Boys will be boys

2011
1946
(There are 5 boys in this picture, look closely to find the two in the tree)

Back for seconds

Guess who came back for seconds?

I guess Mr. Red Headed Woodpecker is hanging around.

Sweet.

And since I am using my binoculars almost as often as using my camera, I spotted these adorable jack-in-pulpits growing out in our wooded backyard. So cute!

Still excited

I'm still excited about the birds. So I called our daughter-in-law today and said "oh, you must bring the children over to see the birds!" ... I really wanted to be sure they got to see the rose-breasted grosbeak and the beautiful northern oriole before the leaves filled out making it more difficult to spot the birds. The birds did not disappoint me; they came and flew around and ate at the feeders and the children shared grandma's excitement.

The boys could even spot the tiny little hummingbird!

And then, as I was making supper, I noticed the Red Headed woodpecker! I haven't seen him for a few years! We have lots of great woodpeckers (including the really huge pileated woodpecker) but this red-headed fella is amazing. I didn't get a great picture of him, but at least I got something!

Maybe he'll come back tomorrow. I just need him to pose in the sunshine and not on the shady side of the tree! ha ha.

Fabulous

This beautiful bird is a rare treat to see!

It's an indigo bunting and I am

SO EXCITED to see him today!

And to actually get a few pictures too!
They are actually NOT BLUE... their feathers are black and the sunlight refracted within the structure of the feathers makes them only appear blue. In direct sunlight it also appears iridescent. Isn't that amazing?

Outside my window..

Did I ever mention how much I love our birds? ha ha. I think maybe..

I was just remarking to our daughter-in-law how I just couldn't get over how excited our grandsons were every time they came over and saw the birds. I said I was so surprised that they hadn't tired of seeing the birds... but then she reminded me that I was just the same way!

How right she is: the minute the oriole arrived, I ran to the refrigerator to grab an orange and slice and hang it!

And, right on cue, Mr. Grosbeak arrived today!

We have been writing down the arrival of our migrating birds since 1988. The pages in our bird book are getting full of notations but I just can't bring myself to upgrading to a newer book. It just wouldn't be the same!

In the picture above are a cardinal, goldfinches, northern orioles, a male rose-breasted grosbeaks, a red breasted woodpecker, a hummingbird and a vireo (I think a "Bell's vireo).

That is just a sampling of our birds, but these are the most colorful today.

Make new friends, but keep the old...

If you were a brownie or a girl scout, you may have sung "Make new friends, but keep the old, one is silver and the other gold." Did you sing that song?

Well, I had a wonderful long weekend because an old friend and her husband came for a visit!

Did we ever have fun visiting and catching up on everything!

When I was a young mom with a toddler and an infant, in 1978, I moved from the New Jersey to a farm in Saskatchewan, Canada. And one of the best things about that move (we lived there for 5 years) was becoming friends with Darlene, another mom with a toddler and an infant... (we both had a 3rd child after that as well. ) Our children played and played together and we moms talked and talked together. I don't know what I would have done to get through those days without our friendship!

It seemed like we picked up where we left off because we talked and talked all weekend long!

When we weren't eating or shopping, that is....

And just by luck, Darlene's cousin was also in town; both of them here from Canada.

Darlene was aware that her cousin Sharon was going to be in town but Sharon had no idea about Darlene being here. (They live in different provinces and don't see each other all that often.)

So "I" invited Sharon to join "me" for coffee and was she surprised to see cousin Darlene with me!

Sharon's daughters who live in our town also joined in on the fun.

The weather, which has been rather cool all spring, was fabulous on Friday and we had our first cook-out of the season in the evening. It was perfect!


The weather cooperated into Saturday, so we decided we could do another "first" for the season and that was to put the pontoon boat in the water and take a little cruise around one of our many nice lakes.

(There are 1000 lakes alone in our county! 10,000 in our state!)

The happy friends.

Some of our grandchildren were along too.

Until next time....

Thanks for the memories...

The birthday girls

Happy Birthday today to my dear sister-in-law Debbie!

I wish I were there to help celebrate.

I'm so glad you are my sister!

And Happy Birthday today to this sweet sister!

It's a special birthday today!
Hope it's a wonderful day!

To my wonderful sister...

How many people in the world are fortunate enough to have a sister who is also their best friend?

I don't know the answer, but I do know I am ONE of them!

Happy Birthday to my dear sister, my friend...

A time for....

Ladies retreat at Inspiration Point Bible camp is a time for...

singing...

and a time for laughter...

(these were great speakers!)

a time for nourishment...

and a time for friendship.

(Aunt and niece!)

And a time for looking forward to the future...

Pots by design...

This past weekend at the Ladies Retreat at Bible camp there was a Women's "Expo" in the afternoon where various crafts, businesses, services and ministries were on display. A few of my friends (all busy young mom's!) were displaying some of their talents. I had fun taking pictures of everything and I thought it would be fun to feature these gals on my blog.

This fabulous pottery is made by Christine, a busy mom of 2 (3 in October!) and a talented artist.

Along with mugs, vases, teapots, etc., Christine is also making (and selling) beautifully crafted vessel sinks. You can see two of them in this picture above.

Wouldn't that be fabulous to have one of those in your bathroom?

More snapshots.

Not only did she bring all that pottery to the expo, but her potter's wheel came along as well!

It was amazing to watch. She made it look so easy (and I know it's not!)

This is Christine's way of relaxing...

I know I would NOT be relaxed with that wheel spinning! ha ha!

A good artist makes it all look easy.

I don't think it took her long at all to do these!

Now she will fire them in her kiln and offer them for sale.

Christine has just started her website, making her items available for purchase.

You can visit her new site at

www.potsbydesign.com

n.

Another creative person at the Ladies Expo was Nancy, who sews the most darling onesies,

leg-warmers, headbands, and other adorable infant items.

I had to take some pictures, of course!

(And because Nancy and her sisters share cousins with our sons, I have decided that they are really relatives. Somehow. Seems to me that they should be called niece-in-laws, once removed. Works for me!)

I love the shirts/onesies that have the large embroidered initial on them!

Isn't this a cute way to display some of her creations?

These colors are just fabulous.

You can't go into a store and buy these colors!

Nancy is on facebook at

N DOT {n.}

Did I mention she is a busy mom with two little boys and a new baby due this month!

I don't remember being able to accomplish anything like this when I was a young mom!

Nerdy Gerdy

My friend Gretchen loves to sew and knit - how she finds the time while she raises 4 young children on the farm (gardening, weeding... meals for farmer Knut), homeschools. and keeps a little internet business going called Nerdy Gerdy Boutique, I really don't know. But she does.

She was out at the Women's Expo Saturday afternoon at the Ladies Retreat showing some of the adorable cloth diapers she makes. The ones here had the most amazing rosemaling designs embroidered on the fanny! Aren't they cute?




And this little sweetheart came along with Momma!

She was such a good baby all afternoon!

Gretchen is explaining how the liner works in the cloth diapers.

These are just so fabulous.

If you want to check out her internet store click on

www.hyenacart.com/nerdygerdy/

Stitching on Spruce street..

Alison and bright colors seems to go together!

She had a nice assortment of the darling clothes and sundry items that she sews and sells (in her free? time... she has 3 young girls!)...

It was so nice that she was able to set up a great display at the ladies expo so we could see, touch, and ohhh and ahhh over her cute creations!

It was the colors that really drew me in!

I just had to photograph them up close just for fun!
Is this not the cutest thing?

More colors, just sooo cheerful..

If you want to know more about Alison's internet store you can click on

www.sprucestreetstitchin.blogspot.com