Oh what a morning...

Seems it will be a partly cloudy morning but the temps are so comfortable. I wish I was! To start at the beginning....I woke at 1 am and still awake..... going to be a long day. But I will manage. Let's talk about yesterday. I decided to lay the drip line in the new pond garden.

Okay, it does not look like much but soon it will. Anyway, I could not remember how to activate the irrigation off time so I thought well tomorrow at 7am I will come out and see if it works. Out to the garden at 7 this morning I went but no water running anywhere! Now what? After a few minutes I discovered the system was unplugged. I want to know who did this...come on speak up! Then I hear what sounds like a faucet running  ...a line is disconnected from a post. I took an unplanned shower right there in the garden in my pajamas. Could not fix it so I shoved the line toward the garden wall. In the meantime did I mention that the 2 baby
Doves are now out of the nest? As usual, they like others in the past do not plan to leave the garden anytime soon. No, they prefer to hang around. They pop up at the least expected moment and then we all 3 are startled. I have informed them to stay out of the lanai...it is not for rent but they continue to enter then can not find their way out. Panic sets in and I have to go and escort them out. Now I know why the parents left them!

Yesterday I also decided it was time to slice and quarter and juice the lemons..... then into the freezer so I can zip lock bag them up. I waited until they were just getting soft to the touch...more juice that way. These are already bagged. A full gallon bag.

Look at how much juice from one of these giant lemons! One half cup full.... the glass juicer is from my childhood.... mom used to make orange juice using this. One day I asked her if she still had it and she gave it to me. Nice to use it.

Added to the freezer are cubes of juice about a tablespoon each and zest. Now for drinks or cooking I am prepared. I still have 5 more lemons to do. I will put the zest into snack bags and since they are in 1 tablespoon amounts it will be easy to use.

Ta Da... she is finished. Tossing her little yellow French knots around. I am pleased with how she looks. Still not sure why I made it in pinks. I really enjoyed doing simple embroidery again. I will be looking into my patterns this weekend for another project to do. My hand is so much better...I would say completely healed but it still gets sore. The back however is another story and I will be calling the doctor on Monday to try to see him. I have done really nothing this past week so it should feel better.

A  cloudy morning can not keep the bright Orange Bells from glowing and giving me sunshine in the garden.  I had this cut back severely last summer and it is coming back strong. The bees love it and the hummer sometimes stops by for a taste.  Well, guess I should do a few chores. Glad you stopped by today. Thank you for your kind words and for your friendship.

Lemons and Daffodils

Some days you need to bring the sunshine indoors.... and when I bought these daffodils they are just perfect on this cloudy morning. Then along came Robyn and more sunshine! These lemons are huge....

There are 10 of them and each weighs a pound...I did weigh them! I will be slicing them and then freezing them for use in my iced water drinks. I will also cut a few into wedges for cooking and for jesting.

Thank you Manda for sharing with your mom who shared with me.

These Daffies are so full....but I must admit that as much as I love them I hate their fragrance. So in the kitchen they will stay. So many flowers blooming around me outside...

Bottle Brush tree in front of my house

Bougainvillea at the courtyard entrance

Slow moving this morning. These morning headaches are becoming almost daily. I keep telling myself that it is the weather.... I do not need an additional issue to deal with right now. 

Rabbit Rabbit....today is April 1st.... and it is my cousin Freddie's birthday. March certainly got lost. Days are flying and I feel rushed. Not that I want time to stand still but I would like time to be at a slower pace for now. For today it will be kept slow... new month, new plans to make. Glad we had time to chat. Thank you for your kind words and for your friendship.

Lemons

A lovely day yesterday to relax and enjoy the 80+ temps. Actually I could do very little as Tuesday found me with a backache. By yesterday it had gotten worse and is no better today at all. Guess it is time to see the doctor. Just as my hand is feeling pretty good, now this. Oh I know that some have it worse than me, but it is me that concerns me today. Plans that I thought would be today are definitely on hold.

