A Bundle of Things - Unrelated to Each Other....

 

If you have been following you know I like to pretty much keep to one subject in each post. Just a "show and tell" of my interests. Usually either inside from one room or all from outside. This time it is a mixture from all around, partly tying up some loose ends. Maybe there will be something for everyone......

 

This winter bird coming to you from the kitchen is new.  He was half off this week in one of my favorite stores - a leftover from Christmas. I think he will fit in at least till the hot weather hits us. He is only about five inches long but is heavy, made of metal.

 

 

I haven't shown the hanging cups for a long time. In fact, I had hardly seen them myself hanging on the inside window wall.  I decided to move them across the room to here and they show up better.  I like them here. The plaid black and white towels on the pantry doors are new.  There are two more blending ones elsewhere in the room.  That little addition really freshened and gave the kitchen a nice touch.

 

 

 

They hang from three separate and differing ribbons and you can see the middle one has a tiny real bird nest in it. The egg is not real and I think during the move it ended up on it's end That has been adjusted since the picture was made. Funny, the things you can notice in pictures that don't seem to be showing before!

 

 

One more picture so you can see the pretty pattern on the side.  A set of four with matching luncheon plates were a gift from a friend Missy, several years ago.

 

 

I think I showed these turnips when I first noticed they were sprouting. I decided to keep them here and see what happens. It's amazing how firm they have stayed.  I don't keep water in the bowl but do run some water over them once in awhile.

 

 

 

Another item that got moved after Christmas from the big shelf to here beside the sink. Even though artificial plants/flowers are not used much any more I hang on to my olive tree.

 

 

Sitting here in it's pot I think it has the look of Provence.

 

 

"Gather Ye Rosebuds"  With "buds" being on the other side out of sight, I think "Gather Ye Olives".

 

 

It is taking the olives years to ripen, though.

 

 

 

The white pitchers are still on the windowsill but I added three birds.

 

 

 

 

 

Now in the dining room.  I showed this picture when I did the post after Christmas and mentioned that the apothecary jar needs something in it.

 

 

It now has my collection of tea strainers and a few other tea items.

 

 

The things show up and look better when you are looking at them from the room.

 

 

This little glass with tiny tea spoons is nearby. My daughter gave me the spoons this week (through the mail) and I think she brought them from London last month.  The glass is small - smaller than a wine glass.  I spotted it in an antique store and recognized the Iris pattern is like the big pitcher my mother had. I think they are from the depression era. I have only seen this one.

 

I have some pictures from outside that I had planned to use now but am now going to save those for another post. So, the subjects won't be so terribly mixed up and unrelated after all.

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Clouds......

A small breeze wafts gently through the sky

Nudging puffy clouds forward with a silent sigh.

Incredible beauty in the circle of time

A keepsake in my heart a gift from God, sublime.

Laura Jackson

 

 

I love to see the clouds in the sky.  I doubt there are any prettier anywhere than what we have in central Florida.

 

Borrowed

 

 

We have huge, puffy, snow white cumulus clouds in the bluest of blue skies! And often down so low it seems I could reach up and gather some puff.

 

 borrowed

 

 

 

Most of the photographs I am showing were taken from my yard.

 

 

I have very tall trees in the backyard and sometimes I sit on a garden bench and look almost straight up and study the sky outlined with tree limbs.

 

 

One day last year looking out through the dining room window I noticed this almost perfect large heart shaped frame with the sky showing through.

 

 

It stayed that way for weeks and I must have taken fifty pictures or more, a few each week.

 

 

 

 The foliage from smaller trees in front of the beautiful sky makes a very pretty view.

 

 

An unusual day with not a cloud in the sky but at 3:00 in the afternoon, a very visible moon!

 

 

Pretty blue and white through my tall pine tree.

 

 

Taken from my car one day while waiting at a red light.  It was a most unusual-looking sky that morning.......

 

 

.........with this type of small clouds as far as I could see.

 

 

This is not an unusual sight, especially on a summer afternoon - storm clouds gathering.

 

I hope you have enjoyed the clouds in my sky, Now let's end with a little song to the tune of The Farmer in the Dell.

 Altogether now...............Sing

 

 

 

 

 

January Garden......

Looking at the big picture, in the middle of winter, the garden is not what could be called beautiful. Actually, that can probably be said for most of the year. But, there are many spots here and there that are very pretty and photogenic......

 

The Peggy Martin rose has taken another blooming spell. She starts quite insignificantly with tiny buds and develops into large clusters of magnificence! And, they last and last.

 

 

Being so near the ever-blooming purple Tibouchina doesn't hurt the overall look.

 

 

Old Blush is a trooper all year long but puts forth larger and more blooms in our cooler weather. 

 

 

In the far back yard the owl box I made a few years back and put up as high as I could dare to climb is now on the ground.  I know I am strange, but since it never had any bird nest in it and is now decaying, I like it here leaning on the tree for the rest of it's days, as a backdrop for the berries.

 

 

I just have to aim towards this fake bird house once in awhile from way across the yard and get one more zoomed in picture.  It amazes me that the scaling paint continues to cling to it. It was already like this when it was bought about twenty-five years ago.  I love the look.

 

 

Something else that I can't resist putting in the spotlight quite often. He seems to love being in the spotlight, too.

 

 

Big ears doesn't seem to mind one bit! And neither do I.

 

 

 

 

Out front this azalea bush started blooming in December just on one side.  They bloom on old wood and I have to trim the daylights out of it because of where it is located so I am surprised that it bloomed at all.

 

 

As you can see it, along with other things in this area,  needs to be whacked way back again which will hopefully happen soon. A second bush in the backyard has just started to bloom and is full of buds.  It will no doubt be pictured in the next post from the garden.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bright pink snapdragons brighten up the front bed. 

 

 

 

 

Several clumps of these among the snapdragons have also been pretty but not as much right now.  Wouldn't you know, I have the hardest time keeping anything, including grass, looking good right in front of the house! I think I need a truckload of good soil dumped here and then maybe things would grow better.

 

 

I try to keep several potted plants looking good out here.  This one took a real turn for the worst back in the fall but has made a nice recovery.

 

 

 

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