My Virtual Garden

One of my friends from MGQ just told us that her husband has been tested for early onset Alzheimers. I first met her husband in Jasper Canada where he patiently waited while us giddy women planned out our trip for the day. Within our group of stitchers, a few men shine as part and parcel of who these wonderful women are. Bernie is one of those men who quietly supports their wives so well, we would not know and love the woman so well without also loving the man.
So this is for B and C. For the smile he gave me trying to flyfish in the coldest waters known to man. For C. who spend time every year making sure her quilt sisters receives and ornament. I hope that we will find a cure for this awful, progressive disease and I hope that C. and B. find many more years to build memories of a lifetime. All my love and prayers C.

Catching up on reading

12-18-09 Lotion Bars P Allen Smith Garden Home

Just received this in my email. Currently everything in my house is about color, color, color so articles and pictures in white really catches my fancy, at least until the stark grey and white of Iowa skies makes February a color saturation required month.
I love this idea and think it will be perfect for my holiday days off.
Posting the recipe here to make sure I can get back to it:
Gardener's Lotion Bar 3 ounces grated beeswax 3 ounces cocoa butter3 ounces shea butter3 ounces oil (olive, almond or jojoba)Essential oil for fragrance (optional)Rubber soap moldMelt the beeswax, cocoa butter and shea butter in a double boiler. Don't melt beeswax in the microwave. It will spark and possibly explode.Whisk in the oil.Add a few drops off essential oil for fragrance, if you'd like.Pour into a rubber or plastic soap molds. Set aside to harden overnight.Pop out the moisture bars and wrap in wax paper.
P. Allen Smith has many great ideas on his website. Recommended reading and viewing.

Promises of Spring

32 degrees brought some snow melt just in time to remind me of the pending spring. It takes a bit of faith to believe that there is golden sunshine and warm weather just around the corner from gray skies and lung chilling cold. I needed this brief melt to show me that a few catalogs and months away will be spring with all her glorious green.

Home Sweet Home

The shingles need replaced as well as the wiring. The wind rushes in like a freight train and snow drifts in from the surrounding fields. The rooms are not large nor fancy but now that I have a possibility to upgrade to another house, I find more and more thing I love about my home. The barns, although one side needs tinning, houses my horses secure and warm. The buildings provide promises of greenhouses to come. The dirt is rich, loamy and eagerly supports any ideas I throw at it. The dogs are safe and free to run about. The birds are starting to come back, eager to be fed. I feel safe within her walls and I find the thought of moving sad. I find that I have fallen in love with this place and loath to leaving it. I find myself filling the hours I spend alone planning the gardens. The other place will have to be spectacular for me to leave this happy place.