Bring on Summer!

Beautiful, fragrant lilacs never last long once cut. About a week ago I smashed the woody stems with a hammer before putting them into the water and they've lasted almost a week now. The cooler temperatures help, too. 

I met a friend for a stroll around Butchart Gardens today. We are all hopeful that warmer temperatures are just around the corner. On Wednesday, the lowest ever temperature high was recorded for the day. 

Meconopsis Himalayan Blue Poppies bloom with paper thin petals surrounding golden centers.

This summer marks Canada's 150th birthday and a special breed of tulips commemorates this year. Canada 150 tulips are red and white, like our flag. Beyond the tulip beds in the photo above, technicians are laying the groundwork for the fireworks displays held each Saturday night during the summer. They are always spectacular. 

Colourful Cineraria filled beds with symmetrical flowers in bright pinks and blues. 

It's cruise ship season and the garden paths were filled with people speaking many languages, all united in their appreciation of beauty. 

The forecast is for a warmer weekend, and it's a long one; Monday is Victoria Day. I'm looking forward to some garden time, and an outing on the boat. Bring on summer!

Things Beautiful and Practical

View from the breakfast table. The fig tree is sprouting leaves and I think that they look like enormous butterflies ready to lift off and fly away. 

They stretch eagerly towards the light. This corner of the world, and our garden in particular, is full of life and the promise of things to come. Some days, especially when the sky is blue and the sun warm on my back, I ache with the beauty of it.

The friendly wisteria vine that grew in through the hedge from the neighbour's garden is thriving. 

It has latched onto the garden shed and we're training it to go where we want it, across the front of the roof. So far it's cooperating beautifully. The slightest stirring of air sends sweet fragrance through the garden. 

How do you store your food containers? I kept mine in a set of double lower cabinets, but found that I only used the ones in the front because reaching to the back was such a chore. Some day we'll redo our cabinets, but for now, Tim installed drawers behind the cabinet doors. It took a couple of evenings and he had most of the supplies already in his shop. I'm loving the ease of access and how organized it all is. A great gift!  

Today was Mother's Day. We celebrated with a brunch after church. This bunch of tiny creamy roses was one gift, and 

a succulent in a French-inspired pot along with some chocolates another. There's also a hanging pot of fuschias on the front porch.

Miss A made this delightful pipe-cleaner portrait of her Nana, from Nana's favourite colour, blue (also Miss A's favourite). It makes me giggle to look at it. So very cute.

Linking with Mosaic Monday, hosted by Maggie of Normandy Life. 

A Ramble Through My Mazy Mind

I once read an essay that categorized essays as rambles through an author's mazy mind. Hence the title of my post. Many essayists manage to wander around and yet arrive at some clear conclusion. This post is less of an essay and more of a ramble.

This evening I took a walk through the neighbourhood. Delightful smells of freshly cut grass mingled with sweet lilacs. Rain is in the forecast and I think everyone is cutting their lawns beforehand. We did ours last night. Tim does the trimming and I mow until he's finished trimming, by which time I'm happy to relinquish the mower as I will have arrived at the steepest part of the back lawn. 

I'm listening to the sounds of Tim retrofitting drawers into a set of kitchen cabinets. Some day we'll redo the kitchen, but I get so frustrated with the storage of small containers. I've tried baskets, but one can only reach so far into bottom cabinets without crouching right down and crawling halfway in. I'm thankful for a talented and hard-working husband. 

I'm also thankful for good friends, and a lovely Sunday afternoon of boating. We gathered at the boat launch and set our heading to Salt Spring Island for a late lunch. Being out on the water tends to make us forget about life on land for a few hours. We sleep very well after a boating trip, except that I tend to feel the motion of the boat when I close my eyes. The room seems to be going back and forth, just a little. 

I'm thinking about Mother's Day this Sunday. Did you know that Anna Jarvis, the originator of this day to honour mothers, regretted ever coming up with the idea? She was horrified at the way a simple celebration had been hijacked by the floral and card industries. 

Be that as it may, I'm very thankful for my mother and her love, guidance, and example. My mother-in-law is also wonderful. I'm thankful for the opportunity I've had to become a mother, and now a grandmother.

