Good bye Micki~

My dear friend Natalie lost her mother early Sunday morning after a week of just being with Micki and loving her as her body slowly shut down. Micki was also a friend to me and a good customer when I had my shoppe. It was sad for her two daughters and yet, what a lovely way to finish up a long life here. She was 86. When I think of Micki I will always think of flowers and gardening....her passion. She would spend hours at her daughter's home in Washington planting and planning gardens when she no longer had a place of her own. She was so happy just being outside.

So how wonderful for her to make her exit in late spring when the flowers are so beautiful. I will always think of Micki with a smile as the flowers and the birds return each year.

Here's to you my friend...may you rest in peace.

Happy Memorial Day Weekend

Happy Memorial Day Weekend. A time to remember, a time to reflect and a time to be grateful.

Teacup Thursday #10

I am a bit late posting my Teacup Thursday post. It's been a busy week and having our daughter home from New Mexico has made the routines a little different around the old homestead.

My husband bought this teacup at an estate sale recently. It is marked Prussia on it and it's just lovely. I like the colors and the softness of this one. It reminds me a bit of a cameo. The cameo in this post was a graduation gift to me from my husband~almost 40 years ago. It is one of my favorite gifts. The little shell purse was made by my grandmother's sister. I never met her and there was little to pass down in the family, so it too is a treasure.

I was so hopeful and excited to work in my yard last week and then the rains returned. I even started a fire in the woodstove last night as it was so chilly. Where is the sunshine?

Pop on over to Miss Spenser's Teacup Thursday to enjoy some wonderful posts from the ladies who have joined the group.

TIme in the garden!

It was just beautiful yesterday...sunny and warm. I bought some flowers and then spent most of the day digging and planting in my yard! Jim took the tarp off of my potting table and set up our table and chairs for summer fun. Our handyman came over around 3 PM and helped trim the grass and did more weeding in the backyard for me. I think we may have finally conquered the weeds, at least for a time. It was such a joy to be outside.

I hope to get a few foxgloves and daisies today to finish up. I need to make a trip to one of my favorite nurseries soon to buy a nice hanging plant for the front. The backyard means a lot of potting so I need to decide what plants. I hope to plant more herbs in the little herb section. The bees were loving the rosemary. I love herbs. I have to reseed my scatter garden too and then I can start to enjoy the work.

Teacup Thursday #9

"But friendship is the breathing rose, with sweets in every fold."

Oliver Wendell Holmes

I love miniature roses and feel more comfortable growing them. They are so sweet and they remind me of frosting. I had to buy another one today~just hard to resist. The weather has improved a bit here and I hope to spend Friday planting and working in my garden!

I picked a sweet Royal Albert cup and saucer to share for Miss Spenser's Teacup Thursday. It's decorated with such tiny little pink roses that remind me of my miniature roses.

I love sharing teacups but wish I knew more about the names and companies. It's been really fun to chat with others on Thursdays.

Portland Oregon is known as the Rose City. Our roses are late this spring. I hope they are in full bloom for our Rose Festival in the month of June. Bring on the sunshine.

Tuba the Cat

TUBA THE CAT arrived in Oregon last Saturday night with Jim and Gina from New Mexico. Gina loves Tuba and Tuba loves Gina. Those two have lived through many a good time as well as many,maybe more,a bad time together. Tuba is four years old and has spent all of his days in the Southwest where he was an independent outside kitty.He was a big puff ball full of sticks and leaves and who knows what! Gina had to get him trimmed and all taken care of when he had to stay in "kitty prison" for a few weeks before she moved back home. They trimmed off two pounds of fur-unreal! He now sports a lion cut until his fur grows back.

The poor guy wanted outside, so I put his leash on and tried to take him out for some fresh air. I think the wet green grass was too much for him! Then he smelled another cat or animal and started to growl and hiss, so I managed to get him back to the house to safe territory. He hasn't been outside since.

I tried to get a few pictures of him falling asleep on Jim's lap, but he wasn't cooperating. He really is a sweetheart and traveled so well. He's in Seattle with Gina now visiting a friend who is going to keep him for a few weeks.

Here's a great quote from Sigmund Freud~

"Time spent with cats is never wasted."

Another Dolly Post~

I enjoyed my visit last week with my dolly friends Bev and Roy. I took some things for" Show and Tell"...my tiny dolls. They are all so sweet and I can add tiny dolls to my collection. They sent me home with a wonderful doll book complete with patterns and all. It's a huge publication. As it's still raining, I think it will be my Sunday afternoon treat-sure can't work in the garden. I actually started a fire in the woodstove an hour ago.

Jim brought me a lovely peg head doll from Boise, Idaho. She is wonderful.I'm just fascinated with peg dolls.I may have to get another house soon for my doll collection. I have always loved dolls and always will love them!

Jim and Gina arrived at home late last night from New Mexico. Tuba the cat is just a riot and a good kitty. I haven't been able to get a good picture of him. I'm babysitting my

grandcat this afternoon...funny funny. He wants outside so badly, I may have to try to take him outside on his leash.

A Simple Life Magazine

I received my summer issue of A SIMPLE LIFE magazine today~it's such a quality publication. Of course, it reminds me of Tasha Tudor and another part of the country. I find it fascinating and inspiring. It's a good place to get lost- especially after this crazy day. I'm glad that evening has come and day is done!

I still can't figure out where my Wednesday and Thurday posts went this afternoon? A mystery.

They came back without the comments. I've had a day with Cricket, the bank, the post office and technical things...ugh.

