American Chickens

Today as I was taking my Wool Crazy class with author JoAnn Mullaly I made a point to take pictures of Polly Minick Rugs which are displayed on the Country Loft walls.

The Country Loft in La Mesa has a Polly Minick trunk show going on. It’s been beyond  wonderful looking at the original rug I have always wanted to hook. The book that features her lovely rugs is The American collection Hooked Rugs. I love the book and have wondered how hard it would be to hook the chickens with the American flag . It looks like a big undertaking but anyone who knows me knows I love chickens.

                                                                     

 My idea is hooking it in a little more primitive colors so it will definitely look different then Polly's chickens.



 Basket of flowers



It will take me years to complete but that will be a rug that I truly will be proud to accomplish. I had the pattern magnified so this weekend I am going to get my red dot and start to copy the pattern. The interesting thing about a big rug is all the planning for the colors .First thing I am doing is start collecting and dyeing my stash of colors. That should take a while.

I still will work on smaller rug projects but the chicken rug will be my big long drawn out project. I am in no hurry so it will be one of my many projects. My plan is to dye the background first. Right now my wools are soaking so tomorrow after I get back from a trip to my friend Dees garden I am going to dye my wools.

I plan on using a plaid red and over dye it a antique black using the Antique Colours for Primitive Rugs formulas using Cushing Acid Dyes. By Emma Lou Lais and Barbara Carroll. I love this dye book I am just going to be like the tortoise and the hare and take my time. Cheri



Patriotic pails.

                                       I hope you enjoyed the Hooked Rug Show!

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Unwelcome neighbors running down my dirt road.

I noticed them the other day as I backed out of my driveway. One just sat up next to the school fence with a sweet look I thought until I saw my neighbors lawn.I had seen one a couple of months ago but now there were three. I tried not to panic until my hubby laughed he saw two of them in the driveway. All I could think is stay away!

Their getting closer!!! A gardeners new adversary. Yes their kind of cute but they can eat everything.    Squirrels! I had never seen squirrels on top of Crest . I had heard about them in other areas of Crest on the side of the mountain but these little critters are here and are now coming to my garden. It’s only a matter of time when I will be at war. Morris is great at Gophers but Morris is getting older and frankly he is having some mental issues. O.k. I admit it Morris is a little odd that last time I saw him hanging by one paw confirmed my opinion Morris is not making good choices lately. So I sit here knowing that as I happily open my screen door in the morning. Coffee in hand ready to water there might be a couple of strangers munching on my hard work.Hubby says their cute and I tried to tell him don’t let their looks fool you .

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Dee's Garden chair

              A simple picture of a friends place to sit in her garden.

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My biggest Rug and yes I think I like it!

My biggest rug I have ever made.





The many faces we wear...

Yesterday I hooked to my hearts content. A couple of friends and I got together and we hooked on our projects. I had started a chicken rug hooking and the beak was looking more like a horses mouth so my girlfriend gave me a refresher lesson. I ripped it out and did it again. I love the beak it looks much better after hooking it again . Between our hooking she had friends in her condominium stopping by and visiting.I guess were getting known as the hooking girls. We laughed so much. I hate to say it but I guess I am a little bit of a storyteller at times and my friend kept saying how funny I was which egged me on.It's relaxing talking with friends discussing what’s going wrong with our rugs, asking about colors and everyones opinion.We talked about everything from murder trials to kids and laughing at the dumbest things.

 I can never hook enough chickens. 

    
I think I am a paradox I love being around people at times and then I shut it off and enjoy being a hermit.  I think the older I get I just want to do what I want to do. Last night laying in bed with the window open I could hear all sorts of interesting noises in the night. There was one noise I wasn't sure if it was a bird or a animal.The sound was kinda high pitched and a repetitive light screech. It was such a peaceful feeling the cool night air and guessing what the sounds were. I had stay'd up really late working on my chicken hooking and the world was asleep with just me hooking away.
 During the night as I lay my head on my pillow I could hardly sleep thinking up projects I want to accomplish in my garden.I hope I am not the only person that goes over in her head all the things she is going to do the next day.Sometimes I wish night could be skipped so it would be the next day!

But when I need a people fix that’s when I take off my garden shoes slap on some face paint and become another face to my personality. I become a talkative person enjoying myself with fellow women who enjoy creating. I think in any person that creates art whether it’s a garden for themselves or rug hooking or a million other art forms being comfortable being alone is sometimes needed. That’s when the creativity can happen and you can tap into it.So I am going to hopefully tap away this summer to my hearts content.

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Butterfly days and Summer memories

                                                         Butterflies                                




A little girl with shiny long hair years ago would run through the orchard looking up at the sky and have a big black butterfly try to land on her head and that would be me. I now know years later they were called Mourning cloaks and are known as the friendly gentle butterfly.




