It's A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood

                                                                       4-14-2013
     Well to be sure! Its a new month, even if it is almost half over. Iv been wanting to get back to this for awhile. But things have been at sixes and sevens around here.
     March didn't want to give up, and on the 8th of March, the wind came whipping down into our back yard with a vengeance. I don't know what time it was when my hubby went out to smoke, but suddenly I missed him and when I got no answer when I called to him, I had to go hunting. I found him out back clinging to a tie-down rope, with all his strength to keep our kids canopy's from blowing into the electric wires and the mesquite trees in the wash. He only weighs 120 pounds, so it was a job as the wind was gusting at 50 to 60 mph. I ran next door to get my son-in-law and daughter. Even then, it a big job for the four of us to get them on down and stowed safely away. The wind was breaking the ropes and lifting 20 to 30 pound concrete blocks that the ropes were tied to. We now know how it feels to be dragged around by a big parachute. :)
     We did a little to the doll house. Well.... me anyway. I decided that I would try and make some little plants for the conservatory. It was fun and I ended up with five., For the potting soil, I dried used coffee grounds and it worked beautifully! Hubby has been working on a small gardening work bench for the doll house. When I get done with it, it'll have a pair of tiny gardening gloves, some hand tools, mini packs of seeds, with some spilling out, pinkie-sized terracotta pots, with spilled soil, and a garden hat.

 

The little fern

 

One of the tall plants

 

 

The other tall plant

 

 

The two smaller ones

 

        Today is Sunday. It's suppose to be a day of rest, but apparently not for me! Iv been up since 5:00 am.  I was fixing hubby's coffee, when I remembered that I was so sleepy yesterday evening that I forgot I had a load of laundry in the washer. So first thing I had to re-rinse them and get them in the dryer. Of course the cake, that I made yesterday from a new recipe for dessert tonight, fell sometime last night. I did get the pot roast in the crock pot. Called my oldest daughter, found out that we're going to have more wind this evening and tomorrow. Okay! So hubby and I went out and moved the two hanging tomato plants. When I went to water the garden out back, the first thing that happened was, that the two hoses, where they join together popped apart. Hubby fixed that, then the hose going into the house split. Time out to switch hoses. I'm finally in the house, an hour or more later. Now just trying to rest until breakfast. Then I have to bake another cake, wash dishes, peel potatoes and fix green beans, ah-la a copycat recipe from Texas Roadhouse. As you have probably guessed by now, we are have a family/company dinner this evening.

        It's still a beautiful day! Looking out the window I see our neighbors brand-new American flag waving proudly in the wind. There is a bright yellow Oriole feeding at the Hummingbird feeder, while 3 or 4 Hummer's hover in the air waiting their turn to feed, Of course there is the twitter and chirp of the birds and a bunch of squawking from "Irving" the resident Woodpecker, who thinks both Hummingbird feeders belong strictly to him.

       I got a rare treat this morning to see a tiny bright green jewel of a Hummingbird flitting in and out under the spray of out front yard waterfall as he took a shower. And a special happy feeling when I found out that a very sweet lady pinned 35 pins from one of my Pinterest boards. It was my Color-book one. I don't care why she did. I just know it made my day!

      So here's hoping that your day will be a happy one, full of sunshine, promise and much love.
Happy first day of the rest of your life! God bless.

Kiss Me I'm Irish

                                                                                                                         St. Patrick's Day 2013

 

     Well hello! Happy St. Patrick's Day to thee! Welcome back to my Island. I haven't been able update my bog lately. It's been one thing behind another. Now the Doll house is on hold while we work outside, transplanting, trimming, making our seed beds up, and since it's Spring, we are busy getting things planted. The first bed to be planted was, a bed of cucumbers and Sunflowers planted together. I hear they like to be buddies. Warning DO NOT plant cucumbers and watermelons together, as the watermelons somehow pick up the taste of the cucumbers. Yuck! Can you imagine biting into a nice red, sweet-looking watermelon and getting cucumber when you were expecting sweet, juicy melon?

       Everyone seemed to be wearing some kind of green today at church. Of course I had to be different. I wore shades of orange and peach touched with silver sparkle. The only thing green on me was green rindstone earrings. I really don't look good in some shades of green! Guess I would make a terrible Leprechaun1 :) But, if I had a dark Christmas or Shamrock green velvet dress or skirt. I'd wear that for sure! Greens and blues are my favorite colors.

