Millie....Sewing Etui...

 Rain on and off this day so far. Temperatures are cooler and it feels good. 

Murphy runs out but returns quickly and then naps. He is not  fan of rain. The sound of it splatting on the rocks outside my sewing area is pleasant with Willie Nelson serenading me. Going to be a easy relaxing day.

All the pieces are together. Alan did a white wash on it for me. then it was my turn to work on it......

My sewing etui is ready for use.... 

e·tui 

/āˈtwē/

noun

dated

noun: etui; plural noun: etuis

a small ornamental case for holding needles, cosmetics, and other articles. ..."exquisite etui cases fitted with scissors, bodkin, and thimble"

 There are 3 dowels for thread, the box opens to hold needles and there is a magnet inside the lid. A place for a cute pair of scissors and the screw eye in Millie's head is to put the thread through while sewing.  Did not know this extra talent for The Brother Alan. Next month will mark 2 years that he and Lisa are living here. We certainly have fun times. Totally support each other. 

Think it is time to see what is going on in the garage...Alan is in his work shop. I will leave you with Murphy relaxing ...

How adorable the crossed the legs! Glad to have you visit today. Thank you for your kind words and for your friendship.

Stars and Stripes

 Fourth of July 2021. 

Just look at this adorable angel. I call her Precious but her name is Waylyn Joan and she is 7 months old. She is the daughter of "a niece" Kayla and husband William.....extended family. Everyday Kayla posts a picture, one cuter than the last. I have watched her mom Kayla grow from a baby into a married lady and now a mom. I look forward to watching Waylyn grow day by day.

We finally had some much needed rain late yesterday afternoon. Unfortunately is was not more than a quickie. The winds blew everything around giving Murphy something to yell at as he looked out the slider. At he moment the humidity is at 82% so it is uncomfortable out there. Happily I will be indoors.

🚴 I have been waking in time to watch the TDF...Tour de France which currently is at day 9 and another day of rain for the riders. This year there seems to be many crashes and injuries. Today is 145KM and in the mountains..up hill! Tomorrow is a day of rest for them and from the looks on their faces they need it. the scenery is beautiful.... so many chateaus. I admire their stamina to ride for 2 to 3 hours at a stretch.

Tomorrow I have a follow-up with the Podiatrist to see what the next plan is for my Achilles tendon. So far the nighttime brace is not working and Lidocane during the day is just a temporary fix.

Whatever your plans are for today stay safe. So nice to chat with you. Thank you for your kind words and for your friendship.

NOTE: I have Kayla's permission to post Waylyn. So watch for updates.. sure to put a smile on your face.

More art and a rose

 Goodness..... I just went out to the garden to take these pictures and what a windy mess. the clouds have rolled in too. Alan hung the other sculptures we bought....

Alan chose the cactus with its bright colors and I fell in love with the lizard also bright and they add cheer to the side of the house. 

While nearby Mr Lincoln has opened its first rose of the season. I never pick the first one but I am anxiously waiting for the next one. I mentioned before that this was Dennis' favorite rose. The bush is full of buds!

 Alan and I just had to  have this once we spotted it. ... and we knew just where she would go. Is it not just.... wonderful. She and her 4 birds are rust treated metal. 

the cut out areas bring dimension to a flat piece. Sprinkles are starting to fall. The wind is starting to whip things around. Leaves and tree droppings from everywhere. Music from the chimes sounds wonderful.

Alan and I have a quick errand then it will be back home with my foot elevated. Yes, the pain in my right heel/ankle is going to be checked tomorrow morning.  I was glad to find a podiatrist close by and get an appointment so quickly. 

There might be some activity around the craft/sewing table later. So nice to have a visit with you. thank you for your kind words and for your friendship.

The days have Marched on

March...goodness where is the time going? I am not sure what exactly is the reason I have been absent from my blog. I have been working on my Handkerchief Quilt... a little.

Hasn't been easy with Murphy wanting to help. But it is a start. Speaking of the boy...

