Miscellaneous March ~ Found Objects and Spring Flowers Emerge from The Snow

 

Hi everyone! Is it cold at your house? High winds and frigid temps here at the beach. No amount of sunshine can make the weather more tolerable. The other night I finished some tax prep and opened Blogger  to do this post, and BOOM, the lights went out. Blackout. No warnings, no wind alerts, no storms; I was totally unprepared, though I did have prepared food. But low batteries everywhere, pretty late at night and oh so dark. Usually a clear storm breaks down my wifi and landline phone, but not a total blackout. 

Hard to know what to do; finally got out all the stored comforters and decided to huddle underneath til dawn. Baby Mo was wrapped in many layers in his own bed. If things got really cold I'd make him come up on the bed. But he seemed happy. [Temperature 24 degrees/ windchill about 13*, wind 30 plus mph.]

Just as I crawled under all the quilts and blankets, Bang! the lights returned. Saved, yay!

Mo is currently enjoying his winter coats, so we do go on out. Looking for first daffodil shoots. Here they are, peeking out of the old dirty snow as it melted .

And I've been keeping a sharp eye out for weird collection items that emerge from the snow. Washers, coins, tiny Christmas trees in Lucite and glitter! A little yellow looped key?

I thought the this was a Lego People head. But no.

I like finding Canadian pennies. They are pretty.

We've seen a number of St Paddy's Day wreaths and door decorations, but I'm especially loving all the newly hung out seashell wreaths. Everyone is ready for summer days. And I've been noticing these interesting tall lanterns, set out on front steps or in front gardens, usually with a faux pillar candle, presumably on a timer. They are pretty big, higher than my knee--30"? We love the warm glow in the darkness. 

This lantern has especially attracted my notice. Looks very "Home Goods" and it has a candle, plus the base is filled with a small collection of special seashells. But wouldn't it make such a cute little storage cupboard for some of my tiny quilts. I am always tempted to leave a note....

Back inside, I'm filling the cottage with inexpensive spring flowers each week. Dear daffys from Ireland, 2 bunches for 3.oo.

And primroses, a favorite of my dad's. He'd plant them in a wicker basket with green moss from his woods, for the Easter table. Maybe a few Easter Eggs or a china bunny or ladybug from the dump Swap Shop, tucked in too.

I've been picturing this metal planter filled with spring flowers ever since I got it a few years ago. Next summer, it should have red geraniums, I hope.

Many of you asked how my second Crockpot recipe came out: Braised Beef with Mushrooms. No vegs. It was very delicious! I listened to friends who are excellent cooks; everyone insisted I must pre-brown the meat. I also pre-sautéed the mushrooms in butter. Served on wide noodles, my favorite pappardelli, with a dollop of sour cream.  Butter/honey glazed baby carrots and Brussel sprouts on the side.

Below, unusual especially in winter, heirloom tomatoes at my grocery store. So pretty.

Edit: today's crock pot attempt was my Fast Chili. I cooked it 2 hours on high and 4 or 5 on low. Smelled great, but is watery and undercooked. Disappointing.

love

lizzy

gone to the beach...

.Upcoming: St Paddy's Day and the Oystercatchers' return; Mo's birthday; spring equinox; days get longer; Daylight Savings begins. First day of, hahahahah, spring.....

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The Eye Doctor's Quilt ~ and other Things of Small Note

Hello on a cold and windy Monday! We woke up to a very dark day, looked like November. 

Mo hoped I wouldn't find him in his warm nest.

The other day I had a very nerve wracking appointment to get my eyes checked. I’ve been having blurred vision and eye strain. What could it be? The optometrists are social friends and could not have been nicer, balancing  friendship with brisk professionalism. 

Nothing was wrong.  Just one eye had become farsighted, the other nearsighted. Need glasses to rectify when driving and a different pair for close work. What a relief. My friend Dr M is not a quilter or collector but she loves quilts. This was on the wall of her private office. Framed sections of a late Victorian silk Log Cabin/ Straight Furrows variation quilt.

Framing the best sections was a way to save a lovely silk quilt that had in places deteriorated beyond hope. I think it’s beautiful and modern in effect.

I has inspected this quilt years ago; it's one of only two or three quilts Dr M owns. It dates from c. 1885-1920s, I believe. The piece had already then deteriorated far beyond the resources of any traditional conservation techniques, as many of the dark silks had turned to powder and dust. Not shreds that I could cover, but dust. And to replace the silks wasn't an option because about 75% would need to be hand sewed in replacement, and while handled and worked on the rest would, I thought, simply fall apart.  I said no, and she sadly put it away.

Years later we got to talking on the beach---my ex husband also has a silk quilt in need of repair, and he had mentioned it to her---and Dr M told me how she had the intact sections of her silk quilt framed. [His quilt is beautiful but just has a rip in one block, not anything crucial; I just do not at present have the right silks for the repair.]

I think her idea was inspired, the result so beautiful!

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Indoor Spring Bulb update: The paperwhites after three weeks. 

The last little daffs and hyacinth.

And at my friend's house yesterday I saw her tulips! Costco, 10.oo! Wow, gotta have.

The tulips are lovely, though when I asked if they were red she cringed a little. But the wonderful part is the glass forcing vase with its high sides and  reservoir for the roots to grow.

Also---no pebbles needed. Love it.

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Found objects...

You may recall a few posts ago I sadly said I hadn't found any washers that week? Well the very next day I went to beach to see what the heck the guys were doing, building this enormous and so ugly bridge, one of perhaps 10! How is this allowed, such destruction of natural beauty and views?

.And as I skirted the backside of the dunes , look what I found! This was a wash through area until the construction. One windy day had exposed lots of strange treasure and a few coins. The S hooks are big and very heavy. They were connected with a shred of nylon webbed belting.

I spied the yellow flowered branch, just tiny...was it real and had traveled here from a warm place where forsythia is in bloom? Well, no. But it's sweet and bright. I brought it  it home, gave it a good wash.

Later I found yet one more washer in Kohl's parking lot? Where do these all come from?
As for coins, I found two quarters and a dime.

My hardware notions ''hoard''.

And see this dark growth of winter bayberry below the monstrous bridge? It is, perhaps, the copse where the ancient ship's beam lies. Maybe they left it? I can't get close enough to see. But I am hopeful.

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Mo had a bath this afternoon. Odd how dark his coat is now in deep winter. Usually he is all white and fluffy after a bath, but no. 

Have a good week!

love

lizzy

gone to the beach.....