tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52418567785451795502024-03-05T14:16:03.645-08:00Pacific Rainfleur_delicioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01500249000124155885noreply@blogger.comBlogger558125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5241856778545179550.post-75721197886496813302016-07-16T23:04:00.000-07:002016-07-16T23:04:08.259-07:00rose tincture update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRCxit5-8ibN4GBjG-aMQ4k3BNO8sS7aSZSjytXH9nApuFLvkteXZKD1DxWpuKBup2HM-u4khnY-XX2DKpY0vG5N5t3_eLVrw7UewjfHz2D67q3OiTCbMcYHpKsuP0uoQFY70E5SNizYs/s1600/rose+tincture.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRCxit5-8ibN4GBjG-aMQ4k3BNO8sS7aSZSjytXH9nApuFLvkteXZKD1DxWpuKBup2HM-u4khnY-XX2DKpY0vG5N5t3_eLVrw7UewjfHz2D67q3OiTCbMcYHpKsuP0uoQFY70E5SNizYs/s400/rose+tincture.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The rose tincture from earlier this summer is coming along nicely. I was disappointed with the results of the first infusion (it was more appley/rose hip flavored - the perfume of the rose blossoms didn't come through), so I've continued to infuse fresh batches of rose petals every 3-4 weeks. This is the fifth infusion and the perfume is finally coming through. I may do one more infusion before bottling, just to see if I can push it a little further. Never too much rose perfume!fleur_delicioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01500249000124155885noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5241856778545179550.post-63285602000120125092016-07-14T20:33:00.000-07:002016-07-14T20:33:09.209-07:00high summer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyMlvYZHf1XHMm6d3-lTJdb46hOHLMHxSSrccQwVazA0BWcswYAWGvU7Yd4kSK3b4p2vYfv3Xb0SZMEUPDO6SjJw221_w0Oy1IoVwtk68yKPGyO0l_kIJwYOMTAFmXlW4m-Vbnmj886ew/s1600/daisies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyMlvYZHf1XHMm6d3-lTJdb46hOHLMHxSSrccQwVazA0BWcswYAWGvU7Yd4kSK3b4p2vYfv3Xb0SZMEUPDO6SjJw221_w0Oy1IoVwtk68yKPGyO0l_kIJwYOMTAFmXlW4m-Vbnmj886ew/s400/daisies.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Since I'm sick with a cold, let's just look at some pretty pretty pictures I've been snapping on walks in the park lately, shall we? It's strange to think that the hottest part of the summer is still ahead of us; we had a couple weeks of hot weather sprinkled throughout the springtime and now that we've returned to a normal northwest summer (lingering clouds, a marine layer), it feels like ... okay, that was it! Time for apples and pumpkins!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfwugQLlM2DBtvKXi0ABuTQTjsmw7cFfqoY4iyypRt3upVlJnk7gMIAVgkbyjAwQkdtnIqKb1KTaJs9gvdYx0cMq3S2ttvgJ1MdNJNEjlqErwgwtzKkrcmjxAApbs4kVZsmo88gqbLdyU/s1600/rose+hips.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfwugQLlM2DBtvKXi0ABuTQTjsmw7cFfqoY4iyypRt3upVlJnk7gMIAVgkbyjAwQkdtnIqKb1KTaJs9gvdYx0cMq3S2ttvgJ1MdNJNEjlqErwgwtzKkrcmjxAApbs4kVZsmo88gqbLdyU/s400/rose+hips.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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And then the rugosa hedges are already setting their hips and the rowans are covered in brilliant orange berries and even the haws are coming on (but they're still very green). Which is all a bit disorienting ... are you <i>sure</i> it isn't autumn? </div>
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Summers are still a strange time for me. It's only been a couple years that I've been working them, and despite the length of the days, the season does slip so rapidly through your fingers when you only have the weekends (and as exhausting as it is to learn a new job, I really <i>only</i> have the weekends - I am positively <i>crashing</i> when I come home at night).<br />
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See? <i>Apples</i>. Some of the apple trees on campus (somehow I never noticed before that there are <i>apple trees </i>on campus - how did I <i>never notice</i>?) are dropping their apples all over the place already. (Oh. Maybe that's why I never noticed; the apples were gone by the time the school year started.) Walking back to work after a yoga-lunch-break this week, I caught the rich, spicy tang of the decaying fruit, a scent that seemed out of step with the hot, summery sunny afternoon weather.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS42J4j2yRQmWJF5VgV1zpDrXU7rH13l5Qmu2F6Lwy2PZtQ79b5TyqUm4HXX61HiI2p6h5_EjfP3t3ofocNX8Yf0KXzQjsQzXDIc2yAqD7kxXsSvSBxj713YiekE_PNaIn5mmkoukT3Gk/s1600/spiraea.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgS42J4j2yRQmWJF5VgV1zpDrXU7rH13l5Qmu2F6Lwy2PZtQ79b5TyqUm4HXX61HiI2p6h5_EjfP3t3ofocNX8Yf0KXzQjsQzXDIc2yAqD7kxXsSvSBxj713YiekE_PNaIn5mmkoukT3Gk/s400/spiraea.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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But I'll be sad when the spiraea fades and the fireweed has bloomed all the way up to the tip of its stalk again. These wild flushes of pink are my favorite signs of summer. Okay, autumn can wait. Let's bask a little longer in this glow.fleur_delicioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01500249000124155885noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5241856778545179550.post-42477699650676467042016-07-12T22:22:00.005-07:002016-07-12T22:22:49.423-07:00Whew!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTSlypoupC9p5g7nD7E89w9xZ6pqxg7Maydehx-XQ1FIPFCWx4b9QNuytyOa2U6GYSVmo-94hph3hqkEU_XuFAEJELwEbllTaf9xJXDskfLdJx9f8nW7A035euziMktn4umNJlKFvIpyw/s1600/farmer%2527s+market+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTSlypoupC9p5g7nD7E89w9xZ6pqxg7Maydehx-XQ1FIPFCWx4b9QNuytyOa2U6GYSVmo-94hph3hqkEU_XuFAEJELwEbllTaf9xJXDskfLdJx9f8nW7A035euziMktn4umNJlKFvIpyw/s400/farmer%2527s+market+2.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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It's been a crazy couple of weeks. My exciting new job comes with ... a real lack of coherent structure/training/orientation. It's a good thing I'm logical, methodical, and extremely driven. I'm working on training myself as quickly as I can. And then my boss suffered a serious injury on July 4th and I haven't seen her since my first day. We're mucking along as best we can, over the phone and I email her things periodically, but she can't really respond via email, but wow. There's nothing like being thrown into the deep end, eh?<br /><br />Still, despite the fact that I'm completely wiped out when I get home, and though I may have a had a little moment where I almost cracked today, part of me also recognizes that I'm actually incredibly at home in this environment - I thrive in it. Oh, academia. You're so wacky.<br /><br />So, sorry it's been quiet around here lately. It's been hard enough just managing to DO anything other than work, sleep, and wrap up my final freelancing projects (I've been ending all those commitments, too) that it's a miracle I documented anything. But I did. And hopefully this week, as some things start to level out for me, I'll have time to go through all those photos and share some things.</div>
