Category: Life on the Farmlet

Spring Happenings: a mini tour

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Spring came early this year and I was prepared.  My tomatoes and peppers were started in the kitchen window, lots of them, and as soon as I could I was out planting peas, broccoli, spinach, lettuces, rutabagas, turnips, beets and more!  All this work attracted the attention and the admonishment of a neighbor that, “We could still have a cold snap as late as April…” but I am feeling fearless because I have frost blankets to keep their little roots warm!

I even bought myself a new little tractor to help me get the job done!  Last year when I gardened I cried.  Literally.  I have a herniated disk in my lower back and getting down to ground level was a not working for me.  Hence my garden was not what I wanted or usually have here on the Farmlet.  However, now I have Violet to help me get the job done!

What!?! 

You’re laughing? Well hey, if men can name their cars then I can name my lovely new tractor assistant.

Meet Violet!

In this photo I was under the shade of my pop up to keep the sun from scorching my skin while I worked…  I went in to eat lunch and when I returned the pop-up was in the neighbors fence with broken legs…

!!! 😦 !!!

But I kept the poles to be used as tomato stakes! Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, right?

OK, so how about I just quit talking and show you spring on the Farmlet?

So, without further adieu…

Little Dorrit  and one of the Hueys assist with the weeding of the onions and garlic.

A gratuitous dog picture.  Gotta have a dog in this post, and so I introduce you to Buddy, our other wonderful dog.  Isn’t he beautiful?  (It was brought to my attention that I have a tendency to overlook him in favor of the Little Dog.    This one’s for you Pam 😉 )

Remember this little hen?  Can you believe she’s the same one I almost lost last year? (read about that HERE)

Iris in the morning light.

These grow with abandon all over our little acre, and in many colors too!

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The following photographs are of the native plants I have growing here.  Growing what is native to the region in which I live is a passion of mine…

We have eight of these lovely trees here on the Farmlet.  We used to have more but we lost them to storms, age, and unfortunately, the new garage/barn.  We are loosing a couple more to termites as well.  I think I will replace them, but perhaps not in the same place.

You may also recall my visit to the Lovely Plant Lady last April?  (look HERE) Well, I was certain that the May Apples and Trillium hadn’t made it, but NO, here is the May Apple…

and here is the Trillium!  So glad I haven’t lost my native garden gardening skills. Can’t wait to see this garden in bloom this year!

These are Red Bud blossoms.  Roughly the size of a small pea, they pop out from the bark to cover the branches.  It is stunning to see them all throughout the woods here.

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And finally…

These are Mystery Berries.  I have a whole patch of them in the front under the Pin Oak.  If you know what they are I would appreciate knowing so I can put them where they will be happy and productive.  (Currently, they are not.) The berries are the size of blueberries, the color of green grapes, with a bit of lighter striping from stem to blossom end.   Oh yes, and it is thornless!

The leaf and fruit form remind me of the RIBES family.  Anyone?

UPDATE:  The mystery plant has been identified as Clove Currant or Ribes Odoratum.   Thank you Lori at Day by Day the Farmgirl Way!

You can find out more here on Dave’s Garden:  http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/showimage/15424/

 

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Thank you for visiting today and come back again soon!

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NOTE:  Due to so many photos I kept them smaller to help with download time.   However, all photographs are clickable for a better view.   So, did it help?

IMperfectionism: the humility block in quilting

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Recently, when taking my newly quilted table runner to my quilting group, I mentioned to a few of the ladies what I had been working on and then brought up the subject of my imperfect block.  Comments? Yes, and two of note were:

“What mistake? I can’t see it?  (I point it out)  OH…  just leave it in.”

and

“Oh, that will be your ‘humility block.’  Just leave it!”  Whereupon she proceeded to tell me about how the Amish always leave in an imperfect block in their quilts because it shows their humility to God.

Well, I went looking for the Humility Block and guess what?  It just isn’t true.  As near as can be found, the concept began in about 1948.  You have to wonder why people make things up like that.  😉

So now, if you go to your quilters guild and ask, they may well tell you the myth, and in great detail, but you will know the truth of it.  Want to know more about this charming, but entirely untrue quilter’s tale?  Then go to Hart Heritage Quilts  (scroll down a ways on this site)  or to Cats Quilt Art to read in more detail.

So, what did I ultimately decide to do?  After reading about how many vintage and antique quilts there are out there with a high value attached to them, and that the imperfections are considered ‘quirks’ of the maker… well, I decided to let it go.  I’ve  bound it, its done, and I’m happy.

The block is called *“Railroad.”  The table runner is machine pieced and quilted, however the binding is hand sewn!

Though I must confess I do sort of like the myth behind the Humility Block.  Old or new to the quilting tradition, the quirky block in even the oldest of quilts stands the test of time, and I don’t care when the myth was begun.   I like it.

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So what’s next?
NOTE:  I find that I have called my four patch block the “Underground RR,” and it is actually simply called “Railroad.”  I found the pattern on the Civil War Quilts website, in which Barbara Brackman stated that, “Railroad can symbolize the end of the Underground Railroad, a change in the strategy of escape from slavery.” (Emphasis mine)  The fact that I loved the block and purchased the fabric for it almost a year ago, but was afraid to cut it out for fear of ruining it (!!!) had apparently combined her comment, and the quilts actual name, in my mind between then and now.  So, thank you to Tracy Byers for, indirectly, pointing out my mistake!  😉

A Little Dog’sTale of Woe

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Yesterday in the back yard Bob and the Little Dog were playing a rousing game of B-A-L-L  (he’s laying right here by my feet) 😉  and you know how much he loves the game…  Well, after chugging across the yard for the hundredth time, he slides into home, snatches the ball, spins for the return, and suddenly…

He just dropped the BALL!

Yes, he did!  He stood there for a moment and then slowly, very carefully he limped over to Bob and stopped.

We were stunned.

We took him to the emergency vet and they checked him over, but he is not doing so hot.  Nothing serious or life threatening, but he has been pretty wimpy and whiny.  The vet said nothing was broken, thank goodness, but the little dog is just not getting around so good…

This guy, in spite of his pain, is jones’n for his B-A-L-L!

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Oh yes, and the good news is that the vet said he can play again in about two weeks.

🙂