Leaves, windstorms, clouds!

Willow oak leaves are all over the front yard again...third time this season!

So, I decided to start in a different part of the yard and rake the leaves between the house and the teeny tiny goat barn, Rosie's home...

I raked and raked and raked all the way down to the chicken lot, pulling away a bunch of leaves, and feeling mighty pleased with myself for making such a good start. I love seeing the green grass appear from underneath.

Well, 2 days later that big cold front dropped down bringing most of you snow and bringing us only high winds and cold temperatures. The wind woke us up in the middle of the night, Wednesday night with sticks and limbs hitting the house.

Needless to say, the nicely raked side yard is a mess! I will start over! Have to keep telling myself, "no, matter how bad it looks, all those loads of leaves I pulled away are still gone," so all is not lost.

Filling in here with a picture of the little sewing room where there were supposed to be pictures from the big Christmas craft event last Saturday...

I was supposed to come back and post about it, but it all happened so fast, and we were so busy, taking pictures never entered my mind. Anyhow, I'm sure you've seen enough of my bonnets and aprons and bags. Speaking of bags! Since the boho bags were such a hit at the last craft show, I had 14 made for this event...and would you believe, not even one bag sold! You just never know.

A few months back I did a lot of cleaning out the teeny tiny sewing room. Got rid of a lot of clutter and dust, but told Smokey he could stay...

along with miss Ellie, stretched out where I need to get to the ironing board...

a jumbled-up post I know but Poppy has taken a few neat sky pictures while deer hunting down near Randall Rabbit's lot. Poppy's chair sits backed up to the lot so he and Randall visit, watch for deer, and look at the sky as the sun sets just before dark...oh, and where am I? Inside getting supper on the table and keeping Eli and Ellie from barking. 

I think the pictures have a lonely look. Back when I was very young there was a painting that hung in the living room at home. It had the same colors as in these pictures but even more red in the sky, there was no blue at all. It had woods in the background, a lake, and there were two men in a small boat. That painting always looked lonely to me. Oh well...

Here's one more Poppy picture. The little squirrels are fussing over who gets to sit at the wheel of the tractor...

Not much of a post but if I delete it, no telling when I will get around to doing another one. Going to warm up supper now. Thank you for stopping by. 

Love, Henny

Instead of posting this morning...

 I should be reading your posts and leaving you comments, and I will do that. I just first had to say "thank you" for looking at baby Violet and leaving me such nice comments on my last post. Each one is truly appreciated. I meant to come back and reply to each one...hope you will forgive me.

The days are full and busy...do any of you ever catch up or get ahead? Oh, but it was wonderful having Andee and Todd home for a couple of nights last week. On Wednesday (last week) Lynn and Jason, and my granddaughter Michaela and husband Jacob came for the day too meaning I got to see sweet little Kendall, my great grandson. It was such a fun day. 

With company coming I had to clean out the teeny tiny sewing room and boy! did I ever clean out! Almost looks empty...

Got rid of lots of dust and clutter and moved things around a bit...actually turned it back into a bedroom.

Then come Saturday, Shelby and I had a craft event to attend so that meant pulling out stuff I had just put away. It was the Bee Jubilee in Oxford. Oh my gosh, what a hot day! It was sunny and like 98 degrees, and what a tiring job! It was fun though and best of all, made a little spending money. :)

Speaking of hot! How about hot and dry! We have been weeks, weeks! without rain and temperatures in the high 90s! I've been keeping the garden alive with the water hose. 

Mr. Sunshine and the big sunflower...and the bean vines are covered in tiny green beans...Oh, if only it would rain!

It was very foggy this morning. Probably because there were rain showers around yesterday but none, not one drop came over us. 

Look how brown and dead the grass is! I mean, a few weeks ago it was green all around the garden. 

It has been one thing after the other! Last Sunday Poppy went to wash his hands and yelled, "Mel, there's no water"! Oh, good grief! Had the well gone dry from the drought? Turns out the pump had gone bad. Thankfully, we found a company that would come help us out even though it was Sunday. Cost us a whopping $1,600.00 but we have water again, and a new pump and new wiring! 

Back to the garden...guess where this little fella hides when he sees us coming up the road...