Excuse the view through the screen, I took this a few minutes ago.... compare to the first window picture...

goodness, this was at 4 months old and today at 7 months! He is a bit more than a Mini Schnauzer, and that is from the vet. He is now able to remove things from the counter edge or the table with little difficulty. He certainly keeps me hopping during the day. Murphy does not like the rain... but, when we first got him he did not mind walking in the pouring rain. His personality is really coming out! Definitely going to school.
We are in day 3 of rain....sometimes poring rain. At the moment it is just damp and cloudy. Swishing #2 is on as is Fluffing #1. I thought about just staying in my PJs and doing nothing, but the fairies are not here today.

One of Alan's officers brought in fresh picked Tangelos...they are so delicious. I picked fresh lemons the other day...

Isn't this the perfect bowl? It is one that Lisa had. So nice to be picking fresh fruit and veggies and herbs in February/March.
Soon the fragrance of orange blossoms will fill the air. In the meantime, I need to get back to the laundry area....
Thank you to those who reached out to me to check on me. I really am fine but there are days to deal with. Murphy just settled down to nap so I may join him with a cup of tea. Glad you stopped by. Thank you for your kind words and concern and thank you for your friendship.

The day after......

The Brother Alan and I had a wonderful relaxing couple of days. For him it was back to work today. Just me and Murphy here. A package just arrived from Dear friend LuLu

He is tearing the box apart. The little reindeer is his newest toy and he loves whipping it around to hear the bell inside jingle. Right now the box is a better toy.

Thank you Lu for the Ana Lee Santa who stands 16 inches high!

Thank you Vickie for the pieced quilted tree ornament 

Thank you sis Lynowl for the Crockpot

Thank you Glenda for the beautiful glass window ornament.

Thank you Debbie for this cute Hummingbird swing and the delicious chocolates that Alan and I are enjoying and.....

and this wonderful sounding Dragonfly chime that Alan is looking for a spot to hang it.

All of my gifts have been sent or given with just one waiting to go to it's person. A nice Christmas. It was  the first time in 15 years that Alan and I spent together  for Christmas. Although we had rain for 2 days, Murphy did not mind walking at all. He did have an issue with my carrying an umbrella.

Thank you for taking time to stop by. Thank you for your kind words and for your friendship.

Hello.... it's me!

A week since my last post! Well it has been a busy time. As you can imagine we have been getting organized here and adjusting to the new household. All has been unpacked and put in place. New items added to and changes made here and there. Alan off to work each day.
I must admit to having lost ambition to do and taking advantage of just relaxing. A little bit of reading now and again.
This past weekend, Lisa and I went to the Litchfield Faire...and... there is a new man in the house..

he lives in my bedroom, hanging right by the slider.
A couple of weeks ago, I was asked to repair "Blue Blanket" for a sweet 5 year old I will call "J".

He has had this crocheted blanket since birth and has loved it so very much. What to do? The yarn used is 6+ years old, of course no way to match it....but I love a challenge.

I must say I was pleased with my efforts. The best moment was to hand it back to this beautiful little boy and he immediately scooped it up and clutched it to his chest with a big smile. His mom seemed pleased too.  Thank you Vickie (and here) for trusting me to repair this keepsake.
We had a rain storm very early this morning... around 3:30 complete with thunder and lightening. It did not last very long but enough drench everything. The sun is back, bright and warm. There is swishing in the laundry area and soon I will be sitting out in the lanai. So off I go.... glad to chat with you. Thank you for those who emailed to check up on me.... Thank you for your kind words and for your friendship.

Rain in the garden

It rained overnight but I did not hear it. Lots of clouds and feeling damp. My plans are simple....indoors and find something to occupy my time. Maybe some reading....or beading.... or a movie.
The garden is wet and damp but pretty with color.

Guara swaying in the light breeze. Delicate ….

Fairy Duster resting against the Dragonfly chimes. Fluffy.....

