Fresh and cooling rain

has come several times......leaving us with much needed moisture,

a fresh fragrance, and lovely rainbow afternoons.

As much as you have read about my dislike for the cactus

that is trying to take over the acreage......

this time of year......I have to say.......I enjoy

it's unique beauty.

Cactus rose blossoms in the prettiest colors of soft yellow,

peachy orange,

and vibrant yellow, cover each thorned paddle and are

 filled with busy, buzzing, bees. 

These past few days, I have kept my hands busy making 

miniature decor for my miniature kitchen scene.

I have to say........I can get completely lost in making

miniature things!

 I want to invite you over to my " My Country Kitchen"

blog to share a wonderful cool and delicious recipe with you.

This is such a wonderful dessert/fruit salad for those hot days of summer

and for get togethers.  It would be wonderful for this Memorial Day 

weekend!   Just click onto the link below

Peach Gelatin Salad

for this wonderful recipe! 

Have a safe Memorial Day Weekend.

Sometimes we come to life's crossroads

And we view what we think is the end.

But God has a much wider vision

And He knows it's only a bend-

The road will go on and get smoother

And after we've stopped for a rest,

The path that lies hidden beyond us

Is often the path that is best.

So rest and relax and grow stronger,

Let go and let God share your load

And have Faith in a brighter tomorrow,

You've just come to a bend in the road.

(Helen Steiner Rice- The Bend in the Road)

wishing you a clear view and happier days soon!

Pretty days......and hopefully......happier days ahead?

I hope this finds all of you well and that you have not suffered from this dreadful coronavirus.
I hope you all have found a way to "hang on" and to get through this difficult time.  Sunny, pretty days always give me hope that things will be better..........I truly hope that this will be true when it comes to this virus.

Today.........come take a walk with me, and look at the crooked, twisted mesquite trees that are fully leafed out and make every space

look welcoming......even on the hottest days.

New paths have been made deeper into the "woods"

and now there are more spaces to create more 

"wildscapes"

Usually, everyone in this area knows the mesquite trees are 

small thorny bushes.......which , we have plenty of those. 

Here, on the grounds, we are also happy to have very old and 

large mesquite trees that are actually "trees"

even the large stumps that look dead

have new growth sprouting and twisting upwards

I love the way they bow over to each other, making a

natural archway. I am in the process of making a "sitting area " here.

All along the grounds, hundreds of wildflowers are in bloom.

Many have sprouted in the spaces I have cleared in the woods.

They seem to know exactly where to sprout and to show their beauty.

Wild birds are filling the air with their songs.  

Wherever there is water, they are sure to show up for a drink or a splash

As many of you have seen through the news media, one positive thing this virus has brought out......

is the spark of creativity in many. I hope after this has all passed, that everyone will still hang on to 

their imagination and keep creating.

From the grounds, there are so many "gifts" from nature. With just a little bit of time, 

you could create  rock flowers along some paths with the natural rocks that you find along your walk.

they also serve as a great decorative accent to the cement walk ways

The latest thing I have discovered is the beautiful color that

the flowers and plants give in the process of natural dyeing. 

I am not an expert on this.....so if  you are interested, you can find many helpful tips on

natural dyeing on the internet.  Go out and see what plants in your yard can give you an amazing color.

Even on the hottest days........Sophie still loves to tag along and 

 explore the grounds as much as I love to.

Now ......tell me.......what is growing in your backyard?

Have you found time on your hands and a new creative pastime?   

Whether it be in sewing, carpentry, gardening, or any other

creative outlet, I would love to hear about what  you are creating!

Solitude with God repairs the damage done

by the fret and noise and clamor of the world.

Oswald Chambers

I have started my long walks through the woods these days

an "escape" for my mind at the moment.......far from the worry

of this uncertain time with the problems the coronavirus has brought

to our nation/world's  health, well being, and stability.

How pretty it is this time of year here,  all over

the grounds!  On my walks I have discovered 2 new wildflowers that 

I have never seen bloom here before. 

The first one( in the photo above)  has grown abundantly and

spreads through the woods

and spills over the edge into the field next to us.

It has the most terrible name.......for such a pretty flower.

The Texas Wildflower directory identifies them as 

"Scrambled Eggs (Corydalis curvisiliqua) " 

 another site I found them to be called "Golden Corydalis"  which is a much worthier name, at least I think so.   

Anyhow, there are scrambled eggs growing in our woods!  

The second flower is also yellow and has fringed petals. The Texas Wildflower directory identifies them as

Puccoon (Lithospermum incisum)

I was so  thrilled to find both of these beauties.  The yellow primrose (buttercup) and the purple prairie aster are also blooming.   All of the rain we have had has made the woods come to life.  

The green thorny thickets of wild red berries are covered in tiny 

pale yellow blossoms........a sure sign of good food for the wild birds

in weeks to come.

