Garden Photos

Another day doing multiple tasks (some of them almost necessary, some of them just because they occurred to me).  In the morning, I dashed outside to capture the raking light on the garden.  It wasn't really raking light as it was already around eight o'clock.  But even though the sun was higher, I didn't get the shots I wanted until later in the day.

Then there were the runs to bank and grocery store followed by making a macaroni salad, having lunch, and sewing until I made a rookie mistake.  The highlight of the day was the visit of my best friend who came bearing gifts, humor, and a delight change of pace.  That's the kind of friend every one needs and then like me cherishes.

After that, I went outside to try to capture some of the glory of a June garden no matter how much of a novice the gardener may be.

Cosmos

  

Foxglove

Glass ornament - reminiscent of a Pagoda

Horse ornament surrounded by flowers

Mini-Sunflowers

 I will have to remember for the furture that the mid-late afternoon is a good time for the photos. 

Mystery Flowers/Berries

D and I went to a reaffirmation of wedding vows  a couple of weeks ago, and it was a wonderful experience.  The couple are good friends from our bonsai club, and we've know them for years.  They were also on the bonsai trip to Asia last year.  It was a quite an experience.

Like everything else, the flowers on the tables at the reception were glorious, and we were lucky enough to win them.  The bouquet had many flowers but two intrigued me more than the others.  The two were of interest because in their own remarkable quiet way, they added a lot to the overall success of the bouquet.  

And I don't know what they are!  This is a photo that includes the two I don't know, and the next one is a closer view and one that shows how they quietly make all the difference.

Look at the textures!  See how the lower "flower" (I have no idea what else to call it) seems to hold two more flowers upright like arms raised in victory. Also the light green is chartreuse- unusual in bouquets. See how it adds a pow factor?

Then there are those green globe-like berries (again a search for a possible term). They are more quiet than the chartreuse flowers, but they do add an unusual texture for a bouquet.  They are foil for all the multi-textured leaves and multi-petaled flowers.

And I haven't even mentioned the serrated red leaves with waxy white, tiny berries!

It's so frustrating! I don't know what any of these plants are.

Cookware

Over the weekend after doing some research, we finally decided to replace our cookware.  We've had two sets of cookware over the course of our 49 years, and it was time.  The first set I brought to the marriage as something I had purchased while single, and we used it for oh, about 35+ years.  Then our daughter gave us another set which we gave rather hard use.  It had non-stick coating, but as I was still working, I confess I did put the pans in the dishwasher which wasn't good for that non-stick coating.

All that led up to our decision to purchase a new set.  D went to the computer, we decided on two possible sets, and discussed our strategy.  Since my hands are no longer reliably strong (oh, the vicissitudes of age and arthritis!), D insisted that we go and actually find the sets in a shop where I could pick them up and see if I could manage them.  

Of course, our top pick was not available in any of the shops we visited, but we did find a set we liked in Macy's.  It was on sale, but the sale would end when the weekend was over.  Still we decided to keep on looking.  Eventually, on our way home after not seeing what we had set out for, I admitted that I really like the Macy's set of Cusinart Onyx, and we decided to purchase it.

Fortunately, we were able to find it on line so we bought it.  The set was still on sale and also had a $50 deduction since it was Father's Day with no shipping charges!  The only issue was having to wait about two weeks for it to arrive.

When I opened our front door today and saw big boxes, I couldn't figure out what I could possibly have purchased.  Half a library shelf of books?  It was heavy enough.  I dragged the box inside and opened it.

This is what I found:

What a surprise to receive these pans early - happy birthday to me!

If It's Monday . . .

Another Monday morning spent doing the laundry made me really think about the task.  I try very hard to keep to the schedule of doing this chore on the first day of the week in the hopes that as it becomes habit, the automatic, non-thinking part of me will take over and do the task without getting  too grumpy.  For the past ten years since I retired (yes, it has been ten years though I  can't really believe it and have to check my math every time), the laundry has been done on Monday every week unless we are traveling.

Why all the discussion about such a mundane task?  Because today I realized that all this time and thought spent on talking myself out of hating a particular job was time wasted.  I've never hated (or even disliked) doing the laundry.  While the machines take half a day to do all the washing and drying, I spend very little time in the basement.  Even though I do put in time by hanging up a lot of the wet clothes so they dry by themselves, I don't mind it. And I never have.

