A Peek in my Backyard...

What's happening in your backyard these days? Mine is alive with feathered friends at the feeders, and things in bloom... My feeder with niger seed is very popular with the finches, sparrows and chickadees; sometimes I look out and all three are on it.. nice that they all "get along"!! (some people could take a lesson.. just sayin'...) The hummers are still zooming about and they stop for a quick sip at their own feeder. The water-filled ant moat (which does a great job of keeping the ants away from the feeder - available from Lee Valley) is also popular with the birds as a "watering hole". It's fun to watch them hold on and dip their beaks for a quick drink.  I spotted some Cedar Waxwings in the apple trees yesterday- hadn't seen them around for a while...
































My Horse Chestnut tree is in bloom again! Yay! (You can read the story on it here - I have a bit of a sentimental attachment to it, I admit.) It has grown into a good sized tree now; it is just outside one of my studio windows and does a great job of shading the room in the hot summer. Doesn't it have a lovely blossom?

Do you have favourite trees? I have two favourite trees on our property, this Horse Chestnut and the maple on our front lawn. There are several other trees in the city that I love too- I keep an eye on them all year long and enjoy their seasonal changes. There is just something about a beautifully shaped tree.... Sigh....   I was doing some reading on Horse Chestnut trees the other day, and did not know that the"fruit" of this tree is not a "real" chestnut. Not the kind from the famous song "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire...." The "nuts" from this tree are actually called conkers, and they are slightly poisonous if ingested. The squirrels have a great time burying them in the fall so I never know where I'll find a tiny new tree sprouting up come spring.. I found two in a flower bed a few weeks ago, so I potted them up - any takers?






I don't have a great lot in bloom in the flowerbeds yet, but I did snap a few quick pics today as I circled the house. Very nearby the Horse Chestnut is my Solomon's Seal - although it is often thought of as a woodland plant, it is doing very well in my garden. I have a good sized clump and it's slowly spreading each year. I love the little bell-shaped flowers which hang down from the arching stems.





Also close to the Horse Chestnut is my little "crop" of forget-me-nots. I think they are such a  darling little flower. So dainty -
when I was small I used to imagine fairies wearing them for hats. They are such a lovely shade of blue... ( of course  you know I love any shade of blue)









My Bleeding Hearts are in full bloom now, I have both white and pink... and the hostas are growing like crazy. In less than a week they have gone from just shoots to fully open. How can one small plant produce SO many huge leaves so quickly...










The alliums just started opening yesterday. The heads do not seem to be as big this year.. perhaps I've been a bit neglectful on the fertilizer and bone meal the last few years... once the foliage dies away, I forget they are there! Shame on me!
Well I think that's enough for tonight. You are probably thinking "Will this woman ever stop showing us her garden photos?!"   You see, I have no quilting, sewing or stitching to show you lately, so this is all I have to offer!! ha!
I will likely be taking a bit of a break from blogging over the next few days. I am off to Quilt Canada, and although I'm sure I'll be taking many many quilt photos, I doubt I will have the chance to blog. But I promise- lots of pics when I get back! Have a great week, everyone!

Peace,
Linda

If you would have a mind at peace, a heart that cannot harden, go find a door that opens wide upon a lovely garden. ~ French Proverb

Playing Catch-up...

It's Sunday evening and I am frantically trying to get caught up on things so I can head off to Quilt Canada 2012 with a clear conscience. I'm gradually ticking things off my list. Our Spring Concert is over - it was huge success. We packed the house- (selling out always feels good!) and got two standing ovations so I guess the audience was happy! I have to admit, I think it was our best Spring Concert ever - we had a great selection of music and more than once I saw a few people singing along (I think it was the 60's medley that did it!!) It's the first time I've gotten through an entire concert without the use of music. Memorizing 15 songs is not as easy as it was 40 years ago lol. So that's a BIG check off the ole list.
I've tried to get all caught up on gardening chores: Vegetable garden is tilled and waiting for seeds, new perennials are planted, hostas have been split and 10 new plants off to a good home, all perennial beds have been top-dressed with "magic mixture" but for one, which needs some drastic attention immediately upon my return, planters have been delivered to Grey's for planting... yep I'm whittling down the list. Not bad for a few days work, eh?
I am behind on my TAST stitching.. 2 weeks now.. ugh. I knew there would be some weeks when things got busy and I would fall behind... I'll get caught up but it might take me a bit. There certainly won't be much stitching done this coming week.  Stay tuned.

