Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Mr. McDougle’s Garden

If it is possible to love plants, then Mr. McDougle really loved his garden. He spend hours each day pulling little weeds away from his cabbages and beans. His tomatoes and pumpkins always won prizes at the Fair for their beauty and taste.
Gardner

So, you might imagine the despair that Mr. McDougle felt when he found bites taken out of his cabbages one morning. Oh no, rabbits have been in my garden!…and they have been munching on my cabbages. Sure enough, there was a big bunny still at the end of a row!
Mama Bunny

Shoo, shoo yelled Mr. McDougle…get out of my cabbages. The bunny jumped up and ran as fast as she could! Oh, if only I had my sling-shot with me thought Mr. McDougle, I’d give that bunny a sting that would keep her running! He decided that he would wait for the bunny early in the morning because he knew she would be back!

Running Bunny
So, early the next day…Mr McDougle got up before the sun came up. He was very quiet as he walked out to his garden and sat down at the edge of the cabbage row. He sat and waited.

…and waited…and waited…and waited. He got very tired waiting so long.

He thought about all of his lovely plants as he waited. He remembered the days when he was just a young boy, helping his mother in her garden. He recalled how wonderful the food was she made from their freshly picked vegetables. Just as he was in the middle of a lovely day-dream about fresh green beans…he heard a sound. Slowly he turned his head…and down at the other end of the cabbage row sat that pesky rabbit! But, she was not alone…she had friends!
Bunny Family

When Mr. McDougle looked closely, he saw that these were not friends…but babies. That pesky rabbit was a Mama! The little bunnies were so cute, so fluffy and they hopped around their mother with such joy. Mr. McDougle shifted his feet, and the mother stood still as stone. The babies stopped moving and hunkered down to the ground. Mr. McDougle could hardly breathe he was so still. The mother bunny twitched her nose, and back down the cabbage row she hopped. She stopped long enough at the end of the row to munch on a cabbage leaf…and then she was gone. The baby bunnies were no where in sight either!

Mr. McDougle sat and thought a few more minutes before getting up from his hiding place. As he walked back to the house, he said to himself “next year, I need to plant more cabbages!”.

Monday, May 30, 2011

Marvelous Monday Motifs - 5/30/11



You can read all about my idea for Marvelous Monday Motifs here. Today we have pages 11-12 of the J. F. Ingalls Company, 1886 Catalog of Perforated Parchment Stamping Patterns. 

Please NOTE: This catalog is not under copyright any longer; but the scanned version released to the public domain on 17 July 2007 (the source of my information) does come with restrictions. None of these designs can be sold. They are for your individual use.
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Memorial Day Salute!


In Memory of Dad, and All the Other Soldiers Past and Present, Protectors of Our Freedom


 May God Bless the USA!
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Sunday, May 29, 2011

Baby Bibs Finished





A few days ago, my friend Pam came to visit and gave me a couple of baby-bibs with 14 count Aida panels to be cross-stitched. I decided on a little rose wreath for one, and a simple "Baby" on the other.

Here are the charts in case you might want to try the designs yourself.
The rose wreath would be cute on the corner of napkins, on a dress collar, a crazy quilt patch, or other small project.
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Saturday, May 28, 2011

French Script Saturday -- C



Monograms continue!! This one is for Cathy K.!



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Friday, May 27, 2011

Flashback Fridays -- Mom & Dad



There are thousands of memories of my parents as I was growing up..too many to share really. I'm so lucky to not only still have my mother still with us; she lives right next door! We lost dad to lung cancer in 1995...and miss him so very much! 
 
This is my favorite photo of my parents together.

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Thursday, May 26, 2011

A Little Sewing...


This is a good pattern. I've been trying to use up some of my cottons for Aidan some summer pants and tops. 
 The first top is done, and the pants are ready to go!
 I'm going to hunt up some other prints. She needs a few of these to get her through the hot weather. I need to make a trip to town to get more elastic, but that must wait until after the 1st of the month...but, I should have several cut and ready to sew up by then!

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Pure Bliss!


My niece, Shevy has the prettiest eyes and smile. But, ya'll wouldn't know that because all the photos I've taken have been of her asleep! And here's another one!
Celeste brought her by yesterday for me to baby-sit while she went to work. Aidan was wonderful...she kept a good watch over Shevy all day. 
 She played peek-a-boo with her and helped feed her. But, when diaper changing came...she had to leave the room "gagging" for the stinky one. Sure hope she grows out of that before she has children of her own!...of course she has 20-30 years for that! And I AM NOT rushing that day...at least not now. Talk to me in 15 years...and I might have changed my mind!
Sorry the photos are dark...but I didn't want the flash to wake her.
Celeste forgot her blankie...so we improvised with a bath towel. :)
 
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Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

School is Out...Kinda!


This morning, Aidan's first grade had their awards ceremony. School is officially still in until noon on Friday; but...after the program they announced that the children did not have to attend these "extra days" if they did not want to...because nothing academic was going to be accomplished. Boy, school is sure different than when I went...back in the stone ages!
Aidan got certificates in several areas of study.



 I know it's just the first grade...but I have hopes for the remainder of the grades! About 40% of the children did good in the reading, math, spelling...but only five of the children (about 5%) got the Neat Handwriting certificate. (She did not get that from me sadly...my penmanship is horrible!) (I do take full credit for the other certificates...as far as "genes" can contribute anyway!)
Here she is...with her A Honor Roll ribbon...photo is terrible...but you can see she is very proud!
We have celebrated with a fresh strawberry shortcake and a picnic out in the back yard. Didn't get photos of those...but we had fun! Now, we shall retire for a "Granny Nap!"
 
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Monday, May 23, 2011

Marvelous Monday Motifs - 5/23/11



You can read all about my idea for Marvelous Monday Motifs here. Today we have pages 9-10 of the J. F. Ingalls Company, 1886 Catalog of Perforated Parchment Stamping Patterns. 
Please NOTE: This catalog is not under copyright any longer; but the scanned version released to the public domain on 17 July 2007 (the source of my information) does come with restrictions. None of these designs can be sold. They are for your individual use.


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Sunday, May 22, 2011

In a Funk...



For some reason I'm just in a real funk lately! I just don't feel up to even picking up a needle. I'm not sick, just have no energy. I find myself sitting and starring at the wall! I have Chronic Fatique Syndrome but have not had a "bout" in a long time...sure hope that's not what this is! Perhaps it's just that the temps are getting so much warmer so fast. Today, it's in the 90's...last week it was in the 70's.
 
Someone needs to come over and give me a swift kick in the you-know-where and get me moving again!
I need to remember this....

 
 
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Saturday, May 21, 2011

French Script Saturday -- A


Here's another embroidery monogram motif! Hope you find a good project for it's use!

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Friday, May 20, 2011

Today is Linda's Birthday...


And, she is having a celebration! Check out her blogpost today at Stray Stitches and enter her give-a-way!
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My Dad the Soldier


Today, I thought I share some photos of my dad...when he was in the Army. 
He was in the infantry and drove a fuel truck. He was wounded in action and spent the remainder of his life in a good deal of pain from multiple back surgeries. 
(Dad is top left)
Regardless of his injuries, he never had a bad word to say about the military, his job during those years, or the country.
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