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We did manage to hit the Farmer's Market a couple weeks ago, just as the tart cherries came on the market. That in itself is such a hit-or-miss, blink-and-you'll-miss-it occasion that I've actually started growing a tart cherry tree for our garden to provide us a reliable source in the future. So I did a completely normal thing and bought six pounds of tart cherries without any plan for how to use them. I spent an evening pitting them and then cooked them lightly with a bit of sugar and pectin and lemon juice to make a perfect tart cherry sauce just like my grandfather used to make - just as delightful poured over pancakes, ice cream, or baked into a pie or a tart. Of course, it's just as likely, I'll eat the entirety of every jar with a spoon, like I used to as a kid!!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaWr0yWIXIw6wHRXm-umCCmc58mJzJXiRjYJenLPYPb0zlYJCQ_te0hyphenhyphenkLv5ieTfcj_LWkgDupUxe1-wSoY9-0IfVDUPOpysD7EktiW8EZFyrGwCTjPFqKjrCYJ4wQTHVWRFUIrJUd0zc/s1600/cherries.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaWr0yWIXIw6wHRXm-umCCmc58mJzJXiRjYJenLPYPb0zlYJCQ_te0hyphenhyphenkLv5ieTfcj_LWkgDupUxe1-wSoY9-0IfVDUPOpysD7EktiW8EZFyrGwCTjPFqKjrCYJ4wQTHVWRFUIrJUd0zc/s400/cherries.jpg" width="297" /></a></div>
<br />fleur_delicioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01500249000124155885noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5241856778545179550.post-52526509188935177072016-06-21T18:43:00.001-07:002016-06-21T18:43:18.857-07:00So many roses<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This weekend I had half the kitchen table covered in rugosa rose petals that I'd washed and set out to dry. Some of them went back into the rose tincture for a double infusion (double strength!); some of them were dried and added to the raspberry rose tea mix I'm working on; and a good number of them were pickled using <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/971837/pickled-rose-petals" target="_blank">this recipe from Martha Stewart</a>, for eating on <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/971838/beets-and-yogurt-pickled-rose-petals" target="_blank">a lovely layered beet salad</a> with yogurt and spiced brown butter.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj9F13E73Jxc1JpsV1jJdNngf_OfU1lzT14K3GOtYypv-l0WSIfKQ8vFq2O2aFFeDyY1o6C2Ryu8Q8LIJwR3bhxwUjSAcF33RUW-v503YvTQNHqEzq1QdRVlrPETvijzfvcmcEjmGFNYk/s1600/roses+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj9F13E73Jxc1JpsV1jJdNngf_OfU1lzT14K3GOtYypv-l0WSIfKQ8vFq2O2aFFeDyY1o6C2Ryu8Q8LIJwR3bhxwUjSAcF33RUW-v503YvTQNHqEzq1QdRVlrPETvijzfvcmcEjmGFNYk/s400/roses+2.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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Pickling rose petals does sound a little twee, I'll admit. But it's actually quite fast, and the results are really lovely. After cleaning your petals, you simply measure them out (gently packing them), then make a brine by gently simmering vinegar, honey, and salt and pour it over your petals. I put a resealable plastic cap on the jar and pop it in the fridge and <i>voila</i>! All set for the summer! </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVzvUmcmUekcODJPuGP84LLFO0tCMHyZOMKZ8OrCmSvY-C1_yinLUNe0hpoHTBmr_JaMWzwtexXBN-q1UgOG-RhsEg1iyjeigtKnnkeD9byr2mZTmGNiI04mYfA3_to_HdCv_ccK7Y8_Y/s1600/roses+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVzvUmcmUekcODJPuGP84LLFO0tCMHyZOMKZ8OrCmSvY-C1_yinLUNe0hpoHTBmr_JaMWzwtexXBN-q1UgOG-RhsEg1iyjeigtKnnkeD9byr2mZTmGNiI04mYfA3_to_HdCv_ccK7Y8_Y/s400/roses+3.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
<br />fleur_delicioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01500249000124155885noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5241856778545179550.post-70497991774427860392016-06-18T14:07:00.002-07:002016-06-18T14:07:59.853-07:00At long last<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Finally! This baby gift is finished and gifted ... only a month after the baby arrived (close enough, right?). We gave the quilt (it's <a href="http://ohfransson.bigcartel.com/product/fancy-fox-quilts-pdf-quilt-pattern" target="_blank">Elizabeth Hartman's Fancy Fox quilt pattern</a>) with a copy of Coralie Bickford-Smith's very pretty little book, <i>The Fox and the Star</i>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5s5NtbOOQwe-qGTvQdJcrpSU5BVZtz5jhTo-VCtMo8be8GtkjeiUf5t7pzsh3IaDvJQWouzb7uqDXXcLdKxcv0n_-4FvVKgaw7v3oWKNTOp6FW5nBhhrXUEZIEtTzDWT_KfwKMm6jGNk/s1600/quilt+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5s5NtbOOQwe-qGTvQdJcrpSU5BVZtz5jhTo-VCtMo8be8GtkjeiUf5t7pzsh3IaDvJQWouzb7uqDXXcLdKxcv0n_-4FvVKgaw7v3oWKNTOp6FW5nBhhrXUEZIEtTzDWT_KfwKMm6jGNk/s400/quilt+3.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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I decided to quilt it in a geometric pattern of lines wrapping around a central square. It's all hand-quilted, and the binding is finished by hand, as well (with a line of trapunto machine-stitching to ensure it is durable).<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmKbBEBwpuz9wlzIWZh5zLbvmnhouQMWRiTJ6hsRwpToEtpwnS7Hu7vXe1O8sZPP_OOmFu5EUIdao2IrL5CFy7KTc2xG3f836gFJ3RanOQ262hpcBw-6uNsw8Xh0YblztCupx0bXxtKlE/s1600/quilt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmKbBEBwpuz9wlzIWZh5zLbvmnhouQMWRiTJ6hsRwpToEtpwnS7Hu7vXe1O8sZPP_OOmFu5EUIdao2IrL5CFy7KTc2xG3f836gFJ3RanOQ262hpcBw-6uNsw8Xh0YblztCupx0bXxtKlE/s400/quilt.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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I used two layers of batting to give it extra loft, extra coziness. I almost wonder if this was a mistake for a lap quilt, if now it feels more like a pad for sitting on than a blanket for wrapping around oneself. But my husband proclaims it perfectly snuggly. (Hopefully the new parents like it as much as we do!) I almost think I should make one for our bed ... but I think I need a little break from quilts for a while.fleur_delicioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01500249000124155885noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5241856778545179550.post-40903525023297870762016-06-17T22:12:00.002-07:002016-06-17T22:25:31.549-07:00Time.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP7bfeLf_5NpcK1TL1wx81DioVOiGOBNGJe7IkQ717FGDGbgko-BkXMRAjfy3pwMC8qAfnJG84TBPJQRyEJmbuG-W6rUfAvmIIKMFyKrGuJGJRlvZaiWTJTbBvUWbKLEx4nGH1-XokW0M/s1600/IMG_4075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP7bfeLf_5NpcK1TL1wx81DioVOiGOBNGJe7IkQ717FGDGbgko-BkXMRAjfy3pwMC8qAfnJG84TBPJQRyEJmbuG-W6rUfAvmIIKMFyKrGuJGJRlvZaiWTJTbBvUWbKLEx4nGH1-XokW0M/s400/IMG_4075.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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I have a new job. At the University. I'm really excited.</div>
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I have a week off first. Time.<br />
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I have a week off because I left my old job before my two weeks' notice was up because a.) they were getting pretty abusive once I gave my two weeks' notice (wow, super abusive.. SO UGLY) and b.) a friend died on Wednesday afternoon and I realized: nothing I have left to do at this point is really that important anymore.<br />
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A friend died Wednesday afternoon. She gave birth to her second son on Saturday. She went home Sunday. She woke up sick on Wednesday. She was rushed to the hospital, pumped full of antibiotics, sent into surgery ... and died.<br />
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She was a partner at my husband's firm. She got him his job. They went to school together. She was the valedictorian of their Master's class. She introduced me to oilbar, my medium I use for paint. She was soft spoken. She was goofy. She was kind. Always kind.<br />
