Tuesday, August 28, 2012

What My Garden Told Me

Nearly all of my friends have said it at one point or another during this summer. The weather has been so strange. Changes are happening quickly - my annuals and perennials have been showing signs. All about me I've heard the garden stating her discontent. The summer seems on it's way out.






















"Hear ye, hear ye, FALL is fast afoot !"

I believe my garden has loudly pronounced her prediction ... {somewhat like her tendress}.
 I'm listening. I'm liking!

Monday, August 27, 2012

Whatever It Takes...

Critter watch 2012! The past month {nearly} had me itching for answers... QUITE LITERALLY!
Seemed like one morning I looked, and BAM there were red, inflamed spots in strange strategic places about my body. Enough to send me to the Doctor, in fact.  A gasket was nearly blown when I was told it was possible the bites were from bedbugs!! GADZOOKS... PLEASE, NO!! What with all of the places I had visited in July, it wasn't a far stretch. Come to find out this is NOT what was irritating my skin.

All one needs to hear is "bedbugs" and believe you me, you throw stuff out, clean, vacuum religiously, check the mattress, find every green product known to man that can be introduced inside a home, and even too - change furniture!

Yes indeed - I got the notion that something was hiding in the cushions and frame of our couch {also a sofa bed}... didn't matter that I no longer had to worry about bedbugs - I WAS SURE sitting on that Chesterfield was doing me harm. I purchased a new sofa... {after thorough cleaning of living room}
...  whatever it takes to make one upgrade and get into the next century!!  :-)

She is sure pretty, and comfy, and very thrifty {thrifty may mean not long-lasting}.




Of course there was need to rearrange. Never did complete the painting - just white swatches across the walls...







See the mess on the wall above ^.. since it still has a paint job on the way, I decided I could write a verse, or just this single word that I love ~

 
 
Infatuated with the details in the sepia photo now hanging above the typewriter..... An amazing find
at a local shop awhile back. Took my time  hanging it! 1920's PICNICKING!! and the somber group is having their soiree in Pebble Beach! My, my how  chic!!                                                                  
 
 
 
  
We're in the mode of black & white ^, some neutral and a splash of good color here and there. Color for now is yellow. Red peeks in too, she just can't help herself!

That's the story of the Critters of the Summer of 2012! Mostly believe the itchy-scratchys were fleas or mites in our garden. The chickens can be culprits. As I said before... whatever it takes... because progress came from this ordeal. Remember when I talked of our house of ill repair? {click} well, we've got BUG BUSTERS on the way to spray!

I'm now sitting on the new sofa to write, and not feeling a care, or itch in the world!

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Beaching

Usual sentiments aside.... I'll just post some really pretty pictures of the beach on a recent visit...

You know how I love a beach....



particularly love this beach ... as I briefly lived here once upon a time..






Junior 'Guards were out in force, being trained






















One of my favorite flowers - dahlias - ... I usually am able to buy a newly clipped bouquet from a leathery garden lady in this beach town. On this day she was not out in her yard. Sure hoping that doesn't mean she's no longer gardening...



Sunday, August 19, 2012

On The Sad Side of Sunny

Without truly knowing - yet fairly certain - and in denial - we believe our sweet lil' hen, Biloxi Brown is gone.  There is reason to think that a bigger, more muscular brute found her hiding spot. I try not to envision it. Most surely, I am glad not to have heard anything, or witnessed the food chain in action. In all of my children's-fantasy-book fashion, I'm going to have Ms. B. Brown scurrying off on her next adventure - bidding adieu to us two - and pigeon-footing over to the next home willing to take her in and dote on her.

Tell-tale sign ...



Biloxi's gorgeous feathers strewn about the back lawn... not the whole of them.. but, just enough that we can question her whereabouts. I've collected this few. I will tie them up in a pretty bow and save them under a cloche, to remind me of her short, sweet fluffy body.

Sorry, little dearie, that we could not keep you safe from harm. You see, you lived life just as you wished - no wire windows looking out for you. Our garden as your domain..


strolling her paths - alongside resident squirrels

                  {picture taken the day before we realized she wasn't just visiting next door}


RIP, petite one!

