Another Banner Day For Bon Bon!!!

Cross your fingers.  That's how close my little dog Bon Bon and I have become.  In the space of five months we have bonded very tightly and are almost inseparable.  He sleeps on the bed at night, curls up in my lap when I read, stands on his rear legs and puts his front paws on my leg when he wants to be picked up and, follows me everywhere.

Well, me his mama has been reading that it's not so good to have your dog sit on your lap when driving nor is it good to have your dog sit on the passenger seat.  Why not?  It's because of the air bags that now drop from the front and the side.  They explode with such force that they probably would kill your dog.  And, a step up in crate size that I had purchased for Bon Bon....well that crate really doesn't fit on the seat well.

So, what's a mama to do?  Why, go baby...er, ahem...I mean go dog new equipment shopping!  And, that's what happened today.  You know how it is when you go shopping.  You go in for the thing in your mind and leave with all kinds of other stuff you now know that you need too!  So, Bon Bon had another Christmas Day.  Gee, how do I top these Christmas Days when the real one comes around?

First off I see an oval padded bed not very deep that I know he will be comfortable in on the rear seat.  Into my cart it goes.  Then I realize that he is going to need a harness that attaches to the car seat's belt and to the dog to keep him safe and in place on the not very deep padded oval bed.  Into my cart that goes. 

I round the corner in the store and see that all this  past Winter's doggy clothing is now marked down to $2.50!  Wow!  I see the same blue turtleneck sweater I bought for him December last.  I quickly find the next size up (of course, my puppy has grown).  Into the cart!  More rapidly now I select a red plaid turtleneck he can wear next Christmas, a mid tone blue padded vest,  a short pink vest, and a brown tone raincoat with hood.  Way to go!  Into the cart!

In the next aisle I spot a cloth doggy carrier with hand and shoulder strap for me his mama to carry him in.  Hmm, hmm, I think...this would also work well on the back seat 'cause I can put him in it and put the seat belt around it.  Besides for air travel (we are not planning anything right now) I do take him to the vet, and other places where it would be very handy to carry him this way instead of having him in my arms.  Into the cart!

At this point different sales associates are coming up to me and either giving glances into my cart or are asking me if I need any help.  I say "No" to them and I say "Yes" to myself.  How to you stop buying for your kid???

This aisle also has doggy treats on sale, a shiny gold collar (he needs a new one), a red ball (he needs one), a handy rubber lined travel tote with a food pouch and water bottle (a travel bag for a dog is a new way of saying a diaper bag for your dog), and, last but not least a new slighly larger dog bed for the house so if I am gone for more than two hours he has a very comfortable, consoling place to be (I plan to put a piece of my clothing in it so he will feel that I'm with him).  All, into the shopping cart!

Oh well, I tell myself.  He will use these things.  And, some of them are on sale.  He knows I LOVE him and I guess this is my way of showing that besides all the hugging and kissing I do with him. Gee, I hope these sales associates don't peg me for a big spender!

Once back home I bring in the slighly larger dog bed for the house and plop it on the kitchen floor.  Bon Bon who knows I'm home with the sound of the garage door opening runs into the kitchen, sees the new bed and makes a dive for it.  He curls up in a corner...the same way he curled up in my lap when first we laid eyes on each other!  And, he never left my lap either that very first time even though his brother and sister kept walking around the room.  It was as if he had told himself, I'm getting adopted and I'm GOING HOME WITH HER!"

Anyhow, enough with this story.  Here are some pictures of Bon Bon in his new raincoat with hood, his new carrier and a picture of him at a local park which is another story I will save for now.

And, there you have it!  Bon Bon's sweet life with me! 

Greeting Cards

I am also planning on adding some greeting cards in my shop soon.  They always will be blank inside so as people can write whatever they please.  Quite a few of the cards are featuring photos I have taken of my garden and, some of the cards will feature reprints of my original watercolours of my flowers.  Take a look!

The cards contain some glitter, some stamping, some three dimensional work, some ribbon, and even some of my embroidery such as the dragonfly hovering over my painted waterlily.

Week 3 of Spring In The Garden

More pictures to show you how rapidly my garden is changing and setting itself up for 2010.  Here are scarlet parrot tulips.

Virginia Bluebells that the bees LOVE and that totally disappear back into the ground when finished blooming.  Back in the 80's I received a handfull of these from my father-in-law.  I moved them in 2000 from my former home to this one.  See how they have multiplied!

Bon Bon exploring Spring!

See how the waterlily pond continues to grow!  Leaves are starting to green and multiply.

And here is the Robin's nest with three eggs in it now!

My beautiful flowering quince that I also force in the Winter.  This year it is totally covered with bloom!

The creeping phox.

Species tulips.

Rock garden plants.

And, there you have it!  All plants were planted by me. 

New Items For Marion To Preview

As promised I am posting 2 new items I have created for preview before they are added to my shop.  The first one is a basket of pansies I embroidered.  This 1/4 basket is a door hanger or you could hang it on a wall too.  I embroidered each pansy twice and layered one on top of the other to create added fullness and dimension.

