Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Snow Day At Home


I started out for work this morning, slid down one hill and decided that since it is meant to snow all day and I didn't want an accident, the better side of prudence would be to turn around and go home, which I did.

In any case I haven't been feeling so well taking of time to go to the doctor yesterday, so probably a day at home will do me good.  In fact no work for Mr B today and no college for Rob, so we are all at home.

I walked into the Simla Room, which we do not heat unless we're in there using the room, and I was surprised to see that my passion flower plant was putting out a bloom, how lovely is that in the depth of winter.  I'm trying to baby it through until next spring and it will go outside again.


Our snowy garden



Good fire going.


Over the Thanksgiving Holiday I made these pins.



The broach above uses the hand made Braintree silk, but while making it, it flew out of my hand into a cup of tea that was sitting on the floor, what are the odds of that?  I dashed it out to the kitchen and ran it under the tap, then dried it with a paper towel, and left it to sit and totally dry off.  In the centre is an old rhinestone button.


A little embroidery on felted wool.


Purple crystals in the centre and amethyst on the three corners.


These two broaches I made a while ago, but can't remember if I photoed them or not.



Here is my bonsai lemon tree, looking worse for spending a draught spell in the basement, which I mentioned previously, but I think in spring it will revive, I'm hoping so.  The moss did not dry out, and the trunk is green, both good signs I think.


At the moment I'm crocheting a gusset in an Oilily jumper to make it larger.

Will show pics later.

Listening to the autobiography of Nelson Mandela on the BBC.

Lovely to have a day at home.

Hope your day is good.

Christy

Monday, December 9, 2013

In The Gardens At Marie Selby House

 Well as you can see I am still trying to finish blogging our Florida vacation before the year ends.  But I should be posting winter things as it snowed yesterday and is to snow tomorrow.

Here we are with intense heat at the Marie Selby Gardens in Sarasota, can't you just feel the heat?

Such a lovely day spent here and they even have a little restaurant with light fair, where we stopped and got a chai latte and a cookie/biscuit.  I can always drink hot drinks even on the hottest of days.




Little grey squirrels, little stinkers, but so cute.  I love their little hand type paws.




Some ladies were sitting painting water colours of the garden and I thought how lovely.

 












 








Rob's self portrait.

Christy

Friday, December 6, 2013

Bonsai


There is a little area in the Marie Selby Gardens screened off for Bonsais just as you walk out of the orchid green house.  Rob and I have long had a fascination with Bonsais and over the years have planted some and lost some, because they need constant attention.  But I do have a little lemon tree bonsai which I just found out my husband brought in for the winter and it has sat in the basement, so no telling what condition that is in, after being forgotten about, but for many years it has done well.  Oh well!

Still one can enjoy collections like this.








Christy

P.S.  Retrieved the lemon bonsai tree out of the basement and am now trying to resurrect it, might be beyond my powers though.

Thursday, December 5, 2013

The Perfect Shot


Me taking a photo of the Boy taking a photo.  Rob's photo is at the bottom.



Christy

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Orchids At The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens

The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarosota, FL are just lovely.

They have a beautiful collection of orchids.  The Boy hadn't brought his camera in with him, but when he saw all the beautiful orchids he went back to the VW van for it.

We spent the better part of our last day here and in the gardens.  More to follow.














Christy
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