Blogtober One: Butchart Gardens

 

I heard today that a Conde Nast reader's poll named Victoria as the Number One small city in the world. It is located in a most beautiful place with lots of wonderful things to explore. I don't know that I would have voted for it, though. It does have a reputation as the most British town in Canada, something I've heard from more than one British citizen. 

One of Victoria's biggest attractions is Butchart Gardens. I walked there today with a friend. A bit of drizzle happened, but the gardens supply clear umbrellas, and we stayed dry. The above view of the Sunken Garden is the most photographed of all spots. It is a stunning view. 

The dahlia walk is full of blooms of all shapes and colours. Elsewhere autumn hues are showing. There is a display of squashes - that one in left column middle looks like a starfish! 

Another display featured an old Ford tractor, perhaps used in the past on the garden property. There were also some enormous cabbages - coleslaw for fifty, I thought when I saw them. 

The rain stopped as we walked, but it was still enjoyable to have a chat over a hot drink in the cafe. 

I'm joining Barbara over at Coastal Ripples with Blogtober, attempting to post once a day for the entire month. We will see how it goes. 

Have you visited Butchart Gardens? In which season? There were plenty of tourists there today, even in the drizzle. 

Blogging Woes and Garden Dreams

crocuses along the Songhees walkway, from several years ago

First of all, blogging woes, not mine. A friend of mine, Diane, lives in Florida and writes a blog about her life there. Lavender Dreams Too is a delightful place to visit. Diane walks a lot and shows us the sights she sees along the way; she shares what she's reading and her other activities, such as sewing and crafting. She writes with plenty of humour. 

Google is a great platform and I'm happy to have my blog hosted by Google. However, this week Diane's blog disappeared - POOF - and she can't get it back. If you go to her new blog Lavender Dreams New, you'll get the full story, and be able to sign up for her future posts. 

All of us who blog have poured so much time and effort into our posts and we hate the thought of losing them. I determined to back my blog up to my computer yesterday, but was told I need some kind of special app or program, so I need to do a little more research.

Please go to Diane's blog and give her some love and encouragement. She and Mr. Lavender Dreams are working hard to see about getting her blog back from Mr. Google's bots.

edited to add: Diane's blog is back - hooray - after they made contact with a real person! 

I have a book out from the library "The Armchair Book of Gardens - a miscellany" by Jane Billinghurst. The book itself is a beauty, not huge in size, but filled with wonderful illustrations and sketches, alongside excerpts from garden writers throughout time. 

crocuses from several years ago at Government House

This week I placed my seed order from West Coast Seeds. I avidly read their newsletters for they are full of information about gardening. I confess that last summer, and the one before, I've not felt much like devoting much time to my garden. I feel, in my bones, that this year might be different. 

early prunus (cherry tree) blossoms somewhere in Victoria several years ago

I'll definitely be growing vegetables, but I'm going to find space for a small cutting garden, as well. I've been reading Floret Flowers' posts and am inspired by the armfuls of cut flowers she features. Both of the sites I've linked to focus on what grows best in our Pacific Coastal climate. 

Historic Gardens in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, June 2015

Wherever we visit, we always find a garden or two to stroll in. Several years ago, on our trip to the Maritimes, we visited the Historic Gardens in Annapolis Royal, Nova Scotia, the site of the first permanent European settlement in North America, in 1605. Looking at the photos takes me back to that day, and the warm wind that blew across the water into the garden, creating lovely movement in the foliage.

Anne of Green Gables Site - Prince Edward Island, June 2015

Later, on that same trip, I visited the Anne of Green Gables site where the lilacs bloomed in profusion. 

Blue Poppies dancing in Butchart Gardens, Victoria, BC several years ago in June or July

Very close to us are Butchart Gardens where each turn in the pathway offers thoughtfully composed views of flowers, shrubs, trees, and statuary. 

