A bunch of stuff

You know, I really did do a pitiful job of posting about the Vintage Market Days in Raleigh. Simply pitiful. Why, the only sweet part of the whole post was Andee and Santa. So next time, if I can't do a better job, I won't post at all. Whew! Glad that's off my chest! 

So, I will bombard you today with a bunch of stuff...like a slew of Santas...

Don't know why I ever stopped making these little Santa dolls. They sell really well at craft fairs. Shelby asked me about them, So I buckled down and made ten of them. Five little couples, to take to the "Santa Christmas Bazaar" this coming Saturday.

and let me show you a really beautiful, really special gift that came in the mail to me from Texas...

from a very special blogging friend, Barbara. Barbara doesn't have a blog, as far as I know, but we met through my blog, and now we visit by email.

She said her Mother and her Grandmother both did the handwork on this little apron. I love the lace. It goes all around and it so dainty and beautiful.
Barbara said she is doing some cleaning out and thought I would appreciate this old apron...and she was exactly right. I love it! Thank you Barbara! 

now, down the chicken path...

it's easy to see who rules. Do you think he could have found a higher perch to speak from?

Hard to tell if this is father or son. The one baby chick raised here this summer turned out to be a rooster, the spitting image of his dad. So far, they seem to be buddies. So far, no fighting.

So, while we are down this way...

the sun actually came out yesterday morning. Now, these scrubby oak trees are nowhere near as pretty as, oh my gosh, some of the trees I've seen on other blogs.  But seeing the sun  shining through, warmed my heart so beautifully!! I mean, we haven't seen the sun in over a week. 

 I love the shadows too.

Winter came way too soon

and my last picture...

At the edge of dark Poppy comes in from hunting, and what a big welcome he gets. That tail moves so fast it's nothing but a blur, and not to worry, Little Weetie gets a belly rub too. Poppy calls her Fatty Watty. 

Guess that's about it. I'll be in the sewing tonight, folding and packing for the craft bazaar. 

Thank you for your comments on that last sorry post of mine. 

Love,
Henny 

Vintage Market Days

You know what? I did not buy one thing at Vintage Market Days in Raleigh. Not one thing! 

But! As soon as we were back in the car to drive home, it was clear as a bell to me, what I wanted to buy. It was a framed print of a cow. $40.00 but that's what I wanted. Andee saw it first and she loved it too. Oh well.

Andee was fine but I may have been just a little overwhelmed. It was huge!! Never seen so many women in one place in all my life! However there was one handsome man milling around amongst the women ...

A Victorian Santa, with Andee...maybe I'll show you the picture of me with Santa. Cameras don't like me, but I don't like them either. I get all nervous and make ugly faces, but Santa insisted.

Back to the show...How could I have picked out and bought myself an item when there were a bazillion, all my favorite kind of things, to choose from.

Why there was one booth with nothing but vintage aprons and tablecloths; those sort of things. Here's Andee, saying "mom, you could make these"!

and these...

From my pictures the place doesn't look busy at all, but it really was. Actually, it was hard to get inside the booths to look.

This was the entertainment. She was cute as could be and very sweet and friendly. Sorry I don't know her name.

Well, I'm in the middle of cleaning again. Better get back to it. Poppy will be home at 2:00. That will throw a wrench into the works.  :)

Love,
Henny 

Cleaning

Here I'm starting a new post and really need to be catching up with yours.  I'll be there over there in a minute.

Wanted to thank you for the comments on my last post and say I did go back and reply to those of  you without blogs. See, my reasoning is, we can visit each other's blogs, but replying is the only way to visit the rest of you. I know you all must be glad I figured this out, and on my own too. :)

Anyhow, I've been busy cleaning...really cleaning...we have, hopefully, lots of family coming for Thanksgiving...

I am polishing the old silver...sounds kinda fancy, doesn't it? 

We may actually need to use some of this old silverware, so it will be sparkling clean and in the drawer with the other, just in case...

Oh, anything fancy like putting out the good china and crystal and silver, for me, went out the window back in the 1950's. I mean, we don't eat peas with a knife or anything like that; wouldn't surprise to see that, but for the most part we don't. :)

I really do like my collection of mixed silver patterns...all collected from thrift stores...

there's some fancy stuff here. Poppy said, "let's take it all to a pawn shop and see what we can get for it'?  Absolutely not!!

