Mid-April Miscellaneous

 

Happy Friday! Yes! Half of cold windy April has gone, two months til summer. See! I am being positive, are you proud of me? Lately we seem to inundated by forced positivity and anti-Debbie Downer posts. A blog I follow called pessimists ''lemon suckers"! --all I could picture were the lemon lollipops we had as kids. Lemon and cherry were ok, lime and grape were disgusting. Did you call lollypops ''suckers'' too?

So anyway I am focusing on warm days ahead and not mentioning, shhh, that it is 45* here with a gale blowing off the frigid 40* ocean, windchill in the thirties. Grey clouds now, rain starts in 54 minutes.

This week started oddly. An even bigger gale wind [55 mph] knocked out the internet on Sunday. I don't know why this often happens, the cables or whatever are underground. By Monday wifi was back but my modem was not working. I went to do the Try This First option--unplug, wait, replug. The plug was so hot I burned my hand! Omigosh I am glad I discovered this before my house caught fire. Computer friend replaced the cord and plug later that night and all is well. 

I've been working on Silent Night for an hour each day. More on that in a  later post.

We had one beautiful day, Monday? My friend L and I went to the Dollar Store for the really good summer flower seeds, but No. Only a few packets of root veg--turnips, beets.

But outside the store was their big annual summer display of happy colorful tropical sundresses, two big racks. They flutter and beckon, and promise the world will be happy by July. L did not allow me time to look for a dress, though. Prob just as well. I haven't worn a dress in 20 years.

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Books: Usually I love John Sandford/ Lucas Davenport thrillers and was so looking forward to the newest, published last week. Unreadable! Tedious daughter Letty---hardboiled, mean, but smart, is the lead protagonist. I do not enjoy her stories. But the worst part, it's all about thwarting a crazy person who is creating a pandemic 80 times [lol] worse than Covid. 8 1/2 billion dead in 8 days. Logistcally, where would they put the bodies? How could this possibly save the Earth? Demented. 

Flashbacks and anxiety, anyone? I tried to get my money back, must return when I have a few moments to battle Amazon for a digital item refund. I can't read that crap. 

Old Navy had a great sale, I stocked up on summer clothes. Tee-shirts and shorts 10.oo each. I spent $100.oo to get free shipping, 8 tees, two shorts. All for a hundred bucks. Plus TAX, sigh. Still only 12.99, 12 colors! OLD NAVY tees 

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In the pursuit of positive thinking and positivity, I treated myself to these odd Sea Oracle fortune telling cards. Modernist Tarot? 

I sort of fibbed---actually bought them [Home Goods but available on Amazon], because I thought they'd be interesting in collages or in my journals. But---I am tempted, what does each shuffle reveal! I pick two or three cards each morning.

Oddly I get forgive fairly often. [''no second chances" is my motto''], Why does Forgive's image look like a dead whale or a potato, btw?

but more telling I get Gratitude All. The. Time. What does it mean?  Am I lacking, a failure at blessings counting, must do better? Or is gratitude one of my good points? One of the mantras is about taking note of how others show gratitude, are  my efforts recognized and valued. [shrug]

The cards don't answer but they do make me think, as they nod smugly next to Mo's mid-morning snackeroo. Oddly two or three cards give me the heebie jeebies. I am repulsed by things like honeycomb formations or rows of dots. [I forget what the condition is called. *Trypophobia] I feel compelled to remove the cards from the deck---but will that render the deck impotent? We'll see, so far they have never been up in my shuffle. But I know they're there , @@?, eeew.

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Since my hand got scorched and was hurting I couldn't do much fabric cutting or knit so I've been working on my nature journals. Watercolors take time and patience. I give the project supplies a corner of the dining room table sometimes.

Because my work desk looks like this.

Not finished, but recent in-work pages:

 

Internet photo/ Google, for detail

 This pretty weed is winter aconite, not celandine.

an interesting rock, but not a fossil? Perhaps sandstone and white quartz?

 

When I walk Mo I take pics of the first tiny weeds that bloom hopefully in the gravel and sand.

These foldout nature guides are so useful.

I also collect windblown twigs and bring them home in my pocket. Given water and a place to thrive, some unfurl tiny leaves or even bloom, though the white flowers here are silk, blown off someone's wreath or planter.

No cooking planned this weekend, maybe a casserole? I was supposed to make matzoball soup for a friend but lack carrots, celery, dill for the broth. Instead I began potato leek soup, my mom's handwritten recipe. BIG note, ''be careful, the cream scorches",  an admonition from the long ago past. Yes. It does, it did. I had to throw it out.

hen cress in a beach-tossed old bottle.

love

lizzy 

gone to the beach....

''moooo-om!? WTH?''

The Spring Flower Show

 Hi everyone! This year I celebrated Easter with a visit with friends to the annual flower show.  It was busy verging on crowded but so beautiful after these relentlessly grey stormy days of Winter '24. I hope you'll enjoy a stroll through the show with me. click on any image to see a large image slide show  for details.

Gorgeous planters in the parking lots as we walked in.

I love the newly popular  hellebores, but didn't see them to buy.

Inside, entering the big greenhouses. note: that lady found a Pug pillow!?

Beautiful orchids by the check out lane.

Show theme seemed to be Festivals Around the World, so we have Day of the Dead, Oktoberfest, and others.

Tropical settings.

I was intrigued by these beautiful unknown fruits.

Water features. I always admire these immensely. So mush effort for a temporary installation. 

The new big fountain.

The waterfall and pond.

The river of India, with waterlily pond.

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Then a fave of mine, the Easter baskets. [I always get home and wish I'd bought one but for example this baskets, including tax, almost $100.oo!

I considered the darling Bunny, but his ears were sadly chipped.

Last, circling around through the For Purchase greenhouse:

Pansies: always unique rare varieties of pansies and violas. 

Seeds selection. You'll be seeing more of these as summer begins here in late June.

Nasturtiums and straw flowers at the request of blog friend Mel.

I treated myself to a small selection of the fancy violas. The blue is unusual because the petals are various shades of blue. The Yellow stripey ones are the Tiger Eyes we loved last year. The third a subtle old fashioned two tone. They were not marked for variety, I need to do some Google Plant Searching. These small pots are 5.99 each.

It was a bit hard to get good photos due to the crowds, and impossible to get close and read the posted signs explaining the theme and what the flowers are. But I love going every year, such a special experience.  

Official link here and brief ten seconds video Hick's Nursery Flower Show HERE

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On a weekend-y note: last week I made a beautiful asparagus tart. Better with puff pastry but the phyllo dough worked ok.

Caramelized sweet onions, layered with fresh asparagus, crumbled goat cheese on top.

No recipe so this package label was my cooking guide.

edit: Oh Look Martha made this tart too. Slightly diferent ingredients but good instructions!  HERE

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The wind is howling but the rain is gone. Off to walk Mo. [video from our wonderful dogwalker]

love

lizzy

gone to the beach.....

just now, note the huge storm waves:

And a few fun eclipse pics from friends.

From his outdoor office space in NYC. "Eclipse People" 

and from mybrother who was in a 100% area: