Happy Wednesday!

I don't post as often right now and it's all because at one time or another I somehow copied over a link that keeps taking me out of my blog to who knows where and I don't know how to find it and get rid of it. And Then when I try to work on my Things to Do I have to continually fix the spacing on it. And of course, I don't know how to fix that either.

Need I say that I am tech-challenged? I don't know how to figure it out and everywhere I've looked for help doesn't seem to help.

So I get frustrated and go outside to dig weeds. Aaahhh, that soothes the soul.

Anyway, I've been busy, busy, busy.  The Denton Community Market had their first 2nd Saturday on April 10th and it was a huge success! We had about 20 vendors, music, and coffee. As the weathers warms and the Farmers get to come out and play, it should be an even greater success and a very pleasant place to go on each 2nd Saturday. Please join us and the DCM next 2nd Saturday on May 8th you'll be glad you did.

I've been in the garden, and have lots of pictures to show. I just can't seem to find them just now - hmmmm.

Okay, we'll get back to that.

I've been crafting, crafting.  Here are some pictures of a couple of things:

This started out as a small folder that I covered in paper and added all the doodads. The flower is a silk flower that feel off of something in my house that I took off the plastic and glued on the card. The button is a vintage button that I picked up in my thrift store travels. The little goodies are things I sent along as some "specials". It's not a fancy card, but it was my first card handmade card and I think it came out pretty good. My swap partner liked it as well.

And another swap I did is for an ATC. This is my first as well.

For my first, it came out pretty good. I was pleased.

So where am i doing all these swaps, because these are just a couple I've done, and I've been in several already and I am so addicted. It's called Swap-Bot. I don't remember how I found it. If you do go there - beware - you WILL become addicted and so far I have found NO cure. Although I haven't really looked for a cure at all. It is so much fun!

I'm also working on the baby shower for my little Angelique. I'm making a flag banner right now and almost have it finished. I took a baby crib dust ruffle and cut out triangles (that was a challenge - who knew that could be so hard to do) and then sewed them together. I'm making the 'binding' - not sure what to call it - and because I have meetings tonight and most of the day and evening Thursday, I won't be able to finish it until Friday.

Also, Ryan is graduating so we are planning his grad party. Family will be coming in from Ohio and we plan to have a party here at home. The weather should be cooperating at that time and there shouldn't be any rain.

Okay, I have to go. I came across a blog for a shop in McKinney that I want to visit called Smitten so I'm off on an adventure! I'll get those pics up for you and PLEASE bear with me as I try to get this whole blog mess figured out.

A little bit of a flower show...

Despite or because of the snow, rain and wind the flowers in the garden are coming up! It's wonderful and I'm enjoying being outside again.

I've had these in the garden. I call them Audrey's Iris. Purple is not one of my favorite colors, but Audrey's Iris is almost a deep purple/black color and I love the throat of it. It is white with a purple streak down the center. I'll be thinning this out after it finishes blooming.

This little guy is my unknown. It came up last year too, and I still don't know what it is or where it came from. It is a tiny flower, maybe not more than 1 inch across. The stem is about 8 inches, if that. It's a cheery flower and it makes me smile.

Around the corner and up the street is a lot where a house burned down. Last spring I was driving past this lot and see all this flower growth coming on. I rushed home grabbed my shovel and bucket and went to save these flowers from a life of oblivion. I really didn't know what I was saving to tell you the truth because none of it was blooming, except for the grape hyacinths.  This snowdrop was a pleasant surprise this spring. I love it and it has such a wonderful scent.

Grape Hyacinths from the same lot.

This is a lavender colored Iris that I saved as well. It looks a little washed out here, but it is beautiful.

This came from the same lot, but on the other side of where I was digging and I got this just a few days ago. I don't know how I missed it last year. It's a miniature jonquil and it smells so sweet. I just love it. Huny doesn't like it because he says the flower is too small.

I have a couple of other things coming up from this rescue mission, but they are blooming yet. I'm excited to see what comes up!

