Debra to the rescue

I've been in need of a white bag to go with the dress I'm making, and the thrift store didn't have one, either. But Debra does.

Thanks, Deb.

the everlasting support

"...I personally reach out to a bigger concept which I cannot define. I feel when I pray that my prayers do not vaporize in thin air. I feel a strengthening of my spirit.

Twilight diminished the rain this Sunday and the drought-sered grass was already greening. Mill Pond was pewter and one pale candle of light shone in the sky. And all at once I felt a presence, an everlasting support overwhelming death as I prayed."

                                      -  Gladys Taber,  My Own Cape Cod 
                                                   (after attending a memorial service earlier in the day)

Dolly keeps up with current events

enjoying an interview about Egyptian politics.

"the word we long for"

Let us welcome Christ, the stranger,

As he knocks upon the door.

Open to him, bid him enter,

Gather round his feet once more,

For he brings a gift unopened

To the one who will receive

Love in unfamiliar wrappings,

And with open heart believe.

Let us listen now with Mary,

Let good Martha's grumbling lie,

See the guest and not the labor,

Lest he Savior pass us by.

For he speaks the word we long for

To the one who will receive

Love in unfamiliar language,

And with list'ning heart believe.

             -  Magnificat,  July 2013

a better arrangement

After thinking about it for too long, I've started re-arranging the kitchen cabinets as I clean them. What I was thinking about too long was how I should change things around, but I couldn't figure it out in my head. I find that as I clean one shelf at a time, washing everything in it and removing all items I don't want anymore, I can see pretty clearly where things should go. Spaces open up and make just enough room for a gentle shifting, with it all falling into place as I go along.

two weddings, and then another one

Three of my young cousins are getting married this year. Two of them are almost together, with one day in between!  But since they don't know each other - well, it's not like anybody can be blamed for bad planning.

Of course I don't own anything suitable for a wedding and I didn't come across a thing I liked in my shopping travels. So, with two months to plan, I told myself I had to sew something. I chose a design, found a suitable pattern and ordered some inexpensive fabric to sort of practice on. And then, guess what?  Just like folks start an adoption rolling, only to finally get pregnant after trying for years until they're sure it'll just never happen, I came across a dress I liked well enough to wear to a wedding.

I've discovered on Etsy a few Chinese seamstresses - or maybe I should say designers - who actually make clothing which appeals to me, or at least some of it does. So, I ordered a dress with great relief -  I still planned to sew something but the pressure was off me to have to produce something; I don't sew that great and working with a deadline isn't a very peaceful way to do things. (I've been known to sew a left sleeve on the right armhole, etc., even in the best of times.) So, I've been plodding along with that and it's almost done, except I've gone so slowly that the practice one will have to be "the one". But it fits, and now I have to make an underdress out of muslin to wear with it.

Meanwhile, the dress from China came, and I found nice shoes and earrings to wear with it. That's set! It's not pale like the photo, but more of an apricot, which suits me even better. So, that will be for the first of the two weddings which is an evening one. The other is on a Sunday morning with a brunch afterward, so if I can get the other dress done in time, I think it'll be more suitable for that.
But if I don't, I have a dress. And when those two weddings are done, it'll be time to figure out what to wear to the third, a fall wedding in Vermont.

the third thing

"Water is H2O, hydrogen two parts, oxygen one, but there is also a third thing, that makes it water, and nobody knows what it is."

                                              -    D.H. Lawrence
                                                              quoted from Cooked, by Michael Pollan

blue and white

a reliable watch

My Eco watch fell down somewhere in my room, and was missing almost two weeks.

Because it's powered by light, at home I keep it on a windowsill, or under a lamp after dark. Sometimes it falls down behind something and I have to dig down and get it; this time it was nowhere. So when I was cleaning, I had to empty out everything it could have fallen into but I wasn't finding it, and I was afraid it had gone into the waste basket and been thrown out.

