Mud Puddles

Mud Puddles.....not much to shout about .....unless you live in my area, and this is the prettiest and most welcome sight ever! Yes, we were blessed with rain this weekend. Good, solid rain, that leaves big mud puddles everywhere because the ground is soaked and can't absorb it all. And because mud puddles excite me so much!!!........click here http://countrykitchenkat.blogspot.com/ to go to my cooking blog, and get a great recipe for Mississippi Mud Pie!!
Last week, everything was hanging and limp from the exhausting heat and harsh wind. When we get a good rain, it's like a vitamin B shot for everything that holds a cell of life. Everything instantly perks up.

I just love the Yupon Holly bush by our front porch. When it starts budding, it looks like it is wearing clusters of pearls.


The bird of paradise tree is in full bloom and drawing hummingbirds close to
the house.

Out in the garden, the grape vines are putting on grapes,

the onions are getting taller and thicker,

the peppers are getting larger,

and the squash and pumpkins are in bloom.

Even the animals come out after a rain. This little rabbit decided to take advantage of the feed in the bird feeder as well.

What captured my heart the most, was this large bug. It was still heavily misting rain as I watched it cross the patio and stop where an indention in the patio held an amount of water. It leaned down and started enjoying a welcoming drink. It did not mind that I was down beside it, getting just as wet to take it's picture. If you look closely, you can see the spots of water on it's back.(Click on the picture for a better look.) {: It drank for a long time and then went it's way to where ever these kinds of bugs go. Now my question to you.......what kind of creatures have you noticed coming out after a rain......... some kind of animal......a rain frog..........snails perhaps?? I would love to hear.

Where The Needle Comes In....

As most of you know by now, I added the words " a needle in my hand" to my blog header because I combined my embroidery blog interest with my country living blog. I still have my embroidery blog for tutorials and links to embroidery at Yesteryear Embroideries http://yesteryearembroideries.blogspot.com/

Through both blogs I have made such wonderful friends from one end of the globe to the next. When discussing preserving and re-doing old linens, Gina, from Patra's Place of Stitching and Vintage Linens, http://patrasplace.blogspot.com/ contacted me about some vintage linens she no longer wanted and would like to send my way. Of course, I could not resist! Thank you so much Gina, I just love them all. By the way, Gina is from Australia and she would love for you to stop by and say hello either at the link above or at her apron blog Patra's Embroidered Aprons http://patrasembroideredaprons.blogspot.com/ She does some amazing stitching and has some beautiful vintage aprons!
So this is where the "needle in my hand" comes into the scene. Out of the stash that Gina sent, I fell for this cute little tray piece.

Whenever I find vintage linens, I always trace the design so that it will be preserved for later use.


This is the recommended colors and stitching for the piece shown on the label. However, I always choose a path less traveled.....

and embroidered it in these colors and these stitches.

I crocheted an edging around it....

and now it's done! I will stash it away and start another piece! Do any of you have a special hobby or craft that you do? Is there an art form that you learned by the patient teaching of a family member. I would love to see and hear! I will be posting pictures of my garden and the critters that stop by next week. So have a good week all!

Just Smile

Smile, though your heart is aching

Smile, even though it's breaking

When there are clouds in the sky

You'll get by...

If you smile

With your fear and sorrow

Smile and maybe tomorrow

You'll find that life is still worthwhile

If you just...

Light up your face with gladness

Hide every trace of sadness

Although a tear may be ever so near

That's the time you must keep on trying

Smile, what's the use of crying

You'll find that life is still worthwhile

If you just...

Smile,

though your heart is aching

Smile, even though it's breaking

When there are clouds in the sky

You'll get by...

If you smile

Through your fear and sorrow

Smile and maybe tomorrow

You'll find that life is still worthwhile......

If you just smile...



I hope this made you smile.......even in today's tough times.

Do You Hear What I Hear?

The cool spring mornings have turned into the hot almost like summer afternoons.

Temperatures reached up to 107, making the outside unbearable.....
except for the tough cactus, which makes the day as hot as this, cheery. Not a breeze is blowing and not a sound can be heard as every creature and beast hides away from the sweltering heat. But......in the coolness of the shed.......there is a sound......

the plants are all sprouting......yet they are silent,.....

Hercules is taking a nice afternoon nap......

but soon...he hears it....his ears perking and listening......wondering who could be disturbing his afternoon slumber....

