Saturday, June 25, 2011

I haven't fallen off the face of the earth
I am just having problems with my back and not feeling the want to
blog at the moment\
hopefully I'll be rid of whatever the hell it is
soon
and be back in blog land
sorry for being such a bad blogger!!!

:)
xx

Friday, June 17, 2011

Ellen's melons


shame on you all
not those melons
these melons!!!!!

I'm doing a little blog linking today
I have been thinking about introducing you all to each other
you know sending you off to all the blogs I frequent
and introducing you to each other and maybe you'll find someone or something
that is interesting and fun
or teaches you something
which is why I go there!!!
so...
what better place to start with someone who has become a friend
and is launching her
Etsy shop
something I'm thinking about doing too
but this isn't about me
it's about
ELLEN
who lives way down south in
La
no not that LA
the hot spicy one
next to the
Gulf and New Orleans
aka
the big easy
the soul of the south
the place where people are warm and friendly
and in this case
sweet and talented

a couple of weeks ago you may have noticed a sudden surge of all things
watermelon
I told you about making some hot pads for my friend who can't hook
and sending them off
at the same time
Kate
of Garden Bell fame
made the same thing
but in her inimitable style
and Ellen saw them
on our blogs and on
Flickr
of course
so Ellen joined in the
"all things watermelon"
I am sure some of you have never seen these things before
let me tell you that in the States
the watermelon is the icon for
Summer
if it were red white and blue it couldn't be more
American
 it goes along with
hamburgers and hot dogs
mustard and ketchup
baseball
water sprinklers and ice cream

fourth of July picnics
if it could whistle it would
whistle
I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy
when I came here all those eons ago
I had never seen watermelon
never eaten it
had the juice run down my chin and pool on my lap
I have eaten my share
and even had seed spitting contests
with the kids
but
 back to
Ellen and her melons


When I made mine I didn't know what to do about the seeds
so I embroidered them with a needle and thread
boring!!!!
Ellen figured out how to make big ones that actually show up and are worth the effort
so she set about designing her own
and she asked me if i would test the pattern
to which I of course said
YeS M'aM!!!
I got the patten and took off with hook and wattymelon coloured yarn
and a little while later I had me a
melon with seeds
and it's just flippin' brilliant of her to figure it all out
now
I do not have the pattern here nor will I give it to you
it is Ellen's and she will tell you how to get it
so off you go to her blog and find out how you can get the pattern
it's really easy to do and the end result will make you smile
a watermelon slice sized
smile
say hi while you're there and visit a while
she may even have some sweet tea and a slice of melon for you
you know how hos-pit-able
those southern belles are


you can use them to put
gram ma's pressed glass compote on



or you can use it to cover the dish



put a pretty jar on it


or let someone have their own picnic on it



hang it on the fridge


but don't use it for the oven
maybe a warm pot top
but it sure looks cute hanging there
and she has patterns for a place mat too
which haven't made and some other things
so quick run before you miss out on the
melon craze
or summer ends and you have to wait till next year!!!!

so see you next time
here's how to get to
Louisiana
in one little click of your mouse
bye
and
ya'll come back now
y'hear!!!!


:) |)~~

Thursday, June 16, 2011

an odd sort of day...


if you know me at all
and few of you do
but now you'll know more!!!!
you know
I do not like pink
and I am not that fond of green

unless it is just the right shade




this yarn has been on the shelf in the
useless craft store
 for a while
I have picked it up
and put it back down
a million times
well
maybe
a few less times than that


the last time I was in there
I picked it up and made it stay with me
tucked under the arm
picked up again if put down
but the last visit was a short one
which is how I got to leave with
said yarn
we had things to do and places to go
so it was more about
paint and plastic wood and nails of just the right size
and all those little things that make a job go faster

HUH!!!