Yesterday Robyn...across the courtyard... brought me these two beautiful lemons. They are just a smidge over 4 inches and not a mark on them. She picked them from her daughter's lemon tree... nothing like fresh picked lemons. I had just finished my last lemon. My iced water will certainly taste good!

Started to embroider the skirt of the girl in between the ouches... the oohs... and oh my of pain. Trying to show movement to match her pose. Soon I can show you my sewing project that I hinted at the other day. Uh, I forgot, you can not see it just yet. I am taking part in Jo's  Annual Easter Treasure Hunt on Friday April 19th and this is my picture to post on that day. She hosts a variety of blog hop fun throughout the year.
The Baby bunny is still around the garden. Yesterday I almost fell and it would not have been my fault for a change. He and I scared one another when I went into the garden. He is so lucky that I did not fall. It seems he is spending sometime in the lanai.... he leaves me a trail. He is also lucky he is so darn cute! Just as Oliver used to hide in the Fountain grasses, he is also hiding there and under the Hopsbush. So now I will watch those areas as I go about the garden.
Well my friends, I need to try to get up from this desk chair and if nothing else wash my coffee mug and toast dish. Thank you for your kind words and for your friendship.

Lemons

I love picking fresh lemons. We have a community lemon tree and it is loaded with bright yellow fragrant lemons. Perfect to squirt on my stuffed quahog last evening along with some zest.
Found a cute Valentine to make from Flamingo Toes Designs. I would like to make a few this weekend. Never enough time to make all the cute patterns I come across. If not the time then the hand giving me problems. No plans for today...well, except that our HOA is having 3 large trees removed this morning and a few of us plan to supervise the ordeal. I am always amazed that the tree will fall just where they want it to. As it will be at the front of our property I am sure other supervisors will stop to watch.  I have rested my hand since doing the window project so I will probably do something today....currently I have 4 "things" in the waiting line. I will be quite happy on Friday when I see the surgeon to see  what the plan will be.
The weather for the next few days is expected to be really nice so maybe some garden work will be I the plans. We had some very windy days recently and there are leaves from everyone's garden in my garden! Also a few plants need attention. the plant Dianna and Bobby brought me back form Hawaii looks like it is ready for some watering meaning it is taking root.
Right now I should get myself together to get out to the tree party. Just a short post today.
Glad you found some time to visit. Thank you for the kind words and for your friendship.

Ready for Christmas

Hope you all had a nice Thanksgiving. I began to open those boxes on Thursday late day. I never start this early but I really "need a little Christmas"..... music playing as I made a mess. I began with The Village...

For the first time it is in the kitchen...on the sideboard and it fits perfectly.

The Sweet Shoppe in the front is filled with my chocolates this year; and the Knit Shop in the back.

The center of my village is always the large lite tree. Dennis bought me this tree about 30 years ago and it still had the original lights. There was a nice store in Massachusetts that had wonderful Christmas décor...not sure if it is still there...I do not even remember the name. The Gazebo sits in the foreground and inside has Santa and a photographer. Just in front of the tree is the couple on the bench....me and Denny sharing a kiss. Once while visiting New York at Christmastime we did just that...shared a kiss by the Rockefeller Center Tree.

Moving to the right is the Nursery…. The glass roof lets you peek inside to the plants on the table.

Last year's addition, The Barn. I love that it lights up. I was able to collect some animals to complete it. I finally found my bags of snow so that has since been added there and everywhere.
The dining table was next....

I spread out some Battenberg doilies and then added some shine with my Glass Bauble for the center. I know...you are asking where I will eat my meals....there is plenty of room for me at the front of the display.
I will share more Christmas tomorrow...do not want to bore you all in one day! But I will leave you with my kitchen work cart

My Peppermint Tea Pot and kitchen Santa candle burner (from my niece Tonya) and fresh picked lemons...nothing like picking them yourself.
Glad you stopped to visit with me. Thank you for your kind words and holiday wishes. Thank you for your friendship.....

