Hey you, anybody home?

Hey you - anybody in there. 

Yes Gracie - I've just been bad - spending too much time on Pinterest and reading and not any time thinking about what I want to put on my blog...

Sorry to all of you very patient readers out there who have probably all but given up on me...

Contrary to the weather in the rest of the country, ours here has been pretty balmy - in fact last week we had temps up into the 60's!    Our witch hazel bush has long since bloomed and the tulips and the Lenten roses are about a month ahead of schedule. 

The Shepherd has a new shearer scheduled to come out on the 27th of February. 


You know what that means, don't you? 

Snow, north'easters, poor nekked sheep wondering why he had their nice wool coats cut off just before the temps dropped into the bottom of the bucket...

Now, I'm not saying it's for sure, but just sayin' - it's happened MORE THAN ONCE...

Poor sheepies.  Oh, well, we'll just hope for the best, huh? 


So, really, I have lots to tell you - at our spinner guild meeting today we had a class on kumihimo - (a Japanese form of braid making)  Now that's a cool craft - very versatile - can be a friendship bracelet for your niece or a lovely pearl necklace for your mom - or heck, for yourself. 

Anyhow, I promise I'll be back soon. (Sooner than last time, I promise!  I'm getting awfully close to my 1000th post.  Anyone want to hazard a guess when that will happen?  I might be willing to part with some of that yummy alpaca that I had processed in December.  

See you soon. 










.

Three Beautiful Things

 Hello effurrybody!  Gracie here - I was out
helping Mummy take pictures in the garden last
week. The Shepherd says that Somebody needs to snooopervise her to make sure that she doesn't trip on something and fall on her casaba.  I'm very good at snooopervising. 

We went out in a hunt for beautiful things, and thought we'd share some of them with you.







We found a little fairy cap mushroom growing in the mulch bin...

One of the last marigolds in the garden.  Such a pretty summery color. 

More 'shrooms - the caps are almost as big as dinner plates! 

Ok, so I lied - four beautiful things - more Sweet Gum leaves - oddly enough, Mummy found out that Sweet Gum seed pods contain shikimic acid, a major ingredient in Tamiflu. 

Herbalists have used Sweet Gum tea as an herbal treatment for the flu and the Cherokees made a tea out of the bark.

So many things from nature that we don't know about that heal or harm.

Have a great weekend!  XOX  Gracie!


.

Happy Howl-o-ween!

 

 Crazy things growing in the garden - 

Crimini, that's a big 'shroom

Nobody will mistake this cauliflower for mashed potatoes - no wait there are purple potatoes now too - maybe they might.  No, wait, how could ANYBODY mistake mashed cauliflower for mashed potatoes???  Pinterest fail...

Sweet gum leaves in the fall are my favorite - I could take a picture of each one that comes off the tree.

 Kansas City could have used this bat sized zucchini tonight.  9-3 - how sad.  Hopefully they'll pick up the pace tomorrow. 

Look at this sweet little Meowlaweenie kitty I found out in the garden. 

My friend Misti has been helping me with some cleaning - so far we've attacked (I say "we" in the royal sense, ha ha) the dining room, the kitchen and today, the "music corner" in the living room. 

I'd like to have her help me with my wool room, but I don't think she understands the concept of "stash" - so that might have to wait. 

Have a great Howl-o-ween and don't eat too much candy!