Sweet Sungolds

Yeah! We just got 10mm of rain in about 20 minutes. The first rain since I planted the garden. Like a little kid at Christmas, I ran out to see how the plants were doing after their first rain shower in their new digs. Our first Sungold tomatoes!

Work in Progress

I'm still here! Lots of outside projects in the works. This is the greenhouse my brother is building for me using old recycled windows and doors. I'd say he's about half way done. It's looking a little junky down there now but I know it will be fabulous when it's finished. I've got an old cast iron kitchen sink to put inside and will put a load of pea gravel in for the floor and a potting bench down one side. I'm not sure what we'll use for the bottom - maybe siding - maybe glass. It may end up being more of a natural light potting shed/painting studio. Who knows?



We had a bunch of dead limbs cut down and a HUGE oak tree that was dead and leaning over the barn. I failed to get a photo of the whole tree but this is a piece of the middle section to give you an idea of how large it was. Lots of loud equipment and guys with hard hats and chainsaws running around for a few hours.


We made good use of the pile of chips left by the arborist. I now have paths leading to my new kitchen garden. Woo-Hoo! Finally a place to grow a few tomatoes, peppers and herbs.





Oh my sad sad tomatoes. They were struggling on the back deck planted in random containers. Finally they have room to stretch out and get some sun. I still need to cover the soil with a little mulch. I've got a pile of half decomposed leaves from last fall piled under the magnolia tree. I hope I get to that tomorrow. There's always something to do around here. My project list keeps getting longer instead of shorter.

The rough plan has been to get lots of work done around the house and yard this summer so that we can sit back and enjoy it in the fall. Maybe get back to some artful jewelry type creations and pottery.


Check out how the potato vine grew up around my squirrel feeder! Next year I'll plant those along the fence but I sort of just plunked a handful in the ground at the base of the post a few weeks ago. I've added a few more plants around the yard. 4 dwarf gardenias near the lower deck with newly mulched paths and 10 autumn ferns along the driveway by the trash corral.

Here's a sweet smellin' bloom on the guacamole hostas I planted last month. I was amazed at the bloom - it's so unlike the other hostas I planted earlier in the year. I've really enjoyed being outside, nurturing my plants and seeing how everything progresses. It's very difficult to water though. Since we are still in a "Level 4 Drought Restriction" I can only water (by hand, one hose, one person) from midnight to 10am on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.


I'll end this post with a photo of "Bandit" our resident raccoon. He's in here every night to snack on the cat food. I know, I'm going to have to take the cat food inside at night but it's so hard to do when Clara sleeps outside. Clara likes a little midnight snack and I hate to leave him with no food. Oh well, everyone's got to eat so the madness continues. Never a dull moment here on The Pharm.

Old and New

Just as I knew, the roses are gone but the Oak Leaf Hydrangeas are in full beautiful bloom. Mother Nature has been taunting me lately. I had to jump through hoops to get these two photos off of my camera and onto my computer. Don't even get me started with all of the technical issues. I'm just taking it as a sign from above and beyond that I need to be spending time outside instead of inside in front of a computer. So, with that said, here's a quick shot of the new flower bed that didn't exist just a few short days ago.


The area was covered in ivy and an old picket fence. I kept one of the posts to use for my "squirrel feeder". It's something I got from the GoodWill dumpster - yeah, the time my friend and I got busted for going through the trash pile behind GoodWill. They throw away all the GOOD STUFF and sell the junk. I just don't understand it.

Anyway, I've decided that I'd rather be spending time outside in the yard than inside at my computer. So, I guess I'm taking a temporary hiatus from blogland. I've still got lots to plant and I need to figure out what to put down in/on the dirt where the ivy once was. It's under big oak trees so I am not counting on growing any grass there. I'm looking at ground covers now. Maybe just a simple mulch path and even more flower beds. Shade loving - that's the phrase of the day. Or of the past week.

Drop me a note if you have any ideas about how to deal with the areas outside of the flower beds. I'm still checking email but don't feel like messing with all the photos from our UK trip. I'll get to them one day.

