July 31, 2024

Indeed, He Is...

God Is Good

I wanted to update you today on Handsome's condition. While I was at work yesterday, our younger son took his dad to an appointment with the surgeon for a follow-up. The news was fantastic.

The surgical site is healing well, and the CAT scan he had done last Friday revealed that there is only a small remnant left in the brain that will assimilate back into his body with no ill effects. His brain "tilt" has nearly righted itself, so for all intents and purposes, Handsome is nearly back to normal.

His occupational therapist said he's already reached the benchmark they strive for following a surgery like his, so the rest of those appointments were cancelled. He'll see what the physical therapist has to say later this week.

Oh, and the best part from Handsome's point of view, is that the surgeon cleared him to be able to drive again. No more relying on this ol' ball and chain to get around. He's independent once again, and happy as all get-out about it. 

We're both thrilled with his progress so far, and know it will only improve from here. All our prayers were heard and answered. Thank you to all who lifted them on his behalf. We're both very grateful to you. God is Good.

July 30, 2024

Finally!...

It rained most of the day, but it was still nice to be on our farmhouse porch. Late day, the clouds moved off and the sun came out. I started this piece in the parking lot at the clinic while Handsome was in the clinic for his physical therapy appointment. I had all my supplies in my needlework tote, ready to go.

When we got back home, I did a few things around the house, and then grabbed my supplies. I stitched while I listened to the Baltimore oriole's four noisy kids sharing grape jelly from the feeder, and the Bee Gees on my iPhone in speaker mode (The Still Waters album). I listened to other music, too.

I think I got quite a bit done, but this is going to be another strawberry, so there's a lot more to do yet. I'll work on it more this week when Handsome goes to his other appointments, but I'm liking what I've got so far.

Today I'll be up at the station for my shift. No time to dally. I'd better get going. See you tomorrow!

July 29, 2024

New Listings...

I've started listing new items in my Etsy shop. These are two wonderful Elizabeth Bradley kits - never opened - that I'm going to send along to new homes.

This one is a mini kit - finishing at 6" x 6" - of a beautiful poppy and butterfly. I have other Bradley kits I'm keeping, but This one I've decided to let go. 


The second kit I've listed is for this gorgeous Magnolia kit, complete with everything needed to finish as a full-size kit. These kits are both done in Victorian Cross Stitch, which is cross stitch done with wools on a 10 hold-to-the-inch painted canvas. There are also full size colored charts to help determine the correct color for a stitch.

While I still have kits I'm going to stitch myself, these two I'm going to sell at a discounted price for others to enjoy. You can find them in my shop by clicking on the Etsy shop link in my sidebar  ----> 

July 28, 2024

July 27, 2024

Saturday Silliness...

The latest from In Otter News. 

July 26, 2024

Baking Day...

I've seen where the weather temperatures are going to slowly rise into the near 90ºF range by midweek next week, so I wanted to get my bread baked while it would still be comfortable for me to light the oven (to 400ºF) in the farmhouse. Yesterday was the perfect day.

I also had a few orders for fresh cinnamon rolls with cream cheese frosting, so I added those to my list. By the end of the day I'd baked six loaves of farmhouse bread, and these three trays of homemade cinnamon goodness. They were delivered to my customer late day.

Handsome and I sat with our calendars yesterday, so I now know when I'll be running him to doctor and physical therapy appointments over the next month. It's going to get busy. He has appointments every day next week.

His brother was originally scheduled to come into town on Saturday, but called yesterday to let us know he's ill and won't be traveling until he's in the clear. Thankfully, one of our sons is able to help out on Tuesday. I work that day, and I could change that, however I really don't like driving down to Milwaukee, so he's going to stand in for me for that office visit. I owe him one!

We have an appointment this morning, and I'll work at 4:00 today, but that leaves the middle of the day for me to sneak in a little needlework. I'm going to try to complete something I started a little while ago. If I finish it, I'll share a photo (or at least a sneaky peek) tomorrow. 

See you Saturday!

July 25, 2024

July Classmate Dinner Gathering...

Our group was a little smaller this month. One of our regulars fell off her bicycle and broke her forearm. First, let me say "Kudos, kid!" I consider myself fortunate if I don't fall down putting on my underwear in the morning! I'm not making light of her injury as she had surgery to repair it yesterday, but man, I admire her vitality for even trying to continue to ride.

Other classmates were out of town, and one is undergoing chemo. Her treatment was yesterday, so she wasn't up to joining us. We pray for her every day.

