The Wooded Walk

How still it is here in the woods. The trees 

Stand motionless, as if they do not dare 

To stir, lest it should break the spell. The air 

Hangs quiet as spaces in a marble frieze...  

From Solitude by Archibald Lampman

This is a great time for a little jaunt in the woods. I unexpectedly found the Trillium blooming. It has such a sweet little pink bloom.  I've found them before on the property, but not for a while, so this was such a delight!  There are also a lot of Solomon's Seal around - graceful little plants with a tiny little drop of a flower.  My favorite tree in a tree still doing well - I wonder how long it will grow.  There was  lots of fallen limbs about, I was a little worried about one falling on my head! I knew the Sweet Shrub was in bloom, but they are so hard to find. Their little brown bloom is very difficult to see, but I looked until I found one. I think they smell like cantalope. 

Go find a wood to walk in and see what you can see and smell. I promise you won't be disappointed!

Thanks for stopping by. I hope you're having a great Friday.

Garden News

I'm so excited to show you my "new" garden. After years of trying to get grass to grow, we finally decided to go a different route. Now we're all happy, because there is a reduced area to mow, and it honestly looks soooo much better.  Here is a before picture, red dirt in all it's ugliness...

And here are a few shots of after...

I am so excited about this. My dear, sweet husband did all this by himself. I have been sick all week and wouldn't even come outside until today! The pollen has been terrible this year, and I've really suffered. But I have my beautiful garden to make it not seem so awful!  Now he's nursing a sore back, but I gladly rub ointment on it, after all he's done for me this week!

I hope you're having a great Saturday, thanks so much for stopping by!

Don't Do It...

Don't do this...

While taking this...

Or you'll get this...

Sigh. 

I've been on Spring Break all week, and have been taken down by a Pollen Attack. Determined to do something fun and creative, I tried to do a block of the Farmer's Wife Quilt. I was so excited to get my  block done, only to be horrified to realize I had a big hole staring at me. Fixable, but still, a big disappointment!  

I've been sick all week. Not able to work in my pretty garden or cook or clean or, apparently, sew.  Not that I was going to do any cooking or cleaning:)  Now here we are, Friday, and almost nothing to show for my week off. I finally got to feeling a little better yesterday, but still didn't seem to have the energy needed to accomplish, well - anything. 

I hope your week has been fun and accomplishment-loaded! Thanks for stopping by!

Rain and The Farmer's Wife

No amount of nasty weather is going to keep a quilter from her appointed rounds...namely, going to bff's house to start The Farmer's Wife quilt. One block done.  Sure hope it goes better with the other 110 blocks! This was my first try at paper piecing, and I felt like a second grader trying to learn borrowing. I made two major mistakes with the block, though it still works and I didn't have to correct it. The side pieces should be turned the other way, and I didn't have enough of the center strip fabric and had to use something different for the lighter triangles. You figure it out as you go, I guess (hope!). This is going to be a lap quilt made from some of the fabrics I used in the table runner I made last year. Lovely fall colors (my favorite!). This one is for my daughter. I will make another one for my son (whose color choices will be much less to my liking!).

The rain has moved on and sunshine is abundant today. Hope I can get rid of this allergy/cold/misery soon! I've got so much to do! 

I hope you're having a great Tuesday, thanks so much for stopping by.

Pretty Days

 Ah Spring! With it's unfolding dogwoods, and pretty pink and frothy cherries,  the emerging fresh and bright new greens, the oddly hued reds; Oh Spring! How we've longed for you!  At last here you are! The birds are celebrating with singing and twittering, and my friends, so am I!

Finally our days are warm and sunny and beautiful! This week I took my Dad on a little picnic.  Our mode of transportation was his golf cart. The paths wind through beautifully landscaped areas in the little town he lives in. I especially love the cherry trees in spring. They were in full bloom the day we had our picnic. Unfortunately they drained the lake over winter so home owners could work on their docks and such. It's interesting to see the lake bed. It's strangely shallow looking, but perhaps it's deeper than it looks.

The garden is slowly coming to life. I am finding several empty spots - plants that didn't make it through this cold winter we had. Several lilies didn't survive, which really surprises me! I know they do well in much colder climates. Sometimes I feel like I take one step forward and three step back in the garden. Sigh.

Spring Break is next week, woo-hoo! I am excited. Lots to do in the garden plus I'm starting a small lap quilt. Can't wait to drag the sewing machine out and start piecing the blocks. For the first time I am going to try the paper piecing method. The quilt I am making has 6 inch blocks and some of the blocks actually have 60 pieces. I think the only way possible to stitch it accurately is with the paper piecing method. Can't wait to try my hand at it. Below is a photo of some of the blocks from Pink Caramel on Pinterest. Each block is 6 inches. Amazing!

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/261349584599531726/

I hope you're enjoying these early days of Spring. Thanks so much for stopping by!