The beauty in the world, making things fit, and life with Daisy

 "The old way of thinking about the world helped heal the 'tragic dilemma' of being human."

                                                 -  Jason M. Baxter

The cherry has begun to bloom.

I don't think any other tree blossoms are more beautiful.

Several years ago I did a repair on my bathrobe, replacing the bodice part which was worn. I traced the robe's upper part and made a pattern; I was so afraid of making it too small, that it ended up too roomy. I put up with it until now. 

It's got a dolman sleeve, with the seam going from the side neck edge, over the shoulder and down the arm. It needed taking in about an inch up there, so I just re-did the seam from the neck and then tapered it down to nothing by the time I went over the shoulder. It's just right now! 

I received the tracing paper a day late and was working, so I haven't gotten back to the dress. But I am beginning to think it would be much nicer looking if I lined it. I'm not sure I'll like the way it hangs if I don't do it. Bother. But before I put the green thread in the machine I want to make a few cleaning cloths that I like to use in the bathroom. Just seven inch squares of cotton, zigzagged around the edge. They work very well for cleaning in there.

Have you ever seen such a sight as this?

Double jointed is hardly the word to describe her. 

Anyway, before my brother came home for lunch, I heard things falling in his room; I looked, and there was an accordion file folder she had tipped over or something, and then dragged it to the doorway. I left it, so he'd see the full force of her exertions. I think he was suitably impressed. 

My "project" today was to make a special dinner just because it's my brother's name day. I was going to make chicken soup, and I did, but I had pinned a recipe for one of those vegetarian loaves, and I made on with mushrooms, brown rice, sun-dried tomatoes, kale and lots of other tasty stuff, but no cheese. I substituted different mushrooms, and kale for spinach, but recipes are just suggestions anyway. Very nice! And then I made a healthy dessert with ground up dates and assorted nuts, a kind of brownie. I didn't have pistachios, but I had cashews. I used what was around and it is good - I highly recommend it!

"The saints in heaven, as they are variously described in Paradiso, shine brighter than stars, move more swiftly than lightning, produce a more lovely harmony than the planets, glow like an unending sunrise, smile more radiantly than the sun, rush swifter than cold, mountain winds. Each saint outdoes, as it were, the entirety of the old celestial order. A saintly soul is a new creation, and the re-creation of a human being is as dramatic an event as God's creation of the first cosmos."

                      - Jason Baxter, talking about C.S. Lewis' admiration for Dante's Divine Comedy

            from The Medieval Mind of C.S. Lewis

piles of grass

With more rain than usual, lawns are being mowed - my brother mowed ours yesterday.

Out my window, I see a neighbor mowed his

and left little piles of grass. Why does it make me think of Monet, and his rolled-up bales of hay? 

little neighbors

 There is almost no time when a rabbit will not be seen in our yard.

There's a lot of clover in the grass. 

We're glad they like it.

a catch-up

 Two weeks just passed by, and I thought about posting several times, but I often was tired or felt blank. I have to say that I'm glad it's spring, and the trees are so beautiful, but I think I'll feel better when they're done blooming and things are a bit warmer.  That's usually how it goes.

But speaking of trees, I went around the yard to look at our five young trees which we bought last year. The white crabapple is just filled with blooms! And it's right by the road.

Isn't it wonderful! The one behind it is our neighbor's rose-colored crab. I noticed over the winter that the crabapples didn't all get eaten; there was a squirrel in the tree one day, and birds now and again. So maybe I can do something with half of the fruit, while leaving the rest for our small neighbors. But I'm not interested in jelly. It must be a good source of vitamin C, wouldn't you think? Because they are so tart?

The purple leafed plum tree is the largest of the new ones, and all the leaves are out, but I spied two small blossoms - so, I guess we'll have two plums later! 

They're right in the middle of the picture. And way over in the corner of the back yard is another ornamental cherry, like the one in the front yard, the Brave Little Cherry Tree. It's declining - the blooms are there, but it's not filled with them. :(  The new one in back is doing well, though.

The other two trees, a linden and a kousa dogwood, are later starting, but they look well. 