      Well March came in like a lamb around here. It's suppose to go out like a lion. If that's true. We've had a little taste already with the wind blowing like crazy the last few days. No clouds, just bright blue sky and lots, and lots of wind!

     Found this on my home page on Facebook. Had a bit of "Irish " fun with it! Maybe you will too.

 

 

        Mine is Sprinkles McFeversh and Hubby's is Greenie McFeversh. His Irish beer name is O'Coors. This is so true. Boy does he love beer! Anyhow, It is almost 5:00 PM and getting towards suppertime. Have an invite to have lasagna over at youngest daughter's. Glad she lives next door.:)

       So for now, "May the road rise to meet you, the wind be forever at your back, the rains fall soft upon your fields and until we meet again, may God hold you in the hollow of His hand." And off I go singing "When Irish eyes are smiling......" Love you all. Thanks for stopping by.

 

Magical Mystical Snow

                                                                                                                                                  2-20-2013

        The Galiuro Mountains   

                  February 20, 2013           

      I wasn't planning to write another post here so quickly, but it snowed in Mammoth today! Big, beautiful, fluffy, snow white, quarter-sized, genuine, soft snowflakes floating down from a solid pewter gray, cloud covered sky. It didn't stick, but oh the magic was there! The kind of magic that can change a 68 year old woman into an excited child again. The kind of magic that can send you flashes of long ago memories of another time and place. The first time I can remember seeing snow.
     I must have been about 3 years old, looking down at our back yard from a second store window in our apartment. The sun was shinning that crisp morning. The back yard covered in a snowy white unmarked blanket of soft snow, that sparkled wherever the sunbeams hit it like a million glistening diamonds. I'd never seen anything so beautiful! It was in deed magical! But then I had never seen the snow falling!
     People talk about the snow being magical when it falls on Christmas Eve. Yes in deed it is, and also deeply peaceful and gentle to the soul, But I think that the magic is just sitting somewhere warm and dry behind the window and watching it fall. It starts slowly, a flake here and there, random sizes, at first, then slowly drifting faster, the dancing crystals at the mercy of the blustery winter wind that drives them. No wonder the "Nutcracker" ballet has the dance of the snowflakes in it. They move in time to the winters music, ebbing and flowing or swirling to unheard melodies that only they can hear.
      I thought, as I grew older and learned that each crystal flake has a different design, and no two are exactly alike. That each of us also are sort of like them,. We too seem to float through life, and we too have a purpose, as they also do. But to me, I would rather go out and experience the magical snow fall. To be in the dance, to hold my arms open to the sky with my head back and catching snowflakes on my tongue. To feel the winter's icy breath as it nips on my nose and turns my cheeks a bright pink from the cold. To hear the wind whistle around me and its frosty fingers playfully tug strands of my hair from under my hat to form a brown halo around my face as the cold but gentle snowflakes kiss my nose, caress my checks and cover my shoulders and head with winter's mantle of white.
      I drift back in my thoughts as I gaze out the window at the flakes drifting by. I am now in England. I guess I'm about 8 years old. This is an old mystical and magic land. The people believe in "little people, fairies, wee folk, leprechauns, hobbits" I am surrounded by fantasy and real princes and princesses. A beautiful Queen and her Prince rule the land of soft green rolling hills and woolly sheep and lambs. Winter comes, with it the snow, the beautiful snow. I walk to school in it, I build snowmen, and have snowball fights. The land is magically transformed into a beautiful winter paradise
     I get to go see Sonia Hanie skate at Wimbledon while we were in England. She was an Norwegian Ice skater and Hollywood Movie Star. It was so beautiful! She was skating in some fairytale production that was set in a snowy landscape. I was enchanted, I wanted to be like her when I got bigger. Alas! I only learned to dance on roller skates.

