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.

 

Camping in the Rain

How many of you grew up going on camping trips for vacations? I did. Tim and I still enjoy camping and like to plan a yearly camping trip with our children. This past weekend we packed up tents, air mattresses, coolers, chairs, Coleman stoves and more. Much more. French Beach, a provincial park about 80 minutes from home, was our destination. Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate and we dodged drizzle and showers most of the weekend. I love sleeping snuggled into my bed while rain drips on the tent roof. Such a cozy sound.    

How to entertain a 2-year-old and a 3-year-old? They didn't seem to mind the rain at all. One mother sent the girls on a little scavenger hunt, asking them to find forest treasures, one at a time: a pinecone, a dry leaf, some moss. All the treasures were placed into empty egg cartons.

And when all else fails a little theatre was set up. The Little Misses had matching camp chairs, one red, one green, each printed with crabs and fishes, and purchased without consulting each other.
 

There was plenty of poking the fire, drinking hot chocolate, and rigging up tarps. Snacks and the sharing of meal preparation. Cuddling Mister F. A respite from everyday life. No technology. One morning I awoke early and walked the length of the beach, accompanied only by crows. Mist rose from the waves.

Home again, now, to a hot shower and piles of laundry. It's good to get away and it's good to return home.

Linking to Mosaic Monday, hosted by Mary of the Little Red House.  

Five on Friday

1.  There are blooms galore. The buddleia is amazing. We cut it back to about 3 feet every fall and every summer it races to amazing heights, providing a welcome bit of shade on the patio. Butterflies, humming birds, and bees flock to its sweet flowers and provide lots of entertainment.
 

2.  A floribunda rose against the back hedge. Brights and beautiful. I moved this rose last fall and she's doing well in her new locale.

3.  We're enjoying lots of fresh blueberries just now. I picked another quart yesterday and made Blueberry Streusal Bars - one of our summer favourites.

4.  A co-worker once brought a similar dish to a potluck affair. It's roasted vegetables, with the dressing applied before roasting. Balsamic Roasted Vegetables are delicious hot or cold or in-between. Click on the link to my recipe blog. 
 

5.  Longtime readers of my blog may remember that we moved away from Victoria for a couple of years because of my husband's job. We bought a house there and couldn't sell it when we left, so we rented it out for 2 years. This winter we listed it with a real estate agent again and it finally sold. I went up on Monday to do a final inspection and collect the keys from our tenant. He wasn't nearly moved out at the appointed time, so I went for a long walk on my favourite beach. The tide was out, the sun-warmed sand soft and I reveled in the beauty of nature. Thanks be to God that the house is sold. Title changed this week and it's all done.

I'll be away from the computer for the weekend, but want to wish all my American friends and readers a wonderful 4th of July.  

Island Stories

 So many islands dot this part of the globe. Some are large, some small. Each one has stories to tell. In my last post I mentioned our boating trip to Russell Island. The island was home to Hawaiian immigrants beginning in the 1870s. In 1901 Maria Mahoi inherited the island from her father who had cleared land for strawberries and planted an orchard. Maria and her husband built a house, the corner of which you see above. Just beyond is the water tower. 
 

Maria's island home is part of Canada's national park system. But each summer her descendants return to tell stories from the past. They live in the house and welcome visitors. No strawberries patch remains and much of the cleared land is covered with ferns, salal and tall fir trees. 

Wildflowers bloom along the path that circles this small island. The old wells have been capped and fresh water is brought from Saltspring Island. Maria served as midwife for women on Saltspring, paddling 15 minutes across the water. In the days before telephones and radios, I wonder how she was summoned. 
 

An old bicycle leans against a tree, picturesque in the dappled sunlight. If islands could be colour-coded, this one would be green. 
 

Maria raised her children on the island. Now her grandchildren and great grandchildren return to keep the past alive. Did they, too, play in the grassy clearing, pretending to be airplanes to entertain a Little Miss?

Celebrating Canada

There were parades and fireworks. We didn't see any of them. To celebrate this wonderful land of our birth we set out on the water. You'll probably see a lot of these on-the-water photos this summer. This day's destination: Russell Island, another of Canada's "Hawaiian Islands." 
 

 We paid attention to the signposts along the way - fixed aids to navigation, as above, and

floating aids to navigation, seen here. If you look closely you'll notice the fine spikes sticking up from the top of this buoy. Any guesses as to their purpose? Yep, to keep birds from alighting and making a mess of things. 
 

Once ashore we explored this tiny island. The easy trail is less than a 1 kilometre loop. We could walk it in a very short time, but why would we? There are beaches to explore, sea asparagus to crunch, tidal pools to study and wide vistas to admire. A little girl in her nautical print dress doesn't mind getting a little muddy. Life's too interesting to worry about staying neat and tidy.
 

The trail loops along the shoreline at sea level on one side and along steep rocky cliffs on the other. Dry arbutus leaves crackle underfoot and the lovely scent of sun-warmed forest rises from the ground.
 