As far as getting out into my own garden this year, it's been too cold and the snow is very slow at disappearing. There's been some damage - a broken young magnolia tree, a smashed rose bush, and our tall hedge is rather splayed in spots. Tim tied up the hedge yesterday and we hope it recovers. 

Is gardening on your mind these days? Linking with Mosaic Monday, hosted by Angie of Letting Go of the Bay Leaf.

Don't forget to visit Lavender Dreams New!  

A Puttery Day and a Special Visit

It's Saturday, I haven't gone anywhere, and it's perfectly lovely. The past three weekends have been full with guests, and/or going away. It was time to stay home and get some things done. 

One thing on my list still isn't done - picking the grapes. With the purple ones I'll make and can juice, and we'll eat the green ones. Both varieties are sweet and delicious. 

I went on a very special outing this week to meet up with two blogging friends. Honora of Pondside and I have visited several times; she lives in town, but Mary of A Breath of Fresh Air lives in North Carolina. She let us know that she would be in town and Honora made reservations for dinner at the Oak Bay Marina Restaurant.

How lovely it was to sit at a table overlooking the water and watch the lights on the boats begin to sparkle. Conversation was non-stop and we were some of the last people in the restaurant. Our husbands came along and their end of the table was lively, too. 

It's the first day of autumn - an auspicious day to clean the house that badly needed attention after the previous weeks. I changed out a few things in the china hutch and re-potted a number of plants.

A total of 2 rudbeckia blooms graced my garden this year. I ruthlessly plucked them today and combined them with marigolds and sage leaves for a long, low arrangement on the dining room table. 

A tidy house is a wonderful thing. Aaah, says my mind and soul. After I took this photo I tweaked a couple of things - do you do that after seeing a photo? 

After dusting and vacuuming I changed the round blue wicker basket for this more autumnal natural one. I find trays on the coffee table are good for harnessing a number of things - among them the television remote and coasters. There's often a pen or pencil in the basket, too.

And so it's autumn. Last night was wet and rainy, today the sun shone, but now, in late afternoon, the wind is picking up and tossing the trees with wild abandon. 

I'll be linking with Mosaic Monday, hosted by Maggie of Normandy Life.  

On Printing a Blog

A number of commentators expressed interest in how I had my blog printed into a book. Here's a fast rundown of how I did it. 

The company I used is Blog2Print. It's an American company, so the price was in US dollars. It crossed the border without incident. The blog book was pulled from the internet, with very little effort on my part. 

One minor hiccup occurred - About the time I thought my book should be arriving, I received an email from a kind woman, Jen, in the southern states who had received a copy of the book. She found my email address through the blog. Any of her attempts to contact the company to let them know were useless.

I contacted them, and they said to check the tracking number given, and that the book was on the way. I did, assuming that they had sent another book. No. They hadn't. So I contacted them again, and they printed another copy and sent it off. They also gave me a discount for all the hassle. 

For this first book, I went with the basics - medium sized photos, hardcover with a dust jacket. You can see that the layout isn't all that artistic. The pages are 8 1/2 x 11, printed on a medium weight glossy paper. The colours are great. The book is 212 pages. No comments, although I believe you can get them included as well. 

I also chose the Compact (default) layout. Thus, the photos do not line up with the text, the way they do in blog posts. Sometimes I'll write, "in the above photo" to explain something, but in the book, the text does not necessarily fit. For me, that's okay, although I'm planning to go through the book with a pen and explain a few things. 

It's possible to choose another layout that will use more pages, but keep the photos and text layout as it appears on the blog. I will likely do that next time, and make the photos larger.

While writing this post, I've been creating my second book, for 2015. However, I just received a message saying that I posted 1391 photos that year, and the maximum number per book is 1150. They recommend narrowing the date range and creating 2 books in place of one. I may do that.

It's also possible to delete certain posts and photos. I'm still learning as I go along. I'd like to figure out how to have some photos large and some medium.

