only one night ...

We visited family this evening

(uhhhhm already yesterday ...)

The sun went down with a silver lined cloud

while on the other side the full moon rose,

big on the horizon ...

a lovely night !

Just like some nights ago when we were surprised

by no less than six BIG flowers

flowers of the night

big as the full moon !

Five flowers + the "moon" of my flash light.

(number six is more to the right)

It's easy to know that the flowers opened :

a heavy sweet scent tells it all !

almost 20 cm  (8") !

But ....

only a beauty for one night ...

the very next morning it's over 

life (and death) in the garden

It's always like that :

after a busy time at the sewing machine

comes a quiet time of not sewing at all.

Besides 

the garden needed a really good clean out !

Things to remove,

cut off,
take cuttings for a friend and put them in pots,

and I even did some replanting :

the Acanthus spicata

that didn't anything but getting mildew, finally had to go,

and I put something else in that spot

(with nice dark red leaves)

This family, with a bossy father in front, came by while I was busy

I love these still fluffy youngsters !

This blackbird youngster didn't make it though.

Flies, ants and slugs were having their little party,

I'll watch it in the next couple of days ...

And this one ?

Was he being brave or just simply stupid ???

Just there, in front of the open door

with just the screen door between him and the cat ?

Well, 

the cat, the gray sister, was very intently looking

at what was sitting there, just outside on the door mat !

(she never ever did catch a mouse)

So one life spared !

Inside my Princess-of-the-Night gave another fragrant flower

She had a bigger pot with new potting compost

(..... I think she liked that   :-) .....)

*

So, 

though it was mostly reading and working in the garden,

I had to finish the raffle that came at the end

of Sara's Doll Challenge :

make an accessory for the doll of the next one in line

on the e-mail list

(and for me that was Evelien)

She made two dolls,

so I thought : why not make two small items,

one for each doll.

the start ...

(I'll place the other pictures when she tells me the envelope arrived)

radiant

When we came home last week 

I saw one of my plants had a nice surprise for me :

two big flower buds !

(the plant is no longer very beautiful ,

she's in need of a new bigger pot, I think)

In the evening the strong (almost tóó) sweet fragrance 

told me they had opened up

Two little sisters hanging together

(they were quite a bit smaller than they cán be,

the white petals nearly 7 / 8 cm while they can be 11cm !)

Today I received in the mail my last felting-exchange sun

With it a very lovely (well chosen) postcard

a portrait by the Dutch artist Jan Sluijters

Thanks a lot Anneke

I'm very happy with my last radiant autumn sun !

(my circle is complete too)

the cat and the princess

The pop-up play book Katy the Cat

by Lucy Cousins

was very popular with our grandchildren.

I bought it when the eldest, now 11, was still very small.

The second one often played together with his sister,

and the third one will play with it (no doubt)

when he's a bit bigger ...

I wanted to give felted figure making

another try :

Katy the Cat (Kaatje Kat) would make a good model.

I started with what was left

of the long fibred sturdy wool that Gabi had given me

to try and make some animals,

which worked really fine !

The humble beginnings

All the important bits were first made out of Gabi's wool

and later covered with the coloured "bergschaf" wool

I got from Hawar some weeks ago.

Hi Katy, are you there already ?

Well, still very soggy and soapy and fááááár from finished !

*

In the meantime I had noticed

that there would be another "Princess" tonight

(I have missed at least four of them this year !)

I don't know her proper Latin name

but because she blooms at night

(with a very sweet and heavy fragrance !!!)

she is often called the "Princess of the Night"

The bud is rapidly growing in a good week or so

from 1 cm to this 28 cm

When it points upwards I know it will bloom that night

This night !

So this time I had my camera ready

Within the hour it fully opens

Voilà : a heavily perfumed pretty princess