I have crossed off another book on my Must Read List.. Left Neglected by Lisa Genova. What a good story.. (I can't wait to get my hands on her other book, Still Alice.) Left Neglected is the story of Sarah, a "career-driven Supermom". After a tragic traffic accident, she is left with a traumatic brain injury which "completely erases the left side of her world." She is no longer aware of anything on the left- including her own body, food on her plate, the left side of the room... and she must rebuild her life and learn to overcome this challenge. It was hard to put down and certainly reminded me I have absolutely nothing to complain about in my life. Sometimes a little reminder like this is a good thing...If you haven't read this book yet, add it to your list. You won't regret it...

Peace,
Linda

If you can't be content with what you have received, be thankful for what you have escaped...

A Song in my Heart

Another busy weekend coming up. Our Ladies Choir Spring Concert is on Sunday afternoon and we are doing a great selection of music. I think it will be the best spring concert we have done so far. We are currently at around 100 members, our numbers are always down a bit for the winter/spring term. (We have around 135 for the fall term.) It is such a thrill to sing in this Choir and we are sooo lucky to have two great directors and an awesomely talented accompanist...
I have so much gardening work to get done before I go away next week; I am singing/practicing and going over words as I garden... lol
Can you find me in the sea of faces above?  If you are local and would like tickets, there should still be some for sale ($10.00 each - bargain!!) at Westminster Books. There MAY be some left to be sold at the door.. Concert is at 3pm on Sunday, May 27th at St. Dunstans Church. Doors open at 2:15.
I'd love to see you there!

Peace,
Linda

Music makes the heart sing!

White Wildflower Wednesday

It seems all the wildflowers I have photographed this past week are white! Good thing there's lots of green to go with them!! Who doesn't love green- the color of nature!!
First up is the White Violet- it appears to be simply a white version of our provincial Purple Violet - same flower shape, same size, same leaves, same habitat, same clumping tendency...and equally as beautiful. Its proper name is actually Northern White Violet (Viola pallens). I love the tiny bit of purple veining on the bottom petal. This flower is not to be confused with the Sweet White Violet (Viola blanda) which is smaller, has a sweet scent
and tends to grow in drifts rather than clumps. I found some of these in the lawn at my friend Gail's cottage last week, but it was a breezy day and my photo is not the best- those sweet little violets just wouldn't stand still!






Another darling little white flower I found at Gail's cottage was the Wood Anemone (Anemone quinquefolia) which is part of the Buttercup family. The Wood Anemone has a slender stalk and tends to tremble in the breeze, so has been called the Wind Flower. (Those we saw were definitely trembling!) The petals (actually sepals) are white but often have a pale pink tinge on the reverse side - I think you can just see the pink. This delicate little beauty is common in most of Eastern and Central North America.






The Painted Trillium (Trillium undulatum) is easily identified by the inverted pink V at the base of each white wavy-edged petal. As the genus name suggests, the floral parts and leaves are arranged in three's - 3 petals, 3 sepals, and 3 waxy leaves. The Painted  Trillium requires humus-rich, strongly acidic soil and tends to be found in the shade of acid-loving trees such as eastern white pine, red maple, red spruce and balsam fir. I've been on the lookout for this plant for a few weeks now, and found just two plants near my friend Donna's cottage on Saturday. I was walking down her road after photographing another plant in the ditch near some cattails (you'll see it next week).

Something beckoned me off the road and into the woods. Within 40 feet I found the first Painted Trillium, then ventured a little further and found the second. Isn't it funny how you just get a "feeling" you should explore a little further...? There were no more anywhere in sight; I felt very lucky to have found them... I think it is the most attractive of all the Trillium family...







Lastly today (you've no doubt had your fill of white flowers by now!) is the Starflower (Trientalis borealis) of the Primrose family. This delicate little flower has long been a wildflower favourite of mine. It is fairly common and easy to find in the Maritimes, and is sometimes called the May Star or Star of Bethlehem. Usually with 7 petals and 7 yellow-tipped stamens, the petals have long pointed tips and certainly appear star-like. It rarely grows to a height of  more than 8".
So that's it for today. Are you all "flowered out"?
I hope to have more wildflowers for you next Wednesday. Hope you'll come back then... Of course I hope you'll come back before that too!!




