Mickle Rare Perfume~

"And lavender, whose spikes of azure bloom
shall be, ere-while, in arid bundles bound
to lurk admist the labours of her loom,
and crown her kerchiefs with mickle rare perfume."

                    William Shenstone The School Mistress 1742


I keep a dictionary at hand whenever I'm reading. I am fascinated by words and love to expand my vocabulary. I remember as a child asking my mother what a particular word meant and she usually told me to 'look it up'. This probably stemmed from the fact that she didn't want to explain the definition to me, but it actually engendered a fondness for the dictionary!  

mickle [ˈmɪk^əl],

adj~great or abundant

adv~much; greatly

n1. a great amount

I contemplate the 'mickle rare perfume' of the lavender as I watch the bees from my comfy bench in the sunshine. My tea of choice today is Lyons loose Gold Blend, which a friend from Ireland sent to me. On the Lyons website it states, "Tea is the age-old solution to every dilemma, and we Irish just can't get enough of it! Out of a population of just over 4 million people, three million of us drink tea, giving us one of the highest consumption levels of tea in the world! As a nation we drink up to five cups each a day." Sounds like my kind of place!

I think this cup is perfect for my morning with the lavender, don't you?

This cup is Sheltonian Bone China from Staffordshire, England.

sharing this post with~

Antiques and Teacups 
Rose Chintz Cottage 
Whatever You Want Wednesday 

Smile

Smile~ it's Saturday! Yesterday I worked for a bit in the backyard, then headed inside to clean and trim some strawberries my husband and I bought at a small farmer's market. We also picked up some more sunflower seeds to plant because the batch I planted in April (which were doing so nicely) were devoured by some little critter....slugs? Grrr! Even though it is a bit late in the season, our summer weather lasts well into October, so I am hoping the newly planted sunflower seeds will thrive in the above ground planter I put them in this time. I love seeing those sunny yellow faces each year in the backyard. The birds enjoy them too. 

I have two things to share with you today: my Fairy Garden, which is a work in progress, and a new greeting card I made.

Every summer I refresh this little saucer pot with some kind of grass, herbs or flowers. I also like to include a tiny marble bird bath, a bee skep, a trellis, pebbles and, of course, a fairy to watch over it.  I used pieces of a broken terra cotta pot for a garden path, and installed a 'Bees Welcome' sign next to the skep. Notice the Lavender fairy hanging onto the trellis? Sometimes she appears next to the birdbath, and often she has company...Yarrow Fairy, Geranium Fairy or perhaps a butterfly or bird.

She is so sweet! And although she holds a special place in her heart for the color lavender, she also likes pink.

             The bees share garden news with her~

I'm sure she must have thought I was a curious sight taking photos of some of the pink flowers in the yard.

There are soft blush colored pink petals in the compost pan, tiny Geranium blossoms, deep pink roses, pink and white trumpet shaped Penstemon,  hydrangea and more.

Can you imagine what it would be like to climb inside this gorgeous bloom?  Or nap between rose petals?

 Here is the card I created~ I went for simple and clean, and included a pink flower.

Wishing you plenty of reasons to smile today!




sharing this post with;
Share your Cup Thursday/Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson 
Beverly at How Sweet The Sound





Uncommonly Yours

Lovely Lavender~

I have been fond of Lavender for years and try to grow a variety in our yard year-round. I especially enjoy being able to walk outdoors with a pair of clippers and return to the house with a fresh bouquet from our garden. What a treat to have cuttings from the yard! At this time of year a number of places have Lavender Fairs. This weekend there is a lot for lavender lovers to see and do in Sequim, Washington.
Did you know Lavender has anti-septic and anti-viral properties? It also promotes relaxation and relieves headaches. Last year we took a drive up the coast and visited a lavender farm in California.

As soon as we parked and stepped from the car you could hear the low hum of bees buzzing! And, oh, what a scene~

         Row upon row of sweet lavender. The owners had chairs dotting the edges of the lavender rows, so we sat without speaking and just soaked up the sunshine and listened to the bees at work.

It smelled fantastic....and got me to thinking that I wanted to make a lavender wand when I returned home.

If you do not have lavender in your yard, buy a bunch at your local Farmers Market and try making a lavender wand for yourself or a friend. I have wands I made years ago and they still smell nice. You can always freshen a wand with a few drops of Lavender essential oil too. Place a wand near your bed for a relaxing scent at night.

Let me know if you try your hand at making a lavender wand :)