See what arrived the first day of Spring...

My husband, Roger, had to leave before daylight on March 20th, the first day of Spring. Ordinarily he would check on Gypsy, our Tennessee Walking horse, but this morning, he didn't have time and asked me to feed and check on her. When I went to feed her, there was the baby! It hadn't even stood up yet. We thought Gypsy would go a couple more weeks, but she had other plans. I ran to the house and yelled for my daughter to bring the camera. After taking several photos, I called Roger. He didn't believe me at first, lol. He was a couple hours from home, so it's not like he could drop everything and get back home in a few minutes.

Gypsy had to sniff the camera and give her approval. That's her hairy chin in the photo below...

Roger told me to go back and make sure the foal stood up to start nursing pretty soon. The foal was nearly dry when I first saw it so it had been a while since it was born. I went back to the barn, and when I was talking to it and trying to help it up, Gypsy was nickering and nudging it's rear trying to help. It finally got up on it's wobbly legs, staggered a little, nuzzled with Mama a little bit and then started nursing! It was sooooo sweet!

This video was taken when Smokey first started to nurse. You might hear the chickens in the background ~ they were busy laying eggs and clucking that morning.

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Smokey and Gypsy are so much fun to watch. Smokey is getting playful, running and jumping and bucking! Gypsy showed him how to lie on the ground and roll around. She did it first as Smokey stood there and watched. Then when Gypsy got up, Smokey slowly went down on the ground and began to roll around. Gypsy keeps a very close eye on him ~ she is such a good mama.

Mama's left front leg is dark and baby's right front leg is dark...

Jessica and Smokey...

Roger and Smokey...

Smokey loves Roger's hat...

This last video shows Smokey and Roger with Gypsy munching on her sweet feed and alfalfa cubes.

Stay tuned for Smokey updates.

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Spring Cleaning... UPDATED...

UPDATE: 1/2 of the books sold, but the ones shown ABOVE are left. All are like new, owner's name or label in front, non-smoking home. If you want any of them for $5 each plus shipping, just let me know (honeysucklelane@hotmail.com).


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Just thought I'd pop in and let you know that I have listed 9 craft and home decor books on ebay. Spring-cleaning Fever has hit and I want to clean off some book case space.

These books have lots of Victorian style crafts, lace crafts, flea market linens crafts, Christmas crafts, country and primitive crafts, and tips on displaying your collections.

You may see the books here: http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZhoneysucklelane

I'll be back by the weekend to share some photos of a "first day of spring" surprise!

Thanks for visiting!

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~* Flea Market Friday *~

Welcome to Flea Market Friday! I think there's another blog somewhere to link to ~ if I can find it I'll add it here later today. Please note: I have to take off for a few hours and will add more items this afternoon.

If you see something you like, just email me (honeysucklelane@hotmail.com) with your mailing address and I will get back to you on shipping charges.

I have several Ironstone pieces. Ironstone is so versatile. It looks great in a traditional setting, in a country or primitive kitchen, and especially in a cottage or shabby chic style home. You can't go wrong with Ironstone.

#1 ~ 3 plates / 2 saucers. The saucers are marked "J & G Meakin England", Classic White" and are 5 3/4" across. The cups are marked "J & G Meakin England" and are 3" tall. No chips or cracks, just very light crazing under the glaze. $7 plus shipping





#2 ~ 3 plates / saucers which are marked "Royal Ironstone China" & "Charles Meakin England". They measure 6 1/4" across. No chips or cracks, just a few pit marks. There is some discoloration in one of the saucers, seen in the photo below. I have read that ironstone can be bleached, though I have not tried it. According to antique pottery sources, this is a North Staffordshire pottery mark, which was used at the Burslem Works ca.1870-1882. Charles Meakin's company later went to the Eastwood Pottery, which then became part of his brothers' company, J & G Meakin in 1887. $5 plus shipping





#3 ~ This platter is a large 13 3/4" x 10 3/4". It is octagonal in shape and has a ribbed design around the edge. The stamp on the back reads "Real English Ironstone" "Wm Adams & Sons" "England". On the front, there is a hand painted morning glory. I don't know if this was something done in-house and was discarded or someone has painted it later. There is also a smudge of smokey blue near the ribbed design (lower left in photo). It has a little crack in the smudge, but looks to be under the glaze. Neither the morning glory nor the smudge will wash off. This is still a sweet piece for your vintage / shabby chic / cottage decor. Place a doily on it and serve cookies and tea, or flip it over and display on your wall with the lion and deer crest facing outward. $7 plus shipping

What does a Turkey, a Fraktur, and May Day have in common? (updated)

Absolutely nothing! LOL.... I'm sorry, that was a lame joke, well, not even a joke but it had you wondering, huh?