I have tried and tried to manipulate
the colours so you can see the real shades
they are deeper and richer than they appear here
but alas it is not to be
and anyway your end will show it differently too
so just know it is the right shade of pink
and the correct colour of green
yes
more knots
pink and green knots
like a vine with
pink roses on it




or
 pink
milkweed
on the plant
!!!


 
love in the semi shade!!!

this is one of my very favourite photos
I ever did take
along with the first one up there
blue sure can take me a picture when he wants

the strange thing about today is it's warm and cool at the same time
the rain is coming and it's making me feel like curling up with a book and a hook
wonder if I can read and hook at the same time
let me go and see
a cup of tea
a hook
a book
makes three

......

:)

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Lunch can wait....


I went outside to ask the
resident
jack of all trades
house painter
window frame putter upper
painter of said frames
if he would like some lunch
I got a nod
but
I heard a hawk
a falcon
a buzzard
bird of prey
but not an eagle
a bird of some sort
screeching high up in the trees
...
you know what I did
I got
blue out and went to see what we could see


we saw....
these two characters


remember I only have a digital
no big zoom lenses
to go up up up
80 odd feet
but can you see that
Robin
 up there with the
hawk falcon buzzard but not an eagle
sitting up higher
than the highest on the food chain
he looks chuffed


this one screeched the whole time I was under him
lens pointing up
trying to catch this noisy so and so
I took many more but they aren't so good
not that these are
:p




and then he was gone
:) :) :) :)


 I was suddenly aware of the quieter
more stately members of the
outside bunch
the ones that flit hither and yon
among the
milk weed
and of course the breeze started to blow



I love this stuff
it is just gorgeous and I've always wanted it in the garden
but there is a patch across the street now
so I will leave it there to live as it should
unless they start to clear the woods
which they might
stupid
expletive deleteds



first there was one
then two
then


three
look carefully on the right and you will see


I heart you
flutterbys

so ...
back to making lunch
back to doing what I should be doing and not
snapping every damn thing I see
but
wait a minute
what's that over there
why 'tis the heron
come to see what's for his lunch
so sneak down the freshly sealed steps
that aren't all the way dry
but don't tell "him" or I'll be in trouble!!!
 I hide behind the bush
then the first tree
then the second tree
knowing full well that
he sees me
and is trying not to laugh


as I sneak up
on him


this creature is too
regal and noble
to put up with this human fool
but he waits
for one more second



before lifting off
and flying
where he will be able to eat in peace
 
the end

the oven just beeped
.......
catch you later
......................................................................................

:)

Monday, June 13, 2011


this dessert is called a
bumble berry tart
apples blackberries and raspberries
in a flaky pastry shell
Friday night's goodie
one of the new foods at the grocery store
we will have it again!!!
just because of the name
mostly
but it was
del-issshhhh


Saturday night some moron started a fire that blacked out the sky and the lake
and it
stunk up the house
in this season of dry
why???


Friday the magnolia had a bloom I thought I could get up close and personal with
as soon as I saw it was opening I ran down to snap it
but the bugs and yucks got there first
and I couldn't, wouldn't
get that close



I tested a pattern for a friend and it worked
she made the pattern and figured out the seed situation
and I made the hot pad

more info later
it's from
on flickr
where you can find her blog too


Friday I had to water the plants


because it had been so hot and dry
and when I did
I saw the patterns
and
snapped
!!!


then I found a tiny
small
littlest of all
viola
in one of the beds


so I lifted it and put it in a small pot


along with a tiny panda from one of hubbies bonsai failures
and it's doing well
and panda is happy to be helping hold it up
!!!


the flower is the size of my thumb nail
so I had to
crop
a
little
...
I am on
pass the drill through the window
duty
so I can't stay long
....
well I can't stay
I hear the tapping on the window
once more


see ya!!!!





Sunday, June 12, 2011

new fashion?