In other news, I got a new ironing board cover -

the fabric I'm pressing is for a blouse I'm trying to make, and this fabric is a ruffle at the bottom of the sleeves and at the hem. The body is a green cotton, like a broadcloth of some kind. I hope it turns out all right; I've never worked with sheer fabric before. Cyndi had given it to me years ago and I'm finally using it. 

Speaking of Cyndi, her brother had her funeral service on Tuesday, like she asked him to, one year after her death. It was strange after so much time. 

Back to the home front, I'll bet at least some of you have seen the youtube videos of cats who unroll the toilet paper. You know where I'm going with this - ours is now hanging in a crocheted bag on the bathroom door hook. 

Beth gave me this years ago, and it's sure handy now! I'll have to write and thank her again - I don't see her around anymore. 

the (ir)responsible party - and it was definitely a party for her!

I've been reading God's Hotel - a Fantastic book about the Laguna Honda hospital in San Francisco, written by a doctor who worked there for twenty years. She writes so well, the story gently flows along and with all the necessary and interesting details included. The author, Victoria Sweet, got a doctorate in the study of the methods of Hildegard of Bingen for treating patients, and she used some of these methods at the hospital! It is truly fascinating, I'm not exaggerating. The book is not new, and if you follow this link, you'll see the hospital is in trouble. I don't know what will happen, but it seems to me that we've long passed the point where such a place can exist, and that is lamentable. There was a time when money and profit were not the main concerns, where insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies did not control, as they do now, the doctor-patient relationship. If you have ANY INTEREST in this subject at all, i.e., any interest in the way medicine is going, in the old-fashioned doctor/patient dynamic, in a true story well written, in the way things used to be, in Hildegard von Bingen - READ THIS BOOK. Sorry, I'm not trying to shout. It's a chronicle of a lost age. I'm old enough to know that. 

I'm also reading The Code of the Woosters, and it's some very welcome comic relief. 

warm and happy

It was warm today; I looked out and the daffodils were happy. 

 I thought it was too late, but no - it was the blue hour - I ran out.

signs of life

 I went outside looking for new life.

some buds on the crabapple

the rhododendron

the daffodils! It's a little soon, isn't it?

"It isn't quite a dead garden," she cried out softly to herself. "Even if the roses are dead, there are other things alive."

                                                      - from The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett

flora and fauna, and a new water pipe

 The workers got their permit, finally, and today they replaced our water pipe. They said they would take out the mountain laurel, and remove two heavy branches in the cherry. 

We have running water, but their equipment is scattered around the yard and there's a mound of dirt, too. But not in the driveway where it was when my brother came home for lunch - they moved it to the front lawn and the driveway is clear. The put back the mountain laurel! 

Meanwhile, we've had baby starlings and robins galore, and there's a rabbit dining right near the back yard vegetable garden, apparently finding enough to satisfy, while we know full well they can get inside the wire fence with no trouble. But (so far), they are content in the grass. 

wondering

We wondered about the reason for fewer cars at the supermarket. But it was crowded inside - funny. We tried to figure out why so many were shopping - it wasn't a holiday. Well, not here, at least! But maybe there are some anglophiles in town who were planning to celebrate this weekend in honor of the Queen. I bumped into this on youtube and enjoyed it. I didn't realize Her Majesty was deliberately wearing bright colors with hats to match, so she could be easily spotted in a group. Very practical, but if you watch the video, note the harlequin dress  - very unusual, but pretty! 

A mockingbird was singing madly in the parking lot, but he was far off and I couldn't spot him. I appreciate his hard work. There hasn't been one singing in our neighborhood yet, but now that we've got some fruit trees planted, maybe they will come around more often. They're not seed eaters, but like fruit (and peanut butter & jelly sandwiches in winter). My brother has planted a white crabapple and a purple-leafed plum tree. Another cherry way in back, though ornamental like the one in the front yard. Some hollies - one or two - and a few box. I was mistaken before about the holly he planted a few weeks ago - they are box, but we have hollies now. I hope they all do well. My hanging plant is doing very well.

