Here We Go Again

 Cats are never bothered by what goes on in the world at large.  They find a spot in the sun, groom themselves, and sleep most of the time.  Edgrr and Stinker find their spots, and untroubled, go about their pleasure.  Many days, I envy them.

"Cats are connoisseurs of comfort."  --James Herriot

Mail

Incoming Postcards

from Carla

 

from Iliana 

I love her  gelli print!

from Carol Ann                  

one of her favorite tea rooms

 Outgoing

Letter to Annie

Garden:  Aside from trimming and cleaning up, I decided to harvest worm castings from my worm farm.  I spent a lot of tedious time separating worms from the castings and harvesting gardener's gold to feed my plants; I then prepared the new home for the red wigglers.  

The move must have been traumatic, so this morning, I made them a lettuce and stale bread smoothie to help them adjust.

I don't have hummingbird feeders, I have to rely on them finding something attractive in the garden and choose plants for the purpose.

Top row:  Texas sage/red salvia, yellow/orange lantana, honey bells cuphea

Next:  cosmos, Red Hot Tecoma, and obedient plant

And they adore the Dallas Red Lantana and like Henry Duelberg blue salvia, too.

I don't really know how they like the yellow/orange lantana, because it isn't in my vision unless I walk around the corner, but I assume they like it, too, since they like the other orange-y plants.  It has done well, but not as sprawling as the Dallas Red lantana.

Lately, I've been watching videos of the Jerusalema Challenge.  The music feels so uplifting, calming and energetic at the same time, and I love that the challenge has moved around the world.  

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Oh, new blogger won't let me embed this, but check the Youtube link:  Zimbabwe Elephant Nursery

I take pictures with my phone and send them to my husband

so he will get the right brand of  items. :)

What is going on in your world?  

Sunday

I do not like DST.  Especially when I lose an hour in the spring.  Just sayin'.


Have to get on the mat quickly or this happens...

Something cool arrived in the mail from PB!

Thank you, Penny!

Just because I love it...

This and That

Books and Reading

I really liked Minette Walters' The Last Hours (not due out until August), Joy Ellis' The Guilty Ones, and the strange Imperfect Memories by Jody Wenner, although I haven't reviewed them on my book blog yet.   

Embroidery

Still working on mushrooms when I feel like it.  

Interesting:  

Do you have an affinity for crows?  

Happy Full Crow Moon

Snail Mail

The Write-On Campaign is gearing up for National Card and Letter Writing Month in  April.  They are offering a Write-On Individual Kit for $10.  

• 6 cards (designed by Egg Press and Hello!Lucky) + envelopes
• 1 Sticker Sheet
• 1 Challenge Log Sheet
• 1 Sakura of America Gelly Roll Pen

Incoming Mail

Another lovely view from Singapore!

outgoing

postcards

After a spurt of answering letters last month, I've been a bit lax so far in March and have to spend little time responding to mail.   Need to get busy...

A New Week

New Project

 Quite a long time ago, I tried making paper with mixed results.  As I was about to trash some junk mail the other day, I thought about trying again.  I tore up a bunch of old envelopes and papers, let them soak, put 'em in the blender, and made paper pulp.

It was another mixed result but certainly suitable for collage--just tearing bits of pieces will add texture to collage work.

My papers were mostly plain, with some random bits of text, but before I quit, I remembered that there were plenty of finished pansy blooms and some begonia blooms just out the door.  So the last few pieces have some color to them.  I made a huge mess, the papers vary in thickness, and there is a lot to learn if I decide to try again.  

Not that it is difficult--it is really very easy, but I need to practice getting the right amount of pulp, not too thick and not too thin,  and a mold and deckle would produce even sheets and more even distribution of pulp.

Last Week's Mail

Outgoing 

 I used one of my tea bag houses and a tabby cat for Miss Prim Paws Chandler

Junk mail recycled to Connie

 collage postcard to Cheryl

Incoming

from Annie

from Jacque

and another one of Jacque's beautiful cards!

I love Julie Person's 

Adventures of Claudia!

Just Curious

...how often to you look back at your own pins on Pinterest?  

Pinning something I like comes easily, but unless I'm thinking about something specific, I rarely look back at my own pins.  I've thought about taking at least one pin a week from my own pins and trying a new technique.  Has not happened yet, there are some interesting Christmas ideas I might have to try.  

Tea Party in a Box!

I was a little confused to find the little red box on the doorstep.  Had I forgotten an Etsy order?  Had my husband ordered something?