I was sitting on the couch last night
watching the only thing worth watching

trying to finish a second something

there are a zillion
HDTV channels
on our new cable line up
they've changed the channel numbers
provided us with
choose whatever you want
24/7/365
look how pretty this all is
push a button and you can buy stuff off the TV now
but
BUT...
there is still not one thing worth watching
why do they think that everyone goes out on Saturday night
in this economy especially
why don't they put some good movies on and just let us choose which one we want to watch
or a good
old fashioned variety show
(am I showing my age again!!!)
anyway
I was about to nod off from sheer boredom
when the phone rang
it was my friend
who I sent the watermelon hot pads to
she asked if she needed to
lower her ears
I asked her to repeat what she said
" I can't get my eats into it"
she replied
into what
I queried
the hat you sent
I sent you a hat
yes with the coasters
I started to laugh the laugh I had needed all day long
I was laughing so hard I couldn't tell her
it isn't a hat
it's a
...

 





basket

to put the coasters in when she isn't using them
or the hot pads maybe
then she described trying to get the thing to fit her head
how her husband looked at her when he saw it sitting slightly askew on top of her noggin like a misshapen beanie
she wondered what the holes were for
I said they aren't holes they're handles
but if you wear it as a hat maybe you can hang your earrings from them
and considering what some people wear nowadays
why not put a basket on your head
and wear it
 wear it
proudly
with attitude
and panache
total confidence
that no one will walk up to you and ask
er
excuse me madam
why doth thou sport
a basket upon your
noggin?

so shall we start a new fashion??

I asked that she take a photo of it on
but I doubt she will
then again
if we ask nicely
maybe she will
.....
L
thank you so much for calling and making me laugh til my sides hurt and I couldn't catch my breath
for being
 brave and bold
and asking
 why the hell
 I made you
a
watermelon
HAT
????
!!!!!!!


Saturday, June 11, 2011

the ones we love




Oh my goodness has it been an emotional couple of weeks.
there have been some really sad things happening
stories of people having encounters with animals
that have sad endings
You sit there and read about what happened
and find the tears rolling down your face
and you sob for the pain and hurt
that has been felt
 sharing stories of these creatures
they have come in contact with
whether it be a  street cat
or a new born cygnet
or a baby bird in your garden
food and love and companionship are given lovingly and freely
you do everything you know how to do
and the end result is that
Nature steps in
and breaks your heart
big time
I feel for each of you 
 I have had my share of these wonderful encounters with animals too
I tend to step back now and not get involved
sounds harsh and mean
but I can't do it anymore
knowing the end result in most cases
of course that's what I say and think
until the next one comes along

Tammy....we had a wild cat for a while
my husband found it in the middle of the road one freezing cold night
on his way back from work
he brought it home and gave it a saucer of milk
and was surprised to find it still here the next morning!!!
we fed it and the kids played with it for a while
it wouldn't come very close to us so we made it a warm box and put the food out
it stayed in the garden and seemed to be happy
it grew and got all cute...
and we were getting ready to let it come inside and live with us
but it never made it
I won't say what happened one dark night
but it killed us having to tell the kids the next morning

Kim,
you know how I felt about Little One
and I know what it has done  to you
and
the rest of those who watched as you recorded the daily events of this tiny little thing are sad too

but what has happened now with the mama swan is just magical
but it doesn't take the pain away
it somehow makes it a little more bearable that she can share her loss with you!!

and Ruth
you poor thing
I was in tears yesterday reading about the little bird in your garden
knowing how hard you tried to help
and not being able to
know that you were fighting a losing battle
Nature separates those that won't make it
she knows and we don't
and that's when our humanity
gets trampled on and the pain of seeing it
is too much
you were there at the end and it wasn't alone
take comfort in that

I don't mean to be maudlin and dramatic
but our encounters with the animals of all kinds
can make us feel things we didn't know we could
the street cats in all the cities in all the world live and die alone
as do the strays in the woods and fields all over
it isn't until we encounter one of them that we know they are there
the wild birds that fly overhead don't mean much until you get up close and personal with
one
and discover birds have personalities and feelings too
and the nests that fill the trees and bushes
have life in them
and the chance to watch from a distance
and see the babies in the nest is just wonderful

it all starts and ends
all the time
and most people don't even notice
but a few do
the ones with wide open hearts at the ready
and
 in most cases it's all wonderful and happy
and then
there are the times
it isn't
and it's hard
and not fair
and it
STINKS
.....



you are all wonderful people

yes you are!!!!


