Stasia's Place Of Grace

Sunday, May 09, 2004

 

Happy Mother's Day!

Hope all you moms (and pet moms!) are having a splendid day in celebration of all you do for others. Be sure to do something special for yourself today - a self-pedicure, a gourmet cup of coffee... a nap? Just enjoy whatever you choose!

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Fibery Pursuits

Cherie at Craft Designs For You (the maker of my fantastic custom Valentine crochet hook) has immortalized Valentine in embroidery patterns for plastic canvas and cross stitch! Click on the images if you're interested in ordering from her:

What great news to hear on Mother's Day. Val thinks Cherie did a great job!

I have been busy with baby knitting for family, neighbors and friends:

Orange Rowan Wool-Cotton baby sweater from
"Simple Knits For Cherished Babies" by Erika Knight

Since I don't know what these babies are (other than babies!), I'm using yarns in "gender-neutral" (term from my very PC Californian sister) colors like purple, red, orange, line green, khaki, and stone.

I've also been test-combing and -spinning the fleece from Spyro The Shetland Ram of Maplewood North Farm. It washed up very well. So far, so good with this worsted preparation and spinning style... if you don't count the times I keep stabbing myself while combing inattentively!

This is destined to be a sweater for Jeff... some day...

Indigo Hound Combs
Tabachek Spindles in Cherry, Koa and Purpleheart
NOTE: I call first dibs on any new Tabs available! Hee hee hee!

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Garden Pursuits

What else to bring you for Mother's Day but... plants and flowers! Let's take a peek outside...

The crabapple tree always blooms on Mother's Day - what a gift!

I had an empty flower bed to play with, and here's what I have planned for it:

Now if it would just stop raining, I could get these perennials in the ground! The birds at the feeders have been supervising me during planting:

The heirloom (1916) Thalia narcissus always put on a great show. Here they are with checkered lilies (fritillaria meleagris) and some rogue chives:

The peonies and the blue grape hyacinths are doing fine:

Jeff and I are not sure what kind of bush this is, but we think it is a type of viburnum. It smells heavenly, and blooms early and for a long time:

The tiny wood on our property is really greening up:

In the little woods, we have a mayapple...:

... and also some stag's horn ferns popping up:

There are also native lady ferns starting to appear.

A special gift from the woods - morels!

Maintaining our woods, small though it is, is actually a lot of work. In order to protect species like mayapples, bloodroot, trillium, Jack-in-the-pulpit, Jacob's ladder, and Solomon's seal, we have to constantly get rid of stuff like this (and so should you if you see any!) That means hand-pulling every garlic mustard we see... ugh!

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As for indoor gardening...

Here is the snail vine (vigna caracalla) which I ordered from Monticello. They seem to currently be out of them, or I'd post a link for you. It arrived as a little tuber that had been stored over the winter but quickly sprouted!

A new passion flower is a bit showier at this time:

The Jamilou hibiscus(es?), however, are in our tiny, indoor greenhouse in the ICU! They didn't seem to enjoy being shipped from Florida to Wisconsin:

Have you ever seen a candy corn plant? I hadn't, and couldn't resist picking this one up:

It's so wonderful to be surrounded by all this growth and beauty and energy!

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You know, we women are all mothers, even if we don't have children. Whether we bring humans or ideas or art into creation... whether we nurture husbands/SOs or friends or family or pets or plants... even some men mother others! So Happy Mother's Day to everyone who has ever shown "a mother's love" for another... and that means you!

(And a very special thanks to all the ListMoms of our online discussion groups!!!)

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