spring is starting to arrive

The daffodils are staring to bloom and my insanity of buying and planting 300 of them is starting to pay off. Free shipping, my downfall in online purchasing. 100 of them were miniatures that are popping their heads up in my leafing out buckeyes.

There's hope, at least in my garden, and the end of January marks the end of my most dreaded three months of the year. This is the time of the year when I know I am truly a Californian, I'm ready for Spring on February 1. Valentine's day is approaching, followed by St. Patrick's day, and the first official day of Spring, which will mark my 38th wedding anniversary. Then we get into fishing season and all is well. It has been a good knitting season but I'm ready to take on some yard work. I can picture the Adirondack chairs out on the new flagstone patio with the fire ring that will be the major house project of the year. But I'm happy if some rainy days  will come and I can settle into my window seat with a book or my knitting needles.

january 1, 2020

2020 calendars are purchased and hung in place. 2019's in the recycle bin. Pakistani lunch eaten. Portrait wall nearly complete (we will always find a space for one more).

So while other people may make resolutions or intentions we both selected our favorite photos for the year. Mike was somewhat random, while I methodically went through my chronological files month by month. While we both chose some cat photos, we were restrained.
So here are Mikes:

And mine:

So happy new year to all, and looking forward to a year of more photos and blogging.

dulce domum

A bit of a holiday tradition I like to read "Dulce Domum", a chapter from Wind in the Willows.

This book was given to me as a birthday gift in 1959 and has been with me ever since. It did in recent years have an accidental dose of water in a corner away from my possession. But it remains readable and much loved. Dulce Domum, or Home Sweet Home is the story of Ratty and Mole returning from a day away and coming home along a path that takes them by Mole's old home underground. A sweet story with caroling field mice. I think that my love of this book and it's characters may explain my relationship with rats and mice, a good one.

christmas eve 2019

We made a run to White House Pool to collect buckeye balls for the 2019 crop. And then of course there was a lunch of fried calamari and Caesar salad.
Across from our parked car we spotted Mike's new project.

Photo project, that is....

anticipating solstice

The new quilt is on the bed.

 

 The fruitcake has arrived.

This is not just any fruitcake, this is Maureen's fruitcake, for people who don't like fruitcake.

thanksgiving

You might be wondering what is this photo? Well it is an elaborate cat toy constructed to lure an unsuspecting cat into the box. A new cat toy was suspended inside. The project was executed by my niece Katie. She did get cat heads into the box. But the cat below was not poking her head into the box.

The cat above is Minerva. She's spending a few days here in the neighborhood. She's a welcome guest.
An interesting Thanksgiving here, an interesting energy in the air, perhaps, witch-like. But good witch.

marigolds

A small altar this year, but marigolds everywhere. I even managed to fashion a ristra from the the marigolds I harvested from the garage roof.