I sat on the front step this evening, trying to read a while, and some wind came up. Nearby was the cherry tree and the Japanese maple, my neighbor's maple past the forsythia hedge, and some tall trees across the street. I saw the neighbor's upper leaves blowing in the ripply way you can see in the summer, and then our Japanese maple moved. That was it. It didn't spread to the cherry close by, or go across the street. It was a strong breeze, but only where it was. Not where it wasn't. It made me wonder about the wind. Where it stops, where it starts. How "thin" it might be, or wide. I have no answers. 

I have taken two fabrics, put them together, and am quilting them.  I didn't put any layer in between, and I'm sure you're wondering why. For now we'll see how it comes along, but I'm enjoying the process.

The Easter season is over, with the celebration of Pentecost yesterday. 

"The wind blows where it wills and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know whence it comes of whither it goes; so it is with everyone who is born of the spirit."

                                                       -  John 3:8

new things to plant

 A year ago we took down two trees, and lost a lot of shade in the back yard. We researched different tree types but then the nursery didn't have those. It was hard to decide what to do - we never bought any replacements last fall. 

Well, my brother picked up a white crabapple tree today, and a couple of variegated hollies. The arbor vitaes that are along the side fence are all yellowed, and I think it's from the two overflows we had last summer - here's a film of one. We were told that crabapple trees can take some wet conditions. The little dogwood is totally dead, too! And it did so well last year. It has to be from all the water. 

So the hollies will replace the arbor vitaes and I think the crab will also be on the side somewhere, but we want to get two more trees and more shrubs. 

not much to complain about

 It's May now - surely it's safe enough to put away my boots. 

Everyone I know has high hopes for this month - April was a disappointment, too cool. Today is certainly lovely and will get over seventy, which is above normal but no one will be complaining about it.

I could complain about our sinks draining too slowly. Drano hasn't done much, so the rooter fellow was called. I could complain that he had bad news for us; the pipe underground which goes to the street isn't good. (they're made of cardboard and tar!) The front yard will have to be dug up. We'll have to be without water for a few days, who knows how long. The water company was called and they notified a subcontractor to come out and assess things. 

Well, the fellow said the whole business will take one day - less! They would start 9-ish and be done changing the pipe by lunchtime. An inspector will come (quickly) and it will all be filled in by two! Compared to what my imagination was telling me, there is very little to complain about here. In our state, there is an insurance you can pay into in case of water pipe problems: there are three levels to the coverage and we had the middle one, until our neighbor had bad problems a few years ago. After his situation I decided to up our coverage to the third level, and now I think we won't have to pay anything. 

The mountain laurel will have to go - that's okay, and we may decide to move it, although it doesn't look good. He thinks the cherry tree may get partly damaged by the work, but we'll just wait and see how it goes. All in all, not bad!

merrie

 Now the bright morning-star, day's harbinger,
Comes dancing from the East, and leads with her
The flowery May, who from her green lap throws
The yellow cowslip and the pale primrose.
Hail, bounteous May, that dost inspire
Mirth, and youth, and warm desire!
Woods and groves are of thy dressing;
Hill and dale doth boast thy blessing.
Thus we salute thee with our early song,
And welcome thee, and wish thee long.

                       -  John Milton,  from Magnificat, May 2022

a little refresh

 It may have almost ten degrees cooler today, but the sun was bright, and before starting dinner I just had to go outside and walk in it. I crossed the bridge to the other side of the brook. Just for a moment.

Perfection.

tree curiosity

 My brother came in the other day to say he'd seen a garden snake laying in a sunny patch of dirt, put down after the fellow finally came to remove the ground-up wood chips. I have never seen a snake on our property, but of course they are there, so I said let's go back out - I want to see it. We went right out again - but he was gone.

Meanwhile, there we were, across the brook where I'd been examining the leaves of the trees out there, because I haven't paid attention and don't even know what they are. I know the tall swamp maple, because it's the brilliant one every October. And I did know the sassafras, with three different types of leaves on one tree -

one, a sort of mitten shape, one, with three lobes (is that the right word?) and another just oval-ish. I'd also noticed a maple with very large leaves, and this tree is still green! I guess it does this (or rather, doesn't do it) every fall, but as I said, I never noticed. So I picked a leaf and looked in my guide. It's most probably a Norway maple. Seems to be considered a pest by many, and it doesn't get pretty in the fall. 

