:: Wordless Wednesday ::

Thank you for stopping by!

Toodles  L x ♥

Hello & Goodbye :: This Week

Apologies for my absence, yet again, I was struck down by a nasty bout of Bronchitis and in those days after recovery life has dealt us with some challenges that were at moments unbearable. Fortunately, spring arrived during these days and in a small way made things just a little more bearable.

Last Monday we said goodbye to our beloved Pigpen.  After 17 long and beautiful years it was unfortunately time.  We fought it for for three weeks to no avail.  Right up until the last day, she made every effort to greet us as we came and went, but while her mind was willing, her body was tired.

 To say she was the best dog in the world would be an understatement.  Loyal, loving, obedient, kind and careful, she was beautiful.  We miss her.

 To add insult to injury, work has been the pits.  After 19 years, last 5 of which have seen our small group out dwindle to almost nothing it is apparent my work situation is going to end.  When this will happen, I don't know, but the wait and not knowing is driving me nuts. I'm feeling a bit bitter watching our jobs move offshore to low cost countries as those at the top continue to line their pockets. I won't give up till the end because I am loyal to my boss and also because finding a job in our area with similar compensation will be next to none and I want what little payout I'll get at the end. I'm not entirely sure why I am sharing this, but it is therapeutic to put it in words. To say I am terrified is an understatement.  The Mister doesn't understand, he doesn't do emotional listening very well. I am incredibly shy, so the thought of moving on to a place that is foreign terrifies me.  I know that sounds nuts for someone who has traveled the world, but meeting new people is my biggest nightmare, especially in our small town where everyone knows everyone and I'm still considered an outsider after 18 years.  Secretly I am hoping this will be a change for the good. At least I keep telling myself that.  My Mum always said "Change is as good as a holiday", so lets hope she was right.

Ok enough, but THANK YOU for listening.  

Onto something brighter.

Spring has arrived and this year she is beautiful!

The apple tree is in fine form after only two blossoms last year and no apples, this year it has gone bonkers.  I love it.

 The Mister has finally cut down the evergreens that were leaning precariously after Hurricane Sandy and put back the beautiful forsythia that was there before them.  I love forsythia, as soon as I see it's bright yellow flowers I know spring is finally here.

 I found this delightful little jug at the flea market last week and put it to use immediately to enjoy the last of the daffodils inside.

On another bright note, about four weeks ago we had two little additions to our household I thought you might like to meet.

Here is Miss Toast.  Yes, Toast, because who doesn't love Toast?  She's a sweet little piggy who loves to run at high speed around her house.  She loves to get outside in the beautiful sunshine to nibble on the grass. 

 Here is Miss Twiggy, our little chatterbox. I swear she never stop chattering, it almost sounds like she is sending Morse code!  She is very sweet and fond of our other g-piggy.....

 ....Woody. Miss Twiggy and Mr. Woody are quite friendly.  Of course we keep the bars of the pens between them.  Three guinea piggies is quiet enough for us!

 The piggies have been enjoying quite a bit of grass time this week thanks to the fantastic warm spring weather. Spud is always present when they are outside.  Woody runs around on the grass quite free chasing her, it's hysterical. That G-Pig just loves that cat. We keep Twiggy & Toast in a little pen, they're not quite so tame and still quite tiny. Spud is intrigued by them, but we keep her at a safe distance.

 She's just been scolded for stalking the girl piggies.

 Well it's another beautiful sunny day here today.  If you're still with me on this post, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for making it to the end and listening.  The words on this little blog from me are often a challenge to write, but I always feels so much better and your little words of encouragement mean the world to me.

Thank you!  I hope the sun is shining where you are. I know times are a challenge right now for me, but I know if I persevere it will all make right in the end.

Toodles...L x ♥

  

More Little Stitches

 

I think it might be obvious that I've fallen in love with these fabric prints. I bought them very cheaply from an odd warehouse/hardware type store in town.  They don't have a vast selection of fabric in amongst the hammers and nails, but these few prints I thought had quite a vintage feel, without a high price tag. I love the old vintage feed sack prints, sadly many vintage fabrics and their reproduction prints are far outside of my budget.  Anyway, I've fallen in love with making little hand stitched quilts and now I have quite a collection from these prints. I just need to convince the Mister to make me some little quilt hangers so I can display them ☺ .

