G is for Ghillies and Garden of Daisies

It's the letter G day over at  Jenny's Alphabe-Thursday!

March is Irish month, so my letter G is for Ghillies.  These are the soft, leather, laced up shoes worn by girls in Irish dancing.  They are used for  reels, light jigs, and slip jigs, while hard shoes are worn for hornpipes, treble jigs, treble reels and traditional set dances.

Ghillies (soft leather shoes)

Hard shoes

(this photo is from the web)

Irish ghillies  are different from Scottish ghillies, in that they lace through loops, rather than through eyelets, and the toe openings come closer to the end of the toe than the Scottish version.

G is also for Garden of Daisies, which is the name of my blog.  And most of you are thinking this:

Yes, I do love daisies and I do grow them in my garden.

But Garden of Daisies is also the name of an Irish traditional set dance.  I am posting two videos, one with a band playing the Garden of Daisies music, and another with an irish dancer practicing this dance.  There are lots of other set dances, with fun names like Blackbird, King of the Fairies, The Downfall of Paris and The Blue Eyed Rascal.  I hope you have a chance to watch one of these dances live some day.





Don't miss the Irish Dance post from yesterday.  

Irish Dance Videos

It's March and St Patrick's day is coming soon, so I'm posting a few Irish dance videos.  I did not take the footage, but this is the school my daughter danced with for 9 years. Hope you enjoy watching them!
(It has taken me three days to figure out to post these silly videos! I am sooo computer challenged!)

Figure and Ceilie dances in soft shoes (ghillies)

  (The O'Riada Academy Of Irish Dance.)

Hard Shoe dance


Treble Reel- Finale

F Is For Filho, Favorite Son, Firefighter, Fast Cars, Fuzzy Chin....

It's Alphabe-Thursday and the letter of the day is F.

Who is this dressed in fire-engine red?  My bright eyed little boy.  My filho.  My favorite son.

 (Family photos may not be borrowed or pinned.)

Speaking of fire-engines, see the littlest firefighter!

 (Family photos may not be borrowed or pinned.)

Fast cars at the Pinewood Derby put big smiles on the faces of these young scouting friends.  (I won't tell you how I glued my fingers together with super glue while attaching the weights.)

 (Family photos may not be borrowed or pinned.)

Fantastic fellows all.  My son in the middle wearing the flashy sunglasses, surrounded by two older cousins, DH on the far left and my brother-in-law on the far right.  The boys were all acting goofy and going for the "MiamiVice" look with turned up collars, the night before a family wedding.  

 (Family photos may not be borrowed or pinned.)

Where did the years go?  Now he has fuzzy stuff on his chin.

 (Family photos may not be borrowed or pinned.)

And he is off to further his studies at this fine institution of higher learning, where one of his areas of study is a foreign language.  So proud of him.

 (Family photos may not be borrowed or pinned.)

Go to Jenny's to see all the other fantastic F posts.

Cottage- A Home Where Love Resides

Cielo at House in the Roses is hosting Show Off Your Cottage.  And see  Mosaic Monday posts over at  Mary's Little Red House.

Cielo asked what cottage meant to us.  For me it's welcoming and  comfortable, homemade and vintage.  It's folk art and collections.   It's children and pet friendly.  It's taking care of things that your great grandmother made.  It's where faith and imagination can flourish.   It's a home where love resides.

Top row: Quilt made for me by my Great Grandmother, embroidered linens, hand painted platter and blue and white dishes.

2nd Row: Wooden spoons in a crock, folk-art bird painting, potted flowers and herbs on the deck.

3rd Row: Shawnee pottery bluebird, heart wall plaque,  chinese-checkers game.

4th Row: Folk-art carnival painting, cat on crocheted afghan,  green depression glass.
5th Row: Wooden pig cutting board, metal star,  enough flag decor to make Betsy Ross proud.
6th Row: My daughter's nesting dolls,  santos,  guest bed with another quilt my great grandmother made and embroidered pillowcases.
7th Row: Cobalt blue nesting hen,  crewel sunflowers stitched by my mother,  my grandparents chime clock.
8th Row: April Cornell and vintage tablecoths, hand painted  metal tray, my son's favorite stuffed shark.

What is cottage to you?

See  Mosaic Monday posts over at  Mary's Little Red House.

E is for Eeeek! And Emerald Lake

E is for Eeeeek!   I have been so busy I almost didn't get this posted for Alphabe-Thursday.

E is for  Emerald Lake, in Yoho National Park, British Columbia, where our family used to hike and canoe during summer camping trips.  The color of the water is amazing.

This is a picture I took of my baby sister at Emerald Lake in  1969.    I was young and this was my first camera, and it is not a very clear picture.

 (Family photos may not be borrowed or pinned.)

Click on this link to see what Emerald Lake looks like today.  It has an amazing Lodge and the water is just as gorgeous as it ever was.

Join everyone over at Jenny's ABC's for all the other E posts.  

More Quilts

The little wall quilt is all done!   The hand sewing on the binding is done.   The label has been attached.   It's been washed and I have shipped it off for the auction (for Orphans Africa) at the end of the month. 

And here are pictures of a few baby quilts I have made for friends in the past.

(I made this quilt, but the photo was taken by my friend R.)

Quilt for baby E.S.

Quilt for baby M.H.

Quilt for baby J.G.

(I made this quilt, but the photo was taken by my friend R.)

Quilt for  baby M. S.

Needlepoint Lovebirds

I'm joining Laurie's Valentine Party with these needlepoint Lovebirds.  I am a beginner needlepointer.  (Is needlepointer a word?  Needlepointist?  One who attempts to needlepoint.)   I recently finished this simple design that I started years ago, a canvas of two little lovebirds sitting in a berry tree and plan to turn it into a pillow soon. I like to think that the two birds symbolize Mr. Garden and me. 

One of my childhood friends is an artist who designs and paints needlepoint canvases for  Jean Smith Designs.  Those of you who needlepoint will recognize this design house.    Two things I associate most with Valentines day are hearts and flowers and so I made a valentine mosaic with some of their amazing and beautiful heart and flower designs.   (Some of the pics are a little fuzzy, but you can get a better look by clicking on the link to their web page.)

I want to try one of their simple canvases next, and maybe someday I will be ready for one of the more intricate designs.

Happy Valentines Day everyone!  

D Is For Darling, Daughter, Dresses, Daffodils, Daisies and Dancing

It's Alphabe-Thursday at Jenny Matlock's,  and  today's letter is D.  

Darling daughter hunting for easter eggs in the daffodils, wearing her Easter dress.

 (Family photos may not be borrowed or pinned.)

Daughter a few years older, in my garden of daisies.

 (Family photos may not be borrowed or pinned.)

Daughter in a whole field of daisies, a few years later.

 (Family photos may not be borrowed or pinned.)

Dancing daughter, delighting the crowd at the Irish Festival, in her fancy bright pink dress. (center)

 (this photo was taken by one of the other dance parents.)   

You can join the alphabet fun here.