Ginger Snaps

My reason for ever going in a Dollar Tree store is to buy cookies. This kind of cookie...

Oh my goodness! Do you like ginger snaps? 

Well, if you do, these are the best, and these Lil' Dutch Maid ginger snaps actually have a little ginger in them. :)  

Lil' Dutch Maid. Cookies made in the U.S.A. This company has been around for a long time, and listen, you can eat 5, and get only 120 calories...except I usually eat 10.

Aw, here's something else, "Mama, and ginger snaps"...

Mama used to tell me about leaving home and going to work in a textile mill in the big city of Ashboro, NC. Back then there were lots of hosiery and textile mills around.

Mama rented a room in a boarding house. Anyhow, she loved tea and ginger snaps. After walking home from work she and friend would carry their tea and ginger snaps and sit out on the front lawn. 

It was there that she met Daddy. Just so happened that he was working in a mill in Ashboro too.  Mama said the first time she saw him, he was wearing white slacks and had on a white flat cap, or newsboy type cap. He was tall, very handsome. Daddy always wore a hat of some kind. 

well darn, he's not wearing his hat here...anyhow, you can see that he is tall and handsome. Sorry, I've posted this pictures a dozen times. (that's me hanging onto Daddy's coat tail).

Oh friends, better get going. Wish me luck. I'm getting a perm today. Yes I am...after promising myself, never again! But my hair needs bounce and body! Will let you know. 

Love,

Henny

CAN YOU TELL

I was in the sewing room last night? Some nights it's a job just keeping Dumper out of my sewing chair, off my pattern pieces, and away from the pin cushion.

You may remember the story of Dumper's expensive surgery several years ago. That's right. Was doing some hand stitching on a bonnet when Poppy called.  When I got back to the sewing room, the needle and thread were gone from the bonnet. An X-ray at the vet's office was all we needed. Cost us $800.00 but we still have little Dumper.

He loves this cutting board, but his favorite toy is tied to the end of that string underneath him...it's a few Guinea feathers I picked up in the yard.

Anyhow, I did manage to get a little sewing done, in fact, lately have finished four little pinafores...

Pinafores like these used to sell good at craft bazaars. Don't know why I ever stopped making them.

Haven't quite finished this one...

 

but have three more cut out in a size 6.

Also pulled out the pattern for the girl's Pioneer Bonnet...

The rain finally stopped but good grief, the high winds and freezing cold that moved in still keeps us inside. Whew! and with all the trees gone from across the road, there is absolutely no wind break from the north.

and if you are wondering where Smokey has been all this time, oh he was in the sewing room too...

behind the bed. He must have partied all night.

Weetie and Smokey are our big eaters! This is normally where they sit and wait for someone to come by and ask, "are you hungry"? See that pitiful look? 

Guess that's about it for now.  Poppy and I have been cleaning out and moving things around a little. Will save that for another time. 

Appreciate your visiting.

Love,
Henny

PS. Dr. Davis gave me back the rusty needle and thread he removed from Dumperoo...

Teeny Tiny Greenhouse changes

It is always a nice surprise to see new followers. Thank you! I do appreciate your friendship, so much!

Well, I've decided not to call the greenhouse a "she shed". 

Anyhow, while plundering through the thrift store looking for something lightweight to hang on the walls, found two green panels, long enough to wrap around the greenhouse twice! for $3.96! Just what I needed!

The sun shines through the green fabric pretty good. (those rare moment lately when the sun does shine)

Oh, the tea cups on the shelf!! :) I've about given up on that pot belly wood stove for the potting area, but have found a teeny tiny stove called the Ohuhu camping stove that burns twigs...all I need is a kettle. Won't that be fun!

Could use a more comfortable chair but this will do for now.

the little folding stools I bought for a dollar each back when my two granddaughters were small...to sit on down at the pond when fishing with grandpa.

Two new bags of pea gravel makes the floor look cleaner. Brick pavers along the sides have turned dark.

picked up the cedar limbs and bare little tree across the road...that had been trampled down by the big machinery

Several years ago, Poppy brought me a stack of tiles someone had thrown away. Been stacked in the shed ever since...until now. :)

Still have lots of smaller potted plants like these on shelves at the front of the greenhouse...

Better get busy! Poppy is working today but gets off at 2:00! Got lots to do and very little time. Guess I'll drag out the vacuum cleaner first! :)

Love, 
Henny


I meant to add this picture of Smokey, but hit "publish". So...

my sweetie pie!

Birthday, and a bird story

Gosh, I was all prepared to show you the changes made in the teeny tiny greenhouse, but then Poppy reminded me...

Guess who turns six today? Recognize this little ball of fur?

It's Eli! 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELI!

Seems like just yesterday we were bringing him home...

leaving behind, eight little brothers and sisters.

So many new and strange things to discover, outside that big red barn where Eli was born.

Growing up too fast...

and a big boy here...

but never too big for my teddy bear...

and turning six years old today...

Sorry for the long face. Eli and I feel about the same today. You may can tell from the picture, it's raining again! Raining and windy, again! Very dreary, and we both want to be outside!

and a sad little story that ends well...