Anyone else been having fun outside? It's crazy hot and I'm half way insane to be obsessed with gardening right now but I just can't help it. I want a lush place to enjoy my glass of iced tea. Oh, that reminds me...I need to plant mint!

We're Back From Across The Pond!

It couldn't have been more perfect. Notice the car at the top of the path? That's our car and exactly where we pulled in to park in the tiny village of Lealholm in the North Yorkshire Moors. These old stepping stones across the river are the reason I picked this spot in the first place. I saw a photo on the 'net and just knew it would be a great little place to rest our weary bones after the trip over. I was unaware of where I was parking as I pulled in to walk up the road to the pub.

Let's just say that after an 8 and a half hour flight, a couple hours in the airport sorting out our rental car, plus driving from Manchester on the LEFT side of the road...well, it was a most welcome sight to see my old friend "The Stones".

A view up the street towards the pub. If I never do anything else right the rest of my life, let it be known that booking a room at The Board Inn (a room upstairs in the local village pub) was one of the smartest things I have ever done in my life. Seriously. How could we go wrong? A few pints, a good meal and all we had to do was crawl up the stairs to lay our heads on what seemed like the softest pillows on earth.
Ok, here's a funny story... I was upstairs, sitting in the window seat, looking out onto the river when I saw this cute old man driving a tractor over the bridge. I grabbed my camera and took a photo thinking it was too surreal. But then came the true reality when he backed into the space at the front of the pub door right underneath my window and delivered 3 huge bags of potatoes! Potatoes he grew himself, harvested, then delivered to the pub. Forget it! I couldn't nap, I had to go down to the pub for another 1/2 pint and share my story with my husband and a few of the locals. I'm not sure they knew why I found this so insanely idyllic but to me it just set the mood for a fantastic English countryside visit.





Just a few photos from Day 1. I've got lots of unpacking, laundry, mail sorting, bill paying, kitty loving and even some fresh vegetables to pick up from our CSA. It's good to be home but WOW what a trip. More to follow in the next few days as I sort through our photos.

P.S. I must have traveler's delirium! Marty booked the room at the pub for us after a kind old woman he first called suggested we try the pub. Her farm stay B&B was booked for the night and it couldn't have worked out better. 'Twasn't I at all. I give credit where credit is due.

Also, if you ever do find yourself in Lealholm or anywhere near, please do stop in and tell Karen and Alister hello for us. They were great hosts! Alister is quite the chef and whipped up some delicious meals for us. Food, that's a whole other post. Incredible food. I was on the "Eat Something Cute Diet". The first night it was pan fried wild rabbit. I tried not to think of what it looked like before it was smothered in a delicious gravy. :-\

I Never Promised You a Rose Garden. Or Did I?

Just as I knew, the climbing antique rose bush is now loaded with sweet smelling blooms. It's actually gone a bit crazy after all of the rain we've had. These photos just don't do it justice - a bit hard for me to capture how full it really is spilling all over the arbor.

There are also the beginnings of new blooms on the Oak Leaf Hydrangeas outside of the picket fence. They start out green and then turn to white not blue or pink like the other variety of hydrangeas. I love the conical shape of these when the bush is in full bloom.

The Hostas and Rose Campions that I planted last week seem to be pretty happy here. I also love how the sunlight shines through the leaves of the Bengal Tiger Canna Lilies. We took out a section of the picket fence to bring in the top soil and rocks but decided to make it into a gate instead of putting it back like it was.

Yes, the grass needs trimming, the beds needs mulching and the fence needs attention but I've got to pack for a trip! There's no telling what I'll want to do with the yard after seeing all of the English Country Gardens. I think I may just pop with excitement.

Manchester England England

We leave for the UK soon and I can NOT get this song out of my head. This will be my first trip to the north part of the United Kingdom. We fly into ~Manchester, England, England, across the Atlantic Sea...~ and then will rent a tiny car (gas is $10/gallon!) to make our way up to Edinburgh and loop around to The Lake District for a wedding with a bunch of friends. Then it's back to ATL. Short trip but I'm very excited about seeing the country side, the moors, the cliffs, the dells, the castles, the sheep, the gardens, the pubs and the friends.

