Moss, Terrariums and Children!

I was lucky enough last week to have been selected by an Etsy buyer to send Moss and a few variety forest items to Arizona where many of the  fifty children had not ever even seen moss! These will be used in a Church Camp for the children to make terrariums. I had so much fun collecting these special items for this project! I went way overboard collection as I usually do, but I wanted to get the perfect specimens for them to use. Of course, I walk the deer trails for what has been kicked up by the deer and use very few items I have to actually dig. Most of it is very dry when I find it but it rained the day I went collecting so it was easy to find, especially the lichen on the rocks was standing out like a neon sign.  I sent all I could get into the box and donated much of my time to this effort as I had fun knowing the end means and also spent two days cleaning it and getting out the pine straw.  There were some ting acorns, ( little yellow ones, only 1/8 inch in size if that big. That is the male cone that reproduces in the forest.

See the photo, I pulled them out of the moss for the photo.

As I over collected I used some of the left over moss to make a few terrariums of my own and listed some very small ones on etsy; well I am in the process of listing them. for those that do not want to do it themselves and I don't have room to keep them. They make a fabulous desk accessory to see some Zen , Fung Shui, and tranquility in the simple things as everyday life can get chaotic. 

It was in the low 70's here yesterday and spring is on the horizon. Last night as we came home from dinner out we heard what seemed like zillion's of frogs chirping near the creek. The minute we opened the car door to get out,  our Golden Retriever rescue dogs ran us down and zoomed away. Well, when they cam home they were black from mud and I suppose they went to find the frogs. Shame on them! Needless to say they got an outside night bath before they could come back inside.  No wonder we have dirt and dust we constantly battle!

Another neat thing that happened was went I went to the library for a special book I wanted to get. I went to a Demo day last weekend at the Valley Arts Guild in Murphy, NC and learned something about the "Underground Railroad". This is always fascinated me as the slaves made their way from the south to the North to freedom and how they did it."Harriet Tubbs" was called "Moses" to many as she led the way for numerous trips to help free over 800 slaves. I previously owned two photographs of the "Underground Railroad" and I painted the frames Black and sold them at the flea market we attended last year. 

As I walked back to my car window shopping and saw these prom dresses,  I suppose are in style now at Sassy's Shop!. I went in to browse another  nice shop in Murphy called , "Rumours" and saw a pair of winter boots on sale for 1/2 price so Yes, I got them. They are a size too big for me but with my insoles in I think they will be OK, also fat socks which I intend to add lace too.   I loved the various yarns and colors! 

Sassy's Store Window 

 Side walk display

famous Espispicol  Church of the Messiah" in Murphy, I have seen pictures of it on Pinterest so wanted to add my own version too! The priest at this church came to do the river ceremony I have spoke of  many times for my dog, "Megan and her daughter "Ally" my Grand-dog,  we came here to pet sit for for many years.  a the Hiawassee River. We later had "Jordan's ceremony at the river  too. Oh, how I miss them all!

The previous week at the Library I had got some books of Mosses and Gardening as spring is in the air. One book on Moss Gardening was very interesting and I wanted to have my own copy so I checked with Amazon for it and was waiting to have the $ to order it.  What did my eyes behold at the Friends Library Bookstore where you can buy books, There was the very same book for $2.00. Wow! I grabbed it saying I cannot believe my eyes! 

I was just outside having my coffee and reading a pamphlet I picked up with an article on Black Bears. They come out of hibernation in late March (close enough) and look for food, including being attracted to lip balm at campsites. So, I guess I better remove that from my porch as I do NOT want another encounter like I had last year when I found one on our back porch in the trash canister. No camera available at the time either. 

I have not feared wandering in the woods too much lately as I know the snakes and bear were in hibernation, also many bugs and spiders but I will have to be more careful from now on. I did look up in the trees when gathering the moss just to be careful earlier this week. I have learned to do that as I am normally looking at the ground.

Also lats week while talking to my Mother on the telephone, I saw a deer walk right out of the woods and down the street in front of our house. And, last night we saw a bunny hop into the woods as we came home. Lots of wild life, I also saw a blue bird this week.

Another thing I found recently was a Primitive Pussy Willow tree at the grocery store and then I found a grove of the so I did get my clippers and get a few branches, I sprayed them with preservative and hope the hold up . They will be great for crafting with mixed media! The wild ones and the grocery store kind are different. 

Isn't the above shelf just crying out to be a Curiosity box with my found nature items? 

I have several I need to get busy making.I have boxes of collected items as I collect everything! I even found these wire rusty crusty rings that could be fabulous Junk Queen Crowns.

 Or bases for lamp light base or pottery terrariums

Well, I have chatted your time away, so thanks for dropping by! 

Smiles, Cyndi

Getting moved into the Cabin in Western North Carolina

I keep thinking of things I want to share with you in my blog, it seems when I am sitting on my front porch for every break from unpacking and sorting things to save and sell or donate, I don't have the laptop with me or I am just plum beat!

I do manage short log in's on facebook to see what is happening with my friends but I have been short on time to just sit here and browse blogs or crafting sites like I used to with morning coffee. In the evenings I am just so tired and usually with a backache so I see myself on the sofa with some dumb TV show or go straight to bed and read myself to sleep. And, I have so much to tell you!

Things have been happening so fast around here. I have some very nice Bonanza sales and they usually come in two sales when I have them. Very odd, isn't it? But, I am very happy that sales have been picking up. The trouble is some of my things are still in Alabama until we can make another trip to get them. My husband has been selling on EBay or old electronics we can't use anymore and we even had to get new cell phones with another company that somewhat works up here in the mountains.

