Waiting

These past few days have been filled with the every day "busyness" but along with those are the days of waiting. I decided against getting new chicks and ducks due to the off and on freezing spells we are getting...instead.....I will wait till late April or May.

Eleanor is waiting for her chicks to hatch as well.
Out in the greenhouse, the blackberries bloom and wait for me to plant them in their garden. ( I am actually doing this today.) Mr. Sting, the wasp, doesn't seem to mind my hesitation.

I have waited for my plants to sprout.....they have.....now I am waiting to plant them in the prepared grounds. The high winds and dirt are just too much at this time to do so.

The pine trees have sprouted and I am waiting for them to grow bigger, developing a stronger root system, so that I can plant them as well and start selling some.

The biggest thing I have been waiting for??... (this is a photo of tail lights driving off in the early morning hours ).......waiting for a phone call from my youngest son to let me know he made it ok driving to the game....and then I wait to hear his car pull up delivering him safely home. He just got his car. It's funny,........ seems like I could not wait to see the day my children got their first bike, their first driver's license, .......their first car. Now I can't wait for them to get home and stay awhile. How about you.....what are some things you have been waiting for? A long distance call from a loved one? ......the day your special soldier gets to come home......? good news from a friend? I would love to hear!

Betsy Gorden

Have you ever heard a phrase, smelled a fragrance, or seen an object that instantly makes you think of someone or a certain place in time? I am sure you all have had this happen....

every time I see these old metal yard chairs...... I think of Betsy Gorden. Betsy Gorden was 79 years old and I was 10 when we first met. We had moved to a new town, a new house, and Mrs. Gorden was our new neighbor. We both had large back yards, and it was at a time where there were no back yard fences and neighbors respected boundary lines without one. Which meant there was no privacy to your outdoor, backyard, activities......everyone could see you...but usually was invited to come join in the fun or to just sit and visit. Betsy Gorden always wore nice flower printed dresses with matching earrings. She was always pleasant and friendly. The only thing I ever knew about her private life was that she was married to her sweetheart, who, on their 50th wedding anniversary, fell over dead from a heart attack while he was at the bus station buying tickets for their trip to Hawaii. They never had children and she was all alone in this world. Those old metal chairs......she would sit out in every afternoon at 7:30, in silence, looking out in one direction, in the cool shade of the trees. Her back was always to us, and as I looked over, I thought to myself.....she is so alone......she must be so very sad...I bet she is thinking about her husband and missing him so.... No one sat with her in the chair next to hers. Once in a while, I would burst over and plop down in the chair, uninvited, and tell her my tales of the day in my 10 year old chatter. She would sweetly smile at me and always tell me to come back and visit again...........As the years passed, we moved away, saying goodbye to Mrs. Gorden......never seeing her again. But I always thought about her, especially when I saw the chairs, and wondered who was taking care of her....
Now, in the late afternoon, I sit out in my chair, reflecting on the day, the past, and thinking about the days to come. Sometimes, I dream up new designs to stitch, sometimes an idea for a story pops into my mind, sometimes I have a long talk with God. Sometimes, my sweetie, or one of my children will stop by, interrupting my solitude and my thoughts, and in an instant they are gone, leaving me to the silence. And it finally dawned on me a few years back as I thought about Mrs. Gorden,.......... I am sure she was not sitting there feeling sad.... all this time, she was probably collecting her thoughts with her memories....having a good talk with her Lord..... and just escaping from the everyday chatter....and I would burst in and try to rescue her....when she probably would have been glad to be left alone. I think of her patience and smile, as I hear, once again, footsteps come up behind me , and the squeak of the chair next to me, by the next visitor. So....how about you? What object, smell, words, or something you hear brings a memory? Is the memory of a person? A long lost pet? A little one who has left your nest? I can't wait to hear!

Spring bunnies, spring chicks, spring break

Well.....my last post kind of scared everyone, ....sorry, ... I get lost in my own little insect world.... so I decided to show something pleasant, soft and furry, and yes......cuddly.

