Thursday

still making flowers (Today's Flowers)~

Yes, I'm still playing with the gum paste ... making flowers.  My sister Darla came over this morning to get in on the action.  She made three little white leaves before she took her leave... but I guarantee ~ she'll be making more.

I kept puttering away with it and came up with a trillium and two daffodils ~ Chromacolor Variety ... inspired by Betsy's beautiful flowers. Thank you Betsy for the inspiration. (check out her site! She has a green thumb when it comes to flowers!!)

Then this afternoon... after doing some domestic duties ~ like laundry and lunch I made up some more filler flowers ... little sweet pea blossoms:


What will tomorrow's flowers be??? I guess I'll figure that out tomorrow.

I hope I'm not boring you with my flowers ... but I thought it would be a good place to document my progress in learning this new art here on my blog.

Until next time...
So it goes in my neck of the woods.
~mel

Wednesday

more sugar flowers~

Okay...
As I said yesterday, I'm into a new project.  Making sugar flowers out of gum paste.  I'm like a little kid at Christmas ~ all I want to do now is play ... phooey on chores and household duties. lol

Today's flowers are a few carnations to use as fillers in a bouquet and some little pea leaves.

I was much happier today with my results.  I'm starting to get a feel for the gum paste and just how far I can stretch it, bend it, fold it or manipulate it before it breaks on me.  Happy happy... joy joy.  I also am getting a knack on just how much "glue" water to use and I only dissolved a couple carnations before ending up with the three little bloomers I completed.

I even took a shot at trying my hand at making some irises:

 They were fun!
BUT
very delicate
and 
easy to
BREAK!

How they do it on those tv shows and videos I've been watching is beyond me!!!  
Those gals on there make it look so easy.

Until next time...
So it goes in my neck of the woods.
~mel

sugar flowers~

It's time to venture out of my comfort zone and attempt something I've never done before.

This time I'm giving gum paste a twirl and I'm going to attempt to make some sugar flowers.  My first try at it and I made up some little buds or filler flowers that I want to use on my creation ... whatever it may be when I'm done with this project.  I have an image in my mind ~ but to bring it to reality is a whole new story.


I have a feeling this project is going to take some time.  I wasn't happy with those buds at all once they set up and dried.  I could see that I needed to do more practicing on rolling the petals thinner and  cutting them cleaner so the edges weren't so rough ... plus I need to come up with some type of pattern to make them more consistent in size and shape. 

A few flowers a day ~ if I'm lucky ... and figure out just how to do this.  So far ... I've come to the conclusion this is going to take some serious practice.


Okay...
Now I really have no experience whatsoever with doing this.  I'm learning as I go.  I've been researching it on the internet and watching do it yourself videos.

One thing I have figured out quite quickly is how fast you have to work with this stuff.  The gum paste dries really fast and it doesn't give you a lot of time to play with it before it starts to set up and become hard like a sugar cube.  Also, I found that when you add a tiny little drop of water to two pieces to adhere them together... it also melts just like a sugar cube hitting a cup of hot coffee ... but I've already found the remedy for that.  It's making an adhesive of gum paste and water mixture ~ not straight water like I originally tried.

After a little more putzing with the gum paste ... rolling it ... tinting it ... trying to get just that right texture and feel to it I did make some calla lillies ~ or what I think resembles a calla lilly:

Baby steps ... 
This is going to test my patience for sure ... but I also think that once I get the hang of it ... this could be fun ... and could make some pretty awesome looking cake decorations!  Yes, my daughter wants sugar flowers on her wedding cake in August ~ so I have from now until then to perfect this project of making flowers with gum paste sugar.

Wish me luck.

Monday

finally... spring has sprung! ~

It takes a while for spring to reach us here in the north woods ~ but it is finally showing it's face!
the daffodils are blooming ... the rhubarb is up ...  the miniature irises are in full bloom ...
The sedums are poking through the ground ...
and showing that they survived yet another long cold winter in the hypertufa pots ...  I was happy to see that my hypertufa pots survived the cold.  I didn't know if they would crack on me and be a crumbled mess ... I might have to make some more of those.

My white lilac bush is bursting onto the scene.  It is just loaded with buds this year :)

Even the hosta and the chives are happy spring has finally sprung in the north woods!
I just love this time of year when everything is coming out of it's long winter nap.  I know most of the country is already into FULL BLOOM of spring ~ it just takes us a little bit longer to catch up.

