Our New Gardens

Hello friends.

Today I reveal it all. 

First up we came home with 35 rocks 

for two new gardens.

Well to finish two gardens that were started

years ago and changed up now

with the shrubs we lost.

The pink flowering shrub is a Weigela,

It is a month late blooming.

The yellow flower is a Coreopsis.

This and the three Lavender plants

in front, we just planted.

My friend who is doing our estate sale for mom

hand painted these flags out of old

wood snow fences.

She separated each wood section from the wire

 which was attached to help keep

the snow drifts at bay in the  Winter.

Both my grandparents had this type of fence

which they put up in late Fall.

Bob water proofed for me and we hung it here.

This is on the side of our garage.

I love how this first new/ old garden looks now.

The second garden bed we changed up

is located at the back of our house.

Another Weigela on the right.

To the left I replaced the other

Weigela that died with this tub.

Added flowers in it.

To the left of the tub are these rocks

with a concrete turtle and old brick I had.

The brick is from Zanesville, Ohio.

I dug up some of my mom's Hens and Chicken's

and planted into my stone wishing well.

Now for the reveal of what Bob had stashed

in our garage.

I have no idea what he has in there.

We had to dig up one more dead Weigela.

Once we had the empty space,

I nonchalantly said to Bob;

"If we only had some sort of a potting table

that would fit here, I could add some of

my mom's garden stuff on it.'

Bob says " I have one."

Opens the garage door and pulls some junk

out which was in front and voila...

He uncovers this piece.

He asked me if this would work.

"I said OMG where did this come from?"

He says "I've had it in here for awhile."

"Yes it will work!"

"I can paint it if you want."

"NO"

"It's perfect the way it is".

He waterproofed it and it fit perfectly where

the shrub once was.

So I started to add a few things.

My mom's metal pail.

I purchased a fern and Bob waterproofed

my faux beehive.

My mom's watering can and terra cotta pot.

I took out the dirt which I had usually

planted Geraniums in and now

it holds the rest of my moms terra cotta pots.

Here it is semi set up.

I have another idea I want to try out...

but need to go to our nursery.

Too dang HOT right now though.

 

A long view.

One more long view.

Oh the shrub just to the right is our Hydrangea.

It is just starting to leaf out.

I am happy how this second garden turned out.

Bob and I ended up going to the rock quarry

a second time to get the rocks for this one.

We picked up 20 this time and the cash price

was $10.00 cheaper...we were happy as two

pigs wallowing in the mud. LOL

In other news,

it is HOT HOT HOT

here right now.

I went outside yesterday only 

to water and get our mail.

Tomorrow is our last  day to  take things out

of mom's house before the estate sale.

I am taking my daughter Michele and grand 

Mikayla to see if they want anything.

Will be glad when this is over. 

Garden  Blessings to All!

Janice 
 

Sunday Starts

 

Plus two mini finishes.

Any ideas who this fella is?

Or this little gal?

I finished Parade Sam

from Notforgotten Farm.

One of the many "Littles"

Ain't he adorable.

I did change the color of his coat though.

More red than rust.

I also added some red into his firecracker.

Then I finished Betsy,

also from Notforgotten Farm.

I did change her shoes to red.

They were suppose to be the same rust

as her hair was.

She does have a sweet face,

but I wish I had stitched some pink cheeks

like Uncle Sam had.

It was not in the pattern...but now I think

that I should have.

Now for my focus piece through July 4th.

I purchased this pattern to celebrate

our Semi Quincentennial.

America's 250 birthday.

For our important birthday,

I have chosen an important pattern.

America Two Hundred and Fifty 

by Plum Street Samplers.

Here I almost finished page 1 of 10.

4 days of stitching this.

In this pattern there are 5 flags

with stars that represented America

 from the beginning when we were under

British rule to after the

Revolutionary War.

One star will also represent 

the crown for King George III.

Am looking forward to stitching

all of them and everything in this pattern.

I love history and there will be many

historical motifs in this. 

The blue star to the left is the 

Grand Old Union Flag.

The red one on the right is the 

Union Jack.

This next flag is the

American Flag.

The one over one initials of TJ

stand for Thomas Jefferson.

There will be 5 initials of those men

who were tasked to the writing of our

Declaration of Independence.

