Friday Favourites

 

As she crossed her little bridge to the adjoining road, she sniffed

the moist morning air and felt a lift of her heart. The air was 

full of green, damp smells, a sign to her of the warming and

the coming of spring.

Iona Wishaw - Framed in Fire

Spring can be deceptive. Warm bright sunshine beguiles me outdoors, but then a sharp wind off the ocean has me huddling into my coat collar. But the parade of blossoms and the constant birdsong remind me that we have come through another winter and daffodils give way to tulips, then peonies, and so on. I came home from a couple of days away and found violets blooming in the garden. I do try to keep them under control for they spread easily, but I don't have the heart to eradicate them. How pretty they are. They also look nice decorating a cake. One year I sugared them and they kept for a long while. 

Our Easter was wonderful. Songs and readings at church followed by a dinner with the family and an egg hunt in the garden. The children did the egg hunt after the main course and before dessert, giving them time to run off some energy. 

When it came time for dessert (unbaked cheesecake with a berry sauce), young Cora said she didn't want cheesecake. Instead, she held up a piece of kale she'd picked in the garden and said she would eat that. I think by then she was full of Easter chocolate and didn't want anything else sweet. But kale in place of cheesecake? 

We made a trip to the mainland this week to see my parents and siblings. It was good to be together. My parents are doing well, living independently in their own home and doing their own cooking and cleaning. They volunteer still. I take a cooler full of prepared meals over for them to put into their freezer for the days that they don't feel like cooking. My sister shares meals with them, too. 

The ferry ride was beautiful both ways. On our way out, I noticed a dark curving shape breach the water to the side of the ferry and many passengers went to that side and watched a pod of Orca Whales swimming by. I never tire of such a sight. 

This evening I went out to check things in my greenhouse. On the way back indoors I stopped to watch a Golden-Crowned Sparrow on the ground. He was very bold and didn't seem at all fearful. How lovely it was to watch him pecking on the ground and hopping here and there. 

There's a carpet of forget-me-nots (myosotis scorpioides) under the rosebushes just now. The yellow centres indicate that there is pollen available for any busy bees, and the white centres are a warning that all the pollen is gone. Rather efficient, I think. 

Blueberry bushes are also blooming, indicating a good crop of blueberries if all goes according to plan. There have been fat bumblebees buzzing and I hope there are many more pollinating insects in the days to come. 

I'm a wee bit late with seeding my vegetable patch this spring. It's been so cold and damp that I didn't want to be outdoors and I'm sure the seeds would not have done well. I've begun my tomatoes indoors, and it will be the end of May before they go out after being transplanted once or twice. 

We returned home this afternoon. Tomorrow will be filled with housekeeping duties, coffee with a friend in the afternoon, and shopping for groceries. 

I recently listened to The Lake Isle of Innisfree by Yeats recited by Luke Nolan. I love the line "and live alone in the bee-loud glade." The video is less than two minutes long and you might enjoy listening, too. 

Wishing you a wonderful weekend.

A Saturday in April

 

Today feels like Spring! Sunshine, birdsong, no wind, and everything bursting into leaf and bud. I have waited for such a day. Ah April! The Red Currant bush along my walking path is such a beautiful bright pink. My garden is not a large one and it seems that every plant I admire I want to have, but simply cannot. I take great delight in admiring others' gardens and plants growing in the wild, like the one above.

Soft petals swirled around me as I walked under this gorgeous prunus tree. I anticipate its blooms each spring. Such a cloud of loveliness. I thought of how beautiful the world is and how safe and helpless I feel in my own small corner of it while elsewhere bombs and guns destroy and kill. Beauty has power, creating an ache and a longing for wholeness. If only evil men would take the time to let beauty seep into their souls. 

Weeping Willow trees remind me of my childhood. A very large one grew between a farmer's field and a road not too far from my home. I, and other children loved climbing it. How high we felt looking down over cars passing underneath. The acid green of spring waving in the wind brings it all back. 

I stopped to watch a bright American Robin splashing exuberantly in a bird bath. Such flapping of wings and spraying of water. He perched on the edge to dry off, cocking his head at me with little fear. How loud the robins are in the morning. I hear them at first light and think what a lovely sound to wake up to, then fall asleep again.