We even have the boat out of winter storage and under the car port canopy for the summer.  Now I really know winter is gone for awhile!
Now just to get it out on to a lake!!


Until next time...
So it goes in my neck of the woods.
~mel

Tuesday

lil sis~

 Colleen & Sara 
In the Photo Booth 

I was just down to visit my sister in Texas this last February ~ and it seems like ages ago.

I MISS my Lil Sis!!

She's so much fun to be with ... and I need some fun!

I LOVE all my sisters ... and spending time with all of them. 
I think we need a sister sister day soon... and you're all invited!!

Warning though:
Sam likes to wrestle with his Aunts and try to make them pee their pants. lol

Until next time...
So it goes in my neck of the woods.
~mel

Monday

a spring in my step~

Today I have a little spring in my step... or a limp.  Whatever it is ~ I did a little walk about the yard this morning.  It sure felt good to be outside for a bit and actually doing something for a change.  I had to get some Milorganite on my hollyhocks before the deer found them.  I am such a poor couch potato when the weather is nice.  I love reading and putzing with a crochet hook once in awhile; but not in the springtime when my flower beds are calling.  I want to be outside working up a sweat breaking new ground and putting in new plants and tending to old plants. 

BUT... all those things I believe will be taking a little more time.
Just my little walk this morning completely did me in.  bummer
This has not been a good time for me  with my heart and fibro.
  I am sooooooo wiped out. 

I did take my camera with me though when I ventured out ~ just in case something was out there just begging to be photographed.

Sure enough... look... I have blooms!!
My miniature iris are poking up and budding out:

I also noticed some fresh sticks in one of the bird houses:

I saw some evidence of the turkeys visiting my yard again.  I hope they dislike the Milorganite as much as the deer and leave my asparagus, hostas and lilies alone... or Thanksgiving just may come a little early this year.


My poor mushrooms are starting to get as weathered as me. lol


I did notice though that I have a new pine tree that is bursting on to the scene.  Well... actually I knew it was there; but wow... is that little bugger ever growing!  It's right to the left of another one of my old weathered mushrooms and at the base of an old birch stump that already has a nice birch tree growing by it.  So now I'm wondering where I'm going to go with this little pine.  Do I move it or just let it grow?  I'm thinking maybe I'll just let it grow where it is.  It will long out live the birch tree.  Or maybe... the birch tree will be dominate over it and become the stronger of the two.  Time will tell.   

Until next time...
So it goes in my neck of the woods.
~mel

Sunday

and so it goes~

I'm happy to report that I can at least walk today without going, "owww owww owww" every step I take ... so I guess that's an improvement.  Now I'm just saying, "ummmm ummmm"... and I'm not breaking out in a sweat while doing it.

Dear Hubby and I took a drive last week down to the town of Withee, a little over an hours drive from our place to pick up some new handles from the Mennonites for his one horse plow ...  that he's redoing and plans on using for planting potatoes this year. They were only $10.50 a piece ~ handmade  ... online the cheapest I could find them was $24 a piece and that was without the shipping.  I guess it pays to do your homework.  That's one thing I have to say about our Mennonite and Amish neighbors to the south ... they certainly are resourceful and do know how to build things. 

Who he thinks is going to be his horse is another question???  I don't even ask ... and don't even want to know.  I'm guessing the ATV or his brothers little skidster.  I do think it's kinda neat though that he's fixing this old thing up and is going to give it a try.

While we were down in Withee and Athens we also ordered and picked up some seed potatoes for the field ... half the price of what they were in the local feed store.    We sat and cut them all up (approximately two eyes per piece) and are letting them scar over now before planting.
They aren't very pretty at this stage ~ but they sure are going to be tasty come later this summer when each one of those little potato pieces yields a kettle full.   That's a lot of potatoes!  ... but they are being split up five different directions.  We have enough here for five 200 foot rows.

