Gardening, Gifts and a Surprise for Miss S

I know it's been quite a while since I posted last, but I haven't exactly finished anything.  The Irish Shalom for Miss S is all but done - needs about 4 more rows of cuff ribbing and then the sleeves can be bound off and ends worked in.  I don't have any buttons for it and need to replace the button on mine as well because with the bulky yarn the button holes are too big for a 1" button.  I have a bigger button for mine, but I need 4 or 5 (maybe 6?) for the other and haven't got them.   I haven't finished any tatting lately - have been working on a couple of things but nothing to show for it yet.  I did order some more thread because I have something I really want to do but didn't have any black or solid thread to use and I lost my little size 6 crochet hook when we were at the beach.  (Actually, it's not lost, I know exactly where it is, but it's there and in the middle of the street so I can't get it.)  I ordered a couple of the little crochet hooks and 3 colors of thread and a special shuttle from The Shuttle Shop.

 So, I've been kind of avoiding the blog and the neglect shows.  However, I'm back today with a big mish mash of things.

It's been so dry here that everything is either dieing or trying to die.  So I was out today watering the potted plants (and some of the ones in the ground) and found some really cool things.  First off, the p. kermensina seedlings that Craig sent me are going nuts with blooms - two yesterday, one the day before and two more today.  They are gorgeous.  Did the ones I sent out there do anything?

And this little butterfly was helping me water the plants.  It hung around for the entire time I was out there.  Actually, if the truth be told, I think it was trying to get a little water and since I was making things wet, it was following me around and drinking up the water I left behind.  But it's more fun to say it was helping.  It was a cute little thing.

While I was out there, I found these big ugly things.  They are about 8" long from the tip back to the stem, maybe a little more, I didn't measure.  I don't think they are attractive right now, but I've been waiting for them for a long time - several years, in fact.  They are the buds on my Night Blooming Cereus.  It actually bloomed a few years ago, but the house painters had moved the pot and it's stand into the bushes to I missed the buds and the blooms.  These are supposed to be incredibly fragrant.  I'm hoping that this time I will actually get to see (and maybe photograph) the open flowers and certainly hoping to smell them!!

Now, on to the gifts!!!  And there have been several this week.  A new tatting friend has generously donated some books and tapes to the textile club at Miss M's school.  Miss M plans to be a part of that club and has offered to teach tatting to anyone who wants to learn and to help advance one young lady who has already learned the basics from Miss M.  The only problem with that is that Miss M needs to brush up on the basics and learn a few beyond basic techniques before she can teach them. Shhh!  Don't tell anyone I said that.  So, my new friend has mailed Miss M a nice box containing the following:

And I got another gift - from a dear friend, for myself.  It's just way cool:

And finally, a surprise for Miss S.  Do you remember that cutting you put on the hillside?  It and the ones in the yard are all doing just fine!