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So many things don't make sense right now. I just saw her two weeks ago. She was getting so big. I exclaimed over it and she joked that she was fat and shouldn't be wearing horizontal stripes anymore. (She wasn't big. She was always slim during pregnancy.) She always joked.<br />
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I didn't get to say congratulations.<br />
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I didn't know I wouldn't see her again.<br />
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None of this makes any sense.<br /><br />I walked into my husband's firm Thursday morning after leaving my job and hugged the bosses. No words. I just walked up and clasped them each in turn. They sobbed. We sobbed. The firm had a morning meeting before dispersing for the day. Cass and I went to the woods. We walked in the quiet. It was the only thing we could think to do.<br /><br />The community is mobilizing, organizing support for her widower and two sons. It helps; it gives structure and direction at a time when we are awash. And our own network is here for us: our friends and neighbors are going out to dinner with us, bringing us cookies, going for walks, being with us. As we get older, we get better at grieving, we learn the techniques to process and deal.<br /><br />But still, there is that moment, when I wake up in the morning, and I remember. There are all the moments throughout the day when I remember. When a character on television says, "I don't understand" in response to bad news. When I see the wetness of my husband's green eyes, and the little twitch of his mouth. There are all these little moments in the day. All the hours to fill. <br /><br />We sit, and wait for time to pass. For time to pass and make it better. For time to pass and help us find a way to move on, without her.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqjTgBPpR4goLvk93hYn6oVBvj6dgoj5qAYbECPcikMLNtVfbU2p6tOVGDErNRywzWTAjvRVqvbSqH3Xv0USh5b2uVi65LGuEN8-Fwfgbbgf08cTkuh4FAuozE6ypnAxxG3Sdu9PAKuJ0/s1600/IMG_4074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqjTgBPpR4goLvk93hYn6oVBvj6dgoj5qAYbECPcikMLNtVfbU2p6tOVGDErNRywzWTAjvRVqvbSqH3Xv0USh5b2uVi65LGuEN8-Fwfgbbgf08cTkuh4FAuozE6ypnAxxG3Sdu9PAKuJ0/s400/IMG_4074.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />fleur_delicioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01500249000124155885noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5241856778545179550.post-57454920589339599462016-06-14T20:39:00.002-07:002016-06-14T20:39:38.620-07:00Midsommar is coming<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUhPKBPxvApDEizg4a8W30lP8g4tbiv86MsQG7w3-lV9il476TQieGsLbA8dfiT9_m4k_OF6dKHKBhNPr1aWkIsA-vpgnby-XpYKTvh4Bd5WQIjqqEEVLovEqXfEIV3mkwcELpjfWIzyU/s1600/salmonberry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUhPKBPxvApDEizg4a8W30lP8g4tbiv86MsQG7w3-lV9il476TQieGsLbA8dfiT9_m4k_OF6dKHKBhNPr1aWkIsA-vpgnby-XpYKTvh4Bd5WQIjqqEEVLovEqXfEIV3mkwcELpjfWIzyU/s400/salmonberry.jpg" width="305" /></a></div>
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Our annual Midsommar preparations begin: 2.5 quarts of salmonberry jam. There's a little 8-oz. jar left over tucked into the fridge for eating on toast. Delicious.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4uQ9HX4OX_BOvRDUgrCujhyosB4VB_tzwrq2Oc4_bbFoKR7u-q2l9GvnEVzrICJdpn1LN2Tzaar-kwo4rbqtJOBudN4U7CkGbDU_iYTxfH8bajwULwne1ygcY-7Emb-5-uczUiM7dmw0/s1600/coffee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4uQ9HX4OX_BOvRDUgrCujhyosB4VB_tzwrq2Oc4_bbFoKR7u-q2l9GvnEVzrICJdpn1LN2Tzaar-kwo4rbqtJOBudN4U7CkGbDU_iYTxfH8bajwULwne1ygcY-7Emb-5-uczUiM7dmw0/s400/coffee.jpg" width="306" /></a></div>
<br />fleur_delicioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01500249000124155885noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5241856778545179550.post-40491251508937455402016-06-13T20:22:00.002-07:002016-06-13T20:22:27.318-07:00raspberry and rose<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC87Nm5OXhvIuylKgvtbB_Da0T2UhNY6ZjMRoVLWX7iMazDI06rPlQzI5iOlQevIXp5S_YJbQjga3V_nLsA_nw6qFOGx7rbZeJLlKFgXdlmPmXHZMEQphS9o6lIgqTOzeeWU0NUihLkyw/s1600/rose+raspberry+fresh.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC87Nm5OXhvIuylKgvtbB_Da0T2UhNY6ZjMRoVLWX7iMazDI06rPlQzI5iOlQevIXp5S_YJbQjga3V_nLsA_nw6qFOGx7rbZeJLlKFgXdlmPmXHZMEQphS9o6lIgqTOzeeWU0NUihLkyw/s400/rose+raspberry+fresh.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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A little summer gathering, dried on a hot summer afternoon. Not done blending yet, but it's a pretty start!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwReQAgHOV292sBxZZEd02ARGJD5c_skip4UhpBk8nvGPU-1y2KbnOpB_8OPYt7ay0CuvPcX7bImomdjZy8aNjp07DABBQX2gYTpoZd2trKK3Fa4mfXHrAwAEx7bzSDGxgATbGQLkdgK4/s1600/rose+raspberry+dried.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwReQAgHOV292sBxZZEd02ARGJD5c_skip4UhpBk8nvGPU-1y2KbnOpB_8OPYt7ay0CuvPcX7bImomdjZy8aNjp07DABBQX2gYTpoZd2trKK3Fa4mfXHrAwAEx7bzSDGxgATbGQLkdgK4/s400/rose+raspberry+dried.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<br />fleur_delicioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01500249000124155885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5241856778545179550.post-59697657916508970812016-06-12T21:39:00.001-07:002016-06-12T21:39:27.173-07:00holiday-ready<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I saw these great incense burners (for cones) at a local boutique in Seattle a couple weeks ago; they were shaped like geometric prisms, made from a kind of cement, with a little triangular niche set into one side of the prism in which to tuck the cone.</div>
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What a great idea! <i>Of course</i>, I wanted to try my hand at making them myself - and given that the materials to make many of these cost as much as <i>one </i>cost to buy, well ... here we go.</div>
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It just so happens that <a href="http://www.amerrymishapblog.com/2013/09/diy-concrete-diamond.html" target="_blank">A Merry Mishap posted a DIY to make a cement diamond</a>, and that I pinned it some time ago because I was thrilled to try it out.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKPgxRt3RYE20OHDgxNEfoYpfnyCYVMlxI5t33RrXB3pbsV4jMwZI6DnYYgyOD_hyXeQ8WXCp5dZoTSnTHQ_JcKpLBUUn2Y1EA4HbpkMhQmmOZ_vrWZ_FRKeGzaIYnkVmPyy1ELeO4Z8I/s1600/templates+glued.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKPgxRt3RYE20OHDgxNEfoYpfnyCYVMlxI5t33RrXB3pbsV4jMwZI6DnYYgyOD_hyXeQ8WXCp5dZoTSnTHQ_JcKpLBUUn2Y1EA4HbpkMhQmmOZ_vrWZ_FRKeGzaIYnkVmPyy1ELeO4Z8I/s400/templates+glued.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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We printed out copies of the template that Jennifer linked to in her post. Instead of covering the template with tape, after trial and error, we found we preferred gluing it to E-flute and cutting it out (template goes on the outside, plain cardboard on the inside).</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGvZ8LCCCb5XIwtMsiebvUkOp3jJ1kTjQbiQSQSu8htUM84rSR_HVvYp_rv2BJrj7vaxAFReIyQfXPIMRW3DnveDLEzJTrLSgjvfTP9FXJqhLsgReLq0b21P-jDLLs-jwyGYKspAcsPg4/s1600/hydrocal+not+poured.