Freedom Rock Update and a Request for Prayer

I have posted before about Freedom Rock and thought I'd show you an update today..every year the artist creates a new scene...enjoy!

 You can read more about Freedom Rock which is in rural Iowa with the link above....one of my dear friends was able to get there a few years ago and said she really enjoyed it.......

Friends..we are in dire straits..haven't mentioned it as this blog isn't one for personal problems..but I am asking for your prayers......our business the last few months has literally dried up...very few calls and we are two months behind on our mortgage...its rather scary.....please pray for a break through and provision as you all know how much we  love our home, family, garden and pets.....we have a van for sale which would help immensely..praying the right person comes along....love to all of you

Wildflowers, Garden Update, and June giveaway

We found these pretty white wildflowers on our walk yesterday and I picked some to take home...these bloom white and as they mature, they turn a very pretty primitive rust color.....and dry well without losing their petals.....when we got home, the mailman came to the door with a box from Linda at Parkers Paradise...she sent me some goodies and I was really blest.......it made my day really...

I quickly used this wall pocket for my picked wild flowers....its pretty now but will be even better as the flowers turn to a pretty rust..

....she also sent me a punched metal lamp cover, a candle, a paper mache box and battery tea lights..plus another wooden wall pocket which I will share another day.....I am thinking of  painting the box black...with a blackwork stitchery on the top.. an experiment.....I am working on the last of the patterns from Bird Brain

Someone asked if I do requests...yes, I do......

We enjoyed beet greens last night...they were so delicous, it was unbelieveable...I just washed them throughly, and steamed them...served with a little dribble of apple cider vinegar...

 The corn is starting to tassle...

and we have melons!

These are new for us..we normally don't have good luck with melons....this melon is called Early Silver Line..the tag says "Unique elongated oriental melon. White, crisp flesh, sweet and fragrant...a small delicious gourmet melon rarely found in markets." sounds good, doesn't it?

be sure to sign up for my June giveaway! If I get 100 followers (50 so far) I will give away a second stitchery...I have it stitched...just have to frame it....hint..sheep....

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More Black work

Here is another black work design..this pattern is from Home Berries....the link takes you to her free pattern section....some very cute designs...this one needs a better frame but thought I'd show you anyway...I need a better backing as it keeps falling out!
Just to let you know that if I get 100 followers on my giveaway..I will add more prizes for  more winners...so if you haven't signed up..please do...I have almost half that amount...
I also set up a Facebook page so if you are on Facebook...come on down!

Stitchery

I was able to get the third towel embroidered this weekend....and have them listed on my selling blog and also Yardseller......the photo color isn't true..they look brighter than this but tried as I could, couldn't get the lighting right....(.Little Boots had to be in the photo of course....he's a ham..)...they are nice towels and have a hanging loop in one corner....
Can you believe its' already June? Before we know it...fall will be here again... I listed some of the fall candle mats also.....

This is one of my favorites...I colorized it and think it turned out nicely.........and of course, many of you have seen the spider web one...

I really like, as you can tell, Rhonda at Primitive Stitches patterns....I would like to get one with fall leaves and am going to check to see if she has anything like that.....if not, may have to design one myself.......

Friday, Blackwork, Coffee, and Garden Update

These are two of the three tea towels I've been working on....decided to do something a little different..have one left to finish...its Cappuccino......love this Aunt Martha pattern......

I am a coffee drinker...got started while I was still living at home..both mama and dad were coffee drinkers also...Dad used creamer in his..mama was a black coffee drinker..of course, I went with my daddy and use creamer in coffee and  milk in tea....they used Folgers at home but now, I prefer Don Franciscos when I can get it...if you haven't tried Don Francisco coffee..its the bomb....you can find them on Facebook..and they do giveaways..I won a nice gift basket from them a few months ago...and yes, they have decaffeinated ...

The garden is doing well...we are getting  summer squash now..the other day, I roasted them in the oven and they were very good...easy to do..just cut up  your squash, put in a oven proof pan (I sprayed some Pam in it), drizzle with oil..and roast at 350 for about 40 minutes or so or until they are tender.....I think some garlic would be very good with this too.....

the nectarines are getting ripe too..the tree this year didn't have very many..last year we had more but there was a cold snap in February so that's probably the reason......

but the apricot is making up with tons of fruit.....just hope the birds don't get too many of them.......

ground squirrel latest count---20

Thursday Musings

I added a few more vintage handkerchiefs from my small collection..this is the last of my grandmothers creations...aren't the crocheted flowers pretty?..you can find this one and more on my selling blog..Sweet Home Stitchery
We've been a little busy this week with locksmithing....more lock outs..Alan has one tomorrow too....plus some foreclosures and one escrow re key....our youngest came over as it was his day off and helped his dad at one of the foreclosures...he seemed very happy in his new place and is enjoying his freedom...
we will have an extra bedroom soon when the new parents move out which should be soon...our boarder has asked if a good friend of his could rent it...we will see..I guess..not saying no..we could certainly use the extra money....
I am working on more black work...have a set of pretty tea towels almost ready...yellow striped..I like yellow and black as a combination...plus did another picture....always something to stitch but I'm running out of black floss....
better go as we have 3 jobs today...all foreclosures.....sad for some but good for us.....hope to take some photos......
Good Thursday at all of you, from cool overcast Southern California!
Please sign up for my giveaway! see the sign up button on the left hand side...