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Chicken Gifts & Gold

Have chicken and get egg abundance!



While I appreciate the goodness of an egg, I do not eat one every day. They are good protein, and I am fond of all that the egg can do in the kitchen... but, we're on egg overload here! We are gifted with one creamy white egg each day, and as of late, one of the next-door-neighbor-chickens has decided that our garden is as good a place as any to leave us her brown present. The coop over the fence must be too busy!

What to do when the egg carton total is above one dozen? Make a quiche...



Slice a chunk, accompany with tea. Protein galore - and head out the door!! {rhymin' Simon} :-)

Morning walk time - filled with goodness and energy - let's go to ... ?? {remember Where's Shari?}
Each day I find myself in awe of the place that I live; the freedom I'm given to search out these environments; profoundly blessed with my ability to walk,jog,hike,bike for hours at a time.

I traveled that highway above ^ to get to the hills I would hike...



Mary Knoll sits in the hills above Cupertino, CA ~



Beautiful garden and spectacular Bay Area views ~



It's dry in those hills.. as America the Beautiful lyrics say... "amber waves of grain" - though these California hills are mostly weeds and dried grass, not grain. Still have a beauty all of their own though.








Golden hills, golden sunshine, I feel Golden myself... quite lucky and blessed.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Awesome Summer Eve

There was a time that entertaining friends and family in our home oft occurred once a month or so during the warm season. In this little cottage it's much easier to host outside in the garden. Far greater space in the yard, than in this 1940's nest. Yet, there are even memories of functions indoors during wintertime when the guest list had us busting at the seams. Such fun! Somehow time and age have crept in and the joy a party brings me has waned.



one of many garden parties


Time has had it's way with the house. Upkeep , or more rightly re-do are not held in high regard with Hubby {not to poke at him}.. I too enjoy a trip to Italy more than a fence and plumber. HA! Far outweighing the time factor is the one of age.... and we {Hubby & I}and the house, have been showing ours. What with that still existent health scare for Hubby; any energy that can be mustered is mostly left for work days. Not to sound as if I'm seventy or something. I surely still feel young, act it even at times. I still surprise myself when I have the strength to tackle intense moving projects, lopping of hefty tree limbs and pouncing in barrels of yard clippings. That garden that I love so is great exercise and freedom for my mind of other pressing issues.... but, she too {the garden} is aging and in need of a face lift.

So, where was I going with this sad tale of woe???  hmmmm - actually I was on my way to show you a funny photo of a truly ballsy {yet honest} thing that I did at the most recent event in our home outside of our home...  here goes.... see if you agree... weird hostess named Shari here...

notice something "off" in this pic?

YES INDEEDY!! I did... I set this chalkboard near our front walkway pointing to our side gate to the garden. That would've been fine, I guess - enter through the side garden BUT, notice that the intention being that our guests STAY IN THE YARD! {see bottom - house not party ready} I almost can't believe I wrote that and put it out for viewing. Really, I did allow use of the bathroom! I just hadn't been in redecorate,  style vignettes, add party towels, dust every surface mode. Not until after the party did we notice that I misspelled SUMMER!  :-)

We rather enjoyed ourselves - even in our confines of the yard..



I may never have to worry of entertaining again - what person in their right mind would want to be a guest at a home where they can't enter the house?? hhahaaa

The Queen of Theme {me}has given up the crown.. and I'm not quite sure I like it! I have sent invites, menu planned, dreamt up themes galore for many a happy occasion. Wanna hear some of the themes??... well, whether you do or not - I feel quite like remembering.  hmmmm, maybe a list is in order...

dia de los muertos altar and costume party * plum picking party* welcome to california party w/all cali menu * please don't eat the daisies dinner & outdoor movie * dia de los tres reyes {3 kings day} with singer of traditional hymn * squirrel nut wine tasting * don't let the bastards get you down gathering * bocce ball wednesdays * my mom's 50th bday * bro & sil's couple engagement bbq * bon voyage to ireland *....

