First Roses Blooming

First Roses Blooming

Fragrant treat this morning.

The bees have been busy

Spring.

Rained all night and more blossoms are ready to join in.

Happy Birthday to my 

Dear Sister Gail

Hugs and Love

Joy

Mother's Day 2019

Mother's Day takes on different meanings as one leaves the comfort of having a Mother who is still with us.

I treasure this last photo of Mom before she went into a Care Facility. We had gone out for dinner and celebrated together and she was happy.This photo is from 2008. Mom was 88.

Dad visited Mom every day right up until March 29, 2013 when she quietly passed away with family at her side.

Honouring Mothers everywhere and remembering my Mom, her Mom, Dad's Mom, Aunties. Sister, Cousins, Nieces, DH's Mom, his Grandma and Aunties and Cousins and Sister. 

I am remembering other Moms who have shared a hug with me when I needed one and others I have hugged because they needed one and my blogging friends who are remembering their Moms and the Dads and Grandparents who are/were the Moms to their families.

Hugs and Love

Joy

1911 Singer Sewing Machine

Well used. 

Old
Patented
Canada
Aug. 1 - 1911

Old Singer, not working as far as I know, dropped off by an old friend.

Challenge.

Key missing.

Screw driver?

Yes, did look up 'how to unlock' on YouTube

Size of the slot is 3 mm so we tried  - very gently - with a 3 mm screwdriver and it did open

So much worn out.

Small peek at this very old Singer - and I will finish this tour another day.

Finally, in the backyard the 
orange azalea bloomed.

A quiet post today.

Thanks for stopping to visit.

Joy

Fence Part 2 and Planting the Flower Boxes

Rebuilding the Backyard Fence Part 2

Part 1 Hard Work Done Slowly

DH and DGS finished the fence. Painting hasn't quite caught up but no worries. If you didn't read part 1 - the fence blew over during the very strong early February winds.

Main purpose - a fence - a divider between two yards.

Last section of fence finished.

It will be handy to have access (where the 'gate' will go) to the neighbours yard to paint the 2x4's - which I wish I had done first.

DH started to built a 'replacement' gate to attach between the two close-together posts. There has been a 'gate there since we moved in 38+ years ago. It has been 'screwed shut' by the neighbours but we will still replace it.

DH unscrewed the gate from the support posts (so you know it was not a 'working' gate).  Removed a rotten fence piece - and  decided to 'replace' the gate. He will finish the gate and hinge it in place with hooks on both sides.


Lots of smaller stuff left to finish but those are smaller less obvious jobs.

Recycled - unpainted unusable rotted posts and boards for the garden recycling centre.

Saved: pieces of board that MAY have a use sometime, cleaned up any messes we made doing the work around the fence and shed area.

I am so glad that job is mostly 'finished' and the two yards are again divided by a fence.

Thanks for hanging in and visiting (hanging in is another fence joke).

I was the 'gofer' on this project. Working outside gave me time to think about what the priority jobs for the next couple of months will be. 

First up - the front flower boxes.

Filled the front yard flower boxes - on April 25th the Laity Farm opened their plants for sale yearly event. I added marigolds, dusty miller and white alyssum.

On May Day I added 3 empty flower planter boxes to the grouping (stored in the carport for years) and filled them with SeaSoil. More visits to Laity Farm plant sales ahead.

Added two shade plants in another small planter "Dragon Wing Red Begonia". Tag says 12-15" tall and 18" wide. Blooms summer until frost. Likes sun to partial shade, heat tolerant, moderate water.

Red flowering plants went into the round planter.

More garden jobs to tackle.

Lists will be made.

I am so very grateful that 
I am able to work on my garden this year.

Joy

Sharing with:


Janet of Try It - Like It
Donna of Two Chicks and a Mom
Roseann of This Autoimmune Life
Kristie of Love My Cottage 
Kelly of Under a Texas Star 
Jen of A Fireman's Wife 
Suzanne of Pieced Pastimes 
Donna of Funky Junk Interiors
Pam of Pam's Party and Practical Tips
Andrea of The Cottage Market
Beverly of How Sweet The Sound
Kate of Chic on a Shoestring 
Julie of Little Farmstead
Anna M. of Strawberries and Buttercups 

Susan of Love of Home 
Danielle of Finding Silver Pennies 
Angie of Letting Go of the Bay Leaf 
Christine of Rustic and Refined  
Lisa of Grandma's Briefs 
Chloe of Celebrate and Decorate 
Katie of Lets Add Sprinkles
Marty of A Stroll Through Life 
Marci of Stone Cottage Adventures 
Rebecca of R and R At Home 
Tarah of Grandma's House DIY 
Sam of Raggety Bits 
Ann of Dabbing and Decorating 

April 2019 Thrifts and Stencil

Stencil of the Month

Happy Birthday DH

April's Thrifted Finds:

Mid April finds - Mennonite Church (such a well organized and welcoming group).

