Tip Toad Through the Tulips...

Lately, my motto seems to be, "Plant when the weather allows!" Imagine my surprise last week when I unearthed a lumpish toad when digging yet another row, preparing to plant more sale tulips! Mr. Toad seemed a little perturbed being aroused from his sluggish slumber. Perhaps he was dreaming of flashy motorcars when my shovel rudely disrupted him. After I planted my treasures, I tried covering him back up with a loose layer of dirt, when I received my second surprise. Toads chirp! At least this particular one did! Luckily I didn't understand his language, but it sounded like a succession of vile curses. I gently removed the dirt, and left him alone to recover at his own pace.







In other news, I'm delighted to announce my association with Art Farm on Prentice Road, just off of Kattelville Road, between Chenango Bridge and Chenango Forks, NY. (I dropped off some Farmhouse Greetings cards and calendars there for the holiday season). It looks to be a promising and happening art and produce place.The owner/artist is the grandson of a wonderful lady I worked with when I was a summer school crafts counselor in Chenango Bridge, dare I say 30 to 40 years ago? I've watched as he went to art school and announced his dreams of converting his grandparents' spacious barn into an art gallery and studio space. I hope to mention Art Farm often as it grows in the community and enriches us with fine produce and creative offerings!

Burying Treasure

It's always very satisfying to spend time in Autumn planting bulbs for Spring blooms. The benefits are many: it's great to be outside, digging in the dirt, anticipating the welcome blooms after a long, bitter Winter. It's a way to ease my constant sense of grief after the deaths of my beloved parents and friends. The natural cycle of life is so well represented by bulbs- the seemingly lifeless bulbs hold the promise of beauty and joy to come. Knowing that they await, out-of-sight and unseen, for the right conditions to grow, brings a quiet comfort. Their glorious blooms signal the end of Winter, and the beginning of yet another growing season. They wither and return to the earth, but given the right conditions, return yet again the next season. All nature mimics this cycle- the returning leaves, seeds of all kinds, shapes and varieties. How reassuring!

Usually, I buy bulbs on sale (found a large variety of sale bulbs at Walmart last week) and plant them randomly, wherever I think I haven't planted some in previous years. This year, I've borrowed a technique from my friend, Becky,(check out her great blog stonewallgarden.blogspot.com) and tried making stone plant markers to remind me what's been planted, where. I painted some flat stones with white, latex, glossy paint, and wrote the bulb names on them with a permanent marker. My cats supervised my every move, and even jumped on my back and shoulders for a better vantage point as I worked in the garden..

My RAD and I

GEDC3839, a photo by Farmhouse Greetings on Flickr.

Bridging Time

My Farmhouse Calendar theme for this year pays tribute to covered bridges. My friend, Jan, provided me with shoeboxes full of reference photos she's taken while on her quest to visit as many of these architectural gems as her time and budget allows. It was difficult to choose just a dozen!( Some of the ones portrayed here have been damaged by recent flooding.)
Thank you so much, Jan! I've also reprinted about a dozen different of my past calendars with themes ranging from cats, flowers, children, horses, wildlife animals and barns to our precious water, vintage vehicles, tractors...