But I know of many women for whom this day is agony. Some have longed for children and have not been given any. Others wait in cycles of hope and disappointment. In the past couple of years, our eldest daughter and her husband have lost four little heartbeats, now safe in heaven. It's hard. We are all thankful for the little girl they do have, but the loss of the others aches still and there are times when I am overwhelmed with grief. 

We will celebrate Mother's Day with joy. Our three grandchildren will fill our gathering with exuberant delight. I am overjoyed when I spend time with them. But I will also be conscious of those for whom this day is difficult, and my thoughts will be filled with tenderness for them.

I'm looking at this bouquet of flowers, picked from my garden last night. Cornflowers, a few last tulips, Bluebells, Candy Tuft, and Lemon Balm.

I'm planning to pick some rhubarb tomorrow. Shall I make a rhubarb cheesecake bars, or just stew it to serve over ice cream? Decisions, decisions. Which would you choose?    

Tulip Mania

Spring has been slow and cold here. Sunny days are outnumbered by grey dull skies. Saturday, however, dawned with a bright blue sky - a perfect day for a visit to Butchart Gardens. One little grand stayed with us overnight while her parents were off celebrating their anniversary, so we called up the cousins and asked if they would like to visit the gardens, too. Daughter-in-law Katie came along to help guide herd the flock. 

Waves of tulips in a plethora of colour and shape greeted our eyes. Elizabeth Von Armin, author of Elizabeth and her German Garden writes "I love tulips better than any other spring flower; they are the embodiment of alert cheerfulness and tidy grace..." She goes on to disparage hyacinths for their untidiness, but since I love hyacinths, as well as tulips, I'll ignore that part. 

Although this was Miss S' first trip to the gardens, the cousins have been here many times as Katie worked here for several years and received a lifetime pass as a parting gift. So when asked where they wanted to go first, the Rose Carousel, seen in the top of the photo above, was their choice. This is the only carousel on Vancouver Island, and the 30 animals were hand carved by carousel artists.

Each of the girls chose an animal to ride - a cheetah for Miss A, and a horse for Miss S. Mr. F rode in a bench seat with his mother. I held Miss S for reassurance as the music began, and the carousel slowly began to go round and round, and the horse rose and fell in a stately canter.   

Then it was off to see the dancing fountain shoot upwards, fan sideways, wave back and forth and generally delight. That one tulip petal looks as though it's waving in response.

We've all heard of the dot.com bubble, but the first economic bubble of that sort concerned tulip bulbs. In the 17th century, in the Netherlands, there arose a great demand for tulip bulbs that saw a single bulb cost as much as a house. As in all economic bubbles, the burst bankrupted many. But the Dutch love of tulips continued. For an interesting summary of the 17th century Tulipomania, click here. 

Cheerful tulips nodded to us throughout our stroll. It's impossible to choose a favourite, but these rounded, slightly ruffled flower heads would be in the top 10.

The underplantings, mostly of forget-me-nots, and other small flowers, either complemented the tulips, as above, 

or contrasted, as seen here with the pink and blue. 

 They were all beautiful. Can you spot the rogue tulip in the above photo? There's a standout in every crowd.

Linking with Mosaic Monday, hosted by Maggie of Normandy Life. 

Hodge Podge for the First Time

Every week, Joyce, of From This Side of the Pond, comes up with some interesting questions for bloggers to answer on their own blogs, and then post a link in her blog so we can all read the answers. I've read Hodge Podge posts for some time and thought I'd take part occasionally. So here goes - the questions are Joyce's, the answers mine.


1. Can you tell I'm embracing a Cinco de Mayo theme here this week? Do you like Mexican food? What's your favorite dish? How about on the side-black beans, pinto beans, refried beans, rice? What about heat-mild, medium, hot? Will you celebrate with Mexican food and drink on May 5th aka Cinco de Mayo?

I really like Mexican food. A lot. Fish tacos would be my favourite dish. I'm not as fond of the side dishes of beans and rice. Medium heat, please. We don't celebrate Cinco de Mayo here, but I might make pizza, since it's a Friday and a granddaughter will be spending the night.

2. Ever been to Mexico? For work or holiday? Love it or no? If you haven't been is this a place you'd like to visit? Can you speak Spanish?

