You all know my sister, Meredith, right? She blogs at Mereknits and she is an amazing knitter, crocheter and crafter besides all that other stuff: mom, wife, occupational therapist, wonderful person. She is my sister and she is my friend and we are very, very close. So, the other day, I opened the front door and there was a box on the front steps. It was from Mer. Hmmm.
I opened it up and this is what I saw:
Isn’t it beautiful? It was for me!
I had been just about to leave the house to run some errands, so I quickly tried it on (it fit!) and took a photo of myself in the bathroom mirror with my phone and sent it to her. (I will not share that photo with you, my friends, as the mirror had not been cleaned and you can see the toilet in the background.) I ended up wearing it that day because I love it so much! There’s a story to this sweater: Mer wrote a post about it called “Can a Sweater Knit Itself?” Go over there and read it. She tells it much better than I could.
It fits like a glove and when I showed it to Don via Skype he said “Va Va Voom!” Thank you, sister!
Yesterday, I started the long project that is the Clean Up of the Garden and Yard. Oh my. It was windy out there and I, of course, did too much. But it felt good being outdoors, raking up the seemingly endless amounts of leaves and twigs that are covering the garden beds. It’s been a long, cold winter here in the northeast, but plants are coming up here and there.
Sedum Autumn Joy – always one of the first plants to peek through the soil
Daffodils. Will I see them bloom before I leave? I don’t think so.
As I was raking, I saw the hint of a green shoot poking through the leaves in a section of the garden bed where I didn’t have anything planted. After I removed the leaves, I saw this:
Four Five plants. What the heck?
Then I remembered something from last year. I added that new garden bed to the other side of the house. It had previously been grassy there. I was digging in a section of the bed, getting the soil ready to add a new plant, and I found some bulbs rather far down in the soil. I had no idea how long they had been there or what the heck they were, but I took them over to the big garden bed and planted them, thinking what did I have to lose? And promptly forgot about them.
A little yellow due to lack of sun (they were completely covered by the leaves) but they look like Hyacinths to me. What a wonderful surprise! When I took them out of the other garden bed, I noticed that the bulbs were not pointed in the right direction, so I made sure to do that when I replanted them. I have no idea how long it has been since these bulbs have bloomed, if ever. We’ve lived here almost 8 years and the guy who lived here before us did absolutely nothing to the property (he was a weekender) and he lived here for four years.
These are the little garden miracles that make me so, so happy.
Temperatures are supposed to be in the sixties this week! Positively balmy for our part of the country. Don is on his way home, just got an email from him – he’s waiting for his connection in Zurich. He won’t get home until late this evening. Scout and I are very excited, indeed!
Happy Monday.
What a lovely sweater-looks perfect for you! When I saw the first pic, I hoped it was for you! Sweet sister you have. The found bulbs are such a treat. We just moved here last year to retire. I just noticed some tiny grape hyacinths poking up in the middle of our weedy lawn. Must be part of old flower bed. Fun to discover free flowers since my garden budget is so limited now. Hoping for safe travels today for Don. Off to work.
My budget is limited too, Dottie – so these were a freebie!
Hi Claudia,
The sweater is beautiful lucky you! Saturday was really windy here but yesterday was beautiful! 70 degrees. I spent some time playing pick up sticks in the yard and putting fertilizer on the roses. Hopefully you will have that weather today.
Have a great on and give Scout a pet
Suzan
Ladybug cottage
It’s in the sixties here and beautiful today.
The sweater must have been a wonderful surprise!! So pretty and comfy looking! I can’t wait to see plants coming up, our snow is nearly gone now! Wishing Don a safe trip!
Thank you, Linda.
Lovely sweater! What a nice surprise. I love seeing the first green in the springtime, and take frequent walks around the yard, checking their progress. :-)
Me too!
Oh I love surprises! How awesome that your sister made the gift for you and the flowers coming up unexpectedly is so great. I got a nice surprise on Sat. myself. I clean house on Sat. for an aunt & uncle who helped raise me. They were always willing to take me in when I was a child and my mom was in crisis and they treated me like I was their own child. Anyway, my aunt told me that she’s going to try to make Christmas quilts for her daughter, me, and all the rest of the women in her family. I got to pick out the pattern and chose one with a cardinal in all the squares. It touched me so deeply and I assured her I will treasure it forever. I just love those unexpected surprises.
Oh, I bet that will be a lovely quilt, Janie!
Oh, my, what a nice surprise! My few hyacinths are blooming here, today. Planting more this year!
At first I thought there were 3, then 4, then I realized there are 5! And I remember distinctly planting 5 bulbs, so that makes sense.
When I was reading Meredith’s post about the sweater I was laughing to myself and wondering if you would be the happy recipient. I’m so glad you like it. It’s a wonderful blessing to be so close to your sister. (I have one of my own.). :-)
Blessings,
Betsy
I’m very lucky! She’s a doll.
