Today’s project

 

It’s almost 7:30 p.m. EST and I am feeling ready to get horizontal for the night. Getting up around 4 a.m. will do that. I did take a little nap this afternoon and that was nice.

Well, the oops paint wasn’t as red as I thought it would be but I still like it. It doesn’t show up much either because the face of the heart is probably a little less than 1/4 inch wide. I hung it with nails as I would have had a difficult time trying to hold this piece and screw in screws. Mark and I always worked well together and I’m really realizing how much we did together all the time. Each of us would call the other one for a helping hand. Now I’ve got to figure other ways of getting things done. I could hear Mark saying move slowly, take your time.

So, here are photos of the project.

I liked seeing her with her reflection in the piece of beveled mirror.

Front patio garden area is where I worked this morning while a loaf of oatmeal bread was making in the bread machine. I should have moved the empty pots from in front of the large pot.  We bought those two old concrete planters probably from the 1920’s at a yard sale years ago for $5 or $10 for the pair.  I love the patina on them.

I have always called this statue the weeping woman, and the name really fits this woman named FlowerLady.

I had several of you suggest in comments to NOT pressure wash her so here she is in all her wonderful patina glory. We had her in another location before this one and a tree limb fell on her knocking her head and part of her arm off, so Mark had to epoxy her back together and of course it’s not cement so it shows. She has scars and that’s part of her life. She is graceful. That’s how I want to be, full of grace.

These next photos are of a little weed.

This is the bird bath in the ‘secret garden’. The bell shaped flowers are from the mom-of-millions plant.

This was breakfast this morning. I spread some of Lemon Verbena Lady’s Spicy Basil Apple jelly on ‘free’ rolls that Mark had gotten from the Salvation Army thrift store awhile back. They were in the freezer. The S.A. gives free bread away every week. I need to check there myself as we’ve gotten some nice types before.  The jelly was delicious and you could definitely taste the basil.

Supper tonight was pizza.

That’s it, I can hardly keep my eyes open.

Enjoy the last day of 2012, and have a wonderful 2013.

FlowerLady Lorraine

***

Today’s verse:

Fear Not
I am with thee
Be Not Dismayed
I am thy God
I will strengthen thee
I will help thee
I will uphold thee

Isaiah 41:10

Brrr and a little project

As I start this post, it is 7:28 eastern standard time, 49 degrees and feels like it is 40. I just went outside to take some pictures with jeans a cotton top with a flannel shirt on top of that and flip flops. It was invigorating and felt really good coming back inside to this cozy little cottage. No heater going yet, and hopefully I won’t have to go up into the attic to get it down. We only did that when it was going to be cold for several days. It’s supposed to get up to 67 today and 80’s again by the middle of the week.

There were three iron window coverings that we found curbside somewhere in our travels and I don’t know how long ago, but I’ve had them set aside to use and today I’m going to work on at least one of them and hopefully mount it to the wall where the heart is drawn at the back of my main garden..

I have a small can of oops paint in our stash of curbside finds too and I want to paint the heart red on the big one and maybe the hearts and the scrollwork on the top of the two small ones. Color, color is what I need.

I want to hang the two smaller hearts on either side of this window which is in the ‘scullery’, on east side of the cottage. I will hang the bird cage elsewhere and take down the iron bracket on the other side. The cottage needs to be pressure washed and repainted, and the window trim at least needs a good hosing down for now. I helped Dear Husband pressure clean in the past, I just need to read up on putting the oil in and cranking it up, plus I think the tires need to be filled with air. Hmmmm. I always have enjoyed painting, there is something soothing about it. All in good time, section of wall at a time.

It’s time for some breakfast, to get a loaf of bread going in the bread machine, then it will be time to work on my project. It’s now a few minutes after 8 a.m., so it’s plenty light out and it should start to warm up a bit too.

Enjoy your day ~ FlowerLady Lorraine

***

There are things that we don't want to happen but have to accept,

things we don't want to know but have to learn,

and people we can't live without but have to let go. 

Author Unknown

***

Hem your blessings with thankfulness so they don't unravel. 

Author Unknown

Looking forward to …

 

learning how to do goldwork embroidery. Denimflyz who sent me wonderful embroidery threads and beads in the past, just sent more beads and gold threads that she’d found in storage.  She and her Mom had had a needleworking shop years ago. They also did ecclesiastical work for churches all over the country. The heavier gold threads she sent me are from the Vatican. I’ve not done this kind of work before and look forward to learning and I know Mark would be encouraging me if he was here. He was my biggest supporter and encourager. I sure do miss him.

Below is a picture of the gold threads, some pieces of leather, silk threads and even a sample of gold work to study. I’m on the look out for a good beginners book on learning this embroidery work. I want to do hearts and flowers of course.

Thank you Vicki and your Mom too for thinking of me.

A book on goldwork designs, really interesting works of art.

Great designs in this one.

Different projects made with different threads.

And this one I really look forward to using some of the patterns as I love embroidering the old historical designs

More beads.

More beads, threads, etc.

So, I’ve got some new needlework to learn ahead of me, and I look forward to beading and embroidering once again too. I will miss showing Mark my latest creations and getting his feedback.

It’s a few minutes after 12 a.m. and today makes three weeks since he left this earth and it still doesn’t seem possible that he’s gone. The silence around here is deafening. His physical presence is sorely missed in so many ways. I see him every where I look, in books he read, projects completed or in various stages of completion, in all that we have around here, the bits and pieces that made up our life. That is all comforting to me. I am thankful for our life. We wanted more time together, but that wasn’t meant to be. Loads of memories are locked in my heart.