Peace,
Linda

"Flowers always make people better,
happier and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine to the soul." ~ Luther Burbank

What a weekend!

What a beautiful weekend we have just had! Not to mention it being a holiday weekend (Victoria Day here in Canada) the weather was HOT and SUNNY! For four days in a row!!! Glorious! It's been a while since we've had four days of sunshine... and it felt sooo goood. There was lots going on this weekend- Laura came home unexpectedly, Prince Charles and Camilla were in town, our friends Donna and Pierre were down from Quebec City to open up their cottage at the lake, etc. etc. So we were busy.. I took a pass on trying to get a glimpse of the Royals, having seen Charles several times before, and I just can't get excited about seeing Camilla... Rather, we opted to spend some time with friends. Hubby spent the day Friday

helping with work at the cottage and then we returned on Saturday afternoon, I took along my camera, hoping to locate more spring wildflowers (more on those tomorrow). We went for a few short walks and I was happy to get a few "interesting " photos. I love this one above of the backlit maple  (a Red Maple, I believe)  - these little winged "fruit" were simply glowing in the late afternoon sunshine. Very close by was this huge tree, I'm not even sure what type of tree it is, but it is massive and has obviously been there a long time. It towers over the white birches nearby. I will revisit it through the summer for sure - trees like this just emit such a sense of strength, power, even knowledge.. you just have to wonder what stories this tree would tell if it could talk? (Okay, I'll admit, I have a small love affair going with trees, along with most things in nature...)
Not far from this tree, after hubby and the others had lost interest in my photography and wandered away, something moved in the grass a little too close to my feet.... My immediate thought was ... snake! (I do NOT have a love affair going with snakes.. no sirree) But upon closer
inspection I spotted this fellow - I believe he is a Pickerel Frog. He sure did blend in well with his surroundings, My knowledge of frog species is pretty minimal, okay I'll be honest, it's  non-existant. But after googling (don't you just love Google?) I decided he fitted the description - "irregular rectangular brown spots in rows" - check. "common along streams and lakeshores" - check. "also forage along grassy-sedge woods roads,  roadsides, meadows and old fields" - check. Yep, he's a handsome specimen of a Pickerel Frog. He was very obliging to sit still while I stole several shots of his gorgeous self... Thank you Mr. P. Frog.... No doubt he was more scared of me than I was of him...

Tomorrow is Wildflower Wednesday.. come back to see what I've found blooming this last week...



Peace,
Linda

"In every walk with nature, one receives far more than he seeks."
~ John Muir

Ahhh, sweet May...

Aaahhhh the merry month of May is here, with all its glorious sights, smells and tastes. The eleven apple trees in my backyard are in full bloom- a little earlier than usual, but what a glorious sight. And smell! The sweet fragrance of those blossoms, wafting in my familyroom window, is one of my favourite smells of spring. It's only a few short days before the apple blossoms start to fall, looking like giant snowflakes on the spring breeze, so I try to breathe deep and "fix" that glorious aroma in my mind and memory. The white blossoms

tinged with pink are a favourite with someone else too - look who was visiting this morning. I took these photos from an upstairs window as three hummingbirds were busily visiting as many blooms as they could. Their speed and diligence is amazing - they rarely stop for more than a few second's rest. Oh to have their energy!
And my favourite tastes of May? That's easy- fiddleheads and rhubarb. I've stuffed treated myself to both this week...several times.. it just doesn't get any better than fresh steamed fiddleheads served piping hot with butter and vinegar, or a bowl of warm Rhubarb Crisp topped with raspberry sherbet.. yummm
Ahhh, sweet May....






