flowers — Page 260

Weekend Thoughts

August 24, 2014 at 8:25 am by Claudia

The weekend so far has been nicely slow, an unhurried pace of a weekend that suits me fine.

I talked Don into making his Vegan Blueberry Pancakes yesterday morning. Need I say more?

We went to the grocery store and to our little library where a copy of The Heist by Daniel Silva was waiting for me. I had been in a long queue for this book so I was surprised and happy that it was now available. Since I had barely started The Marco Effect by Jussi Adler-Olson (which is on my Kindle) I made a U-turn and started The Heist. I also checked out two other books which I will probably talk about on Just Let Me Finish This Page. Two books written by writers about their love of reading – I love books about books, if you know what I mean.

I watered all the potted plants and The Chicken Wire Fence Garden. I read. I did a NY Times crossword puzzle (a tough one, I modestly say.) I scrubbed the bathtub. We watched Marty on TCM.

Today? More of the same. Reading, writing, a little cleaning.

Work will soon begin on Hamlet, the show I’m coaching next, but I think I’ll wait until next week.

Currently blooming all over the property:

yellow beauty

Beautiful Goldenrod. It’s right alongside some Purple Loosestrife and the combination of the yellow and purple is gorgeous. (I’m not worried about the Purple Loosestrife, it isn’t invasive here. It just blooms in the wetter parts of the property and it’s beautiful.)

I was watering plants on the porch and I saw this beauty on the Butterfly Bush.

giantswallowtail 1

Yes, it’s blurry, sorry, as the butterfly was moving its wings very quickly. The butterfly was very large in size, so I did some research. It’s the Giant Swallowtail. I had to crop this photo down from one I took from a distance. Right after I took this, I cautiously walked around the porch to the bush and got this view:

giantswallowtail 2

Stunningly beautiful. Nature is stupendously wondrous and amazing.

I don’t understand why anyone would ever capture a butterfly. They should be magical and elusive and free. I should try to take a photo and be frustrated because the butterfly moves and flits and then disappears. That’s the way it should be. Those moments, those seconds in time, where the butterfly appears and then soars into the air and over the trees, those moments make me smile.

Today is my last day on the antibiotics. Tomorrow? I can have coffee with half and half first thing in the morning. Cannot wait. And we can start hiking again this week – no more worries about the sun.

Happy Sunday.

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A Scrappy Little Garden

August 20, 2014 at 9:06 am by Claudia

At this point in the summer, it becomes increasingly obvious that things are changing. There’s a shift: more leaves on the ground, coneflowers looking past their prime, the yellowing of leaves after days and days of the hot August sun with no rain.

The sedum, always a spot of color in Autumn, is clearly gearing up for its show.

And then there’s my scappy little Chicken Wire Fence Garden. In this gardening zone, the morning glories don’t really begin to take off until mid-August. The zinnias start to bloom at the end of July and continue to bloom through August and September.

The Chicken Wire Fence Garden is cobbled together, planted in the soil in front of the rusty fence. It reminds me, more than anything around here, of a flower garden that might be found on a farm. It’s spare, almost utilitarian, but beautiful in its way.

Wed - chickenwirefencegarden

A landscape designer wouldn’t be impressed by this, that’s for sure.

I like it’s scrappiness. I like the bare bones quality of it.

It’s such fun. It makes the end of summer much more bearable. The morning glories will bloom until the first frost. The zinnias are always a surprise, each one different.

Like this one that just started blooming – a welcome splash of yellow!

Wed - yellow zinnia

But gosh, the morning glory vines are slow to grow this year.

We need rain. I water them every day, but we really need a good, long soaking.

Here is the latest bloom, which just opened this morning.

Wed - morning glory and vine

Another view:

Wed - morning glory number three

Sigh. I love my scrappy little garden.

There’s a new post up on Just Let Me Finish This Page – a book review of M. C. Beaton’s latest Agatha Raisin mystery, The Blood of an Englishman. Stop by!

And the winner of a copy of After I’m Gone by Laura Lippman is Lee. Congratulations, Lee. I’ve sent you an email.

Happy Wednesday.

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My Moment with Lauren Bacall

August 13, 2014 at 8:28 am by Claudia

Since it was cloudy and overcast yesterday afternoon, I grabbed the opportunity to take a walk with Don on our local rail trail. (I’m supposed to stay out of the direct sun while on my antibiotic.) It was late in the day, rather spur of the moment, and it felt so good to hike, even for a relatively short distance. I love my cottage, but the walls were closing in on me!

W - butterfly bush& hydrangeas

The butterfly bush always blooms in late July/August. I love the graceful, slightly droopy look of the blooms.

W - butterfly bush blossoms

W - butterfly bush & white coneflowers

So pretty. I’m thinking of extending this garden bed next spring.

The great Lauren Bacall died yesterday. I have a Lauren Bacall story for you (slightly revised from the version I posted on Facebook as I remember the details more clearly.)

Several years ago, Don was part of a concert version of Finian’s Rainbow that was staged for one night only to benefit the Irish Repertory Theater in Manhattan. He played the bigoted (and funny) Senator Billboard Rawkins. Afterward, we attended a gala celebrating the benefit and somehow I ended up standing near a table where Lauren Bacall and Phyllis Newman were seated. Don was to my left, conversing with someone, and I was momentarily looking in the direction of Ms. Bacall. I could tell that she and Phyllis Newman recognized Don from the show. She smiled at me and said hello, asked my name and nodded toward Don approvingly. I said, “That’s my husband.” She lit up and said in that wonderfully deep and husky voice, “Well, your husband is tahRIFic!” She landed that last word in her inimitable Bacall style. (If you were here, I’d do my version of it for you.) Anyway, I beamed from ear to ear and thanked her. She was so warm and generous and friendly and down-to-earth. I was greatly impressed by her and more than a bit star-struck. I’m so lucky to have had that moment with her.

Rest in Peace, Lauren Bacall.

There’s a new post up on Just Let Me Finish This Page, asking the question: What works of fiction had a profound effect on you? I’d love to hear your choices.

Happy Wednesday.

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Weekend Thoughts

A Scrappy Little Garden

My Moment with Lauren Bacall

Lambs Like to Party

A Note

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