Memorial Monday

On this Memorial Monday we take a moment to reflect and remember friends and family - their impact on our lives and country.  I will be visiting cemeteries this afternoon to honor my "Grands" and my "Greats". 

 

 I have some new NPS and Crescent Colors to drool over! 

Hens and chicks potted up in chicks!

Enjoy your Memorial Weekend keeping in mind the foundation of the holiday.

Three Day Weekend

A photographic update for "Curious as a Cat".  I wish my Tom-Cat was not so curious - the chipmunk carnage the past three days has been awful.

I did make it to the Lane County Farmers' Market yesterday. 

There were fresh sprouts...

and beautiful strawberries...

new potatoes...

and Swiss Chard.

Afterwards I checked out a new-to-me store.  The Eugene Backyard Farmer sells chicks and all the tools and supplies needed to raise a few hens in an urban setting.  Currently it is legal to have two hens in the Eugene city limits, while Springfield allows four hens.  As well as two store hens, Martha and Marie, the Eugene Backyard Farmer has two darling store kittens! 

             

Ooopps...She Did it Again!

This morning I share with you some EBay finds.  Three HandWorks charts, a couple of Gentle Arts Charts, and an old Cedar Hill chart.  All look to be fun and interesting to stitch...I know, I know - I've got what, two projects going already?  I'm almost done with "Curious as a Cat", so...what to do next?

Brighter Days Ahead

Kathy Barrick's Etsy site attacked me!  I'd been looking for the Pennsylvania-German Sampler for quite sometime.  Then gee, who could pass up Annie's Garden, and Adam and Eve?  Someone with more willpower than me. 

Yesterday I went to a couple of nurseries...yes, it is an addiction. And what did I get?

More sedums, more hens and chicks.  I love the "geometry" of these plants.  They never need to bloom in my book - their natural patterns are so very pleasing.

Three coleus also reached out and grabbed me...."Take us home, take us home", they said.

The rain has ended, for a few days anyway. With some self-discipline,I can get everything planted out in the next few days over the holiday weekend.

Curious Progress and Spring Progress

I've not spent much time stitching as of late.  That is not because I'm not enjoying "Curious as a Cat", rather that life is getting in the way as it is wont to do.  As you can see, the colors are ultra-loud - fun, fun, fun.

We ended up with another rain storm yesterday afternoon - over 0.8" of a rain in a couple of hours...thunder again...you'd think this was the Midwest! 

I took a walk this morning.

 

The wild grasses are all headed out - if we had sun, the pollen count would be out of this world!

 

The new growth on the young Douglas Fir glows even on a gloomy day.

Dorothy's Creek is roaring along as though it were February.

Raindrops on grass have their own special beauty.

This guy was out to greet me when I put out the bird food.  He too likes sunflower seeds.

This is someone who does not mind the damp weather.

 

The Cow Parsnip is blooming...

and so is the Larkspur...

and this lovely wilding...

Spring marches on!

Stitching and Eating

I've got all the supplies to start the "Rendered by Sampler" as designed by Little by Little. 

I need a pick-me-up as the weather this entire month has been miserable.  We've broken the record for the number of days in May with rain - and that was by the 24th of the month.  The only saving grace has been decent weather on the weekends, most of the rain falling during the week.  Yesterday was grey and mild, and I thought, "Okay no sun, but no rain either - I can work with that!"...until 3:00pm when the skies opened wide with booms of thunder, and we got over 0.7" of an inch of rain in less than an hour!  We ended the day with over an inch of rain. 

This morning it is pouring and the forecast calls for the possibility of a thunderstorm this afternoon.  All anyone dares to hope for is decent weather for the Memorial Weekend. Gardening is hard for everyone - the soil is so wet and cool that no one dares to plant the hot weather crops of tomatoes, peppers, and corn.

My sister and I did make it down to the Tuesday version of the Lane County Farmers' Market while the weather still held.