 Sonja Henie

      I remember the snowy streets in winter around Christmastime in England. The cozy fire in the fireplaces. and the gala decorations, trees and parties. We would get real carolers, that came around even if there was snow a foot thick on the ground and it was snowing then. They would sing carols while we would stand inside the open door with the snow swirling at our feet. When they were all quite cold and tired they would all be invited in for hot tea, coffee or cocoa.
      (Big Sigh!) The snow has stopped. I blink and look at the clock. Only 20 minutes. It seemed longer somehow. But now all that remains is sweet memories fading gently away and the picture I just took of the snow covered mountains next to us. I sure hope you enjoyed this little visit into my past, as much as I enjoyed sharing it. Until next time. God bless and good memories.


                                                                            

It's Too Early!

                                                                                                                                                2-19-2013

 

Happy Late Valentine's Day to All

 

 

      Well it's 3:15 AM. Hubby can't sleep and though he trys really hard not to wake me up, it still happens. Oh well, I can try to get some things caught up here in my blog that I haven't had time to do lately. It's been a while since I wrote anything in here, and this month has been a busy one. I for one am glad that it's a short month. Look forward to spring with all my heart. Spring and Fall are my favorite seasons, Even though I really love the crisp days of winter and the sparkly white snow, as well as the lazy, hazy summer days. These season do not compare to the beautiful spring when all nature awakens, spreads its arms and new life begins again, or the wondrous colors of the autumn trees and the crunch of crispy leaves underfoot, or the arid smell of wood smoke hanging in the crisp air as mother nature yawns and prepares herself for her winter's nap.

      Speaking of snow, we all woke up to a white blanket of the cold stuff on all the mountains around us, Monday morning the 11th. Not the powered sugared dusting, but a good heavy froth of sparkly white frosting. Joni and Aaron took their girls up to Oracle, as they are at a higher elevation than we are, and let them play in the snow. They brought back a surprise......

 

 

 

Snow in Oracle 2-11-2013

 

    "BANG!, BANG!, BANG!" Hubby jumped up to answer the door since no one replied to his, "it's open" call. As he opened the door WHOP! Aaron smacked him with a soft snowball. Amid the giggles and laughs, I heard Joni call out, "Mom, man-up! Get out here and get yours!" I stepped out onto our little porch to see Joni at the back of her car trying to hide the snowball in her hand. One of my granddaughters was holding a snowball and I snatched it and let it fly. Smack! Thud! Her snowball hit me, as mine hit her. Trust me! I couldn't believe my luck. I can't throw! I couldn't hit a big red barn, with both it's doors shut and me right on top of it! More gales of laughter and giggles. What fun! For a few short precious minutes I was a child again!

     For the last few days, I have been out back most of the day sitting in the sun or under a canopy tent, just enjoying the taste of spring and the soft sounds of our little place by the wash. The soft call of the flock of fat quail that come clear up to our retaining wall to feed, the stealthy white shadow of a neighbors cat, a soft background sound of a child playing or one of the neighbor's Mexican music.

     I work on knitting, writing letters or coloring. Yes, I color! It's very therapeutic for me and I really enjoy it. This is one of my recent creations at the start of this particular blog. I have been doing this for years, I have collected enough pictures off the Internet in about 9 years or longer to make my own color books At present I have 4. I like designs, horses, fairies, flowers, animals, my family that I have changed a close up pictures of into ones I can color. I use all mediums, and incorporate, glitter, fake snow, tiny rindstones, etc. As well as use different mediums in each painting, chalks, color pencils, watercolor pencils, pens, markers, crayons and regular paints (Apple Barrel brand!)

      I also have been trying to do crafts and repairs on things I have just layed it down and forgot about, or got busy and didn't have time to finish for the past several years. I've already did about 15 of them and still have about 15 more left to do. Just finished making an Eternity scarf for a dear friend and her husband earwarmers. those headbands of knit or crochet to keep your ears warm. I've recovered books, both with material, (I had to have the oldest daughter help me on that one) Needlepointed some and covered the rest with contact paper. Repaired some jewelry, and made a western styled ankle-boot bracelet for my really comfortable black cowboy boots that I wear every where. Even to church.

 

                                                                                                     

Right cowboy boot. My favorite shoe.

 

   This is the same boot just the other side of it.

     The other things on my list take more time, like sweaters, etc. I also want to update you on the doll house. It's kinda went lacking too lately as hubby has a few other things he too is catching up on. But we have the living room, although not finished yet, will give you an idea. We had to turn the whole house around to work on the rooms. Went hunting some miniature china for the china cupboard that we're working on. We have several furniture pieces that we're making or repainting or just remolding. Anyhow, couldn't find anything I wanted and Hobby Lobby isn't in Tucson yet. But It'll be there sometime in April. Only thing I've ordered by mail, is lumber that we couldn't find anywhere else..I might try making my own little dishes, from a tutorial I found on Penterest.