After the Storm

I wish I could share with you how wildly delicious this honeysuckle smells in the yard today. We had strong storms last night and this is what I woke up to just outside the bedroom window. I'm so glad I slept with the window open. I heard the rain come down really hard about 5am so I checked the doppler radar on my laptop. Tornado warnings but mostly south of us. No limbs down, just a light spring breeze to carry these wonderful scents all around me.


The antique climbing rose above the front gate is just starting to bloom. Before long it will be filled with wonderful light pink gifts from Mother Nature. I love how that happens!

I guess I can be called an "Accidental Gardener". I'm not one for formal gardens - they just don't fit with this old farm house or my sense of style. I usually like the natural look but this year I've decided to give it a little nudge. I love anything that pops up from plantings that were put in many years ago by chance or previous gardeners. Last year the electricity or phone or cable company cut a swath underneath the power lines from the road to the fence line by the driveway. Just a few days ago, I noticed a small stand of Rose Campions growing in that spot along with the weeds, poison ivy and underbrush.



This morning, out I went with my trusty rubber boots and a shovel to dig a few of them up and transplant closer to the house. Parts of our yard were starting to look quite bare after the long drought we've had. Then any rains we had washed away the soil around the trees so I had 8 yards of topsoil brought in to surround 4 of the large oak trees. I've mainly been planting shade loving plants but I've noticed certain naturalized plants growing in these areas so I'm adding those in with the hostas and canna lilies. It's been fun moving things around and digging in the dirt. It's still all looking a little bare in the new beds but I'm pretty confident that it will be glorious come next spring.

In Celebration of Spring

I had planned to get up early (which I did) and work in the gardens today. I have about 20 hostas, 10 daffodils and a few hyacinths that are waiting for their new home in the freshly composted beds. Mother Nature had a different plan for me and decided the plants need water before I put them in their final resting place. So, while it's raining outside, I decided to post a photo from our woodland walk in Northern California a few months ago.


Also, I'd like to give thanks, in random order:

• Thanks to the all of the new friends I've met since starting this blog. It would take too long to list each one separately but you should know who you are. I hope I have thanked each of you personally.

• Thanks to all of my old friends who probably sometimes begin to think I'm full of myself but continue to be my friends.

• Thanks to all of the wonderful people I met on my ArtFest journey.

• Thanks to the people who take the time to see what I have to say here. Extra special thanks to those of you who take the time to post a comment. I am always excited when I see a new message.

• Thanks to Mother Nature and the Creator for showing me that every day is a new beginning.

• Thanks to my husband for allowing me to live the life of a 'Tiny Pharm Wife'.

• Thanks to good cheese and fresh baked bread. Compliments of said husband who got up hours earlier, made freshly ground french press coffee, left it in a thermos for me, then went for an early morning ride on his motorcycle to come back with a backpack full of yummy stuff. I'm not particularly thankful for the 'Stinking Bishop Cheese' because it was a bit too stinky for me. Plus, with a name like that, it's hard to enjoy! But thanks just the same.

• Thanks to Susanna Gordon for the kind gift of one of her photographs accompanied with a thoughtful hand written letter. I found her from the very first issue of "Artful Blogging" and she's been a great source of inspiration and encouragement ever since. Actually, it was Susanna that suggested I start my very own blog. She was right - it has enriched my life in so many ways.

• Thanks to my family who knew I was always a little different but allowed me to be so loving me along the way.

• Thanks to the other artists, writers, humans who share their world and continue to inspire me as I sometimes just wander down my own path of enlightenment.

• Thanks to YOU for reading this long list. I think I've had too much coffee. I need to get out in the yard. I guess I can dig with my fancy rubber boots on since it's still raining.

ArtFest!

One of the best things about living on the east coast but visiting the west coast is the time change. I can probably count on one hand the times I've gotten up to see the sunrise in my time zone. My first morning in Port Townsend I was up before the sun. I took advantage of the extra time and enjoyed an early morning walk to the beach. At one point, I thought I might want to put my feet in the water. Once I got there, I was fine with just letting my boots touch the water. I can't think of a better way to start the day...time alone to commune with nature.