Peace,
Linda

"The flowers of the apple are perhaps the most beautiful of any tree's, so copious and so delicious to both sight and scent." ~ Henry David Thoreau

Wildflower Wednesday

Once again, a wildflower for you to enjoy. This is one of my favourite spring wildflowers and it's easy to find here in the Maritimes.. in fact, they grow right on my back lawn. Hubby, the lover of  "picture perfect" lawns, would happily spray to get rid of these "weeds" but I plead with him each year to "leave my violets alone!!" This is viola cucullata, better known as the Purple Violet, the floral emblem of New Brunswick. Also known as Blue Violet and Wood Violet, it grows in damp woodlands,  meadows, fields and along roadsides. And in my backyard (yay!!) It is a
small low- growing plant, the
blooms being about 1/2" - 3/4", but if left alone, it will develop into a nice clump. I'm thinking of digging a few out of the lawn and planting them in my perennial bed. The purple violet was adopted as the official floral emblem of N.B. in 1936, and is also the state flower of Illinois, Wisconsin, Rhode Island and New Jersey! It has no scent but the young leaves and the flowers are edible. You can see the wonderful veining in the petals and the tiny white "fringe" in the throat of each little blossom - such beauty!





Peace,
Linda

Violets

I had no thought of violets of late,

The wild, shy kind that spring beneath your feet

In wistful April days, when lovers mate

And wander through the fields in raptures sweet.

The thought of violets meant florists’ shops,

And bows and pins, and perfumed papers fine;

And garish lights, and mincing little fops

And cabarets and songs, and deadening wine.

So far from sweet real things my thoughts had strayed,

I had forgot wide fields, and clear brown streams;

The perfect loveliness that God has made.—

Wild violets shy and Heaven-mounting dreams.

And now—unwittingly, you’ve made me dream

Of violets, and my soul’s forgotten dream.

~ Alice Dunbar-Nelson

TAST Week 19 - Half Chevron Stitch

Here is my Take A Stitch Tuesday work for this week - Half Chevron Stitch. I enjoyed working this stitch, it is not difficult and it works up fairly quickly. To me it is a marriage of the Chevron and the Cretan stitches - half of each. I explored several different weights of thread and reversed,  layered,  and stacked the stitch. I've used Perle 8's and 12's and once again one of my most favourite threads - Stef Francis hand-dyeds. I think if I did more of this stitch, I'd explore more beading - lots of possibilities here!

Wishing all the Mothers out there a very Happy Mother's Day.  Take some time today to put up your feet and read, stitch or whatever makes you happy.


Peace,
Linda

"Children are the anchors that hold a mother to life." ~ Sophocles

This weather is for the birds!

Rain, rain, go away... Yes, we have had enough rain now for a while. A good long while. Enough already! At times today it was torrential. The ground must be pretty well saturated by now, our basement pump has been running frequently. Ollie and I have had a fairly lazy day. He has spent a lot of time on the back of the couch, one of his favourite spots to survey his kingdom the backyard. He has a particularly good view of potential lunch the birdfeeders. When the rain slacked off for a few short periods, there was lots of activity to keep Ollie engaged. There were finches and chickadees at the feeder, and the mourning doves were doing a fine cleanup job underneath - such great entertainment for Oliver. He chirped back at them and twitched his tail, no doubt fantasizing what a wonderful friendship they could have if only... ah, well, you know...







Later in the afternoon when the rain was heavy and the day seemed dismal, we looked out and spotted this little sparrow sheltered under a chair on our deck. He had found a dry spot and was all fluffed out, probably trying to dry his feathers somewhat before heading back to his sodden nest. Although he quickly spied my telephoto lens and Ollie's leering admiring glassy-eyed stare, he stayed rooted to his spot, unwilling to yield an inch...

Peace,
Linda

A Bird

A bird came down the walk:
He did not know I saw;
He bit an angleworm in halves
And ate the fellow, raw.

And then he drank a dew
From a convenient grass,
And then hopped sideways to a wall
To let a beetle pass.

~Emily Dickinson

Wildflower Wednesday

I did a few "Wildflower Wednesday" posts last year, and I'm hoping to do more this year. That means getting out to find some different wildflowers.. not much fun showing the same ole thing... *wink   So  here are three I have not shown before...


The Purple Trillium is no stranger I'm sure. The trillium family (part of the lily family) is fairly well known in Canada and easily identified by it's three leaves and flowers with three petals and three sepals. The Purple Trillium has a rather unpleasant odor and was used by early herbalists to treat gangrene. I'm hoping I can also find some white and/or some painted trilliums (my favs). If you live in my area and know of any nearby, please let me know...

