Mid-January ~ Let's Plant our Spring Bulbs

Good Monday morning! Did you guys buy your paperwhite narcissus bulbs last October, as reminded? This is MLK holiday week, the Christmas stuff is all put away, so it is time to start my flower bulbs.

I didn't have a very big bulb budget this year. I only got the one box three bulbs plus these mystery amaryllis bulbs.

Maybe I meant them to be Christmas gifts? I'll grow them anyway, the leaves are peeking out at the tops.

I gathered my  containers---this year large and XL Mason jars.

And dug out the faux sea glass, with a reminder to myself to also find the black and white transferware china. The red Christmas china remains on the plate rack, bad bad bad.

I got all set up, sea glass distributed.

Uh oh. The amaryllis do not fit! They're chubbier than they look.

I used my mom's old hyacinth jars instead.

I'm using my very large half gallon  [2 litre?] Mason jar this year for the narcissus. One problem with the paperwhites is that they get tall and leggy and flop wildly every which way. Not pretty! I'm hoping the leaves and stems will grow through the interesting mesh of this jar's lid.

...and stay upright.

The daffs went into a sunny corner by the crock collection;

...amaryllis on the side bureau, also a spot with cool morning sun.

They should all bloom in about three weeks?

These kits come with plastic pots and soil disks. I don't use them but I save them for starting seeds of herbs or Easter grass in another month or so. Nothing is wasted here at the beach.

....................
Here are the flowers at the grocery store on Friday.

Aren't they glorious. Only 3.99 a bunch, pussy willows included.

Two bunches came home with me. They make me so happy.

Im burning this delightful  Zen scented candle every afternoon and evening. It is lightly citrus scented, similar to my fav bergamot, and casts a sweet warm glow.

I also made a few changes around the house, things to please the winter weary eye. My collected birch twigs and winter berries on the bride's bench with my swan decoy.

My collection of stacked Zen inspired patience rocks, below. They also serve the purpose of falling and distracting Mo if he is barking at passing helicopters or hungry seagulls They topple noisily without hurting him.

And here are my winter crystals hung in the windows. They create the rainbows that you see in my photos.

The reason my fall budget wasn't spent on paperwhites is that I am experimenting with potted colded-off forcing out on my deck. I potted up tiny scillas, grape hyacinths, and maybe snowdrops, plus some Tete a Tete  mini daffs. And now I can check on them because over the weekend we had a brief but wonderfully warm thaw---50*! The deck glacier is gone, so happy Mo and I can walk out there now. I was able to wash my windows and sweep the sand off the deck,both  pleasing winter home tasks. [no sign of life in my potted bulb spots. Yet.]

As for Mo he is happiest, we have decided, with temps around 25-35* degrees. He enjoys the snow but not the very cold pavement of extremely low temperatures. Fawn pugs have short but very dense  fur, what is called a double-coat; the under-fur is soft like down and keeps them warm unless it is very windy. And of course Mo has plenty of cute outfits to wear also. Next on our list, pug Wellies! HERE

He was a bit miffed that for a week our bench was under a snow bank. Today, in a couple hours, we'll go out and sit despite the cold. He has his bench trick routine that he is very proud of (Mo can now count to 3!!!). Then sewing time, all those fussy squares for WW, ugh. And maybe Kindle/ phone bean bags for me and Mel?

What are you up to?

love

lizzy

gone to the beach....

Here is a beautiful blog , today with tulips photos, as it seems today is Norway's Tulip Day

Calendars and Time

Hello, friends! January is chugging on, isn't it. Time for new beginnings, marked by new calendars and day planners [unless you have gone entirely digitally phone organized, of course]. My daughter gave me a Doug the Pug calendar for Christmas.

You know how I adore Doug the Pug! This will keep me smiling all year.

Today, January 10th,would have been my mother's birthday. I won't tell you how old she'd have been because she had an eternally young spirit and subscribed to the notion that we are all age 3o inside. . "OMG, I looked in the mirror, who is that old lady!?''. Sometimes especially if I'm tired or stressed I see that same face now in my own mirror. (Here I am at the clinic Monday in my very cute new socks!)

Anyway , back to calendars. Years ago when I left for college my mom gave me my first little Hallmark calendar book. Every year she'd go to the Hallmark shop, especially in Cape Cod, and get two of these little books--I believe they were free, one for each of us. Not a big planner or diary, just a little thing for your backpack or purse, to note important appointments and events. Some years the books were designed by favorite artist Marjolein Bastin! And they were always pretty.  Approximately 4" x 4 1/2"? I bet I have a box somewhere, with concerts and exam dates noted, flights home, vacations. reminders of college years and early life as a young single woman in NYC.
I don't think the little books exist anymore, nor do Hallmark stores?

In recent years a friend always has given me the rather unattractive datebook his broker sends him. It is plastic! It even has a pen.

I always make a fabric cover for it, that is one of my little New Year's traditions. The challenge is to make a fun and happy small crazy quilt to hide the blue or black plastic,

...using whatever is on my sewing table or in my workbox. No cheating [well, sometimes.]

These are the past two years. I was on an indigo kick.

This year I was cutting fabrics for my Leaders and Enders "Aloha" quilt.

Leaders and Enders are a thing one does when doing a lot of quilt piecing. Many sewing machines, especially my newer Janome, tend to chew up the first piece of fabric fed under the needle. This is destructive and annoying and can also throw off the tension and timing. So we instead use a scrap fabric to Start or Lead. I have never used Enders. This is another scrap [or aloha block] fed into the machine at the end of a seam, to keep one from tailing off and not maintaining the incredibly necessary and important perfect 1/4" seam. So this is something new for me to try. As I mentioned I just used scraps but the idea is to instead use a simple pieced design and in the end, someday! one will have a whole nother quilt done. Huh!
The ALOHA design on the pattern is a table runner; mine will be a beach blanket or deck throw, much longer, a bit wider.

I am cutting the Aloha throw pieces as 3.5 x 6.5" bricks/ rectangles. The pattern calls for squares but I want to show off my collection of tropical fabrics, not chop them up into small 3" squares.
So this is my 2018 pocket/ purse date book!

I remembered to make a buttonhole for the pen this year, yay! Actually since I don't  carry a purse it lives in a basket by my computer. I never have a problem remembering appointments etc, so it mainly gets used to stick in Rx receipts for taxes. and to note copay amounts for doctor visits. Realtime, real life events will go on Doug the Pug, in the kitchen, for everyone to see. For some reason, the book's back is always better looking!

How about you? Phone only? Wall or pocket calendar, or fancy daytimer with stickers and tabs? Or like me do you just remember to show up?

On to other subjects of importance:

Here's the week's weather. 

Things are possibly improving for a few days! Mo is dubious.

"don'wanna go out, mommy."

 Our friend Pork Chop posted an extreme close up, so Mo wanted one too! Cutie!

Have a great rest of the week!

love

lizzy 

gone to the beach....