The day after

Today is Boxing Day in the UK....for me and many of us it is the day after Christmas and all through the house it is probably a mess. If not a mess it still is lots of holiday decorations and the thoughts of when to take them down and the thought of putting it all away. I have always waited until after New Year's Day and even though I have minimal decorations this year that is still my plan.
I received some lovely gifts this year

Dianna and Bobby gave me a Rain Chain...I love it. Of course with the new gutter system, there is no corner to catch the rain....then again we do not have much rain. It will however hang outside the lanai and possibly find some rain drops to channel. Dianna also found

These lovely "sisters" by a company we both have come to like...Blue Sky. Dianna also has the same set. She and Me. I enjoyed my Christmas Eve time with them and their family. Dianna and I sat outside chatting after we ate and it was a nice relaxing day.
Yesterday was a quiet day and I nursed a headache most of the day. Today will be a regular do the laundry and Bissell the house and take the Swiffer by the hand. I am half way finished with another tatted Snowflake and now, I found a tatted icicle to try. I need to find some beads for that. Oh I have toms of beads but they are probably not the right ones..... I think Jo Ann's is having a string bead sale.

Fresh picked Arizona Sweet Oranges from Al/Keith's tree and lovely lemons form Glenda/Don's tree. Just the fragrance is wonderful but they taste so good. Remember the chestnuts....not one of them is good so they will be going back to Safeway. They seem to be old and not edible at all. I am not returning them for the cost but that they should be made aware of a bad product.
I hope everyone had a terrific holiday and thank you for the caring emails for me. I am so very lucky to have you for my friends.

Butterflies and Picots

Yesterday's tatting demonstration was a bit difficult...so many of the gals wanted to learn that it was nearly impossible to really help and explain to all of them. I hope those few who did manage to make a ring will continue and those who di not grasp it will continue to try. Like with all crafts practice is what will help achieve the goal. So, with that, I decided to try to make double and triple picots.

I tried last night before going to bed with little to no success. When that happens, put it down and return later. This is what I accomplished this morning. Not bad. They are tricky but with more practice I believe I will be able to incorporate them into my tatting. Yesterday morning I decided to try to tat bugle beads into butterflies. I love making fabrix and paper origami butterflies so ...

Love these little critters. They require some fiddling,  but doable and with practice they will be better. Perfect for using up those last bits on the shuttle.

They are tiny, about 3/4 inch but oh so cute. I see more of these coming off the shuttles. This morning Sue and I will be joining the ladies at the needlework group and I will continue to work on Words of Affirmation. Today will be Kind, (#3.) Still working on what I will use to hang the banner. Dear friend gave me some fresh picked Arizona lemons ...

Delicious, especially that they are so fresh. I think I would love to have one in our yard in a large pot. Finished my first cup of coffee and my favorite bowl of cereal, Cheerios and I think I need another coffee. Hard to wake up today....slept until 4 AM which is nice for a change. So, with that I will wish you a good day. Thank you for visiting and leaving kind words. Thank you most of all for your friendship.  🌺🌺🌺🌺🌺

Just need a better day

Yesterday started off with an email from my bank saying that my debit card had been compromised! That was the first shock the second was to learn the amount that was emptied from my checking account....let me just say it was quite a bit....so now my account is blocked while they dispute the expensive on-line charges and I am waiting for a new card. My stomach is still in knots. Then I met up with my friends Sue and the Thursday group and spent a couple of hours relaxing but as soon as I left there it was to the bank to talk with them. No wonder I have a headache today. I did not accomplish any tatting or stitching yesterday...my hands did not work well. This morning I looked at this

sitting on my kitchen table...freshly picked Arizona lemons...that is so delightful. The smell and feel is delicious.  Iced water will taste great this week as will my cooking. Love to add lemon zest and juice in my cooking. Thank you Glenda for bringing them to me. By the way, does anyone use Epson # 273 ink in  their printer? I have 3 new photo black cartridges that I would love to send to somebody. My new printer of course uses a different number. Just email me your address....and into the mail they will travel. I think my laundry is ready for the dryer so off I go. Today will be a needle in hand day! Thank you for visiting and for your kind words and most of all thank you for your friendship. Hope you have a good day....me too!