We're planting 3 kinds of potatoes this year.  Kennebecs, Yukon Golds and Patriot Reds. 

~~~
We had an accident the other day out in the garage ... and fortunately our son Sam had his guardian angel looking over him because it could have been bad!  
The grinding disc literally blew apart while he was helping his Dad with the plow.  It flicked off the brim of his hat and ended up embedded in the garage ceiling.
When I went out there today to see ... the thought of what could have been made me ill.
We know of a guy who was killed by the very same thing.  Thankfully, Sam's guardian angel was on the ball looking out for him!  That is one special angel for sure... and I imagine a busy one...  that kid has more
close calls than anyone I know.  I also noticed Sam must have taken a stick or something and put his name by it.

Until next time...
So it goes in my neck of the woods.
~mel


Saturday

monkey wrench~

Seriously...

Who threw the monkey wrench at me when I wasn't ready for it and tripped me up and put me into so much pain and misery?
Seriously...
I'm not laughing.

I am NOT a happy camper right now.  I have been laid up for a few days now because of a major flare up with my fibromyalgia with a second whammy on top of that ~ a kick of cellulitus in my knee.  My knee is the size of a football.  It doesn't help matters either that I have a heart that's pumping at half it's capacity and isn't keeping the flow going as it should either.  Triple whammy!

I saw the doctor yesterday and had two huge draws of fluid taken off of my knee; which helped some... but not much.  He also put me on some antibiotics.  The pain has radiated into my hip and lower back now.

Also, looking over my blood work yesterday they found out that my total Vitamin D levels were less than 3 ~ normal being between 30 and 80 ... why? who knows ... so I'm on a super mega dose of that too.  What is it with me and minerals and vitamins?  My potassium levels bottom out on me... my magnesium levels get all hay wired... why??? My body doesn't use calcium like it's suppose to... why???

Okay... quit.
I know I'll be fine and it just takes some time for this to go away.  I've had these major flare ups before; and I do get over them ... but some days my patience is harder to keep a grip on than others. 

I need to go read my book now, "Angels" by Billy Graham ~ maybe I can find some comforting words in there to get me through this episode. Or else I'm going to dig through the grandkids books and find a Dr. Suess ... or an old Outdoor Life magazine with a Patrick McManus story ... now that guy could write!  Lord help us all!!

Until next time...
So it goes in my neck of the woods.
~mel

Monday

fences~

It's still too cold out to start planting flowers; but not too cool to start on my fences.

I have a problem with the kids playing ball and the dogs and the bear running through my flower bed in the back yard where I have some tiger lilies and day lilies and poppies planted ~ so I went in the woods and found some old tree branches and did some cutting and screwing and here's what I came up with:

 I wanted something rustic and woodsy.  I know it won't be much of deterrence for the bear; but just maybe it'll last through the summer.  I'm just so tired of my poor flowers getting trampled all the time.

Since I was in the fencing mood ~ I fixed up the one by the garage too ~ to keep my peonies from tipping over the edge when they're up and blooming.

Then...
still in the mood to do something with sticks ~ I tied together a little trellis:

 Dear Hubby surprised me last week when we went on our little road trip for cheese with these little mushrooms for the flower garden.  They stand about a foot tall.

I just love these kind of gifts!

Word on the home front about Sam's bear hanging on my wall.... it's moving!! and so is Sam and Ashley and their dog Amber too!!  They finally got their own place after being tenants in my home for the last year.  Now don't get me wrong... I love my children; but I still feel that if you want to live with your girl friend it shouldn't be in your parent's home.  Enough said on that subject.

I also heard some disturbing news ... our neighbors dog was killed by wolves... about a 100 yards from the house.  I think the wolf is a beautiful looking animal; but that's all I like about them.  They are nothing but killing machines.  It's pretty scary how many are around here.  This is the third person I know of that has lost a dog to them.  I also know some people who have lost cattle and pigs to them ... let alone the poor deer herds in our area that are being slaughtered off by them.  Our states Department of Natural Resources REALLY needs to do something about the wolf population in our area before it's a little child snagged off by one of them.  Scary thought ... but it's just a matter of time if something isn't done.

A couple years ago I was sitting out on my back deck... 2:00 in the afternoon ... the neighbor kids and my granddaughter were playing under the deck where we have a place where they can play in the sand.  All four of them were under the age of five.  All of sudden I glanced up because something caught my eye ... here it was 2 wolves right on the edge of my lawn watching the kids play.  Holy crap!!!  That is way too close for comfort.  What if the kids would have been out in the lawn ~ closer to the edge of the woods?

I know we live in the deep woods of the north and this is their territory; but still ... when any animal population is out of control ... something needs to be done.   It used to be a rare occasion to see a wolf; but not anymore... at least not in my back yard.

My heart goes out to our neighbors losing their dog in such a way... but I'm just thankful that it wasn't one of the little kids.