As usual, our group had a great time catching up. One of us took a cruise to Alaska, while the rest of us stuck close to home. Others will be traveling to the east coast soon, so we'll have something new to talk about when they return. We talk about our grandkids, families, (sometimes) aches and pains, and of course, this time they all wanted updates about Handsome. 

We all care deeply about each others families and lives, and I think that's one of the nicest things about our entire group. We chose the date for our next dinner before going our separate ways, and we're all already looking forward to the next time. Old friends really are the best!

July 24, 2024

Digging...

Here we sit at the end of the road, minding our own business. A week ago, trucks, backhoes and equipment arrived to begin the process of removing all the overhead power lines along our vista as they prepare to place them underground.

Don't get me wrong, I'm looking forward to having the pole removed from our yard, as well as the pipes on the southern face of the farmhouse. Then I got to wondering, where will all the birds perch as they wait for their chance to get to our feeders? They love the power lines for a great vantage point and those will be gone in the next few weeks. I'm thinking I may end up placing something with cross bars to replace a small portion of what they'll be losing. 

Work was great yesterday, and Handsome "behaved" while I was away. I'm going to be doing some baking this morning and then I'll be going to town mid-afternoon to enjoy a little time with friends. I'd better get busy so my baking is done in time for me to leave. A cuppa and then I'm off to the races. See you tomorrow!

July 23, 2024

A Little Sunshine Stitchery...

The weather was perfect yesterday. The sunshine and mild breezes beckoned me outside all morning. By afternoon, I knew it was time to indulge for a while. 

I grabbed my thread box and a few scraps of linen and just followed my muse. I listed to music and visited with the little wren who has a nest in one of the birdhouses. She is a talker!


A little while later, I had a tiny bouquet of lavender finished. I can actually smell the lavender in the kitchen garden as I sit here. The breeze was in the right direction with me downwind. 

Claudette decided to bring a mouse onto the porch. Thankfully, she hadn't harmed it (yet). I told her what a good girl she was so she wouldn't run away from me. Even so, I did have to follow her around the porch until she was close enough for me to grab her by the scruff of the neck. Once I did, she dropped the mouse and it scurried away. I was glad that Crystal was off in another direction so she missed the exchange, or she would have certainly chased that frightened poor mouse.

I put Claudette in the house and then coaxed Crystal in, too. That way the mouse stood a chance of making a safe escape. They were confined to quarters (despite their noisy protestations) for the rest of the day.

I'm not sure how I'll finish this needlework. Perhaps a lavender sachet would be most appropriate. Yes. I think so. I work today, so I'll think more about that when I get home. This was just the ticket for me for now, though.

July 22, 2024

Tell Me, Have You Seen Her?...

I'm looking for my mojo.

I really tried all weekend, but it seems I was content to mostly sit around and spend time with Handsome. I had no energy nor interest in doing anything else. 

It's not like I had nothing else to do. Laundry. Cleaning. Weeding. Gardening. Baking. Of course, I have books to read, and needlework I could be starting. None of those held a bit of interest for me over the weekend.

This week is going to be fun. Work tomorrow; dinner with classmates on Wednesday; and preparing for Handsome's brother to arrive on the weekend. So what do you do when you've misplaced your mojo?

Today, I'm going to "fake it until I make it". I'm going to act like my mojo is sitting on my shoulder, pushing me to get my butt in gear. "Do something. Anything. You can do it, Dee."

July 21, 2024

July 20, 2024

It's Been A Month, So Far...

My life revolves around him, and since July 1st, it's been either a month to remember - or a month to forget - depending on perspective. I figure I should explain my recent absence from my blog.

On July 1st, Handsome underwent a medical procedure to resolve an irregular heartbeat. The surgery went exactly as planned and did what it was supposed to. His heartbeat restored to normal rhythm, which is important for a percussionist.

The rest of the week went well, so on Saturday the 6th, we decided to cut the lawn as we usually do. I rode around on my small yard tractor, and Handsome mowed the upper yard on our larger tractor. We met back at the Compass Barn at the same time, having completed the task after about an hour and a half. I closed my side of the barn and told him I wanted to grab something from the garage, so I'd meet him at the house. He just had to close his side of the barn.

When I came out of the garage, he was leaning against the door of the Compass Barn and told me he needed "some assistance, please". He told me he couldn't motivate forward, only backward, so I helped him to the house. Once inside, he sat down for a while, and then things seemed to return to normal. This didn't seem like a "heart thing" to me. It seemed more neurological, so I suggested he call his doctor on Monday to get a recommendation for a neurologist. In retrospect, I wish I'd been making the calls.