  

another wild red berry that grows plentiful here and is now in bloom,  is known as algerita berry.

Both wildlife and humans can eat these berries.

On my walk, I noticed that all of the mesquite trees are leafing out.

For us here in this area, that means there will be no more freezing days.

I hope this to be true!

all through the woods, this wild bush is in bloom and looks golden in the sun

It is covered in hundreds of tiny blossoms. I have not researched this yet,

so I am unsure what the name of it is.  

So much of this wild land is disappearing around us with all of the oil and electric industry.  Much of the pasture land that is still  around  is covered in a sea of prickly pear cactus. 

I am still whacking away at the growth we have..........but I can almost see the light at the  end of the tunnel with it.

along with all of the blossoms, there has been an abundance of butterflies

and all kinds of song birds who fill the trees with their new homes. 

and there is a whimsical little woodpecker at the same spot in the woods, who seems to wait for me to toss bread scraps down.  As soon as I turn my back, he instantly flies down to enjoy his meal.

O, money can't buy the delights of the glen,

Nor Poetry sing all its charms:

There's a solace and calm ne'er described by the pen

When we're folded within Nature's arms!

James Rigg, "Nutting Time," Wild Flower Lyrics and Other Poems, 1897

I hope this finds you with pleasant surroundings and peace amongst the 

worry and chaos that has enveloped our lives.

May this find you and  your loved ones safe and well.

I stepped out at 7:30 in the morning to see a full moon??

I was in absolute awe........to see such a gigantic moon.....

so late in the morning, situated in the west morning sky right above the workings of a substation. 

This is the full moon of March, called the Worm Moon, , which will occur in the eastern U.S. during the afternoon hours of March 9, about 13 hours before reaching perigee, the nearest point from Earth in its orbit. This will create a "supermoon," a full moon that appears slightly larger than average.

The moon will look full to the eye on both March 8 and March 9, 2020. The crest of the full moon falls on March 9 at 17:48 UTC (1:48 p.m. Eastern; 12:48 p.m. Central; translate UTC to your time). In North America, we call the March full moon the Worm Moon, Crow Moon or Sap Moon. This 2020 March full moon presents the first of three straight full moon supermoons. Overall, the full moon of March 9 is 2020’s second-closest full moon.

I felt so excited to be able to witness such a beautiful wonder!

It seems that everyday , here on the grounds, there is something "in wait"

to surprise and delight me, and I feel blessed. Even though this is a predator, this red tail hawk was 

just a beautiful giant in the tree of the front yard the other day.  I am always surprised to see how large some of these birds can actually be.

This is the time of year that the fragrant stock flower is showing off

it's beautiful blossoms. I always look for their blooms in anticipation for warm 

spring days to soon follow.

Sophie is always my constant companion.....witnessing all of the wonder

and beauty as we walk along. Although I have no real idea about what she 

is thinking.........I really think she loves the gifts of nature as much as I do.

There are other "gifts of nature" that I absolutely love.

I have collected seashells since I was a teen and have kept collecting through the years. 

Some of the best collected shells are from our family trips to the beach with our children when they 

were small.

I came upon this large box of seashells on the bottom dusty shelf,  in a garage at an 

estate sale.  The sales lady offered the whole box to me 

for just a handful of dollars.

There were so many piled in the box......some still full of beach sand. 

My task began with cleaning and then sorting the many different varieties,

 all along, wondering who the people were who gathered all of these beauties, and wondering

at what place were they found . Did they go to Florida each year?  or take a few days down to Corpus Christie or Galveston?

After sorting, I researched and labeled the different types of shell,

and I counted them all up..........  1,174 seashells in all. 

 Many of the odd and prettier shells I placed in  

 vintage jars and glass containers from my shop

and displayed them along with my collections that were gathered

by me and my little family on those wonderful beach trips of long ago.

With the abundance of rain that has staggered through the days,

I have not been able to do much outside work.........the dreaded overgrown  

cactus patch is still waiting for me.  

I have kept my hands busy making things

from strips of old flannel shirts.  "Wear it out, use it up, make it do" has always been a motto

to live by.  

You can read about the things I am currently creating on my 

embroidery blog at this link

Yesteryear Embroideries

I also managed to finish decorating the old vintage 

dollhouse that I found at an estate sale years ago

but as I have been told by many, dollhouse work is never 

really done.  That is true.......

And just as Sophie is my outside companion...........

I have an inside companion Taboo.  Who I think ,likes

the title of "creative supervisor" .

He constantly looks through my threads, fibers, and fabrics. And is

constantly perched above me on shelves or the couch, watching every 

stitch I make.  

In the photo above, he is inspecting the fabric of my latest project.

Life is good to have such sweet help and companions!

Here's wishing the same for you!