I hope this is of use to some of you. I'm sure there must be other companies that do this, so if you know of any, mention it in the comments. And if you have any more questions, I'll be happy to try and answer them.  

Tea with a New Friend

 

Several months ago, Marilyn of Delights of the Heart, wrote that she and her husband would be visiting Victoria. We planned to have dinner together, but that idea was scuttled when Tim had an evening meeting. Instead, we met for morning tea at the White Heather Tea Room.  

 

Marilyn's husband was a good sport, enjoying tea along with us while we talked about blogging, pattern making, and other sundry items. 
The scones were delicious, soft and warm. One Apricot Ginger and the other Raisin, served with Lemon Curd, Raspberry Jam, and a tart-sweet cream. I didn't need any lunch after that! 

Marilyn is a retired pattern maker and the tea cozy she gave me is one of her patterns. It will certainly come in handy in the colder months to come. She's also published a book of tea recipes that I'm looking forward to trying. Isn't her card pretty? Love that square shape.

Marilyn's husband kindly took a photo of the two of us. Isn't her smile beautiful? (unlike the person sitting beside her who barely cracked a smile) 
Meeting blogging friends is always wonderful. I'm a bit apprehensive and nervous at first, but every blogging friend visit I've had has been great. 

Have you met many of your blogging friends?  

Blogging Investigations and a Birthday Party

this photo has nothing to do with the text below, but I like it

 Last week I did a little research into why word verification (WV) was showing up on my blog (and many others) when the settings said it was not. 
Apparently Blogger has installed WV to prevent spam. There's no way around it if you have a pop up comment box.

However, I noticed that those with embedded comments did not have WV. So I switched the settings and voilà!, WV disappeared.

I also discovered that if you are a registered user, that is, you are commenting using your Google account, you don`t have to enter the WV code, just hit Publish, as per usual, and the comment should post.

A sweet little Miss is turning 4 and celebrated with a dance party. Music, costumes, a wonderful instructor, and little people dancing with abandon. It was marvelous, full of exuberant joy. 

Joining with Mosaic Monday, hosted by Judith of Lavender Cottage. 

 

Giving Credit Where Credit is Due

The internet is a marvelous place, full of ideas and inspiration that's free for the taking. I have certainly benefited from designers, home decorators, sewists and crafters who generously contribute to this sea of information. When I use someone's idea I try to give credit with a link and/or leave a comment on her site. Isn't that the polite thing to do?

In the past couple of days I've had well over 500 downloads of my Autumn Apple pattern that's free on the Craftsy site. I'm still scouting around trying to find out how so many people even found the pattern. I found one link that has used much of my text as his/her own and then linked to the pattern without ever saying that I am the pattern creator.

It's discouraging. I debated taking the pattern down, but what would that accomplish? I'm happy that others find the pattern attractive and I hope there are lots of happy autumn apples out there.

The faux fur cowl scarf is also popular, and a free download for anyone signed up on Craftsy (which in itself is free).  But you know, it would be nice if someone said thank you occasionally. As I think about this, a little voice reminds me that I don't always go and thank bloggers whose ideas/patterns/tutorials I've used. I want to be more conscientious about this. 
   

This floral felt crown is another pattern I worked on over the summer. Both the little misses have one and look so adorable wearing them. This pattern was a lot more work than the others and I'm charging a small amount for it on Craftsy.
 

Clouds are sailing fast across the sky this morning. Leftovers from Hurricane Ana that washed over Hawaii earlier. Rain and wind during the night. A good day for tea and a candle. That will have to wait. I'm off to teach this morning.

I'd love to know your thoughts on the sharing/crediting aspect of the Internet. How do you handle this issue?
 

Apple Season

  
Orchards used to grow where there are subdivisions today. The odd tree survives, mute witness to a once productive landscape, abandoned now among blackberries, ivy and natural growth. We see them along our walks and collect apples from time to time. Our little trees don't yet produce enough. 

