Blooms, gifts, and a little garden visitor

Hello Friends ~ Here it is Saturday morning, I've just worked outside for about 1 1/2 hours, very warm and humid out. Right now at 10:39 EST it is 80 and real feel is 87. Humidity is 68%. Winds are from the East as 12 mph. It's nice in the shade but when the sun starts beating on you it's not so nice. I did a couple of things I wanted to do or get started at least. 

I recently had a little garden visitor. Not one I wanted, but hearing the distress call during the night, and realizing where the critter was and making an escape hatch for it. After seeing how damp and scraggly it looked and knowing it was hungry, I had to 'feed' it. 

The photo below is about 6 days after it first showed up. The first couple of times I fed it, I did so in the main garden. I kept moving the feeding station around the front, over the patio, and over to the east patio off the kitchen entry. It would hear me open the door and start meowing, coming towards me, then scampering away. It would come when it heard my voice, and come running, such a little cutie pie. I did not want to get attached, since I already have 4 girls, I prayed it would go back to where it came from. 

The last time I fed it, I was able to touch its tail and run my finger down its little back while it was eating. I had even starting calling it a name, 'Itty Bitty'. You know you're in trouble when you start doing that don't you? The next morning when I went out, no little one came to greet me. I felt 'nothing', she was gone, her presence was no longer on the property. Somehow I could just tell. I didn't see her on the street, smooshed, I've not smelled anything dead around the property either, so who knows.  I pray she  went back to where she came from, and is now eating gourmet cat food and staying indoors.  It really is a relief to me that she's gone, but I did enjoy her little presence while she was here.

 

 Another photo.

 

For the past year and half or so, I've been visiting an elderly widow friend twice a week. This coming Tues. will be our last visit together as she is moving back up north to live with another daughter. She has been living with her youngest daughter and husband and is going to a smaller place, so started purging what little she had and asked if I wanted anything that she was getting rid of and family didn't want.

At first, I didn't see anything, but then when sitting on the sofa and looking at the table with items, I spied a lamp I hadn't seen at first. I jumped up to look at it and then told her I would take it and set it aside. I had already spoken for a little crystal lamp and a brass clock and had taken them home. 

The lamp base is carved from a heavy piece of wood. The lamp shade is painted to look like stained glass. I have some basketry that my dear husband's grandfather and grandmother had made, using pine needles from this property and knew this lamp would make a great focal point in using them.

 

I'm not sure the basket on the left is one they made, I think we picked that up at a local flea market years ago. The other two pieces, yes. Mama painted the branch of pine cones on a piece of wood, and Papa did the basket work with needles and raffia. 

 

Here's the lampshade and its reflection in the mirror behind it. The shade is a nice mottled glass.

 

Also she had this small recliner, very good condition and very well made and very comfortable, like new. I measured it and it is almost exactly the same size of the chair I have in living room. The back doesn't move, the foot rest just comes up when you pull on the lever.  It will be picked up sometime next week. I had to ask for help from church as I can't do this myself. ;-) The color will go perfectly with my eclectic look, artwork, etc.

I've been looking for 2 chairs for the living room at thrift stores, have prayed about them and now here is one replacement, for free.

The little clock on the left is lead crystal from Tiffany's, it needs a new battery. The lamp and vase are both crystal also, just not lead crystal. I love the little lamp.

She asked me if I needed a purse, and had several to choose from, and the one on the left was the one I chose. FlowerLady's style and looks similar to my old one that is too small and the strap is about to break. The new one is bigger and has more pockets.

Then she showed me a couple of wallets. Well, you will certainly gasp at my old one on the right. My dear husband gave it to me years ago, and he's been gone now 6 1/2 years.  I don't think he'll mind my getting rid of it.  This new wallet also has more pockets, etc. (I hate shopping and live on a limited income, so just keep using things past their prime.)
 

She also gave me some doilies, and some valances, lacy looking in the same color as the chair. And, a Dirt Devil SimpliStick bagless vac, works great, tried it when I got home.

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Now for some blooms around the property.

This may be Lavender Lassie, I'm not sure, no tag when I bought it a few years back. It smells wonderful! 

 This orchid was given to me by my friend Mary. The blooms have lasted for at least a couple of months now, maybe more. They now are starting to fall off.

 This is a vanda orchid, Miss Joachim. It just grows like a weed. No muss or fuss.

 This is Texas Sage. I love the silvery green leaves with these wonderful wooly flowers.

 This is 'Hugs-n-kisses' hibiscus. There are different color variations on the blooms. This is one bloom that was open the other day. 

 This is an orchid I bought somewhere, don't have a clue as to what the name is.

 This is an iris a lady at the local flea market gave me years and years ago.

This is Tibouchina or Princess Flower.

 

This is Plumbago against an old piece of coral.

Ok, that's it for now. I must eat lunch, shower and head off to a craft class with ladies from my church. Always fun.

May you in the states have a wonderful, long holiday weekend. I pray that the bad weather in the middle of the states will calm down. May the rest of you wherever you are have a great weekend as well.

Keep calm, keep cool or warm depending on where you live, and be thankful. God is the 'Giver' of all things.

FlowerLady