In the garden! He is tiny and goes right through the fence. I couldn't help but think about Peter Rabbit in Mr. McGregor's garden. I've got to come up with something...he is eating the leaves off the small okra plants. Okra! of all things! And there is kale growing nearby!

Guess I should stop here and say goodby. Could go on and on but I should save a little for next time. Thank you, thank you for stopping by. Oh, so many of you commented about the name "Violet". Isn't it sweet, and her middle name is Lorraine, and that's my middle name. Named after me. I am so pleased. 

Love, Henny

On the 1st day of September...

a cold front came through tricking us into thinking Fall had arrived.

I rushed out and gathered all the pink and white Spring dishes from the old cupboard, fixed a dishpan full of warm soapy water, pulled out the Old English furniture polish and went to work.

What a dirty dusty mess covered the old cupboard! Henny Penny Lane is dirt, you know. It has been hot and dry and the cloud of dust kicked up behind going and coming cars, drifts and settles on the everything on the teeny tiny porch. 

I pulled out a few "almost Fall" looking things...

We had three wonderfully cooler days and nights, even turned the air conditioner off and slept with the windows open. Been a few months since we could enjoy cool night air and hear the frogs down at the pond. Sleep was good.

Rarely do I pick flowers for a vase except for Goldenrods in the Fall and Goldenrods are not in full bloom yet. There are masses of these plants with tiny little flowers growing along the path...so I gathered a few. 

Sorry for posting three pictures of the cupboard. Would delete one, but that would throw all different font sizes into my post and that drives me crazy! :(   Same with the picture below, It is not worth posting. 

Anyhow, still spending time in the sewing room...

working mostly on bags and bonnets. Can't believe I haven't been to the farmer's market since I started making bags. That's just like me! :(  Guess I need to get up from here and go take a picture to show you. Be right back...

Well, here are a few... Have 3 more bags in the sewing room and 2 more cut out ready to sew...

It's kinda fun using this low hanging limb on the old snowball bush for picture taking. Maybe I should try bonnets and aprons here too. Log homes are dark. I've just discovered how much better the natural light makes things look. 

Don't tell anyone there's a big sweet kitty cat that hangs out in my sewing room...

No way could I ever advertise, "made in a pet free home"...

Good thing Smokey doesn't bother things...like the pin cushion. Sweet Dumperoo, (we miss you so much), would have, with his teeth,  pulled every pin and needle from that pin cushion.

Guess I've gone on long enough. Hate to wear out my welcome.  Forgot to mention above that the hot weather came back with a vengeance. Temps in the high 90s and Wednesday was 102 out here in the country.

Here's a neat sunset picture I took looking up the road toward the garden...

and I thank you very much for stopping by, dear friends.

Love, Henny

Can you believe!! Someone must have heard me talking and for meaness threw some large font words into my post! :)

 

Still Blogging from North Carolina

Hello dearest friends,

We haven't completely given up on the idea of moving to beautiful West Virginia...I just may be too busy to pack up right now and move :)

Been terribly busy in the teeny tiny sewing room...

Did I mentioned before how well the old fashioned bonnets are selling at the market? It is quite amazing. So, I sew for a couple hours most nights, making more bonnets.

I have added a new style bonnet...

This style has a ruffle in back and along the bottom of the bonnet brim. Inside is made the same as my other pattern...

Anyhow, for 32 years I've had an old blue bonnet hanging in my sewing room for decoration. It was a gift from my mother when we moved into our log cabin. 

Mama knew this elderly lady down home in Moore County, who made old fashioned bonnets and sold them for $5.00. (Funny, now I am that elderly lady making old fashioned bonnets.) Time sure flies.

So, one night in the sewing room the old bonnet caught my eye. Oh my gosh! Could I take that bonnet apart and make a pattern? I did! It worked! Here's another one...

Wait, I'm not done in the sewing room just yet...

No wonder 'cat food' is always at the top of the grocery lists. Yes, I mean you, Mokey!

Mokey and the bonnets...

Rare for me not to boast and brag and post pictures of the teeny tiny garden, round this time of the year, but you know what...

it's just not doing so good. Looks like the sunflowers may bloom soon. Looking forward to that. I took this picture of the garden while walking Eli and Ellie early one morning this week. 