Saturday, a beautiful Cardinal flew into the kitchen window. It hit very hard, fell to the ground and was lying there dying, probably in shock.

Poppy heard the noise, ran outside and found the bird. He cupped his hands around it to keep it warm and safe until the bird began to get it's senses back. Poppy carefully sat it on a bird feeder and watched it for the longest time, until it flew away.  

all of the bird's tail feathers fell out, you can tell in the first picture. But, it survived and was back at the bird feeders yesterday and today, several times. 

Hope I didn't overdo the Eli pictures. He sure is a sweetie pie!  

Love,
Henny 

Trees, and a She Shed??

Sure do appreciate all the nice comments on my last post. Thank you so much. Sorry I didn't get back to reply. 

and gosh, new followers! Thank you!

Oh friends, I've sat here and written a terribly boring post about the loss of our trees...

So, decided to back up and tell you, I've been standing and staring at the teeny tiny greenhouse...

The first cool days of fall I moved lots of plants inside. I loved it! But a few freezing nights took it's toll and now it's not so pretty. 

and might as well face it, two burning candles did not keep the place warm. 

So, I'm turning the teeny tiny greenhouse into a teeny tiny she shed. :) I've run a heavy duty drop cord from the shop and plugged in the little milk house heater; not to run continuously, but when I'm in there. This should be fun!!

I still want plants inside, and can a greenhouse be cozy? I will be hunting and searching and dragging a few thing from the house up to the greenhouse today.  Will keep you posted. :)

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The big tree cutting company has cut the last standing tree, packed up and moved to another location. Well, they did leave one tall pine...

Carried my camera on our early morning walk with Eli yesterday. Wanted to show you just how wide open and bare it looks across from our house.

until now, we have never seen the rolling hills across the way. Can you see the tiny white dot back in the trees between the tall pine and center of the picture? Well, that's our neighbor's place. Looks far away now, but actually their driveway is just a few feet down from our driveway...

in fact, that's Poppy and Eli standing at their driveway and you can see their house from there. Crazy, isn't it? Another neighbor lives down the driveway behind Poppy.

We've had way too much rain lately. Friday, we got two inches then overnight had high winds and another quarter inch. We can now see the sky and the clouds, and this is how it looked late Friday afternoon...

The wind blew one of the panels out of my little greenhouse, but I was able to repair it.

Most of you know how afraid I am of storms...suppose now that I can see storm clouds brewing, I will be scared to death!

Oh, I almost forgot to explain about the one tall pine tree left standing...

When the tree company first arrived, Poppy told one of the men that his hunting spot was in those woods and that he had a tree stand in one of the pines. The man said, no worries, go wrap some flag tape around the tree trunk and we will not cut it. They gave Poppy that tree :) He was tickled to death. It was there that he killed the eight point buck. 

Hope you haven't signed off, for good!

Love,
Henny

PS...Bettina, in reply to your comment, the land owners plan to re-seed in pine trees. There are no plans to sell the property for a housing development...we are thankful for that.

A bit about Christmas

Dearest friends,

We had a really good Christmas. Hope all of you did too!

Daughter Lynn and her fiance Jason with Mars and Amelia

and even though Christmas is over, hope you won't mind if I show you a few Christmas things...Well, I would have been back before now but with so much going on, 

Like Windows 10! and not being able to load pictures from my little camera. Finally got that figured it out, "all by myself"!! I sure did!!

Anyhow friends, you know how I've always wanted to be from England, well I have! and always wanted to drink tea from a pretty teacup, that too! and make the traditional British mince pies...

Do you have any idea how proud I am of these little mincemeat tarts? Don't laugh at my makeshift cooling rack, and sorry, some spilled over a little...

Why, I've waited an entire year to make these little tarts. I bought a jar of Borden mincemeat on sale after Christmas last year.

This was the most fun cooking I did for the holidays...

Have to admit, the pie crusts came in a box, but it was I who cut the little rounds and placed them in the pan. An ice cream scoop worked perfect for pressing the dough into the cups. 

and after all these years, got to use this set of teeny tiny antique cookie cutters I found at a sale years ago...

(did wash them in hot soapy water first) and best of all, I like the mincemeat. It's delicious! 

We got lots of beautiful Christmas cards. Don't worry, I'm not going to show them all... but look at this one...

Six Lab puppies! Have you ever seen anything so cute!! Wish I could keep one.

and a big group of silly kitty cats that made me smile.

just one more...

an adorable Bun Bun all sweetly decked out for Christmas. 

We enjoyed every Christmas card that came in the mail. This is one tradition I hope never goes away. 

Oh, some of you asked to see the ice box fruit cake after it was sliced, so here it is with half missing. It's very good!...

So can we start thinking about spring and gardening now? I'm wondering just how much light and sun we can expect with all the trees cut, across the road. 

For today though it's very cloudy here, and a bit sad with all the trees gone...hard to believe, isn't it. Oh, you would be surprised at the number of squirrels that have taken up residence in the trees in our yard now.

Thank you, if you're still here. Sorry for such a long post. I'll be visiting and catching up. 

Love,

Henny