Damianita with it's bright yellow daisy. Bright....

So although there are clouds and the air is damp the colors of the garden are cheerful. Keeping the day simple and relaxing. Found a sweet knitting pattern for a bunny but having trouble locating the particular yarn so this week I will be scouting the yarn at Jo Ann's for a substitute. The coating for the beading projects should arrive on Monday and then the Russian Leave earrings will be dipped. Also will use it on my Santa earrings. That about is what is happening here. Hope your day is going well. Glad you took time to visit. Thank you for your kind words and for your friendship.

Rainy day bloom

Another day with rain... that started late the other evening and seems to be staying around. For the most time it is just lightly falling but the plants are sure loving it.

Remember that the Firecracker Bush was cut back....look at the blooms starting to appear. It may be December but that is what happens here in Arizona. It should fill out quite nicely this Spring now that it is thinned and dead branches have been removed. The Sweet Memory still has flowers but that will need a good trim in the Spring. In the meantime...

The Amaryllis has revealed that it is red and starting to open. There is another shoot lower on the stem that will hopefully grow to bloom around Christmas. The simple dowel support seems to be keeping it straight. This new idea of having the bulb in thick wax and not watering seems to be really working. I plan to try to plant it after it finishes flowering. Not that it has worked in the past, but who knows.
Earlier this morning I received a text with pictures from my friend Pam back in RI. She wanted me to see that she still puts the ornaments that I had made for her in the past on her tree..... including the two that Dennis had painted of the Grinch and one of Santa. It really warms my heart to know that she still hangs them on her tree and remembers our friendship.
Today will be a nice remain indoors out of the rain and nippy air and do.... not sure what but whatever I do or do not do,  it will be okay. I may do some tatting.... I am out of Denny's Angel's. The last one left here this past week.
Today is Pearl Harbor Day...77 years ago the phrase "A day of infamy" was started. As I have posted in the past, my dad was there on that fateful morning and was lucky to survive and return home at the end of the war.
Glad to have you stop by today. Thank you for your kind words and for your friendship. Tomorrow Reindeer Food will be also flying to the special children on my list...still time of you need some with notes included. Just email me with child's name and address.

I give up....

Yesterday was a full day of rain here in the West Valley. Every so often there was a flood warning issued which included my area. Of course I never set foot out of the house so I can only say that I had no flooding at mi casa. This morning began  with another splashing of rain but has since stopped and the sun is bright. Sliders open as is the front door....

I thought.... well rain again maybe I can try the work counter/cart..... so tell me why do they pack the very first pieces that you need at the bottom of the carton!?

After finding the 5 pieces needed I changed my mind. That is right. I am apprehensive that if I should begin this I will not be able to continue ( like with the lanai set----Don rescued me) and then have pieces laid out (like with the Library Bookcase---Bobby rescued me) and stepping over pieces of wood is not ideal... I could fall (like I have before when stepping over things--- Glenda and Don rescued me). The directions state to use a screwdriver.... not an electrical on.... and I am not very good at using one with all that has to be attached. Of course Bobby would ignore that and use his trusty electric one. Do you hear what I am getting at? So, tomorrow I will look for a handyperson who can assemble this furniture. it seems lately that when The Brother Alan is here we order stuff and it arrives after he leaves!
I started another Santa Star yesterday and that will take my mind off this project... I hope. I have a chicken soup on the stove  for later. I will make the pasta then. How about some garden rain pictures....

So many raindrops...…

Okay, time for my orange juice and southwest hash browns with egg.... thanks for listening and for your kind words and most of all your friendship.

Oh the weather outside is....

the song came into my mind this morning...no it is not going to snow and yes I do not have any place to go..... it is going to rain--- so they say. the temps have been very comfortable. The AC is still off and the sliders and front door open each day this past week....lovely. Rain means indoors for me and....
perfect to try to get this started... maybe!