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGvZ8LCCCb5XIwtMsiebvUkOp3jJ1kTjQbiQSQSu8htUM84rSR_HVvYp_rv2BJrj7vaxAFReIyQfXPIMRW3DnveDLEzJTrLSgjvfTP9FXJqhLsgReLq0b21P-jDLLs-jwyGYKspAcsPg4/s400/hydrocal+not+poured.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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You simply cut it out, score on the dotted lines, and then tape it together.We mocked up the niches ourselves, covered them in tape, and taped them inside the form. (Cut the back/bottom off the template so you have a way to pour the cement into the form.) We lined heavy-bottomed short glasses with plastic wrap to protect them from spills and drips, and placed one form in each cup.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgetX94L0CFVJErwH88bRZiT3GCEqsp9jBXEeb3pevqoYgaFYVI-P0DjxaRbc7kmRwrlanSeK75GtTqiYYN6-GPeNasNeKvgokKQf1LSwpWtyvsJTT6_1WmjTIYUcxNr-I0xqH6Dr_9GGc/s1600/hydrocal+pouring.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgetX94L0CFVJErwH88bRZiT3GCEqsp9jBXEeb3pevqoYgaFYVI-P0DjxaRbc7kmRwrlanSeK75GtTqiYYN6-GPeNasNeKvgokKQf1LSwpWtyvsJTT6_1WmjTIYUcxNr-I0xqH6Dr_9GGc/s400/hydrocal+pouring.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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We used hydrocal to fill our forms. We placed 1 part water in a bowl and added 1.125 parts hydrocal. We stirred it evenly, then sprinkled in about 1 Tablespoon of powdered black pigment. We mixed it until it was evenly distributed, then added another 1 Tablespoon of powdered pigments and lightly stirred so that the pigment was not completely evenly mixed - in other words, to create a marbled effect. Here we are, pouring hydrocal into a form.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih7_EoKRb2hJSlaFlQkySDc_-RyHQcPBYc0RhNG1SGgumQNeLrdGnYHquLxz0zIyr-0X8_POlWATXLjXt6LVyCIIOwUI91YP1BpGFSA-owAxm8ZYhDu_fZUKUYfef8FOMgeRQvFQkT-d0/s1600/hydrocal+poured.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih7_EoKRb2hJSlaFlQkySDc_-RyHQcPBYc0RhNG1SGgumQNeLrdGnYHquLxz0zIyr-0X8_POlWATXLjXt6LVyCIIOwUI91YP1BpGFSA-owAxm8ZYhDu_fZUKUYfef8FOMgeRQvFQkT-d0/s400/hydrocal+poured.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Jostle the cups lightly from side to side to make sure it settles evenly into the form. Let sit for at least 2 hours before testing how firm it is - if it's hard, you can peel off the mold and let it cure.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIzCH6FI1dykWeYzAfFxPQ082Qu4KWnH8LPU8yQoeviobY8DiVvvR5uXgfqodSmh9o8ddUPrImzF8Iqv5CGKytVSTwVLUliCoJygitaTHMKGLdchngtQS3IrtlbjKHC2036fMbJdlfBJo/s1600/incense+holders.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIzCH6FI1dykWeYzAfFxPQ082Qu4KWnH8LPU8yQoeviobY8DiVvvR5uXgfqodSmh9o8ddUPrImzF8Iqv5CGKytVSTwVLUliCoJygitaTHMKGLdchngtQS3IrtlbjKHC2036fMbJdlfBJo/s400/incense+holders.jpg" width="265" /></a></div>
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After curing, we did have to wash/scrub (using a nonabrasive scrubbing pad) to remove the fuzzy film of E-flute cardboard from the sides of the prism - and leaving a soft, papery kind of texture to the cement behind. We sanded the bottoms smooth with sandpaper, and voila!<br /><br />I'm going to be giving some of these away with <a href="http://blackbirdballard.com/collections/incense-pyres" target="_blank">Blackbird's stunning incense cones</a> for holiday gifts to a few ladies this year.fleur_delicioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01500249000124155885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5241856778545179550.post-2079607222452297772016-05-24T19:59:00.002-07:002016-05-24T19:59:37.733-07:00change of plans<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJuecSpTBVFFR6y5BtfPZKZNKx07uSn4Df2bqCgFsL-Y8YoFpYJwZl07rReVG3NnDQkh1oPao9SzY-1_fgPXi6sd8dRl2o1radiM-OW-jBkWY6ratI0NL7JNMGI1G78ZBWuFsqqNvxvAA/s1600/breakfast+in+bed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJuecSpTBVFFR6y5BtfPZKZNKx07uSn4Df2bqCgFsL-Y8YoFpYJwZl07rReVG3NnDQkh1oPao9SzY-1_fgPXi6sd8dRl2o1radiM-OW-jBkWY6ratI0NL7JNMGI1G78ZBWuFsqqNvxvAA/s400/breakfast+in+bed.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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I woke up so tired this morning. So tired.</div>
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After about a half hour - just as we were leaving, and for the umpteenth time I was yawning and saying, "I'm <i>so tired</i> today!" - my husband looked at me and suggested, "Why don't you just stay home?"</div>
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He had a point. I didn't have any meetings today. In fact, it's a rather quiet week for me at my day job. And I have a decent stash of personal time and vacation hours saved up.<br />
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So hey, why not?<br />
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We got coffee together and then he dropped me back at home. I pulled my PJs back on and climbed into the guest nook with a drawing pad, my cell phone, some pens, a notecard for making a list/plan for the day, my laptop, and my coffee.<br />
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I put on a foreign movie I'd started a few days ago and hunkered down in the blankets. I didn't even drink my coffee before I crashed.<br />
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I woke up 3 hours later. My coffee was cold, but I didn't care. I poked around on ebay and snapped up a couple basic summer skirts for work. (I had a great thrifted silk skirt for summer days at the office that I wore like crazy last year - until I spilled salad dressing down it and stained it. So I've been looking for replacements.)<br />
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I went downstairs and made breakfast and brought it back upstairs to bed with me - <a href="http://www.pastryaffair.com/blog/nutty-rhubarb-oatmeal.html" target="_blank">remember the fancy oatmeal recipe</a> I was going to try out? It's really super-duper good.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgggjT9mwS-2Y4303QJTlIm01-hZtgGDKs5bbv8b7QfwituvOkMjcZ5oFn2ssT_FMTgyIczw6SY9nLAJjebOMtXan4CmWD5ipyCQen_S4oXXhtX9oOPOp1o43akeihWgDJStNZGiFbDcA/s1600/border.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgggjT9mwS-2Y4303QJTlIm01-hZtgGDKs5bbv8b7QfwituvOkMjcZ5oFn2ssT_FMTgyIczw6SY9nLAJjebOMtXan4CmWD5ipyCQen_S4oXXhtX9oOPOp1o43akeihWgDJStNZGiFbDcA/s400/border.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Then I streamed a little trashy fantasy TV and broke out my pens and finished this border for a friend's book. It took me four hours to finish, and it felt so incredibly luxurious to just sit there in bed, drawing. Wonderful.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipWesxCeWNktROSug3sCMGe1bA1CQ-39tMGHBF4J3TFHIEnINQO-obgaPMo_wX15RE-Nl7ACIqp0RAeua5KXAkR5cR6MDGq_ww1n0dyosvy7Vh8JPiMjdutzx_WH64sPPcXtEFf5WDv-M/s1600/lupine+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipWesxCeWNktROSug3sCMGe1bA1CQ-39tMGHBF4J3TFHIEnINQO-obgaPMo_wX15RE-Nl7ACIqp0RAeua5KXAkR5cR6MDGq_ww1n0dyosvy7Vh8JPiMjdutzx_WH64sPPcXtEFf5WDv-M/s400/lupine+2.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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I squeezed in a short workout and then went out and smoothed and tamped the soil in an area of the yard that we just tilled up and enriched with compost this weekend, and planted several dozen dahlias from my MIL. I wound up having to pot up the last 17 tubers until we can prep more soil for them. They won't hold long in those quart-sized pots, but it's something, at least.