Are you an ant or grasshopper?

Do you know the Aesop's fable called The Ant and the Grasshopper?

IN a field one summer’s day a Grasshopper was hopping about, chirping and singing to its heart’s content. An Ant passed by, bearing along with great toil an ear of corn he was taking to the nest.	1
“Why not come and chat with me,” said the Grasshopper, “instead of toiling and moiling in that way?”	2
“I am helping to lay up food for the winter,” said the Ant, “and recommend you to do the same.”	3
“Why bother about winter?” said the Grasshopper; “we have got plenty of food at present.” But the Ant went on its way and continued its toil. When the winter came the Grasshopper had no food, and found itself dying of hunger, while it saw the ants distributing every day corn and grain from the stores they had collected in the summer. Then the Grasshopper knew:          “IT IS BEST TO PREPARE FOR THE DAYS OF NECESSITY.”	4

Æsop. (Sixth century B.C.)  Fables.
The Harvard Classics.  1909–14.

I am being the ant. It summer and warm sunshine is in the sky. Most might have their thoughts turned to being outside and play but I am preparing for the coming autumn and winter chills. I had some yarn in my stash waiting for this project. I am making a shell stripe afghan. I will simply continue until I have used all the yarn that I had in my stash with these colors. I wanted to create something delicate by using the shell stitch yet rustic at the same time which works with the cream, light grey, beige and dark grey combination.

Are you an ant or a grasshopper? *wink*

If you have the time, this 1930s version of the fable created by Disney is great fun to watch...

Sisters!

Today has seen a great irony in our family. My Aunt Ruthie died this morning in Ohio. It is Memorial Day there. I find it a bittersweet thought that she passed away on this very day. She was 81 years old.

She has passed on to join her husband, my Uncle Ralph who went before her. They are seen together here in this photo.

But today is also sad for my mother who lost a sister. She lost her oldest sister a number of years ago but still had Ruthie. And Ruthie had her baby sister 'Rag Legs'. They had 9 years between them. This photo is was of them when my mother was a very little girl.

Back in 1995, I lost my only sister. I went afterwards to visit Ruthie with my mother. We sat talking about funny family stories and I loved watching the two sisters laughing together. I still have the picture of them becoming older together and feeling so sad that I would never become old with my own sister. I enjoyed this part of them. I have no recent photos of the two of them so here is a less distant blast from the past with my mother on the left and Aunt Ruthie on the right...

To all my cousins...
Look for your mom in your heart...she is there!

So to my mother...
I know how your heart feels today!

I like this quote from Emily Dickinson...
"I would like more sisters, that the taking out of one, might not leave such stillness."

But I think this quote by an unknown author is very appropriate for our family...
"Sister to sister we will always be,
A couple of nuts off the family tree."   *wink*


Bye Ruthie Boothie...our pet name for my aunt!

Celebrating rhododendrons!

Last year, we took a plain patch of mostly grass and unloved planting and try to turn it into a little version of our own country cottage garden. This year, it was going to be exciting to see how our plants would do since we had an extreme frost period in the late winter. Our planting was so new that I was worried about loosing a good deal of things. We however have only lost a few things and now I am going through and picking out spots that needed different planting or replanting in different areas. I have a front and back garden in this house but here is the start of the growing season from one angle in the back.

We have created various areas to sit. There is a terrace at the house and one on the other side of the path through the pergola. I like this area as it is shady in the mornings. I also created two benches among the garden plants using the concrete blocks we removed from other areas. There are stepping stones enabling you to walk all the way around the garden amongst the plants. This bench is in a corner over by the rhododendron. It will eventually become covered on the front with ivy. I have cushions in my quilt studio to take out and place on the bench when we want to go sit there. I have to move the bird bath but have not gotten to creating a pot stack to sit it on. Another project yet to do...

The rhododendrons is in the height of its bloom here in our city garden while the one I showed you at Cranberry Cottage on a previous post is already faded and dropped its blossoms. What a shame the season for rhododendrons is so short!

