Hollyhock Love and more...

Early evening photography. To flash, or not to flash, that is the question.

Lovely soft pink hollyhocks.

These dusty pink ones have a faded edge, that looks quite lovely and antiquey, if there is such a thing for a flower.

Yellow hollyhocks: one photo without the flash, two with. The color shows up much better below.

I prefer the photos without the flash, but the yellow color of these hollyhocks just wasn't showing up this late in the day without it. They are such a lovely shade of yellow.

The outdoor room is tweaked a bit. Added two panels on each side of the bed, to protect it from the sun, but I like the enclosure feeling it evokes. The ladder did have some old books on its' rungs until it started raining a few days ago and I decided the humidity factor was probably not a good thing for them. As you can see it's not real level there, so it has to be something sturdy and unbreakable that I choose to put there. The lantern, with a new globe found thrifting today (thanks Bramble and Jenny for the idea!), is sitting securely on the cement, protected from anything that might dislodge it once again.

p.s. See the dent in the bed? Yep, I had a nice little "chill out" session there as the birds were settling in for the evening. What a concert that was!

Garden aides

I decided to 'splurge' and order in these pvc clips to hold plastic down on my hoops. What a great thing... so glad I spent the money for these. They really secure the plastic well. One less headache.

They work really well, come in different sizes depending on your pvc size. Mine are the smaller variety for 1/2 inch pvc. The plastic with the holes in it is also a great aide to deter things that eat young greens. The holes ventilate it. Another worth it expense.

gardens and misc. thoughts

Above: Garden beds earlier this spring.

Below: The gardens now.

Tomatoes up the ying yang.

Corn is more than knee high by the 4th of July. The white blob is my bent knee!

The herb and flower bed overflow-ith.

Lots of tomatoes on them-there vines. I found a strawberry! Actually I ate this one, then watered and in the process of watering I found two more... ate them all on the spot. They were good, even though small. Perhaps my revised strategy is working. (Providing more shade with a shade cloth... well, it's actually landscape fabric, but it seems to be doing the trick. Making do.

These sunflowers are supposed to grow to 6 feet tall, but they're already budding out at 3 feet. Wonder what's up with that?

The potato in a box is still growing well.

Ah Ha! An almost ripe Stupice tomato! Whoo Hoo! This is great!

Sad news. The wind has been whipping my outdoor room around, well the privacy parts of it... and this is what I came home to tonight... a shattered globe on the lantern. Dang. Now how do I "make do" to make that function, I wonder.

If you made it clear to the end of this post, you're a hardy person, so I'll talk here now on a personal note. Has anyone else been feeling realllllly tired with the approach of this full moon tonight? I have been just exhausted the last two evenings. I did feel a bit revived when I went out to my gardens tonight, but still feel ho-hummy. It's an Antler Moon tonight. Probably won't be able to stay awake for the late moon rise though.

Okay, I'm wierd...

I admit it, but y'all new that already, right? =;) You also know that I'm open to adopting and customising any traditions that speak to me and make them my own.

I spent some time this weekend making a new prayer flag. The one in the photo in my header was made quite some time ago and was faded so badly. Here they don't get ripped to shreds like they do in the Himalayas, but the sun does absorb alot of the color. Hopefully it's also absorbing all the prayers and thankfulness that I've written on them too.

This time on the brown one (a new color) I'm also giving thanks for worms and compost and all sorts of great gardening things. I know it will be well received, coming from Nature and going back to Nature.

Blessed Be and So It Is.

Source or Effect? by Herracia Brewer

Today is the 4th of July. It is the day we Americans celebrate our independence and freedom from Great Britian. We commemorate this day for the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. Moreover, it has become a time of deep reflection, introspection, and gratitude.

As independent citizens, we can choose to raise the mantle high for liberty. Collectively, we can demonstrate the liberty of celebration as a great experiment in a culturally diverse melting pot.

The world "liberty" forms an acronym such as this: Life In Bold Energetic Readiness To Yield. Fearlessly and triumphantly, we can choose to boldly say yes to Spirit. There are many avenues to express our divine potential every day, particularly in this time of our global change and cohesion.

When living life as a bold, energetic readiness to yield, there will be more cognizant opportunities to express ourselves because of our willingness to set aside and observe the flow of life in, through, and around us. By yielding as a participatory Spirit Agent with a greater reverence for life, freedom, liberty and potential, we become one with IT. Life in bold, energetic readiness is an opportunity to give and receive, expand and contract, speak and listen, move forward and rest. I am thankful that we have these choices in America!

affirmation:
It is my right to choose a personal path. I will bless each opportunity to yield and reflect on the Spirit Presence without taking this marvelous liberty for granted.

Hollyhocks = Summer

Inspired to create, once again

The inspiration started here, with the find of a twin futon cot earlier this week. I haven't "done" my outdoor room in a couple years, so I dug out my supplies, and began.


