Latest Projects

The Bad Hair Day Bunny is done and listed on Etsy.

The fur is twisty-soft-frazzled, and she is wearing an antique crocheted collar. The ears are bendable and go down . . . 
or up!

I also made a butterfly top and pants in size 6-8.

Now working on the brown bunny - the Spring Hare!  Below - scrap soup.

Went to the Golden Retriever Rescue today and massaged 7 dogs. Some were afraid, some waggy, one growled at me, but ended as my best friend and kissed me on the lips-bleah!

One sat in my lap - all 90 lbs. of him. A female who was just spayed was feeling sorry for herself and loved a gentle backrub. When I got home, covered with dog hair, dog kisses and who knows what, my three met me at the door and went over me with fine-toothed noses, "Where have YOU been???"

What have you been up to??  

Love, Linda

Canine Kids

Our perfect companions never have fewer
than four feet.                     Colette

Angel Jenny passed away two years ago, at age thirteen. She is waiting for the rest of us at the Rainbow Bridge.

Marley (Davidson)

Adopted from the SPCA. He was taken from a "hoarding house," where he was starved. He weighed 58 lbs. (now 90 lbs.) He protects me from the postman, the UPS man, the FedEx man and passing joggers.

Sunny Joy and Cassandra Jean, the breeder girls, adopted from Delaware Valley Golden Retriever Rescue. Whenever they encounter a puppy, they look (and walk) the other way. Cassie's safe place upstairs is in the fireplace, so no fires for Linda. (Don't you love the crossed feet?)

Cassie needed surgery after she ate a hairbrush. Yum. She has a small problem with eating non-food items.

Sunny likes soft toys because she doesn't have that many teeth left.

Marley in "his" chair.

Sunny as "Miss June 2009" in the Delaware Valley Golden Retriever calendar. Check those eyelashes! Give your companions a hug today (and maybe an extra cookie!)

Have a playful day, Love Linda

A Walk with Marley

An early spring walk with Marley to see what's happening. He thinks everything smells wonderful!

The path to the stream.

We can hear the waterfall and Marley's nose is busy busy!

The sky is so blue.

Look what's coming up!

Snowdrops in my woods!

Time for a drink Mom! We saw a robin, but somebody
chased it away before it could be photographed.


Have a sunny day, Love, Linda

A new sun

"Today a new sun rises for me: everything lives, everything is animated, everything seems to speak to me of my passion, everything invites me to cherish it."
                                     - Anne De Lenclos

We are so busy, running around in a fog, with a list, a pack of kids, and an almost-empty gas tank, that sometimes it takes a major earthquake to get our attention. We react in different ways. Some turn off the TV and keep running to block everything out. Some sit endlessly and watch.


Some count their blessings. Being alive this sunny, spring-is-coming day is a blessing. So just sit still for a few minutes and count yours. Cherry almond muffins. The furnace isn't running as much. Sunny's soft, floppy ears. 

A new sun came up this morning.

Look for your own small blessings.

Love, Linda

A Day at Home

Today was a quiet day at home. I am thinking about the people in Japan and the situation there. Trying to send them thoughts of courage and light.

I spent some time sewing. My sewing room is my dining room.

This is going to be a rabbit.

  

There are two new pillowcase dresses and the pink apron is finished. They will be listed on Etsy tomorrow. This dress is ivory with filet crochet edging.

Sunny likes to lie near my feet while I sew. 

Once in a while she stands up and rests her head on my knee 

and looks up at me with the big brown eyes.

"Scratch behind my ears."

Then I built a fire in the wood stove and the dogs wrapped themselves around it and baked. I started on a white "Bad Hair Bunny" for Easter.

Peace and Light, Love, Linda

2011 Philadelphia Flower Show

The theme this year is "Paris in the Springtime," and I couldn't wait. That first breath of spring air as you enter the Convention Center is wonderful.

So we hopped on the Lansdale train to travel to the Market East Station which actually comes in under the Convention Center - no city driving or parking.

Here's the first thing we saw. It DID smell wonderful!

A big red peacock made out of flowers.

The big stage in the middle, modeled after a merry-go-round.

