prairie mouse

felt beads

yesterday i taught the little ones. we started making felt beads that they can turn into necklaces, bracelets or chrstmas garlands if they are truly industrious.

i made a sample which i liked so much i have been wearing it. the idea came from here.

whangamata

fong-ga-ma-tar or wonga as we have always called it is one of my favourite places on this here earth. its an east coast beach on the coromandel penninsula and we called in there yesterday on our way home from a wedding further down the coast.

bliss

looking south..........

looking north............

first

heralding in the summer and i beat the birds!

beelieve

i had to make a pun though already i am driving prairie mad with my lame-o humour! but, we have bees. the little buzzers were delivered last night by a dear friend who is going to lead us along this new path. he has lots of bees and supplies me with the cappings that i process into wax.

i couldn't wait to get out of bed this morning and check on them. they were out and about casing the joint but are yet to establish a flight path. apparently that can take a day or so. they are as addictive as watching a fishtank. we had our coffee while watching them this morning.

they bring such an energy to the garden. there may be a little honey but really we got them because we feel we have a garden large enough and, well, we all know the state of the bees globally. 

 

stinging nettles

this morning i decided to shift my pot of nettles. they were outside the playhouse and getting large and slightly scary. i had been weeding around the comfrey and found the perfect place by the back fence and compost. i donned what came to hand in the garage - a ski glove and a sock and set out on my mission. but as i dragged and almost had them positioned they caught on something, sprang back and hit me right in the kisser. i swore, i swear. i have been stung on the hands but never the mouth. it tingled for ages then and now is numb. quite amazing really and i have heard it said that if you have nettles in your garden you will never get arthritis. i want to make tea but these look like they are about to flower so i may have missed my chance this time around. for now, i shall admire them, from a healthy distance!

i just went to have a glass of water and when the cold water touched my lip it was like i was being stung all over again - muchos pain. i had to drink with a straw! oh the trials of the urban gardener!

 

and its a wrap, well nearly

just some unstrung medallions to string and my work is done. there is burlap all over the place from the box i just had so much fun making. much more fun than cleaning up said fabric.