Much needed rain has come our way for the past few days....great for outdoor work.

Spring break has arrived, which means I will be away from the computer for a week, probably working out in the new flower garden I have been planning. This is stalk flower. It grows very thick and tall and can be used as a "natural" fence or border. It smells wonderful in the spring. I am planting it along the border of my flower garden.
There is a space between the stalk flower which is perfect for my garden entrance. So I am working on a stone path since the ground is soft from the rain.

Sophie has given her approval.

As you can see, the garden is quite large, and for now quite bare. Hopefully by summer, Zinnia, cosmos, and rose bushes will be in bloom here.

It's that time of year again, all logic leaves my head and I just have to bring home spring babies! Hercules, I think, might like to have a girlfriend, so I am thinking about trying to find a little fluffy bunny and maybe start raising rabbits again. I did this in town and had many bunnies for sale. I sold them all within a week. The farm supply store owner told me yesterday that if I did decide to do this......he would buy my bunnies! Temptation around every corner!

The farm supply store that I love to hang out in,has just let me know that baby ducks and baby chicks will be in this week!

How can I resist? I was just talking with a friend a couple of days ago about all of the reasons I did not need to get more babies, and here I go again. So by next week, I may have pictures of my own sweet fluffs to show. Thank you to all who stop by to visit and leave a comment. I will be dropping by to visit you when the week is over. Now, my question to you..... what fluffy baby do you find irresistible? Baby lambs or goats? Cheeping chicks? Waddling ducks? I can't wait to hear!

My Plead To Stacey

Hello....my name is Harry Wolf Spider.....and I am speaking on behalf of myself and other spider companions to Stacey at Childers Corner blog.(You can understand by reading Stacey's post on March 9th, I'm Not A Bug Person).......... Please stop by Stacey's blog http://childerscorner.blogspot.com/ to tell her that I don't mean to scare her and that I am a very helpful and important part of the insect world. Kathleen has tried to calm Stacey's fear of me, so here we go...........Stacey..... dear Stacey.....

I know I'm hairy,

to you, I'm scary,

and maybe a little creepy too.

But take the time,

you will see that I'm

a very helpful fellow for you!

If you look closely, you will see,

the pretty design and color on me,

And though my eating habits are not full of grace,

I keep other pests away from your place.

I can be skinny and rather plain,


I can be colorful and full of vain,



I can be large and powerful, it's true,






And yes, sometimes, deliver a harmful bite to you.......
(but only if you squeeze me, smash me or
tease me!)





Those eight crawly legs that you don't like to see,
are being creative and catching lunch for me.
I'm the finest spinner ever to be seen,
I decorate your garden so lush and green.


God made me look like this it's true,
And he makes me do the things I do,
But one more thing I want you to see,
I'm more scared of you, than you are of me!

"please don't smash me!"

Where The Road Leads

When Sophie and I go walking, we usually go the usual route. Sometimes around the cotton field road, sometimes on the county road that runs in front of our property and sometimes to the field road that leads to our treasure hunts. But sometimes.......

other roads that lead to other cotton fields seem to say....."psst,...over here! " And I just have to see where it may lead.



It's the same way with the woods and ranch land that surround us. I am always tempted to go see what lies beyond that barbed wire fence. But we usually stick to the road. It is amazing that just a couple of days ago, the grounds along the road were yellow and dry....

yesterday, Sophie and I found these beautiful bouquets of the cutest little blossoms! And even though flowers always catch my eye with all of their different colors and smells...

the leaves are also are very pretty and different in design. I just love this red leaf!

The wild holly....I think it is actually an Aldevera bush or something like that, is also blooming.




I think these are known as weeds....but to me, as long as they are blooming.. they are pretty!!

The ox eyed daisies are one of my favorite wildflower.

Again, aren't these leaves beautiful? There is more than one color of green and the details are so pretty!

It always seems that I find a new blossom each year. This is the first time since I have lived out here that found such a pretty blue color.






Even the bees have already found the flowers. If you look closely, or click on the photo above, you can see the bee busy at his work.