Lots of beautiful displays:

A pink bedroom, the bed covering is roses!

I bought a hellebore for my garden and a dozen roses for $7.95

As we were leaving, the lightshow and music started. After that we dashed across the street to Reading Terminal Farmer's Market and stocked up on fresh-cut lemon and tomato-basil pasta, bakery goodies and chocolate-dipped apricots!

Home on the train.  Have an happy day! Love, Linda

The Springing Time

I can feel the earth waiting. The air is frosty at night, but the morning sun is a little thicker and the afternoon sun a little more golden.
Things are waking up and stirring under the leaf litter.
Some small, hard brown/green buds can be found on the tips of branches, the light lingers a bit later in the evening.
Mother Nature is holding her breath.


When I was a teenager, I remember hanging out my bedroom window when the wind was coming in from the south. The air smelled so good, filled with warm moistness, hinting of spices and places far away. I was filled with such longing for something. I wanted to go somewhere, with my nose pressed against the window screen, taking deep breaths of that scented air. Soon, it will smell that way again.

I can't wait to see the little green things pushing up through the earth, and hear the peepers singing beside the stream.


Just a few more cold breaths of winter, a few more logs on the fire, a few more days of pulling on the winter coat and gloves and sitting in a cold car.


Then the spring rains will come, softening the earth and melting the last of the tired snow. Roots will reach and spread and feed the pushing green stems.

Then, that warm, soft wind, the first robin, and Mother Nature will laugh and open her hands and scatter flowers everywhere.


Love, Linda

Update on the Sprouting Project

Two days later . . .

Something seems to be happening.

And today, look at this!

Soooooo, I tasted one. It tastes like broccoli. Not impressed.

Let's try the China Rose radish . . . It's a little better, but doesn't taste like a radish. I guess I could hide it in a salad if I used lots of Bleu Cheese dressing. We have to make some sacrifices to eat healthy. Next the Mung bean sprout . . .

Ick, Phew, Poo, Ugh! That tastes awful! Kind of hairy too! Here Marley, Sunny, Cassie?

Nope. Even the dogs aren't interested.

On to another project:

This is what came of that pile of fabric and lace in the last blog. An apron! I hope to finish it today. Last night I ordered some Very Cute little girl patterns.

Tomorrow, the Philadelphia Flower Show. Can't wait!

Have a delicious day, Love, Linda

Getting Healthy ( IIKM )

Spring is on it's way and I'm getting healthy if it kills me! Everyone is talking about "sprouting" - growing sprouts in a jar or "sprouter."
Brimming with life force, can be "added to soups, salads, and delicious in a sandwich." I'm dubious. Looks a little too much like vegetables.
I am willing to try however, and you may take this journey with me if you so choose. . .

The "Biosett" sprouter. Seeds are placed in each section and they are stacked. Water is poured in the top section twice a day, and it trickles down through the seeds to the bottom, where it can be emptied.

These are Mung beans for sprouting. They "have a pleasant, light taste and can be used fresh in salads or cooked in Asian dishes."  OK.
Next we have China Rose Radish. They are pink! and have "a sharp, spicy flavor, and can be used in salads and sandwiches."

Lastly, we have broccoli which also has a "pleasant, light taste."
All kinds of fascinating information is included on the seed packets. Did you know, for instance, that the China Rose Radish has 57600 seeds per pound?? I wonder who counted those?

H20 added per instructions.

Ta Da! It takes a few days, You will be kept updated on sprouting progress.
Have a healthy day, Love Linda

Some Shabby Stuff

I couldn't stand the winter photo anymore, so this is one from last summer (sigh!), even though it's 31 degrees again, spring is a-comin'.


Here's some photos of my slightly shabby guest room. The rose art is by Jennie Hepler, You can find her blog at The Prim Pumpkin.

Painted roses and rose quartz

Some of my Lefton china 

I love the old-fashioned lighting fixtures. One wall has a sliding door leading to the greenhouse. You can't see the bed because it isn't made! 

 A friend gifted me with this teacup on a stick. It's a bird feeder for the garden!

This is my next project. Guess what it's going to be??
Have an interesting day!  Love, Linda