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2TWpSKi5sxYqIgqDcpXpCa1lbBjVL460CSEN2QExPwJV3L7-NV_-WRU4aAW3fpvAqdn0w81y5W2Q7rPl06Aw-hNZbGajFFRvF6fnDgi1G8FGnatvnmXledGougjQWoKJ29MfHtsU1i3U/s1600/peonies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2TWpSKi5sxYqIgqDcpXpCa1lbBjVL460CSEN2QExPwJV3L7-NV_-WRU4aAW3fpvAqdn0w81y5W2Q7rPl06Aw-hNZbGajFFRvF6fnDgi1G8FGnatvnmXledGougjQWoKJ29MfHtsU1i3U/s400/peonies.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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And it's May, and there are peonies. Luscious, romantic peonies. We are building a thing of beauty.fleur_delicioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01500249000124155885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5241856778545179550.post-28721408142914532812016-05-23T22:46:00.003-07:002016-05-23T22:46:50.788-07:00holla!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's wild strawberry season! I brought about a dozen of these plants with me to start a colony at the new house. They're already sending out runners everywhere and I'm cheering!fleur_delicioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01500249000124155885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5241856778545179550.post-80079322595213985642016-05-22T22:56:00.000-07:002016-05-22T22:56:10.391-07:00another work week begins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's late. We had such a lovely weekend, though, that I want to pop in and say something about it before I go to bed.<br />
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Wait; scratch that. It's not just about having had a lovely weekend. It's also about choice.<br />
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There are always so many good opportunities, so many interesting, rich, and rewarding things to do. So many things I <i>want</i> to do. So many things I want to learn. So many things I want to make. So many things I want to read.<br /><br />These interests create pressures.<br /><br />There are also pressures created by the fact that I don't come from means. That I put myself through college - beginning with undergrad - and not in a lucrative field. So when I get the opportunity to freelance, to continue building a solid foundation of experience (and demonstrate my worth - my freelancing rate is going up), I have a hard time saying no. We have bills to pay. I'm always worried about what would happen if one of us wound up in the hospital. If my hubs got one of the many cancers that a certain genetic trait predisposes him to get. If, if if ...<br /><br />So many worries.<br /><br />I need to stop worrying quite so much. I know it's not productive, but it's hard to stop.<br /><br />Just like it's hard to step back and say, "I am going to complete all this work by my deadline easily. So it's okay not to work this weekend."<br /><br />I didn't so much consciously make that choice this weekend as ... a book arrived in the mail on Friday. A book my mother read in her book club and has been insisting I should read so we could talk about it. I requested it from the library on Monday and it actually arrived at the local branch on Thursday - I had planned to go for a nice long walk on Friday afternoon and pick it up. But then the book showed up on my doorstep! Funny Mom!<br /><br />I took the book to bed with me on Friday night. We slept in the sleeping nook in our guest room that night because the weather had turned cold and there was more heat in the attic than downstairs. This is all setting the stage for the perfect moment: Saturday morning, I woke late (for me). Cass was fast asleep beside me, Zaha curled in a ball between our feet. I pulled the book out from under my pillow and started reading.<br /><br />I was more than halfway through it a couple hours later, when we finally went to go get coffee. I had originally intended to head downstairs as soon as I awoke on Saturday, hit the elliptical for a couple miles, then make a grocery list, and generally do some tidying up.<br /><br />Instead I lay in bed with my dearest darling next to me and our little lamb of a cat curled at our feet and I got lost in a book for hours.<br /><br />It changed things.<br /><br />We got coffee and made dinner plans with a friend for next Friday. We ran a couple errands at a lazy pace. I bought fabric, frivolously, to make a dress for a friend's new baby - after I finish the fox quilt for her, that is! Cass was completely in the spirit of the thing, picking out cute buttons for the dress. As we get older, I think we both are really growing into this role as part of several families' "villages."<br /><br />We came home and I worked on that fox quilt, while watching a Harry Potter movie.<br /><br />I never did work out. We had a family dinner in the evening, and that was that for the whole day. .<br /><br />Today was much the same: a few necessary errands done, with some frittering about sandwiched in between. A little bit of yard work, but we were halted several times by rain. Eventually we gave up and called it a day, our planned task left unfinished. House not quite so clean as I'd intended it to be before the work week starts.<br /><br />But you know? Sometimes you just have to give yourself space to breathe. Time and space to let whatever it is that's inside of you unfurl.<br /><br />Here's to unwinding.<br /><br />
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I made <a href="http://withfoodandlove.com/coconut-curry-chickpeas/" target="_blank">this awesome and dead simple curry dish</a> on Friday. It was supposed to be dinner, but it was so good I ate two bowls of it for lunch and we had to make rice to stretch it for dinner (even then, it was a light meal!). I used a good vadouvan mix for the curry powder, substituted aleppo pepper in for the red pepper flakes, used light coconut milk instead of full-fat coconut milk (because my stomach can't handle a lot of fat like that), used the entire contents of a big bag of spinach from Trader Joe's (because why not?), and used fresh-cooked (not canned) garbanzos because if you have the time to soak and cook, why not?<br /><br />It's a really delicious dish - I think it'll be going into our regular weeknight rotation because it's so fast and tasty. Try it!</div>
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<br />This coming week, I'm trying <a href="http://www.pastryaffair.com/blog/nutty-rhubarb-oatmeal.html" target="_blank">this fancy oatmeal recipe</a>. I'm using coconut sugar to sweeten mine, and I prepped a TON of both chopped almonds (which I toasted!) and stewed rhubarb (probably four times as much as the recipe calls for!), figuring I could just quickly cook up a couple batches of the oats on various mornings. I'll let you know what I think once I've tried it - but I do so like starting the week with something special to eat for breakfast. A special breakfast is like a hug from your Weekend Self to your Workaday Self, don't you think?<br /><br />Apparently, I'm very much focused on self-love and self-care right now. Not a bad place for an overachieving perfectionist to be.<br /><br />Be good to yourselves this week!fleur_delicioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01500249000124155885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5241856778545179550.post-13743622508741996612016-05-21T16:24:00.001-07:002016-05-21T16:24:38.274-07:00grandmother's coffee cake - tweaked<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiRQKRua6_dLb7V2Tjl7u5Z3XHmak5sHAnoro017zeA7qo_HnEpwbB1_Xe-__TfBDf4XlHcbCad8cFbCZuswKwtffHoqnQ7P8ub0E5A23YFup3jUvbfZbLN3I6hFFIvSU2lJR8Ofj9wjY/s1600/coffee+cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiRQKRua6_dLb7V2Tjl7u5Z3XHmak5sHAnoro017zeA7qo_HnEpwbB1_Xe-__TfBDf4XlHcbCad8cFbCZuswKwtffHoqnQ7P8ub0E5A23YFup3jUvbfZbLN3I6hFFIvSU2lJR8Ofj9wjY/s400/coffee+cake.jpg" width="266" /></a></div>