Polishing silver makes me happy. Makes me think of mama and remember the good old days. 

It's kinda like drinking hot tea. I've always wanted to be a tea drinker...one who has an afternoon cup of tea from a pretty teapot served in pretty teacup and saucer.

Oh, I've grown to like green tea. Hot green tea. Decaffeinated hot green tea, with honey. Must be decaffeinated. I don't how the Queen ever gets a wink of sleep, drinking tea in the late afternoon. But I'm enjoying my hot tea in late afternoon, in a pretty cup. Gosh. It is fun. 

Back to my housework...know what else I've tackled? Remember that darn bottle collection on that high shelf in the living room that runs the length of the house, surrounded with deer heads and antlers and fish...

don't tell anyone I'm showing you how dusty and dirty this deer head is...

Had to bring the tall ladder for this job. I must have climbed up and down that ladder twenty five times. The muscles in my legs are sore but once again... 

we have clean!

I've simply got to get away from this computer and get busy. Poppy gets off work at 1:00. Need to at least get the floors vacuumed.

Oh, I am so excited about tomorrow. Andee is picking me up at 9:00. We are going to something called "Vintage Market Days" in Raleigh. Should be lots and lots of pretty things to look at, and lots of Christmas stuff. 

Thank you friends.

Love,

Henny

  

   

Several things here

It may look a little like fall here now, but it feels like we have jumped smack dab into the middle of January! 

Seriously! 85 degrees on October 31st, and 28 degrees on November 9th...and next week is supposed to be even colder. Don't we need a bit more time for our bodies to adjust?

Our sweet little flock of seven guineas...

is now six. We lost one to a Great Horned Owl just before daylight one morning early last week. I have grieved right along with this sad little group.

We raised these guineas from babies and they have been so tame and so fun to have. They actually tag along behind me when walking Eli...it would be a funny sight, I'm sure...me and big Eli followed by Weetie and Smokey, followed by the row of guineas. 

Not much "pink" left in the yard now except...

this camellia at the back steps. Have you ever seen a more pitiful bird house as that one in the picture? Actually, there is a little Wren's nest inside. We have another bird house with a tin roof that will go there.

and speaking of little Wrens...

This old fruit basket was hanging from a nail under the shed. Look what was inside. Such a cozy nest for baby birds. 

Burrr!! Let's go back inside to the sewing room where it's warm...

 I've been busy sewing again. It's about time too! 

 got a couple of girl's aprons made from the sweet Hollie Hobby fabric from cousin Pat...

I tried cutting out a doll from the fabric and stuffed it to fit in the pocket. 

I think little girls might like these, do you?

Shelby and I have a big new craft event..."Santa's Christmas Bazaar" in Franklinton, coming up November 23rd. It's supposed to be big, and a good one.

and, using some of the fabrics from a special friend Diane in Kentucky...

made this "Beehives and tiny bees" bonnet and apron set, and also the pink rosy doll dress and the bonnets. 

Well, I've covered about everything here, oh wait, better run and let Eli in. He's at the door with his bear...

Hope to be back soon. Thank you to another new follower...who actually followed after the silly inchworm post. :) I do appreciate my blogging friends. Best friends I have ever had.

Love,
Henny

Hunting Season

The funny "hunting" story is really nothing special. It's what Poppy said when he got home that made me laugh.

You know what kind of hunter Poppy is...sitting in a tree for hours, three or four days a week.  He has done this for many years.

2013

But, the last deer he killed was in 2013. Oh, he could bring home a deer every day, but he won't kill a doe, or a young deer, or a little buck with small antlers...no, he sits and waits patiently for that trophy buck to walk past, and the chance of that happening is pretty slim.

Anyhow, sitting in a tree for hours could get boring but not for Poppy. He loves being in the woods. He loves nature. He comes home with unusual mushrooms or weeds or wildflowers he thinks I might want to root.

He has tons of bird stories, like the time he was sitting in the tip top of a huge oak tree that had fallen. He walked up the length of the tree and sat in the branches. Remember, he is totally camouflaged, head to toe. So, he is sitting there perfectly still when a mother Quail followed by a row of baby quail came walking up the trunk of the tree. Poppy said it was all he could do to keep from blinking an eye or moving. She walked right up to him before realizing that something wasn't right. She quickly turned and moved her babies away.

What made me laugh the other day...Poppy came in from the woods, stopped at the dining table to take off his camouflage and lay his gun down, along with all the other stuff he carries...

