Wednesday, April 30, 2008

yesterday..tuesday

We transplanted the seedlings that Owen planted at the libary.  Owen and Hali both planted, filled the peat pots with potting soil and watered the little seedlings.  Hali also planted seeds at the library but they are at her Mom's so I don't know what happened to them.  They are in the kitchen window and hopefully the cats won't eat them. 

It was library day and after we went to Wendy's for lunch.  They have cute kids meals...and a little gift.  The gift was a CD game which the kids enjoyed playing when we got home.  Wendy's was very nice about giving the kids root beer floats with their meals.  I had one of their delicious chili/cheese baked potatoes.

Owen and Hali will be back on Thursday, maybe we'll walk to the park if the weather isn't too cold for baby girl.

Today I cut back the branches and put them out to be picked up.  I see the Pagoda Dogwoods are starting to bud and the Magnolias are blooming.  The white one has a few opened up and the pink one is just starting to show a little pink.  I have in bloom a lot a Daffodils

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;         
 
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,        
 
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.         
 
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,

And that has made all the difference.

          frost

 

Friday, April 25, 2008

Arbor Day

 

We got our trees out of the refrigerator and read the planting instructions 

We dug holes for the two pine trees

We watered our newly planted trees

That was fun and we helped make the earth a better place.  Did you know that trees take up Carbon Dioxide and give off Oxygen so we can breathe easier...Happy Arbor Day!

 

 

 

 


Tags:

Thursday, April 24, 2008

Magnolias beginning to bloom

Owen next to his white magnolia that is four years old just like him.

And here is Hali standing next to her pink Magnolia that is almost two just like she is.

 

 


 
Hali and Owen with their brother Ethin playing the fishing game the other day.  It was Ethin's eighth birthday and he got to stop by for a little birthday celebration.
 
Tomorrow is Arbor day and the kids and I are going to plant the little pine trees they got on the Earth Day Scavenger Hunt at the grocery store.  I have been cleaning up the yard and today the truck came and took away the things I can't compost (Christmas tree, straw, and vines).  I will be picking some of the rhubarb tomorrow too to make some delicious rhubarb torte.  I have some Daffodils blooming and buds coming on all the trees and bushes.  The sap has stopped running and I've boiled it for syrup.  I saved some snowballs in the freezer so I can pour the syrup over them.  A real treat for us, kind of Little House In The Big Woods sort of treat.  I have several bags of cocoa bean shells to put around the little evergreens after the rain stops and I also got a couple yards of pea gravel at Menards to fill up the driveway 'rutes or roots or ruts'...whatever they are called.  Owen and Hali planted some beans and sunflowers at the library and they are up good but we need to wait until the 14th of May to plant them they said.  I hope they last long enough.  I played outside with the kids.  They wanted to sing and play in the rain, so we did.
 
 

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

A rainy day project...

Here ya go, everything I know about making button flowers - enjoy!

Step1_2

To make a button flower, you'll need 5-6 smallish matching buttons, a larger button for the center, and if desired, a small button for the center of the big button.
The key to making these is the glue.  The three pictured above are some that I've used with success.  What did NOT work was hot glue, craft glue, and E6000.  Make sure the glue you use is meant for beads, glass, & plastics.

Step2_2

Make a ring out of your matching smaller buttons. Make sure the flattest side is facing up, this makes a better surface for adhering. Place a small dab of glue on each button.

Step3_2

Place the center button on top - flat side against flat side.  **You can make the flowers with the ridge side up on the bottom layer, but it holds better with the flat side up - it's your call.

Step4_2

Next, put a small dab of glue in the center, then place the small center button. Let glue cure for 24 hours.

Step5_2

If you want to make this into a brooch, you'll need a pin-back and a small circle of felt.

Step6_3

Glue the pin-back onto the back of the button flower.

Step7_2

To make things neat & tidy, glue the felt circle on top of the pin-back.  Once your glue is dry, your button flower is ready to use.  That's it!

Step8_2

Use your imagination to come up with all sorts of combinations!

Saturday, April 5, 2008

Too green the springing April grass,
Too blue the silver-speckled sky,
For me to linger here, alas,
While happy winds go laughing by,
Wasting the golden hours indoors,
Washing windows and scrubbing floors.

Too wonderful the April night,
Too faintly sweet the first May flowers,
The stars too gloriously bright,
For me to spend the evening hours,
When fields are fresh and streams are leaping,
Wearied, exhausted, dully sleeping.
   ---Claude McKay

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

April Fool

The Rhubarb is growing

We had snow last night but it melted today.  Also had an inch of rain but so far the basement hasn't flooded this year.  Maybe the new sewer pipes they installed last fall are doing the job.  Had a ceiling leak last night though.  I'll need to find someone that can check out the roof.  Hoping it's only the flashing around the chiminy.