Inside and Outside

 

Inside the Amaryllis Tom wintered over has bloomed this week and is now fading. Inside is where we rest after spending hours outside working.

Outside we showed off our garden to a friend and her friend this Saturday morning after spending most of our waking hours working this week. Things are looking pretty spiffy today, but the list of what's next continues to grow, and gardeners know that what's done gets undone and a garden is a job forever. 

Our first rose bloomed. More are on the way. 

Foxglove scattered here and there are opening their "mittens".

Columbine plant themselves here, there, and everywhere. 

The patio is set up for outdoor living and we do occasionally sit down there. Yesterday I spent an hour reading here under the umbrella, as it was quite warm. It was lovely.

The rocking chairs went out yesterday but we haven't landed in them yet. 

This moto holds true, and chocolate in frequently consumed.

Tom spent several days cleaning up the raised beds and now they are planted mostly in flowers since we don't have enough sun heat now to have much of a vegetable crop. I clipped all of the ivy. 

I do land here when I need a break, which is often.

This afternoon we visited two Open Gardens as members of the Northwest Perennial Alliance. Then we rested a bit before it was time for me to fix some food for supper. Hamburgers are easy.

Now Tom is back outside to finish another job. I'm finally getting to my blog to post. Then I'll get back to my book. It's a who done it, set in a boarding school in New England, "I Have Some Questions For You", I am down to the last 10%, and we still aren't sure who did it. 

When we're both settled in for the evening we are finally getting to Sally Field's new Netflix movie, "Remarkably Bright Creatures". I read the book last year and loved it.

Tomorrow (probably today when you read this) is Memorial Day and I may not do any work. I'll check in on the Indy 500, because I always have. I'll get that book finished and select a new one. I'll rest!

Rain and Sun, Rest and Fun

 We arrived at our Whidbey Island retreat Friday afternoon. 

The weather was cold and windy and sometimes rainy. We settled in, greeted Jake, who was there for a short stay, and eventually went out to dinner. Then Jake went home. 

That night I had the best night's sleep I have had in a long time.

After a slow start Saturday we went to the Bayview Farmer's Market. Tom had a good time talking to vendors. I found a bakery stand that had almond croissants. I waited in line for one of our favorite treats.

The market is set up in a field and I struggled on uneven ground, but enjoyed myself until I needed to be done. We stopped at the nearby Goose grocery store then went back to the cabin for lunch and a rest.

One of the reasons we timed our visit when we did was because of this.

The Laburnum Arbor was in bloom!

Bayview Nursery created this arbor some years ago and every year these mature Golden Chain Trees put on a show.

Then we did some shopping, and yes, we bought a few things. We need to support local businesses, especially those who provide us with such beauty.

We went to another nursery, enjoyed looking around, bought one more plant, then were back at the cabin resting, reading and napping.

That evening we figured out how to watch the Sounders soccer match on TV using our laptop. The family decided to drop the cable there.  We lost the soccer match, but we had some good Tillamook ice cream to sooth us. 

Sunday morning was lovely. We took our time and had those yummy almond croissants for breakfast.  

Then Tom worked in the cabin garden, weeding and clipping, happy that some of the plants and seeds he collected on the island were alive and growing in the cabin garden. We are trying to change to native, water wise plants there.

I went for a walk on the beach road and enjoyed the "meadow" in the empty lot where sea thrift and lupine are blooming.

In the afternoon we took a little walk on the beach, cleaned the cabin and did more reading and resting before heading for home.

Now we are home doing Monday things, but vowing to go a little easier. We have lists of outside jobs and plenty of time to do them. Resting should be part of every day.

But that's enough rest for right now. The clothes dryer buzzer is calling me.

Mother's Day Memories.

 My blog archive holds so many memories, going back to 2008. My Facebook Memories pop up daily and surprise me. Today I was reminded of the rhubarb pie I baked 6 years ago.

It was for our immediate family Mother's Day dinner here. I was in the practice of honoring my daughter on Mother's day. She was the one doing the active mothering.

Then a photo of two fancy rhubarb pies popped up from 2009, 17 years ago. 

They were for an extended family dinner at my sister Laurie's house. Our mother was still with us and my daughter and grands still lived in Colorado.

Today I baked a rhubarb cake. I am older and have less energy and cake is easier.

It's still delicious, and still to celebrate my daughter, and me too, I guess. As usual we will host the usual suspects, minus granddaughter Irene, who is busy with college in Bellingham. 

My mother has been gone about 15 years now. The grands have grown up. I got old. Here is my favorite photo of us mothers together, taken in 2011.

Happy Mother's Day to all the mothers who are still mothering, and to all those who are cherishing memories of mothers. 

More "Blooming"

 

The Glass Flowers are on display. 

It took me a second day to finish putting them all on their stakes, rearranging a few, deciding where they all are supposed to go. There are a few changes from last year. Some are not quite as I would wish, but pushing the rebar stakes into the root filled ground can be tricky, so nature sometimes picked the spot. 

Walking around the garden the next day, taking photos, my eye was caught be a few other blooms too. Enjoy the tour.

It will be a while before the roses bloom in the rose bed. Bulbs are finishing their show. 

The Secret Garden is ready for sitting. 

Some blooming things are real.

Tom's mini Hosta collection on the deck.

It's Wisteria Time!

As I sit here in the home office, across the hall Jose is finishing up the water damage restoration work that has been ongoing this past month. Painting was done yesterday and the carpet pad and reinstallation of part of the carpet is now done. Vacuuming is getting done. The result looks great. Moving furniture back in can wait. The insurance money is in our account ready for the final payment.

Tom has gone to get a borrowed pick up truck. We have several loads of yard debris to haul to the yard waste dump. We both worked hard yesterday to finish up the pruning and cleaning. I have a little bit more "yard art" to place in the garden. Costco and Safeway shopping will be done either later today or tomorrow. 

Mother's Day dinner will be here. We will eat ribs and rhubarb cake and share the beauty of nature, our garden, and our family love.