It started last night with being inspired by my view from the bed, (without covering yet), to the tree tops at sunset. I don't know if you can perceive it in the photos, but I have some mighty tall trees in my yard.




This is the view approaching from my driveway. (I'm sure some of the neighbors will get glimpses and say, "what's that lady doing NOW?" I'll just say, "Welcome to my circus!", which this new awning reminds me of since it is two colors, green and white! ) I decided to create an annex of sorts too, with the umbrella and netting that I found last year. Just a pleasant touch. So what we have here is my "shabby chic, vintage, quirky, relaxing outdoor room."

Under the umberella.

Side view. I found that repurposing shower curtains works really well in creating a moveable wall, which the breeze will stir so nicely, plus it creates a vision block from the street, and the others from between the arbrivate branches from the neighbor's driveway.

The bed in its' final position. It's placed on this hunk of concrete that's been there for 30+ years. In its' previous life it housed a shed, which blew over in a major wind storm long ago. Most recently I had some favorite rocks on it, as a medicine wheel. Have to see about finding a new spot for that. This works well here, because a couple years ago when I had it on the grass, and tried to water under it occassionally, well, the grass didn't like that so much and it died back. It's just beginning to recover now. So, beings how this is a heavy piece of art to move, it's staying here and looking fabulous, if I do say so myself. I'm contemplating changing out those two shower curtains for some tab top curtains that I recently got, which will match the bed covering better. But, I didn't think of that until later and now it's 96º in the shade, so it will have to wait.

View approaching from the rear gardens.

I Hope You Laugh!

A woman was sitting at a bar enjoying an after work cocktail with her girlfriends when Steven, a tall, exceptionally handsome, extremely sexy, middle-aged man entered. He was so striking that the woman could not take her eyes off him.

This seasoned yet playful heartthrob noticed her overly attentive stare and walked directly toward her, as any man would. Before she could offer her apologies for staring so rudely, he leaned over and whispered to her, "I'll do anything, absolutely anything that you want me to do, no matter how kinky, for $20, on one condition..."

Flabbergasted but intrigued, the woman asked what the condition was. The man replied, "You have to tell me what you want me to do in just three words."

The woman considered his proposition for a moment, and then slowly removed a $20 bill from her purse, which she pressed into the man's hand along with her address. She looked deeply and passionately into his eyes, barely concealing her anticipation and excitement, and slowly and meaningfully said...


"Clean my house."

Listened to my intuition

Some of my old reader friends may remember a couple summers ago I came home from donating at a thrift store, with a free pickup from their reject area. It was this metal spring framed fold up cot, circa 1930's (has a little bit of green paint left).

The dilemma was I couldn't find a mattress to fit the frame size, that is narrower than a twin, nor could I afford those old fashioned stuffed mattresses in any newer version. I had sort of given up finding the right fit for this, and in fact, didn't even set up my "outdoor room" last year because of the blahs about that.

But yesterday on my lunch hour my intuition kicked into high gear and I listened. I went to the Salvation Army thrift store which I do not usually frequent because I never find anything that suits me there. But, after walking around I found THIS perfect twin futon mattress! It's in excellent condition, too. All for $9.99 minus a senior discount. (I CANNOT BELIEVE I'M GETTING SENIOR DISCOUNTS!!! When they say 55 or older, I have to say yes just on a matter of principle to get a discount. wwwaaaaa. At least there are still places that set the age at 65 and I can say NO then without a problem!)

Anyway, got it home and unloaded from my trunk and into the back yard to try it out. It's a couple inches over on each side, but not enough to be problematic. And it is OH so comfortable, too! I layed right there last night and got a totally different persepective of my yard than I usually do.

Now this weekend I will have to get that new awning thingy out and set up and then I won't have to worry about bird doo all over it. Keeping the stray cats of the neighborhood off it will be another matter, however.

Where do you like to chill out at in summer time?

Little Miracles Blooming Now

What do you do when your lovely rose pic is out of focus and it's too dark to go out and take another now? You use your photo editing program and give it a "smart blur".

Surrender by Ruth Deaton

A major challenge for some is the idea of surrender. It might feel as if you are giving away your power. The ego hangs on tenaciously until it realizes it will be happier under the direction of Spirit.

An exhausted young mother had been caring for her six year old daughter for many days. The daughter was dying from pneumonia. Her other little daughter also needed care, and her mother lay very ill in a nearby room. The doctor said there was no hope for the ill daughter. This was in the days before sulfa or penicillin.

In the night, the mother knelt by her daughter's bedside praying. She finally had reached the point of surrender, surrendering her beloved little girl to God's love. She remained on her knees, at last feeling peace. She heard her daughter sigh deeply. Opening her eyes, there lay her child breathing naturally - the fever broken. Tearfully, she gave thanks, held her other daughter in her arms, and went to share the good news with her mother. The mother was also breathing peacefully.

