The Garden in Summer

A flash of harmless lightning,
  A mist of rainbow dyes,
    The burnished sunbeams brightening
      From flower to flower he flies.

     John Banister Tabb, Hummingbird

 

 My pink garden is blooming again, thanks to monsoon rains.  We have been seeing hummingbirds in much greater numbers than any season before this. To encourage even more to visit us, I have finally put out this lovely glass hummingbird feeder one of my sisters-in-law gave me when we moved in here. Now if I can only get one to light long enough for me to snap his photo.

 

 

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A Burst of Color

Whether the flower or the color is the focus I do not know. I do know the flower is painted large to convey my experience with the flower – and what is my experience if it is not the color? ~Georgia O'Keeffe

We planted two trichocereus cactus in our front yard when we moved here and they have faithfully given us spectacular color each year. However, because the past winter was so damaging to so many of our plants we were unsure if they would perform as usual this spring. But once again nature has surprised us with its resiliency and we are  enjoying a burst of color in the garden.  It will be short-lived like most cactus blossoms, but the vivid color will remain in our memories until next year.

A Hedgehog in Bloom

Although they can look fearsome with their spines and prickles, or just plain ugly, cacti are transformed into strange creatures of beauty when their delicate flowers appear. ~Unknown

My hedgehog cactus (Echinocereus engelmannii) bloomed today and already some critter has eaten part of the first bloom. Life in the dessert, I'm afraid.  The beauty is always fleeting.

Springtime in the Garden

"And Spring arose on the garden fair,
Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere;
And each flower and herb on Earth's dark breast
rose from the dreams of its wintry rest."
-  Percy Bysshe Shelley, The Sensitive Plant  

Today has been a lovely day.  In spring we often have very windy days and yesterday was like that--not a day for wandering in the garden.  But today has been calm and sunny and so I just had to go check and see how my garden was doing.  As you can see it is in fine fettle. 

This is my perennial garden. It is to the side of our back patio and I can even see it from my kitchen. We had such a lovely garden back East and I miss it, expecially in spring. Since we planted these perennials, however, I feel happy. There are sages, valerian, penstemon, and guara. I hope to continue planting flowering perennials each year. I can never have enough blooms in my garden.

 Here are some close-ups of my Hill Country penstemon--we planted this in honor of my mother-in-law who misses the Hill Country of Texas now she's in California--my valerian, and some of my sages.

This is the southwestern corner of my back garden.  The little leaf ash has regained its feathery leaves at last.  It is a semi-deciduous tree, but lost all its leaves this winter because of the unusual cold.  The euphorbia in the foreground is a superb plant. Its yellow flowers appear early and last and last until autumn.  The little hedgehog cactus is getting ready to burst into bloom.  We rescued it from along the road on one of our walks.  Javelinas had been feasting on it and dug it up completely.  As a rule we never take plants from the wild, but it would have died otherwise.

Yarn Along

It's Wednesday so I am joining Ginny for her weekly Yarn Along.  I'm a bit late today, but I went into town early this morning and just got back. 

This week I have a new knitting project to show you.  It is a reversible cable pattern that is easy to follow.  The yarn is Cascade Yarns 220 Superwash in the Ruby colorway. The free pattern can be found here. I am making this scarf for the Red Scarf Project.The volunteers who run the project only accept donations from September 1 through December 15 each year. Having so much time in which to finish my project makes me feel very relaxed and I am enjoying knitting it very much. 

I am listening to the book, Faithful Place, while I knit on the scarf.  I prefer reading, but this allows me to multi-task and, since this mystery is set in Dublin, I also get a  chance to hear the lilting cadences of the Irish characters in the novel. I have read two previous books by the author, Tana French, and really enjoyed them.  Her mysteries are like no others I've ever read. The internal musings and motivations of the detectives in her stories are as important as the victims and perpetrators of the crimes they investigate.

Yarn Along

Once again I'm joining Ginny at small things for her weekly yarn along.

Time has gotten away from me since last Wednesday and I haven't accomplished very much in the way of crocheting or reading. I haven't done anything on the tote project I posted about last Wednesday, but I have been working sporadically on two other crochet projects--an amigurumi snowman and an afghan square. Both of these projects need a lot more work before they look like much.

The snowman is my March project for the Christmas ornament KAL/CAL-2011 on Ravelry. The pattern for this little guy can be found here on the Lion Brand website. It is free, but you must join to have access to their free patterns. He is my third amigurumi project and I am continuing to enjoy making these cute stuffed toys.

