I haven't fallen off the face of the earth

I am just having problems with my back and not feeling the want to

blog at the moment\

hopefully I'll be rid of whatever the hell it is

soon

and be back in blog land

sorry for being such a bad blogger!!!

:)

xx

Ellen's melons

shame on you all

not those melons

these melons!!!!!

I'm doing a little blog linking today

I have been thinking about introducing you all to each other

you know sending you off to all the blogs I frequent

and introducing you to each other and maybe you'll find someone or something

that is interesting and fun

or teaches you something

which is why I go there!!!

so...

what better place to start with someone who has become a friend

and is launching her

Etsy shop

something I'm thinking about doing too

but this isn't about me

it's about

ELLEN

who lives way down south in

La

no not that LA

the hot spicy one

next to the

Gulf and New Orleans

aka

the big easy

the soul of the south

the place where people are warm and friendly

and in this case

sweet and talented

a couple of weeks ago you may have noticed a sudden surge of all things

watermelon

I told you about making some hot pads for my friend who can't hook

and sending them off

at the same time

Kate

of Garden Bell fame

made the same thing

but in her inimitable style

and Ellen saw them

on our blogs and on

Flickr

of course

so Ellen joined in the

"all things watermelon"

I am sure some of you have never seen these things before

let me tell you that in the States

the watermelon is the icon for

Summer

if it were red white and blue it couldn't be more

American

 it goes along with

hamburgers and hot dogs

mustard and ketchup

baseball

water sprinklers and ice cream

fourth of July picnics

if it could whistle it would

whistle

I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy

when I came here all those eons ago

I had never seen watermelon

never eaten it

had the juice run down my chin and pool on my lap

I have eaten my share

and even had seed spitting contests

with the kids

but

 back to

Ellen and her melons

When I made mine I didn't know what to do about the seeds

so I embroidered them with a needle and thread

boring!!!!

Ellen figured out how to make big ones that actually show up and are worth the effort

so she set about designing her own

and she asked me if i would test the pattern

to which I of course said

YeS M'aM!!!

I got the patten and took off with hook and wattymelon coloured yarn

and a little while later I had me a

melon with seeds

and it's just flippin' brilliant of her to figure it all out

now

I do not have the pattern here nor will I give it to you

it is Ellen's and she will tell you how to get it

so off you go to her blog and find out how you can get the pattern

it's really easy to do and the end result will make you smile

a watermelon slice sized

smile

say hi while you're there and visit a while

she may even have some sweet tea and a slice of melon for you

you know how hos-pit-able

those southern belles are

you can use them to put

gram ma's pressed glass compote on

or you can use it to cover the dish

put a pretty jar on it

or let someone have their own picnic on it

hang it on the fridge

but don't use it for the oven

maybe a warm pot top

but it sure looks cute hanging there

and she has patterns for a place mat too

which haven't made and some other things

so quick run before you miss out on the

melon craze

or summer ends and you have to wait till next year!!!!

so see you next time

here's how to get to

Louisiana

in one little click of your mouse

bye

and

ya'll come back now

y'hear!!!!

ellens blog

:) |)~~

an odd sort of day...

if you know me at all

and few of you do

but now you'll know more!!!!

you know

I do not like pink

and I am not that fond of green

unless it is just the right shade

this yarn has been on the shelf in the

useless craft store

 for a while

I have picked it up

and put it back down

a million times

well

maybe

a few less times than that

the last time I was in there

I picked it up and made it stay with me

tucked under the arm

picked up again if put down

but the last visit was a short one

which is how I got to leave with

said yarn

we had things to do and places to go

so it was more about

paint and plastic wood and nails of just the right size

and all those little things that make a job go faster

HUH!!!

I have tried and tried to manipulate

the colours so you can see the real shades

they are deeper and richer than they appear here

but alas it is not to be

and anyway your end will show it differently too

so just know it is the right shade of pink

and the correct colour of green

yes

more knots

pink and green knots

like a vine with

pink roses on it

or

 pink

milkweed

on the plant

!!!