Made several pictures on that walk...telling myself that I need to remember the joy felt when we finally got our little piece of land paid for and our dream home built...a little log cabin deep in the woods.

 Ellie and I lagged way behind that morning.

We looked up at the tall trees...

and into the dark woods where there is a little water hole...

Okay, I've probably way overstayed my visit. 

Oh, would you believe I am still line dancing. Yep, I've stuck with it and now can keep in step with the others...well, most of the time. That one hour, one day a week sure is fun. Actually, I have been staying over and trying a dance or two with the advanced class. Not quite there yet though. I've just got to get some pictures of us elderly dancing ladies to show you. 

Well, I will say goodbye for now. Thank you for looking in. Be back soon, hopefully.

Love, Henny

Another first!

There's lettuce growing in the teeny tiny garden...

Lettuce fit for picking and eating! I'm pretty tickled about that. 

Have I told you about the farmer's market?

Well you see, wishing for a little extra spending money and seeing all the sunbonnets and aprons I've sewn, hanging around decorating my little sewing room, I decided to call our county extention office. What a sweet lady I spoke with..."honey, she said, we would love to have you"!

"Spring Fling" , opening of the markets, begins May 5th, so I packed up and was there at 7:00 am.  Can't see my table in this picture, but here's half the market...

My bonnets and aprons were a big hit, who would have thought! My first sale was to this lady who was a vendor there selling beef from her ranch.

She wore the bonnet and apron all day and had it on again last Saturday.

Anyhow, you have got to see this! Talk about luck! I've been raking and scraping for fabric to sew with and said to Poppy, "with the money I made at the market, I'm going to Walmart tomorrow and buy a few pieces of fabric"! 

And so I did...

Every piece I picked up, the clerk scanned and said, "oh, this is on sale for $1.00 a yard"! Be still my heart!  Here's my messy little sewing room with my new fabric folded under two new bonnets...

Right now I'm working on three bonnets and two aprons. Pieces stacked on the right of the sewing machine need stitching. I then move it to the little table on the left for pressing. Kind of a one man assembly line. :) Works good for me. 

S

and...

So, I am all excited and into sewing again...what with a stack of new fabrics and a place to sell what I make. 

Okay, I'm sure you have heard enough. Thank you for listening and oh my goodness, new followers! Who would have thought! Thank you so much!

Will say goodbye for now and leave you with a picture of Randall Rabbit, visiting with me in his home...

Love, Henny

Maybe I will do a little blog post...

not that I have anything important to say. I did look out the little kitchen window a few mornings ago and saw the prettiest blue and orange colors in the sky...

Amazing how fast the colors change. Sometimes it's hard to get the camera and catch the beauty of your first look.

Then late one afternoon recently, looking out across the cut-over, there was a rainbow...

that quickly faded away underneath stormy looking clouds...

and you probably know how afraid I am of storms. Nothing cheers me up as much as seeing a storm pass and the sun come out.

Speaking of weather...I've simply got to rake these five acres of brown leaves that cover every inch of ground...

Yep, I changed my mind about joining them. The leaves are now driving me crazy. :) That black dot you see there is Smokey!  

I had been busy busy busy in the teeny tiny sewing room...

up until Saturday. Shelby and I were vendors at Santa's Christmas Bazaar in the little town of Franklinton. 

I carried a sack of my silly little Santa dolls and a few other little people...

plus a few of my larger dolls, made from maple twigs. Fun stuff.  Also had lots of new calico bonnets made and ready to sell...

Certainly didn't get wealthy but it was a fun day spent with Shelby and I came home with a little pocket money, all my own. To make the day even more enjoyable, my daughter Andee stopped by and also my friends, Karen and Norm.

So I've now unpacked and stored my goods away...

here and there...the old pie safe from Cousin Pat is the perfect spot, and while I'm in the sewing room, I want to show you the sweetest long legged bunny rabbit...

found him in a thrift store, in a box, for free. He was dirty and looked at me, well, I had to bring him home.

Guess I had better get up from this computer. Got line dancing at 2:00 and an eye appointment at 3:30...plus Blogger is moving my pictures and changing the print size and that drives me crazy even more than the leaves!! :) Thank you for visiting.

Love, Henny