The afghan square is my April square for the 2011 Crochet Block-a-Month CAL, also on Ravelry. The pattern, Crown Jewels Square by Melinda Miller, is also a free pattern, and can be found here. It is the fourth square for the afghan I am making for my grandson for Christmas.

I haven't gotten very far in The Dollmaker since last week, but it is well-written and has captured my interest.  I need to finish reading it by April 22 in order to discuss it at my book club meeting.

Looks like I have a lot of crocheting and reading to accomplish in the next week if I want to show more progress than I have this week.

National Poetry Month

Poetry should... should strike the reader as a wording of his own highest thoughts, and appear almost a remembrance.  ~John Keats

Each year the month of April is set aside as National Poetry Month, a time to celebrate poets and their craft. Various events are held throughout the month by the Academy of American Poets and other poetry organizations.  The Academy has a website here where you can find information on poets, their poetry, and ways to celebrate this month.

I found one of my favorite poems on the above site--Spring and Fall by Gerard Manley Hopkins.  Hopkins was an English poet of the Victorian era. His experimental explorations in prosody (especially sprung rhythm) and his use of imagery established him as a daring innovator in a period of largely traditional verse.

Spring and Fall
by Gerard Manley Hopkins
to a young child Márgarét, áre you gríeving Over Goldengrove unleaving? Leáves, like the things of man, you With your fresh thoughts care for, can you? Ah! ás the heart grows older It will come to such sights colder By and by, nor spare a sigh Though worlds of wanwood leafmeal lie; And yet you will weep and know why. Now no matter, child, the name: Sórrow's spríngs áre the same. Nor mouth had, no nor mind, expressed What heart heard of, ghost guessed: It ís the blight man was born for, It is Margaret you mourn for.

I encourage you to check out The Academy of American Poets website, Poetry.org, and find a poem that speaks to you.

Spring Flowers

If you've never been thrilled to the very edges of your soul by a flower in spring bloom, maybe your soul has never been in bloom.  ~Terri Guillemets

Because we had a very dry winter and it continues to be dry and very warm now into spring, we have very few spring wildflowers blooming in the desert.  Luckily for my soul, we potted up some flowers that are now thrilling us with their profusion and their vibrant colors.

Verbena, African Daisies, Calendula, and Nasturtiums--who wouldn't be filled with joy just gazing at them?  I walked through the back garden today and saw green leaves bursting forth everywhere along with many buds ready to bloom soon.  I love spring!

Celebrating Spring

Spring is nature's way of saying, "Let's party!"  ~Robin Williams

With forecasts of another snow storm due to hit the northeast U.S. tonight, I am giddily happy to be living in a warm southwestern state. We are actually experiencing unusually warm temperatures for this time of year.  This is a sign for me to celebrate spring before it quickly segues into summer.  I've decorated my holiday tree for Spring/Easter and am ready to party.

The base of my tree is a bright red and so  I searched for a way to cover it with something more appropriate for spring.  I had some leftover variegated cotton yarn in my stash that had good colors for my theme and found a pattern here on Dottie Angel's blog that I whipped up quickly. And, voila!, my table top is now in party mode.

Yarn Along

I'm joining Ginny at Small Things and her Yarn Along today.  This is what it is all about, in her words:

~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs. I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading?

 The crocheted granny squares are waiting to be assembled into a tote bag with the purple fabric as a liner.  I got the inspiration for the bag from this pattern and this one and have made my own changes to them to suit my needs. I put this project aside for a while because I was feeling insecure about sewing a lining for the bag.  I've gotten up my nerve and have found a wonderful tutorial here at the future girl craft blog to help me. Hoping to finish it this week.

I am just beginning to read the novel, The Dollmaker, by Harriette Arnow.  It is the April selection to discuss at one of my book clubs.  My sister has read it and highly recommends it.  Too soon for me to tell if I will like it, but one of the blurbs on the back taken from the Georgia Review makes me think that I will:  "The Dollmaker's depiction of family life--the entangled bonds between parents and children, brothers and sisters--is unparalleled in modern fiction."

I've been reading the Yarn Along posts for some time now and enjoying them very much.  Today I decided to stop lurking and join in. Check out the links here to read about what other bloggers are knitting or crocheting and reading.

A Fabulous Giveaway!