The UPS delivery came early yesterday, the email said "by end of day" but all of a sudden yesterday morning there was the truck and the guy was great. He brought the boxes into the kitchen and said be careful they are heavy. Indeed they are. All wood and granite top for the this kitchen work cart.

The top is supported in a wood frame.... not even going to work with this yet. I can barely move the box!

 I opened the main box to let out the packing smell.... you know, from the warehouse to the truck and the drive from Illinois.... like fresh paint. The small box in the first picture had the legs... but I am happy to find they have also included casters which I will use to make it easier to move as necessary. But, I am getting ahead of myself. First it needs assembly... I admit that it is overwhelming at this moment.  For now I will step over the boxes and think about getting it sorted.
I have no rush for all of this, well until I am tired of stepping over it all. I will try to slide it over to the side more then I think I will just sit and bead today.... that I can handle. In the end I may look for a handyman to assemble this... I admit that it is probably more than I can handle. Beading, now that I can do. My finger is so much better. The redness is fading and it is more feeling more flexible. Glad you were here to listen to my rant... thank you for stopping by and for your kind words. Thank you for your friendship. 

A green star and more rain??

In  some states schools are cancelled due to snow--- in Arizona some schools were cancelled due to rain and flooding...crazy. Several roads were closed and under passes flooded. The rain fell most of yesterday and for a time I even had the door open. The weather forecast is possibilities for more rain this afternoon. Would be nice if it holds off until I return from my hair appointment. I do not like to drive in the rain. I love the sound of rain and along with it....

the sound of jets leaving Luke Air force base were also heard. Later they returned flying low over the house.... another sound that I like. I stayed home relaxing and working on finishing

my green star. Pleased with how it turned out and each one is better than the last. Tomorrow the beads arrive (hopefully) for the Santa star, a different style pattern that I hope to be able to read and bead. Although the way of making these 3D stars is the same the designers write the patterns differently. I also found an ornament pattern for panels to cover a 3 inch ornament ball with Nutcrackers and one with cardinals. Not sure if they will be attempted at this time. Now I need another cup of coffee to get on with my morning. Thank you for taking the time to visit and for your kind words. Most of all, thank you for your friendship.

A rainy day all over Arizona

We do need the rain but over the entire state all at once!? The storm off the coast of California is what is happening here in Arizona.

Gloomy morning skies are a big change from the sunshine. Rain drops cover my palm tree and fill the birdbath. Flash flood warnings are out … luckily I do not live in a flood area but there is flooding on the roadways everywhere. The news is full of pictures of the roadways and highways flooding.  I do not plan to leave the comfort of my home today. The fighter jets from Luke Air Force base are flying overhead.... rain does not keep them down. Love the sounds of rain and jets.

I will be finishing this shiny green star today. The parts were ready but I put it aside to work on the Stain Glass Rose Star. The pretty pink star was brought to mother Eva P by The Brother Alan when he returned to RI. She loves it. This will be for my tree.... yes I do try to keep some things for me. I am waiting for the beads to arrive to make a Santa star.... tracking tells me the package will arrive on Thursday. So that will be a possibility for the weekend. I also want to try those denim feathers. Of course I still have not tried removing the water system from the kitchen faucet or getting the kitchen light to work. My priorities are elsewhere.
Guess that about covers the happenings around here.....very happy to share my day with you. Thank you for stopping by and for your kind thoughts and of course thank you for your friendship.

Let's have a lazy day

Just did not want to get out of bed this morning...definitely going to be a lazy day. Laundry is swishing but not much else. The weather forecast tells of rains coming  later today into the beginning of the week. Right now the sky is overcast. I took the glider and chair cushions into the lanai just in case it does rain. As much as it is welcomed it is dreaded. I hate driving in the rain and have a few things to do out of the house the beginning of the week. One I can put off until another day. The appointment for the installation of the automatic car starter is not one of them.

