A bit of spring insanity :-)

Hello dear friends and readers,

Do hope you are having a great week out there :-)

At the beginning of this week Mr Wolf & I sat outside in the lukewarm spring sunshine and looked long and hard at the garden . . .

"Mr Wolf"  I said . . .  "the garden after the winter,  is a  MESS ! ! ! "
 He nodded & agreed wholeheartedly with me.
  "You know what Mr Wolf"   I said -  " my first groups start next week & just look at it ! ! "  He nodded again & gave me that sideways look he always does . . .
 "I think Mr Wolf, that it is just as well that I don't charge the groups to come here,  because . . .  they would most CERTAINLY  -  want their money back !!"
More nodding & sideways glancing from the fat fluffy.    Then he gave me that squinty "what are you going to do about it"  look . . .

And so we got off our chuffs &  went a little bit crazy & had a bit of a "spring clean up"  . . . to slightly rephrase that a tad  - ONE of us went a little crazy while the other one supervised & made sure I didnt miss any bits . . .(which is a very important role I might add)

Supervising from my blanket with my eyes closed . . .  you missed some over there Mum ! !

The garden got weeded (in some parts)  & it was amazing what I uncovered under the umbrella of weeds - some lovely spring things coming back to life after the winter . . .

In this area, there were 2 Pot People perched on tree trunks,  & after weeding the area around them  . . .  their baby appeared - he had been hiding under the weeds . . .

One of the groups phoned to say they would like to bring their afternoon tea & have on the deck area - Oh great I thought . . .  I wasnt planning on cleaning that area just yet ! !
So I set to work & scrubbed & cleaned & de- cobwebbed (is that a word ???) . . .

The candlelabra got scrubbed too

The steps got scrubbed & lost their "green grungy" look . . .

The cushions got a wash & a freshen up & even the bunting got washed & ironed & hung up to blow in the spring breeze  . . .

The welcome bunting had actually gone "missing" & was found up in the guttering rather wet & soggy- looking & unloved.
The window baskets got freshly planted with some potted colour  -(impatiens/busy lizzies) -  & Cedric - (my scarecrow) got a new (2nd hand) set of clothes from the Op Shop & a new scarf & hanky for his pocket . .
- quite a transformation (I should've taken a "before" photo) . . .

Amazing what a fresh set of clothes can do for a tatty ol' chap isnt it??!!

The signs got a polish up

Even the pets graves got a spruce up, weeded, & some freshly picked flowers to adorn them . . .

To say I went like a "lunatic" would be an understatement, but I feel much happier (& less pressured) now that I have made some progress   - of course, there are still loads of areas I havent touched yet but I will try & deter the groups from those areas,  & as any true gardener will know, it is never ALL finished . . .  there is always more to be done  . . .  (well in my garden this is definately the case)

An area needing some attention - just hang up a sign, smile - & walk away ! !  (could actually do with several more of these signs for parts of the garden I might add ! !)

Needless to say there has been no crafting getting done - although I did manage to dehydrate a fresh batch of oranges to make some more of my citrus potpourri next week - this was done rather late at night while the rest of the house was sleeping . . .

All dried & ready for using . . .  smells divine too  . . .

I also strung up some of last years gourds that I had dried & given a good scrub - this is not a very clear photo - think I need to hang them against a dark (or plain) coloured background to show them up properly - I was really pleased how they came up & its amazing how you can be quite rough when scrubbing them & they are remarkably tough little things  . . .

LOVE the warty ones

That about sums up my week folks but before I go I just wanted to share with you one of my absolute favourite things in the whole world . . .   my cherry blossom tree . . . (prunus awanui)

Standing at my kitchen sink looking to the right out the french doors . . .  I never tire of this view

I actually have some tuis living in the blossom trees - I wake up to their sounds & I try to really listen & appreciate them as I know they wont always be there - they are feasting on the berries in the trees & also mating (I think) - a customer told me they like me to talk to them but not to try to imitate their sounds (??!!!) - how she knew this I don't know - my camera is not modern enough for me to get a decent photo of them but I LOVE them & their sounds . . .

Hope your weekend is filled with only good things folks, thanks for stopping by & listening to my ramblings & joining me on a little tour of (the tidier bits) of my garden.  May the sun keep shining for us all.