Friday, June 10, 2011

found it...



the reason for the huge numbers on our blog stats
it's one of those
robot thingy ma dos
that scans the web
remember a few months ago
we were finding
adult sites showing up
and a few people changed
blog sites because of it?
I found something called
wepostalot.com
and there is something else out there
but I can't find what
the numbers frome the blogs I have on my list are showing
huge numbers of visitors

I have to cut this short the save function isn't working
so
a post with no pictures

and a tiny bit of info....


OK one picture
of what I did this morning!!!!
have to go before the bloody thing blows up

gggrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!

Thursday, June 9, 2011

lots of photos



the only thing to say is
IT'S HOT
here
feels like
113F
45 C or more
outside
where the husband insists on being
so he can finish what he started
why he has to do that is beyond me
but he's in the shade and I'm giving him lots to drink
through the door
as he is up a ladder just outside the kitchen!!!
I have been trying very hard not to go out
because I feel sick almost immediately
and I do not
do not
know how the poor people who work outside
survive in this hell

they laughingly tell us a cold wave is coming
which means big noise and wind and torrential rain
probably
but the cold front
will bring temps of
the high
80's
ha ha!!!





so let's look at cool and pretty things




if blogger will let us
that is
 still the problem with comments not being able to be made

I am wondering if you are having trouble
because my
visitors numbers have jumped to
 huge
for
this blog about nothing

:)
but only one or two comments are showing
but then again
there's nothing to comment on
!!!!!!!
but I do thank those of you who have left such nice comments these past few days
as I have said before
I wish it was as pretty as it looks
Teresa asked where this is
It's Virginia USA
south of Washington DC
half way between the mountains and the ocean
in what used to be the country
and is now the suburbs
or as they call it
the bedroom communities to the
Nations' Capital!!!!!



the goose neck loose strife

:o

is beginning to bloom
the bee magnet
but there don't seem to be very many bees around
I hope it isn't a bad sign that they are gone
maybe it's too early for them yet
 ??




and the roses are going all
neon pink on me
they literally shine in the sun




 those expletive deleted monsters are at it again
.............................



yesterday morning before the heat was in full force
I went to see what there was to see
and this little guy let me shoot him
he's a baby so he doesn't know any better yet
an adult  was up a tree
barking all sorts of insults at me
I disturbed their breakfast



 the buffle head duck and her babies floated by
she still has them all
thank goodness
I haven't seen the goslings in the last few days
I'll bet they've grown since we last saw them




I have to keep this well watered
two or three times a day
with the sun and the heat and the lack of rain
it earns it name this one
hydra means
gimme gimme gimme
and lots of it!!!





Miss Ellen from down south
aka Wildaboutcolour on Flicr
asked me to test a
I almost typed recipe
:) :) :)
a pattern that she has made
the woman is brilliant and came up with a way to put the seeds in the watermelons
that are all the rage
so I happily said I would
and it's
brilliant
she made the pattern look very professional and I hope if you get the chance to get it
you will
it will make her very happy



as you can see here I still have melon coloured yarn so I'm starting on another
who knows what
but I will finish the test and then get back to this messy pile




I got up early again today
and I felt like sewing something
so I did
with felt and cotton




and I figured out how to make
yo-yo's with yarn
I remembered making a flower a while back that sort of turned in on itself
so I did that and it seems to have worked





and I couldn't help myself
I picked one of each and stuck them in a cute jar


with some blue marbles to hold the stems up
and I
give them to you
nice folk out there in blog land
..........
hope you had a good day
and I'll see you
next time

I would also like to say
 HI
to the new followers who have joined us here
in the
roomontheleft
welcome to the
blog about nothing
I hope you come back and let me know who you are
because some of you don't have a place to visit in return
.................................

take care all
stay cool
and
be good

:)