passing on flowers

My mom came to visit. We had such a wonderful time! She brought along with her a variety of plants that my aunt has passed along to me. My aunt is moving and did not want to move these with her, so I am the lucky one to give them a new home.

This is one of my shaded flower beds and as you can see, the plants are quite large and take up a good amount of space. I am not sure if these plants will thrive in this spot, so I am hoping that some of you might be able to tell me where they will be able to survive. This bed is shaded during the biggest part of the day, but does have bright light.
This is a purple shamrock. It is quite large and very tired and wind blown from the trip in my mom's back of the truck ride. It probably needs a good feeding. It has a few little pink/lavender blossoms. Does it need shade or sun? Do any of you keep it in a container or in the grounds? Can another plant be made by clipping or separating bulbs?

This is an Asparagus Fern. It has beautiful little white blossoms and lacy leaves. As beautiful as it is, it has one prickly problem, it is quite thorny. It is in a large container, but has outgrown the container, with it's top edge about 3 inches above the container. A friend has told me that they are quite difficult to transplant because of the compact thorns and roots. Do you know whether it would be ok in the ground or should stay in a container? Does it need sun or shade? When I asked my mom about how my aunt kept these plants, I think she basically just left them out on the porch and did not fuss over them too much. I fuss over every thing too much!{: It has berries on it also. Can those berries produce other ferns?

This is an airplane plant, needing a new pot and it is full of babies. Again, does it need shade or sun?

This is one of the many Caladiums that I sprouted out in the greenhouse. This one is potted and going home with my mom. She was so pleased. I just love the pink splash on the leaves. Once again, thank you, thank you, one and all for your sweet comments and advice. I look forward to hearing from you!

This old piano

Many years ago, when we lived in town and when our children were very young, they started piano lessons. 30 minutes a lesson, once a week. I sat through each lesson with each child, watching and admiring the patience of the piano teacher we had been blessed to meet. She had angel wings on her back!

We purchased this old piano for them to practice on.Our home filled with the plunked out sounds of twinkle, twinkle, little star. Amazingly, it has a wonderful sound and is still in good condition, despite it's bad appearance. It has just come out of storage and we finally have been able to move it into our home out here. We have a steep front porch and at the time of our moving here, there was no way to move it. It has been sitting underneath a layer of blankets in our storage building. How much I have wanted it inside of our home!

This is stamped on the back, apparently the price back at that time. On the inside there is a label, that explains that it is also a player piano. There is no element to make it play, so it has just been used as a standard piano.

I gave it a good scrubbing and finally it is sitting where it belongs! It looks like it has always been here! I still need to re-do the surface and the surface of the piano bench, but once again, music from this wonderful piece can be heard through out our home. The kids, now pretty much grown, have all sat down and played a little tune on it already, scaring our cats out the door{:

The sewing machine that does everything!

I love to watch the Martha Stewart show. Today's show featured the Pfaff creativevision sewing machine that can do everything. I thought I heard something about a giveaway, but can't find anything on Pfaff. This machine costs $8,000. It would be wonderful to win one of these. One might check by going on to marthastewart.com to see. But for now, and for me,......

This is my machine. The first two major things my Sweetie and I purchased when we were newlyweds, was a Montgomery Ward deep freezer, which still works perfectly after 25 years, and this Singer sewing machine. It doesn't do everything. It basically sews forward and backward, and has a good buttonhole attachment.The other things that need to be done, are done by my hand. However, it was such a good price for a couple starting out, and I only needed it for basic sewing. It has sewn baby sleepers, clothes and bibs. Shirts and jackets for my sweetie. When my son started kindergarten, it sewed the cutest shirts, which he cut with scissors up and down the front the first week, helping him not to wear them anymore because the kids laughed at him.{: It sewed many dresses and play sets for my daughter, including an elaborate tea party dress with a matching dress for her doll. It has sewn many a Halloween costume and many gifts given to relatives throughout the years, which if you check under their beds, the things are still probably hiding{: .

I love the detail in the design of these old machines. If anything breaks on it, it is easy for me to figure out and repair. I have thought about purchasing a newer machine, but as many of you probably know, the kids needed shoes, the car needed repairs, a bill needed to be paid, or something else important needed to be bought. I know getting a brand new machine would be like getting a computer and on the internet for the first time for me. I was weary of computers and the internet at first, and then, once I started playing with it, I was hooked! What kinds of machines do you have? What are some of the things you have made? I would love to hear and to see!

