I have been watching the buds on the lilac bush.
This was April 06, 2012
Twenty- three days later on April 29. Spring is sure slow. I hope there is a flower under there.
Remember if you want to trim/prune your lilacs do so shortly after they bloom before they set up their flower buds for next year. If you wait too long to prune, they will have set up their buds, you will cut them off and have no flowers next year:(
Some of the shrubs are blooming.
The Pin Cherries are so pretty, sending out their blooms before they leaf out.
The Chokecherries are beginning to bloom too.
It is so good to see something green. Spring is slowly unfolding back here in the woods.
I have been busy finishing up some projects. I still have a few I am working on.
One day I made a huge batch of baked beans and froze them up for the summer. They are so easy to take out of the freezer to supplement a meal. We also discovered a soup that we both like..it is a Creamy Wild Rice Soup by Shore Lunch..20 minutes and soup is what’s for supper. I am not a big fan of creamy soups but this one is a keeper. It makes a big enough batch that it makes at least two meals for us. Lately we are all about cooking once and eating twice. Lazzzy cooks!
I finished up all my Bee Baskets for May Day, and I will fill them with Fruit Roll Ups and Skittles for the little ones.
I went through all my files for work that I had at home over the winter. Getting rid of duplicates and filing papers properly.
I finally have a work contract. It is doable. Far Guy is going to be working one day a week for me and I am to have one four day weekend off per month ( A Board Member will work in my place.) I am looking forward to the chance to do something else one weekend a month! Oh yes and I got a raise. There are a couple of things I am not so happy about..but perhaps that feeling will pass..with time..or not:)
I finished the Lady Slipper. I super glued the parts together and Far Guy helped me peg them together with toothpicks..wood carving is highly technical.
I carved off the protruding tooth pegs and sanded it down one final time.
Then I painted it and sealed it with Bee’s Wax. It is finished. I am pleased with the way it turned out. It was a good project and I learned more about woodcarving.
Far Guy cut me a base out of Black Walnut. It is perfect! :)
I got started on the May Baskets. Last week I searched for an idea. I found one here for a Bee Bouquet.
I headed to the local “Dime Store”..I am not sure why I call it that..nothing there costs a dime anymore.
I needed colored paper and pipe cleaners.
This is the first one I made..the prototype..the others are in process on my desk.
It is taking longer than I thought. It is putzy work, but I love playing with paper. Cutting and gluing and creating.
This is what I used. I made my own pattern. The black piece is cut out of a 12 x 12 piece of black paper. I could get three sometimes four wings out of the blue 12 x 12 paper. The yellow strips are torn. I used my heart punches for the eyes. Three pipe cleaners are used per bee.
Fold the black piece into a cone shape..then staple in place.
Glue on some yellow torn stripes.
Glue on the yellow hearts for eyes and then the black.
Form one pipe cleaner into the antennae and staple into place.
Punch holes into both sides of the cone and add two pipe cleaners to form the handle.
Position the wings and staple them on.
Add a smile and heart shaped eyes with a silver pen.
Fill with candy or flowers.
On May 1st you take the May Basket and put it on someone's door. You knock on the door or ring the door bell. Then you run..if you are caught you might be kissed!
I challenge you to bring in the May with me on May 1st. I will report back on May 2nd with a blog post and photos of my deliveries on May Day…and possibly an old photo of me on May Day a long time ago.
I have celebrated May Day as long as I can remember. I made baskets with my brothers and my sister. I made baskets with my children. Now my children make May Baskets with their children. Now I make May Baskets to deliver to my great nieces and nephews..some day they will remember me as the old woman who used to bring them candy in a basket on the first day of May:)
The Gold Finches finally showed up. They are a little scruffy looking. The males molt from the drab yellow/olive color to the beautiful sunshine yellow of summer.
So far I have only seen the males.
They frequent the thistle seed in the bag feeder. Oh my.. the last few days have been almost summer like. 70 degrees is a perfect temperature..it could stay 70 degrees all summer as far as I am concerned.
I put out some garden ornaments and the rain gauge the other day. It is almost time to drag out the patio furniture!
Chance and I have started to make evening trips. He loves the evening rides and so do I.
Sunset is at 8:21 PM. In the Spring I am always surprised how fast the sun sneaks north of us to set.
I have many projects to finish up..these last few days I have of complete freedom are going way too fast. Five more days of freedom. I am busy watching the birds and the golden sunsets so some things are just going to have to wait until Fall. May 1st I am going back to work.
You all should be thinking about bringing in the May with May Baskets! I have all my material for the baskets sitting on my desk..perhaps today I will get around to it! I love the old tradition of making and filling May Baskets. Haven’t heard of May Day Baskets? Stay tuned:)
In the school year 1958 to 1959 I was in second grade. My teacher wrote this on my report card. “She is doing good work in all subjects. She does beautiful written work and is very conscientious about finishing her work. But sometimes she talks too much in the lunch room.”
