On Saturday morning we were happy to take some time off from gardening to attend a workshop with our garden club in Bellevue. The topic was "Creating a Northwest Garden". Since we have been gardening here on our half acre for coming up on 42 years, we have experienced most of what there is to know and learn, but it was reassuring to hear that we had done many things right, from laying out a plan based on what was there originally to including those Northwest natives in our landscape.
After the workshop we went out to lunch together at Tavern Hall in Bellevue Square and enjoyed visiting with each other. Connected to Bellevue Square by a sky bridge is Lincoln Square, where we knew there was a wonderful Dale Chihuly chandelier. We are fortunate to call this famous glass artist as one of our own here in the PNW, and there are several museums that feature his work. There are also privately owned installations that the public can enjoy.
There is also a very cool indoor waterfall in this atrium.
Saturday afternoon we spent several hours working on that compost pile.
Sunday was rainy and since we weren't going to work outside we did our usual Monday housework and laundry on Sunday. We did a little grocery shopping and I bought my primroses for my front porch.
Now it's Monday afternoon. The compost pile is gone!
The primroses are planted.
The front walk is looking like spring time.
And we even got some more yard clean up done, since Sunday's storm messed things up again. What is it that little plaque says?
On Wednesday of this week we had a mountain of work delivered.
OK, maybe not a mountain, but a hill of a lot of work, five yards of compost.
All winter long, when he could get outside, Tom has been pruning. Our yard waste bins have been stuffed for pick up every two weeks. This last week we have been blessed with dry, sunny weather, so I have been outside too, cleaning out the planting beds. Now we have every available bin full of winter debris and clippings and stuff I have picked up while crawling around on my hands and knees, my best way of working in the garden.
Tom started spreading compost on Wednesday while I worked to stay ahead of him with my cleaning.
Tom's method is to fill five gallon buckets and wheel barrow them to where he is applying the mulch.
Charlie checks in most days and loves hanging out with us while we work.
Gradually the beds are looking purrty.
As you can see, the tulips are up.
And gradually the mountain was shrinking.
Today, after our long Friday morning breakfast, I worked with Tom, filling buckets while he spread the compost. That gave us both a chance to rest, waiting for each other. By today we needed to slow down. We are both stiff and sore.
We have wrapped up work now for a while. We have an event on Saturday, and Sunday is supposed to be rainy. We'll be back at it next week.
But we have managed to make a mole hill out of a mountain. The end is in sight.
I needed a project for those rainy days so I dug into my fabric scraps box to see what I could find. There are usually enough bits and pieces to make a couple of place mats and a table topper.
Making pieced place mats is like making mini quilts, but in this case, without a pattern. I just make it up as I go along, seeing what will fit here or there. The mini stripe binding and accent is from a piece I had, probably left over from making a dress for Irene, and the colored blocks are what's left from a batik pack of fat quarters that I've had for a long time. I think I made a purse for Irene out of some of it.
Of course I had to go buy fabric for the backing, so now I have a few more bits and pieces left over.
I worked on this project off and on, an hour or two at a time for over several weeks. I am not looking for speed, but for something creative to do when outside is not an option and house cleaning is no fun. I finished the set of table mats Sunday afternoon.
This morning, Monday, I had time to do my physical therapy and a bit of dusting before going off again to the dentist office for another procedure, this time a crown. Another hour plus in the dental chair, and another almost $1000 out of pocket. I used up this year's dental insurance in January. And there is more to come :-(
While I was taking care of myself, Tom did all of the light housework for Monday and all of the laundry. He's a good guy. :-)
Our garage door opener quit working, so today we had a garage door service man come and fix it. It was a fairly simple fix and just the minimum service charge, only $100. More money. :-(
Today was dry and mostly sunny, although not warm. We both got outside this afternoon and put in a couple of hours of yard work. It felt good to be able to work outside again.
In another bit of news, this came in the mail today.
Since we definitely want a change in the presidency, we will need to do some studying and thinking in able to decide who to give our primary votes to. We have some favorites in mind, but who knows how all of this will turn out. March 10 is still a ways off and lots will be going on before then.
Kitchen table
The Novocaine is slowly wearing off. I think my jaw will hurt a little, but I've already taken Ibuprofen to dull what ever pain comes. I had a noon appointment at the dentist office today to have a root canal, just one more in another series of dental procedures I'll be enduring this winter. It's not a great way to celebrate Valentine's Day, but I'll recover.
We did have fun with our Friday morning breakfast friends today. I bought Tom a box of See's chocolates for Valentine's Day and we agreed to share some of them. Chocolate for breakfast is a good thing.
When I got home from the dentist, Tom presented me with a card and some yummy looking chocolate dessert that we will enjoy this evening when I can easily eat again. We plan to go out for dinner at some point.
The mailman brought us a gift too. Our 2020 Sounders Season package arrived today.
It was in a classy metal box with the Sounders logo, and TWO stars now, denoting two MLS Championships.
A hard cover book of the championship season.
Our 2020 season scarves.
I'm not sure how I feel about the black and white scarves, I prefer some variation of our team's sky blue and Rave green.
But they look pretty classy if you're wearing black.
And, right on schedule, the second stalk on the Amaryllis is blooming today.
I hope you're having a sweet day, and a good weekend to come.
I left you on the last post with our choice - Which way?
There are many choices here, as this sign indicates. For this choice, we took the high road. That took us to the Visitor Center, the Rock Garden, the Ground Cover Garden, and the Yao Garden,
Nature plants the lichen and moss.
Another Edgeworthia, and a place to stop and smell the...flowers.
The water feature in the Ground Cover Garden.
More fragrance from the Daphne Odora.
Into the Rock Garden.
Moss spore cases on stone.
A white needled fir, I think.
An early rhododendron.
The Visitor Center terrace, one of several places I sat to enjoy a sunbeam.
Once a wine cellar on the original owners estate, now it looks more like an elf house.
The Yao Garden is wonderful even when nothing is blooming.
And then we took the low road to complete the almost two mile loop.
We discovered a new art installation. That would be the stone arch, not me, but it did seem like a perfect frame.
As we returned to the Visitor Center on still another path, we found this lovely Camellia. It seemed to be saying "Happy Valentine's Day!"
