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.
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I especially like your sketch of the gnarly practice branch and blossoms. It was snowing briefly this afternoon, strong gusty winds all day. I learned to completely unplug my sewing machines etc when it gets stormy. Years ago my neighbor returned home from shopping to find her sewing machine smoldering, a stroke of luck they returned when they did.
ReplyDeleteSo good you discovered the hot plug. There are so many house fires with batteries nowadays.
ReplyDeleteDrawings are beautiful, as usual. Lovely to see them all.
We have gone straight from Summer to Winter. No Autumn here. The trees have changed colour but I still have roses flowering.
The seasons are all mixed up.
D.
Lovely to walk through your week with you.
ReplyDeleteGlad you're safe. I bought an adorable plant yesterday. It is a miniature petunia-looking blossom that is yellow and white striped. I look forward to setting it out on my back porch when the chance of frost has past. It made me think of your little outside flower garden.
Ouch for the scorched hand!! Not fun!
ReplyDeleteI like your watercolor sketches--so Springlike and neat!! We have forsythia blooming all round us--I have cut some small branches to liven up the house on these gray days...cutting more squares--"on a roll" Take care hugs to you and Mo--Julierose
I love your jars of shells. They seem perfect for a home near the ocean!
ReplyDeleteWe called them suckers and cherry was my favorite; orange and root beer were okay, but I tried to avoid the other flavors. I haven't noticed a leaning toward forced positivity but for the most part I'm in my own little world. But it is hard when people put a positive spin on one's challenging experiences. (Thank you but you're not in my shoes or situation and you have no idea what my life is like..., or something like that.)
Our temperatures have headed downward the past few days, too. I think it was in the low 40s this morning and it's not much warmer now, either. But we don't have the wind from the ocean that you do. Here in Ohio it's been a long, slow spring.
Oh, how awful it would have been to have the plug ignite! So glad you discovered it before that! And so strange about your internet going out when the cables are underground. Everything's back in order now?
The images on your sea cards are beautiful (except for the "forgive" card). Is that supposed to be a view of the ocean and shore from above? It's hard to tell. As far as the gratitude card and your questions: I notice your efforts and really value them. You are a great blog reader and commenter, Lizzy!
What words do the honeycomb and dots cards have on them? Since you don't like them, it's a good thing they don't turn up. (Personally, I'd pass them on--leave them at the library for bookmarks, or put them in a cart at the store, use them as a postcard....)
Ohhh, your new nature journal pages are gorgeous. The peach tree twig with buds is amazing! (I didn't realize you'd scorched your hand. I hope it feels better soon.) I love seeing the photo of your work desk.
The rock is interesting. (I thought you might like this post about a different kind of strange ocean rock/shell, she wasn't sure which at first: https://missmustardseed.com/the-story-of-the-bryozoan-crusted-shell/. But you may already know about these shells.
I hope some of your twigs root, or at least bloom. I know freshly cut pussy willows will root in water. But then what to do with a pussy willow plant that will turn into a tree?
So sorry your soup scorched. I have a great recipe for baked potato soup with cheese. It's made with milk and I have to stir it constantly. I don't make it often but always have a book ready to read while I'm stirring (unless I forget it).
Your watercolor/ink sketches are really charming. It must make you even more observant of nature? Your vignettes of found twigs, etc. are just so textural and lovely. Thank you for sharing these natural beauties on your blog. Scary about that hot cord/plug. Whenever we lose power or internet (doesn't happen often) I'm so aware of how dependent I am on both of those things!
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