Westie Dog Hero

I will tell you about our hero westie, Sir Salty, and his good deeds in a moment Right now I am enjoying these aster flowers on our white table. Every little piece of green stem is loaded with flowers like mini daisies. I love how you can put any color against white and it pops out.

If you are a westie owner you will know it's battle cry bark. It is different from a "Who goes there," bark. I was outside working Saturday and I heard it start like an alarm clock, it doesn't stop by itself. I smiled thinking it was probably a squirrel, a groundhog or some other furry sort and kept working. After a minute or two I thought he definitely needs me for something and I rounded the bend with my own eyes and ears alert. He was in front of the house and had his nose to the ground. A bunny rabbit or what? He was not looking up at me even though I was talking to him. He was seriously preoccupied. A few feet more and I saw it was a snake!! Then I was hollering, too. Together we made quite a racket. My husband thankfully realized my holler was important. He came running with a shovel.

Sir Salty the hero! We don't always wear boots outside, but you can guess I've put the tallest ones on I can find. I think I am ready for hip boots even though I'm not going fishing.

If you want to read about what to do if dogs get snake bites, it's here. This got me to thinking about the emergency medical symbol itself is a snake going around a rod.

Westie Dog Knits

Sir Salty earlier this summer taking a snooze and just bathed. His coat is on the 'longish side which makes him look like a beach boy. I have a little surprise for him coming up.




I got this cute as can be pattern from Kristin Nicholas who designs the brightest things for all of us to enjoy! If you've not been over to her blog now is the time to skip over and have a visit on her sheep farm. Maybe you want to knit this too? You might even beat me at finishing it. My mom says my knitting is like skewering sheisk-ka-bobs, too tight, but I will keep practicing. Practice makes perfect is my Mom's saying.

White Picket Fences and Paper Dolls

I love these little miniature white wooden picket fences. So sweet and they say cottage charm. (Haven't you heard them?) I like to rearrange this little fence with different vignettes of paper dolls and animals. So much fun can be possible with a pen, paper and scissors. This would look so sweet in a nursery, but I actually have this in my dining room at present. I collected moss from out in the shady garden. We love to bring greens inside when it turns chilly. This is the tiniest clay pot they make I think, but so cute. My little giraffe says, "Hi. How are you? Let's party."




We have to include our westie dog most of the time with my paper dolls. A boy and his dog!





Sometimes our kitty gets to babysit them, but usually ends up bathing them.





These roses were white with pink edges. I dried them and I think they still look pretty.





Miniature fence, miniature clothespins. This looks like a fairy fence with their flower petal aprons out to dry.

There are so many more little decorating ideas for these little picket fences. I've seen them stitched onto collages and on canvas.

I hope you had a little fun here with me. Be sure to stop by Faded Charm to
see all of the other White Wednesday posts as there are many white cottage decorating ideas and gorgeous photographs. All photographs here I've taken myself, no small feat. Have a great week!

Blueberry Homesteading Book

The Blueberry Years by Jim Minick

I got this book in the mail from my sister. Since we've been sick I've had time to devour it. A "delicious" read it said in one review. Jim has a knack for describing people, human nature and blueberries! Everyone has a dream and Jim and Sarah's is to support themselves on a homestead of blueberries. How hard can that be they question that question? (Since his father grew some bushes it should be in his genes. No?) Blueberries that are not yet planted, nor the bull pines cleared, but they have the land and the dream. Easy enough they think. Jim takes you with him and his wife on this journey of labor and love and mother earth. Not any journey but an certified organic farmer's journey who invites strangers to his farm to "u pick" blueberries right along with them.

You soon realize he has a love affair with blueberries. I wonder how many blueberry bushes have been sold by nurseries because of Jim's apt description of their gorgeous existence.

When you toil over the land and plant the bushes you become protective of it. Jim also becomes an analyst of people, relationships, religion, money, dreams, neighbors, and the ever productive blueberry...all of the clever evaluations come from keeping the hands busy and the mind turns things over and over until every visible side is exposed. You laugh. You worry. And like a good friend he shares his feelings with you whether they are right or wrong at the time. Unlike myself he has learned when to pause and not answer. If you are not an organic food believer you will be.

After I read the last page I wanted to ring them up and invite them over for dinner. To think he used to teach high school English in Maryland. Jim is a gifted writer and poet. This book is not just for "do it yourself-ers" or homesteaders, it's a book about life and relationships that come from working toward a dream.

As a bonus he has added blueberry recipes at the end! I highly recommend it.

Vintage Glory Flower Photographs

There is something appealing about time-worn photographs. (Kind of like faded denim.) Since I don't have so many vintage photographs I have to make them look that way. I love bright, colorful floral photographs, but lately I love the "milky way" look as well. Do you not think it has a romantic look to it? I just picked a few asters, a few lavender flowers, a few sedum from the variegated form as they have the whitest buds and last forever, and a few sage leaves for scent.

Lavender and Me

Lavender smells so fresh and clean. I picked some blossoms to put in cookies, but ended up putting them here and there. This spool of thread lives up to it's name of DUAL DUTY. It made a nice little drying vase of sorts. Mini wonders. I really should have put them in a bowl of sugar to sweeten our tea with.

Adding to the Red Hot Garden

The hot is going to get hotter. The hot colored garden that is! I had this Orange Harvest iris rhizome and in it went. The color is a rich orange that darkens. It looks great against red foliage shrubs. Plus it reblooms in the fall. How great is that?

Remember twist ties? I guess they are history. This has a rubber band that is attached to the plastic label and then you twist it around the rhizome to keep them happily together and identified. Ta da! Ideas just waiting to be patented out there.

The thing I like about German iris plants is their foliage looks super for about 9 months here in our gardening zone. That soft morning sea breeze color of sage and the softest turquoise. Romantic. Beautiful and it doesn't droop but stands tall and strong defending the garden perimeters! (I want to paint a few chairs that color!)

Speaking of drooping...I am on the mend I will tell you. It's been raining and gray outside but inside I turned the heat on this morning to dry out the dampness and haven't stopped since.

Documenting my Garden and Weeds

Maybe you noticed the new banner picture. A little blossom of Russian sage with some dainty flowers that we call weeds here. I have been walking around noticing how beautiful some of these dainties are amongst the perennials. We gardeners think that plants look better in larger numbers with bold washes of color. It's true it does look great, but when you photograph flowers they look better dainty and by themselves. Soft, sweet and dreamy.

I've been a bit sick and the doctor said today I have pneumonia. Accck! No more bold cleaning supplies in our house. I read somewhere that it is so much safer outside than in a normal house because of fumes from carpets, floor varnish, etc. then we clean with such harsh chemicals with dangerous fumes. I want to look up green cleaning supply recipes! Bring on the lemons, limes and lavender with the hot soapy water. I think I could climb into a tub of that right now.