Just when I was doing no wrong..my big mouth got me in trouble.
My second grade teacher was Minnie Zauche, I adored her. Her husband was a Forest Ranger. Because of them I became interested in flowers and trees. They lived just a short bike ride away. They had extensive gardens and an orchard, in the summer something was always blooming and Mrs. Zauche was happy to show you something in her gardens. Many years later Mrs. Zauche retired and I was chosen to represent our class and present her with a red rose. She got one rose from every class she taught..she had a huge bouquet!
They had a daughter named Becky. Sometimes she would babysit for me and my baby brother. She would lay on the couch, my brother and I would take turns laying on the back of the couch or on the floor and we would scratch each others backs. She would call for a switch and my brother and I would trade places, since she remained on the couch her back was always being scratched! Sometimes I would ride on the back of her bike..one time I got my heel in the spokes of the bike..and we both cried. She was the best babysitter we ever had. Since she had no brothers or sisters she liked taking care of us..at least I think she did.
My favorite dress from the second grade.
It still looks pretty good for being 53 years old. It is another one of those treasures tucked away in the trunk:)
I couldn’t resist this little feeder. Pretty little thing that it is.
It is Far Guys favorite color. I bought it at Menards. Yes, I like to shop at Menards once in a while. I was on a mission..I was looking for one of those dog thingys..a blanket with two loops on each side to go over the head rests in the back seat. Something that I could take out and wash or shake off. I swear the seats in our car are like Velcro and attract Chance’s fur. I wandered through the very short automotive aisle and ended up in the pet aisle buying stuff for birds.
Did you know that you can buy suet with meal worms? Did you know that you can buy containers of dehydrated meal worms? Did you know meal worms are a favorite food of Bluebirds?
Yesiree! We are ready for them if they show up!
I wonder what will happen to them if it rains?
I hung it quite high on a branch, one little Nuthatch checked it out but didn’t stay long.
Yesterday I sat out on the patio just watching the birds. I am still tired..
The Purple Finches have been here a few days, I finally got a photo!
The big fundraising dinner for the Museum was a success, we raised some funds! I am not sure of exactly how much yet, but every little bit helps. We served 150 dinners. We presold tickets and took reservations. The guests enjoyed the music and the dinner program.
I am TRYING to educate all the members and volunteers. Last year when we had the fund raiser everyone that worked in the kitchen or helped out in any way..ate free..except for Far Guy and I. This year I told them all in no uncertain terms that everyone would need a paid ticket.
Well wouldn’t you know it..one of the volunteers/members returned his tickets to me on Friday ..saying “I had no luck selling the tickets.” YET he showed up at the dinner, grabbed a plate and helped himself… I said “Gee..Waldo since you returned all your tickets I didn’t make you a reservation.” Too which he replied “Oh I am fine, I just like to help out in the kitchen.” DUH..??
Picture me banging my head on a wall…whilst uttering bad words. May the fleas of 1,000 camels infest Waldo’s armpits or hair elsewhere on his body:) :) Yes that is a double smile
Remember back to the 1970’s and the Keep America Beautiful project? The project was centered on “No Littering” recycling and community beautification.
Old Iron Eyes Cody stood at the side of the road and a single tear rolled down his face. He was nicknamed “The Crying Indian.”
I am sure if he were still alive..he would be sobbing if he walked down this road.
His brothers are more into burning things up than cleaning them up.
Sometimes “evil spirits” must be burned up.
Sometimes they go off of the reservation and start fires.
We finally got enough moisture so that it is more difficult to start fires. It is an every spring occurrence. The BIA and the DNR have extra units in the area for the worst of it..but the Local Volunteer Fire Department still gets it’s share of calls ..day and night.
I do not begin to understand what motivates someone to start fires. No one is ever caught..no one is ever charged with arson. During times of “no fires” you begin to wonder who is in jail..and when they will be getting out:(
One of my hobbies is wood carving. I carve once a week with a group of highly talented people. From time to time one of them will give a class.
Byron gave a class on Lady Slippers ( the flower) last summer. Far Guy finished his and sent it to his sister. Mine has been a work in progress for the last nine months. Byron started another class..same flower..this time Far Guy is doing two. I am ready to be done with the first and last lady slipper that I will ever carve.
See that bunch of pieces piled up..that is what you start with.
My flower is all carved and put together. The five parts that make up the flower are carved separately. In the background you can see my leaves. The flower head and the leaves will be attached to a Thorn Apple branch. The wood I am carving is Basswood.