Mexico is a wonderful place to visit in January or February when our local climate is dreary and cold. We've been several times, on holiday. I'd like to return to the Mexican Riviera. Yes, I can speak Spanish. 

3. What's one thing you may accomplish this month?

This month, I may get my garden in, if the sun decides to shine and warm up the dirt.

4. If you were mayor of your village, city, or town, what's one thing you'd like to see changed, done away with, revamped, or accomplished? Is serving in public office something you've ever seriously considered?

I've never considered serving in public office. No interest at all. But I can certainly run the world from my living room!

5. What's something that may be popular, but that you just don't get?

Cold shoulder tops, books with covers torn off as decor, raw fish sushi. 

6. Can't let this week slip by without mentioning Thursday May 4th is Star Wars Day. As in 'May the 4th be with you' ahem. Are you a fan of the Star Wars series? Exactly how much of a fan are you? On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being 'I've seen every film, own the action figures, might have dressed as Darth Vader for Halloween one year', and 1 being, 'what's a Vader?' -where do you land?

I've watched Star Wars and enjoy the movies, but I wouldn't consider myself a fan. Maybe a 2 on the scale.

7. Scroll back through your blog posts and in three sentences or less tell us the general theme of your fourth blog post. Does it still ring true today? Is it a topic you re-visit on your blog from time to time?

I was surprised to see that my fourth blog post (10 years ago) referenced Susan Branch. It was a link to an interview done on another blog. And I'm still a fan of her artwork, books and blog. 

8.  Insert your own random thought here.

Many of my thoughts are random. It's hard to choose one from the whirl in my head. So here is a thought from Audrey Hepburn:

"For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others;
For beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness;
and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone."

For more Hodge Podge answers, visit Joyce's blog.

A Weekend in Vancouver

Cherry trees arch across the street where our youngest daughter and her husband live in Vancouver. The trees are some of those donated in 1958 by the Japanese Consul, Muneo Tanabe, as "an eternal memory of good friendship between our two nations." 

The trees are aging. Ashley told us of a neighbour who, as she parked her car on the street, heard a crashing sound behind her and saw that a tree limb large enough to span the road, had fallen just behind her car. 

These days, traffic on these streets is busier as many people come to photograph the trees. They bloom all over the city, but the ones in this area are a bit later and attract those who just can't get enough of the Prunus genus. I know I was out there with my camera snapping away. 

The City regulations allow for backyard chickens. We got to meet Gala, Fuji (rather feisty), McIntosh, and Granny Smith. They live in a large and airy coop in the back garden. I helped Ashley do some weeding on Saturday morning and we were sure to save the good weed greens, such as dandelions and chickweed) as a treat for the hens.

The hens lay around 5 eggs per week each. Each hen's eggs are a slightly different colour. We enjoyed a delicious breakfast of fresh eggs, bacon, pastries from a local bakery, and sliced tomatoes.

A weekend goes by so very fast. While Ashley and I weeded, Owen and Tim went to the lumber yard for supplies to repair the deck. We walked, just a few blocks, to Le Marché St. George for a lunch of crepes and/or quiche, and the spiciest chai tea I've ever tasted. It was too spicy for me, so Tim got to drink two bowls. The tiny restaurant was jam-packed, so, in spite of the chilly rain, we ate outdoors, on the sidewalk, à la française. Cozy blankets and pillows provided by the restaurant kept us warm.

We crossed on the ferry Sunday afternoon, in time for dinner with the families who live on this side of the water. 

Linking with Mosaic Monday, hosted by Maggie of Normandy Life.  

Come Into the Garden

The sun streams through the windows this morning and I long to be outdoors. I have a few moments this morning; my class doesn't begin until 9:45, so I slip into my shoes and pick up my secateurs on the way out the door. 

I take a quick tour of the garden. The red tulips (and I thought I planted pink several years ago) blaze with life. I look more closely and sure enough, there's a pink rogue among the red. 

Over in the bluebells, the first pretty bells are open. I've noticed them in the woods where we walk, and have been impatiently waiting for ours. 

I snip a few stems. They look lovely on the tea cart, but the light in the corner windows will soon be their demise. I sip my mug of tea as I ponder where to put them. I like a mug for my morning tea, still thin bone china, rather than a tea cup. Which do you prefer? 