My first class of ArtFest was Creative Outlets with Michael deMeng. I've followed Michael's work for a few years and knew there was much to learn from him. He didn't let me down. I was completely at ease when I first entered the class and felt like I was hanging out with an old friend. We had plenty of space to work since class was being held in the Art Asylum. It didn't take me long to spread out my junk on the table and feel right at home.



The challenge was to use an electrical outlet as the base for our assemblage piece. I hemmed and hawed for the first part of the class not really feeling like I was heading in the direction I wanted to be going. Then I picked up an old Christmas ornament from one of the tables in the Art Asylum and it all started to fall into place. I learned to use the cut-off wheel and there was no turning back. Michael was a great teacher!

Here's the piece after I had pretty much worked all my magic on it. I am learning that I need to work more on photographing my artwork. I'm pretty impatient with this sort of thing and just like to walk around the yard pointing and clicking with the camera. It is what it is. You can click on the photo for more detail.



For anyone that was in that class with me, you'll probably remember that I got a little choked up at the critique. I used my grandmother's old hairpins on the piece hanging from the bottom of the outlet. I'm so sentimental about those sorts of things. I didn't actually cry but I felt my throat close up a little. It's a special piece to me.

Three cheers for Michael - he's a great teacher!

Man, that was the TIGHTEST schedule I have been on in my entire life. Since I stayed in the dorms (which were old military barracks) the shower was an open bay. We had a sign-up list for our 10 minute daily shower. Just enough time to shower and have a quick cup of coffee with some of the other gals in the dorm and then off to breakfast. Only enough time to gather my supplies for the next class before hoofing it across the campus. Oh, and about those bathrooms. I didn't see my face for 4 days because at 5 feet tall, I could only see the top of my head in the mirrors. It's probably a good thing because I didn't have one extra minute to worry about how I looked. I loved that part of ArtFest.

Friday's class was Flat to Stacked with Linda and Opie O'Brien and was held in the chapel. I loved that little chapel but be forewarned that while beautiful, the dim light filtering through the stained glass windows on a dark and rainy day is not the best lighting for doing extremely small detail work. Again, I hemmed and hawed during the first part of the class and then basically finished up the bracelet the next evening at the Art Asylum. It was a great class but very fast paced with so many people. I liked learning to make my own rivets with brass brads. It took me a few times to get it right. I used a couple of my PMC pieces on this bracelet so had to be a bit creative with the attachments. I'm happy with the way it came out and have received compliments on it the times I have worn it since.



You can click on the photo to see a larger view. I used a small faucet screen behind the cabochon bezel and noticed how it kept catching on my sleeve the first time I wore it. So, I whip stitched some copper wire around it and it's fine now. I was happy to be able to use one of my silver twigs, as well as another silver charm I had made. One of my favorite parts is the sliver of my moo card that I used under the smallest piece of plexiglass. It's fitting being my first ArtFest and all.

I'm sure there are lots of things I am forgetting after so long but I'll just hit the highlights since I have these 3 pieces. Oh, how can I forget vendor night?! I waited across the way at the Art Asylum (yes, I spent a lot of time there!) before they opened the doors for vendor night. Once inside, it was a crazy madhouse of lights and people and wonderful art mainly by the instructors of ArtFest but some other great artists, as well. My energy level was low and I didn't feel much like (politely) fighting the crowds.

I did make it to Judy Wise's table to introduce myself. Judy is one of the kindest people I have met in blogland. I fell in love with one of her pieces on Etsy long before I knew who she was. Now that I look back in my favorites, it's not there. Maybe I was mistaken. Maybe it's the first piece I saw of hers that made my heart flutter. At any rate, I bought it! It's a fabulous encaustic piece with a stencil of her as a child and wrecking ball. Layers of luscious wax and collage. I adore it almost as much as I adore Judy.

I also was able to wiggle my way to Catherine Witherall's table. Catherine is a terrific metal clay artisan who has given me much encouragement and advice about setting up my kiln. I was terrified the first time I fired it and had it outside on the front porch on top of a fireproof BBQ mat - I mean, 1650°...that's HOT! I've since moved it into the garage on a wheeled cart and am quite comfortable firing my pieces. I'd love to take a class with Catherine one day but felt it was something I wanted to save for later.