Some of my recent reading. The Beatrix Potter Gardening book and The Country Commonplace Book are both ones I dip in and out of. Spring by Michael Morpugo is from the library and I'm enjoying his account of Springs present and past in his corner of Devon. A few Cadbury mini eggs and a pair of bunnies also look springlike. 

This week I dyed a few eggs with purple cabbage, cranberry juice, turmeric, and tea. I keep them in the fridge most of the time, but for tomorrow's Easter Dinner they will be part of the table decoration. We're hosting the family. Everyone contributes something, so it's not too much work for anyone. There will be a "treat" hunt, not just chocolates, for the littles in the afternoon. I asked the 15-year-old if she was still interested in an egg hunt and she didn't hesitate to say, "yes!"

I wish you all a most Happy Easter as we celebrate Jesus' Resurrection bringing hope and joy. 

At the End of March

 

Look at that sea, girls,

all silver and shadow and visions of things not seen. 

We couldn't enjoy its loveliness any more

if we had millions of dollars and ropes of diamonds.

L. M. Montgomery

Walking along the shoreline on Saturday evening after a quiet dinner out with my husband was lovely. Chilly, but filled with the quiet sea and pale skies. Cormorants perched on tall pilings and gulls soared over the water. 

We celebrated Tim's birthday on Friday with a family party - pizza, salad, and cake. There were balloons and banners, and lots of laughter. I had fun making the cake: four layers, two chocolate and two vanilla, covered with chocolate mousse, a chocolate ganache, and lots of fun decorations. The children and grandchildren all wrote special notes to express their appreciation to their father and grandfather. 

Sunday was oh, so wet and rainy. And cold! This morning heavy frost covered lawns, cars, and rooftops. I've had my nasturtium plants outdoors for a couple of weeks and we've had minor frosts that haven't hurt them at all. Last night's freeze has left them limp and dead. Sigh. I'll have to begin again. 

Sunshine warmed things up somewhat in the afternoon, and the sun felt warm on my back when I checked the onion and spinach seedlings in the unheated greenhouse. Grape hyacinths (muscari) are blooming in patches here and there throughout the garden. 

More narcissi are opening. They seem to self-populate for I don't remember planting this particular variety. How cheery they look with their bright yellow trumpets and pale ruffled skirts. 

I've been thinking about past Easters. My mother always sewed dresses for my sister and me - new ones for Easter and for Christmas. She sewed at the kitchen table in the evenings as my father was often away delivering semi-truck loads of fuel throughout the province. The sound of the machine whirring, her scissors snip snipping, and the smell of a hot iron to fabric linger in my memory. White socks, gloves, and sometimes hats completed our outfits along with shiny black patent shoes. I miss having a new dress for Easter to wear throughout Spring and Summer. Everyone dresses very casually these days, even for church. (That's me in the blue, above.) 

April is just around the corner! I always find April is truly Spring. There will still be chilly days, but the sunshine and warmth gradually outnumber the wet cold days. Hooray!

Friday Favourites

 

With the end of March very near, Spring bursts into fullness. We've had a month of a few lovely days of bright sunshine, and plenty of very wet days that make staying indoors very appealing. Often the mornings are wet and the afternoons cloudy and grey, but dry, so we venture out for a bit of fresh air. 

There are plenty of American Robins flying about, as well as other birds. I heard such a variety of birdsong on one recent walk that I stopped and used my Merlin app to identify them by their sound. Singing all at the same time were Dark-eyed Juncos, White-Crowned Sparrows, Chestnut-backed Chickadees, and Red-winged Blackbirds. What a tremendous choir!

Sometimes the sunlight can be deceiving. In the forest the air is still very chilly and damp. And if there is a even a bit of wind, it is sharp and chilling. A murmur of Hooded Mergansers floated on very calm water in Tod Inlet. 

Colour is a welcome sight. Skunk Cabbage has a pungent smell, but the bright yellow flowers really stand out in the woods. 

Over Spring Break I looked after my youngest grand-girlies four afternoons. Each time they came we made a different type of Madeleine. I mentioned the Honey Almond and Chocolate varieties last week. This week we made Vanilla Madeleines, and 

Rosewater Madeleines. These we glazed with a rosewater icing and I let the girls add sprinkles to the tops. I think they were the favourites simply because they were "fancy" as young Iris says. Each afternoon we enjoyed two Madeleines with a cup of tea - such fun. 