All I can think is that I fell into a habit of thinking.  I accepted a generally held belief without questioning it.  

None of this is earth-shattering, but it is an important realization.  I think I may all too easily travel in the land of assumptions and accept the beliefs found there without thinking them through.  I have to learn to think for myself.

I like doing the laundry, and I like keeping to a schedule.  So there!

Happy Father's Day!

What a beautiful day it has been!  Our weather has been perfect, the gardens are full of June flowers, and the neighborhood was humming with the sounds of children playing, dogs yipping gleefully, and adults calling everyone in for barbecue.  It was a wonderful day to celebrate all fathers, and I hope that you had as happy a time as we did.

Indeed, we found out on Friday that our daughter and grandson would be able to make a quick trip to our home to spend some time with us over the weekend.  So, of course, we quickly made menus, did a flying trip to the grocery store, and started on the happy task of preparing potato salad, vegetables, chicken, and, of course, chocolate chip cookies.  We keep a pretty standard menu because we want to be sure that we have food that everyone can enjoy.  As you can imagine, we've prepared these things lots of time so the preparation is easy.  The fact that we work well together and can share kitchen space with no problems is icing on the cake (if we had one!).

By supper time on Saturday, our family had arrived (late-sh because of grandson's soccer game) and we were all together at the table enjoying each other's company and catching up on the news.  After a trip to the local ice cream stand, we relaxed and let our guests decompress from a week at work and in school.  

Today we went our to a local diner for breakfast, relaxed at home, and instead of Uno played a game of Scrabble!  Grandson used to "help" me play Scrabble on the computer when he was a little boy, and my goodness, things have changed!  I was amazed at how good he was not only at coming up with words but also with the strategy involved.  The latter made me proud of his ability to multi-task (or would that be multi-think?).

After they left, D and I relaxed in the backyard reliving the weekend.  I also took time to snip some of our blooming roses.  We don't know exactly what these two types are other than one we found when we moved into this house.  It was in the field behind us where the old farmhouse had been (we also got our lilacs from that field).  I suppose we could call it the Farmhouse rose; the other one is simply an old moss rose (it's the paler rose on the right).

Basically, we had a weekend much like every other family celebrating Father's Day and isn't that just super!

Today was a curious day in that I didn't really do anything worth while writing about. However, I did a few things.  For example, I spent quite a bit of time roaming around the yard randomly picking stray twigs that were blown off the trees.  We have oak trees in the front and a beech in the back.  Both kinds of trees drop branches whenever they feel like it or whenever some random thing - like a windy day - occurs in their vicinity.  Did you know it's hard to pick up twigs when both hands are full?  Full of twigs, of course.

Anyway, after that I came back inside and did a host of random things: cut wool strips for the moon in the rug I'm hooking, put my painting things away, and organized some of my quilting projects.  Actually, instead of "organizing" read tidying up things that were not put away properly after the last time I worked with them. 

Then I spent time researching the moon which is what took much of my late afternoon. The moon in the rug design is a simple round which in the pattern photo is a plain white.  I have chosen to make it a golden harvest moon, but I knew that wouldn't be enough.  Originally the idea of a man-in-the-moon face floated through my brain, but that would have been too cutesy and out of keeping with the more realistic shading I've been giving the rest of the rug. So instead of comic relief , I'll indicate the craters with darker gold. If it comes out as I hope it will be subtle but noticeable.

There were other things I did but nothing significant and nothing that would help me get further along with any of my projects.  Sometimes it's just more fun to do nothing!

Progress on Rug

Today the grass under the pile of pumpkins rug was - finally - finished.  The word finished is italicized because every evening I would work on it and be satisfied only to have second thoughts the next day.  

The rug as it looks now:

It may be difficult to figure out why I used all the colors I did or why I created patterns in the grass.  Here's my thinking.  Grass is not all one color.  I felt that with all the shading I did in the pumpkins and gourd a one color grass would make it look as though the vegetables were resting on a pool table.  Which would be weird.