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<i>I keep forgetting to write down this recipe, and having to call my mother at all hours of the day and night to get it - again! I've finally put it down in a little recipe book, but I wanted to post it here, too, so I can find it easily when I need it next. Here's the family version, with some notes at the end on how I change it up these days (hint: it's vegan).</i></div>
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<u>Blueberry Coffee Cake</u><br />
<u><br /></u>
For Crumb Mixture<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>1/2 c. sugar</li>
<li>1/3 c. sifted flour</li>
<li>1/2 tsp. cinnamon</li>
<li>1/4 c. soft butter</li>
</ul>
For Cake<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>3/4 c. sugar</li>
<li>1/4 c. soft butter</li>
<li>1 egg</li>
<li>1/2 c. milk</li>
<li>2 c. sifted flour</li>
<li>2 tsp. baking powder</li>
<li>1/2 tsp. salt</li>
<li>2 c. blueberries</li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.<br />
Butter and flour a 9" square pan<br />
<br />
Make crumb mixture: combine dry ingredients, then mix in butter until evenly combined. Set aside.<br />
<br />
Make cake: mix together sugar, butter, and egg in a large bowl. Stir in milk.<br />
<br />
In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder and salt.<br />
<br />
Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and stir to combine. Fold in blueberries.<br />
<br />
Pour batter into prepared pan, smoothing top. Sprinkle crumb mixture evenly over top of cake.<br />
<br />
Bake, 45-50 min or until tester inserted in center comes out clean.<br />
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-------<br />
<br />
<u>My substitutions:</u><br />
Use coconut oil for the soft butter in both crumb mixture and cake.<br />
Use egg replacer for the egg.<br />
Reduce sugar in cake to 1/3 cup.<br />
Substitute 2 c. homemade blackcurrant preserves or fresh or frozen huckleberries (in this cake, I used 1 c. blackcurrant preserves and 1 c. frozen huckleberries).<br />
You may need to bake for an extra 5=7 minutes if using frozen berries or preserves.fleur_delicioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01500249000124155885noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5241856778545179550.post-63657421104454544502016-05-21T00:03:00.003-07:002016-05-21T00:03:49.547-07:00tincture of fir<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Tincture of Douglas Fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii; started May 21, 2016.</i></div>
fleur_delicioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01500249000124155885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5241856778545179550.post-48064136414384715582016-05-16T15:53:00.003-07:002016-05-16T15:54:46.777-07:00tincture of roses ( a photo essay)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Tincture of roses, rosa sp.; started May 15, 2016</i></div>
fleur_delicioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01500249000124155885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5241856778545179550.post-56104448797322990162016-05-15T22:10:00.005-07:002016-05-15T22:10:42.962-07:00flowers in the garden, leaves on the table<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="text-align: start;">Unexpected delights in the garden: this tiny, first-year elderberry is already putting up a couple umbrels of pink blooms, and my "My Castle" lupine is even more beautiful than I remember it being last summer. In the kitchen, I've been trying out a recipe for dolmas made with veal, almonds, and tart cherries from </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Purple-Citrus-Sweet-Perfume-Mediterranean/dp/0062071599" style="text-align: start;" target="_blank">Purple Citrus & Sweet Perfume.</a></div>
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<br />fleur_delicioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01500249000124155885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5241856778545179550.post-35860874850711756932016-05-06T18:39:00.002-07:002016-05-06T18:40:12.526-07:00hustle and bustle<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Feels like I've been working so much lately - every day, the evening gets away from me and there's no time to update here. So, here's something of round-up. Lilacs on the mantle, on the table, everywhere. I wanted to candy some, but I think I might have to admit that there just isn't time this year...</div>
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Pink milk! Tart cherry concentrate in vanilla almond milk, a favorite afternoon pick-me-up of late.</div>
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I finished the fox quilt top and am starting to quilt it. The baby's overdue at this point ... looks like my gift will be, too. But not too far off (if, that is, I keep at it).</div>
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I bought this floral fabric a couple years ago because I couldn't bear to leave the fabric store without it. It's the perfect, sweet backing for the foxes.</div>
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Bolognese-making on a grey, rainy Sunday.</div>
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Little lupines I started from seed...<br />
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....all potted up, There's time for these to grow (and be potted up) for a year or so, while we get the back yard all tilled up and ready for a garden. Then I'll pack them in, everywhere. I've got purple echinacea, foxglove, and columbine coming on, too. Next year's garden will be so much showier, with all these little darlings added to the mix.</div>
<br />fleur_delicioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01500249000124155885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5241856778545179550.post-79263955375886706982016-04-23T08:10:00.003-07:002016-04-23T08:10:43.803-07:00solace<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It's a hard time of year. My late mentor's birthday is less than two weeks away; it's also the anniversary of his death. He's only been gone three years. Grief has been surprisingly durable. I hate the way late April casts a shadow over everything now - as we get closer to the date, the events of that morning suddenly spring to mind: how I looked out the kitchen window as I got the news and wondered - hoped - if he'd seen that beautiful sunrise. How thin and airless the atmosphere felt in the days and weeks after, a sort of surreal unmooring from gravity. How, for many weeks, it still didn't seem possible. The flowers I'd brought over 2 days earlier. How I'd asked him to eat one of them - a sacrament. How I refused to say farewell, and instead offered love and gratitude.<br />
