Restoration Garden

 

I had thoroughly enjoyed the book The Last Secret of Lily Adams by Sara Blaydes, that I went searching for other books she might have written. I came across Restoration Garden and also enjoyed this book.  Sara Blaydes has a writing style that fully emersed me into the storyline of the novel. In this book there is again a secret that has been hidden for years, and the book leads you in a path to the discovery of the secret. The book combines mystery, romance and intrigue both in the present day and in the war-torn Europe of the 1940s.

Book Summary

The book begins when Julia Esdaile, a landscape architect, is hired to restore a historic garden at Havenworth Manor in England.  She is hired to restore the gardens for Margaret Clarke, the feisty 92-year-old lady of the manor.  Andrew does not know the reason for the restoration, he just knows that it is very important to his godmother, Margaret. Over the last 80+ the garden has fallen into disrepair.  It is now a jumble of weeds and snarls of bramble.

The book goes back between the present day with Julia and the restoration and the 1940's when Margaret and her older half-sister Irene lived at the manor. There is a portion of the story that deals with children that are sent from London to the countryside to avoid the bombings and then there is the story of Irene.  Irene is an aspiring artist from America who is brought to England when her father marries Margaret's mother.  She dreams of being in the world outside of Havenworth, but wartime has made that impossible for the 17-year-old.  She also dreams of the handsome RAF office James.  When she turns 18, she escapes Havenworth and follows her dreams, but she is then forced to make some hard choices, and she vanishes from Margarets world forever.  

The book opens up the gardens as Julia restores them and helps to uncover the secrets that have been hidden all of these years.

I really enjoy reading the book and found it fascinating.

Books on Amazon by Sara Blaydes

You can find these books on Amazon in audio, paperback and on Kindle.

Restoration Garden

The Last Secret of Lily Adams

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Would you Ever..... ~ A Pet Review

Would you ever consider getting a bird for a pet?  Well in our household, we have had at least one bird and more over the last 30+ years.  It all started off with my daughter wanting a budgie for her 16th birthday.  We already had cats, dogs, rabbits, turtles, fish and more, so why not a budgie?

Well that love of our little blue feathered friend turned into years of caring for birds of almost every color.  Budgies do come in lots and lots of different colors.  But somehow in all that time we always gravitated to budgies and never looked further afield.

This year that changed.  Oh we still have budgies (2) Snowball and Sweet Pea.  Both are very cute and loveable, but I was always drawn to the larger birds in the pet shop.  What stopped me was the cost of the larger birds.  Cockatiels were over 500.00 for one bird and the Conures (small parrots) were even more expensive.  

That was when I started to look for a breeder who I was sure would not have the overhead that most pet shops have and therefore should be a little more economical.  

Well at the beginning of May, we finally bit the bullet and contacted a breeder who had Pineapple Conures that were ready to go to their new families.  We went  for a visit to her compound and were impressed with the number of birds she and her husband were breeding.  All seemed very healthy and loved.  So we settled on a little male Pineapple Conure and promptly named him Benny!  

Benny and the Jets!  Snowball on the left, Sweet Pea in the middle and Benny on the right. A trio of love for us!!

Now to bring him home and introduce him to his new brother and sister (we are still not sure if the budgies are males, females, or one of each).  But we are home now to our own Benny and the Jets!

All the birds are quite friendly with each other and while the budgies tend to spend time in their "room", Benny is much more social and loves to come out into the house proper and spend time with us.

The biggest difference we are finding between these two species is the interaction we have with Benny.  He wants to be with us and his personality is HUGE!  We are learning to train him, so that he comes when he is called, steps up when asked to, or takes a bath when you are washing your hands.

Birds are a messy lot but that is not too hard to take when you have a cordless vacuum to take up the crumbs that are dropped. Plus light vacuuming daily has become the norm at our home.  

He is a lot of fun and loves to entertain us.  Hanging on a hanger upside down is one of his favorite tricks.  He will also let you love him with scratches to his neck and head.  He gets very quiet when the love is being given out so freely.  

