Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Oh, Look! Fairy Watermelons!

Look, look!
 
 Someone (another Fairy gardener?)
 
 left our Fairy some little watermelons on her front steps!
 
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Wee little Watermelons!

(Makes you want to say "Wee Wittle Watermelons", doesn't it?)

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Actually, they are Cucamelons...

Also called MOUSE MELONS, which is even cuter than "Fairy" ones, I think!

Aren't they sweet?

You can read more about them here...I ordered the seeds from this company, Terroir Seeds ~

after seeing them on Pinterest.

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I probably should have fed them a little Miracle Grow...

 But I have been so BAD this year...things in the garden have been pretty much on their own.

They did okay, though.

They are green inside, and taste like cucumbers...

and a little like watermelon (the part near the rind).

Perfect Fairy Watermelons!

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We've been picking lots of green beans...

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I used to dislike this chore very much, pinching the ends off
 
and snapping the beans!
 
I kind of enjoy it now, though ~ and I really like how fresh green beans taste...
 
Grandma Collier and Grandma Launius used to can oodles and oodles of them,
 
and during the same time we would have them at meals...
 
(With tiny little "new" potatoes and seasoned with ham)
 
Never got tired of them, though!
 
 
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The zinnias are still going strong in the garden...

(They would produce even more flowers if I would go out and cut some bouquets!)

We have had so much rain for the past week...

The flowers and vegetables are loving it!

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Okay, a few kitty pictures...;)

These aren't great (indoor, night photos) ~

But Cyrus and Tallulah were so cute, napping together.

Leo was off somewhere else, probably hanging out with one of the boys.

He much prefers them to me...I do the baths and the grooming...

Not popular things with the boy cats.

Of course, I also feed and scoop, but I guess they think that's beside the point!

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Tallulah..."Wittle Wuwah", I call her.
 
She loves me and hangs out with me, even though I AM the bather...
 
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Lastly, a few little ACEOs!
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I've been having such fun with these! That Tallulah ~

She gives art lessons, piano lessons, bakes...;)

Getting ready to list the last one on eBay tonight!

That's all for now...back to painting.

Have a good evening, all!

Love,

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Tuesday, August 6, 2013

Tuesday Evening...A Few More Pics

Hi, there!
 
A few more photos for you tonight...
 
Hope everyone's having a good evening ~ I know, Tuesday's almost over...
 
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I said I wouldn't post any more tuberose photos...

I fibbed.

(Last one ~ this year ~ I promise!)

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Remember my vintage chair (Great Aunt Anna's)

with the birdcage and ornaments at Christmas?

(Okay, it was after Christmas...)

I couldn't resist putting a big basket of petunias in it ~

These are Wave Petunias, but they look like the old-fashioned kind,

don't you think?

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My supper!

(It was delicious!)

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I will tell you a secret...
 
I can't make myself clean house unless I rearrange something...
 
If I have a new plant or flowers from the garden to add, all the better!
 
We were having company last week and I had to do something...
 
(In the photo above, I've repurposed a little vintage perfume bottle that
 
belonged to Mr. B's mom...)
 
I just don't want to do housework at all anymore.
 
At ALL...
 
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So, I found "inspiration" in blue and white transferware and Zinnias...

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Someone told me they thought Zinnias were such a happy flower,

and they really are!

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I played with putting vases under some of my cloches...

Full disclosure here; if you keep your AC as low (some say cold)

as I do, they WILL fog...I thought when the flowers acclimated to the inside

temperature, it would stop, but no.

I'll bet I wiped them inside a dozen times before our company got here...

even folded little squares of paper towels

 and put under the edges to get some air in there ~

they still fogged.

I always had that trouble with terrariums, too.

They looked good for a few minutes, though, if I do say so myself!

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Isn't this the sweetest little transferware tureen?

It's not a family piece; I got it on eBay quite a few years ago...

Still, I just love it ~

I like to think about the little girl who owned it originally,

maybe serving tea to her dolls...

Can you imagine having the whole set of dishes that went with it?

That would be fabulous..."Awesome Possum" as my girls say...;)

I'm happy with just this little tureen, though.