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Any one of these memories - to say nothing of a flood of them - and I'm suddenly weeping. It happened to me this morning during my workout! It's very hard to finish an aerobic workout on an elliptical when your breathing suddenly becomes gusty with sobbing.<br />
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But I finished. I stepped out into the morning and sat on the porch step to cool off, my feet on the concrete, still wet from last night's rain. I looked to my left and saw this: one of the Giant Solomon's Seal plants we just added to the garden, sparkling with raindrops. And my tears stopped, just like that. I grabbed the camera so I could share it with you.<br /><br />I don't understand this strange power that the natural world has over me, but I also remember that when I finally said, "Enough!" and demanded a weekend off to grieve (my mentor died just weeks before my dissertation defense, during the final editing push and my advisor had insisted I could NOT stop to grieve until it was done - fearing, I'm certain, that I would lose momentum and miss my deadline), I spent that weekend in my garden. And it was the first time in weeks that didn't cry - not once. I just worked, quietly and steadily, in the sunshine - weeding, watering, pruning, tending.<br /><br />I don't understand it, but the natural world makes me whole - even when I am most broken.fleur_delicioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01500249000124155885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5241856778545179550.post-60307985750813124972016-04-22T15:16:00.002-07:002016-04-22T15:16:57.844-07:00two of a kind<br />
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Uf, this month. I still feel like I'm shaking off some kind of fog called <i>too much work</i>. But on the upside, I think things are settling down for the summer season (which is quieter for me), and the good weather is helping me feel like I can get more done.<br /> </div>
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Lots of pink and coral and orange in my world right now: from peony tulips ("wedding gift") opening up and making me realize that yes, there is a tulip out there that excites me (most tulips just don't wow me, to be honest - I love the big fields of them, but I find them unsatisfying except <i>en masse</i> like that. THESE, however, are different!) to a pinky-coral-apricot quilt of cute little fox-faces for friends who are about to have their first child. <br /><br />I'll get you a better picture of the full quilt top when the sun come back - or maybe even if it doesn't; the only shot I have of it right now was taken quite late at night (just as I finished it, of course, and was oh-so-eager to document and share IMMEDIATELY). </div>
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It's supposed to rain this weekend. Ho-hum. I don't quite know what to do with myself. Perhaps we'll go about setting up the garage - FINALLY - and getting closer to wrapping up the end of the moving-in. (I'd say "I can't <i>believe</i> we haven't completed this process yet!" but that would be an outright lie! I <i>knew</i> we were going to drag our heels on this final stage - oh well. We do need to just <i>get it done</i>, though. We really do.)fleur_delicioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01500249000124155885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5241856778545179550.post-20989478450527929772016-04-12T22:15:00.000-07:002016-04-12T22:15:36.872-07:00treasure<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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On Monday we went for a walk north of our neighborhood for several miles. On the way we came across a Little Free Library. I was curious and peeked in, and found this gem! It's a hardcover facsimile of an English naturalist's journal from the year 1906.</div>
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It's just beautiful; look at these illustrations and hand-written observations. The whole year's in here, too; I think I'll ration it out month by month, working through it over the course of a year.fleur_delicioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01500249000124155885noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5241856778545179550.post-20485953300237883202016-04-11T20:04:00.000-07:002016-04-11T20:04:09.331-07:00Finally<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ah, it's been awhile. Wish I had an excuse, but I don't - not really, nothing other than the standard: life got in the way. I've been terribly tired lately. So terribly tired. Falling asleep on the bus ride home, dragging myself through the motions of a workout, then eating and crashing on the couch each night. Finally, sometime last week I had an idea: maybe I was low on iron. I petitioned Cass (who was in the middle of making a salad dinner) to head out and get me a steak from the local grocery store; he did - and I ate the entire thing (after a cherry smoothie), then curled up and went to sleep.<br />
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The next morning, I finally felt like myself again for the first time in weeks. What a relief. I'm trying to make sure I'm eating a bit more protein (plant and animal) now, just so I don't dip back into exhaustion.<br />
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I also gave myself a three-day weekend this weekend, taking some vacation time today to get a break from the workplace. That freed up my weekend (from the usual routine of housework - recovering from the past week and prepping for the next work week) so we could go on some lovely long walks in the spring sunshine, and see everything abloom.</div>
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It is finally, really, the full flush of spring here in the north. Thank goodness. Oh, thank goodness. Our wettest winter on record had even me (who normally doesn't really notice these things) grousing about the rain by the end of February. And then, even as it began to finally taper down, it still seemed the temperature would never rise. Some years it's harder than others, getting through those last weeks of winter. I'm always itchy, anticipating next season, but this year it was more difficult than normal - perhaps because I haven't yet established a mature garden, and so I was missing those early plants (salad burnet, sorrel) that help get me through 'til the rhubarb and morels arrive.</div>
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Of course, now we've had a few sunny days (even one gloriously sunny week!), I want nothing but summer warmth all the time. I keep reminding myself how sick I was of the heat by the end of last summer, to temper the cravings a bit - but it doesn't help much. I want to wear sandals and lightweight skirts and feel warm breezes brush my skin.</div>
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Soon. Already the cool days have something of a round softness to them; the edge has come off the cold. The hillsides and ravines are flush with the most brilliant new greens - of big leaf maple blossoms, of fiddleheads, of bright, immature leaves that have yet to settle down into the fullness of their summer emerald. Everything is new, and I am giddy with it all. Spring! Come again! At last!!fleur_delicioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01500249000124155885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5241856778545179550.post-16727374556740802152016-03-28T20:24:00.004-07:002016-03-28T20:24:46.373-07:00the laundress<br />