Good friends, good times, good memories

A special friend came to visit the other day. We spent the whole day talking and remembering. We have been friends going a little over 20 years. We have watched our children grow from new born to graduates for me, from new born to marriage for her. Seems like only yesterday we were meeting in the park to let them all play together on the slide. We have called each other and cried together when we dyed our hair and it turned out the wrong color, promising to talk each other out of the same mistake when we decide to do it again! So much we have seen happen to us, to our family members. But more than any, we have a lot to laugh about with all of the good memories. So when my friends come to visit, I try to have something to give to them.

Hand embroidered dish towels with crocheted edgings.
A small cookbook stocked full of good recipes.

Flower seed packets with easy to grow flowers.

Tied together with satin ribbon.

A token to remember a special time. The weekend is here, and the dirt and wind have finally stopped blowing. I am hoping to get some gardening done in-between stitches. I hope you all who are reading, have a wonderful weekend!

The treasures inside!

Once again, thank you all for your sweet comments! I so enjoy hearing from all of you! Here it is! The pictures of the treasures inside the little sewing basket and other sewing boxes! Some of the pictures came out blurry and I am sorry about that.{:

The little basket was stuffed full. The bottom layer is what you can see on your left hand side on the table. The top tray is inside the basket.

Also, Margaret gave me this sewing box and bag, which was filled with zippers, packages of rick rack and other spools of thread.

This is blurry but it is a needle package from a life insurance company. My, how times have changed!

Here is the inside of the needle package and yes, there were still unused needles inside the little black strip with the label.

So blurry you probably can't read it. The three needles were priced at 25 cents. The Hiawatha metallic thread had the price of 29 cents!

Here are wooden spools found throughout the little basket, sewing box, and sewing bag! A real treasure!

Here is some of the things from the basket separated and ready to be placed in the right containers. I got 5 pair of really good scissors, and the little pin cushions, I have always loved. Also 5 thimbles to add to my thimble collection.
Here are buttons, pins and needles also found in the little basket. All in all, I was thrilled with the bounty I carried home. All of the things will be used, gratefully, thank you Margaret.{: And thank you all again for dropping by!

fun at the auction

A couple of years back, my sweetie and I walked into a "junk store" of sorts, which also turned out to be an auction house. The owners, Eddie and Margaret, are just the sweetest couple one could ever meet. We stop in from time to time to check in on them and their latest stash..... I can always find a good cookbook or two, but we rarely go to the auction. This weekend, we purchased a couch and a recliner from them. We took the couch home on Friday but needed to return for the recliner on Saturday, auction day. Just for fun, we got a number and decided to only sit and watch. However, auction fever came over me when I spotted a box of chicken what-nots and sewing goods. I have never tried to bid on anything in my life,

however, when that box full of chickens was paraded in front of my eyes, my hand flew up! I got the first bid for $2! Someone behind me challenged me with $1. We went back and forth, with Sweetie, sweating and hanging on to his wallet, and then...... I won!!!! For the grand price of $11 I got to take home a wonderful box of chickens and a sewing basket!!

I have to say, it wasn't only the merchandise I was excited about, it was the fact that I won my first hand at bidding!! Oh, sweetie, let's go to the bank, Margaret told me there will be another auction next month!! As you can see, there are salt shakers, a beautiful plate, wood hangers and other things I could have lived without. But one day, when my dream of opening a shop comes true, I might be able to let go of them. {:

This little sewing basket was stuffed full of treasures. I will post pictures of the goodies inside in the following days. After the auction, Margaret pulled me aside and handed me an armload of extra sewing boxes and a bag full of sewing goods. " You can use this more than anyone else" she said with a smile, " please take it home". I felt rich!!

one less in the nest

Life has taken me away, and now I'm back..... with one less in my nest. Our daughter graduated this past Friday.So many years of watching this little bird get her wings and now the cage door is opened and away she flies. She is now on her senior trip and right after she gets back , she will be reporting to duty to the Navy. It has been a decision that I have struggled with. I'm not so eager to let her fly so far away. What ever will I do without her?

The graduation ceremony was beautiful. At the end, each child's parents were recognized. The child's name was called, the parents stood up, the child brought their diploma to hand to the father, and a long stemmed rose to hand to the mother. A hug, a quick picture, and then they were off again to Seniors night lock in. We did this same thing last year for our son. Now we have only one left in the nest. He has a few years left to go, but is already trying to stretch his wings.{:

I stitched one more cocktail coaster with this cut out rose in inspiration of this occasion. The rose is done in closed buttonhole stitch and then cut out, the leaves are done the same. Three eyelets were done and the daisies were done in the lazy daisy stitch. The small leaves were done using the feather stitch. I have two more blank coasters that I need to place a design on. Then I will have a set for sale one day on Etsy. I have missed being on to blog. I can't wait to come and visit your blogs and catch up on what you are all doing!