Another common spring wildflower is the Trout Lily, more commonly known as the Dogtooth Violet. The name Trout Lily (more suitable since the flower is not a violet) refers to the brownish mottled leaves, similar to the markings on a brook trout. The single yellow nodding flowers have 3 petals and three petal-like sepals. If you
look closely the petals are yellow and the sepals are yellow "inside" but a bronzy yellow on the "outer" side. (See the photo below, taken "from behind") I can remember so vividly picking bouquets of these each spring for my mother, while walking home from school as a child. There were several large patches and I watched them in great anticipation until they were blooming and ready for pickin'. It gave me such pleasure to bring my mother fresh-picked flowers and she always acted, day after day, as if they were the most precious and rare roses or orchids on the earth... My maternal grandfather was a great nature-lover and knew the woods well - he knew right where to go to find a particular plant and taught my mother so much about wildflowers and nature... Oh how I wish he was still here to take me on a woodland walk...






Lastly, the "mystery" flower I showed yesterday is Bloodroot.  A member of the Poppy family, the blooms last a relatively short time, opening in sun and closing at night. The flower stem rises from the centre of its curled leaf. The red-orange "juice" from the roots and stems was used by natives as a dye for clothing, baskets and war paint as well as for insect repellant. (Info from the Audubon Society Field Guide to  North American Wildflowers)

Peace,
Linda

"Every flower is a soul blossoming in nature.~" ~ Gerard De Nerval

Today's Recommendations...

It's been  a while since I shared a recipe with you, and this one is certainly worth sharing. It's  a new one to me- I just found it a few weeks ago on a Blog I now follow regularly: Mennonite Girls Can Cook. If you aren't familiar with this wonderful blog- do yourself a favour and start having a look on a regular basis. There are lots of great recipes there and they are all catalogued on the left sidebar so it's easy to find anything, or browse a category. The one I will recommend today is the Oatmeal Toffee  Cookies with Hazelnuts. They are divine!!! I followed the recipe exactly, except I used dark chocolate chips instead of white chocolate. They were SOOO good.. and believe me they didn't last long. The hazelnuts were a pleasant change from the walnuts, almonds or pecans I usually use. Sorry- no pics- we ate them all before I even thought of taking a photo! But there is one on their blog with the recipe. Go ahead- give them a try next time you make cookies. You know you want to!!

I have finished Caleb's Crossing. It was a good read, but I cannot say I liked it quite as well as the other two books by Geraldine Brooks I have read. Although the story is fictional, "Caleb" Cheeshahteaumauk was a real person and was the first Native American to graduate from Harvard College. Set in the mid 1600's, this story follows his unlikely friendship with Bethia Mayfield, the daughter of a white English Puritan Calvinist Minister in the small settlement on Martha's Vineyard, and their ensuing difficulties as they each try to pursue an education. They both struggle with the cultural and intellectual differences that divide their two very different cultures.I'd give it a 4 out of 5.

Another recommendation: (I'm just full of ideas tonight, aren't I?) If you ever have a chance to see one of the Wingfield plays starring Rod Beattie, RUN to get a ticket. I attended Wingfield's Inferno on Sunday afternoon past, at our local theatre; it is the sixth in the Wingfield series, and continues the hilarious hijinks of Walt on his farm in Persephone Township in Southern Ontario. Laughter truly is good for the soul and you can be guaranteed a huge dose of laughter at any Wingfield play. Rod Beattie does an amazing job (each Wingfield play is a one man show) of changing his voice and expressions to bring to life all the unforgettable "characters" in the community. I LOVE his performances, he is so very talented. The continual laughter felt sooo good...

I was out doing a little photography this morning... come back tomorrow to see what wildflowers I was chasing today...  In fact I'll leave you with a little puzzle- can anyone tell me what this plant/flower is? I'll reveal the answer tomorrow. It is a spring wildflower with a woodland habitat, although this clump is in a friend's garden...

Peace,
Linda

He who laughs, lasts....

After the rain...

We've had some rainy days... a few days of sunshine and now the forecast is five days straight of rain again... Blahhh... I thought you might like to see some photos I took on Saturday during a break in the showers... this is a small clump of "bunching tulips" that I have had for a while. They are actually not quite as vivid a pink as they look here, but they sure were "glowing" in the hazy sun after the rain...
I love a walk "around the garden" after a rain.. everything looks so fresh and clean.. Don't these just look good enough to eat?