We are in the mountains in the country with life so different than we were used too. I have not seen one car go by our place that was not coming to see us. We have very nice neighbors and two have specifically come by to introduce themselves and then we were invited to the annual home owners meeting where we got to meet more folks than actually have moved into this subdivision. Many still have Florida homes it seems and to move here has been put on hold due to the economy or whatever reason. This house has been rented twice before but we have found in being here so many things that have never been hooked up to really live here. There was not even a water filter on the well water. I think well water is supposed to be wonderful but it has been sitting for so long that it stinks and I think tastes bad. I am even brushing my teeth with bottled water. They did add a new filter for us but now I think it is rusty in the holding water tank and that too may need to be replaced. The fireplace had never been hooked to the gas in fact there is no gas to hook it too, so I assume no one ever used the fireplace, The same thing with the icemaker for the refrigerator and they installed a water line for us while we were back in Alabama for the second trip. The ice finally tastes pretty good in my lemonade also with fresh lemons; it looks and tastes so good. We do have our own well here; it is not a community well.

We went into Historic Hayesville to see the town square and got sidetracked at the Welcome Center. I am a brochure picker-upper everywhere I go to learn what is happening with events and services. I no longer walked in from the door and said we just moved here and they asked me to volunteer to help them on Friday 1-5 each week. I accepted and then went to see a shop they thought might sell things on consignment, they did not but do teach classes or lovely items which I would like to take a couple when I can. They make beautiful crafty items that appeared easy to learn with a couple hour classes. Maybe you will see me doing one or two in the future.
So, we still have not made it to the downtown area. Warne, NC has no downtown area just a T in the road; we are between the cities of Murphy and Hayesville, NC with more cities Hiawassee and Blairsville very close also. I still go to Murphy when out and about myself where my husband is exploring the new towns.


I went to put up some "LOST CAT" signs at the main road we live off of and got sidetracked picking. I love picking like "American Pickers" show but I did free picking. I picked "Wildflowers"! So, the next two days I spent planting them in our yard. There were no flowering plants here but lost of trees and greenery. So, I started in a ditch that water runs down clearing the dead leaves and debris from it which runs the left side of our cabin. They don't look like much yet even though I kept them in bins of water but hopefully in time they will adapt. They were all on the roadsides and in clusters so no one will miss the few I picked from as many more are available to the passing car. In fact in some places it was hard to find a pull over site on these two-lane roads. They are all very windy and curvy everywhere to go. I don't like big cleared highways anyway.

I love to pass folks farms and wildflower fields. The Queen Anne's lace is so abundant here, there are just fields of it! Also the farmers are cutting the hay and corn is growing tall but we did have some much needed rain. I can see horse, cow, alpaca, and goat farms all over. They are just beautiful. They have many Saturday Morning farmers markets here along with a Tuesday Morning flea market but we have not been to any of them yet. They had a huge fire at Foster's flea market mall which is really wood shacks with roofs and only open on weekends. It is a huge business in Murphy and a big loss until they decide what to do about rebuilding. That was one half of the marker, the other half, Decker's was OK but maybe this weekend we can go. We have been to all on previous visits here when pet-sitting and love them.

I also have visited Pam at Silva's Gallery in Brasstown and we had a lovely visit at her shop. She weaves fibers and makes wonderful felted hats, shawls, and other items. . She also does beautiful mixed media and takes consignments but is full to the brim. Her husband does clay making ceramics and awesome handmade items.

The John C. Campbell Folk School is also very close and I would love to go by there again too. There is just so much creativity in the mountains and everyone has been so nice to us.

Losing our Russian Blue Cat " Bleu" has also been very devastating. He just disappeared one day while the doors where open a lot after our second trip from Birmingham while we were bringing thinks into the house. I have called for him, driven the gravel roads here and put up signs for him. We also told everyone at the Home Owners' meeting to look for him. I keep hoping he will just show back up as folks say they do but it has been a couple of weeks now. Lily is like a caged animal when trying to keep her inside, she loves to wander to watch the butterflies and insects, but she is close to my eye when outside and comes to check in with me often. I try to stay outside when she is out or she stays in with me and just howls at the doors and windows. "Blak" seems content being inside. He loves to get in high places and goes to the attic that I am making into my crafting room and he lays on top of the refrigerator there.


When reviewing our photos I have taken while driving here from Alabama and just around the area once up here I love to take pictures but many are while we are diving down the road, I am not able to stop and take really good shots but just a glimspe of what we pass and I love seeing the things we go by so what I share is not perfect but just passing shots.

The gas station photo of the "Elvis" Black Limosine was so funny, They looked like they just got off their tractors and needed gas. I am just sharing some smiles!

Once here, our first neighbor we met was just wonderful to us, she delivered a kitty balloon which the cats and dogs had a fun time figuring out about this thing floating in the air and a very pretty plant in a birdhouse planter. She is so nice and has helped us so much already.

She even gave us the "Welcome Flag" for our yard and it was put there while we had gone back to Alabama and came home to find it.

I also took many photos at the Georgia Mountain Fair and I uploaded them to flickr as wag to many to show here. See them at frstyfrolk's Carnival/ Circus/Fairs Set .

I also took many photos of our yard area before I planted anything and the side and back yard are where these are taken, moss and trees, with mushrooms mainly so far along with a sasafrass tree.

Another things I love is reading the road signs, so many have unusual names. I really got a laugh as some of these! They are in our area of Warne, just go left off main road to find the "friendship" and "On our way" Left to find refraction and "whatever"! I also love tire swings!

I have more photos to share, I am unpacking my bedroom dresser today and finding so many things I love but that take up precious space. Oh, What to Do? I really love my ceramic shoe collection. Photos to come when presentable.

Smiles, Cyndi