Another round of the tables and I managed to make my way to Susan Lenart Kazmer. I felt honored to be able to actually touch the pieces she had hanging on display. How could I pick a favorite? No way, it was just too much all at once. I did purchase her new book which I pour through every chance I get. I will take a class with her one day - it's just not what the universe had planned for me this time.

So, that pretty much wrapped up my vendor night experience. I was happy to see who I could and leave the madness behind. I went back to the Art Asylum (see, I told you I spent a lot of time there) and finished my bracelet.

I awoke on Saturday knowing it was going to be a great day. I had Nina Bagley's class Stone Soup and had been looking forward to it for months. The first time I discovered Nina (like Carolina) I fell in love with her work. Simple earrings made with natural river stones from N.C. - right up my alley! Spend a few minutes on her blog and you will be sure to understand why I felt a kinship before we ever met in person. She was just as welcoming as I had imagined. When we hugged, it felt (to me) like hugging a dear friend.

All it took was a few minutes of watching her demonstrate some of her tricks and tips to know I was just where I needed to be. It all fell into place and I was wrapping and twisting and dunkin' (my entire spool of silver wire into Liver of Sulphur) to my heart's content. I didn't completely finish the piece I was working on, it's more of a study. A combination of new techniques learned to carry with me on my journey of expressive jewelry. Memories from the past, pulled into the present, to take to the future. That's the best way I can explain it.

Again, my photography skills are lacking here. I photographed this in 3 shots. Starting from the bottom, a tiny bell from my gone but not forgotten Nana from Montana, then a cocoon bead made with a piece of the vintage quilt scraps I got from an elderly neighbor (1950s!) and some of the magical wire wrapping...



Some glass beads that I fell in love with sheltering one of my silver clay beads and a piece of old chain from a vintage necklace I took apart...



From there, a vintage crystal cut glass bead and finally one of my silver handmade twig beads. I love the way it all feels in my hands, the way it jingles lightly. There's just something magical about it to me. I may finish it into a necklace, then again, I may just leave it as it is. Perhaps it just needs to hang somewhere to remind me of all of the special people I met, the magic of ArtFest, the tiny promise I made to myself to be more artful in my daily life.

Leading up to Artfest...

Every day that passes takes me just a little bit further from ArtFest. I keep telling myself that I need to find my photos and post a little about my adventure before it fades from memory. I took so much in with my ears, eyes and heart that I didn't stop to take nearly as many photos as I normally do. Probably not a bad thing in retrospect.

Here are the snow capped mountains underneath the clouds as I was flying into Seattle. It's the first time I have ever been to Washington state that I can remember and I was so excited with anticipation of the new experiences ahead of me.



My friend Neal met me at the airport and gave me a quick tour of Seattle on our way up to his house. Can you tell I was under dressed for the cool winds whipping off of the water? I left my thick wool sweater and my favorite jeans back home by accident. Good excuse to swing by Pike's Market to look for something warm to wear on the beach at night.



Since we were on the west side of town, we popped in for a short visit with some friends of Neal and his wife's. She made us the perfect cup of coffee (it's a Seattle thing) to warm up as we walked around their gardens. I was mesmerized by all of the cool things. Her son is quite the creative one and built these great little gates and walkways. It was a perfect little space with art and plantings and lots of love.







From there we headed to the market which was just closing but I did luck out and get an alpaca wool pull over. I met the famous fish monger who tosses fish for a living. Funny guy, I called him a 'movie star' because I had seen him on the TV show Glutton for Punishment. Told him I came all the way from Atlanta just to meet him. He kissed a fish for me.






My photos are sporadic from this point on. I enjoyed the evening with N&K over a yummy home cooked dinner and a bottle of wine. Then it was off the next morning for my trip to Port Townsend. I had no idea what I would find along the way. The ferry ride was a trip all in itself. I only stayed up top for about 5 minutes to soak in the scenery before heading back indoors where it was warm.

I came upon the cutest little town called Port Gamble - had to stop and snap a couple of photos.





I have to stop here for now. Just about to head out the door to meet a girlfriend on our way to see Bruce Springsteen tonight. The Boss is in town!