On a happier note, my dear friend Janice has been sending me such fun newspaper articles in the mail. It's so sweet to find snail mail in my mailbox.

Teacup Thursday #8

A misty morning~looks like the sun is trying to come out, how nice!

I'm sharing some of my Johnson Brother's Olde English Countryside for Miss Spenser's

Teacup Thursday.I just love the pattern with the cottages and all. It's the brown and multicolor version made sometime between 1973 and 1983. I was doing a bit of research and they produced blue, brown, brown and multicolor, green, pink and mauve. I'm always attracted to blue and white, but I really like my pattern with more colors.

I started my set about 20 years ago. My husband and I bought it for our anniversary on a terribly hot August day. It even came with the soup tureen! I found the coffee pot one day at the antique mall near my home. I sent away for the teapot years ago and I must say, it's my favorite piece.

Just recently I found the pitcher at an antique show....always on the hunt.

I love Johnson Brothers. I have several fall turkey patterns that I mix and match for Thanksgiving. That will be fun to share in November.

Think spring and sunshine!

Wednesday Evening

A chilly evening. I have accumulated several magazines and I just haven't had the extra time to enjoy them, so tonight's the night! Jim and Gina are still traveling home, so I'm totally on my own schedule for a few days.

I'm watching a video on doll restoration that my dolly friends Bev and Roy loaned me. Oh my...it's fascinating but I could never do this work. It is amazing to watch experts. I'm going to visit my friend's tomorrow.It's always a treat to go to dolly land.

Tuesday

I'm trying to get back to normal after our quilt retreat this weekend. Jim flew out yesterday to help Gina drive back up to the Northwest. Tuba the cat is on the journey too and doing well, carrier and all.

I did some errands and then the sun came out, so worked in the garden a bit. Oh...so many weeds. I'm not even sure how to get rid of them all-the flower bed has a carpet of tiny weeds covering it. This spring has been terrible.

The sandman is doing his job. I'm sore and tired-I think it's time for bed.

Teacup Thursday #7

I was such a nice day yesterday and I think spring is here! Joining in on Miss Spenser's Teacup Thursday, I'm sharing a pretty cup with violets in the center. The cup is marked Stanley and that's all I know about it. I've been on the hunt for some violet items and found this one at an estate sale. The lilacs are from my yard but they really haven't opened ...maybe I'm a bit anxious?

I'll be finishing up some things for the quilt retreat today and then off to pamper my clients over the Mother's Day weekend.

The weather looks pretty nice for next week so I am planning on working in my garden. It's time!

Happy Teacup Thursday, Happy Spring and Happy Mother's Day to all who have been blessed to be a mom, a step mom,a grandmother, an auntie or a fill in mom to those we love and cherish!

Early Mother's Day Treat and Finishing up Retreat Things

My sweet little sister Alisa surprised me today with a lovely hanging plant-an early Mother's Day gift. We had a nice visit in the cottage and Jim brought us down coffee! She said she was liking the cottage. She got to see all my projects for the retreat and it gave me a nice break.

Since we will be spoiling our quilting clients on Mother's Day, Peggy had the idea to give the ladies an extra treat. We found these little spring baskets yesterday with butterfly gummy candies. I added a little Mother's Day tag and we were in business.

I have a bit of last minute food shopping tomorrow and need to pack, but everything else is just about ready, including my own projects. I don't really have too much time to get much done.

LaVonne sent me another creation for my retreat. She made this darling pincushion from a vintage bee. So cute! She just spoils me.

It was a beautiful day today. I have the doors open and the birds are really singing this evening.

I'm looking forward to Teacup Thursday.

Bloggers

I must say that the world of blogging is so fascinating.I'm still a blog infant, but it's an adventure to travel down the blogger path. What a creative avenue and such a fun way to share your life with friends and family plus meeting interesting new people. I enjoy reading each and every blog as it's a window into who the blogger is or what the blogger loves.I never would have dreamed this up! I know it's not all reality but who cares? I love getting lost in the word of blogging...I have always loved fairy tales, so maybe that's why I enjoy blogs!

Well, I must go back to the real world, I have a quilt retreat to run this weekend.

Dolly Finds and a Tasha Tudor Score!

A few weeks ago, my hubby and I went to an estate sale on Sunday when everything was 1/2 price. The home had been owned by a doll collector and while I didn't really like the dolls she collected, I did like the patterns and other goodies at the sale. I had a very fun time.This is some of the fabric I picked up...not that I need one more piece of fabric! But the silk pieces were just fabulous!

You can see the variety of patterns and lots of fun stationery and postcards...so perfect for dolly friends across the country.

The very best deal is the Tasha Tudor little book-"The Bouquet" which I have shown here with the two little books I had before. I never thought I'd be able to find the last one. I was digging through a little container of doll things and there it was! My heart just about jumped out of my chest. I turned it over and it had a 50¢ sticker on it!! WOW!!!! So with my 1/2 deal, that made it 25¢! A major big score! I still can't believe it.

It's May!

Happy May Day! What a lovely day we had here in Oregon. Sunny and warm. I spent the afternoon cleaning out my flower bed by the driveway. Such a mess-two big lavender plants gone. I moved an azalea, a small lavender and a pink to the bed by the front door where I lost a small shrub. I do hope they take as I need to fill in the empty space. I'm a bit sore as I watch the day slip away. Rain is in the forecast for tomorrow~sigh.

I picked lilacs for the day although they are not open all the way yet. Lavender, purple and white.

Jim gifted me with this darling little May Day plate for Easter. Such a find and he knew I would love it.

"The world's favorite season is the spring. All things seem possible in May."

Edwin Way Teale