We perch on the cliff edge, gazing southwards to the dozens of islands that dot this part of the map. In the far distance we see the still snow-capped peaks of the Olympic Peninsula. Miss S holds a brown leaf and with the power of imagination draws water from it that she pours into our hands. Water is scarce in the summertime on these rocky islands. Rain seldom falls and the grasses turn sere and golden. 

Tim takes the camera from me and snaps a photo of me with our eldest daughter. Is she really that much taller than I or are we standing on a slope? Hats and sunglasses are de rigueur on these excursions. 
 

A flower blooms on the edge of the cliff where water sparkles as it rushes upon the rocks below. I am thankful for this beautiful land in which I live, and for the freedom to believe and live as I choose. Happy Canada Day!

Gathering the Moments - June

This year, 2014, is half over. On the other hand, there are still 6 months remaining in this year. Do you find, like I do, that when looking back the days blur into chunks and only moments are retained in clear focus? I suppose my brain would explode if every moment of every day remained as sharp as the next. 

In June the irises and peonies came and went. We picked the first strawberries, the first radishes,and  the first raspberries. Last night we picked over a quart of blueberries.

In June we celebrated a birthday and honored fathers. Lavender and roses bloomed. There were cuddles and giggles with little ones.  Other highlights: dinner on the patio, a visit to Butchart Gardens, tea and chocolate, the first popsicles, some rain and some tears, but mostly sunny skies and a light heart. For all these I am thankful. 

Joining Cheryl with Gathering the Moments.

These Days: Five on Friday

1.  Cherry time! We planted trees last spring (2013) and there are enough ripening this year for a generous bowlful for the two of us in a week or so. I covered the tree with a net to prevent birds from getting them all. The net goes right to the ground so that birds cannot get underneath and perhaps get caught. We wouldn't want that. 

2. Baby beets (thinnings) and greens were on the menu this week. Is there anything more luxurious than going out to the garden to choose part of one's dinner? I've been watching the BBC series Land Girls and marvel at how hard people work on farms. Other BBC programs such as Wartime Farm highlight the intensive nature of reliance upon one's physical strength and working the land, too. Gardening used to be a necessity, not a pastime. I'm glad to have the options of gardening and of shopping for my food.

3. One glowing raspberry. There are many more of them and we're picking some every couple of days. Our growing season is several weeks ahead of normal this year, unlike the eastern part of the continent. These photos were taken yesterday in warmth and sunlight. An unsettled front moved in overnight and I awoke in the wee hours to feel a rain-freshened breeze drift across my face. I lay awake for a minute, cozy, as I listened to soft droplets of rain begin followed by a trickle as water collected in the eavestrough.
 

4.  When unsettling news comes it's hard to know how to respond. As a person of faith, I pray throughout my day. Sometimes, it's impossible to find words or to form thoughts. Ellis Peters, in one of her Brother Caedfel mysteries, writes, "He prayed as he breathed, forming no words and making no specific requests, only holding in his heart, like broken birds in cupped hands, all those people who were in stress or grief." I love this picture of holding broken people up before the God who loves them. 

This has been a week of holding any number of people in my heart - ill friends and those with broken relationships. Anger comes, too, when I consider behaviors and actions that lead to hurt. And I must lift myself up, broken, too, in need of grace.

5.  Big girl and little girls. Our eldest with her Little Miss S and cousin Miss A alongside, enjoying strawberries yesterday's sunshine. We went to the strawberry patch one last time and then home to play in the little wading pool. Splashing, pouring, squirting - oh the delight! 

Today is drippy and overcast. Good for the gardens and grass. Good for staying indoors and getting the house shipshape. Good for preparing for overnight guests. A puttery sort of day. And you? How is your day shaping up? 

Making

A happy convergence of wanting to sew a quick project and noticing some dust on the shoulders of a couple of special occasion dresses in my closet had me rummaging through my scraps and fabric stash.

I took the photo this morning on the glass-topped patio table. You can see the cloudy sky and the reflection of the buddleia bush that is beginning to bloom. We ate outside last night accompanied by a pair of hummingbirds busy with the flowers. 
 

The linen came from one very long pieced strip that used to be one of those swoopy window treatments in my living room. I took it down a couple of months ago, washed it, and put it away, wondering if it was destined for rags. Shoulder covers for dresses is a much better idea. I didn't use a pattern for these covers, just traced the outline of a hanger (they fit padded hangers, too) and then cut 2.5 inch squares, pieced them and stitched them to the cover, then trimmed them with ribbon. What took longest was cutting and stitching the squares. The covers are self-lined and by the time I finished all five (the prototype is upstairs already) I'd used up the long swath of linen.

And the hydrangeas are blooming. Our soil is fairly acidic which leads to the bluer toned flowers that I love. I just did a count in my head and there are 8 bushes in various places in our garden. Some are small self-starters from one big bush that I moved last fall.

A few appointments will take me out and about today, but I hope to spend some more time with my sewing machine. There are plenty of scraps left. 

If you sew, do you find the leftover bits and pieces pile up or do you discard the scraps after finishing a project?