Blackwork and a Lazy Day

This weekend I finished the second in my black work embroidery pictures....these are really fun to stitch..there is some bead work on them also....I do love to bead......

Our weather has been very nice..not hot..mostly in the high 70s and low 80s..we get wind just about every afternoon too..nights are very cool, in the 40s and 50s....so much of the country is hot, we feel blest....as its dry also..low humidity....and no bugs to speak of......like mosquitoes and flies......today while in the garden, we spied a beautiful pink and orange dragon fly..I wish I'd had the camera.....it wasn't large but its colors were gorgeous....dragon flies are rare here so we had to watch it as it flew around the garden.....amazed at it beauty.  We are still being plagued by squirrels however..the count is up to 15....

A neighbor came by with a gift of tomato plants....he knows we love our tomatoes...we sent him off with some of our canned goods, a jar of peaches, fig conserve, canned plums, and some dried apples....he is quite knowledgeable about all the many varieties of tomatoes...he grows over 100 plants a year..all in pots! sells some, gives some away but had never canned ..so of course, we had to share the wonders of canning....

Later, Alan planted the two  he gave us..Black Cherokee......an heirloom variety....

Giveaways

Not only am I having a giveaway..many others are too...so thought today I would tell you about a few of them...only in blog land can you actually get wonderful USA handmade creations absolutely free.....here is the first....from Crows Creek Primitives...

Secondly....Ravenwood Whimzies

Thirdly....1890 Gable House

Fourthly....The Cabin in the Woods

and finally, for number 5..
Prims by the Water

if you sign up for the above prim peppermint sticks...could you mention you were referred by me? thanks so much.......

I am working on another blackwork design and have also ordered some special towels for more blackwork....its such a refreshing change from red.....and goes with everything........
if you haven't signed up for my giveaway..please do..it will run the entire month of June.....and end on June 30th....

If you are reading this and you don't have a blog....that's ok.....but if you sign up ..with Blogger, you can comment and enter giveaways....and its free......

A Desert Road Trip Revisited...

 Sorry, I haven't posted much this week..been busy! Alot of jobs this week...all but one were "lock outs", evidently the banks are getting tired of carrying peoples loans and started to foreclose again..Alan is at one as I type this today....
Yesterday we had one in San Diego and then had to drive out to Borrego Springs for a third time for a foreclosure....this time it wasn't so pleasant as the house was in bad condition out on a desert road..isolated and a little creepy...originally, I think it had been nice, with large bedrooms, living room and a country kitchen but that had been long ago....the lot had many dead and drying trees...including a dead rabbit at the back door....many out buildings that were falling down from dry rot...lots of debris around, old sinks, trash,etc......not only that but it was really windy and hot, even though it was the late afternoon before we got there.....
Alan was able to pull the garage door up so we drove the car in  so he could work in the shade.....and we had to replace 6 deadbolts as they were the wrong type for a Fanny Mae property.

Fanny Mae requires a special code on all their properties with Quickset locks.....all the  locks on this house were Schlage ....normally we have enough but for whatever reason we didn't  so we had to go through all the locks we had and "frankenstein" enough for the house...which.took me about 40 minutes,,spreading all the locks on the floor of the garage, going through bags of parts...not too much fun...I started feeling very frustrated, hot, and got a little panicked. as I couldn't seem to find what was needed.....
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While I was working, Alan went through the house and took all the old locks off...there were so many as the house seemed to have endless doors....(we ended up with a very heavy bag of locks to take back).....there were 6 exterior doors..with two locks each...we just take any keyed locks off the interior doors.


When he got back to the garage and saw the state I was starting to get into.....got me a cold drink out of the cooler, told me to relax and he found the parts I needed within about a minute.....what a great guy! While he was doing the re key...I took a break and walked through the house....I could hear the wind whistling across the top of the roof....my frustration and panic subsided..and looking out the back windows, watched the dust and sand blowing across the desert floor.......wondered if anyone would buy this house..it had possibilities but would take alot of cash, sweat (literally!) equity.and as it was in the middle of nowhere, why? I also thanked the Lord for giving me such a great husband....feeling 100% better, I went back and installed our Frankenstein deadbolts with no problems......we also checked all the windows and made sure the house was secure....

One thing about Borrego Springs...I don't think they have much crime as all 3 houses we've re keyed...had no sign of anyone getting into them even though two of the three were open.....no vandalism!We both decided though it wouldn't be a place to retire, this last house wasn't a good example of the types of homes in Borrego Springs..there are much nicer ones, as I've posted about but its just a little too isolated for our needs. ..We were glad to get home...it was a 240 mile around trip!  have screwdriver, will travel.....

Be sure to sign up for my June Giveaway!

June Giveaway!

In my other blog, I decided to giveaway this little black work picture I shared a few posts ago.....I will be having a monthly giveaway so if you are so  choose, please sign up...I try to make the giveaways fairly easy...I get put off by those who have so many rules and hoops to jump through.....enough of that in real life, right? The link is on the left hand side......