Flowers, goodies, needlework, T-storms

Good afternoon Friends ~ It is Sunday and hot and humid, it is 84 and feels like it is 94 with the humidity at 71%. We’ve had some nasty T-storms the past few days, strong winds, heavy rains and thunder and lightening. More rain is expected this afternoon and the next few days.  We’ve needed the rain, and I am thankful for it.

The gardens love the rain too, not just flowers but weeds too. I’ve got vines and weeds taking over the ‘back 40’, and other areas at the back of the property. UGH!  There’s nothing like ‘liquid sunshine’ for making things grow.

Here are  some of the blooms in the gardens right now.

This is my favorite hibiscus ~ ‘Hugs-n-Kisses’.

Night blooming jasmine.

‘Plumeria’ a bloom blown out of one of my three plumeria trees in the front garden.

Rubber vine

Spicy Jatropha

Vanda ‘Miss Joachim’

‘Cocktail’

‘Kathleen’

Remember me telling about receiving a monetary gift from a dear family member and she told me to spend it however I saw fit.  I told you I thought of a bread machine since my old one that served me well for 14 years pooped out recently. Well, I ordered the same make, and picked it up Friday morning before work. It’s a little bigger than the last one, but basically the same. I did peel off the label after I made a loaf of oatmeal bread yesterday morning before work.

This was a new recipe which had more oatmeal in it than what I usually use, and while the bread ‘fell’ a little it was still delicious! This  does happen occasionally, not the fault of the machine, it could be any number of reasons.  There is something really wonderful about homemade bread.  The aroma while it was baking was so ‘homey’ and comforting.

With the money left-over , I decided to get a new ironing board cover. This old one has served me many years, but it’s not really me.

I found out about these hand made quilted ironing board covers from a blogging friend. She bought one and posted about it here. I emailed her and asked her where she got her cover and she sent me the link to the lady who makes these and sells them in her Etsy shop. You can visit her here.

She mailed it right out and I think that was Thursday and I got it Sat. afternoon. She’s in Maine and I’m way down here in s.e. FL.

I love this and the quality is and the workmanship is GREAT!

Here’s the quilting pattern.  Definitely made for ‘FlowerLady’ who loves roses.

The bread machine and the ironing board cover will make me think of this dear person in my family when I use them. I want to say a public thank you to her right now, without telling who she is. She knows.

Now, here are some needlework projects. This one below is still a work in progress. Silk ribbon embroidery, and a crocheted/beaded trim. I love working with threads, hooks, needles, beads and ribbon.

Not sure what I’m going to do with this one yet.

Here is more silk ribbon embroidery ~ Started out with white ribbon for rose and leaves, three different sizes of silk ribbon, colored with alcohol ink markers. The little French knots are  a variegated purple embroidery floss.

The frame I picked up at a little flea market in the spring. It was perfect for this piece, made for a friend who had a birthday. Yellow roses are special to her. I also colored the roses on the frame with the alcohol ink markers.

Tomorrow is our widow’s group, ‘Friends Needing Friends’, meeting and luncheon, and I’ll be talking in front of the group. Yikes! First on how I came to start the blog (one year ago), for the group, and secondly I’ll be talking on the widow ‘Anna the Prophetess’, and how this widow in the Bible has inspired me in my widowhood journey.  If you think of it, say a little prayer for me. Writing a blog is a whole different thing than speaking in front of a group.

“The Lord is my strength”.

He is how I’m able to move forward and grow in His love, grace and mercy.

Thank you all again for being such a great bunch of friends. You’ve blessed, encouraged and inspired me in many ways.

Have a GREAT week whatever you do. 

Trust in the Lord. Call on Him and He will work all things out.

FlowerLady

March is here

 

Hello Friends ~ What beautiful weather we are having down here in so. FL.  We got another bit of ‘cool’ weather which has been a blessing. Today I worked out in my main garden for a couple of hours. I know when it’s time to quit, with the first stumble, that always lets me know I’ve had enough. Getting too tired to pick up my feet. There’s still more to do, but I’m happy with the days’ accomplishment.  I was sweating too, but not as bad as in the summer.