I plunk the flowers unceremoniously into a yogurt pot that I brought back from Paris last summer, and set it on the kitchen counter. 

As I wander back towards the fire (all that bright light does not equal warmth) to finish my tea, the play of shadow and light on this side table catches my eye and I reach once again for my camera. A plant, a book, and a coaster. I finished the book last night - Balancing Act, by Joanna Trollope.

Now it's time to head off. I'll walk to school today. Although I can't be in my garden, the sun will shine on my head and I'll breathe in the smells of earth. It's Friday and a weekend of possibility lies ahead.

April in the Garden

My camera arrived home this week. I am so tickled to have it in my possession once again. And it's just in time for the apple blossoms! Most buds are still tightly closed and such a delicate and fresh pink. 

A few buds unfurl towards the sun, revealing pale blush pink petals surrounding creamy stamens. How beautiful the light is in the late afternoon. 

A few violets have emerged spontaneously from a mossy bed. 

In the vegetable beds, lettuce is flourishing and we'll have a salad for two within the next week or so. Peas are up, and radishes. Teensy green apricots dangle from hair-thin stems on the apricot tree. Herbs are flourishing and add fresh flavour to our meals these days. 

Strawberries are blooming and I've seen a few bees buzzing around which bodes well for fruit. 

The fig tree can't wait to bear fruit as it's forming even as the leaves emerge. I never noticed this concurrence before. 

Our local grocery store celebrated an anniversary this past weekend, and while trundling through the aisles on Saturday I was offered a pretty long-stemmed rose and a piece of cake. I brought both home and am enjoying the bit of colour on the mantel. Tim and I managed to make short work of the cake.

How is your garden doing? I hope that warmth and sunshine are coming to your corner of the world, or cooler and rainy if you're in the southern hemisphere. We've had a LOT of rain this spring which makes things grow beautifully - especially the lawns. 

Thinking Back on a Visit with Anne

"In the garden below were lilac trees purple with flowers and

their dizzily sweet fragrance drifted up to the window on the morning wind."

I've been thinking back over our trip to P.E.I. recently. It was almost 2 years ago. Perhaps seeing my lilac bushes and the tightly closed buds triggered my thoughts, for Anne loved lilacs. I was happy to visit Green Gables while the lilacs bloomed. 
Here are some photos from our visit, most of which are included in the original post. I'm including some quotations from L.M. Montgomery's books, most of the quoting Anne. 

“I do know my own mind,' protested Anne. 'The trouble is, my mind changes and then I have to get acquainted with it all over again.” 

Anne does make me laugh. In another part of the story, she says that she is many different Annes. I find myself nodding in agreement, do you? There's the quiet me, the boisterous me, the Nana, the Mom, the daughter, the half of a marriage, the teacher, the gardener, the one who laughs herself silly, and the one who cries at parades. 

“Look at that sea, girls--all silver and shadow and vision of things not seen. We couldn't enjoy its loveliness any more if we had millions of dollars and ropes of diamonds.” 

Friends took us out for a lobster supper one night and then to Cavendish Beach with its red rock cliffs that are slowly eroding away. 

Driving around the Island was such a delight. The fields were just beginning to green up, some had not yet been planted, and I could envision Matthew working away and Anne going out to call him to supper.

“After all," Anne had said to Marilla once, "I believe the nicest and sweetest days are not those on which anything very splendid or wonderful or exciting happens but just those that bring simple little pleasures, following one another softly, like pearls slipping off a string.”

Dishes are very utilitarian, but both useful and beautiful, as the dishes in the dresser in the kitchen show. Finding delight in the ordinary is something I've tried to cultivate in my life.  

“Dear old world', she murmured, 'you are very lovely, and I am glad to be alive in you.” 

It is a beautiful world we live in, in spite of the horrors that go on every day. The terrible things affect us all, in big and little ways, but I believe that beauty, especially that of the created world is restorative. St. Paul encourages us to think about things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, and excellent. Good advice, don't you think?

And one more quote to close this rather meandering post that is a collection of my disjointed thoughts.

“Isn't it splendid to think of all the things there are to find out about? It just makes me feel glad to be alive--it's such an interesting world. It wouldn't be half so interesting if we know all about everything, would it? 

Linking to Mosaic Monday, hosted by Maggie of Normandy Life.