Thursday, April 26, 2012

A colorful iron gate, blooms, caravan work

Good morning Folks,

We have been having some absolutely gorgeous weather down here in s.e. FL, and I’ve not been at my job, so have been able to putter around home. Today I’m back to work, the first of three days. I’m thankful for this last bit of chilly weather before summer heat and humidity settle in.  It was already starting to feel like summer a week ago, so this has been a blessing.  We had rain over the weekend, which is what ushered in the cool front.

I’ve been trying to get things done outside before it turns too unbearable to do anything. I bought a bag of seed starting mix and have seeds to plant yet, all in good time. The other morning I got the urge to paint the gate that is at the back of the main garden, so mixed and used up some paint from my late MIL. Wow! I sent photos to a friend saying this might be too much, she said no, it adds a pop of color to the garden.  It DOES do that, that’s for sure. This deep, vibrant color makes my little bench really look pale.

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I dabbled some on this piece of iron work

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and on this piece too.

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This area makes me feel happier now. It needed this color.  I dug up  two pieces of passion vine with root, put them in pots and watered well and set them in this area.  If they survive the upheaval,  I want them to grow up over this lattice roof.  The colors would be fantastic.

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The caravan work is coming along.  There are no plans, it is a ‘wing it’ project.  The electric is done, now it’s the tedious frame work for walls/paneling, the counter, and the bench/beds. It’s not interesting to show, but it’s all part and parcel of the project.

This is the south counter side.  A bench/bed will be across the back, east end.  The gray painted box on the floor is the storage area for the propane tank, all sealed off from the inside.

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This is the north east corner.

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Here is the little propane/electric refrigerator in place with part of the stove sitting on the top where it will go, so that we could look at it and DH could figure things out.  The space is shrinking as we fill things in.  Remember it is only 6’x8’.

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More framework for the wall between fridge and electrical box area.

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Wall in place.

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DH had this gray paneling in his stash of stuff and it was perfect for this area.

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That’s it for now.  I will post more pictures as we go along.  There is a lot of framework, different angles, etc.  It reminds DH of building with his erector set he had as a boy.  Although, we have no real parts, materials yes, and he then has to figure out, measure, cut, put together.  He is doing a great job. When this is all done, we plan on sleeping out there while we remodel our cottage bedroom.

The other day he came into where I am sitting here in my space and told me to hold out my hand and close my eyes.  This is what it was.

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Isn’t that cool? The know in the wood at the corner like that made a heart shape.

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Now for some blooms.  The next few are of ‘Kathleen’.

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Below is ‘Penelope’.

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Here are some Irish crochet roses that I’ll be selling for embellishments for crazy quilters or anyone else who happens to have an idea to use them. I’ve more in several colors , this I think is the silver color.

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I really love this one.

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Below is a picture of some of the latest needlecases with some of the crocheted roses.

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Here are my tiny babies, 2 inches tall.

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Last but not least, here is Tork, on my lap with hands on my chest, sometimes kneading and purring away.

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That’s it for now.

I’ve got to get ready to head off to work today. Work tomorrow and Sat. too.

Hope you all have a great weekend whatever you do.

FlowerLady

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To find the universal elements enough;

to find the air and the water exhilarating;

to be refreshed by a morning walk or an evening saunter...

to be thrilled by the stars at night;

to be elated over a bird's nest or a wildflower in spring -

these are some of the rewards of the simple life. 

John Burroughs

Sunday, April 8, 2012

1st Passion vine bloom opened for Easter

Good Easter afternoon Folks,

I hope you have had a lovely day. Right now the lamb is roasting for 20 min. at 425, then I’ll lower the temp to 350 and roast until the popper pops up, which should be about 10-15 minutes per lb.  It is already starting to smell yummy in here, and will only get better with time.   We buy lamb once a year for Easter, as it is way to expensive any other time.  We bought almost a 5 lb. piece and I cut off about a lb. maybe less, so that I can make us some Moroccan skewers another time.  I took pictures of the process for getting the lamb ready to roast and will show pictures in another post. We’re also having Idaho (instant) mashed potatoes, LeSeur Peas, asparagus vinaigrette, cranberry sauce and for dessert, lime picnic bars. They are delicious, as we had one after lunch.

This morning I went out early because I wanted to see if a couple of passion flower buds had opened, they hadn’t.  I walked on around the property taking some pics and forgot about them.  Then, after breakfast I was outside watering and what do I see but another bud fully open right near them and I hadn’t even seen it earlier so it must not have been open then.  I came back in for the camera and got the pictures below.  The scent of this is wonderful.  I was thrilled to have the passion flower for Easter Sunday.  It was a treat!

The following info came from Info.com

Spanish friars of the 16th century first gave the name to this flower. They saw in the form of the passionflower (Passiflora) a representation of the passion of the Christ.

The flowers have five petals and five sepals, which symbolize the 10 faithful apostles present at the crucifixion. The corona of five filaments was thought to resemble Christ’s crown of thorns. The five stamens represented the five wounds in Christ’s body, and the three stigmas stood for the nails driven into his hands and feet.

Most species of passionflower are native to the tropical areas of the Western Hemisphere.

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This afternoon I was out by The Caravan and spied these Zebra Longwing cats on the passion vine. There are more on this vine and this vine is creeping all along the hedge of The Secret Garden.  I look forward to continuous blooms for awhile. Plus, a lot more butterflies.

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I have more pictures to post but will do that later in the week.  I just wanted to post these photos of a spectacular bloom.  I believe this is an ‘Incense’ passion vine.

Have a great week ~ FlowerLady

Saturday, April 7, 2012

Have a wonderful Easter

Good morning Folks,

I hope you are having a nice weekend and that Easter will be lovely for all.

I’ve been taking a break from posting and will be back sometime in the near future. I’ve been gardening and needlecrafting, reading, and working.

Easter is a wonderful holiday filled with rich meaning. It is a time of resurrection, a time of joy.

I will be fixing our traditional roasted Easter lamb and am looking forward to it.  We are thankful for God’s love for all mankind and His whole creation. He died and rose again so that we would be FREE.

Happy Easter/Resurrection day,

FlowerLady

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