The second new offering is a necklace using a clay that I made into roses and small bell shaped flowers and then added some crystals and embroidered rose leaves in two sizes.  I will be changing the ribbon tie because I'm not pleased with this one.  Opinions please!

Please leave a comment.

Backyard Garden One Week Later

Here is an update for our friends still in Florida for the Winter. 
Hey!  It's Spring here so hurry up & come back to town!

These pictures were taken yesterday...a day of sun & some clouds...so the light varies considerably (info for you camera buffs) if you were wondering.
First my pink star magnolias.

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I planted two of these as you can see.  One is close to the pond.  Honey and mason bees adore these trees.  I have cut branches in January for forcing indoors for Valentine's Day dinners.  So beautiful and fragrant.  Pollinated flowers go to seed from whence you can start new trees...or just enjoy the ripen red seed pods in Fall & Winter.

Next those hardy waterlily pads just forming last week.  Now you see them open on the water.   And yes, they are red even though I previously said only the bottom of the pad is red.  The pads are or will be a deep rich green when the water warms.  The current red is because we just had a few 30 & 40 degree days.  As you can see there are many already.  In my small pond that I dug in back in 2001, during the Summer many times I will have 7 or 8 pink waterlilies open at one time...with about 15 frogs that sit on the lily pads.  I can't wait for Bon Bon to discover frogs!  By the way, waterlily flowers make great cut flowers and their scent is better than any perfume that I know of.  My pond size is about 4 by 7 feet.

Here is a picture of some purple hyacinths.  Orginally a potted gift they now grace the yard from year to year.  Their blooms are doubles and, again oh so fragrant!

Every year we have several Robin families that return and raise several broods each.  This year one family has almost completed their nest on a part of the pergola.  See the ultra long grass strands used in this nest.  Most unusual.  If not destroyed by a predator I will watch for eggs and their hatching and of course take pictures.

New rose bush leaves are out on my rosa rugosa.  Did you know that rose petal & leaves are edible?  And, of course the rose hips are too.  The hips are very high in vitamin C.  In WWII hips were used in Europe as the main source of this vitamin in tea, baked goods, jams & jellies as fresh citrus was not obtainable.  And, the flower is not the only part scented...some leaves are too!  Oh!  What I could tell you about roses.  But, that's for another post.

 

One of my white hellebores...with freckles!

A native American current bush that smells like cloves discovered by Lewis & Clark in their explorations.  The bloom is yellow & they will open this week.

My coral herbaceous peony up 12 inches!  This one I had mail ordered from Martha Steward.

One of my seven tree peonies, all with big fat buds already.  Each has an exotic name.  Each has fragrance.  Each is huge with flowers 10 to 12 inches wide.

Nanking Cherry blooming.  I have 4 of these.  Native to Wisconsin.  Delicious with cherries you and the birds can eat!

Bon Bon who is finally staying still long enough for me to take his picture now.

A Spring bouquet that I French beaded a few years back.  It contains Dogwood, Tulip, Daffodil, Lily of the Valley, Pansy, Bluebells, etc.

So, you people in Florida.  See what you are missing!  And, don't forget about all the other birds, insects, etc.  My sewing machine is positioned in front of a backyard window where I look out often.  Mucho activity for so small a yard.  Stay tuned there will be more!

A Bit Late

Here are some pictures actually taken on March 29th but not posted until today.  Spring is well ahead of schedule here in Wisconsin and it shows in the pictures of my back yard.  The first picture is of waterlily pads emerging from the pond, reaching for the sun so as they may float on the surface when they are unfurled.  What you see here is the back side of the pads, a reddish pink colour.

Next are my two heathers.  One is white and one is pink.  The honey bees ADORE these flowers which bloom for weeks and weeks.  Very cold tolerant they are one of the first plants to bloom in the Spring and I many times get a second blooming period in the cooler Fall.

The Lenten Rose or some of my hellebores are next.  I have pink purple and white ones which I ADORE because of their simple beauty and reliability.  They do make good cut flowers but so far I have been letting them go to seed and so they are spreading.  These early bloomers many times have snow surrounding them and yet they preserver.  

 

To date I have small leaves on most of my trees and shrubs.  My herbaceous peonies are up 6 to 8 inches, daffodils in white and yellow, pink tulips, blue scilla, and my beautiful pink star magnolias are blooming so sweet to the nose and bees.  And, you might remember my white moth orchid previously posted when it first opened.  Well, here are some more pictures of that as the rest of the flower stalk has opened.  Of course, that orchid is inside now but it will be set outdoors in June.

Pretty grand looking, yes?  What you are seeing in this picture is actually the orchid and its reflection in a mirror. 

Now for a few pictures of Bon Bon.  See how he is growing?  He ADORES the warm sun on his back and he likes to play with his toys on the deck.  You could say that he is blooming too!  See the previous post and don't forget to enter his give away. 

Any comments?  Bon Bon wants to hear back from you.