Peachy Keen

Since I’m a Gawga peach (well not really but I’ve lived here for almost 42 years so that counts)…here is what my yard boy – better known as Jack – did a week ago.  We went to our local nursery to get some dirt – and of course couldn’t resist a few plants too.  He always goes for the big stuff so of course he was looking for another tree to plant in our already over-crowded front yard.  But hey, he’s the yard boy so he’s in charge LOL  We saw these pretty little dwarf Bonfire Patio Peach trees.  Gorgeous bright pink flowers.  So we add one to the mix and go to load up the truck.  And being a truck, and since it’s my truck and I drive when we go anywhere in it, and since my legs are short and I have to pull the bench seat up so the passenger’s knees are at their chin…there was no chance Jack was going to hold that peach tree on his lap.  So off comes his shirt and he buttons it around the peach tree – looks like some weird kind of scarecrow!  But by gosh, most of the flowers are still on that tree when we arrive home.  I just couldn’t pass up a before and after picture of this trip!

Now the tag on this peach says “Pinkish-white flowers in spring.  Delicious white fleshed freestone fruit in late summer.  Prized for its beautiful burgundy leaves and compact growth habit.”  But when I went on the internet to look up a little more information – every single reference said “inedible hard fruit”.  Anyone know the scoop on these trees?  If you do, please share it with me.  Have a peachy week!

This, That, and The Other Thing

Just a little of this, that, and the other thing for today.  First of all I had to show you these great little (actually over 2 inches in diameter) clay tags that I found from the Freckled Laundry    They will make gift packages just that much more special!

Second, spring has sprung here in Georgia and we are supposed to have gorgeous weather all weekend - in the 70's.  Too bad I'll be inside working on work stuff most of it.  But I know I won't be able to resist getting outdoors a little anyway.  These are my Carolina jessamine and pansies blooming in front of my front porch in my herb garden.  My thyme stayed green all winter even with the out of character snowfall we had.  And some of the other herbs are starting to poke through and grow.  The Carolina jessamine is even more beautiful this week with nearly all the blooms open - the picture was from a week ago or so.

Oh, and the ornamental cabbage forest is growing ever taller and now blooming.  Not as many pink thingys on the trunks but still very interesting.  I think I'll let it keep going for awhile longer.

Now for a very funny story.  My nearly 21 year old granddaughter and I were riding down to a nearby town to see family a few weeks ago.  She turned to me and said, "Grammy, what is Grampy's middle name?"  I said, "Russell", which set her to laughing her head off and then I joined in.  All these years with his pet sitting business and I never realized that his name is Jack Russell!  Haaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!  Of course when we mentioned it to him he didn't think it was quite as funny as we did LOL

And last - I keep The Republic of Tea  in business.  They have flavored and non-flavored teas and there are so many good ones!  I'm trying a new one tonight - Pineapple Ginger green tea.  Oh my gosh, it tastes like you're eating pineapple - yum!  Another favorite is Strawberry Chocolate rooibos - it's like drinking dessert.  But it only comes out from January through March or so and then not until the next year.  So I ordered in bulk this year LOLOLOL  I never used to drink tea very much because of the caffeine, but now I have it for breakfast, lunch, and usually in the evenings.  I never liked green tea either but now prefer it to black tea.  Green is better for you anyway and the rooibus (red tea) is an herb so no caffeine.   And nope, they aren't paying me to advertise LOL 

I found a new blog today  Wind and Honey  that has a wonderful post about creativity and giving back to others.  Not only is Elizabeth a talented artist but she also has a great way with words.

I've always volunteered from the time I was in my early twenties until about five or so years ago...one project in particular totally burned me out and I decided to take a breather.  Although I do support several organizations with monetary gifts when I can, the hands-on volunteering came to a halt.  I was getting older and I didn't have as much energy and...well...that was my excuse anyhow.  Anyone who volunteers knows in their heart that the pure act of helping someone brings you energy - energy to your spirit which then will energize your body.

Elizabeth got me thinking today.  When I retire in about three years, I hope to get back to the hands on volunteerism.  I have thought about it now and again.  What will I do?  Who will I volunteer with?  How and who will I be able to help?  But I never thought about helping in the best way possible.  Taking the best things about myself and passing them on to others.  Using my best capabilities to creatively help others.  I think it's time to start a positive list - all the things that embody my spirit that I think might be worth teaching or using in some way to help others.  Maybe by the time I retire I'll actually have a plan of action?  Thanks Elizabeth!

A Splendiferous Forest of...Well Come and See

We all know I’m not much of a gardener. No matter how much I try, my black thumb always seems to get in the way. I keep trying though most of the time I leave it to my garden boy, Jack. He loves the challenge of bringing dead plants back to life LOL Or leaving them to grow and grow and grow through bad weather, winter, and sweltering heat until they are so scraggly that I can no longer stand it and pull them up by their roots. Oh yes, I admit it, I’ve ripped those suckers right outta the ground and thrown hidden them wrapped in paper in the garbage. You see, if I put them into the pile of leaves and branches waiting to go to the dump, he might retrieve them for another go around.


