Saturday's treasures

Oh the fun I had at a garage sale this morning. The woman whose gs it was handed people a plastic bag on arrival and said "Fill this for two dollars".  This was my 'haul".  Those of you who love a good deal will understand my joy.  It was like Christmas morning!!

 This Beatrix Potter Album is especially apt because I just finished reading a biography of B.P. I won't use it as an album but love it for all the pictures inside.

 These readers were published in 1953 and had a (store) sale price on them that said .03.

 These adorable baby dresses and sweaters will fit teddy bears.

           Don't you love the tiny talcum powder tin?

 This teddy bear immediately appropriated this pale yellow lacy dress. I think she looks cute and ready for summer.

Those are my treasures for today. Hope you are having a wonderful day too!

             Granny Marigold

Friday's flowers

I walked in light rain this morning. Few people were out, I rather like having the park to myself. 
I couldn't resist getting down to the edge of the bridge and pulling up a few of the lovely Water lilies. I know they are a bother because every year they need to be "harvested" so they don't clog the whole lake, but they certainly are beautiful to see.

 Once home I went to look at my flowers to see which were falling over from the rain. Cut some white Campanula and a few more Peonies.

 A tall Foxglove had also fallen and I brought it in.
My Mock Orange is in full bloom and looking gorgeous as it does every year.

A few pictures of the yard.....the front

                      and the back.

Is it a sunny day where you live?   Even if it isn't, may sunshine be in your hearts!

          Granny Marigold

Strawberry time

It was a perfect morning to go pick strawberries. The sun was shining but it wasn't hot yet at nine o'clock when the fields opened. DH and I picked 17 lbs in a short while, although our backs were protesting that it was long enough already!!  We'll go back again later in the week. At $1.50 a pound it's not that much.

 With both of us working we soon had them washed and cut up, some for the freezer, some for  jam and the rest sliced and sugared to enjoy all week.

                  These pies are Strawberry and Rhubarb with steusel topping. 

So that is what I did today. What about you? How did you spend your day?
   
        GRANNY MARIGOLD

Our short trip

We were only gone two days but we packed a lot into those two days. We drove to Whidbey Island, in Washington State. We have been there many times in the past. The children always enjoyed the ocean and the fort at Fort Casey was a big hit especially with the boys. So here are some pictures.

This is one of two bridges over Deception Pass ( you can faintly see the second in the distance).

         Yes, that's yours truly on the rather rocky beach watching the tide come in.

                                  The lighthouse at Fort Casey

For some reason this tunneled path intrigued me and I had to have a picture. 

                  Fort Casey  with all the abandoned concrete buildings and cannons etc.

 

A cute shop

This beach was a short walk from our campsite. From here I took the last picture, the one of the same bridge in the first picture. I hope you've enjoyed pics.  You know I'd love it if you left a comment, however short, just to let me know you've been by.

         Granny Marigold.

Storage ideas

Since I don't have much space for storing things I have to be creative. I have not got a linen closet, for example, so I use a big old wardrobe. It has four shelves and a big drawer on the bottom. Even so I find the shelves are too full and I will have to sort through and maybe get rid of some extras. I seem to have a lot of cushions. More about that later.
I love old doilies and pieces of antique lace and I had a jumble of pieces in a drawer, this one in a desk in the living room!  I separated the doilies I actually use and the ones too fragile to use and the small pieces of hand made lace and put those in a suitcase that my oldest daughter had decorated for me a few years back. Believe it or not I had it in a coat closet sitting empty and never thought of using it.  Duh!

Here you can see my little stash of old hankies. So pretty that I can't imagine using them to blow  my nose with!  Yet I remember faithfully taking a hankie to school every day in elementary school,  often tucked up my sleeve.

These are not suitcases and I'm at a loss what to call them but they are so handy. I keep gift bags in one, tissue paper in another etc.. They are tucked behind a chair in the living room. Those are peacock feathers in the vase to the right. I remember the day my sons gathered some of those at a farm we were spending Sunday afternoon at. The kind of farm that existed a century ago with the house furnished as it would have been, a huge old barn with animals and outside hens, ducks, and peacocks running free. The feathers were just lying on the ground for anyone to pick up. I was happy to get them.

This blue train case has stayed empty so far. Maybe I'll think of something I can keep in it to make it useful.

 Earlier I said I had a few too many pillows/cushions. Well, when I saw this pretty embroidered one with wide lace all around I knew it would be perfect for my bed. I had a bit of trouble washing it ( by hand )_ without getting the ribbon too soaked but I managed.  It cost me only two dollars.

This has been a long post. DH and I are going away for a couple of days so I might not post until the end of the week. Hopefully I'll have pictures of our get away to share.

            GRANNY MARIGOLD

Welcome June

Although it will not officially be summer for another three weeks, to me June is THE start of summertime. The weather is finally warming up and everywhere flowers are blooming. Birds are  singing their little hearts out. What is cheerier than a Robin's "cheeriup cheerio" ? Even if it is five o'clock in the morning.  We have a Junco building its nest right in a hanging pot of flowers. I hope it will not be put off by all of us walking around and generally making noise close by. 

We took a drive earlier to a nearby river where we set up our lawn chairs and had a little picnic. Perfect day for it with just enough breeze. Didn't see much for birds ( I had brought my binoculars) but just across the river there was a large clump of yellow blooming Iris, just like the ones in The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady. I love Edith Holden's illustrations.   I think it so sad that she died in the River Thames,  falling in trying to reach a branch of  chestnut buds. Or so it is believed since no one actually saw her fall in.

Happy Summer then to you!     Granny M.

Tea cups

In spite of the popularity of Royal Albert's  pattern "Moss Rose", I did not own any and was thrilled to find this lovely 3 piece set at a garage sale this morning. The woman had $5 on it, I offered 4 and she said What the heck, you can have it for 3 !! This kind of thing doesn't happen often to say the least. I love the daintiness of the cup and the sort of frilled saucer and 6" plate.

 When I came home I took out my "Lavender Rose" tea cup ( Royal Albert as well) and compared the two.  

I also have just the cup from the pattern "Fragrance" by Paragon. You can see how the three differ yet have some similarities. Wish I could find the matching saucer.
 

Happy Saturday!      Granny Marigold