These gentlemen were all part of 

the Second Continental Congress.

They worked tirelessly from

June 11th to July 4. 1776,

and our declaration was published

on July 5th, 1776.

Page Two is now completely stitched.

This page took me 9 days.

Now onto page 3 of 10. 

Not sure if this will be finished in time

for July 4th...oh well.

There is always next year.

In other news,

All of the much needed weeding, planting

and bags of mulch have been completed.

Thursday I decided to make my favorite

Spring pie which was a strawberry rhubarb one.

We had a warm piece with vanilla ice cream.

After two weeks of sunny days, we finally

had some rain early Saturday morning.

Sitting outside now most every afternoon,

I have now had chipmunks, squirrels and even

a baby bunny come real close to me.

We hope not to have any more sightings

of the Garter snake that was

in our one shrub one day though

Tundra kept barking at it.

 Am hoping his barking made it leave for good.

Tomorrow my brother and I are headed

to my mom's once again.

We have to decide what to do now with 

the stuff we wanted my sister to look at

before we decided on it.

She went there Saturday and was still

overwhelmed and would not look at it.

We are getting tired of her attitude

quite frankly.

We told her we have a drop dead date

of June 12th and then nothing

else can be taken out of the house.

She is overwhelmed... yet everything

is on tables and even priced for her to see now.

We left one area for her to go through and look at.

My brother and I were the ones overwhelmed

all the months we have been cleaning

out mom's house.

No excuse for her to be overwhelmed.

Well I hope everyone is enjoying

the rest of the weekend.

Cannot believe how fast the days are going now

since retiring.

First Sunday Of June Blessings To All!

Janice 

 

 

Whippy Wednesday

Hello friends! 

Today I bring you my monthly progress

on my stitchy work.

Let's start with Elizabeth Manners where

 I left off from last month.

Now you may notice Elizabeth was misspelled.

That is how the pattern went.

Also did the big floral motif

in the upper right, small bird,

bird on tree and part of the fruit bowl.

I do enjoy stitching on this one.

Here is where I finished for May.

April's progress of Floral Motif.

For May I accomplished the peach flowers

on the left, the white flower,

then everything below those. 

This one I also enjoy working on.

Next up is Faith 1831.

You know I am not a fan of 1 over 1 stitching.

I am plugging away though.

Only have one more row to go now.

Also stitched the angel on the right too.

Final progress for May on this one.

Finally Jeny Brimer.

 Where I left in April.

So in the pattern it calls for a peacock.

It also called for 4 deer on the right side.

Since my grandfather's were both farmers,

I changed the peacock to a horse.

The 4 deer to 4 cows.

Where I ended this one in May.

I don't really like the color scheme of this one...

however since it is a tribute stitch

for my grandfather's the colors 

are more manly to me...so it works.

In other news,

my brother and I went back to my mom's 

house on Monday.

We found  more money hidden in the garage.

$2100.00.

I hope you are all sitting down.

We have found over $15,000 thus far.

We still have  coinage to roll...

so that number will rise.

Lots of coins to roll.

We shoved it all into boxes.

We have no clue why she hid so much money.

We found it in every room of her house,

except the bathrooms.

She had savings accounts & CD's in 

3 different banks so why so much money

hidden in her house?

We kept putting all of the money back into the one

savings account to help with her care.

After all it is her money...not ours.

Sunday morning we had a young buck (deer) visit us.

He was spotted again on Tuesday morning.

Not often do we have deer so close here.

Tuesday Bob and I spent the whole day

in our front yard.

Weeded, planted 5 shrubs, filled 3 pots with annuals.

Then Bob put up a new flag for us.

Today we are going to work more

 in our backyard.

Bob is also going to clearcoat (waterproof)

two items for me so I can keep outside. 

It will be a secret until I do an upcoming post.

One item he had right in our garage....

when I asked him I might want one....

he says I have one.

I kid you not he has more things he has pulled

out of our garage than Carter's has pills.

First Wednesday In June Blessings To All!

Janice

Oh What A Crock

Hello friends.

Today I wanted to share with you

my collection of 2 gallon crocks and jugs. 

I prefer the 2 gallon ones as they are easier

for me to move around.

I do have a few larger, but those dont 

get moved around so much.

