Art for Heart's Sake

A Flash of Light!

Hi there on this rather dull Tuesday morning.  It rained only slightly yesterday which was good in terms of the soil not getting too soggy but it was also rather frustrating because I felt bad being inside instead of in the garden.  I did manage to teach myself how to make fabric flowers (sewing) and also relearned basic crochet too, yay!

I woke this morning to a major flash of light behind my left eyelid as Monty's paw landed smack bang in the middle of my left eye from a distant pounce - yeech!  Needless to say my eye is still a bit achy!!  At the moment i am typing one-handed because he's lying against my chest in the crook of my left arm, very cute if slightly heavy!!

Today we are going to the local large hardware store because I need potting mix amongst other things. Luckily i sold $48 worth of plants to a lovely customer on Friday so I can get mix to pot up some seedlings i've found in the garden.  I'm also going to sow some tomato seeds today too.   I can't nelieve it's August tomorrow!  There are signs of impending spring everywhere too, wow!   Yikes I just had to put Monty down because my shoulder was killing me and he's trying to touch my nose! 

John is just back from walking the dog so off to the hardware shop we go!  Smiles..

Flower Power!!

Hi, it's a wet and gloomy Monday morning so I though I'd post some gorgeous flowers from Sissinghurst in the UK to brighten my day and yours! 

I'm off to make some fabric flowers (I hope!! gulp!) and to finish 5 simple brooches for my market stall in October.  Enjoy.. Smiles..

Tulips!

Geranium renardii

Yellow trillium

Trillium grandiflorum

A Busy Day!

Hi, it's Sunday morning and we've had our usual delicious cooked breakfast, done on the barbeque.  My morning animal chores are done and Monty is again blocking my computer screen!  Just as well I can touch type!

Yesterday was really busy with one thing and another.  I managed to get the house vacuumed and dusted (still have to dust bedroom but ran out of steam!), Elgar (toyota) went to his new owner and in the afternoon we attacked the hornbeam hedge.  It turned out to be a bit more tricky than I remember it being last year and eventually I got John to put a line up along a side at a time so I could more or less the get height even.  It's pretty tricky because being hornbeam there are a lot of separate branches but I think it's okay.  I still have about another 1/3 to do and hopefully I'll get it done before it rains.  John chopped back more weeds at the base of the hedge and it is looking so much better.

One of Bertie's girls is looking a bit sad - oh Bertie is the rooster, sort of hunched and just not happy.  We checked her bottom in case it was compacted (hmm too much information, giggle) but it was looking pretty good, I just needed to remove some p..p from her feathers.  This morning I think I've worked out why - I let them out again even though it was the others' turn today and I noticed Bea was hanging back from Bertie and Lizzy.  I tossed her a little grain because she hadn't eaten last evening and next thing Bertie came powering across the garden, chased her and pecked at her a few times.  He's not damaging her, I think his hormones are raging because his comb and crop are very red - yes it's that time of year almost.  I managed to distract Bertie and Lizzy and get a little food into Bea, but not much, poor thing!  She's hiding under a large hardy geranium at the moment.  Bea has always been the chook that stands back while the other two feed, the lowest in the pecking order. 

We had a lovely time with our dinner guests last night and all of my food was a hit which was great.  I did my favourite simple dessert which is layers of fruit (I used some of our frozen Reefton peaches), crushed amaretti biscuits and mascarpone cheese mixed with good quality vanilla bean custard - YUMMMMMMM!

It's looking like rain now so we might not get out into the kitchen garden after all.  Time for a cup of tea!  Smiles..

Cleaning Morning/Hedge Afternoon!

Hi and oh crikey I've been cleaning - one of my least favourite things to do in this world.  I LOVE a clean house but urgh there must be an easier way to achieve it.. giggle!  We are having friends over for dinner so it was a must.  I have found that dusting with the brush attachment on the end of the vacuum cleaner is far more effective, less allergy-provoking and faster than using a microfibre cloth!

This pm we are going to attack the hornbeam hedge.  The weather forecast from tomorrow onwards is decidedly iffy so I really want to get it done this pm if I can.  John is helping bigtime by chopping back the weeds underneath it.

The other news is my Toyota Corolla, Elgar, sold yesterday and has been taken away today, majorly loud sob, giggle.  Yes I do get attached to my cars.  Okay I must fly, sorry this is short, more tomorrow!  Smiles..

Treasured Possessions!

Morning!  It's a very frost Friday morning here and I walked Chester in 2 degrees C at around 9.30am.. brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!  Luckily I found my leather gloves so my fingers were nice and warm and toasty.