So far, it is a learning curve, but we are enjoying Benny so much that we ask ourselves why it took us so long to look into a different bird species.  

If you are wanting an animal that you can have lots of fun with and still have a manageable time with them  I would definitely suggest a bird from the Conure family.  They are about 10 to 12 inches in length and live about 20-25 years.  Not as long as some parrots, but still a nice life span.  And did I tell you they are a lot of fun?

We are using treats to train him and this works very well.  So if you are looking for a new pet, consider a Conure, and go to a reputable breeder.

These are great bird training treats.  They are perfect for training and bonding with your new Conure friend.

Like any pet, be responsible and do your homework on what they require and make sure you have a vet that will look after birds!  

We are certainly enjoying our new role as Conure parents and highly recommend this type of bird for anyone who loves to have a special friend for themselves.

Note: The author may receive a commission from purchases made using links found in this article. “As an Amazon Associate, Ebay (EPN), Esty (Awin), and/or Zazzle Affiliate, I (we) earn from qualifying purchases.”

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Abstract Necklaces and Matching Earrings

Zazzle has a variety of necklace styles to choose from, and here you can find some unique abstract designs that are also on drop style earrings.

This first design features a print from one of my paint pour designs. The colors include aqua, red, pink, and white. The aqua could also be called turquoise. The colors blend into each other and looks like a flowing movement type design.

Red White Aqua and Pink Abstract Necklaces
by CherylsArt

I had purchased a necklace, for my daughter, from Zazzle, over ten years ago. We were both impressed. The design is printed in a medium that reminds me of a resin. It is very smooth, fits perfectly into the necklace frame, and the colors turned out great. The round and square shaped necklaces come in a choice of small, medium, and large. They have an overall rating of 4.7 out of 5.

The earrings are a drop style. I made matching/coordinating earrings to go with each necklace., which are purchased separately.

Here is the fun purple and white abstract background with colorful beads adding pops of color on top of the background. The beads are part of the design and are not separate from the background. I positioned the design at various angles when I designed the items in this set. They have a fun and festive look!

Abstract Purple Drawing Colorful Beads Earrings
by CherylsArt

This next design is a great choice for any patriotic event, and for anyone who just likes the colors of red, white, and blue. This is from another of my paint pour designs. All the items in this set have a vertical positioned design.

Abstract Red White Blue Paint Pour Necklaces
by CherylsArt

If you look in between the blends of purples and lavender, you can see a honeycomb type weave going on. This design offers a more subtle look, and will look great with a variety of purple and or lavender attire.

Abstract Lavender and Purple Earrings
by CherylsArt

The earrings have an overall rating of 4.8 out of 5, as of the date of this writing.

The jewelry pieces come in a special black felt bag, perfect for gift giving.

The printed areas are sealed with a UV-resistant coating, which is water resistant. However they are not recommended to be worn while showering to retain silver plating. Zazzle also recommends not be expose the earrings to cosmetics such as perfumes and other sprays.

I hope that you have found this helpful in your search for some abstract necklaces that can be matched with earrings.

Cheryl Paton

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The Life I Built From Broken Things - A Song Review

 

When You're Done Trying to Put Your Name in the Sand

Have you ever had one of those days, or years, where it felt like you were trying to write your name in the sand while the tide was coming in at full speed? 

You keep smoothing it out, trying to make it stay, but the water just wipes it away again and again.

Although I'm a positive person, I do feel this way at times. I spent a long time thinking that if I could keep everything neat and predictable, I was winning. Not anymore. Life has a way of showing us that some things are out of our control. 

I poured these thoughts into a new song called "The Life I Built From Broken Things". It has become my own little anthem, and I wanted to share it with you because we all need the reminder that we are tougher than we give ourselves credit for.

Building Something Real When You Are in a Crunch

When things fall apart, our first instinct is often to worry. We look at the mess and think, "Well, that is it. I am done." I have been there. You look at your life and see the broken floorboards and the leaks, and you feel like the whole thing is coming down.