It turned up, in a small tote with a pillow project inside. And when I got ready to adjust the time on a solar-powered watch which had been in the dark two weeks, I got a pleasant surprise - it was perfect!  Is this an ad for a Citizen eco-drive watch?  I guess so.

back to the island

Yesterday I was back at the island where we'd picnicked two years ago. This time it was a small group from church going there for a day of recollection.

It was foggy at first.

I looked forward to seeing the mimosa tree again, but it wasn't blooming and had several dead branches - the work of Hurricane Sandy.

So, after a gracious welcome we had an hour-long conference with a bathroom break before Mass. Then lunch.  We'd been expecting sandwiches. Nope - Chicken Parmesan

with a small salad before, and jello and whipped cream after, served by a most cheerful staff.

A walk around the grounds before the afternoon conference

I can't imagine a more idyllic place - everyone kept saying it was like being in Heaven! 

In my wanderings I came upon a little herb and vegetable garden, and then noticed grape vines.

When I saw a woman tending a potted flower I asked her about it. She was a gardener, and yes, they have some fruit trees and a larger garden area across the street - they'd just picked a big batch of currants the other day.

They sell their own preserves and wildflower honey in the gift shop.

We ran into stormy weather on the way back, but as we neared home there was a rainbow to welcome us (which was too low to get with the camera).

We really could have stayed.

the color of summer

A different brand of olive oil poured out this wonderful liquid in my favorite color.

make your own eye drops

I wear contact lenses - the rigid kind - and sometimes my eyes feel a little dry, but instead of buying wetting solution I just mix up some table salt in a glass of warm water and put it in an eye drop bottle.

Did you ever notice that your eye drop bottle is refillable? What I mean is, the piece in the top is removeable, and you can fill it up yourself. I suppose you could use it for anything that you wanted to measure by the drop.

I buy the cheapest eye drops I can find, open it up and dump all the contents down the sink. Then fill it up with salty water. When my eyes are feeling dry, I squirt some in. It's also helpful in the morning for rinsing out any gunky stuff.

I'm not sure soft lens wearers could do this. And if you have an eye condition, you should use whatever your doctor suggests. But for everyday dryness this works pretty well. 

in green pastures

My shepherd will supply my need;
The Lord God is his name.
In pastures green he makes me feed,
Beside the living stream.

He brings my wand'ring spirit back,
When I forsake his ways;
And leads me for his mercy's sake,
In paths of truth and grace.

The sure provisions of my God
Attend me all my days;
O may thy house be my abode,
And all my work be praise.

                     in Magnificat, July 2013

working on a dress

maybe for a wedding.

cooking outdoors

"It is a fine thing that America has moved outdoors. I can remember when a barbecue was an uncommon sight. Now every back yard has a cooking setup. They may tower like fortresses and have dozens of subsidiary gadgets as well as chopping blocks, serving shelves and rotary spits. Or they may be a few bricks with a broiler unit from an old stove set on top. "

                                                   Gladys Taber,  Stillmeadow Sampler

box top Dolly

I was in my recipe box looking for berry ideas, and Dolly came along.

I can't believe she actually fits in there!

She made herself very comfortable. The radio was playing jazz. Of course.

Here she is totally enjoying Blue Moon.

 She stayed in there quite a while. I was kind of worried about my box.

It's fine.

purpled

picked more berries tonight.

berry abundance

Our wild berries are ready - when I went out to pick, I filled up my bowl plus more! What do you do with so many but make a pie?

there were more berries than this!

Except that pie crusts tend to get soggy around here - I always make them juicy.

Then, something made me think of Margo's shortbread crust pies. A crust like that would hold up longer. 

Here it is before going in the oven with powdered sugar on top. It came out very well, if a little too sweet.  It didn't last long. But there were lots of berries left.

I made another one today.

mercy with the Savior

There's a wideness in God's mercy,

Like the wideness of the sea;

There's a kindness in His justice,

Which is more than liberty.

There's a welcome for the sinner,

And more graces for the good;

There is mercy with the Savior,

There is healing in His blood.

the value of pain in our lives

"Pain prunes the unessential emotions, ambitions, and illusions, teaching us the lessons we either consciously or unconsciously refuse to be taught by joy. Pain prunes the insignificant details that distract us from what is really important, sapping our days, energies, and spirits."

