Ducky Lucky, and a special gift

Poppy said early this morning, "the Duck must be waiting for you"...

Oh, she is. She knows there is laying mash for the hens in the bucket, so while I'm getting hay for the goats, she eats the laying mash.

Laying mash is very dry so after eating, she must hurry down to the pond as fast as her little flat feet will carry her, for a drink.

Poppy says all these animals are spoiled and too fat, and it's my fault. :(

We certainly did get the wind and rain as that line of storms rolled through last Thursday. A little over 3 1/2" of rain fell on Thursday, and then terribly high winds blew all day Friday.

I tried to tell Smokey it was too wet and windy to be outside but he said not to worry...

there's a dry spot just under the edge of the house.

Oh, speaking of the wind reminds me...in a comment on my last post, Victoria asked, "what direction is all the treeless space from us"? Not good! It's North! We now really feel that cold north wind. 

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Isn't it fun to get a surprise package in the mail?? Well, I did get one.

Connie over at  farsideoffifty.blogspot.com was doing some cleaning out...a big sort, I believe she called it, when she came across this cute little apron...

it is simply adorable...

looks old fashioned, doesn't it? It looks simple enough that I might can make a pattern like it. It is so cute! but that's not all...

little scrubby pads that she makes. These things are wonderful! I've had one for a while that Connie made. Poppy is always borrowing it to use on things like the car...because it won't scratch. Now he can keep the old one. :)

and like I told Connie, the little card with the Lady Slipper is a gift in itself...

Connie paints these Lady Slippers and makes her own cards. She is so talented.

Better get up from here and get busy! Started this post yesterday...here it is Monday morning and lots to do. 

Thank you for visiting.

Love,
Henny

Thank you so much, Connie.

Mostly weather

Henny Penny Lane...looking a little different with less trees and more sky... 

Dear friends,

I'm hoping you are still my dear friends. 

Tell me, do you ever feel like you've let your life get completely out of whack? 

At 2:30 this morning I was lying awake planning my day...worrying about all the crap that needs to be checked off my "to do" list, and all the junk foods that I will not eat, and how to get through the predicted storms the weather people have warned us about for days now...today is that day!!   😟

Anyhow, we are still pretty amazed at this  wide open space where the trees once stood...

Skies are not so bright today. In fact, it was pouring rain at 4:15 this morning.

Such strange weather! We were walking Eli and Weetie this cold frosty morning two or three days ago...

today it's warm and raining again.

Poppy's glove makes a good toy...

a little too big for me, says Weetie...

Has the weather been strange this winter where you are?

and this was Monday morning, looking out the living room window...

Red sky in the morning, Sailor take warning? Is that how it goes?

Sure appreciate your visiting. Appreciate the new followers too. Thank you! Hope to be back here soon.

Love,
Henny

Hey, I've made a late resolution..."to do better at posting and visiting". Just got to! 

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 a 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 picture 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.