Zelda cat sits with curiosity....watching the place from where the sounds are coming....she has heard these sounds before.....

what a noisy little bunch of fluff balls! Aren't they precious? I had decided not to get any new chicks this year.......but one visit to the feed store....one chirp and peep later....and I am carrying a box of 8 home with me. I have their nursery hutch in the hen house ready, however, they will stay in the hutch in the shed for a few weeks to get a little bigger and stronger. Soon they will be outside and the shed will resume to it's quietness. Are any of you having extreme hot days yet? Or do you still have snow here and there.... a lot of rain perhaps? I would love to hear.

The Heart Of A Mother

Whether you have no children.......or 18 children, the instinct of a mother resides in all of us. Some know the feel of tiny fingers grasping around their own finger, the toothless smile that melts the heart.......others know the deep dark eyes and shy smile of a little one many, many, miles away in another land and of another culture, being nurtured and helped by the loving and giving heart.

We all have the response to help not only a tiny human babe, but also to render aide to the small fluff balls of chicks, goats, and many other creatures who need mothering. We all have gratitude to those who teach our young ones...what would we do without them?
We all have felt our heart being tugged at an image of a small lost child on the television and our hearts go out to that child's mother.......because we all know how we would feel if it were our own.We all say a prayer and keep hope in our heart...a mother's heart.

Yes, no matter who we are, what age we are, what our number count in motherhood is,.....the heart of a mother resides in all of us.
May all of you have a beautiful Mother's Day!

Home Is.........

Home.....the word that brings up every kind of image to everyone in different ways. A cottage nestled in the trees, a fireplace crackling with a warm glow, a cozy armchair by the window......

the farm with flocks of geese and chickens roaming the grounds.

But for some, it's the many sticks and twigs woven together with pieces of string or a long hair from a horse's tail, stuffed with bits of cotton and fluff.

For some, a deep, dark, hole, hardened in the earth, away from any one's sight.

Even a bouquet of wildflowers can offer shelter

to the spider, whose web collects the dew in the early morning hours.

This is Matilda, the bullsnake....

who has decided to call this ......home...... the weathered old well house that supplies my garden and chickens with water. It sits next to the hen house.....a great place to get an egg for breakfast...and it houses the hay for my chicken's nests....

which, Matilda thought was a perfect place for her to sleep. She shyly poked her head out as I grabbed up an armful of hay. You've heard that saying..."if it had been a snake...it would have bit me?" ...thank goodness she was not a rattlesnake..I have to say, this was a very sweet mannered snake. I carefully, pulled the hay along with Matilda out of the well house,

and she quietly slithered away.......much to my relief.

For me, home is far, far away from everything and everyone. No traffic, no noise, no sounds......just the peaceful buzzing of bees in the flowers......

and the image of Sophie in them....".home"........... So......what about you?....What is your "image" of home? Is it somewhere from your childhood? Or is it where you are now? I would love to hear!

Cattle Call

I was out working in the early morning hours, when I heard yelling and loud calling over in the ranch land across from our property. The cowboys were out gathering their cattle. Yes.....that's right.... we have.....real cowboys... who ride their horses and get their cattle in our area. I have seen them riding their horses and walking their cattle along the road to our house. I would have loved to have gotten a picture, but they were way off in the mesquite covered land....also, I am extremely shy and don't like to approach people.

Look at how disappointed Sophie is with me. She knows that where there are cowboys, there are also cowdogs, handsome cowdogs and nice fat cows to chase. Would it hurt so much to just go and say hi and sniff around a little? She asks, as her nose lifts to the air and her ears perk toward the calls. No, Sophie, you just stay with me.
My brother-in-law sent this wonderful old milk container my way. I just love these old things, don't you?


I think it needs potted flowers to surround the base of it as well. I might put a vine- like potted plant on top so that the vines will drape off of it.

Here is a smaller one I have had for many years. Do any of you remember getting milk delivered in these? I have not done enough research to see how these containers were used for the milk. Do any of you know about them? I would love to hear.

My plants have gotten impatient with me and are blooming and already putting on their bounty in the shed. If you look closely you can see the small bell pepper forming.

The squash are blooming and threatening to take over the shed....so I'm off to the great outdoors to plant. Have any of you started planting yet? What are you most successful with? I would love to hear.