With a few scavenged apples (pale green, crisp and moderately sweet) I made a Norwegian Apple Cake. The recipe comes from Mia's blog "Mias Landliv. It's a delightful place to visit, full of the beauty of Mia's garden, her charming home and her sewing and knitting projects. If you aren't a regular visitor, I'd encourage you to pop over there.

Mia served her cake with ice cream, but I had some caramel sauce left over from the pumpkin cheesecake we enjoyed over the weekend. Delicious!

Apples go so well in so many recipes. What's your favourite way to use them?

Making the Rounds

Recently, Maggie of Normandy Life, invited me to take part in a tour of blog land. Maggie is British and writes about her life in the gentle countryside of France. The blog land tour involves answering four questions about my own creative process. Thank you, Maggie, for inviting me. The answers to these questions have made me do some serious thinking.

1.  What am I working on right now?

This shouldn't be too difficult to answer. Right now I'm working on a blog post.

In the larger scheme of things, I usually have many projects on the go. Right now there are a couple of sewing projects cut out and ready to stitch, a hexagon quilt that I piece in the evenings, a bit of crocheting I just began, garden produce to freeze and can, weeds to keep at bay, and a major writing project.
 

2. How does my work differ from others in this genre? 

I first began blogging because I was looking for a creative community - some place to share my love of sewing and creating things with my hands. I found that, and much more. I found friendship and encouragement. I found so many others who look for the beauty in everyday life in much the same way that I do.

But each of us is unique. Because of that, my work is unique, just as yours is. We draw inspiration from each other and combine it in ways unlike the original. If I were to define my style I would say I strive for simplicity and elegance, be that in my photos, in my fashion, my decorating, and even my cooking. At the same time, I recognize the complexity in life and appreciate the multi-layered facets of photography, fashion, decor, cooking, writing, etc. 
  

3. Why do I write or create what I do?

If I didn't, I'd go mad. Stark, staring crazy mad. Headed for the loony bin mad. Give me a medium to express myself, any medium!

I've kept a journal for years. My blog is like a more visible journal. Words string themselves together in my mind and flow to my hands and the pen. 

The pen (or keyboard), the wooden spoon, the needle and thread, the paintbrush, the ivory piano keys, and the stick in the sand all provide ways for creative expression. I like to use whatever is at hand.
  

4. How does your writing process actually work?

My blog post topics are often triggered by the photos I take. Details are important to me and many of my photos are close ups of marvelous bits of creation that reveal the paradox of complexity and simplicity. 

I'm fairly guarded in my public writings and sometimes wish I were not. I'm that way in real life, too - unwilling to share too deeply until I know that I can trust the listener. I want my writing to have some sort of take-away value - a question for my reader to ponder and respond to, a thoughtful quote to appreciate, a bit of encouragement, a new way of looking at something, a recipe to try, or some beauty revealed.

I could go on here, but if you've hung on this long, I'll take pity on you and stop.

The idea of the blog hop was to link to 3 other bloggers who would then answer these same questions, however, I was unable to find anyone to participate. Katherine, of Sew Me Something Good, had the same difficulty so we agreed to link to each other's blog. Katherine is a sewing whiz and creates beautiful, intricate quilts. She also has a Craftsy site where she sells patterns.

 

On Putting Myself Out There

Today's a day for catching up. The campfire-scented bedding is washed and drying outside although I'm keeping an eye on the sky. It's humid out there and I wonder if more rain will fall. I collected some white rocks from French Beach. While emptying pockets last night I put them onto the tray on the kitchen table, along with the shells and driftwood bits I collected the week before. 

I read all kinds of blogs - cooking, slice-of-life, writing-focused, gardening, and fashion. I'm no fashionista, but like most other people, I wear clothes and derive inspiration from seeing what others wear and how each one presents herself. So here's my selfie (what a word!) and I'm being brave in posting it. Grey cotton pants and a navy and white striped tank top with snaps down one side. My usual watch and a pair of silver earrings. Around the house I'm always barefoot, but I'll slip into a pair of ballet flats for running errands. 