 

love in the semi shade!!!

this is one of my very favourite photos

I ever did take

along with the first one up there

blue sure can take me a picture when he wants

the strange thing about today is it's warm and cool at the same time

the rain is coming and it's making me feel like curling up with a book and a hook

wonder if I can read and hook at the same time

let me go and see

a cup of tea

a hook

a book

makes three

......

:)

Lunch can wait....

I went outside to ask the

resident

jack of all trades

house painter

window frame putter upper

painter of said frames

if he would like some lunch

I got a nod

but

I heard a hawk

a falcon

a buzzard

bird of prey

but not an eagle

a bird of some sort

screeching high up in the trees

...

you know what I did

I got

blue out and went to see what we could see

we saw....

these two characters

remember I only have a digital

no big zoom lenses

to go up up up

80 odd feet

but can you see that

Robin

 up there with the

hawk falcon buzzard but not an eagle

sitting up higher

than the highest on the food chain

he looks chuffed

this one screeched the whole time I was under him

lens pointing up

trying to catch this noisy so and so

I took many more but they aren't so good

not that these are

:p

and then he was gone

:) :) :) :)

 I was suddenly aware of the quieter

more stately members of the

outside bunch

the ones that flit hither and yon

among the

milk weed

and of course the breeze started to blow

I love this stuff

it is just gorgeous and I've always wanted it in the garden

but there is a patch across the street now

so I will leave it there to live as it should

unless they start to clear the woods

which they might

stupid

expletive deleteds

first there was one

then two

then

three

look carefully on the right and you will see

I heart you

flutterbys

so ...

back to making lunch

back to doing what I should be doing and not

snapping every damn thing I see

but

wait a minute

what's that over there

why 'tis the heron

come to see what's for his lunch

so sneak down the freshly sealed steps

that aren't all the way dry

but don't tell "him" or I'll be in trouble!!!

 I hide behind the bush

then the first tree

then the second tree

knowing full well that

he sees me

and is trying not to laugh

as I sneak up

on him

this creature is too

regal and noble

to put up with this human fool

but he waits

for one more second

before lifting off

and flying

where he will be able to eat in peace

 

the end

the oven just beeped

.......

catch you later

......................................................................................

:)

this dessert is called a

bumble berry tart

apples blackberries and raspberries

in a flaky pastry shell

Friday night's goodie

one of the new foods at the grocery store

we will have it again!!!

just because of the name

mostly

but it was

del-issshhhh

Saturday night some moron started a fire that blacked out the sky and the lake

and it

stunk up the house

in this season of dry

why???

Friday the magnolia had a bloom I thought I could get up close and personal with

as soon as I saw it was opening I ran down to snap it

but the bugs and yucks got there first

and I couldn't, wouldn't

get that close

I tested a pattern for a friend and it worked

she made the pattern and figured out the seed situation

and I made the hot pad

more info later

it's from

wildaboutcolor

on flickr

where you can find her blog too

Friday I had to water the plants

because it had been so hot and dry

and when I did

I saw the patterns

and

snapped

!!!

then I found a tiny

small

littlest of all

viola

in one of the beds

so I lifted it and put it in a small pot

along with a tiny panda from one of hubbies bonsai failures

and it's doing well

and panda is happy to be helping hold it up

!!!

the flower is the size of my thumb nail

so I had to

crop

a

little

...

I am on

pass the drill through the window

duty

so I can't stay long

....

well I can't stay

I hear the tapping on the window

once more

see ya!!!!

new fashion?