No...it was a tea party in a box!  From Anna at Billet Doux & Little Mercuries, and it was amazing!  How else to describe the contents--everything needed for a tea party to celebrate Queen Elizabeth's 90th birthday.  I'm still in awe at everything packed into this small box.

When I recovered, I threw a table cloth on the little outdoor table

 and began setting up.  

Love the teapot impression!

It was so hot!

My weather app said 90 with a heat index of 106 degrees!

Louisiana humidity can be brutal.

This is the kind of humidity that fogs your glasses

and the camera lens as soon as you step outside.

I ended up gathering things back up and coming inside.

 See the gorgeous cup and saucer and the cupcake picks!

 Teabags and sugar cubes.

Anna included this photo of her own tea party.  See the banner,

in my haste, I forgot to put my banner up.

Since there are 6 cups, 

I'm hoping everyone else was toasting the Queen

as I was and wishing her a very Happy Birthday.

Don't you love that tablecloth, the parasol, the lacy pillows!

I have a hard time imagining all the effort Anna went to for this tea party--so many details!  To make and package all the edibles, print the invitations, write the letters, make the little cupcake pics (oh, I love those little pics),  it seems overwhelming.  

My little cup is sitting in pride of place near the door and provides such a cheerful reminder of the best tea party I've ever attended.  It was a quiet tea party, but the voices in my head were plentiful and grateful.  Thank you, Anna!

It was a busy weekend: a glorious tea party, Father's Day, and a visit from my friend from New Orleans!  Oh, and a little rain that let all that humidity turn into something to feed the flowers.

Snail Mail

 Outgoing:

postcards to Mila, Max, and Bryce Eleanor

 (I made several copies of the

 steampunk mailman

and this one went to Max)

below--lines from poems sent to them.

Bryce Eleanor and Max got lines from Jack Prelusky

and Mila got a poem by Li Bai.

Incoming

From Annie

Love the TAX on the front

(the "i" is folded to the back) Perfect for April!

Clever girl, that Annie!

From Mrs. Duffy at Letter Matters.
Her blog has so much to offer about correspondence;
especially interesting is a post about letter locking.

 This was one of those lovely, unexpected surprises!

From Anna at Billet Doux & Little Mercuries

 And she sent me a lovely, lovely poem by Pablo Neruda!

Wonderful!
But here is the problem:  no return address.
I've written a return letter, but can't find an address.
Not on the envelope.  Not on the blog.
Anna, please send me your address!

And from Penne M.

April showers bring rainbows!

And don't we all love the flower stamps?
They are my favorites so far this year.

Thank you all for making my mailbox a happy place!

More Outgoing:

And to Penne M.

Another one went out to Mrs. Duffy, 

but I failed to take a picture!

It has been a good week for mail!  

More Snail Mail

Outgoing

To Annie

To Mila, Bryce Eleanor, Max;

had to take these to the P.O.

to get them hand-canceled.

Too thick to go through the machine.

Incoming

from Annie

Love the envelope made from a book page (?)

Write_On

 Thank you pc from Chrystobal

I made the wolf mask for Bryce Eleanor last year.

I sent the postcard below to Chrystobal (see above) for her Mask mail art call.

B.E. wanted a nose, so added a peat pot for the pic.

I just looked through last year's photos

and made some alterations for the mail art call.

from Penne

with reference to the flooding :)

 from Connie

 love the stamp;

Hillary Long with skates on his head 

and hat on his feet  :)

from Cheryl in N.Y., N.Y

--a Happy Egg Day!--

I've been busy doing yard clean up.  Lots to do, especially after the hail storm last week.  Oh, and the fact that I really didn't clean up in the fall.  There was a time when I was all about gardening from sun up 'til sun down most of the year--with the exception of a few winter months.  Now, I'm really only much good in the spring.  The summer heat and humidity bother me, but part of the reason is that the soil in our previous home would grow anything. Here, too much clay, too many trees in a tiny yard, and then, of course, I'm lazier.

During the spring, my ambitions exceed my acknowledged lack of commitment.  I dream of the garden I used to have and give it another try, knowing that I'll be less inclined to work in the summer with temps that have been reaching into the 100's for months at a time for the last few years and the high humidity.

B.E. spent last Thursday night and Good Friday with us.  Saturday was the Memorial Service for my best friend's mother, and Easter Sunday included lunch with Chris, Amelia, and B.E.

Today, Suzie is coming over.  We'll have tabouli and wine and make something.  Hopefully, make something first, then the wine.  :0

I have letters to write and postcards to send, but I need some quiet time for that--maybe tonight I'll settle in to write.  

Hope everyone had a good Easter!