The next morning she answered the doorbell to see a sad doctor standing there. He expected that a death was imminent. Instead, he saw a radiant mother and a house filled with light and joy. I can verify this experience very well as I am the healed little girl.

Affirmation
I pray, surrendering my opinions and doubts to the Divine Presence within.

My bee report

I originally talked about this on April 23, but on May 17th I actually got them drilled and assembled.

I later read that these should be on an east wall to get the morning sun, so I switched them a couple feet and they've been residing against my garden shed.

I checked on them a week ago or so and was quite happy to see progress! Bees are utilizing these holes. I was a bit concerned because the holes look smaller than when I originally drilled them, so something must be going on with the wood drying out more or something, but it doesn't seem to have deterred them. The top two pics will enlarge if you click on them. Not sure why the bottom one won't.

There are now three or four filled, or almost filled, holes on each side! In this year of gardening firsts around here, what with my new raised beds and all, the learning curve has been laughing at me some--but I'm calling this a success for now. The proof will be later on when they all hatch out, right? Hopefully it will all be a good thing.

The Law of Non-Resistance by Kathianne Lewis

In Ecclesiastes it says "For all things there is a season, and a season for all things under heaven."

What that means to me is that everything will cycle; there will be ups and downs, there will be plenty, and then there will be lack.

One of the best ways to move into the next part of the cycle is not to resist the part of the cycle that you're in. To do this I use the law of non-resistance because, as we've all heard, what we resist persists. So if you are experiencing something that seems uncomfortable or unsatisfying, stop, breathe and allow yourself to experience contentment and joy deep within yourself and know that whatever you're experiencing will cycle through and it will come to an end, in and of itself.

This is a wonderful thing to remember when times seem trying, and for many of us times are trying right now. However, as we release our resistance, we move through conditions and situations with more grace and ease, and isn't that what we would love to have in our lives, more grace and ease?

Much love to you,

Rev. Kathianne Lewis

Rambling Thoughts...

... last week the county oiled and graveled my road. It was a dusty, dusty place around here for a couple days. The traffic, ie the people that live uphill from me, are for the most part now taking alternate side roads to get to their homes. YEAH! So much less traffic, even though now things have compacted and all. They don't have it stripped yet, so maybe that's what's keeping them away. I so wish it would be permanent.

... tonight I did major surgery in the garden. I removed the last of the sweet peas and harvested the pods because the birds are feasting on their leaves and they looked horrible. I'll try for another crop this fall.

...then I set about pruning all of those volunteer early girl tomatoes that came up... well those that I saved, which are about 9 of them. They were getting too leggy and too many suckers, etc. I know people who regularly trimmed back their tomatoes but it's the first time I've ever done it. Looks like I gave them a manicure and a haircut/thinning all in one. Hopefully it will facilitate them to grow better tomatoes.... and keep some air circulating.

...I so enjoy being out there puttering taking care of the plants, watering, minimial weeding (yeah!)... and I am using an old metal kitchen chair between the beds to sit on to do the slower things. Really saves my back. I think I might like one of those rolling carts with the tractor seats on it, but hey, this works just as well and didn't cost me anything.

...We had really cold weather here on Sunday and Monday. Today is medium-ish, pleasant. Tomorrow it's supposed to be up to 90º again. I so enjoyed the 75º weather on Saturday as I was able to work outside doing alot of pruning on the flowering shrubs/trees without getting overly hot and tired. I'm thinking that's an ideal temperature to do gardening at!

...I'm drying flat leaf parsley in the dehydrator tonight and it's taking much longer than the guides say it should. I couldn't find any prep instructions, so I didn't chop it before putting it on. Maybe that's making the difference.

...my potato growing in the cardboard box seems to be doing fine. I tried to rotate the box tonight.... wasn't thinking at all... the bottom came undone... but I didn't try to lift it, so hopefully things with stay together. I have an old metal garbage can lid underneath the box so I should've just rotated that. I'll give it time to settle in again before trying next time.

...I'm so enjoying these longer light days. Bright in the morning when I need to wake up and light long into the evening.

...my Sweet Pie has become a soon to be fourth grader... where has the time flown to? Today was their last day of school for the summer.

...Get to see the grandkiddos and daughter this weekend. Yeah!

...Happy MidSummer's Eve!.... anybody??? How's your world going these days?

Tree ID, help!!

I have these unidentifed trees growing in the understory of my spruce and fir trees. Any ID help would be most appreciated! Trying to decide to remove or not.

This has been growing for a couple years. I originally thought it might be a fern of some type, but the stems have gotten woody looking like trees do. This is the first and only blossom or seed pod among the group.

These sprout up everywhere.... never amount to much and have very soft wood... like a 3 inch in diamater piece cuts with loppers just like butter. I've been removing these because they grow tall and lanky and I have no room.

.

Any clues on either? Help is most appreciated.