You are the best sister posting about the sweater. I am so glad Don is on his way home and Spring is in the air.
Perfect!
Love you sister,
Mere
Love you right back, sister.
Oh, so you were the new owner of the sweater! Congrats…I was wondering who got it..and thought maybe it was you.
It’s so lovely.
Jen
It is beautiful!
I KNEW that sweater was for you when I read Meredith’s blog! I was just saying this morning that tomorrow is supposed to be sunny so I’m going to go cut off the sedum before they get going and “survey” my little garden. Have a great day, Claudia. J
I did a bit more work outside today and it’s looking a bit neater out there.
What a gorgeous sweater! You are very blessed to have such a wonderful, close relationship with your sister. I only have one sibling – a sister – and we are not close (long, dysfunctional story). I did yard clean-up yesterday afternoon too, and my sedum is poking up out of the ground just like yours. So nice to see some greenery!
Well, we have another sister who is completely estranged from the rest of the family. I’ve written about it before – it’s in a post entitled “The Lost Sister.” We have our share of dysfunction, too.
The sweater looks so comfy and perfect for Spring..It is sunny & warm here in PA today..I am going out to poke around my flower garden and see what is coming up..I’m sure Scout enjoyed being outside with you..May Don have a safe journey home to his “girls”..Hugs!
Scout likes it until she gets frustrated with me because I’m off doing stuff, then she starts barking and I have to put her inside!
Wow! That is a beautiful sweater! It looks so cozy and perfect for a cool spring day. Meredith is so talented!
I love garden surprises – and hyacinths are so pretty and bright!
She is very talented, indeed!
Good morning! Cute sweater & the color is perfect to go with your hair! Love seeing the little shoots peeking out at last. My daffodils are blooming & the Knockout rose bush is leafing. Gosh~~~if you don’t have one & they will grow in your zone~~~get one! They are wonderful & very hardy. So glad Don is on his way back home. Have a lovely day :0).
XO, Linda
PS~~I enjoy Meredith’s blog too!
I have about 3 or 4 rose bushes already, Linda. I don’t know where I’d put another rose bush!
Your sister’s work is amazing! That sweater looks just like something I think you would buy. (But, I guess being a sister – she knew that!) Your plants are coming up nicely. So glad Don is on his way home and you will have some time with him before you leave. Scout will get to stay home with him, right?
Judy
Yes, Scout and her dad will have some quality time together, Judy.
That sweater is beautiful and I bet it does look great on you! Love the bulbs are blooming after who knows how long…nature is a miracle! Glad Don is on his way home!
hugs,
Linda
Nature is amazing – it’s like the bulbs got a whole new life!
What a sweet sister and a lovely sweater.
xo,
Sheila
So true, Sheila.
Pretty sweater…I’ll bet you do look good in that! My sedum is still buried, but, MOST of the snow is gone! So happy Don is on his way, and you’ll get to spend time with him! ;)
I hope the rest of that snow melts soon and you have warmer temps, Donna!
The sweater is lovely, Claudia. What a nice surprise. Don’t you love seeing things pop up in the garden. Spring is here. The trees here are all popping out their blossoms. Glad to hear that Don is on his way home.
Hugs,
Laura
He’s somewhere over the ocean as I write this, Laura.
How wonderful to have a sister to love. Such a nice surprise gift for you.
I love garden surprises, too.
She’s a great sister, Beverly.
I didn’t know that you have a sister and that she blogs!! I’ve alwys thought it would be so nice to have sister (I’m an only child). It’s so sweet that she sent you a surprise!
I hope you get to see some of those spring bulbs bloom before you leave. Some of my daffodils are already done, the azaleas are blooming now and the trees are leafing out (I’m wearing shorts today). We had no spring to speak of and seem to just be headed straight to what I’m sure is going to be a HOT summer!
Yes, she’s been blogging for a few years now. I hope, I hope I can see some sort of bloom before I leave – but I’m leaving in 10 days!
That’s a lot of work..Little stitches..Love it
I love your sweater. How lucky to have such a special sister…and one that knows you so well. I need to get outside as soon as we finally get a warm day. We have snow coming Wed and Thursday- xo Diana
Yay for unexpected growth and for that lovely sweater Meredith made. Best wishes, Tammy
What a lovely sweater, Claudia! Such a beautiful loving gift from your sister. (And I love the soft grey palette.) I still have my rear garden to rake and suspect I will find some yellowed shoots that have been longing for sun. The front and side gardens were raked weeks ago and it’s so wonderful to see things coming up. I hope you get to enjoy some daffodils before you have to leave. (And hasn’t this weather been grand, lately? My oh my… we deserve it!)