So late in the fall we planted some already overly large ornamental cabbage in a large metal washtub next to our garage. They were green and purple and lovely, as long as you kept the bottom leaves trimmed. Then came the first frosts, the ice storm, some snow, and even though I would eyeball them when I’d pull in the driveway, I never yanked them out. A couple of months ago I noticed the stalks (yes they were getting just a wee bit horribly straggly) had tiny pink somethings on them. Our first warm day made those somethings burst out all over and now we have a wonderful forest of ornamental cabbage. Tiny little, dare I say, cabbage trees? It’s like a little fairy forest and makes me want to set up a tiny fairy house with a glistening glass pathway.

So just maybe I won’t be yanking this time – maybe I’ll just let them keep growing and see what happens in this splendiferous forest.

OWOH 2011 TA DAAAAHHHHHH Time!

OK it's TA DAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH time!  Here are the three winners of the One World One Heart 2011 giveaway prizes:

Diane from little purple room who won The Book of Grace

Wendy from BLISS ANGELS who won Queen of the World Crown

JoAnne from Vintage Dragonfly who won Soul

I will be emailing all of the winners shortly.  Congratulations and I hope you'll come back and visit often!

Fishbone Studio

I have been wanting to stop by this pottery studio every time I go past it - which is every month or two on my way back from North Carolina.  Today I listened to my inner voice (which kept saying "you know you are missing out on something wonderful if you keep passing it by - go in, go innnnnnnnn").  So I parked the car, went through the cute little white gate down the steps to the cute little house, and opened the door to folkart splendor!  The first thing I saw, besides all the wonderful pottery, was this huge dog taking a very nice nap in the sun on the couch.  When Betty Wassmer came out to greet me, she told me they had gone to this farm without any intention of bringing a puppy home, and this beautiful Great Pyrenees was the result LOL  Up off the couch to sniff me and then right back up there to finish her nap with one eye open on me LOL  She was a real sweetie!  Here is what a Great Pyrenees looks like but this one isn't quite as pretty as the one I met today.

But back to the pottery.  It's a wonder I didn't drool all over the floor!  It was wonderful - colorful, fanciful, full of flowers, and birds and other motifs.  Some mosaics, some jugheads, flower pots, plates - I could have looked and shopped all day.  I'll take one of everything please LOL    I did do a little Christmas shopping (yep, gonna start early this year) and bought a cute little three story polka dot house that I can put a candle inside of for myself.  Betty showed me some of the new jugheads and other things that she is working on.  If you ever get to Blue Ridge, Georgia, you MUST go and see Fishbone Studio at 425 West First Street.  It's the street that runs parallel to the main street in Blue Ridge, on the west side of the railroad tracks.  You can see some of the wonderful pottery here Fishbone Studio   Blue Ridge is a charming little town filled with great places to eat and wonderful antique shops too.

Lunch with two good friends and pottery to boot - what a delightful Saturday this has been!

One World One Heart 2011 Is Here!

One World One Heart begins today and I’m participating. Just click on the OWOH 2011 button at the right to find out all about it! Year before last when I ran across it on the internet, I was amazed. Blog after blog where excitement and creativity was shining. I met some wonderful blogger friends and I can’t wait to get out there and see who is participating this year – read new blogs and meet new friends.

For me, creating is to my soul what food and water is to my body. I MUST think it, touch it, do it, and revel in the happiness it brings to me. I’ve always crafted one thing or another. I especially love wool, primitives, sparkle, and color – what a combination, eh? My creations and my house are eclectic. But I believe that if you put your heart into your creations – it will show!

Now for the really exciting part! Leave a comment on this blog post between now and February 17th 5:00PM EST. Later that evening I will be randomly drawing three of those comments and those three people will win one of three handmade creations. Only one comment per person will be counted. Please be sure when you leave your comment that there is a way I can get in touch with you.

My first giveaway is SOUL - a shadowbox. This was made using vintage book pages, a special rust paint solution, and beads, beads, beads. The bottle inside is also vintage and filled with soul – German glass glitter. Thanks to Julie Haymaker Thompson who came and taught a class at my home and showed us how to make wonderful shadowboxes and fantastic jewelry! She is one of the really special bloggers I met at last year’s OWOH and if you ever get a chance to take one of her classes, DO IT! She’s so much fun and so knowledgeable.

My second giveaway is THE BOOK OF GRACE. This is a completely hand sewn wool book containing altered art pages. Each page has a pocket with a special tag inside. On the front of the book is a wool sunflower with a beaded center.  It may be displayed on an easel or you may open it and it stands on it’s own.

My third giveaway is QUEEN OF THE WORLD CROWN (NOTE:  Doll is not included). This is made of a vintage clerical collar, vintage lace band and trim, pearl and cord trim, wire with mother-of-pearl flat beads hanging down, and a wool flower with a button center.

So good luck and I hope you’ll come back and visit often.