 Backside of doll house with additions on each side

 

Living room facing left, with front door and

door out to the Conservatory

 

Living room facing right with the partial wall

and the staircase  in the dinning room that

goes up to second floor, the kitchen is beyond.

 

     Well that's enough for now, I guess. Out to the back patio, to work on re doing a couple of rows of knitting on Joni's scarf she been making. She messed up last night trying to knit and watch A movie at the same time. Until later my friends, God bless and as they use to say on the radio, may the good news be with you!

 

 



 

 

 



 

      

 

 



 

 

 

 

 



Who's Doll House Is It Anyway?

                                                                                                                                                    2-2-2012
     Well hello! Here it is only a few days into a brand spanking new month. So how the heck are you all doing? It's almost 6:00 PM, the sky a pale baby blue, streaked with fading criss-crossed jet trails that look as though some modernistic artist had gone a little bonkers and just drew squiggly lines randomly here and there. It is fast approaching the dinner hour.
      I look around my cosy living room, draw the curtains, and watch my husband as he tinkers with yet another idea for the doll house's insides. He decided, that it had to have a flat-screen TV above the fireplace. With his son-in-law's (Aaron) suggest of putting Stan's favorite TV series M*A*S*H on the thing, buzzing in his brain. My hubby proceeded to make a perfect tiny flat-screen TV with a still shot of Hawkeye and Colonel Potter in the 4077's Mess tent. Right now at the angle I'm sitting at, there's a faint flicker on the tiny screen that makes it look like the darn thing is on. Just a reflection of the kitchen fan, but it sure could fool your senses for a minute. Right now he's in the kitchen where the light is better, creating his latest. Speakers for each side of the fireplace so that the little people who will eventually inhabit "Pelican's Perch" will have all the basic necessities.
     I have uploaded some of the newest pictures of out little creations. Hay if you can't have things exactly like you want in real life, why not in miniature? I made the braided oval rag rug by hand, after I found a catalog that had them for about $10.00 and they weren't even real, just printed on paper. Took me awhile to do the little rug, as I've never made one before. I used knitting yarn and braided it. The braiding was worse than sewing it together. I cut lengths of yarn 9 pieces total, then wrapped it around a folding chair leg, so that I had three strands of 3 each and then braided those together. I must have looked like a big demented human spider type woman as I had yards and yards of knitting yarn spread all over the floor, as I would braid about an inch, push the chair away with my foot, then start straighten out the yarn, pulling each 3 strand through the tangles to another pile. When the tension would slack a little, I would push the chair farther away again, then do it all again, over and over. But after all that's said and done.... I kinda liked the finished product,. What do you think?

 

Flat screen TV. Logs are real misquite.

 

 

kitchen isn't finished and the rug really doesn't belong there.

 

 

give you a better idea as to the color..

If it was life size it would be a 4 1/2 ft X 71/2 ft.

 

 

The floor tiles Aaron put in the Conservatory

 



      Well, my children, night has closed its's dark fingers around our home and I will stop writing for tonight. Tomorrow is annother day and I plan on taking more pictures and writing a few more things...  for now, goodnight, God bless, and pleasent dreams!

 

 

 

Normal Night.....I Think Not!