Very soon I am taking a class on Norwegian Flat Plane Carving with an instructor that I have admired for many years. On the last day of the workshop we are supposed to showcase some of our carvings to the public. I hope to have the Lady Slipper finished and painted by then:)
It has been a busy week. The phone has been ringing off the hook..Far Guy refuses to answer it because it is always for me. We are nearing a major fundraiser for the museum this weekend. I have all my “stuff” lined up and ready to go. Other people are slower with their responsibilities.. and panicky. So somewhere along the line it is my job to hold their hands and calm their fears. What time should they show up..heck ..whatever it takes to get the job done.
I am tired this week. I got a shingles vaccination ..do you suppose that would make me tired? We got a Newsletter from our Insurance Company and they recommended it for everyone over 60 and would cover the cost of the vaccination which has a going price of $232 according to a Nurse at the Clinic. Far Guy got one too. I know several people who have had the shingles and it is not something I care to get. Now at least if I get them it will only be half as bad..at least that is what my Dr. said. If you live to be 80 years old you have a 50% chance of getting the shingles. My Dad had them…and last summer we had a friend that had shingles in his eye..luckily his eyesight was not affected but it was worrisome.
I did some online shopping.. I ordered a pair of red crocs and found a couple of pairs of Dr Scholl's Penny Loafers for Far Guy..I think they are phasing out his favorite shoe. He has scoured our entire area looking for his penny loafers. So I ordered him a black pair and a brown pair when I found them online.
Paige our youngest granddaughter said the other day “Justin Bieber’s spots on his face make a heart.” …and then she almost swooned! ( Far Guy and I laughed a long time after that remark.) She is saving her birthday money for JB Concert Tickets if he ever goes on tour.
Maddie is saving her birthday money to go shopping at a Hollister Store ( I have not heard of this store until now)..I asked her if they had cool clothes..she said yes..and expensive. Apparently they have Southern Cali styles and you can shop at “The Dudes” or “The Bettys”..sometimes you can learn much from a Grandkid:)
Swans and a Red Winged Blackbird April 17 2012.
I gave birth to someone who will turn forty years old today. It doesn’t seem that long ago.
Trica’s first birthday..she was terrified of the clown on her cake.
Here she is in July of 1975, her last few months of being an only child.
Her High School Graduation photo with one of her horses “Willow” who she trained and broke to ride.
Me, Trica, Far Guy and Jen. This was in 1995 when she graduated from UND, this was taken just after the pinning ceremony at the school of nursing.
Paige, Maddie and Savannah standing behind their mother.
As you can see she has her hands full with three teenagers. It is birthday month at their house. Paige was 13 earlier this month. Yesterday Maddie turned 14 and Trica’s birthday is today. Savannah turns 16 in July and was telling us all about how things will be when she gets her car.
Trica is back in school she is in the Nurse Practitioner Program at the University of North Dakota. One year almost down and two to go.
Yesterday we interrupted her studying for a small birthday celebration with Pizza, Cake and Ice Cream.
It will take some getting used to..I am the mother of a 40 year old now..how in the world did that happen so fast? :)
Well we finally got some snow. It was raining and then the temperature dropped and it snowed on Sunday night/Monday morning.
Chance by the Daylilies ..they froze one night last week and started to turn a pale color. They will survive..hardly anything kills the Daylilies..they grow like weeds. That Folgers Coffee container is Far Guys fancy squirrel deflector…they go up the pole and into the coffee container instead of on up the pole into the bird feeders. HA!
This used to be the walkway into the garden..I guess it still is..if you want to walk close to the roses. The roses are planted on the outsides of the wheels and are suppose to climb up the wheels..but they don’t like the warmth of the steel…so the roses avoid the wheels by growing on either side of them..often the canes are arching into the walkway.
The Marge Grass all covered in snow.
Can you guess what this is? I thought it was interesting looking all covered in snow.
Most of the snow melted in the afternoon. It was most entertaining..and a welcome sight because we really needed the moisture. We can still get snow for another month..after mid May it hardly ever snows:)
We puppy sat on Saturday. Putzer an Australian Shepherd who lives just down the road and his sister Odda.
I made Putz a new toy and he loved it.
A pop bottle in a sock makes a great toy for a puppy.
We took him out to the Fire hall Open House and he saw lots of people and had his first walk on a leash.
Later in the day he was exhausted so I took him back home to spend some quality nap time with Odda.
At supper time I went and got him and took him over to the neighbors.
Aubrey and Putzer
Kids and dogs..what a great combination!
Puppies need lots of socialization when they are little..the more people and situations they are exposed to the better. He got great exposure to kids with their little hands, quick movements and excited voices.
Chance did real well with the pup..of course the puppy followed him everywhere. Chance was patient and even laid by the outdoor kennel when I asked him to keep the puppy company while I swept out my garage. Ever tried sweeping with a puppy attached to a broom?
I am reminded that although I like puppies I don’t want to have one everyday..luckily I can just go to the neighbors and play with theirs:)
