Thoughts of spring and Hen saddles

Hey friends,

Sorry I haven't been around to visit lately. To be honest, I'm glad to see the month of February come to an end. February has always been the hardest month to get through. Tired of winter and wishing for spring, but this has been an unusually difficult February.

So, going into March with hopes of happier days, like this sweetest tiny bird's nest...

the strong winds lately must have blown the little nest down. Walking Eli and Ellie yesterday, I found it lying upside down on the wet ground. How can a tiny bird build something so perfect?  The nest fits in the palm of my hand but has a deep interior woven in very soft materials. Looks like two or three Eli hairs woven in there too.  Hurry up spring!

Been seeing a lot lately about regrowing green from ends and stalks cut from vegetables. Thought I would give it a try and was amazed at how fast, especially the lettuce, began to grow...

Does anyone actually like green carrot tops and celery tops?? Guess I'll give it a try. Seems like folks eat about anything now days. 

Growing up, mama used to give us the carrots tops when she cut up carrots to cook, and gave each of us a jar lid. We'd put a little water in the lid and a carrot top and sit it in the kitchen window to grow. 

Can't wait to see just how big the lettuce will grow. Why I might be out in the little greenhouse gathering salad greens soon. :) I may have left the stalks too long on these, not sure.

Gosh, I remember back in the early 1950s, mama and us going up in the country to see Aunt Ruby.

Thought I would throw in this old picture taken before I was born, but that's Aunt Ruby, top row, third from the right, next to the boys. The girlie girl in front on bottom row, second from left, is my sweet mama.

Anyhow, Aunt Ruby's garden was not far from the house so before going to sit in the yard under a shade tree, mama and Aunt Ruby would  gather a few cucumbers. Mama loved to eat a cucumber right from the garden...and with a little paring knife would peel the cucumber and sprinkle it with salt...it was so good.

Once upon a time as  I was about to bite into an unpeeled cucumber, mama said, no, no, no! Let me peel it first. The peeling might hurt your stomach. Like I said, now folks eat everything. 

The cabbage plant I dug from the compost bin is growing...

looks like this one needs to be planted in the garden. Have another growing from a stalk in the little white pot. All this probably won't amount to much, but its fun. Keeps my mind off other things.

Thank goodness I go for the MRI on Wednesday and then to see the doctor on Friday. My shoulder pain seems to be a bit better, but not the nerve pain. 

Better end this. Here it is about bed time and I am sewing on three little hen aprons or saddles. We have three hens that need them. Roosters can be awfully rough on the little hens backs.

Take care friends. Hope to be back soon.

Love,

Henny

Sewing on the old couch, again!

Dearest friends,

Thank you so much for the nice comments, get well wishes, and prayers for my shoulder pain/pinched nerve. It hurts! It's that nagging agravating nerve pain that won't quit! :)

Here's the latest doctor's orders...get an MRI, (scheduled for March 2), physical therapy (begins next Tuesday), and prescribed Gabapentin for pain, (it helps with the pain but not the numbness and tingling in my left arm and hand). 

Isn't it amazing how long it takes to see a doctor now days, then wait, wait, wait to get the MRI, and then another wait to get scheduled for physical therapy.

Anyhow, looks like getting that new living room suite has been put on hold again too. Poppy says, Mel, we can't get rid of Eli's chair, it has been his since he was a baby.

He grew up in this big old chair...2015 before I made covers for the cushioned chair arms. 

and still today...Eli's favorite spot in the house. So, what to do. I have searched everywhere for a piece of the vintage gold upholstery fabric like in the picture. I love the old gold with large cabbage roses...but none to be found. 

A few weeks ago Shelby and I, after a visit to my doctor, stopped by the Goodwill store. On the household goods table I picked up a piece, 2 1/2 half yards, of gold upholstery fabric. Who would have thought!!

and so friends, for the amount of $1.69 and with my numb and tingling left hand, I have made, such as they are, covers for the comfortable old 30 year old leather couch. 

You see, this once wonderful, rather expensive, old leather (real cowhides) couch and fat chair was one of the first purchases for our newly built, little log cabin in the woods. I suppose both our heart strings are attached to this old set. :) So what the heck. What's another year or two, or three. 

Not my best sewing for sure. Due to my guess work, none of the seams in front came out in the same place. 

Of course, our living room is dimly lit. Flaws really don't stand out that much. Reminds me of what Tasha Tudor said about her house, "everyone says my house is dark, but people don't realize how dark old houses were. I love it dark. It's like a nice chipmunk's nest." 

However! I did say to Poppy, "once these cushion covers begin to wear, we are getting a new living room suite, right?"

I'll leave you with the warmth and comfort of a nice crackling fire. Got a cold front coming through today.

Thank you for visiting. Thank you to a new follower too. 

Love,

Henny

UPDATE, FROM HENNY PENNY LANE

Hey friends,

Thought I would check in and say, I am still blogging. Gosh, have you ever felt like someone pulled the plug on your life as you've always known it and plugged you into some strange other life?

Well, I need to find my way out of this strangeness! This shoulder pain, pinched nerve, neck pain, needs to go! 

So I think this pinched nerve has become nerve damage. During the night, of course, when shoulder pain is worse, my left arm aches from my shoulder down through my fingernails and I cannot close my hand.  Is this serious? Should I worry?  I see another doctor today at 1:30. 

What a difference a few new panels made in the teeny tiny greenhouse...

Wednesday was a nice day with sun and warmer temperatures so we finished. Work on anything is slow going these days. Thankfully, Poppy is helping me with the yard work...leaves that haven't been raked since fall of 2021. :( Will I ever get well and catch up???

Anyhow, look at this...

I LOVE IT!!! We have light again in the teeny tiny greenhouse. 

It feels brand new. My playhouse may not have a roof but the little greenhouse does and it is cozy inside.

Oh gosh, let me tell you a funny story, well, it could have turned out different and not been funny at all. For heat in the greenhouse I hung the old heat lamp with the red bulb, the one we used raising baby chicks and guineas.  Poppy said he didn't see any harm as long as I had it clipped securely and it wouldn't fall. I did!

About a week ago Poppy left for work before daylight. He called me and said, Mel, when it gets light you need to go check on the lamp in the greenhouse. Looks like it has fallen and is on the floor. The greenhouse floor is made of small white rocks, so probably no harm done.

When it was light outside I walked to the greenhouse and immediately could smell an awful burning smell. Panic swept over me! There, resting inside my largest green plastic flower pot which contained potting soil and a plastic scoop was the burning red heat lamp. There was a hole the size of a soccer ball, burned in the side of the pot and the plastic scoop had melted down to a nub.

I unplugged the lamp and pulled all the hot mess outside to cool off. Poppy has since installed a metal hook which holds the lamp secure!!  :)

In my last post I showed a picture of a bush near the driveway with three or four pretty red Cardinals. Well friends, a few evenings ago I carried a cup of birdseed out and spread it. 

When I walked past the kitchen window I was shocked at the number of Cardinals...

of course, some flew when I held the camera to the window, but still! Not a very good picture. I was afraid Smokey would wander up and frighten them away. 

Anyhow...

Eli says he loves new friend Ellie, but there's just nothing like his big old sweet Teddy Bear...

We made Eli and Ellie a cozy little place to sleep behind the swing on the front porch...

Some days I feel like snuggling up with them back there in the corner. 

Better get busy and find something to wear. Nothing fits anymore and besides that, nothing in my closet is in style anymore. I have nothing to wear!  Just kidding, sort of. :)

Thank you friends. I sure needed to talk to you this morning. Hope to be back soon. 

Love,

Henny