No one has ever become poor by giving.~Anne Frank

In that case, Neen should be rolling in riches after this Saturday.  That is when three lucky people will win one of the wonderful prizes she is giving away on her blog, neencrochet. If you recall, I made one of her designs, a Valentine's Wreath, this past February to hang on my front door. She is a talented crocheter, designer, and teacher. I would love to be the recipient of one of her prizes, so probably shouldn't be telling you about how to enter her giveaway, thus reducing my chances of winning. However, I'm trying to be less selfish and spread the word about the goodies she is offering.  You can find the rules for entering the giveaway and pictures of all the prizes here.  Hurry! The drawing is on Saturday, April 2nd.  I've got my fingers crossed.

Finally Some FOs!

Focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it. ~Greg Anderson

I did experience joy in the making of these finished objects (FOs), but I have gotten even more joy from actually finishing them.

I finished my Scrawl on the Wall Shawl several days ago.  I began this shawl in January as a knit-a-long on Ravelry and first posted about it here. It has been my go to project when I needed to relax because it was an easy knit. I'll have to find another project now to relieve my stress.

 

I also started this little Christmas Gnome in January as part of a monthly Christmas ornament knit/crochet-a-long on Ravelry. The free pdf pattern designed by Else Tennessen can be found here.  He is the very first amigurumi project I've ever attempted.  I enjoyed making him so much that I am now addicted.

 

I finished this Starburst Flower square for my grandson's afghan in just two days.  It is the March square for the 2011 Block-a-Month Crochet-a-long I'm participating in on Ravelry.  The pattern can be found for free here.  The talented designer is Donna Mason-Svara, otherwise known as SmoothFox. It is a very well-written pattern and included some stitches that were new to me, so it was very interesting and educational to make.

Now I have to get busy and finish some more projects.

Everything's Coming Up Roses

Just remember, during the winter, far beneath the bitter snow, that there's a seed that with the sun's love in the spring becomes a rose. ~Leanne Rhimes

Spring has definitely arrived here in the desert and the rose bush we feared would not survive the record cold this past winter is blooming its little heart out.  We planted it last year in a big pot outside the gate to our back yard and mulched it heavily. As you can see, we worried needlessly about its ability to withstand the cold.

It is a Lady Banks' Rose (Rosa banksiae) and it is a climber that generally reaches 10 to 20 feet in height with a 12 to 20 foot spread. It is tolerant of heat so it is a good candidate for our area.  

In Tombstone, which is about 24 miles south of us, there is a Lady Banks' rose that was planted in 1885 and has become something of a tourist attraction in that town. Supported by an ever-expanding trellis, it is now over nine feet tall and covers an area over 8,000 square feet.  I doubt if our sweet little rose ever grows to those proportions, but who knows?  Someday people may come from all over to view our rose.

Birthday Wishes

One may live without bread, not without roses.  ~Jean Richepin

My thoughtful daughter sent me a miniature rose bush in a wooden basket for my birthday. They are yellow roses and my favorite color is yellow. I have been enjoying them as one by one the buds begin to open.  Each blossom seems like another birthday wish from her.  

Let's Go for a Hike

In the American Southwest, I began a lifelong love affair with a pile of rock. ~Edward Abbey

Author and essayist, Edward Abbey, developed a love for the desert Southwest as a park ranger at Arches National Monument (now a national park) in Utah.  His non-fiction work, Desert Solitaire, has been compared to Thoreau's Walden.  It has also been cited as an inspiration for some radical environmental groups. While I may not agree with some of his more controversial views on the development of public lands, I do share his love of this desert environment in which I now live.

This week I went with a group of my friends on a hike through Catalina State Park, located at the base of the Santa Catalina Mountains near Tucson. The sky was a brilliant blue and the scenery was breathtaking. Because our winter was so dry there were only a few, small, purple blooms of verbena instead of the usual display of spring wildflowers, but the numerous majestic saguaros provided a splendid treat for our eyes. For those who think the desert is a barren landscape, I recommend taking a hike in this 5,500 acre park of foothills, canyons, and streams.

Here are a few photos I took on my hike.  See if you don't agree with me that the desert is indeed a place of beauty.

