It is December 8 and this past weekend, we had our first "official" snowfall. In my backyard I have 7" of snow and I've made certain that the three bird feeders on my back deck always have bird seed in them. My kitchen sink is strategically placed below a window with a direct line to see these feathered creatures come to feed. I also have a reference book of bird photos which sits near the window sill so that I can identify each winged "diner".


Later on in the season, when we start eating grapefruit (to beef up our Vitamin C intake), I take the emptied rinds and fill them with a combination of bacon fat and bird seed. The birds love it and it helps boost their layer of "insulation" through the really cold months of January and February.


While I was browsing through the wood section of my favorite craft store I came upon unfinished wooden bird houses and a butterfly box that were on clearance. I snatched these up in a hurry and decided that over Christmas break I would paint these and get them ready for next Spring. I bought a book several years ago and took my cue from some of the suggestions in it. The book is entitled, "Quaint Birdhouses You Can Paint and Decorate", by Dorothy Egan. The author presents several different ideas on how to paint your birdhouses. There are birdhouse "libraries", "churches", a "Post Office" and a restaurant - just to name a few.


As much as I love winter, when the mercury dips below -10 degrees and the wind chill is enough to freeze a foot of ice, I'll leave the outdoor stuff to the ice fisherman in their little huts on the Mississippi. This is when I get out all the craft projects I've been collecting over the year and get "busy".

Gardens and Glass - A Great Combination

About 20 years ago, I started "dabbling" in stained glass. I learned two different methods including copper foil and also leading and at that point I was hooked. Any book I could get my hands on with patterns ended up in my shopping cart.

People started bringing boxes of glass pieces to me and asking me if I wanted them. One client showed me a picture of a transom that had been in her great uncle's home before the house was sold and said she thought the glass had come from that. After 2 months of matching glass colors and textures, I was able to reproduce the leaded glass transom - much to her delight.

Over the years I have developed favorites and among them have been the items I consider Garden Glass. These includes stepping stones, garden sticks and twirlers. Each ads color and depth to a garden space.

The subject matter of each can be matched to the personality of the client. It can also help to accent certain plants or plant colors in each garden. Above are a few examples of stepping stones I've made. I use these EVERYWHERE. They are fully functional and you can step right on the glass stones to get from one part of the garden to another. These allow you to step through the garden and work in any area of the garden without ruining the soil composition - especially after a rainstorm.

Community Gardens - Filling the Need

Not too long ago, I read an article about a movement to bring together gardeners and those who were not able to provide enough food for their families. (My High School English teacher would have a fit if she knew I was writing this without citing my sources. )

That being said, the idea of planting extra and offering it to members of our communities is a brilliant idea and not a new one at that. In Biblical times, the accepted practice in some lands was to allow travelers a chance to pick from the trees that lined the roads of their journey.

The article went on to say, that several states were asking lawmakers for help in putting legislation on the books that would encourage more access to fruits and vegetables by promoting programs to help organize and maintain gardens within the community. In the case of the article I read, the idea started in one neighborhood of a small community. Once word spread of the idea, several other states followed suit.

The positive effects of this are obvious:
1) it brings people together with a common need or goal
2) provides fresh food grown locally
3) teaches sustainability and a respect for the land, and
4) provides much needed food supplies for people who may have no other way of providing for their families.

In this season of giving it is good to remember that much of what we are capable of starts with just one seed, one idea and the possibilities are endless.

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Art In Your Garden

When people think of gardens usually flowers, shrubs, trees and perhaps a fence or two pop into their minds. But how about going a bit farther with your imagination. Adding a framed archway to that fence, or perhaps a mobile sculpture that moves as the breezes blow might be more your style. How about a set of stepping stones that you can walk on to get to that certain daylily you'd like to include in your dining room table bouquet?
Or maybe you would like to build a sitting bench around the tree where you can sit and enjoy the fruits of your labor?
Additions like these to your gardens and walkways can be made of wood, metal, concrete, stone, glass and wire - just to name a few.