The Vanilla Madeleine recipe called for separating the eggs, beating the egg whites, and folding them into the other mixture. Folding in was a technique new to the girls and now young Cora practices "folding in" with whatever is in her bowl - soup, noodles, etc. 

How surprised I was to see my husband walk in the door with a bouquet of red roses - just because! They are lasting beautifully and make me smile when I see them on the dining room table. I believe these came from Colombia, but Ecuador is also a big exporter of roses. When we lived there we could buy a bundle of two dozen long stemmed roses for less than five dollars. I might prefer more locally grown flowers, but I'm not about to turn my nose up at these beauties given to me by my husband. 

This weekend we're celebrating his birthday and there are some special things planned. I also hope to get out into the garden as we've had a few days of drier weather and the ground isn't quite so soggy. 

Friday Favourites: Butchart Gardens

 

Days of blue sky and sunshine are rare. I keep an eye on the weather and when the rains cease, I head outdoors for a bit of fresh air. Last week I visited Butchart Gardens. Tourist season is beginning and I was surprised at the number of visitors on the paths. The reflections on the pond change with the seasons. 

Early Spiketail (stachyurus praecox) is a deciduous shrub I had not noticed before. It flowers on bare branches with clusters of yellow flowers. I want to take note of what the shrub will look like in other seasons. It's large, 4 metres tall by 3 metres wide. 

The fountains waves back and forth while yellow daffodils nodded their heads in time. Besides looking at the beautiful landscaping and colourful flowers, I enjoy watching people as they stroll the paths. I hear a variety of languages and lots of oohs and aahs at the displays. 

The Japanese garden features lots of moss, rocks, trickling water and winding paths. It's a quieter garden where light is reflected in pools and streams, and invites a slower contemplation. 

During the winter months there is a section of the original Butchart home where historical displays are fun to browse through. Each year the curators focus on different aspects of life as it once was. This year there were original receipts for things such as the grand piano and other items. As well, a billiards table, gramophone, and other entertainment were available to examine. I especially like the sunroom looking over the Italian garden. What a lovely place to sit and enjoy a cup of tea on a sunny day. 

This week and next are Spring Break, so I'm enjoying time with my grandchildren. The little girls love making Madeleines, so we made these honey and lemon ones one day and enjoyed them with tea in the afternoon. Today we made a chocolate version, with another tea party. We all agreed that the honey and lemon ones were better. Next week they want to try rosewater madeleines, and vanilla madeleines. So I have some recipe hunting to do. 

It's been a very wet week and the garden is too sodden to work in. We're in for a couple of sunnier days and I do hope to plant out the nasturtiums I started from seed that are getting quite leggy. The sweet pea starters also need to go into the ground. I just hope they don't drown! 

It's still Friday here, although for many of my readers Saturday is here, or almost. What's growing in your gardens? 

Friday Favourites on Saturday: Good and Beautiful Things

 

As she crossed her little bridge to the adjoining road, 

she sniffed the moist morning air and felt a lift of her heart.

The air was full of green, damp smells, a sign to her of the warming 

and the coming of Spring.

Framed in Fire

Iona Wishaw

There is much to be concerned about in this world of ours. I prefer to dwell on more positive things. Here are five of them. 

Morning Bird Song

Most mornings now I awake to hear the sound of American Robins chattering loudly in the trees outside my open window. And if it's not the robins, then I'll listen to rain drumming down. March is a capricious month and it's a good idea to have a raincoat and umbrella ready at all time. There's be nary a flake of snow all winter, but now in March a few flurries have blown through on higher elevations around us. Nothing in our garden, though. And by now, I'm ready for warmer, sunnier days and will hope for snow next winter. But that's far far away! 

Prunus Blossoms

This is my view when I step out my front door, a froth of pink across the street. What a lift to the spirits even on a dull cloudy day. It's so good to be out in the fresh clean air with signs of the season popping up everywhere. Trees covered in white and pink are candy for the eyes. 

A Bouquet of Tulips

This vase full of tulips is weathering well on the table. Those little frilled edges add such a fun touch to the blooms. And such a lovely colours! And the sunlight! 

I've been thinking about March 2020 when the pandemic began. The world was in turmoil then as it is now. But beauty abounds if we just look for it. These days, it doesn't take too much effort to find it outdoors, or in a simple bunch of grocery store flowers, grown less than 10 kilometres from here. 

