tuesday

wednesday morning

It has finally turned cooler and the sun is much later to rise.

Puttering around before going into work.

The lace scarf I'm working is a lovely pattern of leaves

knit in a dusty shade of plum merino wool.

Dearest V once told me she thinks of leaves when she thinks of me.

I can't think of any sweeter than to be associated with leaves.

xo, j

sorting out

Yesterday was the beginning of a week's vacation for me.

A week with no commitments...a week just for me.

I spent Saturday sorting through my art supplies 

and straightening up my drawing table.

(It took 6 hours and two large garbage bags!)

Sophie is thrown out of sorts when I move things around,

but she also loves to adventure through the re-arranged spaces.

Besides, it's good to shake up our little world once in a while.

Many closets await my attention this week but the leaves are changing 

so I'm looking forward to a walk or two in the woods and making some things.

Maybe a day trip to the city?

Wishing all a peaceful Sunday.

xo, j

morning thunderstorm

This morning the rain was so heavy that local radio announced

storm drains that blew off their manhole covers and flooded the streets.

It's still quite hot here, even with the rain.

My small orchid that smells of fruit has two more blooms waiting.

Tomatoes, Seeds and Rain

Three of my last six windowsill toms

It's been unrelentingly hot and humid here!

90+F for days

The beautiful heirloom tomatoes were purchased from a local farm.

They were so sweet I decided to save some of the seeds and give them a try next year.

Unable to find my glassine envelopes for storage

(Yes, there is such a thing as too many art supplies!)

I will just have to make my own.

And then the rain finally came, late in the afternoon.

Not the sticky summer rain that only increases the humidity,

but the cool clearing rain of autumn.

Oxalis, Hooked Rugs and Tomatoes

Thank you all for the comments on my previous post.

They were wonderfully kind and supportive.

The sun is bright this morning and the cicadas still roar.

I harvested five cherry tomatoes this morning, not bad for a windowsill plant.

Hope your day is lovely!

Tomatoes

About a week ago I repotted my tomato, rosemary, basil and ivy plants.

The tomato quickly responded to the new soil and "leg room"

as the little fruits have started to turn cherry red.

It may be ridiculous to be babbling on about the simple process of plant growth,

but I'm so proud of my little tomato plant!

Once I was gushing to a friend about how quickly some picked basil

rooted when placed in a glass of water.

"Isn't that what it's supposed to do?" he asked, a bit puzzled.

"Yes, but how wonderful!" was my reply.

So here's to the steady growth of plants,

and the amazement of small wonders.

Sunday - At Home

A mostly cloudy afternoon has given way to sun.

I did the usual domestic chores today

vacuum

dishes

grocery

Then settled down with some iced tea

in a favorite little glass.

You used to be able to buy sour cream in these glasses.

Now I stumble upon them at flea markets.

The black wheat pattern was an especially striking find.

I've finally colored and cut all the pieces for the Farm book

and will begin assembly this evening.

Basil and cherry tomatoes share the windowsill.

I'm still amazed that the tomatoes are growing indoors.

Happy Father's Day!

Saturday

Since my return from the mountains I've been very, very busy.

As my friend, littlelichen, suggested 

"Head to the woods and never return to civilization!"

My heart is always in the woods...

Yesterday I had to give a block printing and bookbinding demo at work.

I hauled in the pages for Farm and a copy of April, among other things.

The response was great and I even had requests to purchase each book.

Last night I spent three hours cutting around the 12 first panels of Farm;

12 complete copies are going to take a while to finish!

The flowers on my yellow orchid are starting to droop,

pretty amazing since they bloomed in February!

As impossible as it seems, I have three tiny cherry tomatoes on my windowsill plant.

The hothouse beauties will be used to make a tomato and avocado sandwich for lunch.

Hope you enjoy your weekend.