Goldfinches and Iris

Earlier this spring I saw a very bright yellow bird out my office window. I tried to get a picture but it wasn't holding still for a minute. I think its the first year I have had this pretty little gal.

Then this last weekend Joe brings in the cutest little yellow baby bird that he found in the yard. We discussed what we could do and felt pretty bad. It looked in good health but just to small to fly.

I went out where he found it and saw a nest above in the tree, Joe climbed up and said no its to old and in bad shape. So he took it out of the tree and we were standing there discussing where the real nest could be when along comes the mama bird. We go sit on the bench and watch for her to fly to the nest, well she goes right to where we took the nest down. AAAhhhh........we panicked.....oh no... it can't be. OK we decide to put it back and put the baby in and see if she will accept and forgive our intrusion.

Well she did, amazing enough, but everyday this little baby bird either falls or flies out of the nest several times.

So up the ladder we go to put it back in the nest, mama is still feeding the cute little thing and it has really grown in the last four days.

This eye doesn't look to be its best side, but then we all have our good side don't we.

Here is the little bird in its misshapen nest. We think the heavy rain and hail we had two weeks ago made it squish into a figure 8 and mama can not sit on the nest with the baby. But they are handling it the best they can and we keep an eye out for the little flyer.....hoping soon it will be flying the nest instead of falling straight down to the, thankfully, soft lawn.

Here is mama perched just below, the nest is on the right above her. She is a good mama and we are glad she forgives us and is sticking with her little chick.

On a flowery note I am enjoying my Iris this year, they are a fragile flower but are so beautiful.

Hope your week is going well, we are enjoying some beautiful warm weather. Now if the wind would take a break my little friend could stay put.

Hugs,

Carrie

Seattle Graduation, Sharing Old n' First Quilt

Last weekend DH and I took a quick trip to Seattle to celebrate our niece's graduation from Seattle University School of Nursing. She is the one with the drink in her hand, didn't notice that when I took the picture. Pictured with her are classmates that are graduating with her. A very nice group of "young" people. Visiting with them I found myself asking questions about their views on our aging society, lol...... us boomers need to be thinking about these people who will be our caregivers........ I was very impressed with their openness and intelligence. They were all full energy and excitement for their new careers. They also had a sincere sense of compassion, I really liked that. Then I asked who was making those yummy bloody mary's, cause I would really love on too!! LOl........ after all it was a party and it was a long drive, I needed to relax!

Sarah in her little hat that she would wear during the cap and gown ceremony. We all wanted to know if the guys were going to wear the same one!!.. lOl.....no mercy!
After the party my sister and I went out for a little shopping time together to my favorite place , Country Village. It is a very quaint set of shops in Bothell. They have beautiful flowers on the grounds and even some feathered friends. This pink peony was just beautiful.

This wonderful dogwood tree is at my sister's home, they are just beautiful this year.I participated in a Primitive Porch Swap and I made a very fun flag for my partner. It is a Country Threads pattern. I have been wanting to make this up for some time and the swap just seemed the perfect opportunity. I did some machine quilting on it and I just need to do a lot more or give it up. It has been awhile and I was so tense, I really had to dig to find my quilting gloves and when I did it was so much better. They really do help.

I found the birdhouse at a vendor mall in Sisters and thought it was perfect. It was made of old wood. The book is blank pages for drawing or making notes. I like doodle pads and journaling. Not pictured are the flags I purchased at the last minute and then proceded to close up the box, I had set the camera on top of the box when I loaded the car and didn't notice it slipped inside. LOL......

I had to put the quilt in my little garden area for a memory shot.

So now I am quilting up another small project which I will show soon.

The next quilt is one I purchased on a trip a couple years ago to Seattle. We were with my Sister and her husband, there is a wonderful shop at Pike's Market and we both found an antique quilt.

I love tree quilts and late 1800's this quilt fit both. I feel in love, it has some wonderful fabrics and it really sparkles. I took it off the quilt ladder this week and gave it a tumble in a warm dryer and its resting on the spare bedroom for awhile.

A close up showing some of the fabrics.
This wallhanging is the project I made when I learned to quilt. It is hand pieced and quilted.

The instructor picked the four blocks specifically for the techniques. We started by picking a border piece and fabrics that coordinated with it. I learned so much in that first class and still use some of the tips for machine piecing. That first border took some time, there were alot of set in pieces in it. I think it was a good thing to learn early on, it wasn't difficult I just needed to be precise.

I wished I had picked the red and green border and had a christmas quilt, but it is fun to go back and look at your first projects.

Many of my first projects were given as gifts, and I wish I kept better photo records of them. I do try to sign and make labels for them now, I didn't do that earlier. I really love the new digital cameras, not having to wait for film to be developed is wonderful.

I am painting my adirondak chairs this weekend, they have really needed it. I may be working in the garage since the weather is questionable for tomorrow. Hope your having a wonderful weekend!

Prim Blessings,

Carrie

Primitive Porch Swap, Spring Blooms

The weather has cleared a little after yesterdays storm. My goodness between the wind, rain and hail my flowers are taking a beating!!! Now we have waited along time to have some nice weather and spring flowers so it is about to **** me off. LOL...... did I say that.....
Well anyway it cleared enough for me to get some pictures to share of my primitive porch swap goodies from Cindy of Cynthia Lee Designs.
First a couple items need to be indoors, the rain would not be good for them. They are just inside my front door greeting friends and family in the spirit of summer. Very cheery and the little bird house has been primmed and is so cute!
On the porch hangs a heart and star all primmed and so cute with my willow heart, which has the painted water can. Cindy painted the little watering can with a flag and sheep. Now this little water can has been filled twice by the rain we are having recently, it is holding up well I must say.