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I worked a 6:30-2:30 shift at work today, because my husband went skiing with his dad and so my morning ride in needed to be a bit ... early. I managed to get home around 4, hand-wash a bunch of sweaters and hang them out to dry (this one just needs to be aired; I snagged it on ebay and it's awesome but it smells like a used clothing store - it's febreze, right, that smells like that?), sow some foxgloves and then squeeze in a good 45-minute workout on the elliptical before Cass got home and we made dinner.<br /><br />We're supposed to have a whole week of sunny weather here. Remember my blues? So ready for a break from the rain! I was shooting photos of the hellebores in the garden tonight; they were so gorgeous in the dappled evening sunlight. I suppose just about <i>anything </i>looks gorgeous in sunlight by now. </div>
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<br />And now I'm so tired that I think I'll shower and hit the sack - I thought I'd get some drawing time tonight, but I just don't think I can hack it. Oh well. We're drinking some SoCal pinot and watching <i>Flaked</i>, that new Netflix series - it reminds me of when we lived in SoCal, in a charmingly nostalgic way. I pretty much just feel like drinking California wine and curling up in bed!</div>
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<br />fleur_delicioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01500249000124155885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5241856778545179550.post-92116772939426958942016-03-27T19:30:00.000-07:002016-03-27T19:30:05.971-07:00respite<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ah, yes. Finally. A day at home. Pouring rain kept us indoors (except for a very brief 15-minute planting stint between showers this afternoon). A dinner party last night meant we finished cleaning the house yesterday. And no freelancing this weekend. At least - no immediate deadlines.<br />
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So today there was time. Time to roast beets for dinner in a couple days; time to mix up yogurt and salt and start it fermenting and straining on the table to make labneh for dinner another night; time to sew.<br />
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Twenty-five foxes and counting. Just about two-thirds of the way through this quilt top; it'll be a photo finish to complete it before the birth, though. Now, to make some oatmeal breakfast bars for the week, hit the elliptical, eat dinner, and head to bed - we have an extra-early morning tomorrow. What a lovely day it's been!<br />fleur_delicioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01500249000124155885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5241856778545179550.post-50311558094099560872016-03-26T15:13:00.001-07:002016-03-26T15:13:18.136-07:00Recalibrating<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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You know how I said in my last post that I'd been working a lot lately? Yeah, <i>phew!</i> Finally caught up with all the freelancing and have a little time to rest and recenter.<br /><br />Tonight we have friends coming over to eat dinner and play board games - a little low-key fun. We're keeping things simple, with some marinated shrimp tacos and an orange-and-avocado salad. To add a little special touch, I decided to make a rhubarb elixir for cocktails and/or mocktails (or just to drink warm, as tea).<br /><br />I've posted this rhubarb tea before; today I'm riffing on it with blood orange zest instead of lemon (because, to be honest, I started the pot then noticed that we were out of lemons), and with the addition of some dried rosehips, dried hibiscus, and lavender. For those who have missed the previous post, this is just 10-12 stalks of rhubarb, washed and sliced up, thrown in a pot with fresh rosemary and the aforementioned ingredients. I'll simmer until the rhubarb is absolutely falling apart (about 30-60 minutes), then will strain out all the solids, and sweeten the resulting elixir with good honey (the best you've got - I'm using some Scottish heather honey to layer in extra floral notes). If the flavor is weak, you can return it to the pan and slowly simmer it to reduce and concentrate it. The resulting brew is wonderful as a flavorful herbal tea, or added to sparkling water or sparkling wine for a fun drink (we'll pair it with a brut champagne-method rose tonight). And as the spruce and doug firs come into leaf, substitute young evergreen tips for the rosemary!<br /><br />Try it sometime - it's a beautiful little bit of kitchen magic!fleur_delicioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01500249000124155885noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5241856778545179550.post-43039980859229592072016-03-12T19:22:00.003-08:002016-03-12T19:26:53.118-08:00the blues<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I've been working a lot lately. It's also been raining. A lot. Wettest winter on record. Normally this doesn't really bother me; in fact, I usually don't notice excessive precipitation for weeks, sometimes even months - I just go about my business, thinking, <i>oh, it's raining today</i>, as if it hadn't been raining yesterday, the day before, the day before that, all last week, all month ...<br />
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But it's starting to seep into my consciousness - or rather, my subconscious. This week I had vaguely unsettling dreams about water: about needing to make a connecting flight by flushing myself, Ministry-of-Magic-style, to a gate - only the large public restroom toilet, in the weird, beige-carpeted, filthy underground mall that was the airport in my dream was broken, and we missed our flight. Or I dreamt I was a seagull (unsettling in itself), fishing - only to land in the net of a big fishing boat; as the ropes closed around me, I thought, <i>Shit. I'm dead</i>.</div>
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Ugh.<br />
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The one thing that has been going well lately is the garden. Maybe we're overcompensating for everything else, everything we can't fix or make better, by going out each weekend, rain or shine, and gardening like we're a pair of bonkers hobbits. I'm talking eight-hour-days of gardening levels of bonkers. Friday-evening-after-work gardening-in-the-rain-as-it-gets-dark kinds of bonkers. It's immensely satisfying to work such an incredible transformation so quickly. It's also nice to get so much fresh air, and to be doing something together. But it's also incredibly exhausting. And the physical exhaustion is combining with the exhaustion of so much work, so many deadlines, and poor sleep of late.<br />
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I've got the blues, friends. I've got the <i>spring-better-come-cause-I-need-it-now </i>blues.<br />
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The big leaf maple blossoms are almost in bloom, and I feel myself clutching maybe a little desperately at every flower: COME ON, NOW. I NEED SOME SUNSHINE!fleur_delicioushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01500249000124155885noreply@blogger.com0