Back into Time

I've been going through old family photos for two projects that I'm working on. One is for a picture quilt for my parents' 40th wedding anniversary and the other is for a black and white photo collage project. I realized that I have very few photos in my house (other than the ones on the fridge), so I went out and bought a bunch of black frames in different sizes at the dollar store and I'm going to arrange the frames on the wall in my living room. I'm having too much fun with these projects because I keep finding pictures that crack me up, pictures of how my house used to look and pictures from events that I had long since forgotten. Anyhoo, I had to share some of my favs of my sister, brother and I from when we were kids:

Dina, Derek and I hanging out in the kitchen (Derek and I still have the same hair color, 28 years later!)

Dina watering Ma's garden
Derek on the Big Wheel (even back then he knew he was irresistable! That's the lady killer look)
Me, trimming the tree (pigtails were popular, can't you tell?)

The pictures of my sister and brother are from the early 70's, before I was born (they're 8 and 6 years older than me), the one of me and the 3 of us together are from 1978. I need to get a picture of all of us now for the anniversary quilt.

I've been scanning pictures from the way my house used to look too and taking current pictures. I'll have to post them and show you. It's so funny how things change so much over the years!

Thanks for walking down memory lane with me; we'll have to do it again, soon.

Have a wonder-filled weekend!

How Does Your Garden Grow?

With silver bells and cockleshells…actually this is what will be growing in the Mt. Vernon St. garden:

This is just the tip of the gardening iceberg. I have mountains of seeds (I ran out of potting soil and need to go buy more), many of which will be going directly into the ground come June, when the danger of frost is gone.

Crazy thing...I started planting on Saturday - THE LETTUCE HAS ALREADY SPROUTED! How insane is that? I think I'm going to have to create an indoor soil box and transplant the lettuce soon!

So my garden really is beginning to grow! Whoo-hoo!

:^)

"Nothing but Ladybugs"

I love the movie “Under the Tuscan Sun”. It’s just one of those fluffy, happy, feel good movies. I love the part about the ladybugs (especially the end).

Anyhoo, I found a ladybug on the windowsill of my boss’ office just a moment ago. It’s strange, there are no open windows in here, yet every spring we find countless ladybugs on or near the windowsill and far too often, the intense heat from the huge windows bakes them.

So I picked up Ms. Ladybug…and yes I know that not all ladybugs are ladies – if “A Bug’s Life” taught us anything, it was that – but this one’s a lady…because I said so :^)…so I picked up Ms. Ladybug and transferred her to my mini potted palm (which has spread like wildfire and needs to be separated and transplanted). She is now happily crawling around soil, hopefully eating any little aphides that cross her path and all in all, just brightening my day with her beauty! It's so neat; she stops, inspects an area and you can see her little front legs lift things to her mouth. It’s fascinating. She doesn’t seem too interested in wandering around the leaves, just the soil.

Ladybugs are just amazing to watch. Of course, we all know that ladybugs are touted as the harbingers of good luck, but did you know:

*There are nearly 5,000 different kinds of ladybugs worldwide and 400 which live in North America.

* A female ladybug will lay more than 1000 eggs in her lifetime.

* A ladybug beats its wings 85 times a second when it flies.

* Aphids are a ladybug's favorite food.

* Ladybugs chew from side to side and not up and down like people do.

* A gallon jar will hold from 72,000 to 80,000 ladybugs.

* Ladybugs make a chemical that smells and tastes terrible so that birds and other predators won't eat them.

* If you squeeze a ladybug it will bite you, but the bite won't hurt.

* The spots on a ladybug fade as the ladybug gets older.

* During hibernation, ladybugs feed on their stored fat.

* Ladybugs won't fly if the temperature is below 55 degrees Fahrenheit.

* The ladybug is the official state insect of Delaware, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Ohio, and Tennessee.

* The male ladybug is usually smaller than the female.

* The Asian Lady Beetle can live up to 2-3 years if the conditions are right.

(info from Ladybug Facts)

Enjoy your Wednesday! I'm going to go watch my ladybug...er...I mean work...yeah, that's right, work...lots and lots work...over on the filing cabinet...near the potted palm...where the ladybug just happens to be :^)

S.P.R.I.N.G

Pots, plant trays and peat pots?
*Check*

Funky new striped garden boots?

*Check*

Mountain of seeds? *Check*START YOUR PLANTING!!

(don't mind the gnomes - they're a long running joke from a friend)

A Week of Things

Sun dappled train bridge

Foggy Spring morning

Mud Season has begun

53 degrees, not having to wear a jacket and being able to roll the windows down!

Sadie likes cooked carrots

Tallulah likes cooked cabbage

and has a tendency to look stoned in pictures

Happy Spring!

Boston

The Blackstone Grill serves the BEST burgers! Mum and I had the Curley burger (named after the former Boston Mayor) and I kid you not, this thing was HUGE!

Boston totally rocked! I had so much fun!

I hope everyone enjoyed my picts from Boston and the flower show. Have a great weekend!

Under the Sea

The Tables:

(want to make one of these!)

"The Sunken Ship" display

I know they can be a little hard to see, but if you click on the individual photos, you can really see the details!