I've been keeping the chickens in the pen lately so they don't scratch up our recently planted onions, and Tweedle Dum is getting mighty lonely. He's been to the front door, pecking, no - make that banging, again!

I don't want to hurt him, but it has gotten so that I have to carry a stick with me when I'm out in the yard just to swing once in a while so he stays a few feet away. Do you remember that he roosts at night in a big tall pine tree right in front of our porch? Well, a few evenings ago my daughter had to work a little later than usual and she got home at dark, a little while after the turkey had gone to roost. When he saw her car pull in the driveway, he flew out of the tree and ran to her car! She ran to the porch and got in before he reached her, poor thing.... my daughter, not the turkey, lol! So now we fast forward a few days... to one day this week. My husband and I were in the front yard and I was telling him that something has got to be done about that silly turkey. I was outside earlier trying to clean out a flower bed and had to quit because I spent more time shooing the turkey away and watching my back than I spent working in the flower bed! As I was telling my husband this bit of news, the turkey spotted me from across the yard and came running... my husband stepped over beside me and Tweedle Dum slowed down. He kept his distance, but stayed along side us. He keeps his eye on my daughter and me, that's for sure.

A minute or two later we hear a car coming down the road and TD starts clucking and making turkey sounds, though he didn't gobble (he does gobble when the UPS truck goes by and the driver honks the horn). When the car gets near us, the silly turkey starts clucking and flapping his huge wings and runs down the edge of the road beside the car! He was just like a dog running a car... if it hadn't been such a funny site, it would have been embarrassing. Ok, it was embarrassing too! Today is a dreary, rainy day so there's probably not much.... hang on... something's banging at the door.... LoL! You won't believe this..... TD is knocking at the door again! I can't even get away from him in bad weather! Let me go shoo him off the porch and I'll be back to write about the Frakturs and May Day.

I'm back, and the turkey is around back eating cat food, don't ask, he just likes it! Now, let me finish this post before he comes knocking again...

Some awesome online markets are updating late tonight or early in the morning. Technically they update on the 1st and 15th, but the webmasters usually update the night before so that when you check in early on the 1st and 15th, everything is ready for viewing and ordering. I will have 18th and 19th century inspired fraktur watercolors at Simply Primitives and TDIPT Mercantile. TDIPT is having a HUGE GIVEAWAY so be sure to comment on their blog to be entered. Update: Several sets of Fraktur cards have been sold as well as the original Fraktur painting below ~ thank you!

I will have 19th century style May Baskets at The Primitive Gathering. Everyone seemed to like them last year so I thought I'd get a head start on them this year. Update: Only 1 basket remains at TPG ~ thank you!

Monday, I will have something different ~ quaint diminutive baskets filled with a little frivolity to help carry on an old May Day tradition. Check back Monday here or at Honeysuckle Lane to see what they look like.

Now let me go see what Tweedle Dum is up to...

Thanks for visiting!

Take Care & God Bless,

Lana

Catching Up Is Hard To Do

I have put things off for so long that I have no idea whatsoever of how and where to begin ~ so I'll just jump in! I am so grateful for all of you that visit and comment on my blog. I will try to do better about visiting and commenting in return. There are days when I have so much to do, deadlines to meet, a home and family to tend to, that I think "when I finally sit down to rest I will catch up on blogging...", and something else comes up. And the longer I wait, the harder it is to back track and visit everyone. Another problem is that when I do start visiting and commenting, I enjoy it so much and lose track of time. Does that happen to any of you?

Several of my friends have chosen to bestow upon me various fun and sweet awards such as You Make My Day, Name 5 Weird Things About Myself, etc. Sylvia, Lorraine, Doreen, Nancy, Roxi, Cathy, and Lidy (and a few more that I can't remember, it's been so long...) ~ would you mind if I awkwardly bow out this time? We'll wipe the slate clean and I'll start fresh? And again.... I will try my best to stay caught up from here on out.

Can you believe it? We got snow again! I was so excited when I woke up and saw it... and it continued to snow throughout the day yesterday. I've tried posting photos twice, but get an error. I'll see if I can add the snow photos later today.


This little tufted titmouse flew into the French doors and was stunned for just a few minutes ~ just long enough for my daughter to hold him and let me take a photo of it's sweet face.

Check back on the 14th ~ I'll have lots of new 19th century inspired watercolors and May baskets to share!

Have a beautifully blessed day!
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