He called the cardiologist and was only able to get an appointment for two weeks out. I admit, I was irked that he hadn't done what I'd asked, so I suggested he call out primary care physician's assistant to get that recommendation. I worked on Monday and Tuesday, and was off the rest of the week.

I came downstairs on Wednesday morning to find him wrestling with our coffeemaker. He was upset because he couldn't put it back together. He was trying to put the coffee reservoir where the cup usually goes to pull brewed coffee. When I asked if he was joking around, he assured me that he was not, and wondered why it wouldn't assemble. I put it together in front of him and he went to feed Bella and Carly. We always crate them when they eat to avoid any possible conflict. They finished eating about the time the coffee finished brewing, so Handsome dispensed a cup and went to let the dogs out of their crates before sitting down. He told me he couldn't get the door on Bella's crate open, so I let her out, and told him I'd be in to sit down with him soon. It was obvious to me there was something really wrong.

I went outside with my cell phone and called my sister, Di who used to work in elder care. She took care of our dad when he was diagnosed with cancer, until he passed away four months later. When I told her what was going on, I said, "Di, I'm convinced this is not heart related. What do you think?" She immediately conveyed that she thought Handsome may have had a mild stroke, and I should get him to the hospital immediately. (I told her I had to change out of my short shorts first, as I wasn't going to be seen in public wearing them!)

Within minutes, I had Handsome in the truck and we were off to the hospital in Sheboygan. I explained why we were there and they got him into a room right away. The doctor ordered a CAT scan, and when the results came back, we learned Handsome had a "significant subdural hematoma which was pushing the midline of his brain off-center and toward the right". The ER doctor had already called St. Luke's Hospital in Milwaukee where he'd secured a neurologist for Handsome. Then he ordered three different IV meds for my husband - one to counteract the effects of a medicine he's been taking for a while; a second to keep his blood pressure low; and a third being an anti-seizure, as seizures are not uncommon with patients who've had a brain bleed. As soon as a bed became available in Milwaukee, he would be transferred by ambulance to the other hospital. By 7:30 pm, he was on his way, and as I wouldn't be allowed into the hospital since the Covid-induced visitation rules, I reluctantly came home.

I was at the hospital early the next morning, and my husband had surgery to repair the bleed. By God's grace, the surgery (which they told me could last up to four hours) was over in one hour and twenty minutes. We were told that everything went really well, and that he would be in the hospital a few days for observation. 

Over the weekend, we were told he would be staying up to a week for physical therapy to be sure he could climb stairs, walk without feeling lightheaded, and function normally. It will take a little time for his brain to shift back into normal position, but they wanted to be sure he would be safe in the meantime.

Thursday evening, Handsome called me to let me know that he was going to be released to come home yesterday morning. We were elated. I drove back to Milwaukee to bring him home and we were on our way north by 1 pm. I could see the relief and gratitude in his eyes as we pulled in our driveway. As we came out of the garage, Andy was coming out of their barn up the hill. We all waved to each other, and by the time we were in the house a "Welcome Home!" message from Andy was on Handsome's cell phone. 

My guy lost eleven pounds while away from home, but the last thing I want to do is "fatten him up" now that he's here. Of course, he'll be getting the home cooked meals he loves so much, but he's going to get more TLC than large portions to help him stay healthy. Stitches come out on Monday, so we have one more trip, but then he can concentrate on getting stronger and doing some of the things that were slowly slipping out of reach when we didn't know why.

The ER doctor said we deserved gold stars for getting to the emergency room so quickly, but I told him and will repeat for you - my sister deserves all the accolades for sounding the alarm to get him there before something worse might have happened. 

I was supposed to spent the past week camping with her, but am grateful my instincts told me I needed to stay home instead. I'm still planning that trip before the campground closes for the season, but there's plenty of time for that. Right now, I'm where I need to be.

I apologize for not responding to all the comments offering prayers and support - and for keeping you in the dark for so long. I was so worried, that I was physically and mentally exhausted by the time his surgery was over. Two words I never use and "exhausted" and "depressed". I've always thought what you think about you bring about, so I've just excluded those two words...until last week. 

I got home from Milwaukee after 9 pm the day he had surgery, and kind of fell apart. Unbeknown to me, my oldest and dearest friend was in town from Georgia. She'd been talking with Di, who told her what was going on. She was at the farmhouse within minutes of me getting home. We talked for an hour and then prayed together. She was exactly what I needed. After she left, I took care of the dogs and then we closed down for the night knowing that all would be well.