 

Toodles...L x ♥

Smitten

It's officially out of hand.  My first custom Blythe.  Isn't she amazing?

(Not my photos, from the eBay listing)

I don't spend money on fancy clothes, expensive make up or hairdos (the Mister cuts and colours my hair and I rarely wear makeup) and we don't go on lavish holidays (in fact we rarely go anywhere), so when I fell in love with this girl on eBay, the Mister said go ahead.  I placed one very low bid and figured it would be out bid and not meant to be.  For whatever reason mine was the only bid!  It was meant to be.  I have vowed to buy no more and mean it.

I know this isn't a blythe doll blog, but to me she is a piece of art, a creation from someone's heart (Lady Alice in Kansas) and she is a little light of happiness in my grey days.

Thank you for putting up with this post, I promise to be back before the end of the week with a little bit of patchwork.

Toodles...L x

Learning Curve or Not

Hello!  Happy Thursday. 

Isn't this new month of April just whizzing by? 

Light speed I tell you. 

It's going be over before I've even realized it started.

I still think it's March.

 

On to today's lesson, where I'm fairly certain my learning curve is more like a gentle bend in the road, or perhaps it's more like going off a cliff? There certainly is no curve. I either get it in a dramatic way or it takes Forever.  Anyway, a few weeks, but more likely months back, I finally killed my old Blackberry work phone.

It was old. 

This I was told constantly by Little J, "Just how OLD is that phone Mum? You know people don't use those phones anymore." I wasn't too bother it was old and out of date. It was a work phone, no dollars out of my pocket and it worked.  But it doesn't anymore, so now I have a new fancy smart phone.  So complicated that the first time it rang I was fortunate Little J was on hand to show me how to answer it!  Yes really, I held it in my hand and screamed frantically for him to PLEASE help me - my boss was calling.

A normal person would have read the extensive users guide, but apparently I'm not normal.  But we knew that already, right?

Big J read it for me and informed me that it had quite nice camera on it, but unfortunately I refused to listen to his guidance or instructions.  Last week I would have told you the camera was crap.

Hence this blurry photo below.

 And this one of a lovely sunset, but very blurry. I'd line up the perfect shot, zoom in, get really excited, then my wobbly hand would try and tap the screen to take the photo.  

Clearly, or not as this is the case, my screen tap method wasn't working and I still wasn't listening to Big J.

A lovely blurry shot of the neighbors cat stalking my bird feeder. He stops by several times a day, watches the birds and looks in at me working away at my desk.

 And when he isn't stalking the bird feeder these amazing blue jays come by to visit.  I loved seeing them, brightening up crap days at work taking more blurry photos... 

 .....of beautiful birds through filthy dirty windows.

I do actually clean my windows, sometimes, but in my defense it had just rained.

 And then one day, completely by accident, my big fat finger hit a button on the side of  my phone and...Voila! A not so blurry photo of my first daffodils. Not great, but not so bad. 
Sorry, Big J what was that you said about using the button? At which point he'd given up and mumbled something about listening the first three thousand times he told me.

 And then, this afternoon, stuck in the only traffic jam ever to occur in our town, I discovered which button it was!

AMAZING.

Not bad eh???

(The Narrows, Cumberland Md)

 And now I'm totally loving this new phone AND listening to my boy.

 And this somewhat crap week in April, with a very poorly dog at the vet, a very busy work schedule, crappity crap crap weather the first three days of the week, the...

Phone is now a pretty good camera, when the camera isn't around... 

The sun is NOW shining, goodbye rain....

My crocuses AND daffodils are blooming.... 

 And the Mister has promised that he WILL be free this weekend to help me finish a little roofing/shingle job I have going....

And the bench at the dining room table will be free for sitting on once again!

It's not often I say this, but its been a

 

GREAT WEEK

 

here at the Gephart.

 

I do hope things are great for you too.

 

Thank you SO much for stopping by!

 

Toodles....L x ♥

Rainbow Eggs

Lovely free range eggs from the Mister's work colleague are like a little rainbow of colour in a box!

Such a treat.

Toodles...L x ♥