Garden Time

Hello! What a strange Spring we are having. We are at least 2, maybe 3 weeks behind last year.  The leaves are just emerging on the big trees around my house.  Last year they were fully flushed out.  I guess the tulips I bought were early blooming, as they are all up and beautiful, but the garden is still sleepy. Things have not put on a lot of growth due to our cold weather.  I'm a bit disappointed, I had such high hopes, and the deer have left them alone!  Still, they are pretty and I'm good at having tunnel vision:)

 I have these Virginia Bluebells all over the place.  I have had on my plan list for several years to move them all to one location, it would be so pretty to have a large area go totally blue!  Maybe this year I'll accomplish it!

 Maybe I could put this pretty iris with them!  An all blue/purple garden in early spring!

The other day there were tornadoes all around.  You might not be able to tell in this picture, but the sky was green.  Really scary.  We were ready to go into the bathroom and were so glad that we didn't need to.  

I got a little work done in the garden today. I'm so out of shape! I'm trying to play tennis a few times a week, hopefully that will help.  I'm on Spring Break, so I do a little then rest then do a little more.  Slowly I get things done.  I raked out the little pond area and tried to get rid of some undergrowth.  I'm excited about planting it.  My hostas only have little 1 inch points right now, but there is a nice Painted Fern up.  I need to do a little soil work before I plant. We are expecting rain for the next 2-3 days.  I'll be stuck inside so it looks like some good stitching weather!

I hope you have had a good Saturday! Thanks for stopping by!

Spring is About

 I love my little table outside my door.  From the comfort of my chair I can bird watch and enjoy spring blooms.  Sometimes it's a potting table, but I do wish I had a real one.  The height is not ideal and can aggravate my back. Well, what's a gardener to do?  You just have to work with it. 

Above is my "goal" area this spring/summer.  It's a tiny little water feature with absolutely no planting around it.  I made it with a cast -off galvanized tub that we used to wash our dog in years ago.  It's been in the ground for at least 10 years.  It used to have a little pump which I hope to replace this year.  It has a lovely little yellow waterlily that shades the water surface.  I think it will be a fun area to work in, but I have no plant list yet.  Some pretty hostas and ferns would be nice, and I have plenty of them. I wouldn't have to buy any. There is a lot of overgrowth around it, trees that we cut down but continue to send up shoots and honeysuckle vine galore.  That's a real problem.  I might have to get my nice strong son and SIL to dig it out.  

My three day weekend is coming to an end.  I will now be focused on Spring Break, which takes place in two weeks, yippee! Can't wait!  

I'm participating in Mosaic Monday and Outdoor Wednesday this week. I hope you have a great Sunday. Thanks for stopping by!

This makes me so happy! This is a picture of my desk at work.  One of my co-workers gave me the flower bouquet. I had confided to her that I had been feeling a little blue lately.  She is so thoughtful!.  She also gifted me with the little turtle. Isn't it adorable?  She brought it back from Grand Cayman last summer.  I just love it.  It sits on my desk and smiles at me all day long.  How can you feel blue when you work with such lovely people?

I have Friday off this week.  I'm looking forward to a nice 3 day weekend. A little garden time, a little stitching time, fun! Spring- like weather is expected, too! I've got a lot of weeds to pull, better eat my Wheaties! Hope you're having a great Thursday! Thanks for stopping by.

BREAKFAST

Pretty skies, cold and windy.  Snow flurries.  Wild and crazy around here! I'm sitting in my chair, looking out the back door at the trees swaying wildly. I have my rice sock wrapped around my neck. It's so nice and cozy warm.  Have you ever had a rice sock?  One of my co-workers made me one. You heat it in the microwave for two minutes.  Ahhh, bliss! Everyone should have a rice sock! You can mold it around your neck or knee or wrist.  Where ever you ache.  I kept finding mine around my DH's neck, so I made him one for Christmas.  We both take them to bed.  Funny! 

Getting geared up for some Spring cleaning in the garden.  I'm thinking this weekend might be good.  Our flowering trees are budding out.  Regardless of the cold, nature knows it's time!

I hope you're having a great Wednesday.  Thanks so much for stopping by!

FOR KEVIN

Hello friends.  Today I am doing a special post for my friend Kevin.  Kevin is a young man who comes to my school with his mom. He later catches a bus to his own school.  Kevin loves snow.  It is a connection between us that has made us fast friends.  That and our count-down to our next school vacation:) Kevin is so fun, he really makes my day when he comes in each morning with his warm smile and engaging personality!  So Kevin...I took these pictures just for you! Just because I know you love snow!!

KEVIN, I WISH I HAD THOUGHT TO WRITE OUR NAMES IN THE SNOW!  TOO LATE NOW, BUT I'LL REMEMBER NEXT TIME!

 I WONDER IF IT'S ACTUALLY SLEET. IT'S LITTLE PELLETS INSTEAD OF FLAKES.

 YOU CAN SEE WHERE THE SQUIRRELS WERE SITTING!

 MY HEART IS ALL FOR KEVIN:)

  I LOVE THIS SNOW DUSTED FALLEN TREE!