I was sitting on the couch last night

watching the only thing worth watching

trying to finish a second something

there are a zillion

HDTV channels

on our new cable line up

they've changed the channel numbers

provided us with

choose whatever you want

24/7/365

look how pretty this all is

push a button and you can buy stuff off the TV now

but

BUT...

there is still not one thing worth watching

why do they think that everyone goes out on Saturday night

in this economy especially

why don't they put some good movies on and just let us choose which one we want to watch

or a good

old fashioned variety show

(am I showing my age again!!!)

anyway

I was about to nod off from sheer boredom

when the phone rang

it was my friend

who I sent the watermelon hot pads to

she asked if she needed to

lower her ears

I asked her to repeat what she said

" I can't get my eats into it"

she replied

into what

I queried

the hat you sent

I sent you a hat

yes with the coasters

I started to laugh the laugh I had needed all day long

I was laughing so hard I couldn't tell her

it isn't a hat

it's a

...

 

basket

to put the coasters in when she isn't using them

or the hot pads maybe

then she described trying to get the thing to fit her head

how her husband looked at her when he saw it sitting slightly askew on top of her noggin like a misshapen beanie

she wondered what the holes were for

I said they aren't holes they're handles

but if you wear it as a hat maybe you can hang your earrings from them

and considering what some people wear nowadays

why not put a basket on your head

and wear it

 wear it

proudly

with attitude

and panache

total confidence

that no one will walk up to you and ask

er

excuse me madam

why doth thou sport

a basket upon your

noggin?

so shall we start a new fashion??

I asked that she take a photo of it on

but I doubt she will

then again

if we ask nicely

maybe she will

.....

L

thank you so much for calling and making me laugh til my sides hurt and I couldn't catch my breath

for being

 brave and bold

and asking

 why the hell

 I made you

a

watermelon

HAT

????

!!!!!!!

the ones we love

Oh my goodness has it been an emotional couple of weeks.

there have been some really sad things happening

stories of people having encounters with animals

that have sad endings

You sit there and read about what happened

and find the tears rolling down your face

and you sob for the pain and hurt

that has been felt

 sharing stories of these creatures

they have come in contact with

whether it be a  street cat

or a new born cygnet

or a baby bird in your garden

food and love and companionship are given lovingly and freely

you do everything you know how to do

and the end result is that

Nature steps in

and breaks your heart

big time

I feel for each of you 

 I have had my share of these wonderful encounters with animals too

I tend to step back now and not get involved

sounds harsh and mean

but I can't do it anymore

knowing the end result in most cases

of course that's what I say and think

until the next one comes along

Tammy....we had a wild cat for a while

my husband found it in the middle of the road one freezing cold night

on his way back from work

he brought it home and gave it a saucer of milk

and was surprised to find it still here the next morning!!!

we fed it and the kids played with it for a while

it wouldn't come very close to us so we made it a warm box and put the food out

it stayed in the garden and seemed to be happy

it grew and got all cute...

and we were getting ready to let it come inside and live with us

but it never made it

I won't say what happened one dark night

but it killed us having to tell the kids the next morning

Kim,

you know how I felt about Little One

and I know what it has done  to you

and

the rest of those who watched as you recorded the daily events of this tiny little thing are sad too

but what has happened now with the mama swan is just magical

but it doesn't take the pain away

it somehow makes it a little more bearable that she can share her loss with you!!

and Ruth

you poor thing

I was in tears yesterday reading about the little bird in your garden

knowing how hard you tried to help

and not being able to

know that you were fighting a losing battle

Nature separates those that won't make it

she knows and we don't

and that's when our humanity

gets trampled on and the pain of seeing it

is too much

you were there at the end and it wasn't alone

take comfort in that

I don't mean to be maudlin and dramatic

but our encounters with the animals of all kinds

can make us feel things we didn't know we could

the street cats in all the cities in all the world live and die alone

as do the strays in the woods and fields all over

it isn't until we encounter one of them that we know they are there

the wild birds that fly overhead don't mean much until you get up close and personal with

one

and discover birds have personalities and feelings too

and the nests that fill the trees and bushes

have life in them

and the chance to watch from a distance

and see the babies in the nest is just wonderful

it all starts and ends

all the time

and most people don't even notice

but a few do

the ones with wide open hearts at the ready

and

 in most cases it's all wonderful and happy

and then

there are the times

it isn't

and it's hard

and not fair

and it

STINKS

.....

you are all wonderful people

yes you are!!!!



found it...

the reason for the huge numbers on our blog stats

it's one of those

robot thingy ma dos

that scans the web

remember a few months ago

we were finding

adult sites showing up

and a few people changed

blog sites because of it?