There are several fashion blogs that I'm particularly enjoying these days. Vivienne of The Vivienne Files is writing a series of posts on wardrobe planning that are brilliant. Building a small but useful wardrobe is one of my perpetual goals. I never seem to quite reach it, but with these posts, I may. 

Another blog I enjoy is A Femme d'un Certain Age, written by Tish Jett, author of Forever Chic. She lives in France and is currently in a rehab centre after knee surgery. She's writing about the food she's enjoying while strengthening her knee and it's a revelation. I've been blessed with a trim figure but have had to begin watching what I eat. I've let my weight creep up a little and it's time to be strict with myself and cut back. I'd love for the extra weight to settle on my skinny ankles or knees, but alas, it goes straight to my middle. 
  

Water is my preferred summer drink. I usually infuse it with mint and or lemon, but have been reading about flavouring water with fruit (no sugar or sweeteners) and would like to try that soon. Do any of you flavour your water in the summer in any particular way?

I planted nasturtium seeds in front of the lemon tree. They've grown into a colourful tangle of green and pinky-coral that makes me smile to see them. I mean to try them in a salad soon, too.  Do you eat flowers in your salads? Do tell.

 

Strawberries Make Life Sweeter

It seems like there's a lot of frustration with Blogger and Google these days from the comments received on my last post. It seems that some internet places won't play nicely with others (aol and yahoo), and Google Plus is just plain confusing. Comments lost, comments disabled, comments hard to post, comments impossible. Thanks for all your input. It's nice to know I'm not alone in the blogging maze.

I'm so grateful for the free blogging platform that Google provides with Blogger, but I'm not interested in having my entire life connected to my Google plus profile, which seems to be their goal. An ad for Google plus says "connect with friends and family, explore your interests and see how all of Google gets better." Um. I don't think it's working. Exclusivity is not connection. But that's another discussion. Let's move on to something sweeter!

It's summer! Sort of. Cooler temperatures around here lately, but still very pleasant with a sweater. Strawberry season arrived a couple of weeks earlier than normal due to a warm May and early June. 

One little miss and I headed out to the strawberry patch yesterday. She's so good at understanding rules. When I gave her her hat to put on she said, "oh yes, summer rules." Another rule was not eating the berries until we'd paid for them. She followed that one without any problem. She's also very good at choosing which berries to pick and which to leave to "ripen just a little bit longer, Nana."

I filled my bigger bucket and she filled her smaller one, mostly by taking berries from Nana's bucket. Sweet times in the berry patch.
 

We ate lots of them freshly rinsed, juicy and sweet. After she went home, I made a Strawberry Tart for Grandpa who had meetings scheduled until 8 pm and was happy to sit down and have a big piece when he got home.

What's fresh at your place?

Secrets and Blogger Woes

The title is more provocative than the post - but isn't that frequently the way with many news/magazine titles?

Secret is the name of the rose. Sweet fragrance that reminds me faintly of apples, showy blooms and watercolour-stained petals. Beautiful. 

As for the other - blogger woes - I have a question for you. But first an explanation. The comments for my blog go to an email account that I set up especially for blogging (a yahoo account). I read comments there. However, I've been checking my blog for comments lately and quite a number of comments are not making it to my email. So I've missed replying and visiting several blogs. Comments from Ann, Podso, Kitty, Snap, and Mrs. Rabe were the ones that didn't show up from my last post. Weird, eh? (said in my best Canadian accent)

I checked my Yahoo spam and other folders and the comments are nowhere to be found. Has anyone else noticed this issue? Do you read the comments on the blog, or through a forwarded email address? 

Rosy Days

My floribunda rosebush is blooming. I wondered if it would. Last fall I moved it to a new place, from the front garden, to make room for an expanded driveway, to the back garden. I'm so happy it survived the move. These blooms were at the center of the plant and I just poked my camera in, snapped, and hoped for the best.