                                      Trying to take a picture of a butterfly.

I love butterflies because of that I plant bushes that will attract them to my garden. Butterflies also need to have plants to be used as host plants to deposit their eggs.My purple butterfly bush that is blooming has butterflies enjoying the nectar every day. I also bought another bush that has attracted butterflies the bush is called a milkweed .Monarchs need  the milkweed plant so the larvae can eat it as it develops on this plant. It’s a host plant and if you want monarchs head for the nursery. Today with the heat of summer bearing down I am being sure to water my plants and that’s when these beautiful graceful ballerinas come out influenced by a wet drink to soothe their parched wings I tried to sit quietly today near the milkweed and I could see the butterfly but never catch it in a picture. It eluded me and teased me with its getting close to the milkweed then flying away rapidly. Frustrating as it was I realized how hard it is to be still and wait.





 There is a monarch in the milkweed bush look closely!
I caught it in my photo.








 I need to weed yikes!

  When I was a little girl my parents had a orchard in our backyard with twenty seven fruit trees. When I would go out the back door I would look out at the arbor that lead to the orchard and to this world of fully mature fruit trees. There were almond trees, peach trees, fig trees, nectarines and lemon trees. I remember stooping and playing under the ripe plum trees while picking fruit. .The memories of running through the orchard with my brothers and picking tangerines from a tree that seem to age better with neglect are still fresh in my mind on a hot summer day.I am embarrassed to recall putting my little brothers in large leaf trash cans and pushing them down our little hill in the orchard over and over again. Every year we would have bags of tangerines from this constant steady reliable tree.
Today I noticed two mourning cloaks butterflies were in the garage in front of our big window that looks out to the garden and were stuck unable to get out of the garage. Between the cobwebs and the chance of freedom a look away they were not going anywhere. They were beautiful and I of course had to rescue them. I climbed all over the place practically breaking my neck with the pieces of wood my husband has leaning against the wall. They fluttered away, I kept talking to them they listened I am sure but were not impressed just scared to be trapped in the garage. Finally they settled down wings together against the large window and I grabbed the wings delicately with my fingers. Off one went over the top of the roof and then the next one was caught and flew away just as rapidly. Now I have mourning cloaks watching me as I putter in my garden. Mourning cloaks live for a year and so these two are my new garden buddies for the year. Cheri                                              

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Beauty is in the eye of the beholder

                                                          It must be in the water..

Morris my crazy Cat gave me quite a little shock yesterday! I looked up the hill in my backyard of eucalyptus trees and I noticed an orange crazy Morris hanging by one paw. The chubby cat was hanging about 25 feet up in a eucalyptus tree with one paw unable to get back to the branch . I yelled at Morris when I saw him.I have no idea how long he had been hanging there but he had the attention of a crow that was cawing at him. That must have been Morris’s attraction to be so high up in the tree a big black crow with a nest.
I wasn't sure if his claw was stuck in the tree or what. I looked at this big orange fur ball hanging like a monkey in a tree and thought where is the nearest ladder!I doubt it would have reached him.

It's one thing to be stuck in a tree another to be hanging by one paw. Morris was struggling to pull himself up  I felt so bad for him.
I think me yelling at Morris gave him the incentive to be like a contestant on the biggest loser TV show. Give it one more try! He was back on the branch. Hoisting his belly jelly cat belly was equivalent to a military marine pull up. Quite impressive! After he had taken his time coming down the tree I checked him out he was not limping or anything . It was such a emotional moment for Morris he headed for his cat bowl.
Morris is the reason for the saying Curiosity kills the cat he just can’t stay out of trouble.

My girlfriend had a birthday and we were unable to get together because of everything that happened last month. Yesterday I bought her a birthday present yes that would be the frog but after looking at it I am not quite sure if she’ll like it. It looked good in the store but now I hope it grows on her. There is a fine line between interesting and odd! I asked hubby instead of weed wacking the garden could he make me a birdhouse for Linda. This is hubby’s make do birdhouse I hope she likes it.Hubby just saw the frog he looked at me and laughed. I don't know why I asked for his opinion he said it looks like Godzilla.

Jack worked away on this bird house for me on Sunday after he saw the frog.   



 The back of the birdhouse is a wash board.

                                                                      

 

                                                     

  



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Hattie the hooker Cat and Jax the Wonder dog.

Hattie Bo Bo's loves rug hooking

 Megan's Cat Hattie is a rug hooker Kitty!!!

 

                                                  On my free time I hooked during baby naps.


 Friday afternoon   ....Someone was so happy to see me!!!


Jumping all over me, Hugs and kisses and yes Maulie my shitzu was ecstatic to see me.