Summer and the Sea

We've named our boat Solitude, as in "a place apart." Here she is on a clear Saturday morning just after launching. There is nothing like being out on the water for the sense of getting away from it all. The cares and worries of life slip away and relaxation unlike anything I've experienced before sets in. 
 

On this morning, Tim had a co-pilot, complete with life jacket and sunglasses. She was so excited. Out on the water a police boat came alongside and asked us to slow down. I thought maybe they would board and check for licences and safety equipment, but no, they just wanted to compliment Little Miss A for wearing her life jacket and gave her some stickers, an activity book and other little items. Kudos to the RCMP!
 

After anchoring in Princess Bay, Tim took A out for a ride in the little dinghy. I love the way she rests her arm on his leg, watching every move he makes. He took her along the shore and pointed out various features. She had a hard time staying seated and Tim later said he kept his fingers hooked into her life jacket.
 

On the little island (Portland again) I crouched to snap a photo of this wildflower. A bee buzzed in at the last moment in a frenzied photo bomb. You can see how fast his wings were moving. The grasses that were so green a month ago are drying already, golden and rustling in the breeze.

 There's still plenty of green. Green trees, bushes, and dark rock meld beautifully with blue sky and sea. 

Homeward bound we wait for a ferry. On the water it can be difficult to judge distances. The ferries are big and move fast - they aren't as maneuverable as smaller boats so it's best to stay out of their way. If you are near a ferry and hear five loud blasts from its horn, know that it's saying something like, "what on earth are you doing? Get out of the way!"

And now, another week begins. I'll be attending a graduation, meeting with a few friends, gardening, cooking, and sewing. An ordinary week, if there is such a thing.

Five on Friday

1. Regarding blogging woes: Here's one little fix that might work if you find that people cannot comment on your posts. Jenny of Elefantz  (a beautiful site with lovely embroidery designs) did some research and she said to spread the information around. Apparently the "embedded" option is the one giving problems.

Solution: 
1. Go to the top right of your blog page and click on 'design'.
2. In the left hand sidebar, click on 'settings'.
3. From the list shown, click on 'posts and comments'.
4. Go to 'comment location'...
5. ...and choose either 'pop-up window' or 'full page', but not 'embedded'.

I changed my comment option so if you've had trouble leaving a comment before and notice a difference, I'd like to know if this fix really does work.

2.  Summer means salad. Crisp Vegetable Slaw is currently a favorite in spite of my love/hate relationship with cabbage. You can read about it over on my recipe blog. The weather has cooled off (not that we had much heat to begin with) so I'm back to making heartier meals. I'm confident hopeful mildly optimistic that we'll have warmer temperatures soon.

3.  Many of my readers know that we spent quite a few years living in Ecuador, including 10 years on the edge of the Amazon rainforest. (It sounds so exotic, but really, life becomes pretty ordinary or extraordinary no matter where you are - depending on your attitude.) Anyway, I dug out my crochet hooks last night (keep up here, this will all fit together in a sec). I haven't crocheted much in the 12 years we've been back in Canada and when I opened the container, out wafted the peculiar musty smell of Eau de Jungle. Took me back to sunny days and evenings with rain pounding on the tin roof (in our first home) so hard that conversation was impossible. Drifting into sleep to the steady drum on the roof as clean, rain-scented air blows through the room is one of the things I miss. A simple scent brought it all back.   

4.  Until recently these shelves were a pale wood color. When I was painting picture frames a few weeks ago, I painted the shelves, too. They look crisper and fresher and so different that I've been asked if the whole setup is something new. Nope. Just paint. As an aside, do you know hard it is to take photos of something between two windows? I finally forced the flash. There's nothing like looking at a photo for realizing things need to be moved an inch or two to really balance out. But hey, this is real life stuff and those are working shelves, not just for pretty.

5. Three deer were enjoying a late dinner when I passed them on my walk yesterday evening. I was just across the street from them and they took little notice of me as I stopped, took out my phone and snapped a few portraits. I also saw a wild bunny at the bottom of our street. I'll be keeping a wary eye for my garden. Fortunately we have a fenced yard, but for keeping the wildlife away, the dogs on either side of us do a much better job.

Today I'll be house fluffing in the morning and meeting a friend for a walk in the afternoon, then grocery shopping. Tim's had a busy week including 3 nights of meetings that included dinner so I haven't done much cooking this week (except for the strawberry tart.) I'll make a nice dinner for this evening - any ideas? What are you cooking?     

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? 

Tea Time

Morning tea is fine from a mug, preferably china. But afternoon tea calls for something a little more civilized. I have two of these hostess sets, handed down to me from my mother-in-law. I'll have to ask her if she remembers where they came from. They were made in Japan. Don't you think they are such a practical design, with room for a little treat alongside the cup?
 

Roses are a favorite adornment for tea cups. I like the softness of these and the gold edging on the handle, base and plate. 
 

After a rather windy, chilly weekend, the sun has returned and it was warm enough to enjoy afternoon tea in the garden, with fresh raspberries (they are very early this year) and a bit of dark chocolate. The tea is Red Rose orange pekoe, fairly weak. 

Joining Tea Time at Rose Chintz Cottage.