Peace,
Linda

 "If you truly love nature, you will find beauty everywhere." ~ Vincent VanGogh

TAST Week 18 - Crossed Buttonhole Stitch

Another week has flown by and here is my TAST piece - this week we were to do Crossed Buttonhole. It is a simple modification of the regular Buttonhole stitch, with the upward "arms"  crossed. Once again I have done a small sampler, with a few variations. The first two rows have evenly crossed "arms", the second row being a narrow cross with an elongated detached chain stitch added. The other three rows have angled uneven arms. In the fourth row I have stacked the stitch, and the fifth row is a back to back repeat. I tried to do a mirror image, but just couldn't get my head around it; I think I'd have to do a left-handed version from right to left and after several stabs at it (ok, sorry, that was a bad pun!) I gave up. I found this an easy stitch to do, and I
can see great possibilities for it along a CQ seam with some beading added.  Thanks Sharon for another great week. Can't wait to see what you have up your sleeve for us next!
Thought I might pass this along for what it's worth: I have been saving my leftover ends and bits of threads and putting them in this clear Christmas ornament (below). I won it at our Embroiderers' Guild Christmas meeting, and the suggestion was made to fill it with bits of threads from a project. At the time I wasn't quite sure if I would do that... but once I got going on the TAST Challenge, I thought it might be fun to look back and see each week's threads, built up in layers. It's looking rather full already!

Peace,
Linda

"The greatest accomplishment is to make work seem simply like play." ~ Linda LaTourelle

What Will She Do Next?

You may remember a few days back I told you dear daughter was off to Alberta on a Canadian Military Journalism Scholarship.... She is 1 of 12 Journalism students from across Canada to do this 9 day course, sponsored by the Canadian Defense and Foreign Affairs Institute and the Center for Military and Strategic Studies, with co-operation from the Department of National Defense and the Canadian Forces. Part of it is "in class" at the University of Calgary Centre for Military and Strategic Studies, and three days are spent at CFB Wainwright on "Operation Warrior Ram". That's where she is right now, and she just sent these two photos to her brother's phone.... Isn't she gorgeous?? I hardly knew it was her... Her caption with the photos was "This should be interesting, since we can't shower here..."   Several minutes later the text conversation went  something like this:
L:Did you show Mum the pics?
M: Yes
L: What did she say?
M: Said she could hardly tell it was you
L: Oh good, it works!

(She's on the left in both pics, in case you're not sure.... In the photo at left, that's the former Miss New Brunswick on the right - Laura's roommate from last year) I'm sure they'll be pretty happy to get back to Calgary tomorrow and a hot shower and comfy bed... No doubt she'll have many many interesting stories to tell... My daughter, the adventurous one....  Who'd have thought..?!! These photos are SO going on the Photo Collage board at her wedding reception someday....   ;)

Peace!
Linda

"Oh Canada! We stand on guard for thee."

So many books.. so little time...

What are you reading these days? I've just finished Sanctuary Line by Jane Urquhart (it was okay, not fabulous), and now I'm on to Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks. I love her writing and have read two of her other books - Year of Wonders: a Novel of the Plague and People of the Book, thoroughly enjoying both. Another by Ms. Brooks is on my list too - the Pulitzer Prize winning March- the story of Mr. March of the Little Women family...
 Do you keep a list of "Books I Want to Read"? My list just keeps growing. With a number of friends who are also avid readers, I keep adding their suggestions to my list (Thanks Carole, Judy, JK and Barb!) Yesterday I headed off to the city library with list in hand, hoping to find Still Alice and Left Neglected both by Lisa Genova - neither were in. I did find Caleb's Crossing which was on my list; then I stopped at the "New Fiction" section.. big mistake. Picked up three more books there... I'll never get my list whittled down!! I think I'm going to have to tell myself I have to read one book on my list for every book NOT on the list... Yes that sounds like a plan... How do you manage a long reading list?
Caleb's Crossing is the story of the first Native American to graduate from Harvard College (1660's). I'm only 75 pages in, but already hooked... Stay tuned...

Peace,
Linda

"Without libraries what have we? We have no past and no future." ~ Ray Bradbury