I wiped away the weeds & foam. / I fetched my sea-born treasures home... Ralph Waldo Emerson







Thursday, August 18, 2022

Little Random Bits of August

 


Hi everyone! This is a Seinfeldian post about nothing, or nothing much.  Summer has hit a lull punctuated by one catastrophe after another it seems. Yesterday I was so pleased a cleaner finally came to make the house, especially my sewing room , presentable for houseguests. The AC is replaced. Deep breath---the handle of the bathroom shower came off in my hand this morning. The good news is the water wasn't running, the bad news is last time it broke it took weeks to be repaired. I have another bathroom with a tub and handheld shower gadget, not ideal. Oh and the kitchen sink is stopped up. Woe is me.

Today the gale winds drove me and Mo off the deck. I think my new umbrella is broken [too]. 


I did manage to sew one Star. Crumpled from humidity and wind.

The wind blew down the painted coreopsis. I rescued and brought it in.





Later I added a few pink roses from the grocery store, six for 5.oo.


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Here is what I wrote in my regular nature diary the other day: 

"This morning was hot & still and there were dragonflies

and a beautiful swallowtail butterfly 

swarming around the zinnias.

 Sweat bees, too, I hope they are good pollinators?"


And my weekly drawing, original


and colored.


In the collection dish this week. 


The eggs are faux, out on display because a small friend visited one morning and she asked where my Easter eggs had gone. She loved putting the eggs in a little basket last spring.


Mornings while I wait for the dogwalker I read a chapter of this book. Very enjoyable and well written, as if walking along the Thames by the author's side. Her childhood memories are charming too. A very good read. The pen is my fave Pilot gel point not a drawing pen but works for me. I think I mentioned this previously.


In novels I have been reading Ruth Ware's The It Girl. Then an oldie by Ware I had missed. Both a smidge predictable, the current one is a slick modern take on the old [I think] Agatha Christie Ten Little Indians / And Then There Were None. [shocking original title so I didn't post the link.]. Both of Ware's books were claustrophobic, especially the second one. 



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I never got to a craft store, finally Amazoned some elastic bead thread to repair my summer bracelets. 

Every summer I make or buy a special bracelet for that year, these are a few.


I lost my glass rainbow bead bracelet from last year, odd bec I rarely lose things. It celebrated the end, we thought, of the Covid pandemic. The white rubber and pearl was my other 2021 bracelet. The multi African bead one is at least 20 years old, retstrung. Influenced by the bead jewelry I see on IG, I restrung it to enjoy again instead of buying with money I do not have.


These are older, made with recycled "seaglass" beads. They need constant restringing, very heavy, but I do love them still.


I think the African trade beads and the giant seaglass beads came from the NYC flea after H Sandy; the other was beads my daughter gave me.


In my bedroom I have layered the Blue Pineapples quilt with a summer favorite, a rescued top I had finished, I call it Sea Urchins:


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I had to clean my fridge today. Mo was miffed at my busyness that didn't include him but sometimes things must be done. The huge grocery order came, replenishing some supplies. The power outage the other night got me to organize, use, discard, replace. No pics but on the menu: steak kabobs bec the delivery included a big bucks mistake by them of three large shell steaks???; fried rice w leftover rice and fresh vegs; a tomato / goat cheese puff pastry tart. Retro ''crudités [cauli/ tiny tomatoes/ cukes] with Knorr veg soup/ greek yogurt dip. So Cape Cod! And lots of salads. 

Tomato goat cheese tart   [photo is from internet]


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Mo's check up and ear appointment are tomorrow. Fingers crossed.


Have a great weekend!


love 

lizzy

gone to the beach...

Gorgeous beach pictures--winter in South Africa. From blog friend Penny. Isn't the lighthouse lovely? Her views of SA have been a revelation to me, more mediterranean coast than wild jungles and big game safari. enjoy. Thanks for sharing, P!











And hibiscus photos from a friend, my tropical gardener friend. He grew these lovely hibiscus from seeds given me by blog friend Mel! Third year, they wintered over so well.





Did you make rose of sharon/ hollyhock dolls as a child? How I loved making them, with toothpicks or old long corsage pins my mom would produce like magic. here



a keeping it real pic for Mel who likes to see everything including not yet stored supplies and wet swimsuit:


and XL journal page:




7 comments:

  1. Yikes!! What is it about fridges ? [Note: see my post for the gory details!!]
    Hot and humid here today--I am recuperating from yesterday's folderol as sweetie Tom is cleaning our fridge...[see note above].

    Having coffee and " je ne suis pas dans mon assiette au'jourdri" {sp??} anyway--I am wipeth outeth..as they say...hugs, julierose

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  2. Ha, Seinfeldian, definitely fits the image of a showerhead coming off. These kinds of snags are so annoying. But still you make your home so lovely with the flowers, etc. and beautiful food. Such a sweet thought of a young person asking about the Easter eggs - that is so endearing. Your pineapple quilt is so fresh.

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  3. Sounds like the dog days of summer have hit. Always love to see your seasonal decorations.:)

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  4. Hah! As I read this, Seinfeld is on the the television :)

    Your bracelets are so pretty, particularly the seaglass beads. Maybe your rainbow bracelet isn't lost forever...perhaps just misplaced in your house somewhere?

    I'm amazed that your friend waa able to grow the hibiscus from seeds! How fun is that!

    I hope Mo is improving.

    Gosh, I love your Blue Pineapple quilt. Maybe the perfect summer quilt.

    Hope you're having a fun weekend!

    Kel

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  5. I hope Mo's appointment went well and that his ears are doing better. Poor guy.
    And I'm so sorry about the plumbing problems. There just always seems to be something. I hope you were able to get the problems repaired/solved.
    Your flowers are beautiful. So glad you were able to save the coreopsis. The wind sounds like it was ferocious! I hope your umbrella is okay.
    I love, love, love your collection dish. What a great idea. I think it's wonderful of you to put the little eggs out again for your young friend. I think little ones look forward to seeing things they remember from previous visits.
    Your sea glass beads are beautiful. They look like a reflection of the sea.
    I have vague memories of hollyhock dolls....
    I enjoy your journal pages. I'm so sorry you don't like your honey locust trees. They line our driveway and when fall comes and their golden leaves drift to the ground I feel wealthy, like I'm living in a golden wonderland. But I admit their branches are craggy and I don't much enjoy their seed pods.

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  6. I'm very late getting to read this, sorry. I hope Mo's appointment went well, and that his ears are better!

    Love your "nothing" post -- it does seem like things like this happen in clusters just to mess with us! I changed the water filter in my fridge and the icemaker stopped working - our water pressure has gone down so much since we had to have a pressure-regulator put on the back (too high water pressure years ago!) that now the pressure isn't enough to force it through the filter...!!
    Now we need to take the regulator back off.
    There's always something!
    We had a few nice days under 90 degrees but now it's hot again today. Hubby had carpal tunnel surgery on both wrists a couple days ago, so he's keeping me busy right now.
    I love your journals! The moon face is so cool. The comment about sweat bees reminded me of back when I would try to tan - the sweat bees LOVED me and the feeling was NOT mutual!
    I'll write more when I have a little more time. In the meantime, TAKE CARE!

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    1. Thanks for commenting. You have to sign your name, pls!

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