My stain glass rose star is finished. I was not sure about the pale lavender beads but they do show nicely with the darker color. Looking forward to making a few more. The bead shop is having a bead sale so I should get there and see what I can get. I also  purchased a patter for a Santa Star.  A different designer and it is written differently but I am sure I can figure it out. It is 11 pages ! Some of the beads I have, of course there are always beads to buy with each new project.
I also found a tutorial on making denim feathers that looked interesting and requires no sewing at all...might give that a try. So many great ideas out there. Hoping to go through more of my supplies to see what to eliminate....and where to send what I will not be needing. Some of it will be linen/linen pieces and of course patterns. My cross stitch interest has taken a back seat so why keep all the supplies. Good rainy day project for sure. On a follow up; cable is working just fine so I did cancel the appointment after all what can they do if it is working. Later today I will attempt to fix the kitchen florescent light---and yes I will be very careful. Still thinking the water filter system.
That is about it. Laundry #2 swishing while the first is whirling around the dryer. Time to watch Sherlock Holmes. So good to chat with you and thank you for your kind words and for your friendship.

Sticky Note request!

How wonderful it is having The Brother Alan and Lisa here. Once they arrived and changed into Arizona clothes...shorts and sandals …. we took care of business. Yes, we bought the new refrigerator and it is arriving Friday. Then yesterday rain ( yes we did have some rain) we got the new car....

It looks like my Elantra? Well it is an Elantra but this is a 2018 SEL and the color is Scarlet Red.... with added bells and whistles. Alan took care of everything. I signed the papers. Once again the people at Larry Miller (my third time leasing there) were exceptional. Then it was off to lunch, then The Brother and Lisa went out to do a few things. Alan did a bit of work in the garden and today we get the ceiling/wall area painted for the fridge arrival. When I woke this morning and came into the kitchen to make my coffee...

I found this message in Sticky Notes across the cupboard..... think someone wants homemade bread! I guess I can do that for them. Yesterday while they were out I happened to look out of the kitchen window and saw the bunny who is spending more time in the garden, even while we were sitting on the lanai.

I took this through the window screen so excuse the bit of blur. As I was watching him watch me I saw a fluff of white elsewhere...what? could it be?

yes!--- it was another bunny and this one was nibbling on my Purple Passion plant! Two bunnies hanging around. I hope they don't start to invite more of their warren to come to the garden. A safe haven for them from the coyotes is fine with me but I did not plan to serve a daily buffet.
Not sure what today holds, but tomorrow The Brother and Lisa will go horseback riding in the morning and to lunch at one of their favorite places. I know there will be the trip into Scottsdale before they leave but plans are open.
Off to enjoy my coffee...shhhhh, they are still asleep.
Glad to chat with you. Thank you for the kind words and for your friendship. 

Monsoon rain

Monsoon season began yesterday and this morning it is raining, right on cue. A grey sky and wet ground. It is a soft falling rain with no fanfare. I must admit to thinking about the current Dove couple whose nest is not really protected from this rain and lucky for them we have no winds and it is not pouring. The temp is around 77 with 70% humidity..... a bit uncomfortable.
I was busy yesterday making two beaded ornaments...

This one with orange crystal drops. Just happened to have the right seed beads for it. and then I made this with

pink seed beads and white drops. This will be leaving soon for a new home as the others eventually will also find a new place to dangle. Which color to bead next?
Has anyone watched Riverdale on Netflix? Not quite what I expected the Archie comics crew to be doing but I found it interesting and now have to wait for Season 3.... possible it will be released in October.
My little hummingbird is zipping around the garden this morning taking time to rest in the Fire Cracker bush. Glad to have natural flower nectar for him to sip. I have had my 7 grain toast and coffee so it is time to catch some news then some adjusting around the house. I had the A/C people out yesterday because I could smell a faint heat smell from the air conditioner but of course while the tech was here no odor. He will return Monday for another check. It must be me! anyway, I have no plans for the day but to relax and find a new series on Netflix to watch. It was nice to chat with you today. Thank you for the kind words and for your friendship.
PS … and yes, I am still giving Eva P's address for cards.....