Then - the patterns in the grass include the purpley-bluish grass under the pumpkins.  That's the deep shadow of the vegetables on grass.  As for the rest, I tried to depict how field grass might look - including the weeds on either side of the white pumpkin.

And why did it take so long to do?  As I said, what looked good to me at night just didn't measure up in daylight.  The color in one area or another was wrong; it had to be changed to be lighter or darker.  Or the shape of that part of grass would be just not pleasing.

But now it's done, and  . . . ta-dah!  I get to start on the crow after I cut the strips of wool!

Cathedral Window Quilt Block - with thanks to LF!

Today the Hand-piecing group met and had a very special lesson from one of our members on simple method to make the notoriously difficult "cathedral window" quilt block.  This block is especially beautiful, but our teacher showed how to create the block using a simple method.  It was simple enough so we all were able to make a double-sided cathedral window pincushion . . .or at least get the pincushion well on its way (most of us had one side completed before the end of class).

After supper, while watching some TV, I finished the project and stuffed it with wool pieces from my rug-hooking project.

Don't you just love it when pieces from various passions come together in one project!

Mother's Peonies

We've had a few really good days, but mostly we've had cool, rainy weather.  That was perfect for me (unfortunately, for the mosquitoes, too) because it made planting easy.  I had over 70 plants to put in, so even rainy weather made for planting time.

Since the weather has been in "off" mode, I don't have many photographs.  But then again, there aren't many flowers in the back garden, yet.

So, I'll share with you a photo of the peonies my mother (1907 - 1997) gave us.  Since I put in her dates, you can imagine how old the plants are.  Not surprisingly, you'll also know I treasure these plants.  What makes me especially happy is that with the absence of the Harry Lauder's Walking Stick which not only grew without being pruned and crowded the peony plants, these lovely flowers are much healthier.  

Not to be overlooked, in that photo you will also see the ginko tree that D just potted.   Doesn't it look healthy with all those leaves?  It will probably be awhile before D can work on it ; since it is so newly put in a new pot, he may let it grow without any pruning.  I think it makes a wonderful companion for mother's peonies just as it is!

Gardening - Still!

It was another day in the garden, and before you think I'm complaining, I'm not.  Even in the rain, I love working in the dirt.  What's not to like in planting what will become beautiful flowers?  Even in the rain.  Actually that makes the temperature cooler, and the breeze keeps the mosquitoes away.  It was a win win!

But before I get too excited, I need to show you what the garden looked like earlier this month:

You can tell it was early because the lilacs are out, and while there is a lot of green, there aren't many blooms at this point.  Except the hanging pot on the arbor.  

Tomorrow, if the weather is better, I might be able to show more current photos.

More on Hooking

Rug hooking has become my favorite night time activity.  After dinner when the dishes are done and food put away, I sit down in the family room, pull my rug hooking stand over and get started.  While I haven't figured out which one of the following is what makes this activity so enjoyable, you could pick only one of the these possibilities and be a very happy person:

1. it's easy to do
2. you can make the design your own (or make a design of your own)
3. you can use any colors you want
4. if you make a mistake or don't like something you did, it's super easy to fix
5. once you have the hang of it (about one day to feel confident), it's goes quickly
6. if you've chosen what your design wisely, you'll love the finished product

Here's what I've done so far:

Can't wait to get to the crow, but I think I'll tackle the grass below the white pumpkin next - where the weeds are.

Autumn's Perch - Rug Hooking

Last week I posted a peculiar look at my latest obsession - rug hooking.  I have resisted the Siren call for quite a while, but thanks to the kindness and persistence of a friend, I decided to give it a try.  My studio certainly has some wool lying around, I reasoned, so why not put it to another use (other than merely doing the usual "wool work" (sewing a pattern - like a wool bird - on fabric).  This new hobby is simply pulling wool strips through sturdy fabric (similar to burlap though not as rough).  As with anything, there are tricks to how one achieves a desired look, and that is the sort of thing I need to learn.