~~~
Until next time...
So it goes in my neck of the woods.
~mel 

Saturday

3 fat chicks and the bear~

Bailey and I had to take a four wheeler ride over to Mom's this morning to see the baby chicks.  My brother's girl friend picked them up at an auction and somehow they  ended up at my Mom's place.  That's okay... gives Mom something to do.  She has them set up under a heat lamp in her laundry room until the weather warms up and they can go outside. 
Bailey wanted in the worse way to hold one ... but just couldn't bring herself to do it.  She didn't want to touch their legs.  Silly girl...  so... Great Grandma had to hold them for her. She was especially interested in the little blue one. 

~~~
Sam got his bear mount back from the taxidermist yesterday... and it is now hanging on my wall.  I really can't wait until he has his own place to hang it ... but until then... it's hanging on the wall going down my basement stairway.   

These pictures of it really don't show it's size ... this thing is huge!    It was about 10 feet away from him and charging when he shot it last fall during hunting season.
 
Until next time...
So it goes in my neck of the woods.
~mel

Thursday

time to get with the program~

Okay... I'm back... and done putzing with the blog for awhile again... time to get with the program... if I can only figure out what the program is????


I have been in such a smakaroni kinda slump lately it isn't funny!  A smakaroni kinda slump is what you get when you're lollylagging from too much putzing... (just thought I'd toss that explanation in there for you Jack because I know you'd be wondering) lol.     I just can't seem to get with the program.  Maybe I'm suffering from cabin fever?  I'm just itching to get outside and working in my flower beds; but old ma nature has different plans.  Today it's only 34 degrees out and I imagine if you figure in the cold blowing wind out of the north it feels more like 20. brrrrr  We got spoiled a few weeks back by the unusually warm weather up in the 70's ... now it's back to normal again.... and I'm not liking it.

Dear Hubby and I and my sister Darla, who tagged along for amusement, took a little road trip yesterday.  We had to go to Wisconsin Rapids to meet up with the fur buyer; who also owns a nursery.  So... while Slim is selling his beaver and muskrat pelts trying to make some money... I'm walking around picking out some shrubs spending it faster than he made it. ha!

Jack, the owner of the nursery knows how much I love flowers and he gave me a nice little surprise when we were leaving.  He grabbed one of every kind of the seed packets on his wildflower display and gave them to me.

Each packet contains 2 ounces of mixed seeds in it.... up to eighteen varieties in each!!  I'm so excited to get them into the ground.  I plan on taking my rake and roughing up the soil all the way around my whole yard and putting this seed in.  The seed packets were packaged for 2007 and 2008; but I still think some of them  should be good.  I might not get a lot of blossoms this year; because half of them are perrenials ~ but next year ... if they grow... they should put on a pretty good show.  Time will tell.

Other than that... what else is newsworthy around here???  My daughter Sara is engaged!!!!  and getting married in August in our back yard !!!  So......... grow little flowers.... grow!!!!  We are SOOOOOOOOOO excited for her and Don.  As Martha would say, "It's a good thing!"

But... I have so much flower gardening to do ~ so please Ma Nature... shine down on me. 

Until next time...
So it goes in my neck of the woods.
~mel

Tuesday

doodling with the blog

Please bear with me as I'm putzing around again.

Sunday

i owe Him~



Posted by Picasa 
" ~ I OWE HIM ~ "

I OWE SO MUCH TO GOD ABOVE
I OWE FOR HIS UNDYING LOVE
IT'S HIM, I OWE, FOR THE AIR I BREATHE
AND FOR HIS COMFORT WHEN I GRIEVE

I OWE HIM FOR THE BLESSINGS
HE BESTOWS ON ME EACH DAY
AND ALL OF HIS FORGIVENESS,
THAT I ASK FOR WHEN I PRAY.

I OWE HIM FOR HIS MERCY
AND FOR HIS "SAVING GRACE"
I OWE HIM FOR HIS LOVING WAYS
NO ONE CAN TAKE HIS PLACE.

TO HIM, I OWE THE CLEAR BLUE SKIES
I EVEN OWE HIM FOR THE RAIN
BUT, WHEN I ADD IT UP
HOW MUCH I REALLY OWE.

WELL IT COMES TO "EVERYTHING"
THERE'S NO DEBT CONSOLIDATION PLAN
FOR HIS GREATEST SACRIFICE
IT'S THE PRICE, THAT HIS SON
JESUS PAID FOR MY ETERNAL LIFE.
© 2001 by Vickie Lambdin

~~ Happy Easter !!! ~~

Until next time...
So it goes in my neck of the woods.
~mel