So, again, I apologize for not responding to your wonderful messages of support and prayer. I read them all, but had no energy to reply. Now that Handsome is back where he belongs, I'll answer them over the weekend. I'm really going to try to do a little stitching, too, so you have something creative to see on Monday, and I can do something fun just for me. We'll try our best to get back to normal very soon.

Gratefully, 

July 11, 2024

Away For A Bit...

Handsome is in the hospital as of yesterday. I'm going to be away for a few days while I spend time with him. I'll be back when I bring him home again. Thanks for understanding.

July 10, 2024

Off 'Til Friday...

These are the flower tops from the onions in my garden. As with garlic, removing the flower stems allows the plant to put its energy back into the bulb, rather than into the flower. However, they really were too pretty to just toss, so I put water into a mason jar to enjoy them a little longer.

Like onions and garlic, if I continue to take the extra distractions out of my environment, I'll be able to put more energy into the important parts. That continues to be my plan. I'm still decluttering, but while it's hot outside, I'm going to do more "low energy" pursuits. I'll let you know tomorrow what I decided to work on.

I don't work again until Friday - and I picked up a full day instead of just the usual three evening hours -  so I'll be enjoying my time off with Handsome. We're waiting to get him to the doctor, sooner rather than later. In the meantime, thanks for your good wishes. We can always use all the positive thoughts.

July 9, 2024

Treasures...

 
I have a treasure shelf in my studio that's filled with things made by dear, creative friends or some of my own work. Some were from blog friends who no longer post, or some who do infrequently, but with whom I'm still in regular touch. 
 
Especially when I'm not able to create, looking at these treasures reignites my creative fire, or just makes me happy.
 
 
My friend, Dawn Edmondson of The Feathered Nest blog and SewManyRoses on Etsy created the sparkling snowman on the pink box (upper left). My friend, Mary Wadsworth created the oak leaf tree (along with a Kes ornament and B for Brynwood ornament) almost as soon as I began blogging. I love all of them. The David Winter piece, called the Crofter's Cottage, was a gift from our (then) boys when I collected many of the pieces. I only have about four left that hold a special place in my heart, and this is one of them. The Harris Tweed Rabbit pincushion  - available as a pattern - and the embroidered teddy bear are both my own creations. I still have the boy bear on my To Do list.
 

I have a Longaberger jar that I turned into a pincushion, filled with wooden acorns that were a gift from my talented designer friend, Bren Riddle of Brenda Riddle Designs. Bircornus done in cross stitch by my New Zealand friend, Marrianne who I met through Ravelry and still have nearly daily contact with. The top one of the stack is my own piece.

Then there's the needle felted Corgi from my friend Marion (who still has Tag's brother, Trip) , a polar bear I just had to have, and the snowman I did during one of our monthly craft days. The white teddy bear was made by Margaret B from Canada. It's fully jointed and weighted, and I love it.

The bottom shelf has the acorn egg cup with the wonderful squirrel and acorns that was a special commission I requested of my friend, Susan Pilotto of Mouse Droppings blog. She's also on Facebook and Instagram, so you can see her current works. She also made the wee mouse on the other end of the shelf sitting on a tuffet created on a wooden spool. I've previously shared a gorgeous, big heart trio with my monogram and another mouse that she also made for me. That one hangs on the wall above my computer. They all make me smile.

The items in between those two pieces are all acorns in one form or another...pincushions I've made, gifted felted acorn-topped pins, and a tin with an acorn cross stitch piece that my faithful blog friend, Marilyn gave me last fall. Each and every piece holds a special place in my heart, and is displayed in this most prominent place where I can enjoy them daily. 

These are not the only gifts I've received over the years, and they're all displayed somewhere in our home. Most are in my studio, but they're definitely not confined to those rooms. There are the gifts from my friend, Jody, who always manages to find the perfect pieces for me to use in the kitchen. Dear Sherry has painted wonderful pieces for me that are on display. I have a really fun sewing mouse that is laden with sewing ephemera, created by my blog friend, Ann many years ago. I wrote about her HERE. That mouse sits right next to my computer. I always try to share these gifts in posts, but I don't always include the gifter's name, in case they'd rather remain anonymous.

There are so many blessings that surround me. When I'm busy with work and have no time or energy to play, these are just some of the pieces that remind me why I've continued to blog, create and share my life with you these past fourteen years. 
 