Once again, here is "Autumn Perch" (the name of the pattern will become apparent once all elements are hooked) the first photo of what I did during my lesson:

And here is what I accomplished during the week:

In this photo, you can see how the fabric is stretched over nails.  That may look dangerous, but it really isn't.  Those nails aren't sharply pointed like the ones used for pounding into wood, but they are small enough and numerous enough to hold the fabric taut.  They are all around the top of my hooking frame.  You can also see the lines in the pattern that indicate certain basic lines that one can hook in a darker color to show the indentations in a pumpkin.  I chose to change colors often so my version would have more depth, but that isn't necessary.  Some people, like my teacher, prefer a more primitive look which is achieved by far less shading.

Anyway, I am really enjoying not only seeing the pattern emerge but the hooking, also. 

Another Art Form - Rug Hooking

For some reason the photo of my latest "Rocks" exercise in paint refuses to be uploaded from my phone. Next I will try using my regular camera and attempt to upload the photo from that.  However, it did give me a smile thinking that maybe the rocks were simply to heavy for an ether transfer.

On to my latest enthusiasm - rug hooking.  What you see below is not a spider.  It is the beginnings of a pumpkin;  the greenish stem is at the upper right hand quarter of the pumpkin shape.  The lines of differing browns mark the shadow indentations between the curves of the pumpkin.  It will be interesting to track the appearance of the design.

However, since I am new at rug hooking, it will take a while before there is any appreciable progress - especially since tomorrow I will start a three-day Quilt Weekend.

Rock Day

Geology was not a subject I studied in college, and I figure that may be one reason I've had such a struggle painting rocks.  Of course, I hadn't expected the difficulty because "Zero Degrees" featured some a rather sizable formation.  Just as a reminder:

On the other hand, today's painting was about a totally different sort of rock - which I should have realized.  Not that it made things any easier, but maybe I wouldn't have felt so stupid.

It's frustrating.  For some reason I cannot upload the photograph of today's work.  I'll have to ask you to be patient (or instead I should counsel myself to be patient!).  It will be shown at some point.

I hope!

Bringing The Blog Up-to-Date

No entries posted for a bit, and that's because we've been so busy doing ordinary things.  At this time of year (especially with such a late spring), we're up to our necks with things like spreading mulch, mowing lawns, trimming overgrown shrubs, and laying down fertilizer to name just a few chores. Of course, probably everyone I know is doing the same things.

When not working outside or just enjoying our patio after working outside, I had time to spend in my studio.  There's nothing to show because I just worked on cutting pieces for a quilt.  The pattern was in the QuiltMania magazine several years ago.  It's a slight variation on a spool design, and I fell in love with it.  When I came across the fabrics I had selected for the quilt while going through my bins, I fell in love all over again.  Unfortunately, the published quilt is a wall-hanging that is too large for our walls, and there are yards of fabric.  So guess what I'm going to make . . . a king-size quilt! 

But first things first, tomorrow I will be helping to spread the last of our mulch on the big backyard garden - or spreading the mulch as far as it will go.

Singing the Blues: Violet-wise

While D was on a conference call this afternoon, I decided to go out and pick some of the solid blue-violet violets in the lawn (doesn't that, "violet violets" look odd!) since the variegated ones I picked yesterday were so pretty.

Once I was out there in the sunshine, I started wandering through the garden area to see what was coming up.  Even though it's only been one day since I last checked, at this time of year flowers can shoot up quickly.  While things did look taller and there appeared to be more buds on the early spring flowering plants, there wasn't a great deal to pick.

So I wandered over to the patch of lawn that the violets have co-opted and started picking those that weren't fully open yet.  Amazing how many one can pick and how pitifully small such a bouquet can look in one's hand!

Noting that, I drifted around to the front yard to see what else I could find that might add volume to my bouquet.  Four grape hyacinths had been over-looking by bulb-eating critters so I took them.  Then I checked out the bed of lily-of-the-valley and found the flower stalks were up, but the buds were tight and tiny.  Didn't matter.  The texture would add a nice touch so I cut some. 

Next I realized I didn't have any greenery except the violet leaves and it might be a good idea to add a different shape.  Lily-of-the-valley leaves wouldn't do as they would overpower the little flowers in my hand.  I turned my attention to the white-flower berm and found some really lovely leaves on the anenomes and their flower stalks arch beautifully and end in a visible, slightly hairy bud.  More texture.

All very pretty .

