My Everything Corner

On several of the blogs I visited today there were pictures of sweet kitties, so I thought I would share one I took just this morning.       I usually see a lot of great ideas on Pinterest, but rarely do I have to jump right up and get started on something.  These little wood houses were an exception though.  The ones on either end are pretty much copy cats of what I seen online, art by Saskia Obdeijn , but the four in the middle, I came up with myself. My sister commented that I was getting an early start on my Halloween decorations this year, and although they will fit in well with October's décor, I did not have that theme in mind at all. No, these wee houses mean much more to me than a passing season.    All over the countryside where we live, are abandoned houses.  Usually, they are in the middle of a field surrounded by a few trees.  These were the homesteads of 100 plus years ago. I find them both inviting...

We've had some rain here lately, and its the kind of rain that thoroughly soaks everything. Now, I've lived near poplars my entire life and I don't ever remember noticing this.  Just look at those trunks! They are the brightest shade of green. As they dried, they turned back to their regular white. I pointed this out to my husband, and he had never noticed this either.  Now every time it rains, I will be checking to see if the trunks are green.   I did nothing to these photos.  They are just straight shots, no special filters or enhancements.  Actually, I think the green was a little brighter than this when looking at it, but here you go.  

It's time for the big reveal!  It seemed like no sooner had I signed up that I received my package in the mail.  Marina was quick! And as it turns out, I had sent her a package back in September for the Fall exchange. I was very eager to see what goodies had been sent my way, but I took my time and savored each little gift, starting with a pretty card -  Next came the gardening gloves and seeds.  I need new gloves every year and I am looking forward to planting this little mixed packet designed to keep our bees happy and healthy. Now for the treats!  Marina, how did you know how much I love those cookies?  Maple cookies, specifically Dare maple cookies have been a favourite of my since childhood.  I'm writing this the day of receiving the package on March 23rd, and I'm sure they will be long gone by the time this is published.  There is a lovely selection of chai teas that all sound so delicious, I'm not sure which one to tast...

Today is windy, rainy, cold and all around gloomy. So, I thought I'd focus on the brighter side of things, my indoor Easter décor. Have a very Happy Easter everyone!

Foggy days can be beautiful, but of course if you're traveling they can be treacherous too. On the day I took these lovely photos, a local 17 year old girl was in a bad accident. For the longest time, the only news we had heard was that her back was broken.  We were terribly worried for her, and I said many a prayer for her and the family.  We found out recently that she is not only going to make a full recovery, but that she is already back at home.  Home of course, is where we do our best healing.  I can't tell you how happy I was to hear this news. Too often, people don't get so lucky. 

I took this photo quite awhile ago, and forgot about it.  I really like how it turned out.  The water carved its way through the snow is such a graceful curve, and for a short time I could hear the water babbling along.  It wasn't long before the flow slowed too much to be heard, but it is still nice to have water in the creek.  

Last year, my husband took a small corner of his shop and converted it to a well insulated room to house my grow lights.  It has a small heater on a thermostat and I am able to keep it at the perfect 21 degrees for germinating. In only three days, I have baby dusty miller and petunias.  Hundreds of them!  This is a seed starter mix that I put together myself, which is a 50/50 blend of peat moss and vermiculite. It holds plenty of moisture and resists mildew.  My germination rate has doubled since I switched to this medium.  The lights are on a timer and I should mention, they are not the expensive grow lights, just 2 different types of regular fluorescents, alternating warm and cool spectrums. They are on for about 14 hours a day, only an inch or two from the plants, and on a timer.   When they get a few of their true leaves, I will begin transplanting.  That's where that special mix really comes in handy. Because it is so...

Good Morning Everyone!   I just wanted to drop in to say hello and say that the weather is finally looking up here. Sunny and 20C is forecast for this afternoon. And to top it off, the winds are supposed to be low, which will be a great relief from yesterday's very high winds. But that didn't hold me back from doing some major yard work. I spent the day cleaning up my favourite area of the yard which is my fire pit and picnic spot. Raking and gathering leaves when it is gusting up to 60 kph is challenging, but it looks great, and I'm looking forward to sitting around the fire later.   There is nothing like beautiful weather to cheer a gal up.  Oh, and did I should mention I've started some seeds.  That helps a lot too.   Everything is still very brown here, but this butterfly brought a little colour back and the way the ice formed overnight was quite beautiful.   Have a lovely weekend...