Counting counts

This is a scheduled post.  When this goes live, I will (hopefully) be sleeping.  I will link it before I leave in the morning.

I'm back joining Halle at Halle's Hobbies, who is our host this month at Art Journal Journey.  Her theme is Words to live by.  Earlier this month Trillian shared this same quote.

I already had created the background when I made another journal page that was similar.

I simply had to add the rocking horses as planned.  Then I sewed the quote in place.

The quote, by William Bruce Cameron reads:

Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted.

I sometimes start counting my rocking horses (about 470 now), which include these rubber stamps, and lose count.  Therefore, this quote is absolutely perfect for how I feel about my beloved rocking horses.

For this page, I started with a sheet of 110 lb white card stock. I spritzed some of my handmade shimmering mists on the page.  Once dry, I then used the same stamps on this page I used earlier in the month.  However, I added more of the numbers and several rocking horses.  The quote, sewn to the page using variegated thread, was also spritzed with my handmade shimmering mists.

Thanks for visiting Bleubeard and me today.  We'd love for you to join us at Art Journal Journey with your own art inspired by Words to live by, too.

I also want to update my flower bed and back yard.  It was the first time I was able to mow the back since the rains started nearly a month ago.

It took two passes

and much of the evening

to mow this.  To say I was wiped out afterward was an understatement.

Needless to say, by the time I was finished, it was too dark to take photos.

These were taken the next morning.  Not sure you can tell, but Mother Nature provided a loud light show overnight, not too long after I finished the back.  I always do the front first, so if it rains, at least it's presentable when people drive or walk by.

It's obvious, my roses need to be dead headed.

Rain and mud

still fill the street with runoff from the "mole hills."

I didn't have time to edge or trim.  I was lucky to get the back finished before the rain pelted down again.

I stopped long enough to take a photo of my favorite plant.  I've had the lavender on the right for three years.  It got ONE small bloom last year.  Nothing more.  Imagine my surprised and glee when I saw the French Lavender I purchased this year on Herb Day was already producing flowers.  I was so happy I almost cried.

The back yard looks a LOT different, doesn't it?  At least the grass isn't nearly waist high anymore.

I moved some of my plants around and got rid of the container that was supposed to hold cilantro.  Unfortunately, it wasn't draining, and held more water than the river (OK, slight exaggeration).

Front to back: berggarten sage, lemon mint, dill,

Left to right: dill (as shown above, too), tricolor sage, sweet marjoram, (in cart) spearmint, and French tarragon.

From left to right, not including cart: fennel, rosemary, orange mint.

You can tell my rosemary took a big hit when I brought it outside.  I just hope it survives.  You can tell the part that gets full sun part of the day.   I usually rotate my plants, but I won't rotate the rosemary for fear I kill it completely.

Thanks for sticking with me while I updated you on my flower bed and herbs, as well as my (FINALLY) mowed back yard!