I'm in no way a rose expert, but the author of Hostess of the Humble Bungalow has written a wonderful little primer post on the care of roses. Hers are stunning.

A couple of weeks ago, Heather of Inspire Me Heather held a garden party. Just look at the her beautiful yard! She set up a very cozy party space under a tree. Pondside was there, and Sheila from Sheila Zeller Interiors, as well as Janice from Real Food Made Easy. It was fun to meet some new bloggers (and visit again with Pondside). Heather served some delicious nibbles and provided the recipes for all of them. She even had prizes at the end and I came home with the paper globe lanterns you see in the photo. 

Tomorrow I'm at school again. Actually, I'll be at the hospital, not the school. But it's a school program. I'll tell you more about it in my next post. 

Wishing you a rosy very-nearly-summer day.

A Blogger's Tea

Early in January (I think), I received an email from the Hostess of the Humble Bungalow suggesting that a few local bloggers get together for tea. Our calendars were marked and I, for one, anticipated the meeting with pleasure.
 

We met at the White Heather Tea Room, where cozy tables, individual tea pots, and bone china teacups bid us welcome. From front left to back and across the table are: Hostess of the Humble Bungalow, Sheila from Ephemera, Pondside and me.

My three tea companions were so gracious when I arrived VERY late. Pondside called on my cell to ensure I was all right. I was - Tim and I were trying to get the new vehicle registered and my, what a hassle. We finally left the paperwork unfinished and said we would return on another day. Then I got a bit lost enroute. But the ladies waited to order until I arrived, quite flustered.
 

Our waitress refilled the tea pots several times as we lingered, chatting about fashion, blogging, and sundry topics. Meeting new friends can be daunting, but getting to know each other a bit through our blogs before meeting in person allowed for ease in the conversation and a sense of already knowing something about each other. Pondside and I have chatted before, but Sheila and the Hostess were friends I met for the first time. 

This blogging world - it's like penpals of old - connects us through common interests and a desire to broaden one's scope of friends. I'm looking forward to another get together - if there are other local bloggers who would like to join us, please do. 

A Weekend Away

Years ago, I dabbled in watercolor painting. I never took a class, learning instead from books. Taking a course has been something I've always wanted to do. This weekend, that desire was fulfilled.

I always keep a journal. Often, when we travel, I long to be able to do a quick sketch in my journal. When I read Materfamilias' post about the class she took, Keeping an Illustrated Journal, I put the class on my "list of things to do one day." 
 

This past weekend, I drove up to Nanaimo, boarded a ferry for Protection Island and spent two fun and challenging days of learning how to mix colors to get just the right shade, how to draw something quickly, to draw out the essentials of a scene and to apply color to sketches.

Four of us sat a table and at one point, discussed why we were taking the class. Each one expressed excitement at learning something new, but also a measure of guilt for doing something "just for me." Why is that, do you think?

Another delight was meeting Frances (and her husband Paul) of Materfamilias, who kindly offered to host me in her cozy guest cottage. 
    

Keeping an Illustrated Journal is taught by Alison Watt, who shares her knowledge in wonderfully encouraging style. The above sketch is a detail of the Pont du Gard, from a photo taken in 2007.

That day, Tim and I rented a motor scooter in Avignon and zoomed through the French countryside to the historic bridge. It was a hot day and we changed into our swim suits behind some bushes, then swam in the water below the bridge. I imagined the Roman soldiers who built the bridge might have done just the same thing 2000 years ago. On the return trip we decided to meander along smaller roads. The scents of Provence are what I remember, olive trees, lavender, the earth itself, all wafting on the wind. Tim and I talk of that day as the highlight of our trip. 

Memories like these are what photos and sketches evoke.

Have you ever thought of, or have taken a course of some kind, "just for you?"  

PS Don't forget to enter my little giveaway, here.