Violets in the Lawn

Today, before supper, we went outside and sat for a while just enjoying the lovely weather.  Everything is popping; the leaves on trees, flowering shrubs, and even the grass.  At one point, I got up and started to wander through the garden to see how the plants are growing.  Unfortunately, I discovered that the chipmunks are coming back vigorously, the moles are tunneling happily, and the violets are . . . 

Wait.  

Violets?  We don't have violets!  The occasional dandelions, yes, but violets?  No, surely not.

Well, guess what.  The are burgeoning neighborhoods of violets in our lawn.  Where on earth do they come from?

But they are pretty.

These were found in the garden and are blue and white.  All the ones I found in the lawn ate pure blue.  Interesting.  

But still they will be dug up.

One Chore Leads to Another

Today there was no work done on either sewing or painting projects, but I didn't mind.  It was a day to finish a left-over chore that weather delayed.  By now I would normally have changed over my wardrobe from winter to spring.  But with the weather as cold as it has been, I kept putting it off as I didn't relish the idea of waltzing around in a sleeveless blouse!

Anyway, three weeks late is better than not at all since the weather is finally warming up.  

As usual, doing a chore like this one opened my eyes to something else that needed doing.  First, a quick description of what "changing out my wardrobe" means in terms of the work involved.  Yes, there were bins with summer tops and socks and things of that sort.  But there were also the many items hung on hangars that had to be carried from the basement to my closet on the second floor.  Since I can't carry too many at one time, I had to make many trips.

All those trips meant I had lots of time to check out the clothes in the basement.  It also made me realize that many of the clothes in the basement haven't been part of any seasonal switch in wardrobe and have been hanging in the same place for years.  The items are primarily jackets that I wore to work and haven't needed to wear since then.  It was hard to part with my pretty things, but now I realize it's just silly to hang on to them any longer.

I'm going to go through those jackets and get them ready for donating in the fall.  While it may sound weird, it has taken me a long time to be able to let go of something I connect with a job I loved, but I'm finally ready now.

Last Night's Show

Yesterday D and I went to see "The King and I" at one of our local theaters, and it turned this year's theater experience around. Let me explain.

First of all, I had an ulterior motive for buying season tickets this year.  By doing so, we are guaranteed tickets for "Hamilton" next year.  Not very noble, right?  Okay, to make it even worse I am not a big fan of musicals of an earlier era - like "South Pacific" or "Sound of Music".  So I was skeptical about many of the shows we were to see this year.

Unfortunately, my skepticism was partly right.  While I didn't detest the shows we saw, I didn't love them either.  To be really fair, my dislike was partly because they amplify the sound so much it is brutally painful, and oddly enough, one can't hear the words (odd, isn't it? - when the sound is too loud, one can't discern what the separate elements are).   Because of that I had been seriously thinking about dropping this activity in the future (after next years tickets which have already been purchased).

Okay, but . . .  Last night's performance was not amplified!  Nor did it need to be.  It was also true to the original - or least quite close (I had only seen the movie version).  What surprised me and what I didn't remember is the part in the last act where the members of the palace re-enacted Uncle Tom's Cabin for the visiting English ambassador.  I may not have remembered that part because it may not have been memorable or because my memory is faulty!

Last night's re-telling of the American classic was perfect!  For example, the position of the dancers' feet and hands could have come from sculpture or other art work of Siam (aka Thailand).  And it was really well done.

Basically, I had a good time last night and will have a more positive outlook

Another Wallhanging

While I was gathering fabrics for the border of the crewel embroidery wall-hanging mentioned in an earlier entry, I came across still another unfinished wall-hanging.  This one was only about five years old - or maybe a bit older.  Who knows?

I had planned to work on cutting the borders for the crewel piece, but since there were still a few fabrics to select for that one and since the border for the newly discovered piece needed only a one fabric, simple border, I chose to do that one.

Today's wall-hanging consists of hand-pieced blocks set in a background that is machine sewn.  It may sound odd, but while I enjoy hand sewing intricate pieces (as in the blocks), straight seams make for dull sewing.

Here is the wall-hanging with all its borders completed.

The binding was also made today, and it has an appointment to be quilted in June.  So it's well on it's way even though it has no name.  Do you have any ideas?