(and yes, this is how the table looks all during hunting season) Anyhow, I asked if he had seen anything. No, he said, but I did save a little inchworm. He said the inchworm kept twitching, like something was wrong, so he picked it up and there was an ant biting the poor thing. He got the ant off then watched as the little worm rested a minute, then went back to measuring. But wait, that's not all...

The next day was the same, except Poppy said, what is it with these inch worms! Today I've saved an inch and half worm. A yellow jacket had caught an inchworm...but not to worry, Poppy stole the worm from the yellow jacket, saving it's life. It took a little longer for this worm to recover, but it did and went right back to measuring. I asked about the inch and a half worm. He said one was an inch long the other one about half an inch. :(

There are old sayings about inch worms, you know. Like, if you find one walking on you, it's measuring you for new clothes. Another meaning is that it's measuring you for your coffin. My brother-in-law Jimmy says he heard an inch worm walking on you means it is measuring you for a suit to bury you in. 

Can't believe I have spent my hour and a half sewing time tonight, writing this nonsense. And I have a new follower. Thank you! After this, I may have no followers. :)  Well, the little inchworm story was sweet at the time.

Love,
Henny 

Another word or two

Sure appreciate your ideas on heating a small greenhouse. There were some good ones. Someone mentioned an oil lamp. I'm wondering if one would put out more heat than a candle??

Early yesterday I did light one of the big emergency candles, put it on a little table...

and left it burning all day. At the edge of dark, I started to worry so I ran up to the greenhouse and blew the candle out. 

The greenhouse door opens easily...I had visions of something pushing the little door open and knocking the candle over. 

Oh, about that strange plant...

A couple of you thought millet, and I think you're right...white millet. Looked it up and it looks just like white millet.

The seed stalk did remind me of bird seed and made me think it might be red milo, that heavy seed that seems to make up about 50% of the seed found in bags of economy bird seed.

I buy the economy mix at Walmart. Our side yard stays covered in the red milo. We buy it to throw out for the guineas, ducks, and the few birds that will eat it. 

It's about time to fill the feeders with sunflower seeds and something the songbirds will eat. Shelby was just telling me that she had scrubbed her bird feeders using an old toothbrush, and had put them in the sun to dry. I need to do that.

Oh good grief, talking about seeds reminds me, early yesterday morning, getting the feed together for the animals...

I just stood there in unbelief. How did I manage to drop the bucket! Reckon my crocs will ever wear the same?

Better get busy. The days seem even shorter now, darn it! Anyhow, I leave you with this creepy spider...

Poppy took these a few weeks ago and I had forgotten about them.

Oh, I had a funny little  story to tell you of Poppy's hunting time. I'll save it for the next post. 

Thank you. Hope to be back real soon.

Love,

henny

Just a word or two

Mr. Eli barked, all Halloween night...

keeping the scary things away

Yes, you!

We did have unusual weather for Halloween, especially being the last day of October. It was windy, hot, and humid, and 85 degrees! The storms came through here around 9:30 with heavy rain and winds that scattered dead tree limbs and leaves over the yard. 

Smokey said he didn't hear a thing!

Looks now like we are headed right into winter. Wish we could have a few more pretty fall days...but that's North Carolina...jump from hot and sticky to freezing cold.

I'll have to credit my friends and neighbors for the fall display on the front porch.

Neighbor Ann brought the marigolds a few days ago. She said the rain beat them down. Then yesterday I came home from grocery shopping and found the long-handled gourds, a surprise from my friend Nellie. 

Ann stopped today and handed me this grassy looking tall stalk with seeds on top. It came up in her flower bed. Anybody know what this is? I like it!

So yesterday I closed the little vent windows in the greenhouse to make it warmer, but it still looks cold inside...

I'm thinking of putting a teeny tiny table in the teeny tiny greenhouse and make use of those teeny tiny stools. I'll have a candle burning on the table and a cup of tea. I will let you know when this happens. :) Sounds cozy though, doesn't it?

Actually, I have been thinking of using those big emergency candles to burn in the greenhouse for warmth. Wish I could come up with something. Those small space heaters run the electric bill up. Any one have any ideas?

Well, I just wanted to post a little something. Need to get busy. This day is going way too fast. Thank you for visiting.

Love,
Henny

Just noticed a new follower. Thank you so much!