This leaf is about nine inches across. And I also saw another shaped leaf, but I had to take one from the ground, since the branches are too high up. It's an elm! I think, a slippery elm, which is nice to have around; I used to love those slippery elm lozenges by Thayer. They don't make them anymore.

However, I'm glad to know what an elm leaf looks like. Meanwhile, my brother saw a snake again today, but I wasn't there, again. I'm sure I'd be startled to see a long snake in the grass, but I'm not afraid of them. 

staying calm and carrying on

Today was cool, but sunny and beautiful. Trisha called to ask if it was the right time for pruning roses. I hadn't even thought about it! I told her yes, and then went outside - there was almost an inch of growth in places, but I cut them back severely like I always do - they're too close to the house for any other treatment.

The governor is going to make us all stay in, as of Monday evening. So, I'll go to work on Monday, but that'll be it, I guess. I just mended a waffle-knit top I wear around the house. I am behind on my mending. We're just trying to keep busy and keep in peace.

our little queen turns fifteen, the rest of us being barbarians

Our girl has a birthday today.

 And she's quite well, thanks for asking.


The other day at work I had a sudden desire to read a gardening journal of some sort. I looked through the 635s and came up with Onward and Upward in the Garden, by Katharine S. White.
She was married to E.B. White - yes, him! - and these are essays published in the late 50s through 1970. I don't think I'll glean any practical advice from them, but the first few entries are critiques of seed and plant catalogs ; I've never thought deeply when looking at one of these, but now I'm thinking I've been remiss. 

She then moves on to books and here she speaks of a Mrs. Loudon, author of The Ladies' Companion to the Flower-Garden. 

"[Mrs. Loudon] even includes a few unpopular flowers, the most invigorating of which I think is

The Squirting Cucumber. An annual gourd-like plant, with woolly leaves, and yellow flowers, the fruit of which resembles a small cucumber; and which, when ripe, bursts the moment it is touched, scattering its seeds, and the half-liquid, pulpy matter in which they are contained, to a considerable distance. This quality made it a favorite, in gardens, a century ago, when some people were yet in a state of sufficient barbarism to find amusement in the annoyance of others; but it has now deservedly fallen into disrepute, and is seldom grown.

I'm afraid I know several little modern American barbarians who would be delighted if their grandmothers would grow them a supply of squirting cucumbers."

Don't we all. I may be one of them. :D

that welcome yellow

The forsythia is starting. And the grass is brilliant green. And today it was 80!

the key to summer

I will give you the key to this garden gate.

Bright summer lives over the wall.

You may play in the sun till the season grows late,

and bring back the key in the fall.

-  Arnold Lobel

Dolly in the garden

little things

Debra had a birthday so we went to our favorite lunch place, where the food is good, the staff all so lovely, local artwork (for sale) on the walls and, at this time of year, beautiful plantings outside. Little tables outdoors too, but too cool for us that day.

There were catbirds flying to and fro, and I managed a very bad photo of one in the middle of this fence.

Our original idea was to go there each season, but we've decided we have to go every month. And that's that.

I'm currently working on making an unused jumper into a skirt.

I got this Eddie Bauer, linen jumper years ago at Goodwill and loved it for years. I can't tell if it's faded or not - it has a deliberately faded look to begin with. It will match one of my blouses very well.

Tootsie's people didn't only give us the miro-wood cat from Pitcairn Island, they also gave us a smaller wooden cat, made in Costa Rica. It reminded them of Tootsie, and they said - they said it, not I! - that it would be a Tootsie who was well-behaved and wouldn't cause Dolly any trouble.

It's cute.  They also gave us a copy of "Mutiny on the Bounty" with Marlon Brando. I've never seen it, but I look forward to it. Three thoughtful gifts.

Today I wound a hank of Cascade 220 into a ball, and didn't get one knot!  I guess I'm doing something differently.  It's a pretty light blue - a tweed - with colorful specks throughout. I've had it quite a few years and want to use it!

I added several small shawl patterns to my Ravelry favorites. It's a limited selection as I've got only one.

Joining Leila this week.

spring yard