These are my 50cent Hyacinths that I got from WM. They were just a little stubble in the pot and I brought them home and figured they wouldn't grow this year, but surprise! I love them. Hyacinths are one of my favorite Spring flowers. The flower in front is a 50cent daffodil that should be blooming today - hopefully!

This is an heirloom Cemetary White Iris that I got from Petal Pushers last year (Update: Petal Pushers has closed.) and this year it bloomed. I love the yellow beard.  All that greenery you see below the flower are my poppies.

The spineless cactus is from a fellow gardener and it came from TWU. The violet is a stow-away from somewhere. I think it came from Audrey's garden.

Pretty.

I don't know what this is going to be. Hmmmmm.

Audrey gave me these boots for Christmas one year. This spring I'm dressing them up with marigolds. Don't you just love that flower? I have them everywhere in the summer. The little corner behind the boots is my container garden that keeps growing. I have a pot of Marjoram because Huny likes that herb and I use it fresh in a lot of my cooking, there is a pot of alyssum to lure the butterflies and bees, the red flower is a dianthus that we got the first year here (3 years now) that I have divided, divided and divided. It's in every corner of the yard. The butterflies love this flower.

Right behind this is my new garden that I just got started. I going to fill it with herbs and more of the dianthus and we'll see what else. Yesterday Huny was being lumberjack and was splitting wood and one of the last two logs he had to do had a great hole in the center of it. I swiped it to set in this planter. I'm thinking of planting a silver thyme in it. Wouldn't that look pretty coming out over the sides of the log? I haven't started the pictures of that yet, but this is my project for today.

In the house, we have the tile down in the entryway and in the front closet. The baseboards are up and Huny got them painted. There is stuff EVERYWHERE in the house. The sun is shining and who wants to be STUCK inside the house????!!!! And anyway there's no place to put anything yet.

Yoohoo! A great reason to be outside!

Well, the wind has died down from the gale forces of yesterday to a pleasant breeze - thank goodness! It is going to be a great day in the garden! Have a wonderful Sunday! 

The Garden, a Film

Today I visited the website for a new publication to our area called Edible Dallas & Fort Worth. When I joined their Facebook group I came across a reference to a film called 'The Garden'. I looked it up and was amazed at what these people did with the land. They came together and took a patch of land and showed what we can all do with a bit of dirt - no matter if it is a fourteen-acre garden or an abandoned lot in our own backyard. This garden community grew enough food to feed their families, friends and most importantly, they grew a community of people that cared about doing something positive with what they had.

Just to have someone come in and say they are taking it away.

What is unfortunate is that this is not a new story. Across the nation people band together and take an abandoned piece of land that no one wants and give it love and attention, and they take pride in what they have accomplished. They have brought back a piece of land from nothing to a piece of land bringing sustenance to their lives and to the lives of their loved ones.

And then, someone sees what they have done and they say they are taking it away.

The love, attention and pride that they give to this abandoned bit of land most often carries over to their own homes in one way or another. And then someone takes notice that the neighborhood might have some value after all.

Just to have someone come in and say they are taking it away.

This film is about a fourteen-acre community garden at 41st and Alameda in South Central Los Angeles. It is the largest of its kind in the United States. Started as a form of healing after the devastating L.A. riots in 1992, the South Central Farmers have since created a miracle in one of the country’s most blighted neighborhoods. Growing their own food. Feeding their families. Creating a community. But now, bulldozers are poised to level their 14-acre oasis.

The Garden follows the plight of the farmers, from the tilled soil of this urban farm to the polished marble of City Hall. Mostly immigrants from Latin America, from countries where they feared for their lives if they were to speak out, we watch them organize, fight back, and demand answers:

Why was the land sold to a wealthy developer for millions less than fair-market value? Why was the transaction done in a closed-door session of the LA City Council? Why has it never been made public?

And the powers-that-be have the same response: “The garden is wonderful, but there is nothing more we can do.”

If everyone told you nothing more could be done, would you give up?