I'm so blessed, and truly one lucky girl. Thank you to all who fill my life with joy - your comments always make me smile, and your gifts are memories I'll always hold dear.

July 8, 2024

Farmhouse Flowers...

So many flowers in full bloom at the farmhouse this month! On the north side of the farmhouse resides a gorgeous, lush white hydrangea. I think it's also called Bridal Wreath, but either way, it's incredible. It used to wrap around to the front of the porch, but in the rebuild, much of it was removed during excavation. I was heartsick, but hoped beyond hope what was left would survive. I wasn't disappointed.

Along the fence row, there are these sweet purple flowers nestled in with the Queen Anne's Lace, which is just beginning to open all around the yard! The raspberries are part of the prolific vines that "volunteered" all around the edges of the yard, thanks to the birds. I picked enough for Handsome and me to enjoy with cereal for a few mornings before the mosquitoes drove me off. I'll try for more another day. (I was sprayed with bug spray, too. They just laughed at that!)


On the corner of the retaining wall in front of the house are the daisies I planted to honor Mom Grace. They grow in front of the monument Dad brought up on one of his scuba diving forays. There are daylilies growing under the apple tree, as well as all along the front rock wall across the yard. 

Crown vetch also volunteered, and I can see I'm going to have to make a decision. Whether or not to let it take over as a ground cover that will choke out all the weeds (and any other plants I've put in the same area), or whether I should just pull it out completely and tame the garden it currently inhabits. I'm sure it seeded itself in when the interchange on the highway was built over a year ago. (You can usually see it in some of my front "weather vista" photos from time to time.) The state plants crown vetch as a retainer to keep the soil from eroding on the hillsides. Mixed blessing for us. 

Finally, outside the pantry window is a small patch of "wildness" that I've also neglected. These tiny Johnny jump-ups are coming up right through the grass!

Next time, I'll share the wild violets, bird's foot trefoil, clover, and some of the others. The lily of the valley has finished blooming for this year, as the bleeding hearts are fighting for space among other wild things. I need to clean out around it so they don't kill that beautiful specimen. The milkweed is blossoming, too, so I'll take photos of it soon to share with the others. I hope you enjoy this little garden tour.

Plans have morphed this week after some concerns for my sweetheart over the weekend. If I were to go camping with Di, I'd be seven hours from home. Handsome, Di and I discussed it, and Di and I decided that here is where I need to be right now. Handsome was grateful I made the decision. 

So, as I'd planned to be away from Wednesday through to the following Tuesday, I was added to the schedule to work today and tomorrow, my usual Tuesday. I let my boss know I'm sticking around, so I've also picked up Friday day hours, as well as an extra day next week. I can do that, as I'm only three miles from home when I go to work, and readily available should I need to quickly get back home.

We're going to make some calls before I leave today, and get Handsome in to see the doctor or his primary care provider this week. We have things to address as soon as we can get an appointment. Not to worry. He's okay in the meantime, but darn. If it's not one thing...

July 7, 2024

July 6, 2024

A Surprise For Di...

I'm hoping to see Di next week, and if I do, I'm going to have a surprise for her. She's a patriotic gal, and has been asking for this for a while. I keep telling her I'll do it for her Birthday in November. This would be early - and a real surprise.

If my travel plans hold, I'll share a photograph of her receiving it next week. For now, I'm going to get busy in the studio! Once I have my morning cuppa, I'm going to be cutting and sewing! It's going to be a fun day.

July 5, 2024

Tiny Ideas...

 
One of my co-workers had a sad event in their life Wednesday afternoon, so I was called in last minute to cover hours for the gal who works the register so she could work in the kitchen for my co-worker. She and her family were outside when her husband was leaving in their truck. She told the dog to stay on the porch, but as is usually the case, the dog didn't listen. Her husband accidentally ran over the dog and killed it. My co-worker is understandably devastated and will not be to work for a while.

So, I got up a 4:30 yesterday morning, and was at work by 5:30 to work the opening shift. The sun was coming up, and there was a thick haze in the lowland areas on my drive. It was actually quite beautiful. In some areas the chickory is already blooming along the shoulders of the road, so the Queen Anne's Lace won't be far behind. 

The little time I did have to stitch, I pulled a few tiny frames and experimented with what I might like to put into them. Of course, my favorite wildflower - the Queen Anne's Lace - was my first choice.

I work late afternoon again today, so I'm planning to stitch a bit more during the day today. I've got something special I'm going to be working on over the weekend, so I'll let you know about that tomorrow.