This is probably just a weed to many, but doesn't it look almost like a Fern plant? The leaves feel soft like velvet. There is so much inspiration waiting outside my door! All I have to do is go out and look. Speaking of such, stop by my embroidery blog http://yesteryearembroideries.blogspot.com/ to see what I have done with some of the leaves and flowers that I picked along the way.

As you can see, we took a very long walk and Sophie is ready to find the road that leads home. She is such a good, patient, companion. Now.. my question to you... when you take walks, what do you look for.....rocks? shells if you live near the water? Birds perhaps? I can't wait to hear!

What Lies Beneath

I have posted before about treasure hunting on the property next to us. It is a vacant field where once an old farmstead use to stand. The farm has long since vanished and the tree covered field is now a cleared plot of land that occasionally gets plowed just to keep the dirt from blowing away. No one farms it....no one has bought it. I started noticing broken pieces of glass and china as I walked by....which started me looking and hunting. It has been full of wonderful surprises from 1940'S RC bottles, colorful fragments of china and so on.

The other day, Sophie and I once again headed out to go treasure hunting. It has rained a little and the dirt has blown.....which always promises that something has been uncovered in the field. Imagine my delight when I found this old medicine bottle in perfect condition!
I rushed it home and gave it a good scrub and ...isn't it cute? I have a lot of these little bottles that have been given to me through the years..so this is perfect for my collection.

I thought at first that this was some kind of bullet.

Pulling it apart, I discovered that it is a sample lipstick dispenser that used to be sold in the 5 and 10 stores! On the end of the cap is the word Tonga. I will have to do my research on this...but isn't this wonderful? The inside is still shiny after all of the years under the ground!The pink paint is still on the bottom!

A few more metal pieces to go along with it..

And my favorite finds of all, the many pieces of broken dishware. I always think about the woman who owned the dishes when I pick up a piece. I really love the thick pink glass in the upper left hand corner.

No money has been found yet.... I feel rich by finding these little treasures. Probably junk to some.....but to me, so pretty and some pieces have possibilities. Go to my embroidery blog Yesteryear Embroideries http://yesteryearembroideries.blogspot.com and look at what I am doing with my pieces of broken china. Now........do any of you collect broken china or anything else that may seem odd to others? I would love to hear! Have a wonderful weekend!

Have you ever named a lizard ???

For us, there is no snow piling up....just wonderful days in the 80's.

Things have started sprouting and blooming in the greenhouse. I have spent the past couple of weeks potting and planting seeds in cups and pots. I have also started planting in the vegetable garden.
For the past several weeks, I have noticed this lizard darting in and out while I am watering in the greenhouse. It has gotten so used to me that I was able to reach down and pick it up today....I think we were both surprised!{:
It is so dry outside that it is willing to put up with me just to be able to get a drink. I will have to give it a good name. ! Do any of you have any good lizard names? I would love to hear them!! One might just fit this lizard!


My miniature daffodils are sprouting...... I can't wait to see their cheery blossoms.

The pine trees are still ....slowly growing....

As you may have noticed... I use a lot of Styrofoam cups to plant seeds in. They are so durable and easy to remove young plants from....plus they don't cost a lot of $$.

My shelves are starting to fill up! I can't wait for things to sprout.

I want to grow lettuce inside of the greenhouse this year....good for keeping bug free and dirt free. These wood frames have been lying around the grounds for a while.....sweetie won't miss a couple or so.

A light piece of wood on the bottom with a crack and a few holes for drainage....

and I am ready to plant the lettuce!

I haven't forgotten my garden journal I told you all about....speaking of such....have you all started yourselves one yet.... I can't wait to see and hear!

I finally planted the onions that I had purchased a while back.

They look like sad little twigs right now.....but hopefully, in a few weeks, they will have grown.

Sophie was more than ready for me to get done and to get back to the house....she instantly curled up for a nap. So.. now.. have any of you been able to start planting? What are your favorite things to plant and what have you been most successful growing? I would love to hear!