                                       -  Sarah Ban Breathnach,  Simple Abundance

Henry nonplussed

There's an oscillating fan on a table in the living room; the face of it is metal. The other day this is what I saw -

and there was Henry doing what he often does, looking up - (to his credit, he is often seen looking up!).

He saw something. Then he scrambled under the table

and back and forth, back and forth. Well, after a bit I figured it out - he was watching the light reflecting from the fan turning.

He couldn't figure it out, of course. So, he did what cats often do.

Took a nap.

patchwork skirt

almost done.

midsummer's eve menu

from yesterday:

- lemon-ginger iced tea with honey
- easy and mild pickles
- braised chicken
- fresh salad greens with Tasha Tudor's French dressing
- stuffed eggs
- rye sandwiches with layers of pickle, cottage cheese and rose petals
- strawberry shortcakes

the longest days of the year

I wait for these long-daylight hours all year. What is it about the morning of a hot day, when it's light out before five o'clock, and you know that if you could just be up and dressed that early you could do all sorts of things inside and out before it's too warm, and sleep in the afternoon - if you needed to? Every year, I long to do this. The silky-temperatured air, the birds singing, the cool wet grass calls to me every year at this time and I feel that there's something wrong with being in bed till seven or even six when it's practically broad daylight by then.

I'm not a morning person; I come more alive in the afternoon, and it's hard to make myself go to bed early - a person does need some sleep! (especially persons in their fifties) But every year at the summer solstice I think I should, at least once - get up with the sun. So, I usually do, but once is all I seem to be able to manage.

The weather has to cooperate, of course. It doesn't seem to work as well if it isn't hot - the idea being that if you can't caper about barefoot in the morning grass, there isn't much point to rising so early in a small house with some creaky floorboards, because you don't want to be disturbing anybody. But when it's warmer days, the whole outside just calls to me.

Yesterday, I got up at 4:30! It was going to be a pretty warm day - 85 - but in the morning it was a little too damp and cool to be going out; still, I was glad and found that I could do some sewing because my machine isn't very noisy. I later went to the farmers' market and grocery shopping with a friend, and she kept asking me "How are you holding up?" and I was always fine! That was a surprise; it never seemed to catch up with me.

I really hope to continue this when possible on my days off. It's magic.

Top of the Hill, by Frank Vincent Dumond

glimpse of a porch

on this house ....

on this street

of many inviting houses

and a farmers' market down the middle.

seeds finally in

I've had a raised bed ready for seeds but so much rain has held me up. Now we're in for a hot spell, so today after work, with all my supplies in a basket, I grabbed Dolly and headed outside.

Finally!

For some reason I thought I had more space than I did, so not everything went in.  I know it's late, but I'm looking forward, not back. We'll see what arises.

Then I came in and made a nice vegetable omelet, and felt like a real farmgirl.

eight new patterns

I've been finding very few tops or blouses I like. Often it's the fabric - the jerseys used are thin and cheap feeling even in the higher end places, which must be due to the upsurge in cotton prices. Another thing is the spandex in everything - I've told myself over and over that I'll get used to it, but when it comes in the mail, and I take it out of the package I can't stand that rubbery feeling. Back it goes.

So I bought eight patterns - all for tops - in a recent McCall's sale. I much prefer making skirts, of course, but one must progress.

safe up high

During a vigorous dinnertime thunderstorm, Dolly decided the best place was up. And then she stayed there.

rick rack on

...the right touch.

where is that nightingale?

Yesterday at work Trisha and I were talking about nightingales - this morning I was on youtube looking them up. The cats were on my bed, Dolly buried underneath a quilt, sound asleep, of course.

I found a nightingale, nice and loud. Poor Dolly appeared, wide-eyed and disoriented. 

But nowhere could she find that bird. Poor Dolly!

in full bloom

The red rose bush has been there so long that even when I forget to fertilize it

it still amazes.