Monthly Check-Up

Energy and persistence alter all things. ~Benjamin Franklin 

A new month has already begun so I am late with my Monthly Check-Up, but there is nothing I can do about that now.  Here is an account of my progress in achieving the goals I set out here for the year:

1. I did use some stash yarn in making two Christmas ornaments, a heart garland, and a cute heart amigurumi, but I also bought some more yarn for the afghan I’m making for my grandson.
2. I did finish four WIPs--the above mentioned Christmas ornaments, heart garland, and heart amigurumi.
3. I did not walk in February. The weather was too cold and I was too lazy.  I do have plans to begin again tomorrow morning.
4. I did stick to the mostly vegan diet most of the month. I succeeded in losing some weight and lowering my blood sugar levels. Need to be more consistent, however, in my eating habits.
5. I did blog and write in my journal regularly.
6. I did not call my parents once a week, but did call them twice in February.
7. I still did not get a new primary care physician.  Hopefully, this month.
8. I did read a piece of classic literature in February (White Fang by Jack London) and I did finish reading January’s selection also (Call of the Wild by Jack London). I am currently reading Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens.
9. I did not make a baby quilt yet, but I am signed up for a Basic Quilting Class this coming Saturday, March 12^th!
10. I did not make a family photo album for my children yet.  Still haven't looked at all the pictures I have in those 3 big boxes.
11. I did keep in touch through e-mail and some cards with several of my long-distance friends.  

Still just six out of eleven, but I feel like I am making some good progress.  I feel more energized and motivated to stick to my plans and get things accomplished.   

Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!

These things are fun and fun is good. ~ from One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss

Fun is good and I had lots of fun today. I have been volunteering in my local library by making bookmarks to give out for free to patrons for about two years, but lately I have been filling in when needed as the storyteller lady for the 3-5 year old children on Wednesdays.  Today we had a big celebration in honor of Dr. Seuss' birthday.  He would have been 107 today. We had many activities for the children: making Cat in the Hat hats; having their picture taken with their hats on in front of a big poster board of the Cat; being silly in various ways as children love to do; and listening to Dr. Seuss stories.  My assignment was to read One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish. I have loved that story since I used to read it to my little sister many, many years ago. The crazy animals and the wonderful rhymes are just what is needed to engage children in the wonder of reading.

Right before I began this post, I was catching up on some of the blogs that I follow regularly and found that I was not the only one mentioning Dr. Seuss in their blog today. Kat, who blogs on Much Ado About Nothing posted a wonderful tribute today to Dr. Seuss here.  She writes about why she loves Dr. Seuss and what he has meant for her in her life.  Her words express how I feel about Dr. Seuss in a way that I never could.  You need to read it!

A Trio of Hearts

There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but only a few will catch your heart. . .pursue those. ~Michael Nolan

As a final indulgence in my passion for all things heart this month, I have made two more items to share with you as February is ending. I liked the pin I made for my sister for her birthday so much that I decided  to make one for myself. I never used to wear bright colors, just blacks, browns, dark blues and greens. Lately, however, I have been attracted to more vibrant colors. This pin should help spice up my wardrobe a bit.

In looking for crochet and knitting patterns that feature hearts, I found a quirky one that I just had to make. It is called Love Bugs. The crochet pattern can be downloaded for free here if you have registered at the Lily Sugar 'n Cream website. Isn't he cute?

 

And then the grand finale for this month of hearts arrived in the mail for me today. One evening when I was surfing the net looking at different craft blogs, I ran into a delightful one, My Tinker Space by Aisyah Helga.
She just happened to be offering a Valentine's giveaway to the first person to comment on her current posting and I was that person. The giveaway was a crocheted garland of hearts. Interestingly, it was very similar to the one I made for my mother-in-law. Serendipity!  Check out her blog. She is very talented and it is a bright and cheerful space to spend some time in.

I continue to be in love with hearts and will surely make more in the future. However, I will be concentrating on other things in March.What they will be is still to be determined, but definitely they will be things that catch my heart.

A Birthday Wish for A Special Boy

Because today's your 1st Birthday
And you're so special too,
Everything that's happy,
Is being wished for you.

I can't be with you today on your very first birthday, but I am keeping you close in my heart as always and hoping it is an extra specially nice day for you.  I miss you very much, but your mommy sent me these lovely pictures of you opening presents and taking a ride in your new wagon to help me share in all your joy today. 

 

A Few Signs of Spring

I love spring anywhere, but if I could choose I would always greet it in a garden.  ~Ruth Stout  


Today was a sunny, blue skies kind of day, but still chilly.  And the weather forecast is predicting severe weather for Sunday--a high of 47 degrees and a low of 22 degrees.  For those who have suffered a frigid, snow-filled winter this may sound like spring, but for us here in the Southwest, this is far from springlike.  I've done what I could do to springify my indoor environment, so I went outdoors to my garden to search again for signs of spring there. I'm happy to report that although the signs are few, there are some indications that spring is actually on its way.

I found daffodils blooming and some almost ready to bloom.  I have a special love of daffodils because they are the flower of my birth month--March.