Love/hugs/friendship,
Julie (& Mr Wolf)  XxXxXx
(a little footnote  . . .  the 1st garden group came this morning  - they were running really late - looked in the cottage, didnt even LOOK at any of the garden - but gave me a lovely date loaf so all is forgiven)

Missing in Action

Hello friends,

How are you all doing??  I apologise for having been "missing in action" these past couple of weeks - I have been helping out in a shop in town which was supposed to be 1 1/2 days per week while my friend (the shop owner),  was overseas - however the lady that I was supposed to be "helping" got taken to hospital and I was "it" 5 1/2 days per week.  

 Not really how I wanted to spend my time but however . . .

I wanted to share these couple of pics to show you what a difference a week can make - I took them exactly one week after the pics I took for my last blog post - my magnolia coming into bloom and my tulips . . . 

Now both in full bloom and the magnolia is looking very brown after our 2 frosts this past week.

I have been burning the midnight oil trying to get some stock finished for the cottage while working during the day - my neighbour commented my lights were on very late the other night - I completed this little Miss Matryoshka to get in the post to a friend for her birthday . . . 

 (a little late but it did arrive eventually !!)

After 4 pm the shop would go very quiet so I managed to get a bit of knitting done, & some dishcloths finished (while waiting for 5 o'clock to roll round)  . . . 

 The pale green wool is actually scented with the fragrance Aloe Vera - I am not sure how many washes it will last for but it does smell very beautiful.

I have been wanting to make some more "Miss Alice" dolls for the cottage - she is a Mogs Design pattern that I do love - here is my Miss Alice sitting in my dining room . . .

 I had some patchwork fabric for their jackets already so decided to make a pink/blue one and another in red colourings -

Often when I talk about her I forget to call her Miss Alice & call her Old Quilts (she does'nt usually object)  - she comes complete
with a story in the pattern all about how her jacket is made from Grandmas old quilt - I always photocopy it & include it with her when I make her  . . .

Also I was able to purchase some extra long cinnamon sticks so decided to make some more of my cinnamon "bundles" again - they smell divine ! !

Their fragrances are Sandalwood & Cranberry - go on - have a big sniff  . . . 

Lastly, this was a doll I had made the body for awhile ago and finally got around to making her clothes (as is typical of me) - she is a Rosalie Quinlan pattern that was published in an old Homespun magazine - her name is Ruby and the words on her tag said "dear mummy I love you" but I have changed it to "we love you"  - she hangs from a door handle or a hook on the wall & her apron is an old doiley (I do so love little Ruby) . . . 

                                        (not very clear photo - my apologies)


Finally I wanted to share a little "Mr Wolf" story with you that happened last week - our old ute had decided to no longer have any gearbox & had gone in for major repairs.  This meant that Graham ("the Mr") had no vehicle to get to & from the farm that he runs,  so he decided to come home in the 4-wheel farm buggy.  Nero (Mr Wolf) was quite delighted when he saw this & seeing as he thinks himself a wonderful "farm dog" (quite the best) the Mr decided to give him a few rides around the lawn in the farm buggy while I cooked dinner -

Hmmm that looks like the perfect vehicle for a marvellous farm dog like myself ! ! !

 Now (because I was cooking dinner) I didnt actually get any photos of him having his rides but I can assure you there would'nt have been any room left in the cab even for an ant, once you got Mr big fat fluffy inside sitting up there all proud of himself & full of importance  . . . 
however the problem arose when we came inside for dinner and he didnt want to get out - AT ALL - & so every half hour or so one of us would go outside & try & persuade him to come inside . . . 

Just look at that contrary-mary face will you !!!???

Note the sky is darkening - still he wouldnt budge! !

Night had fallen by now & the Mr had given up coaxing him

Now I wish I knew how to start this thing up again & give MYSELF rides round the lawn . . .

 Eventually, with a plate of cooked sausages cut up little - I was able to tempt the big fat fluffy inside again  . . . (quite some time later too I might add . . .

Dreaming of riding round the farm in the buggy - VERY important ! !

Hmm - give me small children to deal with anyday ! ! ! 
Well I wish you all a happy sunshine-filled weekend & I will be back here again next week - me & my "contrary-mary" dog -
thanks as always for stopping by.

Love/hugs/friendship,
Julie :-)   X x X x O o