  

Though far smaller than the Saturday Market, there was still a nice representation of Produce Vendors...

Plant Vendors...

and Flower Vendors...

Also Food Vendors including Caramel''s French Patisserie and Cousin Jack's Pasty Company.  I had a smoked salmon pasty for lunch - yummy!

The bees continue to work - rain or shine!

Curious As A Cat - A Start

I wish I had all the BOAF charts in this series.  Woulda' shoulda' coulda' purchased them back in the day, when they were still in print.  Now they go for upwards of $50 on EBay.  I did find this one on EBay for a reasonable sum.

So I've kitted it up to stitch on R & R Mink linen using GAST floss. 

The charted cat reminds me of our "Tom-Cat"!

Keeping with the cat theme - we have a "curious" wildflower blooming now.

   

These plants are Calochortus tolmiei - commonly known as Cats' Ears.  We have a couple of areas on our property where they bloom and they appear to have been increasing the last few years.  They are the kind of flower that bears close scrutiny - fuzzy and white with dark purple centers - a joy!

This morning I worked out on the front porch, and finished setting out my pieces of "garden art" - photos will follow.  No gardening today - once again - it is raining!

Ladybug, Ladybug, Dragonfly!

This is an "incomplete finish".  The poor, dear ladybug needs some nice, black spots.  I don't have any buttons small enough to work, so as soon as I purchase some, I'll sew them on and update the photo.

   

Design - Duh Ladybug

Designer - Hog River

Fabric - 28 count Amber linen

Floss - DMC

Started - 21 May 2010

Completed - 24 May 2010

Earlier this month, I got two wonderful pillows...

a ladybug...and a dragonfly!

Blue Birds Sampler - Green Bird of Happiness

The "Green Bird of Happiness"

I decided to crank out another of the Homespun Elegance miniature samplers.  I really like the colors used in this one. 

If I were clever, they'd both be made into Pyn Keeps!

Design - Blue Birds Sampler

Chart - Miniature Samplers IV

Designer - Homespun Elegance

Fabric - 28 count Sandstone

Started - 20 May 2010

Completed - 21 May 2010 

A break in the rain - finally!  So I've spent the morning working outside.  I've collected up all the pots I used last year - emptied out most of them, so they are ready to reuse this year.  I managed to pot up a flat this morning.  Several dianthus, a couple geraniums, and salvia. 

I also set out a small perennial prostrate clematis

 

Duh Ladybug - A Start

I've kitted up this Hog River chart, "Duh Ladybug" -  I think it should be "Da' Ladybug", but oh well!  I'm going to stitch it on 28 count linen rather than the Heatherfield that is charted.

And today; today is just straight old raining - not showers - raining.  The cats are going stir-crazy - they hiss and yowl at each other for no good reason.  I'm going stir-crazy...I hiss and yowl too.  We need some sunshine - fast - before somebody gets hurt!

Ladybug Garden Stake

Rabbit ABC - and Front Porch Pictures

Design - Rabbit ABC

Chart - Miniature Samplers IV

Designer - Homespun Elegance

Fabric - 28 count Wichelt Sandstone

Started - 19 May 2010

Completed - 20 May 2010

Cold, cold, cold day today!  Dark and grey with showers.  Solomon recommends a good, long morning nap, followed by an afternoon nap!

  To boost my spirits, I walked the front porch.

Hens and Chicks

Hebes and Primroses

Sedums

Rain through Saturday, maybe I can finish potting up my plants on Sunday!

It Really Is Cute As a Bug!

I'm really pleased at how closely "my stitch" - on the left - resembles the magazine photo - on the right!  Great colors - great design! 

Design - Cute As A Bug

Designer - Nancy Davis - Birds of a Feather

Magazine - Stitcher's World - May 2001

Fabric - 32 count R & R Dark Cappuccino

Started - 16 May 2010

Completed - 19 May 2010

No gardening today - the rainy weather continues...