I love the language of flowers from the Victorian era. I however am puzzled at the meaning of rhododendrons.....agitation, danger and beware. Somehow I cannot see this meaning in these pretty blossoms unless I must beware of the danger of becoming agitated with the drunken beauty of these flowering shrubs. *grins*

Garden visitors

It is spring and although Holland is not having warm enough weather, the garden is slowing awakening...

The garden fairies have brought us various colors in some lavender violets...

Yellow blooms reminding you of butter...

Delicate pink to brighten the grey rain clouds of May...

Or tiny blues to remind you to forget-me-not...

The garden fairies give our garden heart...

But these surprise visitors give it soul! Last night, Jos said to me there is a duck walking among the flowers. I said there cannot be. We are not on the water anymore. I miss the ducks from our old house. He was right! This couple decided to come to visit and are back again today. They come up to my window looking at me with head's cocked sideways as if to say 'Come outside and feed us again please.' It is fun to have garden visitors!

A Sunday sip photo album.....

It is Sunday and we are busy in the garden at Cranberry Cottage...

It is nice to see that many plants have not been damaged from our extreme winter frost. The periwinkle is creeping all over this year...

Forget-me-nots have again seeded themselves in surprising places...

Same with the red campion...

My columbine is seeding itself so well but struggling to bloom as it is still unseasonably cold in Holland...

Wild broom is showing off in our garden against our dark pink rhododendron...

And the Japanese quince never fails to wow me when I see it appear in the spring...

We also have unwanted visitors in droves in the form of dandelions. Jos has been going through the garden digging them out by the deepest part of their roots to ensure they cannot return. In doing so he broke our little trowel. It was one with a cheap plastic handle. He did his own make do and mend by getting a branch from the woods in just the right diameter to use as a new handle for now...

And our Sunday sip? We had lunch on our newly cleaned terrace even though it is chilly and we have to wear sweaters. It is May and we really want to enjoy the garden. Afterwards, we had a cup of coffee while watching the birds...particularly a pair of robins...darting about between our clippings and the bird feeder. Pure bliss on a Sunday afternoon!

What are you sipping this Sunday? 

Pink roses.....

On April 4th, Jos and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. We received flowers from friends and I just could not part with them. So this bouquet of roses was sorted to pick out the wilting roses and I rearranged the once large bouquet to a small bouquet in a pretty glass vase. When you have a bouquet that is starting to look sad, it is a great way to bring new life into it by pulling out what is wilted and reworking with what you have...

Since the bouquet is smaller, I looked around the house for a few bits and pieces to use with the flowers on a tray giving it more impact on our coffee table. I placed a piece of lace with a shoe pincushion, wooden spools with lace, glass votives with tea lights and an oil lamp. Unfortunately it still has a golden color oil from the winter season in it but I like having this height in the tray and the three flames as evening falls.

The little pillow was added which was just the right touch. It was a gift from my dear friend Barbara. I love using it in my living room vignettes.

These roses have lasted so long like my love for my husband. We are now working on our second 25 years together.....

"A single rose can be my garden, a single friend, my world."

~ Leo F. Buscaglia

My weekly sip.....

I missed the Sunday sip but thought I would share with you what I will be sipping all this week...

Yes...that is right...I am drinking my Yorkshire tea with milk once again with a slice of delicious Dutch spice gingerbread. I have some good reading to do and nothing tastes better with my issue of the British Country Living than a soothing cup of tea.

Jos had been in England for his work a little over a week ago and brought me back a number of my favorite things...

More magazines to read...
     Yorkshire tea...
          Birds instant custard...
               Sticky toffee pudding...
                    Favorite cookies - bourbon creams, custard creams and shortbread...

He is once again this week in England so I am spending a quiet week at home working on a quilt and enjoying my tea with my magazines. Oh...and a cookie or two. *grins*

Any other British Country Living fans? There is a new and wonderful addition to the newsstands right now. The Create Your Own Country Home bookazine from Country Living. I bought mine and just love it. It is packed full of lovely rooms and inspiration!