Enjoy these last couple of days of this year. Have a wonderful 2013, filled with hope, joy and many blessings.

FlowerLady

More sweet things

 

Good morning everyone ~ Today is a new day, I will rejoice and be glad in it. That is my ‘hope’ anyway. I’ve already had a good sob this morning, which is part of my ongoing healing/grieving process. This is the hardest thing I’ve ever gone through.

I can’t even express in mere words what your kind, loving and supportive emails and comments mean to me. Thank you and I know Mark would thank you too. He knew a lot of you from my reading things from your blogs and showing pictures to him.

I’ve also gotten ‘sweet things’ either in the mail or delivered as in flowers. I’ve shown you the potted anthurium and another of roses earlier that I received, here is a sweet arrangement from Kit, called an ‘Angel Bouquet’. Very sweet and comforting bouquet. I’ve known Kit since around 1999 when we met in an online forum called Country Life. You can visit her blog here.

Lemon Verbena Lady and Herbal Husband sent me Spicy Basil Apple Jelly and Raspberry Jam. You can visit Lemon Verbena Lady’s blog here.

Next I’ll show you a happy pkg. from the outside to the inside. This is from Val, a sweet young lady who I also met in an online forum many, many years ago. I came home from work one day and there was her pkg. inside the patio’s garden gate. It just looked so festive and happy and it brought a smile to my face. Look at the gingerbread, candycanes, and other Christmas goodies on that paper.  I blocked out all the shipping info. You can visit Val’s blog here.

When I opened and read her beautiful note and saw these photos of DH, one of which she used in one of her gifts, I bawled. I had been wanting to print out this photo of Mark, but need new ink cartridges. This was wonderful. I even have taken one to work to set on the desk there right by the monitor.

Miss Tork even got a little stocking, inside was a red velvet collar with bells on it. She sniffed at it, but I wasn’t about to try to put it on her neck, she’d go berserk. Instead I put it around the inside doorknob of the kitchen door. I love it there.

Look at the stocking she made me, roses and paisleys, is that neat or what?

Below is a beautiful linen piece and stocking goodies, candy, cup cake liners with hearts on them, body wash, candles.

Look at the beautiful detail of the lace insert and edging.

A sweet hand made heart.

The ornament with Mark’s picture.

A sweet book and bookmark just meant for me.

I sobbed when I read the verse at the top, as this verse I read out loud many times to Mark over the last 4 months. It was for both of us then and it is for me now.

I’ve already gleaned a couple of positive gems from this book.

And here is a sweet, delicate piece to enjoy also.

I already mentioned the three books that Gina sent me and showed the little hand painted sign “I’m in the garden”. Well here are a couple other lovelies that were in her pkg. This lovely oil painting.

And this bracelet with Mark’s name on it. I love it.

I’ve also gotten a sweet little colorful jingle bell bracelet and a wonderful book, ‘Tasha Tudor’s Garden’ from a friend I know from work.

Thank you all for everything.

Blogging is very good for me at this time. I’ve always enjoyed it but now it is even more special to me as it’s how I am sharing my grief, my wonderful memories of the 43 years we had and there will be more. We had a good life together and I am oh so thankful for that. I miss him terribly as there is this void in my life that he once filled with his ‘exuberant’ personality.

Love and hugs to all ~ FlowerLady Lorraine

A Sanctuary Garden

 

Below, taken from the book ~ ‘Sanctuary ~ Gardening for the Soul’ given to my by Gina of Antique Art Garden.

“A sanctuary garden is an environment we choose to create as a personal refuge.  Surrounded by green living things, we experience feelings of contentment, and we are able to find peace. Our gardens quite literally heal us, restoring equilibrium to both our bodies and our minds.

A garden lends itself to endless creativity, its design limited only by your imagination.

You’ll see reflected in the garden, with its daily small miracles and multitude of interdependent lives, its unfolding growth and its inevitable tragedies, the patterns of your own existence.”

***

Dear Husband and I worked at creating a haven here on our 1/4 acre. Now I truly want to turn it into a sanctuary, a place of healing and contemplation. Even though there is a 4 lane highway right out front, we felt peace just pulling into our driveway. The day I brought DH’s cremains home, when I pulled into the driveway and stopped before the gates, I said ‘We’re home’. Although, technically he’s ‘home’ and I’m still vacationing as it were, as this is just my temporary home.

Anyway, my gardens have been really neglected since August and now I’m starting to slowly work in my evolving sanctuary. DH knew he could always find me in one garden area or another and that’s where I’ll be spending a lot of my time. Here is a lovely sign that came in my pkg. from Gina. DH would like this.

23 December I worked on the overgrown path of my shed’s garden. I’ve still got to weedwack around the outer edge.

Christmas day I worked in my main garden and made forward progress. There is still a LOT to do, and I am going to enjoy the process. The paths were all overgrown, and this year I hope to buy more path material which is roll roofing, one roll at a time as I can afford it.

I’ve still got to plant blue pea vines to start growing up the lattice that surrounds the rain barrel we set up earlier this year.

This is the front patio that I see from inside in my little creative space. I’ve got some work to do here also and look forward to that.

On the 26th when I went out to do errands I took $20 from my Christmas bonus of last year and bought 4 plants from a nursery close by that sells 5 gal sized plants for $5 each. I bought two blue butterfly bushes, and two unknown rose bushes. The roses smell wonderful. If anyone has a clue as to what the rose is, please let me know.

My statue needs a good cleaning. I’ve got to learn how to use the pressure washer.

I just loved seeing the way these petals are going to unfurl.

That’s it from my little sanctuary. 

Thanks again for all of your love and support.

FlowerLady Lorraine.