But we don't have to fix the whole house in a single day. Recovery is often quiet and slow. It is just one band-aid at a time, as I wrote in the song. It's deciding that even though the floor has holes in it, we will still sweep up the sand. There's something beautiful about building a life out of our broken things. 

It means the foundation is not just some perfect, sterile thing. It is made of experience. It is made of the times we fell down and got back up anyway.

Why a Little Stubbornness Is Actually a Good Thing

If anyone tells you that you are being too stubborn, take it as a compliment. There is a specific kind of stubbornness that I think is a superpower. It is that quiet, deep-down refusal to let the storm win.

In my song, I wrote, "I'm just too stubborn to know how to fail." People might look at your life and see the rain or the struggle. But they don't see the work you are doing when you hide your wings. They can't see the way you are reinforcing the walls in the dark, preparing for the moment you're ready to fly again.

I've learned that the one thing nobody can take away from me is me.

You're the only person who can decide when you're done. If you haven't decided you're done, then you're not failing. You're still in the middle of the project.

We Don't Have to Be Perfect to Be Strong

It is perfectly okay to have weak days. We're human. It's going to happen. We don't have to be a superhero every single day. It's okay to be tired or frustrated. It's only part of your story, not the whole story.

I believe that every tiny, incremental inch we move forward counts. Even if it is just one nail you hammer in, it's progress. The life you are building might look different than the one you started with, but it is yours. 

Thanks for letting me share this with you. I hope that if you are going through a storm right now, these words give you a little bit of shelter. You've got this.

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"Drageda Lyrics" on all Platforms, including Streaming Platforms**

YouTube:  Follow Me on YouTube - @dragedapoemslyrics

Spotify:    Stream Drageda Lyrics on Spotify

Subscribe For A Free Short Guide on How to Convert Your Poems Into Lyrics

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**I write and produce story-driven lyrics. ** ** ** ** Vocals and music are digitally produced (I am not the singer). I digitally direct and arrange the video and recording. ©2026 DragedaPoemsLyrics (B.T.C) - All Rights Reserved. Licensed Digital Composition (Commercial Rights Held). I wrote, created, and produced this piece on June 21st, 2026 - Member of SOCAN (Society of Composers, Authors and Music Publishers of Canada)**

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Sewing Stories from the Crafting Journey of Wednesday Elf

A Craft Review

Let Me 'Sew you a Stitch' About My Crafting Adventures 

My hobby of choice is fiber crafting and has been since I was a youngster. My crafting journey has led me through the field of fiber arts in many different areas.

As a child I began with embroidery. I also learned the basics of knitting and enough about sewing to sew simple things, but never became an expert. As the years went by, my primary focus became working with yarn, primarily in crochet and needlework.

Sewing - The First Hobby of my Fiber Arts Journey

My wonderful grandmother, who was an expert seamstress and quilter, taught me to sew. She made most of our clothes when we were children, but I never acquired sewing skills even close to hers. I did manage to make quite a few simple dresses and such for myself, and later dozens of outfits for my children when they were very small.

The summer before my daughter started kindergarten, I found a bunch of one yard/one-half yard pieces of fabric on sale (it doesn't take a lot of fabric for a tiny 5-year-old) and she was the 'best-dressed' little girl in school, with about 3 dozen outfits to choose from. Since I ended up with 2 boys and only one girl, it was great fun sewing for her.

Daughter Kimberly Modeling Raggedy Ann Dress

The sewn outfit I was proudest of was a dress with pinafore decorated with a Raggedy Ann applique (shown in this picture of Kimberly when she was 6), as well as a duplicate dress for her 6-year-old cousin as a Christmas gift that year. 

I saved that dress for years, hoping to pass it on to a granddaughter, but I ended up with 5 grandsons instead. :-)

Buttons and patches and the cold wind blowing,

The days pass quickly when I am sewing.

~Author Unknown

You, Too, Can Learn to Sew

If you don't have a talented grandmother or other relative to teach you to sew, a beginner's guide to the basics of sewing can be a tremendous help. To begin learning the art of sewing, start with the basics.