Last night something happened to one of my treasured possessions and it made me realise just how sentimental I am when it comes to family things.  I have worn a ring my Dad gave my Mum (over 60 years ago I think) since the early 1990's when she gave it to me and last night I was trying to stop Monty from scratching the back of our lovely couches.  I smacked my hand onto the back of the couch (on the hardest part it seems) and the shoulder of the ring band snapped open.  I can't tell you how upset I was - I haven't cried that hard in a long time.  I'm not sure if it can be fixed because it is very delicate old rose gold and I do know that sometimes it can't be re-soldered.  It will break my heart if I can't wear it anymore because it means the world to me.  I used to gaze longingly at it in my Mum's jewellery box when I was a child and was so thrilled when she gave it to me.  John has taken it to our wonderful manufacturing jeweller in Nelson this morning so my fingers and everything else are crossed!  Crikey, it makes me feel tearful just thinking about it, ugh!!

Today I have two customers coming to the nursery thi spm (it will be shady and cold by then) and I have to make a spectacular pork sausage casserole for dinner guests tomorrow night.    It will taste much better tomorrow night if I make it today and will also relieve the pressure tomorrow so I can finish trimming the hornbeam hedge while the weather stays fine.  Phew!

That said, I'd better get started on the casserole!  Smiles..

Where's My Screen Gone??!! LOL

Hi, it's a gorgeous Thursday morning here - the sun is shining, blue sky wall to wall and birds singing their lungs out.  Oh and a pussycat blocking the view of my screen AGAIN.. oops or should I say knocking the top of my laptop completely backwards and standing on it, crikey!

Monty had his second FIV shot yesterday, plus a worming tablet, plus flead oh and his poor third eyelids are so inflamed.  His eye wasn't weeping so I stopped the drops and also the other vet I saw two weeks ago said I didn't need to bother with other eye.  The poor wee lad must be in pain they are so red.  So battle eyedrops commences twice a day.  Talk about a battle too - he squirms, wriggles and yowels.  This morning we found what might just be the perfect solution, John leans most of his weight over him so he simply can't move and I do the eyedrops as fast as I can.  I think they must sting and also they are cold from the fridge too.  Needless to say a tiny bit of milk is given straight afterwards as a treat.  Only another 18 doses to go.. yikes.I can't tip his head up so I just have to hope enough of the drops are going into his eye.

Yesterday I managed to get some of my nursery plants tidied up and much to my dismay I noticed a lot of tiny basket fungi in the potting mix of some of them - not just on the top either but actually down inside the pots.  This fungi won't kill the plants but it looks really unsightly and any customer would be put off buying them.  I will have to repot the worst ones which I can't really afford right now, ugh!  Blasted weather conditions, just too wet I think in early winter and they don't get much sun at this time of year.

Today I am planning to do some more in the nursery.  Speaking of which I'd better have a cup of tea and get out there.  Smiles..

What on Earth Did I Do Yesterday??!!

Hi, giggle, yes this morning when we were doing our daily diary entry about what happened yesterday, I couldn't remember what I did except for working on a birthday present in my studio.  I know I did other things but do you think I can remember them??

John painted the sign for me to put on the post below our letterbox on the days my nursery is open and also made the wooden cover that sits over the keyboard of my laptop bigger so that Monty can't stand on it!  He can, of course, still stand on the other keyboard that is attached via a usb cable but oh well!  At the moment he is getting my attention by sitting on the wooden cover and gently touching my nose with his paw - oh so very cute!  I think he's trying to say sorry for making me a bit angry with him because I was trying to enjoy my breakfast and he kept getting onto the bench (which we are trying to stop him doing) or putting his face into my plate, bless him!  I'm taking him to the vet for his second FIV injection this pm and we have to fit grocery soping in later this pm too which will mean another trip into town, ugh!  I could leave Monty at the vet while we go shopping but I don't know if I can bear to do that.  He might think we're not coming back.. oh yes, oh dear, I'm smitten with my kitten!!

I'd better go and hang the washing out and I have another load or two to do.  The weather is gradually clearing so I must get out into the nursery too.  I have a couple of women coming to look at it and the garden this Friday (shriek!) which means at least the nursery plants need to be free of weeds if possible.  I did tell them the plants will be mainly dormant and the garden is fairly weedy but it didn't put them off, darn it, giggle!  Smiles..

A-Weeding I Went!