I found something called

wepostalot.com
and there is something else out there
but I can't find what
the numbers frome the blogs I have on my list are showing
huge numbers of visitors

I have to cut this short the save function isn't working
so
a post with no pictures

and a tiny bit of info....

OK one picture

of what I did this morning!!!!

have to go before the bloody thing blows up

gggrrrrrr!!!!!!!!!

lots of photos

the only thing to say is

IT'S HOT

here

feels like

113F

45 C or more

outside

where the husband insists on being

so he can finish what he started

why he has to do that is beyond me

but he's in the shade and I'm giving him lots to drink

through the door

as he is up a ladder just outside the kitchen!!!

I have been trying very hard not to go out

because I feel sick almost immediately

and I do not

do not

know how the poor people who work outside

survive in this hell

they laughingly tell us a cold wave is coming

which means big noise and wind and torrential rain

probably

but the cold front

will bring temps of

the high

80's

ha ha!!!

so let's look at cool and pretty things

if blogger will let us

that is

 still the problem with comments not being able to be made

I am wondering if you are having trouble

because my

visitors numbers have jumped to

 huge

for

this blog about nothing

:)

but only one or two comments are showing

but then again

there's nothing to comment on

!!!!!!!

but I do thank those of you who have left such nice comments these past few days

as I have said before

I wish it was as pretty as it looks

Teresa asked where this is

It's Virginia USA

south of Washington DC

half way between the mountains and the ocean

in what used to be the country

and is now the suburbs

or as they call it

the bedroom communities to the

Nations' Capital!!!!!

the goose neck loose strife

:o

is beginning to bloom

the bee magnet

but there don't seem to be very many bees around

I hope it isn't a bad sign that they are gone

maybe it's too early for them yet

 ??

and the roses are going all

neon pink on me

they literally shine in the sun

 those expletive deleted monsters are at it again

.............................

yesterday morning before the heat was in full force

I went to see what there was to see

and this little guy let me shoot him

he's a baby so he doesn't know any better yet

an adult  was up a tree

barking all sorts of insults at me

I disturbed their breakfast

 the buffle head duck and her babies floated by

she still has them all

thank goodness

I haven't seen the goslings in the last few days

I'll bet they've grown since we last saw them

I have to keep this well watered

two or three times a day

with the sun and the heat and the lack of rain

it earns it name this one

hydra means

gimme gimme gimme

and lots of it!!!

Miss Ellen from down south

aka Wildaboutcolour on Flicr

asked me to test a

I almost typed recipe

:) :) :)

a pattern that she has made

the woman is brilliant and came up with a way to put the seeds in the watermelons

that are all the rage

so I happily said I would

and it's

brilliant

she made the pattern look very professional and I hope if you get the chance to get it

you will

it will make her very happy

as you can see here I still have melon coloured yarn so I'm starting on another

who knows what

but I will finish the test and then get back to this messy pile

I got up early again today

and I felt like sewing something

so I did

with felt and cotton

and I figured out how to make

yo-yo's with yarn

I remembered making a flower a while back that sort of turned in on itself

so I did that and it seems to have worked

and I couldn't help myself

I picked one of each and stuck them in a cute jar

with some blue marbles to hold the stems up

and I

give them to you

nice folk out there in blog land

..........

hope you had a good day

and I'll see you

next time

I would also like to say

 HI

to the new followers who have joined us here

in the

roomontheleft

welcome to the

blog about nothing

I hope you come back and let me know who you are

because some of you don't have a place to visit in return

.................................

take care all

stay cool

and

be good

:)