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And finally, a couple more Fairy Houses...
 
"Toad Hollow" has gone to live with my dear friend Elaine in New York.
 
 That's it for this evening...back to painting!

Love,
 
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Monday, August 5, 2013

Catching Up!

Hi, Everyone!
 
I have been a bad, bad blogger!
 
(Starting with forgetting the date of Vanessa's Mad Tea Party...)
 
This has just been a strange summer, so far...
 
No one will be in public school ~ in my house, anyway ~ this fall...
 
Grandson Nick will be in 9th grade, but aside from picking him up
 
in the afternoon, my son Mark will have to do all the school stuff...
 
I have been dealing with Sikeston Public Schools now for thirty-four years!
 
(And I am still getting the school-related automated phone calls ~
 
I'll have to call and remind them that they can now

 take my number out of the system...;)
 
Jonathan and his older brother Neil will both be in college
 
before the month is out...
 
And then....then...
 
I don't know what.
 
Visit Katie in Atlanta? Visit Mandy in St. Charles?
 
Twiddle my thumbs?
 
(Actually, I'm trying to make myself get into the habit of painting again.)
 
I digress, though...

I really don't know the reason for this melancholy strangeness...
 
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One thing I'm excited about ~

Probably overly-excited about, as I am at this time every summer...

Tuberoses.

I have a passion for tuberoses...my Grandma Launius had them in her garden.

Always.

I grow them every year in memory of her.

What makes them so special?

They are so fleeting...a week's bloom-time, maybe two at the most...

depending on the temperature...(high temps make them all open up faster).

To me, the fragrance is summer when I was little, spending the night

at my Grandparents' house...which was air-conditioned ~

ours (at the farm) wasn't.

Such a treat...and Grandma's living room was all tuberose-scented

COOLNESS....Heaven.

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A Cypress Vine has laced these two together...
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Okay, this is all of the tuberose photos, I promise!
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Towering sunflowers!

My garden has just grown (like Topsy)

this year.

On its own, pretty much.

It's not being pampered like last year.

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A Cherry-Lime Zinnia...
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"Lime Queen"
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The marigolds are enjoying this rainy day...
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Cypress Vines everywhere!
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They thrive on neglect, though...

Look at this one coming up between the pavers!
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How about a dash of cuteness?
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Older brother Neil has been doing farm work this summer,

and a couple of weeks ago he brought this little baby home in his lunch box...

(A dog had gotten into the nest and this little fellow was the only one saved...)

Isn't he adorable?

I didn't know what I was going to do with him...

After a little online research,  I found

Watkins Wildlife Rehab

in Sedgewickville, Missouri ~ about an hour from here.

Conveniently for me, though, a kind soul who works at a veterinary office

here in town lives close to the rehab/sanctuary, and she took him there for me.

Happy ending!



Here are a few of the ACEOs I've finished in the past few days...

(ACEOs are fun little baseball-card-sized artworks, 2 1/2" x 3 1/2")

I'm listing them on eBay;

If you'd like to take a look, I'd be honored ~

My eBay ID is october*moon...

or, you can click "Fiddlin' Under the Harvest Moon"

in the right sidebar, and go directly there.

I promise I won't spam you (much ~ ;),

but putting them here on the blog keeps me inspired!

I've had fun with them, anyway...

"Tallulah at the Mad Hatter's Tea"

(See my gold polka-dotted teapot?)
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Tallulah's fantasy of having tea with the Hatter himself!
Watercolor and Colored Pencil
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"Ladies of the Club I"
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Tallulah and her little Mousie friend in their feathery chapeaus...
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"Ladies of the Club II"
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Tallulah and two of her little Mousie friends
in their fancy hats and red pocketbooks!
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"Tallulah's Halloween Party"
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Tallulah (and helper) stir up a Halloween brew...
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"Conjuring Up a Rainbow"
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Tallulah and friends have donned their wizard-garb
and are conjuring up a rainbow...
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"Fiddlin' Under the Harvest Moon"
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Tallulah and friend, fiddlin'
in the moonlight...
look at those eyes peering out from under the leaves!
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New post soon...I have lots of catching up to do!

Love,
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