Here is a close up of the painting Cindy did, the detail is really wonderful. I have never been a painter so I was so excited to have something hand painted from Cindy.

The little flowers are trying to put a little life in this area off the front porch where I moved some Iris. There will not be any blooms this year so I thought this would be a perfect spot. The rain really is being kind of hard on them though. They have been primmed to and I love the perky little flowers.

Thank you Cindy for the fun and creativeness you put into our swap, I will enjoy them and think of you often this summer!

Our peonies are in full bloom and they are loaded. I think they are even bigger this year.

The Iris are just beginning to bloom, I think the rain is really bringing everything on so I hope the hard rain is gone for awhile.

I have been trying to get out a couple hours each day to keep up with the flower beds. Sunday I spent 6 hours cleaning up and spreading mulch. That was a bit much for the arthritis but I sure liked the way things looked afterwards.

This weekend we are going to Seattle. My niece has graduated from her nursing program and we will celebrate with her. Seattle is a fun place to visit, we'll see how much we can pack into two days.

Spring blessings,

Carrie

Gift in the mail and what a storm!

I got some fun mail last week! I was the winner at Lovestitches giveaway. Steph gave a stitchery that she made. It is really adorable.
The stitches on this are amazingly small, the little flowers really need a better camera than mine to show the detail.
I am sorry it has taken more than a week to show my prize, but I did not get the picture downloaded before I sent my camera on its little trip. No need to go there again.

Its really the cutest thing, I love it and can really appreciate how tiny these cute little flowers are. I just would never be able to do them so small. Thank you Steph for sharing your art, it is nicely framed in a wooden hoop and ready to display.

Right now it is on my Grandmother's piano with this little teapot. The stitchery is a little kimono girl and I thought she looked so cute next to these little dutch children on my antique teapot!So this afternoon I headed out to the post office, the skies were getting pretty dark and the rain was just beginning. Within 20 minutes a loud lightening storm with rain and hail made for a real driving mess.

We must have had 3 inches of rain and hail in just that 20 minutes. I wasn't feeling to bright driving in the lightening but I was already half way to the post office before I drove into the worst of it.

The hail looked like snow it was so thick.

I think I am glad I didn't get in the middle of this part of the storm, I would have had to pull over.

Anyway I got my package from the post office and got my grocery shopping done!!

And I got my camera in time to take these pictures, Lol........ aren't you excited!!!

My poor yellow flower basket has really taken poorly to the wind and hail. It will need some tender care to snap out of this beating.

My goodies from my porch swap are holding up and I will get some pictures and have show 'n' tell tomorrow.

I even have some pictures of my Wool Garden blocks, they are looking so good, I just love the large baskets of flowers out of wool.

Spring blessings,

Carrie

What Makes You Happy?

Do you know what makes you happy? Some people are just upbeat and so infectious, but all of us have those things in our lives that make us happy.
My grandson Hayden has found one thing that is making him very happy!! Hayden is the oldest of the triplets, yes maybe only by 30 seconds but being in the right place at the right time is everything.
Hayden has a reputation for being fussy, one way or another we find ways to communicate our frustrations. And babies have the one way that really gets our attention.
One day while daddy was feeding another brother, Hayden had a look on his face that alerted daddy to get his camera. Daddy just knew something was going to happen.

Yep, I think I got this figured out.........and I just know I can do it.....Ahaa....I'm up and lovin what I have found.....the freedom to move around my world and explore.
Hayden is loving his newly found mobility and finds others can be helpful in ways they maybe wouldn't volunteer. The shortest way isn't always without obstacles but thats OK...with Hayden!

Hayden is a very happy, mobile, and exploring guy!
He finds that everything can assist in his new found joy of standing! Except for all the coffee and end tables that are now out of the living room! But thats OK because he is happy!

And these two brothers bring him much happiness........laughing is infectious ya know!!

Being a triplet brings much happiness....These blocks make great teething biscuits........we all agree! Eating is one of our favorite things to do.
Ethan is a firm believer in an "Apple A Day" theory! They are yummy!!

Graham teething cookies make us all happy, we are all satisfied and happy eating our first cookie in the warm weather on the deck. They are so delicious, gooey and fun to smear everywhere.

And bathtime in the big bathtub really make us all happy, even Mommy!
Warm weather brings fun outings, like this trip to the zoo!! Yeah warm spring weather!

At home Hayden has found there are many things and places to explore besides the large collection of play apparatus you see in most pictures.

Hayden happily crawls from room to room finding his home to be so interesting. Not minding the independence one bit.
Another frontier awaits, no wonder Omaha and Emily usually lay here, this is wonderful! Just wait till I'm tall enough to open this door!

If you see something that interests you and you want a closer look...well.........

Just crawl on over and take a peek............mobility makes me HAPPY!!
Hey........what's going on.........I was just having some fun. And I am very happy!!

And what makes me, Gramma happy, is receiving 130 new pictures on snapfish from Krista!!

Its two months away and the boys will be having their first birthday. Pappa and I have purchased our tickets and are looking forward to celebrating with all the lucky grammy's and pappa's in the midwest!! My mother is also planning on going too, which will give them two Great Grammy's to celebrate with.

I am off to the post office to pick up my package with my camera. YEAH!! It's home from its little trip, that also makes me happy.

See the quilt on the floor, that is the quilt I made for my son's high school graduation! It is Geese in the Cabins.

Be Happy,

Carrie