Forgetful and How

Though I'd really rather be sipping lemonade and spending the morning in the garden with you all, I've forgotten something really important...Mother's Day. Seems I've become so involved in other projects that I forgot the priority one. Eeekkk... So I'll be in the sewing room today. Wish me well...

Oh, one last thing because so many of you have lilacs blooming. Have you seen *this fun way* of creating a centerpiece using lilacs? You can see my interpretation with some azaleas in my footer. (Sorry! I know I promised I'd not mention azaleas again, but I lied.)

A happy weekend to all!

Photo Source

A Ho-Hum Azalea Collage

I wanted to make a collage, too, just like Mary, LaDonna, Lynda, Lovella, and how could I forget Karen? Sigh. I'm going back to posting pictures the regular way.








We're just finishing up a week of rain and how the colors are popping! I'm so proud of my azalea as it's the most colorful thing in the entire neighborhood and I get lots of compliments on it. I dump all our coffee grounds under the bush beginning toward the end of March and on until the blooms are spent. It always seems to work. And thus ends all further discussion of the splendid azalea. (Oh, do click on any photo to see the detail of one of these flowers...they're positively ethereal.)

Soooo, do you know of any blogs where mosaics are lovely and I should visit?

A wonderful, beautiful, weekend to you all...

Life Goes On

One thing one learns very quickly is that time does not stop no matter what. Life goes on, meals must still be made and chores accomplished. No one gets to sit and think for long. Plans are made or hatched as the case may be and we are still in the planning/hatching phase.

Work on the jelly cupboard is ongoing. The color has been selected. Some of you may not be surprised since I've visited and spilled already. I could give you a hint or I could bowl you over. I'll ponder that. In the meantime, here's the progress thus far.



The big reveal at The Inspired Room doesn't happen until May 14. Can I possibly-ossibly wait that long?

The little basket lamp is also getting a makeover. I am so tired of this little lamp, but it's the only little lamp I have right now. Apparently, from the looks of that lean, it's tired of me, too.





And, in the spirit of "Gather ye rosebuds while ye may" my forsythia bouquet grows larger daily. I can't let all those bells lie on the ground beaten down by the rain.

Oh here's the tip...the color hint can be found somewhere on this great blog. (Thanks for the tip, Stick Horse Cowgirls!)

Photoshopping

Photoshop is my friend. This is not going to be a tutorial. It's mostly just a picture story. This post was decided upon last night after my darling looked at my new header and said, "Why don't you take some open blooms from the top and stick them in the middle?" Well, I didn't because that would be cheating and I don't cheat without telling you. I'm not that kind of gal.

This is what my azalea looks like on its best day. This best day just happened to be last year. I would've loved to use it for my header, but then people think that my neighbor's house is mine. That's cheating.



This is what the photo looked like before some judicious cropping.



I highly recommend judicious cropping.

Now this is a photo of my behind-the-garage forsythias. (John and I spent some time Sunday afternoon planting a whole lot of forsythia sprigs along his property line at the Ponderosa.) Anyway, this is the first shot. Note that ugly tree trunk protruding above the ugly fence to the left of the flag. Oh this fence is not my ugly fence. I've got enough ugly without claiming that thing.



Now let's lose the tree trunk and gain some green grass, too.



Looks like a hair transplant gone horribly wrong, but if I had time...


Have a fun Tuesday, Dear Ones!

P.S. This is a message for my dear friend Linda at Blue Gate Blog. I'm having such troubles getting to visit you. I keep getting this message. Just so you know that I do keep trying...

An Odd Assortment

I've an odd assortment for you this morning...


Shopping at the flea market is a couple of hours of "cheap entertainment" as John says. "Cheap" being the operative word. I found an old beat-up knife with a monogram (echoes of Little Red House) for a mere seventy-five cents and a beautiful doily for fifty cents. The knife is giving us a lot of fun as we've decided that it's worth a lot of money being an "authentic" Paul Revere. ;> The knife needs some burr removal, which John is undertaking today, but it cleaned up beautifully.



Then this delicate little cup decorated with maidenhair ferns and yellow flowers was such a bargain for fifty cents. It was badly stained on the interior, but after a night of soaking, it has also cleaned up well. I had thought I would use it as a scoop, but instead will display it under my make-shift cloche.



The cup is nothing special, but I always wonder about markings. Perhaps I'll be able to find out something about my knife *here* and something about what I now recognize as "Germany C.T." with a green Phoenix and a red fleur-de-lis pattern *here.* Ahhh, the thrill of the hunt even if nothing turns up and all for a fifty-cent cup. (Edited to Add: Thank you, Robin, for all your sleuthing! That proved very interesting. Readers can find what Robin discovered by reading comments.)



Now this sheet music was the thrill of my afternoon and the most expensive splurge. Five dollars, but I have looked for this 1949 song from the movie by the same name (My Foolish Heart) for years. I could have bought it online for the same amount of money, but I would've been using my own paper and ink and I would've missed out on this great picture of two of my favorites...Dana Andrews and Susan Hayward. Anyone remember seeing this movie? It was a real tear-jerker.

A happy Monday to you...

A Short, Very Short, Bible Study

Cast thy burden upon the Lord and He will sustain thee. Psalm 55:22a (KJV)

Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. I Peter 5:7 (NIV)

Casting the whole of your care, all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. I Peter 5:7 (Amplified Bible)

God's strong hand is on you; he'll promote you at the right time. Live carefree before God; he is most careful with you. I Peter 5:7 (The Message)

The word "cast" comes from the Greek work epirrhipto, which is a combination of two words: the first is epi, a preposition simply meaning "upon;" and the second is rhipto. Rhipto is the exciting part for me. It is a verb...an action verb...meaning sudden motion as in flinging with a quick toss. (Differentiated from a deliberate hurl.)

Sometimes it is good to haul out the Strong's Concordance and do a bit of digging. In this case, my little study led me to a new understanding. When overwhelmed and weary in spirit, I may still have the strength (in spiritual terms) to "fling with a quick toss" all my troubles on the Lord. I don't know if there would be enough oomph to "deliberately hurl" it on Him. Then, too, deliberate sounds as if one had thought about it for days, but "sudden motion" implies that the light just went on...Oh! I can toss all my cares on Him because He loves me. You can, too! He loves you very much.

Have a blessed Sunday...