I once had a 30 gallon one where

it held drawings and magazine articles

I ripped out. I sold it and cleaned up my act...er mess.

My favorites are the blue slip ones.

Each unique.

Some had wood lids while others had a crock one.

Back in the day they were very important

to any household.

Storing pickles or making sauerkraut.

Others for aging cheese or dairy products

such as milk or butter.

You might find salted meats in some

or even preserved eggs.

The jugs more often than not,

held whiskey of some sort.

This one is a favorite of mine...

because of its wonky shape at the top.

It is not an even one at all.

Am so glad it was not destroyed

after it was taken out of the kiln.

It has a beauty all to itself.

My grandmothers and even my mom

had many crocks.

They made sauerkraut and pickles.

It was a stinky mess while doing it,

but the results were wonderful...

health wise better with no preservatives

and tasted great.

In other news,

Today am picking my mom up early.

We have a funeral to attend.

My dear cousin lost her daughter at 41 years.

She had an aneurysm.

Bob decided to have 20 bags of mulch

 delivered to the house Thursday.

We will start mulching next week.

Planted a few annuals in one pot.

Next week will go and purchase more 

 as I do not like to overwhelm myself.

Will also replace the 5 Bluebeard plants

we lost over Winter and replace with

Double Play Doozie Spireas pictured above.

{photo taken from internet}

I am sad that my Bluebeards all died...

even my neighbor lost shrubs over

this Winter.

I believe it was due to the wet Winter we had,

with the colder than usual Spring.

Last night Bob grilled us up some smashburgers

and toasted pretzel buns.

I made a broccoli salad.

We ate outside and then had our first bonfire.

Made some Smore's and drank a couple beers.

Came inside went the skeeters came out.

What are your plans for the last weekend of May?

Oh What A Crock Blessings To All!

Janice

May CupboardScape

Hope everyone is doing well.

I have come to the conclusion that we

here in Michigan we are having a true Spring.

Something we have not been use to for many years.

Therefore we are complaining it is too cold,

rainy and warm and then repeat.

We have been spoiled with warm weather

these past years...which is not really Spring.

I had this same conversation with one of my neighbors,

and she agreed with me. 

 

Spring spending time on my grandparents farms,

meant Spring cleaning.

Both my gramma's would get out the

lye soap for scrubbing.

{pictured here is some faux violets that I made}

Since they are blooming currently...

decided to add them inside the apothecary jar

with some lye soap.  

Gramma H would get out her Argo and starch

her clothes after washing.

Gramma B used P & G Soap.

Both used Ivory soap as well.

Lye soap was a necessity.

Pioneer woman used mangles for scrubbing.

My grammas had their wringer washing machines.

However both grammas would 

beat their pillows outside.

Gramma B would also use her washing dolly.

This is not hers, but I bought one.

You would place this wooden dolly

inside a bucket and twist in the soapy water.

I actually did like beating the rugs with

a rug beater.

Both gramma's would hang their rugs

over a clothesline and I would 

beat the dust out of them.

This rag rug actually was my gramma B's.

I remember tearing strips of cloth

and putting the colors in different piles.

Then my gramma would take the rags

to a house which a lady would make 

the rugs for her and in turn gramma

would sew or mend clothes for her.

It was their barter system.

In other news,

my brother and I went back to my mom's house

Monday morning.

Grabbed more things we wanted to bring back.

Then we went to visit my mom.

She had not eaten any of her lunch

when we arrived.

She lied and told us she did...so we made her eat.

She then ate everything except her hamburger.

She needs to eat more protein...but she wont listen.

My sister calls her while we were still there.

She tells my sister she had tuna for lunch.

I texted my sister and told her what she really ate.

Today I have to take her to 2 doctor appts,

then taking her to lunch and then taking her

to her ice cream float social.

I will be bringing a gallon of vanilla ice cream.

I know my mom will have one of those...

she wont say no to sweets.

Tomorrow Bob and I will be going to 

the rock quarry near us.

I want to create a new flower bed with

rocks around it.

We also have to get a few flowers for the house,

and need to get flowers for the flower pots

we have at the entrance to our store.

No rain in the forecast now so we will finally

have some nice weather 

to get out and clean flowers beds...

not today though.

Hope everyone is having a great week thus far.

End Of May Blessings To All!

Janice