Summer is here!!????

The weather is certainly something else, we are enjoying 80' days and loving every minute !!!!  I hear from my up north friends and they are basking in the warm weather also.  One day the temps were only 2' apart from Wisconsin to Missouri and to Arkansas, don't see that very often!!!

This lovely tree blooming in our backyard is some sort of pear tree that does not have pears????  It is so pretty, we also have some tree with flowers in the front yard and some say it is a peach or pear tree???  Guess we will find out.

Well, I've been making some hats for cancer patients, there is a sewing event on Monday at a shop in town to make the turbans and hats.  I made this style and will donate them as we will be in Hot Springs AR. for a visit next week.  We'll return to have our best friends from Wisconsin drop in on their way home from a relaxing winter in Florida.  Can't wait!!!!

And my scarf dyeing is going off in other directions, RUST!!!  What you can do with rusty nails, old drill bits, copper tubing, old horse shoes, WOW.  And then to stay true to form I did the green with food coloring and vinegar.  The deepest green is a cheater with commercial dye and vinegar.  Trying for a real teal, hard to get with food coloring!!!!  And then I just gave up and just did the rust and I like that one too, nails for the border and horse shoes, wish I liked horses.  I really do like horses but I am  afraid of them!!!

Another great day ahead!!!  Enjoy!!!
                                                                   

PREPARING FOR SPRING!!!!!

Today Dave is busy making planters for our deck, we are going to plant lettuce and spinach this week, I hear we might be behind schedule for here!!!!  Considering we didn't even till the garden  till Fathers Day last year in Wisconsin and were still picking tomatoes at Halloween it's a bit weird!!!   I planted basil and parsley weeks ago, we have some green house windows that are kind of dated but been really fun!!!  Oh the basil and parsley are up and doing well.  I am no expert at this kind of head start gardening, I usually  purchase the plants and drop in and there's the garden!!!  So we'll have a big raised bed in the back yard, an herb garden on the deck railing and a bigger planter below.  With all the deer and varmits around here we had to put it in the fenced back yard.  Yes, that $2,000. fence was surely worth it, the dogs hang out in the front yard and do not like the back yard.  Oh well, the next one we'll train better!!!!  And the gardens will go undisturbed!!!  And I bought a grape start, hope that flys as I am already missing Grandma Doris's grape leaves!!!!

I'm still trying anything I can think of from the table linens and vintage stuff Ben got me last year.  I'm now on necklaces , old jeans are the back piece, tablecloths are the flowers, denim and old ties for the leaves, and a pearl or 2 and ribbon for the tie.  I think they are rather fun!!!!  A nice touch for summer with jeans and t-shirt!!!  They can be made with anything!!!

And last week my friend Linda, she owns Arrowhead Trophy in Middleton, wrote me about the 3-2-1 cake, have you heard of it!!!??????  I had not, so of course I had to try it, seemed easy and good!!!  Well, it is both and what a concept!!!whoever thought of this is a genius!!!

The biggest deal is going to the store to purchase the cake mixes, one box cake mix, any flavor and a box of angel food cake mix.  Take the 2 cake mixes and dump all the packets into a 1 gallon ziplock bag, mix well.  Then here's the hard part!!!  take 3 tablespoons of the mix and put in a small microwavable custard cup/etc. and add 2 tablespoons of water, mix with fork, put in microwave for 1 minute and you have cake!!!!  Run a knife around the edge and plop it on a plate, we have used lemon and put hot fudge sauce and raspberry sherbert with it yum!!!!  This is something you must eat right away!!!! while it is warm.  Perfect for the retired folks, great to keep at work for a quick dessert, great for kids to make.  I can think of lots of ideas with nuts and chocolate chips, frosting, whip cream, cool whip, and all the flavors of cake mix!!!  Wow!!!

                                                               Well, enjoy!!!!!!