Farmer's Almanac Thermometer on tin lid, brass chamber candle holder with removable candle holder, brass snuffer, a Wade creamer and various silverplate and vintage cutlery in a pitcher.

Sequence and supplies used for my latest stencilled sign at end of this post.

Flashed Ruby Red Goblets on my welsh dresser.

Candle Holders with pears and tulips and Royal Doulton Hunka Munka with her baby mice and a German Tee-Maass mug.

Well used Slow/Stop sign, a trailer licence plate, vintage white enamelled commode and a red well worn Gasoline can, plus a few small dogs.

Glimpses of the mid 40's and Later

Silver plate teapot, creamer, sugar and boxed glass ashtrays.

An eclectic group of great finds this month.

Stencil: Laundry on Grain Sack Stripe

Supplies:

I used Donna of Funky Junk's stencil for the grain sack stripe background (link to all her stencil projects as well as others who have shared with her).

Paint and other supplies used:

• ASCP White for base coat
• FUSION Little Lamb (pale grey) for grain sack 
  stripe
• CeCe Caldwell Beckley Coal for letters
• ASCP clear wax
• Individual letters from Westcott LetterCraft 
  Helvetica 3" plastic Premium Letters

• ruler, paint brush and brush for waxing, paper 
  towel, newspaper, blue masking tape, clean  
  rag for polishing

• sponge brushes from Martha Stewarts line
• bristle stencilling brush

Painted the ironing board shaped board ASCP White.

Later added the Fusion Little Lamb grey Funky Junk's grain sack stripe (note the stencil is moved forward after the first section of the stripe is painted and taped into position to complete the stripe to the end of the board).

Sanded the white and grey to add a 'worn' look to the board. 

Next, on a long piece of paper, I traced the letters L A U N D R Y to make sure the spaced letters would fit on the board. 

Measured carefully and placed blue masking tape on board as a baseline for the letters.

Placed each letter (covering the next letter with tape) and taped the stencil to the board. Used CeCe Caldwell Beckley Coal and used my 'go to' stencil brush to ponce the paint onto the board. 

Repeated for each letter, taking care that each letter was the same space apart.

Remember to clean your brushes and stencils and any bits of paint that get on your hands/arms or clothing with warm water and your choice of gentle cleaner - gentle rubbing with your fingers for cleaning the stencils (they can be fragile).

After L A U N D R Y was stencilled the sign was again sanded lightly and then waxed with ASCP clear wax.

Two earlier posts on making laundry signs posted earlier can be seen here and here.

along with the new LAUNDRY sign.

Thank you for visiting today.

Joy

Featured by Roseann of This Autoimmune Life May 2/19

Sharing with:

Janet of Try It - Like It
Michelle of The Painted Hinge 
Donna of Two Chicks and a Mom
Roseann of This Autoimmune Life
Kristie of Love My Cottage 
Kelly of Under a Texas Star 
Jen of A Fireman's Wife 
Suzanne of Pieced Pastimes 
Pam of Pam's Party and Practical Tips
Kerryanne of Shabby Art Boutique
Andrea of The Cottage Market
Beverly of How Sweet The Sound
Kate of Chic on a Shoestring 
Anna M. of Strawberries and Buttercups 
Beverly of Across the Blvd

Susan of Love of Home 
Danielle of Finding Silver Pennies 
Angie of Letting Go of the Bay Leaf 
Christine of Rustic and Refined 
Cindy of Dwellings are the Heart of Your Home 
Roeshel of DIY Showoff 
Lisa of Grandma's Briefs 
Chloe of Celebrate and Decorate 
Beth of Home Stories A-Z 
Marty of A Stroll Through Life 
Marci of Stone Cottage Adventures 
Angie of Knick of Time 
Robin of Fluster Buster 
Ann of The Apple Street Cottage 
of DIY By Design 
Beverly of Eclectic Red Barn 
Rebecca of R&R At Home 
Tarah of Grandma's House DIY 
Cecilia of My Thrift Store Addiction 
Sam of Raggety Bits 
Ann of Dabbing and Decorating 

Saying Goodbye to Grand Dogs

The two dear grand dogs have now passed. Diesel went to dog heaven April 17th (2019) and Peaches last October 29th (2018). 

Sweet dogs, good memories.

Grateful that I could love them for many years. Lots of good memories.

I used to take Peaches to pick DGS up from school every day in the elementary years. She loved everyone she met. I am grateful I had so many years with her in the family.

Diesel was a dog who looked after his family and Peaches was part of his family. Great guard dog - he took his job very seriously.

Hugs

Joy