So there you go! A special post just for you! I loved seeing your smiling face this morning as we talked about our snowy weekend! 

Love ya!  Leslie

HELLO MARCH!

It's like it's happening right before my eyes! Spring is announcing itself. It's in the daffodils that are blooming everywhere (except my own yard! Not a one of the new ones I planted in the fall).It's in the fat buds that are dotting the trees. It's in the early morning light, more with each day that passes. I think it's even in the spring in my step that seems peppier. And, of course, in the building excitement that I feel in my every fiber! But, alas,  today it's cold and windy and I even saw a few snow flurries.  So winter is reluctant to say goodbye. It's planted its feet and is refusing to budge.  But I know it's days are numbered so I'll roll with it. I'll enjoy the last of the steel gray skies and frosty breaths. I've collected a bunch of kindling, ready for a nice fire tonight as I make the chicken pie for dinner after church tomorrow.  I've got my cross stitch to enjoy, too. It seems winter still has some delights left of its own. 

Thanks so much for stopping by, I hope you are enjoying your Saturday!

BEAUTIFUL

Mild, misty, foggy....ahhhh!  I love mornings like this. It's like a little gift. And for my last day before I return to work! Nothing much on tap for today. Church, then home.  A great ending to a some what nice week off. Thanks so much for stopping by, I hope you have a great Sunday.

SICK BUT STITCHING

Hello!  How has your day been? It's lovely here today. Nice and warm.  Unfortunately, I'm stuck inside with a bit of sickness. Luckily I have my big stitching project to keep me company. cough, cough, cough, stitch, stitch, stitch...I am enjoying this stitching project, but I'm not sure how I'll feel about it as the days and weeks ( and months) go by. I can always lay it aside and work on something else.

I'm getting itchy to get out in the garden. I have random things blooming. A spot of hyacinths are blooming in the woods from a bulb that apparently dropped unknowingly years ago.   A few daffodils blooming and some pretty little white blooms whose name escapes me just now. It's so nice to have a little bouquet of spring time in the house! Won't be long before it will be the norm!

I am finishing my Winter Break.  I can't believe I've been sick the whole time.  Drats!  Confession... I still did exactly what I had planned on doing - working on Christmas at Hawk Run Hollow while watching tons of TV. I just did it while feeling puny.

Time to get back to it! Thanks so much for stopping by!

SATURDAY HAPPENINGS

I've been looking forward to this weekend and now it's finally here! We kicked it off in a wonderful way-dinner with friends.  It was a day- late Valentine's dinner.  We threw all diets aside and enjoyed steak (for the guys) and Salmon (for us girls), humongous baked potatoes, green beans from my friend's summer garden, and salad. To finish it off we had a delicious homemade pound cake (I had a piece for breakfast, apparently I'm still throwing the diet aside:)).

I'm starting my Winter Break and will have all next week off.  Looks like we're going to have a fairly nice week weather-wise, but  I don't plan on getting out much. I am stitching a new project and want to get a good bit done, so mostly I'll be sitting in my chair watching TV and stitching.  Not a bad way to spend my time off! I would like to do a bit of a clean up in the garden. Still have leaves that need to be removed, honestly, never ending chore!

I am getting  excited about Spring. I can see some green emerging of the tulips I planted.  Not much, just a little poke-up. Our crazy weather making them confused...should we come, should we stay buried? High's in the low 40's today, but later this week we'll be almost 70.

I hope you're having a lovely Saturday! Thanks so much for stopping by.

WINTER PAST TIMES

Winter is quietly passing around here. Cold interspersed with Spring-like warmth is really the norm. Tomorrow a cold rain is promised. I really wish it was today because I'm home and it would be a lovely evening to pass in front of the fire with some stitching and my yummy salmon dinner that my wonderful dh is in the kitchen cooking for me.  Tomorrow I'll have to do some driving and visiting...never fun to do in the rain.

I have a winter cross stitch that I am enjoying. I have lost some of the special order floss and will have to reorder before I can finish. I still have a ways to go so I'll work on other areas until I just have to have it.  I have been waiting impatiently for the 40ct fabric that I ordered for my big project.  I am already behind and I haven't even started yet! I am supposed to do one small block a month.  The small blocks are massive though and will be a real race to actually finish some of them in a month.  All I need to get started is the fabric. Hopefully I'll get it soon.

I hope you are having a lovely Wednesday. Thanks so much for stopping by!!

It's A Bird Fest!

When January rolls around I love to spend my days bird watching.  I have a little table right outside the doors leading to the deck. I can sit in my chair and see birds flitting to and from the table.  Fun! I never tire of seeing the sweet visitors. It's not often that I even see any odd bird.  Just the usual titmice, wrens, cardinals and chickadees.  Usually I have Juncos in the winter, but they have not yet made their appearance this year.  I think I saw one the other day, but usually they visit in flocks.  I look forward to them arriving. Today I used up all my birdseed and had to put a little bread out just to get these pictures.  DH was going to bring me home some tonight, so they are being well fed again.

I've enjoyed my 3 day weekend, tomorrow it will be back to work for me.  Now I'm focused on my week off in February :) Thanks for stopping by, I hope you've had a great Monday.