your finger nails, right? It didn't matter though..... we still had fun!



We had BBQ hamburgers, dogs, and chicken.... along with a wonderful selection of salads. (Have I ever mentioned that my sisters-in-laws and mother-in-law are the best cooks on the prairie?) We had both ice cream cake and strawberry shortcake to end the meal.

Trinity helped me open presents. My family was very generous. (Thank you all of you!)



Then, it was time for go karts!



I'm not sure how many showed up... but the sheriff stopped by. Oops... did we do something wrong? No, he only stopped because he and his son use to race karts. He might even bring him by sometime to race with the guys.

Like I said.... it was a FUN day!

Now, if I can get the dirt out from under my nails...... I WILL be cross stitching this week!

Smiles to you,
Betty

~*Happy May Day*~

Hello my friends! Happy May Day to you! Oh, I wish I could hang a basket of flowers on your door. One of my fondest childhood memories is May Day. I remember visiting Grandma with my cousin. She would help us make little paper cones & let us pick flowers from the yard to fill them. We then would deliver them to all her neighbors.... hang them on the door knob, ring the bell, and run to hide. Now, I have to be totally honest... I'm not sure what was the most fun ~ the crafting, picking flowers, or hiding after we rang the bell (it was fun to be a sneaky pest). Looking back now, it was all enjoyable.... and the memory is very dear to my heart.

Today is a very windy May Day & we are expecting strong storms tonight. The rain will help my garden grow though.... and maybe get me back in the house to do some stitching! Here are more photographs of my garden....

This is an olde metal box I found in the back pasture. I thought it would be nice to add a splash of color to the corner of our barn. These daisies are so cheerful!



Here is a closer picture of the flowers planted in that olde kitchen sink...



My patch of Sweet Annie is doing wonderful. I'm so proud of this! Last year I purchased a packet of seeds off Ebay & they have flourished! The larger plants are ones that came back from last year & the tiny ones are the ones that have over-seeded. It looks like I will have plenty to dry this year for decorating & crafting.



It is hard to believe that this tiny little thing (only about 1" tall right now) will grow to 10 to 12 feet! This is one of Trinity's massive sunflowers planted along the edge of the barn. After they bloom, they make wonderful bird seed.



I just love Zinnia! They are so super easy to start from seed too!



And lastly..... my favorite thing to say right now "I'm a Backyard gardener!" Here is the front of our home. The tiger lilies have been dug out, stumps from the Rose of Sharon and Yew bushes have been PULLED out, it has been tilled several times, and now is lined with rock (very back-breaking work). My Mom is the Front Yard gardener. She will be here Sunday to help get this all planted up. We are having a big birthday to-do that day.... with planting, go kart racing, and BBQ! It is sure to be a super day!



I've had fun sharing the garden progress with you & will be showing more after Sunday. Again, my friends, Happy May Day!

Have a beautiful, sunny day!

Smiles to you all!

Betty

~*Look At my MUD!*~

Well, it rained all day yesterday and is predicted to rain again this evening.... it is misty right now ~ but I wanted to show you some of my garden FUN! I have PLAYED in the yard quite a bit over the past couple of weeks... and thought you might like to see.

Now, before I show you, let me just say... this is PLAYING & FUN! My Mom will be coming for a visit on May 4th to help me with the front of the house & help me keep it more 'professional' LOL. Here is what it looks like today. Nice MUD, huh?



Looking from our front door... (I didn't do anything here... this is all natural)...



Now for some FUN!

Remember, we live in the country. The previous owner used what she had as planters. We have a couple of feed bins and even the kitchen sink! I moved the sink to the pump house and put it atop a couple old cream cans we had. It sits next to the fish pond & will make a cozy spot. The shovel hanging from the pump house is a garage sale find ~ the perfect size from Trinity when he wants to help Mom. The long stick we believe was used as a walking stick... we found it in the barn.



Nothing is left untouched around here when I am playing! This ol' tree is in the yard behind the lil' house (my future studio) and the pump house. It has a hole in it... so, I added a little dirt & some plants. They did good last year... so why not again this year?



Oh... and I have to tell you about this! I recently purchased this AWESOME birdhouse from Jenny of countryrustic. She does fabulous work! She is very sweet & professional. Tony built the little shelf for the house to sit on. I then had him put a bottom on it & we made it into a 'Bed and Breakfast'!



One last picture for today.... more later after things are blooming. We have many Redbuds here & they are all looking so beautiful....



Well.... I hope you have enjoyed my garden tour. There are so many other spots in the yard I want to show you... but they will have to wait for the seeds to start sprouting. For now... I'm off to stitch on those cross stitch models a little more. They are getting closer to being ready.

Many smiles to you...

Betty

~*Glorious 1st Day of Spring*~

Yes, that is my husband playing with Trinity & our nephew Eric! He got in a little play time before heading off to work. That is good for them all!

We have had a marvelous day here! The sun has been shining all day & the temperature has been warm ~ probably low 70s. The wind has picked up now, but how can I complain about that after such a lovely day?

No, I am not on the trampoline..... it just isn't my thing. I was taking a break from working on a flower bed in the front of the house to laugh, snicker, and snap a few pics. (hubby hasn't seen these yet) LOL

You may have read before how we are trying to re-landscape the front of our home. My Mom is a wonderful gardener and has planned the whole thing for us. She said she is using my birthday as an excuse to plan, buy, and hopefully come help plant. I am tickled to death with the gift! I am not a gardener & can barely keep a plant alive anywhere. She has all the details planned and promised to keep it low up-keep & easy for me. However, she has insisted that I get rid of the day lilies (or tiger lilies) that are in the front of our home between the house and the sidewalk. She said they are not the kind of flowers she prefers and don't fit her masterpiece design. Maybe you have these in your area. They really aren't awful, they are just more like wild flowers. In Kansas they grow along the highway in ditches EVERYWHERE. The couple that built our home were hard working farmers, and probably just planted them because they were readily available. They have probably been in this flower bed for over 30 years.




They are THICK (with a few iris mixed in here and there too)! It was on my To-Do list today to try my hardest to dig them out. Regretfully, I only made it about halfway.



I found that digging them JUST RIGHT was like digging sod (not that I have done a lot of that - mind you!) If I managed to get the shovel under the clump of roots & bulbs, they would almost peel out of the bed. They were then loaded up in the wheelbarrow & I hauled them to the back of the property to dump them. I'll bet they continue to grow back there too! That would be alright with me - a few orange blossoms will dress up the edge of the pasture.

So, after this first glorious day of Spring...... it is time for a hot bath & some quiet stitching time.

Please keep watching my blog for my Mom's gardening gift soon.

Smiles to you all!

Betty