Hi and oh pookies, I'd just written a great post when Monty, bless his heart stood o+n my ++++k+++e+++y++++++b+++o++++a+++r+++++d+++ ++++++j++++u++s++t+++++ +++++a++++s+++ ++++++++++++I++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++, ermmm just did it again!! and I lost the lot, grrrrrrrrrr, love you Monty, giggle!

This will be short now because I'm late doing everything this morning.  John isn't working and we stayed in bed way too long watching pet antics ON the bed!  Crikey, nothing like a gallumphing golden retriever to make things interesting!

Yesterday I managed to get a good amount of weeding done in the main perennial bed which is great because this area as fairly matted with weeds.  I still have loads to do though!

Today I need to work on a birthday gift for Saturday pm so I'm glad it's raining today.  More tomorrow.  Big smiles...

Giggle!!

Hi, ermmmm it's Monday morning and somehow I think the universe is telling me I'm not meant to post on Sundays!  This is the third time I've forgotten to post on a Sunday morning, crikey!  Anyway it's Monday morning now and we had a lovely weekend.

On Saturday pm I trimmed both sides of the hornbeam hedge by hand (very satisfying and calming believe it or not) with secateurs mainly because the hedge is still becoming established but also thinking about it, I'm not sure I'll ever be able to do it with hedge clippers because I need to do it when it's dormant in the winter (hornbeam is deciduous) which also means the wood is pretty hard.

David left a message for John asking if they could come over from Blenheim (1 hour 45mins away) for the night so we rushed to get the spare bed made etc too.  David and Kirsten arrived at about 6pm along with their spoodle, Myla who is such a delicate little dog.  Needless to say the rest of the evening was pretty much a circus with Chester, chasing Myla, Myla hiding from Monty and Monty chasing both of them!  I have to say Monty is just the coolest cat, he wasn't phased at all by two extra people and another dog, he just strolled up and said ''hi!'' - very cute!

Yesterday we took them up to Motueka and then back to a couple of vineyards via the back roads.  David is a wine-maker and has just started a new job for a winery in Blenheim which is fabulous.  It is lovely to have them so close and it's great for John because I know he misses him.  I am the luckiest stepmother ever I think because both of John's children love me and I love them heaps too.

This week I am going to be flat out getting my nursery looking ship shape because I will be opening it on Thursday 1 August and on Mondays and Thursdays from then on.  Most of my perennials are dormant at the moment but I can at least make sure they aren't weedy!  We also need to work on the very basic sign I will be putting at the bottom of our drive on those days saying I'm open.  I wanted to use a blackboard because I can put it further out towards the edge of our drive but I fear someone might steal  it!

Chester still has his cone on his head but I'm hoping we can take it off later today.  His wound is looking pretty good now.  Poor guy, he's been so patient really!  Time to walk him I fear.  Have a great day/evening wherever you are!  Smiles.. p.s. Ruth honey am so looking forward to seeing a photo of your new four legged addition!!

Chester's Stitches are Out!

Hi, it's Saturday morning and Chester has just had his stitches out.  Unfortunately they had trouble getting one of them out and the area needs a bit more healing so he has to wear the cone for 2 more days or so.  I didn't go and I just hope the vet wasn't too rough.  It was a male vet and I don't think he took into account that Chester's skin is very fragile.  Ugh, I was so looking forward to not having to worry about his wound any more!!  Phooey to that.

John took a very cute photograph of Monty this morning which I'll psot as soon as I get it onto this computer.  Instead of just rushing around the bed this morning Monty decided he wanted a cuddle so he lay right under my chin which was so cute and lovely.  When he heard the click of John's iPhone taking the  photograph he semi-stood up and oh what a gorgeous pose!

Yesterday we managed to get the fig tree pruned and it looks so much bettter.  We didn't take it down by 1/3 all over but just here and there where it needed it.  Afterwards we crushed the branches through our mulcher and I was amazed at the fragrance that came from the wood.  I  have always wondered where they got the ''fig'' fragrance from for soaps etc and now I know - the wood!  It smells just like the soap I've had in the past, yummy!

Today I might start trimming the hornbeam hedge.  It is going to be a bit of a long job but at least I can use my secateurs to do it so I won't hurt my soulder too badly. 

OOOOOOH major new this morning, I killed my first babay rat!!  I can't stand killing anything but this little guy was brazenly walking around our verandah in broad daylight and I just couldn't stand to have him live.  My intention was just to toss him off the verandah with a shovel but I ummmm, ermmmm, smacked him over the head!  Okay, now I feel really guilty.. but I mean, it was a RAT!!!  ewwwww!

It's cloudy and cold today so I must go and rev the fire up.  Smiles..