summer solstice

The solstice occurs at 9:24 pm today, and I am trying to enjoy the longest day of the year. I have setup my new red chair. The chair seems to be enjoying a welcoming by Dashiell.

primilci (the three milkings)

I've been reading my witches calendar again, and Saint Bede's writing tells us about this month when full forage abounds and the cows are milked three times a day. Primilci is all about abundance and the garden certainly seems to be showing full signs of that. Suddenly I have switched from watching and encouraging growth, to having to prune and clear paths and walkways.

The front yard is looking like it has been there for years.

But when the work is done I have created a space to knit and read, just sit back and enjoy.

mercury retrograde and other topics of thought lately

Mercury goes out of retrograde today and not a moment too soon. Computers have been slow, my sewing machine would only sew in reverse for awhile and confusion over days of the week and banking accounts have been rampant. I explain my absence of blogs to not being able to hold my thoughts together long enough to put them on paper, or whatever we call this cloud we all hang our lives on these days.
As retirement ever creeps into my daily life, or admitting retirement, the idea of ageing is something that seems to wander through the mind and body. I had coffee after yoga this morning with my friend Katinka who is 80 and going strong both mentally and physically. And earlier in the week I had discussions with my 75 year old bookkeeping advisor about taking on challenges to keep our brains working. I am a faithful follower of Betty Reid Soskin's Blog and her recent entry talks about how you are dealt with when you are 95 and assumptions that are made. But Betty makes the point of living in the "now", which I find as valuable advice. Yes, I remember when I borrowed $100 from my brother and it kept me going for an entire quarter during college, but that was 1972. Today is not 1972 and I count my blessings for my house and circumstances going into this stage of life. But I find it important to at least attempt to stay in tune with today's technology whether I use it or not. And then I also find it important to appreciate the small things like being able to have a cup of coffee on the back porch in the morning reading the paper, and enjoying the company of the cats.
We do live in a crazy world these days, but the important thing is to live in it, accept the good and put up with the bad. And Mercury is out of retrograde.

the last major project, really

Well we thought the kitchen was the final frontier in house projects, but the Mikes put a flagstone patio in their backyard, and my landscaping friend said she wasn't busy, and before we knew it we had embarked on the front yard project.

before

Now don't be fooled by the green, it is a lovely mix of green weeds and bermuda grass after this season of rain. By summer it would be a dead and dusty mess with a bit of garden in the middle. So with the help of this and a wonderful crew of three, four inches of weeds and dirt were removed.

the trailer

Landscape fabric, baserock, decomposed granite, brick and cobblestone edging, and topsoil was added.

in progress

Plants, pots, and a few rocks were procured and my turn to labor happened.

after

Aero likes the front yard

Once my marigold and sunflower seeds produce plants and I get the irrigation installed the project will be as complete as any garden project ever is. Those of us who think of ourselves as gardeners know a garden is never complete, there will always be change.
Many thanks to my neighbor Mikes, who let me use the bricks from their replaced patio and my wonderful friends TC and Keni .
I'll report updates as things grow.

cookie contest update

Liz did it! She retains the trophy, three years in row. Way to go Liz.

cookie contest today at building 14

I'm working on presentation. Note to myself, buy a small heart shape cookie cutter. These little ones are somewhat organically formed into hearts, but then I had to do somethings to celebrate Valentine's Day. Walking in from Farmer's Market right now my nose was treated to the wonderful scent of a kitchen that had just baked pecan shortbread.
Competition could be stiff today. Will Liz be able to hold on to the trophy for three years running? Or can Douglas steal it back.A report will follow.

year of the rooster

 

Before the New Year comes, one of the Chinese New Year customs is to clean the house from top to bottom to get rid off all the bad luck gathered in the previous year.
And after the New Year comes, you cannot sweep during the first days otherwise all the new luck will sweep away.
So I only got the upstairs clean today, but hopefully that will do to clear away last year's bad luck. And I guess I can postpone any more cleaning until next week.