Our Lady Banks rose is beginning to leaf out.  I look forward to her blooms later in the spring.

And the salvia in the pot with the rose is leafing out too.  Its blue flower spikes make a lovely contrast with the yellow of the Lady Banks.

I am getting impatient for spring's arrival, but these signs of spring have given me hope that my wait may not be too long.

Making the Best of Things

Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.  ~John Wooden


I have been preparing for the meeting of my Book Club at my home today for several weeks.  First, I made little heart bookmarks for everyone.  Then I decorated my holiday tree with hearts.  And then I made a heart wreath for my front door to welcome my friends.  Finally, I prepared a special family favorite dessert for them--Pineapple Angel Food Cake.  I have made the recipe, which is incredibly simple, many times before, with good success, and expected the same results this time as well.  How wrong could I be?  It was a total disaster as you can see!

 

Now what?  I decided to switch gears and make a trifle using the cake as a base. I searched online and found this recipe.  I purchased a few needed items yesterday and made the trifle today, changing a few things according to the first two reviews written about the recipe. It was beautiful and tasted delicious.  It was a much more impressive dessert than I had planned and earned me kudos from my friends. 

 

It is trite, but true.  When life hands you lemons, make a trifle out of them!

Spring in My Heart

Awake, thou wintry earth -
Fling off thy sadness!
Fair vernal flowers, laugh forth
Your ancient gladness!
~Thomas Blackburn, "An Easter Hymn"

After the record cold we experienced the week before last, I reveled in the warm weather, sunshine, and blue skies that came our way most of this week.  My husband saw a lizard on the wall in the back garden and some of our perennials began to show some green leaves. The false spring was short, however.  Yesterday and today have been windy and cool, with intermittent sunshine and clouds.  They forecast rain, which we actually could have used, as this has been a dry winter, but we only received a few drops.  I looked out to the back garden yesterday and saw two little birds shivering in the bare mesquite tree and clouds rolling by in the background.

I needed something cheery and springlike to brighten at least my indoor environment, so I bought these two lovely primroses at the local Walmart.  They make me smile every time I glance their way.

Being housebound by the ugly weather, I decided to start another project to lift my spirits.  I had wonderful news the other day of the expected arrival of a new little one in our family come October.  More about that later.  But in the meantime, here is the beginning of a sweet baby afghan.  The crochet block is called Friend Family Square and the free pattern can be found here.  I really like the stitch definition and the pattern is well-written.  I am grateful to the designer Christal Friend. 

It is too soon to know if the baby will be a girl or a boy,but I think the colors should work for either.  I made a big granny square afghan for my grandson that had the variegated yarn in it and fell in love with the colors then.  It is Red Heart's Monet.  The other colors are Soft White, Lavender, and Aruba Sea.  

Thanks to my primroses and this afghan in progress, I have springtime inside even when it is wintry outside. And now, I have spring in my heart.

A Crafty Day

One craft project, like one cookie, is never enough! ~Unknown

What a wonderful, crafty day I've had!  I made good use of some of the materials I bought yesterday and made this for my front door.  It will welcome my book club members to my home next week and follows the heart theme I have going in my decorating at the moment.  The pattern for this project can be found here. Neen, a lovely lady from Galway, Ireland, has generously shared this pattern for free.

After I finished the wreath project, I was on a roll, so made this little pin for my sister's birthday.  It was last week, but we are celebrating it tomorrow with a spa visit and lunch at a tearoom. The photo is a bit blurry.  My photographic skills definitely need some improvement.  I purchased the clever silver pin and the charm (amethyst for February) from CR's Crafts, a great online resource for many crafty products.  Used some beads I just happen to have in my craft closet. I love the pin because the head unscrews and I just slid the charm and beads on and screwed the head back on.

 

A Shopping Trip to the Big City

I like shopping, and I like to drive. ~Lacey Chabert


I scouted around my small town source (otherwise known as Walmart) for craft supplies yesterday and could not find what I needed for two new projects I want to work on--a wreath for my front door and a baby blanket made from a doily pattern. Luckily, like the quoted actress above, I like to drive.  The nearest location of likely materials for my projects is approximately forty miles from my home.  Whenever we go there we plan to be gone all day and we incorporate all those errands that cannot be done in our small town into our itinerary. 

Today we got our hair cut, went grocery shopping for items we cannot buy at the local Walmart, went to lunch, and I bought the materials for my wreath and a book of doily patterns.  It was a lovely day.