Showing posts with label black cat. Show all posts
Showing posts with label black cat. Show all posts

Monday, September 25, 2017

~ a short visit to Richmond, VA ~

Spent the last few nights in Richmond, VA
 with our daughter Hannah
walking the brick-lined & ancient cobble-stoned streets, seeing the sights...
just taking in the old-city 
and being amazed at all of the wonderful diversity she has to offer. 

We dined at a few locales, thrifted at a few dusty little shops
and then headed out on our walking tour of her neighborhood:
a.k.a. 'The Bottom' {Shockoe}

I didn't want to infringe on anyone's privacy, so I did not take photos of private homes.
But let me tell you this ~ row after row of beautifully appointed and historically known homes line the streets there, my head was spinning around like an owl's!

Our plan was to take in a few museums, then maybe head over to Hollywood Cemetery.
 but we just took our time and enjoyed each others company 
walking on those old streets and being voyeurs of those old houses.

We did however, visit the Edgar Allan Poe museum, 
...which is in walking distance from Hannah's home.

and what a loverly museum! 
a small home { ca. 1700's} is used for the entrance to the museum and gift shop,
 and walking through it & out the back door brings you to a delightful tiny courtyard surrounded by high brick walls, pathways. and a bubbling fountain ~


I made fast-friends with two resident cats
...they are brothers.
 

the shrine's statue of Poe is laden with coins, pebbles and other gifts of remembrance...
{there is a penny in Mr. Poe's right ear...very strange indeed.}
 

I tried my best to stay focused on the subjects of the tour
and not drift off to this spot...
but he was calling me.
 

the grotto that the Poe shrine is in 
was a cool respite from the day's almost 90* heat & bright sun.
my girl is a beautiful soul ~ inside and out.
 

I would love to make a courtyard here at the farm ~
complete with a bubbling fountain...
maybe in place of the kitchen garden!
 

ok, so my attention span is short.
I couldn't bear not to hold one of these big-boys...
oh, and we ducked into this to get out of the hot sun:
thought it was a phone booth at first, but....
no.
 
Perfect spot to REST in.


I drove home from Hannah's this morning, 
and once here I set to work cleaning up the kitchen garden
 {with thoughts of that courtyard in my mind}
and it's overgrown mass of sweet annie...

while I walking {always barefoot}
I tripped over a three tiered wire plant stand on the porch and busted my left heel.
~ so now I am walking with a cane. {ok, it's a walking stick I use when we go hiking}
cannot put any weight on it without shooting pain, so I think I fractured it.
ugh.
I'm just glad I didn't hurt it before the weekend 
... or I would have never been able to go to Richmond.

Now that I have to sit with this blasted foot up on a pillow on the couch for the rest of the day,
and possibly tomorrow ~
I will be perusing my sketchbooks for something new to needle punch.

{just hoping I don't need to get x-rays, not much they can do for a fractured heel anyway}

Blessings from the Farm 
~ Lori

Thursday, June 16, 2016

~ Stitching & Weeding ~

Good Morning Friends & Folk!

we are supposed to have a hot one on tap for today ~ with severe weather this aft & eve…
lucky for us, we will be heading out before that to enjoy some kayaking on the river 
with friends {hopefully} before the storms come!

I've been working on the next model for the upcoming
July/August/September Little Stitches Handwork Club {a.k.a.: "LSHC"}


{{Click HERE to join}}

and here is my progress thus far:




 only a few stitches ~ but progress nevertheless!

I am stitching this using TWO THREADS of DMC floss over 2 strands 
of my 32ct Old Farmhouse Linen {which will be included in your kit}




…now those who follow my work will know that I usually, generally & mostly
stitch using one strand of floss, even on higher counts like 28 & 30.
BUT
I wanted this project to be a little different for me {you} ~
even though you have the choice to stitch your club project using as many strands as you'd like to ;)

The 'finish' of this project will be a sewing roll-up
and I'm hoping to have it done by monday to release.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And
 I've also finished punching the class project model for my
"Black Cat Paddle" Punch Needle Workshop 
{held here at the Farm Shop}
October 22nd 2016:




it is a Dimensional Punch Needle class ~
& I'll teach you how to get my clean-edged look of working with different loop heights
using an adjustable {Ultra Punch} needle and those yummy Valdani over dyed & variegated threads!




I have just a few openings left, as this class is limited to 12 students…
if you are interested in signing up please email me at
and I'll hold a spot at our worktable for you :)




{{while I was snapping pics a beautiful black & silver dragonfly visited with me for a bit}}
:)



You can read all about the symbol of the Dragonfly by clicking


hello & welcome!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 a little stroll around the front of the farmhouse & surrounding house-garden…




~ i love zinnias ~




and daisies…




~ and pink yarrow!




… ok, and brown-eyed susans too ~




green peppers, onions, cukes…
basil, rosemary, chocolate mint ~ lots of sweet annie volunteers!




 our hostas are beautiful & big this year…
~ they love the humidity & rains.




my speedwell is doing fine too!
love the contrasting purple/green ~ makes me smile…




Peter devised a gate-closer {for lack of a better description}
using chain, chicken-wire & a rock for weight!
{he got the idea from Colonial Williamsburg's ball & chain weight that is on our Shop gate}
clever man he is ;)




PHOTO BOMB!


well HEY Roxy-girl!!!!

Hoping your day is filled with beauty & creativity…
if you are in the line of storms, be safe & smart
and please protect your fur & feathered friends outdoors.


~ Blessings from the Farm ~
 Lori