A small number of the fun times here in our tiny, run-down, aging,loved,not party ready cottage..

I might have to re-think taking that crown off....

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Horse-Flies Up Your Nose

What do you think.. does the term/name horse-flies have to do with the size of these beasts with wings? Or, rather is it that horse-flies like to fly 'round horses? I'll be with the party that goes with BOTH. Size of a horse, they are! And, have you ever seen the eyelash and nostril area of an equine friend? Frequent buzzing going on in those parts. Poor things !

can you believe I'm posting this picture?
Okay, that was a bit of a tangent I got lost in....

Was feeling a bit equine-ish myself while hiking around the hills much too late on a HOT summer day. Hills = exertion = sweat+open mouth breathing... and then before you know it you feel like the Burrito I talked about in a recent post. Flies buzzing all about your nasal passages... UUUUGHH.



Most days this does not happen. Most time when it does, it is actually little gnat-type insects. Still I hate those buggers near my boogers...   AHHHAAAA... hhhee haawww


He  ^ finds that funny too!! Hey! wait a minute - I don't see flies up those nostrils!! ^

Possibly the lowly horse-fly has a purpose in our world? This girl doesn't take kindly to sharing her bodily fluids with said insects, however. I'm just far too civilized for that. (yeah - read that last sentence as far too wussy).

Is this the kookiest subject matter ever?

Maybe caused by very little sleep and staring at this screen far too long. Working on Goat Hill Fair items. In fact, getting ready to do a post on that blog that somewhat relates to this. I'm going to show this photo ~



With the title:  Working Our ASSES Off!!

Think that'll go over okay?? If you never hear from me again in blogland... you'll know why!! HA

Time for this to end.... 
Need rest...

ahhhhhh break time....

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Midsummer's Day Dream

This is what summer's all about Charlie Brown in an ABUNDANT PICNIC life...










and just to change it up a wee bit ~




Off to enjoy another California-style summer day...   What might my outing be today?...

Hey maybe I should do a Where's Waldo  Shari post? find me in stripes somewhere walking in one of the insanely fabulous spots that I discover....


**Edited - I've linked my summer post to My Romantic Home... where Cindy hosts a weekly series.

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

The Man from PA & All Is Right in This World

Just like that  {insert snap of fingers}... Five minutes and we had the world spun into a warm, fuzzy ball and swaddled in sunny yellow silk! This nattily dressed man from Pennsylvania, and I...



Initially I stopped to offer help should it be needed. PA man assured me all was well. He'd only been stopped and  grasping the post "for show" as he put it. Didn't want the wife to expect much more walking out of him, don'tcha know. His sunny outlook beaming across my hand as I extended it to him ... "how kind of you to stop and ask".. his seemingly astonished smile suggesting others in the world might not do the same. How wonderful that there are people out strolling that would...

I captured his "bin of goodwill" through my lens. This is where we found our mutual surprise of world sunshiney silk ~

An apple bin!



How possibly does an apple bin express hope for the world? Why did PA man and I find sunshine and sparkly-happy sensations in the tiny cost of this produce?




Out in the middle of nowhere sits this stand.. albeit a busy footpath that many frequent.. but not a vendor in sight. No one to sack up your purchase and pocket your change. NOPE! There was a small box and a note to leave the correct amount for whichever fruit you choose.

Pennsylvania man commented firstly... "this gives me reason to believe that not all is wrong with the world in which we live"... and "I am happy to see that someone TRUSTS that we will do the right thing by leaving our monies". I'm in complete agreement, PA man! We grasped each other's hands softly for a second and nodded. Yes, so good to know that there are people and places like this!

I shared with him, that there are in fact more people like this... just like the Los Gatos family that I've mentioned that sets a table and scale out front their home and honor-systems their abundant flowers and veggies to passers-by.







Ahhhh - nice realization we mutually agree! And then just like that we parted with "HAVE A GOOD DAY"

Strangers when we started - a fellow believer once we parted!

the end of my walk on that "yellow-silk" day...