Sew Everything Workshop: The Complete Step-by-Step Beginner's Guide with 25 Fabulous Original Designs, Including 10 PatternsCheck Price

 

Sew Everything Workshop: The Complete Step-by-Step Beginner's Guide with 25 Fabulous Original Designs, including 10 Patterns.

Written in the language of today's creators, this hold-your-hand beginners sewing guide teaches you everything you need to know from winding a bobbin to sewing a dart to customizing a pattern. Currently in the top 10 in beginner sewing books.

 

First Step to Sewing.... - You Need a Sewing Machine

My sewing machine is a Brother I have had for more than 40 years. This new model has so much more than my old 'basic' sewing machine, and is currently on a terrific sale!

Brother CS7000X Computerized Sewing and Quilting Machine, 70 Built-in Stitches, LCD DisplayCheck Price

 

The Brother CS7000X Computerized Sewing and Quilting Machine comes with 10 sewing feet plus a quilt guide. It includes a wide table for larger projects such as quilts. 

Summary

If you love to sew as your craft of choice, come tell me your stories in the comments. I love hearing from fellow crafters. 

Related Sewing Reviews:

• Summertime Stitching Craft Review by Wednesday Elf
• When is the Best Time to Learn Something New - September Sewing Month by Olivia Morris
• Let's Sew Together and Build Lasting Memories by Coletta Teske

*My Sewing Journey Story was written by (c) Wednesday-Elf

**This post was originally published on November 1, 2014 on another site no longer in existence.

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The Sheep Detectives Movie Review

For those who enjoy a cozy mystery, The Sheep Detectives movie is for you!

Our family sat down together to watch The Sheep Detectives and we all loved it.  Even Watson, our Labrador retriever was captivated by the big talking sheep.  

Hugh Jackman is, of course, perfect in the part of the shepherd.  He really does exude a caring personality.  I couldn't help but think how ironic it was that Wolverine (a Norwegian word that means "little wolf") would be a sheep shepherd.  I had to remind myself that a wolverine is really a part of the weasel & ferret family, not the canine wolf family, but the wordplay was mentally just too much fun to ignore. 

I will warn you in advance, there are a few parts that are very sad.  I guess that is to be expected in a murder mystery, but I was still touched by the sense of loss.  The film does an excellent job of portraying the sheep with sensibilities.  We all know there are "pets" that form a special bond with their people.

In addition to Hugh Jackman, Emma Thompson is in the movie.  She plays the part of the attorney.  As always, she is exceptional.  There are several other actors in the movie that I liked and will be watching for in the future.  It really is a great cast of characters! 

In the last few years, there haven't been very many movies in the theaters that made me want to get out and go see them.  The Sheep Detectives was one that would have been worth venturing out to see.  However, it wasn't necessary to leave home since the movie is currently being streamed on Amazon Prime.

 

The Sheep Detectives

 The Sheep DetectivesCheck PriceGeorge Hardy is a shepherd that is loved by his flock.  Not only does he feed them, provide them with a safe home, and give them medicine as needed, he has given them all names.  He also reads to them every night, like many of us do for our own children. It is clear he loves his sheep.  

When George is murdered, there are a few people in town who are suspects, but he also has two children (twins) who are named in his will.  Because he gave his children up for adoption when his wife died in childbirth, he doesn't know them and neither does anyone else.  Only the attorney, Lydia Harbottle (Emma Thompson), has been in contact with them.

The one police officer in town has never investigated a murder and clearly has no idea how to even begin.  That is where the sheep detectives must get involved.  Thanks to the books that George has read to them, they do know a lot about investigating a murder, but first they must get up the courage to venture into town to help.

The interaction between the intelligent, "communicating" sheep and the people in this movie is quite precious.  I doubt I will ever look at sheep the same way again.

__________

I highly recommend this entertaining movie as a family movie.  We had 3 generations of people and a puppy watching.  We all loved it!  

 

More Great Movies Reviewed

Check Out More Movie Reviews at
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  The Sheep Detectives Movie Review by:

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Restore Your Outdoor Furniture With Rust-Oleum Spray Paint

 In April this year, I reviewed our outdoor patio set. We've had this set for over 5 years now, and it has served us well. You can read that review here: Outdoor Patio Set-Reviewed.