Hubby was lonely but he said Maulie just sat at the window waiting for me. At one point I had three dogs sitting in my hubby’s easy chair. Animals do seem to love me. What is strange I had growling dogs at one point when  all three dogs were sitting with me. My husband never has that happen with the dogs but not me they all get territorial around me. Maybe somebody that understands dogs can tell me what's that all about?

Marlene's dispatch from Pismo Beach.......

 Pismo State Beach is California's only drivable beach where you can rent


all-terrain vehicles and ride on the shoreline. Downtown offers many

interesting shops and lots of restaurants plus many opportunities to enjoy beach

fun. Jax is shocked to see so many children. He heard school let out June 1st,

so it looks like summer fun has already begun!

 Pismo beach pier




 Jax the wonder dog steps into the Pacific!

 

 

Jax the Wonder dogs vacation is over. 

My cousin finished her vacation and is back home with Jax the Wonder dog. I couldn’t download the pictures last night Megan's hubby was working from home so I couldn’t use the computer yesterday .

   So ends my week away from home.The only thing that was a little disturbing was on my email. There was a email  warning from our local Crest community person. A mountain lion sighting in Crest and a number to call if you see it. I guess no more hikes with Maulie looking for Dodder. I wish she had said where it was last seen.
I'm home again.Cheri











                                                                                                  









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It's going to be a rough morning

As I sit here baby mommy is asleep Baby Jack is asleep and I am wide awake. So much has changed since I had Megan that there are few words of wisdom to share about babies except sleep when they sleep. Friday I return back to my routine and back to Crest. I am sure I have alot to get caught up in my garden. My cousin vacation is winding down and Baby is going to have a bad day today Circumcision! Ow!!
I am sure none of us are going to sleep tonight. Makena is going back to her home  soon and Hawlie will stay with us a couple more weeks. I sometimes wonder is it just me or is life flying by?
Baby Jack has the hiccups and I have noticed his vocal cords have gotten louder,Way louder!So I shall be back to barking dogs and Morris wanting in and out a hundred times a day.Watching to see how many more butterflies are coming  into my garden. Which all you gardeners know is a great indication of how healthy your garden is. I'll be fixing hubby's dinner and just my routine of catching up with friends and wool projects . Doesn't it sound lovely. Cheri

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Hans Christian Andersen

Hans Christian Andersen a beloved author is loved by the Danish people. This Author wrote so many great fables that I loved. The princess and the pea,the little mermaid,the ugly ducking and my favorite the emperors new clothes.For some reason as a kid the idea of being naked and thinking you had wonderful clothes on was so funny.
 In Solvang there is a statue and a museum to honor this author and his wonderful talent for writing  . I am sure as a child all of you have read or been read to these great fables. 

Jax enjoys a visit with Hans Christian Andersen wishing he was still alive to write a story about him

 

This Baby has his froggy hat on and is sleeping away!Every day he looks around more and more.

                                                                         

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Jax the Wonder Dog in Solvang

                          I feel so Danish in this shoe!
                                       

                                                      
               Yes That is Jax the Wonder dog in a Shoe in Solvang California

 Jax is having a great vacation.
 My cousin Marlene another of my cub reporters just sent her newest report from Solvang!
 It sounds like their having a fun time.

 Solvang is a quaint Danish town also affectionately called Little Denmark. The
streets are lined with fabulous bakeries, boutiques and restaurants. It's
located in the Santa Ynez Valley in Santa Barbara's wine country.


Thanks for pictures and the report Marlene!

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Sunday evening

I had such a nice day visiting with friends and hooking away on Friday. One of my nice friends gave me a chicken rug hooking to work on. It is a great size to work on while I am helping out at  my daughters home. The new pattern is not too big and all the wool is there I have instant gratification.Hooker friends like Janet are a girls best friend! Do I need one more rug to  hook? I think yes!  
This new grand baby has me thinking hummmmm...
I have pondered what to call myself. Grandma doesn't sound like me and since I am of hispanic descent Nana is what I called my grandma.My mom was called Nana, so I will be a Nana.   

 This week I am going to miss my quilt group that I go to at the Country Loft and my rug hooking group but instead I  get to hold a week old baby!! So I won't be posting til Friday but I will be commenting.
 Lol I am such a chatty girl I do have to see what everybody is up to.Since I am using their computer I can't get to pictures or download anything to my blog. Here is an old picture I have of Maulie in my Picture library file.  It makes me laugh... Maulie is a little Bee.It's a Halloween picture but let say for now she is a Spring Bee... Cheri

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Baby Jack Steven

                                       Look who is out of Nicu! Thank you for all the prayers!
                                    

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Jax the Wonder Dog is the newest Lifeguard!

 California budget cuts hit Newport Beach!

I just had to show this picture of Jax .Jax has a great dog life ! Well my cousin’s dog is having a grand time in Newport Beach I hope this makes you chuckle. I had to laugh!  Jax first had to stay put  and the added funny part my cousin got him up there.Lol

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