Green and Leafy Things

Green is March's colour, I think. When I grew up in a more northerly climate, the end of winter was often bleak and brown as the snow melted. How we longed for the acid green new growth on shrubs and trees. On Vancouver Island our grass is greenest in the winter with plenty of rain and goes brown in the summer. But I still look for the tiny swelling leaves on the tips of branches. The Osoberry bushes are some of the earliest to leaf out and bloom, filling the woods with the promise of Spring. 

Between the Pages

 

For several years I kept a list of books I read on the sidebar of this blog. Last year's has not been updated for some time despite the list I continue to keep in my journals. I've been busy with other things. 

I find many books via reading blogs - Coastal Ripples, It's Still a Beautiful Life, Hostess of the Humble Bungalow, and others. 

Many people, including my husband, listen to podcasts while running or working in the shop, but I much prefer to read. When I walk my mind sorts through any number of things and I don't feel any need beyond the immediate for entertainment. If I'm chopping vegetables or kneading dough I will play a video from YouTube occasionally, such as one by Miranda Mills, who is also on SubStack. Miranda describes herself as a "writer and a passionate reader" who creates "content that fosters connection between literature, art, and the natural world." 

Some of my recent reads include: 

The Bird Hotel

by Joyce Maynard

I loved this story of a young American woman who, through a strange set of circumstances, ends up living in Mexico. There is sadness and tragedy alongside a bit of mystery, some romance, and colourful characters. A bit of magic realism adds to the enjoyment. 

Girl Waits with Gun

by Amy Stewart

Girl Waits with Gun is unexpectedly funny and touching. Based on the true story of a female crime fighter in the early 20th century, Constance Kopp not only protects her family, but helps a young girl be reunited with her son, and helps the police defeat a gang. 

The Story She Left Behind

by Patti Callahan Henry

This book didn't grab my attention the way I thought it would. A mother abandons her child and her husband and nothing is heard of her for decades. The story improved in the last few chapters. I did enjoy the way language and communication were presented, and may re-read portions of the book to see how the ending is foreshadowed.

The Cost of a Hostage

by Iona Wishaw

The Cost of a Hostage is the 12th in the series featuring Lane Winslow, a British woman who moved to western Canada after the second World War. She solves crimes much to the chagrin of the local police who caution her not to become involved. In this particular book, Iona travels to Mexico with her husband (the Police Inspector) to discover what happened to her brother-in-law. Most enjoyable. 

The Killing Stones

by Ann Cleeves

My current book features the return of Jimmy Perez who has moved from Shetland Islands to Orkney Islands. He continues his work as a detective, this time trying to solve the murder of a good friend. There are Neolithic elements, wild storms, and Perez' life as a partner to Willow and father of two. 

"So often, a visit to a bookshop has cheered me, 

and reminded me that there are good things in the world." 

Vincent Van Gogh

Miranda Mills, mentioned above often presents books published in the first half of the last century, books that our library no longer carries. But I frequent a used bookstore where they have a section dedicated to British writers where many well-worn volumes end up. Most recently I picked up two books by Lillian Beckwith featuring the Hebridean island of Bruach, along with two books by E. F. Benson featuring the hilarious antics of Mapp and Lucia. I enjoy reading these gentle books particularly now when the world is full of terrible news. 

Are you a fan of L. M. Montgomery, the author of Anne of Green Gables and many other stories? Kate Marigold (what a lovely name) on SubStack wrote a fun post ranking the men who feature in Montgomery's book. Who is your romantic hero in her books? 

Around here the crocuses and daffodils brighten corners all around our neighbourhood. Our camellia bush is putting on a lovely show, as well. We're in the midst of a chilly spell. I pulled the curtains open yesterday morning to see very wet snowflakes against the window. The flurry lasted all of two minutes and then the sun appeared. Higher elevations have seen the snow stick. 

I was at the garden centre picking up seeds to plant and the Danish Ivy (cissus alata) plant just hopped into my cart and came home with me. I was surprised to see the tag for I knew the plant as a Grape Ivy. Well, checking online told me that they are the same thing. It's a pretty plant with trailing vines and I hope it does well for me. 

Tomorrow I have a few appointments and errands to run so there won't be a lot of time for reading during the day. What book(s) are you currently engrossed in?