Summer is Here!

 

Welcome, summer. 

Today is the summer solstice and hot sunny weather has arrived. It's as if Mother Nature flicks a switch, from cold grey drizzle that could as easily be March as June.

I had a stressful [for me] week, ---IV procedure in the unfriendly chaotic clinic, Mo's ongoing unwellness [he can no longer go away for a sleepover while I recuperate]; the dryer duct cleaners, my once a month house cleaner. I did stupid little chores, like put in screens, clean and start the ACs, wash and air comforter and extra covers, air Mo's beds, remove ancient shower curtain rings, unused and dusty for 15 years. Oh the always dreaded clothes switcheroo, sweaters to shorts etc.

Nothing fun, but I did work on prepping my ''meditation scroll''. I think I will call it a memory scroll, I am not so fancy that I meditate while sewing. Being cursed with anxiety now, I just do a lot of worrying.

I'd like this to be the summer I cover this dreadful pine worktop. Even brown paper would be better.

Choosing threads:

I was frugal, will use what I have, though I was so in love with hand dyed threads from 1894 Cottonwood House 

Auditioning spools still.

It was fun and relaxing, playing with the tiny postage stamp bits. Fun enough that I gathered brights and pretties to set aside for the Lizzy's Garden spool.

Tomorrow will be our first deck time sit and sew for  Summer of 25. Especially if my friend comes and puts up my umbrella for shade.

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Another chore was clearing the veggies and  planting these seeds in the last big pot.

And setting out my oh so adorable dandelion ''clock'' [seed heads] solar lights.

Note the tall weedy thing nearby. Wouldn't it be cool if that was the Chinese lanterns I planted, but I think the leaves are wrong.

Bonsai trees are started. These two do not need colding off. The conifers are in the freezer til August. I hope the blue jacaranda grows but no further sprouting yet.

This is the Flame Tree

Apparently it grows fast and is a popular beginners' bonsai tree,.

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Mo has gone a week now without a pain incident [managed by a strict regimen of meds, not curable], though he is sometimes stressed and panting. Oddly he no longer sleeps in his beds  but on the bare wooden floors. I don't understand why. Here he is with Lambie, his adoption day prezzie. At first he was afraid of it but now is making friends.

And here he is not at all subtly telling me AC season has arrived, mom, get it going.[71*F and windy, no AC]. Pets communicate so well, without words--just body language and eye contact.

Have a great weekend.

love

lizzy

gone to the beach....

last night a storm blew through briefly. It's interesting to watch the sheets of rain far away out to sea. [(on the right)  The horizon is ten miles.

And here's  rainbow shared by my friend out his deck door.

Roses and Honeysuckle scent the air

 

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Early summer has suddenly arrived at the beach.

The air is filled with the scent of roses and honeysuckle wafting off the dunes. 

Actually the air smells like the fumes of a gas powered leafblower, as gardeners tidy the grass nearby. But you get the gist.

I walked out to the dunes where the air was fresh and crisp.

The dunes are both overgrown yet somewhat dormant, not very pretty.

I saw Mr Mockingbird scuttling into this thicket of bayberry, scrub pine, and beach roses--his summer home.

The height of rose season is somewhat passed.

But so fragrant and beautiful, with saucer sized blooms.

The resulting hips are huge, maybe from all the rain? They're the size of lady apples, too bad we have no deer to enjoy this fruit.

But look at these prickles! No wonder they go uneaten.

By the boardwalk, the Prayer shells display has changed. [begun during Covid lockdown2020]

The fun folk-art Dune Duck Brigade is gone and the handmade wish/ prayer shells are mostly replaced with this slick Welcome display. Hmmmmm.

Moon: This was the Strawberry Moon. Traditionally named because it heralds the strawberry season, probably the first fruit/ sweet after a long hard winter since ancient times. Not because the Moon appears pink, though it sometimes does.

It looks like lots of spring Moon dancing was going on that night, so many tiny footprints.

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Working on my scroll. How fun to choose the threads. 

And speaking of moons and scrolls, blog friend Juliann tells me k3n [Kathryn] of clothtales has a moon scroll project on You Tube . HERE Pretty sure mine would be more a Year of/ w/ no feelings**...but I am saving it to watch and learn. Have a look? Kathryn's moons are quite reminiscent of those made by Spirit Cloth / Jude Hill, whom you may be familiar with.

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Mo had bath! He has had a few good days. Maybe he'll wear his luau shirt soon, before it gets too hot.

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PS Last week I forgot to tell you I made Mongolian Ground Beef with jasmine rice. It was so tasty, esp Day 2 and 3, and fast, easy. You could use any ground meat, like chicken or pork. Be sure to use all the small list of ingredients, like ginger and a few red chili flakes, nice spring scallions. I used the white part of the scallions in the beef as I sauteed that.  Low salt soy sauce, and be cautious w the sugar. If you don't like sweet and salty [the rice calms that] it would be a No. But I loved it. recipe HERE

Have a lovely weekend, these are the best days. Oh such memories these June days bring...

sampler screenshot/ @myweatheredhome

love

lizzy

gone to the beach....

*(the header with the gorgeous peach roses is my friend's unexpected volunteer. He says he didn't plant them, only the pink roses in the background. Must have been dormant, revived by his care of his planted roses. They look like David Austin heirlooms, don't they.)

**Moon scroll and feelings clarification. Below is a bit of Quilty 365--one whole year of feelings and memories. I loved making it, put it in the blanket chest and never looked at it again. My emotions just aren't all that interesting, hahahahah,🤷🏼‍♀️ a great big who cares/ man up/ whiners are losers result. I had imagined, "Oh this was your birthday, this day we went for a pumpkin, this was Christmas..." Never again.

***some of the moons in that random set must be from Mel in Kansas, I swear I see a grain silo?