I hope you all had a restful holiday, celebrating with friends and family. Handsome and I got the grill out for the first time this year and enjoyed burgers together - grilled - as they always should be. It was perfect.

I'm going to have my morning cuppa and pull out my needlework supplies. Today, I shall simply follow my muse. How about you?

July 3, 2024

Wishful Thinking...

 
 Never enough time. 

 
It's been four years, and yet it feels like yesterday.
 
 
I miss you, Dad.
We all miss you.
 
Always, 
Your #1

July 2, 2024

More For The Pantry...

Two days ago, I pressure canned five large beef roasts for ready-to-eat meals. Each pint jar contains enough meat for a meal for both Handsome and me.

I cut all the meat into large cubes and set the trimmed fat aside. Then, all the meat was browned (3 separate batches) with chopped white onion, and placed in a jar containing our current favorite seasoning, Salt Sisters ™ Tuscan Blend. 

Once the jars were filled, leaving a 1 1/4" headspace, I added the liquid from the browning process and topped off with boiled spring water. Then I wiped the rims with vinegar, placed the lids and rings and placed them into the pressure canner. They were canned at 11 psi for seventy five minutes and stayed in the canner until about twenty minutes after it depressurized. 

After all the jars popped and cooled, I removed the rings, made sure they all sealed and added labels before placing them in the pantry on the "meat" shelf. When Handsome asked me what was on the menu for our evening meal, I told him, "Mashed potatoes and a jar of the meat I just canned." I have a homemade beef gravy blend, so I added that to the juice in the jar as I planned to put the meat on top of the potatoes.

Within a half hour we were sitting down to a complete hot meal, knowing that we have more of the same in the pantry. Another fulfilling day behind me.

I have venison (a gift from a friend), chickens, and a turkey still waiting in the freezer. I'll do those over the course of the summer. For now, the shelf is full and it's nice to know we have options. 

Handsome had a procedure yesterday at the hospital, so we were out of the house and on our way by 5:50 am. Early for us! Even though I took needlework with me, I was a little too preoccupied to stitch while I waited. So much for my intentions. 

I work today, but I may sit down with needle and thread for a while after work. Right now, I'm mentally tired, so I'm hoping work takes my mind off things for a little while. I'll see how I feel when I get home. More on that later.


July 1, 2024

New Hollyhocks Photos...

I told you the hollyhocks would be magnificent this year once they all opened, and they aren't disappointing. I wanted to frame our front steps with the pretty pink ones that stand against the rail, but look at the rest of these pictures!

Didn't Kaleb do a great job in the kitchen garden? I asked him to leave the ground cover in front of the hostas because they get small purple flowers and smell wonderful. They're sort of a wild sage smell. I looked them up once, but have since forgotten exactly what they're called as I write this. 

One of the things I'm really excited about is that the pipe in front of the shutter on the left is going away soon. The power company said they're bury the line without charge. We just need to hire our electrician to hook up to the underground line they'll bring in. They'll even go under our sidewalk!

So the overhead lines are going away, and with it that ugly pipe over the shutter. The cable at the corner (to the left of the pipe) is buried in the ground, and goes all the way up to the roof where it's attached to our lightning rods. Over the 105 or so years they've been on the roof, only one or two have actually broken from strikes, which protected the house. There are still more up top, and they're intact. That assembly will, of course, remain.

This is what the flowers look like as you approach our back (friends and family) entrance. It's hard to see from here, but waaaay down in front, behind that bright pink plant is a new color!

What color would you call this? It's not really magenta. Sort of a true purple. Isn't it lovely? Mum would like some of these plants, so I may dig that one up along with a few others to take to her garden. I'll be warning her that they're bullies!

The birds love this garden, so I'm refilling the seed feeder nearly daily. On Sunday, a new visitor showed up. We had a rose-breasted grosbeak (male) stop for a snack, but I wasn't fast enough to get a photo to share. I'll keep trying. You do see the hummingbird, though, don't you? It's drinking on the right side of that red feeder. They also buzz around the hollyhocks and over to the honeysuckle, too, while all these blooms are inviting them.

And when I turn toward the Compass Barn, there are still clusters of hollyhocks on the other side of the walkway. I just asked Kaleb to remove those that provided hiding places for naughty cats near the birdbath. I don't want any sneak attacks. 

So there's a tour of all the hollyhocks in their finery. They smell wonderful, and they're a real feast for the eyes, too. I hope you're enjoying them almost as much as I am. 

 See you tomorrow!