This year, when I uncovered the table, I noticed that the tabletop had become dull and faded. I made several attempts to clean it to restore its original luster, but they all failed. There was no rust on the table; only the top had faded.

Outdoor furniture is expensive, and there was no way I was going to buy a new set just because the top was faded. So, I went to the hardware store and found a Rust-Oleum textured metallic spray paint to match our patio set.

We moved the table into the garage, and our grandson Bobby sprayed the top with two light coats of paint. We let the first coat dry overnight before we did the 2nd coat.

Here is the finished tabletop, looking brand new. If your patio chairs, tables, or benches are structurally sound and in good shape but simply look weathered, don't replace them just yet. A couple of cans of Rust-Oleum are all you need to bring them back to looking new.

Rust-Oleum offers a variety of colors and finishes to choose from.

Rust-Oleum 7578838-6PK Professional High Performance Enamel Spray Paint, 15 oz, Flat Black, 6 Pack

 

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Mattel's Sing-a-ma-jigs Dolls Reviewed

Mattel's Sing-a-ma-jigs are a small stuffed or plush toy that is battery-operated and designed to entertain. Once engaged, they chatter and they sing. Put them in a group and they even harmonize.  They are, as I believe the company said, a hoot! If you haven't seen them, make sure you take a moment to watch this short introductory video to see them in action.

Buy one or collect them all but the more you have, the more fun for all! Build your collection one by one or in multiples; in small groups or in whole choruses.

REVIEW

Sing-a-ma-jigs are a small but surprisingly cute and addictive musical plush toy. (Mattel calls them dolls.) Their ability to harmonize with other characters is fun and, as I said a moment ago, the more you have, the more fun you will have. They are designed for children aged three and up but they are highly entertaining for adults, too. They feature three ways to play: song, harmony and chatter and those functions are activated when you press their hands and tummies.

They were first released in 2010 and I believe they were discontinued as early as 2012. With the exception of some keychains, I believe they were all the same size, measuring 12 inches in height and they require two AA batteries. 

Not everyone thinks the Sing-a-ma-jigs are cute. Personally, I think they are at least when you consider their hidden talents but I am definitely not a fan of the Mickey and Minnie Mouse versions. I do find them creepy. How about you?

MODELS

There were numerous models released on various themes with each character having a unique song. Themes including Basic, Halloween, Christmas, Birthday, Easter, Valentine's Day, Independence Day, The Hits, Japanese Exclusives, Duets and mini Sing-a-ma-jigs on keychains. 

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE SING-A-MA-JIGS?

Anyway, this next video takes a deep dive into Sing-a-ma-jigs in which vlogger lulaloopsey shares her extensive knowledge and research on the toy line. She actually questions why Sing-a-ma-jigs were so quickly discontinued despite that fact that they achieved such huge popularity but was unable to find any discussion online about what happened to them. That is definitely something that would be interesting to learn more about. 

CURRENT VALUE

This page was originally written in 2010, when Sing-a-ma-jigs were released. Since then, as mentioned above, these dolls have gone out of production and I cannot find any of them on Amazon. However, when I turn to eBay, I find a host of new and used Sing-a-ma-jigs. A bit of value research on my part reveals that in the last three years, the prices on eBay have ranged from $15 to $350. The listings that command the higher prices are either a group of Sing-a-ma-jigs or a particularly rare one. New ones, of course, will always command a higher price than a used one.

WHERE TO BUY SING-A-MA-JIGS?

There are definitely still enough Sing-a-ma-jigs available on eBay to allow you to create your own chorus or to simply expand your collection. Click here to see which ones are available today on eBay.

Wanna sing?

Brenda

Treasures By Brenda

QUICK LINKS

Click here to buy Sing-a-ma-jigs on eBay.

Discover the Christmas Sing-a-ma-jigs!

The Denver Post discusses the popularity of Sing-a-ma-jigs.

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