                                                                                                                                                 1-18-2012
     Happy Birthday to my Granddaughter Linda, Love you girl! Wow!  Can't hardly hear myself think in here! So if I ramble, blame it in my hubby! LOL! :) He is doing a bit of alterations to the doll house. So here it is 5:50 pm, dark out and he decides he'll cut some openings for a few doorways to the additions. The house is on it's side in the middle of the living room floor and he's using a drill and a jigsaw! Good grief! What a racket!
     Son-in-law came over... He  grinned and playfully said. "you just gotta hold down the racket over here!" Oh did I forget to mention they live right next door to us. Our apartments share a common wall between our living rooms. The walls are paper thin.
      I sure wish my husband would have done this earlier! Hubby doesn't have a work shop, so he has to use our living room as a substitute, since we've really been having an unusual cold snap lately. The consequences are, that we are sneezing our heads off from all the sawdust that has been floating about like a million invisible fairies, that mischievously tickle our noses for a week. He's been doing a lot of sanding with the rotary tool too.
      Daughter  Joni, the artist and writer, came over to show me some pointers on putting links in my blog. Well...that went through my head like a whirlwind through Texas! Can't concentrate when its this noisy.
     I want to try to link my other daughter's site called  "Glow from Within": from my blog site also. She is sharing her pet on going project and her deep feelings about it. Last year she started, Hats from the Heart and Journey Journals for Cancer patients. Its such a worthy project. I am sure there is no one out there who does not know someone, either themselves, someone they know or a loved one who has not felt the sting of this deadly disease.
       On a lighter side all of us have boards on  Pinterest.  This link is mine! We have a blast. Warning,,, Its really additive! But come check us out. You'll find Rita's  here and Joni's at this  one.
Oh! No! Now he has the vacuum going. Gee, why dose everything sound so much louder at night!
     Ahhhhh! It is now peaceful and quiet once more. And on that cheerful note. I will not post this until tomorrow when I can add the pictures of the latest additions. From my own "Jr. Frank Loyd Wright". The Skylight on the roof of the Conservatory and the sweetest little fireplace made out of wood. No, It really is wood!
                                                                                                                                               1-19-2012
     Well here they are...

The side view of the Conservatory, you can barely see the skylight

 

 

Skylight made with a leftover window. I think it's neat that you can look down and see the door that goes into the living room

 

 

Front view. Double French doors still have to be painted

 

 

The fireplace, not finished yet but he is still working on it

 

 

Top view, Can't hardly wait. I want to start decorating sooo bad!

 

 

Doll House Update

                                                                                                                                                  1-15-2012
    First of all Happy Birthday to my youngest daughter. She's 31 today. Visit her blog here: Realm of Nevermoore. Its a cold day here in Arizona, Up here in our little valley, that is snuggled up in a mountain area, it was 10 degrees this morning, and now only 35 and it's almost 11:00am. With the wind gusting from time to time. I even feel cold in the house! So I am sitting here with a hot cup of herb tea, covered in my warm serape trying to get warm, while hubby is working on the Conservatory addition for the doll house. As usual my head is buzzing with new ideas for it already. Since it is a conservatory (rich people's green house.) I plan on filling it full of plants. Shelves made from left over lumber from the house kit, brackets that were left over, a work bench from left over pieces, The walls are going to be white inside, with a wood stained design paneled ceiling. The trim, shelves, brackets, and work bench painted in "Pelican Bay" Blue to match the house's outside wall paint. All the planters will be that red terracotta color and the floor, oh the floor. I can see it in my mind's eye. It is a pale gray marble looking stone. Hopefully anyway! I am hoping to talk my son-in-law in to making the tiles for it. His hobby is making medieval castle models. He makes tiny bricks and blocks and designs his own pieces. His flooring looks like marble tiles and are fantastic! Maybe I can also talk him into designing a wall sculptured fountain for me too. When this house is finished I want to make a sign with the house's name on it and that it was a family project and place it in it's the front yard.

 

House front so far 1-15-2013

attic front - hubby added the window, there wasn't one in the kit

 

 

different shutters than the ones that came in the kit

 detail of porches with gingerbread trim. The porch braces are also did

not come in the kit

 

      Since this is our first attempt at doll house making we have a few hints to share. Learned unfortunately by trial and error. One of the things we found out is, be sure to paint all the house parts first before gluing. Saves a lot of headaches and a lot of grumbling and a few nasty words directed at the house by hubby! You should have seen him trying to get his hand and paint brush between railings and trim and the house front to paint the back of them. Also BE SURE to paint all window trim before putting the glass/plastic panes in. You should have seen me trying very carefully to paint the first three window frames with the panes in place, my hubby finally said, "well, you should have known to just gently pushed the panes out, I didn't glue them in that much!' Thanks honey! Next time just TELL ME! Instead of, "be careful, the window panes aren't glued that tight." After I fussed and squinted, and used my thumb nail and a toothpick to make sure there was no paint on the panes.

     Also an update on my nerve situation. Still nerve pill free! Yeah me!