Here are some pics from around here the last few days. Quite a few actually, hope it isn’t too much.

I’m looking south at the north side of the caravan.

I’m now inside looking north/east. I want to put something on the door of the shed, but haven’t figured out what yet.  Need to look in my ‘stash’.

When I went to work the other morning, on the desk was a sweet beaded hanging glass pot.  My friend had found two of these at the thrift store and gave me one.  It looks perfect in FlowerLady’s  ‘gypsy caravan’.

This is a fold up chair, one of two that we used to use when we set up at a local flea market many, many years ago.  I’m going to make a new back and seat using those two valance pieces I bought for $2 each.  I’m going to sand down and probably just oil the frame work.   The yellow cedar hope chest to the right, I found ‘curbside’ a few years ago. It was out front of a day care place, I made a u-ie and picked it up.  Where there’s a will, there’s a way.  I was going to repaint it if I left it in the house, but since I moved it to the caravan, the color is bright, perfect and gyspy-ish. It makes a good bench and is great storage.

Now on with what’s blooming around here.

Hibiscus

This is ‘hugs-n-kisses’ hibiscus before it opens, unfurling. I was going to take a picture after it opened, but forgot to.

Below is ‘Heirloom’. Such a beauty and the scent fills the space around it.

Here are the same two blooms a couple of days later after a rain, fading, but still beautiful.

This is sweet and deliciously scented ‘Angel Face’.

Next is a sweet little rose Mm. Laurette Messimy.

I love the curled petal in this photo.

Now, here is my latest needlework creation. It was inspired by https://www.youtube.com/user/wwpaperprintablescom

I don’t have silk ribbon yet, so used ribbon I had.  I’m sure the silk is nicer to work with. This lady buys white silk and colors it with Promarker pens. I want to get these eventually, but will have to wait a bit. I thought there might be some inks in the workshop, so I went out to Mark’s domain, now mine, and found a box of never opened set of 6 Pelikan drawing inks.  I decided not to use those though as I thought of my tin of Pelikan 24 water colors and as I was working on this piece, she said you could use just about anything to color the silks. So, after I had all of the bits embroidered on the piece I colored them in with watercolors. Cool!

A spider rose is the big one, then we have French knot ribbon roses at the bottom, I still need lots of practice with this one, then a what is supposed to be a dog-rose on the left, not a very good one, and then little ribbon rose buds in the middle.  The French knots all around are DMC Perle cotton. The only things not tinted with watercolors are the larger ribbon leaves and the border which is DMC perle cotton too.

An online blogging friend and fellow embroiderer, Shirley from Stitches and Life blog sent me a link via email for silk ribbon today and I plant to buy some as the price is reasonable.  Shirley is an exquisite embroiderer, I am a novice.  I do love embroidering with thread and now ribbon. 

While working on this piece I thought about my dear husband and wanting to show him my latest work. I know he would like it and would lovingly encourage me to keep on learning and doing.

I am thankful for the day I had, thankful for our 43 years together, thankful we will be reunited one day to live forever with Jesus our God and Savior/Creator. Wow! That keeps me going each and every day.

I would like to ask for prayer for a new and dear online blogging friend Tammy and her husband Jack. He has been diagnosed with an aggressive form of bladder cancer that there isn’t treatment for. Pray for them to have strength with each new day and that they will feel God’s love and peace flowing through and surrounding them. This is a rough place for them to be, I know all too well.

Life doesn’t always turn out the way we want.  But as a believer in Jesus I believe He works all things out. Through our trials and tribulations, He draws us closer to Him and lifts us up. One day we will know all of the reasons why and have all of our questions answered.

Each day is a gift, I don’t know how many times I’ve said this in my blog, but it is oh so true. Let your loved ones know you love them, forgive them, encourage them, and be kind. None of us knows when our time on this earth is over.

Love and hugs ~ FlowerLady

More January blooms

A little color to brighten and cheer your days.

Flowers seem intended for the solace of ordinary humanity. 

John Ruskin

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